Now with even fewer coherent sentences

I possibly shouldn't be trying to write this now as I just had a tooth extracted, my mental state may be somewhat questionable...

However, we can but try.

As you may have noticed I have a bit of a thing about churches, it's not the fact that they are a church so much, as the architecture, and that they are places of extraordinary beauty.
No churches survive from the time of this cross, but even it has a simple beauty, something about the proportions and the setting speaks to me.



Some of them are just plain magnificent, and come complete with a crypt.






Others are far more traditional, yet still have there own unique features, this screen is just fantastic.





We often plan a day out and then visit a church as part of that day, mostly with the help of this book, we definitely didn't pay £140 for it, and I'm fairly certain you can get it from somewhere, but if not there are probably other equally good books.

I'm now off to work out what I might be able to eat tonight.... the answer could well be, not much. I knew I should have found time for lunch before I went to the dentist, even if it meant eating in front of a class!

Up on the moors

I've spent the last week in the the North York Moors National Park, for the most part February is a horrible time of year to be in the countryside. After the harsh winter we've had everything is very grey, brown and dead looking.
Some things were still beautiful though.



The dogs met their first grouse, much to our amusement as Gwen tried to chase one through a pond and emerged dripping in pond weed.


Not everything is grey and brown though, the first signs of spring, some Snowdrops.

A sign of things to come

There might be chance to do rather more of this in the future...
Earlier this week I handed in my notice to leave teaching, it was starting to make me unhappy again, and no job is worth that.
I'm heading to WAles to live with Mum and Dad for a bit... I'm trying to work out if I can turn the things I love in to a living.
The future is sounding exciting!

One of the few perks

Crazy pink sky!
Originally uploaded by hilltopkatie

I am having a nightmare getting out of bed at the moment. Admittedly 6am is never the time of day when I'm at my best, but recently.....urgggghhhh!

There are however a few perks about getting up so early, this was the colour of the sky as I left for work this morning, isn't it gorgeous. Even the terraced houses looked beautiful with their bricks all lit up in the pink light.

At last!

This orchid came to live with me nearly 2 years ago, during that time I have neglected it to within an inch of it's life. I had despaired of it ever flowering, this morning I opened the curtains and was amazed by what I saw!




Inspired by that I felt like a bit of spring cheer was required in the living room.



Tulips and daffodils, just the thing for a dull January day.

Learning

You would think that being surrounded by learning all day would mean that I have had enough of learning in my spare time. However I can't seem to get enough of it. The more I read and discover about fibre crafts the more I want to know.
It started with learning to knit, then I decided to learn to spin, then I wanted to learn to crochet, then I wanted to learn how to prepare my own fibres for spinning, then I wanted to weave.... who knows what I'll do next, maybe if I had a bigger kitchen I'd try my hand at dying...

Yet again I am off to Wonderwool Wales this April, Mum and I used to make a weekend of it but she now lives close enough that we can go as a day trip. Previous years I've simply made a good job of spending my hard earned cash but this year I decided I fancied learning something.
Everything I know about fibre preparation I've picked up from the internet, I've never really been shown what to do, or what to look for in good raw fibre. Hopefully by the end of April I'll have learnt a little bit more.

For now, I am getting on with my knitting, I have been freed from gift knitting and have enjoyed casting on things that are just for me! I'm sat on the sofa listening to the wind, with a pot of sparkly beads beside me. I reckon if I bash on I can get this shawl finished this weekend!

Good habits

I don't do new years resolutions but this January has seen me decide to start some new good habits. The festive period took it's toll on my waist line and my trousers were a little snugger than I would have liked.
Luckily my fancy new lab coat hides most of the damage while I'm at work!
Mum made me a lab coat for Christmas and I love it. At the moment it's been worn every day, partly because my classroom is freezing but partly because I love it (and it has pockets!). She simply embroidered this pattern (and a few others) on to it.

Pattern available from this etsy shop, or the sellers website. I'm already making plans for additions to my existing set if I ever get any free time!