From The Pumpkin Patch

It’s been a while since I wrote a relaxed, more chatty post, so I decided to catch you up on what I’ve been up to lately!

I don’t have a lot of photos to share, as I’ve gotten a little lazy with my camera recently. I did snap a handful of pretty shots today, however, so let’s see how this goes.

My husband and I recently got back from our honeymoon in America (keep an eye out for a blog post coming soon!) so the last few weeks have been dedicated to settling back into daily life and getting back on track with work and responsibilities.

Of course, we’re still managing to have fun.

We’re currently staying in the most adorable tiny house situated in the countryside just outside Bath, to get away from London while scouting out some potential new home locations.

Today we climbed up to the top of Solsbury Hill, a special place for both of us. I took a photo which I posted above, showing our feet as we sat overlooking the beautiful and historic city of Bath.

It’s been a lovely little trip away so far, and I’m looking forward to the adventures still to come!

It was our six-month wedding anniversary last week, and we celebrated with lunch at one of our favourite Japanese restaurants in London – Roka!

We don’t plan to mark the date every six months, but I thought it was a special milestone during our first year of married life.

I can’t believe how fast the time has gone.

I’ve also been running around here and there to various doctor’s appointments – nothing bad, don’t worry!

We’re working to fix an ongoing issue which I will hopefully be able to speak more about in the future, as well as visiting a dermatologist. I was recently diagnosed with rosacea which has decided to make a home on the tip of my nose, so I have been given a cream that should fix it after a few months of regular use.

I’ve recently discovered a new bubble tea shop in town, serving the most delicious purple taro milk with black pearls. As I’m sensitive to caffeine there are only a few menu options that I can order, but luckily they are all amazing!

Their toppings include egg pudding, grass jelly and popping boba, and each drink comes sealed with a cute Hello Kitty lid. Needless to say, I’m completely addicted and have to stop myself visiting every time I’m nearby.

Oh, I do have some exciting news – my parents are coming to visit! I haven’t seen them for three years as they live in New Zealand, so I’m looking forward to spending time with them as well as visiting extended family in Scotland.

I’m planning to freshen up our bedroom a little, as they will be sleeping in there. Nothing major as we’re hoping to move later this year, but this room definitely needs some new life breathed into it before our guests arrive!

We are still house-hunting every day, but progress has been slow. It’s difficult to know whether this is the right time to buy a house, as so many people are saying that the prices are about to fall, so we are taking it in our stride and seeing what comes up.

Either way, I’m just grateful that we’re in the position to be able to buy our own home – potentially in the beautiful countryside around Bath!

I’ve really gotten back into reading lately, particularly Japanese novels. I find it fascinating to take a peek at the Japanese culture from another angle, and I feel like I’ve learned a lot about how they think and feel.

I’m currently reading Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, and so far I can say that it’s an absolutely beautiful book. The very first few lines captured my heart: ‘The place I like best in this world is the kitchen. No matter where it is, no matter what kind, if it’s a kitchen, if it’s a place where they make food, it’s fine with me.‘

Isn’t that just the loveliest thing you’ve ever heard?

My husband and I have also started a book club with one of our close friends, and it’s been a lot of fun to read a chapter at a time and discuss our thoughts together.

We are currently working our way through I, Robot by Isaac Asimov – it’s very different from my usual choices, but I’m enjoying it so far!

Now, speaking of entertainment, we have been watching the most amazing show.

It’s called The Wilds, and follows a group of teenage girls who end up stranded on a desert island after a plane crash. However, all is not what it seems…

It is so good. I can’t stop watching – we’ve already finished the first season and are about to start on the second. I wonder what will happen next?

In terms of fitness, I’ve been running three times a week and completing 10,000 steps a day as often as I can. I’m pushing myself to complete the Couch to 5k Challenge, and so far it’s going well.

I’m lucky enough to live near a small lake situated within a historical park, so I’ve worked out a route that takes me all the way around the lake past the hordes of friendly squirrels before arriving back home again.

Hopefully all this exercise is helping to offset the delicious food I ate in America!

Finally, we’ve been making the most of the sunshine and warm temperatures as the UK transitions from spring to summer. Of course there are still many rainy and cloudy days, but I often wake up to clear skies and a warm breeze – the perfect weather for a woodland walk!

Hewitt’s Farm opens next month for strawberry picking and other seasonal produce, and you can be sure that I’m counting the days.

How are you keeping busy lately?