Coffee and Crochet

Another photograph from yesterday because, quite honestly, the weather has been so dark that it would have been impossible for me to have taken any today.

 

It's been an ordinary sort of day. This morning I went out for coffee with a friend, who I hadn't had a chance to meet up with on the run up to Christmas. It had been quite a while since we'd last seen one another, so it was lovely to enjoy a catch-up over coffee and a particularly delicious toasted teacake :)

Whilst we had been in the cafe, the rain had turned rather heavy, and stayed that way for the remainder of the day, removing any hope I had of getting out for even a short walk and showing me exactly why I dislike this time of year. I  had to remind myself how I had noticed the tiniest shoots of wild garlic in the woods yesterday. A promise of spring, even if, at this moment, it feels like such a long way off.

This afternoon I did some housework, and then I finished off my crochet. The headband is made from pure wool, so it's going to be lovely and cosy. Perfect for those cold days when I can't wear a hat.

J. X

Tired

 

Mog is demonstrating, beautifully, exactly how I would like to have spent my weekend. Instead, I've been catching up with housework, getting the weekly shopping done and tackled a huge pile of ironing, which had been threatening to completely engulf the dining table. I'm feeling tired.

Being back at work has been a lot harder than I'd envisaged. My days are long and there never seems to be enough time to complete everything I need to do each day. My working hours are the same as before, but, without going into too much detail, my actual workload has increased. I realise it's very early days, so I'm hopeful that the situation will ease going forwards, but if it doesn't, then I may need to re-evaluate my position. All that aside I'm enjoying being back with my colleagues again, it's almost like I've never been away :)

Lily's start to the new school year has been a positive one, although I never expected she would be making the return while wearing a summer dress. It just didn't feel quite right, the weather being so warm. Thankfully, the unexpected heatwave has since been replaced with 'proper' back to school weather, by which I mean we can see our breath in the early morning air. The other day, I even made an apple crumble. Autumn definitely has one foot in the door now. This week, we will be visiting several secondary schools to make our final decision, before completing the application for her place next year. This is something which felt so far off when she first began primary school all those years ago now, and I'm not sure I'm ready for this next big step.

With the autumn equinox falling at the weekend, I'm hoping things will feel a little more settled for me as the days get even shorter. I should know to expect a certain level of unease as we transition from one season to the next, as for some reason these in-between times usually leave me feeling somewhat out-of-sorts. Soon it will be time for hunkering down, cosy night's in and warm sweaters. I think I'm ready for it. 

J. X

A Change of Plan

 

Having been so very lucky with the weather for our camping trip, things took a turn for the worse, and so the plans I'd had for that following weekend were quickly put on hold. I have instead been keeping busy with some far less exciting activities, such as housework, gardening, sanding down the woodwork in the hall, and studying. I also think I may have pinned down a couple of tradespeople to take on some of the work I wanted completing by the end of this year. Happy days!

There has been some more decluttering. Lily's books have been sorted and a large bagful got delivered to the charity shop last week. The shelves are looking much clearer now, and it is only a matter of time before we sort through the toys. And even though I am fully expecting to come up against some reluctance with this, it is definitely time. 

For the first time in what feels like ages, we've been for a bike ride. It was good to be back in the saddle again, and even thought I had been a little bit anxious about Lily's confidence levels, she soon demonstrated that there was nothing to worry about, so maybe we can ride a little farther next time. It is easy to forget how much she is growing and it's a little scary to think that next month she will be starting her final year of primary school. Applications for secondary school are imminent.

With that in mind, my thoughts are beginning to turn to September. We've already been off school for almost three weeks! It sounds like a long time, but it has flown by. And if the next four weeks go by just as quickly, then it will be upon us before we know it. Blackberries and elderberries are beginning to ripen, and there are signs of late summer all around.

With the weather looking like it's beginning to pick up again, yesterday saw us back up in the fells. This time we were on the eastern shore of Ullswater, the opposite side of where we went camping at the end of July (We could see our site from the summit). With another four Wainwrights ticked off, our total now stands at 105, so I'm excited to be almost at the halfway mark. 

J. X

Resting

I've had a busy week, and I was already feeling extremely tired, when Lily became poorly during the night. Instead of going along to our wildlife group, as planned, today has been filled with rest and laundry. Lots of laundry. Thankfully, she feels fine now and has even managed to eat a little, she's just wiped out. Hopefully, a good night's sleep will see us both feeling much brighter in the morning. 

At least the weather has been good. Sunny and breezy, perfect for getting all the washing dried. The windows have been opened wide and the house filled with fresh air. Mog has spent most of the day fast asleep on my bed.

This morning I spent a while pottering around the garden. I've picked more of our ripened blackcurrants and spent some time photographing the wildflowers, which have grown significantly, thanks to the recent wet weather. Due to a lack of garden activity, the bare patches of grass have completely covered over now. I had hoped we might have spent more time out there, but we just haven't had a decent spell of hot weather so far this year. There's still time and I'm feeling hopeful :)

Earlier in the week, we enjoyed the school sports day, and I'm very proud to report that Lily came second in her sprint and what has now become tradition, first in the skipping race. I swear she runs faster if she has a rope in her hands! It was so heartening to see all the children encouraging one another and joining in the fun, the later finishers receiving even louder cheers than the race leaders. As the results were announced the children were all given ice lollies for their efforts.  A thoroughly lovely afternoon. 

J. X

Dreich

The weather today has been miserable, overcast and gloomy, and it has rained continuously since late morning. It has been so dark recently that even my houseplants are beginning to droop and show signs of lacking enough sunlight - I understand how they must be feeling :) I might need to reposition the ones furthest from the window.

There has been some more removing of Christmas decorations. This time the kitchen and dining room have been on the receiving end of my spontaneous cleaning. The little kitchen tree has been returned to the garden once again and the window garland is back in it's box. I may even tackle the living room tomorrow,  I'll see how I feel. Lily doesn't like it when I pack away the Christmas things, but as she would quite happily leave the decorations up all year round, I won't use her heavy heart as an excuse to leave them up for too much longer. I also worked my way through a large pile of ironing -  seriously, where does it all come from? -  and then I flattened some boxes ready to take for recycling. Neither very exciting, but necessary. 

This afternoon we went swimming. It has been a few weeks since I've been in the water and it felt good to be doing some sort of physical activity that didn't involve being wrapped up in several layers in order to keep myself warm. That said, a little extra heating of the pool wouldn't have gone amiss. It just meant I needed to keep moving, which, after the excesses of Christmas, was not such a bad thing. Lily, of course, thoroughly enjoyed herself and, as usual, it took some persuasion to get her out of the water at the end of our session.

Tomorrow, I expect I'll spend a quiet day at home. At the moment I don't  have any plans but, weather permitting, I can hopefully get out for a walk at some point. 

J. X

A Restful Day

 

Fortunately, besides feeling a little tired and achy, I haven't felt too bad following my vaccination. My arm has been a little swollen - unsurprisingly - but I've taken some paracetamol and drunk plenty of water, so I'm sure I'll be as right as rain again by tomorrow.

After yesterday's excitement, I decided a quiet day spent at home might be for the best. Even if I'd had any notion of going out, perhaps only for a short walk, the dark pewter sky and rain lashing against the windows this morning was enough for me to change my mind. It was grim.

Instead, I stuck to my original plan of cleaning out the kitchen and sorting through the cupboards. Never let it be said I don't know how to have a good time :)

Seriously though,  it felt good. I now know exactly what I have in the fridge and freezer , I can clearly see what is in the cupboard, and I'm sure I must have enough wine to last me until next Christmas! 

For some reason, this year, I feel more ready than usual to let go of the Christmas decorations. Everything is beginning to look just a little tired. The wooden snowflakes, which fell over several days ago now, are still lying there waiting to be picked up, and some of the greenery has begun to look far from fresh. I've already taken down the wooden reindeer lights, which were hung beneath the kitchen wall units, and thrown out some of the holly from the coffee table. I expect more will follow tomorrow and I wouldn't be surprised if they don't all get packed away by the weekend. I would probably be tempted to do it now if it wasn't for Lily. 

For now, at least, the candles are lit and I can relax in the glow of the tree lights, while enjoying a glass of my Spiced Blackberry Vodka. We've loved decorating our little tree again this year, but I'm not sure if it will make it indoors next Christmas - Lily is wanting to go bigger!

J. X

Autumn Fading

 

It has been a quiet week for me. I have felt grateful for this, as last weekend went by far too quickly and I really cannot remember accomplishing very much at all. I made four more jars of blackberry and elderberry compote, and a batch of flapjack but I think that might have been it. 

The gloomy, damp days continue but the road gritter, which drove past me on my way to work this week, signalled much colder weather ahead. 

I think it's time for me to be making some firm Christmas plans. Gifts are being sourced occasionally, as and when inpspiration hits, and I already have a few bits and pieces in the cupboard. But I often do this. I get lulled into a false sense of security that I have everything in hand, when in actual fact I find myself rushing around with just a week or so to go, which is not something I enjoy. Much as I don't like starting to plan too early, I also don't like being last minute. I have booked the train tickets for our weekend away, at least, so that's one less thing to worry about. And I'm really looking forward to it, as it will be our first trip away in ages. I'll need to dust off my suitcase.

Here, the trees look very bare now. Many autumn leaves lie fallen on the ground, and once vibrant colours are fading into dirty brown mulch. Still, they are beautiful in their own way. It is as though the earth is gradually winding down into it's long winter's sleep. It won't be long before I'm eagerly checking the forecast for signs of snow. 

It feels to me like it's almost time. Time to offset the gloom with sparkle, fairy lights and festive magic. Candles that lend a warm glow to a room, hot mulled cider, and cosy woollen blankets draped over sofas.

J. X

Mud, Leaves and Pumpkins

 

I'd originally had high hopes for this week. In my mind I'd envisioned bright autumn days, walking on the fells, enjoying picnic lunches on the summits, then returning home at the end of each day exhausted but happy. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. It's dismal, cold and very very wet, and disappointingly it's set to stay this way for the remainder of the week.

On Sunday, however, there was a brief window of opportunity. The afternoon was predicted to be dry and if we were really lucky there was also the slightest chance of seeing just a little bit of sunshine.

We didn't go very far. Our walk was just long enough to stretch our legs and breathe in some fresh air. Being stuck in the house is not for me and I know I can get (very) grouchy if I can't get outdoors for at least some part of the day.

Waterproofs and wellies on, we walked down the track and through the fields just past the pond.

 

Mushrooms are growing all throughout the woods just now. These Inkcaps appreciate the wet weather at least.

After a lot of rain parts of this walk can become very muddy, which as you might imagine, Lily enjoys very much. She also likes to walk in the nearby stream, which is the reason her wellies look 'clean' in this photograph. What you can't see is that her jeans are completely mud splattered up the back. : ) Not to mind, I'm more than used to this by now and  they are easily washed. 

Once past the clearing we walked back amongst the trees once again. Following the recent wet and windy weather the leaves have been falling thick and fast. They carpeted the woodland floor but they squelched rather than crunched beneath our feet.

Before we left the woods, we sat for a while, enjoying the sun as it broke through the sparse canopy of the trees. This is my favourite section of the walk. The light is so beautiful here and it's also where we stop for chocolate. : )

Another reason for getting out was so that we could call in at the farm and choose our Halloween pumpkins. It took us a while, as there were a variety of interesting shapes and sizes to choose from but we settled on a medium sized white one and a small orange one, and at some point over the next few days we will be carving them in time for the weekend. 

J. X

Almost Autumn

 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this post will publish OK. I've left it so long since my last one that I no longer have the option to revert to legacy blogger and this is my first time of using the new format.

I've been busying myself adjusting to the rhythm of a new school year and adapting to a new job role, so although it means life is slightly more hectic than usual at the moment, I'm sure things will settle down once I find my feet and establish a new routine.

Lily is enjoying being back at school and being with her friends again. I have been surprised and reassured at how quickly the children have adapted to the new measures which have been implemented. And I am happy to be back working once again, I hadn't realised just how much I had missed the interaction with my colleagues.

The nights are closing in much earlier now, but although the mornings and evenings are beginning to feel much fresher, we are still being blessed with bright sunny days and by mid morning the temperatures are high enough to be without a sweater. The fine weather days also mean I've been cycling to work more regularly and, even though it's not all that far to travel, every little helps with my attempts at keeping fit, so I hope to keep it up as long as possible.

As always, at this time of year, the lovely people of the village leave their excess windfall apples for others to help themselves, so I've been putting several in my backpack as I've been passing and have made apple sauces for the freezer and a delicious apple crumble. The tree must be quite large, as there are at least two large buckets full left on the wall every couple of days.

The hedgerows have also been generous with their offerings of blackberries and elderberries. I now have a freezer full of them both. I've made several jars of jam and my usual blackberry vodka is steeping at the back of the cupboard in readiness for December. When I get a little more time this week, I will make some blackberry and elderberry compote, ready for stirring in to my morning porridge.

Today, I've pulled the remaining carrots from the garden and this week I will be enjoying the last of the fresh beetroot before digging over the raised bed. The sunflowers are all but gone now, the tomatoes are (finally) beginning to ripen and it won't be long before the grass receives it last cut of the season.

Back soon.

J. X 

A Little Farther

Little by little the world is beginning to open up once again, and with a return to some sunnier days we've been getting outdoors, going just that bit farther than we have been for a while and, if I'm being honest, it is going to take me a bit of getting used to.

I think I have allowed myself to become far too comfortable staying close to home, which is unusual for me, as there's nothing I like more than exploring and discovering new places. And so, even though my initial plans for when restrictions were relaxed, included climbing Helvellyn as soon as I was able, the reality is very different and I find I am needing to take things much more slowly. That's fine, however, there's no hurry, especially as my fitness levels are not what they were :)

It's been a good week. A huge treat for myself and Lily was a socially distanced meet up with friends at a local park. I can't tell you how lovely it was to see the children playing together, and it was both wonderful and reassuring how they just got on with it without hesitation, even after all this time. The resilience of children never ceases to amaze me. And I can't tell you how good it was to chat with friends over coffee and put the world to rights for a couple of hours.

The sunflowers in the garden are opening up now. Unfortunately, we lost one to some strong winds, but I have put the broken stem in some water in the hope that it might still flower. We have two types this year. The usual tall bright yellow ones, which I love, and some smaller reddish orange ones, which although still lovely, are making me think of autumn and I don't want to wish my time away.

Enjoying the evening sun.

Midweek, we went in search of raspberries, although we didn't need to look very far, there are an abundance of them on the side of a nearby hill. We gathered just enough to make four jars of jam.

Earlier on during lockdown I made some dishcloths for friends, who were delighted with them. I still had some cotton left over, so this week I tried a new crochet pattern instead of a knitted one and I'm really pleased with how they've turned out. 

Unfortunately, the sourdough starter hasn't worked out as well as I'd hoped. After initially looking very promising it turned to gloop, so I decided to start over, this time using a small bowl rather than a jar and it looks like it's doing much better. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a better outcome this time.

J. X

Ambling Through the Week

This last week I've taken a far more relaxed approach to my days. Circumstances are such that now more than ever before, my days are blurring into one another and once again I find myself having to take a step back from a regular routine. I definitely won't be returning to work until September at the earliest, and at the moment I don't yet know in what capacity. I should hopefully find out more later in the week but, as with anything at the moment, any plans will be subject to change.

Time spent in the garden has been sporadic and only when weather permitting. All but one of the sunflowers have survived the winds so far and I don't think it will be long until they begin to flower. The carrots are still a while off being harvested and the strawberries are all finished for the season but I'm happy to see that some of the beetroot will be ready within the next couple of weeks.

I've re-potted the apple trees and coriander, but they are growing so fast I will need to put them in even bigger pots before long. With the weather having been so changeable lately, I've been keeping the pots indoors. We even had some heavy hail just the other day, it's not what we usually experience at this time of year.

Spending more time at home it is very easy for me to become inactive, so in an attempt to incorporate some form of exercise into my day, I tried going out for a run with Lily riding her bike alongside me. I was pleasantly surprised to find it actually worked quite well. We didn't go very far, just along the lanes to the village, but I now know it's an option at least - no more excuses!

On our way home we passed a chicken by the roadside. At this point we were quite a way from any farm it could have wandered from, so we stopped and I picked it up to put it safely into the field. Unfortunately, it didn't make a difference as it kept trying to escape back through the gate. Fortunately for me (and the chicken) a farmer friend was passing by in his pickup and he offered to drive it back to the farm further along the road if I put it in the back. It was such a relief. I didn't like the thought of it being hit by a car, nor did I relish the idea of running the rest of the way home with it tucked under my arm.

At the weekend we went for a wander in the woods. Slightly further afield this time and it felt good to be gradually navigating our way into the wider world once more. It would have felt even better had I been able to enjoy a proper coffee at the end of our walk, but a certain someone was keen to return home and with it looking like it could rain at any moment, I reluctantly agreed. Coffee can wait.

In the kitchen I've been successfully sticking to my menu plans and we've been enjoying some old favourites I hadn't made for a while. Chow mein, risotto and quiche have all made a welcome return to the dinner menu, and it's even better when I make enough to last for two mealtimes. A few days ago I set about creating a sourdough starter. I've never made sourdough bread before, so I'm taking it as a challenge. Watch this space.

J. X