Thursday 14 August 2014

Rambling and brambling... and breathing



So here I am again. And again, thank you for all your lovely kind messages. I really do appreciate them - each and every one.

I said I'd be blogging when I felt like it and I feel like it right now. My days are busy but Joe is at nursery for a few weeks to allow me to visit my mum. He goes for a couple of hours each morning and has taken to it like a duck to water. Literally. Twice now I've collected him and he's been soaked through because he has a keen interest in the little trough they have outside for 'water play'. Add to that a layer of sand, chocolate (from baking) and whatever they've had for lunch and you can imagine how much action the washing machine's seeing. 


He goes to the nursery in a village just down the road from ours and we tend to go walking there most evenings. There are chickens which we have to visit when I pick him up each day. And you can hear the steam train too. He's in his element.

We'll be back to our old routine at some point but in the meantime this little adventure is turning out well for Joe. And it's been a life-saver for me too.


Dropping him off in the mornings you get a sense of autumn beckoning. Leaves dancing along the pavement and that unmistakable smell in the air. There's a tree across the lane from the nursery which is full of fat Bramley apples, some of which have been blown down during the heavy rain showers we've had of late.


I've often said that walking in the fields and woods is the best therapy for a troubled mind and last night's stroll confirmed it. There was a cool breeze and the smell of the damp earth and leaves was just so wonderful: balm for the soul I think. I inhaled it deeply and savoured every breath, wishing I could somehow bottle up that scent and bring it home, maybe infuse this post with it to share with you all. 


We found another huge patch of brambles and plan to return this evening for yet more picking. I found a simple but tempting recipe for blackberry vodka yesterday whilst leafing through my cookbooks. And the stoppered bottles I used for elderflower cordial have all been returned and are waiting in the cupboard.


The colours are changing around us. The rosehips are beginning to blush but the predominant colour I've noticed is yellow: leaves from the birches which grow along the old railway line; Solidaster (or Solidago, depending on your preference). The long grass has that bleached look I love so much. It looks spectacular when sunlit against the leaden skies.


I've bought a bunch of asters for the house. They always signal the final days of summer for me; I went for a deep red for myself and bought my mum some pink ones. She tells me you can take cuttings from them so I'll have to look that one up. My grandma used to grow them in her garden.


I'm looking forward to another jaunt this evening. It really does help when things are difficult. Last night we came home to soup made with vegetables, lentils, spilt peas and barley. More of a broth really but it was good. And there's a decent amount left over too - even better.


Indoors we have the big feather quilt back on the bed which is lovely but it makes getting up in the mornings that bit more difficult.

I've also taken to wearing a chunky knitted wrap whilst sitting here at the computer. I suspect my next purchase for myself will be a set of thermals...

19 comments:

  1. Autumn is definitely on its way! Our blackberries aren't quite ripe yet though I'm looking forward to going blackberrying as soon as they are. It's great that Joe is happy at nursery. It must ease the pressure for you when you know he is content and happy there. And a definite yes to thermals. I bought my first ones last year and I love them! Bee xx

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    1. I'll be going on a bit of an autumnal stocking-up session I think... woolly tights, thermals and perhaps a rain hat. I like to be well prepared. Maybe even a big cardigan to wrap up in.
      Joe is loving nursery but came home soaked through again today and his shoes were full of sand. It's a small price to pay though :) xx

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  2. Meanwhile I spent the afternoon on a beach trying to stretch the summer until the end of our school holidays! I cannot start thinking of Autumn until the children go back! Blogland seems full of people posting about the change of season...

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    1. I think a lot of us secretly yearn for autumn and all the good things it brings, but I will miss the warm breezes we get in summer. That and the feeling of general wellbeing when you can walk around barefoot and breakfast outdoors...

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  3. The season is shifting slightly isn't it. I'm trying to ignore it for a little longer though. I'm glad you're having some nice walks, I always think they help a lot when things are tricky. CJ xx

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    1. I'm a real believer in the power of nature and also advocate natural remedies, for lesser afflictions at least. It'll be interesting to see whether it gets warm again this year. I remember going to an October wedding a few years ago and it was stiflingly hot. Everyone was staring enviously at the one guest who'd pre-chosen ice cream for their dessert!
      S xx

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  4. It is still very much summer for me right now, I cannot bear to think of autumn yet! xx

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    1. I don't think you're alone on that one! I do like autumn best of all and enjoy winter too but have to admit, January and February are way too gloomy for my liking x

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  5. I'm so sorry to read about your mom...I know this must be a very difficult time for you. I am glad, though, that your little one is enjoying his time at the nursery, giving you the time you need with your mom. Thanks for sharing the lovely photos and taking a moment to write a few thoughts.

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    1. Hi Emily. Blogging seems to be coming quite easily at the moment so I'm enjoying it. Yes, it's a relief that Joe's settled in at nursery but I suspect he'll be a bit disappointed when we take him out again! Luckily he's only very young so pretty adaptable... x

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  6. The season is definitely changing the temperatures here have cooled a lot in the last week but there are no other signs yet :). It is good to hear that you are able to spend valuable time with your mum without worrying about your little one too. Your walks sound heavenly :)

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    1. They are! And as for Joe, I hadn't planned to put him in nursery for a good while yet. But they've been brilliant and are even charging us an hourly rate for flexibility's sake as they're aware of the situation. Needs must and all that...
      I hope you have a lovely weekend and manage to get outdoors as much as we plan to xx

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  7. Are you sure we're not related ... rainy days, autumn days ... both are favourites here too. A warm woolly wrap worn on a walk on a moor in autumn sounds perfect for soul soothing to me.

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    1. We could well be related! Speaking of the moors, the drive over to my mum and back traverses them and tomorrow we're planning to stop off en route and take some photos of the heather.
      Thank you for your email too - it means a lot.
      S :)

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  8. I've really noticed that there's more than a sniff of autumn in the air. We've got our duvet back and it's dark when the ABO gets up on earlies. Am looking forward to some more signs. I love that I live where the seasons changing is so obvious. Hope you're doing ok xx

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    1. Hello! I'm fine at the moment - it's a very up-and-down time and I suspect that will continue long into the future. There's no easy way of dealing with what's going on but you just have to find your way little by little.
      I do love this time of year and hope I won't end up associating it with sadness. Right now it's just providing a little bit of relief and you can't really ask for more.
      S x

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  9. Your photos are lovely and I can definitely see the changes. Things are changing here too and I'm enjoying watching the progress toward fall. I'm glad things are holding steady right now and that Joe is happy where he is and you can attend to your mom. Take care, best wishes.

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  10. There is something wonderful about the change of seasons. Summer to autumn is one of my favourites.

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  11. It's nippy here too. We even lit the fire a few nights ago, in August!! Autumn is definitely on the way. That photo of the purple-green oak leaf is STUNNING. I really hope it is an oak leaf, I am pretty terrible at identifying plants, leaves, flowers etc... x

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