Things I'm Loving Right Now

1. Chardonnay

Normally I'm more of a sauvignon/chenin blanc sort of girl, but after a crisp glass of Chardonnay on holiday I've found myself craving more. So much so that, one day into my post-holiday detox, I headed up to our local Beer & Wine Shop to grab myself a cold bottle, which we promptly enjoyed al fresco with a vegetable curry.

2. Hydrangeas

At Yorkshire Sculpture Park, November 2009

I think this might be it - I think I may have finally found my favourite flower. Just as beautiful when dying as when blooming, with a fantastic variety of rich, sumptuous colours, this unlikely candidate has won my heart, and I've become almost obsessed with them. I find myself peering into gardens in search of the blues and purples that I so love, and I dream of plucking a few stems from my own garden one day to enjoy on the kitchen table.

3. Off-roading

Since my first fell run in June, I've taken most of my runs off the road and onto dirt tracks, which is much more comfortable on the joins as well as being much more of an adventure. Last weekend Daniel and I leapt through Hertfordshire fields and woodlands, sliding down muddy bridleways and edging around boggy corners of fields. A half-hour run turned into a one and a half-hour run, and we arrived back covered in mud and satisfied.

4. My tomato plants

At the risk of 'speaking' too soon, my tomatoes are popping up with vigour, and families of tomtoes are growing steadily in clusters around one another. Some of the bigger ones look ready to burst with green vitality (I'm hoping this means they might turn red soon), while the tiniest ones are still a very mild, pale green, which makes them look meek and shy next to the larger ones. This is my first attempt at growing my own harvest, so even enough for one small salad will satisfy my green-fingered urges.

5. Incense

I am loving the open windows and doors in the house, and the smells of incense and fragrant oils passing from room to room and mingling with the fresh summer air. Rather then stick to one smell in one room, I've been burning a whole variety of scents in different rooms all at once, and it gives a real sense of variety and magic around the house.

6. The smell of rain

Continuing the theme of smells, the rain, which has been in abundance over the weekend, is my favourite smell on earth, and the heavy showers mixed with the previous days' muggy warmth has released a smell of blossom and freshness into the world. The smells before, during and after rain always match my mood before, during and after the rain, and in summer this is at its most obvious. It's wonderful.