things of beauty

"The truth of faith has little value when it is not also the life of the heart" B. Manning

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my little family are all sleeping in. that's what holidays are for. and reflecting on beautiful things. i have read my morning bible reading~ about Noah, leaving the ark. about Jesus, calling his disciples.

i am enjoying a cup of tea and a chocolate filled croissant.

we had a New Year's email from friends in France. they spent Christmas with her family in the countryside and then returned home to Paris to spend New Year's Eve together with their two girls. it sounds divine. i wonder if Parisians appreciate all they have at their doorstep. perfectly manicured gardens, art, flowers, cafes, pastries, cheese. art. people selling foodstuffs from carts outside famous buildings and galleries - roasted chestnuts (which we ate while queuing outside the Musee d'Orsey) crepes that we bought at night and ate while walking back to our hotel. and did i mention art? on Monday David and i are going to see the exhibition of works from the Musee d'Orsey here at the National Gallery. i can't wait. it is not often we get to do this anymore. my membership lapsed long ago when i realised "spare" time doesn't really exist anymore!

meanwhile, while on holidays i am enjoying some embroidery. i take it everywhere with me in a little pouch that fits in my handbag. it is a piece for a quilt i am sewing. it is suitably called the 'French Revival Quilt'.
i am also planning to sew Nicholas a library bag. i foolishly gave him a choice of fabric - small soldiers or chickens. he says he would like one side to be the soldiers and the other side to be the chickens! not exactly complimentary fabrics. he then said maybe the handles could be the chickens. that might be a better option.

David has been amusing himself with a jigsaw puzzle while on holiday, so i need him to finish it in order to set up the sewing machine!one final beautiful picture: Heather and Rob gave us a couple of figs yesterday and i was reminded of this delectable picture i saw in one of my Christmas magazines: walnuts, cheese figs and a drizzle of honey!