↪ skipping school

this afternoon I should have started doing something with these ☟

and these ⬇

and these ↴

and these ↓

and thinking about these ⤵

with some talented children in a local school :

but instead｟because of 'severe weather warnings'｠

there is no play today ~ only at home :

so I made this ⇙

*I want the children to make some too,

carrying special messages from nature*

I flicked through this ⥥

and smiled at these ⇩

before I sit down to begin making something cosy with this ⇣

and wish you all a good day whatever the weather!

仝 visiting friends

'still on 4 sat, tom soup and cheesy garlic brd, lunch bout 12.30. C ya's then? Lol S x'

how could I resist a text like that?

'Ooo yes please!  Sounds yum x '

armed with a bottle of my sloe gin and some corks *more on those in a bit*

we drove to claim our soupy prize :

Sandra and I have been friends for 14 years ~ saying it out loud makes me wonder 

where the time has gone!?

we met soon after giving birth to our little bundles of joy and just 'clicked' :

apart from being 'outsiders' in our *little village, we had and still have

loads in common.

*little village being Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex where I lived for 3 years*

she always makes us feel so welcome when we visit :

the time flies by as we talk books, art, fashion, recipes, film, 

kids and we eat, chat more and laugh :

she's very modest about her skills but I can tell you she's a talent all right :

her writing is a joy to read,  her cooking sublime, 

her knowledge in the garden is vast and her skills with the 

needle fabulous  :

no wonder her youngest is artistic already :

the corks were for him :

*no dear reader, I didn't drink all those bottles of champers,

although I did enjoy quite a few glasses at Mr B's 50th birthday*

he's quite the entrepreneur, charging a small fee for portraiture :

*this is a good likeness I'm told so I'll have to watch out for the

noseless Mr Hunt*

but what does he do with those corks you may wonder?

he has created a whole world of people :

carefully drawn and glued :

the queen and the grass cutters :

the knights and swordsmen are as scary as they look :

can't wait to see the new members of his imagination :

after our scrumptious soup we went for a walk :

through the country park to the marina :

then along the prom, past boats and huts and chandlers :

until the coming twilight signalled us back :

via Jennie's for a warming cuppa by her logburning stove ....

*the lush drank all her sloe gin already and had I known I'd have given her a bottle too!* 

∷ 01:01:10

☯ not drowning but waving

as the decade closes it's time to appease the demons 

and think of resolutions for the coming year :

twice this week, those little signposts pointed me here ➳

onelittleword

my word for 2010 is 

and for me to look there ~ I have written this ➳

*the title is a play on one of my favourite poems by Stevie Smith

not waving but drowning

♫ you make my heart sing

there's been lots of this ....

oh I have been spoilt!

I adore my greeny boots from Libbie❤

and chocs + treats for every eventuality

*thanks Ab, Cheryll, Rossella & Sue*

and the beautiful Conchita hanging in the hall

*thank you to the Browns*

and gifts with me in mind

*thanks Hayley and Alex the fine stitcher*

and books books delicious books

*thanks Libbie❤ & Samantha+Jack*

divine foldy paper goodness

*thanks Zoe & Andy*

and bling createD especially for me

*thanks Sue*

and practicality in mind

*thanks Mummy*

so I'm wearing my disco socks

*thanks Stanley & Edward*

and settling down by the fire ....

to make a new cover for my sewing machine

happy holidays!

∻ happy holidays

thank you for all your kind thoughts and wishes :

for dropping by and taking time :

wishing you all a magical new year :

see you there

^_^

❤

♲ it won't stop me from recycling

it's easy to feel that whatever you do ~ it won't be enough :

the results of the Copenhagen climate summit this month have been given negative press from all sides :

Greenpeace, as ever, rallying up and pushing for more :

* big support from here *

*picture from greenpeace

 it's easy to think that sorting your paper, glass and tin is but a microbe in the ocean 

when some newly industrialised countries ~ like Malaysia and South Korea, now have emissions higher than many European countries :

Malaysia's emissions are four times what they were in 1990 ~ per head of population, that's equal to the UK's:

Saudi Arabia's emissions have doubled ~ per head now beats all European countries except Luxembourg:

Qatar's per-capita emissions are four times those of the US:

it's easy to get gloomy over such statistics :

what we need is some balance :

the richer countries helping the poorer ones with all aspects of their environment :

stepping up to the plate and admitting they need change too :

*photo thanks to artofthestate