Yesterday it rained aaaallllllllll day without stopping and so assuming we would most likely have the same kind of stormy wet weather today we made no plans. A Sunday with no plans is actually a rather blissful thing in my opinion - going to sleep on a Saturday night knowing that there will be no beep-beep-beep of the alarm clock and that you are at liberty to sleep as long as your mind and body needs is such an underrated luxury.
I actually woke up quite early (6am) but as soon as I remembered the no-plan-plan I quickly closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift back into a light sleep, oh....so good! I truly value my ability to do this, I used to think that everyone could take themselves back off to sleep after waking but I know that J absolutely can't. As soon as he wakes he is WIDE awake and usually gets up straight away. Me, I can snooze like a pro.
I eventually got up around 8 am and when I opened the curtains imagine my delight when I spied bright blue skies - yay, happy, happy me!!! J and I had a quick chat about what to do with this unexpected gift of a fine-weather day and decided it would be lovely to take a walk at Bolton Abbey. So we ran the idea by the Little Peeps, popped some croissants into the oven to warm for breakfast and gently got ourselves ready to head out.
Bolton Abbey now has a ticket booking system in place so that you choose a specific car park and a time slot to arrive as a way to avoid the pathways becoming too congested. There is also a one-way system around the more narrow footpaths which took some getting used to at first (isn't it funny how walking "backwards" along a route that you are so used to feels very strange?!). I'm really grateful that we have such lovely places to walk within a short 20 minute drive, especially when you just want something easy-peasy. Easy paths, minimal mud, and essential refreshment stops to sweeten the whole affair. Count me in!
The river was extremely high and fast flowing after a pretty wet week, and the sound of it rushing over the rocks was surprisingly loud. I love it when it's like this, it feels like there is an almost palpable energy in the air when the river runs at speed. It doesn't quite speak to my soul in the same way that the sea does, but it's not a bad second best.
We had such a beautiful morning walk, the pathways were quiet and the sunshine was warm on my face which made me feel ridiculously happy.
We chatted and laughed our way around the riverside (it's about a 2 hour round route) and even Little B reluctantly admitted that he was enjoying the walk after making a big dramatic song and dance about not wanting to come when we set off. His shoes felt all wrong apparently, which is a pretty big deal when you are ten.
We treated ourselves to drinks from the Strid café when we finished the walk - bottles of cloudy lemonade for the Little Peeps and cappuccinos for J and I. It was warm enough to still be able to sit outside (although a little damp on the nether regions) and I thought to myself as I sat there in the midday sun that early Autumn doesn't feel half bad.
We arrived home around 1 pm and I set about making the dinner as it needed a four hour cook time in the slow cooker. I picked out a favourite chicken recipe from my slow cooker book which is extremely easy to make with very simple ingredients but tastes amazing. The addition of pearl barley into a basic chicken stew is genius, it's such an old fashioned ingredient somehow but adds a delicious texture and really helps to thicken the stew.
Incidentally, I've had this little recipe book for years, it's my go-to for slow cooker recipes and I can highly recommend it. Every recipe I've tried has been amazing - easy ingredients, fantastic flavours and it never fails to give us a great family meal.
It's called "Easy Slow Cooker" by Ryland Peters and Small, you can find it on Amazon ((HERE))
The recipe called for a tablespoon of fresh herbs, so I pootled out into the back yard to pick some rosemary and thyme (rather straggly looking thyme bush pictured above). It's all looking a bit bedraggled out there to be honest, but I did notice (with rather a huge amount of joy) that my miniature Christmas Tree from last year is looking very healthy and quite a lot taller than it was in January, yipppeee!!!! I'll try and remember to photograph it to show you - I ordered it from Bloom&Wild last year, it was one of those fabulous ones that somehow manages to get packed into a box and posted through the letterbox - yes, really, a real living christmas tree in a box! It came with a pretty pot, miniature decorations and twinkly lights and everything.....hang on, let me see if I can find more details to show you....
.... here you go....click ((HERE)) to see what I mean - I chose the Party Time tree. I'm so excited to bring it indoors again in December :)
Having the Sunday dinner in the slow cooker was really pretty wonderful, the delicious aromas wafted right through the house throughout the afternoon and even Little B came downstairs and said that dinner smelt amazing. It gave me the chance to sit down on the sofa for an hour this afternoon knowing that I only had to make time to cook potatoes and green veggies.
I did a little more sock knitting, I'm working on the heel flaps now which use straight needles, and it'll soon be time for me to perform some knitty magic when I miraculously turn the heels. It never ceases to amaze me, I have absolutely no idea how a heel turn actually works, but the instructions somehow make it happen. Unless you are drinking gin and tonic at the same time, and trust me on this, it's all a bit uncertain then.
I waited until 4pm to light the fire as it wasn't really all that cold this afternoon, but we are in that first-fire-of-the-season giddy phase where having the open fire feels really special after so many months without it. It did feel very cosy sitting with my knitting and feeling the warmth from the fire. It's one of the very best things about Autumn.
Hmmm......it still seems to be Summer on my mantel though, I must make time to faff around up there and make the switcheroo over to Autumn. Time to dig around in the cupboard of doom for the crochet pumpkins and Autumnal guff.
Well it's 8pm now and I've got a few jobs to do to get ready for tomorrow. Then I think I'm going to tuck up cosy in bed for a while with a cup of tea and a magazine, a gentle end to a lovely slow Sunday.
I hope you've had a fabulous day full of simple pleasures.....see you tomorrow (daily blogging is feeling oh-so-good!)
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