Weekending

It's been a pretty hectic weekend, beginning with a toddler imposed 6.30am start on Saturday, followed by everything from cleaning and tidying to load after load of washing in our now functioning machine to garden demolition work to home haircutting on P (thank you, how-to videos on YouTube, he looks okay and it must be easier than chasing him round a salon). However, amongst all this we managed to return to our old habit of going out for a walk on a Sunday. Tarn Hows has shown itself to be beautiful in all weathers, but today we were blessed with gentle sunshine and having hustled to get out the door early(ish!)we managed to beat the crowds. Happy weekend everyone!

Gratitude (part two)

Definitely, definitely much gratitude for sunshine and warmer weather. As well as lifting the spirits it's also really opened up our 'outdoor classroom' (not that we're exactly aiming on education with a nearly-two-year-old, but every day is learning when you're that size!)
So we've had music...at Grizedale Forest, where he's finally got the hang of banging on the different sized wood blocks to get different sounds...


Imaginative play and a bit of Botany as he and his little pal discover 'treasure' in the form of pine cones, dry leaves and sticks in their own den at Tarn Hows...where a certain amount of Science came in too (from a stream to sticky mud, where does liquid become solid? And what happens if you sit in it, or go in deeper than your wellies?)



Back home, another warm evening saw a little Horticulture- the home move is still up in the air, but wherever we are this summer there will surely be space for pots and tubs of tomatoes, courguettes and squash...



...and lastly some Cookery, as we had our first outdoor-cooked meal of the year- not our first meal eaten outdoors though! That honour must go to some slightly chilly picnics while on walks.

Carpe Diem

According to the weather reports, it seems we've been a bit fooled by the signs of Spring. Next week promises colder winds, lots of rain and even snow. This makes me even gladder that we've been getting out and about as much as we have recently. It also spurred us to go out this afternoon, despite the need to continue the big sorting out job we've begun on the house (a move is imminent, we hope, so we are trying to reduce our possessions before we have to pack and move them). Yes, Tarn Hows is becoming a bit of a predictable choice for us, but when you just need to get out and catch that last little blast of Spring weather predictable and easy fits the bill.
We found a little sunshine...


We somehow avoided the promised showers that glowered picturesquely from those beautiful hills...


We met some of the local residents...



...and did some of the stuff you just have to do when you're a toddler and there are sticks, puddles, stones etc...

Breathe deeply

Winter sunshine, a frozen tarn, good company and a tailgate picnic including pea soup whipped up in the 45 minutes between arranging to go and hustling out the door (Thank you Nadine Abensur for the ever useful Cranks Fast Food cookbook). I didn't really get the photos to do it justice because I was too busy just enjoying the many spectacular views of Tarn Hows and breathing in all that wonderful fresh air. Snow and ice may be very pretty and snuggling in for a bit of winter hibernation is all very well, but I think the picture of our little boy sums up how we all felt. He ran on his not-yet-two year old legs all the way up that hill, shouting joyfully at the top of his lungs most of the way!

When the weather gets tough, the tough get cooking

Well, it was a weekending of wonder. First, on Friday a joyful and lovely wedding then braving some wild weather over the weekend, culminating in a probably foolhardy drive back from Windermere, negotiating winding country roads, in the dark and rain, through floods and standing water! This after an abandoned attempt at walking at Tarn Hows (called off due to wind that would have felled a toddler, even in his rainproof suit and wellies) and a too-late attempt to visit Blackwell (we went to the teashop instead and have promised ourselves a proper look soon). Having braved the floods on the way in, we didn't want a completely wasted journey, so we ended up at the Water Mill at Ings, where the micro-brewery beers were responsible for me being named driver!
As peace (of a sort!) descended on our house once again today, the weather had other ideas. As rain lashed against the window panes, we settled in with tea and the radio to catch up on some cooking and tried not to think of how Granny and Grandpa are by now sunning themselves in Barbados (Happy Honeymoon!). I decided to improvise with the contents of the two pumpkins and made a soup flavoured with a red chilli, grated ginger and thyme. If we decide to brave it for a walk tomorrow, I think this will be in the flask.
Also on the stove- butternut squash and red pepper curry with coconut milk and a vegetable stew. We can now just about see into the fridge again, and the freezer is comfortingly stocked up.
As you can see, after all this industry a nap was called for, which gave me the chance to start yet another knitted birthday project. Which reminds me, on Friday I'll be able to show the last one, as the birthday girl will have seen the results of all that cabling.