Foggy and Festive

 Hello Lovelies, how was your week? I've been looking forward to popping by and chatting with you again.

Once again this post is a mix of things that have ended up caught on camera since we last spoke.

The weather has been quiet cold and sometimes foggy, as it was last Tuesday when I went for a rather soggy walk.

There were only glimpses of the watery sun occasionally, but I actually love being out on the footpaths in weather like this, so I didn't mind. I'm still recording my mileage and hoping to reach my new goal of 1100 miles by the end of the month....45 miles to go, as of today.

Winter brings flocks of birds into the fields near home, and zooming in gives me chance to identify them.

I'd say these are Starlings

and these are hungry Redwing, come to feast on the Hawthorn berries.

I do love the quiet peace of this scene.

And happily enjoyed my solo walk.

When I got to the churchyard Mr Robin appeared immediately 

All fluffed up against the cold and damp, keen to refuel on the sunflower seeds and suet pellets he knows I carry.

I was watching him from a distance here, when I noticed movement in this ancient yew tree.

Not the best photo, but I was so happy to see this delightful Goldcrest darting about between the branches. They are so small and cute. As this was my first sighting here this was the highlight of my walking week.

On the way home I spotted this sign which also made me smile. Yes, I'll be doing my best to stay safe this Christmas, and hoping to make up for missed opportunities later next year. 

This is not a great photo but it is inside Eldest's van. He's been driving for 3 years now and I love being a passenger these days. You get such a great vantage point from van windows and it's a great place to chat about anything and everything uninterrupted. In these days when there's little reason or incentive to go anywhere accompanying him on a work errand feels like a major adventure :0)

  

Back at home the birthday cards and banner have come down. I knew I would miss the banner so I decided to make a festive version. It uses the same Attic 24 Pennant pattern 

and this time I designed my own lettering as I wanted it to look like a handwritten quote.

Once I was happy with how the paper letters looked I just had to cut them out in white felt.

The snowflakes are once again  from Attic 24,  HERE's the link again.

I made these using some cotton yarn and the smallest hook that I could get away with so they fitted.

 I'm so happy with the completed banner.

At the weekend hubby and I went for an evening walk to admire the decorations displayed in our local streets.

They certainly cheer up the long hours of darkness 

Back home our outdoor lights are making me happy too.

And just yesterday, when it was so rainy and dark I never set foot outside the door at all, I made another bit of festive crochet.

Yay, I love how this Merry Mushroom turned out. I think I may have to make some more as gifts:0)

You can find the free pattern HERE.

Thank you as always for reading and especially for commenting. I do hope your week goes well.

Jacquie x

Feeling Grateful

Hello Lovelies, I hope you all remain well.

How grateful I am to all the scientists who have worked tirelessly to create these vaccines which the NHS is about to start administering, this week! Though I'm guessing it will be many, many months until my turn comes around, I'm hopeful that, at 90, my mum won't have to wait too long. 

 Do you think we will be able to return to a more normal life by this time next year? I certainly hope so.

Day to day I'm honestly quite happy with my quiet routines. It's  the enforced separation and anxiety I won't miss.

Crafting is such a great way to calm the nerves I find. Especially if you are trying something new. Of course I have made paper snowflakes as a child and with the boys, but I really enjoyed snipping away to make these.

 

I found some great tips and patterns online. THESE worked really well...2 and 6 being my favourites.

 When the sun shines at this time of year I'm so grateful I can make the most of it. It seems so precious during these short, often dull cold days.

Winter sun is great walking weather. This deserted pub made a lovely photo, but I wonder if it will survive as a business? Such a terrible year for hospitality...here we are in tier 3 so pubs and restaurants are still  closed, except for takeaways.

Such a shame if this lovely beer garden is lost to the community. My boys loved it here when they were little

Here these impressive chimneys caught my eye.

But I'm happiest on a quiet footpath.

Especially one with such fine views.

Zooming in on a flock of unidentifiable birds.

And admiring the wintry landscape.

Time to wander down this quiet lane, between bare hedgerows.

"Don't be alarmed"...this is what a chap in my walking group says every time we come across a Llama 

It's a corny joke, but it's stuck with me. Probably because this was exactly the sort of joke my dear late Dad made. 

Anyway, they are not at all alarming are they? I quiet fancy one of those walking with Llamas experiences. Like THIS maybe.

The light was really fabulous last Tuesday. It highlighted this stone village sign I had never noticed before.

I also came across this Pinfold a little further on. This would once have been a place to keep stray animals, it's now been restored  and looked after by the community, as a small garden. I love features like this and marvel at my lack of observation in never noticing it before :0)

The bare trees were full of birds here. Such a welcome sight.

And this tree was full of Long Tailed Tits.  I tried and tried but I couldn't get a clear photo of this pretty bird.

Better stick to taking photos of trees.

Climbing stiles.

And dodging tractors...pheww, there's a lot of smelly muck spreading going on around here at the moment.

Here it was time to go through the sunlit tunnel....not many days when this happens.

And climb the steepest bit of hill around here.

before stopping to admire the view of much of my route from the top.

Back home now, my snowflakes make me smile.

As does this little bistro set, which I bought with money given to me by my work colleagues when I retired. I wanted something long lasting for the garden and I love it.

I couldn't resist a quick sit down in the sunshine, when out of the corner of my eye I noticed...

A long tailed tit!

That really made me smile.

Later in the week I was adding more decorations to our home. I love rediscovering handmade items, from many years ago. The snowflake pattern can be found HERE...I think mine need re-blocking :0)

Yay, I'm so happy I decided to do this over-door greenery again this year, having not bothered for the past year or two.

Around here there's noticeably more decorations than normal outside peoples' houses. I think we are all feeling it's needed, especially this December. A cheery end to a stressful year.

We did get a teeny bit of snow at the end of the week too. Oooh, the first snow is always so special around here, no matter how short lived.

To finish the week another milestone was celebrated... in a much quieter fashion than youngest would ideally have liked....but I think he still had a good 18th Birthday.

Love the snowflake shadows and suncatcher sparkles in this picture.

When I started writing this blog youngest will have been... 6 years old!.... now he's an adult. Gosh.

So much has changed, but at the same time, thankfully, so much remains constant....like flowers on my mantle.

Thank goodness for finding joy in small things....Thank goodness for home, health and family.

Jacquie x