Two Bank Holidays

Two bank holidays, two four day weeks, and two very different sorts of weather. The May Day weekend was warm and sunny and it was so nice to open the windows and kitchen door to the fresh air 

The sofa cushions were put on the sofa and wash after wash hung on the line. This one is always happy when it's warm enough to go outside. He is in and out all day long, sniffing the air and pricking his ears at every small sound.

John had to work so I had did a lot of pottering and spring cleaning which was very restorative after a busy few weeks at work. I stripped the beds, did washing, vacuumed and baked while listening to the radio or a podcast. 

I began the weekend in the best possible way: sitting down with a coffee and going through all my newest cookery books and making a list of what to cook, then writing a shopping list

I have been working my way through Home Cookery Year, above, and it has become one of my favourite recipe books. I'll do a proper post on it soon. I've also been dipping into the others (when time allows) and tried this vanilla tray bake from One Tin Bakes by Edd Kimber. Good packed lunch and pudding fare,

The weather really was gorgeous that weekend and I got carried away and promptly packed away all my winter things and moved my summer stuff back into the wardrobe. (Our wardrobe is tiny.) It was good to be reunited with my beloved Toms, they are like slippers. I think this is my third pair. 

We enjoyed our dog walks that weekend, and appreciated the warmth of the sun and the blossom everywhere after what has felt like quite a cold spring. 

I met up with my friend in Lyndhurst for the day which was lovely. I left the children behind (one of the upsides of having teenagers) and skipped off alone for a day of fun. I listened to my audiobook in the car (The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford - excellent narration by Bessie Carter), caught up with my friend, did a bit of shopping, had a very nice pub lunch out and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Lyndhurst is very pretty indeed with lots of independent shops and cafes and a bustling, seaside feel. 

It wouldn't be a proper bank holiday weekend without a bit of gardening. We did a fair bit of tidying up and cutting back, and pulled up some dead plants. I surveyed the border, and tried to remember what was a weed and what was a plant and generally  reacquainted myself with our little garden. 

The currant bushes are looking promising - although, as always, more redcurrants than black, the opposite way to how I would like it - and the climbing rose has spread really well over the fence. I am optimistic for blooms. At the moment, the garden is looking very green, but there are tiny spots of colour appearing here and there - alliums just about to open, and pinky-purple buds on the rhododendron bushes. 

I picked a few bluebells and the last of the tulips to make a little posy for the house - they lasted well over a week. 

The following bank holiday was cold and wet. This was the coronation weekend, and we embraced the horrible weather by drinking coffee, eating cake, painting a cupboard and going to B&Q to look at wood for shelves. 

There was more baking, but this time of the royal variety. I made the coronation quiche (using this recipe) which worked out ok, although making pastry is always a very tense situation for me. I don't really know what I am doing so it could go either way.

Luckily this pastry was good. A bit rustic looking, and patched in places, but very short and with a lovely crisp bottom. The filling was delicious, although the kids turned their noses up at the broad beans. 

Keeping up the royal cookery theme, I also made a Victoria Sponge, probably one of the nicest cakes ever, especially if you eat it so freshly made it's still a little warm.

I haven't seen a really good bluebell display this year, but have enjoyed the woods regardless, They were magical last weekend, really damp and cool - chilly, even - after all the rain, and just bursting with life and greenery. You could almost hear the ferns unfurling and leaves opening. 

And now we are half way through May already, and there is cow parsley and wild garlic and a boy who just turned fourteen, a girl revising for GCSEs and a garden that is just about to burst into colour. 

April: castles and seaglass

We packed such a lot in to the Easter holidays. It is always my favourite school holiday as the two week break falls at the same time that the garden and outside world are starting to wake up; it's a time for planting and decorating and making plans. We had days out, days at home, days away. I went into school a few times, and spent a lot of time at home getting jobs done, but it was so good.

I bought lots of grasses and replaced all the dead plants in the border under the living room window. A wide, exposed bed, this patch of garden faces south west and bakes in the afternoon sun. I hope these grasses fill the space and enjoy the spot. I planted up all the pots on the door step with primulas and sat on the door step with a cup of tea. 

On a spectacularly sunny day, the four of us went to Arundel Castle.

The grounds and views are stunning, but the interior is also really interesting. 

We had a mooch around Arundel afterwards, enjoyed the sun, bought pasties in a bakery and ate them outside while looking out over the river. Our first meal outdoors of the year. 

The children (children! teenagers!) and I went to Brighton for the day to meet up with my friend Abigail and her girls. 

We ate churros, went to the pier, rode the ghost train and gallopers, had burgers for lunch and had a lot of fun. The sun was warm but when the wind blew on the pier I was very glad I had worn my winter coat. April can still feel like winter. 

John and I celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary and went out for a curry with the children to mark the occasion. 

With the help of my eternally wonderful parents, we decorated Angus's bedroom. This room was used as Angus's bedroom when we first moved in eight years ago, but a couple of years ago he moved into the small box room next door. But it seemed silly to have a big spare room and tiny bedroom which is used every day, so he moved back in and we have squeezed the sofa bed into the box room. One of the best things about this house has been its versatility as the children have grown and we have moved them and their bedrooms around, while trying to create playrooms, spare rooms or offices with any leftover corners of space. 

Anyway, we gave it all a lick of white paint and freshened the woodwork, bought a new blind, lampshade, chest of drawers, bedside table locker and bedding. It's still very much Angus (still badgers!) but feels like a teenager's room now, with a desk holding a monitor and xbox. 

Easter came and went. I had such big plans for Easter baking over the holidays, but completely failed to cook anything seasonal as I was too busy emptying out cupboards, cleaning out the garage, going to the tip etc. Luckily Bella made some Easter nests. I did get the Easter tree out though, for all of three days. We travelled up to Durham on Easter Sunday. I was disappointed not to be cooking a roast lamb and celebrating with family, but it was a good day to make the long (six hours, without stops) journey as the roads were fairly quiet.

It was our first visit to Durham in a while and we rented a house close to John's parents so that we could see them every day. It worked really well and we have booked to go back there in the summer. 

The weather was really mixed while we were there, with heavy showers and high winds, but we did make it to Seaham beach on one day.

I love Seaham. 

It's quite well known now for its sea glass, apparently due to waste glass being thrown from an old glass-making factory into the sea many years ago. I remember going there with John and the children when they were tiny and the place would be empty, but now it was packed with people scouring the sand and pebbles. Ziggy was completely baffled by all our hunting and kept coming over to see what we were picking up and putting in our pockets.

Of course we did the same, and found a lot between us, which we took home to wash and look at more closely.  I showed the children in my class and they were fascinated, it was really nice. 

We went into Durham, of course. It's such a beautiful city, with its steep, cobbled streets, and the cathedral and castle looking down over the rest of the area, high up on the hill. We had Ziggy with us so John and Bella took him for a walk while Angus and I went inside the cathedral.

 

We have been inside many times before but it never gets old, it's such a spectacular building.

Angus had asked if we could climb the tower, so we bought two tickets, signed the disclaimer (325 steep, spiral stairs) and made our way to the top. 

The views were amazing. It was really windy and you do feel quite exposed as you are walking around on a roof top, but it is worth doing (even if you hate spiral staircases as much as I do.)

We spotted John, Bella and Ziggy at the bottom, waiting for us. 

I made a little headway on my Iceland embroidery (slowest project ever) while we were there and have now finished stitching a knitted jumper

I used chain stitch to try to replicate the texture of an Icelandic hand-knitted jumper and I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.

So a nice two week break, a good mix of family time and resting and getting things done too. But next Easter I want to be more organised and get some baking and cooking done because I do love a seasonal potter in the kitchen.