Joy in the Everyday Ordinary - March, 11-20

Hi there everyone 😀

Welcome to the second of my Joy in the Everyday Ordinary posts for 2019.

We are just back from the loveliest week tucked up in a nice warm cottage in the village of Malham, in the very lovely Yorkshire Dales.

We didn't get to see a lot of sunshine but in the main it was dry and we did manage to get out and about more than we expected. We even did some proper walking, with walking boots, a rucksack and everything ... a real trip down memory lane it was and we both loved it.

I have plenty to tell you about over the coming weeks, with lots of photos, but for now ... here are our next 10 days of March ...

Day 11 - It may seem odd but it was a beautiful sunny day and the sight of the sunshine catching the zesty green of the moss on the planter drew me into the garden. I just had to try and capture it. 

Day 11 - Yes, I know it's cheating a bit, using a second image for the same day, and a collage at that ... Once drawn outside by the lure of the sun shining through the moss I had to have a bit of a wander round the garden to see what else was happening. I am pleased to report that the anemones we planted in the fruit tree pots last year are doing well as is Martin's spiky, but pretty, chaenomeles, which was also planted last year. We also have the first buds started to flower on the summer snowflakes. I am hoping that we won't miss these whilst we are on holiday.

Day 12 - The weather could not have been more different from yesterday. It was blowing a hoolie, destined only to get worse, and the rain was really lashing down, all courtesy of Storm Gareth. I wasn't complaining though. There is something really nice about being tucked up inside all cosy and warm and safe from the elements. I love watching the rain from the landing window and listening to it hammer against the windows and trickle down the pipes. I spent the day just doing some gentle indoor pottering ... a bit of tidying, a bit of blogging, a bit of paperwork, a bit of cooking, a bit of ironing, finishing off my book and a bit of holiday preparation. 

Day 13 - Martin was at work and I had a sneaky piece of cake at the garden centre before a quick pop in to see my good friend Jackie on my way back, which ended up being pretty much the whole afternoon curled up at either end of the sofa chatting about all sorts ... from holidays to Brexit and retirement plans to life goals. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon and all the more lovely for being completely out of the blue ... not much housework done for either of us though 😀

Day 14 - Somehow and most unusually, I seemed to be feeling really organised in the run up to our first holiday of the year. I even had time to press some fabric and do a bit of cutting out for a very special project. I can't wait to get cracking on with it ... hopefully the sewing machine will be back and raring to go very soon.

Day 15 - Yay ... off on our first holiday of the year and this would be our home for the next seven days. It was so lovely to be back in the Yorkshire Dales.

Day 16 - The forecast promised between 89% and 100% chance of rain pretty much all day and that is exactly what it did. It was lovely waking up to the sound of the rain coming down and the 'babbling brook' rushing past the back of the cottage. We stood for a fair while at the back window of the cottage just watching the weather and the odd dog walker braving the deluge before heading out for a drive across the hills, which I will tell you more about in a separate post.

Day 17 - We walked from the cottage to Malham Cove today and saw all kinds of weather, from blue sky and sunshine, to pouring rain and snow. We loved being back out in the proper countryside and were well chuffed with ourselves for making the effort to climb the 400 steps to the top, but ... you've guessed it ... I will tell you lots more about our walk in a separate post 😀

Day 18 - It was a day for kind of resting our legs and we had a drive over to Skpton where we had lunch in the quirkiest cafe ever ... Martin described the decor as Alice in Wonderland meets Damien Hurst and I don't think he was far off the mark. 

Day 19 - Another day walking from the cottage. This time we did a Geocaching walk which explored all the nooks and crannies of the village ... ending up with a lazy afternoon in The Lister Arms, which is definitely becoming a firm favourite.

Day 20 - We didn't do much walking today. We went to a local farm shop for breakfast before having another drive over to Settle for a wander about and a quick visit to Booths, our favourite supermarket when up this way. We came back early and lit the fire and just generally chilled out with a crossword and a book.

*****************************************************************************