To the Lake

As is usual for me just now, I woke early and crept quietly downstairs to begin my day. Mog quickly followed, in hopeful anticipation of being fed. While I was waiting  for my coffee to brew, I cleared away the dishes from the previous evening and folded the towels which had been hung up to dry overnight. The house is always in disarray at this time of year. At the moment there are three large pool inflatables filling the dining room, piles of beach towels covering the table, and water shoes and a random buoyancy aid are creating a trip hazard along the hallway. I don't really mind. It's all part of summer living and as there will be plenty of time to clear and tidy once the weather changes, I will enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.

During the morning, while Lily chose to catch up with some of her favourite shows on the laptop, I set about making a curry for dinner. I fried off an onion, then added some sweet potato, spinach and curry paste. After stirring in some tinned tomatoes and a little vegetable stock, I added a cupful of lentils and left to simmer until thickened. In the evening I would quickly cook up some rice to go with it, because I had other plans for the afternoon. We were going to the lake.

Where we were going, I knew it would be quite busy, so I decided to arrive mid-afteenoon, by which time many people who had spent the morning there would have left. We found a nice shady spot beneath the trees to park the car and walked down the hill, where it was lovely to see everyone enjoying the sunshine. It was still busy, but not unpleasantly so, and it wasn't long before the paddle board had set off down the lake while I was left behind, soaking up the sun's rays. There was a brief moment of surprise when three low flying jets went overhead. They are incredibly loud and appear without warning heading right down the valley. But we spent the rest of the afternoon undisturbed, swimming and enjoying the water until it was time to return home, looking forward to a return visit later in the week. 

J. X

Hot!

It was another scorcher, not that I'm complaining, I love this hot sunny weather. 

I enjoyed a gentle, albeit very early, start to my day. The sun crept in through the gaps at the edges of the curtains and Mog (obviously starving 😀) was keen to make her presence felt. I like to wander out into the garden in the cooler morning air. Some of the wildflowers are only fully open at this time, closing up again as the sun's rays become stronger, and the bees are already buzzing from flower to flower. I am so happy with my decision to plant a wildflower bed, just as I'd hoped, the garden has definitely come to life with pollinators this year.

I spent another relaxed morning mostly reading, in between doing a few household chores, then in the afternoon we went to the swimming pool again. The pool is situated right next to a river, which is looking rather low just now, but it was lovely and cool there, beneath the shade of the trees. 

We had a great time at the pool. Limited numbers meant it wasn't too busy and Lily had a lot of fun jumping in at the deep end with another girl. After so much time away from it,  it is lovely to see her growing in confidence once again.

Returning home, we ate pizza for dinner and spent a lovely evening in the garden. And with a blanket wrapped round my shoulders, I watched as the sun went down, whilst enjoying my elderflower cordial with some prosecco. 

J. X

Another Holiday at Home

This year, just like the last, we are holidaying from home. I am more than happy with this, as the thought of trying to book somewhere with availability, which is also affordable, at this present time did not appeal in the slightest. Better still, this way I have no planning or packing to do. 😀 

With sunshine and high temperatures forecast for the remainder of the week, I don't intend on travelling very far. The fells can wait, as it is much too hot for walking just now. The paddling pool is up and I have some easy reading to keep me occupied. I have been working through some ideas as to how I would like to spend the coming weeks, but I have no desire to try and cram too much into our summer break. Even though I am still waking far too early in the morning, it is lovely not needing to rush around. Yesterday, I relaxed and read my book while Lily spent most of the afternoon in the water, the parasol providing her with some much needed relief from the sun's rays. 

Mog can usually be found lying in the shade behind the shed, then she will disappear for hours leaving me worried, only for her to return home in the middle of the night, presumably having been sleeping among the long grass in the field.

Looking ahead, it would seem as if summer could go on forever, but I realise September will be here before I know it. Until then I intend to make the most of each day. 

J. X

We Made It!

This was the view from my ride to work on the last day of term. Once again, it has been a challenging year but we were some of the more fortunate ones who made it through to the final day without the need to isolate. I feel relieved for us, yet sad for the students and members of staff for whom the school year ended rather more abruptly. This summer's break has arrived not a moment too soon and I really hope we will see some semblance of normality when we return at the beginning of September.

Sports day still went ahead last week, albeit without parents in attendance, but thanks to online learning platforms the school was able to share footage from most of the afternoon's events. Lily was thrilled to come first in both her running and skipping races. She is rarely seen in the playground without a skipping rope in her hand, and I'm sure she is faster running with one than without :)

The ritual of emptying both school and PE bags is now complete and I am looking forward to spending the next seven weeks with very few commitments, and days to fill just however we please. 

Here's to summer!

J. X