Hope Floating

I have discovered, of recent times, that I have a fairly poor imagination. It's actually just always been that way..oh yes plenty of passion & creative impulse, but I just cannot "see" things. I am so grateful to have discovered the world of blogging & with it the art of the photo. Bringing beauty closer, recording life in a form in which I can savour the days & ordinary moments just a little more, capture them & make them mine, causing them to linger. Enmeshing the time with meaning. Stilling the blur. Hope floating. Buoyancy.
Which is why I was so delighted to head out on an adventure this morning, just out of town to a tiny country school at Poukawa & their Country Fair. There were delays in setting up..it happens with rain, but what wonderful encounters we had. First we met a local farmer who sells raw milk (Paul & Christine Ashton)..I have been meaning to hook up with this milk for ages..so all done. Than I found these fabulous fridge magnets made by the very talented Katherine Quinn of Napier.

The picture on the right is entitled "hope floats"
 Isn't this just the loveliest encouragement..I found this written on Katherine's
 Etsy "page"

"Be proud of where you come from, where you sit in this world. Even if it is a few small islands in the middle of the deep blue sea… know it and cherish it well."

It began to rain more heavily so we made a mad dash for the car & went a little further down the road to the funky, friendly Paper Mulberry Cafe for a coffee.

 The spring colours of nearby fields were unexpected.

Quirky touches can be found all through the old place.

vintage pictures 
greet you above 
the hand basin


I found this odd character
 staring back at me

And this handy suggestion glued to a table

next table over was covered with "Wild Things"

In the centre of our own table we discovered this goofy little pair.

Out the back is a reading room with comfy chairs & cheap secondhand community donated books that can be browsed through or bought.

Out the window was a busy wee wax eye, determined to make a colour change in the nest department this year.

Luckily she wasn't spotted by the Charlie. He's been up & down trees & keeping the birds on their "wings" all week.

I am fascinated by how many things that I do just because...that's just how you do it!
Why didn't I think about displaying roses in bowls not just vases before?

On my way home from the Garden Centre I discovered this row of flowering Hawthorn trees bordering a playing field.

 I love the leaf shape too.

sooo much happening in the garden

Saturday morning found us down the road at a very small car boot sale. I looked up & saw this little one. Love the doll under the arm & a handful of dress : )

and then found this baby set of books

I thought that there was something familiar about the illustrations. The nutshell library was indeed written by Maurice Sendak author of "Where the Wild Things Are" right back in 1962.

Ha, ha look at this a tiger selling old clothes! 

My produce. Spring peas. Lucky there's only me home for dinner tonight!

Rob thinks I'm being mean but I just meant there's hardly enough for two ; )

We've had a go at making some Christmas fruit mince..well twice now. I can't imagine what happened to the first lot??

Oh no, only two more of the Vintage Style Calendar pages left from House on the Hill. Here is the one for November.

  Thanks so much for coming by. 

Hope you have a really lovely week.

MUCH

XX