Tie Dye and Apple Pie

While I've been busy trying to squeeze every last drop out of the summer holidays, the weather has jumped straight into autumn. We had the chilliest August bank holiday weekend in years and when the alarm went off this morning it seemed so dark. 

During a very wet and windy week we managed a day out to Weald and Downland Living Museum. I love it there. The grounds are beautiful and it's nice to just wander around and look inside the different houses, and it's great for the kids too. 

Angus had the map situation under control.

As we went back to the car to collect our picnic the rain clouds had really started to build up, and before you knew it we were all finishing lunch in the car with the rain thundering on the roof.

At one point we even wondered if we should just go home, but I'm glad we persevered because the rain did (almost) stop and we were able to explore the houses a little more.

I took this photo of the cafe area because I liked the way the trees were reflected in the water. It was only when I looked at it again later that I realised how much the trees are starting to change colour.

The museum has a small mill in which they produce their own wholemeal flour. I bought a bag and added a little to my white sourdough loaf. I like the flavour of wholemeal but find too much makes for a very heavy loaf - a ratio of about four parts white to one part wholemeal seems to work for me, keeping the lightness of the white flour but adding depth and texture with the wholemeal.

The bank holiday weekend was mostly spent getting jobs done before school and work starts again; oiling the new doors, putting up hooks, tidying the garage, cutting back hedges and trees at the front of the house, going to the tip. But there was time for a little rainbow tie dye session, something Bella had wanted to try all summer. Despite following the instructions carefully and much rinsing, everything came out of the machine a mixture of coral pink and turquoise blue. Not very rainbowy, but Bella and her cousins all seemed reasonably happy with the results.

My colleague gave me some enormous apples from the tree in her garden and I spent a very pleasant Sunday morning making a pie. I followed the recipe to the letter, finely slicing the apples, making my own sweet shortcrust pastry and faffing around with a lattice topping. It was time consuming but satisfying at the same time and I was proud of my efforts.

 

It's not just in the kitchen where the seasons are changing - little autumn touches are creeping in here and there throughout the house. I added my favourite wooden pear to the shelf in the hall and moved my much loved wooden trees onto the round shelf to replace the shells and stones I like to display there over the summer.

I even dug out and untangled my leaf garland. I usually hang it across the mantel but I love it against the green-blue wall here. Changing the decorations in the house to follow the seasons is one of my favourite things to do.

Outside of the house, we know summer is ending because we have now entered Muddy Dog Season. When it's really cold we shower Ziggy in the bathroom, but he had to suffer the indignity of a hose-down in the back garden here. I think his face says it all.

The end of summer always brings with it a desire to pick up the yarn and crochet hooks after months of not really wanting to crochet much at all. I made a little cushion cover, slightly different on each side, and am making a baby blanket for someone. It's small and very manageable, I'm enjoying it actually. It's nice crochet to do in front of the TV.

Life is starting to gather pace here as we all return to school and work. I am back into my old routines of planning meals and checking the calendar, washing school uniform and thinking about slow-cooker meals. Angus starts secondary school tomorrow and Bella goes back Monday. I had a day at University (via Zoom) yesterday and my first day at school today and I swing between feeling completely overwhelmed by information and really excited to just get stuck in. Everything feels odd at school, with the covid-related changes, and I think everyone is trying to get to grips with it, and I think a lot of people feel overwhelmed too which is reassuring I suppose. I am looking forward to next week when all the children come back. A school without the noise of small people is no fun at all.