Misty spider morning
We were up at dawn on Saturday to watch spider webs billowing in the breeze.
The misty garden was full of them. One lavender bush was like an apartment block with dozens of beautiful, fully occupied webs stretching between flower stems.
The spectacular web pictured above was strung delicately in a japanese maple just outside our back door. It had one long anchor line hanging from the bottom, attached to a little grey pebble from the gravel path. The pebble had been lifted by the web and hung suspended about an inch from the ground, spinning constantly. So cool.
And with the garden spiders comes autumn. The rain sounds good on the skylights at night and I am amazed to find *both* children in school full-time, happy and occupied. Meanwhile I attempting to get back into this thing called “me”. Ah, and what was that again? I draw? I make stuff? I write?
Amelia once said to me “Mum, I would like to be an artist when I grow up, just like you.”
How sweet – and how touching! How good to be a role model! After I gushed and carried on and told her how nice that was to hear, she followed it up with an entirely innocent; “so I can do nothing, just like you.“
I ranted and raved about motherhood, and roles made by choice and circumstance and feminist ideals but, in truth, I do feel like things have been on hold for a very, very long time. So now that the house is empty and quiet and it’s time to step up and get busy.
Distractions this week, other than the obvious Facebook and Twitter:
– Goodreads – catalogue your reading list, your book shelf, get recommendations, find friends and creep their reading lists. My friends are all impressively and intimidatingly well-read.
– The flickr photostream of illustrator and cartoonist Tom Gauld.
– The Lonely Polygamist: A Novel by Brady Udall. Not actually a distraction, per se, as it’s for bookclub and also reading is an entirely legit pastime for any aspiring writer (just ask Stephen King). The Lonely Polygamist is great fun and doesn’t feel like hard work in the least. I’m highly recommending it thus far, although I see from my goodreads status bar, I am only 11% of the way through, so perhaps not the best judge.
Sweet photos.I know that feeling so well, of being on hold for a very, very long time. Motherhood is like that, sometimes.I’m glad to read (a post or two above this one) that you are writing again.Enjoy yourself.x
my friend’s daughter said she wanted to be a vet. My friend said “I wanted to be a vet when I was little”. The daughter said “really, and why did you decide to be nothing instead?”
What beautiful photos!wonderful golden morning, and a perfect web
My daughter said she wanted to be an artist like me so that she could paint on walls. 🙂
so I can do nothing, just like you.Thanks for the belly laugh – I too must start doing art IN FRONT of my daughter so she knows I do more than walk the dog and take out the garbage.
Your photos are gorgeous! My kids are both in school full-time as of September too. I thought I might have to go back to some kind of work after 8 years at home but it looks like I can have a few months to get some of the stuff that has been on hold done. And figure out who I am again.
ha! lots of people spend years of serious training to master the illusive art of “nothing.” in seriousness, nice you can have some lengthier creative time blocks. for what it’s worth you are counted high upon my list of online parenting role models!
Such a stunning image… it makes me want to perfect the ‘art of nothing’. Heh, heh! x
Love the spider web picture.
My lovely daughter said almost the exact same thing…! I also felt great for a few seconds, until the ‘punchline’.