Another week, or has it been two? I've reached that stage where I can't quite remember. Following a return to a steady routine, the days are passing me by quickly but gently. Home schooling is taking up much of my time. I'm learning to adapt the curriculum work to suit ourselves and chip away at it gradually each day in an attempt to avoid any unnecessary battle of wills. I'll possibly have just about got the hang of it by the time the schools open again.
The weather continues to be glorious in our little corner which is enabling us to make the most of our time outdoors. Walks are unhurried and several times now we've ventured a little further afield than usual. Last week I couldn't resist another visit to the woods to see the bluebells. Many of them are beginning to fade away now and in the dappled sunlight, beneath the canopy of the trees they appear as a purple haze.
The hedgerows are full of blossom and there is a soft sweet scent in the air as we walk along. With all this fresh new growth the world is turning a brilliant shade of green, and with an abundance of cow parsley the lanes and pathways are becoming more narrow as a result.
Along with a change to our walking routes we've also been out riding our bikes, the quieter lanes being an ideal opportunity to get Lily used to feeling more comfortable riding on the roads.
A couple of short journeys to get the hang of it, then we travelled a little further, meaning I was able to call in at the farm shop for some sugar, which I hadn't managed to get from the supermarket last week. (I was eager to bake some cookies and I can confirm they were definitely worth carrying the extra weight home in my rucksack for 😋) On one of our rides we took along a light picnic lunch and enjoyed a stop off by the river for a rest and a quick bite to eat, and it was lovely to see the decorations and bunting hung around the village for VE day.
Last weekend, while the weather was still lovely and warm, we camped out in the garden. We never got the opportunity to go camping last year, the good weather never seemed to coincide with time off work and school, and I have no idea what this summer will bring, so we pitched up in the garden for what turned out to be a pretty good night's sleep. The night was quiet and still and we stayed lovely and cosy in our sleeping bags. The following morning, however, the wind had picked up, so at 6.30am we made a hasty retreat into the house to make breakfast.
J. X
