After a productive weekend, the crapness of last whenever-it-was has just about dissipated, I’m happy to say, though some low-key teething on the part of the tiny daughter means that Quercus and I are once more entering the Sleep Deprivation Olympics. However, the sleepiness didn’t prevent us…

1. Stripping the windows back far enough that we’re going to be able to have them as plain wood inside the house; we’d thought they’d be far too buggered, and had prepared ourselves for yet more gloss painting, so finding that, actually, they’re really strong wood underneath the years of neglect has been a nice surprise; they’ll be painted outside, partly because of the listing requirements and partly because of the weather, but inside, our earthy house is going to be a woody earthy house;
2. Freezing another couple of bags of blackberries, picked in the field behind the house; I can’t decide what to do with them – jam? jelly? wine? cordial? – so I’m thinking pick ‘em while they’re there, and work out the details later, not least as the entire house is somewhat bedlam-ish (and covered in dust) because of the ongoing work on the windows;
3. Making up some lentil, tomato and onion soup, part of which I’ve frozen in individual servings for the witchling’s suppers-to-come;
4. Re-glazing the downstairs window, which now opens after being painted (and rotted) shut for about thirty years – I have come to know the love that is linseed putty, and while I didn’t really think about it when we couldn’t, I find myself delighted that we can now open the window, should the fancy take us;
5. Whipping up a couple of batches of beeswax balm, this one with a mood-lightening effect in mind – I’ve christened it Bright Skies, and it’s got indecent quantities of marjoram, cedarwood, sandalwood, rose and neroli, so hopefully it’ll do the trick, or at the very least, smell gorgeous while it’s trying.

Oh, and then, I discover that Mel has very lovelily (and yes, that is a word) given me an awardy-whatsit, with a very lovely pic to boot. The idea is that one passes said loveliness on to three people who have reminded one of witchiness and, for me, the existence of The World Beyond, so here goes:

1. Doc Witch, whose meditations on subjects ranging from striped tights to the mythical status of fairy-tales are always a pleasure;
2. Mon, whose explorations of astrology continue to pull me in, particularly in combination with her determined attempts to crochet the entire world;
3. LQS, whose ongoing explorations of What It Is To Be keep me fascinated, and all the more-so because I know some of What She Is In Person.

Happy Monday, folks.