Morning everyone! Wow, what a scrumptious cover and design for the new Almanac Lia! I’ll be pre- ordering asap. We are loving the open doors, Euros football and festive mood too. Also - just on a very personal celebratory note - I had the best news this week about the successful progress of my breast cancer treatment! MRI results showed that the tumour has shrunk to just. 1/4 of what it was ( in volume) and the affected lymph node has returned to normal size. My oncologist pronounced it “ excellent progress” and said it was exceptional. Makes all the discomfort of the scan and the chemo side effects worth it! That’s after just 3 treatments - then I had no 4 afterwards.
A beautiful morning strolling round our favourite West Dean Gardens yesterday with the no- mow areas full of cow parsley, Queen Anne’s lace and buttercups. The watercress in the River Lavant in full flower, and the willows in full green leaf, waving gently in the breeze.
That is a wonderful theme for your next almanac and the cover is gorgeous. I’ll wait a little while and pre-order from an independent bookshop. Walking the RDA ponies through Hyde Park this week was glorious. Ducks, swans and geese with their young soaking up the sun on the river banks and everyone out strolling.
Morning, thanks for posting this so early this morning, post already waiting when I got up just after five. Love trying to squeeze in reading before work, sets me up for the day.
Quiet week for me this week, very busy at work so down time spent watching the birds take breakfast with me, the wood pecker joined me this morning. Nice to see he likes Nana’s old bird bath too. waiting for the crow to visit. He has been coming every day for months now and watching him makes me smile and laugh out loud. Enjoy your time away Lia. 🌼
That is a beautiful cover and I love the idea of shiny bits!
Noticing this week that the mornings are quieter as the birdsong reduces in intensity, apart from the second brood of baby starlings who are quite raucous in their demands for food! And an impromptu solstice evening bbq, the first of the year, it was lovely to stay out late in the garden wrapped in blankets, watching the sky's changing hues
What a magnificent cover for the Almanac 2025, Lia.
And this week:
Tender tiny yellow buds on my first David Austin rose planted bare root in April, sweltering days of heat in the mid-90's F. followed by torrential rains in the early evening, 2am on a clear night beneath a starry sky with fireflies flickering in the dense wall of brambles, bushes, and trees just beyond as though they were falling stars
After what feels like weeks of rain and cold, I sat in the garden in the sunshine and watched the sunset on the solstice, lighting a candle and having a moment of just being. First time I’ve sat out in the evening this year which feels much too late in the season. The cover looks gorgeous Lia, can’t wait to see it on my bookshelf!
Love the book cover gorgeous colours and design. This week we welcomed a red admiral butterfly into the garden. It seems to be playing with us landing on me, then my husband and then on the garden bench. This is a special bench as my Dad repaired it for us it was found buried in an overgrown hedge when we moved in. And the woodpecker also returned, Woody swooping around the trees and garden, nibbling at the bird feeder and pecking the branches. With beautiful warm sunshine it finally feels that our long awaited summer has arrived. For now.
The book cover is so beautiful! For me this week, I've felt the longing that this week would last a month because I love the long, bright days. I was even surprised that the sky still has light in it throughout the whole night and even saw some light blue at 2:30am this morning! In the garden are very short sweet peas and strawberries that have been spared from the slugs! My courgette looks very sad and very wet still so I may have to give up on them this year.
Maud, the black and gold spangled Appenzeller chicken, has turned broody. Although the smallest of our four hens, she is the leader of the girl gang, and is usually to be found chivvying the others around and expressing her displeasure of anyone gets in her way at the feeder.
Now she spends her days in the nest box jealously guarding the eggs and using most unladylike language when we attempt to remove them. She has even been known to deliver a well-aimed peck.
This maternal instinct is a hitherto-unsuspected side to Maud’s nature and we can’t but think she would make a terrible mother. And yet there is a certain pathos to her doomed vigil over a clutch of eggs which can never hatch.
The weekly pause when I return home from singing in a pub with friends. Looking at an almost full moon in a twilight sky streaked with sunset clouds, air full of the creamy smell of angelica, thinking that when I do this again next week it will already be that little bit darker.
Gorgeous cover, looking forward to reading the almanac when the time comes... and it'll be upon us before we know it. Cresting the summer solstice and coming down the other side always feels a monumental achievement to me. I've been sick with COVID all week 🤧 and going out only for twilit walks when I won't see another soul. The wild abundance of roses in particular has been cheering me up!
We arrived in France this week to visit my parents and it has been beautiful. A corner of their garden is full of lavender, laurier roses and wild flowers, it is full of butterflies and bees every day. We have had lovely coffees in the market square under dappled trees. And then it poured all day on solstice day…! x
Morning everyone! Wow, what a scrumptious cover and design for the new Almanac Lia! I’ll be pre- ordering asap. We are loving the open doors, Euros football and festive mood too. Also - just on a very personal celebratory note - I had the best news this week about the successful progress of my breast cancer treatment! MRI results showed that the tumour has shrunk to just. 1/4 of what it was ( in volume) and the affected lymph node has returned to normal size. My oncologist pronounced it “ excellent progress” and said it was exceptional. Makes all the discomfort of the scan and the chemo side effects worth it! That’s after just 3 treatments - then I had no 4 afterwards.
A beautiful morning strolling round our favourite West Dean Gardens yesterday with the no- mow areas full of cow parsley, Queen Anne’s lace and buttercups. The watercress in the River Lavant in full flower, and the willows in full green leaf, waving gently in the breeze.
So delighted to hear your news Sue x
Great news Sue. It will keep you going. X
That’s really good news Sue x
Great news Sue, so pleased 💖
So pleased to hear your good news Sue x
That is a wonderful theme for your next almanac and the cover is gorgeous. I’ll wait a little while and pre-order from an independent bookshop. Walking the RDA ponies through Hyde Park this week was glorious. Ducks, swans and geese with their young soaking up the sun on the river banks and everyone out strolling.
To support small businesses, pre-order from https://uk.bookshop.org/search?keywords=Lia+Leendertz
Morning, thanks for posting this so early this morning, post already waiting when I got up just after five. Love trying to squeeze in reading before work, sets me up for the day.
Quiet week for me this week, very busy at work so down time spent watching the birds take breakfast with me, the wood pecker joined me this morning. Nice to see he likes Nana’s old bird bath too. waiting for the crow to visit. He has been coming every day for months now and watching him makes me smile and laugh out loud. Enjoy your time away Lia. 🌼
Travelling south, from Ayrshire to Gloucestershire for a week in a woodland cabin. Looking forward to being immersed in wildlife.
The almanac looks lovely 😍
That is a beautiful cover and I love the idea of shiny bits!
Noticing this week that the mornings are quieter as the birdsong reduces in intensity, apart from the second brood of baby starlings who are quite raucous in their demands for food! And an impromptu solstice evening bbq, the first of the year, it was lovely to stay out late in the garden wrapped in blankets, watching the sky's changing hues
Also receiving my Ffern Midsummer perfume was a big high this week. Love the fragrances they have included in this release!
The 2025 Almanac sounds perfect! ✨ Marked the solstice with a bit of writing and an evening walk to take full advantage of the late setting sun.
What a magnificent cover for the Almanac 2025, Lia.
And this week:
Tender tiny yellow buds on my first David Austin rose planted bare root in April, sweltering days of heat in the mid-90's F. followed by torrential rains in the early evening, 2am on a clear night beneath a starry sky with fireflies flickering in the dense wall of brambles, bushes, and trees just beyond as though they were falling stars
After what feels like weeks of rain and cold, I sat in the garden in the sunshine and watched the sunset on the solstice, lighting a candle and having a moment of just being. First time I’ve sat out in the evening this year which feels much too late in the season. The cover looks gorgeous Lia, can’t wait to see it on my bookshelf!
What a super cover for the next Almanac!
My highlight this week has been seeing a Meadow Brown butterfly sunning itself on some clover flowers.
Love the book cover gorgeous colours and design. This week we welcomed a red admiral butterfly into the garden. It seems to be playing with us landing on me, then my husband and then on the garden bench. This is a special bench as my Dad repaired it for us it was found buried in an overgrown hedge when we moved in. And the woodpecker also returned, Woody swooping around the trees and garden, nibbling at the bird feeder and pecking the branches. With beautiful warm sunshine it finally feels that our long awaited summer has arrived. For now.
The book cover is so beautiful! For me this week, I've felt the longing that this week would last a month because I love the long, bright days. I was even surprised that the sky still has light in it throughout the whole night and even saw some light blue at 2:30am this morning! In the garden are very short sweet peas and strawberries that have been spared from the slugs! My courgette looks very sad and very wet still so I may have to give up on them this year.
Maud, the black and gold spangled Appenzeller chicken, has turned broody. Although the smallest of our four hens, she is the leader of the girl gang, and is usually to be found chivvying the others around and expressing her displeasure of anyone gets in her way at the feeder.
Now she spends her days in the nest box jealously guarding the eggs and using most unladylike language when we attempt to remove them. She has even been known to deliver a well-aimed peck.
This maternal instinct is a hitherto-unsuspected side to Maud’s nature and we can’t but think she would make a terrible mother. And yet there is a certain pathos to her doomed vigil over a clutch of eggs which can never hatch.
The weekly pause when I return home from singing in a pub with friends. Looking at an almost full moon in a twilight sky streaked with sunset clouds, air full of the creamy smell of angelica, thinking that when I do this again next week it will already be that little bit darker.
Gorgeous cover, looking forward to reading the almanac when the time comes... and it'll be upon us before we know it. Cresting the summer solstice and coming down the other side always feels a monumental achievement to me. I've been sick with COVID all week 🤧 and going out only for twilit walks when I won't see another soul. The wild abundance of roses in particular has been cheering me up!
Hope you’re better soon Sarah x
We arrived in France this week to visit my parents and it has been beautiful. A corner of their garden is full of lavender, laurier roses and wild flowers, it is full of butterflies and bees every day. We have had lovely coffees in the market square under dappled trees. And then it poured all day on solstice day…! x
Ps I love the Almanac 2025 cover and themes, will be preordering asap! xx