Oh, am I glad it's Friday. This week has been bonkers. Life is pretty hectic at the moment, but this week seemed extra rushed and I am glad it's over so I can sit here for a few minutes and look back and reflect.
1. Blue skies are my first happy. Lots of clear skies this week and warmer temperatures too. It almost felt summery! I do love it when it's warm. Wednesday was John's day off and we went for a run together first thing then, later in the morning, had coffee in the garden. Time to pause and chat, time to admire the flowers and bees. It was probably the last proper conversation we had, we seem to take turns to be in and go out, just exchanging information and kisses as we pass. We might actually have another proper conversation on Sunday night.
2. Doors wide open, curtains flapping, fresh breezes blowing through the house.
3. Plants bought for £1 in the school plant sale. It's not so much the plant (nasturtium?) that makes me happy as the school. A school that grows it's own produce, has a kitchen garden, a woodland area and chickens. That's worth more to me than any Ofsted report or league table.
4. Cloud watching. Bear with me on this one. The sky this week has sometimes looked like this: a deep blue with lots of small, scudding puffy clouds, some dazzlingly white and darker grey ones too. It's been a week of interesting skies and changeable weather.
On Tuesday afternoon is suddenly grew very dark, very quickly. We were getting ready to take Bella somewhere so I went outside to bring the washing in.
The sky in front of me made me stop. You could see the clouds actually gathering.
I did shudder a little, it felt so oppressive - spooky almost. My instinct was to get inside quickly but instead of getting the washing in, I ran back inside for the camera. Interesting clouds, like sunsets, must be photographed. It's the blogging law.
I mean, look at that sky. It's got an Old Testament feel about it, like there should be a finger pointing from the heavens.
Anyway, I got the washing inside in time you'll be relieved to know, but I was glad I saw that sky, glad I had the camera, glad I had time to take a photo and mostly glad I have a place to record and share things like this.
Hi Gillian ! Those are some pretty amazing cloud pictures... And, after the photos, did all hell break loose ? We also had some of those moments here, past week...
ReplyDeletePs I love that rocking horse :-) !
Xxx, Ingrid
I've been watching the skies a lot this week too - some amazing cloud formations. I wasn't as organised as you as I didn't get the camera out! x
ReplyDeleteI'm big on photographing the sky too. I agree, you have to or the blog police will come for you. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's funny wanting a big finger of God to poke through the clouds! There have been some spectacular skies recently. I took some pics in Stirling recently and the sky is pretty dramatic but nowhere as scary as yours!
ReplyDeleteI like taking pictures of clouds too. Love the sound of the school, sounds like my little boys kindy. Just wonderful. Happy weekend to you! xo
ReplyDeleteLovely week you have had, Gillian! I love the blue skies and sunshine, too. Your morning with John sounds lovely. And I love the little plant you picked up from the plant sale. It looks pretty on your floral tablecloth. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your happy posts - it's the simple things isn't it? Those clouds are amazing x
ReplyDeleteWe had the most amazing thunderstorm on Tuesday. The weather just advanced towards us like a big wall so that buildings completely disappeared. I later heard that we had a months worth of rain in 15 minutes! Not to mention the thunder and lightning! Exciting stuff but I like your blue skies better, and those roses. x
ReplyDeleteWe have had clouds like that most of the week. I love the sound of your school. I think pastoral care has a lot to be said for it. Our next week is going to be something like yours and John's, which is why this weekend is going to be as laid back as possible
ReplyDeleteTaking time to admire the commonplace things around us, like clouds, is uite rare, especially in our fast paced lives. I agree, those clouds are beautiful, and definitely worth a moment or two of time to photograph
ReplyDeleteCaz xx
Great cloud pics, I'm find them quite fascinating too. And lovely happies to remember from the week that was. Have a happy weekend, xx
ReplyDeletePhoto recording clouds and bees in flowers is obligatory ;) ... hope you have a lovely weekend ... Bee xx
ReplyDeleteWonderful sky pics and beautiful blooms - and such a lovely colour of nasturtium, Gillian! Simple pleasures of life and so meaningful! Happy weekend to you and yours, xoJoy
ReplyDeleteI posted about clouds today, I LOVE yours. I would have stood there right next to you even with big claps of thunder to see those amazing clouds.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Meredith
Hey Gillian,
ReplyDeleteI've seen some lovely cloud formations too. Wispy and ethereal, rather than black and ominous. And of course those windows flown open wide is a perpetual happy here. Here's to a slower weekend for you and yours.
Leanne xx
I'm sure having the flowers and kitchen garden at school is something that the children love getting involved with, learning without even realising whilst they are having fun.
ReplyDeleteLisa x
Those cloud pictures are beautiful. I love cloud watching - you really have to take your time and just enjoy watching spectacles evolve around you.
ReplyDeleteThe school plant sale sounds great. Gardening is definitely an initiative to value in a school. Boo to Ofsted and their silly measures! x
Amazing cloud photos, but glad you got the washing in on time as well!
ReplyDeleteHelenxx
Wow, how quickly that sky changed! Scary but kind of beautiful too. Is that a proper rocking horse I see your little one riding? How lovely, I always wanted one for my girls, they would have loved it. Your pretty little school plant is a petunia and if you pick off the dead heads as the flowers go over it will keep giving you lots of blooms. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteJane x
Petunia. xx
ReplyDeleteah yes truly in British summertime now! I expect you had the deluge last night too! Heather x
ReplyDeleteWe call it cloud therapy, in our house. Those were definitely Biblical!
ReplyDeleteJacqui x
Those clouds are amazing! A bit scary but fascinating. As always your house is so lovely.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice and restful weekend! x
Love the photo of your boy on the rocking horse.
ReplyDeleteHardly time for conversation with your husband - don't I know all about that :-/
Thanks for the inspiring post.
I love watching the clouds and how they change shape and colour. Your flower is a petunia rather than a nasturtium, it will like being in a pot and will trail over the edge, keep deadheading it and it will keep on flowering all summer, but it is an annual, so will not be with you next year. I love the fact as you say though that the school grows these things and gets involved in gardening, that is great! xx
ReplyDeleteGreat window view Gillian - it would be lovely to have a nice light place like that in our house. It is a petunia I think, not nasturtium. We had some Old Testament winds whipping the laundry and chickens around here yesterday! :)
ReplyDeleteLovely snippets from your week. Yes, some interesting skies lately (we had hailstones one day) which you've captured beautifully.
ReplyDeleteGreat cloud photos, such a contrast to the couple of pictures at the beginning!
ReplyDeleteI love the photo of that busy bee sitting atop the beautiful white blossom! Hope you and hubby have some quality time this weekend - we've been similarly passing like two ships in the night lately, so tonight we're opening a bottle of wine and getting the Scrabble board out - it might sound silly, but there's nothing like a good game to reconnect, it's fun, silly and there's no TV to stare at, so we actually chat! Your cloud photos look like some CGI cinema trick... ;-) Chrissie x
ReplyDeleteI love photographing the sky / clouds too! What a lovely collection of happy moments :)
ReplyDeleteLove the photos, the ever changing clouds. I think the weather and happy things in life can be the greatest "pick me up!"
ReplyDeleteI love your pictures very much. I have not been around much recently, I am very, very busy,. Yes Friday is always welcome...
ReplyDeleteWow lovely photos. Your roses look so pretty against the blue sky. My daughter and i love to cloud watch. X
ReplyDeleteWonderful happiness-es and beautiful photographs. Chickens in school - wow! What happens to them over the holidays? Please don't say children bring them home...not sure if I could cope - it's enough with the nursery bear coming home!! :) x
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of the clouds! We've had much the same kind of thing here - blue skies then ominous-looking black clouds and heavy rain showers.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the school philosophy too. We'll have two village schools to choose from. One's classed as 'outstanding', the other simply 'good'. But the latter has views across the fields to the hills and a woodland with a circle made from tree stumps for sitting and reading. It gets my vote!
Have a lovely week.
Sarah x
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ReplyDeleteThose blue skies... beautiful! And the cloudy ominous ones too. I do enjoy a good storm!
ReplyDeleteI think your flowers are petunias but don't quote me on it! x
I love that I have found someone else who thinks that interesting clouds should be immediately photographed and put on the blog (mine is Dotty Textiles)!! Blogging Law. Love that. Most people just think I'm nuts!! Tee hee. =P xx
ReplyDeleteHello, I am new to your blog. Just wanted to say that I have had a delightful hour looking through some of your posts. A beautiful and fun blog. And I absolutely love your photo shots. In zoom and out - made me smile! I will definitely come back! Have a lovely week! Anna
ReplyDeletelove the sky/cloud picture series
ReplyDeleteAs it's Winter here, our skies are grey at the moment so it was lovely to see your beautiful blue skies! I joined in with your Friday Happies on my blog last week - such a lovely concept, thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhat amazing cloud pictures!!!! Glad you got your laundry in in time. :)
ReplyDeleteFab photos :-)
ReplyDeletexx