Thursday 21 January 2016

Something and Nothing

   




 
It's the witching hour. That time between home time and tea time. When little people can be tetchy. When not so little people are wondering when is the most acceptable time to open a bottle of wine. Is before 5pm okay? When teenagers come home from school absolutely sopping wet, because it's not cool to wear a coat, and then have a strop that the heating isn't on.
 
We swing from one type of weather to another here in the far west of Cornwall. Yesterday I stood on the North Cliffs in glorious sunshine, eating a banana and smiling. I had just seen a Jay in Tehidy woods, and had gone from there to staring out at the sea, while a fresh wind whipped my hair around my face. Honey lay on the coarse coastal grass, eating a dog treat made from seaweed. It was ideal.
 
The rain has not stopped today. Pelting rain. Soaking you to your knickers rain (you know the feeling too Christina?!). Even though Olly and I were appropriately dressed for the dash from class room to home, we still had to peel off the layers by the front door. I put on my pyjamas. Olly was content with pants and vest.
 
We are both currently lounging on the sofa in the conservatory. The faux fire is on, and Olly's army toys are scattered liberally around on the rug. He wants me to tickle his back. I've let him play Minion Rush on my phone. "This is a really special treat, isn't it Mummy?" I nod. My handing over of my mobile device has nothing to do with my not wanting to get down on all fours and throw pretend grenades at the enemy.
 
The low light of the day is turning towards evening. It will soon be time to think about tea. There are a couple of sweet potatoes on the counter in the kitchen, but I haven't got much further than that. I'll possibly roast them and serve them with a hastily thrown together chilli. Or I might put them away and cook some fish fingers. I'm a bit of a maverick like that.
 
Olly is tired and has come home from school with a cough. He had a night terror yesterday, and was also woken up by his brother having a meltdown over a computer game. The cat woke both of us up before 6am, so I think it will be early to bed. Sod the school work. I'll read an extra chapter of 'Grandpa's Great Escape' instead. He'll start off in his bed, but he'll be in mine by the time I wend my own way up to Bedfordshire. I don't mind. I always liked my Mum and Dad's bed better than my own when I was little too. The pillows were more plump, and it smelt safe.
 
I am coveting a pair of denim dungarees, but am worried that I may be too old for them. I used to have a pair from The Gap when I was in my early thirties, but perhaps they won't look as good in my mid forties. Or should I not care? They are ubiquitous like the Breton t shirt, and I wear one of those almost every day. I'm also thinking of getting some layers put into my hair. I'm a bit fed up of a shoulder length bob.
 
I've just felt the urge to kiss the top of Olly's head.
 
I'm thinking how much I like to hang out in this room.
 
I'm listening to the rain hitting the roof, and it is reminding me of hunkering down in Betty. Drinking tea, and heating up hot dogs.
 
There are home made flapjacks and chocolate cup cakes in spotty tins in the kitchen.
 
Life is sweet.
 
Leanne xx
 
Hello and welcome to all of you that have happened upon, and commented on my blog lately. I am genuinely chuffed that you did xxxx
 
 






37 comments:

  1. Hi Leanne. Oh yes, soaked to my knickers is a common occurrence here :-) I am putting the faux fire on in a minute, when I can maneouvre my aching body out of the armchair. Maybe I'll call the man to do it. Hope you kissed Ollys head! And no, you are not too old for dungarees. They'll look fab with your Breton tops. Oh, before I forget, X files are spooky in that late 80s kind of way... special effects have come a long way since then. Have a lovely evening. xx

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    1. Perhaps I'll wait for the new series that they're making.
      L xx

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  2. Lovely sweet post. The weather has been similar here over the last two days. Yesterday was so beautiful & sunny - it was almost a pleasure to see out of my office window but today it was grotty & wet. Go for the dungarees I spotted a pair but wimped out & went for a denim shirt dress. I seem to be permanently in it though! Enjoy the rest of your evening - it's good to chill x

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    1. I've seen a lovely denim dress in Seasalt...
      L xx

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  3. Sometimes the simple things in life are good and you can get an awful lot of pleasure from...well, from not much, really. Harry has just told me he won't be going to Scouts tonight: I feel really pleased because that means I don't have to go out again today and can be in my dressing gown by eight!
    I'd get the dungarees and layer your hair - you only live once! Xx

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    1. Yay for pjs, dressing gowns and bras off by tea time, Lou!
      L xx

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  4. I love that you love your life so much and that it always, always shows.

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  5. A lovely post which reminded me of when my two sons were little (now 30 and 28) and remember all too well the tetchy after school time. Go for the dungarees, life is too short to not do what you want. xx

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    1. I think I will Jan. I still feel about 16 inside so....
      L xx

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  6. A great picture of real everyday home life! Hope that everyone warmed up and dried out and that dinner was good! xx

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  7. You paint a very appealing picture with your words, Leanne. It's lovely to read about someone so content. The rain is heading this way but not due to hit until tomorrow morning. I'm hoping to get out and back with the dog before it starts pelting. Do get dungarees – as Jan says above, life is too short... Sam x

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    1. Thanks Sam. I've been told the sun is back tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
      L xx

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  8. I don't think you're ever too old ... for anything, thank goodness! Rain tomorrow? Good, I badly need a hunkering down day, a day with no appointments and no decisions to make. Make the most of this special time with your little boy - I know you know how quickly it passes.

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    1. I'm holding onto him with my old gnarled hands, Sarah!
      L xx

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  9. What a lovely post, I am right there with you in front of the fire in the conservatory listening to the rain. Blissful. How gorgeous your sweet doggy is. I think I shall KCS to the list of Possible Dogs for the littlest boy, who has been promised one when he is ten. No idea how we will wait that long. Dungarees will be brilliant, do it, do it. Sorry about the night terror, I hope you both have a good sleep tonight. It's lovely to snuggle up with the little chaps in bed isn't it. Even if they are very very wiggly. Wishing you a good weekend in beautiful Cornwall. That coastal shot made me sigh very deeply. Wonderful. CJ xx

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    1. She is very lovely, I have to say. My weekend involves sweet pea seeds and the garden centre.
      L xx

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  10. I am one of your new readers, but first time commenting :-)
    You paint such a lovely picture with your words today, but just curious - is a conservatory what we would call a sunroom here in the states?

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    1. Hey Vicki,
      So chuffed that you enjoy it here. Yes I think it would be a sun room. It backs onto the garden, and I lil to sit there n all weathers. I have a fire and a cost blanket for colder days.
      L xx

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  11. How do you manage to sit in your conservatory? Mine is about 1 degree warmer than outside!!! I would freeze my knickers!!! x

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    1. You need a faux fire and no regard for your electricity bill, Niki ;)
      L x

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  12. I came home today dry for a change but absolutely freezing. I might prefer wet I can't decide. I was so cold my teeth hurt.... but then I don't like the wet to the underwear thing either and we've had that lately a lot....
    I made a lovely tinful of your sunshine cookies last night. sadly now the tin is very very empty. I may have to start doubling the quantities. the teenagers answer when I asked her where all the cookies where?
    "but I just LOVE them......."

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    1. Ha! The same happens here when I make them!
      L xx

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  13. I'm in stripes daily and have been pondering the purchase of dungarees (short ones would be required here in Australia) just this week and pondering the same age dilemma! We've been having crazy weather here in Australia too. One day was 40 degrees, the next 16 degrees. The planet is crazy at the moment with its climate! Enjoyed reading your ponderings. Xx

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    1. Hey Lucy. Breton stripes go with everything. 40 degrees? How do you not melt?!
      L xx

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  14. Great post - you sounds so cosy sitting in your pjs in the conservatory with the rain and fire. Speaking as a 51 year old with a pair of dungarees, I would say go for it!xx

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    1. I think I will. All you lovely lot have persuaded me.
      L xx

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  15. It's raining here again today and I'm just heading out with the dog. Why is it that the rain pours down endlessly but when it's cold enough to snow, it doesn't? I expect that my clothes will be hanging to dry later xx

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  16. It's pouring with rain here today, wet though this morning!, love you post it feels so homely. enjoy your weekendx

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  17. The hour between getting in from school and tea can go one of two ways, I find, and when it's good it's really good. I like the sound of your laid back afternoons. I hope your weekend is going well lovely. Xx

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  18. All sounds good to me. I like listening to the rain and let's face it, we've had plenty of of over these past three months. I'm starting to crave getting out into the garden time though.
    Beautiful photos, especially that one of the stairway.
    And I'd have gone for the fish fingers.
    x

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  19. So lovely to visit you friend! And how wonderful to see those gorgeous views all around you! I do hope your sweetie feels better….life is good! Wishing you more of the same this week! Nicole xo

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  20. Don't get me started on the rain!! Anyway it's sunny today so I'm all about the positives. Great photos...I love the light in your hall! Did you get your dungerees? Here's to a good week and plenty of post-school pre-tea fun! xx

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  21. I tried some dungarees on not long ago - I had a cream pair of Lee Cooper ones in the 80's and practically lived in them. Unfortunately these days there isn't quite enough space between the bib and the bottom part to squish my belly in. It did make me and daughter howl though in the cubicle!

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  22. Your post has bought back so many memories of my children childhood! Oh I remember those days of teenagers not wearing coats, I think mine in their mid 20's have just started to grow out of it!Our bewitching hour is after supper when we sit down to relax and Tavi thinks it is play time! Sarah x

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  23. oh my goodness, but yours is one of my very best favourite blogs. true story. what a positively lovely post!

    It makes me think of all the simple and comfortable things from when I was younger and life was so very less complicated.

    I vote 'yes' for the dungarees -- sod whatever the 'rules' are. I used to wear dungarees a lot in my 20's...I had a pair of pin-stripe ones, like a train engineer's...worn with a pair of 8-hole Doc Martens and a tartan shirt. Oh, happy days. :) Makes me want a pair now....I often eye up the work-wear ones in the feed-store but they don't make them in women's sizes. Which I probably ought to object to, come to think of it.

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