Through the woods

Glorious sunny days two weekends running! What is the British weather coming to? It was too good to miss so we headed out for a walk through the woods. One of my favourite parts of these woods is the sunlight dancing on the brook as it babbles along.

Not much to see yet in the way of plant growth but I was thrilled to find a small patch of scarlet elf cup fungus.

There were lots of lesser celandine too. I'm so looking forward to the return of all the other woodland flowers.

The birds were in full song and fluttering about. We saw lots of nuthatch taking advantage of the seed stations and could hear their distinctive call all through our walk - if you click on the link, you can listen to an audio clip.



Also lots of great tits, coal tits, blue tits and robins. All of them are very common in this area.

Oh, and one not so common but very happy crocodile!

In other news, I thought I'd share the progress of my ripple blanket. It's one of those projects just to pick up now and again so that I always have some crochet to do, so it's slow and steady.  I've completed one row of each of my colours and have just started the repeats.

 

Of course, there's also the weekly kirigami update. Inevitably there was a St Patrick's themed design but my favourite was the one at top left.

Only four working days to Easter but also to having a couple of weeks leave. I can't wait! I have a feeling these four days will drag - fingers crossed they don't! x

Spring at last?

Today it really felt like spring has finally arrived. The temperature gauge in my car this afternoon said it was a balmy 15 degrees! I know better than to trust the fickle British weather but it was nice to enjoy it while it lasts.

I sat outside to eat my breakfast. With my eyes closed, my face turned up towards the sun and the seagulls calling overhead, it could have been mid-summer by the sea*. How my spirits soared! It really is miraculous how much happier and more energised the sun makes you feel.

* we're actually about 30-40 miles from the sea as a seagull flies but they're attracted here by the local lake.

I'm hoping the energy from the sun persuades the purple-sprouting broccoli to put in an appearance. The plants were decimated by caterpillars but it turns out they're pretty resilient. I left them in the ground over the winter and they've started to grow. No sign of edible shoots yet but you never know.

The sun has definitely energised the birds as they were chirping their hearts out and getting frisky. This male sparrow seems to have claimed the nest box on my neighbour's wall and was doing his best to entice the ladies. (Sorry for the rubbish picture but it was right at the edge of my zoom)

In my garden, the magpies are gathering nesting material. They could make life easy for themselves and scoop up any number of twigs littering the ground but, no, they're trying to pull fresh ones directly off the tree.

Overhead, four Canada geese were floating down to land and the vibration of the air through their feathers made it sound like they were on a zip wire.

I was also observing birds in the latest issue of Stitch magazine. I actually bought it for another pattern but this one caught my eye too and there are more gorgeous designs inside. They're by Chloe Redfern and there are other bird patterns on her website.

This weekend we've also been enjoying films. Last night we watched Lady in the Van and really enjoyed it, though anything with Maggie Smith is a pretty sure thing. She was brilliant at playing the eccentric Miss Shepherd.

Today we went to see Allegiant, the latest in the Divergent series. It had been universally panned in the reviews (probably written by people who aren't the target audience) but we thought it was great. Not as good as the previous two films though.

I've also been cooking and made some fava to go with lamb chops. It was one of our favourite recipes during my cookery challenge and was just as tasty this time. I loved the pattern the reflection of the peas made in my metal dish.

And, of course, I've been continuing with the kirigami. I think the flowers and leaves design was my favourite. This week also saw the introduction of the weaving technique, which you can see in the bottom two designs.

I wonder what next week will bring? x

Kirigami #6 & other tales

The start of another month and the continuing of the kirigami. I enjoyed this week's patterns partly because it was mostly scissor work. My favourite was the curly one in the middle.

More news at the end.

 

As well as the kirigami, I've just finished my latest jigsaw puzzle. I've had this on my wishlist for ages and finally decided to treat myself. Love all the hot air balloons.

Today was not only Mother's Day but also my brother's birthday! After visiting to give presents and good wishes, I went for a quick walk in the woods. It's hard to believe it will be a sea of green in a couple of months.

May 2015

6 March 2016

May 2015

6 March 2016

May 2015

I was excited to see the beginnings of the wild garlic though. The pesto I make with it is one of the highlights of my year :-)

Happy Mother's Day to all you mums out there. And enjoy what remains of the weekend to all. x

Feeling the Burn(s)

Yesterday was my annual Burns Night supper. My friend Gordon is Scottish and it also happens to be his birthday the week before, so it's become a tradition for him, his wife and son to come over to celebrate.

I always try to do something new and, this time, I found some printable flags from Activity Village and made some bunting to hang on the mantelpiece and decorations to stick in the dessert. We also indulged in my version of a Tartan Trembler cocktail - one measure of whisky and campari shaken with ice, topped up with Irn Bru (made in Scotland from gir-ders, as the ad used to say!).

We follow the traditional Burns Night running order which you can read about on my previous post. You'll also see there the tartan shirt I wear every year as it's the only vaguely Scottish thing I own!

The main course has to be haggis, neeps (swede) and tatties (potatoes). I tried a new recipe for the swede, roasting it in olive oil, honey, cumin seeds and mild chilli powder - yum! Will definitely be making that one again.

Another yum for the dessert, Black Forest cranachan. Layers of chocolate coated, toasted oats, cherries and cream. Best to take it out of the fridge half an hour before serving though as the oats do set quite solidly in the bottom of the glass!

And no Burns Night is complete without some activities. There was a word search (again from Activity Village)...

...tossing the caber pencil. Balance the pencil on your finger on the floor, then flick it up and see how far it can go.

And our favourite, potting the haggis ie throwing furry pom-poms into a flower pot. As popular as ever though some of the competitors seemed to lack concentration.

To finish, a spot of Burns conga around the living room to that classic, Doon in the wee room, before settling down to watch a DVD. I do enjoy Burns Night - it's one of my favourite nights of the year :)

Today I tried to work off some of the haggis with my new exercise regime. I'm easily bored so I'm following a plan which involves lots of different exercises and you don't spend more than 2 minutes on any of them.

Meet the Home Jules gym:
Chair - for doing squats. Stand in front of it and bend to sit, standing up as soon as your bum hits the seat.
Step - for stepping up and down, or for tapping your feet against (the bottom step of some stairs would do fine).
Weights - for lifting your arms in various directions.
Yoga mat - press-ups, leg lifts, side plank, reverse curls and a few yoga poses for good measure.
Hula hoop - to give that tummy more of a workout - mine needs one!

I should add that I'm only a week into it so it's early days and I'm taking it at a steady pace. Feel the (slow) burn!

We're also trying to eat a bit healthier though that goes astray with things like Burns Night! This afternoon I made me and Chickpea a Mexican Hot Chocolate which has almond milk, cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. So far so good. Until I added a dollop of cream left over from last night. Hmm, must try harder! Though it did make it luscious.

I'm also still doing the kirigami and will be updating you on progress soon - this one is from last Monday.

Well, time to heat up those Burns leftovers. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. x

Strawberry picking

Well, we're back from a lovely few days away in York with a trip to the seaside thrown in for good measure. I'll share our adventures when I've sorted through all the photos.

Yesterday was our 4th July BBQ which was a lot of fun: beer, burgers and hot dogs, country music and stetsons, lassoing the pinata (!) followed by hitting the pinata, toasting marshmallows for smores, friends and lots of laughter.

This morning we headed out to a Pick-Your-Own, along with crowds of other people, to pick strawberries: the sun on your back with the scent of berries in the air and on your fingers. Bliss.

This afternoon it's been rain and thunderstorms. A typical British summer then. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday :-) x

Bank holiday weekend

This Bank Holiday weekend, I've been...

Admiring...all the fruit on my gooseberry bush! It's only 2 years old and the first time I've had a proper crop. So, I've also been excitedly looking through recipes: gooseberry and elderflower ice cream is a strong contender at the moment. Yum!

Planting...up my troughs with argyranthemum (white daisies) and petunias.

Dreaming...of the long hot, summer to come!

Searching...around our local lake to find photos for the Scavenger Hunt (it's a tough one this month).

Enjoying...the madness that is Eurovision. This year we decided to really get in the swing so I downloaded the app to sing along, and we had nachos and tequila beer.

Baking...rhubarb and custard tart.

Auditioning...fabrics for my latest journal quilt. I'm now at the cutting out stage.

Smelling...the scent of wild garlic on a walk in the woods this afternoon.

Discovering...this 14-spot ladybird.

So how has your weekend been? As you can see, we had a stay-at-home weekend as we have a few busy ones to come. My pack for the 30 days wild challenge arrived too so I've been thinking up more quick and easy ideas for spending time with nature. Only a week to go!

Enjoy the rest of your week. x