the week through the lens

 it has been on the back burner, i have not been taking a lot of photos for a while now, and that should change. so i put the "hand made" lens back on the camera body and got started this week. it touched me in a special way, as i wander and have the camera ready be it in the kitchen, or living room table... this enables me to see with new eyes and i like it. we will see if it sticks, it is a start to a new friday review of what caught my eye. there is to be said, that i was inspired by erin boyle and her blog "reading my tea leaves". she does a wonderful job and it is so inspirational to have a look at her photos...

:: 1. a batch home made m&m's cookies, baked to perfection by naomi

:: 2. a quick stool pillow, as the metal felt very cold to sit on, even though it still is kind of warm and a cool down is usually welcomed.

:: 3. community dinner, home made foccacia and every thing yummy to stuff them with

:: 4. the 16 circles are all done and ironed

:: 5. a late evening competition of puzzle cubes...

the neigbhorhood's plum jam

i have been eying that plum tree for a while, but just never went over with a bucket until today. i have brought home a hand or two of the sweet little fruit in the past weeks. but this time, i collected a whole bucket full of ripe fallen plums.
one neighbor stopped by and congratulated me on "harvesting" those wonderful little plums. and mentioned, that he himself was also getting a bucket full last week, though he picked the plums from his ladder...
well, in my case, it really doesn't matter, as i was planning on cooking jam all along. and so i ended up boiling and straining and the fruit. mesuring, adding some ground cinnamon and lemon juice, as well as sugar, 1/2 the weight of the cooked fruit's weight, as i like it not super sweet.
boiling this all and filling 20 jars (different sizes) of the delicious very nice and deep red looking jam.
for the cleaning up of the kitchen, wow some unexpected help was jumping to the sink and washed all the pots and ladels.
i just had to write a the labels and will be able to put it all in the pantry downstairs by tomorrow morning...

bees wax wrap

i have been using bees wax wraps for more then a year and i love them. by now i find it in different stores and also different brands, which is fun and a sign, that it works. it's not just for me it really should be in every house hold, replacing the celophane wrap.
at more than one time, i have been contemplating about making those wraps myself...

yesterday it happened, i had time in the afternoon and some leftover beeswax from the past year of collecting candle stumps. i also had a book at hand about how to do all kinds of houshold and hygene thing without plastic.
for a few pieces of cotton i didn't have to digg long and the wax was chopped quickly. a brush was at hand (and is now dedicated for bees wrap making). a sheet of baking paper to protect the cookie sheet and preheating the oven to 80C. it really is enough as the wax should not be burnt. the piece of fabric is layed flat on the cookie sheet (on top of the baking paper) and sprinkled with the wax. just take the amount you think is needed (if it's to much, use it for the next fabric to soak it. if it is too little, add some more). as soon as the wax is melted use the brush to even it out.
and done!

o so blue

we had a lot of green for the two weeks, we spent in schotland. so much and so wondrfully dep and lush. especially considering the dry and hot weather europe experienced starting in july and lasting until a week ago. it just rained this past friday and the fire ban is lifted again.

so there it is, all that blue, in one bucket and waiting to be used up on white fabric and garments and houshold laundry. and so we worked it.
amos got us started with the lot of blue dye, a t-shirt for himself, a t-shirt for me and one for naomi, all different techniques. some napkins, some kitchen towles (the stained once...)
and it was a fun saturday project. the last day of summer brake, the moment to get ready and excited about letting all that leisure time slip away. we decided to take a bit of it along into this new school year. a reminder of how wonderful summers and the "do what you want" moments have been this season.

single girl week III

i have been sewing a bit last week, mostly really on friday and saturday...
sunday night was the time to iron. so much fun and i love sit down now to piece the rings together. i'm pleased with the colors and am really looking forward to have the 16 rings put together to join them to one piece. as i have been gone from home for 3 weeks, there was a bit of a gap and i had a moment to slip back into this quilt top. but i emprace it and still love the work a lot. by the end of this week it should be pieced together and sandwiched and ready to quilt.

there was some more making going on on saturday, the teenagers all of a sudden came up with ideas of doing their own things. naomi went to the thrift store and got herself a dozen or so picture frames. then she sanded and spray painted the frames and was happy with the result. this lead to some more sanding, now it was the night stand and more spraying... i love when she gets enthusiastic and busy with work. it is wonderful to see the girl immersed in her own ideas. 

the week through the lens

it has been on the back burner, i have not been taking a lot of photos for a while now, and that should change. so i put the "hand made" lens back on the camera body and got started this week. it touched me in a special way, as i wander and have the camera ready be it in the kitchen, or living room table... this enables me to see with new eyes and i like it. we will see if it sticks, it is a start to a new friday review of what caught my eye. there is to be said, that i was inspired by erin boyle and her blog "reading my tea leaves". she does a wonderful job and it is so inspirational to have a look at her photos...

:: 1. back from london and scotland, the memories are "bottled up" to last...

:: 2. stargazing, enjoying lots of shooting stars (though not able to catch one) photo by joel  
 

:: 3: a wonderful smoothy for a midafternoon snack, thank you naomi

 :: 4. and it rained, after an other hot week this is a blessing

:: 5. working on that single girl quilt, cutting in the shade

postcards from schotland #8

those first two pictures were taken at the caves near hopemen. a wonderful place where we spent some time yesterday afternoon. just discovering and having a picnic lunch. as it was high tide, we had to jump at some places, to not get our feet/shoes wet...

and this one was today, after having visited the highland games in ballater, we trekked on through the cairngorm national park, up and down the rolling hills. very bare and raw and lots of sheep to dot the landscape.
a mere two days left, until we return the RV and then take the train from edinburgh to london, to fly home to switzerland from there.

the first photo is by joel

postcards from scotland #7

we made our way to applecross, a little town on the western shore of the highlands. a little jewel with it's mystic woodlands, all covered with moss and lichen of many different kinds (over 20 species). i'm not a scientist, but i can see and appreciate the beauty of this landscape and plant diversity. wild deer were spotted on our walk as well as birds.

the walled garden was our "eating out" destination. of course, we planned the walk, and were aware, that it will take us a while discovering all the above. upon arriving at the walled garden, and looking at the beauty of this really neat place, we enjoyed a wonderful early dinner at the potting shed cafe&restaurant. a perfect, place to reward all of us with a yummy meal and great atmosphere.

postcards from scotland #6

this was at the falls of shin, a wonderful spot were we could see the atlantic salmon jump up the falls to "come home" to spawn. it was amazing. i didn't expect it be spectacular, but the fish puddle up in groups beneath the falls, to travel up together. we were able to observe many fish leap and jump and wiggle up, that rather high fall.
joel has taken pictures, the one above is just one of many. i like the composition of all that roaring water with the leaping salmon.

and then the breathtaking view from our on the road camping, above shieldaig. connecting the view to the picture above are the fish farming pods...

and this one is just a moment of joy and happiness of our daughter.

nice take by joel

postcards from scotland #5

this one is special, there is now and then a moment, where the whole family is willing to put up with my request to take a photo of all of us together. and so it was yesterday afternoon, the moment felt right and joel had the patience to give it a go. a wonderful little spot on one of the rare sandy beaches on the western coast of scotland.

postcarads from scotland #4

in the western highlands, well it was a wonderful day on the road today. spectacular views, on glens and lochs and castle ruins. we enjoyed all the animals on their pastures. the streets out here are narrow and rough, but we were not in a hurry and joel is a good driver.

it is rainy, and for me on the cooler side. looks like scotland is probably the only place in europe where we have this kind of weather. and it would kind of be strange, experiencing this land in the smoldering heat.

urquhart castle ruins

postcards from scotland #3

at the ocean with the family, this has been a perfect afternoon. exploring and just sitting and being happy.

postcard from scotland #2

just one, as we have very poor online conditions. we are at resipol, a wonderful place at the western end of the highlands. it is a unique place, this little spot along the ragged coast of scotland.
we enjoyed a nice ride out to the end of the road, passing that red telepone booth, it was old and would not have worked anymore, but made for stopping on our way out and again on the way home...

postcards from scottland #1

a hike up to arthur's seat on a kind of rainy saturday, after having enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at the carrubbers cafe in the old city of edinburgh. after the past days in london an overnight coach ride up north, a wonderful breakfast was just about right. i was not really planning on a hike right after an overnight bus ride and i was not thinking about my shoes, when we put all the luggage into a locker to head out for the day. well i did the hike in my flip-flaps in the drizzle and wind of the day. it worked out fine and i had no trouble, as the rock was not slippery and the paths we chose were ok. (not that i would recommend that to anyone...). the picture above is taken from the holyrood park, where we sat under the big trees and had a cup of tea out of my thermos.

the city is lovely, very exciting with all it's stairs and closes. we also took the chance and went on the HSY Britannia, a well worth spent rainy afternoon.