Category: summer

countryside · summer · wildlife

June and a picnic at Panshanger

Julie (little Cotton Rabbits)40 Comments

Firstly, I want to say a heartfelt thank you for the kindness that you sent my way via your comments and emails after my previous post. Writing things down here on the blog is somehow easier than saying them out loud, and the process of getting thoughts and feelings into written words is helpful and cathartic. But I’m never sure whether writing so intimately is wise and I know that it turns some people off because the subscribers to my blog always drop a little more when I’ve written something on the gritty side. However I am always humbled by the warmth of the responses that I do receive, and that people who have never met me take time out of their day to reach out with such kindness and compassion. Many of your comments touched me deeply, thank you so much for your generosity of spirit.

Last Monday I took myself off for a solo lunch-time picnic, the last for a while because until the beginning of September I’ll have a daily walking buddy (Toby –  incidentally he is almost always calm and content and even sometimes quite affectionate when we are out on our walks, he definitely enjoys quiet outdoor spaces and they do bring out the best in him).

So I headed for Panshanger, which is probably my favourite place in the world, and which always provides so much delight, whatever the season. The calves have grown and are now quite inquisitive, approaching with curiosity rather than holding close to their mums. This heritage herd of English Longhorns are a very peaceful and gentle bunch, and I enjoy visiting them and watching their interactions with each other.

Summer flowers are out in the meadows and there are so many butterflies, bees and bugs darting from flower to flower, nature at it’s busiest and most beautiful.

Back at home I’m using my pictures as reference and working on the cow pattern that I hope to have ready in the autumn. It will be slow going over the summer but I hope to make steady progress and will share some pictures when it’s further along.

Thanks again for visiting here with me and for allowing me the space to share these little snippets of my days. I hope the week ahead is kind to you, see you again soon, J x

 

autism · countryside · foxes in my garden · summer · wildlife

Spring into summer

Julie (little Cotton Rabbits)32 Comments

The last few weeks have been even more of a roller-coaster ride than usual here. There have been quite deep lows; Toby’s challenging behaviours have been gradually worsening for a while now and the episodes of his self-injuring and violent behaviour have been escalating. He’s been sent home from college on 3 separate occasions for injuring staff and I currently have multi-coloured grip bruises on both of my forearms to add to my growing collection. Like many other families caring for offspring with severe learning and behavioural difficulties, we live with the constant distressing threat of domestic violence from our own child. Working out what is happening with him is an almost impossible task and we’ve spent so much of our recent free time filling out ABC (antecedent, behaviour, consequence) charts and forensically unpicking details of incidents. On top of that I’ve had food poisoning, though happily short-lived and thankfully in the past now.

But it’s not been all bad, we’ve had big highs too, the biggest being Amy passing her driving test first time. We are delighted for her and the newfound independence this gives her. She’s now driving herself to work each day, which has made my early mornings so much easier and has given her such a confidence boost.

And as always nature is such a balm for a troubled heart so I’ve been out and about soaking up the peace and calm that it always brings me. Hawthorn blossom and wild roses, white nettles and cow parsley, buttercups and butterflies and so much green, more shades than have ever been named or mixed on a painter’s palette. May and early June are abundant with much appreciated beauty.

I’ve also been visiting the long horn cattle regularly, study field trips for my in progress cow pattern, but also delightfully entertaining as they are all such characters and there are 5 beautiful calves this year.

And seeing kit the fox is always a big high for me, she often seems to turn up when I’m feeling low and the privilege of her visits lifts me enormously. And yes, she did sniff my camera lens!

There’s one more week until Toby finishes college for this academic year and then he’ll be off for just over 2 months so we’re planning very calm and predictable routines which we’re hoping will help him find a calmer place within himself. I hope to be back periodically over the summer months, but as he’ll be my main focus I might not get as much chance to hang out here as I’d like.

Until next time I hope you have a good July and August and that you too find ways to temper any challenges you are facing with something that brings you joy, J x

 

 

countryside · crafts & knitting · general stuff · summer

snippets of summer

Julie (little Cotton Rabbits)16 Comments

summerstrawberries

riverbeane

river beane4

beane3

geese

hollows shawl

rainbow

raindrops

droplets

drops

ramjam

mittenknitting

mittens

The much longed for rain has at last come, and it’s come, and come. It’s been wonderful to feel it on my skin and to smell that unique scent that the arid land gives up after rain – isn’t it brilliant that there’s even a special word for it – petrichor.  The land has soaked it up and quenched the parched plants and trees, and green has returned to the countryside all around us here, it is beautiful.

I ran out of steam a little in August, hence the lack of posts here. Caring for Toby 24/7 is intensive and full on and therefore not much else gets done. He returned to college last monday and so I spent last week tidying the house, sorting laundry, and tackling all of the householdy things that were neglected during August. I’m now ‘back at work’ and have a large email backlog to work through – I’m so sorry if you’re waiting on a reply from me, hopefully you’ll receive one this week. Once I’ve tidied my inbox I’ll be starting pattern writing again. Lots of knitting was done on the cooler summer days but it was haphazard, and I have little knitted body parts and scribbled notes scattered throughout the house. I finished a shawl and was also seized by the desire to start knitting mittens. This always seems to happen to me during the hottest months of the year, I suppose it’s a form of planning for cooler times. However, I seem to have started 4 pairs! It seems that in all aspects of life I’m in great need of some serious organising.

Anyway, here are some snippets from my summer…

  • Hulling and chopping strawberries and discovering perfect little hearts inside,
  • The pictures along the river Beane are where I ate my birthday breakfast croissant and coffee, having taken myself off for a peaceful, reflective walk at 7am and where I saw dragonflies, a flock of geese and the colourful darting of a kingfisher – a real birthday treat before the hustle and bustle of the day.
  • Finishing a shawl, knitted from the ‘Hollows‘ pattern by Melody Hoffman
  • The mittens I’m working on are mostly from the ‘Antiquity‘ pattern by Alicia Plummer and the mustardy coloured pair are knitted in ‘dyeing light’  RamJam from Daughter of a Shepherd beautifully hand-dyed by Woollenflower. The yarn is rustic and on the outside edge of what I’m able to tolerate next to my skin but the colours are so very lovely that I just don’t care. I admit to being just a little obsessed with this yarn at the moment 🙂

I’m so looking forward to Autumn this year, and to all of its delights: cooler temperatures; damp woodlands; fungi forays; cosy clothes; blankets on the bed;  lighting the fire; casseroles and hot puddings and lots of knitting. And I am definitely looking forward to getting organised, hope to see you again soon, J x