Serenity.

I love the word serenity. I love the way it sounds, soft and lyrical like the sea gently surging against the shore before slipping away ... away ... away. This morning dawned with a serene light of ochre peeping through silver streaked sky and as the deeper blue of night disappeared once more I felt the need for the freshness of sea air against my skin. Once Lucy was safely delivered to school Isabella and I headed off to the beach where the soft sand was ours to enjoy as we were alone apart from the oyster catchers dipping and diving for their breakfast feast. We sat on the steps watching the waves lap sleepily at our feet.



The tide was slowly making its way out leaving tangles of burnished seaweed, shells and sea-smoothed pebbles in its wake. We collected our favourites to take home, chatting about where we would put them with Isabella determindely insisting they would be best in 'my rooms' which would be about right as she seems to occupy far more space than the rest of the children stowed away in our tiny house.



I tried to teach Isabella the art of skimming stones, but I fear we have a little way to go yet. To be fair, her teacher is completely useless at skimming too and eventually we abandoned our game in favour of other things...



such as finding unsual flat winkles. These pretty shells are abundant on our coastline and come in a range of colours, the most common being yellow, brown and orange toned. Today Isabella and I found these little white ones scattered by the receding tide, their pearly insides matching the soft white exterior so that I almost missed them, mistaking them for pebbles.



So quiet was our time together that we felt the need to just sit for a while, soaking up the warmth of the sun and scanning the horizon for the ships ant-like in the distance, only the shushing of the sea breaking into our thoughts. Even my little livewire child was still for a moment, just a moment. I wonder what thoughts went through that ever-busy mind?



All too soon it was time to head for home and leave the quiet of the beach behind for another day. It is not easy to persuade any of the children, young or older, to leave the sea at the best of times, but today Isabella was happy to come as 'home' meant a cup of milk and one of Daddy's chocolate brownies - clever Daddy who also knitted the lovely scarf Isabella wears every day and which can be seen in these pictures.



Such a lovely start to the day. Such serenity.



Have a lovely Wednesday x