Simple Pleasures :: Freshly Picked Flowers

Freshly picked flowers, from garden to vase. The smell and colour of summer, savoured.


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In Gratitude :: Ten Things

Sometimes when we feel it least we should seek to find things to be grateful for more, not just to acknowledge it, but to feel it, to truly force ourselves into choosing gratitude regardless of circumstance.

This week I have been feeling challenged, ungrateful, frustrated, and on top of that I have also dropped down a dose on my ADs. So add to that mix 'depressed' too. Yeah, it's sure been a barrel of fun around here recently.

So as an exercise in preserving not only my sanity, but my sense of precariously balanced perspective, I give you :: my meditation list of things to be grateful for...



1 :: Having some clean, peaceful corners to truly relax in



2 :: Brainless crafting for simple pleasure



3 :: A scone recipe I finally like! Yes! Coming Soon insha'allah...



4 :: Playing with fabric



5 :: Gaming with the babes



6 :: Watching the games they play without me



7 :: Cold, fizzy, elderflower. You don't need alcohol to appreciate a quiet five minutes...



8 :: My inventors and their inventions (a tank gun barrel. I'm so proud *ahem*)



9 :: Being surrounded by happy little people


10 :: And YOU, of course! For the people who take the time to write me, comment, soothe my worries and ask how I am. I am always grateful for friends.


And you? What ten things are you grateful for right now?



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Bhaji on the Beach

I needed this day out more than I realised. Nothing but fun, gratitude, ease, and loving company masha'allah. A time to stop and reflect, with twinges of heartfelt loss for my Dad, but made the day and the blessings I have feel more real and sweeter than ever before.

Hope you too had a good weekend full of ease and joy!

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A state of loss, and a choice...

It struck me the other day, as I was sitting in the car at one of the various sports class, at how man is generally in a state of inheriting or bequeathing, and never really owning. We inherit the Earth from those who lived before us, we inherit our language, culture, world, houses, jobs, money - most things were held by those before us. And as we hurtle around the star we know as 'Sun' we ultimately leave it all behind for others to inherit too. We own nothing. We chase shadows. As soon as we capture anything it is lost.

Jesus the Messiah (who is a Prophet of ours in Islam) said, "This world is a bridge, so pass over it and do not build your house upon it". We come from one place, and we are journeying, willingly or not, to another. The process in between is what we call 'life'. And in the function of living we are dying. A bridge is a tool to get from A to B, it is not a place to rest; you either stay in A or you goto B, but you do not build your house on the bridge. This life is not something to rest upon.

As I sat in the car last week watching, with a deep sadness in my gut, heart and soul about this reality of loss hitting home, watching people and families milling around me all I could see were people loosely connected, about to have their hearts filled with joy and then sorrow. People close who will be torn apart. People waiting to be hit by a bus, made mad with dementia or given a canker that rots them from the inside. And the people they love will come face to face with this state of loss. They will have to realise they dont own the relationship of love. They cannot be safe from time. And all we can do is gently try to hold onto joy for as long as we can, before the inevitable comes, like hands that try to grasp a drink of water to quench an insatiable thirst - if they clasp too hard the water is lost, all they can try to do is cup the water gently and sip quickly before the water trickles through the fingers back into the earth. Or it is like a swarm of flies - try to grab them to trap and capture them and they disperse all the more; but be quiet in their midst, be gentle and silent and be content to just observe, and you may entice them to settle for a while.

"(I swear) by Time, man is in a state of loss...." The Qur'an, Chapter Al-Asr

We are completely in a state of poverty. We are needy creatures who have no power to avert our neediness. We cannot undo the powers over us. We cannot create, all we can do, at best, is take what is already given in this universe and manipulate it into something beautiful; this is what mankind calls 'creating'. He cannot fathom time into existence, nor can he make an atom from nothing, he cannot undo what is past and he cannot escape what is to come. All we do is manipulate and try to weave something beautiful out of the strands we have been given.

Muhammad (Saw) was told "live how you want to live, and love what you want to love but you will leave it all behind". To be truly content we must love that which never dies, and be accepting of the rest. We are constanly in a state of loss.

The best amongst us are those who are awake to it and who prepare themselves for the inevitable. Those who pass over the bridge. We are like babes in the womb - we think this is all there is - how would you explain adulthood in this world to a fetus in the womb? How would you explain a rainbow? But the babe dies to the womb-world and is born into this. And we are the same, but we just don't realise it, or we deny it, or we run from it - from this world we die and we will be 'born' into another, whether we like it or not.


And I suppose there is a vast difference between living in denial and escaping from truth by distraction, and actually living with the burden of fact and choosing to be joyful regardless.

I was reminded of this yesterday when I read Erin's thoughts on 'choice', and although sometimes the sadness and grief can be overwhelming, and cut deep, and be hard to bear, in moments of reprieve we have to grasp at the handhold that never breaks to pull ourselves free from spiralling sadness and into a world of peaceful acceptance, and at the best of times, genuine joy.

So. Consciously choosing to see the rainbow instead of the rain, whilst still accepting the storm ahead, here is a post about 'choosing'. Those of you so inspired can join Erin on a year-long 'Year of Choice' ::

:: The Messy Kitchen







I have a disorganised, messy kitchen and the stove needs cleaned. But today I chose to enjoy having a whistling kettle that calls the babes in for a cup of tea...




:: It is seriously cold in our new room



But today I chose to be thankful for the cheap thermometer, the excitement the babes have in rushing to read it everyday, and for the ability to keep warm in other ways. Oh, and if I'm going to moan about the cold? I can now at least be accurate in my whining ...




:: Uninspiring...

I can't quite get my art table to look this inspirational, but today I choose to see the happiness my boys have with what they have...






:: Being Talentless

I feel totally inadequate in the face of so many artistic, creative, resourceful people in the world. Manda, for just about everything she turns her hand to, as well as her strength of character; Geninne, for *everything* she creates; Margaret in amazing beauty in minimal simplicity.

But today I was happy just to be able to have their beauty in my life, even if I can't recreate it myself.






:: General Mess

I was about to bemoan the constant state of aggravated burglary that threatens to engulf the house. Instead today I saw imaginary worlds, contented play, and beautiful colour. Even if it means I can't get the hoover round the sitting room...








It doesn't dull the pain of loss, or ease the ache of grief and worry, but being in a state of consciously chosen gratitude really does shift the universe up a notch.


What about you? What do you choose to be grateful for today?

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Come on in...

The Room. The New Room. I've been banging on and on about it for months and I'm sure you'll be wondering what all the fuss is about.

It isn't a big space or a trendy space. In fact, I didn't really want to show you it until it was 'done'. But really, what does 'done' mean? Are we ever really 'done' with any room in any house; isn't everything a continuous project?

So, please be aware that this room is far, far from perfect or 'done'. Many things have yet to find a 'home'. There will probably be a lot more reorganisation until things flow properly here, but essentially, this is how we rock this space right now.



The back door opens into the place we hang our coats and put all our shoes and outside stuff. This chest of drawers keeps everyone's hats and mittens and scarves and what-have-you. I have placed a large curtain (which will probably change several times til I'm happy, but right now this is warm) to close off the rest of the room from the door and shoes etc. and when you walk past the curtain and look left you find the lion's share of the room::

This is our new-to-us table, large enough to fit all of us and our work with ease and space leftover. Bliss. I have waited for this space for a long time and we are enjoying spreading out and being creative here.







Over here is the bookcase full of teaching resources and manipulatives, whilst the dresser is where all our art equipment is now stored (this may change if I find something more useful), most of it within easy reach of the midgets for when the artistic urge strikes.






In one corner instead of shelving I have utilised these thrifted, vintage suitcases for storage. This is where the fabric and textiles craft things are kept - everything from felt, fleece, yarn, looms, knitting needles/forks/dollies, and embroidery. Beside them is a thrifted sewing machine for the boys' use.



One large wall was painted with chalkboard paint. It's a usefull resource and the boys like to draw here.



In front of the chalk wall is another smaller table. Useful for when one of them wants to work alone, or to keep some work out, to dry paintings and to shove the rice tub under.





Currently this piece of string serves as our art line. Not pretty, may change it, but it does the job. Also need to find a space for the boys' own inspiration wires and inspiration boards.



When is junk not junk? When it's in the invention box, of course. In here are interesting cartons, nuts and bolts, pieces of wood - all ready to be transformed into their latest art work or inventions.



This coffee table currenly serves as a place where manipulatives are, erm, manipulated? Think this is going to be leaving our house soon...



Musical instrument corner. Boys not that interested in music, but they like to have a bit of blast on the keyboard once in a while...







Fabric scraps - multitude of uses from imaginitive play to sewing and sticking...





Play corner - dressing up and kitchen and what-have-you, facing the books...









Here they can sit and play and read.









So as you can see. A messy space. A space in need of new homes for many things, a couple of rugs (working on that), some organisation, but basically a space for the boys to explore their creativity and spread their wings a little. There is a lot of work to be done here, and a lot of work *being* done here, but messy or not we really love this new space of ours and the opportunity it gives us to be a creative and homeschooling family. Masha'allah.

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