(Watercolour paper with acrylic paint)

A couple of weeks ago I emptied and moved the bookcases from the kitchen. This was a big job but thrilling! Moving furniture around has always felt like going on holidays to me.That’s because when I was little, Maureen, who took care of my brother and me while our mother worked used to regularly rearrange the furniture in our bedrooms as a treat. When I came back to my newly arranged bedroom it was like I was in a new place and I could pretend to be whoever I wanted to be.

(Huge tube of white paint)

Now the kitchen has a very spacious feel, there’s even an echo. I had forgotten how much I love space. And there’s more room for my arts and crafts stuff. Having it to hand means I’m getting more hands-on crafting time. Nothing too complicated. But I’m noticing some things, things I love. Like drawing a brush and some paint across paper. There’s a different feel depending on the brush, the amount of paint, the thickness of the paper, even the colour of the paint.

(Pretty colours)

Makes me think it’s the little things that make life lovely. A purring cat, a new tube of white paint, smiling baby photos, buttons (I love buttons), blue in the sky and the sea, green moss. Might be a nice idea to list all the little things that make your life lovely.

No harm to remind yourself how lovely your life really is, Mairead.