03 August 2014

painting watercolours with a camera.

poking about someone's garden, when they're not with you, is a bit like paging through their diary or peeking into their cupboards.
when we first arrived at the home we're renting and i took my first trip around their allotment, i must admit to feeling a bit awkward.
like i needed to be furtive, clandestine.
as we've lived here more than a month, that feeling has worn off, of course, and we feel quite at home.
i find myself wandering about, camera in hand, enjoying the landscape and garden beds.
it isn't a traditional english garden.
or even a very embellished one.
no frills, no fuss.
just lovely, growing things.
lots of raspberries and blackberry brambles.
an apple tree or two.
a few over-grown tomato plants.
poppies.
roses.
other varieties of flora that my american, non-gardener self doesn't recognise.
my photographic eye has always been drawn to green, growing things.
to nature and creation.
the patterns and colours and shades and shapes capture me
and i find myself pressing my camera to my face, composing image after image after image.
i don't usually post these images...or even do much with them at all really.
i feel most might find them boring.
would prefer pictures with faces, people.
but i thought i would post a few here today.
just some of the snaps my mind and eye saw on one of my walk-abouts a few weeks ago.
it was a dreamy kind of day...
the kind where the sun and clouds play chase and tag and peek-a-boo.
the air was a bit hazy.
heavy with summer.
even the bees seemed to feel it as they bumbled along, slower than their usual scramble.
my eyes painted watercolours, and my camera clicked along.




















 and because no post is complete without a few pictures of my kids:




26 July 2014

the best laid plans...

one thing about traveling, with kids or without, is the need to be flexible. we set out each day with an itinerary but most of the time, we tend to deviate from it. sometimes by choice, sometimes not.
this particular day, it wasn't by choice. we were trying desperately to make it to Buckingham Palace in time for the Changing of the Guard ceremony. but every which way we turned, time slipped away. by the time we arrived anywhere near Buckingham Palace, the ceremony was nearly over. so, we adjusted our plans and had fun anyway.

front row of the top of a double-decker: the best spot to be.

so.many.stairs.

waiting for the tube...

he LOVES riding the tube...always peppering me with questions as we ride: how long does it take to go from the first stop to the last? does the driver get bored? how many stops left? does the same driver drive the same train every day? how fast does the train go? and on and on and on and on...

always escalators...

original double-decker.

sitting in Green Park.

sibling love in Green Park.

more Green Park.

Buckingham Palace. and yes, the Queen was home!

hanging on the gates, trying to get the guards to wave at them.

not sure why it was constables this day, it was royal guards the next time we stopped by the Palace.

i wonder what it's like inside. if she likes living there. if she likes being the Queen. i wonder...

back through Green Park.

an unplanned stop. Wellington Arch. yes, that's my mom and my kids in there...

someone was tired.

another unplanned stop! HARRODS! we only browsed the toy section...oh...and the chocolates.

finally. a shot of me and the boy...

23 July 2014

one thing we must do...

a lot of our conversations before we left for our trip started with the sentence: what's the one thing we MUST do whilst in London? there were different answers every time but one refrain remained constant: we MUST see the royal guards. these guards hold a particular fascination with my eldest son especially. I'm not sure the reason or what started it but of course, this was one dream we had to help come true. we even brought along proper attire:


he was a bit disappointed that he couldn't get any closer to the guards; he wanted to ask them if their heads ever get hot. 

kenwood house.

one of our first outings in London involved a bit of history, a bit of walking and a bit of yummy food. those three things seem to be the theme of this trip.
we ventured over to kenwood house, a historic mansion near hampstead heath (a large park in London).
we had a bite to eat, then wandered through the house. it felt a bit like a museum to the kids, so after a peek at the fantastic miniatures collection, we headed outside onto the grounds. there is a lovely walk-about around the gardens with loads of places for the kids to run and climb. that was definitely their favourite bit. well, that and the ice cream cones.

one more stop! (on the bus...)

my son, climber extraordinaire. (at the entrance)

hungry for lunch!

giggle box!

love that grin.

too handsome!

exploring inside the house. (these historic mansions are amazing!)

I got tired of carrying this squirmy boy...he loved crawling about all over the slippery wooden floors.


finally found a place for him to play where I didn't have to worry about him touching things he shouldn't!

the columns outside the main doors.

rooflines at the back.

a walk about in the woods.

pretty much my favourite colour. ever.

bridge.

the back of the house as seen from the walking trail.

the ancient wood, as my children dubbed it.

he loves it when he gets out of the buggy!

seriously. this kid will climb anything.


running, racing...anything to get rid of that energy.

the funny face tree on the way out to the main gates. can you see his crazy face?

another funny face.

waiting for the bus...

heading home. finally tired.
for more information about kenwood house, please visit: kenwood house