A few days in the sun

We British are always talking about the weather, it seems we are unable to have a conversation with anyone without mentioning it.  So here I am, talking about the weather – but what incredible weather it has been this past week!

Mr Rigg is convinced this is our summer, last year March was stonking hot, this year maybe it’s May.  I do hope this isn’t the end of hot, sunny weather for the rest of the year, just a few more occasional weeks like this would satisfy me.

Like everyone I’m sure, we’ve been out in the garden, down on the allotment, cooking and eating outside, and quickly getting in a tan in case this really is our one and only week of warm, cloudless skies.

Some of our many meals eaten outside (and some even cooked outside!) have included this new favourite pasta dish of prawns, rocket and sundried tomato paste…

A rather scrummy and also new favourite omelette with colourful cherry tomatoes from our local farmer’s market, crispy Serrano ham, shavings of sheep’s cheese and snipped chives from the garden…

Slow cooked pork (sadly not homemade) with new potatoes, salad and Marmande tomatoes…

The pork was finished off on the barbeque – Mr Rigg with beer in hand and faithful hound…

I ate quite a few breakfasts/brunches last week outside on the patio, what a treat!

These lamb merguez sausages were picked up from The Artisan Meat Company and were eaten along side a zingy herb and preserved lemon couscous salad, some green leaves, and grilled mini peppers from the farmer’s market…

I also accidentally spent an exorbidant amount of money on British asparagus from Waitrose (only place I’ve seen it so far, come on farm shops!) but thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful covered generously in raw melted butter and lots of black pepper…

The bunnies have also been enjoying this gorgeous weather, munching on dandelions (he ended up with a yellow nose and chops)…

I’ve seen a lot of sunbathing bunny bottoms and outstretched paws over the weekend…

And even Buddy has been persuaded to come outside on occasion for a short spell of relaxation (he’s usually too busy hunting for bees, he’s rather paranoid about them)…

When it comes to going outside he’s much happier out on a walk in a field or along a hedgerow, at home he’d rather be lying in the cool living room…

The garden is finally blooming with apple blossom and cherry blossom thick on the little trees we have, I’m awaiting the crab apple bursting into flower as it is absolutely chocker-block with buds…

Even the allotment which is pretty barren due to our neglect is throwing us bundles of ruby red rhubarb at the moment…

We’ve been doing some baby shopping as well, with a recent trip to my favourite eco shop in Manchester, the Dojo Eco Shop – it’s a rather hidden gem, it’s only open at a few select times during the week and you have to ring a bell to be let in.

We ordered a mattress (they specialise in making mattresses  and we figure we’ll buy an excellent quality one that will hopefully last all the babies we might end up having), bought cot sheets, some lovely Earthborn paint to paint the cot we are planning on tweaking, and our babies first toy – a rather sweet duck.

They also have this rather nice restored Singer sewing machine table in their shop, which they’ve decorated the top of with vintage stamps – we have one we rescued from an alley and I’m hoping to one day transform it into something as beautiful as this…

Talking about babies, the bump has grown!  This was yesterday at 23 weeks…

I am so in love with this baby, it squirms around and is getting up to who knows what inside my belly, but I love feeling it and carrying it, and as someone who works alone from home it’s lovely to have that feeling of not being so alone any more.

I’ve recently come to learn and appreciate the importance of getting some sun every day, or at least as often as possible, to ensure we keep our vitamin D topped up.  Working from home has enabled me to spend at least 20 minutes every day outside in the sun, with my baby bump out (it’s now a rather nice bronzed colour).  Getting this much quality sun time has also meant my candida symptoms have been held at bay – yey!

When I said I’m alone at home, it’s not completely true, I have Buddy who keeps me company and entertains me with his cuddly duck when he gets bored of me working.  He also is doing his bonding with the bump…

At the end of this week of beautiful weather, I am feeling rather loved up with life.  It’s funny how a stretch of decent weather can transform your mood like that, but Mr Rigg and I have had moments of feeling truly content this past weekend (it’s helped that our neighbours have gone away and aren’t playing loud annoying music in the garden).

Unglamorous, but happy.

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