Small hands

They are hands that can move quickly to grasp and hold all sorts of shaped things that are heavy and light. They are hands that can knock down a sandcastle in one swift sweep and finely twirl hair into intricate knots. They are not often idle and seem to rest only when she sleeps

dancing shadows, playing with light

We are in the coldest days of winter. While it is warm socks and mittens weather the skies have been mostly blue. There have been warm patches of sun to jump in too here and there, to turn your face towards and close your eyes against. This afternoon sunlight flooded in through our front windows, making shadows dance on the walls and then a little later moving to set the jonquils ablaze in this dramatic way.

Good day sunshine

Oh my, these were a great start to the weekend. After running out of our cereal stock we gathered what was left in our stores and created these two dishes. Couldn't help taking some quick pics of these all rounders. The girls lucked in also with pancakes.

More on yellow

Back in march I added a post titled The small on yellow , as you can see I have some more to add on this subject. Beautiful handspun and dyed wool from Little Red Hen Studio in Adelaide.Can't go past homemade yellow playdough. A sweet thrifty find. A hedge of lemon trees thoughtfully planted for nearby passers by to pick from.

It has been a busy couple of weeks with much activity. As much as I have enjoyed it, I am looking forward to a week of routine and some quiet time for the coming weekend. I am planning a quilt in my head and have began some sorting in preperation. When hunting through my craft baskets for fragments, I became easily distracted by some of the beautiful yellows. Some I have shown here.

Brrr

Just a few pics from last weeks big chill. Much loved hat. Almost out grown and soon to be passed on.

My own childhood mittens worn by both my girls.

Stillness.

Sunday walk

We awoke to Sunday sun after a week of rain. I love winter clouds and rain, and I especially welcome them now when our climate has changed and has brought us later and milder winters. The break in the rain inspired us to take an old style bush walk in the hills. Blues and greens everywhere. Enjoyable. Now as I type this I hear the rain again.

Found

Where we live people often don't wait for a council pick up to collect unwanted household items and old kids stuff. Instead used goods are often put out on the footpath for the right passerby to spot, pickup and reuse. I have been lucky in the past but this is by far my best find. laying on top of a pile of old cardboard boxes, we spotted this vintage malvern star in original and near new condition. The find was all the sweeter as my 8 year old girl had outgrown her bike and needed another one - a perfect fit for her too! It's curious that it was barely used (original tyres, brakes in good condition and no rust) and that it was held onto for so long only to be discarded during a week of rain. A small mystery to bug a collector of found objects.

Seed pod project

These ones remind me of chocolate drops I have been collecting seed pods since last Spring. We are lucky in our area as we have many native Australian trees so seed pods are in good supply. Like all collectors, now that I have started I can see no stopping. I marvel at how intricate in design they often are and of the immense variety. The girls are great spotters too, and will often get down on their haunches or hands and knees to collect more treasures. My older one has a trained eye and can find the freshest and most intact pods. The collecting is what I like to think of as phase 1. Phase 2 will begin when I have some time to sit down to sift through our collection and start finding out the names of the trees they came from.