Monday Moments

Hello Lovelies,

this week I'm lucky to be at home with my boys, and it's going to be a very "at home" week. We are currently a one car family and so while Mr BM is at work we can't just take off somewhere.

Of course we can still get outdoors.......On Monday morning it was a bike ride under leaden skies........

I do love cycling and I love living here, where there is countryside, but also shopping, within easy cycling distance..........

After picking up some supplies on the way home, I stopped to photograph the newly planted pansies under this sign..........

and notice new shoots, in  fields bordered by bare hedgerows...........

and continued productivity in the allotments...........

Back home I made fish finger sandwiches, using some homemade bread...............yummy

It's been ages since I've used our bread-maker.....it was tasty and very heavy filling.

Here I need to talk about this humongous pumpkin.

 Over the past weeks I've picked up a couple of the supermarkets "large" pumpkins and they are a good size, but they are dwarfed by this monster......

 A friend gave it to us on Saturday as they will be away for Halloween, she also gave us sweets for the Trick or Treaters and some decorations. So kind. The boys are really looking forward to carving this monster and I have a little idea for one of the smaller specimens :0)

After a morning of housework and fresh air it was lovely to spend some time relaxing with magazines and crochet in the afternoon..........

I'm trying to concentrate on finally finishing these all circles this week.......I'm currently on 170 and I need 220........so it's doable.

The blanket I'm using as a backdrop in this picture is the one that appeared in my first ever blog post and it's still a favourite........

Looking at it again I'm so tempted to add a cream border to my latest circles......they would look lovely, don't you think?

Or should I stick to my original multicoloured plan..........

I like both....I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure :0)

What do you lovelies think?
Jacquie x

Weekend Moments

Hello Lovelies,

yesterday was sunny and breezy, perfect drying weather. It was great to get all the boys uniform washed, dried and put way for a week....we are really looking forward to the half term.

 Nothing planned.....just a week to relax and have fun ...yay :0)

Also yesterday, Mr BM surprised me by bringing home some house plants...three differently coloured Cyclamen....this hot pink is my favourite...........

 Just hope I don't kill them too quickly....my track record with these beauties is not great.

Today I managed to photograph some paintings mum brought round  to show me........

They are of Bonsall and were painted in the late 90's and early 2000's , when she visited the area regularly with a painting group.

It's the village in Derbyshire we visited together the other week HERE

I like this one...........

Really like this one............

Love this one...........

But this one is my most favourite.........

 It's such a gorgeous image of a pretty village on a sunny spring day.....wonderful.

This afternoon the weather was cool and cloudy...........

I sat upstairs where the light was reasonable and enjoyed some crochet.

All too soon it was getting dark. The clocks going back yesterday means this was the scene at 5pm...........

 At least there was a pretty sunset.

Right now I'm sat here.........

I finally managed to find a magnetic memo board I could cover and hang over my desk to display some of my favourite small pictures and postcards..........

You might remember I was inspired by Lucy's when I visited her studio on Yarndale weekend.

It's not easy to photograph in this dark corner, but I'm thrilled with this colourful makeover. Mine came from my local  Home Bargains ( for £3.99). It originally looked like this.....pretty enough, but this design was too busy and it just looked messy with parts of the wording covered up and the large flowers getting jumbled with the things I was trying to display.
It's wooden frame made it super easy to staple some fabric from my stash over the board. It came with the heart shaped magnets and I really like them.

My corner is looking much more cheerful.....just what I need for these dark evenings.
Jacquie x

Familiar Footpaths

Hello Lovelies,

how I love a midweek day off. After a couple of hectic days at work it's such a treat to have some quiet time to myself. 

Waking to sunshine on Wednesday, I couldn't wait to get outdoors as soon as the boys had gone to school.

I thought about trying to find a different route, but there's always something new to see on familiar paths.

A highland cattle calf, growing his shaggy coat before winter.........

A Ram visiting the local Ewes................

I'll be on the look out for some spring lambs here in March.

Ploughed fields and the bare branches of trees on show once again...........

where you can spot a Buzzard waiting for his prey...............

the rolling hills of this rippled landscape, highlighted by the morning mist.........

I felt happy as wandered along this quiet track enjoying the sunshine...........

and said hello to these little brown sheep, with their sweet white faces............

the older ones were enjoying a lie in.............

I love the way this footpath has a door to go through here..........

as it passes close by a few houses..........

 between gardens where wagtails watch from the chimneys..........

then it opens out into a quiet, hidden valley............

The grass is wet and I'm happy that I finally got myself some waterproof footwear...........

This is the first pair of walking boots I've ever owned !  I don't usually get on with boots at all. But I'm happy to say these haven't given me blisters and I do like the ankle support on uneven ground......not to mention dry feet!

I walk along the edge of this field, down to the brook...........

then across the little bridge.............

It's so good to get out in the fresh, crisp Autumn  air............

As Annette so perfectly puts it in THIS lovely post "taking a walk is an investment in life, health and peace of mind."


After a brisk, sweat inducing climb, I stop to pick up a pine cone and pop it in my pocket..........

The recent windy weather has led to many bare branches...........

 leaves on the ground look  lovely, illuminated by the sunshine..........

I'm walking through a small village now and the splashes of red are stunning...........

Then it's back out into the countryside......walking back towards home......up and down those ripples.............

in this field I'm happy to see some friendly horses ( safely behind a little wire fence)..............

Hello beautiful.............

I grew up with horses and the smell of their sweet breath and the velvet softness of their muzzle is so nostalgic.

Nearly home now, I thought this gate looked wonderful next to the huge oak tree..........

As I walked along it occurred to me that I've lived here for eighteen years this month. Longer than I've ever lived anywhere else..........

It's a great place to raise a family.

Once again, spending a couple of hours out with nature, noticing seasonal changes and enjoying the peace was just the tonic I needed.
I feel blessed.
Jacquie x

October Happy Things

Morning  Lovelies, how are you?

Today I'm just sharing a quick post, containing some of the many, simple things that are making me happy lately.

1. Planting bulbs

How I love doing this. For the past few weeks I've been picking up the odd packet here and there..............

Tulips and miniature Daffodils for spring. Happy Alliums for summer ....how I love those purple pom poms :0)

I dug lots of holes and then added some home made compost.......we've been putting cuttings, veg peelings, egg boxes and bits of newspaper  in this monster bin for 18 months. It was very exciting to finally open the little door at the bottom and see what was there..........

Gorgeous crumbly compost.......brilliant! It's the first we have ever made and I can't believe it worked so well :0)

I do love spring flowers and knowing there are some nestled beneath the soil, waiting for the end of winter, makes me very happy.............

2. Garden flowers on the kitchen windowsill.

Maybe one day I'll have a kitchen window with a view, but in the mean time making a pretty display on the windowsill gives me something cheerful to look at............

In the winter they will be supermarket blooms, but right now there are still a few flowers in my garden to pick.

3. Shafts of sunlight. My lounge faces south and catches the low midday sun throughout the Autumn and Winter..............

I love the way it fills the space with light. It's like a little compensation for the short days.

4. Walking with my sister in law.

This is a rare treat.......so nice to have company for a weekday walk, and go somewhere different. An isolated country park that I would not be brave enough to explore alone............

the sun shone and the leaves looked gorgeous............

5. Sunsets reflected in water.

The sun is setting earlier all the time, so I'm often out and about to witness it. This is a disused canal by the supermarket. A tranquil oasis in the day and a magical place at sunset............

6. Evening crochet in bed.

I do love to cosy up with some crochet on a chilly, dark evening. Yesterday I was upstairs, happily playing with yarn, by 7.30pm.......

Crochet always makes me happy.

Jacquie x