Attic24

Circles of Sameyness

Here we are, two weeks into Lockdown 2.0, with two weeks still to go. Predictably my life is running in very small, samey circles of repetitive routine, but I find myself embracing it and feeling content for the most part. I am happy with my small life right now, because I am blessed with good health, my family are all safe at home (when 2/5th of them aren't at school) and we really have very little to worry about in our immediate day to day life. I appreciate how fortunate I am, I really do.

I am enjoying my walks to school in the morning with Little B, relishing our back and forth conversations as we make the half mile journey along the waters edge together.

Coming back into the warmth of the house after a very chilly school run this morning, I felt a rush of affection for the comfort of home. Blankets strewn across the sofa after Little B spent ten minutes snuggled up after eating his breakfast. Our house is never, ever tidy, in fact it's a downright mess most of the time, but there is always cheery colour and cosy comfort within these four walls.

This morning I folded and stacked some handknit socks which had been drying on the radiator, two pairs of J's and two of mine. I am so happy that I learnt to knit socks (five years ago), they bring a lot of pleasure into my life. I love the creative knitting part and I really love the fabulous wearing part, but also there is the extreme pleasure of the visuals they give me on the daily. I keep my socks in a small pile on a shelf next to my bed so that I can fully appreciate the sight of all those glorious woolly stripes. Eye candy, without a doubt.

I thought you might be missing pictures of my daily coffee, so here is today's offering.....a take away skinny latté from my wonderful little local indie coffee shop - needless to say I am a loyal customer and I couldn't appreciate them more. Luckily for me, I live within a very short walk of this wonderous place, so I get to enjoy my daily cup in the comfort of home.

J and are are still walking our daily walk each morning in all weathers. Sometimes I just enjoy it without taking photos but it's rare. I nearly always experience an overwhelming need to capture images, to preserve the memories.

I feel compelled to remember the day, the time, the weather, the colours, the wide vistas, the tiny details, and the feelings....

.....always the feelings. Walking gives me all the feels, it's an avalanche of emotions.

We had the most beautiful weather today, crisp, clear and oh-so-cold. It was glorious looking up above into the sunny, wide blue yonder!

More hours of work on my Meadow blanket design today, I'm currently on attempt number five and I think I might finally be there with my meadow meander. I want to get it just right, capturing that joyful feeling of being surrounded by so many beautiful flowers and tall grasses, but also the tranquillity that I experienced during my many walks in the meadow earlier this year. This colour story is very special I think, it has a calming, healing quality which feels really, really good. I can't wait to show you more next week.

More sameyness as I take off on my afternoon jaunt to collect Little B, pausing briefly to admire my hill view glowing in the low sun. No time to stop though, we only have minutes to get to the school gates, hurry down the hill and don't be late! It's the same every day.

The hyacinth scent has finally arrived and it is wonderful. It's not yet at the stage where it overpowers the room - you have to actively engage your face with the blooms to get a whiff, so all is peaceful on the home front. I just love love love having these flowers in the house at this time of year, they never fail to make November feel special.

Aside from the school runs and our daily woodland walk, I'm spending all day in our main living/dining room at the moment, sharing it with J as he works from home too. I move between the dining table, the sofa, the Big Chair and the fireside floor cushion, depending on what I'm doing and what time of day it is. It feels Ok I guess, we don't have much space and there is zero alone time but I am making the best of it because that's just the way it is.

Fairylights and flowers, snuggly socks and cosy blankets, favourite drinks and creative projects, gentle strolls and peaceful views. I hope you're doing OK in your own little circle, enjoying the small things that bring you pleasure. 

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November Light

Would you just LOOK at that sky???!!! Talk about forboding, I would have bet money on the imminent arrival of lashing rain, but nope, it never came. Not even a sniff of rain fell from those black clouds despite the glowering sight of them hanging over the hills for much of the day. I even wore my wellies just in case.

The light was spectacular in a very moody, threatening way.....

....and I had to keep apologising to J for stopping so many times to take photographs.

I never thought I would enjoy this late Autumn weather so much, but the high drama of it has been captivating. I found myself almost wishing for a humungous rain storm to descend upon us, just to feel the full force of the season upon my face. Wouldn't that be something?

But the storm remained in the distance and our walk was quiet and uneventful in the end. Just an hour out of the house to breathe in the outdoors and tramp along the muddy woodland pathways, a daily routine that I continue to be very thankful for.

I ate a late breakfast when I came home, a small bowl of oat porridge buried under a mound of fresh fruit. I honestly think this is my favourite meal at the moment (I have the same thing most days), I enjoy it so, so much. I have to try really hard not to wolf it down because every mouthful is just that good - eating more slowly and savouring my food is a habit I'm working on as I've always been a fast eater.

In fact, this year has taught me a lot about slowing down in many different ways, and I'm enjoying this life lesson very much. Slow. Down. It feels good to do so!

I've been working at the dining table today, finalising some last minute colour decisions for my Meadow blanket which is still a work in progress. The fifteen colours that I've chosen for this blanket are inspired by the colours of the wild flowers and grasses which grow in the meadow during the summer. They are soooooo lovely, and I am over the moon happy with the colour palette. It's the subtle way in which they play together which I'm fine tuning at the moment, there is a delicacy in the balance of the shades which needs careful handling when creating the stripe sequence. 

I am so so excited for this next blanket of mine, and can't wait to show you more.....

....not long to wait now.........it's almost time for the Meadow yarn packs to land in my shop. Squeeeeee!!!!!!

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Meadow Yarn packs will be coming next week on 24th November and I'll be sharing a full introduction to the blanket then. The Crochet-A-Long will start in January, so there should be plenty of time for you to gather in your yarn if you'd like to join me on a pretty meadow meander xxx

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Happy Little Things

♥ Leafy clementines are back in the supermarkets, yay for fruity seasonal rituals!

♥ I know they are more leaf than fruit, but oh, they are so sweet and juicy I can't resist them.

♥ A fresh bunch of baby chrysanths on my table this week.

♥ The colour was hard to capture on my camera, it's a delicious burnt orange in real life and the perfect shade for November.

♥ My new wellies arrived in the post and they are so beautifully pristine I don't want to get them muddy. This could be a problem.

♥ The kitty trying desperately to ignore me, just look how superior she looks!! She was sulking because I'd turfed her off my lap when she was all nicely settled. What a horrid, mean Human I am.

♥ Flapjacks baked for the Little People with some giant chocolate buttons for extra good luck. They approved of the chocolate addition.

♥ The three o'clock departure for the school run and I know I shall miss it when it's no longer a part of my day. By my reckoning, I've got around one hundred and forty three days left.

♥ I always take the time to pause and appreciate the view of my hill as I race off to school. Yes, I'm claiming that hill as mine.

♥ It's been a good week for clouds, and I've really enjoyed sky gazing. On days when it's been still there has been the added magic of viewing the clouds on the surface of the canal, which is just the most beautiful thing in my opinion.

♥ I've walked every day in the woods this week in a whole variety of weather conditions and have loved every minute of it.

♥ A ribbon rainbow caught my eye amongst the trees and made me smile.

♥ Not a lot of sun this week, but believe me when I tell you I was fully appreciative of it when it showed up. 

♥ Dancing sunshine reflected onto the underside of the bridge is always a good thing.

♥ I love seeing the swans living out their birdy lives on the canal. It's an everyday sight for us living here, but I do still appreciate it.

♥ Leafs...lots and lots of leafs!! Little B used to say "leafs" when he was a Littln' and so we adopted the word. Its' funny how some things just stick over the years?

♥ More leafy gorgeousness. I have spent a lot of time either gazing at the sky or looking down at the ground this week and there has been a lot of natural beauty to inspire me.

♥ A rainy walk to school this morning, but nevertheless I enjoyed watching the raindrops bounce into the water. Watching rain fall is such an overlooked pleasure.

♥ New baubles arrived! I ordered these on an absolute whim as an add-on when doing some online Christmas present shopping but I don't regret it for one second. The colours...oh, they are giving me ALL the heart eyes!! 😍 And furthermore they are made from recycled plastic. Winner.

♥ daily hyacinth appreciation. Observing the rapid growth and appearance of buds is just a thrill I never get tired of.

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Before I go, I'd like to express my gratitude for all your positive comments on my last post, thank you so much. It was an unexpectedly hard post to write, it can feel quite vulnerable to talk about health related struggles but I'm happy to put my ramblings out there in the hope that it might encourage or inspire, or just give you a little nudge if you were needing one. Prioritising self care and wellness is always a good thing, but sometimes we need a gentle reminder, don't we?

I hope you've all had a good week, and that your weekend will be full of relaxation and cosy vibes. Be sure to fill your days with as many happy little pleasures as you can xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

Beating the Gloom

Helloooooo my lovelies, thank you so much for stopping by the Attic for a catch up, I hope you're doing OK out there?!! Tell me, how was your weekend? Here at number 24 we've had a beautifully slow few days and I've been grateful for the gentle pace. There has been time to sit and ponder, time to rest and recharge, time to spend with J and the Little People watching films, chatting and eating together. It's been restorative I'd say.

On Saturday morning J and I kept up our usual routine and walked into town together. Yes we are on lockdown here and most shops/cafés are currently closed but we are committed to supporting our small independent retailers whenever we can. This meant a chilly walk to visit the few stalls on the market that are permitted to trade, to stock up on fruit, veg, eggs and cheese. Our butcher and baker are still open too, so I called in for meat, a loaf of bread and some sweet treats for the Little Peeps. It was very, very quiet on the streets as you would expect, but it felt good to be out for a little while. Combining exercise with essential food shopping seemed like a good weekendish thing to, and I was equally glad of both. Our final stop was the coffee shop where I picked up some takeaway coffees to bring home. It wasn't quite the same vibe as our lovely little café, but it was warm and cosy on the sofa and the coffee was excellent.

We set out to walk through the woods in the early afternoon.....

.....and despite the murky gloom....

....there were the occasional glimpses of blue sky from time to time. The blue didn't last for long, but I promise you I appreciated it fully while it was in evidence, casting my vision up through the mostly bare branches to drink in the beautiful light and colour. 

As is my thing, I paused at the top of the hill to take a deep breath and spend a mindful moment - this ritual has become important to me in recent weeks. I am so thankful for this homely town where I live, and I like to take a moment to stop and practice some gratitude for that fact, in a place where I can look out across the rooftops and feel the connection. I can highly recommend making time for moments of mindfulness during your day, I do think it really helps to lift the mood and beat the gloom. 

I spent the afternoon catching up with some chores (sadly the laundry basket doesn't empty itself) whilst also squeezing in a little bit of stitchery. It snowed onto my green fabric - pretty little stitchy white flakes!

Sunday came and went in a blur of grey, gloomy weather. Unusually for me I didn't take any photos on Sunday so I'm hard pushed to remember much of it. We walked in the woods but the light levels were very low. Plus we had Little Lady walking with us so it was lovely to appreciate her company and to be fully present without having my attention pulled this way and that by potential blog photos, if that makes sense. We lit the fire in the early afternoon and I cooked a roast chicken for dinner, and that's about all I can recall. Oh, there was stitching too - more of that in a bit.

Today we remained embedded in the gloom, the grey just refused to lift. 

In fact, it's been foggy for days on end here so that it feels like we are in a constant state of twilight. I can't say I like it very much.

After dropping Little B at school, J and I decided to walk through the park.

It rained last night and I loved how this shrub was glistening with big fat raindrops. The way the droplets caught the light fascinated me, they looked like precious jewels.

You can see what I mean when I talk about The Gloom - our whole landscape has been shrouded in this heavy, low slung cloud which has made it feel cold, damp and well, gloomy. There is no better word for it. Having said that, it still felt remarkably good to stride out in it, breathing in the grey and feeling the cold freshness of it doing me good. 

As you can see, yesterday I made good progress with my cross stitching, and the snowflakes were joined by cute little trees, leaping reindeer and some pretty evergreen foliage.

I got into that addictive zone yesterday where I just could not put it down and I stitched right into the evening, sat squished on the end of the sofa with the Little People and Tilly taking up the rest of the space (they were watching a film while I was obsessing over my weeny crosses). I have a very handy light which I use for evening stitching, it's one of those bendy ones that hangs around your neck, do you know what I mean? I'll see if I can find a link for you..........here you go....on Amazon ((here)). It allowed me to stitch golden reindeer in a darkened room lit only by the glow of the fire and my mulled wine candle. It's a marvellous gadget, truly. 

Well, it's been lovely catching up, but right now it's around 8pm and yes, you've guessed it.....I'm going to go and cosy up by the fire now and stitch, stitch, stitch. I do believe there's a bough of holly and a couple of robins which need my attention.

Byeeeeeeeeee, see you tomorrow!

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ps I haven't forgotten about blogging about my exercise/diet routines for those who've been waiting. Hoping to do that tomorrow xx

 

 

 

November Rituals

After a very murky, foggy start to the day and a bit of a bleugh morning in general, things were looking very much brighter by lunch time. I'd been waiting patiently for J to finish up on his work call so that we could get out of the house and enjoy what looked to be an unexpectedly lovely November afternoon.

Every day when we visit the woods I wonder just how many leaves will be left. I know pretty soon there will come a day/night when we have strong winds and the whole lot will literally come tumbling down in one swoop, it always does seem to happen very quickly at the end. Right now there are still leaves to be seen, and they are looking glorious. I am constantly reminded of my Woodland Blanket at this time of year as I find these bright sunny autumn days very inspirational. The colours in nature lift my mood and never fail to bring on the happy vibes even when life feels like a bit of a slog.

During November I notice the sun stays pretty low in the sky even at midday, creating long shadows and a gentle slanting glow across the woodland paths. This low sunlight even manages to make the mud look good, and that's pretty amazing in my book.

Despite me feeling very wobbly today, there have been some happy moments. The October Cotton & Twine subscription box arrived in the post and I couldn't be more excited to stitch this beautiful seasonal design. I made a start and managed a few snowflakes but today was one of those days where the hours felt like minutes and the whole day seemed to slip away very quickly.

Ahhh, but here comes the weekend and I'm hoping for some little pockets of quiet stitching time, fingers crossed. I love love love the way that cross stitching slows my mind right down, and the repetitive, slow, rhythmic nature of it is very soothing. It's an extremely therapeutic craft I think, I can highly recommend it.

In other happy November news, I have hyacinths in the Attic!!!!!! YIPPEEEE!!!!!!!!!! This is one of my most favourite rituals of the season and I've been buying these pots of bulbs from the supermarket ever since I came to live here thirteen years ago. The tin pots change every year (you can see last years design in this post - you'll need to scroll down, it was a rambling one!) and I love this years offering. I don't usually go for gold, but I do rather like the shine of it on my mantel. Judging by the colour of the actual bulbs, I think these will be white flowers but there was no label on to tell me so they may well be bright pink. It'll be a festive surprise, and I am probably way more excited for it than I should be. I honestly can't wait, I bloomin' love hyacinths.

We had the most stunning cloud display this afternoon as we walked to school, I was absolutely transfixed by them. It's quite hard work walking down a steep hill whilst also trying to photograph the sky (we were running late so J wouldn't stop to wait for me), but I managed just about.....

....look at this one! This was me pointing my camera directly upwards where the telephone wires spread out to all the houses in my street. It kind of makes me feel dizzy just looking at it!

We were walking at a fair old pace down the hill....

....but I managed to stop and snap a quick photo of the canal as I crossed over the bridge. It was looking extremely atmospheric I thought, and very Novemberish. 

I lit the fire as soon as we came home from school as the house felt chilly and also I felt in need of some comfort and cheer as well as some warmth. We opened our mini bottle of prosecco (this seems to have become a Friday evening ritual) and everything suddenly seemed to settle for a while. I've felt out of sorts today, and despite managing to find so many things to be happy about, I've still had this underlying feeling of melancholy. I guess it's all part of lockdown life, emotions ebb and flow and I try to allow my feelings to surface without attempting to analyse them too much.

I did still get that wonderful Friday Feeling though, especially once Little Lady came home from school and all my brood were safe at home again. There is something so fundamentally settling about having all the family together under one roof, especially at meal times.

J always cooks a simple dinner on a Friday which I really appreciate, it's a treat for me to sit by the fire and have him in the kitchen for a change. Tonight he cooked up some meaty butchers sausages and served them hotdog style in bread rolls with fried onions and skinny French fries, and the Little People were allowed to eat in front of the TV. It's a Friday ritual which goes nicely with the prosecco I find. 

Oh, and I'm still madly in love with my mulled wine candle. It's just so perfectly Novemberish. The house smells delicious.

Before I go, there is something I just want to tell you about, something that always makes November a very exciting happy month for me.......

..........uh-huh, it's almost time for me to tell you about my next blanket adventure!!!! I've been getting lots of enquiries about the next Attic24 CAL on my social media so I thought I would give you the dates now so that you know what's coming.

I've been working on a new blanket design called "Meadow" which is inspired by the place that I walked almost every day during our months of lockdown (March-June) when I really needed to feel calm and grounded. The little wild flower meadow at the bottom of the park became my sanctuary and the colours of the flowers, grasses and distant summery hill views inspired a truly beautiful colour palette. 

I'll be able to show you a little more of what I've been working on in the next few weeks - yarn packs will be going on sale in my shop at Wool Warehouse on Tuesday 24th November (just under three weeks from now), and as in previous years I'll be sharing the blanket pattern as a Crochet-A-Long project at the very start of 2021. I can't wait to show you more.

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Sunny Side Up

We had a cold start to the day yesterday, not quite a frost yet but pretty close I'd say. I am very aware of the shrinking hours of daylight with each passing day, it's most noticeable in the evenings as it seems to get dark quite early now, but it also feels as if the darkness still lingers in the mornings when we walk to school. 

A funny thing happened when I was stood at the side of the canal to take the above photo....I was holding up my phone to compose the image and all of a sudden a whole flock of pigeons took off from the other side of the canal basin and came flying directly towards me - and I mean that they literally swooped over the water and flew right at me!! I squealed in shock and nearly dropped my phone as I thought they were going to land right on top of my head!!!!

We managed to avoid an actual collision and instead I found myself standing amongst a flock of pigeons pecking around my boots and wondering where their breakfast was. Never a dull moment on the school run.

Yesterday there was a strange feeling in the air as it was the last day of "freedom" before our month long Second Lockdown began today (Thursday). I had a few errands to run in the morning whilst the shops were still open but I resisted the urge to try and cram in any Christmas shopping. It did briefly cross my mind, but no. No, that's not for me. I shall try and do things online  I think, supporting small independent businesses as much as possible, and hoping that all being well our local shops can reopen sometime in early December. I did manage to buy chocolate advent calendars for the Little Peeps while they were still available, and I was also able to order some much needed wellies (I went for these ones as sadly the floral ones I loved were completely sold out). After all that, I went and sat peacefully at my regular table in the window of my favourite café and ordered a restorative cappuccino to settle the low grade anxiety I felt creeping in. 

After the chill of the early morning, I noticed a bright warmth shining in through the window and dancing across the top of my coffee cup. I looked out to see the most stunning blue sky had materialised whilst I sat sipping my coffee.......

.....oh happy day!!!! It was like the most welcome gift on a day when we really needed our spirits to be lifted and I couldn't believe my luck.

I walked home with a spring in my step, thinking just how beautiful the trees were looking in the bright morning sun. It was glorious, and truly made me smile all over my face.

My little doorstep cyclamen looked like they were dancing in the sunshine, their petals all perky and upright....

....and this dinky little leaf caught my eye on the step too, it had blown right across the street from my neighbours pretty acer tree.

I came home from the café and settled myself at the dining table to make progress with my granny bag.

Aaaahh Tilly, you are such a little Diva!! She sat and watched me lay out my bag, watched me arrange the flowers just so, and then just as I got ready to start stitching she snook in and installed herself without hesitation. It was as if she'd decided I had prepared a little resting spot especially for her.....I present to you the Granny Josephine Kitty Relaxation Pad.

So I decided to leave her be for a little bit and went to make myself a bowl of fruit laden porridge instead. By the time I came back to the table she'd gone elsewhere - she was only interested in the bag when she knew she would be front and centre of my attention, of course. It's the Tortie way (have you heard of the word "tortitude"? Tilly definitely has it!)

I really couldn't wait to get out for our daily walk yesterday, the weather was absolute autumn perfection.

Ahhh, the colours!! And the light!! I thought it all looked so incredibly beautiful.

Everything delighted me and filled up my seasonal-loving soul to the brim. 

It was delicious in every way out there and I drank it in with eyes wide open. I could have walked and walked and walked, but J had to get back to his computer, and I had a basket of yarn waiting for me......

Don't those colours look luscious nestled all together? So pretty!!

I've had a few people ask about the small rope baskets that I'm using to store my small balls of yarn. I bought them a few months ago and really love them, they're the perfect size for holding small balls of scrap yarn for decorative projects (also wonderful for the small cotton Ricorumi balls that I like, you can see a photo of them here). They come as a pair - you can find them on Amazon ((here))

Yesterday afternoon I finished crocheting the floral embellishments for Granny Josephine (the bag version, not the cat mat).

And......

......I stitched everything in place and attached the handles.

So......

......that means the bag is officially finished. Uh-huh.......no longer a WiP!!!!

Yippeeeeeeee!!!! 

You can be sure of a Ta-dah flourish very soon - I need to find a willing photographic assistant to take some pictures of the bag and me doing our thing together, so that will most likely happen at the weekend. I'm so excited to show you!

Walking down the hill to school yesterday afternoon, I thought how particularly lovely my hill view looked in the afternoon light.

I also thought you might like to see the view at the bottom of the hill too - I walk down this cobbled hill street almost every day but I think this is the first time I've stopped to take a photograph. This cobbled street is actually a road which cars drive down although it doesn't look much like one (the above photo is showing the bottom part of what is a pretty steep hill down from the canal). The tall buildings on either side are part of the old historic cotton mill that dominated this town in the early 1800's. They've now become a mix of apartments and office space - the restoration took many years and these old buildings have been given a whole new lease of life.

I stopped to photograph this yellow leaf just because the glorious colour literally stopped me in my tracks.....

....and the same thing happened again on the way home with this tree laden with tiny yellow crab apples. Don't they look stunning against the blue of the sky?

I was in reflection heaven yesterday walking homewards along the canal.....I just wanted to stand and stare and drink them in. I can't get over how magical water reflections are, they make me feel like I'm dreaming or something, like I'm being offered a glimpse into an alternate world somehow. 

Yesterday was such a lovely day, but today, it has felt heavy. I am trying very much to keep an open mind and a happy heart despite the gloom which seeps in around the edges if I stop and think about it too much. I'm hoping to still visit the market on Saturday as I heard that food stalls would be permitted to trade - I hope Mr Cheese and Mr Veggie will be there, I'm keeping fingers crossed. At least our local butcher and baker are remaining open, so I shall continue to try and shop small and local where I am able.

I hope you are all OK, I am sending out a huge virtual hug should you need one. Also, before I toddle off, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the beautiful comments left on my last post - I have read every single one (over a hundred) and it has warmed my heart more than you could ever know. The connectedness is stronger than ever, I feel it, and I am so thankful for it.

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Stormy Monday

We are weathering the storm here (in more ways than one) and it continues to be wet, windy and wild in Atticland. According to the weather man, this is "the remnants of Hurricane Zeta" which I think has blown across from the southern coast of the US.

As nasty as this weather can feel when you are out and about in it, I do think it's pretty spot on for the time of year and I am doing my best to embrace it. November feels like a stormy month, time for the rain to pour and the leaves to come whirling down from the treetops. Stormy days remind us to enjoy the cosy comforts of home, and to be grateful for warmth and shelter. However, if we have even a minute sprinkling of snow this month (and it's actually predicted for this week) then I might be a little bit miffed. Snow is most definitely meant  for winter, and we are not there yet, I'm still getting used to the idea of autumn, thank you very much.

In other non-weather news, I made great progress with Granny Josephine today and I'm so happy! I finished the hand stitching yesterday and I'm amazed at how neat it looks after all the ripping out and repairs that went on.

Thankfully, despite no photos and no notes of any kind, I did actually remember in my head what I had worked out last year for attaching the handles. I was a bit nervous that it was all going to somehow go hideously wrong again, but it went surprisingly well......

.......ooooooo look, we have some handle attachment flaps in place!!! YAY!!! The top one is just folded in place to show you how it will work. I've got some Embellishment Plans to carry out (which may very well be of the floral variety), so I thought it would be easier to embellish the flaps before they get stitched down. It's all coming together beautifully and I couldn't be happier. 

Hey, do you know what? I might even finish it tomorrow, and now I am so flipping excited I can hardly breathe.

I was forced to take a bag intermission at 2.30 this afternoon because J had spotted a break in the weather and the daily walk was suddenly on. We had Little B with us (teacher training day today, he's back in school tomorrow) as you know how I like to encourage the benefits of fresh air and nature-breathing. It was a bit of a mud fest, and it rained, then stopped, then rained again, then stopped. Oh, and then it really rained.......you get the picture. We got wet, wet, wet.

Due to the insane amount of rain we've had during the past week, the beck was absolutely raging and the waterfalls were all at full tilt. It was exhilarating to see on this small scale, but oh my, I do so feel for those who live close to the rivers as we've got extensive flooding in our region at the moment. 

During the final part of the walk the sun suddenly won out and shone brightly against a backdrop of glowering dark storm clouds. For a very short while it created the most spectacular light....

.....it was golden with a moody edge, if that makes sense.

Other random things of note today :

• Outrageously good coffee was consumed. Of course it was.
• I managed to drag Little B to the barbers for a much needed hair cut, so he's all trim and Lockdown ready.
• I went to the supermarket and remembered to buy oranges (a Big Teen request) but forgot to buy my decaff coffee pods, which was the whole reason for visiting this particular supermarket. Which means I need to go back again tomorrow.
• We had our big online food shop delivered and they'd substituted one of the small 200ml bottles of prosecco with a large bottle. I deliberated on rejecting it for about 3.5 seconds, then thought better of it.
• I can highly recommend a Mulled Wine scented candle to bring a little cheer, it makes the room smell sooooo good.
• I really need some new wellies - on my list for tomorrow. I'm thinking something floral might work with all this rain and mud.

Right my lovelies, my mug of tea has been drunk and as I am sitting at my bedroom desk I've got a clear and direct view of my bed....it's calling my name so I shall love you and leave you for today.

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Sunday Vibes

I had another slow start to the day and have really enjoyed my long morning sleep-in's this weekend. I feel as if I've needed them after a few weeks of poor sleep and it's just wonderful to feel more like my normal self again. Hoorraaaayyy!!! I think it was almost 9am when I finally got myself out of bed, I was awake before then, but sat a while to catch up with all your comments left on my blog yesterday - THaNk YoU!!!!! Thank you so much for all your enthusiasm and positive feedback on my Blogtober endeavour, I truly appreciate it. I'm secretly quite proud of myself for managing a whole thirty one days as it was quite a commitment of time and energy. But here I am on day thirty two of this blogging streak and I don't seem to have run out of things to say.....I mean I've still got coffee cups to show you!

J and I snook off at around 10ish to sit a while at our favourite table next to the window in the café and enjoyed coffee (of the outrageously good variety) and a plate of toast. I am very aware that our café-going days are numbered as from Thursday we go into another whole month of national lockdown. Sigh. I don't yet know whether cafés will be permitted to stay open if they offer a takeaway service, I am keeping all digits crossed.

When we stepped out of the café the weather was unexpectedly lovely, so on the spur of the moment we decided to walk home "the scenic way". This involves following the tow path from the canal basin as it runs under the little hump-backed road bridge....

....and keep walking along the water's edge as we wind our way out of town. I love the above photo, I have a slight obsession with reflections in water and am absolutely mesmerized by them. I could stand and gaze at the water for ages when it is still and clear like this.

This is such a cute little pathway - the canal is on the right and to the left (hidden from view) is the beck. It's lovely to walk with water on both sides, and I enjoy the contrast of the still canal water on one side and the rushing of the beck as it tumbles over rocks in a series of mini waterfalls on the other side.

The sunshine was so welcome, especially as the weather forecast had been full of stormy-laden doom and gloom. I had to keep reminding myself that today is the first day of November as it really didn't feel like it.

Onwards along the raised walkway with the castle standing high above us on the right.

I don't know if you can see the little robin perched on a branch in the above photo? He was sat in the sunshine singing his little heart out, such a sweet sound for a Sunday morning.

We weren't going into the woods today as we didn't have the right footwear on for a muddy walk. Instead we followed the little lane round as it curves away from the woodland towards my "gratitude view" out over the town that I often share with you. I am very drawn to this ramshackle old tin shed - over the years it has blended more and more into it's surroundings as moss and ivy have claimed it. I think it's charming even though it is very dilapidated.

I was admiring my yellow chrysanths earlier, still going strong more than 2 weeks since I bought them (on Day 13 of Blogtober). What amazingly good value they turned out to be, I think they were only £3. They are just beginning to go over now though and the petals are beginning to drop - I think I'll go and see if I can find another bunch this week before we go into lockdown. 

I sat a while and did a little bit of slow hand stitching on my bag lining this afternoon, so that I'm now ready to get going with attaching the handles. This project really, really needs to be finished, it's top of my to-do list for this week. Item number one - Finish The Bag. 

Underneath the Summer Harmony and Tilly cat combo is Little Lady. She spent an extended time on the sofa this afternoon watching children's cartoons on TV - she isn't well right now. No, not the virus, just a bit of a head cold I think as her sinuses are blocked (she does seem to frequently suffer with this kind of thing). I don't like it when one of the Little People are ill, even though the eldest two are no longer children really, I still feel anxious when they aren't well. I made her a mug of warm lemon and honey with a Lemsip powder thrown in to try and help decongest her little blocked up tubes. She was feeling very sorry for herself, poor love.

The weather turned really mean and nasty this afternoon with high winds and heavy rain lashing against the window. I lit the fire and settled down on the floor cushion beside the hearth to soak in some of the warmth and comfort. I finally managed to finish reading October Country Living (I feel like it's taken me all week) - I can now pass it on to my good friend who will devour it cover to cover before taking it to the hospital where she works. I like the idea of actively recycling my feel-good magazines. I love to think of the many patients who will be sitting in the hospital waiting room in the weeks to come, enjoying some colour and uplifting imagery to take their mind off the business of sitting and waiting.

I started putting together a Blogtober round-up post earlier, but realised quite quickly that it was going to take some time to create it and that I wouldn't manage it for today. I'm making some collages of images (I used to do a lot of these at one time) and I want to chat a little bit about how daily blogging has been for me. I think it's important to stop and reflect back at times, to gather in thoughts and feelings and give them fair consideration before moving onto the next idea, the next phase, the next project.

I also just wanted to say - I don't expect that I can manage to be here in the Attic every single day throughout November, but I will try to be here as often as I am able. With Lockdown coming along once again, my life is going to be running in very small, rhythmic circles of sameyness and I am predicting that some days will feel quite tricky. I am really loving being in my little Attic space though, chatting through the window to you all around the world. Aren't we so very lucky to have this connection with one another? Thank you for sticking around - see you soon

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Blogtober 2020 :: Day 31

I woke up with a lovely weekend feeling this morning when I realised it was Saturday, and as there was nothing much that needed my immediate attention I dozed in bed for a while. I always look forward to heading into town with J on a Saturday morning to gather in food supplies, especially as we usually call in at the café for our breakfast on the way home.

It was wild out there this morning! Very, very windy with glowering dark skies promising imminent rain at any moment. When we got into town we realised there was no street market due to the stormy weather forecast, so we made do with what we could get from the shops. Breakfast and some very very most excellent cappuccinos were still on though, and my goodness I did so enjoy my plate of eggs on toast this morning. Perfectly weekendish I'd say.

In the early afternoon we noticed that the weather had brightened a little, so we set out for a walk while the rain held off. I love these little post boxes that are built into old walls, there is something so endearing about them I think. 

We took Little B with us on our walk this afternoon, even though he wasn't too keen. Sometimes you've just got to drag them away from their screens and force-feed them fresh air because it's the right thing to do when you parent a ten year old who thinks he's a teenager. 

I do so love getting out into the fresh air - I expect you've gathered that by now, eh?!

We had wrapped up in raincoats expecting it to be wet, but the strong winds actually blew in some very welcome blue skies for us to enjoy. It was such a treat to look up and suddenly see patches of blue when it had been so dark and grey earlier.

I'm certainly appreciating all the autumn colour at the moment as I know we are on borrowed time as far as the leaves go. Soon enough the branches will be stripped bare and brown will be the prevailing shade. 

I found myself really appreciating the simple beauty of these dead seed heads and I was reminded of the "dead-things wreath" I made some years ago. Haha, I just re-read that post and made myself laugh!

It was blessedly quiet in the woods considering it was the weekend, and we passed just a handful of dog walkers making the most of the unexpectedly dry afternoon. Hello, Stalking Horse, you look so at home right now with the copper beech leaves falling all around you. I love that you are here in our woodland, making me smile each time I walk past.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, what a beautiful sight, would you just look at that glorious SUNSHINE!!! A very brief break in the clouds and the sun suddenly burst through the trees up ahead, it was absolutely magical I tell you.

Amazingly the rain stayed away and we made it home un-wetted. I always love this view of the terraced streets running steeply down and then back up again - these are the hills I was referring to a few days ago when I mentioned that daily exercise has really improved my fitness levels. You do need a reasonable bit of stamina to walk these streets at a brisk pace and there was a (long) time when I struggled, although I hated to admit it. By the way, I will be chatting about my exercise stuff in a separate blog post as so many of you seemed interested in what I'm up to.

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Around 3pm I made a start on the pumpkin carving. My top tools for the job are rubber gloves and a metal ice cream scoop - these are a winning combo and I had the innards scraped out in no time at all. I've saved some of the flesh to make pumpkin soup tomorrow and I'm already looking forward to it. To do the actual carving I just use a small vegetable knife, nothing fancy. I print or draw a design onto paper, place the paper onto the surface of the pumpkin and trace the design with a pencil, making sure to press down hard. This leaves the design lightly scored onto the pumpkin surface, it's just enough so that you can see where to cut.

I carved three pumpkins this year, one large one and two small ones. The Little People watched on with a mixture of fascination and annoyance - they know full well by now that pumpkin carving in this house is strictly a Mummy Activity, and they will not be permitted to "help" in any way, shape or form. I am just a weeny bit mean with it, I am sorry to admit it, but also.......not sorry. Mine, all mine.

In previous years I have purchased additional pumpkins and helped them design and carve their own creations, so I feel I have done my bit. This year nobody was at all bothered when I mentioned pumpkins to them earlier in the week, that is until they saw me at the table this afternoon and then suddenly they wanted in. Ah, shame, but then there's always next year.

As there was no trick or treating this year, we had a beautifully peaceful evening compared to the bobillion rings of the doorbell we usually get on Halloween night. I bought some large foil trays (the sort you buy for roasting a chicken) and spread out a variety of mixed sweetie treats, then left them on the steps for any passing witches or ghouls to help themselves. It seemed like the right thing to do, and I hope that the Littlies liked my pumpkins this year............

...........Ta-dah!! I think they turned out ok.....Happy Halloween🕷🕸🕷🕸🕷!!!

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PS....I know it's the 31st today and Blogtober has now officially finished, but I think I shall continue to be around in the days to come. I have thoroughly enjoyed being present here each day, it's been fun, hasn't it? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

Blogtober 2020 :: Day 29

Today has been a thoroughly wet affair from start to finish. It was raining when I got up, and as far as I know it's still raining now, although of course it's dark out there beyond the cosiness of home so I don't know for certain. I'm currently sat on the floor in front of the fire with my laptop on the coffee table and my legs stretched out underneath. It's warm and very snug in here as I lit the fire about six hours ago - it really is so lovely having an open fire, I know I keep saying it but it's absolutely one of the highlights of the season for me. J has just made me a cup of tea so I'm all settled in for a chat, although I do need to warn you that I feel pretty tired so I apologise in advance if I begin to drift or ramble.

We went for a jaunt around Bolton Abbey this morning and yes, it was a very drippy wet walk. We started out in a light drizzle and ended up in full on wet rain, but it didn't take away from the pleasure of it. The river was rushing by at a super fast speed, the trees looked amazingly beautiful and despite the crowds we still managed to find a sense of tranquillity in the woodland. Little B was in good spirits and very chatty - I had the pleasure of his company for much of the walk which is a rarity these days. You will be shocked to hear that we didn't stop for coffee (I know!!), we were just too sodden to think about sitting in a café and decided instead to come straight home to change into dry clothes and light the fire.

I spent the early afternoon snuggled under a blanket in the Big Chair with Tilly for company, drinking coffee and catching up with my October issue magazines. I'd only managed a quick browse through before today, but I do like to take the time to read through all the articles and examine the inspirational images in great detail. There was a "seasonal makes and bakes" feature in Country Living which obviously influenced me massively because I began to really crave ginger biscuits. So much so, I could not stop thinking about it so I did the only thing possible in the circumstances and went into the kitchen to bring some gingery goodness into my life. Unfortunately I very quickly discovered we had no ground ginger, so ginger biscuits were a no go. Waaaaahhh!!! I was so disappointed! But I was on a biscuit mission by then so I made an instant decision and knocked up some lemon shortbread biscuits instead. I had fun using some little leaf cutters for seasonal appropriateness, and the biscuits tasted wonderful - buttery and zesty and the perfect afternoon munchy material.

I haven't felt like stitching or hooking today so poor Granny Josephine is still in a state. I shall pick her up tomorrow and forge on with her recovery journey I promise.

Right my lovelies, I really do need to go now as I can feel my brain beginning to perform a bit of a spontaneous shutdown. I hope you've had a great day whatever you've been up to and I shall see you all tomorrow....

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