Friday 1 January 2016

A Slow start to the New Year

Hello Lovelies
How was your new year? Ours was quiet...just how I like it. We spent the very end of 2015 enjoying good food and pleasant company at my brother and sister in laws house. At midnight we watched the fireworks in London on the telly....what an impressive sight they are these days. Somewhat less impressive was our own attempt at pyrotechnics....

this says 2016....well that was the idea :0)

As the years go by and the children get older it seems more and more precious to all link arms and sing auld lang syne and welcome the new year together.

This morning I had time to make pancakes for breakfast.......


And later hubby and  I went for a walk up a hill.........


I love to see the geology of this area........


I have never seen Beacon Hill so busy, but there was still plenty of space...and a bench to sit and share a flask of coffee and a slice of my home made Lemon Drizzle together..........


It was a rather dark and dull day, but I was surprised by all the colour you could still see if you really looked..........


In the woodland further down the hill the Beech leaves are retuning to the earth..........


and horse riders enjoy the quiet paths.........


Today this wonderfully imaginative wood sculpture caught my eye. Many families were out enoying the open space here...some even having barbecues.........


In a corner of the car par there are bird feeders I like to stop and watch for a little while........


The Great Tits were enjoying the peanut feeders..........


And it was hard to spot Mr Robin on the ground below..........


Here he is.......


Back home, after lunch I had time to use up some over-ripe bananas that my sister in law had given me........



And I also had time to write out THIS favourite recipe in my the file I've been using for years.....


My handwriting and spelling are not the best but there is something nice about hand written things, don't you think?

It's one of the things that attracted me to this diary I have treated myself to this year.........


Look, lovely handwriting and line drawings..........


I happened upon this diary as I was feeling a bit sad that calendars these days rarely seem to have the moon phases on them. I'm not even really sure why I want to know the moon phases...but I do.

This one has them daily, and the significant days in the seasonal calendar that I like to notice.
Oh look...Spring equinox....my favourite :0)


These days I put important stuff  I need to remember in my phone, simply because my memory is bad and the phone flashes an alarm to remind me!

This will mainly be a place to record a few thoughts and things to be thankful for. A slow, nature centred, inspirational place. 

It's already making me smile........


It's ring bound and printed in the U.K.  too.........


This evening I'm slowly eating home made cake......


Smelling my lovely hyacinths.......


and chatting with you kind people. Here's to the simple, gentle things in life.

This little blog of mine has given me so much mindfulness and joy over the years. Of course it would not be anywhere near as enjoyable without being able to share with you lovelies. I'm always uplifted and touched by your thoughtfulness. Thank you.
I sincerely hope 2016 will be a good year for us all.
Jacquie x

20 comments:

  1. love the diary. The cover is lovely too. The moon fascinates me too. Same with trees and woodland. I think there's a lot like us.

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  2. I can't remember if I have typed this to you before, but your comment about noticing all the colors around us if we really look reminded me of my first watercolor workshop I attended. My teen daughters and I hiked out to a meadow in Yosemite National Park with a few basic watercolor supplies and a professional watercolor artist who had volunteered to teach us. Although I had visited the park a number of times before, I felt like I saw the meadow for the first time as I spent the morning sitting in it sketching and splashing paints on my paper...so many colors and shapes and textures around me! Amazing! Thanks for posting. xx

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  3. Oh dear....I had a paper calendar in my hand today but I put it back. I said I wasn't going to have too many calendars this year, as in years past, and I would start using my phone more. But, now....after seeing your calendar...I have the wants!

    Cindy Bee

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  4. I enjoyed this post.. the walk.. the sparklers.. the baking, the journal and the handwriting. All very good things. I hope you have a fabooo 2016 and I'm so glad we're blog friends!
    ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  5. What a lovely diary for this year! I like to know what the moon is doing too and I managed to get a super shot of the full moon on Christmas Day! There's nothing like a slice of homemade cake when you get back from one of your lovely walks! Wishing you a Happy New Year too, Jacquie!

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  6. What a lovely diary. I must admit that these days I use the diary on my iPad simply because it combines my work diary and my personal diary and makes things easier. However I really miss the Edwardian Lady diary that I used to buy every year, I just loved all the beautiful illustrations in that but it is not really practical for me to use now. Happy New Year. xx

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  7. The banana and raisin loaf looks yummy, and I can smell that hyacinth from here!
    Julie xxx

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  8. Such a lovely walk again Jacquie. The diary is great but like you I use my phone for appointment reminders otherwise I just don't turn up!! Your light painting is great, my two love doing that ever since Abi had to do it for her A level photography. x

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  9. I love that diary, how calming. Happy New year to you Jacqui. Jo xx
    http://joeveryday19@blogspot.co.uk

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  10. Thank you for sharing pictures of your lovely walk with us it looks beautiful. Mmmmm lemon drizzle too yum yum. That diary looks great, I'm trying a bullet journal this year, never done one before so I'll see how it works.
    Jackie x

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  11. More Beautiful pics and food yum yum,must try that banana recipe.Nothing wrong with your fireworks,we watched them on tv too.Ours was very quiet just the two of us,remembering my brother who passed away on NYD 7yrs ago.Happy 2016.xx

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  12. A slow start is a perfect way to ring in the new year! Our favorite way too. Without those banana bread recipes A LOT of bananas would be tossed wouldn't they. lol I too keep my recipes on index cards hand written. I even have some of my grandmothers and feel so connected to her seeing her hand writing. Love the new diary. (I need a new one for my crochet journeys.)Wishing you the best in this new year!

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  13. Wishing you a very happy 2016... Keep those lovely walk posts coming, they are brilliant! :) xxx

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  14. A lovely start to the year! I agree with you about the handwritten! Happy New Year! xx

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  15. Happy New Year jacqui! I love your blog and have taken inspiration from your walking challenge and halved it - our aim is to walk 500 miles in 2016! Keep inspiring!

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  16. Happy new year to you too! Hope it will be a wonderful!

    Looks like yours started quite well!

    I have a paper calendar again this year, too... Hopefully I will use it!

    Take care
    Anne
    Crochet Between Worlds

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  17. I LOVE your diary! The personal touches already inside are just satisfying. I have started my mega journal with two pages per day, and at the moment not a lot to fill them with apart from lists of things to do. Hopefully once I am out and about that will all change. Have a wonderful 2016! xx

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  18. You always find such lovely calendars... In fact, I thought of you today as I just tracked down and ordered myself a Katie Daisy wall calendar. I remembered the one you had a few years back and thought that I could do with some inspiring words and colourful paintings to start this year. Can't wait for it to come!
    Happy new year to you and yours,
    Jones x

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  19. Great post!
    Happy New year to you!
    xx

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