Wonderful Wednesday 39

Really long time no post, sorry about that! I didn’t realise just how long it had been until I clicked onto the blog dashboard and saw that the last recorded wonderfulness was at the beginning of May. Sometimes life really gets in the way and not always in the best way. Onwards though, onwards. It’s Saturday morning as I sit and type this intro and I’m feeling happier and more positive than I have in a long time.

The view at the top of this post may have had something to do with that positivity – it was the view we enjoyed every morning while we were having breakfast while on holiday. Travel is good for the soul, you know.

Here are some of my snippets of wonderfulness from the last few weeks…

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♥ Reading… Over the last month or so, I knew things weren’t great because I couldn’t read. I just couldn’t focus and as a book-lover, that made me feel so very sad. I’ve devoured three books in the last two weeks though (granted, two were while we were on holiday) and have loved both the stories I was reading, as well as just the act of reading itself. I’m on the hunt for recommendations for what to pick up next please! What have you enjoyed reading recently?

♥ The National Trust… Is there anything more quintessentially English and comforting than that?! A few weeks ago on a whim, my mum and I drove to a National Trust property relatively nearby – Ham House. We’d been there before and, as it was early afternoon by the time we arrived, we headed directly to the Orangery café to get some lunch.  Sitting outside enjoying the sunshine, we contentedly munched our sandwiches (gluten free too, mind!) with some crisps, all washed down with several cups of tea. There’s a kitchen garden outside the café, which was being tended on the day we visited.  There’s really nothing like watching people busily hoe the soil and tie up various trailing plants to give you a good appetite!

We then headed into the house to explore the various rooms that were open that day. As it was during the week, there were hardly any visitors and we were jumped on by the friendly National Trust volunteers who were eager to tell us all about each room as soon as we walked in.  I’m such a history nerd, I loved every moment of it!

♥ Gluten free Rice Crispies… or Rice Pops, if you will. A new addition to (my) gluten free store cupboard. It's funny the things you miss isn't it? I was always a Kellogg's Corn Flakes girl but alas, their inclusion of barley malt meant I had to avoid them after being diagnosed coeliac. But now Nestle have a gluten free cereals range and their corn flakes taste just as good as the cereal I remember! This week I picked up their Rice Pops and they bring back such good cereal memories (small pleasures eh!) They even snap, crackle and pop!

♥ Thoughtful gifts in the post… There’s something really special about receiving post and I don’t mean bank statements or bills! One of my dearest friends is a prolific letter writer and it’s rare that a few weeks go by without a letter or a postcard arriving from her. At the weekend, a jiffy bag landed on the mat containing the Time Magazine Harry Potter special from one of my aunts – an “I saw this and thought of you” gift. I’m really savouring it, reading sections at a time, but it arrived at the perfect time on Saturday to have a break from my usual weekend clean to make a cup of tea and put my feet up. It’s almost as if she knew.

♥ Palermo… I couldn’t not mention our holiday here could I?! If you haven’t read my Palermo post, you can find it here. It feels like a long time ago already, which means it's probably time to start planning the next holiday but I'm still happily looking back at our Sicilian trip for a little longer. I have a few other posts that I'd like to share so I'd better get those started before life gets in the way again.

That's it from me this week, relatively short and sweet! Happy Wednesday all!

♥ Do let me know what's made your week 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, Samantha, Kerri, Laura, Sarah, Peta, El, Laura, Sarah, Mimmi, Jasmin, Martina, Lynsey, Katie, Debbie, Kelly 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! ♥