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Wednesday 8 May 2013

Gently Unfolding Stories..

Did you have a favourite teacher when you were little?
I had some lovely teachers when I was at primary school, but none quite as wonderful as my dear friend Pom Pom..I feel sure that all who have the good fortune to be under her guidance in a classroom will well remember her warmth & passion all the days of their lives.
I recall, a month or two ago, Karen telling about a young girl in her teaching care who had suffered great loss: the little burdened one had developed a way of coping with the pain, by taking her own time with all things. She would simply refuse to be hurried along.
I still hear much talk about our hurried, harried lifestyles but as I too sit with pain & discomfort (quite often) I am grateful for the thought that any of us can make the choice to simply take our time, measured time & refuse to be stressed & rushed. Such is the case with each day of our lives; the stories that unfold sometimes simply express themselves in their own sweet time & will not be marched to the insistent beat of the expectation drum.
I am letting the stories unfold gently these days.
It's good to have choices, don't you think & your own story to live in?
I got held up at the organic stall at the market on Sunday buying celeriac, I chose to relax about it & when I came running out of the hall, knowing that I had kept Rob waiting for ages, he came running after me laughing & not cross at all. It is so good to keep practicing ways of kindness, not irritation. 
We took the time to stop on a journey into the country last week.
These apples were just sitting there, perfectly ready to eat.
Tree-ripened, crunchy & delicious Granny Smiths.
Lucy is very nearly ready for a wee road trip..into the country perhaps
 or maybe to the seaside?!
Rob is organizing her a spare wheel tomorrow.
Last thing.
 I have finished making the pink candlewick/doily cushions & managed to find a very vintage '50s looking sleeping bag at The Hospice Shop a week or two ago. It's not as contrasting as the camera makes out & unlike the easy care modern variety is made of a heavy cotton fabric & lining & doesn't rustle...at all!

 A day or so ago I found a bag of filet crochet tucked in the corner of the craft section of the same op shop. It was one of those continuous varieties, painstakingly crocheted & intended to grace a linen tablecloth.
I have re-invented it's purpose & used it instead to decorate Lucy's little windows.
 Much better for it to be used & admired ever single day than tucked in the cupboard through over-preciousness!

We called in for a delicious cup of Earl Grey tea at this garden centre cafe last weekend.
We just had to sit at this pretty table.
I quite fancy finding an old pram or dolls pram, but ah...the space factor!
This is such a magnificent vista viewed from the cafe courtyard.

I love this idea..hosting a beehive in the garden. Apparently we need to help the bees as much as possible these days. It costs $300 a year to host a hive but you do get 250 grams of honey every 2 weeks, which is quite a lot in a year really. Worth thinking about.
I hate to contemplate what might have become of so many unwanted items before the advent of ebay & Trade Me. I just love this vibrant tapestry.
I am going to make it in to a cushion soon.


Having spent most of my life feeling like an outsider & that I didn't belong or make a difference I really liked this quote that I came across today. It's through the open sharing & correspondence of blogging that I have discovered that we do indeed touch each others lives & that helps me to believe that I make a difference in the world around me, right here too. 

"What I do know is that, feel it or not - no man is an island, we are not alone.
 My failures, my successes, my strengths and weaknesses reach beyond me - they affect people around me. Whether or not I feel close, my life - every life - touches other lives.
 We are joined in a responsibility to together make this world a good one for all of us.
 Each of us warms the world or chills it in-as-much as we offer or withhold respect, hospitality, encouragement, love, or truth. In that sense we are all part of each other's well-being or
sickness, and we affect the climate that we all share."
~ R. Mullins

Isn't that just such good commonsense talk...each of us warms the world or chills it!
Thank you so much for warming my world!
I am so glad that you came to visit.
I hope that you know just how important you are through this coming week...every moment of every day. 
I was so blessed to have an Inspiring Blog Award passed on to me by Barbara from March House Books just the other day. I'll tell you more about that next time. 

We've been sitting in Lucy & singing this little song loudly all week (well not the actual whole week)..want to join in..??!!
It's a perfect Lucy song!



♥♥♥♥♥

25 comments:

  1. Thank you for your lovely comment.

    I,m sure you will enjoy a trip in your little Lucy. Look forward to reading your adventures.

    Christy

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    1. Always a pleasure to visit with you Christy.
      Such modest adventures...but so much fun! x

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  2. ooh a trip, how exciting! lucy is certainly ready, all dressed up in her finery. the window dressing looks especially pretty. the refusing to be hurried thing really interested me. it is such an antidote to modern day pressures. pre children i certainly tried to get off the treadmill but failed for the most part, but since having kids you have to force yourself off it for their benefit. now i love bumbling around feeling outside of that great sweep of must-be-busyness x

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    1. Thank you for taking the time to comment Max..& for your lovely reflections.
      Well done you, to be so relaxed with a new baby & Claud. I feel certain that you will look back on these years & feel right chuffed with yourself. The 52 project is a fantastic addition to capturing this important, fleeting time.
      Much love Catherine x0x

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  3. Hello lovely GK,
    Thank you for reminding me about little P. and her slow and quiet ways. It's a comfort. You are so nice, so generous. I'm so thankful that you are my friend.
    I am going to slow down my thinking a bit and enjoy my students for the remaining days of this school term. I am very ready to have my days back, but these last days at school can matter very much. Thank you for reminding me.
    Oh, I love Lucy and I can just see you and Rob tooling down the lovely roads of your land. When i read your words and enjoy your photos, I always think, "Why don't I go to the thrift stores and the antique malls more often?" You are a treasure hunter. You are a treasure.
    Sending so much love your way, kind one.

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    1. Thank you too Pom for teaching us new ways to encourage those we encounter along life's paths. Your words are fresh & crisp, yet so very warm & inspiring. You send "us" out with renewed doses of self confidence, yet you draw us in & freely dispense friendly, fluffy jersey hugs that make the world seem like a wonderful place, at the same time imparting the innate assurance that we will all be ok!
      Perhaps you can do a little bit of op shopping at terms end : ) x0x0x

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  4. I love the song you shared at the end! It so cheered me today.

    And I know how you feel about rushing around. I've really learned this past year by being forced to slow down that everything still gets done, people really don't mind waiting on me most of the time & it's the slow easy ordinary times that really bond us together.

    I so love your blog! And Lucy is looking really good. :o)

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    1. You are so sweet Jenny.
      I am really glad that you are enjoying your visits here. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. It is so nice to have such lovely friends.
      Yes we sometimes get sent that lesson through illness & struggle & we really have no choice but to pace ourselves..there will always be more to do either way!
      Very cheery song indeed..one that keeps getting stuck in our heads in this house!
      Much love Catherine x0x0x

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  5. Hello Catherine, Yes we definately all need reminding from time to time to just simply slow down & smell the roses a bit more I feel :-) Thanks for reminding me this week as I rush around accomplishing very little my friend.
    You know, its funny, I just never actually thought about you taking a road trip in Lucy ... I guess I just imagined her in your yard giving you an extra "space" to retreat to or
    maybe for guests to stay in. So how exciting - a road trip, bet you will get lots of curious tourists wanting to look inside her at all her vintage beauty. I love the cushions you have made for her - just perfect (like Lucy herself).
    I really enjoyed the little verse & have printed it off for my sewing room wall - have a lovely rest of the week dear heart, much love Julie xx

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    1. Dear Julie...that is one of things that I have so come to treasure about "this" kind of friendship. The mutual inspiration & the responsive hearts of such lovely woman that gather together in blogland. How delightful that the little verse that spoke to me (coming through facebook of all things!) has now got itself attached to your wall!
      In joining in "here" we seem to be universally bringing willing hearts, caring hearts..minds eager to know & learn more & encourage those around us as we go.
      I am so grateful for your candid posting & sharing & your wonderfully inspiring creativity.
      There is nothing at all wrong with productivity, of course, just sometimes it's ok to pace ourselves & not be stressed by what we imagine to be the expectations of others.
      Hope it's been a good week. Bit chilly the last few days!
      Much love Catherine x0x0x

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  6. Ah Catherine, just what I needed this week. I've been dealing with pain and feeling really down and frustrated. Thanks for reminding me that I need to slow down and take it one day, one hour, one step at a time.

    Hugs,
    Sharon

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    1. Hello Sharon, I am so glad that you popped in. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Pain is such a difficult thing to deal with isn't it, especially when it is very persistent or worrying. It seems to stress our whole nervous system & makes me anxious & grumpy. When things get bad that's all you can do..adapt, take kind care of yourself & hope that a better day will come soon.
      Hope that things improve for you, even just a little, very soon.
      Much love Catherine x0x0x

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  7. I like your beautiful writings on your blog so relaxing and calm LOve the photos also Cheers:)

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  8. Oh my goodness Catherine there are so many good things in this post I just don’t know what to say! I’m smiling and singing along to MacFly as I type this – do do do do do do do!!! It’s certainly easy to fall in love with everything about your blog, have fun with the award Barbara x

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    1. Hello Barbara,
      Thanks so much for your comments..glad that you are smiling & singing away too.
      I’m loving all your dear, dear old books & illustrations.
      Much love Catherine x0x

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  9. I love your posts, they are like opening a friendly magazine for a good read! Lucy is looking so pretty, I especially like her new lace curtaining. I would so much like to host a hive, it's not much of a thing in the UK yet but I have noticed the library is getting loads more books on beekeeping so interest is growing, when I enquired about beekeeping I found the compulsory training course and insurance that goes with it was beyond my means - such a shame. Hope you will be having travels with Lucy soon and will be able to show us your journeys sometimes. Betty

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    1. Hello Betty...so nice to "see" you!
      Thank you so much for such grand encouragement! It's nice to be friendly! That's interesting about the bee keeping. The fees this end included monitoring, dealing with any varroa mite infestation should it be a threat & registration etc. Insurance?? In case your bees get out & sting the neighbours??! I guess it's a good way to do things as most of us might not understand all the various requirements.
      My brother actually has hives out on his farm...perhaps I should chat with him first!
      Went for our first wee practice journey in Lucy this afternoon. It was so much fun!
      Much love Catherine x0x0x

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  10. I could live in Lucy forever. Absolutely love what you have done there and enjoying your blog very much.

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    1. Thank you so much Michelle!! So kind of you to say! x

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  11. Love the crocheted lace - did you crochet it yourself? - the bunting and the lovely heart.

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    1. The crocheted lace is amazing...done in a whole nother era. I tried to do some once & it came out ok but takes ages!
      I did, however, manage to make the little bunting & bought the fragrant lavender heart from a market a few weeks ago. I like to support other crafters & this heart was so sweet with it's velvet flowers. Much love Catherine x0x

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  12. Lucy is just amazing. What a beautiful tranquil space to dream in.

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting & your lovely comments.
      Very much appreciated!
      Yes Lucy is a very tranquil sanctuary & Rob loves her just as much as I do : )
      Much love Catherine x

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  13. Hello Catherine,

    Lucy is looking so lovely, the details you are adding to her are just beautiful. Great pick up with the tapestry, I am sure it will be loving its new life at your home. We went to learn about bee keeping last weekend, found it so interesting.

    Have a lovely weekend and Mother's Day.

    Happy days.
    Bev.

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    1. Hello Bev,
      I'm glad that you like the Lucy details. It's a collaboration really..Rachel did such a great job to start with & we are having such fun adding the extras & making her truly ours.
      Yes, I am thrilled with the tapestry. Like all these hand crafts there's a huge amount of time invested in them (as you well know). So nice to be able to wing it on someone else's efforts!
      Bee-keeping is fascinating. Good for you going to learn about it!
      Much love Catherine x0x0x

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So lovely of you to leave a comment. Thank you!! So sorry if you've tried to leave one & it hasn't worked. You are welcome to email me at catherine@sunshinevintage.nz instead, if you'd like to, much love Catherine♥

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