Local countryside walking

Hello everyone, seems a little while since I was last here - it has been beyond busy at work and at home, but thankfully I now have a whole week off as it is half term - it is often tricky to work out who looks forward to the school holidays the most, the students or the teachers ;)

Last Sunday the weather was glorious, so DH and I laced up our walking boots and set off for a 6 mile walk around our local countryside.  Blue skies, fluffy white clouds, brilliant green scenery...

 The cuckoo was heard calling it's distinctive song from the woodlands...

 Plenty of hilly walking, good for those of use wanting to get a little bit fitter - although this photo doesn't show how hilly this little country lane is, trust me it is pretty steep!

 Pretty plants dotted the hedgerow...

 Charming little wooden gates leading on to secret, magical places...

By the time we got home it was time for tea in the garden.  Later in the evening my daughter took this photo:

It reminds me of an old song we used to sing at the end of every day when I was at Primary School -

"Now the day is over
Night is drawing nigh
Shadows of the evening
Steal across the sky"

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, and that the weather is kind wherever you are.

Helenxx

Cosy

Hello everyone.

Well, after a sunny start yesterday the weather went downhill, with high winds and heavy, squally showers.

DH and I still managed to do our jog around the Outwoods - one half of the lap we had the wind behind us, but on the final left we were battling against it - but we still made it round!

When we got home it was only 7.30 but the rain started with a vengeance, so it was getting dark.  So I popped a candle in my latest charity shop find, this lovely little tea light holder:

It casts such a cosy light around the living room, I just love it.

Darling Daughter had begged to do some baking for a break from her revision routine, and as she asked so nicely how could I refuse?  And just look what she came up with -

A light-as-a feather, fluffy Victoria sponge, sandwiched together with strawberry jam and fresh cream-

It was absolutely delicious, this young lady is turning into a very talented baker.  She really loves to bake and with a household of six, including 3 very hungry brothers, she has plenty of willing tasters!
I was good and only had a small slice, well I am doing plenty of exercise now so a little treat now and then surely is allowed....

We then settled into an evening of watching the Eurovision Song Contest - something we giggle our way through every year.  I don't watch Strictly, X Factor, Britain's Got Talent or any of those shows, but somehow I really enjoy the cheesy, tacky nature of Eurovision!  No stand out songs this year but still a lot of fun.

A busy day ahead, washing, cleaning, shopping, so had better away.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, Helenxx

Crochet Blanket Challenge update week 19

Hello there, thank goodness we have arrived at the weekend!  Although in the UK it was a shorter working week thanks to the Bank Holiday last Monday, in fact it felt like a long week - revision and course work going full throttle here at home, and work for DH and I was absolutely hectic.

The last few weeks in fact have been very, very busy, but I have still managed to sneak in some crochet time here and there.  My regular Monday evenings with my dearest friend Sue means that I know I have at least a couple of hours each week to get out the hooks and the yarn as we chat and sip coffee. 

This morning the sun shone for a little while, so quickly snapped a photo of my last few weeks of granny square making:

I now have a total of 56 squares (well actually there is 64 but I have decided not to include the pink ones into the final blanket - these will be used in another project instead).  So most weeks I have managed to make more than one square (we are now into week 19).  My daughter helped me to arrange all the squares on the living room carpet this morning, silly me though forgot to snap a photo.  80 squares will make a very decent sized blanket, especially when there will be several rows of border. 

In amongst the grannies I have also been working on vintage-style pot holders as in this post, here is work in progress on my most recent effort:

I have also been making a little bit of progress with my Couch25K challenge.  This is the start of my third week, DH and I adjusted the programme slightly to start with due to our age and general unfitness!  So this week is the first week of the programme "proper" whereby we alternate one minute of jogging with 90 seconds of brisk walking.  The programme advises a total of 30 minutes for this, but we usually do 40 minutes as we do a complete lap of our local Outwoods.  This week I did the programme along the paths of our local estate midweek, but this really hurt my knees as my trainers are designed for trail running - I really hadn't anticipated how much difference jogging on a hard surface would make.  In the Outwoods the paths are made from decades of packed-down leaves and pine needles so in fact is quite springy.  I must say though, dodgy knees notwithstanding, I am beginning to feel the benefit of this new regime.  And, against my better nature, I am actually enjoying it!!!!

Well, must away, hope you all have a wonderful Saturday!

Helenxx

Looking around Lincoln

Hello everyone, hope you are having a lovely weekend.

This morning, DH suggested a quick outing to the lovely city of Lincoln, just one hour's drive away.  He used to go to college there as a teenager, in fact I had briefly considered going to college there too, we would have then met when we were teenagers!  But we had to wait another 9 years before he attended University in my home town before we met - there's fate for you!!

We love going to Lincoln, he loves it as he has a meander down memory lane, and I love it for all the lovely little streets and the architecture.

So after a quick and easy drive up the A46, we arrived in Lincoln, and parked near the university.

It is quite hilly walking up to the cathedral...

Thankfully though there was lots of opportunity to stop and do a bit of window shopping...

I loved this speciality tea and coffee shop, the building itself is older than the cathedral...

Soon we made it to the top of the hill and the cathedral...

For the first time in years we found that the gardens of the Bishop's Palace were open...

There are some amazing views of the cathedral from here...

I loved the huge horse chestnut tree and it's beautiful blossom...

Looking up through the tree back towards the cathedral...

Lovely little street of houses in the Cathedral Close...

All too soon it was time to go home, but it was such an enjoyable afternoon.  Just the thing for a long weekend!

Helenxx

Lazing on a sunny afternoon

Hello everyone, and here we are in the UK on another Bank Holiday weekend - and the sun is shining!

Time for long cool glasses of lemonade...

Admiring the daisies on the lawn...

and the cheery dandelions,,,

I love the dandelions when they have gone to seed and turned into "dandelion clocks"...

there is time for some crochet...

and it has officially been deemed that it is time to get the garden chairs, table and parasol out.  So I am sitting writing this post in the garden watching DH sorting out the BBQ!

Enjoy this May Day weekend everyone!

Helenxx