We had a lovely idle weekend…pootled around on Saturday, wandered down the boat club during the evening and found Julian having a 40th birthday party with a great band from Colchester - thanks for the dancing! Lazy morning Sunday just enjoying the sheer pleasure of being together with nothing in particular to do…collected son and grandson and had a happy adventure picnicing in Thetford forest and exploring Grimes Graves, Norfolk’s amazing iron age flint mines. ...Read more

I was vPunky postcardery excited to receive this beautiful card from Victoria, all the way from Australia, as part of the Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap!  Don’t you love the little mouse with his long tail? See more of Victoria’s beautiful  work here.

steam train

Ivan is just back from lots of hard, sweaty work in the engine room of Chantey, the vintage yacht we are doing up in Mexico (more pics coming soon on the Chantey page.) I'm so excited because he has made good progress this trip and maybe towards the end of next trip we'll be able to get her into the water. It's not sailing round the world yet but it's another tide nearer! ...Read more

Today has been a wonderful feast of creativity! It started with a great session playing accordian with my friends Janey (guitar) and Ann (Sax) at our church family service; we were amused by James (guitar) excuse for not joining us - too busy catching calves! Well, he and Lita are the village farmers and apparently the calves were too small and got thru the gaps in the fence or something…..I love living in the country! ...Read more

Last week I started on an amazing e-course for creative businesses called ‘Flying Lessons’ - see our Art & Craft  page for more info.  ...Read more

I read an article in franciscan (the newsletter of the Anglican Society of Saint Francis) that reminded of his calling to ‘rebuild my oikus - my house.’ St Francis understood this to mean the church community; but the author of the article, Pamela Wood, suggests that in our time it is a call to rebuild the home that is our planet. ...Read more

Today I learnt more about the Transition Movement. This is a global movement of people concerned about climate change and ‘peak oil’ (when it all runs out!) and wanting to do something about it at a local level.

They are getting together in local communities to find sustainable, inclusive ways to reduce our carbon footprint. There are now lots of transition towns in the UK - find out more and if your is one at http://transitiontowns.org.
...Read more

I just signed up for a petition to make paper phone books an opt-in system - only get one if you ask for one. A great way to save trees - when did you last look at yours?

if you want to support the petition, follow this link:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/NoPhonebooks/

and save some trees and our planet!

I’ve just had three days based at home, a welcome rest from a season of working away and travelling. It’s been a good time to be with family and friends and fit in household tasks and crafts as well as work.

We have been discussing paint for our cottage windows and whether environmentally friendly paint is effective and affordable. It is in these daily tasks and decisions that we really discover the impact of our values and choices on the earth. ...Read more