Keeping Warm

A beautiful start to the weekend with pale, clear sky and streaming sunlight. But cold. Oh so very cold. Well below freezing.

After a super quick (and freeezing) hop into town to buy a magazine and drink coffee, I came home and settled myself in for the day. My main priority was to Keep Warm.

Today the tightly closed buds of my narcissus "Bridal Crown" began to unfurl in the warmth of the room. So beautiful.

My attempt to Keep Warm this morning found me in the kitchen. I practically wrapped myself around the oven to absorb the heat into my body. In fact I loved being in the warm kitchen so much that I double-baked. Oaty apricot cookies followed by buns. Warmth and good smells.

I took time out from my heat seeking activities to help Little Lady with a craft/sewing project. Totally her idea, she just needed me to provide the supplies and assist a little with the design.

There was some colouring fun too. Little Lady plus two visiting friends (our house is never dull or quiet at weekends), then later on Little B joining in.

I love that this table gets used for so much daily activity. Cutting, stitching, gluing, colouring, eating, crocheting, designing, working, playing, climbing (oh that naughty Little B!), reading, drinking.

Late morning and I found myself unexpectedly alone for a weeny while. J and Little B were out together, Little Man was at a friend's house, Little Lady (with her two friends) were playing upstairs.

I made coffee and settled myself into the Big Chair to lose myself in the pages of Country Living magazine. It promised Fresh Spring Style, how delicious!

Three blankets and three cushions made up my Chair Nest. Got to be warm and cosy and comfy when I read my favourite magazine.

I lit the fire at lunch time. I made a second nest of blankets and cushions for myself on the floor right next to the hearth.

My lunch was yummy. I made a bowl of tomato cous cous and tossed in some oven roasted garlic and rosemary veggies left over from last nights dinner. Carrot and pepper strips, chunks of red onion and courgette, whole cherry tomatoes. Mmmmmmmmmm.

After lunch I iced the buns. I made my usual glacé icing (icing sugar mixed with water) and added in a teaspoon of cocoa powder. Sweet little chocolate shapes, chocolate crispie balls and mini candy coated chocolate drops to decorate. Finished off with a light sprinkling of edible glitter.

The snow started at lunch time and continued steadily all afternoon. I watched it fall, gazing out of the windows upstairs and down. It looked incredibly cold out there.

But I was warm and toasty-snug next to the fire working on my ripple blanket. The weight of the blanket across my legs combined with the incredible warmth of the cashmere felt heavenly.

Some time after lunch Little B came home with J. He's starting with a cold and is all snotty and out of sorts. He came to sit next to me by the fire. Actually, he tried to pull my crochet away and sit right on top of me, but I gently persuaded him to get his own cushion and a book and sit beside me instead. I rippled away and made all sorts of Big Vehicle noises to keep him happy as he page turned.

3pm and I decided that it was a good time to partake in a tea and cake break.

Little B was happy to oblige. A chocolate iced bun is just the thing when one's feeling just a smidge under the weather.

Outside it continued to be snowy. I kept looking out of the window at our street and thinking how glad I was to be indoors. How glad I was to feel warm. Yes, warmth was Good.

The Little People don't seem to feel the cold like we do, do they? They were out in the street playing in the snow, rolling and sliding around in it, digging in it, scraping it up, throwing it around. Brrrrrr.

Early evening, dark outside. Little B is tucked up asleep and I can hear the excited shouts of half a dozen children still larking about in the snow outside. I peek out the window. They are rolling a huuuuuge snowball down the street, the beginnings of a Street Snowman. I potter around upstairs, folding clean laundry, straightening the covers on my bed. Already looking forward to bedtime.

Back downstairs, making a cup of tea. Open the back door and a stream of light falls into the back yard. I'm surprised to see just how much snow has already fallen.

I think tomorrow's post is going to be predictably full of white. The sledges are already waiting by the door. No getting out of it. I'm going to be feeling the cold tomorrow.

Night night x

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[maggie]

Hi Lucy,
If you get to read down this far, could you tell me where you got your little owl nightlight from please? The council have changed all our street lights to more energy aware ones, the light they cast is not the same and I relied on it coming through the landing window to help going to the loo in the middle of the night (at least once) instead of blinding myself putting a light on. Little owl would be perfick.
We've just cleared the front end of our drive so we can get the car out tomorrow for work, a two foot high drift, six feet curved in length! And it's barely moved above freezing all day. But it looks so beautiful.
Thanks.

[ali.b.]

What a lovely post!! We're just a bit further north than you and had snow yesterday not sure if as much as you - yup been sledging this morning dont think there is going to be enough to go again this afternoon - I must admit I did think thank goodness for that xx

[Ariadne]

Another great blogpost! I so enjoyed it while sipping my afternoon coffee!AriadnefromGreece!

[Clair]

This is one of my favorite posts you've ever written. So beautiful...like something from a movie.

<3

[devinder]

that was such a sweet post :)

snowed in Birmingham all afternoon and night, over 5cm and we got stuck out in the snow took us an hour to get home last night, were we glad to get home! you definately did the sensible thing and stopped in! :)

[Jennysewlittle]

Oh I have that little owl too, he is so sweet and was far to cute to pack up with the Christmas decorations!!!!!

[Lisa]

What a lovely day you had. Im feeling the cold today, we've had about 10cms of snow here so the kids wanted to go sledging this morning. Now we are back home snuggled up in the warmth. Kids & Hubby are happily playing lego & I shall be crocheting. Perfect Sunday.xxx

[Edith van der Bol]

Hello Lucy,
We have got snow too, here in the Netherlands. And it is icy cold as well. I'm staying in doors today with some knitting and some tea and cakes. Enjoy the cozy times!

[Kate]

Had a similar cosy day with fire, crochet and new Country Living and...my furry electric backwarmer plugged in all afternoon and turned up to max! Thanks for the tip on Rowan Handknit cotton Lucy, it's a joy to work with isn't it?

[Nitisha]

I love reading your blog..it just so full of warmth and coziness ...a visual comfort food..

[mathea]

It's freezing here as well, but after reading your lovely post I know what to do: into the kitchen we go, it's baking day! Thank you for your ability to take delight in everyday things - it's so inspiring, and just what I needed right now!

[Kathy]

Hi Lucy! I guess this is one of the first comments I wrote om your blog, I' m sorry about that ;) I just love to read your happy & cozy words and wachting the beautiful and colourfull photographs. You've got a great way of reviewing your day, I realy like it! I'll try too comment more often now :)

Have a lovely sunday and I can't wait too see your next and snowy post!

[Anne]

A beautiful post Lucy.
Anne xx

[Laura Miller]

Hi Lucy! What a wonderful post! Reminded me of my many English winters when we lived there but there's something terribly romantic about England even when it's cold, dark and miserable.... Loved all your comfort food especially those cakes!!! Hope Little B Feels better soon....lol x

[maggie]

Dear Lucy, I just absolutely love reading all about your adventures, you are a lovely family and that really comes across in your posts. I just love everything about your blog and the superb photographs. Thank you for sharing your lovely times
xxxxxxx

[maypole]

What a lovely cosy post. Enjoy the sledging!

[Jackie]

Your house always looks so warm and cozy ~ I'd love to have a coal fire, but am stuck with a horrid monster of a gas one. Hope that little B gets over his cold quickly too. It sounds like you are having the perfect kind of weekend ~ enjoy the rest of it and keep cozy :O)xx

[Carolyn (carrad)]

A friend put me onto your blog as she's doing a fabulous crocheted wrap from one of your patterns. What a lovely blog you have! I'll be adding to your followers xxx

[Nanita]

Ahh, I wish I was more of a baker! Those chocolaty buns are exactly what I need today, I'm frrrreezing, we had -13°c last night! Working on my ripple seems like a good plan to take my mind of the cold. Stay warm today :-) xxxx

[sandra hales]

awww what a lovely posy so warm n snuggly thank you for sharing :)

[fee@chippernelly]

oooh lovely post Lucy - buns, nest, climbing...then snow! We have a good covering too. And my little people don't feel the cold either. I found myself unexpectedly in Tesco yesterday with GB and looked down to see he was in shorts, T-shirt and crocs! I was wrapped up like I was taking a trip to the arctic. Very bad mother.
Hope you've had a fab white weekend
fee x

[Jane Whalley]

Thanks for sharing Lucy - I've got such a lovely, warm, cosy feeling after reading - delightful. x

[Юлия]

All is so beautiful!

[Maria]

What a beautiful warmth radiates your home! Makes you want to curl up in front of the fireplace reading a book or crocheting while chatting with a friend like you ... but in what language??
For two days it snows in my town (Rome) and is a real event as it happens infrequently, but in addition to the unusual charm of the landscape there are many disadvantages for the movement of means of transport ...
Well, not having the fire going to turn the air conditioner to warm up a bit 'o)

[Nikki Relffe-Arnold]

what a treat to wake up to this morning Lucy - I always love your posts but this was such a cost peek into your day. I just love the photos that contain little B's tiny chubby hands :-) Hope the snow abated we ended up with about 2 inches down here in the south. Nikki x