That was so nice!

Hello and howdy, and a skip hop and a jump! Such a nice thing happened today, plus, all the affectionate comments you've been leaving me on Monday's post, have helped to put that special skip in my jump.

I was in my studio, trying out new ways of creating pictures, (I should have been working on my new book for Walker, another Mole book, the fifth mole book), but this is my version of skiving.

These abstract watercolours I've started doing, are running parallel to some more figurative work, I've mentioned I'm working on, before. I'll share both with you sometime.

I was just thinking about a cup of tea. (This refers to my not being able to drink tea, in Monday's post). Today was the first day I could eat normally, and drink tea! Yippee! Freedom to drink tea, it's just, well, wonderful!

Anyway, as I was sitting at my desk, the doorbell rang. On opening the door, there were my cheery Parent's-in-Law, come to see how I was doing. And Alan, my Father-in-Law, presented me with a wonderful gift! A bowl of Snowdrops he had potted up, and added a lovely touch, by arranging moss around the flowers.

It's made my day to receive their visit, and such a lovely gift. If there's one thing that makes me hop-skip-jump happy, it's a gift of flowers.

Just lovely, aren't they? I sat down and started doing a painting of them, as soon as Alan and Susan had left. If I've finished it by my next post, I'll show it to you.

When someone pots up bulbs for you, I always think it makes a wonderful gift. Susan potted up some Hyacinth Bulbs for me, as part of my Christmas present, a tradition she keeps every year. This year it was some gorgeous pink flowers that emerged. I love the surprise of seeing what colour they are going to be.

They're looking luscious. I've got them sitting on a window sill, in a corridor. They're the perfect flower to swish past, as I trot down the stairs, because the scent, being quite strong, doesn't dominate too much in the corridor. I love that quick sniff, which stays with me for just the right length of time.

That pink! Glorious!

I'm off to myWednesday night knitting group now, with Susan. Think I'll work on sewing the ends in on my fair Isle scarf. I've decided to do a very light sewing in of the ends, because as the scarf is going to be halved, and sewn up one side, I don't need to do a thorough job of making them secure. All the ends will be tucked up, safe and secure, in the middle of the scarf.

I've also decided to blog three times a week, rather than the five times I have tried to achieve in the past. I'll be blogging on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday from now on. It will give me more time for my painting, plus, blogging four or five times a week was taking a lot of time. I've been thinking about reducing my blogging time, for some months, and was reluctant to 'announce' it, and reluctant to admit to myself that it was tiring me out, the blogging, work, house, life and everything. This way, I think there won't be so much pressure to keep up.

Well, my dear readers, I shall see you on Friday then! That'll be the Friday out of my new Monday, Wednesday, Friday routine. I quite like the ring that has! Thank you for popping by. Love Vanessa xxx

Comments

[Siobhan]

What beautiful flowers! I love the mossy surround of the snow drops as it keeps them looking very natural; they are such delicate and fragile little flowers aren't they? I'm very fond of them. When someone gives me flowers or plants I feel duty bound to keep them alive and somehow it works (I'm not very green fingered at all which is a shame I think) but I have to say I haven't had any lately. Nevermind. Won't be long before its tulip time and I can treat myself. I can imagine how you sometimes don't feel like blogging - especially at the end of a long day. It must sometimes feel like you've got a dreaded essay to write, and we don't want you to feel like that! As you say it will give you more time for painting, which has to be a good thing. I know it can take a while to upload photo's and everything too. I do hope you are feeling better now - especially after a nice cup of tea. See you on Friday!

[Charlotta]

Snowdrops bring me back SO many wonderful memories...the first signs of Spring, fairy gardens...making pencil studies of them for school...I miss not seeing them over here in Canada...I`m sure we have them but living in the Subburbs may be the reason.
I`m liking the look of your abstaracts!
The Tea was lovely.

Char

[gill]

hi vanessa
what a lovely chirpy post! i love the flowers - just what we need when it's dull and dreary outside. i hope you have a lovely time at your knitting group tonight - i didn't realise your MIL came too.although i'll miss your blogging as often, we completely understand don't we everybody??!!!and we'll look forward to your posts all the more
take care
love gill xx

[Helen Clinch]

Hi Vanessa

I love all your blogs and I am amazed that you are able to blog such lovely stuff as often as you do. I shall look forward to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Good luck with your new regime and go and enjoy a nice cup of tea!

[Sue]

Glad your feeling better,the snowdrops are beautiful,they look wonderful peeping through the moss. See you friday.

Sue xxx

[driftwood]

glad you are recovering. the M W F plan sounds great, not too much for you, not too little for us! xx

[Laura]

The flowers are lovely -- thanks for "sharing" them with all of us!

I like the little peek of the abstract watercolors you're working on. That hint of yellow seems to promise spring in the future.

[Wendy Rhys Jones]

Hello Vanessa, Lovely to have you back, and so chirpy after all your trials and tribulations, it made me chirpy too!!!Thank you for sharing the snowdrops, they are so beautiful. M W F sounds good, I will really look forward to hearing all your news, your blogs are wonderful! Take care,love to D & E, Wendy.xx {:0)
P.S. You have inspired me and I am having crochet and knitting lessons, quite scary so far!!!!!

[Christina]

your bulbs are lovely! What a special gift! Your schedule of blogging is quite sensible. I shall look forward to Friday -- cheers!

[trashalou]

Always, always blogging should be without obligation. Enjoy the time you spend elsewhere.

[Janice Perkin]

well i quite understand as you don't do short postings!! - so I am just glad you are carrying on sharing all your lovely pictures with us - glad you are feeling brighter - I love going on the NT snowdrop walks in Feb

[Petit Filoux]

Those pink flowers are absolutely beautiful. I love getting flowers as presents too!
Blogging should be a pleasurable experience, if it starts interfering with what you want to do most, then that's no good! You shouldn't feel any pressure to post on certain days, just do it when you feel like it! x

[Rattling On]

Love the snowdrops!
Vanessa, I know what you mean about the blogging taking up time. Sometimes it's just the thinkig about it that actually takes the time...3 times is good, gives you a breather in between!!

[Elizabeth]

Very sensible decision - I would be very ad if you bogged yourself into exhaustion. You bring wonderful colour into my day!

[paintdropskeepfalling.wordpress.com]

Looking forward to seeing your new work.

[Lynne]

You sound cheery. So glad you're feeling better. Lovely snowdrops. I always wonder how people manage to blog so much yet create lots as well. It beats me! So well done for giving yourself more time, all the more to look forward to the days that you are here.

[Kimbles]

How nice to receive such a lovely gift and visit - family are soo special! Blogging MWF sounds about right to me - it does take loads of time!! ** Kim

[Sharon Peters]

Vanessa, those hyacinth colours are spectacular - I could almost smell them when I looked at the pictures of them. I'm sure three days of blogging will be about right! As you say will give you more time too. XX

[frances]

Hello Vanessa.

The pictures in this post truly foretell spring's on the way. Really lively and bright and full of promise.

What wonderful in-laws you have! The moss-lined snowdrops are a perfect gift.

And thank you for those close ups of your painting. I would want to paint that posy in the cup, too!

As my posts get more and more scattered through the weeks, I think that you are quite ambitious to even consider getting a blog done more than once a week. Well done. xo

[Gerry]

We'll take you which ever way we get ya!
Glad to hear you sounding so 'Vanessa'.
Your P-I-L sound like a wonderful couple.
Hugs,
Gerry

[wonderwoman]

beautiful flowers - really lovely colours. Don't blame you for cutting down on the blogging!

xxx

[penny]

Oooh, I LOVE snowdrops! They really make one feel Spring is just around the corner. What a lovely present, especially after all you've had on your plate since Christmas. You are absolutely right about the blogging, three times a week is more manageable and gives you time to do something to blog about as well! P x

[Vicki K.]

I found you from your comment on Jane's Posy blog...and am enjoying your past posts. Your fair isle scarf is fantastic and the snowdrops and hyacinths just gorgeous!

[Julie]

those flowers are lovely. So glad you seem to be recovering so well. Am thrilled to hear that there's another Mole book in the offing! Been a bit busy this week so am only just catching up on posts, and love your scarf, some more gorgeous colours there! I was given some hyacinths when I was recovering from an operation on my back, and much as I do love them, whenever I see/smell them I'm immediately reminded of being in terrible pain, so I tend not to have them around so much!! Shame really as they are so lovely and bright and cheery, especially at this time of year. Look forward to Fridays installment, know what you mean about blogging and defintely better to cut back than make it into an unwanted obligation or something that you decide to stop altogether (which would be terrible for us readers, who love your colourful posts so). xx

[sumea]

Oh Vanessa..What a Gorgeous gift! I would certainly be hop, skipping and jumping all over the place if I were presented with something so Lovely.
The pink hyacinths are heavenly too, I think I can almost pick up a virtual scent..they are so vibrant.
Your blog is an absolute Joy, it really is.
Sometimes I am a bit behind getting here, I am still not myself after a difficult few months. But I sooo love it when I manage to catch up, it's like an extra special treat.

Warm Hugs to You my dear and a Happy 1st day of February to You too xxx

Sumea