LIFESTYLE

Lovely Things || March

On 31st March 2016
14 Comments

We’re three months into the year?! WHAT? March, where have you gone?

There are no complaints though, despite feeling far colder on occasions than January or February, we’ve had some really lovely sunny weather (other than the one bank holiday weekend we actually get some time off, what was with that March?!) I’ve had a lovely mix of seeing friends, exploring new places AND ticking some bits off my to-do list this month, and it’s really starting to feel like Spring – hooray!

The first weekend in March was really lovely as we had two of my best friends, Rach and Pete, to stay in Plymouth with us. We strolled around in the sunshine and took them for an infamous Cap’n Jasper’s (Like a renowned slightly more upmarket permanent burger van-esque outdoor restaurant that does the BIGGEST burgers for about £4). In the afternoon, the boys went off to go and do some boaty things, whilst Rach and I fulfilled all female stereotypes and chatted away about marriage, babies, work, friends and life whilst doing some baking and making a dessert for pud.

As ever Adam literally cooked up a FEAST for dinner with homemade green thai curry and sag paneer, followed by our yummy mango posset with lime coconut shortbread. We used this recipe and it was really quick, easy and delish! After a leisurely morning at my favourite brunch spot, The Bakery in Royal William Yard, they pootled back to Exeter. It’s so good having friends to stay and show off all our handywork after many many hours DIY slavery.

One morning as I headed out the door, toast in hand and rushing as per, I noticed my cat acting really strangely. Watching her for a few seconds, I heard a russle by my feet in the flower pots, suspecting her of trying to catch another mouse. As it turned out a few seconds later it was actually a tiny baby rabbit, who had wedged itself between a pot and the bench.

Grabbing the cat and taking her inside with the lure of catfood, I hoped the bunny would run away, but I think the shock had it stuck in its hiding place. Knowing that Posy (the killer cat) would almost certainly come back and finish it off, I grabbed this tiny little fluff bundle, checked it over for damage and then when it was fine, ummed and ahhed about keeping it and rearing it as a pet. It was just. so. cute! However, rather than indulge my childhood obsession of saving animals in need, I simply took it far from the garden and released it into some shrubbery on the edge of a field where it bounded off.

I also spent one weekend exploring a city I’ve never spent any time in – Birmingham. I realized I’ve only ever been to the NEC, and Sally has been living there for coming up to a year and I haven’t yet visited, so it was about time! Nat and I drove up on the Saturday morning, stopping for a mooch in Gloucester services (the BEST!) and we spent the weekend exploring, drinking coffee, eating alfresco, watching the rugby, trying out some different cuisines you’d be hard pushed to find in the South West, and generally having a good old catch up! It was also punctuated with lots of cuddles with Winston, this gorgeous 11 week old Frenchie!

It’s been a grand month at work – whilst during January and February I felt chained to my desk a bit, during March I’ve been out and about, attending conferences and site visits and getting up to some good old geography digging around in silt and soil! We’ve got some beautiful daffodils out around the office at the moment too – perks of working down some tiny winding lanes in the middle of nowhere! Plus, when I did go to one conference the other day, which just so happened to be held at Sandy Park, the Exeter Chief’s rugby team happened to be training which caused quite the distraction from the fascinating talk on smart grids and energy storage I can tell you…!!

As it’s not been too rainy, and Adam’s new sailing club decided to get all the boats back in the water particularly early for this season, we’ve also spent a fair few hours during March sanding, polishing, scrubbing, painting and doing all sorts of other boat maintenance on his little Hurley 22, Mvu.

Don’t get me wrong, I love it when we can sail around in the sunshine and sleep in little coves tucked around corners of the sea, but the maintenance does take a long time, cost a lot of money and it’s never hugely interested me. No pain, no gain I guess, and it made Adam very happy that I turned out to be naturally gifted at splicing and whipping rope (making a loop in the end and sort of knitting the two ends back together, then tying them off so they don’t come undone). I think making a million friendship bracelets when I was growing up really helped with that new found skill!

On Saturday, as it was pouring down, I actually sat in my PJs, with countless cups of tea, splicing away for 5 hours straight watching Breaking Bad. Yes, we’re SO late to the party, BB was totally 2013, but hey, I’m loving it so far and we’re only halfway through series 2. Addictive watching though, dangerous!

I’ve had two weekday dates with uni friends during March as well, lucky old me! Jugs and I had some bloody gorgeous burgers at HUBBOX Exeter, they are literally divine! I had the Boston Stacker which was a brioche bun, lettuce, tomato, onions, BBQ sauce, mayo and about a whole pigs worth of pulled pork, sandwiched between two caramelized apple slices. Oh mumma, bring me that again. *salivates*

Then this week I also got to catch up with VAG (actually, that’s just her initials, but it fit nicely with the innuendo theme of my friend’s nicknames, they’re actually called Charlotte and Verity) and we hopped off to the Brewhouse Theatre to see A Bigger Splash.

This film was, well, odd.

I actually really enjoyed it, and it was wonderfully cinematic, with some great actors (Raulph Fiennes, Dakota Johnsson, Tilda Swinton and Matthias Schoenaerts to name a few). It’s just not one to watch with your mum or your granny, due to the, ahem “scenes of a sexual nature”, which are, quite honestly, pretty sexual. But well worth a watch if you like that kind of thing or just want a good film set on an idyllic Italian island with a whirlwind of jealousy, passion and danger between a famous rockstar recovering from throat surgery, an ex-alcoholic filmmaker, a surprise visit from and old producer friend and his conniving daughter.

Yep, that sums it up nicely I think!

Over the blissful four day weekend at the end of March, we decided to have our usual 2 days in Plymouth, with a Friday night making Adam’s version of Easter eggs, the Scotch kind (curry and honey mustard to be precise), a quick trip to Trago, lots of splicing, family roasts and some funny moments involving me dangling myself over the side of a little wooden boat trying to tie new mooring lines on.

We then headed back up to my parents and had another roast with my whole family and sat in the afternoon painting my upcycled dining chairs and singing along to Moulin Rouge at the top of our voices. Easter Monday, we set off to Babcia and Grandad’s and had another roast again (I know, 4 roasts in as many days, no wonder I put on 2lbs this week, damn Easter!) and had a very funny afternoon teaching the grandparents the wonders of Snapchat filters.

(Follow me at abayfield).

Thus ensued plenty of laughter and hilarity. After a quick grumpy car wash 15 mins before our friends were supposed to arrive for dinner (sorry sweetie, I shouldn’t have got so cross when I ended up covered head to toe in freezing water when the tap exploded all over me!), we had a good old catch up over yet more Green Thai curry (it’s becoming a staple) with all my favourite people.