1. The mint shoots tilt south.
2. Lily and the dog stare at each other across the beck, like forbidden lovers kept apart. Then suddenly the spell is broken: they run to each other and bounce around in the water.
3. The songs whirling in my head, I dance along the tarmac line while waiting for my lift home.
1. For the second day in a row, we head out for a walk unencumbered by jackets or jumpers. The dog is in the beck more than out. The stretch of pasty skin between my trainers & my (long) shorts is spattered with mud by the time we return home.
2. They look at each other, giggling and showing off the details of their newly-finished costumes. Suddenly, after months of rehearsals, it all seems rather real.
3. I return home to find he still looks green – I always thought that was an exaggeration but he’s actually green-tinged. The boiled eggs and soldiers finally turn him pink again.
I’d planned to spend all Saturday deep in the world of make, inspired by Do Stuff‘s Lee’s 24 hour #makealong. But since it was a gorgeous sunny day, we ended up going on a lovely walk with Team Slater (around the Chevin in Otley) and had to pick up a new-used swing set from Huddersfield and I didn’t get to start making until 9pm. Still though, I made:
Still on the list to make this weekend (although I’m not really sure where I’ll find the time):
Wish I’d had more time to do more exciting things – next time, next time :)
1. At the top of the first rise, we’re surprised by the view – hills and houses in the sunshine.
2. She might only be walking the dog but she’s wearing a beautiful sundress and her lipstick matches her shoes.
3. Consumed by childish glee, he comes down to the kitchen in his underwear to show off that his red-stripy pants match his socks.
I tried some cleavers today – ie, grassgoose, Galium aparine, or more commonly around here, the stickybud plant.
Since the plants are young and sprightly at the moment, I tried the leaves, which don’t exact garner winning reviews from my wild food books – one calls them “too bitter” to bother with, another says they make “tolerable if stringy eating”. I thought they were … ok. Bitter, yes, but not much more so than rocket. I only like rocket about every fifth time I eat it though so it’s not exactly my favourite taste. It wasn’t off-putting enough that I wouldn’t try again (especially since I’ve read somewhere that people usually need to try a new flavour about ten times before they like it) but it’s not going to make it onto my favourite food list.
I’m interested in trying the buds steeped to make a hot drink later in the season…
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