It's what I do . . .

pictures from the past . . . #1

It's good to look through old photos. The passing of time makes you see things you didn't spot before.
And, frankly, the weather here is awful, I've been bunged up with a cold & I've nothing new to say or show you.
This was Riga - 2005 I think. The very coldest I've ever been. My eyelashes and snot froze - it wasn't very nice. I found a bridge covered in engraved padlocks - some seemed to be love tokens and some memorials. I loved that they'd been left - I'm sure that in England they'd be bolt-cuttered off in no time at all.

 

Wishy Washi

Amongst all the paper and 'stuff', ( oh my - there is a lot of stuff to be had in Japan) we bought back from Kyoto two packs of absolutely beautiful washi paper. The proper stuff - not a flimsy imitation -  although I bought a lot of that too! The colours and prints  on this paper are strong and unique to each sheet. It has the most beautiful texture. . . I could go on forever  . . . I may be a washi -bore. It's hard to see in a picture - you'll just have to believe me.
Anyway - I didn't want it to stay forever in a packet and so I made a few butterflies to occupy the big, white space  that emerged in our living room this weekend due to a shuffling of furniture and a new sideboard.

I have a bit of a thing about origami butterflies and always make swarms of them for friends with new babies to hang wherever there is pretty light. I have nearly finished a gang of thirty to hang in C's room - but I'm afraid they're made of the cheaper stuff!

Relaxing

Usually I average a book every two days on holiday. This holiday I managed just half of my excellent birthday book as there was a tiny person present who needed just about everything explaining to her. No time for idle reading. Luckily there was a lot of eating and a lot of sunshine - two out of three isn't too bad I suppose.

I am notoriously bad at relaxing at home. That doesn't mean that I can't be peaceful or happy  - it just means that normally I have to be engrossed in my work to feel truly calm. Of course I lie on the sofa and watch drivel on TV - but I always feel a little on edge because there is so much I could be doing and it would be so much more productive to be doing it. I am a guilty relaxer. I am trying to train myself out of this annoying habit and I am getting better. C helps a lot because you just have to live in the moment with a baby or they grow and you realise that you haven't cuddled/played/watched/kissed them enough.

On holiday, however, I am entirely guilt free. It's wonderful.

One I made earlier

There has been the very smallest bit of making. It's hardly anything - but it made me enormously happy.
This heart was for Lynn. I am so pleased to be able to say, ''oh, I just whipped it up on my machine''
I'm still smiling about it now.
Some rain in Spain awaits me. Back next week.
K xx