Speedy September

Well here I am back under the eaves, gently re-opening my little Attic window to give you all a wave....hellooooooooooo, cooo--eeeeeee, I'm baaaaa-aaaack!!! Oh it's so good to be back in the Attic again, I have really, really, really missed being here. Thank you all very much for your patience and your kind words of sweet concern during the past month I've been gone. It has meant a lot to me knowing that you have been out there wondering and waiting for me, I truly never meant to be gone for so long. Yes it's been a month, a whole long month, cripes the days and weeks of September have been so speedy!

But here I am, a little worn by the very busy-ness of my life at the moment, but essentially I am very fine and dandy thank you. Nothing to worry over. Just a sudden heap of Very Important Things that all needed my focused time and attention at the same time and kept me from my beloved Attic window.

So....a little catch up is in order I think. Where did we leave off? Ahh yes, I remember, I was just about to jaunt off on holiday wasn't I?

We had an amazing week away at the end of August, a beautiful, relaxing, happy, jolly family time beside the sea and I'm very much looking forward to spinning some post-holiday tales for you. I took almost five hundred photos during that week (well the place is supremely photogenic), so will need to ponder on how best to add some words and squidge it all down into manageable chunks.

While we were away beside the sea, Little Man became ten years old. It was a lovely day of gentle pottering, bookshops and cafe refreshments (mmm cake), rockpools and coastal walks, a barbecue dinner (mmmmm more cake) and all round family happiness. When we came home a few days later, we hosted a little lunchtime party for family and friends with a spread of party food, balloons and party poppers, oh and yet more cake. Sigh. I have been mothering for ten whole years, and now my dinky little first born is almost as tall as me and has bigger feet. How time marches on.

September always feels very nostalgic for me, I seem to hold a great many layers of vivid memories for this summer-into-autumn month. It is the month I met J (19 years ago, age 24) it is the month we got married (11 years ago, age 32) and it is the month we brought our first baby home from hospital (10 years ago, age 33). If you were to ask me about my feelings for September, I would not be sure how to answer. On one hand, it can often be a truly golden, glorious month, the last gasp of sweet summer before Autumn takes hold. Yet on the other hand, I always experience a weird sense of mild panic creep in during September, a feeling that everything is slip sliding away and there is not nearly enough time. It makes me feel uneasy somehow. We are on the cusp of a very noticeable season change where the emphasis suddenly shifts from outdoors to in, and with that comes a certain sadness. I am most definitely an outdoor Summer girl. It makes me feel like I want to wail with the unfairness of it all. Wahhhhh!!!! I want to hang my laundry outside to dry all year round! Boo-hoo!!!! I don't wish to spend so much time hunkering down indoors while it rains and gets all gloomy and grey and cold!

But hey...one thing I've learnt through writing this blog is that Annual Seasonal Cycles can be and should be celebrated and embraced. It does no good to wail and feel sad when ones favourite season draws to a close, cos it will most certainly come around again next year.

So September arrives, the Little People get new black footwear and a new school year begins. Routine resumes. Nesting instincts kick in. I start obsessing about the light levels and buying candles. I start wanting to clean and tidy the place.



And yet, I still cling to the feelings of summer. I spend every available opportunity outdoors when the weather allows, pottering in my back yard, chattering to the remaining flowers, willing them to keep going just a little while longer.

The surrounding landscape in September is glorious here. This is heather season which means a beautiful purple haze spreading across the moor tops. We went up a few weeks ago to stroll amongst it (remember last year?) and breathe it all in. It was a delicious feast for the senses.

We sat a while on the sun warmed rocks in amongst the springy dry grass and bushy heather plants and I indulged in a little bit of al fresco hooky. My patchwork granny blanket is growing beautifully (if a bit over-the-toply) and I've made 7 x 12 squares so far. Will give you a full update on that soon. Possibly tomorrow. Shall we talk colourful, exuberant, hooky squares tomorrow? Shall I show you where I'm at with it? Ok. Will do.

A new treat for us this September has been the fantastic arrival of butterflies to our front garden. Oh boy, I can't tell you how happy I have been to see them flutter to our patch, it's been absolutely delightful. I bought and planted a Buddleia bush in our garden last summer, and this has been it's first flowering year.

We've had many Small Tortoiseshells, Peacocks, Red Admirals and a Painted Lady come to visit (have a look at this lovely site depicting our British butterflies), and I am pleased as punch with my rather untidy, sprawling butterfly bush.

September is also the month for Dahlias, although they have been appearing on the market since mid August. At £2 a bunch, they are an affordable, glorious weekly must-have at this time of year, and I generally buy two bunches at a time. With two bunches at my disposal I can experience the fantastical clash of vibrant reds and pinks in a single jug on the table. Oh boy. They deliver such happiness.

A jug of brightly coloured fresh flowers certainly helps to lift the spirits, I love walking into the room first thing in the morning and seeing them there on the table. I've not yet been able to get my Home Blessing routine back into action as I've been so incredibly busy these past few weeks. But on Tuesday I had to undertake a day of back breaking Emergency Home Rescue as I had my Dad and Lady B arriving to stay a week with us. It took a good part of the day to transform the rather untidy, chaotic Attic into a satisfactory Guest Bedroom, and an equally good part of the day to see to the rest of the place. My dad, never one to hold back with his very direct observations, declared my home to be overly full of objects, but with an overall Cosy Vibe. Yes, it is just that, and it makes me happy.

Part of my Emergency Cleaning mission involved a spritz of Mister Sheen polish and a swipe of my floral duster along the two mantels. I had to share this picture with you, it's my sweet little driftwood house and boat which now has two residents! They are most likely a part of some elaborate game of Little Lady's devising, that girl has a magnificent imagination and it always makes me smile when I stumble upon evidence of her play.

The temperatures have very suddenly fallen here in my patch, and this morning for the first time we awoke to the sight of frost on the rooftops. We switched on our central heating a few days ago as we found we were kind of shivering with cold in the early mornings. But we are holding off lighting our fire, saving that seasonal pleasure for October if we can. The logs and kindling are at the ready though, we are all prepared...but September is still a Summer Month you know. It is, it is, it is.

I have to say I am really looking forward to telling you a bit about what has been keeping me so busy of late. It's almost time. It's very exciting stuff, a new venture I'm involved with here in Attic Land. It has meant there hasn't been much time for relaxation these past few weeks as I've been busy, busy, busy, but I think things will ease up a little bit now. Very soon I will be able to chatter to you about it and I can't wait!

Righty-o my sweetie pies, I am going to love you and leave you and tootle down from the Attic now. The view across the hills this afternoon is especially glorious and I am reluctant to leave it, but I'm going to go and fetch my crochet bag and sit outside in the afternoon sunshine to make a granny square or two now. It's been pretty marvellous chatting to you I have to say, so good to catch up. Will be back tomorrow with some bright and cheerful Granny Patchwork to show you, yiipppeeee! See you then....

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Comments

[Moey]

So glad you are back, so glad the vaca was marvelous and your dad was happy with your full but cozy home, and your project -- a book? a book? is coming along satisfactorily. Welcome back!

[Penny]

So glad to see you back and glad all is well! Look forwards to hearing all about what you're up to xx

[Kelly Bowe]

So happy to have you back. I have been checking in daily for a look-see (from Indianapolis, IN, USA) and was tickled to find something new from you! Cannot wait to see what you have been up to, as your words, pictures and life always brighten my day!
Also, I am using your hexagon flower for the bottom of a granny square yoga mat bag for our school's charity auction. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

[Linda from Boston]

Yay!! You're back!!! You have been truly missed and can't wait to hear about your adventures.

[marion]

Hello,
Really pleased you are back. I have missed reading what happens with you and I always love seeing your photos. Can't wait to hear all about what you have been up to. xx

[Louise]

Hello Lucy,

Really pleased to see your back in blog land. You have been missed. Can't wait to hear about what you've been working on.

Love, Louise x

[Wendy Fletcher]

I love reading your blog, and had grown weary of the "Time Out" title ... I'm glad you've returned with your upbeat patter and colourful pics!! I too love September (my birthday & wedding anniversary). Here in Canada the skies are a special, clear blinkety blue in September and we're now watching the first tinges of the trees turning to glorious red & orange ... their last blaze of glory before skeleton branches. I also have a "butterfly bush" and we had an amazing array of butterflies this year too - even hummingbirds! I clipped off the fading blooms regularly this year which increased the blooms and kept the bush going much longer and somewhat controls the sprawling effect. I love the vibrant colour (I have Black-Eyed Susans planted all around it), and it's outside my kitchen window and I watch the constant activity while having meals - wonderful!

[SOL]

Excellent. A post to keep your many fans on tenterhooks. I think you do it on purpose!

[Rebecca]

Yay, you're back! Welcome, we've missed you. Looking forward to hearing all about your adventures - your colourful pictures will keep us warm and sunny as the nights draw in! x

[Kit]

My feelings about September exactly! Really looking forward to finding out about your new project. x

[Liz]

I'm sooooo pleased to see you back in blogland; your creativity, stamina and love of life inspire me so much, can't wait to hear more from you x

[Bee]

Lovely to see you back ... it will be lovely to see what you have been up to ... have a lovely weekend .. Bee x

[5ladybird lane]

Great to see you are back in blog land. My baby girl hit 10 in the holidays, so this week we have been viewing secondary schools. Sooooo frightening. Sarah

[Natas Nest]

Welcome back, Lucy, great to see you again! Thanks for the nice pics, I'm already looking forward to see your granny patchwork :-))

[Debbie Finn]

I hope you might have a little shop where I can acquire some of your amazing crochet designs.... Fingers crossed:-)

[maypole]

Good to see you! Missed your blog posts.
I see Craster there? we are just down the coast from there, it's a beautiful place with lovely Kippers, hope you tried some.

Can't wait to hear about your new venture.

[Louise]

Lovely to read your post, so great to hear see you back in blogland. Wonderful photos and such beautiful words. Can't wait to see how your patchwork blanket is progressing.

[Alessandra]

Welcome back Lucy!!!! So many news, so many photos, so many memories....!!! But still one little secret....maybe your dream (to write a book one day) came true?? I don't know what to think, I'm so curious!!
Happy weekend, xxx Alessandra

[Carolyn Dietrich]

So glad you're back It brighens my day to see your colorful entries and hear about what's going on in your life. Your pictures were lovely. I like being able to see bits of England (I live in Boise, Idaho, USA) as I visit your blog. No entry is boring in any way!

[Libby K]

So glad you're back! Writing from Texas, USA - I get too busy and start getting squirrel-y but reading your posts helps me remember what I love and what's important, and brings me back. Your writing is always an inspiration!

[Clare]

Yay, what a lovely surprise to see 'Attic24' pop up on my Blogger Dashboard. Like everyone else, I'm glad you're back and can't wait to 'see' everything you've been up to. Welcome back :)

[Inge]

Lovely to see you back!
Looking forward to see how your blanket is progressing!

[Julie]

Lovely to read a Lucy post on my blog reading catch up. I've just returned from a week in Yorkshire and very beautiful it was too, you live in a wonderful area.

[Mary]

Oh so happy to see you back, as I have missed you so! I have been sending happy and cheerful thoughts throughout September! Welcome home again!

[Frankie]

Ah, it's brill to have you back Lucy - and sounding so perky too!