Wonderful Wednesday : August 2018

It's been a while since I last sat down at my computer and tapped out a Wonderful Wednesday - life gets in the way, as always, and then it turns into a cycle of feeling guilty that I haven't taken part in weeks when I should just take this time for myself but then I don't because it's so much easier to pick up my phone or watch another episode of something on Netflix and then, another week has passed. 

But I do want to keep up with this tradition because it's a really lovely opportunity to sit and reflect on the good moments, so I've decided to follow Lynsey's example and opt for a monthly round-up - all of the wonderful but once a month and something that, no matter how busy I get, is completely manageable. All of the goodness and less of the guilt - I'm in!

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♥ Cooler weather... While the sunshine was lovely at first, it was quickly *too* hot for this pale, freckly creature. This month, for the first time in a while, I've felt a cool breeze on the air when watering my little plants in the evening and it's been wonderful. And as August comes to an end, there's been a bit more of an Autumnal chill going on and I'm excited for it (although slightly scared by how quickly this year is flying by!) Here's to candles, scarves and walks through the woods crunching through the fallen leaves. And on that note:

♥ Noticing the seasons... Since moving out of London, I've really stopped to notice the seasons more. Everything was green when we first moved in - the crop fields were lush and budding, and all around were grazing fields full of buttercups and wild flowers, with blossom in the trees. We've noticed the crops continue to grow and over the course of this month, be collected in. Last week, as I left the house to walk to work, there was a powerful smell of manure in the air (that one, perhaps not such a positive) and traces of straw along the side of the road as it had blown off the back of the trucks transporting the bales. Although the year is flying by, I really do feel that I'm stopping to savour the passing of the seasons as I see what's happening around me. 

♥ Visits from friends... One of my friends came to stay in the middle of August and it was such a highlight this month. She arrived on Friday evening so I met her in town after work, giving her a little tour which coincided with a visit to one of my favourite old pubs. A few drinks and the world put to right later, we headed home to show her the house and to order a curry - the perfect Friday! The next day, we headed to the V&A for a few hours, then grabbed dinner before going to the cinema to watch 'Heathers'. I haven't watched that film in years and had forgotten how much I loved it - there's also something really special about watching an old film at the cinema, surrounded by people who love it as much as you do. Such a great weekend. 

♥ Long weekends... I'm going to struggle in Autumn because this week is actually another short week for me, falling immediately after the August Bank holiday. I'm not working Thursday and Friday because tomorrow's my birthday, so I've booked the time off! Tomorrow's going to be spent with my Mum - lunch and the Frida Kahlo exhibition at the V&A, and then celebrating with my husband on Friday. I actually cricked my neck last weekend so here's to a long weekend in excellent spirits and no injuries! 

♥ Blackberry picking... I haven't done this in yeeeears but last weekend, I went for a walk in the woods with my neighbour and her dog, and we brought bags and boxes to collect some of the blackberries dotted all around the woodland. I collected two pots' worth and have frozen them all in readiness for a few crumbles as the nights draw in. I also collected more for my neighbour to add to her collection and this morning, she presented me with a jar of blackberry jam which I'm so excited to tuck into this weekend with breakfast!

Last night, we decided to harvest the bunches of grapes that have been merrily growing on our grapevine. A few bunches turned into a few more and it quickly became clear that we had vastly underestimated the sheer quantity of grapes that have been growing! The plan is to turn this vast array into grape vodka, which should keep us going for quite some time...

August, you've been super. Here's to an even better September!

♥ Do let me know what's made your week/month a little rosier by leaving me a comment below or dropping me a tweet (I'm @happygoluckycat) or better yet, why not join the fabulous bunch of #WonderfulWednesday bloggers? Pop over to their blogs for a dose of mid-week happiness - Sally, Michelle, Helen, Kate, Jo, Laura, Sarah, Peta, El, Mimmi, Lynsey, Katie and Em (I think that's everyone - shout at me if you're not on the list!) - and then join me in counting down the days until the weekend. It's in sight! ♥