Hazy Days

It's been quite hazy every day along this search of coast this week. We woke up one morning at 4.30 and were quite surprised to see it was already quite light outside. We decided to take an early morning drive to Lyme Regis.

The Cobb Lyme Regis

We had the whole landscape almost to ourselves, apart from the lone paddle boarder, and fisherman. The distant cliffs providing a beautiful darker blue back-drop.

Looking towards Lyme Regis from the Cobb, we took time to admire the pastel coloured beach huts, and pretty cottages that line the esplanade.

The beach had already been raked smooth, the imprint of footsteps from the first swimmer of the day and a seagull, leaving indentions in the sand. 

We had time to admire the many pretty cottages tucked in the little lanes behind the ancient harbour

before our favourite coffee shop Amid giants and idols opened for business. It produces the most amazing coffee. It's the best we have ever had and whenever we feel we need a real coffee hit we always head over to Lyme Regis!  The taste lingers such a long time after you have drunk the coffee. It is located near the top of the town opposite the library so if you love coffee and find yourself in Lyme, do visit as you also will be guaranteed a warm welcome. Do you have any special coffee shops in your area? I always avoid the national chains as the local coffee shops offer so much more and we are spoilt for choice.

As I mentioned ages ago I handed in my notice in January, after working for the same organisation for 34 years. I have been gradually been reducing my hours since my resignation, and I am now on a bank contract for a few more weeks working only one day a week. It has already made such a difference to our lives.

The reduction of income is obviously a disadvantage but there are many advantages too, including staying in this beautiful location all day, feeling so much more relaxed, no longer having that Monday morning feeling and just having more time to talk to family, friends and meeting new people, and spending more time at home or in the garden.

We need to create a  new simpler life and I am in the process of setting up new routines with the help of Down to earth and Fly Lady. I think the key to our way of life is to more organised and by doing tasks often and before they become too big to tackle.

I am also involved in a number of voluntary projects which either involve history, gardening or green issues. This morning I was taught how to scythe, it was hard work but more satisfying than working out in the gym and or using a strimmer. (After I had published this post Libby pointed me at this post she had written about the The Meadow at Sissinghurst the video is lovely and sums up what I thought about scything. These  words are an extract from Vita's poem about the Garden.

What pleasant sounds: the scythe in the wet grass
Where ground's too rough for the machine to pass,
(Grass should be wet for a close cut, the blade
Hissing like geese as swathe by swathe is laid;)
The pigeons on the roof, the hives aswarm;
June is the month of sounds. They melt and merge
Softer than shallow waves in pebbled surge
Forward and backward in a summer cove;
The very music of the month is warm,
The very music sings the song of love.

Thank you for all your comments, wishing you a happy week.
Sarah x