May

Helloooooo!! Here we are today entering Maytime, hopping and skipping into the fifth month of the year already, my-my, how delightful! May just happens to be my absolute favourite month of the entire year, by a long shot. I just adore May. The length of the days, the teetering on the edge between Spring and very early summer, the final greening up of the trees, blossom, bluebells, and the fresh produce thats around in this month. I love it all.

I went to the market this morning and bought my first English strawberries :: we've been enjoying Spanish and Moroccan strawbs in recent months, but oh it's wonderful to see the first of the homegrown ones arrive. Asparagus too, mmmmm, my love affair with these green spears continues with a passion (do you remember last year's infatuation?), and British grown asparagus is the bees knees.

I also love May because it contains not one but two bank holidays in the UK. We have this coming weekend to celebrate MayDay, and the Little People are rather chuffed that they don't have to go to school on Monday.  Then there is of course our Spring Bank week towards the end of May (do other countries have this holiday I wonder?)...we've got a rather special jaunt already planned and booked for a few days of that week, which I am hugely thrilled about. It involves passports and a big boat. Heehee, sooo excited!!

Calendar pages turned today, which as usual has been a really uplifting little personal moment in my day. The above calendar reminds me that I should be planting seeds, that flowery things will soon be happening! Cripes, into May yet again without a single seed sown, it's the same every year. I am a shocking, lazy, disorganised disgrace when it comes to gardening efforts. I shall note it down on my humungous to-do list :: must buy seeds. Actually, it's not the buying that I need reminding of, it's more the planting. Remember, I am quite good at buying seeds. But I am also quite good at leaving them lying around in their packets, where sadly they fail to germinate, grow, produce flowers.

 

The Bossy Calendar (above), telling me to Clean! Wear a Pretty Pinny! Ok, ok, steady on. I might just possibly perhaps manage a teensy-weensy bit of cleaning during the course of this month. Possibly. No promises. I do actually really like that Laura Ashley pinny in the photo there, the spotty pocket and ties are quite jaunty aren't they, and could very well be the thing that might make me want to clean a little.

Ahhhhhh last but not least is my Ideal Homes calendar, how I just love this collection of photographs. Do I say this each and every month? Yes, I think I probably do. Just gaze at that image, isn't it so pretty? Beautiful. I am really looking forward to a little spring time pottering with fork and trowel in my outdoor space.

 

Talking of outdoors, a few little snapshots of today's garden prettiness :: the second flush of my violas in the hanging baskets, such pretty little faces peeking out at me in the morning sunshine...

 

...and these lovely little purple flowers sprawling merrily over my front garden patch, are they aubretia? I think so. Planted by the previous house owners, I love that they seem to thrive on neglect. Nice one. I can do Garden Neglect pretty expertly.

 

Round to the back and I am thrilled to see that some of my herbs have braved it out under the soil through the winter and have popped back again this year.

Hardy little chives are producing their first flowers...

...and the mint is sending up it's fragrant leaves too. Reminds me that Pimms season is almost here too, oooh now there's a delicious possibility for the weekend!

 

And the view from the Attic24 window this morning? Quite possibly perfect May weather look. Quite cool, breezy, but bright and beautiful. Fluffy white clouds scudding.

I've found that one of the bestest and lovely things about blogging into a  second year is that it is allowing me to look back at this same month last year and remember. How the weather was. What little activities and outings we got up to. And the very seasonal things particular to each month of the year. I love the reassuring repetitiveness of month by month domestic life, the fact that this May I shall no doubt be talking about many of the same things as I did last May. For me, blogging is the best kind of diary, a hugely valuable record of my daily life which I am loving more and more and more as I continue to write and record and preserve.

Enjoy a wonderful May weekend one and all :: it's festival time here in my town so we will be pottering and partying, dancing and drinking, and generally making merry I expect.

Ahh I love May days!

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Comments

[flowers Philippines]

Hey! Lucy,

it seems you have a great garden in your house. i was fascinated by your cute purple flowers. it refresh me a lot. keep it up!

-khatie-

[Susana Alves (mundoacores)]

Hi Lucy,

Thank you so much for your comment in my flickr page!!! It´s a compliment for me! :)
Your work is absolutely inspiring to me! I think we have many things in common: the passion for colors!!! And art sensibility! I want to be your blog follower, but I didn´t find how, anyways, I come here regularly!
Keep up with all your good work!!

Kisses

Susana Alves

[Kimmie]

Hello Lucy!

I'm so glad you brought up school holidays...I'm dying to know how the school year is set up in England! Here in the states, they begin the school year at the end of August/beginning of September (depending on the city or state). They have various one day holidays, maybe a few days inbetween, and a Thanksgiving holiday at the end of November, then around 2 weeks or so at Christmas. Then, they have one day holidays until spring break, which is the middle of March for us (in Texas), then only one day holidays here and there until the end of school around the first of June. They have the summer off. How do they do it there in England? Is it very different? Thanks for feeding my fascination...:)

Kimmie

[Julie]

I know exactly what you mean about buying seeds with all good intentions of sowing them! I'm with you I buy but forget to sow!
There were Cheddar Strawberries at our local farmers market yesterday, now I have three punnets in the fridge!

[jo]

Mmmm - asparagus! I have just started picking my very own asparagus from my allotment. It has been three years in the waiting but oh boy is it worth the wait. I have a system in place involving my other half poised at home waiting for my phone call telling him the asparagus is picked and that I am on my way home. He then gets the steamer going so when I walk in the door five minutes later the water is boiling. In goes the asparagus and I reckon I am eating it within fifteen minutes of it being picked. It is divine - and better still it is all mine as no one else in the house likes it! Enjoy your weekend and your asparagus!

[Shelley in SC]

A very happy May to you, Lucy!! As usual, getting a big smile out of the bossy calendar! Hope you enjoy your May Day and can't wait to see the surprises you have in store for us next week!

[Shannon]

Happy May Day. Your strawberry photo looks positively luscious! Enjoy your holiday weekend. I live in the northwest corner of the US and our Spring Break was in April. We are heading into Summer Vacation after the first week of June. I am looking forward to the farmer's market opening and time at the beach with the kids... if only I was as clever with my camera as you are! I loved your vacation posts!

[Suzanne]

Hi there, I am new to your blog, but I love it!! I don't know where you live, but I LOVE the views in your picture. I want to move there... I live in the states, and I am quite certain that you are across the ocean!! Still, the views rival anything here!! Lovely photos!!
Suzanne

[hill upon hill]

My husband won't any strawberries other than English ones. I love May, it is cold now, the leaves are golden and it is Mothers' Day.

[Ann]

We've got the May day holiday on Monday but no Spring week later in the month in Scotland. Used to love May when I lived in France - 3 public holidays in a month and if they fell on a Thursday or Tuesday then obviously the civilised French had to have the extra day off for "le pont" (the bridge), and because of the dates they all fell in the same pattern so sometimes May was the shortest month of all with lots of long weekends at the beach.

[Val from Down Under]

Hi Lucy, no Spring Bank here in Australia either! Love your view from the attic window (sigh...) Love your pictures and your posts too!

[Annie Wynen]

I'm loving the photographs on your blog, and your crotchet pics are just brilliant!

[Stacy]

Happy May to you, Lucy. I'm looking forward to hearing about your holiday involving the big boat and passports. Thanks for the cheery post, as always!

[Steph]

Have a lovely w/end - I've got my eye on a Norfolk Cream Tea with strawberries with Lu X

[wonderwoman]

aaahhh Pimms - my favorite - well maybe strawbs and cream coming close!!!

xx

[Judith]

Hi Lucy,
We had May Day here in Crete today. Its always on the 1st no matter what day it is. Hope you have a jolly weekend and catch you next week. Love the photos.

[Margaret]

Loved the walk around your garden! Enjoy the May merriment!

[Nina - Tabiboo]

Hi Lucy - Happy May Day!

What a pretty post, I do love all those calenders, mine's the Laura Ashely one too.

Love your violas such a beautiful colour, I have to say probably one of my favorites. It's good to have you back to your jolly, jolly self!

Have a lovely weekend with all you festivities!

take care,

Nina x

[Sue]

I wish my trowel and fork were as pretty as in that picture. Have a lovely May Day .

Sue xx

[Serenata]

Happy May Lucy - enjoy your weekend. :-)

[The Antidote]

I think you should ignore that bossy calendar and go with the Pimms!
Enjoy the bank holiday x

[Tracy]

Happy May Day, Lucy! :)

[Sarah]

No spring Bank holiday here in the states.. We have a one day Memorial day and most schools close for the summer at the end of May. Joy for the children!!! Adults should get such holiday!! The weather here is perfect for gardening and enjoying some quality time with my husband on the motorcycle!! Enjoy your festival weekend!!

[Sumea]

Love the post Lucy :o)
Hope you and your family have a fantabulous may weekendy xx
Sumea

[Alexis]

Hi Lucy,
My name is Alexis and I love your blog and visit every day. I just wanted to let you know that I linked to you today at http://knotsewcrafty.typepad.com/knot_sew_crafty/2009/05/photo-by-webmink--on-flickr--enjoying-the-sprays-boughs-cuttings-of-quince-that-our-new-neighbor-brought-over-to-us-w.html

I hope you have a lovely weekend!