after the rain

I love this time of year and its ever changing weather. Bright sunshine this morning gave way to torrential downpours this afternoon. After the rain, freshness filled the air. A clean, damp scent. A scent I love. Maybe I could bottle it. 

The skies were beautiful, full of clouds. Pretty wispy clouds emptied of their cargo. And in the hedgerows, clouds of cow parsley dampened by the rain.  

wildflower posy

A wildflower posy gathered from the hedgerows along our road. A little posy for our eldest to bring to church to celebrate his First Holy Communion last Sunday. Despite not being especially religious, we had a lovely family gathering to celebrate another milestone in our little man's life.

Gathering these flowers will be ingrained forever in my memory.  Eight o'clock in the morning, dressed in pyjamas, raincoat and wellies, as the rain poured down.  I must have looked like I had lost the plot.  But I loved picking each pretty bloom. I really hope the neighbours were having a lie in.

Joining in with Lou for nature in the home.

sunday rambling

After a week of incessant rain the sun appeared this afternoon, so we took ourselves out for some Sunday rambling and exploring.  We visited a little National Trust church nearby which has beautiful grounds with masses of space to play and explore.

The little ones ran, climbed and scaled the fallen branches, casualties from the unmerciful winter winds. The fallen trees were a perfect hunting ground for all types of bugs. Spiders, woodlice, centipedes and millipedes were discovered and inspected.  

Being outside in the sunshine lifted all our spirits after so many cold and dreary days.  I've just watched the weather forecast and it seems the weather is on the up.  Fingers crossed for more warm sunny May days.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

may day

May Day and the beginning of summer.  

May is without doubt my favourite month.  My grandmother always marked the beginning of summer by having a May altar in her hallway decorated with wildflowers and a statue of the Virgin Mary. Combining the pagan traditions of the Gaelic festival Beltaine with her Catholic faith.

As a child I picked wildflowers from our hay meadows to fill the vases. Bunches of buttercups, marsh marigolds and cuckoo flowers picked throughout the month of May.

When Lou suggested we join her in reviving the ancient Pagan tradition of flower baskets to mark the return of Nature in the Home I was sold.  The idea is to leave little posies of flowers on friends and neighbours doorsteps to mark May Day.  

I filled an old jam jar with a few blooms from our garden and some pretty green foliage and left it on my friends doorstep. I really enjoyed making the posy, remembering my flower collecting years ago and my friend loved the surprise. It's definitely something I'd like to do again. 

Pop over to Lou's lovely blog to see more May Day prettiness.

eight

Today we celebrated a birthday.  Our eldest turned eight.  

Our precious first baby, growing each year into a wonderful little boy. Always full of questions and with a insatiable love of the natural world. Happiest investigating under rocks or tree bark for insects and spiders.

He is kind, strong and a great friend.  We love our sensitive soul so very much.

Happy birthday little man.

simple pleasures

Some simple things making me happy lately.  Simple pleasures providing joy everyday.

::   Blossom.  Beautiful blossom everywhere.
::   Daisy chains. Making daisy jewellery for the little ones.
::   My constant companion.  Wandering in the garden, admiring the blooms. She adores their scent.
::   Spring salads and the changing seasons effect on the way we eat.

Are you enjoying the season?  What's your simple pleasure?

the year in books: april

My book choice for April is a lovely hardback I bought a while back called The Land of Decoration. I love the illustration on the cover and the end papers. Not the most sensible reason for adding a title to my reading list but an irresistible one all the same.  I am a complete sucker for a pretty book.

I am looking forward to seeing if the story will equal its prettiness.

For #theyearinbooks March read, I chose The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  I really enjoyed it.  It was utterly absorbing from the start.

The Book Thief is the story of a little girl living in Germany during WW2. The story is told from the perspective of working class Germans during wartime.  Not a usual perspective, but very interesting.  Death narrates the novel, guiding the reader through the story, providing insights into the characters and future happenings. The writing style is unique and really adds to the experience.

I particularly loved Liesel, the little girl, her desire to read and her unquenchable love of words.  Qualities at the heart of every bibliophile.

I also finished The Night Rainbow which I started as a second read in February. It was fairly enjoyable. Definitely not a page turner.  Although short it took me a while to finish.  A 'slow burn', I would say.

Joining in with Laura.

four

Tomorrow our beautiful little girl will celebrate her fourth birthday. 

Excitement abounds here. We've been planning a family get together for tomorrow afternoon.  She has requested a tea party with lemon curd sponge cake, fruit scones and chocolate crispie buns.  That's my morning sorted then.

Tonight the sun set turned the sky into a stunning swirl of colour.  The little fairy was delighted.  She peeped out her bedroom window and declared the sky had turned pink just for her.  

She is so special, bringing us an abundance of happiness. Full of fun and giggles, she is a friend to all. She adores her older brothers, and they her. Our precious little girl, we love you so very much.

Happy birthday little one.

goodbye march

March was a good month.  The weather has been changeable but there have been some beautiful skies and welcome sunshine. Spring may well have sprung.

Our garden is wakening up, beginning to unfurl in the warming temperatures.  We are planning our vegetable plot for the year ahead.  Growing things we will definitely eat seems to be the emerging strategy.  We had a bumper crop of Red Mustard last summer.  And absolutely no idea what to do with.  It did produce a lovely yellow flower though.  I am more enlightened now and tempted to grow a small amount this year.  Have you grown it before?

Today was especially mild and the sun shone.  I wandered around the garden after lunch enjoying the warmth.  Green buds are everywhere.  I am looking forward to perfect new green leaves covering the trees and shrubs.  A leaf covered tree. There is real beauty in nature.

Joining in with Annie's 'how does your garden grow?'

simple pleasures

My simple pleasures.  The little things that have made me happy recently.

::   Blue skies.  Not many, but they were beautiful.
::   A day by the sea.  The first of many this year, I hope.
::   A brilliant yellow dandelion.  One of my favourite colours.
::   Echeveria.  The pink tips and how it lifts its leaves to the light.
::   Kitchenella.  From the library.  A good read.

So what's making you smile?

beach combing

St Patrick's Day, our way. A trip to the beach with a picnic. Many happy hours spent running on the beach, an endless playground. Our eldest, his daddy's shadow. Everywhere his father goes, E is sure to follow.  

Kicking and splashing through low tide. Exploring rock pools, investigating under the carpet of seaweed discovering countless cockles, mussels, sea snails and barnacle covered rocks.  

Eventually grey clouds rolled in and with them, rain so we raced back to the car and devoured our picnic. We drove on to Killybegs, Ireland's largest fishing port. The boys loved seeing the huge fishing trawlers up close. We watched the local St Patrick's Day parade before heading for home.  

The little ones are all tucked up fast asleep and I'm exhausted. Must be all the lovely sea air.

the enormous beetroot

The sun came out to play today.  After hanging the washing on the line, I wandered around the garden.  It felt really lovely, if a little alien to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin.  

The sunlight, bright and stark illuminated the garden.  Spring is definitely in the air and signs of new growth are appearing all around.  The ivy weaving its way up the ash tree has sprouted delicate new leaves, small but perfectly formed.  The viburnum continues to bud and flower and the thyme has beautiful coloured new growth, like tiny red flowers.  

The last picture is of an enormous beetroot.  It reminded me of the story of The Enormous Turnip.  I hope this beetroot doesn't need to be pulled and pulled and pulled like the enormous turnip.  

So are you enjoying the new season and the welcome sunshine?

Joining in with Annie's 'how does your garden grow?'

the years in books: march

Oh how I love #theyearinbooks. Laura's project has motivated me to get on with reading again. The pleasure gained from allowing myself to become lost in a book is a delight. 

For my February read I had chosen Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple. I wasn't disappointed. Persephone books are beautiful. And I loved this title. I hadn't read any other books by Dorothy Whipple so had no preconceptions about the story or writing style.

Dorothy Whipple is a very accomplished author. Someone at a Distance is an exceptionally well written tale of the disintegration of a family in the 1950s. The characters are well drawn and I found myself becoming rather attached to them. The author uses sharp observations of men and women of the time and while the novel begins slowly, it quickly becomes so gripping I found it difficult to put down. 

Someone at a Distance is a beautifully written and absorbing novel about adultery, love and sacrifice and how hope shines through in the end. I look forward to reading more books by this wonderful author.

I also started a second book, The Night Rainbow in February which I will finish very soon. I have chosen The Book Thief for my March read. It seems to be everywhere at the moment with the recent release of the film version. I hope its a good one.

As an aside, I'm not sure I am providing you with very useful reviews. I am conscious of not giving away too much of the story, so maybe I am not supplying enough information. This is a result of personal preference. I really dislike knowing too much about a book before beginning reading and so apologies if I seem to be holding back on the details.

Joining in with Laura.

simple pleasures

I've missed recording the simple happy things which have given me pleasure in the everyday.  52 weeks of happy was a great project however when I had completed the year I decided not to continue. Instead I intend to occasionally record my simple pleasures, the little things that make me happy. Enjoying taking a moment to appreciate the simple things.  There has got to be good in that.

::   Tulips.  I love them.

::   Hama bead fun for me as well as the little ones.

::   Lunchtime at the library.

Simple pleasures.  Making me smile.  

signs of spring

Today the sun shone bright. I wandered around the garden hoping to spot signs that spring is on the way.  I'm tired of winter. So it was with much delight, that I found nature awakening from its long winter sleep.

Daffodil buds poked out of the soil surrounding our silver birches. The soil, in part was covered in a carpet of tender stemmed clover.  Catkins danced wildly in the sudden sharp gusts of bitterly cold wind.  And there were clusters of tiny white blooms on the viburnum.  

In the vegetable beds, curly kale, the vegetable that keeps on giving.  It is the sole survivor from last years planting and still provides leafy greens for dinner.  It seemed luminous in the cool sunlight.

Spring is coming.  Of that I am sure.  Are there signs of the changing seasons with you?

Joining in with Annie's 'how does your garden grow?'

oat cookies

So quick, so simple and so delicious.  Oat cookies.  I make these oat biscuits or cookies regularly for the little ones. They are a firm favourite. Great for lunchboxes and after school treats.  And especially good with a cup of tea and your feet up.

oat cookies (makes 16)

ingredients

75g plain flour
75g porridge oats
75g golden caster sugar
75g butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda

method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.  Mix the flour, porridge oats, sugar and baking soda in a bowl using a wooden spoon.  Stir well to combine.
Melt the butter and golden syrup together over a gentle heat.  Pour over the dry ingredients and mix again.
The resulting mixture is glossy and quite crumbly.  Take small amounts of the mix and roll into golf ball sized balls and place on a greased baking tray.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
Cool and enjoy.

Note: I made these cookies last night and omitted 25g of the sugar.  I consciously try when baking to cut the sugar content a little bit, just to see if we miss it.  The cookies were equally moreish so I will use 50g sugar next time.

Are you a fan of homemade biscuits?

the year in books: february

Joining in with Laura for #theyearinbooks, my choice for February is Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple.

I perused the Persephone catalogue happily for a few hours, eventually settling for this novel. It arrived by post a little while ago and I have loved delving into it.  

For my January read I chose This Perfect World by Suzanne Bugler.  A book from my bookshelf which had gone unread until now.  The novel is well written, tackling the difficult subject of bullying head on.  

The story focuses on Laura, as she enjoys her seemingly blissful existence, that is, until her less than perfect past comes back to haunt her. It is a quick read which is dark and uncomfortable at times.  The story vividly illustrates how perfect existences can collapse like a tower of cards. Whilst I couldn't say that I really liked this book it made interesting, if unsettling reading.  

I am looking forward to my next book and will be having a look through Goodreads to help me choose.

If you fancy joining in or finding inspiration for reading more you can find Laura and lots of lovely bibliophiles here. 

hello february

January wasn't unbearable but I am happy to bid it adieu. I quite enjoy January's calm, after the storm that is Christmas but it has been a long, long month.  I am delighted to welcome February.

We have spent this weekend like most since Christmas, indoors cosied up by the fire.  We venture outside for short bursts of fresh air between rain showers and otherwise only when we really, really have to. Hopefully February will bring longed for bright days with a little sunshine.  I am wishing for a day by the sea. 

In the meantime my winter survival plan involves crafting, reading, baking and stitching. And the certainty that spring will soon be here.

Hope you all had a great weekend.