Transitions / Perceptions /Beauty and the world around me ...

Last night I awoke with the thought that Autumn / Winter has truly wrapped me in her embrace ;

As this is the reality , I wanted to share the transition with you in this visual blog ; hence the first part of the title being- Transition. My first two pictures capture this for me. The fragility of time shown so beautifully in this tender bloom , I was amazed  at how well the shot came out , I love the colour and detail.....the picture of the butter  churns may not be so obvious ; but I love the old antiques and am glad they are back in Vogue ; what goes around comes around  . Even as we move on we can take our treasures with us...

Perceptions and they way people in the Balkans process the world around them is a challenge to understand . What I am trying to get across by showing these pictures may help in this quest to fathom ! Their sculptures / statues / art work and graffiti are stuck in time but amazingly still speak volumes , if the rest of Europe took time to explore ..

   

I love the crazy mixed up way that life unfolds for males and females !!!

The world around me captured here; on the mountain in Southern Albania , looking out towards Corfu we stopped to watch these Hang-gliders , taking a break ...

Then down by the beach - wonderful colour !!!!

                  The world changed and grew a little bigger , with the arrival of Asher Stanley

                   Above are some random shots of - The Artist at work  and in her environment !!!

Hope you like the images of what I observed when on a trip to Arundel , the day was so beautiful and the colours so vibrant .

Transition completed with a lovely picture of a new hand reaching out to a not so new hand !!!  and as Autumn / Winter embraced me , I can now embrace it , Have a colourful transition thru your own Autumn/Winter . Write and let me know how it has affected your transition / perceptions / beauty and awareness of the world around you ????

Pas Deux of my English adventure ..

After enjoying my weekend with the girls I set off down south to the unchartered territory of Brighton / Hove .
I felt free- just me/ the music and my little car heading out into the night yet trusting  my 'sat- nav' so I could negotiate the trauma of the m25 /m23 interchanges....
It took 3 hours to reach my destination and another stage had begun- that of the 'waiting game ' we were about to play , anticipating the new arrival....

While we were waiting we trawled the shops and cafe's in the area namely the charity and junk shops . We are addicted to them; searching for the 'gotta have' treasure  seen either in a magazine or on Pinterest , and which complete the look !!!! - for our respective homes.
We took trips out , to the wonderful town of Arundel ; you see the castle in these shots.
I am glad the family live by the sea too -Brighton is so beautiful and Archetypical - 'British seaside'      
full of interesting people , so my next favourite pastime - people watching was well and truly satisfied ..

Highlights of this waiting game were the chance to take Oliver to school and feel part of the 'mums in the playground' - nice group of girls for Rachel to slowly integrate with ...x
I also had the chance to meet up with a friend and reconnect (in person) after 25 or so years .
this was fun, going to a museum and an Art gallery  and having lunch- together with our charges and the rush back up to the station in time to wave them off to their destination .

The arrival into the world of Asher Stanley was dramatic to say the least and I won't write about those details ... only to say he is a wonderful big and healthy boy with an incredibly warrior-like mother and I am immensely proud of the whole family.




As a result of the birth I was able to stay around for a month which was lovely , taking care of some of the domestic scene and going on another road trip with Oliver.
As it was half term we went back up to Birmingham  ,  by car (a nightime adventure for a little boy- with his face painted like a tiger to protect me )

We had a fun few days, just playing with his cousins - making dens in the lounge and going to the parks around Kings Heath.
Not only were the kids allowed to have fun, but we did too !






The end of the trip was completed by travelling home by coach thru London ...
He was amazing 5hours on a bus strapped in his seat , with all the energy he has !!!!!
My last weekend was filled with English delights ; walking by the sea , reading the Sunday papers and enjoying the unique weather - the lovely cool winter light and clouds and round sky...

 .... to be continued but in another country and another landscape.

Hello everyone ; everyone who reads my ramblings ...
I have been in England for the last month because...I was babysitting for my daughter who took a nice trip to Germany to see friends and my eldest was awaiting her second child's entrance into this world .
The month was long for reasons that will become apparent ...
Upon my return I want to chronicle the highlights and experiences I went thru ; journalling for my benefit as well as sharing joy and lessons learned .

It is so lovely yet exhausting to be sole carer , not the physical tiredness , this is inevitable - but the responsibility of all round caring for little ones . What I want to focus in on here is the amazing job today's mum's do in giving their offspring  such rich life experiences and emotional stability on a daily basis .
My initial week was spent going to the park / science museum / and Art gallery in Walsall .
Apart from the visits to these facilities , sharing with other children , learning how daily life unfolds , and learning patience were the major lessons the girls were exposed to .
Wow ; what amazing arenas for learning we encountered ...
a) waiting for the swing as exuberant older children would not relinquish !!!!
b) Wonderful play areas , showing how health centres work / cafes' operate and the science of music can be discovered .

c) engaging with ME (mina) who sought to flow in with Anouk. I needed to understand how she communicates at this stage of her life (18mths)  this was patience on her behalf as if you had not guessed !!!!

I am very glad that my girls have decided to be "stay at home mums'  - not least because they will get to see all the stages blossoming and unfolding beautifully before their eyes and this is such a treasure .
The girls also experienced other young children abseiling for charity  / being exposed to Art on their level and general amazing creative projects helping the community .

I just love watching children engaged in imaginative play

....Fanfare upon completion !!!!!

I have included this image because I like it !!!!!  the colours look good enough to eat ....

This blog will highlight the first part of my England trip and bring you on board with my eventful month.

Everyday life in Tirana consists of finding groceries in the market and this is what you discover when you explore around ....

 This Graffiti adorns one of the entrances to the market , I don't know what to make of this; do I like it ? well it certainly has taken a lot of work , at least I can appreciate that aspect ...

 Sights and sounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Accommodation in the city - is a choice between high rises like the above or the old fashioned villa below, hidden behind old doors and looking extremely other worldly and abandoned/beautiful.

 Two shops here - the fishmongers and the cheeseshop .......the guys also wanting to be in the picture !!!!

 The graveyard of beautiful old nikons etc  ; I should open a sanctuary and rescue them, putting them into good homes ......

 This is a school desk , I came across it on the pavement /outside a shop on the street ...

 This is the teacher or someone's sweetheart; a lot of learning has gone on in this establishment , hope they find it useful for their future !!!

 Jesus can't see: for he dropped his glasses  ...and the sun is so bright !!!!

 Bicycles for sale , in the street parallel to us - a whole street of activity with repairs going on in full view- lovely to be a part of the buzz .

 David thought it would be cool to show me working,
 notice how big the desk is ! and that is obviously going to cause you to be so impressed with my work ethic ....  notice also though how pretty is the table adornment ?  reds and creams ..giving rise to concentration and increased focus for the task at hand ...

 While David was away in England I decided to take a trip out t o Krujie to do a little browsing .

 Here are my companions are they not fragrant ? in this courtyard is a lovely secluded cafe' and pizza parlour - so we will return, but this day I just took these lovely shots; of the girls and these exquisite fragile blooms ............

 This is a selection of views from my kitchen window ; I love September - not least for the interesting skies and clouds created , when the sun goes down.

I wanted to cheer myself up , so I wrote a blog - post having had my bicycle stolen ; it does not have a specific theme ,but I needed to have some diversion /looking away from me and not being bitter ......
thank you to all you lovelies who read this/ you sent some lovely thoughts my way and now I don't feel so numb.
Looking forward to going to the airport and picking up my daughter , she comes for a holiday and I want to show her all the Albania I know...........