Life has been busier than usual this past couple of weeks. It's been a mixture of good and bad, want to's and have to's and I have photos galore that I hope to share on another occasion. For now, however, I just wanted to share a few things that have been on my mind over the past few days.:: Firstly I really want to thank everyone who bought a print from my Etsy shop in support of Comic Relief. I know the donation of £45 that I was able to make was a humble one, but after watching the show 2 weeks ago I am fully convinced that people I will never meet will benefit from it in a way I will never understand. And all because you liked my pictures enough to buy one. So thank you! You have no idea what those little emails telling me of a purchase did to cheer my heart.:: I have also finally accepted that I am a sucker for cheeky boys. See below!:: It's been hard not to notice the vast number of origami cranes that have been created and photographed in support of those suffering in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami. The internet, and photography websites in particular, have been awash with them. And they are so pretty, especially in the midst of all the bad news. So I felt it would be plain rude of me not to have a go at creating one myself. One of my favourite blogs not only showed some particularly pretty ones but also linked to a video on YouTube showing how to make them. So good was the video that I managed to create this. Just one. For now! Patrick is keen to give it a go tomorrow!Looking at the flickr pool of all these cranes there is such a feeling of  hope and a real belief that there is more good in the world than bad.:: However, living as I do in Northern Ireland it can be hard to truly believe that at times. Just this afternoon a young PSNI officer died when a car bomb exploded as he got into his car. He was 25. He had only just completed his training. It seems so pointless. So stupid. Such a waste of a life intended for the good of the people in this country. It has made me very sad. But I will dig deep and stick to my beliefs that good will overcome.It seems a rather sombre note on which to end a post but that is, indeed, what I am going to do. I solemnly promise to return more swiftly than I did this time and to bring you happier news and thoughts.