We are being blessed with the most gorgeously glorious weather here at the moment, it really is quite something. I wouldn't say that Spring has arrived yet as it is still terribly cold, but during the past week or so the sky has been oh-so-blue and the sun has been shining it's little heart out, and I've been loving it. Love-love-loving it!
Yesterday (Sunday) we awoke to a frosty, crisp late winters morning, with the aforementioned oh-so-blue sky and sunshine, and we decided to venture out and do Outdoorsy Stuff. It was nothing short of a miracle actually :: all five of us breakfasted, dressed, washed (well three-fifths of the family was washed, the Little People are exceedingly good at avoiding the bathroom these days, the dirty/lazy little tykes) and out the door by nine thirty. Yes, you read that right, Nine Thirty! And on a Sunday too!! Are you impressed?? Cos I most certainly was.
Destination :: Bolton Abbey. Of course. It's our number one choice when we want nearby Easy Countryside, and if you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll have heard me go on about Bolton Abbey on many occasions. Here, here and here for example, and lots of other times besides I expect. We don't ever tire of it here.
This was the first time we've been here with Little B though, so it felt kind of special. Just before Little B arrived, we acquired a very good all-terrain sooper-dooper three wheeler pushchair with sooper-dooper pumped up tyres. It came third-hand from my neighbour for a sooper-dooper good price, and it's errrmmmm.....well Sooper-dooper actually! Yesterday was it's first outing to an all-terrain type of environment and it was brilliant. We went happily up and down all sorts of steep woodland tracks, bumpity bumped up and down steps and ancient bits of tumbled down old Abbey, crossed fields and jiggety-jigged over cattle grates. Little B slept soundly the whole way, which was rather Sooper-dooper too.
It really was a most beautiful morning and it felt reeeeeally good to be out in it, walking in it, looking up at the sky (oh-so-blue) and feeling part of the Outdoorsy World again. I've missed it somewhat.
When we eventually came home (via the cafe for cappuccino and carrot cake and milk tankering activities), I found that I did not want to come inside. I really didn't. Wanted to stay Outside and wanted to continue to do Outdoorsy stuff and wanted to stay under the oh-so-blue sky for as long as possible. So I decided on the spur of the moment to go and buy some flowers and do some lighthearted gardening. A suitably Outdoorsy Sunday activity I thought, and pretty too.
So I bobbed down to my local supermarket and loaded my trolley up with Pretties to bring home. Little pots of narcissi and primulas. Oh so pretty-pretty! I swooned a little when I unloaded them from the back of my car, I just adore buying flowery plantlets en-masse like this, one of life's tremendous pleasures (remember the PPP's from last year?)
The mission :: to prettify my (very sad) hanging baskets at the front of the house.
It turned out to be a lovely thing to do cos Little Lady decided to join me. I swooned a little more at her excited request to help me out and it suddenly seemed an age since we did anything like this together.
We enjoyed ourselves. A lot. I loved that in her excitement she called me Mummy all the time, when usually these days she calls me a more grown up Mum.
Above pics show the Before and After. I let Little Lady do as much of the planting as possible, even though it meant that the end results are a little erm..what shall we say? Unbalanced perhaps? I promise you I'm not a control freak, but ooohh so so hard not to interfere in these matters! I just about managed it. But I might possibly have to fill in the empty gaps with a few more flowers. Just so, you know, so it looks centred and not all-over-to-the-left.
But anyhow, it's certainly a definite improvement on what was there before which was basically a collection of moss and Dead Summer Things.
Yes, a beautiful improvement I think.
Even if it is off centre.
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I'm visiting your blog for some times now but I never wrote a note to say I much love it ... and today I see our pics of Bolton Abbey - reminding so found memories of the time when I was a student in Leeds so I thought to drop a note to say how fantastic it is to come up to the Attic
Posted by: Nathy | March 25, 2010 at 10:34 PM
Oh how I love the history of Abby's and their grandness. Which I was closer to be able to visit one more often. Kind of hard to do from the middle of the United States (Kansas).
Posted by: Kansas Amy | March 15, 2010 at 02:23 AM
Dear Luce...
If I had this at my backdoor
I would be visiting every chance I had too...
Just so beautiful...
I remember seeing sites like this in books when I was young and dreaming of how amazing it would be to see them...
You are very lucky indeed...
And love that you finished your day with a bit of gardening...
just love pottering in the garden...Or is it the buying new pretty plants that I like the most...Hmmmm.Maybe both....
Posted by: michelle | March 14, 2010 at 09:24 PM
hi lucy
popping in with a bunch of rainbow balloons to wish your blog a happy 2nd birthday
lots of love, hugs and congratulations on 2 amazingly beautiful years xxx
sumea
Posted by: sumea | March 13, 2010 at 07:23 PM
wondering where you are. looking forward to pattern for wagon wheel square. also want to acknowledge using photo of bird i crocheted using your pattern. you got me crocheting and now i've gotten others doing same.
Posted by: Liz | March 13, 2010 at 07:08 PM
I adore the abbey....totally adore it !
Simply gorgeous...
Posted by: COZY KITCHEN BY THE SEA | March 13, 2010 at 01:14 PM
Absolutely delightful pics, as always. BTW, you've been awarded on my blog! Come and take a look, L xxx
Posted by: Lori French | March 13, 2010 at 09:25 AM
Hi Lucy - just a quick note to say Happy 2nd Blogaversary :-) Been reading looking through your archives for inspiration and noticed your first post was 12th March 2008!
Cheers
Posted by: Katie | March 13, 2010 at 06:03 AM
Hi Lucy, Great post....sooooo nice to get out and about! The flowers are a great addition and so reminding of what's to come. I'm a true believer in filling up the most used rooms with lovelies!!
Just got back from Florida and Mickey Mouse with my granddaughters....OH so special! AND great flowers there. Take care, Robbie
Posted by: Robbie | March 12, 2010 at 02:10 PM
Such a treat of a post today. Love all the colors, the gray stone. Beautiful!
Posted by: Karen | March 12, 2010 at 01:20 AM
We've had some lovely sunny days over here in Lancashire too. Looking at your first photo reminded me of how dull post-snow grass appears now. It's as though it has been crushed by the snow and frost. Just waiting for the new shoots to appear!
Posted by: Melinda Jackson | March 11, 2010 at 10:57 PM
oh my what lovely photos! spring is springing! thanks for sharing all your pretties...visit me on the farm sometimes...farmandfrufru.blogspot.com
Posted by: sharon stanley at farm and fru fru | March 11, 2010 at 10:54 PM
You are such a good mama to let your little girl do it all on her own. I don't know that I could have stopped myself from interfering! It is a beautiful basket of springtime goodness!
Posted by: Jenni | March 11, 2010 at 07:08 PM
Wonderful,just wonderful. I think the baskets just perfect
Posted by: Linda Gilbert | March 11, 2010 at 04:13 PM
Oh, how beautiful your flowers are!! We still have so much snow. I'm really tired of it now! But, when I saw your flowers, it gave me hope, that spring soon will come here too :)
Thanks Lucy!!!
Love from Anna xxx
Posted by: Anna-Karin, Sweden | March 11, 2010 at 03:22 PM
It looks like a gorgeous day - Bolton Abbey is very pretty isn't it! This weather makes you want to dash outside doesn't it? I love this time of year when the season is on the turn - to celebrate Im having a bit of a giveaway on my blog, if you get a chance, do come visit!
Sending love
Julia x x x
Posted by: julia | March 11, 2010 at 01:48 PM
What lovely pictures, I loved going to Bolton Abbey as a kid, and can't wait to take my children there.
A little tip with that pushchair is to fill the tyres with orange/green gloop you get for bikes tyres, that way if you get a puncture your wheels won't go down.
Great pram, beautiful scenery.x.
Posted by: amanda | March 11, 2010 at 09:51 AM
Hi Lucy
I've been following your lovely blog for a while now but have decided to 'step out of the shadows' and say hello! I've just lost my lovely father-in-law so I'm sure my emotions are running wild but I've logged on to Attic24 throughout the difficult last 3 months and never failed to come away without a smile. Thank goodness for people like you! Keep up the good work! Frustratingly I am a knitter and can only swoon with delight at your granny squares and the like. I have tried and failed to teach myself crochet. Maybe you could run a workshop one day?
Much happiness to you and your family J xxx
Posted by: Ju | March 11, 2010 at 08:58 AM
I sooo enjoy your blogg! I have given you an award on my blogg, http://memyselfandthreemonkeys.blogspot.com/
:-))))) Little My
Posted by: Lilla My | March 10, 2010 at 09:52 PM
love the photos of your old abbeys and the primrose are beautiful. Our tulips, daylilies and daffodils are all poking through the ground.
Posted by: janet metzger | March 10, 2010 at 09:38 PM
Lots of lovely colour around. Our garden is full of daffs and crocus - the effort of last autumn paying off.I am so ready for GREEN
Posted by: Debbie | March 10, 2010 at 09:22 PM
Dear Lucy. About time to let you know that I do visit you regularly and thoroughly enjoy your creativity and lovely writing even though I am not so good at leaving a comment. But I do wish to congratulate (even though it is very belated) you with a lovely new baby boy. And I wish to thank you for including me on your link list, as I get quite a few new readers who tell me they found my blog through yours. And I am a bit envious of your lovely spring weather. Yes, we do have lovely weather too, but spring...no! There is plenty of snow still, and to share. I wonder when we will be able to see green grass again, not to mentions snowdrops and daffodils. Do enjoy and do take care.
Posted by: Mia | March 10, 2010 at 07:18 PM
It's all so lovely! I can almost smell the air. Your Primula are beautiful.
Thank you for sharing the countryside walk.
Posted by: Robyn | March 10, 2010 at 05:30 PM
Lucy - I know you must be super busy, but I am really hoping you have the time soon to post a tute about the lovely hearts you made. Pretty, pretty please? We all need some crochet heart love!
Posted by: Sarah G | March 10, 2010 at 03:30 PM
I do love it when you talk about Yorkshire, it makes me home sick and happy in equal measures!
Cate, x
Posted by: Cate | March 10, 2010 at 03:18 PM