This and That...

Today has dawned cold, wet and grey. My garden is like a marsh and it seems like spring is forever away. However, during this time of year I always try to chase the winter blues away with splashes of spring colour. As soon as I spot Daffodils in the store I scoop them up to brighten my home.

 I have two little bunches on the kitchen windowsill which are just starting to open up, and a bunch in the conservatory which are lagging behind a bit - probably due to how much colder that part of the house is. 

I have been doing a bit of stash busting this past week and crocheting a few squares and knitting a little baby jumper or two for the Knit-a-Square charity. They provide a little warmth to the little Aids orphans in South Africa during winter. I have quite a bit of yarn left over from past projects so I am going to do a few more squares, jumpers and hats before I post off my little package.

The Big Garden Bird count was much more successful for us this year. I think that it helped that I 'starved' the birds until I was ready to sit down and begin my count LOL. Once the food was out they flocked to the feeders. I have finished my journal page and am fairly happy with the way it turned out with the exception of one rather out-of-proportion bird!

I do love keeping journals! I love looking over them years later. I keep two journals, my nature journal - which I really do want to be a bit more regular in recording my observations - and a daily journal, where I record all sorts of things like thoughts, lists, sudden inspirations - just about anything and everything! I love making these journals pretty by pasting in magazine clippings of things that inspire me, perhaps even a recipe or two that I want to try out. I usually add my own drawings and paintings to my pages too :o) - in one of my journals from the past, I noticed that I drew loads of cat related sketches. Clearly the antics of my cats had captured my imagination :o) Reading through this particular journal has been like a trip down memory lane - we were still living in South Africa at the time and the cats that inspired me had to be re-homed. I'm so glad now that I have these journals packed full of pleasant thoughts and memories !

Do you keep a journal of any sort? Do you fill them with things that inspire you, things that mark your days?

Right - time to get going with my day. May your's be filled with lots of lovely simple pleasures.