The big girls come falling in the door in a full on fit of excited giggles. It takes five minutes to calm them down enough to find out what adventure has befallen them on their daily walk. It turns out that whilst avoiding ‘the scary sheep who may chase us’ they had inadvertently walked a little close to a young family of pheasants. Mummy pheasant took objection to teenagers near her babies and decided to give chase. Not quite sure how to react to a fierce pheasant hissing and spitting at them the girls had ‘run for their lives!’

It is funny how the children seem to have a reason not to go out for their daily exercise. There is always one other thing to watch on the tv, one more level of the game to finish, something else to read or a need for food before they can possibly get out. Yet within 5 minutes of leaving the house the conversation flows, the humour is good, the mood is lifted, and they are loving it. They are making memories spending time together.

The daily exercise is not only necessary for raising the joy level in our house. With plenty of time to spare, after schoolwork is done, baking and cooking has become part of the routine, so the calories have to be worn off. All of the children take it in turns to try a new recipe each day, it is great to have the time to experiment and put the effort in to making homemade bread, pizza, garlic bread and anything with rhubarb are all favourites.

Although there have been challenges adapting to our new routine, we are certainly enjoying the fact that life is quieter and calmer.  We have got to grips with home schooling via online learning and socialising on zoom and are spending more time just being in each other’s company –  enjoying walking and talking together, sitting in the garden and enjoying the warmth of the sun,  playing board games, reading and catching up with things we never thought we had the time to do before.

We are all of course missing meeting up with and chatting with our friends and family face to face. We know that it is important to stay safe so whatever you are doing, and however you are spending your time, I hope you are keeping well. I look forward to seeing you soon, back at our lovely playgroup for more adventures.

Donna X

 

My daughter reminded me that it’s a bank holiday on the 8th May to mark the 75th anniversary of VE day.  I said everyday feels like a bank holiday at the moment all except for the high level of anticipation and low level of traffic on the roads during this crisis. 

I have been taking advantage of the lovely weather that we have been given.  Staying away from people, by exploring the countryside and discovering new footpaths, feels like a strange thing to do but will become normal in time. I’ve possibly been trespassing when paths start like motorways and fizzle out into the odd footprint on the grass meaning I’ve had to skulk along walls and tree lines hoping to not get caught by the farmer.  I try to walk four miles a day to become less fixated on mealtimes and visits to the fridge; However, I am saving playgroup by eating my own body weight in crisps, with the excuse of collecting the packets! 

My bike has been dug out from the back of the shed and I have started to enjoy riding it, especially now the roads are empty. People I ride past have waved and said hello, which is a relief as some of the media suggests people resent cyclist passing by. Don’t believe all you read our lovely neighbours are even more happy to see people passing by at present. 

The garden is now looking tidy, which is a good job as someone in the village was filming the lock down with a drone.  My family went outside so we could all lie on the lawn to wave as it went past.  

My teenage daughters don’t get up very early, so mornings are my time, I like to get up so I can do some Iyengar yoga; This has introduced me to Zoom where I can join in with my usual yoga class members.  Yoga is very good for my body, as it gets rid of all the aches and pains that creep in whilst I’m in bed. It’s amazing how much better you feel when you have done a headstand! After yoga I try to get my 14-year-old to do a Joe Wicks work out, we do it together, then I’ll have ago at Just Dance on the Wii with my 16-year-old. After this I need a lie down! Oh no, mustn’t forget the trampoline! Now I can lie down. 

Thursday nights I bang my pan in the street with a wooden spoon for the NHS. They are doing a fantastic job. 

On Friday nights my husband and I have been volunteering to deliver cost price fish and chips around our village from the local pub to people who want a change from cooking. It’s free to NHS workers. It makes a nice change to see people in the village, they seem pleased to see me but that may be the Fish and Chips I’m holding. 

My 16-year-old daughter has become a vegetarian, so we have been trying out some new recipes. The Lasagne was an experience. It took her 5 hours to make and was ready at 10pm. We were starving! – well worth the wait though! I made some red pepper hummus yesterday, can’t tell you how nice it was, much better than shop bought. 

My shopping trips have become a lot slicker as I like to swoop in, grab what’s needed and run out. It’s like Supermarket Sweep! I bring it home and have the troops ready with hot soapy water to wipe, wash and put it all away, whilst I have a cup of tea. 

The Forest school is looking glorious at the moment with a carpet of bluebells, I am missing our sessions with the children and I am looking forward to the end of the lockdown. 

 

Stay safe, 

Pauline. 

As a person who is normally remarkably busy, being forced to stop has been an incredibly unique and rare experience. The first couple of weeks of lockdown brought a lot of uncertainty and anxiety as I witnessed my routine and daily life change drastically overnight. Closing my business, no longer doing the tranquil and uplifting drive through the countryside every Friday morning to GEP, and the thought of not being able to see my family for a while was really testing.

I decided to think of all the things I would like to achieve during lockdown and use the time to reflect on what I have achieved so far and make time for things that make me happy!

Food

I quickly discovered that food is one of the ultimate things in life that makes me very happy! And I am sure this is something that everyone can relate to right now. I decided to gain the courage to learn more about foraging for wild food, which is something I have always wanted to learn more about, however have never truly dared to try. With the season producing such wonderful opportunities for this, it was quite easy to start. Here are a few simple, easy and novice recipes that I have tried if you would like to have a try yourself!

Dandelion Honey

DID YOU KNOW?
🌻Dandelions have been used for health benefits for many years! They help to reduce inflammation, stomach issues, cholesterol and blood pressure, and also help to rebalance your liver and kidney functions, helping to detoxify and cleanse the body!
🌻Every part of the dandelion; the petals, stem, root and leaves are edible and bursting with vitamins and nutrients!
🌻The bees use dandelions as one of the first source of food in the earlier months of the year, April and May time are the best times to pick Dandelions as the bees no longer rely on them as much.

MAKING THE HONEY

You will need:
🌼Approx. 300 dandelions (kiddies you best get picking!)
🌼5 cups of sugar/1KG (we know this is a lot! Alternative recipe will follow)
🌼1 litre of water
🌼1 orange
🌼 1 lemon
🌼 Glass jar or a container to store it in.

Firstly pick your dandelions on your daily walk.

Rinse the dandelions to get the bugs out.

Boil the dandelions, water, and sliced up orange and lemon for approx 1 hour.

Drain all the juices in to a container and put to one side.

Set a cooking pot with your sugar in.

Add your juice and slowly boil for approx 3-6 hours. (This depends on your cooker, electric or gas, Charlotte’s took around 2.5 hours on a low heat gas)

Keep checking the consistency of your honey. You can do this by pouring a bit onto a plate, and running your finger along it. Honey thickens as it cools, so keep checking!

Once it is at the right consistency place in your container of choice to cool. Once cooled enjoy or give as a gift!

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

🌻 When picking dandelions think about where you are picking…farmers fields may have had pesticides sprayed, side of a road may have had a dog…spray so think wisely before you pick!

🌻Remember the liquid will get very hot! Please take care around young children.

Wild Garlic Garlic Bread

Wild garlic is everywhere at the moment and is very easy to spot, as it is very smelly! But very delicious!

I know that flour has been very spare recently, however if you manage to find a bread mix this is much easier to use and is more likely to be found.

MAKING THE GARLIC BREAD

Forage some wild garlic on your daily walk.

Ensure it is washed thoroughly before use.

Chop up finely and place in a mixing bowl with your bread mix.

Follow the instructions of your bread mix and bake.

Alternatively, you could mix your finely chopped garlic in with some butter and spread onto baguette bread, then bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes. Both ideas are delicious! P.S. the photo bread was made on the campfire which is why it looks a bit charcoaled!

Nature

Lockdown life has truly highlighted to me why I love the outdoors so much, and it has been so nice to see more people enjoying and embracing the great outdoors. The woodland has always been a sanctuary for me, a place to take time out, and slow down life, which hasn’t changed during lockdown. I have really loved seeing stories about how families have been creative with their one outing a day, which gives me further confirmation that Forest Schools and what we do in Forest Schools is really good for our future generation.

Living close to the peaks has really helped, and I have enjoyed having little walks in the countryside in the lovely sun we have been getting!

Family

Family and friends have always been something that is important to me. And being away from them has been difficult. I am very grateful for technology at this time, where we can stay connected through facetime and numerous “quiz nights” that I am guessing lots of other families have been doing too! It is times like these where we really appreciate the people most close to us, and I am also aware that not everyone has this privilege. I guess it gives us an insight into peoples lives who are unable to leave their homes due to illnesses, or do not have family or friends to see, and puts life into perspective.

Light at the end of the tunnel!

Lockdown has so far taught me that it is okay to slow down and rest, and you can still achieve what you wish, whilst looking after yourself. It has taught me to never take the people around you for granted and connecting with people is a wonderful thing. It has shown me that nature is the medicine for anything! Which is why I am a huge advocate for Forest Schools and getting children outdoors! Lastly it has confirmed to me why I do the job I do, because I love to be around people, and being with the little balls of fantastic energy we call children, because they bring so much joy, laughter and sunshine to our everyday lives, and having the opportunity to shape their experiences is something so precious.

So here’s to a few more weeks of lockdown, may we read books, connect with nature, reach out to the people who need, and stay safe, so that when we emerge and can truly reconnect, we can do so with appreciation, love and a deeper understanding of what life is all about.

Charlotte