Heron and an award

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There was a heron sitting across the street yesterday, so I got my zoom lens and hoped to take a nice picture. Of course he saw me and started to leave before I was ready. They do that often. They seem to just sit there, sleeping and unaware of things happening around them, but they are very alert.
There is one sitting on the same spot right now, but he even got up and started walking away when some cyclists passed a few minutes ago. So I don’t think I’ll go outside try again.
I do like this picture that I got yesterday. When he flew away I just tried to snap something and this is what came out off the camera.
I’m not sure if his gigantic size compared to the sheep is real or that it just seems that way due to an optical illusion.
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On other news: I got an award yesterday! Elizabeth from Bits of Sunshine gave it to me. I feel so honored!

Proximidade is described as:
‘This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY – nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!’
This blog award should be sent to your favorite eight bloggers and they, in turn should forward to eight of their favorites. You should include the text for Proximidade (above) in your announcement blog.

I do have a little bit of a problem with sending this award to other bloggers and asking them to choose eight in return, though. Reminds me of the chain letters I got in school. I was always at the end of the chain, not being able to find people who hadn’t had it before and wanted to participate. I have been on that spot in blogland before too…
So I am just going to list eight of my favorite bloggers, knowing some of them visit my site. If you are one of them feel free to pass the award on!
Amanda Soule – Do I really have to explain why? I think she got this award a lot of times already!
Qalballah – from my side of the globe (just the North Sea between us), she is very smart, funny and creative and she takes beautiful pictures
Heather from Beauty That Moves – always inspirational, on yoga, healthy eating, green living and crafting with beautiful vintage fabrics. She has a beautiful photo-project going on right now
Angela from Mama Mana – just started blogging, but a lovely new addition to the creative blogs out there
Barbara from Oodles and Oodles– wouldn’t you just love to visit her home and see all those vintage goodies for real?
Beki from Artsy-Crafty Babe – very talented bagdesigner and quilter, also a devoted knitter
Anna Maria Horner – she is a great designer and shows her lovely work on her blog, but she also talks about her family (soon she will have six children!) and home.  I love the vibrant colors all over the blog and her house!
Stephanie from the Yarn Harlot – I’m a big fan of her funny writing and she makes knitting intrigate patterns seem so easy!
… and a ninth award goes to Kristen, hoping she will feel well enough to start blogging again soon!

In the garden

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There is actually something blooming out there!

I have no idea what kind of plant this is, although I did put it in myself. But I do like seeing those little pink flowers in the wintery dullness of my garden…

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Kitchen

Our kitchen really is the heart of the house. Literally. It is in the middel of the house and it connects the livingroom to the rest of the house.
It is kind of hard to give it a good cleanup though, because there are always family members passing by, getting a drink, looking for something to eat or helping the cat spread hairs (I love that cat, but he is loosing so many hair I figure he should be bald by now – he isn’t).
Last week the kitchen was in the same state the rest of my house was, not too dirty, but in need of some attention. Time seems to slip away so fast these days, I have that feeling of chasing after everything that needs to be done.
This morning I was alone in the house, a very rare occasion. So the first thing I did was clean the kitchen. Which was great, without any interruptions. It even inspired me to clean the rest of the house too, so maybe I can relax for the weekend.
Uhm, if I finish doing some paperwork which I am about to start right now. But at least I’m feeling like I’m in control again…