Home Safe :: Week Three

Hello my lovelies! I find myself often thinking about you all out there around the world keeping home-safe as we go gently through these surreal days. I really hope you're all doing OK and that you're having many more ups than downs. Life here in the Attic this past week has been very peaceful for the most part - I had a couple of  "off" days where I felt a bit low and in desperate need of some quiet time away from the rest of the fam with nothing but my own company. There isn't anywhere that I can retreat to at home as we only have one open plan living room, so I told everyone that I needed to be left alone for a while and closed myself off in the bedroom to read and stitch a little. It did help, and yesterday I felt back to my usual cheery self again.

We continue to walk every day, our one stint of permitted outdoor exercise and it always feels so bloomin' good to get out and about.

We walk the same daily route, following very familiar pathways in a loop through the woods....

....then a climb up this vast hilly field to reach the wall at the top....

...ahhhhh, always such a great feeling to reach the highest point!

We have to climb over by means of a stepped stone stile - these are common features in Yorkshire where a pathway crosses over a dry stone wall. It makes a good place to rest a short while, catch our breath and spend some time chatting as we look out over our town spread out in the valley below.

A couple times last week, J and and Little B went off on an afternoon walk without me. I know that Little B sometimes really craves one-to-one attention and seems quietly thrilled when I duck out as he then gets to have his Dad all to himself. On these days, I've still taken my walk but have chosen to go out later in the day, making the most of the deliciously light, golden evenings we are gifted at this time of year.

Little Lady often prefers to walk in the evenings and will happily come with me for a late jaunt if I ask her. It's not late really (we are home by 8pm) but getting to see the sun go down and the moon rise behind the trees always feels quite magical.

I've made good progress on my cross stitch project (it's a design by Tiny Modernist on Etsy) and have really enjoyed the quiet me-time it has afforded me just lately. I talked in my last home-safe post about enjoying being "in the zone" with a cross stitch project like this one, and boy, have I been there! 

I have stitched and stitched and stitched, hundreds of tiny crosses, needle in and out, in and out. Breeeeathe, and let my mind just be full of the colours and the slow, satisfying business of seeing thread turn into leaves and flowers.

Last night I finished putting in the final little spray of flowers, and my goodness, the feeling of achievement was immense!! Finally finished after nearly two years as a WiP!! I'm working on a little DIY upgrade to the hoop frame for it now, so I'll be sure to show you when it's all washed, pressed and framed up beautifully.

Being at home all the time does have it's positives, and for me that equals plenty of creative opportunity as well as extra time to bake and cook. During the past couple of years I've been menu planning and food shopping daily as part of my morning walk to and from school. We have a tiiiiiiny kitchen with only two small cupboards for storing food and a standard size under-counter fridge. This makes it impossible to actually store enough food to last us a whole week without performing a major jenga-style stacking game. But at the moment we don't have a choice as I am now menu planning so that J can do a big weekly shop every Monday. It's taken a little bit of getting used to and we are having to use our stone floored cellar as a bit of a cool-store/pantry for the stuff that just won't fit in the fridge/cupboards in the first half of the week after the Big Shop. But we are getting by just fine, calling at our local bakery to buy fresh bread (we walk right past it on our return route from the woods), and thankful that our milkman is still delivering milk to our doorstep.

I love cooking for the family and every day I make a meal from scratch using fresh ingredients. We aren't a family that eats ready made or convenience food very often (save for the odd frozen pizza for the Little Peeps) so the cooking isn't a new thing by any means. I think what I'm enjoying the most is having my weekly menu mapped out in advance (I did this for many years but oddly got out of the habit in recent times), and not feeling quite so rushed in the late afternoons which would usually be taken up with the school run and after-school snacks/wind-down time.

For the first time in absolutely ages I made some soup for my lunch last week, gosh it was so satisfying and quick! I had left over garlicky roasted veggies from the day before (peppers, onion, courgette, sweet potato and carrots) and half a tin of chopped tomatoes in the fridge left from the day before that. I simply bunged everything in the blender, added in some hot stock and seasoning and whizzed it all up. There was enough for the Little People to have as well and even the Big Teen decided that a soup brunch would suit him very nicely, thank you very much. Actually the Teens both usually make their own breakfast/brunch/lunch but I know that when I offer to make them something (especially poached eggs) it does seem to make them very happy.

Baking is another thing that I've gotten out of the habit of doing, especially in recent months as I've been trying hard to eat a healthy diet. But during these home-safe weeks I've remembered that baking isn't just about eating the end product. It's an activity which the Little People really enjoy, the delicious, comforting smells that waft out of the kitchen, the cosy familiarity of keeping busy on the domestic front as a means to relieve low-grade stress. This week Little B and I baked sultana and cranberry flapjacks and the smell of them as they were cooking was so good! The Little People tell me they were yummy and asked what's coming next - I'm thinking some Oaty Cookies would go down well.

 I found that during the Easter weekend it was essential for me to indulge a little. The need for foodie feel-good was running high, and so there was chocolate (of course) and melty buttered hot cross buns eaten outside in the sunshine. I think it's always good to have balance, and although I've changed my diet quite considerably since December, I haven't eliminated anything at all and really enjoy the odd sweet treat.

I've been missing having fresh flowers on the table after so many delicious weeks of having daffodils coming home with the groceries. I ventured up to the allotment last week to see what might be growing in the wild banks of our plot which the previous people planted with bulbs and wild flowers. It was such a delight to pick a little posy to bring home, a rather raggedy bunch of muscari, bluebells (and pink bells!) and a pretty white flower who's name I don't know.

Another day and another walk to the woods, the repetitiveness of our routine honestly doesn't seem to bother me, although it hasn't been a full month yet.

The wood anemones are looking so beautiful....

....and I even spotted some dinky little violets which instantly reminded me of my Mum. She had such a love of wild flowers, especially primroses and violets as they mark the start of Spring which was her favourite time of year.

At the weekend we actually walked a different walk, one that takes longer than our usual hour long woodland ramble. This is a stride out across fields and down small country lanes to a neighbouring village which has a rather old fashioned but charming country inn with a beer garden for when times are normal. It's a gentle, quiet walk, well as quiet as it can be with Little B going at full pelt.

I loved seeing these sticky buds breaking open to reveal the very first new leaves (this is a horse chestnut tree), and realising that Spring really, really  is here. We've had some beautiful Spring weather this week with plenty of sunshine, although it has remained very cold.

I had a couple of lovely surprises at the weekend which made my heart very happy. The first surprise was left on my table in the back yard by my very good friend who is a nurse and working hard on the NHS frontline right now. She sent me a text early Saturday morning to tell me to to go look on my table, and there she'd left me a painted rainbow pebble and a bottle of prossecco. Well, what a generous Easter gift - rainbows and bubbles, I was so touched!

J also surprised me with a chocolate heart, he said he saw them in the bakers when he called in to get our weekend bread and thought I might appreciate a bit of a treat. Well yes indeed, unexpected chocolate is always a lovely treat.

Over the weekend we did not one but two jigsaw puzzles, which came about because Little B seemed to be absolutely beside himself with frustrated boredom. On the whole he has been absolutely brilliant during this lockdown and has entertained himself extremely well during the long, samey days. We've been keeping up with our 9am PE workout, and of course our daily afternoon walk, but when he has tired of watching films or gaming, he doesn't seem to know quite what to do with himself. He's grown out of toys really, although he will quite happily sit and play solitaire or jacks with himself. J plays cards or draughts with him most days, but he isn't remotely interested in anything creative that I suggest, other than baking. However when I suggested we do a puzzle together he shrugged and said OK (in a very unsure way I might add), so I immediately went with it. We've had these jigsaws for such a long time that they may almost be vintage (J and I bought them over twenty five years ago), one that has tropical fish and another one which has rainforest birds. They are fun to do, the different shaped pieces fitting together in unexpected ways, and certainly kept Little B (and me) happy for many hours.

I was thinking last week that I really miss walking along the canal - in normal times it's such a familiar part of my days as I walk to and from school, home from the supermarket or down to my studio. So on the spur of the moment I decided to stroll out early one evening, just to take in the sight of the water and reconnect with a little bit of my usual normality.

It was a beautiful, still evening with perfect reflections and soft light. This white flowering cherry tree towers over the tow path and looked absolutely spectacular as I strolled underneath it.

I am naturally accustomed to being very aware of my surroundings when I am out and about and always try to practice a sort of mindfulness as I walk. But during these home-safe weeks when our outside freedom is so limited, I find I am tuning in even more than usual to the little details, soaking in every teensy bit of natural beauty and colour. It's a good life lesson I think - to slow down a little and really pay attention to the beauty that surrounds us every minute of every day. It's right there to be enjoyed, so good for the soul.

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Comments

[Alexandria]

Wow! I just scrolled through your photos. I live alone in a 1 bedroom apartment in Texas, northwest of the Dallas area. I get so tired of looking at brick walls.
I have 1 son nearby and 1 daughter. My 2 other daughters live an hour & a half away; one west of me and the other east. My oldest son"s family live in Michigan, which is in the northeastern part of the US. He is no longer with us.
Your posts are as, others have stated, a pleasure to read. And your patterns fun to make.

[Barbara Bowen]

I enjoy your photos so much. Thanks for sharing.

[Lynn Dee Butler]

Thank you for your lovely words. Your blog brings me peace and happiness. It’s a tough time for all of us and I so appreciate everyone’s comments. It helps to know how others are coping. I miss my Knit Wit friends and even though we still talk or text it’s not the same. We’re all in this together but apart. Bright colored yarn and flowers are worth focusing on. I’ve been baking also. A friend gave me this recipe you might like. Mix together 2 mashed ripe bananas, 1/2 C each of old fashioned oats, chopped dried apricot, chopped pecans and a pinch of salt. On a well greased cookie sheet place small flattened scoops of the mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins. They are like a chewy granola cookie. No sugar or flour. You can use any dried fruit or nut. I’ve used pumpkin purée but it needs the banana. So I recommend 1/2 banana and half pumpkin. This is a really easy one to make. Enjoy!

[Regina]

I love reading your blog. Very refreshing!

[Jeannine Traverse-Healy]

Hi Lucy. Just hanging in a very tough time. I want to make the little Mandela type mat under your spring flower vase. Is there a patten for it? My daughter in law is a Covid ITU nurse in London & nasty neighbours say they don’t want my son dropping off shopping. It’s so ignorant but I want to make her that little mat to cheer her up
Jeannine

[carol partridge]

Nice to see some pics of the canal. We had a beautiful day walking along there to the first Yarndale in 2013. I feel for you having limited space with a family. I have only a 1bed retirement flat and small kitchen.But it suits me well. I do have nice park to walk around. Since this lockdown more people seem to have discovered it, haha. Stay safe.

[KarenLizzie]

When you said you had no space for yourself, my first thought was that you should use your Attic, then I realised I have been reading your blog since before you had three children, and that your attic must now be the home of one of your lucky children. Then I thought of your studio and realised that must also be unavailable to you. As you only have a yard, I assume there is no room for a she'd outside for you! It must be hard. I am fortunate that our retirement house has a very nice garden Room, which allows us to have enough separation as my DH is very vulnerable so we are shut in. Luckily we have a garden!

I applaud the fact that you write about when you are struggling despite being in beautiful Atticland, it is important for others to see that sometimes we all struggle.

Thank you for your lovely posts they really help

[Toni]

Weirdly, I find it harder to cope mentally with the situation when I'm working. With all other staff furloughed and no volunteers to chat to, I find it quite lonely and as if there's a huge responsibility to keep things going all by myself.
I miss my family, but as a natural introvert, being told that I can't go out, that I have to stay in is BLISS! So much reading, crafting and gardening going on. My extrovert boyfriend finds that harder. He's missing his crew.

[Karyn Brown]

Hi Lucy,
Thanks so much for sharing the photos of your country outings. I have been enjoying your blog posts for some time now.
My family are originally from England and we have had a number of wonderful holidays in England. We still have close family in the UK and are so sad to hear such dreadful news from your side of the world. Your crochet and country side photos are a lovely glimpse into a happier reality. I do pray you all stay well.
I’m about to start your Sweetpea blanket for my Mum as it is in her favourite colours. Not sure when I will be able to get it to her though....
Fortunately I purchased the kit some months ago and it is sitting safely in my lounge room.
With all the very best for you and your family
Karyn

[Louise G.]

I love your posts.
Thank you for always inspiring me!

[VickiB]

Thank you for letting me tag along with you on your walk. The countryside is so beautiful - I love your pictures.
Stay safe and well.

[jo]

Thank you Lucy, love your spring garland. I think the flower is a variety of wild garlic.Once you get it in your garden it spreads like the flower of DOOM!!!

[Linda from Boston]

Thank you to everyone for sharing how they are getting thru these trying times. I lost my brother who lived in Michigan last Tuesday. In the span of two weeks he went from living life to gone. Still trying to process it. Here in Boston the cases are still rising but expected to peak any day now. Who knew that grocery shopping could be life threatening!! Can’t wait for this nightmare to end. I’m working on my cupcake stripe kit and enjoying it so much. Please stay safe. 🌷

[Miss Daisy]

Lovely as always , thank you sooo much for sharing. Still read your blog first as it's my favorite. Will you please send me a photo of your studio ? Didn't know you had one. Stay safe and sane. Haha

[Barbara]

Nice post, as usual .....the little white flower is Allium Triquetrum...the symbolism of these little flowers .....Love, Protection and Exorcism.....let’s hope it works on the awful virus! It’s in the amaryllidacea family.....common name :three cornered garlic....here endetté the lesson! Enjoy the beautiful weather....we are in our fifth week of lockdown, not allowed out of the house, but we fortunately have a garden, so much better off than a lot of people!

[Sue]

Thank you lucy I'm not allowed out and find it frustrating not seeing spring. So your photos provide a snapshot of the outside world. They have long been an inspiration for me to go out and see the world around us and take my own of epping forest. Thank you and stay safe xx

[CJ]

The walks really are magical at the moment aren't they. A combination of realising how lucky we are, the magical weather, the miracle of spring and the quietness I think. The jigsaws are a good idea, I'm sure we have a couple knocking about somewhere, I shall go and look. My youngest two have just discovered backgammon which is keeping them quiet temporarily. That, and doing magic tricks. Oh, and turning the wood from the old raised beds into insect houses. I love to see them busy doing things like that. CJ xx

[Joanna Worthington]

Dear Lucy, thank you, as ever, for sharing a little slice of your life in Yorkshire during these surreal days. I find your writing is so evocative and is so wonderfully calming during such uncertain times. The photographs are a delightful window into your world, the cosiness of your home and the beautiful scenic outdoors.
My husband and I are both retired, but never considered ourselves old or vulnerable before. I’m 64 (but really still feel that I’m about 34), and he is 67, both active and usually our days are punctuated by going to our local friendly gym. I’m a fan of aquacise and he enjoys spinning. Now, without our routine and seeing our friends and family, the days all seem the same, but we punctuate them by going for walks together along the shore where Southampton water meets the Solent. We sometimes take a photo of the view across to the Isle of Wight and send it to our daughter, with a “hello” as she lives opposite us in Cowes. She often replies by doing the same back. My other daughter is in Brentford, in a tiny rented flat, that was only supposed to be temporary, whilst she and her new husband hunted for a family home outside London. That is now all on hold, but they seem to be remaining cheerful, despite having problems with their electricity over the Easter weekend. It meant she couldn’t cook her leg of roast lamb as planned on Easter Sunday, but fortunately it went in the freezer. A man did come and make a temporary repair, but she felt the oven and/or the kettle might be the source of the problem. Fortunately they have a gas hob. It was fixed properly yesterday thank goodness.
The get out for a walk along the shores of the upper Thames most days and look at some of the large waterfront properties in nearby Chiswick during their jaunts.
I haven’t seen either of my daughters, who will be 30 and 32 next month, since February and am longing to give them both a big hug. We regularly keep in touch over social media but it’s not quite the same. I’m busy crocheting a very intricate heart shaped cake with cream and meringue and macarons and strawberries for my youngest daughter as a surprise I can send through the post. (I had been planning to bake something similar but with a 3 & 0 cakes. This will have to do until we meet again.
The sun is shining here again and as I look out of my bedroom window the huge pale pink cherry tree in my neighbour’s garden is in full bloom. Isn’t nature wonderful? Sending love to you, your family, and all your other followers, from South Hampshire, UK. x x x

[Pam]

Hi Lucy, I really love seeing your photos of a different part of the country. I live on the south coast in East Devon. Over the Easter weekend we had glorious warm weather and spent a lot of time in the garden. I have to admit my life hasn’t really changed much during the last few weeks. My husband who is a HGV driver and still working, is away from home all week as usual. I never went out much anyway so it’s not much of a hardship staying at home for me, although I’m due a hair appointment next week so goodness know what my hair will look like by the time I can go again. My daughters (who all live away from our area) regularly keep in touch by FaceTime or messages so it’s not too bad. My saviour as always is crochet - it allows me to sit quietly and organise my thoughts and be productive. I’ve always got at least one project on the go and to be able to sit in the garden with it is lovely. Take care- keep crocheting.

[Teresa Kasner]

I'm glad you are enjoying your walks during this stressful time. We've been spending more time out on our deck and watching the birds at our feeder - and Dayle assembled an outdoor fireplace/pizza oven and we had a little fire in it this evening. Now I need to get some Italian sausage and mozzarella so we can make some homemade pizzas!
Stay safe and be well. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

[Leah Lynch]

Thank you for your wonderful post. Every time I read one I just have peace. Your walks and crafts and gentle life makes me happy.

[Lynne]

What lovely walks you are lucky to have in your doorstep.... we walk around our very suburban streets, lovely houses to look at but nothing like you have
It’s autumn here in Australia, beautiful warm days, crisp evenings and mornings, my favourite time of the year..

[Sandra]

You seem happier since giving up Yarndale. I hope so.

[Wendy]

Hello Lucy from Oz and long time follower ❤❤ Always enjoy my visits here and quite uplifting and even more so now. Stay safe 😀😀🏃‍♀️🙋‍♂️

[Paula Miller]

Your blog posts make me happy, Lucy. You have such a wonderful appreciation for nature and such a beautiful way of expressing it. Take care of yourself and your lovely family.