The Eclipse - 12/52

Did you see the eclipse?? We were very lucky in Edinburgh, the thick clouds held off until just after the maximum eclipse!

I went in to E & E's school to set up some pinhole cameras but it was too cloudy for them to work very well so I ended up lining up the kids and letting them all have a go with the eclipse glasses we got at Jodrell Bank! I reckon 200 kids got to see it through them in the 20 mins around the maximum eclipse.

I got a photo through the eclipse glasses,

but my Dad got some amazing photos taken through the windows at this work which have special filters on them!

The kids were totally amazed by the whole thing, they were loving looking at the sun when we got home to see it without the moon in front of it!

We are now contemplating a trip to South Carolina to see the full eclipse in 2017...!

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11/52

I think we hit a parenting milestone on Friday, we all went to the Usher Hall to hear the Royal Scottish National Orchestra play the music of John Williams, a proper concert! It was a fantastic evening and I have been humming the ET theme tune and Superman since.

We were sitting in the Upper Circle (the cheap seats) but the kids didn't care, they loved it (not that you can tell from this fuzzy phone pic)!

It was a late night, little e fell asleep in the car on the way home. It didn't stop her getting up bright and early on Saturday though, maybe one day I will get a long lie...

Both kids have now come down with something so it looks like tomorrow we may be visiting the doctors instead of going to school - happy days.

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10/52

little e: watching the river

Big E: A fuzzy Neville and Little Red Riding Hood for World Book Day. 

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Decluttering, Life and The Lorax

Warning: This will no doubt end up as a slightly incoherent ramble so feel free to depart now!

I was reading the kids a bedtime story the other night and little e chose The Lorax. I love that book, the eco message, the words, the pictures, all of it. Tonight it struck me that the message behind The Lorax is exactly what has been niggling me about my craft room - I think I am turning into a Once-ler (he uses precious trees to make tneeds that no one needs but everyone wants)! So in an effort to redeem myself I am planning a mass clear out.

If you are not familiar with The Lorax the message is that if we use all the worlds resources on making needless 'stuff' then one day there will be nothing left and the world will be a mess.

This is how I feel about my craft stuff.

Why do I need all this stuff to make more stuff ? I don't need (or want to anymore) to do All The Crafts so something has to give. I think most of my paper crafting stuff will be first to go.

I have another pile on top of this unit as well...

Same goes for fabric, why do I need to make everything I like, I wouldn't buy everything I like and all that will happen is I will have a wardrobe full of 'stuff' that doesn't get worn. Even if my fabric is secondhand or fairtrade/organic it doesn't justify using precious raw materials to create more than I need - my very own 'thneeds'. So, if anyone sees me hint at making another party dress stop me - please!

I will keep my fabric stash though. I cleared it out recently and donated the fabric I will never use so am left with a useful stash. Great for days like today when at 7.09am little e announced she wanted to go to school as Little Red Riding Hood and needed a cape...!

Hopefully that clearing the unused/underused things from my craft room will reduce some of the stress/guilt about having all this stuff. Life is stressful enough at the moment so this clear out will be like yoga for the craft room. It's funny how as life gets more stressful I am less able to deal with the little niggles, I just hope I don't regret this clear out in the future when life is 'normal' again!

Now to actually make a start. Has anyone else done a mass craft clear out? Any tips?

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9/52

Big E: Spinning while reading!

little e: Did this really once fit me?!

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