A rant and a bit of art

I am wondering weather to continue with the blog. I was really looking forward to writing one and reach people across the globe with our home education and daily rants. I was really hoping to connect with like minded people.

Home education is not an exact science so it is difficult to write a report daily on what we do. It really depends on how Arran is feeling whether we manage to get a full day out of him or have to go at a slower pace so he can spend most of the time jiggling up and down the kitchen. He finds it so difficult to sit still because of his needs. His body constantly tells him to move. whether it be rocking or swinging his arms and running up and down making noises.It can be a struggle at times. We do really enjoy the challenge and researching the numerous topics that we have now covered. I appreciate the comments but even they have dried up.

It is such a shame that the home education group has now given up. It was a social thing for me too. A chance to talk to like minded people. If your child is below five and under ten there are lots of event and things to do but once they reach the teens it is very difficult to find anything especially in our town.


Still painting hundreds of bobbins for the lace fair. I have an eye infection at the moment so hope that the quality has not slipped. I have an eye appointment on Monday so hope they can sort it. I think that I need glasses for TV etc as some of the time it is blurred. I think that the years of doing Art have made all the difference to my eye sight. Either that or I am getting old.

A painting that I did a few years back. I have it hanging in my bedroom. I would like to get back to painting on canvas.

 Morning Glow!

Up before the crows!

We decided that we we get up ridiculously early today and go for a walk in the local countryside before breakfast. This is all part of Arrran's schooling and our Phenology topic . We wanted to see what went on when nature is just starting to wake up. Get Arran to look around and see what is going on. He can be in his own world at times.

It was bitterly cold with a thick frost when we set off. We could just see a chink of light through the trees as we made our way down the dark lane to the old church. A few lights were on for early risers but it was really quiet just the odd rustling coming from the hedges as we passed.

We did not enter the woods behind the church but skirted round it heading for a well grazed cow field. Usually it has a lovely herd of cows  but today it was as the rest of the area quiet but for the local wild life waking up. We stopped at the top of the hill so Arran could listen. We could hear two song thrushes singing to mark their territories. A pheasant made a strange strangled noise in the near by wood and a Roe deer was startled and ambled out across the frost covered field ahead of us. Its white tail upright in the moonlight.

When we reached the other side of the fields and climbed up the other side of the hill  from the Colne Valley.we looked back and watched as the sun rose over Hill house woods. The colours were beautiful. All shades of red, orange and yellow. My husband captured it with his camera.

Dawn over Hill House Woods, Essex.

It certainly got colder as we walked towards the River Colne. Our fingers especially were frozen. There were lots of birds about now. Mostly from the tit family. They are the most argumentative species. Arran spotted another deer. This time a muntjac sprinting along a hedge line. I think it was startled by a local early morning dog walker. He must have had  a least six various breeds of dog with him.

Lots of trees have been planted down by the river as the land has been donated to the national trust for use as a nature reserve. They are still saplings but appear healthy. It was nice to be down by the river again but we were quite shocked at the work that has taken place there as the bank had been re constructed after a new gas pipe had been laid. It also spread to the adjoining farmers field like a long brown earthen drive through the virgin. countryside. I hope it recovers soon.

Field near the River Colne

Passed through a small wooded area. Not much going on but we think we spotted a tree creeper. They are so small and quick that the time we got the binoculars out it was gone. They are funny little brown birds that fly in a spiral up the tree trunks searching for bugs to eat.
We also passed through a field where we have collected frogs spawn from a small pond. We put back some tiny frogletts. Hope that some survived to breed this year. Explained to Arran that the frogs don't actually hibernate but go into a state between sleep and hibernation. There where just a few sheep in the area today.




Arran seems very relaxed. The sun is up fully now so we can appreciate the new day. The silence is spoilt now by a distant drone of a busy road as travellers wind their way through the traffic to their various destinations. I think you have to close your eyes and really listen to the true sounds of nature or the modern world does intrude with all its noise and brashness.

We did a full circuit, passing the ancient tree that we measured the other day. A day older but still standing.

The River Colne

Disaster. I broke husbands binoculars. I dropped them when he was taking a picture. So sorry! Super glue at the ready, I hope!

The Colne valley - a new day

Frost still hanging on our clothes when we arrived back for breakfast and a hot drink. Arran wrote up some notes on what he had seen. He did well with the spelling of some of the words and seemed quite animated by the experiance.

We really must do that again some time and not just part of a school lesson.

Trying to get back to the old routine

It is always difficult to get back to the old school books after any holiday. Arran's mind is on other things, mainly the new Transformers figures that he got for Christmas. He is all chat chat chat about them which is great but not when you are trying to get him to focus on other more boring facts ( according to him)

He is now the proud owner of some new storage for his bedroom so he can finally display his figures in date order and organise them as he wants to. I was sure that we had plenty but he already has two boxes that he isn't displaying.

I am trying to get him into buying and selling them online so he can make money. We try to think of the future and what he could end up doing. He is fourteen soon. Time is ticking on but I know he will find his niche.

The local authority home education guy did not visit us personally this year so we frantically spent the last few days of the holiday typing up our diary or should I say I did as Husband is very good and does it as he goes along. Anyway. We sent it off so don't have to see anyone till the summer now for the meeting on Arran's special educational  statment etc. They always seem pleased that we make the effort to keep a detailed diary but it is a record of Arran growing and learning as well so nice to keep.

We have decided to start on a new combined topic between myself and my husband. Last time he did a massive one on  WW2 but as we both love the countryside and indeed all nature we decided on Phonology. This can be split into what we are both interested in. I want to do fungi, butterflies, hibernation and types of trees. He will do migration, seasons. and more of the science. Some will of course overlap and I will incorporate some of my art into the topic. I love the changing seasons so will enjoy seeing the wonderful changes that take place around us.

Arran went off for a walk with husband to look at some of the old trees that are around us and measure them to determine their age. One such one is on the Essex way and they have worked out that it is approx 270 years old . What it has seen in its life time so far! Nice to see that the local wildlife use it as well as it has a nice hollow in the bottom.

Hollie is back at college and we had another glowing report from her tutors.Gigs coming up so lots of drumming practise to do. She decided on a change of image as well. She has been on and on about real dreadlocks but a friend suggested she try wool ones first and so after five hours work this is the result. I think they look great. The great thing is that if she wants a change she can take them out and even wash them and re use them. I don't think it has put her off real ones though.

I am madly painting six hundred bobbins for a big lace fair . I have completed quite a few so just hope that I have enough. I spend most evenings hunched over the table.

I am still selling on Etsy and have also put some on E bay. I must admit I feel more comfortable on Etsy though. I can't wait to get a web site up and running.

Well. Back to the painting.