Self Portrait

Last time my six-year-old neighbour and I had a conversation about spiders, she told me they were scary. So when I found one dead-curled into itself last week, I kept it, thinking a small-looking, unmoving spider might be a good introduction. I saw T outside her house this morning and said I had something to show her when she was feeling brave. She came in after lunch and I discovered I was out of date: she likes spiders now, dead or alive. We held it, unfurled its curled up legs, felt how light it was and talked about spiders eating bees and flies. She was interested in my photo of a bee trapped by spider's web then asked if I had any pictures of circuses. (Spoiler: I did.)

We went into the garden and found several big sheets of ice to put over the wall for her and her brother to smash up later.

Then she got out my recorders and played 'Hot Cross Buns'. She thought it was funny that the first three notes spell BAG. She can't read music yet but I showed her how to find B, A and G on the piano and she played 'Hot Cross Buns' on the piano too. Then she composed a piece of music by writing down letters and I played her composition on the piano.

On our way back to her front door we found a spider's self-portrait with an over-enthusiastic number of legs.

I spent the rest of the afternoon feeding my voracious house a lot more polyfilla.


Thank you for all yesterday's comments, stars and hearts. Very much appreciated. 

Black and white in colour 300