Rambling roses…….

There’s an old tree growing in the side passageway and the branches spread out at the edge of my kitchen window. It has leaves, but mostly it is covered in ivy and provides a playground for sparrows and chaffinches. Last week I spotted a hint of pink and there was a new fragrance flowing through the window. I went into the street yesterday and there she was in all her glory; a climbing rose, rambling in her own sweet way.

George was unexpectedly free on Saturday afternoon and he called. ‘Would you like me to take you to visit your Mum and Dad, because you’re not able to see them on Father’s Day?’ George rambling in his own wonderful way.

We all sat outside surrounded by my Mum’s pots and flowers as we chatted, ate and shared stories. At one stage George and Dad were up in one of Dad’s workshops (yes, I do mean one) and our food was ready. Mum said ‘Go and call the men Darling, the ice cream is melting.’ As we were leaving Mum placed a knitted jacket in my hands. ‘After your Great Granny got better and her sight returned, the first thing she made was this jacket for you.’ Family love rambling in it’s own special way.

❤

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Nature, knitting and magic….

There have been many magic moments in the past week or so and each time my heart has tucked them in a special place.

For the first time in it’s history, the Disney cruise ship docked at Liverpool harbour for a few days and I, and many others, sat on the beach in the evening sun watching her set off for the port of Dover. There was Beatles music playing, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck on the deck waving ‘Goodbye’ and the captain playing ‘When you wish upon a star’ on the ship’s horns. She did a 360 degree turn on The River Mersey before she set out for the Irish Sea and it was magic. The little ones and adults alike were all smiling and waving everyone on their way. The moment wove into my heart, because a kind lady handed me her newborn son and I held him as she and I chatted, his little brothers playing in the sand, as ‘Disney’ sailed out.

My friend from the promenade took me to hear some young musicians play at the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum in Birkenhead. What a wonderful place that is and full of interesting pieces. Mo and I had a lovely time and it was a pleasure to sit in that beautiful setting and hear live music. Bless her for her thoughtfulness.

Quiz night was eventful and there was much laughter. Bless Steve and his fellow ‘quizzers’ for welcoming me into their fold. Blessings and a brickbat for the ‘He Who Shall Remain Nameless’ who set the questions, because he was poorly at the time and they were tough, I mean really tough. All our brains ached, but we managed to have lots of laughs though. I would just like to say that football related questions (like naming all the team shirts for the Euro Cup…!!!!) are not kind. Bless the chap who was on the team behind me, because he said they were leaving early and would we like some help…big smiles for him. We came second by the way and won ‘Eight pints of beer’, which we promptly put behind the bar for next week.

I bobbed up to the gift shop recently with a bag full of my handmade things, to find their shop shuttered-up. The chap in the shop next door explained that they had moved away, which confirmed my feelings that all was not well as messages had not been returned for some time. ‘Oh well’ I thought, ‘I’m up here now, so I may as well look for a teapot for my latest teapot cosy pattern’. There are lots of interesting shops up on top of the hill and I had a lovely time pottering about. I popped into one shop and couldn’t find anyone to ask for help, so I stuck my head out again to see if anyone was about. It’s like a small community up there and they all pull together, so the lady in the shop next door yelled for help. A lady (covered in paint) came flying out of the antiques shop on the end of the parade and smiling at each other, we got chatting. The upshot is that Mandy runs the shabby chic and interesting pieces shop and her husband runs the antiques shop. We bonded and she asked what I had in my large bag. I showed her and we ended up making a deal. A wonderful, kind and trusting deal. She loves my things and I love making them and she will sell them for me.

Thanks to Mandy’s kindness I am now knitting like the clappers and busy doing my ‘Miss Marple’ bit out in public. Yes, Chris Moran, your idea has stuck! ❤ I can be found sitting outside on various benches, knitting. I sat in the park recently, surrounded by all the wonderful trees and flowers, where a brass band was playing all afternoon. I sit on the sea front, knitting, and get to chat to all sorts of people. Bless Steve the photographer for sharing his knowledge of the many vessels that pass our way. The old fashioned clipper 'Bessie Ellen' was a joy to behold early the other morning.

This morning my friend Dave from one of the writing groups and I met to talk about writing and how best to flow support to each other and others who are crafting books. We initially met in the Central Library where they had an exhibition of 'Contemporary Book Art'. Some clever souls have made life sized sculptures of figures from brown paper. I stopped to photograph these and some passing 'wag' commented 'Careful now, don't wake him up' as I snapped Julius Caesar with a knife in his back.



We took our coffees outside into St.John’s gardens and sat in the park surrounded by all the trees and flowers. The morning flew by and between us we have a ‘writing’ plan going forwards.

This evening the lovely Hannah, from our old house, is coming to live with Lynn and I for a few weeks. It will be such a treat to share a home again and have some time together. I sense that the magic that has found me here, will also touch Hannah.

❤

Discoveries as the new weaves into the old…

The first day of my new venture started with me finding Dad and smiling at him:

‘Dad, I am on the cadge.’ I smiled.

‘Oh yes’ he replied, as he peered at me over the top of his newspaper.

More smiles….

‘I haven’t got any clothes to paint in, so have you got any of your soft cotton shirts that you don’t wear anymore?’

I took his puzzled look as a ‘go ahead’ signal.

Rootling around in his wardrobe I pulled out a faded white and blue checked little number with a frayed collar.

‘Can I have this one Dad?’

‘It’s my best one……..!’ He smiled over the top of his newspaper.

‘Great stuff, thanks it’s perfect.’

I kissed his forehead and sailed out of the front door complete with a lunch box (packed with goodies) and a flask that Mum had unearthed for me from their old picnic gear.

Jo and I have sorted out our arrangement on trust and we both pottered together this morning, each doing our own thing, in harmony. As Jo left for the day we shared a caring look that flowed with gratitude for the divine timing that has brought us together.

I have made a start on some pieces and I am very grateful to Tracey and Chris for their encouragement as I put together a new design this afternoon. xXx

The lovely scene above was my lunchtime spot. I walked down to the boats and shared my roll with the ducks and soaked in the peace.

On the way home, as I was coming up to the bridge, three ducks crossed the lanes of traffic in single file and we all stopped to let them pass. The last duck may have been a bit giddy with the sunshine, because she broke rank and started to weave through the traffic. Bless her. We all waited till she was safe. It’s a beautiful day here and as I pulled up at the traffic lights a young lad, who had been behind me in the ‘duck queue’, drew to a halt beside me. All our car windows were down and he shook his head at me. I interpreted his look to mean ‘You daft old bat…’. I smiled at him and spoke across the cars; ‘May you get the life experience that means it’s OK to stop for ducks.’ Then I smiled at him gently and drove away.

Many blessings and possibilities as I find my way with this, with a heart full of gratitude for all the footsteps that have brought me here.

The wonder of a little one….

Jasper is one of my little nephews and he is three. His delight at finding a packet of marbles in his Christmas cracker was a joy to behold. ‘Are they mine to keep?’ he asked. ‘Yes’ we all answered and I knelt down and said I would show him how to play ‘marble run’. There followed much joy and cries of ‘Yay’ with all the family clapping as marbles clanked together along the front room carpet. His Mum and Dad have now bought him more marbles and if I close my eyes I can see his beaming face as he plays with them.

There is magic in moments of ‘wonder’……

Mum coming in to give me earrings that perfectly match a new outfit I have put together (with a top gifted by Emily – oohh her keen eye and fashion sense lifts my wardrobe every time).

Emily’s need for a soothing moment and a picture sent across the ether of her first piece of knitting. ‘Look at this Mum……’

Dad’s push against ill health as his new ‘store’ is nearing completion and that lifts things for his projects to come nearer to completion.

Life’s synchronicity flowing as the lovely builder doing the building work for Dad shines with thoughtfulness. When he first moved in next door to Mum and Dad, after travelling from Hungary and unable to speak English, it was near to Christmas. Mum put a Christmas card through his door to welcome him. He flowed back with a complete cooked Hungarian Christmas dinner, he was so grateful for her kindness. Life flowed and his skill and lovely way have built a very busy life and business for him. His work is beautiful and he calmly builds things for Dad, with Dad sitting there keeping him company. They make a good pair and he takes care of Dad ensuring that he does not overdo it. He is also a trained chef and with Mum’s loving cooking, there are a number of plates full of yumminess that flow back and forth between the two homes. This week he asked Mum if she liked roses and she smiled at him. Years ago Dad needed another workshop (yes really!) and Mum lost her garden at the side of their home. She has subsequently built an oasis of pots and window boxes in the small courtyard outside their kitchen window. Tommi (their lovely neighbour and builder) turned up the other evening with five rose bushes…five!! It threw Mum who has nowhere to plant them. He put his arm around her and said ‘Trish, I will build you a raised bed and plant your roses on Sunday’…his English has come on in leaps and bounds and his loving thoughtfulness simply keeps flowing. Mum looked at me and said ‘Do I need to do anything here?’ My reply was ‘No Darling. let him look after this’ and he will.

The kiss on my cheek from Mum as we finished a church service last Sunday, where we had worked on platform together as mediums. Sitting there singing the last hymn and holding hands as we looked out across a congregation with light and love sparkling around them.

Holding a dear friend’s newly published poetry book in my hands last night. Reading her words and being moved to tears. Christine Moran – ‘Dancing in the Rain’ (click on the Publications tab). Chris has pushed way beyond her comfort zone and sparked her muse into beautiful poetry that touches all who read it.

A thoughtful friend suggested I took my quest for ‘work space’ to southern Lancashire this week and he offered to show me around a small town in the South Ribble valley. We stood opposite a house on the high street and saw the sign for alternative therapies which pointed down a cobbled alleyway. That path led to a pretty little cobbled courtyard filled with Spring bulbs and an inviting entrance. A short while later the lady who runs this special place and I were hugging (mid-conversation), as we realised that we could help each other. My search for ‘work space’ has found a home. I am grateful to my Mum and Dad who have held my hand as I pushed beyond my comfort zone and to Mark for joining the dots.

A new chapter has begun. x

Magic moments as Em and I get a whole day to spend together….

Emily has turned 22 and we have been planning a day together since Christmas and on Monday this week we pulled it off.

I headed down the motorway to Leicester and we spent the day doing all the things we love together. Leicester is a thriving city and two universities give it a very young feel. They have ‘lanes’ going off the city centre, just like Brighton, and the little shops up there were tailor made for us girls. We ‘oohhed and aahhed’ over paintings, glasswork, pottery and crafty gifts. We sat in a wonderful deli having lunch and caught up with our news. It felt like we were in Italy. A local wool shop gave us new knitting ideas and projects and the vintage and secondhand furniture shops are a treasure trove of fun.

Em took me to a place called ‘Ocean Commotion’ and some of her childhood memories floated up while we looked in all the tanks. The marvelous colours of the little fish and the gentle burble of the air in the tanks took us to another world for a while. Em remembered when she was little and we used to take her to a garden centre with a special place full of fish tanks. She loved those trips. I remembered two goldfish her Dad won at a fun fair years ago. ‘Gordon and Herbet’ lived with us for quite a while in the big glass bowl I found in a junk shop.

Magic moments float up as I think back to Monday. As the sun set (somewhere high up above, because it tipped down with rain all day) there were little twinkly lights that came on outside the shops. One place was covered in them right up the front from the display window to the roof three stories above. In another there was a studio above a gallery that had us both feeling a longing to get up there and paint. We found a cosy Irish pub and sat and nattered while I sewed a popper onto Em’s coat that kept flapping in the wind. The butterfly umbrella my Mum gifted Em was in use all day, but the weather did nothing to dull our shine.

We had a great time in a restaurant Em had discovered for our dinner. It offered a world buffet and I needed her guidance on several occasions as I looked at food I did not recognise. The staff were great and caught our fun mood and we left there with many good wishes and paper hats on our heads.

As we said ‘au revoir’ to each other Em put a huge bag of clothes, that she no longer wears, in my hand and I have already worn a spangly top that was nestling in there. She also discovered a lovely skirt and scarf in a charity shop for the new work I am doing on platform. She is one canny and thoughtful shopper.

Em is in her final year at Uni and has a 10,000 word dissertation before her in the next few months. We shared memories of the degree choices she had before her just a few short years ago, because she chose the unexpected. She made the best choice for her and I applaud her courage in following her heart, as she is flying with it. She has carved a lovely life out for herself in Leicester and has got out and about exploring and found all sorts of places. Her new friendships there have brought blessings forth and she has discovered much about herself.

Life flows and things rarely go to plan, as our children grow up, and in my case a marriage ends. Emily is a priceless gift from my marriage and life’s gifts continue to flow in the magic moments we have together.