The Little Things I love This Week – mid March

Bike along the river
The view from my handlebars – my fellow cyclist runs ahead to check out some tiny flowers

 

 

It’s nearly a year since we lost our big car.  A huge Ford Galaxy with much room for camping gear, trips home to Cornwall and outings with carfree friends.  She was a workhorse of a vehicle and when she finally turned up her toes, we were pretty stumped.

One year on and although we now have a beautiful blue banger outside the gate, my daughter is more than used to cycling to school, I’ve taken up running (as well as cycling) and inspired by all this, my husband has also dug out his bib shorts and running shoes.  We live next to the calm Blackwater River, which means that if the ground is dry, getting around traffic-free is simple and with each week the colour palette changes.  Delightful and much more fun than sitting at traffic lights.

I’d given up cycling for the winter but with the bikes checked over and helmets dug out from under the stairs, we start again in earnest next week.  Can’t wait!

To rival my Mother’s little black and gold visitor last week, look what turned up in my front garden.  I’m well happy.

Tiny bee in the crocus

And finally, if you’ve had enough of me banging on about spring, look away now but

I spent good Sunday morning chill out time changing beds last weekend, just for the sheer joy of seeing the sheets blowing on the line – the first outing my peg bag has had this year.  For me, this is a big deal because I hate washing hanging around the house and I just love the fresh linen smell of bringing it in off the line in the evening.

This is the pegbag I made last year to celebrate spring.  The stichtwork on the front is a little difficult to see, so I will post better pictures sometime soon but it’s based on a pattern from Christine Leech’s rather delicious book Little Sew & Sew.

Have a happy week, people.  If you have your own spring rituals, do share.

A little rabbit, a shirt and a pair of unmentionables adorn the front of the pegbag, worked in backstitch with tiny roses, sequins and buttons.
A little rabbit, a shirt and a pair of unmentionables adorn the front of the pegbag, worked in backstitch with tiny roses, sequins and buttons.
The back of my simple patchwork peg bag
The back of my simple patchwork peg bag
Looks tropical but it's only my sunny backyard
Looks tropical but it’s only my sunny backyard

 

 

Please like & share:

The Little Things I Love This Week

 

Blossom in Hyde Park
I had to go to Hyde Park to find this little beauty.

It’s spring by name – metrological spring covers the months of March, April and May, so this week sees the first official week of my favourite season.  Of course, the naysayers will point out that the natural world is as far removed from our Gregorian calendar as say, many politicians are from their ideals but I say in this instance, we’ll give it a name and let nature grow into it.

Tanking across Hyde Park for a little retail therapy on Saturday(while the Hubster and the small one were enjoying the Science Museum) I found this little beauty.  I live on the edge of an old orchard and not a blossom have I seen yet, I had to come into London for that.

In case you’re wondering, yes I did buy something on Oxford Street – a rather fabulous little number.  It will sit in my wardrobe and sing to me until I can find a suitable occasion to wear it.  Have a quick squizz here – it looks even more gorgeous on, I just need to find the right orange shoes to go with it now.  Any suggestions gratefully received.

Crocus in the greenery
Purple and green – one of my favourite combinations
LIttle white crocus
This little white crocus was the first to pop open

And these little babies have been busy coming up in my garden.  I bought a random bag of crocuses last autumn and made it my business to plant them randomly so that I’d forget where they’d pop up.  I’m easily entertained.

Sainsbury's Cookbook
A new cookbook for me makes everyone happy

The sassy little dress was not the only treat I bought myself this week.  Check this out.  I’ve had a darn good rummage around in this, the latest addition to my gargantuan library of cookbooks.  The thing that makes the just-out Sainsbury’s Cookbook (and what I also love about Sainsbury’s magazine – I don’t work for them, honest!) is that it uses pretty simple ingredients in a rather fabulous way.  I reckon my family will be well up for the Buffalo wings and the prawn, feta, tomato and chilli stew.  Personally, the trio of dips and the grilled halloumi salad are well and truly floating my boat at the moment as are the pecan caramel cinnamon buns and the Pastel de Santiago (a Spanish lemon and almond cake).  Expect pictures of my own efforts soon.

Tired but happy feet
Tired but happy feet

And finally, in order to offset the effects of my culinary pleasures, I broke the 3k mark twice this week.  This is a considerable achievement for me as I only started running seven weeks ago.  I’ve been following the NHS’ Couch to 5K plan and if you’ve heard about it and you’ve been toying with the idea of digging out your running shoes, do it.  I’ve gone from collapsing at the supermarket checkout after having dashed for the forgotten milk/cheese/butter/beer just a couple of months ago to perving over new running shoes with my mate who’s also just taken up running.

Running is addictive.  Running has made me happy.  3K is an achievement and the 5K charity run I’m doing in October no longer seems like the hurdle it once was.  (Read more about The Silent Bleed, the charity I work with, here).

In fact, I’m off for a run now.  There’s some bright, spring sunshine to be had out there and I’m on the lookout for blossom.

I hope I’ve inspired you to get outside and find your own signs of early spring this week.  Whether you’re running, walking or getting dragged along by the dog, do share how it’s made you feel – and keep a lookout for fabulous orange shoes (but they’re best found in a shoe shop).

QOST xxx

Please like & share:

Lisa in the Rain

Many of my friends often bring a little book with them to my craft group on a Monday night along with pens, pencils, lace, ribbons, glue and other crafty materials.  It’s not just any book, it’s a Wreck this Journal.  If you haven’t heard of this phenomenon, then look it up.  Many a creative episode has it inspired and it lead my good buddy Lisa to pen the passage below – I loved it so much, I had to share it.  Of course, you won’t get to hear her lovely voice in your head reading it, sorry!

Lisa's Wreck This Journal
Lisa’s response to ‘Document a boring event in detail’

I’m sat in the car in the rain, watching big fat drops covering windows and running in rivulets towards the cold tarmac.  The radio is on Radio 4 and the news is on.  A Mark Carnie is speaking in a clear voice and the pips have just sounded – regular and very British.  The hubby is in Les’ house about 20 metres away talking Buffs.  That’s why I’m in the car – less chance of having to join in, well no chance really.

Rain getting harder, lightly drumming on the roof and finding its way through my window, which is open a chink to allow the remnants of my fag smoke to escape.  Also, raindrops, fat and cold are finding my page and leaving little round wrinkles on the paper, the paper is of quite poor quality and makes felt tips bleed.

The travel news has just interrupted Radio 4 and somewhere is flooded as it has been raining for days.

The bin lorry is coming along with lights flashing with the bin men like bright, yellow bees, buzzing around, bringing rubbish to the truck, it’s got quite a strong smell, even on this cold, wet day.

Ten minutes later, still sat here needing a wee.

 

The kind of thing Lisa gets up to with her journal when she’s not sat in the car writing monologues:

Lisa's wreck this journal watercolour butterfly
To create this butterfly, Lisa dropped watercolour paint straight out of the tube. It took ten hours to dry but what a striking result.
Lisas wrecked journal rangoli patterns
Striking monochrome patterns. I’ve watched Lisa develop these, they come from the soul (often between ciggies, swigs of coffee and swapping spicy chickpea recipes)

 

 

Please like & share: