First things first - I want to thank you for the truly lovely comments that you've written to me recently when I've posted here in my precious Attic space, I've really enjoyed reading your words on my last couple of posts. I do so love to hear from you and I am grateful for the time you spend visiting with me and gifting me with your thoughts. Carving out quiet time to sit and write a coherent blog post during school holidays is actually quite the challenge for me, and it's really great to hear that you continue to enjoy my slightly random narrative. I am thankful for you!
I continue to keep my camera close, and pretty much every day I manage to capture a few images here and there which describe these August days. The randomness of the photos means that they don't always feel like they make sense together but I still really enjoy seeing the visual story unfold when I sit down and string them along in a blog post. These images create an honest narrative that's for sure - I guess that summer holidays are in themselves a collection of utter randomness with no two days ever being the same?!
We took a short stroll around the reservoir on Sunday morning which we've not done for far too long. Little B moaned like crazy about being dragged out of the house - it was half past nine so not a ridiculously early time, but still you'd think we were asking him to take an all day mountain hike in some remote, far away place rather than a short 30 minute walk a few miles away. As usual, as soon as we stepped out of the car and began to walk he was pulled immediately out of his funk and absolutely loved being outdoors with both J and I. I resisted the rather strong urge to yell "I-TOLD-YOU-SO!!!" although crikey, it hovered on the tip of my tongue for most of the walk as he was just so happy!! A shame we had to go through such angst to get him there, but it was totally worth it.
Short local walks seem to be the way to go for us at the moment. The weather is so unpredictable that even if you set out in bright sunshine, the likelihood of getting drenched in a sudden downpour is remarkably high. It suits me though, I really don't seem to crave new things or new places at the moment, content to tread familiar paths in well loved locations. I seriously love where I live, and I don't think a day goes by when I don't see the hills surrounding the Attic and give quiet thanks for the fact that I am so happy here.
I think I mentioned in my post last week about visiting the farm shop, we go once or twice a week during the holidays, partly for the amazing fresh produce but also for the chance to walk a couple of easy miles. Plus (and this is a big plus for me personally) you can get really good coffee there, either to drink in at the farm shop café or as a takeout.
I don't eat a lot of bread (although I do love a bit of sourdough occasionally, or some dark rye bread for my poached egg addiction) but the bakery at the farm shop is fabulous. The bakers make the dough and bake it right there behind the counter so you can watch them doing it and it always smells soooo good. We picked up a ciabatta loaf this time, freshly baked and still warm, gosh it was hard to resist!
If we decide not to spend time in the café then a takeout latté is the next best thing - strolling home through the park while sipping on a hot fresh milky coffee is pretty great - small daily pleasures, I'll take them. I try and remember to pack our bamboo cups in my bag if I think we might be getting a takeout (J has one as well, his is a manly black and red design). I love my cup, it works really well at keeping the coffee hot all the way to the bottom of the frothy deliciousness and best of all it can go straight into the dishwasher when I get home.
As you can see from the splodge of red child in the distance, our walk to the farm shop is very good for a certain nine year old with a shed load of energy humming inside his body. Sometimes he rides his bike, but on Monday he decided to walk, which actually meant he needed to run. And run and run. J and I strolled along with our coffees as Little B raced ahead - I've said this many times on my blog over the years but don't you think there is something so brilliant about the way that children run for the sheer joy of moving their bodies? It's just so lovely to witness.
I love coming home with brown paper bags filled with all the fresh stuff, it makes me feel all inspired for cooking and healthy eating. Those tomatoes......ohmygosh, the flavour, so so good.
Yesterday morning was a time for errands with my Little Buddy, and lookeeee.........the hand holding is back and I couldn't be more delighted (silent, internal happy mummy dancing). We set out early, first stop a haircut (for him, not me).....
....second stop was some mid morning refreshment for the both of us. We had a lovely little chat over our hot chocolate/cappuccino, about food and books and school and holidays, just the general stuff of life that sometimes needs talking over.
Third/fourth/fifth and sixth stops were a mish mash of essential shopping (drain unblocker, batteries, a birthday present) and non essential shopping which Little B somehow talked me into.
Do you want to know what two things he most wanted me to buy for him, with a heap load of begging and persuasive argument thrown in?
Number One........................
......a giant two foot long bubble wand.
As soon as we got home he was straight out onto the back street making the BIGgeSt bubbles you ever did see....
....and I was right there with him attempting to photograph the BIGgeSt bubbles you ever did see, which is much harder than you might imagine. It was windy and the giant bubbles went sailing up to the rooftops before I could even think about aiming my camera. I managed one very poor shot of a low-flying pair, aren't the colours pretty?
You want to know the Number Two purchase?
He was so desperate for these that I just didn't stand a chance, I had to allow the indulgent purchase......
......bath marbles. Of course! Just what any boy would want desperately?!
You can see the appeal mind you......they're little mini scented bath bombs and are set out a bit like a pick-and-mix sweet shop, with paper bags for you to select your own collection. You get to choose ten for £3, and well, I figured that if it helps make the whole bath-bed routine a little more fun and not such a grind then they would be worth it.
Life on the home front has been pretty easy this week to be honest. The Teens pretty much take care of themselves, both of them have been working extra holiday shifts at their weekend jobs (Little Lady waitresses in a café, Little Man works in a really lovely local pub in town). I'm so proud of them, they are saving up their money and seem to be enjoying their independence very much. Little B has perhaps been a bit bored at times, spending his time watching films and gaming a little, but also reading, dressing up and building dens as well, so I guess it all balances out one way and another.
Laughing now, remember at the start of this post I told you about the randomness? Well this is a case in point - here I present to you my breakfast.....crikey, how can you stand the excitement of all this???!!!!!
However....I have the same breakfast every day pretty much and I have to tell you I love it. LOVE it. I put 40g of oats in a bowl with a little splash of milk and some fat free vanilla yoghurt and leave it to soak overnight in the fridge. Then in the morning I add in half a sliced banana and some warm/smushed up berries (frozen "wonky" berries, defrosted/warmed in the microwave for a minute so they go all gloopy). OH my goodness, it's like eating pudding for breakfast, you really must try it.
A cute little posy of the brightest, sweetest summer flowers on my table too, cheering up my days no end. The mini dahlias are surviving the mollusks in the back yard and I am so in love with them.
There is crochet happening too of course - some things that I can't show you just yet which are making me giddy with excitement, and some things that I can show you and will gather together in a separate blog post. I finished off my third lamp post wrap for Yarndale this week, and I think I'm going to write up the little sheep pattern I designed for it. Would you like that? I'm not sure what use a little appliqué sheep will be to anyone, but maybe you would like to give it a go - let me know?
Last week we snook off for a few days for a short little family holiday beside the sea....it was absolutely blissful and I loved every minute of it. I took my usual stack of photos so will share with you in a few days while it's still fresh in my mind. We were so lucky with the weather, it rained of course (this is English summertime after all) but not ever enough to stop us in our tracks. We had such a good time, it was exactly what we all needed last week I think, a blast of fresh sea air and a little bit of somewhere different. Wonderful stuff.
I hope your week is shaping up nicely and that life's randomness is making you happy - tell me what you're eating for breakfast these days, I really would like to know. Honest!
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Great post of randomness, Lucy! I love farm shops, but mine are short drives away, although living in Devon there are several to choose from not too far from me. There’s nothing better than freshly baked bread, is there? Although I try not to eat too much, but sometimes it can’t be helped!
Posted by: Ann | August 22, 2019 at 05:56 PM
Hi there, so loved this post a bit of randomness is fine by me as we pass from one season (summer) to another (autumn).
Please, please, please do write up the sheep pattern as I am nuts about sheep and would love to be able to make myself sheep bunting!
Love seeing you holding hands with Little B how I miss holding hands with my now very grown up children, make the most of it.
I have porridge(made with water as I am Lactose intolerant) with blueberries and home made fruity wholemeal bread (toasted when it gets a bit dry).
Posted by: Jane Halvey | August 22, 2019 at 05:06 PM
Hello, Lucy! I've been busy with crochet so far this summer and haven't been visiting blogs much. Nice to drop in again, though.
I'd love the pattern for the sheep applique. I'm thinking that a larger version, maybe with the legs folded as though it were lying down, would make a cute coaster for giving to friends who crochet or knit. I'd use cotton for that, I think. And I'd also use it on a cardi as a pocket. I'd just applique most of the way around (and the legs, of course), but leave the top open a bit. I might add a fabric pocket behind it, just to keep things from escaping. It would be especially cute on a baby or child's cardi, don't you think?
As to breakfast, I generally alternate eggs in some form, toast (bagel or bread) and citrus (orange or grapefruit) with cereal. I like cooked cereal, not boxed and I'll definitely be trying your version of uncooked oats. I grew up on porridge, so oats are a great favourite. On special occasions or on Sundays, I like to make waffles, pancakes or crepes. I top them with 2% yogurt and fruit, then a drizzle of maple syrup. My waffles, etc. are all made with whole wheat and wheat germ for extra flavour and nutrition.
I'm so glad you are having a lovely summer, Lucy. And I include the rainy days there, too. There's nothing like summer in England! I love your photos, especially of the landscape around you and the stone walls and brooks. I hope to get back for another visit one day.
And by the way, I am full of admiration for your posting here during summer holidays. I'm way behind on my own due to the frenzied amount of crochet and knitting I've been doing.
I have finished a blanket for my cousin's wife for Christmas; it's a Corner to Corner, but I edged it with your lovely trellis edging and it looks beautiful! I've made another, larger one for my cousin and am about to choose the edging for his (which is why I dropped in in the first place). I'll be posting pictures on the blog and on Instagram and the Attic24 facebook pages once I'm done.
~ Linne
Posted by: Linne | August 22, 2019 at 04:18 PM
I love reading your blogs and following your family life. You are such a happy lot.
Yes please to the sheep pattern a nice change from flowers( not that I don’t love them and have lots of ideas for them)
Posted by: Roz Peel | August 22, 2019 at 04:15 PM
I love the random posts best. I can picture all the places you go and I love hearing about it. Little B is at a sweet age, just before they go teen on you. Enjoy it all. Love the market pictures.
Posted by: charlotte m. | August 22, 2019 at 03:25 PM
The little sheep would be delightful added to a store bought baby blanket or sweater just to make it more special than store bought. YES, I would use it. My daily breakfast is similar and so good I can't quit eating it. Frozen blueberries warmed in the micro just till squishy topped with a heap of whole milk plain yogurt all mixed up then piled high with bran flake cereal for crunch. I've been at it for 2 months and now the grand kids are addicted, also. Can't wait to see the secretive crochet project!
Posted by: Mary W | August 22, 2019 at 03:02 PM
Just like the other comments above..I love your wonderful random posts. You live in a beautiful place. I live in Arizona,USA and it is very, very hot here. We have glorious weather the rest of the year, tho. Looking at your pictures makes me feel just a little cooler! Thank you for sharing:)
Posted by: Suzanne | August 22, 2019 at 02:55 PM
Appliqué sheep pattern - that’s a big yes please, obviously!
Posted by: Nicky Slade | August 22, 2019 at 02:47 PM
Love your blog! Our breakfast changes each day from eggs to cereal to waffles. We try to eat hearty at breakfast. Your little lamb is very cute, not sure what I’d do with it, but I’d find something.
Posted by: Hedy | August 22, 2019 at 02:40 PM
Beautiful as ever. I do overnight oats too with milk or yoghurt then add either banana or blueberries and honey ummmmmm lovely.
Posted by: jacqui | August 22, 2019 at 02:12 PM
I can't tolerate milk so I have a handful of fresh berries with Soy yoghurt and homemade muesli (organic oats, nuts and seeds)
PS I have a hard-boiled egg nearly every day at the moment with my lunch - where would we be without eggs?!!
Posted by: Elaine | August 22, 2019 at 01:14 PM
Applique sheep gets my vote! What's not to love? x
Posted by: Lisa Holmes | August 22, 2019 at 01:12 PM
Thanks for sharing . I would love the sheep pattern. I've raised my grandson , he's 26 and married but when we all go out he still holds my arm . Just like an old southern gentleman would - I love it still and just the fact that he still does it , he opens doors for me and pulls my chair out , I could go on about the things he does for me but I won't. He says he's comfortable knowing who and what he is.
Posted by: Miss Daisy | August 22, 2019 at 11:51 AM
It's amazing how much urchins enjoy a walk once they're out there isn't it. I have a breakfast like that every day and it's honestly my favourite meal. I know what you mean about the weather. The dog and I got absolutely soaked the other morning in the biggest downpour imaginable. Wasn't even raining when we left home. He was not impressed. The farm shop looks lovely, and how brilliant that you can walk there. There's one near here, but it's a little drive away. Glad you are enjoying the summer hols. CJ xx
Posted by: CJ | August 22, 2019 at 11:45 AM
Would love to see your sheep pattern great for baby blankets
Posted by: Frances Welch | August 22, 2019 at 10:29 AM
I don’t comment often Lucy but I do love your blog.....your photos are amazing, and of our beloved Yorkshire. Love to hear what you have been up to and where you’ve been. Keep on blogging....it is one I really look forward to reading....plus you got me to give Craftpod a whirl.....such a wonderful surprise. Thank you xx
Posted by: Sall | August 22, 2019 at 10:13 AM
Lucy I love reading your blog. It’s so nice to hear from someone who is contented with their life. So many people these days seem to want bigger,better, more and not enjoy the life they have. I too enjoy the simple things like watching the seasons change, the flowers in my garden and the fact that I live in a seaside town in Devon but with glorious countryside on our doorstep. As for my breakfast it’s pretty much the same as yours but I prepare mine in the morning when I first get up. I pour a dribble of milk over oats and about 3 desert spoons of live yogurt and leave for an hour or so until I’m ready to eat (can’t eat when I first get up) then top with blueberries, banana and pear.
The suggestion in another post of a sheep blanket made me think of the seashore blankets I have seen with turtles on them. How lovely would it be to make a meadow one with sheep on it.
Posted by: Pam | August 22, 2019 at 09:43 AM
I have full fat natural yoghurt, with a few berries (sometimes fresh, usually frozen) and half a dozen chopped hazelnuts on top. Yummy, filling and pretty healthy.
Posted by: Ros | August 22, 2019 at 09:28 AM
Lucy I love your random blog posts and I’ve been reading them for years. I can’t believe that your little people are old enough to be working in pubs and cafes! My breakfast these days is gluten free honey puffed oats with raspberries, blueberries, Greek yoghurt and just enough milk. Preceded by a mug of tea in bed and then followed by a mug of tea and perhaps a bit of knitting.
Posted by: Jean Andress | August 22, 2019 at 08:27 AM
Thank you Lucy, I love your blog posts so much - food for the soul! I have been struggling this summer with my teenage boys not wanting to spend time with me like they used to, but feel better having had a couple of days in Dorset as a family walking along the coast path past Durdle Dor and staying in a Youth Hostel which was great fun. I also love our local walks along the seafront in West Sussex. Thank you for reminding us to take pleasure in the everyday things. xx
Posted by: Sophie | August 22, 2019 at 08:20 AM
I love your beautiful blogs. So colourful and cheery. I live in a beautiful part of Devon, and feel very lucky to do so, but I just love your area too. I came up to Yarndale last year, and two years before. If it wasn’t so far (320 miles) I’d come every year. But last year was special as I spent my last night at my brothers in Sheffield. We hadn’t seen each other for several years, and had a great catch up with all the family.
Posted by: Anne | August 22, 2019 at 07:53 AM
Yes to the sheep. I thought it was a new blanket with sheep on. Thinking it would be nice to put it on a blanket as a little logo.
I also enjoy your blogs. The randomness adds to it all. Isn't it the way most of us think normally. It's lovely to see a family enjoying the simple things in life and reminds me of my own childhood.
Posted by: Margery Watson | August 22, 2019 at 07:29 AM
Always love to see your blogs Lucy! And I love the little sheep xx
Posted by: Heather | August 22, 2019 at 07:17 AM
Yes please to the sheep. Little things like that always come in useful. Breakfast today will be croissants in our French holiday house with the children and grandchildren - all 10 if us. Back to Weetabix next week.
Posted by: Rosemary Monk | August 22, 2019 at 07:12 AM
We’re considering a life changing move from down south to your neck of the woods and your blogs are certainly helping sell it!
Posted by: Caroline | August 22, 2019 at 06:19 AM