Ashes to Snow

I was looking through the many videos that people on my "Freeing Your Wings" site have contributied over the past couple of years last week. I came upon this one, originally posted by a friend in Macedonia (Anamarija). I had forgotten about it but as soon as I saw it I remembered how stunningly beautiful it was. It is an incredible production. It is part of an exhibition which travelled the world and is a 'Flying Elephants' production. There are several more from the same exhibition ob Youtube if you enjoy this one. I cannot imagine anyone would not enjoy it.....but make sure you are sitting somewhere really quiet and mellow before you click on 'play.'

Knitting news!

I wonder if the little boys who knitted for the war effort back in the 1940's could ever have visualised that their grandsons would be taking up knitting for relaxation purposes some 70 years later?

In today's Independent on Sunday, there is a report that knitting is basically the new meditation for men even as burly and macho as Laurence Fishbourne and Russell Crowe. Whether that is stretching the truth just a little, the article was not sure but all in all I loved reading this article and can only say good for them. Are we women coming just one step further into our own? The rage for women knitting seriously again started well over a decade ago now but it seems that some of our more "aware" of the male species have realised that the gentle repetition of the click clacking knitting needles does indeed offer them a quiet space to sit and reflect and quite simply relax.

Companies such as John Lewis and the handknitting company Rowan estimate that there has been a massive increase in the numbers of men buying up the yarn and needles and it is definitely becoming a new and thriving market! It was great to read that a very cool 50 year old David Wishingsky,who runs a tea room not far away from me in East Sussex, has actually started up a knitting group in his cafe. David has recognised the therapeutic effects of picking up his needles and there is a great photo of him sitting knitting next to his table laid out for tea, complete with teapot in a pink tea cosy! Brilliant stuff!

Blue..............

Here it is....isn't it just stunning. I could see from the link it is called "Spiritual Journey" but again I couldn't see the artist....but will look for it later so I can add it.
Anyway I can't say how much I love it. I find it mesmerising. Apart from the glorious blueness of it, the eyes are so incredible and the ways/he is holding the beads....fabulous. Again such an emotive painting. Hope you like it too.

I so love this painting!

Isn't this a wonderful painting?! I found it yesterday just "googling" around for pictures for Freeing Your Wings. Actually I found this and another which I just fell in love with and will post that one later.

I can't always find the link to the painters when I find pictures in this way (ie through Google Images) so I feel bad about not being able to acknowledge who painted this. I shall try and find out.

Just great though isn't it? I always love images whether drawings, paintings or sculptures which reflect so much feeling in the way the body is depicted. There is so much "story" in them. I love the colours in this too. Tabulous.

Special friends - Special day!

And here they are...our friends Adi and Lou Baxter! Congratulations and lots of love to you two very lovely people. I am so happy to be one of your friends.

A special celebration!

Here is the "Cupcake Wedding Cake" made by family and friends (me included!) for our friends Adrian and Lou on their wedding day last Saturday, 1st October. There are even cakes made by Lou's five year old niece and nephew....you might be able to spot them in there! Anyway.....what a lovely sight they made. I was really happy to help Lou's mum, Carol, arrange the cake display early on the wedding morning. It was so wonderful to see all those little cakes, all so different, yet all made with so much love. They were certainly a talking piece. I remember when Lou asked me to be one of her cupcake team back in January. Her vision was all homemade and all different and she was so right. Somehow they are on a completely different level to a professional display of "all the same and perfect". These were all the same and perfect in a different way....all made with love for a very lovely couple. Lou and Adi met about 6 years ago and just after they met Adi was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Their first couple of years together were full of fear and pain and to see them now, having come through all that together, was very special. I know from my own experience, that sharing that particular journey, will only have made them stronger and brought them closer. They are off on the honeymoon of a lifetime in three weeks....to Australia in a camper van for three weeks of magic I am sure!

Dance like......

"Dance like no one is watching, love like you'll never be hurt,sing like no one is listening,and live like it's heaven on earth."

Music overload and dancing the night away!

So sorry.....just realised that my "background music" plays at the same time as the little videos I have been adding. I need to sort that out....can't remember without searching how to remove the music player.....please bear with me as I will find the way!

I danced the night away last night at our friends' wedding. Didn't think I still had it in me. I always loved dancing just on my own when younger but over the past few years, never go anywhere to do it anymore. In the summer we went to a friends' party in their garden and I just lost all my confidence. I knew I hadn't danced since I got ill back in 2002. That evening my friends finally pulled me up to join them but I still felt sort of odd and felt so sad that I used never to feel self conscious about dancing on my own.

Last night though, for some reason, I was shy no more and just joined in. I managed to drag my husband Benn on the floor to join me eventually but I had been dancing on my own on and off for about 3 hours before that! Anyway it was great, I did not feel 63 at all and jumped up and down with the best of them to some great songs, waving my arms in the air!!