Today at the Hide-Out

Just a quick post today as I'm busying myself making beds and plumping pillows, my brother Ash is coming to stay, and taking down the Christmas tree! I think this is the longest I've left it, but it's so pretty it's hard to pack all the beautiful decorations away.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of the first Snowdrops of the year that came out on Sunday at the top of the drive, it's always such a relief to see them, knowing that the daffodils, violets and primroses are not far behind.

My friend Sharon has a friend who is a Snowdrop expert, I'm sure there is a special name for that, but I don't know what it is. She told me recently, I didn't know such a thing exsisted but when she told me it completely made my day. How perfect and romantic to be a Snowdrop expert! It gives me hope just knowing there are people who are Snowdrop experts in the world.

The almost lost art of Turnupstuffing: Thoreau, Emerson and Pippi Longstocking.

I was feeling a little down this afternoon, so I decided there was only one thing for it, to go out and do a bit of turnupstuffing. For those of you not familiar with this activity let me enlighten you..... In the very own words of Pippi Longstocking herself,

'I dont know what you're thinking of doing, but as for me, I'm not one who can take things easy. I happen to be a turnupstuffer, so of course I never have a free moment.'

'What did you say you were?' asked Annika

'A turnupstuffer.'

'Whats that?' asked Tommy.

Somebody who finds the stuff that turns up if only you look,of course. What else would it be? The whole world is filled with things that are just waiting for someone to come along and find them,and thats what a turnupstuffer does.'

'What sort of things?' asked Annika

'Oh,all sorts,' said Pippi. 'Gold nuggets and ostrich feathers and dead mice and rubber bands and tiny little grouse, and that kind of thing'.

............'I remember a time when I was looking for things in the jungles of Borneo. Right in the middle of the wild jungle, where no man had ever put his foot, what do you suppose i found? A lovely wooden leg! I gave it away later on to an old man who was one-legged, and he told me that money couldn't buy a wooden leg like that!'

So as i live on Dartmoor, the stuff that turns up is of the nature variety....and as you know I have a thing for bones and the first thing to turn up, buried in the marshy grass was a sheeps pelvic bone...I couldn't find it's other half....and not far away this skull!

A bit later on a sleek black feather, and some beautiful moss, I love the soft green of the moss that drips from the branches of the moorland Hawthorn trees. And then all of a sudden this bright orange glow caught my attention, especially vibrant against the cold greys of the wintry landscape, I'm not sure what type of fungus this, but it is luminescent in the light.

One of my favourite parts of the landscape here is this line of Beech trees,especially in winter, so sculptural!

And then a pile of sorted wood turned up, they looked like creatures to me...lying so still..such beautiful forms...

Here's one close up......

I share the thoughts of Thoreau.....

'There is nothing so sanative, so poetic, as a walk in the woods and fields even now, when I meet none abroad for pleasure. Nothing so inspires me and excites such serene and profitable thought. The objects are elevating.'

The shapes of these trunks and roots and soft grey blue of the sky....

And Emerson..' We see the world piece by piece, as the sun, the moon, the animal, the tree; but the whole, of which these are the shining parts, is the soul.'

And here is Opal, standing still, although previously to this picture had been galloping wildly and spiritedly bucking and whineying through the fields.

Quite a lot of treasure I think in this turnupstuffing expedition.

Let the Bayleafs (liffs) Come! A Box Full of Kisses Anyone!

Really, the Bayleafs, as I like to call them, can threaten all they like......I'm sure they wont be too interested in the riches I have to offer....and more fool them. they'll find no plasma screen TV, no microwave or DFS sofas here........."Can I interest you In a Box full of Kisses?

Or perhaps a captured thought or two, safely saved in a bottle in my bathroom..........

Or even a dolls dress knitted by my granma, I have box full of those......

And several painted and decorated skulls.................with pink silk satin horns...

Or are you tempted by this Wish-Keeping Egg?"

Once Upon a Time...many,many years ago...in Moth time that is...

"So, I arrived one day, apparently dead, on the windowsill, then she found me and admired my beauty with such tenderness and delight, I had never felt so adored. She treated me like Royalty and drew endless portraits of me, insisting on capturing my front and rear qualities, and desperately trying in earnest to be faithful to the fragilty of my wings and the ermine like quality of my stole and powdery soft body.

She insisted on designing a very fine dress for me out of old lace, I couldn't refuse, she seemed so excited by the idea, I must admit, so was I, and a crown which didn't really fit, but i didn't mind, it was so beautiful and no one had ever made a crown for me before, I didn't like to make a fuss.

She asked so many questions about what it felt like to be inside my cocoon, and did I really spin the threads with my own mouth.....so intrigued she was, but in all honesty I couldn't quite remember, you see once I'd had my first flight with my new wings , thats all there was for me, everything that had been before was forgotten.

So she made up her own little story, imagining for herself what it might be like....

struggling to break out of the warm safe cocoon..........

Here is the crown she made for me....now you can really see how just too big it was.

And this is the drawing she made of my cocoon.............

I loved the story and the pictures she made...and left her a little drawing of my own."

Lend me your eyes I can change what you see....

I've posted previously about just how much I love wrapping presents, here is my favourite this christmas....old map wrapping paper already gives a feeling of adventure and discoverery, and the picture of the explorer flying through the sky on an elephant with his telescope and parcels is just pure delight to my soul. Miracle, the recipient of the gift, said it reminded her of Lee Scorsby, I actually found it in a free chinese magazine at the oriental supermarket,.. the qoute is Mumford and Sons.."lend me your eyes I can change what you see, but your soul you must keep totally free"

Memories of a Late Summer Washing Line and the Hidden "art" of the Domestic Landscape

Inspired by my last post I thought I'd share this image of this lovely old model boat Sylvie and I bought for the Bathing House at Sharpham in the Summer. You can see from the photo, just about, that it it even has a little anchor! Ok so I could lie and pretend that the windowsill is in front of a kitchen sink, it's not, it's on a stairwell, but imagine hoovering those stairs or sweeping the cobwebs while enjoying the spectacular view of the river and admiring this little old boat.

Some of my favourite Jane Wellans pottery in my kitchen cupboard, and below a photo I found of a particularly aestheticly pleasing washing line from late summer which is one of my favorite views from the kitchen window, not today however, it has an altogether very grey and wet look at the moment. So sorting through my summer pics cheered me up, a promise of things to come!

Beautiful spoons and my favourite tea towel

My first blog of 2011, almost had forgotten how to do it, it's like reinventing the wheel for me if I leave it too long. Anyway thought I'd photograph my growing collection of spoons...I just have a thing about spoons, particularly wooden and bone ones, the more used and worn they become...I love the the section in museums with the really ancient spoons and needles and combs made from bone and wood....I'm thinking one day I might just open my own little museum (this constant thought justifies my collection).

I've captured them laid out on my favourite and very threadbare tea towel...I'm not sure why I love it so much, but it's now beyond darning,more bare than thread! I especially like the raised eyebrows expression on my mum's face when she comes to stay and picks up the tea towel.

So my spoons live in jars on my kitchen windowsill where I can admire thier beauty as I wash up, I've come to learn that if I can feast my eyes on some of my favourite things whilst doing the drudgery and chores of the day then actually I hardly notice the job at hand. So along side my spoons are some of my glass bottles and jars which in the summer are filled with a single flower each. My lovely Poole Pottery teapot, and the cutest little ceramic spoon and dish given to me as a gift.