By Helen: April 2016

April 2016

04/20/2016

Spring and the garden…

It’s lovely and sunny, chilly but sunny, here in York. What’s the weather like with you? Over the last few days I have finally got out to play in the garden. For those of you, who have read my blog before, will know that by garden I mean yard: as I live in a small terrace house near to the city centre, nevertheless yard means garden to me. Oh, yes, work in the garden has begun, waking it up from its Winter sleep: pots have been washed, paving has been washed, plants have been pruned and plants potted on into my makeshift cold frame. Spring has defiantly sprung…

20 Apr 2016 09:45:24 | garden, Home

04/09/2016

stand and stare…

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

I’ve loved this William Henry Davis poem ever since I was a little girl. I was first introduced to it at primary school; I must have been about eight. I learnt the poem off by heart and it has stayed with me all my life. The poem is particularly important to be at the moment, I am slowly, slowly, reconnecting with my making and trying slowly, slowly to slow down. I’m making the effort to stand and stare, each and every day; to stop and watch as the world goes by, to notice the small details that can be so easily missed; the squirrels and the stars...

Make sure you take some time out to stand and stare this weekend…

9 Apr 2016 10:27:15 | inspiration

04/02/2016

reconnections and reflections…

Wow! It has been a whole month since I was here in blogland: I think that it the longest I’ve been away since I came here. March was a strange month: I had a nasty bug that really wiped me out, I had to deal with a few family things and my day job is crazy-busy at the moment. Now, it is time for me to reconnect with my making: I plan to take this reconnection slowly, slowly with the aim of normality resuming by the end of April. Spring is the season of new starts. Right? My reconnection is starting with me looking over past projects, spending time looking at inspiring books and in inspiring places. And dear-readers, I’m taking you along on this journey. So we are starting with some past projects…

Spring, a time for new starts…