Wednesday 10 December 2014

Four days in December

Sunday

The country park walled garden in winter.  I love these fruit trees trained against the walls.  We played tag in the rockery overlooking the river.  We hid and hunted each other down and had a huge amount of fun.  It was a good day.





Monday

Making plant labels out of sticks that I picked up in the woods at the weekend.  I always lose the little plastic ones during the summer.  The plants grow big, the labels disappear.  Hopefully these won't.


Tuesday

Trying to photograph a beautiful sunrise.  It's so hard to capture what the eye sees.  The day was cold.  I stayed at home and cleaned and baked and did quite a few of those things that pop up suddenly and need dealing with.  There have been a lot of those lately.


Wednesday

A lovely surprise, this package arrived from Mel at Coal Valley View.  I won her giveaway, a print and a brooch all the way from the Tasmanian Craft Fair.  They really are delightful, thank you Mel.  The postcard is of a Tasmanian Devil, a feisty little chap by all accounts.




This afternoon was the littlest boy's nativity play.


It was one of those poignant Lasts.  He won't be in a nativity play again, his school only have the younger children in it each year.  No more watching him being a shepherd, listening to him saying his lines, sighing as they all sing "Away in a Manger" and "Silent Night" and "Little Donkey".  It's one of the highlights of Christmas for me.  It makes me sad that he's growing so fast, leaving behind these sweet early days.  But of course it's how it should be.  Onwards, always onwards.  And always before I'm quite ready.

41 comments:

  1. I can understand that it must have been bittersweet to attend the pageant. I really appreciate your attitude about it. I love those photos of the hills, with the bridge in the background. You live in such an interesting place. Great idea to use wood for your plant markers; I can never maintain the plastic ones through a growing season either. I hope the rest of your week is good and that you have a little quiet time in the madness of the season.

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  2. Sounds like a good week. There will be other things to take the place of the Nativity play but the thought of our little ones in those plays will stay with us for ever. The Wanderer is now 33 and yet at your mention of Nativity plays I can see her dressed in an old net curtain with a tinsel halo!! Happy days!

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  3. Such a good idea with those wood stick markers. Surely they will stay the course through growing season.

    That Tasmanian Devil sure does have quite a bit of TEETH! YIKES!

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  4. Gorgeous sunset! This is the first year my little ones aren't in the nativity and I have to say I mourned it a little. Such lovely moments in my memory though- little man as a wise man and little lady as Mary! The carol service is Monday so we'll enjoy that to inject the Christmas spirit! Enjoy your week CJ, x

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  5. I love your stick plant labels! That is a great idea and it will blend more nicely than little white things in with the plants. What lovely things from Mel! It is so nice to get parcels especially from so far away isn't it. You must have been very sad about the last nativity play, but it sounds as though you have lots of lovely memories to look back on now and there will be new things coming along in the future! xx

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  6. Love your plant markers - what a clever idea.
    I was sad to see Matts last nativity too - but carol services still bring a tear to the eye! Xx

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  7. Good job on the garden markers! Clever girl! I remember the poignancy of the little children's Christmas programs. My daughter was SO shy that during the singing of the Little Drummer Boy she held her drum in front of her face during the whole performance. :-) ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  8. Those espaliered trees are like delicate drawings of themselves. So enchanting.

    I like that photo with the bridge in the background. And the plant markers are perfect! Can't you see them sprouting out a bit on their own? :)

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  9. And always before we are ready is right...trying to let go a bit myself over here. And I too am taken with those trees against those stone walls! Wishing you all wonderful things tomorrow CJ! Beautiful photos!! Nicole xo

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  10. Those plant labels are a fantastic idea. I still remember my girls' last Nativities - I think I cried all the way through! Beautiful photos as usual - that sunrise is stunning. x

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  11. I love your photos, especially the one of the sunrise. Tuesday's was lovely here too but I was too lazy to go out and take a picture.
    I feel for you with the whole growing up thing. Each new progression is a little departure where something gets left behind.
    Still, life and all that. I hope you have a great weekend (almost there!)
    S x

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  12. My favourite Nativity play moment when ours were little was watching a small boy in the front row spend the entire performance picking his nose. I've never forgotten it and got the most terrible attack of giggles at the time.
    For me, it usually takes a few days to adjust to whatever the next stage is with the kids then I'm fine. Great pic of the sunrise and the stones in the wall are beautiful.

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  13. I still miss the nativity plays and my youngest is 16 now. Like you, it was one of my Christmas highlights too. I love your plant markers, what a clever idea.

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  14. I am very fond of walled gardens. We visited The Lost Gardens of Heligan in the summer and the walled flower and vegetable gardens were amazing. Our Nativity plays are terribly modern, the meaning of the story is lost (it is probably meant to be inoffensive to children of different faiths). No traditional Christmas songs either, such a shame. I have only got one child left in the infant school, one more play to go. Sigh. x

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  15. Your brooch prize and card are beautiful, and the colour of the wall is the making of the serene walled garden.

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  16. Clever idea fit plant labels.

    When the light is right autumn photos are really beautiful.

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  17. There's something about walled gardens that we all seem to like. Terrific plant labels. Lucky you with the giveaway which looks really good. Flighty xx

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  18. What a lovely prize, lucky you....gorgeous sunrise too...those little 'lasts' seem to come much quicker than I am ready for too, but onwards and upwards they must go xxx

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  19. I'm quite sure the squirrels make off with my plant labels, they go somewhere at any rate. A bit of camouflage may well help... I may have to steal your idea..

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  20. I absolutely love that little brooch that you've received - what a gorgeous gift! Being outside when we can at this time of year is always good, I feel so much better for it afterwards. Even looking out of the window at a fabulous dawn sky will make the day feel special. Your comments on the nativity play made me smile - I remembered my son's last nativity when he was tasked with being a bush in the shepherd scene (there were a lot of kids in his class); During the scene he slowly moved from kneeling to standing; I asked afterwards why and was told, "I was improvising by growing into a tree." Of course. And I still had his performance as The Scarecrow in the end of year play Wizard of Oz to look forward to. Now that DID bring a tear to my eye.

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  21. Hi CJ, I'm new to your blog! Lovely photos. I love to visit gardens in the winter, as it's when you see their underlying shape. And you've just about summed up motherhood in your last comment. My two oldest are grown up now, and youngest has started her GCSEs; I treasure my memories of their Nativity plays and mourned their passing, but enjoy all of the new exciting things that they're all doing these days :)
    Cathy x

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  22. Beautiful sunset, and I do like your plant markers!

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  23. I like the idea of wood plant labels a whole lot more than plastic! And I hate when I see something like a beautiful sunrise or just any breathtaking view and the camera just can't capture how I see it AT ALL!

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  24. I like your plant labels - natural materials beat the white plastic hands down! Congratulations on your giveaway win, the little brooch is just gorgeous. I remember Nativity plays well, I've never got to the end of Away in a Manger without a little weep, treasured memories! Enjoy the rest of the week CJ.
    Jane xx

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  25. Ah I love a good Nativity play. I have one more to go with my youngest. Mine have been Angels, stars, innkeepers and kings along the line, complete with improvised costumes and plenty of tinsel! I understand how you feel, CJ, it feels that time starts to speed up once they start school xx

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  26. Your week looks volley. Oh such a milestone to be all done with The Nativity Play, you will miss it but as you kow other activities will soon replace it and you will enjoy all of them too.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  27. the day of no kids in the nativity play is very bittersweet. I remember it well... (now we have lengthy Carol Services... so don't despair !!)

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  28. I love the wooden plant labels you made, so much prettier than the white plastic ones. And such an amazing sunset - those colours are beautiful.
    Elizabeth told me she wont be in a nativity next year, apparently they have a school disco instead now they're big! :(
    Have a lovely weekend. xx

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  29. I love your photos especially the magical sky, and the amazing Autumnal colours of the trees, Nature is just amazing.
    The wooden plant labels are genius.

    luv
    irene
    xxxx

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  30. I love your wood labels. Brilliant. Fleeting childhood and youth. It's really just so bittersweet isn't it?

    Though I'd wish mine would hurry up with some of the lunchbox emptying self sufficiency. I mean come on, we've been doing this since pre-school (he's 11 now)! Surely he doesn't need to be told ... again! ;)

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  31. Have just found your blog and am enjoying reading back through it. I know the frustration of not capturing with the camera what the eye sees!
    My older child has now graduated and my younger one is still at uni, but the days of the nativity plays truly seem like yesterday.

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  32. I remember the day number two daughter played Mary like it was yesterday. Her sister, who had never managed more than 'an angel' held it against her for weeks!

    They grow up so fast!

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  33. I loved sharing your week with you. I especially loved the first photos of the dormant garden, bare fruit trees and garden beds. something peaceful about those pics.

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  34. I so agree that the camera never is quite able to pick up the beauty I see. I constantly marvel at how amazing our eyes truly are to be able to adapt to different levels of light and see those things that are hard to capture. I'm sure it is hard to have your littlest growing so fast, but how wonderful to have a journal of your games of tag and walks here:) Hope you had a wonderful weekend, CJ!

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  35. Oh my - I've always fancied a walled garden...well a proper walled garden, but I do love the drystone one we've inherited, though it isn't very high.

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  36. I love your plant label. Such a good idea. Love this post. So happy

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  37. Great pics! I also like your DIY plant labels, they're much nicer than the plastic ones. You have a very calming, sentimental tone when talking about your December days.

    Lauren / And Together We

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  38. Brilliant idea for plant labels.

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  39. Yay, I'm so glad it arrived safely, and before Christmas too. Love your plant labels! x

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  40. "Onwards, always onwards. And always before I'm ready."


    What wisdom in a throw away blog post line. You should have that as a postcard.

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