ORGANISING MYSELF FOR PIECES OF METIME

Finally managed to spend some time in my artroom actually working yesterday. The first time since before Christmas. I was just thinking when I was working in there, doesn't Christmas seem a long time ago? All that preparation and then suddenly its been and gone. It felt really good doing something creative again. I was bascially just catching up on one or two projects I wanted to finish before launching into my 2007 projects.

I was in my artroom on Saturday afternoon too, basically trying to sort out some sort of flexible schedule. [and I am certainly not a schedule type of person, I prefer to 'wing it', I love lists but time listing NO!] I realise that to keep on top of everything these next few weeks I do have to have a basic day to day rota, to include the serious things but to also give me some precious metime both to keep on top of projects and creating and to just totally relax, whether by reading or watching a dvd. I am trying to keep remembering if the weather stays as mild as it has been, I should be able to get out in the garden next month, to start tidying it, and that will be another addition to my schedule. Of course, it could be that winter will descend with a vengeance and I won't have to think about the garden for a while.



I had hoped to be checking the local animal shelter for another cat by now, as we are really both aching and ready for another cat, I mean Pixie is constantly in my dreams telling me this, but I may have to postpone this a few weeks, as I want to give it a lot of love and attention when it arrives. I want a cat to know us both well.

The way forward, at a busy time like this is lots of lists, write everything down, because I know if I don't I will think of something wonderful to do or create and if I don't jot it down, I will forget it. Basically my lists run along the lines of, must dos, don't forgets, yummy things to do, inspiration for future things. I am known as the Queen of Lists in my family, although, Sweetpea is fast coming up behind me in the list stakes. A true chip off the old block, where lists are concerned.

I want to thank you for all the wonderful, lovely comments you left on my last posting, comments such as these mean such a lot and certainly sprinkle some happiness over my day.

Do you like my dream house at the top of this posting. Imagine living in a beautiful Elizabethan house like that with wonderful flower and herb gardens surrounding it. What magic would happen there! I found this illustration on the net along with these two glorious vintage seed catalogues from the 19th century, what wonderful romantic illustrations for the front of a catalogue.



I went on an expedition on Saturday morning to a factory outlet a few miles away. I went to be there for it opening before it was too busy, as the annual sale was one. I managed to get stacks of both soft and hard storage bags, crates and boxes. Also found one or two wonderful bargains in the sale, amazing bedding, voile panels, and curtains at ridiculous prices, end of lines etc. I just commented the other day on Pretty Lady's site, how like her, I never feel the necessity to pay full price for much, I would much rather go out into a sale or wait for a reduction, it always seems to me that after items have been in a shop for a few weeks they get reduced. Most of my house has been furnished by buying at times where there are good discounts or reductions on, and I haven't had to compromise in my choice of goods at all, they all are exactly what I was wanting at the time
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A completely different subject, what an amazing amount of birds there are around at the moment, especially of the tit family, such as blue tits. I was standing looking out of the bedroom window this morning watching them all fly about and clinging to the side of barn, they do such wonderful acrobatics. There are also flocks of small birds, such as sparrows in the scrub behind the garden. I have never seen so many birds about in January.
I wonder if the weather is so mild that they might be nest building early? I must look through my binoculars to see exactly what other kind of birds are flying around the scrub, there will be plenty food about for them this year. There was also a bluebottle buzzing at my bedroom window, I have never seen one in January before. These last two days I have also noticed that the evenings are just getting a tad lighter, though I have got to admit the mornings don't seem any lighter yet, perhaps, that's just because we have had some dull grey mornings.



I also found this photograph of Scarborough in Yorkshire C1895. When I was a child the whole family used to go to Scarborough for a week in the summer. My mum and dad, my unmarried aunt, and my grandparents. I used to save pennies all year to spend on my holidays. It was so exciting the train journey, arriving there going to our bed and breakfast boarding house, where we stayed every year, until the owners really became friends of the family.

The first trip of the holiday to the beach, the first paddle of toes in the sea, such simple pleasures, but what fun. I can always remember I also was bought some new pairs of bright cotton shorts just before we went on holiday. I can still remember one bright blue pair with white circles stamped on them. My first purchases were always a bucket and space and a pack of flags to fly in the sandcastles I made.

The best thing of all though, was the first donkey ride of the holiday. One year the donkey was skittish and it was spooked by something and it took off racing down the beach with me clinging to the saddle and grandfather chasing it as fast as it could. Luckily it stopped of it s own accord. I remember I decided to avoid the donkeys for the rest of that year but had forgotten about it by the next. I must tell some more Scarborough stories sometime.