This time I’m forty. Although I’ve had some moments of anxiety about this approaching milestone and fact that I am single and don’t have any kids, with time perhaps having run out for my eggs, so to speak, and I have considered adopting once I can afford a house – I have had a nice time too and this is what I’m going to write about.
I have spent the last two weeks off work celebrating it. Got to accept I’m back to work tomorrow but today has been truly spectacular. I’ve had a day out at Parcival Hall Gardens which I’ve previously posted about. It’s one of the places where my soul really feels still and soothed. I did a moderate walk in the Dales – took about an hour and halfish. I was working off the glorious Hendricks gin afternoon tea I had in York with three best friends and family yesterday.
Beautiful.
The cherry blossom was out again. Daffodils still there but on the turn. Crikey it reall feels that in February we are there on tenterhooks and those first little snowdrops seem to take so long to emerge and then once they do: it’s off – Spring and everything good about it. Flowers follow flowers – croci, daffodils, Blackthorn blossom, tulips, cherry blossom and bluebells!
Birds already have chicks in the nest and ducklings are on the canal. Which, incidentally is where I’m going for a walk after writing this! Spring goes so fast people – get out and make the most of it as it will soon be gone
Here are some of the fabulous things I’ve done! Will try to keep them concise and might return to embellish the story at some point later on:
First was have a wonderful weekend with my friend Holly! Received a truly beautiful present. Although the weather was grey, windy and rainy – the weekend was full of lovely warmth of company, great food and other pleasant sensations. Visited some stunning countryside in the Peak district and also underground to find some glorious blue stones! Loved a visit to a very old house:
We dined in a lovely pub called the Bull’s Head near Mottram. Highly recommended. Visited a wonderful pub called the Strines which dated back to 1275! And do you know the dreek weather was chased away by one of the most glorious rainbows I’ve ever seen. As we drove towards home in West Yorkshire it persisted in showing us the way up ahead. Stretching right across the horizon!
Well that rainbow seemed to herald the start of glorious weather for the next two weeks so thanks for the rainbow and Holly for ushering that in!
Next was the cheese course I did – my choice of present from family and friends. A little strange you might think but I really like cheese! I did it at the School of Artisan Food on the Wellbeck estate near Worksop. Again this was highly recommended with a very informative day and patient tutor. 4 other women were on the course and were great company – one had just spent 60 thousand pounds on a new kitchen – news that made us all drop our jaws! We made a curd cheese (with which I made two Yorkshire curd tarts), two moulded soft ripened cheeses, butter and yoghurt – although the yoghurt didn’t really work, the recipe is fairly easy so I’ll be having another go at that! My ripened cheese is currently still doing some ripening in the fridge! Yum.
I spent my actual birthday with family – I have to say I received absolutely beautiful presents from family and friends alike and I have been touched by how much I am thought of. Beautiful book of my life so far with some lovely pictures and not so lovely pictures! Mum made a coffee and walnut cake – totally my favourite one since I was small! My nephew’s birthday is around the same time as mine, but I was unable to go to his birthday this year. So I apologised and said I would try to come to his birthday next year. However he replied that maybe I could come to the birthday after that as he now has a long list of friends and I’m low down on it!!! He said this with a giggle of course so am hoping he was being capricious and spirited!
On the evening of my birthday I had a meal out with my sister – lovely meal! There was a little old gentleman sat behind us by himself. He exchanged a few friendly words with us, and then we just got on with our night really. After he had left we asked the waiter about him and it turns out he comes to that restaurant every day usually since his wife passed away who he had been married to for 60 years. It made us sad to think he was on his own and I thought I’d mention him so people remember him – and maybe reach out a friendly hand/word/time to older people who might be in the same situation – we could all be there one day. I also had a trip to the aquarium with the kiddies and sister. Great day out and got to see lots of Frogs!!
I also must mention the bees I found on a walk the day after my birthday – think they were solitary burrowing bees – although they looked like a hive! They had taken up residence in an up-
ended tree stump:
I spent one evening with one of my best friends watching the Red Shoes Ballet by Matthew Bourne – lovely performance and spine tingling bit towards the end!
Then I headed to the North East – spent a lovely few days with family and also another two best friends. I got around a bit up there. On the Saturday I had an afternoon tea with mum and two best friends and a little one which was lovely – although service was a bit delayed to say the least!
On Sunday I did a 5 mile walk with some ex colleagues from the place I used to work at in the North East. After the walk I stopped by Gibside with its glorious grounds and walled garden.
On Monday I visited Alnwick Castle gardens with mum, which were just amazing. The Poison Garden was fascinating and taught me just how many ordinary plants can kill you! Some of the plants hark back to characters in some of my earlier posts!! Again weather was stunning! We had lunch on the steps of the veranda and were joined for some time by a little boy who found us good company! His parents were sitting behind us.
On the Tuesday mum was at work – so I took myself off for a walk near where her and step father live a place called Malton. We used to walk our old dog there when we were younger and on this sunny, happy day I often felt like his spirit was there with me. I took a different route at first to what I’d tend to usually take – instead of turning right once at the stream, I turned left, crossed the road and found the old railway track which is now a walking/cycling path. I then found a cutting which led back down to the stream and a path that ran alongside this. I chose to walk along the path nearest the stream as far as it went and then got back onto the rail track path. During the portion which ran along the stream I saw trout fry in the sunny patches of the stream, and also what I think was a leech waving about near a stone! I stood under the trees for a while, a Silver Birch wearing a velvet green moss coat. And a very large beech tree, standing like an elephant matriarch. I did some squats while there (my sister will say I’m obsessed but I was just taking the opportunity!). During that time I saw lots of little finches as well as two Greater Spotted Woodpeckers flitting from tree to tree and creeping up the trunks looking for treats!
I then turned back towards the car park and once there carried on for a bit up the usual direction we used to take with the dog. I came across an old man with his little Jack Russell. The dog was wearing a little red neckerchief. I spoke to this chap who readily stopped to chat. His name was Kevin and he was 84. He started by talking about his garden and how hard he was finding it. However he wanted it to be done by tomorrow as it would have been his wife’s birthday and she always enjoyed the garden. He talked to me about how he had lost his wife 4 years ago in January. She had needed a new heart valve and just declined whilst in hospital waiting for it. They both have a physically disabled son who he now still cares for and reports has no help from the authorities for. So he hadn’t been able to stay with her the night she’d died – however he hadn’t been contacted either to say she was declining. The first he knew about it was the phone call received in the morning to tell him she had passed away. His little dog was the last thing she had bought him before she died. Talking about all this was obviously upsetting as he is still grieving. However I think he appreciated someone taking the time to listen – sometimes we are all too wrapped up in our fast lives to just stop and share some time with others. In that sense our society and humanity is probably becoming lonelier by the year, despite our obsession with flashing screens and being in ‘contact’ 24/7. I wonder whether we should all do an audit of when we last picked a phone up to speak to someone close and actually heard their voice. I was thinking that we should all do more of this. None of us know when our time is up and sometimes there can be comfort in thinking of the last time you heard someone’s voice for instance. Technology seems to be removing all of that. I find that a bit sad. If I had the time I’d like to set up some befriending service for people of all ages who find themselves in situations where they are lonely. Maybe one to work on! All great charities below to access for help and also to donate to:
http://www.cruse.org.uk/?gclid=CIWamNnel9MCFYWRGwodjnwLjA
Finally on my drive back to Yorkshire I happened upon a wonderful little garden near Ripon. Called the Ripon Walled Garden. This was a really beautiful find. It was tucked away off the road. It employs local adults with learning difficulties and provides a supportive and peaceful place for them to work. It has a walled garden as per name, and also a very old orchard with some wonderful treasures in, including a thick carpet of Brimstone butterfly yellow primroses. I’ll be back…..
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