In February, in the snow, I did a week long course in teaching Forest School. Have a look here if you want to know more! I had a great time on the course and was looking forward to starting to teach in this way. However, I did not account for the kind of delays I have no control over. Why? Because I think I must actually be an optimist and did not consider setbacks. I still have not started to teach Forest School but I am nearly there and will be starting the week after next. I think.

Anyway, this Thursday and Friday was the follow up skills days where we went to the woods in Kent and made food, cooked it on open fires, practised our tool use, knots and lashings, building shelters and other skills. It is lovely because everyone is very enthusiastic, and really wants to be there. Sadly this is not the case in many things I go to. This post has lots of pictures so I will stop waffling!The place where we did this training is a school journey centre in Kent and the children sometimes stay in these! Aren't they beautiful? Clearing up yesterday. Bye bye woods!

My group working hard on our shelter while I swanned off to take photos! I did do some good lashing though! We also got taught to do 'brashing' which is basically taking off the small branches of the tree you have just cut down (strangely satisfying) with a tool called a billhook. Quite a scary tool, but not if used properly. Needless to say, they had not even heard of a billhook in B and Q, let alone were able to supply one! The man said to me, "What is this billhook?" I tried to explain and he just looked at me sympathetically before going back to his conversation with his friend.

Trees are the funniest things.On Thursday our task was to cook for each other on an open fire we had made. In February we had arranged our menus but this all seemed very far away. Everyone remembered their ingredients though and off we went. Course one was French onion soup cooked by Becky, Suzanne, Barbara and Nicola. Mmmm! It was delicious!
Course two was not this slug.We found him living peacefully under a log and got him out to have a look. Quite beautiful really.

Course two was my group's. We made a vegetable tagine and cous cous. I take no credit for masterminding it-we had two great cooks in the group, but I did cut a lot of onions!

Course three was pears in red wine, cooked on this huge fire once it had died down a little!
It made me laugh when I saw June from the pudding group waving around her empty bottle! Below are the pears-the sauce was like mulled wine. We were also treated to bananas with chocolate which had been cooked in foil. It was all so tasty! A three course meal cooked in the woods!On the second day we could make things as we liked using the skills we had learned. I just made some stakes for my blue rope barrier but other people were more inventive.A woodland xylophone. A ladder for a squirrel. My stakes. Can you see the billhook in its little leather pouch? The most trouble I had with it was undoing the very strong poppers.
One of our shelters from Thursday. This is a Kelly kettle. It is hollow in the middle and you build a little fire at the bottom. The water is in the hollow walls of the cylinder. Once you get your fire going it is quite quick. Also very satisfying-to make your own hot water! Coffee made with the water!

Last but not least, this tree is two hundred years old. It is a beech. It is cordoned off to stop people trampling all over the roots. It has dignity I thought. Apparently if you put a stethoscope to a tree you can hear the sap rising. I don't know if this is just at certain times but the fact you can hear anything amazes me! I must try it, when I get hold of a stethoscope.

Kindness

Thanks Anairam! I loved my package so much I wanted to show people the beautiful things inside. I felt like it was my birthday yesterday. I love the different airmail sticker and the pretty stamps.This badge is made from Shwe Shwe fabric. One of the ways it is thought to have got its name is from the noise it makes as it moves. If you say the words it does indeed sound like swishy fabric. I wore it to school today and got lots of interested comments. This is Anairam's paper rosette which I want to make more of immediately! I will wear this on Monday Anairam!This is a beautiful pencil case by Heather Moore, a South African designer, who's design label is called Skinny La Minx, which is just a great name. I love the design and this green is my favourite sort of green. I have a wall in my flat which is this kind of colour. And of course, I love birds! This is a tea towel by the same designer which I am not going to use as a tea towel! It is draped over the honeysuckle as I was trying to get a good picture!

Below is something which Steven included in my etsy order a while ago now and I thought I would show you. I like the little cats-like an Andy Warhol puzzle! Thanks Steven!

In this thank you for your kindness post I also wanted to show you Raven's little friend that came to stay. He was made by Sonia's father and I am touched that she sent him to me. Thank you Sonia! You can see that he is completely at home.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Yesterday we stumbled upon a local summer fair. This church also has jumble sales and they always have pretty sewn banners.These tasty cakes are my first shadow this week.

This bindweed is growing near the station. I love its trumpety white flowers.

This lady walking through the dappled shadow has a very useful shirt on.

I am not sure this qualifies as a shadow shot but I like it anyway.

The fountains in Trafalgar Square are great on a hot day. I did end up soaked at one point when the wind changed suddenly.

I took loads of photos here in the hope of catching a rainbow. I got a small one!

These women were knitting in the sun. I am afraid I didn't ask them why though. Lots of people were taking their photos. I have just had a look on the trusty internet and it was to do with this. What a good thing!

Visit Hey Harriet for more shadow shots.

Charity Shop Goodies and An Award

Today I had to go and rescue the lovely Raven I bought from Sonia from the post office. We then treated ourselves to a cafe breakfast in Gambardella's. I treated myself to a visit to the two local charity shops. The Cat's Protection League yielded the goodies today although Andy did get a Ken Hom cookery book from The British Red Cross. Lovely Laura Ashley chintz-it is very pretty chintz and at least a metre and a half-£1!

A golden hands patchwork and applique book-you might like this Anne! I want a patchwork shirt like this but sadly have not got the patience or skill to make one. The picture is just so summery.

I got a book about exploring the woodland-quite interesting but not very exciting pictures. Apart from one of a Jay with a very bouffant hairdo!

My favourite purchase though was a World Film Publications 1949 Preview. It has colour pictures of lots of actors of the day as well as articles and photo story strips from films. My favourite part was a section entitled 'The Stars Read The Book Of The Film'

I didn't scan that page though-just a few of the stars themselves. I love the colours in these old photos.

I saw a girl on the train today who looked just like this. (Rita Hayworth-not John McCallum!)

Love the dog tooth checks!
But look what they did to Kathleen!

Anne of Gaal Creative has kindly given me an award. Thanks Anne!

Anne makes beautiful cards, is a talented photographer and has just opened an Etsy shop. Go and visit her to find out more!

There are only two rules to follow with this blog award:
Post the award on your blog.
Pass it along to whomever you want.

As Anne said, the passing along part is hard-I love lots of blogs. The list is always getting bigger. I am going to choose a few.

1. Siepsfabriek

2. StevensHappyAccidents

3. Poetikat's Invisible Keepsakes

4. The Dark Raven's Nest (Sonia mentioned above)

5. Geninne's Art Blog

I could happily give everyone in my blog list this award really as I love all of them. I don't want anyone to feel left out which is the problem I have choosing only some of them! Indecisive Libra that's me! I love where else they might lead me too with all of their lists. Endless possibilities!

Back tomorrow for SSS!

Lovely things-today and soon!

Here is the tree. Poor incinerated thing-and look at the wall. It went up in a spectacular way!The rest of the photos are from today-apart from the the last one. Ladybird baby we found on the cherry tree today. I saw a post on a blog that I can't recall the other day and it was these little creatures. It was in Norwegian and the title was something like Berserkers but spelled the Norwegian way. Somehow that fits them well in their role as fighter of the ever present aphids! And with all their little agressive looking spikes too.Here is a grown up one-with strange spots. This is the see-saw that Ebube made. I was impressed! Tilly found some rose petals and wanted me to take a picture.I noticed my last cherry was heart shaped. Beautiful and strangely curly Nigella.Last of all-Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist is having a tea party. Look here to find out more!

I have read memes, and know they are a list of questions, but had never heard the word outside of blogs. I looked it up and here is a good explanation. I am glad I looked as I hate that feeling of not quite knowing what is going on! Anyway, Kat tagged me for a meme which I now feel able to do!

It is full of 8s.

First-8 things I am looking forward to.

1. My summer holiday-six well deserved weeks off from school (I think they are well deserved anyway!)

2. Mine and Andy's week's holiday to Northumbria.

3. Our nursery trips to a lovely farm.

4. Actually starting to teach Forest School-there have been many, many setbacks since February but I think I may be able to start in a couple of weeks.

5. My salad for lunch tomorrow-it will have coriander in it which massively improves a salad!

6. 'Where Women Create' popping through the letter box.

7. The next series of 'The Apprentice'

8. Going to bed-it is late!

Next-8 things I did yesterday.

1. Went to work-it was Saturday so it is unusual to do that-we had a management day in a hotel in Greenwich-a first in my career. We were writing the School Development Plan for the next two years and I think it was actually quite productive-the sandwiches were good too!

2. Did some more work when I got home-I must have been in the mood.

3. Ate lovely bean and chicken stew that Andy cooked.

4. Watched 'Zoolander' once again.

5. Saw Antony move faster than I have ever seen him move as he rushed to get water to put out the Christmas tree he had accidentally set light to. The tree is one in a pot which, through lack of care since Christmas, has finally died. This was its cremation. It was leaning on the wall, next to a window and under the eaves.

6. Joined in a discussion about smoking.

7. Joined in a discussion about MP's expenses.

8. Drew a picture in my book.

Now for-8 things I wish I could do.

1. Dance

2. Fly

3. Time travel

4. Meet my blog friends in some magical meeting place when we choose.

5. Live closer to other friends and family-or maybe I could use the same magical meeting place.

6. Work less and play more.

7. Cook

8. Become less of a hoarder.

8 TV shows I watch

1. The Apprentice-though it finished tonight-boo hoo!

2. Mary Queen of Charity Shops

3. The Archers-it is not tv but radio but I do listen every week.

4. Saturday Kitchen

5. Flight Of the Conchords

6. Screen Burn

7. BBC breakfast programme

8. Silent Witness-when it is on.

8 of my favourite foods

1. Toast-especially beans and grated cheese on toast

2. Apples

3. Mussels

4. Cheese-lots of types

5. Cherries

6. Mango

7. Cake-seems unfair to choose one type but it might be banana, or coffee and walnut

8. The rice, prawn, peas, tomato, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom delicious soupy concoction Andy made for tea tonight-it was lovely and apparently low fat!

8 Places I would like to travel

1. Bath-start local-I have never been there and really must

2. Anywhere in time that I wanted to with guaranteed safe return!

3. New York-I have been there once briefly but would love to go back for a longer visit.

4. Arizona

5. Mexico

6. India

7. Cambodia

8. Northumbria-I am going there because I would like to and at least I can tick one off the list soon!

I would love to see any answers you might have!

I have just realised there are no pictures on this post and I love pictures. I will find one random picture now! Have a good week!