Playing with colour

When G and I paint I usually say: "Let's play with colour!"

I absolutely love the intuitive aspect of it. There is no pressure, there is only the tremendous joy of creating. I have learned so much from G while watching her paint because she has no rules or uncertainty, she just dives in, picking up one colour after the other, mixing new ones as she goes along (oh she loves that - we are fortunately at the point where she remembers to take new brushes when mixing so that we don't just end up with brown murky paint!).She usually starts of with a brush and end up painting with her hands. I did the same this week and it felt good to really end the painting by getting in there and getting my hands so dirty.

We did this painting this weekend and it is really growing on me, the vibrant colours, the feel of windows of some sort, the dark corners (was even thinking I should turn it upside down and see what it will look like with the darker parts at the bottom).

She painted alone the first day and just painted a little bit at the top, which we partly painted over again. I really wish I could have videotaped her that day while she was painting, she was singing, making up the words as she went along while almost dancing with the paintbrush in her hand, completely in her own world. It was one of those moments that I would like to remember forever.

We are real recession painters - we are still painting with regular water based emulsion wall paint while also painting over older paintings. I think if I have to use more expensive paint I will be less inclined to allow both of us so much freedom while painting. This also fits in well with my growing awareness of minimalism. I get a kick out of using paint that I have had forever (and seem to be bottomless) and not having lots of paintings that I have to find room for. I now take a picture and move on.

I LOVE PLAYING WITH COLOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Silence is more Musical than any Song

For me, SILENCE has been my preferred music most of my adult life. And now I understand better why. I really thought there was something wrong with me preferring silence to music. 

I don't like labels but sometimes labels help us to find validation for some aspect of ourselves that we might have been struggling with. 

A label that I fit into well is that of a hypersensitive person (HSP).

Joy and imagination

I am convinced we learn as much from our children as they learn from us. When it comes to pure spontaneous, unedited joy and being in the moment, there can hardly be a better teacher than a preschooler. 

This long Eid weekend we traveled the world, we exceeded the speed limit many times while doing it, we were locked up in the ocean jail, mermaids acted cute and wicked, people were wearing shark suits and sharks were wearing people suits while having tons of laughs on the adventures. 

G also build a house in the living room and moved half her playroom in there. She mixed magic potions and concocted food experiments which of course mom had to taste. It has been a whirlwind of adventure every single day and it has been magical. I just love seeing what she comes up with next. A child's imagination is a beautiful thing.  I am grateful to be a witness.

My Only To Do List

My to do to list is really short now.

I am grateful for days when I tick off all 5 on my list. 

Stepping where butterflies and fairies do.....

My life as I knew it is changing, and it is scary, very very scary at times.

I am grateful that I can find inspiration around me and believe that it will be worth it.

Miso Soup and Tofu

 

We have the Wagamama Cookbook and being vegetarian 6 out of 7 days a week has meant getting more creative and exciting vege dishes in the kitchen….Last night I made a miso soup (the dashi stock from scratch, not instant) served with tofu (firm) steaks (tofu chunks spread on top with miso paste, then griddled until heated through with a crispy base).

This was served over noodles with some raw mushrooms.

The Miso Soup recipe used was:

1 Tbspn dried wakame (a textured seaweed) soaked in cold wate for 5 minutes

1 Litre dashi (made using vege stock (homemade), konbu (kelp seaweed) and bonito flakes (fermented and dried bonito fish flakes)

3 Tbspn miso paste (made from fermented soya beans and other ingredients)

3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

Drain the soaked wakame and roughly chop.  Bring the dashi to the boil and whisk in the miso paste

Divide the wakame and spring onions between 2 bowls and pour over the miso soup.

For smaller portions use only 500ml of dashi.

DELICIOUS!  …and the little one liked it too – great source of protein.

Young love

 

We went on a play date at the Oudemolen Eco village with old school friends from Rainbow – it was for a photo shoot for one of the mums kids clothing business but after 10 mins Julia stripped off her model dress and refused to play – instead she chose to play with another rebel in her own dress– both of whom had their own agenda – check out that body language….Arrrghhhh a sign of things to come.