Easter Weekend

On Good Friday, when it rained heavily all day, when sensible people were inside in the warm, doing nice inside, warm things - we were down on the beach in our wellies and waterproof trousers, walking the dog. 

Saturday, after a hellish couple of hours in the supermarket, in a break between showers, we dashed out for a walk and eyed the black clouds warily. 

On Sunday we were the family in the waterlogged, muddy park throwing a ball around and Monday we were on the beach again while the wind howled and the rain drizzled around us. Dogs, they do indeed get you out, whether you like it or not. 

Actually, I never mind the walks. Even in the worst weather I enjoy them and I always feel better after some fresh air and exercise on the beach, especially if it's a wet bank holiday weekend and we're all feeling a little cooped up. And there is such satisfaction to be had in watching a whippet tear around the sand madly, just for the sheer joy of being out, running. But oh, the mud. I am so over the mud. The grass in our garden is completely waterlogged now. Ziggy likes to go in and out of the garden at least one hundred times a day and has to be wiped down with an old towel every time he comes back into the house. Shoes are muddy, floors are muddy. Thank goodness there is cake.

And what a lot of cake there has been. Since the only person who liked the Simnel cake I made last year was me, I made something more family friendly this year, with this recipe, and it has proved popular, largely due to the mini eggs. 

 We had a big family roast dinner at my mum and dad's on Sunday evening and I took along this lemon meringue roulade. It was delicious but needed more lemon curd than the recipe called for, but perhaps that is because I do really love lemon curd. 

Rain and mud aside, our slow bank holiday weekend has been most welcome after such a busy few weeks. I've cooked a lot, done the kind of spring cleaning that only gets done in the school holidays, tackled a few jobs around the house. There is such pleasure in doing jobs like changing the bedding and washing the floors when you're not looking at your watch every five seconds and worrying about being late for work, or anything. Just pottering around with the radio on, making things clean and lovely. I moved the terracotta pots of tulips I planted last autumn - which are a few weeks from blooming - from the back garden to the front door step yesterday. I've been meaning to do that for absolutely weeks.

It's so nice to have some time. I spent an hour in bed this morning reading about English Paper Piecing, looking at patterns, reading instructions, thinking about what fabric I have. I've been reading books, knitting, cross stitching and dreaming about all the things I want to do in the garden when it ever stops raining. We've been out and about too, for breakfast and lunch, seeing friends and family, visiting museums. I think the Easter two week break is my favourite in the school calendar. 

We have a day out planned tomorrow, and on Friday, who knows. It depends on the weather. I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend.