Weekend Appreciations on a Wednesday

It was so wonderful having an extra day at home for the Bank Holiday Monday. After a busy weekend last week, a quiet weekend just pottering at home was just what I needed.

This is some of what I got up to and am grateful for this weekend.



We had two visitors this weekend, but overall it was a quiet one.

One of my sisters popped in for a few moments on Sunday, and brought me some olive oil soap she bought on holiday. It was so wonderful to see her and I promised I would return the visit very soon.

 On Saturday I spotted this furry visitor looking in at the window. Cute eh?

Mr Stayingawake thought it would be hilarious to make funny faces at me, as I took photographs of our visitor from the outside.

I really do appreciate his sense of humour. He can always make me smile.

Incredible. Beautiful. Amazing.




The caterpillar of course! 

Lavender from the garden.
 

Linseed from the local health food store, where I chatted for a while with the assistant. He was very helpful and we had some laughs with an elderly gentleman who was complaining in a sort of joking way about the penny sale (that wasn't a penny sale).

I still have some lavender oil left from years ago - so I used it to add a drop or two into the mix.

I appreciate my younger self who was always intending to find time to use and learn about plants their uses.

I appreciate the me now, who is making time for all of the things that interested my younger self but that she didn't have time for. Or didn't make time for!

Filling up the muslin pillow. I appreciate the sewing lessons I had at primary school. Though at the time and for many years, sewing was my least favourite pastime.

I love the delicate weave of the muslin and the way the light shines through.

Here is the inner pillow, full to the brim with lavender and linseed, and ready to slip inside the pretty cover.

 

Damsons sent with love, from a friend's garden.


I intend to send some love right back to the friend especially as she is unwell right now.

Some of the Damsons being boiled to make jam.


Look at the beautiful colour as they begin to soften and change.

 On this last weekend of summer I am already thinking of harvest festival time just around the corner.

The Marrow and herbs are from the allotment and the garden. (Mr Stayingawake's other name is Mr Greenfingers.)

We have marrows in abundance at the moment and are sharing with others of course. I found a few recipes here and the one we tried here. There were a few funny ones I found, which suggested some not so helpful ideas but I can't find them now. They gave me a giggle.

Mmmm. My favourite part was chopping up the fresh herbs from the garden.

 I picked mint, corriander and parsley.

Such wonderful smells.

Lovely, tasty supper - the recipe was for four so I halved it as there was just the two of us.

Next on the "marrow to do list", is marrow and ginger jam. There is a marrow waiting for me in the kitchen and it has "jam" written all over it.

We also were sent some pears by the friend who sent the damsons. Tonight some of them have been used to make Damson, Pear and Walnut Muffins.

Next weekend more of the pears will be used to make this. It should keep until Christmas so I will be taking a jar or two with me as gifts when I call to visit family over the next few weeks.

Here's hoping that you had a fabulous weekend however you spent it.