Everywhere green

May was a glorious month. Busy and intense at work (SATs!), while equally busy and intense at home (GCSE revision for Bella) but so many highlights, not least the unrelenting blue skies and everything opening up and unfurling outside. I always think May starts off quite quietly, very definitely spring, but by the end of the month every leaf is the deepest shade of bright green, the garden has started to bloom and it feels almost summery.

Angus turned fourteen. My baby, fourteen. 

 

He requested a stack of doughnuts for his cake which I was more than happy to oblige, much less work all round. I was touched that he asked for Lego too (along with techy things, clothes and books) and he was so engrossed in building it, it reminded me of a younger Angus.

We attempted No Mow May in the front garden. I was torn between loving it and thinking it looked untidy. 

For a while, the verges outside our house were a riot of colour and wild flowers, it was really stunning, but then the council came along and mowed them.

We had some beautiful walks locally in woods filled with wild garlic, or ransoms. I noticed that I picked this about a month earlier last year, in April, but it was much later this year. 

I used this recipe but substituted the pine nuts for peanuts because that's what I had in the cupboard and omitted the garlic cloves because when I made this last year I found it too fiery. This batch was much more mellow and the wild garlic came through beautifully. I made the best sandwich I have ever eaten (from a fridge stocked with better than usual leftovers because we'd had friends round for dinner the night before) with the pesto, chicken, mozzarella and salad on toasted white bread. Heaven.

Leaving behind the teenagers, John and I had a lovely walk around Bosham and the first 99 ice cream of the year. 

The houses and gardens in Bosham are something else (and ridiculously expensive) but so pretty.

I've been getting up earlier than usual lately, as Bella wants to revise before school and likes me to wake her. Obviously she has an alarm clock and is more than capable of getting herself up, but I like that she wants to say good morning. She is so incredibly organised and self-sufficient, it's nice to feel needed. Anyway, I tell you this because coming down to the kitchen filled with morning sunlight is a joy.

Since I'm up, I go on the rowing machine in the garage as I much prefer exercising first thing rather than when I get in from work, then I wander round the garden with the watering can before having a shower. It's a really nice way to start the day.

It is now the time of year for after-work dog walks. How lovely it is to walk through fields of buttercups as the sun is dropping in the sky. A good way to decompress after a day in the classroom.

The garden finally has some colour.

The two enormous rhododendrons have flowered and the ferns are opening up. The alliums are just finished but there are buds on the climbing rose and poppies about to come up.

We spent the weekends in May giving the garden a bit of attention, scrubbing the decking and giving everything a bit of a tidy up.

It's amazing what a jet wash and a few new plants can do, as well as some sunshine.

The outdoor sofa continue to be one of our best purchases ever. It is in constant use, even by the dog, hence the blanket.

There has been a lot of cooking, and from new books too, so I have lots of photos for future book review posts. But I recently bought this book when I saw it half price and I have used it lots. Very practical, easy family food with some nice ideas. This was turkey tacos with an amazing coleslaw made with green apple.  

Chocolate flapjacks, always good for lunchboxes and after school snacks. 

And the most perfect weekend breakfast - poached egg and avocado on toast covered in Sriracha hot chilli sauce.

I am still working on my Iceland holiday embroidery. I have found it hard to find time and enthusiasm and did not enjoy sewing this Northern Lights section.

However, this little cross stitch star, using water-soluble fabric, was much more enjoyable and I have found my mojo with this project again. 

Which is just as well, as I would like to finish it before the memories fade too much. 

Glimpses of Blue

In amongst the gloom, the relentless rain and the mud, news bulletins full of floods and Coronavirus and the climate emergency, I am trying to find glimpses of spring and good things to come. I don't think I've ever wanted winter to end and spring to come as much as I do this year. Everywhere is muddy. The garden is squelchy underfoot, the grass desperately needs cutting, and I'm desperate to get out there and start pottering and tidying up. But I am trying to remember to look up, in all senses. 

There was that dog walk at sunset last week. It had been the first dry day in what felt like weeks (probably was weeks, to be fair) and I went over to our usual dog-walking fields and had the place to myself. It was totally waterlogged, but wonderful to stride around on my own, throwing a ball for Ziggy. And so beautiful. I felt elated when I got home, a reminder of the power of some fresh air, exercise and vitamin D to improve your mood.

Storm after storm have brought down many trees, including one round the corner from our house. The council cleared it off the road and left it all, half chopped, in a pile where it will probably remain for some time. I don't know what kind of tree it was but some of the twiggy branches with their furry catkins came home with me, so be arranged in amongst the daffodils (not bored of them yet)...

and just in a vase on their own. I picked up another bigger piece which I think will make a wonderful Easter tree.

One upside to this turbulent, ever changing weather is the rainbows.

This one I saw yesterday seemed like the clearest rainbow I've ever seen.

The shadows are pretty too.

I recently had printed a photo I'd taken of a boat on a flat calm, misty day down at the beach. I ordered a mount (I like this place and have used them a few times in the past) and put it in a frame I bought for £3.75 from Wilkos. I'm really happy with how it came together.

I've just finished this book and cannot recommend it enough; good characters, good plot, a proper page turner. I couldn't put it down at the end, and I am glad to see the author has a nice long back list for me to turn to! 

I tried these white chocolate and berry coconut mountains from The Little Swedish Kitchenand they are good. A bit like macaroons but with sesame seeds and ground almonds as well as coconut. Perfect to go with the 4 pm cup of tea when I get in from work.

I'm crocheting myself a pair of wrist warmers from here (I stumbled across it - the pattern is in US terms but very easy) and I'm enjoying it a lot. Basically they fit which, after the jumper, is all I want from a crochet project.

Thank you so much for all your compliments and tips on my jumper in my last post. Such good advice, I will definitely size down in future projects as well as going down a hook size. 

Wishing you all a happy, stress free, sunny week.