the jewels on a web

If it weren't for spiders, we wouldn't have spider webs.

I took this photo on Sunday morning, and upon posting it to Instagram I wrote these words to go along with it. One of those (rare) times when real wisdom comes out of my mind without me overthinking it. 

But it has got me thinking. In fact, I've been thinking all since then about the fact that if it weren't for the hard, ugly, difficult, challenging things, then the beautiful things wouldn't be as beautiful. Or that if we didn't have those hard things we wouldn't have the beautiful things. 

{Before I go further, I want to say that I like spiders, and find some of them beautiful and amazing and intricate, but they're not something I love - and they still make me feel a bit icky}.

So, remember the next time something is harder, more challenging or real life is uglier than you'd hoped; for jewels to sparkle on a web, we need spiders to build those webs. 

{and that's your bit of wisdom on this Autumny Tuesday evening!}. 

only an interval.....

Death is nothing at all

I have only slipped away into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other
That we are still
Call me by my old familiar name
Speak to me in the easy way you always used
Put no difference into your tone
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed
At the little jokes we always enjoyed together
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was
Let it be spoken without effort
Without the ghost of a shadow in it
Life means all that it ever meant
It is the same as it ever was
There is absolute unbroken continuity
What is death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind
Because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you for an interval
Somewhere very near
Just around the corner
All is well.
Nothing is past; nothing is lost
One brief moment and all will be as it was before
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Canon Henry Scott-Holland, 1847-1918


I have to remember to talk about my mum more often. In a happy and regular way. So that every time we talk about her, or mention her, it isn't a pang of sorrow - more a happy everyday moment! Yes. I will do that.

Words found here.
Image was shot at my brother-in-law + sister-in-law's house. The tree photo is by my brother-in-law, check out his amazing landscape photos on his site. I can't wait until we have a wall (house) to put my big framed piece back up. I'm missing it.

how much effort to wash a spoon?

I love this! I want to put it on a tea towel.
Found on Judy's blog Lithospherial. From here (pity it's now sold out). Check out his blog Maxistentialism - which is wonderful, witty, wordy, intelligent and fun.

mantra to remember

in this busy.can do.do everything world i often forget that if i don't do everything then it's still okay.
if i don't achieve every dream
or read every best seller
or sew everything on my wish list.
if i don't clean the house as well as i should
or have a perfect dinner prepared every evening for my family
or have freshly folded laundry put away in every cupboard.

life will be okay.
yes, i can do anything.
but i need to learn that i don't have to do everything.


*found on tumblr. from here.

all the beautiful things

like rainbows

and rabbits

and butterflies

and day moths.

i would like to see fairies

i would like to see dinosaurs

oh and lovely people

{sylvie's a lovely people, and grandma's a lovely people}

i would like to see flowers

colourful stones

{red equals Ari. purple equals Mischa.}

slip

you know when sometimes,
something happens
and
things stop
for a moment and
then they just slip
easily
          simply
                      perfectly
into place.

sometimes just for one moment.
your heart stops
and
things just
feel
sort of
alright.

actually, pretty darn
                         good!

the simple quiet of working with fabric
under your fingers
and not
just any fabric.
but the real warmth and rawness of a natural fabric
unbleached
woven simply and finely and amazingly.

and not just any everyday plain fabric
but a fabric that
you
yourself
have made a design for
and printed
with ink
with your hands
and your heart
and your friends.

sometimes things just slip
into place and feel
just sorta right.

sometimes the quiet of the house
combined with the
background sounds
of the street and the music on the
music machine.
and the quiet in your head
helps things slip and fall
and
connect.