I’ve started walking to work. I work from home, so this is a loop down through the field, along the bridleway, over the stone stile, beneath the rookery, across the village green, over the footbridge and back up the field. It takes about 20 minutes, and the dogs love it too. There’s snowdrops poking through the mud and, springs bubbling up (it’s been very wet), and I’ve been reminded of some of my favourite books: http://www.ladybirdprints.com/category/6068/the-natural-world/what-to-look-for-in-winter and the other three seasons too. Nostalgic, yes, well it is a portrait of what the countryside was like in the 1950s.

So as I walked, I also thought about a book I’d given my friend Ruby, a young artist who after a year in India has moved from deep rural Northumberland to the centre of London. As with all books worth giving, I read it first. The message was simple – you can slot enjoyable creativity into any time you have, you just have to decide to do it.   So Ruby drew some amazing pics of the people on the underground:

 (c) RuDa  

and I was more than impressed. I got to thinking -what enjoyable creativity do I want to slot in to my life? You know, stuff that has a purpose, sure, but its purpose is that I enjoy doing it. So in between scouring day courses to do with the friends I don’t see enough of, I tried lino cutting for the first time:

and so did my girl:

Then came this: http://allendalepreschool.wordpress.com/2014/02/06/wellies-needed/

I’ve loved imagining the preschool kids cheering each other on to avoid the mud troll by bouldering along the wall… now my boy is at school, he’s not doing as much outdoor learning. So now the evenings are getting lighter, and we’re getting into a new routine, I’m reminding myself to get my own kids out and about, and see what creativity we can slot in together. Maybe we’ll find What to Look for in Winter, and see if we can spot the difference 55 years makes. I’m sure the dogs won’t complain. #wildtime