Turning My Face To The Steadfast Sun.

8.12am and the house is still quiet. It's the Easter holidays after all. My usual routine is to put on the kettle, then go and browse as I decide where to look for this mornings soundtrack. But today as I make my morning pot of coffee, for once I hold off on pressing the play button. Instead I savour the silence and I listen. To the ticking clock, the birdsong just outside the window, the water just beginning to boil, and just before that takes over, in the distance the sound of the surf hitting the stones. There is a blue haze over the mountain, indistinct wispy cloud cover, altogether another day that promises gold.

We are four days in to the holidays now, and four days in to another three week stint away from Jay. To keep to our usual pattern, so far the car has behaved itself, but we do have one (possibly two) unwell little boys. It's always one or the other.

But the sun is shining. And there is no school. And that makes it all the difference.

I hope the sun is shining wherever you are!

What We Found Upon Opening The Door One Morning.

A rather surprising thing has happened.
But hush, we cannot talk too loudly, for if the lady in question were to hear her mistake she may just pack up and leave, and then what would we do!

Let me tell you.... Summer, yes Summer came calling! When first we heard her tap on the door we looked at one another and wondered and shook our heads in surprise, unsure if really it was she.

But upon opening the door, here she was, not yet in all her glory, no, for so far she has not unpacked, but here nevertheless. And we said nothing, no, not a word of her mixed up calendar did we utter, but invited her in and took her coat and made her some tea.

And so we bide our time as the temperature creeps up, and the hazy sunshine begins to work it's magic and warm our wintered bones, and we go about our business, murmuring in hushed voices, straining to not laugh too loudly or explode with glee lest she rouses herself and finds she is not where she ought to be. 

For it has happened before, we are told, and sometimes she will wake with a start, and leap up in a fluster and run out the door, cheeks aflame with chagrin, ne'er to be seen again until the year has rolled round once more.

But sometimes, just occasionally, she will settle in, unfurl her parasol, pour herself a rather long, cool drink, and smile indulgently as we bask in her glow,  unfurling ourselves, and luxuriating in her extended stay.

We may not really believe this, but today we can pretend.

~*~

It is with great pleasure I announce that 

Martin H.

and 

Mise

are the winners of my giveaway!

A signed copy of The Lonely Beast on it's way to you both shortly.

A Giveaway of a Most Beastly Kind!

Now this post is long overdue. Yes, but here it is at last. The Lonely Beast has been launched!

You may remember I posted here before about my brother Chris and his children's book, The Lonely Beast? Well, to celebrate it's launch I have two copies to give away, signed by the lovely author himself.

Now I know, of course, that I am bound to be a tad biased about the wonderfulness of this delightful book, but hand on my heart it truly is something special, as attested by the honest reaction of the many, many children I know who have read it, my own younger two being no exception. They know it off by heart at this stage. It really is a sweet and charming story, and a pleasure to read.

You can find out more about this fellow if you click here, and the website has lots of lovely things like games and things to make , and your little ones can send in their own drawings too! You can also see some pictures of us at the launch in Dublin, where we got to meet the Beast himself! Very exciting. 

The author, Chris Judge, and The Beast at the launch of their book.

The book is available to buy here, or directly from Chris here, and as I said I will be giving away two signed copies here on Milkmoon. All you need to do is leave a comment and your name will go in the hat.

Do check out Chris' other prints here, they are the most cheerful, funny things that will brighten any room, I promise!

What I See As I Pause.

Summer sallies forth, still away down the road a bit, yes, but in the distance we can see the dust she stirs up with her blowsy skirts and kicking heels. We await impatiently with bated breath.....