An apt present that came for me today

An apt present that came for me today, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

It is one of those days, I don't know exactly why but it all seems so miniscule in the big scale of things. The largest part of me is optimistic and there is a tiny niggle in the back of my head.

I know what it's not about : getting older, the rain, change of Prime Minister, economic state of the country. trying to live ethically, having a parents/tutor meeting tonight, my mother in law having drained me, that there is no chocolate in the house, the pile of laundry

And the things that make me happy : Bama and Louie, spending one of the last days out with my mum before she leaves the country, setting up the table to make things, having a wicked idea, getting a beautiful present from reform, meeting reform and memake in London and seeing a great show, knit night tonight, making cakes with bama, chatting with etsy friends

All these things have been happening in the last week but there is still a tiny niggle in the back of my head.

I don't know what or why but I did not expect my life to be like this, the smallest thing and the thing that has been there for many years still haunts me and some days it just catches me in an unexpected way, like today.

*the annoying cycle of my sleep life*

water, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

So this is an old photo of alabama and not all what I was going to write about in my blog post today but something she said this morning changed my plans for the day.

Sometimes, I forget the magical, the profound and the strange things that *they* say. Louie is one for making us laugh, a witty comment but he can also be incredibly sensitive and hit something on the head or make your heart miss a beat by a little anecdote of his day and then he turns back to being 9 years old and objecting to bathing and doing his homework and going to bed.

Even though they are twins, they share many traits but are so very different on other ways, Alabama is more conscientious, worries about her homework, her friends and needs her bed more. They both have a highly developed sense of right and wrong and live in a very socially generous fashion. What I mean is, they are recycling cheerleaders, conservers of energy, loving thrift shopping. One year when they were small, *Santa* delivered books that inadvertently had an Oxfam sticker still inside. Louie squealed that Santa recycles.

I watch them, contemplating what the future will be like for them. So today the thing that made me change my mind about my Tuesday blog post? It was a sleepy eyed bushy haired small child saying *the annoying cycle of my sleep, I am so tired when I wake up, then I am okay in the day and then I am tired at night*

Very annoying indeed

arts longus, vita brevis

katinka

katinka, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

There is always someone that is wanting some love in our house, not that they don't get it on demand, it is a constant running tap of affection here.

This is Katinka, she is the baby of the family, nearly 2 years old. I am not sure how we ended up with cats, I love dogs and never had any pets as a child. Eerie was my love, for fourteen years but somehow we have 2 cats. That was the childrens' and the DH fault.

We went to see a friend's kittens and we saw Angel there (Angel is the mum of Katinka) - she was admittedly very cute but never did I imagine she would be coming home with us. Louie, unfortunately looked her in the eye and fell in love. Then before I know it, she is on the way home with us and is the designated family cat. Angel laid with Eerie and followed him around. Now Eerie is gone, Angel has become the dog of the house - standing upright at the front door when visitors come and being protective and not at all languid as I imagined a cat to be. Angel is now Louie's cat, she sleeps in his room and adores him.

So where did Katinka come from? She is the daughter of Angel and Ginger (the cat from the house behind). Katinka is Alabama Whirly's cat, a compromise on the understanding that we have reached our full pet quota, there can be no more. Katinka is just like Bama, slightly kooky, a little clumsy and always inquisitive.

So here she is, lying next to me whilst I type away, choosing the new gorgeous fabric from kirinco as a resting place, always a cat of pure style.

The amazing work of miss bunny :: The Sound of Faeries

The amazing work of miss bunny :: The Sound of Faeries, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

There are somethings you need to know about us, firstly we can hear the faeries. They are all around us. They have always been here. Louie will not leave his teeth for them while Bama habitually creates miniature gardens, leaves long letters and writes songs for them.

Today there is a magical world in the garden, our garden what was once a concrete square but now is a lush oasis, mainly on shallow soil, in a small raised bed and an abundance of pots. There is a small old shallow metal bowl with still water and in the bowl lies a sculpture, a mermaid's carved head. Made from river bed stone, from a river bed in Settle, that was once the sea. I lay down by that river/sea once

Under the mermaid's head are coins, a ritual that Louie wanted to do to mark the passing of Eerie, we made a wish of our own and each visitor that came for a few days said a word or two and was solemnly given a coin by Louie.

We believe in faeries, mermaids, ghosts and angels. We see them everywhere

One Very Loved Cat

One Very Loved Cat, originally uploaded by miss-bunny.

Look at this, I don't have to say anything about how beautiful this is.
This is created by the amazing MIss Bunny .

She makes the most beautiful artwork and rocking shoes, just check out her etsy shop, I have been loving those shoes forever and am going to get the perfect pair that will fit my large feet. If you want to read more about bunny check out her blogspot.

I love bunny, I do!

one very loved cat

one very loved cat, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

Storm, as Louie says, is part of our family - he is more than a cuddly toy. He came Christmas 1999 and he still goes everywhere with Louie. He has been washed, scrubbed and combed many times but he has a flattened grubby fur look now and the only bits that are fluffy are the bits under his armpits (do cats have armpits?).

Storm always looks like he has a smile on his face and is as well travelled as my children, who incidentally are better travelled than me in the past few years. Storm has been all over the UK, Spain, Jersey, France and San Francisco. My heart slightly bolts on these journeys as I am wondering what will happen if gets mis-laid?

Storm is always one of the main characters in many of Louie's short stories, plays and poems - an inspirational cat. Soon I may receive permission from this young author and write up a snippet or two here.


There is no other cat like Storm, with his exceptionally long skinny arms, a large bottom and always just dangling perfectly from under Louie's arm.

the rabbit before it popped down the hole

the rabbit before it popped down the hole, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

This picture is here because I love it.

Alabama Whirly made it, she wanted it here, by the rabbit hole.

It was a grand day out at Sally's, cream teas, friends, chatter, yelping in the trees from swinging and climbing children and all in aid of British Red Cross open gardens

some little things I like

some little things I like, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

This is my house, little nooks and crannies with things I like or that inspire me. This isn't clutter just creativity spilling out all over the shelves. It rubs off on my children, in their rooms I spy small objects and collections that change and merge all the time.

I like looking at cubby holes, it makes me feel more comfortable and the on-going row with my other half about minimal living, clutter free, white walls is lost on me, surrounding myself with the small incandescent/ provoking objects of beauty. The objects can be a seed packet, a tag, a small sculpture, a memory, a stone, an image and they change - different things come and go.

Right now, this shelf is home to our books, with this great card from a series entitled For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness by Julian Germain. Two little things that belong to lou and whirly from our friend Mike at his shop Castor and Pollux

These are some things I like