Day 66 - drowning in flowers and tea cups standing to attention.

Thursday 7th March

I am surprised I have found time to blog today with Mother's Day preparations in full swing.  First arrangements done and in the cool larder and I am having a cup of tea so I can fit in a quick blog.  It doesn't matter how many times I do an arrangement in a vintage tea cup I still love each and every one of them.  I imagine some grand lady having her cup of tea in the very cup and saucer I am now using for flowers.  There is something so enchanting about these arrangements and they have become my signature piece.  The cups and saucers are all labelled andd ribboned and ready to be filled. 

 

It is much harder to find vintage tea cups at reasonable prices now as the charity shops have got wind of how they are used.  We also make soy candles in them so our demand is high and our littlle island can't cope.  Somehow, though I always find I have just enough for Mother's Day.  I am truly in my element when working with flowers and I was up very early preparing everything.  Then proceedings were suspended while I managed to fit in home school with the boys.  Harry has almost finished his section on injuries and first aid and it has turned out to be a good module after all.  George and Max have continued  with their lovely spring journals and have invented their own picture dictionary ready for a later piece of work.  Max loves creating tiny but detailed drawings and I noticed how much his spelling has improved of late.  Sometimes I think he teaches himself.  George pushed through the work with real ease because he is a big reader and words come easy to him.  His adjectives were stunning and I am quite sure his final piece of work will be compelling.  He is a fantastic storyteller and he has just started entering a few short story competitions.  I am always on the look out for opportunities for the boys to extend their learning beyond what we do with them.  I have a friend who is a dog groomer and I am hoping that George will be able to spend the day with her later in the year.  He loves animals especially dogs and I think he will enjoy the day. 

There will be no directed home school tomorrow as I bodly put my flower school the day before Mother's Day.  George will be producing a cake stand or two full of cupcakes for the occasion and Max will be helping me with all the other preparations.  Max is very good at fine detail and I am a big believer in excellent finishing touches so we are  a match made in heaven.  We have just mastered the skill of wrapping sea glass with wire so he can start by making me some sea glass picks for my course.  Involving the children in our business activities has really paid off over the years.  They all have such a broad range of skills now.  I have a pile of embroidery waiting for Molly who will be  home for Easter in a couple of weeks.  She thinks she is coming home to sleep and eat chocolate. 

I am amazed at how quickly I have had responses to my hutting questionnaire.  I have had a 100% return rate which is pretty unusual for this type of research.  I am guessing that their huts are important to them!  I am off to Carbeth, Falkland and the borders to visit huts and hutting communities in a few weeks and that should really flesh out the human story.  It will also be a lovely little jolly.  I have two publishers both wanting to publish the final piece so I will have to make a decision nearer the time which one to give it to.  Nice to be in that position though.  I do take my writing seriously but I just don't have enough time to dedicate to it.  That will change as the children get older and home school finishes.  Running along side this article is a project for the Women's library in Glasgow.  I am to create an illuminated letter for a heroine from their shelves and archives.  I have chosen Hannah Frank who was a wonderful artist and I do hope I do her work justice.  The aim is write the letter as if she were alive and could receive it.  It will form part of an exhibition in the new premises of the  Women's library in Glasgow. 

I have promised the boys a field trip next week to make up for the chaos of this week so I hope to have some new photos of the island to share with you.  I would like to revisit the beach at Blackwaterfoot where we found such stunning fossils a few years back but I think the boys want to head north to Lochranza.  I expect we shall go to Lochranza!  On the journey north they get the opportunity to spot seals, deer and birds of prey while constantly telling me to keep my eyes on the road.  They know all about my failings in driving. 

I had better get back to it.  If you have time do look up the work of Hannah Frank because I know you will enjoy it.  I might let you see my illuminated letter if it turns out OK. 

Until tomorrow. xx