Monday 18 July 2011

Making me happy today...


A thrifted tea cosy hiding a pot of Earl Grey and a little posy cut from the garden.

Friday 8 July 2011

A random act of kindness

Standing at the bus stop, arms filled with heavy bags, I realise I am just short of the change needed for the fare. I could walk to the nearby shop, but then I'd miss my bus. What to do? Standing, pondering this question, a woman approaches me and offers me her no-longer-needed daily pass. She hasn't realised my situation and won't even accept the (short) change I have ready. Her random act of kindness makes my day and I resolve to try and do the same for someone else.

Thursday 7 July 2011

And the living is easy....

After a truly crappy six weeks or so, we decide to get away from it all. Kind friends offer us their yurt for the weekend so we hastily and disorganisedly throw some things into a bag and off we go. We pick up the Beautiful Girl's sousin ( a word they invented to describe their relationship "because we're actually cousins but we love each other like sisters") and after a slightly too-long-whoops-I-should've-trusted-the-satnav-style journey we arrive at this beautiful spot in the Brecon Beacons....
Waking up on Saturday morning, lying in bed with the door open, sunshine and birdsong streaming in and the air filling with the smell of coffee brewing on the woodburning stove I'm more relaxed than I've felt in ages. What could be better than this? How about spending the morning in Hay-on-Wye?


There was a little shopping - second-hand books, of course, plus some vintage hand-embroidered linens. Lots of browsing and a little sitting and indulging too...

Back at the yurt, the girls go off to play around the orchard and the Lovely Husband and I settle down for some serious relaxing. Reading, Scrabbling and (should I admit it?) snoozing. Later, a campfire, stories and a deep, deep sleep.

Sunday morning and we go for a short walk,through the fields and then a wood to the river.
I take my book and an apple and sit in dappled sunshine while the girls paddle, play, throw stones, try and catch fish and paint themselves with mud. Eventually, we admit to ourselves it's time to start heading home. Before we hit the M5 though, we stop for another walk alongside this beautiful weir.....

Such a beautiful place. Such a wonderful weekend.