Saturday 30 April 2011

snippets

All these bank holidays have lulled me in to holiday mode! Here's a few snippets from the last week:

:: Meandering through my local graveyard early sunday morning and seeing this perfectly-framed gravestone.

:: Walter plucking up the courage to swim for his ball.

My boy is not a brave dog - he rarely goes out of his comfort zone, and quite literally needs the security of the ground beneath his feet.

It makes my heart sing to see him swim properly - it happens so rarely. Mostly, he paddles and runs through the water, then lies down to cool off.

:: Rebecca reminded me how delicious homemade yogurt is. I'm back in the swing of making my own, using local unpasteurised milk. Yum!

:: Making pesto with wild garlic leaves - my version is made from sunflower seeds, wild garlic, a garlic clove, olive oil, grana padano (cheaper than parmesan), lemon juice and salt and pepper. It's divine - smeared on toast, tossed in some pasta, in a simple risotto, or in a sandwich.

:: Watching my sweet peas emerge into little seedlings. I planted them a little late, but I'm sure they'll catch up. At the moment they're on the window seat in my bedroom.

:: The wedding. I was planning on ignoring it, but somehow I drifted to the computer on and off all day yesterday to catch up (no tv in my house!). It was so moving, and for all the grandeur I think it retained a sense of intimacy. Two young people setting out on their life together, and so clearly in love. Kate looked quite beautiful, and her dress was stunning. I admit to feeling a little teary with emotion.

Friday 22 April 2011

walter goes green

Walter likes the simple things in life. Like rolling in freshly-mown grass. He often comes home from a walk covered in grass stains. Happiness comes with a green tinge.

It's raining here today and I've had to retreat indoors. It wasn't part of the plan. Hey ho.

Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes, and a Happy Easter to you all!

Monday 18 April 2011

birthday bluebells

Today I've turned 47. It seems to me the older I get the faster time flies. It slips through my fingers like melted butter, and I find I want more hours in my day for the simple pleasures of life. I'm not fussed about getting older - it's just a number. I believe what's important is one's attitude and approach to life. And life is good. I looked in the mirror this morning, noted the all-over dusting of grey hairs and knew I would continue to go with the flow. After all, grey is one of my favourite colours!

So today has been blissful - a day off, a day for me to spend with Walter 'just pottering'. It's been a beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in the sky. We went to the beach this morning, stopping at a favourite cafe for some cake to take with us. Walking home, I paused at a roadside stall to buy a bunch of bluebells. A gift to myself.

What's not to love about a bunch of bluebells?

I sat in the garden for a while soaking up the sun, while Walter dried off from his dip in the sea, then headed off to my knitting group for our monthly gathering (and more cake!).

Now I'm heading out for another walk in the early evening sun. I suspect a gin and tonic will be poured on my return, and consumed while I cook my supper. A pretty perfect birthday, really.

Sunday 17 April 2011

ingredients

I have here a rather beautiful box of ingredients.

Can you guess what they're for?

Wednesday 13 April 2011

random goodness

A few good things from the last week:

:: sun, sun, sun! (until today, that is)

:: a little bunch of hellebores from my neighbour

:: roasted, salted soya nuts. Strangely addictive, and rather virtuous (or am I kidding myself?)

:: progress on the sock - I've finally turned the heel. I've been knitting this in fits and starts. It's slow.

:: my boy. He loves to sunbathe

:: the woods, with the early morning sun streaming through moss-covered trees

 :: primroses nestling at the bottom of a cornish hedge

:: new leaves unfurling from lichen covered branches

:: a brief visit from friends. Stories were told, laughter was shared, and it was all over too quickly.

I'm loving this month, there's so much to enjoy and savour. Life feels full of hope.

Thursday 7 April 2011

stamp love

I've fallen for the most recent stamp issue. These came out a couple of weeks ago, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the WWF - the World Wide Fund for Nature (originally known as the World Wildlife Fund).

I've always loved seeing animals on stamps. My favourite is the polar bear.

What's yours?

Friday 1 April 2011

welcoming the weekend

What better way to start the weekend than a bag of Montezuma's Giant Chocolate Buttons? A gift from one of my sisters.

I was going to spell out 'weekend' in chocolate buttons, but I'd already started munching and there weren't enough....

Much as I like visiting my family, my favourite place is home. I appreciate it even more when I've been away, and can look at it with fresh eyes. Still, it's time for a spring clean I think, and some more de-cluttering. I have no weekend plans, I'll just see what unfolds. Pretty blissful, really. How about you?

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my last post. I'll be making my own 'cook box' soon, once I've decided on the colour of bookcloth I want to use. One thing that came up in the comments was chopping up my Mother's old books. I am a bit of a book junkie, and I could easily have brought this little pile home and stuck them on a shelf. The thing is, that's where they would have stayed. I didn't want to read the stories, so to upcycle the pages and personal inscriptions into something new that would be used and hopefully loved, was the perfect answer for me.

Happy weekend to you!