Annie ar y fridd

There is nothing wrong with children’s books - I have, and read, a lot of children’s books. Very often they are more honest and truthful than adult fiction.

Beautiful x

The gift gatherers cover by Karin Celestine two felted badgers in the celandines

Back cover of the gift gathers 'On the first day of spring, when day and night were equal and the celandines shone as bright as the summer sun, a new one was born. As is tradition, a message of the birth was to be sent to the Circle of Elders. Old Shrew knew this was to be his last time as Messenger and, as he was walking to greet the Elders, he remembered all the past springs he had experienced and all the births he had announced.' The Gift Gatherers. A celebration of old and new and of the cycle that binds them. One of a series of four seasonal stories based around British folklore. Includes note on springtime traditions by Pamela Thom-Rowe.

I am so excited to reveal the cover and announce the new book
The Gift Gatherers
Published 24 March by Graffeg 🌼
Preorders now open! You can order from my website for a signed dedicated or ask your local bookshop.
www.celestineandthehare.com/the-gift-gat...

Karin Celestine’s books are delightful, please take a look!

Oh no! I hope both of you will be ok. OH is ok, he’s healing really well, he’s sleeping at the moment. I suspect in a few days I’m going to have to keep reminding him to rest but I think it’s just a relief not to have that hernia which was being very troublesome for so long.

Oh my! I hope he gets it sorted sooner rather than later. Although I wouldn’t choose an emergency repair as the best way to get to the top of the waiting list and I’m sure you wouldn’t either 😳

That is lovely x

He said it was quite nice. It’s surprising as they are both Betsi Cadwaladr.

Luckily he’s not used to the cocodamol they gave him and it’s making him sleep and sleepy! So he can’t get into mischief. He has a few days of it left but doing too much too soon is my concern!

I need to be strict re the rest! He even got lunch before they arranged transport home - chickpea and spinach curry with rice and treacle pudding and custard!!!

And I hope they can do something to help you. I won’t tell him about that yet! He’s glad to be home, YG wasn’t a very restful place to be!

Yes, he was kept in overnight; they had to remove some other membranes and it turned out to be a double inguinal hernia; there was some concern they might have to remove some of the bowel after the CT showed it was badly contorted but luckily not. I’m so sorry you are still having trouble (cont..)

OH copied you! Admitted to A&E Ysbyty Gwynedd early hours of Saturday night in the worst pain ever - inguinal hernia, op yesterday, home by midday today! Well, he’s not on the waiting list anymore….

@celestineandthehare.com remember the International Visitors and those cheeky raccoons?

Oh wow, that’s just amazing!

Two felted mice with patchwork blankets looking at a felted weasel with a poppy seed head lantern. They are for sale on my website

Welcome to the dark days of November. Time to slow down a little, to rest a little and embrace the darkness, confident that the Lightbringers are gathering up the last of the sparks of light to hold them safe for us over the winter. If you are quiet of heart you might just catch a glimpse of one

Collage of autumn and Halloween-themed images. Top left: a carved pumpkin lantern with a cheerful face. Top centre and bottom left: yellow ragwort flowers, one with a blue butterfly perched. Right: a small witch ornament with a blue hat flying on a broomstick.

A Cornish tale tells of a pixie who loses his laugh at a #Halloween dance. In one version of the story, Jack-o’-Lantern & a witch gathering ragwort stalks (said to be the very plants witches ride upon on All Hallows’ Eve) help him search until he finds it again. #FairyTaleTuesday

An apple wind….
So true, our cat used to hate the wind and love the washing basket!

Bore da! Just saw your post on the other site and thought I’d follow you here too. No adverts here is a big plus!

It really is! The Wild Geese, weaving a web of community.

Ooh lovely

Oooh lovely!

Karin Celestine is going to be exhibiting at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair in Manchester, please pop along and see her there!

Oh, I haven’t been online much recently. I reckon the wire with the greater circumference might well be Viking and the finer wire Iron Age. I don’t know really but I do know that torcs were often made of many wire strands so I’ll be intrigued to know their age.

Old Fox was trying to persuade Wolf to come out of the wardrobe, where he'd been hiding since listening to the news early that morning. I'm never coming out, shouted Wolf. Old Fox sighed & sat down on the rug, wondering whether to make some tea. He really didn't blame Wolf, it was all so desperately worrying, more so than it had been for years. For a grim, squalid tide of blood-soured ideology had seeped into the world, into bustling town and sleepy village and hamlet alike; a putrid, chlorotic groundwater which was rising unchecked and unmeasured, tainting all in its relentless path, claiming only the most vulnerable, only the weakest and the poorest for its wreck-wood and soil. We must be brave, we must speak up and we must hold fast, said Old Fox to himself finally, we must hold fast. And he got up and went downstairs to make Wolf a sensible cup of cocoa and some brown buttered toast.

Illustration by Cecil Aldin.

Meadow Brown photo by UK Butterflies.

Autumn Scene, Hengistbury Head from Southbourne, Dorset, Arthur George Bell (1849–1916), Red House Museum and Gardens.

Old Fox climbed the familiar track winding through the gorse, Meadow Browns fluttering before him like sombre heralds, up to the top of Barrowdown. There in that light, that gold-milled early September light, he called for help, help from the tattery ghosts of thatch & field & acre.

Oh wow, now that’s interesting and something I haven’t contemplated doing - but I have been through a manhole/ drain cover/ other road ironwork phase in the past. Now I’m going to be looking at gate latches!

Oh, now this sounds like a really interesting book!

Oh, I am so pleased. It was a really good introduction to Sabrina and the Hafren and will be kept for reference.

Oooh, book 2 of Molly? That is exciting!