Looking through old boxes can bring memories to the fore. I recently spent an afternoon helping my mum sort through some long-forgotten trunks, and was rewarded with a glimpse back in time. Finding the above nature-inspired cushion cover rushed me back to my childhood classroom, and a lesson spent learning cross stitch when I was […]
Read moreTree Love
It’s easy to take trees for granted. However, as the lungs of the earth, they deserve more appreciation. I think they’re particularly beautiful at this time of year, with their branches on display. The Woodland Trust is currently looking for your tree stories, to help show what they mean to people. Find out more here.
Read moreFinding Beauty
Nature is less showy at this time of year than it is in the spring and summer. However, there is beauty to be found in looking more closely at the plants that are around. Moss is a particular favourite, making me imagine tiny worlds. As the year progresses, tiny flowers are opening up. You have […]
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Folklore Thursday: February Folklore
There is something soothing about following the flow of the seasons: planting in spring, growing in summer, harvesting in autumn and bedding down in the winter. Nowadays, it can be too easy to ignore the seasons, aside from dressing for the weather. Electricity and long working hours can mean we miss the sunlight and passing […]
Read moreNatural Love
Valentine’s Day has become a consumerist explosion of teddy bears and restaurant offers, with so much obligation to ‘be romantic’ that many people feel resentful about celebrating at all. However, St Valentine’s Day was originally a more natural celebration, based around the day that medieval birdwatchers thought birds started mating. It was deemed a time […]
Read moreCelebrate February
This week, I learned that February was once known as Solmonath, via a post on #FolkloreThursday (a great hashtag to follow if you’re into storytelling, customs and myth). Solmonath translates as the month of mud (walk across a field in February and it’s easy to understand why). The ‘Sol’ may also have referred to the […]
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