Slow Days

 

I'm still at home and my days are now beginning to drag. I am sure I would feel quite differently had I actually been unwell, but the worst of my symptoms has been a runny nose. The aching shoulders, I put down to having cut the grass and attempted some gardening last week :)  I'm not complaining. I am incredibly grateful not to have suffered worse, but I'm now definitely ready to be back at work and getting on with things. I would like to say I have been productive with my days but, without my usual routine, I have been floundering. That said, I have tidied out my wardrobe, which wasn't as daunting a task as I'd originally thought, although I did have a 'moment' when I'd first emptied everything out onto my bed. I don't even own all that many items of clothing, it just isn't very well organised. 

Also, I completed the baby blanket I have been crocheting for my friend. I am really happy with, so I do hope she likes it. I used this pattern from Maisie & Ruth, but increased the size of the border and left off the impractical pom poms. 

I haven't just been stuck indoors, however. At the weekend we went out for walk along the river, the fresh air and stiff breeze helping to blow away the cobwebs. The ground was still very wet and muddy in places, so I was glad to be wearing my wellies. We had hoped to gather some of the wild garlic in the woods, but it is still a little too early right now, so it will just have to wait another week or so. But I really can't wait to enjoy some delicious, freshly made pesto. Perhaps I should learn to be more patient.

While we were out, we were actively searching for signs of spring and we weren't disappointed. There were new shoots in abundance and some of the trees are already in blossom. We didn't manage to find any frog spawn, but we were absolutely delighted to see some otters playing in the water and scampering up the river bank, and then a flash of vibrant blue as a kingfisher flew past. 

Being full of germs I haven't wanted to spend much time in the kitchen, but as I had been craving cake I decided to bake some Weetabix Fruit Loaf Cake. And I am so glad I did, as I've been enjoying a generous slice each morning with a mug of hot sweet tea :)

I've done a bit more clearing in the garden and it's lovely to see some bulbs making a reappearance, especially the fritillary, which I have been careful to avoid disturbing since last summer. We have decided to sow wildflower seeds again this year, and I am once again looking forward to seeing the butterflies and bees they attract. 

J. X

Last Walk of the Year

 

Just like last year, New Year's Eve has been spent mainly at home. The tree is still up, but this evening I took down some more of the cards and I expect I will spend a while reading through them all again tomorrow.

This afternoon we went for a walk along the river. We did the exact same walk last year, although the weather had been much colder then. The heavy rain we've experienced recently meant the water was much higher than usual, so we took care to keep away from the edge. That didn't stop Lily from slipping on the mud, however, so a change of clothes was required when we got home :)

Beneath the trees, there were signs of new life if we looked close enough. I always find this reassuring. An early sign of the approaching brighter days. 

The pathway was quiet, shared only with a few others, also taking advantage of the dry weather.

One of the benefits of walking directly from home instead of needing to drive, was that I could enjoy a short break for some liquid refreshment. You probably can't tell from the photograph but the glass is only a miniature - I promise!

This evening, we've had pizza for dinner, followed by some homemade cookies, still warm from the oven. I've made sure to amend my booking for next year's Christmas markets (all being well), I've lit the last of the festive scented candles, and the tree lights are switched on. Unusually for me, I've even watched a film - New Year's Eve! - of course. I'm not sure yet, whether I will stay awake to see in the New Year, but I've highlighted the BBC's Hogmanay celebrations just in case. 

For me 2021 will always be remembered with sadness, but I must not forget the happy memories I've created throughout the year.

All that's left for me to do now is to wish everyone a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. And then, perhaps, I'll pour myself another Baileys.

J. X

Ride Out

 

Following the previous day's efforts, it was quite lovely to enjoy my morning at a slower pace. Not that the walk had been particularly strenuous, in fact I was pleasantly surprised my legs didn't feel weary at all, but occasionally it can feel nice not needing to set off out quite so early.

It was also a good reason to indulge myself by eating a proper breakfast. When I'm working, breakfast is either a slice of toast and jam or some fruit and yoghurt, so on the days I don't need to be anywhere in a hurry, it can feel good to take my time and cook up something extra tasty. And I couldn't think of anything better to cook than the eggs I had picked up on our walk the day before.

Free range duck and hen eggs of varying sizes are often found beside an honesty box along the lanes in this area. You can just help yourself to the quantity you need and put the money in the tin or jar. And fortunately, on this occasion, I had just the right amount of money in my purse.

A little melted butter, two duck eggs and a tiny splash of milk made the perfect scrambled eggs for my breakfast. Just look at that colour! They were so creamy and delicious, some of the best I've ever eaten. 

Although this week I've been enjoying a holiday at home, there is no avoiding the fact that some of the more mundane chores still need to be done, including the shopping. So, after a quick visit to the supermarket, I should now have enough food in the fridge for the rest of the week. Take note of the word 'should'. I can almost guarantee I will have missed something from my list :)

Usually, my mornings involve quite a lot of 'encouraging' Lily to finish her breakfast then get dressed. For once, however, on this particular day, my powers of persuasion were not required. While visiting a National Trust shop a couple of days earlier, Lily noticed a head torch for sale and decided that she would 'really, really like to have it please'. Now I'm not entirely sure how, but she got it into her head that we would return some time on Sunday so we could buy it. I didn't mind. It wasn't expensive, will no doubt come in useful, and anyway, she never does ask me for anything much. We had been trying to choose where to go for a bike ride on that morning, when Lily decided where better to go than to the shop, where we could buy this 'amazing' head torch.  

Don't let on, but perhaps I should allow Lily to make these decisions more regularly, as we had such such a lovely time. We set off along the lane, where there was a little traffic but for the most part it was nice and quiet, before turning onto a bridleway, down the hill (so much fun 😄) across the field and then onto the track by the river. Here, we stopped for a while to enjoy a picnic lunch before, very carefully, crossing the wobbly bridge and cycling up the steep lane to the shop. I did think I might have treated myself to a coffee there, but given the length of the queue for the café I soon changed my mind. Maybe another time.

We returned home the same way we went, and I am happy to report Lily is thrilled to bits with her new head torch. No doubt she will be wanting to test it out properly very soon. 

J. X

Close to Home

I woke early to another bright sunny morning. Once the laundry was folded and Mog had been fed, not necessarily in that order :) I set about baking some flapjack, leaving it to cool while we went out for a while. After several days of driving around in the hot weather, I decided we should spend the day much closer to home. For this reason, we settled for a gentle walk through some nearby fields and up over a small local fell. It was only a short climb to the top, breathing in sweet summer air, with the long grasses brushing against our legs and the ground beneath our feet appearing dry and scorched from the heat of the sun. 

The wildflower meadow is looking beautiful just now and is attracting so many butterflies to the area. I lost count of the Meadow Browns I spotted, although I didn't see any Cinnabar Moth caterpillars which usually adorn the ragwort there. There were, however, plenty of un-ripened blackberries on the bushes, which I will be keeping my eye on over the coming weeks :) 

Even though it had just turned ten o'clock, it was already very warm, and so we retreated back down the fell, to the cool shade by the river to fish for minnows. To the side of the road there is a narrow track through the trees which, unless you knew it was there, would be barely noticeable. And at this time of year the river there is low enough for the rocky shore to be used as the perfect secluded spot for a picnic or to simply cool off in the water.  

We returned home in time for lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon in the garden. A few more chapters of my book read, and Lily making the most of the paddling pool.

J. X

Spring Is on the Way

The last week has seen a gradual rise in temperatures here. The ice and frost covered earth has once again been replaced by mud and puddles - thank goodness for my wellies - and even I felt a little too warm wrapped up on our walk yesterday. The seasons are shifting and there is more than a hint of spring in the air. Earlier this week I was woken by birdsong. The glorious dawn chorus. It must have been around 6.15am and it was loud! And so, for the first time this year, I stood at the door and just listened for a while.

I've yet to spend any time in the garden, although it's going to need to happen soon, as I'm looking forward to sitting out there with a mug of tea in the next few weeks. The soil needs turning, the stone flags need cleaning and it looks a sorry mess, as it usually does at this time of year. Winter has lain heavy on the ground and although there are new shoots beginning to appear, the garden hasn't sprung to life just yet, much like myself  :)  On a positive note, however, there is now a new shed in place and this one is not going to collapse any time soon.

My plan is to not grow any vegetables this year, I'm going with flowers instead. I know I could make more effort and do both but the garden isn't really big enough and, to be honest, I just fancy a change. Just like vegetable growing, with my limited knowledge I will be making it up as I go along, so any advice is more than welcome. I would love to see the garden full of colour.

With the gradual relaxing of restrictions I am looking forward to being able to travel farther afield, and I've been making plans of places to visit as soon as we are able, although I can't complain. Staying local has really opened my eyes to what is on my doorstep and I'm sure we'll be spending just as much time at the river again this summer.

J. X

February

 

As I noted in my last post, life here trundles on much the same, week after week, with the exception being that we are now on our half term break - yay! This has meant we can put all notions of home learning aside, for this week, at least, and I can't stress just what a relief that is. I have felt under much more pressure this time round, so I can only imagine it feels far worse for Lily, especially being away from her friends and the reassuring routine of the school day. 

Thankfully, despite the bitterly cold temperatures we've been experiencing, another difference is the noticeable brightening and lengthening of the days, a clear indication spring is on the way. That, and we discovered some early bright green shoots of wild garlic pushing through the frozen earth last week. It's hard to think that in just a few weeks time we will be walking there in the warm sunshine to gather some for making pesto.

As it's been so cold, I've made sure to keep the bird feeder well topped up. Since the beginning of the year we have been fortunate to have many birds returning to the garden. For ages, it seemed, we didn't get any feathered visitors, which was really disappointing. I wasn't sure if it was down to our garden receiving little in the way of sunshine at this time of year, so I eventually stopped putting any food out at all. In a determined effort to encourage more of our feathered friends I once again began putting out a variety of nuts and seeds and have since been rewarded with a steady stream of blackbirds, blue tits, and robins. Although, I must admit they have been a bit of a distraction from our home learning, with both mother and daughter having the same tendency to gaze longingly out of a window, rather than getting on with the task in hand :) 

Even though I've still been working, we've taken every opportunity to get outdoors when the weather has allowed. These daily walks, although becoming a little repetitive, are necessary to my wellbeing. I know I've said this before but if you look closely there is always something new to see as the seasons change and nature does her thing. I hadn't, however, prepared myself for the sight of this stunning display of icicles down by the river. We were amazed. So much, in fact, Lily insisted we went back the following day for another look. 

J. X

New Year's Eve

I woke early this morning and, as usual, I crept downstairs to sit quietly and enjoy my first coffee of the day. It had been another cold night and the garden was again covered in frost but, disappointingly, there wasn't any sign of the snow which had been forecast to arrive overnight. I'd switched on the tree lights and checked my phone for messages, before I glanced out of the window at the front of the house to see a few light flakes floating down. Not wishing to get my hopes up, I went into the kitchen to make my coffee, but I could see the snow beginning to settle along the driveway. A short while later I heard squeals of glee from upstairs. Lily had opened the curtains to see a covering of white. There wasn't enough snow for us to go sledging but it was still a magical way to start the day.

Today, we've enjoyed a walk by the river. It seemed quite appropriate really, considering we spent so much of our time there this year. Amongst all the worry and uncertainty there has always been something reassuring and constant in it's familiarity. We've walked along the banks, paddled in it's clear waters, enjoyed picnics on the rocky shores, looked for toad spawn and even fished for minnows. It's been lovely to watch how the seasons have changed the landscape throughout the year and this morning was no exception. The water covered the rocky shores where we had sat during the summer months and the bare trees gave little cover to the river below. 

This evening will be spent quietly. Still weary from our walks over the last few days, I expect I shall be in bed long before the clock strikes midnight. Therefore, I'm taking this opportunity to wish you all a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. 

J. X

Along the River

The weeks are drifting by quickly, and no sooner had I become used to a new routine, it all changed again and I find myself at home full time now, joining in with everyone else who's  losing track of which day of the week it is. It's a steep learning curve. I'm someone who likes a certain amount of structure to my days, so this doesn't come easily to me, but I'm working on it and for the time being at least, I'll be getting plenty of practice.

Being able to get outdoors is a huge benefit. Aside from experiencing a couple of cooler, blustery days the weather continues to be glorious and time spent roaming the countryside is even more relaxing when there are no time constraints. Without the necessity to rush home there is always plenty of time to stop for a picnic, watch the tadpoles and ducklings, or even have a paddle. Sometimes we do all three. We've walked and we've cycled, often taking the same route each day, it seems there's always something new to see and a I find comfort in the familiar, well trodden paths.

We often enjoy a picnic lunch down by the river. The cool, damp air beneath the trees quite a contrast from the warm sunshine. It's simple fare, usually just egg and salad buns, fruit, crisps and flapjack, quickly thrown together in the hurry to get set off, but eaten outdoors in the fresh air it tastes so much more delicious than it would have done at  home.

The recent dry weather means the river levels are low just now. Much of the water lies still and every so often we catch a glimpse of small silver fish leaping up above the water leaving behind a circle of ripples.

Well rested and with all our lunch eaten, we gather up our belongings and begin to head for home.

Whether walking or cycling, our journey takes us high up above the river now. All around us the cows quietly graze, the young ones far less interested in us now than when they were first let out into the fields. The Hawthorn trees are in full flower and we have to brush past the Cow Parsley as it froths over onto the pathway. As we cross the stream there is a final chance for a game of Poohsticks before we arrive home once again.

This week I'll be finding my feet in a new pattern to my days, but as long as the weather continues to be kind, I'm sure I'll be spending much of them outdoors.

Stay well.

J. X

Above the River

Now that we are on our Easter break, all home schooling has been pushed to one side for the time being and along with it so has any semblance of structure we had to our days. With no real sense of purpose our mornings have turned into very lazy affairs. Usually busy, I'm finding this slower pace of life is taking quite a bit of getting used to and this last week I have been undeniably feeling the effects from a lack of daily routine.

It's not surprising, therefore, that the one thing I am so very grateful for during this time is my daily exercise. I feel so blessed that each afternoon I am able to leave the house to take a walk in the local area. Such a treasured part of the day where, for a short while at least, everything is as it should be, nature is doing what she does best, and I am reassured by the sights of springtime all around us. There are several walks which we can access easily from home. One of my favourite routes at this time takes us up the hill, through the village and along the lane, finally crossing a bridge before dropping down towards the river.

Here beneath the trees lies an abundance of wild garlic. Usually, I walk straight through along the main path but on Monday I took a slight detour, up a small track which led me to some fresh, new green shoots. I didn't  hang around long, just enough to grab a few handfuls which I carefully tucked  away in my bag, with plans to turn them into a delicious pesto later in the day.

The track skirts along the edge of the fields, above the river, the once muddy footpath, now hard, cracked and dusty following the recent dry, sunny weather. Lambs are scattered about the fields, some old enough to wander independently now. They are curious ,but soon scatter as we approach. There are younger ones in the field on the opposite bank, and many more still to be born.

We take another brief pause, closer to the water. Just long enough to rest our legs and catch our breath, before the path leads us away from the river, through fields and along the lane, to return home once again.

Following a quick rinse, the wild garlic leaves are blended with olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan and pine nuts to create this delightfully green paste, which tastes delicious stirred into fresh cooked pasta.

Although, at the moment, we are repeating the same walks over and over, I'm finding great comfort in that.  The constancy and familiarity  is reassuring in what are very uncertain times, and the opportunity to experience the beautiful countryside right here on my doorstep will never again be overlooked.  

J. X