The Skies the Limit

Messages from Mum

So its the 1st of January 2013.
Just like everyone else I have made New Years Resolutions which I shall endeavour to see through until 2014.
One of my resolutions this year is to keep a photo blog!
I have decided to call it
"The Skies The Limit"
The clue is in the title... I hope to publish photos of the sky that I wake up to every morning.
I loved cloud watching as a child and it is something I have enjoyed all my adult life too. Mum taught me how to cloud watch and as we were travelling we used to look for pictures in the clouds and  make up stories. As the clouds moved, the pictures changed and the stories continued.

Since I lost mum I find myself cloud watching even more and like to think that she uses the clouds to send me messages from heaven I like to think that that is how my mum talks to me.

My granddaughter calls my mum Nanny Angel. My dad died when I was very young and Mum always told us that my dad kept his eye on us in the shape of a cat. We always had a cat in our house and they were always strays. When one cat died another one appeared on the doorstep. As me and my sisters have grown up and left home there has always been a stray cat living at one of our houses. Currently "cat " is in Belgium with my youngest sister. 
Maybe the cat stories will feature later in my blog.
Anyway having decided to start a photo blog I sorted out my camera and opened up the curtains. 
Here is the image that I took as I once again braced myself for another year without the help and advice of my mum
 I wonder if you see the angel being kissed by the cat?

2nd January 2013

You see the thing about cloud watching is that its so personal. The things you see others don't see.
When I opened the curtains this morning it was a really grey day so I reckoned that I wasn't going to be able to post a blog about cloud watching today.
I set about putting away the christmas decorations and broke off for a coffee. Now when mum was alive we always talked over a coffee. I would ring her for a chat and like most mums and daughters we would share our plans for the future. Now of course she's not at the other end of a phone but we still chat
"Fancy a coffee mum?" I asked as I looked towards the skies. She was obviously in because  as I sat down the clouds parted and some blue sky appeared.

Now I saw an angel waving at me. Not sure you will but thats the beauty of cloud watching you see what you need to see. I needed to ask mum where I had put the cheque Dad gave me for Christmas because I was  struggling to find it! Guess what? I found the cheque.!

3rd January 2013

Today I took down the Christmas decorations. There is something quite sad but at the same time quite liberating about this time of year. January is a time when we make our resolutions and for me its a time to think positive and plan for the year ahead. As I was putting away my decorations the phone rang, it was Dad. When I told him what I was doing he reminded me that it wasn't the 12th night and that mum wouldn't take theirs down till the 12th night as it was bad luck

Now mum always was one who believed in such things so I stopped what I was doing, made a coffee and looked the skies to see if mum was offering any advice.
Mum loved Christmas and she loved decorating the house and the tree, usually with loads of home made garlands. As a girl I remember making those garlands and hanging them from the walls and ceiling. We sisters used to throw stuff on the tree and it must have looked so untidy and messy but mum always left it and told us it looked beautiful. So as I was drinking my coffee I asked Mum if it was OK to take down the decorations. When I looked to the sky this is what I saw



The sky was full of pretty cloud trails that looked like tinsel falling from heaven.
So for me the message was clear. I could hear mum saying"we are taking them down here R Sharon. If you dad wants to leave his dozen cards up until the 12th night then thats up to him.
I thanked mum, finished my coffee and continued to pack away my decorations.
As I did so I was reminded of one of mums famous sayings"You make your own luck in life, just make sure its good luck!"

4th January 2013

Cloud watching is supposed to relaxing, it takes you away from your work and other things that may be stressing you, however I found out today that it can be a bit dangerous. So I am here to to offer a word of advice for anyone who is thinking of taking up cloud watching.....don't do it whilst driving!!!
Since starting this blog a few of my friends and family have started cloud watching, they even text me to tell me to look at the sky! Mark, my hubby is also getting involved and this morning as we were out in the car he decided to point out some pictures he could see in the clouds.

I managed to capture this image just before I was hurtled forward as he undertook an emergency stop to avoid crashing into the car in front.

"Look there's a Seahorse!" he said just before he shouted expletives at the guy in front for stopping so quickly!

Lets hope that my new found hobby doesn't cause any accidents in the future!


7th January 2013

OK so I missed a few days! Today we went back to work after a wonderful christmas break. I opened the curtains and for the first time since starting this blog there were no visible clouds...because it was pitch black! I haven't been up so early in 2 weeks!!

Just as I was leaving I looked to the sky and the dark clouds broke open and this is what I saw.

I see a heart with an arrow going through it.

I'm not really bothered if no one else does because
I headed off to work with a spring in my step knowing that mum was was wishing me luck at the start of a new term.
 I love new beginnings and new terms  and as I headed to work on a cold wet January morning I was smiling and looking forward to wishing everyone happy new year when I arrived at work.
Thanks mum.

20th January 2013

Its been a bit grey recently. There's been lots of snow and the skies have been a bit cloudless. Emma is in Australia and she text me to tell me that she had split with her boyfriend Jake. Now Jake is a lovely lad and they have been together for more than a year. When she went to Australia I wondered if it would work out but they seemed so happy. I admired Jake for letting her follow her dream and go away for a few months, alone. Jake was intending going out to visit her but it seems that the longer Emma was away the more she enjoyed the type of freedom that she hasn't experienced here in England. She tried to explain how she was still very fond of Jake but didn't want to be tied down at just 18years old. I listened and tried to offer the kind of advice my mum would have given me, knowing that when relationships break up someone is going to be hurt and in this case it would be Jake.
I felt quite sad that someone who has been a part of our lives for the last year would not feature at any more family gatherings but at the same time I wanted Emma to be happy.
I sat in the conservatory and starting chatting to mum,wondering if she would reassure me that I had offered the right advice.

As I looked to the sky the clouds started to appear and the grey skies disappeared. Here was my message from mum. I saw the image of a bird with the most amazing wing span. A bird that was flying and free. This was Emma.
The world is a big place and she wants to explore it. Mum often reminded of that saying
"When you love something enough you must set it free and when it is ready it will come back"
I'm not sure if Emma and Jake will ever get back together but I do know that Jake has loved Emma and set her free and I really respect him for that.
Mum would have liked Jake but her message was clear fly Emma fly!!!