Pottering and Pondering

Another quiet day of Pottering and Pondering for me today, and I'm more than happy with that. It's also yet another day of wet drippy stuff too, it seems quite relentless at the moment.
I was forced to abandon my beloved sky blue crocs this morning and dig out my wellies instead to walk to school. The rain this morning was Proper Rain, a real downpour, and crocs would have been a disaster. It's not cold though here, I was still wearing a teeshirt underneath my old leaky raincoat, but wet, yes it really was wet indeed. The canal towpath was flooded in a couple places, so Little Man got to practice his long jump (he refuses to wear wellies to school) and Little Lady practiced her splashing. It was quite a nice start to the day, despite the wet :: we splashed and jumped and chatted and stopped to coo over some teeny tiny fluffy little ducklings covered in droplets of rain.

I came home from shcool and while I still had my wellies on, I went through my little morning routine :: coffee machine on to warm up and I step out into the rain to say good morning to my back yard flowers. Lots of growth is happening out there and it makes me so happy to see it. Mind you, the growth is balanced out by quite a bit of chomping action  too, most especially my poor, poor marigolds which've been serisouly munched by the resident snails/slugs.

I picked a small sprig of fresh fragrant mint to bring inside, just for the pleasure of holding it's minty scent under my nose as I pottered about in the kitchen making coffee. And for the record, I confess I ate two-and-a-half pieces of caramel shortbread with my frothy chocolate dusted coffee :: tut-tut! Good job I don't have a bikini holiday in the pipeline.

From the kitchen into the living room with my coffee and tut-tut's in hand, and it's all looking quite untidy around these parts. Stuff everywhere. The stuff of daily life with children. Toys, colouring books and pens, shoes kicked off, clothes discarded, blankets and cushions all askew. I took the above photo just now, reminding me that for a delicious little moment  around 6.30ish this morning, I was snuggled there with Little Lady. She had got up early, crept downstairs and installed herself on the sofa under the ripple blankie (now living downstairs as BB is finally On The Bed!!!!!!). She looked so cosy and snuggly that I could not resist and climbed in under the blanket for a quick mummy-daughter cuddle. The best start to the day.

So yeah, my precious cashmerino ripple blanket no longer lives on my bed, but has come downstairs to be shared with the family.
I took the above photo yesterday sometime, after I came across this charming little vingnette quite by accident. I was huffing to myself because I noticed that my precious blanket had been dragged off the sofa and strewn on the floor. But just as I was (rather crossly) about to scoop it up and re-fold it, I happend to notice this teeny tiny meal all laid out. Awwwwwwwwwwwwww, I nearly cried when I saw it, truly I did, I felt quite choked!

Little Lady has recently had her dolls house downstairs to play with, and the above little bits and pieces are part of a very sentimental collection of my own childhood dollshouse accessories. I have lots of wooden furniture, and many very small items too, including these teeny little plates and miniscule cutlery. It has miraculously survived over 30 years since I was a small girl, and it delights me to see it still being used. Funny thing was that when I asked Little Lady about the above meal, she told me that actually it was not her that had set it out. Noone had seen him do it, but Little Man must have had a secret little play with the dolls house things when nobody was looking. Consider my heart strings well and truly tugged there.

So its the last day of school today before the long seven week summer holiday begins :: seven whole weeks, it's a little mind blowing thinking of aaaallllllll those child-filled days stretching ahead, but I keep thinking back to last years summer holiday stay-home days and remembering that child-filled days are good days and nothing to be afraid of.

Next week we have the pleasure of J at home with us, which I am extremely happy about. The weeks he takes as holiday from work throughout the year are usually planned and spoken for and for the most part taken away from home. We usually jaunt away :: to Dorset, Northumberland, the Lake District, for family visits, holiday cottages and youth hostels. But next week we are to be At Home together, and it feels like the greatest luxury.

I had intended to have a grand tidy up today, to make the house all spik and span ready for our week-at-home holiday, but to be honest, I am not in the least bit feeling like it.
Far more pleasurable to sit and chat with you instead.
All I need to do is focus on this gorgeous little pot of flowers and ignore the rest.
Yes, I shall zoom in and put my eyes on Macro Mode.
And instruct the rest of my family to do the same.

Have a fabulous weekend, whatever you get up to....have fun!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Comments

[Kelly]

How sweet! And I love your wellies! They are so cute!!!

[Lesley]

love that little meal all laid out :-)
enjoy the summer freedom although a very wet start here in Cheshire so desperately hoping for dry days!!!
Lesley x

[Shelley in SC]

I love the way you can make the mundane, the everyday, even the frustrating a delight. You and your camera bring me remind me to delight in the little things.

[Andrea]

Love your blankets, your pictures... and what delightful little children you must have. Hurray to you!!

[Raffie]

Have a great week with your family, enjoy everything.

[Alison Hutchison]

Am 3 weeks in to the summer holidays...be a wee bit scared, managed to re-establish myself as the 'person who makes adult decisions' after about 10 days, Mark thinking this was indeed his role until then!! Have a time with J and the little people at home next week. It's pouring here too and I could go head to head with you in a snail/slug count! They have no appreciation of colour or form those pesky critters! Huge amounts of love xxx

[Kari of Writing Up A Storm]

I do love the teeny tiny meal on the ripple blanket. Away with the fairies, indeed!

[melissa]

oh how nice! alas, our school summer holidays are almost over. Regular classes begin on 3 August, but since teen-age boy plays the tuba in the high school marching band, he must report for band camp ("one time, at band camp"....HAHA sorry I couldn't resist!:) name that movie!) on Monday. have a great day Lucy!!

melissa in the usa

[Kar]

Have fun enjoying all the simple family time that is to come next week. Those are the best, aren't they! Have fun and just sit back and let things happen.

xxxx

[Trina]

Thank you Lucy for cheering up a very dark, rainy and thundery day! What an irresistibly fabulous recipe for what we used to call Wellington Squares - evoking wonderful memories and a bursting need to go shopping right now and get all those yummy ingredients! Your photos from last week's posts are just gorgeous and happy and inspiring. You are so talented and generous to share your beautiful creations. Have a very lovely weekend yourself :-)xx

[Simone]

Everything here is so sweet. ^.^

[Emily Valli]

Greetings from beautiful northeastern Pennsylvania, USA...Dear, sweet Lucy, it sounds as if you are having a wonderful day- surrounded by all of your favorite lovely things. I, too, love my morning routine...I was on a holiday in Italy for 3 weeks and so missed my morning coffee, backyard flowers, and 3 dogs. My daughters are grown and gone, but I remember special mornings with them. Don't worry about "picking up"...you will have a spic and span house when the little ones are grown and you will then miss the mess!!! Hope you are allowing some crochet time today...Emily V.

[nora]

what a cute little food in a little dishes.. have a great summer break..

[lucy@theantidote]

Oooh! I had that dolly food when I was little, it is Barbie or Sindy isn't it?
Don't childhood toys evoke such vivid memories?
Cannot wait for the grand unveiling of BB x

[Penny L]

What a lovely surprise to have clicked on your blog just in case and to find another lovely lovely post. I have enjoyed all your posts this week and consider them to be a little gift one of life's simple pleasures. Thank you Lucy and have a lovely little person filled summer. Much love Penny L