Woodland Dominoes, Racey Helps and Three Wise Men

Hello lovely ones!

Aren't baby things adorable.

 They're designed that way to melt our hearts!

This wee fawn caught my eye at the market last week.

He's quite at home tucked under all the foliage.
Priced at a dollar because of the chip...I'll just give it a wee paint, or not.
Some things are still just precious, even in imperfection.

I found some tiny rose buds, the first double violet & a wild strawberry.
Tiny things are endearing too.

Funny old owl tea cosy came home from the Saly's with me.
Someone was being innovative a good few years ago.
I have sold him now...I hope his new owner likes him too.

Rob found himself a really fancy shirt in an Op Shop recently; linen, New York label.
Pretty much brand new.
 I popped it through the wash (on it's own -imagine the blue running through everything!)
When I went to peg it on the line I looked down & saw a bit of white plastic peeking out of the collar.

Funny...little pointy collar stiffeners.

One on each side.

I was wondering what Burt's secret was yesterday? Becoming quite positively manky & balding over the summer, he has regained his youthful top piece in recent weeks; albeit with a few extra grey feathers. Perhaps it's all the cat biscuits he scoffs from Charlie's bowl, the second that it's unattended.

Rob had a birthday last weekend...

His apple, feijoa cake was delicious!

The days are certainly shorter...time for tea lights in Lucy, once more.

Pretty & romantic.

Looks a bit odd with the mustard in clumps, but this proved to be a wonderful way to cook a little salmon...just popped on top of the roast veges & baked another 10 minutes.

If you come with me through the garden gate (spotted in a cafe the other day)...

you'll find my little friends, laying about under the raspberries.

The man at the market said that they came out of the cornflakes packet back in the day (1950s perhaps) Anyone remember them? I would have loved to have found them in my cornflakes!

These old agee jars are maybe at least as old as the pixies. This one's missing the metal rim for the clip down bit so I thought this arrangement might be quite useful.

Dear Rob wanted these chaps for his birthday present.

Cute!

And so are these two.

A wee while ago I found this Woodland Dominoes set in the Dog Shop...

darling little animals on the cards. Only trick was neither of us can remember how to play the game!
Oh dear...any assistance gladly received.

As it turns out, I have been rather fond of Racey Helps & his illustrations for quite sometime.
These pictures via Pinterest.

"Angus Clifford Racey Helps was an English children's author and illustrator. His books were written in a simple style and feature woodland creatures and birds, with illustrations by the author."

Isn't this one just adorable.

I found a lovely little expose of "The Sack Race" & the picture here.

Inspired by a recent birth of a tiny "Lily" (grand daughter next door) I had a fiddle with a crocheted crown. Jane was happy to be my model. Apparently her head is precisely the size of the average newborn. Now, Wally...yes that's his name, seems to have surfaced from somewhere! (Rob) He was once blown up, in a tree (but survived) as his star role in a home movie. Matthew & his mate Mark were around 14 at the time. Wounded Wally, captured David's heart (younger brother) & he set to & made him some remedial clothes, all by hand. 

More baby things...

& the dearest, most remarkable story of baby animals I've seen in ages.

I'm quite sure that you'll love it too.

♥♥♥♥♥
Much love to you all
Catherine x0x0x

Easter Nature Table & Lost Things

Hello there!
I do hope that you've had a lovely Easter; whether springy or autumnal, chocolatey or Churchy;
or, quiet & filled with grace & work, like ours.
With so many wonderful friends sharing tales & pictures of the goings on in the "upper" hemisphere I have become especially aware of our upside-down-ness down here, this Easter season.
No daffodils, hares, eggs or spring blossom here. Rather, an abundance & excess that is almost embarrassing in it's exuberance, urgency & splendour.
I found myself gathering armfuls of harvest & arranging a kind of "nature table" as a kind of thanks, over the weekend.

I discovered fresh roses in the cherry blossom tree,

a few figs that the wax eyes actually hadn't pecked & the first glowing sweet persimmons from our laden tree.

The little heart tomatoes are still going...

& the sun is now lower in the sky; washing our front verander with welcome late afternoon sunshine.

I had little people coming to visit on Thursday so I made a Jewish oatmeal cake with feijoas & tart dried apricots. We used to make it often when we were young & living in Taranaki, a time when friends would share recipes & you'd all be making the cake. It's still great 30 years later & more like real food than cake...which always works for me! I have just realised that I haven't posted the recipe yet so I will do that very soon.

 It really struck (as I said) this year that bunnies & eggs & all things spring are really rather silly in the middle of our lovely autumn Easter, so inside, I gathered all kinds of meaningful bits & pieces & put together a sacred scene that bought focus & stillness & gratitude to these restful days.

Of course the lily-of-the-valley isn't real...it just seemed nice. The hearts were called "sacred hearts" at the organics shop...for my niece & nephew. Mary is awfully battered & chipped, but the whole ordeal was pretty hard on her at the time, so that kind of fits.

Now, I have been told that this may be St Anthony. I bought him on Trade me last week in support of a Hospice shop. If indeed he is St Anthony then that would make him the Patron Saint of Lost & Broken Things...that's me (thought I) he'll be perfect!

What a funny old thing to crochet, a cross...I love it though. It's very old. I wonder who made it?

Of course, there always has to be a butterfly to remind us of liberating, metamorphosing grace.

Autumn, Easter & menopause...who ever would have thought there was a theme in that!
Transformation. Shedding the old. Completion.

Still, there's something to be said for imagination....& silliness!

A return to innocence & a child-like heart is always a helpful approach on any occasion, in my book.

Wishing you all, sunshine & happiness in the coming week & maybe a little skipping.
Thank you so much for popping in.
Much love Catherine x0x0x
♥♥♥♥♥

With Flowers In Her Hair...

A few days ago, I received an intriguing invitation from my lovely artist friend Susan Brown; an invitation to join her in her dream of creating a magical place of community.

She says.. 

 "When I was envisioning this project at its completion I pictured the beautiful decor, the exquisite music, the various people sitting together laughing and sharing....I invite you to imagine yourself in the Venue I'm creating. Really, can you imagine who you could be in this setting? Could you play? Could you get up and share yourself in this magical place?"

As I read Susan's words I pondered her invitation...do I sing, do I dance, what is there that I have to share?...there was a moment of silence in my head, when nothing at all came to mind & then I looked up & saw this picture...

and I burst in to tears!

I gasped, as I instantly recognised myself.

At the beginning of this year when I set my intention to "bloom" life quickly became very challenging & it just hasn't let up since.

There is some very deep work happening for me.

I have come to realise that I have been locked in the snare of looking in the mirror held by another (it's been that way for 50 years). I've been bound by various shades of guilt & shame that don't belong to me. They never belonged to me. They are all lies. The truth has been banging on the door of my heart, my body shouting in pain..wake up, wake up & then I looked in the mirror of Susan's picture entitled "Eve" & I knew that I would never believe the lies again. 

My new truth is just this:

  "I have the right to be here, to be me. Just as I am."

It's hard to keep going when you feel you'll never get there, but this is my new dream:

You know...

via Pinterest

I have sent for a print of Susan's wonderful Eve & you can see more of her fabulous work at Bohemian Romance on Etsy (unfortunately she lives in the United States).

Several weekends ago..I looked up to see a bride walking by.

That's a little odd, I thought to myself.
And very soon I saw a bus...a bus full of brides, in fact!

Right outside our house!
I couldn't very well go & stand on the street & take photos so I crept out on to the porch & snuck these pictures. A friend solved the riddle later that day...apparently a confirmed single girl was turning 40 & decided it was her best shot at wearing a wedding dress, so she & all her girlfriends (one of them being a neighbour), dressed for the event & then hopped on a bus for a road trip to wellington for the weekend.
All returned the following day, looking a tad worse for wear & no longer very bridal!
The entourage of dad's & husbands turning up to retrieve each one was rather entertaining too...especially the ones with small children in the car!

I had fun making this dear little Cath Kidston tablecloth recently & then sold it on Trade me. I hope it makes someone smile. The lady who bought the duraware was so lovely & brought her husband back to visit Lucy.

Dear Lucy went off to the testing station with "Liley" & Rob last week for her warrant of fitness check up. So peculiar seeing her heading off down the road without me!

The sky is so azure just now as we head in to autumn.
Look, He made me a heart with a lovely long tail....thank you.

I love this Maori family...they have an orchard on a busy road & they sell their fruit so cheaply.

You can help yourself to apples & pears for 50c a kilo just now. Isn't that such a good thing to do!

My best friend & her lovely mum..

came back again...for a week beside the sea.

We went to the Farmer's Market together & then we had a little Lucy morning tea.

It was so nice to see them & a lovely celebration of Lucy being with us for a whole year.

I love my autumn raspberries, they taste the best.

See what I mean about blue! The bog sage (that's not a very nice name is it!) flowers match perfectly, don't you think?

I found these lovely daisy crocheted doilies in Finder's Keepers last week.

Such a clever pattern & so much work.

I also found a few more plastic knitting needles to add to the knitting vase.

Thank you Lucy for being such a blessing!

The red & white striped ticking discovered in Aaron's Emporium looks rather smart.

I thought this thermos picnic basket might be quite handy for transporting the flock.

Yesterday after Rob finished work we went out to Haumoana for a walk & to be by the sea.

Daylight saving finishes here this weekend..

the days will quickly begin to close in again.

But right now, they are still balmy & warm & very, very dry.

Thank you for being so lovely & visiting me.

I hope that you have a wonderful week.

Much love, 

Catherine 

♥♥♥♥♥