Welcome 2017!

Hello and a very happy (belated!) new year to you! I hope it is off to a good start, I have unfortunately been laid up with a nasty flu-like virus since Christmas Day (fabulous timing!) so it's been bed rest and box sets, not all bad news! I was dying to get some fresh air so managed to stagger round the woods and admire the winter landscape, Mia was kissing the ground to get out of the house at last! These sunny but chilly days are my favourite, particularly when there's no need to de-ice the car (my least favourite domestic job after ironing, booooo!). I am hoping to get back to feeling my usual self very soon, with an army of vitamins and a rainbow or fruit and veg to the rescue, so I hope to be back with some news! 

After my Macbook decided to keel over I haven't been blogging as much in 2016 as much as I would have liked too, I find processing a blog post on an iPad very annoying, but I really want to be back chatting with you a lot more! Promise!

Thanks for reading,

Katie

First Days Of Spring

"February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March."

There have been walks this month where spring does appear to be in the air, dappled sunlight through the bare branches hints that longer, warmer days will soon be here again, I just wish they would hurry up! Birdsong sounds all that more cheerier, dogs are pleased their paws aren't feeling so frozen and even the squirrels seem to be out enjoying the better weather, although this proves tricky as Mia see's them as fast food! There are of course plenty of reasons to enjoy February - Shrove Tuesday and all the delicious pancakes combinations you can imagine...mine's always lemon and sugar on the day as I'm a purist about such things! The daffodils, snowdrops and crocuses appearing on verges and in flower pots around your neighbourhood are a reminder that gardening time is about to begin again, I haven't been down to my greenhouse in a few weeks as my garden has flooded, hate to think how messy it is out there! For now I will just enjoy taking plenty of bracing walks (with a spot of dog rescuing thrown in - I reunited the adorable beagle below to her owner in a few minutes thankfully!) and I will have a flick through some seed catalogues for my 2016 gardening plan of attack!

What are your plans and aspirations for February? Have you already started cracking on in the garden this year?

Thanks for reading,

Katie

Beginning of December

Welcome December! The month when Michael Buble comes out of hibernation to croon Crimbo tunes, novelty knitwear is dusted off with pride, and port and mince pies are part of your five-a-day, hurray! And of course if you happen to work in retail, your sanity is put through its paces from noon until night - it can only make you a stronger, better person right? RIGHT??? Ok I'm calm.

Outside of work, things are looking rather beautifully festive already! The holly does actually have some rich red berries this year, could "snowmageddon" be on the horizon after all? Mia has been loving the bracing walks, nearly being blown off her feet with the windy weather, but she relishes the fresh air! She has been practicing her climbing after the squirrels, making it half way up trees sometimes, they need to climb faster! But luckily for me, she also loves coming home and snuggling in front of the fire, like anyone sensible, wish I could do that more too! 

There have been some late night Christmas crafting sessions in the shepherds hut (rock and roll I know!) as I attempt to get all the cards made and wrapping paper stamped, wrapping the presents themselves is a very different task and I will need to start that soon too, or I'll end up a flustered ball of sellotape with gift tags stuck in my hair, weeping under the tree...

To get in the festive spirit I've been reading my collection of Charles Dickens Christmas Tales which I received last year, I've been very much looking forward to settling down with it and a mug of something warm, highly recommend it as a present for a bookish loved one.

Have you got your decorations up already? Presents done and dusted? Or are you choosing the BAH, HUMBUG approach this season, I can see the appeal of all these!

Thanks for reading,

Katie x