quiet, rain and wool...

So this is what I wish I was seeing out my studio window....

But alas it's raining...

and I've been in the studio most of New Years day working on my latest needle felted creature, Ivy...

 

I've been down with a cold for a few days so there was little celebrating or staying up late...the blue moon was shrouded in cloud so I felt in the same company as her...the lights out at 10pm after a few chapters of my book. I'm not sure if it's an age thing, a country thing or what but I find that going out and staying out late just isn't as intriguing as it used to be. When I lived in town, it was definitely much easier to go out and about....I could jump on my bicycle or flag a cab and most things were within 20 minutes or so away from home. I must admit that I do miss going to the movies on a rainy night and then out for a pint afterwards but all in all I think I've become somewhat of a cocooner and it's all good. The warmth of the fire with a glass of wine and a rented movie suits me fine. I'm sure I've had my fill of late nights although I'm not saying that I'm putting myself out to pasture or anything...just that...well it's that damn woodstove and curling up on the couch with Tom that's so appealing now...have I come to my senses? Grown up? Well I do know one things for sure...you can grow old but stay childlike forever...

the things that were...

Nest

 I walked out, and the nest

Was already there by the step. Woven basket

of a saint

sent back to life as a bird

Who proceeded to make

a mess of things. Wind

right through it, and any eggs

long vanished. But in my hand it was

intricate pleasure, even the thorny reeds

softened in the weave. And the fading

leaf mold, hardly

itself anymore, merely a trick

of light, if light

can be tricked. Deep in a life

is another life.

I walked out, the nest

already by the step.

Marianne Boruch

From... POEMS: New and Selected

Published by Oberlin College Press 2004

(Used by kind permission)

Revisitng in the New Year....

O.k boys and girls...time to put away all that Christmas music thats been bombarding us for the last month, and start a new play list...I was a Clash fan in the days of 'London Calling' and 'Combat Rock' and have been revisiting Joe Strummer with his last band, The Mescaleros. Strummer had a way of singing which was raw, beautiful and full of punch...he sunk his teeth into every song he sang...even with a bit of mellowing, he still grabbed life by the scruff of the neck...A great talent we lost but his songs will be with us for a long time to come...cheers Joe.

this side of the edge of dawn...

Quite often I am up before the sun and I find this time especially peaceful and promising of the day to come.

Much of the world is still in slumber, save for the birds and creatures who call the dawn a time for their day to begin...

It's a time of day when the world starts new...ideas are born...tasks are planned...a chance to begin all over again...

To quote Harry Manx..."Morning arrives...so gorgeous like a great dog yawn..."

bird watching...

In my studio I have a large picture window where my work table sits. I purposely had this window put in for the view towards the garden, in the west for the sunsets and to watch the birds. Today is cold and damp and the bird feeding table is a busy place..

Mostly it is the Juncos that have come around...

My mom used to call them the executioner bird because of their black hoods...

The Towhee comes intermittently with his ruby red eyes and flicks of his tail each time he moves...

And every once in a while the Fox sparrow makes an attempt at having a small mouthful...

I can sit and watch them for hours and marvel at how those skinny little legs don't freeze up on them...

Bird watching brings me such joy and to think that they're not even aware of this...just having a snack and trying to get through another winter...

 Maybe come spring they'll find bits of this exploded bull rush around the place to line their nests with...

                       

 

Skating on a Frozen Lake in Austria

...wish I had a river I could skate away on...

Not so far in the distant past...

My mom gave me this funny little book of a collection of reproduced pamphlets put out by the British government during the war years.

Funny thing is though that many of these 'tips' are very relevent today in these times of the troubled economy...

Doing repairs yourself...

Recyling...

And being green.

Although quite corny and old fashioned, the tricks and tips on reusing and generally not being wasteful are more than appropriate for this day and age...

I make it a rule not to go NEAR a store on Boxing Day while all the other mad shoppers are out looking for that one great deal on something they really don't need.

This Christmas was low key and relaxing with visiting friends and family and good food and drink.

Calls to and from the ones I love who are far away and silly old movies on the tube.

One day trip to the mainland to see my sister and her family...a beautiful, cold, frosty drive with mom and the Da...Pogues and David Francy on the cd player.

Keepin' it simple.