A Quiet Week

Hello, hello, how are you all doing this week? Things here in the Attic are the usual mixture of ordinary family life and familiar routines interspersed with bursts of creativity, which is how things generally tick along for me these days. Despite the ordinariness of it all it's still a pleasure for me to string together some photos to share snippets of my days with you, so thank you as always for calling in to visit. 

Last week we had snow! I know, it was very strange to see snow falling at the start of spring but sadly not unheard of here in the north of England. I learnt many years ago when I first moved here not to expect any spring warmth until the very end of April at least.

J and I were out on our usual early morning walk and the park looked so, so wintry, it was one degree so most definitely more winter than spring. The trees which line the pathway in the above photo are cherry trees which flower quite late in the season and I absolutely can't wait for the blossom to arrive. You can see photos of them from two years ago at the end of April (here) so hopefully not too much longer to wait.

I had to share the above photo with you as it made me laugh at the time - it was the same freezing snowy morning and a certain Little Somebody did not want to go out in the cold and walk to school in the snow. This was his "I'm not leaving the house" protest, and quite honestly I know exactly how he felt. I think we all have those mornings from time to time where we wish we could simply wrap up in a yarny blanket and stay home.

The kitty had the right idea - make the most of a sunny patch where a crochet blanket provides the perfect level of snuggly comfort. I absolutely love love love her little kitty feet, she has a mixture of colours on her paw pads, mostly black and brown but it's her back right foot that I love the most. This foot has the cutest pink pads (Little Lady calls them toe beans, which always makes me laugh). Such a sweet, comforting thing to see them all stretched out in the sunshine.

After the snowy weather, spring started to peep back in to our days again although it remained ever so chilly. I don't often walk out on a Saturday morning because I usually enjoy having a slow start before we head into town to the market. But on this last Saturday when I was sitting in bed drinking my coffee, I noticed a golden glow outside the window and realised that the sun was just coming up. The light looked irresistibly golden and beautiful so I made a snap decision to go and chase the rising sun - oh, it was SO worth it!

If you remember back when I introduced my Meadow Blanket to you in 2020, the meadow field is about five minutes walk from my house and has become a place where I'm often drawn to walk when I need to clear my head or feel some sense of calm.

Right now in very early spring the meadow is still pretty muddy and uninspiring and it seems impossible to believe that in only a few months from now it will be absolutely filled with flowers. The blackthorn trees are in flower in the hedges but other than that, there is no sign of the floral goodness that I know will come. Mother Nature really is astonishing, don't you think?

In the bottom corner of the meadow field there is a little gap in the hedge where you can access the canal. This is the opposite side to the paved towpath where most people walk and it's a just a narrow, muddy footpath but it's always nice and quiet and makes a nice return walk home for me.

I always smile to myself when I catch sight of the above sign nailed to the tree there - "PLEASE SLOW DOWN" - heehee, well of course it's for the boats (there are two swing bridges up ahead to slow down for) but I can't help but take heed of the message. Okaaaaaay then, time to slow the pace and take it gently, after all, it's the weekend and there's no real rush.

Saturday mornings are one of my favourites of the whole week, and I've often talked about it here on my blog. The morning is for walking into town with J to buy food at the street market and independent shops, followed by a stop at one of our favourite little cafés for breakfast on the way home. It's a simple thing really, but it ticks so many of my feel-good boxes and always makes me feel very grateful for this life that belongs to me. It's not glamorous or exciting, but there is a lot to be said for spending happy time with your other half enjoying simple pleasures.

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned it, but I grew up in a family where only my Mum worked and we existed on a very low income which meant continuous money worries. My Mum planned the weekly food shop to the penny with simple meals all made from scratch on a very tight budget. Eating and drinking out was never a thing I experienced growing up, except on very rare occasions. If you have grown up like this, I can tell you the memory of the hardship never leaves you. Now as an adult I can afford this luxury and I have a genuine gratitude and appreciation for the fact that I can eat out regularly and enjoy a daily coffee at a lovely café. I feel so, so lucky!! Every single Saturday I feel lucky beyond even being able to put it into words, it's a deep feeling I get right into the very bottom of my stomach.

My Saturday afternoons are usually slow, leisurely things. It's a time when as a family we all seem to be busy doing our own thing - we are usually all at home but mostly occupying different parts of the house (the Little Peeps in their bedrooms and J usually in his computer den in the cellar). As it's a rarity for me to have the downstairs room to myself (well, shared with the kitty) I love, love, love settling down in the Big Chair to read, crochet or stitch. I really value peace and quiet and never listen to music or have the television on during the daytime. It's a lovely thing I think to simply enjoy the gentle sounds of the house going on around me - the ticking clock (I have a really satisfying ticky one on the wall in the sitting room), laughter or chatter from the kids online with friends, the low rumble of the washing machine. It's a peaceful domestic soundtrack which I've come to appreciate very much.

I decided on a whim that I fancied some slow stitching, my mood just felt like something slow and mindful. I settled on some embroidery - this really cute little wild violet design is one of the projects in the current Spring Craftpod. Oh, it was wonderful to stitch, very dainty using mostly just one strand of embroidery floss, and yes I definitely needed my glasses! 

Sunday mornings are made to be taken slowly and I really, really take full advantage. I'm usually awake quite early because during the past six months I've worked hard to establish a good sleep routine and this means I generally go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time each day, even on weekends. The difference on a Sunday is that I can extend the time I spend loafing around in bed, and goodness me, I absolutely adore being in bed! The sheer comfort of a cosy, slept-in, still-warm bed is hard to beat. I'm burning my favourite "Late Summer" soy wax melts from the Botanical Candle Company, although I've just ordered myself some Orange Blossom ones for spring so that I can save Late Summer for actual summertime.

On Sunday mornings it's not unusual for me to have two or three coffees in bed before I'm ready to get up and get ready for the day (only the first one is caffeine, I then switch over to decaff)....ahhhh, isn't it sometimes the ordinary little moments in life which deliver the most pleasure?

Above photo.... 9:09 am....

.....and two hours later we were sitting on the river beach at Bolton Abbey - ta-dah!!!

It was unplanned, but after a quick family chat about maybe heading out to walk somewhere seeing as the sun was shining after a very wintry week, we quite quickly managed to all get it together to go out. It's becoming more and more rare for us to have both Little B and Little Lady out walking with us at weekends so I really relish the times when it happens.

J and the kiddos spent most of our beach time skimming stones across the still surface of the river, while I occupied myself building a pebble tower, like you do. So satisfying to balance them just right.

I am always in "mummy-mode" when we go walking and never leave the house without a snack in my bag. Honestly, Little Lady turns 18 in a few weeks time and yet I still think I need to pack a snack for her. I need to get a grip. Mind you, she didn't complain when the chocolate egg came her way, so I'm letting myself off the hook with the over the top mothering. 

It was a lovely, fresh, sunny walk and I really enjoyed the family time. Got to make the most of it these days, because by the end of the month I'll have two adult teenagers, and only one child left.

I finished my embroidery on Sunday afternoon. Although the original project was for a sunglasses case, I decided to add in some herbs (these were given as an alternative design) and keep my embroidery in it's hoop as a little spring picture. I really love how it turned out......

.....ta-dah!! So, So sweet. As it happens, I have wild violets growing in one of my big back yard pots right now so I picked a couple for my photo just to be a bit extra. They're now popped into a teeny polka dot egg cup of water and sitting pretty on my mantel, and my sweet violet and herb hoop is hanging on the wall there too. I've not yet gone all out to decorate my mantel for Spring, mainly because it still feels so much like winter here, and also because I'm really, really enjoying my Winter Garland. Gosh that thing is so flippin' pretty, I adore it. I'll try and remember to take an updated mantel photo for you soon, and note to self, that dried out finished-up hyacinth bowl needs replacing (adding to my to-do list).

I mentioned at the start of this blog (waaaaaay back two thousands words ago) that I've had bursts of creativity recently, and I wish I had something better to show for it. I worked obsessively on my new blanket during the past few weeks, making and joining  around 24 complete squares before coming to a rather crushing halt. I realised that it just wasn't working quite as well as I'd hoped (my heart didn't soar when I looked at it) and so I decided to step away for a bit and try and decide whether to start over, or if maybe it might be OK once I've taken a breather. I'm really not sure right now which way it'll go, and I feel like I can't really show you at the moment until I'm sure of it myself. 

So that's about where I'm up to - life in the slow lane and I'm absolutely OK with that. I'm going away tomorrow, a solo journey on the train tracks down to Dorset for a short break to check in on my Dad. I'm hoping that when I come home that I can look at my blanket with fresh eyes and make a decision on how to go forward with it. In the meantime, I'm about to start work on a smaller crochet project which has spent far too long on the back burner, so that should keep me happy while I'm away from home. Fingers crossed for weather which is more spring-like down south, here's hoping.

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ps this second verse from John Masefiled's poem always sings in my head just before I go to the coast :

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

 

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

 

x

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Elizabeth]

So lovely to visit with you again! I've never seen a cherry tree in blossom, just pictures. It doesn't get cold enough here. Nor for lilacs, snowdrops or crocuses. I console myself with the Jacaranda trees that flower during May -- so beautiful! There are compensations everywhere, and beauty as well. You just have to look for it. Thank you for posting. I always feel at peace when I read your blog. Yours is a nice world to visit.

[Lee]

Dear Lucy, I can't adequately express how much I appreciate your posts,and the care you take to paint a vivid picture of your cozy little corner of the world for your readers. Your mindfulness of the wonder that is everyday life, and your gratitude for it, are an inspiration to me and your blog is a place I visit to be uplifted in spirit. I hope your visit to Dorset refreshes you in spirit and you return home with new ideas.

As someone else mentioned, the jewel tones are a departure from your usual choices; maybe a stained-glass treatment bordering them all with black or another unexpected color would work? Your embroidered violets stand out so nicely on the dark background.

[Suzie]

Such a happy life, enjoying and appreciating the everday. Thank you Lucy xx

[Nora McGrann]

Great blog again Lucy!
I hope you enjoy your stay with your Dad..

Always enjoy reading your blogs, with both the narrative plus all the gorgeous photos adding to them

That embroidery item is so sweet …the colours just ping!

Thank you as always..don’t forget to relax and enjoy!!

Nora 🌷🌷🌷🌷xx

[Barbara L]

Ah Lucy, what a lovely post. I really do enjoy hearing about your day to day life and share completely your feelings of gratitude for the simple pleasures. It is the smallest details that resonate with me. I too love to sit quietly without tv or radio during the day. Good to know I’m not the only one! Take care and keep up the good work, it’s wonderful x

[laura]

Dear Lucy, some very personal questions..how can you always be so happy to have your husband at home and make things together? mine is in smart working from pandemia and I am so stressed to have him at home... love & envy your complicity. Laura from Italy

[Geeha]

Having thought about the problem blanket project it is very different in hue from the palettes of colour you usually use. As we emerge into Spring is it too different from the colours we see around us that you love? It's good to have a challenge but do you need to be lifted and inspired by the clearer shades of SSK?

[Barbara]

A lovely mix of creativity and prettiness. Love the violets against the dark background. Children even in adulthood are never too old to spoil. I feel you will be carrying treats in that bag for many years to come. Have a lovely trip to Dorset and I’m sending sunshine your way. B x

[Geeha]

Thank you again for letting us join you in enjoying a simple life. Like you we had simple food and couldn't eat out in my childhood, I have my late mother on my shoulder saying "Can you afford that?" but have learnt not to let her spoil my enjoyment. Hope you find your father well and enjoy Bridport. We returned to the Midlands to be near our sons after living for 14 years in Weymouth to be with my late parents and miss the sea, I learnt that poem at primary school

[Johanna]

So lovely that in this time of world being what it is you point out the sane way of being. The mindful acknowledgement of the ordinary, but absolutely lovely life, at the same time recognising that we who share in your luck in safety and relative financial security are the lucky ones in the world. Love your blog posts and your colourful world

[Jan Magor]

Lucy, thank you for making the ordinary so appealing. What a wonderful part of the world you live in. Thanks for sharing your world with 'the world'
Happy Easter to you and your family/

[Beth in Maryland]

Hi Lucy - I wonder if you are familiar with the song version of “Sea Fever”? Hi I recommend Bryn Terfel’s recording- so beautiful. I have it on CD but perhaps you can find it on You Tube. Thanks for a wonderful post - as always. I hope you have a lovely visit with your Dad!

[Tammy]

Thank you for your post and lovely pictures! The colors of your embroidery project are so pretty! I recognized your lines from the poem about the sea as our younger daughter had to memorize it for school :)

[Norma]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Lucy.
It's very calming & heart-warming to follow your journey with your family, crochet and environment.
Have a lovely time with your father and a very Happy Easter xx

[Trish]

So many wonderful moments and tidbits of wisdom in this post. I giggled at you bringing snacks for the "littles" who aren't so little. I have a friend whose kids range from 17 to 10 and she does the same for walks, watching siblings do sports etc. She will even pack me a snack if I'm joining the family. It feels quite nice to be on the receiving end of that, so no wonder your little lady didn't object.

[Maypole]

A lovely blog post, embroidery is gorgeous. Your description of the hardships growing up and life now,could have been written by me. I never take good fortune for granted. Enjoy your trip away.

[Susan]

What a lovely post Lucy & I felt as though I was sitting there with you whilst telling me about your week. Love the photos (as usual)and the violets are lovely. Is it the colours in the new project worrying you or the pattern? Do hope you have a nice visit with your Dad. Take care & hugs from down under.

[Hedy]

Lovely post, thank you. I am transported to Yorkshire as I read what you have been doing. I long for a community similar to yours instead of this asphalt jungle I live in. Ah well…..

[Sharon Sellens]

Thank you Lucy, can you please send my love to your Dad when you see him? I've not met up with him for years but he was missed and mentioned at Aunty Betty's funeral this week ♥ Sharon xx

[CJ]

Gorgeous embroidery, and as always I love your joy in the simple things. I still always pack all the snacks. Can't risk a teenager turning grumpy on me :) I love when the sun comes round into the living room in the morning and the dog comes and lies in the sun. It is the very definition of bliss, he actually sighs with the ecstasy of it. I hope you have a lovely trip to Dorset and that you solve your crochet problem. I know you will, but I hope it comes fairly easily for you. CJ xx

[Tineke]

Yes to the sea poem. Miss the sea. Love your post, slow life and snow is a perfect combination.

[Teresa]

Thank you Lucy for sharing your blog posted with us all. O the joy i get reading about your life and family. Have a wonderful few days visiting your dad i hope you find him in good health. I can't believe your lille ladys going to be 18th