The End & The Beginning

Pheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

That's the gentle sound of me exhaling after an extremely hectic and emotional week. Yes, we have arrived at the end of the school year and the beginning of the six week summer holidays, and I for one am more than ready for it all to unfold.

This past week has been oh-so-busy, but I have tried to keep grounded in the present moment, to keep a check on my surprisingly wayward emotions, and to continue listening to my body when it starts shouting at me for rest. I have kept my eyes wide open for the Little Pleasures, drinking them in and savouring these delicious, warm, light-filled summer days. Our morning walks to school have been especially lovely, both on a scenic level, and on a chit-chat level. I absolutely love the ten minutes of continuous chatter that emerges from Little Lady as soon as we set foot out of the door each morning, it's always so varied and often very funny. However, she has been sad this week, saying goodbye to some close friends who are moving on to secondary school while she still has another year to go. Being left behind is tough and I have felt for her, mopping the tears and giving big hugs.

Little B has enjoyed his very last week at nursery, and I faced my very last week as a pre-school Mum. It is such a bitter-sweet time, so happy (he seems so happy about starting school!) and yet very sad also. I have cried today, tears of gratitude and just a general cascade of tired, worn out emotion. So much change, and yet not so much really, just another stage beginning. I have love love loved my Little B's sweet company during these summer afternoons when it has just been the two of us, and now it has come to an end. I shall miss it.

We baked lemon shortbread this week (this recipe, it's very good) and ate it outside whilst still a little warm with some beautifully sweet strawberries.

We have pottered about outside, in and out, front and back, doors wide open in the heat of these hot afternoons. We have watered our plants and carried out our daily search for wildlife. My roses are looking fantastic this year and are giving me so much pleasure.



On Wednesday afternoon it rained, a short, sweet summer shower. We have had very little rain during the past month and mostly I've been extremely happy about the day-after-day of warm, dry summer. I get to paint my toenails turquoise blue and wear flip flops every day! But on Wednesday I just loved the rain very much, I loved the sound of it falling and most of all I loved the smell of it.

I had my back door open and kept popping out into the back yard, stupidly pretending I needed to actually go and do something Very Essential, but really just wanting to go and look at the wet plants, sniffing them and feeling the cool rain pattering hard on my back and head.

Little B and I often call at the market on our way home from nursery to re-stock with fresh fruit. I have learnt to refuse the watermelon pleas, but pretty much let him choose whatever he fancies. He actually loves tomatoes more than anything else, so often we come home with a bag of those which he eats like fruit. But strawberries are wonderful at this time of year and very cheap too, so those nearly always come home in our bag. One afternoon this week we stopped by the side of the canal to sit and eat some straight from the punnet, such a precious little memory of this pre-school summertime.

We've been to the park too this week, yesterday I think it was, although it really was a bit too hot to be honest. All the metal play equipment was burning hot, so we ended up sitting in the shade together beneath the climbing frame, pretending we were in a café. Little B has the most beautiful eyes, beginning to change now from blue to green just the same as his big brother, and just the same as me. I remember having blue eyes for the longest time as a child, and then being stunned one day when I looked in the mirror and discovered actually my eyes had changed to green and I hadn't even noticed it happening.

And finally, we have a seedling!!! Oh, we are such proud gardeners here at number 24!! Little B's Pumpkin seedling is in fine fettle and we are nuturing it to the very best of our ability. Grow little pumpkin, grow. But maybe not as big as a Mammoth.

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ps Thank you all SO MUCH for the terrific response to the Bower Bird pattern, I am thrilled to see bower birds hatching already, and have found myself smiling often at the thought of that. We are making fantastic progress with the PDF thingy, J is very skilled with this sort of thingy and is helping me produce a rather swish looking set of pages....it'll be 5 or 6 pages long and written as a standard pattern, so not the full tutorial but I have included some photos to help along the way. I will of course let you know as soon as it's ready, should be in the next day or two. Have a terrific weekend, whatever you get up to xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

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

Summer at Arnside :: part 1

Summer Days

Comments

[Jo]

You are doing the same as me. My girl starts school in September too and I am glad but sad too. My eyes were blue as a girl too and I wondered what happened to them! My girls both have blue eyes so I will watch with bated breath now. Thanks Jo x

http://joeveryday19.blogspot.co.uk

[karen@mixture43]

Gorgeous post- I felt the pain of transition like you, when last year when my eldest went off to University- it was expectedly amazing that he was all skilled up and ready to live away from home, and heart ripplingly awful at the same time for him to be away from our family nest. Such a lovely time to savour- the summer before school starts for little B. Enjoy.
Karen :O)xx

[Sandra]

Thank you so much for sharing. Reading you feels like I have a from from the other side of the world and it is a pleasure to read your sweet moments every weeks.

[Robin]

Dear Lucy, I always read your blog but don't always comment. I have been your follower from the very beginning......but this post I had to comment. It is the sweetest most delightful read. I love how you cherish all the simple precious moments and really are so present to them all. I love your attitude and style! Thank you for sharing, xoRobin

[Anna-Marie Field]

I know exactly the feelings you're going through!!!! I had a lot of fun with my kids but now it seems as though I could have done more, enjoyed them more!!!! Those are such precious memories!!!! Have a fab weekend!!!!
Love
AMarie xxx
ps: busy with my 2nd Bower Bird!!!!! Love it!!!!

[Dana]

Oooo....my Dad had 'color of grass' green eyes! I'm part Cherokee Indian (so 'brown' wins over green!) (I'm also part English, Irish & Scottish).
Those strawberries look delish! they've been extra sweet this year it seems! YUM!

[Susan Smith]

They grow up so fast, but it's lovely hearing about your little lot and knowing that your emotions run riot as with most of us. Life is all about change at whatever age. Thanks for the lovely photos and take care, recharge the batteries over the summer break and get ready for September.

[Julie Simmons]

Aww Lucy, what a lovely visual blog as always, so vivid. And yes Little B has gorgeous eyes. I remember those last school days- saviour Little Ladys last year at primary because once they hit Secondary school you kiss goodbye to your children, as the next chapter flies past so quickly, because you will no longer have those little walks and talks. Its as heartbreaking for us mums as it is for the little ones. xx

[Edwina]

Hard to believe that the Little B with the lovely eyes is that cuddlesome little bundle we all saw photos of.... where has the time gone?

[marge]

Lucy - maybe smear a continuous band of Vaseline somewhere around the pot that your seedling is in (snails don't like it) - and also move it away from the wall - quite a way - the little beggars will climb and then s-t-r-e-t-c-h across to your precious new plant.

[Sarah]

Hello Lucy, what a lovely blog you write. You are such an inspiration, my home is now filled with delightful crochet cushions, blankets and now bower birds. Thank you. I know just how you feel about Little B, my Little B has finished school and will be going to university in September. I feel very sad not to have any school age children. X

[Gillian]

What a lovely bittersweet post, full of summery joys. I can feel you exhaling. Hasn't the weather been properly gorgeous this week? Although it's chucking it down now but at least I don't have to water the garden! Enjoy your weekend lovely. Xx

[Jo]

A lovely bittersweet post. Some Lucy time is needed!
Thundery weekend forecast here in Brighton so once the chores are done I feel some bower birds coming on in honour of all your hard work.....an aviary for next year's Yarndale?! I shall of course properly risk assess my stash before I start 😉

[Karen Walk]

My twins - my only babies - are starting school after the summer. I'm going to miss them so much. Such a precious time and over all too quickly xx

[thriftwood]

Lovely post! It's so hard when everything's changing isn't it ... like you say, only little things but things that mean a great deal in your day. Enjoy the summer Lucy, I look forward to hearing about your travels, and hope that you find the time to explore Piel Island if you're in this neck of the woods.

Most of all, have FUN!

Love Claire xxx

[Gillian]

End of school year is always a hard time and very emotional. Make the most of the 6 week break.

[A smithe]

It doesn't have to end!!!!!! Home educate! Best thing we ever did :D

[Brooke Organista]

Nevermind I see in your little bio above.

[Brooke Organista]

Where do you live if you don't mi d? The pictures of the water and boats are so lovely.

[Pat]

Poignant times indeed Lucy!

[Clare]

Enjoy the summer days with the family, the rose is truly stunning like you I love to stand out in the rain when it's been hot.
Clare x

[Inge]

A very emotional week!
Now you can relax!
I have made two Bower Birds.
They are so cute!

[Annette Rudolph]

Oh Lucy, I so love reading your blog. I know this time is emotionally taxing for you but, believe me when I tell you, you will experience a lot more stages with them before they are grown and those will be just as grand!

[Madeleine Schutzler]

hi Lucy, thank you for a wonderfull blog. allways loveley to read. i started to chrochet this year and between your blog and youtube got it right. The bright colours you use just speak to me. i just love your beautifull photos of England. my sister also lives in England, but in Brentwood, Essex. i'm al the way in Cape Town, South Africa. have a wonderfull Summer holiday! we are a having a very wet winter. i will try the bird sometime, but first have to finish my first ripple.

[Thistle]

I hope you have a wonderful summer. My husband and children all have blue-to-green eyes as well. They look a lot like Little B's eyes. Mine are brown, and always have been. I was surprised my children got my husband's eyes and not mine. I think green eyes are very interesting and pretty.