Date Day: Clifton

On Wednesday - after the school run, the Hubby and I managed to 'escape' for some quality time together.  Time to just catch up and chat over a casual coffee outside our normal four walls.  It was a much needed breather considering the speed of change and his crazy workload at present.

Once the children were safely deposited at school we decided to head towards Bristol into Clifton Village via the stunning Clifton Suspension Bridge.  The weather was hideous - it has rained every day since I posted about the Somerset floods here and the situation is set to get worse as two more storms hit the south coast of England this weekend.

First port of call was the Boston Tea Room - a lovely coffee shop with an eclectic vintage / industrial style decor.  A place to warm up while the storm raged outside.  As the winds blew, I savoured the textures of the wooden surfaces...

...and supped a lovely creamy cappuccino...

...whilst watching the rain pour down outside and trickle down the windows.

We really couldn't stay out in the weather for long - to put it in context the wind was so bad that the Clifton Bridge was closed after we'd used it in one direction - the first occasion it has been closed in 150 years.  The attached video actually shows the huge suspension bridge moving in the wind!

Whilst in the village we popped into a few independent shops selling artisan makes and tempting homeware - we also window shopped in the glorious Victorian Arcade which was visually stunning.

 A quirky gorilla hung from the end of the ceiling arch which made me smile - despite the age of the original building the space really did suit him.

Prices in the 'homey' boutique shops were beyond our budget but it was very enjoyable to look.  I was inspired by colour combinations in different pieces of art that were displayed and found my creative senses were sparked by the shapes and textures on show.  I'd lost some motivation recently on the crafty front and this visit has revitalised my creative mind.  Plus I struck lucky in a charity shop - a Marks & Spencer fairisle style jumper for a bargainous £3!  The historical passage of time demonstrated in the architecture of this area is very inspiring too but I especially loved the frontage of this building - grey and red - who knew?!

And opposite that building was the most stunning vintage ambulance.  OOooh. Such loveliness!

Despite the weather, it was nice to get some grown up time together - we've not managed it in a while and it was good to prioritise us over the [never-ending] list of jobs!  We celebrate Valentine's as a family day - to celebrate LoVE generally so it was also good to mark Us as a couple too.  We reaffirmed our wish to spend a date day together every month and I am already looking forward to the next.

I will announce the winner of my GYB giveaway in the next few days.  Little Man is off school with a sick bug and the coming week is Half Term here in England so I will undoubtedly have even less time online than normal but I shall endeavour to catch up with Blogland when I can!

Hoping you are feeling some LoVE in your part of the world,
J9 x

Natures Harvest & Sustainable Preserves

With the return of the house to a new normal, I've found myself with a little more time on my hands.  After the initial rush of tackling the clutter post Christmas - and rushing to get homemade birthday presents finished for friends - the lull in activity did come.

In large part it was welcome - a little rest is good for the soul after all.  But since my accident, I do struggle with a need to be 'productive'- especially once the chores are done and the children are at school, it sometimes feels as if my role as stay at home mum is defunct.  To combat this I set myself tasks to do which support the family and our more frugal way of life.  One of those things is to make jams, jellies and chutney from the fruit that was harvested from our apple trees... and berry picking which happened this past autumn. 


























I did add some jars of chutney I'd made already to the homemade hampers I gave as Christmas gifts to family.  I also froze some fruit I didn't have time to use in the autumn and last week made more chutney to enjoy over the coming months with cold meats and cheese using recipes I'd not tried before.  They'll mature in around 3 months and hopefully taste lovely then!

Another way to satisfy this need in me is to grow a little produce in our veg patch - it comprises a small raised bed and over the past years we've had good success with courgettes and dwarf French beans.  These are ideal for chutneys and work wonderfully as additional vegetables in homemade meals (while fresh).  2013 was no exception with 27 courgettes being collected from a very small space.  I would love to have an allotment but my physical health just doesn't allow this although I enjoy selecting what we will try to grow each spring in our little space.

My parents were my tutors in this way of life.  I'm the only person I know that preserves in my 'real / non blog' world - so many of my friends say they enjoy the results but don't have the time.  My Father had a truly inspiring garden.  As a family of 5, we lived off it throughout the spring, summer and autumn.  Colanders of strawberries, raspberries, loganberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, rows of potatoes, runner beans, swede, onions - simple, sustainable vegetables and fruit - plus chickens for eggs.

Some of my most vivid childhood memories are of my late father leaning on his fork tending his crops after work.  It would have been his birthday yesterday and it left me reflective on all the things that he imparted that still live on in me and my family.

Plus vivid memories of my mother stirring her huge preserving pan filled with jam or hanging a pillow case from a nail in an out-house to strain bramble fruit through to make jelly preserves.  She still does this now and is an amazing preserve maker - her preserving pan is older than I am and has had much use!

As a child in my home village, we'd also get more fruit from neighbours who didn't want to waste their 'glut' or didn't like the look of their windfalls.  Windfalls are great for jamming - it just takes time to peel and cut out the bruises.  With the Harvest Festival at the local chapel, there was the following harvest auction, where we'd buy boxes of home grown produce for pennies to go towards the chapel roof or some other community project.  Now that produce gets used by Food Banks and it's no longer possible to capitalise on - but they are such happy memories.  So much opportunity for chutney, jams and jellies plus a whole number of pudding and baking opportunities!

The cycle continues as my children enjoy foraging for blackberries and picking apples from the trees during late Autumn.  We go blackberry picking around the fields of two of my friend's farms and usually have a good haul - enough for jamming and lots for apple and blackberry crumble!!

If I can provide an element of such inspiration, understanding of sustainable living and simple joy to my children I feel sure that I will be doing something worthwhile...  There is something immensely rewarding to yield a crop from something that has minimal negative impacts on the environment and is essentially Free.  And during this period in time where cost-effective home making is beginning to be more valued again by more families, I wholeheartedly choose this simple path. 

It is sustainable for our body, mind and soul.  I shall be proud to pass this on to my children and create new memories based on this way of life.  Memories of picking apples on daddy's shoulders and mummy stirring her preserving pot.

The natural rhythm of these Simple Things and the cycle of it all is a real JoY.

Thanks for reading and welcome to all my new followers.  Remember there is still time to enter my giveaway here - just drop me a comment on that post before the 13th!

Enjoy your week whatever you're doing, J9 x

Today I'm...

::  Relieved that the hubby has been redeployed.  This means he still has a job although he is being moved to a very different role.  Sadly, it is a backwards move meaning markedly less money each month.  But nevertheless, we are grateful for him to have the security of a job.  Hopefully less money will mean less stress in the workplace and here's hoping we'll return to an improved work life balance!  We're going to go with the flow and see what happens...

 

 

 ::  Trying to embrace these moments, roll with life and focus on family.  So many changes happening here at present.  Desperately trying to see the positive and improve what I can affect.  Focusing on nurturing my family, planning meals on a monthly rather than weekly basis to ensure that our diet is homemade, nutritious, varied and inventive all within a tight budget!  Thank goodness for Aldi!

::  Re-establishing my love of reading.  Finally making the time to read more widely than craft and cookery books thanks to some novels on loan from my Sis.

::  Loving my decoupage knobs.  I finished these this week - there are four knobs on my dresser which I've painted and all of them have been decoupaged with these Cath Kidston tissues.  They look rather cute against the Aged White background.

::  Laughing at the photo-booth images of our family at the bro in law's recent wedding.  (We've ordered these from the company but haven't received them yet hence the watermark appearing on these copies).

 

 

::  Smelling the fragrance of my hyacinths (which have been in flower for a good week) which provide so much happiness - smelling gorgeous!!

::  Looking forward to a weekend where there is NoTHinG at all in the diary (excepting a football match for the boys on Sunday).  Pure Bliss - and a real rarity at present so I will fully PJ it up!!  Instead of smelling the roses - I'm smelling the daffodils and heady hyacinths!

::  Wishing you well for the weekend ahead.  Take care and enjoy whatever you may be doing,
J9 x

My GYB Giveaway!

As promised dear readers, this is a blog post in homage to my Gifty Giveaway!  I had an enjoyable time yesterday having a mooch around a store to select the items to compile in this parcel of goodiness.  My mission was to try to find some pretty things; something not too big, not too heavy, something that won't be an issue at customs (I had considered some pretty scissors) something that may appeal to the readers of this blog.  Hmmm... lots to think about!

I settled on some items that may help with general tasks at home - all with one thing in common.  I think they are very Pretty!!

Included in the giveaway is:

A pretty floral pen, a red spotty retracting tape measure, a little jar of buttons, a lovely little clipboard, pad and pen, a couple of pretty envelopes and floral stickers and some muffin cases.

Ah yes, that's a nice little selection.  ANYONE is welcome to join in and if you win you'll have this parcel winging its way to your part of the world. 

Simply leave me a comment below before 13th February 2014. 

Winners will be announced on 15th February (or if time fails me as close after that date as possible!)

Follow along if you'd like but no pressure!  This giveaway is open to anyone who leaves a comment on this blog post OR on the Grow Your Blog post - whether you have a blog or not.  It is also open to those living in the UK or overseas.  Those that have left a comment on the GYB post and on this post will be entered into the draw twice.

Good luck!!  Welcome to my new followers and readers who have found me through the Grow Your Blog party.  I'm gradually making my way back to those bloggers who have visited me - I will pop back it's just my time online is sporadic at best!!  I hope you'll come back and visit my bit of cyber space soon!  Happy Weekend folks!

J9 x

A County Under Water

It's been a wet and windy January here in Somerset.  The light levels have been so bad over the past few weeks - the rain simply has no let up.  We do make the most of the dry spells but it is beginning to really wear on us all now.  The sea front is just a few miles away from us and the Council made a huge investment in the flood and sea defences over the past 5 years and it is apparent that these have really saved much of the town.

Picture courtesy of Cheddar Gazette

We live high up on a hill and are not in danger of flooding but the surrounding roads are failing to drain the water that runs off from the already water logged fields - these floods alone cover 44 square miles of Somerset.  This view can be seen from a hilltop which we pass on the school run.

Picture from The Times

 



We live in a farming area with lots of arable crops and animal stock being the core of the local business.  It must be such a struggle for the farmers in these weather conditions where the rain has been relentless. 

Picture from the metro

 

The picture below is just stunning I think visually but really highlights the extent of the flooding outside the River Tones banks - you can see how the river normally flows and undulates through the landscape.

 

Picture from The Telegraph

I really feel for the villages that are flooded and isolated by the water on the levels - some of which have been flooded since Christmas.  It seems that flood risk is an ever increasing problem here in the UK and the weather does seem more extreme.  Currently the main way people get around or are rescued from their homes in these conditions is by boat.  Our support services are doing amazing work - often risking their own lives in difficult conditions.  We are so fortunate to have such good emergency services and to have a wealth of wonderful volunteers but of course this has limited impact on those affected.  My heart goes out to all of those that are flooded (or who live in fear of flood) across the county.  

Picture from The Guardian

 

I hope the water ebbs soon for those in danger and that the Army (who have been drafted in this past few days to help with the situation) are able to improve things drastically for those people. 

 

Picture from Shepton Mallet Journal

 

Yet more rain is forecast again this weekend which will fall on already saturated or flooded land.  There are flood warnings across much of the South West of England.  The resilience of those people affected is staggering and I send positive thoughts to all those struggling in these conditions this winter.

 

The kids and I hope to travel down to Cornwall this weekend to visit my Mum so I hope the weather improves for our journey too.  I hope to post about my giveaway early tomorrow before I leave but if I don't manage it - I'll post it on Tuesday!!

 

Have a good weekend,

J9 x 

'Grow Your Blog'

It is fair (although a little scary) to acknowledge to relative strangers that I started my personal blogging journey following a life changing accident.  Six years ago my life had changed beyond recognition - my body was broken and for a while my mind was lost.  And then after operations, physical treatments and on-going pain management and physiotherapy, I forced myself to accept my change of circumstances and to... choose happiness - not self pity.  To choose positivity over regret.

 

I had found escapism through reading some wonderfully popular blogs and recognised elements of my own personality in different places across the world.  This combined with the fact that I was journaling to help process changes that were happening in my life meant that starting my own blog seemed like another positive step.    My home journaling was mainly to recognise things each day that were good... positive... made me happy.  They were little glimpses amongst some very hard times but they were to be clung to.  And over time, recognising these things 'despite it all' became habit.  How wonderful is that?  In the bleakest of times, human nature can learn to focus on those moments of happiness and have faith.  And now, when I am incapacitated through pain I value Simple Things; small, everyday, natural, emotional or home based moments.  Please believe I'm not trying to say I have all the answers or that this was easy.  It completely wasn't.  But it did feel like a moment of clarity and helped me to find my new place in our world.

I blog for two key reasons - to more effectively record and appreciate all the transient elements of everyday life that bring happiness and secondly, to find a creative outlet to share all the things that I make, up-cycle or crochet with like minded people.  Through the love of my family, my friends and a few new friends my mind has healed and although I struggle physically... I am more grateful for my life now and SO appreciate the freedom to give more time to my family than I was able to before.

A friend once observed that I have an 'Old Soul' - and it is true that perhaps I was born in the wrong era!  I'm a lover of all things vintage (and did so before it was trendy and will do when it is well out of vogue!) and home made - there aren't too many with a similar attitude to me where we live.  This fantastic thing called blog-land means that I can find other people who value the simple things, nurture their family and home and embrace the randomness of photographing all things that inspire!  The balance on this blog has been largely family focused during the last quarter of 2013 and whilst I want that to remain key I do also want to gain confidence in sharing some more of my own makes this year.

 

So in an effort to go out of my comfort zone, I'm joining in with this 'Grow Your Blog' exchange.  I have been fortunate to meet a few wonderful people through this bit of cyber space and hope that 2014 will bring more my way!

As part of the huge gift Vicki of 2 Bags Full is organising with this Grow Your Blog event, I thought I'd join in the giving by holding my own giveaway.  Please just leave a comment below on this post to be entered.  I'll write a separate post on the giveaway next week - hopefully the light levels will be a bit better than they have been today (torrential rain).

The winner of the Giveaway will be announced on the 15th February so please go ahead and leave a comment on this post.  You can be entered a second time for leaving a comment on the actual Giveaway post next week too.

Happy New Year to all readers and welcome to those of you that are newly visiting!  I hope that you enjoy your visit to my bit of cyber space - take a look back through my first year of blogging and see if any of it floats your boat!!  I'm looking forward to reading some more inspirational and wonderful blogs taking part in the event too!

Janine x

FAMILY - A Perspective in Poetry by my Little Man

I've had this post in my drafted items for months.  I came across it this week while I was endeavouring to get back on track with trying to journal family happenings over recent weeks - which I am dismally behind in!!  It would be a real shame if this was left as a draft, so in the spirit of  valuing the important things in life I'm pressing the publish button.

Way back at the end of July whilst we were writing our summer bucket list, my little man was sooo happy.  He had lots of ideas of crafts to enjoy and places to go.  Like many across blog-land, the summer bucket list has become a ritual that we all partake in and often the requests are so simple.  They don't ask for the world, more often just time in different situations.

The following day he presented me with this saying "Mummy, I love you.  It's great what we do together".

It read:

Family

Family's are the best thing to have.

When you need them they hug back.

You dream about all the happy things that you do with them -

Nothing is better than Family.

They do anything that you like.

I was blown away.  He had just turned six.  Such a wise little man.  Such a proud Mummy.  Of course I've framed it.  Beneath he had drawn a typical house and stick people of our family.  No matter how I try I cannot get the photograph any clearer - but hey, you get the vibe!

I guess, at this time of year when we can get consumed with the commercial image of what modern life 'should be', this can pose an important reminder of what is actually valued by our children.  Plus, I hope that one day, when my littlies are older and find this... hopefully they will smile and remember happy times.

That's what I wish for...

God Bless,
J9 x