Fabulous February

Hello!

I'm a bit late writing this post, but March has crept up on me and already it's the 7th!  I'm sitting in my sewing room, Radio 5 Live on in the background, looking out of the window at squally rain and thick cloud cover, thinking back to that sparking month we called February.

February in the UK is a funny month.  Some people say the only good thing about it is the fact it's the shortest month, but I disagree with that really.  I like to think every day is a blessing, but also feel that February is the turning point in the winter, when all of a sudden you notice the afternoons staying later for longer, and you can 'take a walk between afternoon tea and dinner'.

This year however it was a cracking month!  We broke all sorts of records and topped 20 degrees Celsius more than once.  I tried to get out in the garden as often as I could and really got ahead of the game, particularly in the vegetable garden, getting things ready for spring planting.

I took advantage of the warm sun and gentle breezes to get line loads of laundry dry outside.  This is one of my Simple Pleasures, watching the whites wafting in the breeze and bringing them in smelling fresh and fragrantly clean.  I even 'treated myself' to a new washing machine to honour this spectacular month!

(My dear friend and her lovely Mum came over for tea and cream scones this week and DF's Mum commented that I liked alliteration.  Reading the above paragraph I can see she is clearly correct!)

DH and I had our first picnic of the year too in February!  We visited one of Daisy Dog's favourite places,  Quarry Bank Mill.  The early spring flowers were out and I loved these Narcissus, with their ears blown back, windswept look, as if they were travelling in a fast car!

My favourite hellebore were going strong, nestled in a bed of snowdrops.

After our picnic we strolled down to the woods at Styal and whilst the trees were still in their winter clothing, it was a really warm afternoon and the birds were tweeting their little heads off!

The promise of spring proper was everywhere...

We went to the National Trust café for a cup of tea and whilst we were sitting outside in the sunshine I took out my sock knitting.  Realising I was a stitch marker short, I looked around for something to use, and the string on my tea bag was just the thing!

Back at home, the unseasonably warm weather continued and Daisy and I couldn't take our usual walk over the fields as they were full of spring lambs, bleating and baaing and generally making a lot of noise!  Daisy was very curious but we could go no further than the stile, and so you can't really see the lambs in the distance, sadly.

To round off the month we had a wonderful treat and visited Michelin starred, Northcote Manor, courtesy of a very generous wedding gift from friends.  We spent all afternoon enjoying our delicious lunch.  Here is my roasted aubergine tortellini with Parmesan foam and black truffle tuile.

What a fabulous way to spend a weekday afternoon! Plus we still have enough vouchers for a return visit.  Can't wait!

Sadly, but predictably, the warm weather came to an end and we were back to lighting fires and wearing layers.  Salads gave way to comfort food. That meant lamb shanks in red wine for DH and DS, but a mushroom bake for me, the sole vegetarian in the house now.

With the return of the colder weather I left the gardening for now and returned to my sewing room, and did some more on my son's quilt.  This has become 'the quilt that grew', but more about that next time...

Donna x