The Month of February

Warmth had the day off work to wait in for a new carpet to be laid. Now all we need for the front room is an over mantel mirror and some pictures.
The train to Canterbury to see Mother, a quiet and lovely weekend catching up and keeping warm.
Really enjoying going along to Pregnancy Pilates.
A quiet Friday evening mooching to the Tatty Devine shop to buy this and discovering it's in the online sale, wandering past MW Nails that I've read lots about, popping in on the off chance they had a space and having a lovely Friday night file and polish in their airport style salon. Still having time to pop to the MAC shop to buy a new eye shadow and then home. A very lovely Friday evening.
Meeting up with a dear friend to go to the Valentino exhibition at Somerset House followed by tea at Laduree. Perfect for a cold dreary Saturday.
Up early on Sunday as friends, with their four children, were coming to lunch and to very kindly drop off a whole load of baby bits and pieces.
A delicious Valentines Day meal cooked by Warmth of lamb shanks and chorizo.
Popping round to Mama and Papa Warmth expecting a cup of tea to be welcomed with afternoon tea of delicate sandwiches, scones, fruit loaf and lemon drizzle cake. Then off to meet Mother for a quick, and very light supper at Victoria, as she then went to meet Pops at the airport.
A wonderful family day on Sunday welcoming Pops back with a 'low key' turkey and trimmings. So lovely to see him, he to see bump, when he left three months ago there was nothing to see. Catching up on three months of our news and all he's experienced. Lovely to know that his stories will keep coming and being talked about.
Beginning the half term with my #bookswap delivery. I have so many wonderful books to read that I mustn't buy anymore.
Off to the Kings Road for a mooch and more importantly meet a dear friend for lunch, catch up and to learn more about babyhood at Pain Quotidian. It was almost like when we used to work together and would sometimes meet up there between visits.
Finally getting round to buying a food processor, so when I saw the latest Hummingbird Bakery book reduced in the shop it felt foolish to resist it.
Discovering a dainty patch of snowdrops, being able to hang out the washing and permanently having a vase of daffodils. Spring is coming and soon I'll be back out in the garden. I can't wait.
Then off to Poole Hotel du Vin for a few days rest. My it was cold. We wrapped up warm and the delicious soup at this deli warmed us. Gawping at the huge houses at Sandbanks, a brief and windy walk along the sandy shores, catching the chain ferry across the spit to Swanage for fish and chips, stopping off at a traditional sweet shop to buy iron rations for exploring Corfe Castle and each night being thankful that we were dining in the hotel's restaurant so we didn't need to venture out.
A lovely evening with Warmth's brother and wife at The Young Vic bar and supper at Ev.
Continuing with the Sunday bake, though the pear, raspberry and oat loaf was just too soggy, an apricot and marzipan loaf from The Great British Bake Off book and another lemon drizzle cake, with an extra lemon added for additional zing.
Reading The boy in striped pyjamas by John Boyne for my school course, finishing Diana Athill, Instead of a Book and really enjoying The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Finishing off the month with The Parasites by Daphne du Maurier, one of my Mr B's Reading spa recommendations.

come what may

We're slowly gathering our thoughts on what we need for TT and as this increases, and my tummy it's all becoming more real. I'm very glad pregnancy is nine months.

'Lorna could not imagine this baby. The world is full of babies, but she had never much noticed them. In nine months time - no, less, there would be a baby that was of immediate personal relevance. Her baby, their baby. And she could not grasp the fact, she could not conjure up any baby. Her body was in a state of disorder: no monthly bleeding, swollen and tender nipples, she began to feel nausea. It was as though she had been taken over by an alien force, and was now headed in some unimaginable direction, programmed to bring this about, come what may.' Penelope Lively Consequences

baby

promise of spring

Some of our days have really made me think, feel and know that Spring is around the corner, though a fling back to winter has now, predictably, happened. I wouldn't quite call those mornings 'balmy' but I have hung the washing out to dry and keep checking the garden for new life. The promise of spring is definitely out there.

'Soon there was the promise of spring. The almonds were out, the days were longer, the morning balmy. They opened all their windows; it was not a time to stay indoors and at noon they often took their food and wine to the watch tower and ate below its sheltering walls.' Sybille Bedford A Favourite of the Gods

windows

How will you celebrate the promise of spring this weekend?

It's all a mystery

We welcomed Pops back this weekend. I'm not sure 10, 20, 40 years ago he could ever have imagined this journey.

'We never know what is going to happen, do we? Life is always throwing us this way and that. That's where the adventure is. Not knowing where you'll end up or how you'll fare. It's all a mystery, and when we say any different we're just lying to ourselves.' Eowyn Ivey The Snow Child

adventure

human history

Travelling by train to Canterbury, swooping along the English countryside and then mooching around our village.

'Great Warby was not a beauty-spot, but it had the charm of an unspoiled English landscape where people have lived for a thousand years and every foot of earth has its human history. Elaine loved the place, she could not think of any other part of the earth as home...' Stella Gibbons Sisters in Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm

home

This is how I feel. Where's your 'part of the earth as home'?

heart of girlhood

At the weekend I went to the Valentino exhibition. This feels like the room to dress in Valentino.

'but this room contained everything dear to the heart of girlhood. A lovely bed, pretty slippers... and in one corner a most artistic toilet set, and a wash-stand liberally supplied with a great variety of soap-some of it so exquisitely perfumed that I felt tempted to taste it. There were pretty pictures on the walls, and on a commodious dressing-table a big mirror... Hairpins, fancy combs, ribbons galore...' Miles Franklin My Brilliant Career

Valentino

In Greenery Street

This isn't going to become a pregnancy/baby blog, however there are a few pregnancy quotes that I've collected and as this is in many ways an indirect document of my life occasionally they'll be posted.

'In Greenery Street, you see, we approach this matter of parenthood with a kind of fascinated reluctance. In a way the idea certainly attracts us, and though we resent its being put in that way, we have every intention of ultimately doing our duty by the State. But not just yet, if you see what we mean. For after something like quarter of a century when we have incessantly wanted it to be next week, we have suddenly reached a stage where all this impatience has left us. We want Time to stand still now; we have found what we have been looking for, and intuition tells us to avoid any experiment which will so inevitably start him off again. We have an impression, too, that everyone is watching us; that they are expecting us to have a baby, and that they won't leave us alone until we do. This puts our backs up. What  has it got to do, we ask, with anyone except ourselves? We know perfectly well what we're up to, and we're not going to be hustled by any amount of hints or questions.' Denis Mackail Greenery Street

love

half an hour

Sometimes it's not even a whole sentence just a collection of words that stand out.

'Running up the stairs, with half an hour not to spare to have a bath,' Sybille Bedford A Favourite of the Gods

bathing

I love the idea of not having time, but still choosing to take a bath.