Oh yeah...I have a blog

Almost forgot, I'm here just in time or I would've forgotten my passwords!

Spring is here again. May and June are my favorite months. Look at all those flowers in the grass - 'Ereprijs' - I don't know the English name.

Short walks, back inside quickly

It's still very much winter here. Some days rainy and gloomy other days sunny and cold.

We pluck up the courage to take walks now and then.

 

Then we go back inside quickly!

 

There was some snow!

 

Especially Isabel does not like the cold. She's much happier coloring and sorting her crayons!

 

I'm really looking forward to spring, I miss my garden.

Sunny September

September was dit jaar ongekend mooi en zoning. Ik moest zelfs  regelmatig watergeven in de moestuin. We hebben volop genoten van de heerlijke nazomer.

September was gorgeous and sunny this year. I even had to keep on watering the plants in the veggie plot. We enjoyed all the goodness of this indian summer.

 

Smelling the flowers!

 

Hazy early mornings.

 

Walks and picnics.

 

And so many tomatoes & some raspberries too.

Boswandeling - A walk in the woods

Donderdag was het eindelijk weer droog. Wat een regen viel er de afgelopen tijd! Het was droog, maar wel fris en wij gingen er op uit.

On Thursday it was finally dry, after days of rain. It was a bit chilly, but out we went!

 

We bekeken beestjes door een vergrootglas. De spin op de volgende foto wandelde gewoon het bakje in. Wel een beetje eng, vond Rosalie, maar ze liet 'em zelf weer vrij.

We studied bugs through a magnifying glass. The spider on the next picture just walked into our little contraption all by itself. Rosalie thought it was a bit scary, but she did free it on her own.

En wat is dit voor een creatuur in mijn tuin?

And what is this creature doing in my garden?

 

Ik ben weer wat gaan uitproberen met oude truien. Ik heb mezelf de uitdaging gesteld nieuwe vormen te onderzoeken. Nu ik hem hier zo zie zitten, zie ik dat ik ook eens andere gezichtjes zou moeten proberen.

 

I've been experimenting with old sweaters and challenged myself to explore new forms. Seeing him like this I realise I might need to try some other faces too.

 

Die heeft eenzelfde gezichtje, maar misschien horen die ook wel bij mijn schepsels....

This one has a face just like it, but then, maybe that's just part of who my creatures are...



En ten slotte nog meer wilde weelde, uit het bos.

And finally some more wild and abundant beauty, from the forest.

Wilde weelde - Wild abundance

Een dag in onze wilde, wilde, weelderige tuin.

A day in our wild and wonderfully abundant garden.

 

 

Wat mij betreft bestaat er geen onkruid, alleen planten die stuk voor stuk een wonder in zichzelf zijn! Ja, zelfs het zevenblad.

Dit is de tijd van het jaar dat het gras bloeit.

Zo mooi!

Daar moet ik binnenkort ook foto's van maken.

 

As far as I'm concerned there are no 'weeds', just beautiful plants, miracles all of them!

Yes, even the goutweed.

This is the time of the year that the grasses flower.

So gorgeous!

I should take some time to photograph them soon.

 

Dit is de tafel naast de achterdeur waar we vaak zitten. Gevuld met viltstiften, kleurboeken en de pompoen en courgetteplantjes die ik vandaag geplant heb.

This is the table next to our backdoor where we often sit. Filled with felt-tips, colouring books and the pumpkin and zucchini plants I planted today.

Dat was mijn zondag. Er waren ook: rabarberlimonade, tekenen, was ophangen, motorherrie en jasmijngeur. Het was een goeie dag.

That was my Sunday. There were also: rhubarb lemonade, drawing, hanging up the laundry, motorcycle noise and the scent of jasmine. It was a good day.

 

 



Made this winter

Some pictures of things I made this winter:

A happy cloud for grey days

 



Christmas ornaments made by me and Rosalie

 

 

 

A mouse from the wonderful book by Amy Adams "Countryside Softies".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rattles, just for the fun of it!

 

 

 

A simple cushion with a crochet edge.

 

 

 

 And an embroidered pouch.

Looking at these pictures I see there wasn't a lot of knitting. There was some...I just didn't take pictures. To show you I'd have to dig my socks out of a pile of dirty laundry or do a serious search for the wristwarmers I made from wool that I spun myself. I have other plans for today, however....like work in my garden (if it would just stop snowing!).

 

Koud!

This week, one morning, we woke up to this:

 

 

A wonderful snowy world! And so early in december, too. Snow makes everything so beautiful, I'd prefer 'snow and cold' to 'not quite so cold, but rainy' any day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roelof made this great photo of the rosehips in our garden.

 

First thing after breakfast I ran up to the attic to find warm outdoor clothes for Thomas and Isabel.

 

Rosalie went to school on her bicycle, not afraid of cold or slippery roads. Good for her!

 

Thomas and Isabel were impressed by this change that had ocurred overnight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't stay out to long, though.

Isabel fell face down in the snow and decided she didn't like it! She cried and walked straight back to the door!

 

She did, however, learn a new word:

 

KOUD

( = COLD)

 

So that made us very proud. Children with pws are slow in developing language, but Isabel has now really started to say words and names. We started with sign language, maybe six months ago, to help her understand language and give her the tools to actually say things. After learning some signs I think she really understood what it was all about. So now she's trying words, it's hard for her to pronounce them because of her low muscle tone. But it's so good to see her try and just get it!

 

Besides these few words she now knows - mama, papa, koek (cookie), opa (granddad), oma (grandma), paard (horse), boek (book) and ja (yes) - she also still uses her own flow of sounds, telling her own 'stories' as she plays or walks around. And she understands just about anything we say.

So, Isabel, you are doing great!

 

 

What better to do on a cold day than stay inside and knit?

This jumble of yarn and stitches will be a sweater some time soon (soon? we'll see...).

 

 

It's Camden by Ashley Adams Moncrief from Knitty magazine (www.knitty.com).
I love the bobble pattern, I also like the detachable sleeves, but probably won't have anough yarn for those. I'm knitting with a wonderful organic alpaca, so soft! I don't think I have ever knitted myself a sweater before that didn't consist of a collection of rectangles (one for the front, one for the back and two for the sleeves) and those were knitted a long time ago!

Back to my knitting now, I might just have time for one more round!