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.....

Wordless Wednesday.

A Week Of Pictures.

This last month has felt like a marathon of some kind. One of those crazybusy times when you feel as though your feet don't touch the ground, and you have no purchase on your thoughts. When the quiet moments are fleeting and gone before they are grasped.

But this weekend feels as though the work is done and we can now hopefully drift on the momentum we gathered, towards the summer, towards a time of ease. Not realistic, I know, but this evening as I sit in the quiet house, the clock ticking and the sea booming in the distance, after this most lovely day we have had, I look through my photos of this week to see which ones I want to share with you, (and for these few moments I allow myself this most unrealistic of thoughts!).

So here is a glimpse into our week. And a busy, fun-filled week it was. The best kind of week in fact, with family and friends and good times shared.

The funfair came to town...

....and there was a ball to be had!

And the sun came out. And stayed.

There were quiet moments too....

....and moments when little hands got busy.

There was a parade to attend on St. Patrick's Day....

....and presents to open, a heart's desire fulfilled.

For today we celebrated a Very Important Fourth Birthday!
The Smallest is now a whole lot bigger.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY B!

Although I feel tired, it's a very satisfied and fulfilled kind of tired, and even though it's Monday tomorrow and we are back to school after an extra long weekend, we are already counting down the days until the Easter holidays and sure before we know it it'll be summer, won't it!!

So, warmest blessings to you all on this magical, supermoon-filled Equinox. I have no doubt that this is why my heart is overflowing tonight.

And may your week to come be gilded by magic. 

Something In The Air.

Although the cold has not given up the ghost, creeping as it does around the edges of our recent days, still we are warmed by the defiant sun that holds on to more and more minutes of each passing day like a champion.

We are back to school now and enjoying the brighter mornings, the lingering evenings. Grabbing time outdoors whenever we can. Taking deep lungfulls of Spring, offering our skin to the warming air in tiny increments, willing the sun to find us.
And find us it does, most days.

There is an air of busyness about town, found in the flurries and flocks of birds that climb the sky above our heads, wheeling in joyful dedication, thrilled even more than we are to see the returning light.

And we cannot help ourselves: in our hearts we are soaring with them!

This morning, a crowd of curlews chased one another above the marsh, calling and keening, their wings pale against the dark of the evergreen trees beyond, catching the sunlight and holding on to it for us.

We are climbing up out of the winter circle, out of the slumbering earth.

Breaking forth.

~*~

Today I am grateful to have both Jay and my parents home safely at last.