Summer Days

Oh I just love these glorious summer days so, so much, the long hours of daylight and the sunny warmth makes me feel very happy indeed.

I went up to the Attic for a short while earlier and drank in the lush green and blue of our summer landscape, marvelling at the fact that this was 8pm and all was still bright and golden. I love the feeling of Summer, the sweet emotion of it all.

I love coming downstairs in the early morning to find the sunlight streaming in through our front east-facing bay window. I love wearing my light cotton jammies covered in printed roses. I sit at the table and drink my frothy coffee and savour the still of the house with only one small child up and about, mentally preparing myself for the busy day that lies ahead.

This morning we were up early, Little B and I, greeting the day just after 6am. It meant that I found time for some early morning ripples, which pleased me enormously. I had thought last week that I was almost at the end of my coastal blanket, but after measuring it (then mercilessly stretching it and re-measuring it), I've come to the conclusion that it's just not quite long enough. I was disappointed for about a nano-second, then immediately thought yippeeeeee, cos truthfully I hadn't been ready to face The Edge just yet.

I have summer flowers on my table, a scruffy little posy plucked from the front garden with a few stems of alchemilla, some campanula, a few daisies and one single, beautiful rose. Much as I do every year, I wish very much that I had more roses to go at, more blooms to bring indoors. I should really see to that, how hard can it be to purchase and plant roses? Anyone?

I continue to balance and juggle my days, and it is getting easier. I am forcing myself to be more disciplined, more organised, making better use of my hours. This past week I have been working on a Christmas project for Simply Crochet magazine, which has felt a weeny bit bonkers in mid June I have to say. I've been continuing to work my way through a daily dose of mandalas (over 700 now, from 43 countries!), and I am now into my third week of working in schools on our Woolly Bike Project. I've taken some pictures as I've been working with the children, I'll share them with you in a day or two. It's getting easier, I am less fraught and more organised and the children have been absolutely wonderful.

I've been slowly buying plants to fill my back yard pots, bargain buys from the supermarket for very little money. Lots of geraniums have come home with my shopping this year (they were on offer at £1.33 each!), lavender and herbs too. I'd like some daisy type flowers and possibly some nasturtiums, but really I would be happy with just geraniums to gaze at. I do need to plant them now, rather than just looking at them and thinking about planting them. These big pots will go up on top of the wall when they are planted so that they get more sunshine, but I would love to have more greenery at ground level actually. Maybe some big pots of foliage might be good to stand against the wall?

When I cleared the yard a few weeks ago, I made space at the far end to put a couple of chairs. There used to be some old potting benches here, laden with lots of old flowerpots and miscellaneous rubbish, but after six years it finally dawned on me (talk about slow) that this is actually the sunniest spot in the whole back yard and should really be used for sitting in, not storing rubbish in. I'm hoping to get a bench here at some point, but for now, some old chairs and my much loved patchwork blanket do the job nicely. It's a lovely place to sit with an afternoon cuppa, face turned up to the sunshine and the gentle sounds of the neighbourhood in my ears.

I don't have much time for sitting outside at the moment actually,  but Little B and I do pootle out here most days. Mostly it is me hanging out laundry, or bringing in the laundry, with Little B looking for signs of wildlife. He was thrilled to discover this empty moth pupa yesterday, I just love his excitement over new discoveries and the way his face looks when he is absorbing so much new information about the world around us. He is soooo ready for school in September.

I am taking great pleasure in my little homely routines, the domestic tick-tock of my Mothering days feel so good at the moment when I stop to really see it and appreciate it and not just let it all rattle by in the blink of an eye.

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♥...more little snippets from the Attic...♥

A Jar of Summer

Juggling Act

Mandala Wheels for Yarndale

2012 :: Year End Review :: flowers

Comments

[Lisa G.]

I love your little outdoor space - so nicely arranged.

[Carol Partridge]

Thank you Lucy....been waiting for a view from the attic window. I swear I'd be up there just looking out all day ! The town has everything...water, green views and the shops all near, perfect. Lovely post, as usual.

[Aisha]

I love the long days too; I'm definitely a summer person! Your rose is really beautiful. See if you can keep the petals once they have fallen because they will hold the scent for a long time (more than a year) after they have dried.

[Thistle]

I have a big, old rosebush planted a long time ago by some previous owner of my home and it's nothing to maintain it and keep it blooming. I don't know what's involved in establishing roses but once they're in, it's a matter of pruning and watering. Mine gives me several very good bloom cycles from about May through October. I noticed that Little B's hand is looking much less like a baby hand these days.

[Joy]

Lovely days Lucy - enjoy😄 xx lots of love Joy xx

[Nicole]

If it makes you feel slightly less bonkers I was crocheting snowflakes a week ago. Done with that now, it was just wrong!

It looks like your yard is coming along nicely. Avoid big garden centres and seek out cheaper nurseries, I got a pack of 6 plug plants in mine for about £1.20! x

[maypole]

Keep the mothering days at as slow a pace as you can, because believe me, you do look back and you have blinked and the years have flown by. Lovely post x

[Carrie]

well done Lucy keeping on track with all your juggling balls in the air! summer just helps one feel good doesn't it? x

[Renee]

Looks like summer is keeping you busy. Love all of your pictures, so pretty!