7 Day Photograph Nature Challenge : Day 2

I started this challenge with a gorgeous sunset, so here is a beautiful sunrise to follow:

I captured this through an upstairs bedroom window a couple of weeks ago and think that it's one of the best ones so far this year.

7 Day Photograph Nature Challenge : Day 1

I took these photos this evening on the way to do my weekly food shopping. The sunset was so dramatic that I pulled off the A27 on to a flyover and parked on the bridge (hopefully not illegally!) to capture these images using my mobile phone. The wind was so cold that I could barely move my hands for a few minutes once I got back into the car.

Just after I rejoined the dual carriageway I looked up and saw that the Sun had emerged as a  dull red globe,  dull enough that I could look at it for a few seconds without being dazzled - and there was NOWHERE to pull over, so I can only share the beauty of the image descriptively - if you have seen the first Star Wars movie (you know, the one that came out in 1977!) then yesterday evening's sunset looked like that which Luke Skywalker is seen gazing wistfully at near the beginning of the movie. Except with more trees ;)

Time for a Change #1 2016

Time for a Change is my way of trying to ensure I put some time aside every week (preferably daily) to extend my knowledge about subjects I enjoy (such as Astronomy), learn a new language (attempting German at present) or do something creative. 

For my first post of 2016 I thought I would share with you what I achieved in 2015, as well as some ideas of what I hope to do this year.

Astronomy

2015

I attended many astronomy presentations at South Downs Planetarium on subjects ranging from the Aurora Borealis to the possible origins of the star of Bethlehem and Major Tim Peake's journey to the International Space Station.

In September I and my family watched the total lunar eclipse at our village playing fields and I stayed up until about 5am to observe the Moon fully emerged from eclipse in the dark western sky and the planets Venus and Jupiter in the pre-dawn light in the east (Mars was also present, however I could not see it as it was fairly dim).

2016

Just before Christmas 2015 my parents gave us a very good pair of binoculars (that used to belong to one of my Great Uncles) and we will be using them to help us learn the constellations in the night sky - when we get some cloud free evenings! December was also lucky enough to receive a very good telescope for her birthday which we are hoping will enable us to view deep space objects from our back garden for the first time.

I plan to visit some observatories, possibly including the one at Greenwich and have booked a trip to Clanfield Observatory early this year.

Languages

2015

I made a start on German at the beginning of the year however, due to ill health, I did not get very far.

2016

I intend to learn German this year and have decided to start in April, when the evenings are lighter and evening astronomy not so easy.

Crafting

2015

I learned to knit and made two pairs of fingerless gloves and a scarf:

I extended my knowledge of crochet, learning to read more complicated patterns and made, amongst other things, a hat for my cousin:

 I also started to make proper use of my sewing machine and made my first bag (which I wrote a post about in June):

I attended a workshop on needle felting and made a floral picture using the techniques I was shown :

2016

I have plans to crochet a large, single bed sized blanket which I will start as soon as I have been able to buy the wool (hopefully in February). I am making another hat for a friend and will make one each for December and June.

I hope to do more linocut printing (a skill I learnt at a workshop run by a friend in 2014) and to share the knowledge with December and June.

I am going to make myself a new bag using old jeans that the children have grown out of.

New for 2016!

I need some calmness in my life and so I have decided to return to the art of meditation, something that I have not been doing for years. 

Pain

Pain, when it is at it's height, pervades all your senses.

There is nowhere you can go to hide from pain, it gnaws away at you constantly.

It is possible to escape using very strong medication, however life cannot be lived through a fog of detachment and care-less confusion. Especially when you have children.

So, what to do?

You see, there is nothing that can distract your nerve endings from sending screaming messages to your brain. Pain. Pain! PAIN.

Please, let go of me. When will this torture end?

Oh the misfortune of having suffered postnatal cardiomyopathy, meaning that I cannot take the very drugs that would help to ease this pain.

Anti-inflammatories are not good for anyone to take for long periods of time. However, in the short-term, they can (and do) provide huge relief to many people suffering from conditions such as arthritis and degenerating spinal problems.

Knowing that there is something available that can ease this discomfort is, of course, worse than if there wasn't - given that I cannot take it.

Without the love and support of my husband I don't think I would manage to do anything and, thankfully, my children light up even my darkest days with their smiles, hugs and laughter.

Emotional Response

I was listening to a programme on Radio 4 this afternoon which concluded with the final chapter from The House at Pooh Corner (Chapter 10. In which Christopher Robin and Pooh come to an enchanted place, and we leave them there) the piece was read by a person other than the presenter, because the man presenting the show said that the last time he had tried to read it in public he had cried. Which warning I should have heeded and turned the stereo off.

As the words reached me, I remembered how much they spoke to me of childhood long forgotten and I wept. Bawled my eyes out, actually. Which was a tad inconvenient, as I was driving at the time. How I managed to stay on the road and not cause an accident is beyond me.

It's amazing the things that can trigger a lachrymose moment, often without warning and frequently to the discomfort of those around me. 

Is it a peculiarly British thing to get embarrassed when others display strong emotions?

The Legacy of Unending War

War has affected so much, from the chemicals and gases of the First World War and the nuclear bombs used on Japan in the 1940's to all the weapons used now. None were used in a vacuum or controlled way so that they have spread everywhere over our beautiful planet on the winds, in the earth and through the water. It makes me sad and angry that so much damage is being wrought upon so many by power seeking, scared, thoughtless, selfish humans. Sorry for the rant, will understand if you choose not to read my blog any more. Merry Christmas!

Celebrations

I've been feeling rather emotional over the last few days and had put it down to overtiredness as I have been burning the candle at both ends whilst preparing for Christmas.

Today, in a brief moment of quietness, I realised that the reason is because my beautiful daughter, December, is going to be 10 years old tomorrow (Christmas Eve).

I cannot quite believe that a decade has passed since her dramatic arrival into this world.

I love her so much and am very proud of all that she has already achieved and hope that the next 10 years are as good to her as the first 10 have been.

Happy birthday, darling girl x