King Winter

King Winter dwells in the North;

Far away in the Frozen Zone,

In a palace of snow he holds his court,

And sits on an icy throne.

(link to full poem)

Wee Willie Winkie Knit Hat

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town

Upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown

Tapping at the window and crying through the lock

Are the children all in bed, now it's eight o'clock?

Free Pattern: Striped stocking cap (Ravelink)
Yarn: Patons Jet

Nature Excursion - Minnippi Parklands

I have decided to move our "nature excursions" to Saturday so that the whole family, especially DS8, can benefit from the outdoors time.

Last Saturday we went to Minnippi Parklands which is a large grassy tract of parklands in Murrarie beside the Gateway motorway. Getting to the park for the first time is a little dubious as you drive through an industrial estate then a deserted little lane way through bushland, but the park itself was inviting and bubbling with families when we got there.

There is a large natural pond in the lower part of the park where we stopped to look at the ducks and waterfowl. There are some cycling paths and the standard playgrounds dotted around the place, but one of my favourite parts of the park was a playground by a giant fig tree, built of concrete and designed to look like an old tower ruin. I really enjoyed its originality. The plaque below was at the base of the big old tree.

It reads

To call a tree sprite forth to play

Gather leaves x4 this day

And here while mixing pods and seeds

Recall a fairy from your dreams

Mint Tea

For tummy troubles:

A couple of sprigs of mint

A slice of lemon

I prefer this one without honey as the mint has an almost sweet taste of its own.

Mint is named after the Greek water nymph Minthe, who was changed into the herb by the jealous goddess Persephone when she discovered her husband was having an affair with the nymph.

The goddess of the Underworld began to step on Minthe, beating the poor Naiad with furious kicks. Minthe however was transformed into the mint plant, and with each tread of Persephone's foot, this plant released a delightful scent. This is the myth of how the aromatic mint plant received its name.

Thyme Tea

To strengthen the immune system:

A few sprigs of thyme

A slice of lemon

A teaspoon of honey

A delicious way to warm up on these chilly mornings.

Thyme, herb of bravery courage and strength. Rudyard Kipling once wrote that “wind-bit Thyme smells like the perfume of the dawn in paradise.” I think he could be right.

Thyme has also been used as a charm for seeing fairies. Collect thyme flowers from a hillside where fairies are known to gather and lay the flowers upon your eyelids. Legend has it you will be granted the power to see any Fae folk who happen to be nearby.

Merry-maid

Marian

Merry-maid

Mermaid

Ancient pagan sea goddess

A beautiful woman with a round mirror, a golden comb and a fish tail.

Water is the orignal mirror.

The moon floats over the dark sea, watching its reflection in the waves.

"Know thy self"

P.S Earth Hour is tonight (Saturday) 8:30 - 9:30 local time.