Preparing for Winter...

These photographs were less than half an hour old at the time of posting...

Originally I didn't have anything to enter The Gallery this week (the subject is Animals), but having just been for a quick walk in the woods, I came across this little guy who quite happily posed for me for a couple of minutes.  He then lost his temper and actually screeched at me very loudly to leave him alone and let him get on with his preparations for winter!  No doubt he will over-prepare, and next year the owners of the house will spend a lot of time in the garden removing small shoots from nuts he had squirrelled away in forgotten hiding places -  just like I had to in ours...  I have felt for a while that the change in seasons is well underway, and he has just confirmed it to me! 

Travel According to Us

Travel is one of our great loves. In the past we have been fortunate enough to visit some amazing places, but our ability to do as much travelling as we would like has obviously diminished since having children. This lead to our eagerness to experience travel in a slightly different way - by living abroad to experience different lifestyles and cultures instead, and to endeavour to explore as much of a country and the surrounding areas as possible in the given timeframe.


This photograph was taken at Heathrow on the morning of our departure from England. We had said our goodbyes, and all of our earthly possessions had already begun their journey ahead of us! It's funny looking back at that strange morning. None of us knew what lay ahead, and whether we had done the right thing by uprooting the children and leaving our comfortable British life behind (they look really tiny and a bit non-plussed about it all, and my son's hair is hilarious!)! It's hard to believe that two years has almost passed, and we will soon be at another airport about to embark on another country and another chapter of our version of travelling. Gulp.

My Dad

In time for Father's Day this weekend, a portrait of my lovely Father - studying a menu! I was going to add the next picture when he is about to tuck into the biggest plate of smorrebrød ever, but I don't think he would appreciate that!

He is many things, but to me he is a strong Yorkshireman, a great Dad and a wonderful Grandad, a true humanist, and also one of the most intelligent people I know (and at times one of the most infuriating!)! A man with a great sense of humour, and a wonderful joie de vivre, and I miss him not being around the corner anymore.

Green

I could never understand why people referred to England as a green and pleasant land, that is until we left! Whilst Denmark is a darker green, with lots of blues, browns and yellows inbetween, England is definitely green, a glorious bright and vibrant green! Even it's biggest cities are packed with trees and parks, and it really is a different shade to anywhere else I have been...

I took this picture of one of my most favourite things, in my mother's village at the weekend (more of our trip home later!). This magnificent chestnut tree, the biggest for miles around, stands proud in the corner of the churchyard. I wonder how many weddings, christenings and funerals it has witnessed over the years? I did give it a hug on the way out...no really!

An Unconventional Mother

I was presented with two beautiful Mother's Day cards on Sunday along with a big pot of daffodils. The cards I will no doubt squirrel away, along with all the other cards and pictures created by my children that are special to me. One day, they will help us reminisce about days gone by (and will no doubt make me weep about how old and wrinkled I am...). For the very first time my daughter had written her card all by herself, which made it even more special, and my son had had some help with his writing, but had drawn a picture on the back. "That's lovely darling, is it you and R on a slide?" I asked, "No", came the reply, "it's granny on a sledge". Now "Granny" and "Sledge" might not be two words that you hear together very often, but this is my mother we are talking about here. If ever the term Carpe Diem were more aptly to apply to anyone, it would be her (much to the concern of her three daughter's sometimes at some of the stuff she gets up to!)! Not one to sit back and think about having a go at something, she likes to jump straight in at the deep-end, whether it's bell-ringing, crop-circle chasing, or pyramid hunting in Egypt! She might be surprised to hear this, but if I aim to aspire to be like anyone at all, it would be her. Never grumbling or miserable, never one to judge or criticise, and always looking for the best in people, something we could all do with doing a bit more. Elegant and beautiful (apart from when she's on a sledge), I had a couple of male friends when I was a teenager who I am now sure kept visiting because they wanted to see her! Luckily one of the most important qualities about her I think I have inherited, and that is to always try and look for the humour in life, it helps puts a different perspective on everything. I am proud of my unconventional Mother, and I can but hope that one day my children will say the same about me.



This post was inspired by The Gallery, this weeks' theme Mother Love, pop over and take a look at the other entries!

Simple Pleasures

For me this is a real simple pleasure, as it's something that immediately transports me back - a true taste of home! I can't wait for our upcoming trip, first stop Waitrose and M&S to stock up on plenty more tastes of home to bring back and hoard!

Expressions...

Today's theme at The Gallery is Expressions. As it's almost a year since I flew home to welcome this little chap into the world, I thought I would use this photograph (with my sister's permission of course!). It was such a privilege to be there! As much as I love his expression at his arrival into the world, I will never forget my sister's expression at being given her baby for the very first time (and I am not sure how I managed to take it through my tears!). If there's something I do regret about moving away from home, it's missing out on my nephew! I can't believe he's almost a year old and I can't wait to see him very soon to give him a huge cuddle for his first birthday.


You can read about my mad dash to be at his birth here...

and you can see other entries at today's Gallery here:

Togetherness

Today's Gallery theme is togetherness, so I chose this one taken on the beach last July. Brother and sister - mostly the best of friends, occasionally the worst of enemies!

I hope it will also remind those of us living here, stuck in the midst of day three of bitter cold gale force winds, that summer does indeed exist here in Denmark.

Visit Sticky Fingers for some more Gallery entries...