Well?

So...  What have I been doing? Well.....

Knitting ....

Himself - a moss green moss stitch pullover

Me - a simple scarf in garter stitch with left over wool. It was to be for me to wear at work but Himself has eyed it up, so I may be making another one soon....

And about to start a cardigan for me with chrimbly gifted wool in sea washed denim shades.

Cooking ...

Picture from website

Mushroom and lentil Hotpot - ye gods - absolutely delicious! (Recipe HERE)

Cranberry Muffins (Recipe HERE)

picture from website

Making ...

dozens (and dozens) of paper birds - for work, for friends and for home

Wire flowers and tiny houses to decorate the 'tree' for spring

Wreaths bases for work

Willow plant supports

Walking ...

Miles and miles in the Dales - Himself and I both losing ourselves in blue skies and gentle sunshine 

or in woodlands, breathing in deep earthy scents full of flavour and aromas

Repairing ....

Jeans, harem pants, Wool overcoat

Loving....

That crystal clear scent of the first hyacinth bloom as it swirls around the room

Reading ....

Ichigo Ichie (Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles) - still loving and learning and absorbing and trying to live by these words - and when I can put them in practise - it seems to make the day so much sweeter!

Also Vesper Flights (Helen Macdonald) - just dipped in and already enjoying it, 

and have Wakenhyrst (Michelle Paver) waiting to be picked up.

Gardening ....

At work mostly - hard wood cuttings, compost turning, woodchip mulching, glasshouse tidying,

 willow plant-support making, seed selecting(buying) 

and happy dancing when I spot a snowdrop in the woodland garden we are creating. 

Last autumn the volunteers and I planted thousands (and I do mean thousands) of bulbs - 

to see them beginning to appear is like a shot in the arm of pure delight.

Learning....

Mandatory training for work - firefighting, H&S, emergency first aid (to include gunshot wounds, pierced eyes, first to the scene responder at a multiple car pile up and removing a splinter from a finger ....) - boy do I feel prepared (NOT!)

www.freeimages.co.uk

Appreciating...

as much as I can, noticing the good, finding that moment of joy

(even when I want to grind my back teeth...!)

So - that is just a little of what I am up to - what you knitting? Reading? Eating? Making? Enjoying?

Go on spill the beans - I love to hear what you have been up to :)

A moment in time

 After, what seems like weeks of dreary wet or bitterly cold days, yesterday was a gem with glorious gently warm sunshine and just a hint of a sharp breeze.

Himself and I (and Moss of course) took the chance and threw together a hasty picnic, donned boots and coats and headed off to a wooded valley surrounded by wild moorland hills between us and Hebden Bridge.

The air was bitingly fresh and the views sharp and clear. We followed a narrow bracken lined path around the edge of a boggy hill down to the valley bottom. There we crossed a chuckling stream which Moss desperately wanted to throw herself into.

We were staggered by the colours - after so many days of driech grey and sepia shades, the bracken in the sun beneath a clear blue sky was almost overwhelming. There was a brief respite from the breeze at the river's edge then as we climbed back out of the valley, we found it again. It was sneaky and could slip between scarves and up sleeves. However we soon warmed up as we plodded upwards to the ridge.

At the highest point we stopped for lunch by sheltering in a grouse butt (shooting box) with our faces in the sun. Sharing sandwiches and mugs of tea, I offered Moss a dog snack which produced a series of goofy faces...

Our path took us off the edge and down through old farmlands and into older woodlands. The beauty of walking, is not just the act of movement, the joy of discovery it is also gives me the opportunity to think. I've been dwelling on my 'Word of the Year'. Last year was 'Care' and I kept that as a guide line, a bench mark a goal and on the whole it worked and I am gently pleased at the guidance to gave me.

I had toyed with the word 'Confelicity' (taking pleasure in another's happiness) which, when I thought about it - I already do, so that was a bit of a cop out. This walk found what I wanted ... my word for this year is actually a Japanese phrase - Ichigo Ichie which directly translates into - one time one meeting. The principle behind Ichigo ichie is to encourage you to appreciate the magic of every moment as it will never reoccur the exact same way ever again. Time is fleeting and each moment should be cherished as they may never be experienced again even with the same people at the same place.

Our walk was the first serious one of 2023 and apart from the staggeringly beautiful day after all the dreary grey we've had recently, this walk was amazing and just filled my eyes and my heart. 

And gave me my word for this year - I certainly want to make the most of every moment and this was the perfect start!

Do you have a word for the year to guide you, inspire you?

Do you do new year's resolutions?

Did you manage to get out on the bank holiday and breathe in some new air?

💜💙💛🧡❤️💚🤍🖤🤎

New Year wish

 To all my lovely friends, family and blogging readers - 2022 again has been a turbulent year and I can only surmise that 2023 will probably continue in the same vein, we are not through the 'new normal' just yet and equally we need to adapt and survive. We need to amend what we have done and are still doing - our impact on our world is not a positive one. If we all made a tiny change, each and everyone of us, they would all add up to a wonderful step forward....

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness.

I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're WONDERFUL

and don't forget to make some art (write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can)

And somewhere in the next year

I hope 

you surprise yourself 

(Neil Gaiman)

Happy and kind and gentle New Year to us all

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍💖❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍💖

Winter winds blow

With heavy fast moving rain forecast and winds lashing the trees back and forth it seemed a 'good time' to go for a walk .... said Moss...... and we (strangely) agreed.

Wrapped up well - to the point on waddling not walking and finding it almost impossible to bend, we set off. Down the main road through the village, past the fairy light encrusted Christmas tree outside of the community centre, turning right up dead duck hill (double quick puff) then right again up a small track towards a cluster of houses. Although we know it is a bit early in the season - we are on the watch out for lambs. We know that they have started to appear.

Round the goose-field to the rec. Moss races the wind as she chases her frizbee, hurtling along the grass at breakneck speed. Following the far edge, we stepped back out of the grounds, across puddle lane and into the sheep filled souterills. Moss threw herself into the winter 'lake' and steamed herself cool again, willing us to let her off her lead, but with hugely pregnant ewes watching warily - her request was refused.

We walk through the upper souterill field making a slight detour past the Highland coo field - checking for calves, they appear soon after Christmas, large fluffy teddy bear beasties hunkering down in the moorland grasses while their mothers watch carefully through thick and wind tousled fringes.

Then down the lane to the nature reserve, still one eye out for lambs and now hares. I can hear the tinkling of the windchimes as we pass chicken accident quarry. Then we leave the lane and turn left up the Ferndene, skipping puddles and dodging flooded paths, past Sagar's Lake, the meadow, the picnic grounds, play park and then back on to the road. A sneaky turn right onto David's walk then home following the main road into the village.

Our walks are are memory maps, with names from village history or from our own stories. Some from when the boys were little and found it difficult to describe where they were, some are anecdotal tales from friends and others associated with events that occurred. All very personal to us yet instantly recognisable to others.

Home now, we managed to avoid the rain but we feel wind battered. So with lunch consumed and mugs of tea being cradled in fingers, we can hear the wind howling around the house and calling down the chimney - but we don't mind. It is all part of the season, the place we live and our lives.

Twixmas - a bit of this, a bit of that

After a few family filled days, at this moment, it is just myself and a mug of tea. The house is remarkably still and restful with just the hint sound trailing from the radio as it cheerfully plays hits from 2008. The overly youthful DJ announcing that she was only seven when these 'oldie-but goldie' tunes came out - what on earth is she talking about?? - it was only 'yesterday'! Gah - what does she know! 

What I do know is that this year gifts were definitely more thoughtful, more considerate.Something else I know, we quaffed countless mugs of tea - teas of all flavours with many differing varieties of milk. Keeps me on my toes - making sure everyone has the correct combination.

I find at this time of year - the kitchen becomes the engine room of the house, churning out not only meals for hungry tums, but festive treats and bakes too. I've tried a couple of new to me recipes (inspired by the unreachable perfection of instagram) but will need to practice/improve/give up/admit defeat 😆😆. 

The weather has been rather predictably rubbish - that pristine but brittle cold blue sky slid into a driech grey wet blanket with on off miserable rain. It does make hunkering down by the fire rather enticing while dog walks are more a feat of endurance that a pleasure. We have had a couple of gently splendid soft grey and peach sunsets sprinkled liberally with hail - they were bracingly joyful made all that much better by returning home and putting the kettle on with mincepies and ginger biscuits calling out to be eaten.

We will have a couple of days to ourselves, Himself and I, while the boys spend time with their extended families and although a walk or two has been discussed - the weather, once again - will feature somewhat!

There is something about this time of year - it makes me restless - I feel the need for an adventure, not quite on the level that Bilbo Baggins undertook however - I can feel that need rising.  

Do you get that stirring of restlessness or (if you are in the northern hemisphere) happy to hibernate?

 And one last image - a fuzzy-zoomy photo of Moss as we performed a double quick march to get home before the hail shower pinged our respective noses even more!

 

Yuletide love and blessings

 

May your next few days be filled with love

and your life be blessed with new opportunities to grow and flourish,

let next year be brimming with positivity and love ❤️❄️☀️

Yuletide blessings and love xx

Something to get your teeth into🍪❄️🎄

On Thursday - the only day we all had time spare - we baked our marathon-relay-tag-team gingerbread festive biscuits. Making sure we had enough to share and to scoff, there was a lot of rolling and cutting and cooking. 

Whilst we were waiting for the biscuits to dry, Moss took us for a quick dog-loop before the weather closed in

Once we'd returned there was a bit of a mini panic when I could not find my icing kit, so Himself and I galloped off to purchase a replacement icing nozzle set (which in the end meant going to five (yes 5) different shops until we eventually found enough to get started.

It could be said we had fun! We now have aliens, snowmen, gold and silver stars, festive trees and pigs ... yes pigs!

Despite all the 'taste testing' and 'pre-icing nibbling' we still managed to fill three jars - perfect for sharing😊🍪

And if you fancy a mad marathon baking sesh of the gingerbread kind - here is the recipe....

350g (12oz) self raising flour

10ml (2 tsp) ground ginger *

100g (4oz) butter

175g (6oz) light brown sugar

60ml (4 tblsp) golden syrup

1 egg - beaten

sift flour and ginger*, add sugar.

Soften butter in the microwave, stir in the syrup then add the egg - mix well

knead til smooth, roll out to about 5mm (¼ inch) thick. Choose your favourite seasonal cutters and have fun!

Lay on to baking trays (either greased or lined)

Bake at 190°c  (375°f) for about 10 - 15 mins until golden.

Cool slightly then finish on a wire track

Decorate to your heart's content and scoff!

* I doubled the ginger, added mixed spice and then for good measure a pinch of ground cloves - I wanted a very festive hit in each biscuit!

They don't last long...

Wreath making🎄

During the first weekend of December we gathered around newspaper covered tables and we crafted many wreaths.  For ourselves, for friends, for colleagues and for family. 

Food was shared and there was so much - the table groaned beneath plates and despite our best efforts, the left overs were shared out and sent home to be eaten later.

By the end of a wonderful day of cutting, snipping, chatting, eating, tying and tweaking, between the ten of us we had made 15 wreaths.  Our home smelt gloriously of wood and pine - quite heady and spicy.

Then, later, once our guests had gone, the house quiet, left over foliage and fripperies put away we cradled mugs of tea and toasted our toes in front of the fire.

It had been a good day, a very good day, made the more special as we'd not been able to celebrate wreath making for the previous two years and it was wonderful being able share food and friendship once again ❤️❄️🎄

Holly & Happy

 Thank you.

I have been greatly touched by your comments about my tentative return - I was not only surprised by it's sudden return to me but also by the fact I hadn't realised how much I had missed the interaction with you lovely folk whilst posting my version of normality💙💜

Sunday - today, is miserable. The weather has gone from that crisp Baltic blue sky winter to a driech mushy grey wet disappointment. 

So, Himself and I busied ourselves inside, trying to keep warm whilst tackling a few jobs which have been on our list of 'things to do' (some of them for quite a while).  I will share one of our tasks once the family have seen - don't want to spoil the surprise!

I can share with you (and heartily recommend) my latest baking - Mincemeat Shortbread from Jules of Along the Way. I have made them before, a couple of years ago but had forgotten how absolutely delicious they were.  I can see another batch needing making fairly quickly😊

The tree is up - over the years, I have not felt the need to plaster the house in festive decorations, paring it down each time until I feel gently satisfied with the result. This year is the most minimal (the most Scandinavian) I've ever gone and it feels right. 

Time to put the kettle on, Youngest and his lovely girl will be here shortly and I think those mincemeat shortbread will not eat themselves 😆

Before I go - are your decorations up? have you gone for all the glitz and pizazz you can to brighten up the season or simple and minimal?

And do try Jules' recipe and if you do - drop her (and me!) a note if you can and report back - coz they are definitely nom nom nom!

Wow - a second post, I think I might be on a roll.....

A blue sky day

 There are rituals around this time of the year that call to me.

This particular one - the village card delivery walk - has so many precious memories linked with it and they filled my head and heart as I walked with Moss while we dropped off cards. I think that this is the first year that I have been on my own - most of my pack are working or away so it was up to myself and Moss to fly the flag today.

We both wrapped up, well I wrapped us both warmly. I ignored the snarky side eye and exaggerated sighs from the dog as I lashed her into her harness to make sure her green fleecy 'jimjams' stayed snug. She is not a regular wearer of dog attire but with the temperatures as low as they are at the moment and with our route being a fair bit of trudging through icy fields and lanes - I ignored the irritated eye rolls and buckled a fidgety dog into her outdoor gear.

There was something familiar and comforting in following the route we'd used since we first moved into the village. I stopped and breathed in the icy air - great lungful's of the bitterly sharp stuff making myself cough and my eyes water - took a moment to recover. Moss did give me a bit of a concerned look then sped off skittering and slipping on the ice with such a silly grin on her face leaving me gasping and wheezing and laughing.

The sky is a brilliant blue - one that fills my heart with such joy.

We're back now, most of the cards delivered, one or two still to write, but with a snoring dog and a steaming mug of tea there is a gentle feeling of satisfaction that this year and with this little ritual completed that small moments like these are worth treasuring.

I have not gone, I am still about, I just needed space to breathe. Sometimes simple things in life just seem to sparkle and I had felt to have lost that spark - I am hoping it has returned.