Wednesday 6 April 2022

Springtime

 

I've had a lovely start to my spring break, and it's been just what I needed. I have got on top of the housework, had a long overdue tidy up of Lily's bedroom, as well as taking the time to rest up and enjoy some unhurried mornings. And I was kindly given a large quantity of magazines, back copies of a publication I currently subscribe to, so I've spent several hours just browsing through them and bookmarking some recipes to try out. Just the right balance of productivity and relaxation.

At the weekend we joined in a walk with our local wildlife group. We were looking out for signs of spring, and it was a very enjoyable circuit of a nearby fell, where the skylarks were in full song, the hedgerows full of blossom and we even came across a badgers set!







The following day we took a walk out past the pond and down through the woods. The wild garlic was in abundance and, on this occasion, just right for picking, so I was glad I had remembered to take a small container to collect some in. I love to make fresh pesto at this time of year and it is just the most vibrant shade of green. It tastes absolutely delicious as well :)

The last few days have been spent mostly at home, aside from yesterday when we braved a trip into town. I needed to run a few errands and then, of course, there was the dreaded school shoes shopping. During the winter Lily wears Dr. Martens. They never rub and are sturdy enough to keep her feet warm and dry, whatever the weather throws at us (at school they always play outside unless it is really bad). However, at this time of year she needs something a little lighter. Luckily for us the shoe shop was nice and quiet when we arrived and I was pleasantly surprised to find they have gone back to the old way of measuring feet manually, instead of using an iPad. Better still, they checked the fit and had Lily walk around the shop in them just to be sure. How time flies. It feels like only yesterday that she was measured for her first ever pair. Fortunately, they had just the shoes she needed and in the right size. How long they will last for is another matter. :) 

J. X






42 comments:

  1. Lovely spring photos Jules, I love this time of year when everything really starts to bloom and grow. Taking Lily for new shoes reminds me of when my mum would take me years ago - every shoe shop had a manual measuring device and one shop had one almost like an x-ray machine which showed a picture of your feet.

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    1. Thank you, Eunice. I remember a large machine that you would stand on, which would then measure your feet one at a time :)

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  2. That pesto looks delicious. We don’t have wild garlic here. Instead something called three cornered leek. Oh I remember shoe buying days. Buying for three boys was always a nightmare and they never had the right size available! B x

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    1. It felt like a win that we were able to get some shoes in just the right size. No doubt she will need new trainers and walking boots before long :)

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  3. Why is it that children's feet seem to grow at a rate that's much quicker than anything else, and shoes are so expensive! It sounds like the holidays have got off to a good start, let's hope for a bit better weather in the coming days though, it's been blowing a gale here.

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    1. Lily has gone up a half size in shoes, but it won't be long before her trainers and walking boots need replacing :)
      There was a light frost here yesterday. I hope it begins to warm up soon. X

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  4. I'm glad that you are enjoying your break, I came across an elderly man picking some wild garlic as I walked through the woods yesterday and stopped to have a chat with him he said that he was going to cook his with some mussels, I will have to remember to take a bag and collect some next time I walk. I'm glad that you managed to get the perfect pair of shoes for Lily. xx

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    1. I love the fresh flavour of wild garlic. I imagine it would taste delicious with mussels. X

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  5. Your description of getting new shoes took me back to my own and then to my children's experiences. I've managed to get some wild garlic plants and they have taken and are doing well. I'll soon be having some pesto!

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    1. It's great they are doing so well. I hope you enjoy your pesto. X

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  6. Thankfully my school shoes buying days are over, I'm glad you can tick that off your list. I don't buy magazines anymore, I flick through fully intending to sit down and read them but never do. Your wildlife walk looks good, a perfect activity for school holidays.

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    1. Shoe shopping is not something I look forward to, but thankfully it was relatively painless this time :)

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  7. The walk with your local wildlife group looks and sounds very nice.
    Your pesto looks delicious and what a wonderful green colour it is ... enjoy.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thank you, Jan. The group's activities are always enjoyable. I think we are pond dipping next time :)

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  8. I love wild garlic too and have already picked bags of it. It gets eaten quickly here. Either pestoed or eaten simply mixed with warm pasta witch cheese on top.

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    1. I find it delicious simply stirred through fresh pasta. X

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  9. Makes me wish I lived in a more rural area. Great photos!

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    1. Thank you Chris. I am fortunate to have the best of both worlds. X

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  10. Lovely spring photos! Glad to see that you are enjoying your spring break! Glad you were able to get a good pair of new shoes for Lily! It was so difficult to find suitable children's shoes for my daughter when she was a child because she had long feet and was wearing women's sizes when she was 8 or 9!

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    1. The difficulty I have with buying Lily new shoes is that she needs something fairly flexible but still very durable. She had managed to wear through the sole of her boots! X

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  11. The wild garlic leaves look do fresh and green at this time of year. Enjoy your holiday, at least you've got the school shoe shopping over with. :)

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    1. I love the bright green colour of the pesto. X

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  12. Lovely Spring photos and your walk sounds very nice. I remember the measuring for school shoes, the children's feet grew so fast and the shoes never seemed to last long one way or another.

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    1. Thank you Eileen. We had a bright sunny morning for our walk. X

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  13. Hello! Your pesto looks delicious! And beautiful too! Glad your break was relaxing and productive. Shoe shopping is not my favorite. : ) Beautiful photos of your world, my friend.

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    1. I've never really enjoyed shoe shopping but, fortunately, this time it was straightforward. X

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  14. So glad to hear that your spring break is giving you all that you need right now, it sounds like a good mix of doing and resting. Buying shoes for children is always so hard isn't it especially when they reach that age when they are in the bigger sizes that sometimes come in children's styles but they are really restricted, the VAT on adult shoes makes them so much more expensive. Your photos of your walks are so lovely and the green of that pesto, wonderful! Enjoy x

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    1. Shoe shopping is an expensive business and the choice of decent footwear for children is quite limited. She will be needing new trainers and walking boots next! X

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  15. Your post brings back memories of shopping for shoes with growing feet. That pesto looks so fresh and tasty.

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    1. Sometimes, it's as if they grow overnight. X

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  16. Hi Glad you are enjoying your spring break,love the photos.that pesto looks so lush.I am working 6 days a week now so trying to catch up with blogs.xx

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    1. Thank you, Lee. I've fallen behind myself :)

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  17. I am still waiting for the wild garlic growing in my garden (s'pose I should call it domesticated garlic then?) I can't wait to be able to pick and cook with it - yum!

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    1. Hopefully you won't need to wait too much longer. Xx

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  18. urgh I hate school shoe shopping!!
    Jillxo

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    1. I expect I'll miss it when I no longer have it to do. X

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  19. I made pesto too but it was pretty strong. Since the first pasta pesto we ate with it that blew our brains we have been using it in teaspoons as a hint of garlic in things like soup, mixed with tomato for pizza bases and in a chicken and leek pie. Love your photography as always.

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    1. Thank you. I've just this evening used some of the pesto as the base of a tomato and mozzarella slice :)

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  20. An ipad to measure a foot...no way! Lovely walks you have been taking, I'm really a tad jealous. x

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    1. Yes, really! I'm glad they have gone back to measuring feet 'properly.' X

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  21. Your shoe shopping venture actually took me back to my own childhood rather than my childrens. I remember having my feet properly measured and trying to stretch my toes just that little bit more to show that I had grown since last time. Probably wasn't such a fun experience for my parents who had to pay for them .

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    1. I've never enjoyed the shoe shopping experience. It always felt like such a chore. X

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