Sunday 21 June 2015

Midsummer miscellany (and a winner)



I know you'll probably be wanting me to cut to the chase. so without further ado: the winner of my little giveaway (as pulled from a hat by Joe) is Elaine, who blogs over at The Craft Shed. Congratulations to you. Please drop me an email Elaine, and we'll take it from there.

There will be other giveaways coming up as I already have some new ideas for drawing and painting projects. But for now, here's a roundup of our midsummer goings-on. Firstly: the weather. Oh dear. Monty Don was waxing lyrical about midsummer on Friday evening, telling us to just get out there and make the most of all that light. Get out there we did. It rained. It was gloomy. In fact, the first thing that came to mind on closing the garden gate was that it felt much more like the end of summer. Blustery, damp and none too warm.

Still, I harvested the gooseberries from a surprisingly prolific few stems growing out of a wall by the river. I go each June. Stewed with a couple of Bramleys then frozen, they'll make a nice filling for a crumble later in the year.


Everything's very pink and lilac and white at the moment. Dog roses, the remains of the cow parsley, red campion, and whatever these (above) are called. They're growing all along the railway line and I feel I should know what they are, but don't.


Joe's definitely hit the Terrible Twos. He alternates between being the sweetest little boy you could wish to meet (and cuddle) and a child possessed. He's three at the end of August. I hope the Jekyll and Hyde thing disappears soon.


Luckily, the storms never last very long and I always stand my ground. More often than not it's a struggle to keep a straight face. If he flies into a rage because something refuses to balance in mid air there really isn't much I can do. I can cheer him up or read to him or demand an apology but I cannot change the laws of physics. Nor can I influence the CBeebies programming schedule.


Sorry if you've seen too much of the peonies already (on Instagram). They've been spectacular; a bunch bought tightly in bud from the 'reduced' section of the supermarket has burst into huge, showy blooms. Each bud has opened at a slightly different time so they're still going strong and making the dining table a thing of beauty.


The healthy eating plan continues. I complete my four weeks on Sunday. I did fall off the wagon slightly last week though. My cravings became quite insistent - not for cake or chocolate, but for Greek yogurt of all things. So I bought some. I admire vegans completely but three weeks of dairy-free was enough for me. Other than that, I'm sticking to the plan. Although the strange combinations of food groups has left me feeling pretty irritated.

So for this final week I'm still avoiding all the stuff I'm supposed to. I'm just adjusting things to suit me a bit better. I've been eating a lot of fruit, which is perfect for this time of year as the strawberries are at their best. So are cherries. And I've been enjoying peaches, watermelon and raspberries too.


Thank you for all your lovely comments on my previous post, and apologies if I initially gave the impression that the blog wasn't going to continue. That wasn't my intention at all. I will be prioritising things a little more but that doesn't affect Mitenska.

Finally, I'm pleased to share that I'm the new Preschool Editor for Tend Magazine. I was asked whether I'd be interested in writing for them and of course, I jumped at the chance. It's slightly daunting when I look at how beautiful and well-written it is but I'm excited to become part of the team and to write for a publication which ties in so well with my own values and passions. My first articles will appear in the Spring 2016 issue and I'm already thinking up lots of ideas. Could this be an excuse to procure another new notebook?

Have a lovely week, and let's all hope the sun comes out soon!



19 comments:

  1. Congratulations on joining Tend Magazine and really do you need an excuse for a new note pad, I definately don't!! Good luck as you pass through the terrible twos (although they often spill over into threes). I have many a happy memory of wrestling a small boy on my way around the town, but he looked cherubic to all bystanders!!! Sarah

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  2. Hey Sarah,
    I've been reading, but not able to respond. Huge congrats on Trend magazine. Fabulous. I am on a no sugar plan, and I am dong very well for me. I have stuck to it for longer than a day, which is miraculous really. As for terrible twos....wait until you get the terrible teens ;))
    Leanne xx

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  3. Congratulations on your new venture with Tend magazine and lovely photos. It has been warm and sunny here today (after some very gloomy weather) so I will send some your way!

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  4. Yes, absolutely, you MUST have a new notebook, it would madness not to. Very well done on the Tend editing, that's absolutely brilliant, you'll be excellent at it. I loved this summery post. Flowers and fruit, perfect right now. I'm giving up sugar tomorrow... CJ xx

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  5. Congratulations on joining Tend magazine - I discovered it last month and love its ethos. We managed a bit of sunshine yesterday so hopefully the week ahead will feel a bit more like summer for us all! x

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  6. First of all congratulations on the job,and lovely photos, flowers on rail way banking look like Honesty. As Leanne said wait till you get to terrible teens.... what joy !!! I too thought of Monty's words and tried to stay out as long as possible, but rain spoiled play.. Have a lovely week.
    Amanda xx

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    1. Been having another look through my flower book and have come up with another flower as it's a bit late for Honesty to be flowering, so they could be Dame's-violet (Hesperis matronalis)....
      Amanda xx

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  7. Dear Sarah,
    I believe those flowers you were wondering about are phlox.
    Thank you for sharing your lovely photos and thoughts. I look forward to your work on Tend.
    Sincerely,
    Dana

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    1. Thank you. And thanks for helping identify those flowers!

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  8. It feels slightly odd congratulating you when I'm the (also new) Tend bod who invited you aboard, but we are so pleased you said yes :)

    I could live without the Greek yoghurt, but I'm salivating over those gooseberries!

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    1. I'm pleased I said yes too! I'm busy thinking up lots of ideas at the moment - all very exciting...

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  9. Never too many peonies! We have them in the garden here and it's such a treat to pick one or two to have in the house - they look great with lady's mantle, just like in your pics! Congratulations on joining the magazine, and good luck with the rest of the healthy eating.

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    1. Thank you. I'm actually starting to enjoy eating so well; the temptation to eat junk isn't there at all. Not that we ate much of it in the first place, but still... I had my first (decaf) coffee yesterday in almost a month and it was bliss!

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  10. Congratulations on the Tend appointment, you'll be great! I couldn't live without Greek yogurt, and it has to be the full fat kind. I get through a couple of pots a week. xx

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    1. Full fat for me too, the Fage one - very creamy and very nice! x

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  11. Congratulations on Tend. I'm looking forward to seeing your writing there. If ever there was a good moment to purchase a new notebook this must be it :-) We're also experiencing the two year old mood swings (closely followed by the three, four, five year old tantrums/huffs! And breathe!) since littleR discovered CBeebies was available at any moment on my phone (a necessity in the hospital) it's been a battle! :-) xx

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    1. But imagine if it wasn't available! I hope things are as well as can be with you and that everything's resolved soon. Funny how you can miss normality when life's up in the air xx

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  12. Oh congratulations Sarah! Your new adventure sounds wonderful. Good luck with it! I'll look forward to your articles. The flowers on the bank might be Cuckoo Flower, sometimes called Lady's Smock. They grow abundantly here too. I could be wrong though. Bee xx

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