Friday 24 May 2013

Take 1 Minute

This week there has been a terrible Tornado sweeping through Oklahoma - a wind storm so strong that at its peak it was travelling 200-210mph, making it register as an EF5 - the most powerful of category possible. More here. Its victims included babies, school children and all sorts of other wonderful caring people.
 
For home education purposes we got to examine how tornadoes come about with this science experiment in a bottle whilst holding the families affected in our compassion and thoughts.
 
Meanwhile I am reading to my youngest son The Silver Chair by C.S.Lewis, part of the Chronicles of Narnia, read its reviews on goodreads.  Near the beginning one of the characters plays too close to the edge of a cliff, kind of showing off about being on the edge. As a friend goes to the rescue he falls off the cliff edge but is carried by a strong breath of wind. Sometimes falling off the edge isn't falling in the traditional sense, its more like falling into a new existence. We spent sometime dreaming what it would be like to be blown along by the breath of a lion, knowing the breath was more powerful than gravity and you'd land safely wherever you were meant to be next.
 
This idea ties in neatly with the fact last Sunday many Christian groups celebrated Pentecost - the day when Christians remember the early church being filled with the spirit of God -sometimes referred to as the breath of God.
 
And so with all these examples in a week (and more there was the levitation trick on Britain's Got Talent - it appeared she was floating with only the help of a fan...) we've been very aware of our own breathing patterns and the power of the wind.
 
 
So I encourage you to:
Take 1 Minute to be aware of the weather, watching the effect of the power of the wind or even on a hot day longing for the gentle breeze to bring relief. 
Take 1 Minute to be aware of your own breathing or the breath of a sleeping child or partner.
Take 1 Minute to pause and offer prayers or positive thoughts towards the people of Oklahoma. 
Take 1 Minute to imagine being blown along by the breath of the universe
 
 
For more ideas on breathing and our connection to the universe see The Heart of Better Breathing or breathing and the spirit try Breath of God just some other blogs touching on this topic.
 
And enjoy the wind in your hair!

Friday 3 May 2013

Day 3: This is really good!

OK so it doesn't look really good or worthy of that title. But to me it is really good - for starters it is about 3 rows more than I've ever managed before!



This little bit of knitting is testing me. I loathe learning to do new things; mostly because I've tried before and not succeeded. Let's face it, holey knitting, soggy cakes, burnt brownies, falling juggling balls, these things don't do much for ones self belief......

But its really good for my children to see me trying new things, to watch me handle my own disappointments, to witness me being pleased with myself and to find me doing something that doesn't involve a screen!

So thanks to Mary and Margaret for casting on for me and sorting me out when I increased from 20 stitches to 34!  I'll be needing you again soon ladies the ball of wool is running out.

Thursday 2 May 2013

A photo a day for the month of May

OK so day 1 was 'something I bought' and I didn't buy anything but my son bought me some candy floss:


Day 2: Morning Ritual

I've begun putting my hairbrush up on a ledge, partly so its tidy, partly so its in the same place tomorrow. I like to know where things are and get uppity if things don't get put back in the same place every time!

A very useful edge ledge: the top of the mirror, where a hairbrush can live. Thanks life.