November Days

We went out today, myself, J and Little B, into the grey drizzle of a cold Sunday morning. First stop was coffee in town, a fairly new routine for us on a Sunday and one that I am heavily endorsing. It's just such a pleasure - family time to enjoy a hot frothy drink, and to chat about all sorts of random things. Sometimes I find myself totally surprised by my Little People growing into Big People. They are opinionated and articulate, ready to argue, debate and discuss, and often times I just can't get over the Bigness of their personalities. When exactly did their Littleness disappear?

After coffee we walked along the canal, not just our usual stretch but on beyond the centre of town to the outskirts. We walked for about a mile and a half before stepping off the tow path to go and buy some groceries. We are very lucky in our town to have two main supermarkets very close to the centre so they are very accessible on foot. We also have an Aldi which is further out, and this is where we went to shop today. I only buy certain products in Aldi, so I tend to go around the aisles and cherry-pick the specific things that I know I like and are good value. Extra virgin olive oil is one such product - this has become so, so expensive in the mainstream supermarkets now, so it's worth shopping elsewhere for it. Plus it was good exercise and an easy, un-muddy walk for us to take while the ground remains very, very wet.

On the way home we stopped briefly to watch this lady feeding the pigeons, she was completely surrounded by them and it seemed to me such a lovely scene unfolding in front of me. Often times when I'm out and about I can somehow view my life as though it's not real, like seeing it as a painting or a scene from a film. It's hard to explain the feeling, it's like a sort of visual detachment, and it's really rather beautiful at times. 

Yesterday was also wet and grey and J and I were in town quite early to shop at the market. One of my lovely US blog readers asked me a little while ago if I could show you what the market looks like, so I took a few rainy snaps to give you an idea. It's a street market which means it's linear, with stalls set up on both sides of our very wide main high street.

I found a really cool video on YouTube taken with a drone, showing you the town centre where I live, with the church and castle sitting proudly at the top. You can view the video ((here)), it's only 2 minutes long. You'll be able to see the road, but also notice that as well as the pavements there are wide cobbled "setts" along both sides of the road which are used for car parking and give space for the stalls to set up on market days.

We've stopped to buy free range eggs and locally produced dry cured bacon, and now we've crossed over the road and are on the other side. It's time for our fruit and veg....

....it's always a pleasure to shop in this way, buying from local small businesses and supporting our street market which has been here for hundreds of years.

After our Saturday shop we go for breakfast on our way home, always to the same little café which is strung with fairy lights and plays the sort of music you imagine would be playing in a Parisian café. It's charming and down to earth in here, and the coffee is extremely good.

I always eat a lot of fruit every day and enjoy seeing what's seasonal at the market. At the moment I'm loving these Russet apples, they have a very distinctive sweet flavour which is unlike any other apple. They are quite old fashioned I suppose and you don't generally see them for sale in mainstream supermarkets, so it's lovely to have them while they're in season. They go really well with thin slices of mature cheddar - a regular afternoon snack for me at the moment.

Also in season right now - pomegranates, oh, happy days!!! I AdOrE these exotic fruits and honestly get such a kick out of spending slow, quiet time taking them apart at the kitchen sink and popping out the jewel-like seeds.

Absolutely beautiful, in every way.

I can eat pomegranate seeds by the handful at any time of day, but this week I've really been enjoying them on my breakfast. A generous helping of Greek style yoghurt, drizzled with honey and topped with a little nutty granola, sliced banana, blueberries and pomegranate jewels. Delicious.

J and I continue our morning walk routine and have managed to go every day this past week. Five days out of seven it's been grey, dull and drizzly, but On Friday I was so happy to wake to clear skies - what a welcome change.

The clear skies made a huge difference to the light levels and at 7.15 it was no longer dark. I so wish we had more November days like this instead of the near constant grey wet weather we've been enduring.

I am making a great effort not to let the weather get me down, and I take myself out of the house by myself to walk every single day, even in the rain. There is always beauty to be found out there, and not a day goes by when I don't feel inspired to stop for a moment and capture something on my camera.

The dull wet weather has made the house feel even more cosy than usual, and the twinkly lights stay on all day long. I can really recommend these warm white lights on delicate copper wire, they take standard AA batteries (we use rechargable ones) and best of all they are on a timer so that they switch off by themselves after eight hours, which is so clever I think. They bring such a comforting twinkle into the house on these dull days and I wouldn't be without them.

Flowers in the house this week are these chrysanths and they are sooooo pretty. So cheap to buy at this time of year (this bunch was £3) and they stay looking great for ages. I think the last bunch I had (the dark pinky-red ones with yellow centres) lasted over two weeks

They bring such a lot of cheer into the room, I really do love having a jug of simple flowers in the house and it's not often my table is without them.

Tilly loves the cosy season when we are snuggled in blankets and she gets to drape herself all over us, she loves our company and honestly I love hers too. The weight and warmth of a soundly sleeping kitty on your legs is just the nicest thing.

Bringing colour into these grey November days is vital to my wellbeing, and my current Sungold yarn palette is doing a fantastic job. On Friday I sat at Coopers café and crocheted some simple flowers, what a joyful few hours that was. They are a bit misshapen and curly looking at the moment but once I've given them a little steam treatment they'll be ready for their photo shoot. I'm going to use them to showcase the full Sungold colour palette on Tuesday - only two more sleeps!!! Eeeeeep, I'm pretty excited to talk to you about this blanket and show you more of my inspiration photos. I hope you're ready for lots and lot of flowers, garden views, flowers and more flowers. Alllllllll the flowers. That'll cheer up an average November Tuesday, I'm really looking forward to it.

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Comments

[CJ]

Egremont Russets are lovely aren't they. I have squeezed a little tree in here so we have a few in a good year, although sadly none this year for some reason. The new blanket is lovely, and the garden you used for inspiration is just wonderful. Love your mantel as well, especially the pinks, I really like pink in autumn and winter for some reason. CJ xx

[Helen Mathey-Horn]

Love the cat on your legs. Mine decided she wanted to sit on my lap which meant I had to stop winding the center pull ball of yarn I was doing by hand and pet her instead, lol. She is a nice lump of warm so I didn't mind too much. :) Looking forward to your new project.

[Mary Ann]

Lucy,
Thanks for sharing that drone info...such a wonderful look at your town. I felt as if I was almost visiting in person!
Sending Greetings,
Mary Ann from sunny and cold New Jersey, USA

[Charlotte M.]

I never tire of walking with you through the beautiful area in which you live. I know you sometimes feel it's redundant, but it's not. each journey out is different in the way it feels and looks. Thank you so much for taking us along. I am finally working the border on my Yuletide blanket, which I began two years ago. Life really got in the way of that one. Also I am teaching one of my grandsons and my granddaughter to crochet, at their request. This should be interesting.

[Peggy]

Your little neighborhood feels like a piece of heaven. I walk everyday around our little neighborhood,however I don’t live close to coffee shops and town. We are just entering winter season here in 🇨🇦. Canada . Have a wonderful day

[Joelle]

Oooh, I spotted your hill at the beginning of the video! I love hearing about your walks, and seeing your stunning photos. I've often marvelled at how you seem to have the best of both worlds, living in a beautiful town where you can walk to the shops etc along your pretty canal, and then have such gorgeous places to walk in fabulous countryside only a little further afield. We live in rural Carmarthenshire which is lovely, but even the "local" shops are a ten minute car journey away (and buses few and far between).

[Pamela]

What delightful pictures and a lovely glimpse into your life across the pond! So enjoyed this post!Thank you for sharing! I am in Tennessee, USA. It's 6:11 am here and 54 °F. A little windy and a cold. It will take time to get used to the cooler weather. It's cloudy out. Hopefully, the sun will come out later and warm it up here. I look forward to your flower posts tomorrow! Love your colors! Have a blessed day!!

[Beverley]

Very much looking forward to seeing the sungold flower palette for your new CAL. You always choose such lovely colours.
I have just been reading about Skipton market and I can see why you love it so much.

[Femke]

My first thought after seeing the photo of the lady feeding the pigeons, was that it reminded me of the Bird Woman in the Mary Poppins movie. And then you write you sometimes view your life as being in a movie! So yes, I can totally see that :) Thank you for sharing your colourful life in this grey November weather. Makes me happy every time.

[Val]

Thank you so much for bringing so much warmth and colour into my life today. It’s made me determined to look for it more in the ordinary everyday of life ❤️

[Susan]

Your posts are a blessing..when I feel down, they lift me up. Beautiful work. Thank you 😊

[Kristine S]

The video of Skipton floored me! Here was I thinking it was a small village, not such a big town! It looks about as big as my town, Hornsby in NSW, Australia 🇦🇺 😀 So glad you're getting OUT rather than SAD! Keep up the keeping 'up'❣️❤️🥰👌

[Sandra]

So lovely to read how you've spend your weekend.

[Margaret Huntone]

Any day spent visiting the Attic is a good day for me, regardless of the weather there or here in Michigan, even and maybe especially when there is a sad time to share because giving a bit of empathy and support to a friend is as helpful as getting it.

[Sue]

Someone once told me “ don’t judge your day by the weather” and I try to remember this, particularly on grey, boring looking days. I try to think about some positives…like rain drops on leaves, how good the rain is for the garden ( especially after weeks without any) birds seeking shelter from rain under my eaves, & singing. Constant wet days get to be a drag, but if I’m staying home, I can always crochet more ..

[Mikki Ogle]

It's the highlight of my days to accompany you on your walks! I so appreciate the time you take to take us with you. This next CAL will be heavenly. I'm already so sick of the grey dreary-ness. I'm staying here this year; usually I go in my travel trailer to Arizona sunshine for the winter. This year, I'm staying on the Oregon Coast, hoping to get my hip replacement done. Thanks again for your lovely jaunts!

[Kathry Grimshaw]

Beautiful photos Lucy. Very familiar and well loved ( we visit Skipton most weeks).
It was funny to hear you mention buying your extra virgin olive oil from Aldi…..I did just the same from our local Aldi on Friday evening! 😊
My husband loves their chocolates so I picked up some truffles as well!
Thank you for the lovely post, I really enjoy your commentary. Xx

[LynW]

We too are stuck in a cool drizzley week here in the North Island of NZ...November should be bringing some welcome consistent warmth and sunshine after an upsy downsy Spring; but the garden is burgeoning with new life and spring foliage and after this downpour will grow and set fruit and away we will go into playing catch up with it all.
Nature is grand all told.
Love the pics of the market and your outlying town walks...
PS: you ‘sound’ more settled in yourself...🙂

[Charlotte]

You and J nurtured your little people into the articulate, independent people they are today - congratulations to you both!
I know just what you mean about suddenly seeing yourself in your life as in a film, it happens to me and it feels really strange - though as you say, not in a bad way. Cx

[Veronica Howard]

Such beautiful pictures and the crochet flowers look great. Thank you

[Jane]

I understand that grey days are hard for lots of people, but I think of them as an opportunity to cozy up! And it smells so good!!!! We are in a drought here in the middle of the US, and I really miss the rainy days! And how about your flowers!!!! Oh my, how beautiful :) Love your blog, feel like we are chatting. Sending love, sweet Lucy!