Slow Living Diary: Between Winter and Spring in the Somerset Countryside

The sunshine has peeked through the clouds, filling my living room with warm light for a moment. It's the middle of February, and here in the Somerset countryside, we are somewhere in between Winter and Spring. The weather reporter on the radio joked that there is no end in sight to this gloom-and-doom of daily rain, but I kindly disagree. It's true that it rained almost every day this year so far, but I feel like we've been getting a fair amount of sunshine and blue sky mixed in with the rain lately. Or at least I choose to see it this way.

February is when my own love for all seasons gets tested: "As the days lengthen, the cold strengthens”. I indeed struggle with feeling cold all the time. I want to ditch the heavy coats and walk the levels again, which are currently flooded. But nature doesn't bend to our whims - probably for the best. The four seasons have worked pretty well for the last 4 billion years, and we all know what would happen if humans started meddling with them. So here I am, keeping warm, seeking small joys, and humbly accepting what is…

And what is, is truly beautiful. The English countryside is slowly awakening. Daffodils are popping up everywhere, brightening medieval villages, cottage gardens and random roadsides. Photos below were taken in a village at the foot of Quantock Hills - you can see their peaks in the distance. 

What a gorgeous place for an eternal rest.

The village is tucked away, sheltered from the high winds and cold that sweep the hills, so the first signs of Spring always appear early. I know I say this every year, but up there, on the top of the Quantock hills, spring comes late and it's a case this year too. The branches are still bare, and the woods are quiet except for the wind.

The signs of Spring are also appearing in our village on the Somerset Levels, but the land around it is currently flooded, and it seems Spring won't be arriving there just yet, either. Although my village lies a good 6-8 miles from the coastline, the levels are considered a coastal wetland, and the water has claimed what’s hers yet again.

 (The above has been shared on the village group on Facebook, haha!)

The homeowner's life is life-ing. We had a leak under the bath, ripped off the old, rotting balustrade in front of the house, trimmed the huge, overgrown rose bush, and now we're just waiting for the sunny, dry weather to paint the door and deck. Overall, we plan to completely redo the front of the house and pave it, but that's sometime for the future. For now, we just want to make it look presentable, especially since most of our neighbours have lovely, well-kept entrances (yes, I absolutely feel that I need to fit in!).

Andrei has been doing jobs around the house and learning a lot about plumbing. He fixed the sink in the bathroom by himself! We also (finally) got a pretty, rustic house number:

I've tried a new scone recipe from lovely Karen on the Lavender and Lovage blog. I was a little bit naughty and used melted butter instead of rubbing it in with my fingers, so the texture was smoother, but it made no difference to taste. The scones were gone literally the same hour they came out of the oven, lol. 5/5

Find the egg holder here and the "Cottage Kitchen" candle here

Lastly, I want to share with you how my slow living book is going. I'm actually doing really well and aim to complete the first draft by the end of March. I upgraded from using Google Docs to a proper writing program, and it made a huge difference! Every time I use it, I feel like such a pro, lol! The main difference is that it's no longer just one long document, but each chapter is a separate file that gets combined when you save your work. It also lets me keep notes on the side without opening another window, which makes writing so much easier! I know you probably don't care much about how I write, but since it's my diary, I just feel the need to report it because it had such an impact on my work! 

Reading-wise, I'm currently reading The Rosary Girls by Richard Montanari. I usually pick books set in England, but I do have a weakness for a good American-based thriller. I'm halfway through, and I'm really invested! 

Btw, I'm also obsessed with this green vase!! You'll see it in my videos for weeks, haha!

It's getting close to lunchtime, and I'm dying for a coffee, so I'd better wrap this blog up now. I'm back to work as normal, so you can expect a YouTube video this Sunday. I also wanted to thank you all for your orders in February so far. It means so much to Andrei and me.

Stay cosy, keep warm,
Adriana x