Hurry up Spring!

I have been feeling particularly meh! the last couple of weeks. I'm sure it is something to do with the weather. The damp, grey days have become so wearisome. I have appreciated the Winter months while they lasted, but enough now. My body is crying out for warmth, sunshine and blue skies.

I have been meaning to get into the garden to tidy up and dig over, but the cold and damp have put paid to my good intentions, preferring instead to stay indoors in a state of semi-hibernation.

To make the most of  my time I attempted to make a dent in the yarn stash at the bottom of my wardrobe by making another blanket - they always come in useful, right? What I didn't realise, however, is that for some reason my idea of stash busting involved me buying even more yarn! I'm not quite sure where I went wrong with this.

I am getting desperate now to get fresh air into my lungs without trudging through mud and my fingers and toes going numb with the cold. I have plans for our garden. The furniture needs a coat of paint.  Seeds and gardening gloves have been bought and what I lack in knowledge about what the heck I'm supposed to do with them, I will try and make up for in enthusiasm.

The house is ready for a good Spring clean. I'm looking forward to having the windows wide open, a good clear out, washing on the line and cups of tea in the garden.

Hurry up Spring!
J.X

Hearts and Cake

Once again we are halfway through the month before I realise. I have been keeping quite busy and my month got off to a great start when I went to see my favourite band in concert. It's been years since I went to a such a big event and it was just as thrilling as I remembered.
Thankfully, following some dull days, it is now becoming noticeable that the hours of daylight are gradually increasing. Hurray! for that.

My eyes are telling me Spring is on it's way although I am still reaching for my Winter woollies in a morning. It has been very cold and incredibly windy recently. Yesterday I got quite excited (yes, I know, it doesn't take much) at the thought of hanging out my washing only to change my mind at the prospect of it getting blown off the line. Our walks have been kept at a low level for the same reason.

For the most part I am still cooking from scratch and really relishing my time spent in the kitchen. The bread making is ongoing and I used the same recipe to make some bread rolls which turned out to be just as tasty.

Also in the kitchen this week I baked a delicious Lemon Drizzle cake and today the delicate scent of the Hyacinths on the kitchen windowsill has been overpowered by the amazing aroma of freshly baked Chocolate Orange Brownies. A Valentines treat for me my family.

Happy Valentine's Day.
J. X

January

January can feel like such a long, drawn out month. A general low after the buzz of the festive season. The magic gone, back to reality, back to work, cold, dark mornings, with only the faintest hint of the days becoming longer and the warmer months to come.

With this in mind I have been taking extra care to keep the house cosy, feed the family wholesome, nutritious meals and maintain a sense of wellbeing.

More than usual, I have been looking closely at what we are eating. Cooking/baking from scratch as much as possible. I made some bread yesterday, something I haven't done for a while now. It was such an easy recipe and tastes delicious. I think I will be making a lot more of my own in future.

I also made time to complete the socks I am ashamed to say I started knitting way back in November! I will have to be careful with washing, as they are 100% wool, but they are oh-so-cosy. The perfect answer to the cold wintery evenings.

With it being soooo long since I last posted, I feel I must just briefly mention Christmas. We had a lovely quiet time, just as we like it, and I will have a lasting memory of Lily hurtling down the hallway on her new scooter brandishing an umbrella with a huge smile on her face.  A happy day.

Since Christmas we have enjoyed some truly beautiful walks in our local area. For the most part, days have been cold and bright, with the occasional frost and even a sprinkling of snow.

New Year's morning found us on Orrest Head, in glorious sunshine but a bitterly cold wind. While the following day a walk up Dodd fell proved very popular with the addition of some snow and a welcome drink of hot Winterspice cordial at the summit. The views weren't too bad either.

Unfortunately, the start of the year also brought with it some personal sadness for our family and resulted in me having been unwell for much of the month. Blessings well and truly counted I am now looking forward to what the rest of the year holds for us, and hopefully, I say with such optimism, some more consistent blogging.

J. X

All is Calm

On the build up to Christmas this year I have been mainly focused on creating some precious memories for Lily. She is at that wonderful age when she is beginning to understand what it is all about, so excitement levels have been reaching pretty high.

The last week of Pre-School was such a joy. A Christmas dinner, a party, Carol singing at a nearby care home and even a bus ride into the local town to see the big man himself. It could have been very easy to get carried away in a flurry of tinsel, so all the more reason to take some time out from the festivities to enjoy one of our favourite walks.

The air has been still and damp and the ground so muddy we had to wear our wellingtons instead of our walking boots. Of course, that also meant we were able go splashing in the puddles.

Today has been a lovely, family day. We treated ourselves to a delicious lunch out beside the fire at one of our favourite 'proper old style' pubs, listened to Christmas music and watched The Snowman all the way through for the first time ever. While this evening, Lily has been excitedly looking out of the window for a glimpse of Santa's sleigh before leaving out mincemeat shortbread, Whisky and, of course, a carrot for Rudolph.

The next few days we will be spending our time at home, with family and relaxing. Possibly enjoying a glass or two of wine.

However you are spending it, I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

J. X