Before I launch into this next instalment of bloggy chit chat, I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the time you take to write me comments. I enjoyed reading your words on my last blog post so much, your kindness and empathy really made my heart squeeze, and I am so grateful for you all. Thank you.
The past few weeks we've been back into the swing of our everyday school routine, but the week before that we enjoyed some wonderful holiday time. It already seems like a distant memory despite only being three weeks ago, but I wanted to write about it here on my blog because it was honestly one of the most enjoyable half terms weeks I can remember in a long while. It was the very end of May and into the start of June and after many weeks of unseasonably cold, grey weather, we were gifted with some very welcome warmth and sunshine for the holiday week.
As you can tell from the title of this post and the familiar woodland scenes, we weren't off galivanting anywhere for our holiday week but enjoying something of a homespun staycation* instead. The spring bank week is always a time when I crave an away-from-home holiday, preferably beside the sea if I can make it happen. In years gone by we would take the caravan away during this break, and there is a big part of me that really misses those simple family holidays. Ohhhh, I've just had a little jaunt down Memory Lane to our first Connievan trip at this time of year......awwww, tiny baby toes!! Little B was only 6 months old at the time, the sweetest of memories for sure.
*A staycation is a play on the word "vacation" and means spending time off in or near your own home, rather than traveling to another location.
So yes, as I was saying, in normal non-pandemic times I would do my utmost to plan a trip away for us during this week, but this year we felt that staying home was the best thing to do. And do you know what, it was absolutely brilliant. Having the word "staycation" inside my head meant that I really did approach the whole week in full blown holiday mode. I ditched all my carefully built routines - no alarm, no workouts, no real agenda other than to rest, relax and have fun.
I happen to live in a small town which is used to welcoming holidaymakers all year round, and so it's pretty easy to occasionally pretend that we are part of the holidaymaker crowd. We can stroll along the canal, pootle about the quirky old streets at leisure, pick up ingredients for an impromptu picnic or an evening barbecue, and settle ourselves down in the sunny garden of a little café to drink morning coffee in the sunshine. Relax, sit back and enjoy the moment because we are are on holiday, and doesn't it feel good?!
On the occasion that included the above ridiculously, outrageously good coffee, we were having a little morning refreshment on our way to the market, as is our usual Saturday routine. The weather was warm and sunny and we were able to sit out in the lovely little café garden which greatly assisted with the holiday vibe. Not long after we'd sat down, J took a phone call from Little Lady asking us if we were at the café and if so, could she come and join us? As we live a mere hop and a skip away, within ten minutes we were joined by both Little Lady and Little B, both freshly tumbled out of bed and in need of some refreshment to kick start their day. Little B was still half asleep (he honestly had his eyes still half closed) but he made short shrift of a berry smoothie and some hot buttered toast and jam which perked him up no end. It was just such a lovely thing, to have their unexpected company on a sunny Saturday morning, and it made me so happy.
The sunny weather and holiday vibe put me in the mood for a holidayish drink, and I got it into my head that I would very much like to sit around in my back yard and sip a cocktail. Once this idea popped into my head I could not dislodge it, so off I went to purchase the ingredients for one of my all time favourite cocktails - a Mojito. Oh. My. Goodness. I can't tell you how much I adore this drink. It takes a fair bit of effort to make it as you need to squeeze a million fresh limes which is surprisingly hard work. I followed an online recipe and made my own sugar syrup (basically equal measures 1:1 of sugar and water, stirred until dissolved). Once the squeeeeeezing and syrup making is done, then creating the mojito is a breeze. Fresh mint leaves in the bottom of the glass, then add in roughly 1:1:2 of sugar syrup : fresh lime juice : white rum. Muddle the mint around with a spoon to release the flavour, then add in lots of crushed ice and a splash of soda water.
Ahhhhh, the smell of this drink is like the best of everything summery, and the taste is just the perfect combo of fresh, sweet and sharp. Love love love it.
I made virgin mojitos for the Little People, and we thoroughly enjoyed our cocktail hour, sat out in the back yard with a blanket or two to take the evening chill off. We had music playing, and it was just the loveliest end to the day - I'll definitely be adding Make Cocktails to my summer holiday to-do list.
This time of year calls to my light-loving soul and the looooong days feel absolutely magical to me. The fact that it doesn't get dark until after 10pm in June makes me insanely delighted with life, and evening walks become not only possible but a truly wonderful thing indeed.
I took these photos one evening when it was the three of us spending time in the park - myself, Little Lady and Little B. The time stamp is 9:02pm and as you can see it was utterly beautiful out there with the sun just in the process of dropping behind the trees. It was a very spontaneous outing, the Little People came to me and said they wanted to go to the park for a while, so I grabbed my beloved granny stripe blanket and the Little Peeps grabbed a frisbee and off we went right there and then. I think this was one of the nicest things about this particular holiday, that I got to spend some really great time with the Little People...actually, more to the point, the Little People seemed to really want to spend time with their Mum and Dad haha!! At ages 17 and 11, they are becoming increasingly independent in how they choose to spend their time.
Believe it or not, I actually wrote myself a to-do list for my Staycation week which is very unusual for me. To be fair, it did include things like "go on a picnic" and "mojitos" so it wasn't all that arduous to tick things off. Top of my list was to tidy up the back yard, and this also included a trip to buy flowers and compost, and possibly some new garden furniture. Last year my back yard space remained in a state of hibernation and gentle decay and I think the only thing I planted were a few petunias that a friend gifted to me. So this year I wanted to make more of an effort because even though this outside space of ours is teeny tiny, it's still a place that I enjoy sitting in and it makes me happy when my pots have colourful flowers in them instead of straggly weeds.
I absolutely love the process of choosing and buying a collection of summer annuals to fill my pots with, especially as we always go to the same place each year. You may remember in past years me talking about "the plant man" who had a stall on the market selling pots of growing flowers as well as buckets of cut flowers (dahlias in particular were one of my favourite things to buy from him every week)? Well sadly he no longer brings his cheery flowers to the market but he does run a beautiful little garden nursery with his wife and I love to support this kind of small local business. It's about 8 miles away in nearby town across the border in Lancashire (somehow feels very liberating to Cross The Border these days), so it's necessary to involve J as he's in charge of transport around here. This year we also had the Little People with us, so it was even more fun than usual - I might have mentioned before that Little B absolutely loves flowers and bless him, he was so excited to help me choose. As you can see in the above photo, I went for a hot palette of pinks, purples and reds and stuck to my tried and tested favourites - geraniums, daisies, verbena, little petunia-type trailing flowers, snapdragons and lavender. I also always buy a few trays of trailing lobelia too, as I LOVE the way this looks when it flowers - I chose the deep blue sapphire colour which should look amazing alongside all the hot pinks, reds and purples of the other flowers.
J helped me to give the back yard a good tidy up and a sweep - I decluttered all of my "gardening" paraphernalia and we got rid of a fair bit of accumulated rubbish and broken things. It felt good to have a bit of a clear out and we decided to move the table and chairs into the corner this year to give us a little bit more space for flowers. We really desperately need some new furniture (I've been saying this for years and years) as our chairs are now very unsafe to sit on, but I'm still trying to decide what I want out here. I'm thinking maybe some slightly more substantial chairs which are more loungey, with a low coffee table instead of normal height table? Not sure - garden furniture is so ridiculously expensive isn't it, and as usual I'm in a spin of indecision with it.
Anyhow, after two whole days of working out here, I'm really happy with what I've done and how it looks without spending too much money and making use of what I already had. I've taken quite a few photos of my pots and the back yard in general, but I want to share that in a separate post I think. Also....aren't snapdragons just the most enchanting flowers?? I don't think I've ever had them before, but I'm thinking I've been missing out, they are delightful.
Although our staycation week was mostly spent at home, we did manage to take a day trip (ticking off the "picnic" on my to-do list). Just recently I've been really hankering after a trip to the west coast, to visit Silverdale and Arnside. Sometimes the memories of old, familiar places call to me so strongly that I get a little obsessed about wanting to revisit. We haven't been to this coastline since 2015 which was our last caravan trip (sadly I didn't manage to document that trip on my blog, but I do still have all the photos on my laptop). If you've been visiting with me for a while then you may remember how much we used to love staying at the Youth Hostel in Arnside when the Little People were small (post from waaaaaay back in 2008, and also in 2013). Silverdale is also a really special kind of a place, well the whole area is very unique and so unlike anywhere else I've ever been, kind of sleepy and quaint and old fashioned and completely unspoilt. I absolutely love it there and couldn't wait to be back.
The day we picked to go, the weather was grey and overcast with the threat of rain hanging in the air, but it turned out to be pretty good weather for walking. We parked the car in Silverdale and set off to walk a 6.5 mile circular route, planning to stop half way round to eat our picnic lunch.
It's a lovely walk and involves quite a bit of steep woodland climbing in the beginning, but after a while you emerge from the trees and can take in the sweeping views of the coastline.
This is a tidal estuary coastline (the river Kent which runs into the wide expanse of Morecambe Bay) so it's not the sea as such....
...., but there are beaches with vast sandy mudflats and wide open watery views.
It's a curious mixture of beach and riverside, with grass and flowers growing on the huge expanse of sand. It always feels and smells so good here, like damp, salty, earthy, grassy mud? I wonder if you can imagine it?!
We stopped to eat our picnic lunch on a little wooden bench overlooking the water and it was just the nicest thing, I do love picnic lunches very, very much and want to have lots of them as we head into the summer season. I'm putting it firmly on my summer to-do list.
The walk continues to follow the line of the water....
....with the pathway climbing up above the shore onto low cliffs, twisting through ancient looking trees. It's so tranquil somehow, and I love the combination of woodland with coastal views.
We walked through some beautiful meadows too, and at this time of year the wild flowers are looking so, so pretty.
Almost at the end of our walk and we were all feeling a little weary by this point- 6.5 miles isn't that far really, but with the steep climbing in the beginning I could certainly feel it in my muscles. Only one thing for it - head off in search of refreshment!
We drove the few miles from Silverdale to Arnside and it was exactly as I had remembered it in my mind. It's a very unspoilt little place that doesn't change from year to year, and I love it for that. It's perfectly suited for some very slow-paced pottering which really should include a combination of coffee/cake/ice cream while you breathe in the expansive views.
There's a very small stone jetty with wooden benches which make the perfect refreshment spot. I really enjoyed my coffee (but you knew that already, right?) and it was just a relaxing time to sit and appreciate the moment with J and the Little People. It was late afternoon by this point and the weather had gotten quite cold, so we took a short walk along the shoreline before jumping back in the care and heading homewards.
It was such a good day out, and I really enjoyed the company of the Little People, who really aren't all that little any more. I especially treasure the time spent with my gorgeous Little Lady, because at age 17 she could quite easily have chosen to stay at home or gone out with friends instead of walking and picnicing with us. I love her company, she is such an easy young person to get along with and I do know I'm very lucky to have such a close friendship with her.
I'm very aware that if you are reading this blog without knowing my back story, you would assume that I only had two children. My eldest will turn 19 at the end of the summer and so technically is no longer a child, which blows my mind on a regular basis. He's still living at home right now but leads a very independent life - he comes and goes as he pleases, goes to work, to the gym, to his driving lessons and out with his mates, and every so often we'll have a passing conversation or two. I'm hoping that soon enough things will fall into place for him and he'll be ready to get going with the next phase of his life.
Awww, just look at this sweet, sleepy kitty, I do really love having her around and I think she likes having us around too.
Early June turned out to be be so, so beautiful and being outside for a lot of the time felt amazingly good. I'd almost forgotten the joy of outdoor living (May was really a huge disappointment in the weather department) and love love loved every minute of breathing it in.
Well, this has turned out to be a much longer post than I originally anticipated, I hope I haven't bored you. I uploaded the photos about ten days ago and have been writing in stops and starts over the course of the past week or so. I'm keeping fingers crossed that there is at least some sort of story-flow because I'm not editing or going back over anything - what you've just read is the spontaneous blurb that my mind deposited onto the page. I will be back again soon I promise, hopefully with a bit more clarity and togetherness. I would really like to show you more of my back yard (now named the Yarden after I discovered the hashtag on insta) and some of my recent decluttering success moments. You've no idea how proud I am to actually have decluttering moments to talk about...major life win.
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Really enjoyed your spontaneous blurbs! It also caught me up on the lives of your children.
Posted by: Mary W | June 24, 2021 at 01:38 PM
Oh! So refreshing! Thank you for sharing. I feel as though I have been on a wee vacation too. Looking forward to your post about "Yarden." What a nice space -- not too big, not too small -- the perfect spot for a nice end-of-the-day cocktail. Cheers!
Posted by: Elizabeth Grey | June 24, 2021 at 12:43 PM
Thank you for your lovely blog Lucy. So glad you had a lovely family staycation your photos are lovely and I feel I have been there to we love walking always lifts the sprits, your yard and plants look beautiful love bedding plants in pots they really cheer a space up. We are back to grey skies again today after lovely sunshine yesterday hope you have sunshine enjoy your family times they are so special our daughter is all grown up now with little people of her own to make memories with , but the memories we have when she was younger are very special. Lovely to hear all your news and look forward to your next blog
Take care and thank you for sharing your photos and your family days xx
Posted by: Marjorie | June 24, 2021 at 12:13 PM
I loved reading your account of your staycation, it sounded heavenly. Except I couldn’t walk that far if I tried! I love gardening and tonight I’m moving my flowers to another house we are moving into soon. All my plants are perennial, faithfully arriving at various times during the spring and summer. I live in a definite 4 season area smack dab in the middle of the US and right now it’s rather too hot. But my plants have been with me now since1996 and will move once again. I was gifted a red metal park bench and I’m putting it in the middle of my flower garden. I also have a tremendous yard (garden) of just grass and various flowering trees. I think I will enjoy sitting on my bench next year amidst all my flowers enjoying some type of cold drink, probably iced tea. Enjoy your summer Lucy.
Posted by: Hedy | June 24, 2021 at 12:12 PM
I love your photos Lucy and, like you, I love this time of year. Did you know that some snapdragons are beautifully scented? They self-seed freely in my garden, including in cracks in the paving, and I love the variety of colours. They’re also much loved by bees of course.
It sounded like a a wonderful staycation, I hope you have many more memorable days.
Posted by: Lindsay | June 24, 2021 at 11:31 AM
Hi Lucy,
Really enjoyed your post, lovely photos
We too, years ago had caravan holidays when our kids were small and your right they do build wonderful memories, such happy times.
We have a small backyard where we live that used to have an outside toilet which we knocked down and planted with an Acer and various tubs etc, the old toilet cistern is used as a planter! We call ours the Yardio 😊
Ellie
Posted by: Ellie Williams | June 24, 2021 at 10:06 AM
Hi Lucy, like you early summer is my favourite time if the year. I just love the long light evenings, though here in Exmouth the sun sets about 9.30 pm. Now we’ve had the solstice I feel slightly down about the fact that the evenings will start drawing in again. For several weekends my husband and I were able to get outside for early morning coffee, we really enjoy the quiet as the sun is starting to warm our back garden. As a grandmother I know how you feel about children growing up so quickly. My daughter is now experiencing that with our 9 year old grandson. On Friday evenings he likes to play on his ‘Switch’ with his friends or be out in the nearby park with them after school or weekends. My daughter is starting to feel redundant. I think you lose them for a while when they are teenagers but later they want to spend time with you again.
Posted by: Pam | June 24, 2021 at 09:35 AM
What a wonderful staycation you've had Lucy!
Our staycation will be mid August, we are lucky enough to live just 30 minutes away from Devon, so picnics and beaches are on the to do list.
I love your Yarden it does feel great to have a declutter, I think it's important especially as this year most of us will be spending more time at home.
Your photos are a delight, beautiful countryside, flowers, blankets and more, you are so very creative with colour, which leads me on to say I'm currently working on your Summer Harmony, each square is a absolute delight to finish, so thank you Lucy.
Thank you for sharing your staycation with us, your blog is a little ray of sunshine.
Posted by: Lucy | June 24, 2021 at 07:52 AM
Silverdale looks great for a walk with all the different scenery. Glad to hear you enjoyed your holiday. Would also like to see your clearing out and declutter pictures which I’m sure will motivate me.
Posted by: Abby from Peterborough | June 24, 2021 at 07:40 AM
❤ Love to Lucy, always❣
Naked ladies in a meadow‼️ 🤭😋
Tiny chubby toes... 🤗
Stay well & Happy❣
Posted by: Kristine S | June 24, 2021 at 03:31 AM
Thoroughly enjoyed Lucy and thank you for sharing and I remember your first van trip.
Posted by: Wendy | June 24, 2021 at 02:37 AM
I really enjoy your blog and posts. You do live in a great part of the country and your photos are a delight to see. Your staycation sounded like fun, especially the mojitos and I like that you end your walks with a cuppa. I am a little envious of the late evening walks, it is winter here in oz at the moment, but despite the mild evenings (18degrees C) in the tropical north it is dark by 6pm so not much chance of a stroll, though the stars are amazing at this time of the year.
Posted by: Kerry Ryan | June 24, 2021 at 02:20 AM
Hi Lucy Thx for sharing your staycation. Enjoyed your blog as always. This will be our 2nd year having a staycation. I live 4 min from the sea by car, so I am so thankful for that always. Walking the beaches and the forests here on Vancouver Island and in my area, is my fav thing to do. Couple that with a good meal at a local restaurant, makes me content. Tourists will be arriving soon, as they have already, so we will continue our staycation vibe sometime in Sept. after things slow down. Would love to see some of your 'decluttering/downsizing' adventures to spur me on in that. Take Care, Hugs MO
Posted by: Marylin Ollivier | June 24, 2021 at 02:05 AM
We use one of these type of juicers for limes and lemons. Super easy with no hand strain and it gets every drop of juice.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wilbest-Manual-Squeezer-Premium-Engineered/dp/B07C23V3MX/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=Lime+Juicer&qid=1624494375&sr=8-7
Also, we bought our outdoor furniture at the end of the season when it goes on clearance. You don’t have has many options to pick from but for me the trade off of getting a good deal was worth it. We lives in the states so I’m not sure if they put things on clearance like that there or not.
Posted by: Aimee | June 24, 2021 at 01:30 AM
I really enjoyed this story of your staycation week and those summery flowery pictures are beautiful.
I'd love it if you would do a post about the food you pack for your picnics, I love the idea of picnicking but I get all anxious about the food, overthink it, make it way more difficult than it needs to be and so cancel the whole idea.
cheers Kate
Posted by: kate | June 24, 2021 at 12:03 AM
Thanks for a truly wonderful blog, yours words are so descriptive and I always feel like I’ve been on your journeys with you!! You’ve a real way with words and as I can’t string a sentence together I’m always in awe of anyone who transports me, so keep the blogs coming they are appreciated. Sending love to you and your family xxx
Posted by: Heather Bentley | June 23, 2021 at 11:41 PM
So glad you had a lovely holiday with your family, it brings such pleasure. I too had a wonderful surprise as my son and youngest granddaughter came to stay for a couple of days from Huntingdon, near Cambridge. I live near Leeds in Yorkshire. I hadn't seen them since last August and I can't express how happy I was to be able to cuddle them both. Wishing you many happy cocktail hours in the yarden this summer.
Posted by: Gillian Compigne-Leaney | June 23, 2021 at 10:47 PM
Makes me crave a visit to England even more. Every post of yours that I read, I add another little town to the list! Thanks for these lovely posts.
Posted by: Karen | June 23, 2021 at 10:44 PM
Hmmmm I love a summer cocktail! My favourite is Gin & elderflower. Unfortunately it's still miserably winter down here in Kangarooland. But your beautiful summery photos have warmed me up! I also have a long, leggy, adulty child at home. 20 yrs old. Works, does his own thing but still comes and chats with me. One day he will fly the coop but for now (after getting thru those grumpy teen years) I really enjoy his occasional company! So I'm soaking up every precious minute! :) xox
Posted by: Louise | June 23, 2021 at 10:36 PM
I really enjoy reading your posts Lucy and looking at all your photographs. You live in a really beautiful part of the country and your life sounds so relaxed and simple. So nice. I'm looking forward to the next one!
Posted by: Eileen Lees | June 23, 2021 at 10:18 PM
The long light evenings are glorious aren't they. And your staycation sounds lovely. The backyard is looking good - I have a very dodgy bench that is probably no longer safe to sit on, but as you say, garden furniture is pricey. What I really want are a couple of steamer chairs, but they cost a fortune and really, when would I ever have the time to lounge around on them?! Snapdragons are brilliant, I love watching the bees open them up and push their way in. And yours is a very good colour. Still waiting for my orange sweet peas here, unless the pinky red ones I picked yesterday are it. CJ xx
Posted by: CJ | June 23, 2021 at 10:14 PM
I actually went looking because I was sure you had three not-so-little people, I should have just read the next paragraph!! :o) Also, what happened to Connievan?
Posted by: Gemma | June 23, 2021 at 09:52 PM
Wow Lucy I enjoyed that walk! 😆 absolutely beautiful pictures and words, I felt as if I was walking along side of you. You see things so magically, I LOVE the willow sculpture too. Xx
Posted by: Christine Summerhill | June 23, 2021 at 09:42 PM
Lovely to catch up Lucy. So glad you enjoyed your Staycation, and feel energised. Hope it rubs off! Thanks for sharing - much appreciated.
Take care
Dawn x
Posted by: Dawn | June 23, 2021 at 09:34 PM
Always enjoy reading your posts. Love your little backyard space with your lounge chair. Also love your chrochet.
Posted by: Carol Birl | June 23, 2021 at 09:29 PM