Blogtober 2023 :: Day 24

Blogtober Day 24 :: Tuesday

Back into routine today, J and I ventured out into the gloomy semi-darkness at 7am for our constitutional walk along the canal, through the park and around the hilly streets of our neighbourhood. It's a good, heathy routine and one that I really value - even in the drizzle it gives me energy and makes me feel good.

I'd arranged to meet a friend for coffee in town at 9.30 which is always enjoyable, I had a rather delicious flat white which absolutely hit the spot that needed hitting this morning. I walked home with a spring in my step, coming along the canal from the top of town and not even minding the rain too much.

My next door neighbour's small cherry tree is putting on it's autumn colour show, so every time I walk up and down our front steps I get to enjoy it. Our terraced houses only have teeny-tiny front gardens, but I love that some of my neighbours have planted trees. We have our butterfly bush planted close to the house, but I do love the idea of a having a small, decorative tree that does things all year round. Blossom/flowers and then pretty leaves/berries/fruit would be wonderful. I shall investigate the possibilities.

While I was in town I stopped at the post office to buy a couple of postcards. I had the idea that I could send them to my Dad, partly to let him know I'm thinking of him, but also in the hope that he might have a glimmer of recognition. He used to love visiting me in the spring time and enjoyed walking along the canal.

I wanted to buy myself some flowers today, but at this time of year there isn't really a lot of choice, well not flowers that I particularly like all that much. Lots of roses, and also Alstromeria which for some reason just doesn't float my boat. In the end I settled for a cheap and cheerful bunch of Chrysanths - this deep red colour is very seasonal and I know they will look good on my table for ages.

I lit a candle to beat off the late afternoon gloom, it's gingerbread scented and was a birthday gift (thank you Sarah ♥). Within half an hour it had filled the room with the most glorious aroma and the house smelt like a fragrant bakery. Little B came home from school and asked what that delicious smell was, had I been baking biscuits? I had to tell him that it was my scented candle and not some mouth watering after school snack, oh, his face literally dropped! And now of course I want to be That Mother, the one who bakes fresh cookies for after school sustenance and makes her child deliriously happy.

4.20pm and I'm making a mad dash out in the drizzle because I forgot to buy the bloomin' coriander. The air was rich with the scent of wood smoke from the canal boats, so cosy and evocative of rural town living.

Fresh coriander in the house, and all is well. I made a coconut curry for dinner, I've been making this recipe for well over twenty years and it's a firm family favourite. I make my own green curry paste which is utterly divine - onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, lime, coriander and salt..mmmmmmmm.....it's wonderfully fragrant. The paste is mixed with coconut milk, a little fish sauce and a large chopped tomato so you get that delicious sweet/sour combo mixed with the creamy coconut. I used large prawns for the protein today as they were on offer in the supermarket, but this recipe also works well with chicken. It's a sloppy curry, so I serve it in large bowls with with rice and some warm naan bread. Pure comfort food for a grey, drizzly day.

Speaking of comfort, just look at this kitty, living her best life. There is a radiator behind the sofa, so she knows exactly where to hang out at certain times of the day when the heat is rising. 

I'm sat in bed chatting to you this evening, and still running with the comfort theme I've got fresh clean bedding aaaaaand the first hot water bottle of the season. My toes are toasty warm and I am snuggled up with blankets, so a lovely end to a cosy, comforting day.

Thanks as always for dropping by - seven more days of Blogtober left, it's flying by don't you think? Tell me about your day, have you had some comforting moments? I do really hope so.

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Comments

[Susa]

love reading your blogs….please don’t stop.

[PCD]

A few years back, I was in a thrift store and saw a cheerful striped pitcher that I took a great liking to as a vase. I thought - "this looks SO Lucy" - and even though our senses of style are very different, I loved it. Onto my dining table it went, and there's always a cheap bunch of flowers in it. A few weeks after getting it, I was reading your blog, and no wonder the pitcher reminded me of you - yours and mine are identical! I always smile to myself when I see it on the table because of that!

So glad you got everything with your dad squared away, and it IS a relief, isn't it? Love your blog and your friendly chats although they only make my Anglophilia worse! And a huge THANK YOU because I absolutely HAD to have your original granny stripe, and I taught myself crochet just so I could make it. And never looked back, of course!

[Susan]

Lovely post and I'm on constant catchup as your current posts won't appear on my side bar any more & I also can't comment on many blogs or keep mine updated. Must be getting old..... and we also need to update some technology & get help on using it. Thanks for being you & an inspiration to us bloggers. Take care & hugs from down under.

[Peggy]

Today I am nestled on the sofa. I have been fighting a bug for a few days. It is giving me some time to do some hand sewn Christmas ornaments. I make them every year for family and friends. Enjoy your day.

[Katie]

I’ve very much enjoyed your blogtober posts Lucy. We are headed home from a few days away today. We stopped in Shaftsbury overnight and I was so excited this morning to find the Botanical Candle Co in the town! I’d purchased online from them when you’d mentioned the Quiescent candle which was lovely.
Today I bought a First Light (Eucalyptus and great for the colder months) and a Half Light (clementine and clove and wonderfully Christmassy!). I’m so exited to try them over the Winter months.

[Marjorie Sanderson]

Hello Lucy So glad you are feeling better and able to get back into your normal routine. Lovely idea to send the postcards to your Dad, he will love getting them in the post lets him know you are thinking of him and hopefully bring back some memories. You asked about our days well the usual stuff but I am working on my Spring Frost Blanket I have chosen yarn I had in my stash and it is all Autumn colours the pattern is lovely and the colours look great like you I don’t like dark nights or mornings, but doing my crochet and other hobbies does help.
Hope you continue to feel better each day and do things that lift your soul and spirits. Take care. It looks lovely where you live always enjoy your photos.

[Veronica Howard]

My little granddaughter has discovered the joys of crochet blankets as she piles mine up on the floor and then snuggles into them . And has wonderful games

[Norma]

Pleased to hear that "normal" service has resumed at Attic24!
Lovely to see 'Aria' raise her head again- mine is still a favourite 😍 Take care xx

[Angela]

I'm having a much needed comforting moment at the moment after running errands all day today! Husband is in the kitchen cooking dinner and I'm sitting on the couch watching the Great British Bake Off with a cuppa in hand 🫖 I've been having the urge for a while for a nice easy and relaxing crochet blanket to make for that extra comfort in the evenings. I'm just deciding on which one to make!

It's lovely to hear you had a spring in your step today! Take care of yourself. Angela 😊 ❤️

[Maypole]

I hope your dad enjoys the postcards, it's a good idea.
I made my sister a photo book with old and recent family photos, easier to handle than loose photos.

[Brandy]

Lucy, I’ve been really enjoying reading your blog posts in the evenings! I’m sure going to miss it once October is over :)) It’s like coming home to a dear friend after a long day of work. I wish I knew people like you! You are so much like me - very creative, a peaceful introverted soul who adores all things nature. I’m so happy that your Dad is all settled in and that you are finding some solace. I’ve started on my very first Attic24 blanket — I’ve chosen the starbright color stripe and I must say I am enjoying the comfort that it brings to me with each new stripe x

[Jackie Farrow]

Lovely reading when I woke up this morning, Perth Western Australia time. Yesterday I took my 36 yr old daughter to visit my knit group leader because has made this wonderful reading room. I knew my daughter N would love it and she did. We sat outside with a cuppa and talk about the house, it’s age and the design work that’s been done on it. N mentioned she loves art deco so we went for a walk to see some art deco houses. In this area we saw 3 plus some other beautiful homes and gardens. Afterward we headed to IKEA, lunch time and walk around looking, I spent $120, oops! We then drove up to collect her son from school. Was a lovely day indeed.

[Jenny]

Oh, your day looks colourful and idyllic! No such luck here in Melbourne Australia where my usually lovely haven of peace and tranquillity is in upheaval prior to building works tomorrow. As a neat freak, I find this particularly difficult.
Our living room (and telly, shock - horror!) will be unusable for a few days, so no cosy sofa to sit on (the kitchen bench will have to suffice), our spare bedroom and study are full of clothes and shoes from emptied-out wardrobes, and all my lovely quilts are off their display stand and piled on the bed. Our dining room is full of all the moved furniture, TV, music systems, speakers etc, and we will have wood shavings and plaster dust everywhere for a while :(
All I can do is look forward to restoring law and order next week…

[Steph]

It’s my mums 93rd birthday tomorrow, and as she’s going out for lunch then, I took her out today! It was grey, murky and wet as we drove to big garden centre a few miles away, but once inside it was lovely! We had an excellent lunch, my treat, then she bought lots of plants (still a very keen gardener) and a beautiful light but snuggly warm scarf cum shawl! She’s pretty good for 93, we get a few circular conversations, but overall she’s fine! So a pleasant day which we both enjoyed. Lunch was so good I had a couple of slices of bread and jam at 8:30pm!

[Charlotte]

I decided to make the most of, possibly, the best day of the week, and went to my favourite Burrow Hill. The whole of Shropshire was bathed in golden light; apart from the ragged black cloud over me. But it wasn't bad, a mixture of sunshine, showers and rainbows. I tried to rinse the mud off my boots in the little stream that runs through Hopesay, standing on the gravel bank by the side. But it wasn't a gravel bank, it was a thin covering of gravel on a very thick layer of mud, and I instantly sank in halfway up to my knees, only avoiding falling over completely by grabbing a holly branch...ouch! Not really a comfort moment, but amusing (in retrospect!)

[Corinna Mazzotta]

Struggling to find comfy, cosy moments at the moment. Awaiting the results of lots of tests for some health struggles, which I have a horrible feeling may just end up being put down to menopause. ☹️

Am exhausted but am also very busy, which today has included celebrating a friends 50th birthday with a meal at a mutual friend's house. That involved baking brownies, so my house has also been full of nice smells this afternoon.

Reading your Blogtober posts each day has been a lovely way of winding down and I'm currently tucked up in bed too. I'm really going to miss my daily dose of Attic life come November! So thank you for sharing with us.

[Debbi Robertson]

Ooo, love that postcard! And what a brilliant idea to share it with your dad. (I bet he'll recognise it in his heart, if nothing else.) Treated myself and my husband to a nice restaurant lunch after morning teeth cleaning appointments (doesn't that sound like fun!), then came home to a chilly house so have turned on the heat for the first time this fall. Ahhh, for toasty toes! You're probably counting down the days left in October, while I'm gently lamenting its passing. You've been so generous with your time and thoughts each day. Big hugs of thanks for that.

[Ruthie]

My comfort moments… a colleague making me a cup of Yorkshire tea when I was thirsty and run off my feet, tomato soup at tea time, knowing I have a good book to read, ready and waiting for me xxx

[Tineke]

A good curry is my go-to meal to make me warm and comfy. Love it.

[Madeleine]

My day:- Zoom Pilates, ironing, trying to finish but not enjoying The Song of Achilles in time for reading group meeting next Monday and enjoying the calming rhythm of working striped Yuletide blanket border, I’ve reached Round 2 working treble stitch in cheerful lipstick shade.

Great idea to send postcards to your Dad.

[Carolyn wood]

Love that curry must try it as we love curry too. Love your town it looks lovely.💖