August in Pictures

(From top left): turning back the decades over the bank holiday; exploring vintage displays on a whirlwind visit to Lancaster; the last of the garden's summer wild-flowers; camping coffee pot; beautiful butterflies; harvesting the corn; collecting lavender to dry and freshen linen; outdoor theatre at the Old Palace, Lincoln; embracing the new season picking blackberries.

The cooler weather as we entered August made every summer's day feel like it could be the last, so we squeezed everything we could from the sunshine hours. We haven't done everything I wanted to this month; stargazing has slipped by the wayside and our barbecues have had to be hastily rushed inside because of the rain, but as we leave behind balmy nights and golden hours we can look back and feel content. This month more than any other I have struggled to choose images for this round-up because I have documented so many happy moments, so many snatches of memories.

When I was younger my friends would question my desire to take so many photographs, and after I left university I lost the urge to chronicle every step of my life, but as the days slip away and the seasons wane I find myself returning to the camera. This is only my sixth post of the year in pictures, but already I find myself looking over the previous posts, recalling just how incredible a year it has been, and I think it is the very act of storing memories to return to at a later date that truly makes us appreciate the positives in our lives.

So onwards to September in just a few short days. A breath of fresh air and a rustle of leaves and we'll be into the new season before we know it, so let's revel in the excitement of change as the light fades and the rain lingers.

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Looking through the photos I've taken this month has disappointed me. Despite one of my goals being to make more time for photography, it seems I've almost done the opposite and have fewer images than ever; not the intended aim, but it does reflect how busy I have been. I honestly have no idea where the month has disappeared to - even with two bank holidays I don't seem to have got much done!

Anyway, enough of my deliberations, this month has looked a bit like this (from top left): baking for a visit from the grandparents; beautiful sunsets over the fields; revelling in a late evening walk (this counts as my exercise...) and my parents' new home taking shape (you can just about make out Mr CC on the scaffolding giving a hand!).

What have you been up to this month lovelies?

CC x

P.S. Want to know what I was up to last month? Check out April in Pictures.

Last month I delved through the delights of ‘The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite’ by Beatrice Colin; it was truly a spectacle.  The interweaving plots and moments in time are joined brilliantly by Colin's writing style which is laced with memorable characters and settings.

Set predominantly in Berlin and spanning World War I and beyond, the protagonist Lilly (or Lidi as she is later known) experiences pain and strife before finding her big break, although all is still not as it seems.  The novel highlights the horrific war years but from a perspective I have not previously considered.  Each chapter also opens with a cinematic twist; this structures the book, although in my opinion is not entirely necessary.

This month I have chosen to read 'Burial Rites' by Hannah Kent, recommended by the simply lovely Forum Books in Corbridge when I was on holiday last month. It is set in Northern Iceland in 1829 and tells of the life of Agnes, accused of murdering her lover.  The blurb compares this new author to Margaret Atwood, and if that comparison is anything to go by, I am certain this will be a book not to be missed.  Have you read it yet?

As always, check out Circle of Pine Trees for more information about The Year in Books or for some more great recommendations.  Happy reading!

CC x

I have no idea where April has disappeared to.  Somewhere in the midst of Easter eggs and blossom falling like delicate fragrant snowflakes May has appeared.  Along with the delight of two bank holidays, May always rejuvenates my love for living in the countryside, opening the front door to fresh air and birdsong.

Last month I set myself five goals.  Some I have to admit were more difficult than others, and because of the sheer speed with which the days seeped away I wasn't as dedicated as I had hoped. However, I can happily report that I did indeed make more time for reading, attempting to read in snippets rather than sitting for hours at a time, and I feel so much better for it.  Can you miss reading when it's gone?  This month seems to indicate there's truth in this musing.

Secondly, I feel quite proud that I managed to blog at least five times a week for the entire month.  Admittedly this was made easier by a holiday spanning two weeks in the centre of the month, but I feel I have carved out an effective routine and intend to stick with it as best as I can (life permitting, of course).  My organised chaos was temporarily a haven, but it has slipped this week as I returned to the rigmarole of working life.  My slouching habits haven't improved much either, though I have made a conscious effort to sit better in the mornings. Finally, my random acts of kindness appeared sporadically throughout the month: I started a monthly donation to Water Aid, sent letters to distant friends and re-connected with family members I don't see very often.  A fulfilling, if extremely busy, month.

For May I have set another five goals:

1. Don't sweat the small stuff.  I talked here about how I over-think things all the time, and I fear this will be a hard habit to break completely.  However I am more motivated than ever to try and let go of things that ultimately will not matter, than should not be festering in my thoughts for longer than a second.  Life is too short, as yesterday highlighted even clearer.
2. Get to grips with wedding stationery.  We're designing our own and so far this hasn't progressed much further than sketches on scraps of paper and ideas floating around in our minds, but I feel like now is the time to start to see progress.  We're toying with a leaf motif and I want to have a go at stencilling some designs; I'm quite looking forward to letting my artistic side emerge once again.
3. Make more time for Mr CC. We often sit in an evening; one on the laptop, the other drawing, writing or watching something on television, and although we chat, we don't actually set aside time just for us.  Money, work or general exhaustion usually limits our weekend and evening activities, but sometimes you just need to forge ahead anyway and forget these limitations.
4. Start stocking up the freezer.  By this I don't mean frozen ready meals and chips; oh no. This will require far more time and dedication, but far greater rewards: I want to make a batch of dinners to freeze so that we are able to eat healthier mid-week when we often have no motivation or energy to cook something delicious.  I plan to set aside a day at the weekend for this.  Full freezer here we come!
5. Take more photos.  I go through phases; at university I was incredibly snap-happy and never stopped, and when I'm off work I'm still the same now, but often I'll forget and regret it deeply.  I'd like to get out first thing in a morning and remember to take the camera with me at a weekend.  I'd also like to be able to document the progress in our garden more fully.

So there you have it, five more goals.  Do you have any thoughts for the month ahead?

CC X

April has been a month spent mainly outdoors; just as it should be!

(From top left) Barter Books - a bibliophile's heaven; chocolate Easter bakes courtesy of my mum; the views walking up to Lindisfarne Castle; framing the view at Dunstanburgh Castle; a spring-like fusion of floral colours; Hadrian's wall; beautiful blossom; a somewhat old-fashioned method of transport; a hazy holiday sunset.

What have you been up to this month?

CC x

This summary is a little late but what's 5 days?!  I had a wonderful March and can't quite believe it's nearly been April for a whole week.  Let me take you through my month...

(From top left) St David's Day heralded the start of the daffodils in the garden, and now they brighten up every corner; I started planting seeds in earnest; homemade quiche - the recipe will be on the blog soon; the most incredible pancakes at Betty's in York; snowdrops still lingering; going back in time at York Castle Museum; a view and a statue; family birthday celebrations; York Minster in the sunshine.

I hope you had a wonderful month!

CC

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