opening chapter five – hello may
Day one. A bank holiday? May, I like you already. From the ponds to the trees, new signs of life all around. Hedgerows thicken. Forests fill. The woodland canopy bulges once more. In the greenhouse, shoots emerge from seeds sown in soil long ago. Bright blue skies. Vivid lawns. A blissful breeze delights. Village fêtes. Country fairs. Crowds potter amongst stalls. Windows open. Mowers rumble from gardens afar. Sunglasses on. Linen shirts. Sandal season is back. Bees wake up. Back to work. Pollen scatters far and wide. Garden gatherings. Patio days give way to patio nights. Sunshine beams. Summer tempts. Not long to go now, hold on. Ground your feet. Take a breath. Rejoice in all that is Spring.
Rumour has it that May was named after the Roman Goddess Maia – the earth goddess who oversaw the growth of plants and nature.
With that in mind, as I open the page on chapter five, it can’t come as a surprise that I’m drawn to the outdoors more than ever this month.
Having just returned from what can only be described as paradise (think coconut palms, crystal clear waters and a landscape rich in colour and life), the sight of the local woodlands bursting with bluebells on my morning walk with the boys this morning got me thinking about how generous Mother Nature really is… and how natural beauty can be found no matter where you are in the world.
For instance, the sunrise and sunsets in the Maldives were otherworldly, yes. But that does not mean that the sunrise across the fields at home is any less so. The crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean never failed to take my breath away. But the trickling streams that weave their way through the local fields never cease to make me smile too. The hot pink roses that can be found across the islands in the Maldives were stunning. But so too are the bluebells that cover the woodlands at home…
You get the gist right!?
With that in mind (if you’re not inclined to do so already, this is) I encourage you to seek out the natural beauty in your every day lives this month. Because something tells me that the standard tree or plant or bird outside your window, is otherworldly to someone somewhere far away.
With that lecture said and done (Aristotle eat your heart out, I know!), I’m off to embrace my inner Maia.
Watering can at the ready, to the potting shed I go!
Lydia, Lyd, Lyds, ??????where is that lemon cake recipe where you used your garden huge beautiful lemons and you posted it on tik tok, OMG so so so pretty Lyds????
and the flowers on top,???? dream eats?????, please post the recipe on your site,???? and add a recipe catagory so from time to time you can share the awesome ness of your kitchen vib. Like aty the top of the pages Lyd’s Home Recipe, even if you copied from somewhere, where, Lyds WHERE?????
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thanks soooo much, Lyds I like your tiktoks fun watc h sometimes I wonder
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if I looked as GREAT and so so pretty as you,
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would i post
in just about nothing, no no no, Lyds you are brave and beautiful
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much love your way from california????????keep on, now you are making me want to look for homes in the country was wanting to see the new home review, bue I get you cant talk about it much, fun to see you talking in the car, and all you share, loved your vacation on the islands Lyds, so so so so BEAUTIFUL ??????????THANKS FOR BEING BEAUTIFUL YOU??????????
BIG HUGS YOUR WAY, AND BY THE WAY, i love your home and thanks for sharing all you do, love your before and aftger remodels, fun, and thaks for taking us shopping with the camers, LOVE SHOPPING?????????
I was born in May on the 5th of the 5th 1976, May is a special month for me too Lydia.
You are a lovely writer, sometimes we forget to listen to the birds and smell the flowers and take the time to enjoy nature, your words are very positive and motivating. Thank you.
I have always struggled being outdoors. Being a redhead the Sun and I are not the greatest of friends and not a huge fan of how greasy sunscreen is I will take any hints you will give on that. I will say since covid hit I found a new respect for nature and being outdoors finding early mornings and sunsets early evening to be a wonderful time to be out. Nature has so many rewards and I’ve just started discovering them. I love looking to your vlogs for inspiration. I truly appreciate all the things that you share as you said the things that you see daily may not seem amazing to you and to you realize how amazing they can be to someone else. I love the countryside and I live vicariously through you with your gorgeous English beauty. Wishing you a beautiful May and sending lots of sunshine and joy from the US 🙂