#How do you make a terrace garden for beginners?
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Best Terrace Garden Ideas for Beginners in India
Increasing Interest in Terrace Gardening in India
Urban terrace gardening is a growing trend in India, with many people looking for ways to access fresh produce, improve their health, and contribute to environmental sustainability. The rise of urban terrace gardening in India is primarily driven by the increasing demand for fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. Rapid urbanisation, pollution, and…
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Salon de Thé - Chapter 2
Location: Garden Terrace
Characters: Hajime & Subaru
Subaru: Woohoo, it’s “school part-time job” time! I’m so excited! ☆
Shinonon, how do I look? Does the tea fair apron look good on me~?
Hajime: Uu… *Sobs*
Subaru: Uh, why’re you crying!? Did someone pick on you? I’ll punish whoever did that to you!
Hajime: N-No. I was so moved to tears realising I could work part-time with you, Akehoshi-senpai.
This isn’t a dream, right? It’s reality, isn’t it…?
I might just be dreaming of something I wanted. Akehoshi-senpai, please strongly pinch my cheek!
Subaru: No no, I can’t do that.
Shinonon, you don’t have to worry – this is real.
“Trickstar” has gotten a bit busy, so a lot of the “school part-time jobs” have been left to you and the other students.
But I’ll embrace the beginner’s spirit by working hard today. Shinonon-senpai, please teach me kindly ♪
Hajime: S-Senpai!?
Subaru: Yup, you’ve been doing the “school part-time jobs” for a long time, right? I’ve also been doing them since I was a first-year so it’s been pretty long for me too, although it’s been a while since I last did one.
So I realised you’re my senpai since you’re still currently doing them. I’ve mostly forgotten about the details of customer service, so I’m sure you’re the one who knows more, Shinonon.
Hajime: I’m grateful to hear you say that, but I’m not really confident in doing part-time jobs which involve customer service.
Also, I do enjoy doing the washing and maybe it’s because I’ve accepted a lot of those offers, but all I’ve been doing recently is either the laundry or organising the warehouses…
I may not be very helpful.
Subaru: Thanks to you doing our washing, our laundry has always been spotless without a stain in sight. You’ve helped me a lot too ☆
The foundation of customer service is a smile, after all. You’ll be fine if you give a warm smile! Your smile is so cute, Shinonon. Come on, smile~
Hajime: Umm, like this? Ehehe, hearing you call me cute makes me smile.
Ideally, I’d like to be called “cool” though.
I’ll work hard to be someone “cool” like you, Akehoshi-senpai!
I’m over the moon to be able to watch Akehoshi-senpai working so closely…♪
Subaru: Don’t raise the bar so high~ Oh well, it’s a senpai’s job to show off their cool side, after all.
…Huh? Did I just contradict myself even though I called you the senpai, Shinonon?
Oh well. Looks like some customers have arrived after our chit-chat.
Welcome~ Table for one?
Oh, it’s Anzu. Ahaha, our honourary first customer is Anzu, huh ☆
Hm? What’s with the blank look~?
Oh, right. In the cafeteria, there’s a system where you buy meal tickets and then order your food, so no wonder you’d think it’s strange that I’m looking like a waiter.
Me and Shinonon are doing a “school part-time job” right now~
There’s a tea fair today, so if you wanna order something from the menu next to the ticket machine, then just call out to either me or Shinonon, okay?
They’ll be on sale for a limited time only, so you don’t need meal tickets. Unlike usual, you get to receive some customer service~☆ Sure feels special, right?
Ah, you reacted to the word ‘limited’, huh! I do the same for “sparkly” things – I’d run at full speed towards them~☆
The 100 yen and 500 yen coins in your wallet are tempting me, so close it!
Or get them out of my sight at least. Otherwise, I might end up jumping at you, Anzu~
Anyway, what’re you gonna order? If you’re getting something from the meal ticket menu, then all you have to do is press the button and give the ticket to the cafeteria people.
Only call us if you’re gonna order the tea set, okay?
Oh, thanks for calling out to us so quickly ☆ That’s one chocolate fondant tea set, right? How about a drink~?
Uh, looks like we’ve got black tea, coffee, jasmine tea or herb tea.
…You’ll have black tea? I can bring the drink and the tea set at the same time, right? Okay~☆
Hajime: Huh? Akehoshi-senpai, after Anzu-san, there’s one… two… w-whaa, there are about ten people who came!?
Subaru: Maybe it’s break time? I usually come to the garden terrace to drink something during my practice breaks.
Hajime: I see. It seems the tea set piqued their interest and they came in.
It seems there’s a small commotion by the ticket machine because they can’t find the tea set option there…
Subaru: Today’s the first day, so they probably haven’t been told how to order it.
Alright, everybody listen here~☆
If you’re here for the tea set, call for me ☆ Everybody else can line up in front of the ticket machine like normal~
Okay, no pushing~ Line up in order, please!
Yeah, there’s no need to hurry, it’s not gonna sell out. No breaking in line!
For drinks, you guys want black tea, jasmine tea, coffee and herb tea? Alright, I’ll get your order next so wait a minute~!
Hajime: Amazing… Akehoshi-senpai, he’s getting everyone’s orders so promptly there hasn’t been any complaints at all. He really is incredible ☆
Alright, I’ve got to do my best too…♪
Ah, yes. You want to hear an employee’s recommendation? Hmm, I suppose mine would be the jasmine tea.
The scent of jasmine is very relaxing, so if you’re feeling a little tired or would like something relaxing, then I recommend this drink.
We can make it sweet as well, so I recommend it if you don’t like bitter things either.
Oh, you’ll have the jasmine tea? You wanted to drink it after hearing my explanation? That makes me very happy~
Subaru: Shinonon! You’re gonna have to stop there. If you don’t pass the orders through, it’ll all pile up. Could you go back~?
Hm, there’s a lot of people even though it’s just the first day! The kitchen’s gonna be a warzone. Surely, they’re not gonna call us over to cook~?
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How to Reduce Belly Fat - Exercises, Diet Plan & Tips
Having a healthy lifestyle is very important for human beings. Due to this reason, several people try out the best diet plans to lose or maintain their weight. But this is not enough! In order to stay fit with all our body parts functioning properly, positive lifestyle choices need to be made early on. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for the majority of us. Most people get caught up in their busy work schedules and personal issues that concentrating on their lifestyle takes a back seat. It’s particularly important to understand that after reaching a certain age, you simply cannot risk deteriorating your health because of the incorrect lifestyle choices you are making.
If you observe the current scenario, a growing cause of concern today for a lot of people is their belly fat. Why so? This is because of all the poor lifestyle choices they are making. A routine with little to no body movement or unhealthy eating habits are the two major causes that contribute to an increase in a person’s belly. The famous ‘paunch’ or protruding belly appears in an individual’s body when there is excess fat accumulating in the abdomen area. For this, you can either try out exercises for reducing belly fat at home or join a fitness centre near you.
In this post, we will talk about how to reduce belly fat and weight loss tips. But before that, we will understand the need to be fit and healthy. Let’s begin:
Why is Staying Healthy Important for You?
In the daily challenges of life, people tend to neglect their health and well-being in order to fulfil their duties. However, staying fit is very important so that your mind and body can be attuned to each other at all times. Maintaining a balance between your physical and mental health can be done by every individual by inculcating positive lifestyle habits in her/his everyday routine. Besides this, staying healthy also promotes less contraction of diseases such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, early ageing and the like. When it comes to finding the best ways to lose belly fat, you should realise that it will improve your overall health too.
5 Exercises to Reduce Belly Fat
Cult.fit believes in empowering individuals who are serious about making themselves healthy. For this purpose, we have curated a list of exercises for reducing belly fat that you can do at home. Read on to learn more:
Side Leg Raise
It is important to realise that the role of your legs in reducing belly fat cannot be underestimated. Whether you are a fitness enthusiast or a beginner, it is wise to start with something simple like a side leg raise! Holding a chair or table, you have to lift one leg up on the side for one to two seconds. Now, the other leg should be lifted on the side and paused for the same time duration. Alternating both legs five times will strengthen your legs, glutes, and lower back.
Plank
5-minute exercises such as plank can not only flatten your belly but also help strengthen your core and improve body equilibrium drastically. In a plank, you just need a mat in your room, office cabin, garden or any other place you feel comfortable! It involves placing your elbows on the mat and then extending your legs. It would be best if you are able to balance with the help of your elbows and your toes simultaneously. In the beginning, it may be daunting for you but do not worry! You will be able to hold this pose for 30 seconds easily. Make sure that your lower back does not droop or pick up too much. Remember, balance is key!
3. Burpees
Burpees is an exercise for reducing belly fat at home that truly works wonders for people with stubborn abdomen fat. Before performing this exercise to reduce belly fat, it is suggested to find an open space in your room, terrace or patio because your body will need sufficient area. Once you are standing in a comfortable position, it is time to get started! The first step is to bend down and keep your hands on the floor. Then, you come down to a push-up position and move your chest to the ground. The final step is to pull your body back to the first position by jumping up. You can start with 30 reps and then keep increasing them eventually. While this sounds like a challenging exercise, it is one of the best ways to reduce belly fat.
4. Crunches
As far as top-rated exercises for reducing belly fat at home are concerned, crunches are a crowd favourite. This is simply because this exercise is effective and generally does not require external help or assistance. The only thing that you need for it is a floor or yoga mat to lie down on. The first step is to prop yourself on a mat on the floor and bend your knees completely. Once you are in a flat position, it is time to move your abdomen muscles with might! In other words, you need to push your torso towards your knees in this position. While doing so, It is best to keep your arms on the side or behind your head. It may seem like a big task in the beginning but it is worth it. If you start with 30 crunches a day, you will be able to do multiple reps in no time.
5. Squat to a Chair
The next exercise on the list is “Squat to a chair.” Yes, you read it right. Slowly lower your body on a chair while bending your knees. It is suggested to hold the position for a few seconds before standing back up again. It would be a little difficult in the initial period but once your core body strength is regained, try to only hover on the chair without actually sitting down. This is one of the best exercises for making your core stronger and reducing your belly fat as it provides stability in the knees.
5 Ways to Improve Your Diet for a Fit Belly
We all know that the best way to lose belly fat is to focus on our eating habits. But how many of us really do that? If you are a serial dieter, then you would know how difficult it can be to find the best diet to lose weight around your belly. Here are some ways to improve your diet and get that flat stomach you have been dreaming about:
Reduce Carbs
If you check out weight loss and belly fat reduction tips online, this is the first thing that will pop up on your screen. This is because it is one of the most effective ways to flatten your belly. Your meals should be planned in such a manner that the intake of carbohydrates is in a balanced way. It is highly recommended to consult a professional to manage your macros and portion control. This will ensure that you get sufficient carbs for energy production without risking overconsumption.
Increase Your Fiber Intake
Fibre is your best friend to lose belly fat in ways that you cannot even imagine. The more you consume fibre-rich foods like oats, cereals, fruits, and vegetables, the faster you will be able to make your belly flat. Your gut will love you for it too! Fibrous foods ensure that your colon is able to remove toxins and unwanted materials from your body in a smooth manner. Thus, it is highly recommended to keep your fibre intake high on a daily basis.
Protein Is Necessary
Fish, eggs, chicken, paneer, milk, lentils, and soya-based foods are the best sources of lean protein that you should consume every day. This is mainly because you will be able to feel “fuller” and satiated by eating protein-rich dishes without increasing your calorie intake.
Have Smaller Meals
It is a widely known fact that your metabolism tends to improve if you have small meals at regular intervals of time throughout the day. From having a portion of fruits after your protein-rich breakfast to munching on some nuts, every meal counts!
Track Your Diet
Nowadays, there are a number of ways in which you can keep yourself on track. The best way to lose belly fat with a diet plan is to keep track of it. Make sure to note down your meals every single day so that you know how much calorie intake you managed to maintain. A few hiccups are alright! All of us are humans and making a few errors of judgement is completely normal. It would be best to learn from your mistakes and move forward with a positive attitude.
4 Tips for Reducing Belly Fat Quickly
Here’s a look at the top tips that can fasten the process of achieving a flat tummy:
Do Not Have a Lethargic Routine
One of the most rewarding tips for people who are interested in weight loss and reducing their belly fat is to avoid a lethargic daily routine at all costs. If you slouch on your bed all day long, the chances of your metabolism lowering will increase a lot. Walking for a couple of kilometres will help you stay active. Moreover, including yoga in your daily routine would also help in maintaining your health.
Connect With Fitness Enthusiasts
A lot of times, people get self-conscious about their belly fat. It even affects their self-esteem. Due to these emotions, their mental health may get disturbed leading to depression, anxiety, etc. We encourage you to interact with a strong community of fitness enthusiasts, be it online or offline. Not only will this boost your morale but it will also give you a lot of motivation to keep yourself healthy and fit.
Give Up Unhealthy Habits
For a long and healthy life, giving up unhealthy habits is imperative. For instance, you should not consume anything that contains tobacco in it. Restricting alcoholic beverages to a bare minimum can further help in keeping your liver in shape. If you follow these small but important health tips, your belly fat is bound to reduce. Following these tips hold equal importance as the exercises to reduce belly fat.
Pay Attention to Your Sleep
Having a proper sleeping schedule is as important as exercising or eating a healthy diet. This is because when you are sleeping for seven to eight hours, your body is in the process of healing and rejuvenating itself. As your body heals at night, you will be able to focus better on your fitness goals and achieve a flat belly sooner!
Now that you know some of the best ways to lose belly fat, it is time to gear up and make your fitness regime! There’s no better time than today to make your belly toned and in shape. Follow our actionable tips and say hello to a fitter you! You can also join cult.fit to take your fitness to a whole new level.
#best way to lose belly fat#best diet to lose weight#weight loss belly fat tips#exercise to reduce belly fat#exercise for belly fat at home#cultfit
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Ideas For Small Terrace Garden in Dubai.
If you are planning a terrace garden in limited area, like a balcony or terrace then it can be more challenging rather than in open space garden. But oppositely it could be interesting if you put required efforts.So you have to be more imaginative for creating a fantastic small terrace garden.
However you can take advantage of internet like, YouTubeGoogle. There you can find multiple home gardening blogs and terrace decor ideas.
Some people might see difficulties with small space terrace, but one of my equitant residing in UAE; she pictured multiple possibilities, which are turning in to a flourish garden.
My friend sonal, who is residing in Dubai with her family, has transformed her terrace into a beautiful herb and vegetable garden.Her family harvest tomatoes, chillies, broccoli,figs sprig onions etc.So plan your terrace garden beautifully and have a chance of your personal garden. There are a variety of small terrace garden, you can choose your tailored one from them. That is a great feeling to seeing your vegetables are growing in front of your eyes.
Here are some small terrace garden ideas:
Vertical Garden: Utilize vertical space by installing wall-mounted planters and shelves to create a lush green wall.
Mini Kitchen Garden: Grow herbs, spices, and vegetables in pots on your terrace to create a mini kitchen garden.
Zen Garden: Create a peaceful and relaxing space with a minimalist Zen garden featuring rocks, sand, and a small water feature.
Rooftop Oasis: Add a touch of luxury to your terrace with a rooftop oasis featuring a lounge area, outdoor shower, and hot tub.
Balcony Jungle: Create a tropical paradise with a balcony jungle filled with potted palms, ferns, and other exotic plants
Rustic Chic: Bring a touch of rustic charm to your terrace with rough-hewn wooden furniture, textured wall tiles, and an abundance of greenery.
Boho Chic: Add bohemian flair to your terrace with eclectic furniture, woven textiles, and an abundance of plants in colourful pots.
Mediterranean Retreat: Create a Mediterranean-inspired retreat with terracotta tiles, wicker furniture and potted olive trees.
Japanese-Inspired: Bring the tranquillity of a Japanese garden to your terrace with a Zen rock garden, a small water feature, and potted bonsai trees.
Modern Minimalist: Create a sleek and stylish terrace with modern furniture, neutral colors, and a minimalist design approach.
Most impotent FAQS:
How to make a terrace garden?
Answer: Frist step- Firstly prepare the area because a terrace garden require more water.so need to do area get waterproof first,so that there are not any water leakage from roof.
Step 2- Do ready layouts for your terracegarden. You should ask some question to yourself like, Do you want any full-fledged garden or are you ok with simple cosy corner of some pots.And check about your plants light conditioning because some plant require more sunlight s the others. This kind of condition can affect your layout.
Step3- select your plants:If you are a beginner then go for easy to maintain plant for example chilly andcorianders are afew examples of fast-growing plants that can grow on their own.
Golden tip-Care for your new garden. Choose soil consciously like nutrient –rich for your terrace gardento promote healthy growth. This is totally depends on your plant condition.Maintain routine check –up.
Visit More:- https://www.dubaihousing-ae.com/
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Different Activities You Can Consider When You Visit Bali
It is quite thrilling to explore a wide range of activities when you visit Bali. You may visit as a solo traveler or with your family and friends. There are many options that you can dig through flexibly. In this short blog, you would get clear ideas about some of the exciting activities in which you can get involved as a tourist in Bali.
Relax on the beach
Bali is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Spend your days lounging on the sand, swimming in the warm waters, and soaking up the sun in one of the All Inclusive Trips to Bali arranged by a reliable agency like Bali Good Vacation.
Visit a temple
Bali is a predominantly Hindu island, and there are many beautiful temples to visit. The most famous is probably the Uluwatu Temple, which sits on a cliff overlooking the ocean. In most of the All Inclusive Trips to Bali, the itineraries include temple visits.
Go surfing
Bali is a surfer's paradise, with waves suitable for both beginners and advanced surfers. Grab a board and hit the waves, or take a lesson if you're new to the sport.
Explore the rice terraces
Bali is known for its terraced rice paddies, which are a stunning sight to behold. Take a tour of the rice terraces and learn about the traditional farming techniques used on the island.
Go snorkeling or diving
Bali has some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world. Head to the Menjangan Island National Park to see a wide variety of colorful marine life, or explore the shipwrecks off the coast of Tulamben.
Take a cooking class
Learn to cook traditional Balinese cuisine with a cooking class. You'll get to visit a local market to buy ingredients, then head back to the kitchen to learn how to make delicious dishes like nasi goreng and sate lilit.
Go white water rafting
Experience the thrill of white water rafting on the Ayung River, which runs through the heart of Bali. This is a great way to see the island's lush jungle and rice terraces from a different perspective.
Take a yoga class
Bali is known for its yoga scene, and there are many studios and retreats offering classes for all levels. Find your inner peace with a morning yoga session on the beach or in a beautiful garden setting.
Go on a trek
Bali is home to Mount Batur, an active volcano that offers stunning views of the island from the summit. Hike to the top for sunrise or just enjoy a day trek through the jungle and rice terraces.
Visit a spa
Treat yourself to a luxurious spa day while you're in Bali. Many of the resorts offer an array of treatments, including massages, facials, and body wraps.
Buy a top-notch package
No matter what activities you choose to do on your all inclusive Bali trip, you're sure to have an unforgettable vacation. Whether you're seeking relaxation or adventure, Bali has something for everyone. Ensure purchasing a feature-rich travel package from a well-know travel agency. Explore its website to get information about its various offerings for the tourists.
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𝐅𝐈𝐂 𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐄 | 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 𝟏𝟐.𝟗𝐤
𝐍𝐁: 𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐥, 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬
A/N: Massive thank you to my dearest @fromyourstrulyh for the help! You’re an angel sent from above 🦑🌊✨
Monday, 22 June
Y/N walked through the doors to the Inn, placing her red heart shaped sunglasses at the top of her head as she started rummaging through her purse for the keys to her room. It had just passed 10am and she’d been strolling about town, popping by Vintage Divine again. Now all she needed was a small reading session and she’d be ready for the beach later. However, her attention was brought to the sound of voices and laughter coming from the back garden. She remembered how Bessie had been seated there the first day Y/N arrived, how tranquil the garden had looked hidden away behind the Inn.
Curiosity got the better of her and Y/N walked over to the open door, peeking her head through it properly for the first time. Vines ran up and down the white cement fence, the small square in the middle littered with different coloured flowers, a few bistro chairs stood around a round table, a few women around Bessie’s age and the woman herself all seated there chattering away. As soon as Bessie noticed Y/N, she put down the knitting in her hand and grinned from ear to ear.
“Well, hello!”
The other women looked at Y/N and she smiled at them all, recognising Camilla and Florence from before. They all exclaimed various greetings, motioning for her to come over to where they were seated.
“You’ve met Florence before, and Camilla I hear.” Bessie gestured at the two women. “And this is Barbara.”
“Just call me Barb,” the woman in question said, grinning at her. “I’ve heard so much about you, Y/N.”
“You have?” Y/N asked, sitting down in the chair beside Bessie, who had been patting it since Y/N entered the back garden. “All good things, I hope.”
“Oh, all the girls have said you’re just lovely,” Barb reassured Y/N, removing her glasses from the bridge of her nose so she could take a proper look at the knitting in her hands.
“Have you ever tried knitting before, Y/N?” Bessie asked, cocking her head a little to the side as she watched Y/N look around the table at all the four women knitting.
“I tried when I was younger, but I was no good at it,” she said. “My mother used to be a very good knitter. Or, she still is, but… but I never managed to pick it up proper.”
“It’s all about the technique and how you’re taught it.” Bessie moved her chair a little closer to Y/N, bringing a tote bag with her and retrieving some bamboo knitting needles and pink yarn from inside it. Startled by the sudden change of pace, Y/N was left staring at the yarn in her hands, and then back at Bessie, who only continued to look at her. The old lady didn’t wait long, however. She made Y/N look back down at the knitting in her hand again.
“Right,” Bessie started. “Do you know how to cast on, dear?”
“No.”
“Okay, first you need to tie a slip knot, like so.” Bessie took the bamboo needle from Y/N’s hand and showed her how. She did it slowly, letting Y/N really see how she did it before taking the yarn off the needle and doing it again. “Now you do it.”
Dread filled Y/N. She’d fail. She couldn’t do this. She had tried it before and her Mum told her she had no talent for knitting. Why was she letting Bessie teach her this? Sweat started beading at Y/N’s forehead. Bessie gave the yarn back. Y/N took a slow breath, placing her hand and finger as Bessie had.
Y/N swallowed thickly. “I can’t.”
“You can, darling. It’s very easy.”
Y/N shook her head. She was afraid her hands would start shaking. “I can’t.”
“Why can’t you?”
Y/N couldn’t just tell Bessie how bad she was at knitting. Bessie would be so disappointed if she did, but at the same time, the innkeeper would be beyond sad if Y/N didn’t at least try. Y/N felt like she was choking for a second, as if she was running straight for a cliff, unable to stop. It would be disastrous. She didn’t want Bessie to hate her.
However, she felt Bessie staring her down. She knew that she had to do it. Bessie had given her a piece of yarn and a needle. She could not disappoint. She just couldn’t. As slowly as Bessie had, Y/N managed to do the knot stitch. Her hands were trembling slightly, and with everything within her, she hoped Bessie couldn’t see it. Y/N’s accomplishment was rewarded by a single clap from Bessie and a huge grin on the old lady’s face.
“Again.”
Y/N felt her mouth fall open. Though this wasn’t knitting, she had a long, long way to go still, she’d managed to do a knot stitch. She remembered this was how you started every single project, but she didn’t think she’d be able to do it again. Y/N looked at Bessie, and the old lady was grinning at her. Bessie placed her hand on Y/N’s back and rubbed her tenderly, a silent encouragement to go on. The touch had come as a surprise, Y/N didn’t know why Bessie did it. The hand on her back did wonders to calm her down and tell her she’d manage to do it again.
Slowly, Y/N repeated what she’d just done, feeling her racing heart calm down just a tad when she managed to do the knot again. Bessie rubbed Y/N’s back again, and this time it startled her enough that she jumped a little. Bessie only laughed at the reaction, squeezing Y/N’s shoulder before gesturing at the needles in front of her.
“Well, you saying you weren’t any good when you were younger, look at you now! That’s a good start, my dear.” Bessie tapped the stitch. “Now, since you deem yourself a beginner, I’ll show you the easiest way to cast on. There are multiple ways of doing it, but this was the one I learned. If you don’t understand what I’m doing, please tell me, okay?”
“Okay.” Y/N gave Bessie the bamboo needle back, turning her body so she could better watch Bessie cast on.
“You see this?” Bessie asked, motioning with her head at the needle she was holding out in front of her. Y/N nodded and Bessie put her glasses back on, getting ready to properly teach Y/N how to cast on as easy as one possibly could. Though Y/N hadn’t envisioned herself spending time trying to knit while she was in Cornwall, here she was. It wasn’t like she was going to start knitting an actual jumper or something nice. For today, she focused on that little square so she’d get into it. It wasn’t the prettiest thing she’d ever seen, she didn’t believe Bessie and her ladies for a second when they told her how nice it looked, but regardless, Y/N brought it up to her room with her and put it in her bag.
Y/N
Walking from the Inn now xx
Y/N started walking along the Terrace, leaving the Roaming Crab Inn behind as she typed Porthmeor Beach into her Google Maps. It was a fantastic day. The sun beamed down on St Ives as afternoon approached, a slight ocean breeze cooling Y/N down on her way to meet the Styles-Flores family. The wind wasn’t strong enough to make it uncomfortable to walk in her white and orange tie dye culotte trousers or white transparent beach shirt. In fact, she felt very good in this outfit. Her straw hat sat neatly on her head; she was sure Harry would be able to make her out the second he saw her.
Harry
Wicked, walk along the Terrace and I’ll meet you on Fore Street 😊
The little emoji made Y/N soft for some reason. She went back to focusing on the Google Maps on her phone, walking along the streets of St Ives, taking in the people that were on their way home from work. It was a little busier than usual now, but that only meant Porthmeor Beach wouldn’t be as crowded as it normally was. Not that Y/N would know if it was since she hadn’t been there yet, but she imagined people were either on their way home or at home making dinner. It just so happened that the Styles-Flores family were eating their dinner on the beach.
She noticed Harry right away on Fore Street, shining in the yellow afternoon sun. Wearing a revere Aztec striped orange, white, red and blue shirt along with denim shorts that reached his knees.He spotted her through his round dark sunglasses and gave her a close-mouthed smile and a small wave.
“Hiya, you,” Y/N said, giving Harry a beam as they got closer to one another.
“Hi.” He ran a quick hand through his hair as they fell into step, strolling back the way he came. “You alright?”
“Yeah, just been walking around and reading most of today, really. What about you?”
“Helped Jessa get everything ready down at the beach, driven all the food there. I think right about everyone’s there now.”
“Am I late?”
Harry looked at Y/N, shaking his head quickly and making his sunglasses slide down further on the bridge of his nose. He readjusted them hastily. “No, no, no. We wouldn’t have started till you’d arrived anyway. Dinner’s not served till everyone’s there.”
Y/N smiled a bit. “I would hate to have-“
“-No, honestly,” Harry smiled back. “That’s how we are, and we don’t mind waiting.”
“Forgot to tell you the other day, but I really like your family. They’re so nice,” Y/N said truthfully, making Harry glance down at the ground before them before looking back up again.
“We’re a bit loud, and a little rowdy sometimes, but they’re my favourite people on earth.”
Y/N looked away from Harry, blinking rapidly. “Can tell they absolutely adore you.”
There was a slight pause in conversation as they turned to walk up The Digey. Harry walked behind her as the cobbled street narrowed, the stone cottages rising up on both sides making it hard to walk side by side.
“By the way,” Harry said as he came up beside her when they walked past Bumbles Tearoom, the tiny square-like opening providing more space to walk on. “There’s… Uhm, there’s this thing on Thursday.”
“Yeah?”
Harry made sureno cars were coming as he let Y/N take the secure pavement while he walked on the side of the road. “My mates have gotten a whiff of what’s going on.”
“Which is?” Y/N smiled as she saw the ocean straight ahead, past the small stone fencing, seagulls flying and singing overhead.
“That my girlfriend’s in town.” He fell quiet for a second. “Pretend girlfriend. But they don’t know that.”
Y/N chuckled. “Alright.”
“One of them sent me a text asking if they could meet you. His Mum… You met her, Mrs Rose? Florence?”
“Oh! She’s so nice.”
“Yeah, suppose. A proper gossip, though. Anyway,” Harry said, waving his hand as if to dismiss what he’d just said. “Dax has been fed all this information by Florence and he’s now proper fuming I’ve never told him about you.”
“Dax is your best friend?”
“Him and Amir, I’ve been friends with them ever since I moved here.”
Y/N nodded. “So, what’s happening Thursday?”
“Ellie’s coming back from visiting her girlfriend in Ireland, so the lot are going to the pub.”
“You want me to come?”
“Dax asked if I could bring you. Rather, he demanded it. He’s quite offended that I didn’t tell him I had a girl- pretend girlfriend.”
The red that creeped along Harry’s cheeks after the stumble/slip made Y/N smile. “I’ll come. Have told you a couple of times already, haven’t I? I don’t have anything to do this summer anyway.”
Harry looked up at her, biting his bottom lip before looking at the beach before them again. “You really don’t mind?”
“Harry, you could ask me to come shovel cow shit at Jessa’s farm, and I’d be there without hesitation.”
That got him. He laughed and it was such a high-pitched boyish exclamation of joy that it surprised even him. His eyes grew wide and he slapped his hand over his mouth, making Y/N join in and laugh herself.
“I’m sorry, sometimes I sound like a hyena.”
Y/N shook her head while still laughing. “Why are you apologising? You’re laughing, you should laugh.”
Harry smiled at her as they crossed the road to the pavement on the other side by the fence along the beach.
“My Mum always said that you never have to apologise for being happy. You never have to atone for smiling or laughing or feeling content or ecstatic. Happiness isn’t permanent, one shouldn’t apologise or feel bad for experiencing it. It’s there ‘cause it’s there.”
“It’s there for a reason, though, isn’t it?” Harry asked, stopping and hooking his sunglasses to the collar of his shirt.
“Happiness doesn’t need reason, does it? It just is. It exists because without knowing it’s there somewhere and it’s attainable - ‘cause it always, always is, no matter how dark the world gets, happiness will be there to bring light when the going gets hard, - there’s no reason to go on, is there?”
Something about the way Harry watched her the next few seconds made her feel important. It was as if he was digesting her words; truly taking them in and listening to her. His eyes flickered between hers and it was only her that had his attention. She wasn’t sure she’d seen that look on anyone else’s face before when she talked.
“Are you afraid of heights?”
The question took her off guard, but she managed a, “No.” Which was the truth. She didn’t mind heights.
“Sound.” Harry sat down on the stone fencing lining the beach, his feet dangling off the far side. “This way is quicker.”
Y/N looked down the road, the stairs leading down to the beach were a bit away, so she understood why Harry was doing this. But… her hat would go flying. There wasn’t much time to think about it, because when she looked back, Harry jumped off and down into the sand. It wasn’t far down, it definitely didn’t scare her in the least, but she’d never jumped from any height like this before. Maybe from the side of a pool and into it, but never like this. That being said, she didn’t want to keep Harry waiting. So, telling herself to get over it, she sat down on the edge of the fence the way Harry had.
“Would you mind taking care of this?” she asked, taking her purse off her shoulder and holding it out.
He nodded, lifting his arms up as she dropped it.
She took a deep breath, watching as Harry caught her purse, and waiting till he’d taken a few steps back before she held onto her straw hat and mimicked what Harry had done a minute earlier. The sand came toward her at a rapid pace, butterflies appearing in her belly at the rush the jump brought, and before she knew it, the sand was right under her feet. The impact took her by surprise, and she fell to the side, an “oomph” sound leaving her mouth when sand got in her face.
“Oh, shit!” Harry ran over to her, sand spewing up behind him and unintentionally falling to his knees beside her, purse hanging from his shoulder. He held both his hands out, as to help her up, though both of hers were still very much holding onto the hat on her head. “You okay?”
She laughed, moving her hat some to look up at Harry, whose eyes were wide and hands still there at her disposal. “If we wouldn’t have looked like idiots, I would demand we do that again.”
A smile of relief washed over Harry’s face, and at the sound of Y/N laughing some more, it widened and turned into a genuine and elated one. “But you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I was just so focused on not losing my hat.”
“Right,” Harry chuckled, watching as she sat up on her knees. For a short second, his eyes flicked to her thighs, then back up into her eyes. Upon being caught looking, he glanced away, clearing his throat and getting up to his feet again. Y/N couldn’t help a slight giggle as she did the same.
“Never seen you in trousers before,” Harry said, giving her the purse back.
Y/N stared at him for a second before they started walking in the direction of his family. She couldn’t help her smile. “I didn’t know I’d never worn trousers around you.”
Harry let out a breathy chuckle, scratching at the back of his neck. “I, uh… I dunno… I have a good memory, I suppose.”
The two of them walked all the way over to the edge of the beach, right by the green Island that stood lush and majestic above all the houses that lined the beach. Jessa noticed them approaching first, clapping her hands together upon seeing Y/N. Y/N grinned, holding her hand out to Harry’s stepmum. Jessa took Y/N’s hand and Y/N did a tender mano po that got Jessa beaming so brightly it felt like she was singlehandedly lighting up the entire world.
“Y/N!” Grace exclaimed, running over with her arms outstretched. She hugged Y/N around the waist and Y/N quickly hugged her back, taken a bit off guard by the warm welcome. She wasn’t used to hugs, but she wasn’t about to tell Grace that. “You need to sit beside me.”
“Of course, I just need to go and greet your grandpa.”
Jessa put her hand over her heart as she watched Y/N walk over to Harry and Grace’s Lolo. She took her hat off upon approaching, the old man watching her with a look that was neither disapproving nor reassuring. She remembered what Harry said about this being important to him, that he didn’t want the tradition to die completely, so he probably expected her to do the mano po every time she met him as well.
“Mano po?” Y/N asked and he gave her his hand. She brought his knuckles up to her forehead, held them there for a second before pulling away.
Once she did, the old man reached beside him and revealed a hat that looked almost exactly like Y/N’s. He placed it on his head and a tiny smile graced his lips, and the way he looked when he smiled made Y/N see his resemblance to Jessa.
“Would you look at that!” Y/N grinned, putting her own hat on her head. “Great minds.”
“It’s important to keep your head cool when it’s sunny and hot out,” Lolo said and Y/N nodded eagerly, heart beating fast with the possible approval of a highly respected figure in Harry and Grace’s life.
“Y/N is here!” Jessa exclaimed, sitting down on the sand beside her father. “Kain na! Let’s eat!”
That was when Y/N really paid attention to her surroundings. The table they were eating at was low and long, no chairs in sight. The rest of the big family of around twenty , sat down by the table, Jessa and Lolo in the middle. Harry sat down in the sand opposite Jessa, looking over at Y/N and patting the spot next to him. She walked over, sitting down, putting her hat and purse behind her.
“So, this is kamayan,” Y/N said, remembering what Jessa had invited her to that Saturday at Grace’s birthday party.
“Y/N’s first kamayan!” Jessa said, looking so delighted Y/N felt her shoulders relax. She hadn’t known she’d been nervous about this until now. “Harry, where’s your camera?”
“It’s, uhh…” Harry looked at Y/N, the redness in his cheeks showing again as he quickly looked away when meeting her eyes. “In my bag.”
Jessa got up, walked over to Harry’s bag and started to rummage around it.
“Nanay,” Harry said, about to get up and get the camera for Jessa, but his stepmum found the Super 8 Camera and brought it over, waving it in her hand. “Please, be careful.”
“Harry’s quite nostalgic and sentimental, you see. He likes to video everything, especially during the summer when all his family and friends are here.”
“I know,” Y/N smiled, though she really had no idea, telling Jessa and the rest of Harry’s friends and family wouldn’t look good. Especially considering how Y/N was supposed to know everything about Harry.
“Of course you do,” Jessa said, bringing the camera up to her face. “Everybody, don’t mind me, do your thing!”
“Nay, switch the camera to tungsten since you’re using daylight stock,” Harry said and Jessa waved his worries off like she’d already taken care of that, turning her attention back to the camera to focus in on everyone. She started filming down the long table and Y/N looked away from her, first at Harry and then at the table in front of her. It looked unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.
“I usually…” Harry started, his voice low so only the two of them would hear. “I usually film when the family and friends are together each summer. Kind of like… i-it’s something we can look back on in a few years and remember, you know? ‘Oh, that happened that summer’ and ‘I’d completely forgotten about that’, and so on.”
Y/N smiled. “I really like that. Keeping memories.”
“Exactly.”
“Oh, we have to tell you what it is!” Jessa grinned as she sat back down, Harry’s Super 8 Camera back in Harry’s bag. “Basically, kamayan is a feast where we use no utensils, we eat with our hands.” Jessa wiggled her fingers at Y/N, a small laughter emitting from her. “First – so it’ll be easier to clean up after – we put newspapers on the table, even though we only ever use this table for this exact purpose on this exact day every year. The banana leaves that we put on top always leave a faint white residue behind. Then as you can tell,” Jessa went on pointing to the table, and Y/N looked down to see huge leaves covering the table as well. It wasn’t just the pattern of the table; these were actual leaves. “Then we grill banana leaves and put the ridged side up. The ridged side is the waxy side, it’ll keep the sauces from soaking through.”
“You align the spines of the leaves with the table edge so they won’t hang off the side of the table,” Harry explained, looking over at Jessa for confirmation.
She smiled at him, then at Y/N. “I’ve taught him well.”
Y/N smiled. “So, no plates? We just put our food on the leaves in front of us and eat?”
“For the kamayan, we don’t use any plates, we scoop everything up in lettuce leaves, coconut cups, and so on. First, we put down the rice, then around the rice is the pancit bihon guisado, which is rice sticks noodles with vegetables. All of that should be good for you to eat. Harry forgot-“ Jessa leaned over the table and swatted Harry over the head, though the gesture was more out of love than annoyance as both smiled after. Harry quickly fixed his hair again. “Your useless boyfriend forgot to tell me you are vegetarian. I’ve never been more insulted in my life.”
“Nanay, it just slipped my mind-“
“-Shush!” Jessa turned to Y/N. “If I’d known, I swear I would’ve made more food you could’ve eaten last Saturday as well.”
“That’s completely fine, don’t even worry about it, honestly,” Y/N smiled, glancing over at Harry who was looking at the food in front of him with a smile as he listened to the conversation. “I’m just honoured I was invited to this at all.”
“Of course! You’re Harry’s girlfriend!”
Again, a pang of guilt exploded in Y/N’s chest and swam across her entire body. The joy that was so incredibly transparent in Jessa’s voice would be gone when August came. Y/N felt sick to her stomach at the thought.
“Then there’s fried fish, shrimp, roasted eggplant, pan-fried bok choy, barbecued chicken, lumpia – I made them vegetarian this time around so you can eat them as well -, and a mango and some other fruits, but those are all in front of you.” Jessa gestured at the food in front of her. “Made Harry put it all where you two’d be sitting so it’d be easier for you, that way you won’t have to reach around the table for the vegetarian options.”
Y/N didn’t know when her hand had come to rest above her chest, she didn’t know when her heart had started hammering a million miles an hour, but she supposed this was her reaction to people going out of their way to make her feel welcome and included. A smile spread out across her lips as she looked to Harry, who was actually looking right back at her this time, maybe to make sure she was alright. When Y/N met Jessa’s warm eyes, she felt something in the back of her throat almost start burning. This was all so thoughtful. Though she shouldn’t have been surprised, Harry’s family were the type to go out of their way for one another, she just hadn’t thought they’d do that for her. The only person that had done that had ever done that for her was herself.
“Thank you so much.”
“No need to thank us, this is a feast for everyone.”
Again, Y/N was struck by how beautifully the table was decorated. So many colours, so many different dishes; it looked like a piece of art.
“These are edible orchids, by the way,” Harry gestured at the purple flowers that were strewn across the small mountain of food in the middle of the table. “We’re not trying to kill you.”
“Yet!” Grace grinned from beside Jessa.
“Don’t spoil our plan, Gracie,” Uncle Tim said, giving Y/N a nod as their eyes met.
“You lot are being creepy.” Harry got up, walking over to the portable cooler and bringing out a few beers, strolling over to the far end of the table and giving them to his aunts Rachel and Abby and their husbands. Then he gave one to everyone else over 18, handing the seven children a juice each.
“Cider or beer, Y/N?” Harry asked, meeting her eyes as he bent down to get some more drinks. “Or do you want juice? Water?”
“I’ll have a beer, please.”
Harry got one for her, his Lolo, Jessa, and him, before giving one to Uncle Tim, Jack – a close family friend – and Jack’s husband. Grace got a juice as well, making Harry open and put a straw in it for her before she happily started drinking.
“Gracie,” Jessa said, nudging her daughter. “Everyone!” Jessa brought her beer up, grinning at everyone around her and meeting their eyes before she said, “Mabuhay!”
Harry looked at Y/N, raising his beer, and she quickly got the memo, mimicking his movements.
“Mabuhay,” everyone else repeated, then took a sip of their drink, put it down on the ground beside them and finally started eating.
“Is that a toast of sorts?” she asked Harry, watching as he picked up a few lumpias and put them down on the banana leaf before him.
“A Filipino toast ‘to life and to live.’ We always do it before we dig in,” he explained, giving her a little smile before focusing back on scooping some rice into his hand and putting it down on the leaf in front of him.
Y/N mimicked him, picking up some rice with her hand and placing it right before her, she then reached for some of the vegetables and lumpia. She looked over at Grace who was happily munching on barbecued chicken, listening to Uncle Tim as he talked about something that happened in the fishing boat yesterday. Aunt Rachel and her husband were watching their hoard of kids with a smile on their faces, eating the rice and some roasted eggplant. Everyone around the table seemed so at home and completely at peace. It didn’t matter that their hands were greasy or that the sauce was getting everywhere, it was beyond them. All that mattered was the company around them - their family and the people they loved most.
“What did you think of the lumpia?” Jessa asked, hope in her eyes and some pan-fried bok choy in her hand. “It’s Harry’s favourite.”
“Mine too!” Grace chimed in before looking back at Uncle Tim and then Jack across the table, falling into their conversation again.
“They’re absolutely incredible,” Y/N said. “Did you cook all this yourself?”
“We cook everything together,” Lolo answered. “The family makes the food, it’s a bonding experience. We prepare the food the day before and reheat it before we eat it here.”
“And it’s great being on the beach, ‘cause if we spill something or anything like that, it won’t matter, and then we can just wash off with a bath afterward,” Jessa smiled.
“The weather’s beautiful down south, understand why you’d wanna do it on the beach,” Y/N said, taking a sip of her beer.
“You haven’t been to Porthmeor Beach yet, have you?” Harry asked, just loud enough so everyone chatting around them wouldn’t hear them talking. “This beach, I mean.”
“No, it’s much smaller than Porthminster Beach. It’s right by the Inn.”
“This one isn’t as crowded.” He paused for a bit, shaking his head once. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s crowded when tourists come here, but think most flock to Porthminster.”
“Which one do you like most?”
Harry swallowed a piece of roasted eggplant. “Porthgwidden. It’s the smallest one in St Ives.”
“How far is it?”
“On the other side of the Island. So, Porthmeor is on this side, and Porthgwidden is on the other.”
“You there often?”
“This one’s closer to the lighthouse, but I like Porthgwidden better. Dunno why. It was the first beach my father and I went to when we got here.”
Y/N smiled a bit. “I’ll have to go there at some point.”
“If you like the gang Thursday, they might try and convince you to come to a party there in July.”
“If it came to that, I’d be easy to convince.”
Harry only let out a small chuckle before the both of them turned back to eating. While eating, Y/N realised that while partaking in kamayan, you strip yourself of everything. You sit around a table with people who mean a lot to you, catch up on life, and talk about nothing and everything. Using your hands to eat food was a humbling, intimate experience. One felt vulnerable eating like this; using your hands to eat your own food and also handing food to others around you with those same hands. You connected on a sort of deeper level, eating and talking like this. Throughout the meal, Y/N felt closer to the people around her than when they’d started. She understood why this was a tradition in the Styles-Flores family now. If this was her family, it would undoubtedly be something she’d look forward to when summer rolled around.
“Harry, can you come with me?” Grace asked after a little while, her juice box empty and no food on the leaf in front of her.
“You want to go for a swim?”
She nodded at his question.
“Alright.” Harry turned to Y/N as Grace squealed in delight, getting up to take her summer dress off. “You wanna come?”
“I’d love to.” Y/N got up, smiling as she watched Grace get her arm floats on. Harry drank the last of his beer, saying something to Uncle Tim that Y/N didn’t catch. Aunt Rachel and Abby were already by the shore watching their children, so it seemed an appropriate time for the rest of them to go for a swim as well. Y/N took her stuff and walked around the table to Grace, putting her purse and hat with their things so they were more protected against the wind. Though it wasn’t a strong one, she still didn’t fancy her stuff flying off, never to be seen again. She took her trousers off first, then took her white transparent shirt off over her head.
She really liked the mint green colour of her bikini. A square bandeau top and a leg high waist bottom. She’d never worn it before, but in her haste to get away from Winchester, she’d grabbed it. Grace complimented it, grinning as she took it in and “wished she was as old as Y/N so she could wear nice bikinis like that.” Y/N noticed then that Harry hadn’t gotten up and gotten ready with them.
Looking over at where she knew he was seated, she found him already staring at her. With his chin slightly lowered and eyes glancing through his dark eyelashes, it was as if his intention had been to look away. He met her eyes and quickly looked away, his cheekbones flaring up. He coughed and hastily got up from where he was seated, knee bumping into the table in the process, causing some of the rice to go everywhere.
“Sorry!”
“What’s wrong?” Jessa asked, looking behind her at Y/N, and then back at Harry. “Did she make you flustered-“
“-No! No. No, I was not checking her out.” Harry walked over to Y/N and Grace, unbuttoning his shirt and placing it with Grace’s clothes.
“What’s wrong with that?! She’s your girlfriend, Harry.”
“Nay-“
“-You must’ve done it before if you two are together, surely you-“
“-Nanay!”
Grace took a grip of Y/N’s wrist and the two of them started walking toward the ocean. Grace giggled some beside Y/N as they heard more loud chatter behind them coming from their table.
“What?” Y/N asked, smiling down at the seven-year-old.
“Harry was checking you out.”
Y/N huffed, putting her hand on Grace’s shoulder, choosing not to say anything as doing so might make it all worse. She was sure Harry had just been deep in thought, maybe just waiting for Y/N and Grace to be done getting undressed, so he could do so as well without the bag area getting too crowded. No matter what, she was sure it had just been accidental. Regardless, Jessa was howling with laughter behind them now, so it was all forgotten. The girls quickly found out why Jessa had laughed, though.
Harry zoomed past them, running straight for the ocean in a pair of short yellow swimming shorts. Grace yelped in glee, shouting Harry’s name as she sprinted after him. Y/N watched the two of them, walking at a normal pace to let the siblings have some fun before she joined in. Harry ran into the ocean, water splashing up around him before he dove in. When he resurfaced again he whipped the hair out of his face before running a hand over it to get most of the water away.
He grinned from ear to ear at the sight of Grace following him, her small form not being able to lift her feet high enough to run at any proper speed. He walked over to her, lifting her off the ground, and as Grace knew what he was doing, she shifted her weight so she was on his back. Her arms barely made it around his neck with her floaties on. At the same speed as before, Harry ran back into the water, Grace laughing and squealing and clinging to Harry as water came up around them.
The sight melted Y/N’s heart. The two siblings had such an immense love for one another. They communicated so well, always knowing what the other one needed without needing to voice the actual words, and it was so beautiful to see them together. Especially like this.
“I want to jump from your shoulders,” Grace said, reaching for Harry’s shoulder in the water and trying to push him down.
He went underwater, taking Grace’s hands when she was settled, and then resurfaced. Grace screamed in delight, looking over at Y/N with the biggest beam on her face.
“Y/N! Watch this!” Grace jumped from Harry’s shoulders; chin lifted toward the sky as if that was going to prevent her from getting water all over her face. She giggled once she looked over at Harry again, begging him to let her do it again. He did it without hesitation, ducking underwater and letting Grace settle on his shoulders before he came up for air again. Y/N was nearing them now, water up to her ribs, and though it was a tad cold, it was nice to cool down a bit. The afternoon sun was extra hot today, and it didn’t help when they’d just been eating warm food with their hands and were all full.
“Y/N! Look at me!”
Grace let go of Harry’s hands balancing on his shoulders for a few seconds before she fell into the ocean again, giggling loudly. Y/N gave a short applause which seemed to have been the right response as Grace beamed back at her.
“Now you do it!”
Y/N blinked a few times. “Do what?”
“Get on Harry’s shoulders!”
“Gracie, I don’t think Y/N wants to-“
“-Don’t answer for her!” Grace pointed a warning finger at Harry and the sight made Y/N laugh. “Will you? It’s super fun!”
Y/N looked at Harry, putting her hands on her hips, smiling over at him. He smiled back, running a hand over his face to get most of the water off.
He was very soft. His belly protruded some from his swimming shorts and his love handles looked squishy, though his shoulders were broad and strong looking. It was no wonder why Grace always wanted her older brother to carry her, he looked to be a very good hugger. His biceps were beefy and tanned like the rest of him, muscle and a softness to him Y/N wasn’t sure she’d seen on anyone else before. She hoped he hadn’t caught her taking an extra good look at him.
“You think you can carry all this?” Y/N asked and Harry let out a small chuckle.
“Yes.” There was a slight pause, Harry blinking a few times and shaking his head before gesturing at his shoulders. “Yes. Yes, of course. Do you want me to go underwater?”
“No, I’ll just try and climb on.”
Grace watched as Y/N walked over, Harry walking a bit further out and lowering himself till his head was the only visible part of his body.
“Told you not to lower yourself, didn’t I?” Y/N laughed, putting her hands on his shoulders.
“Well, I don’t want you to jump off and hit the bottom!”
Y/N only laughed and she saw a smile on Harry’s face. She did a little jump, putting both feet on his hips before daring to put one on his shoulder. In doing so, Y/N realised how long of a torso this man actually had. Lifting her legs onto his shoulder was a challenge in itself.
“Here.”
Harry put his hands out in case she needed some help. Y/N took them, leaning on them as she lifted her other foot, putting it on his shoulder. She tried to stand, but before she’d even straightened her knees and back out, she felt herself tip backward. She felt Harry’s hands leaving hers and his shoulders disappear from under her feet. A little scream left her mouth before she fell underwater. When she resurfaced again, Grace was laughing and Harry was smiling at Y/N.
“Oh, me falling is funny, is it?” Y/N asked laughter in her voice. “Maybe I should stand on your shoulders next.”
“Nooo!” Grace tried to ward Y/N off, but Y/N walked toward her. Grace tried to run away and Y/N pretended to be running as fast as she could after her. “Harry!” Grace shouted, jumping into the water in front of her brother. He laughed, picking her up and jogging off, then tipping over and underwater, dragging Grace with him. Watching the two of them like that, and being out there, acting silly with them was the happiest Y/N thought she might’ve ever been.
The three of them went back to everyone else a short while after. Y/N and Grace spent a considerable amount of time building an impressive sandcastle, though it collapsed in the end, making Grace so mad she started crying a bit. After that, Y/N chatted some with Uncle Tim and a few other of Harry’s family members, listening to them talking more than anything else. She didn’t mind, though. She quite liked listening to others.
After a little while of Harry playing with his cousins in the sea, he walked up over to everyone else. It wasn’t till he’d dried off a bit and put his shirt back on that he asked if Y/N wanted to take a stroll. She put her loose trousers back on before she joined Harry, the two of them falling into step and walking in silence until all of his family members were out of earshot.
“Been to The West Beach Bakery?” Harry gestured at something that looked to be a restaurant in the distance.
“No, would you recommend?”
“Highly,” he said. “The sourdough pizza with some sangria on the side is ace.”
“Sounds lush.”
“We could’ve gone but-“ Harry patted his stomach and Y/N laughed. “Anyway, whenever you have the time. I would suggest going there.”
Y/N smiled. “Thank you.”
Harry smiled back, giving her a nod before he looked at the sand underneath his feet as they walked.
“Can I ask you a question?” she said as she felt a wave wash over her feet, wetting the bottom of her trousers. As Harry gave a small nod, she went on, “When you eat… your blood sugar levels rise, right? How do you regulate it? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to talk about it.”
“No, I don’t mind talking about my diabetes. I did before, but not anymore.” He gave her a little smile before he glanced ahead. “I use insulin therapy. So, for someone who doesn’t have type 1 diabetes, insulin will be produced and regulate your blood sugar levels. After you eat, carbohydrates break down into glucose, a sugar that is the body’s primary source of energy.”
Y/N knew this, but she liked listening to him and wasn’t about to interrupt when he was talking about something that affected his life to such a huge extent.
“Between meals, when insulin levels are low, the liver releases glycogen into the bloodstream in the form of glucose. This keeps the blood sugar levels within a narrow range. But if you have type 1 diabetes, your glucose levels will continue to rise after you eat because there’s not enough insulin to move the glucose into your body’s cells.”
“Ahh.” Y/N nodded.
“People with type 2 diabetes don’t use insulin efficiently and don’t produce enough insulin, while people with type 1 diabetes make little or no insulin. Insulin therapy for me and everyone else with type 1 is therefore vital for replacing the insulin my body doesn’t produce.”
“Gotcha.”
He was quiet for a few moments before he stammered, “I… I-I…” He frowned before he cleared his throat and went on. “I got diabetes when I was 11,” Harry started. “My Dad didn’t know what it meant at the time. He didn’t know that much about it; he went to a seminar at the local hospital to learn more about diabetes. Free for family members living with diabetics.”
Y/N nodded.
“I… I used to be overweight. I know I mentioned it briefly, but… are you comfortable talking about weight and body image, by the way? ‘Cause if not, we won’t-“
“-I’m fine, honestly. Thank you for asking, though,” Y/N smiled, motioning for Harry to continue talking.
“Well…” He readjusted the dark sunglasses on his nose. “I used to be bigger, I had some fat on my body. I knew it, my Dad knew it, and everyone who knew me did. I tried to hide behind baggy clothes and behind my humour, it made it easier for me to find confidence to hang around people.”
Y/N frowned a bit.
“But when I was 11… I started losing weight. It wasn’t intentional, it just sort of happened. I started going to the loo quite a lot, was always thirsty, was very irritable and had a lot of mood changes. That doesn’t happen to me, I’m a pretty nonchalant, calm person. So, my Dad knew something was wrong, especially when he realised how quickly I’d lost weight. We’re talking that I used to have a bit of a stomach and suddenly I didn’t anymore. It was strange for a 11-year-old.”
Y/N nodded. “What happened then?”
“He took me to the doctor, they directed us to the hospital, and they told me I had type 1 diabetes. They said my body had started burning muscle and fat for energy since it didn’t get enough energy from food. I hadn’t changed how I ate at all, not that I ate particularly unhealthy before, but it just happened.”
“How does it just happen?”
“Well, it can be genetic. It’s been running in my Mum’s side of the family, and it skipped her generation but latched onto me,” Harry said. “But basically, what happens is when glucose levels become high, the kidneys work to get rid of unused sugar through urine. This causes weight loss due to dehydration and loss of calories from the sugar that wasn’t used as energy.”
“Ahhh.”
“Kids who develop type 1 diabetes often lose weight even though they have a normal or increased appetite.” They fell quiet for a moment. “Sorry, this is probably very boring.”
“No! I’m studying- Or I’m trying to study for the UCAT, so I find it interesting and necessary to know. Also very honoured you wanted to tell me. Thank you.”
Harry shook his head, as if he was telling her he didn’t mind. He suddenly looked at her, narrowing his eyes. “You’re trying for the UCAT? You taking the piss?”
Y/N laughed and Harry joined in. “No, I’m seriously trying to read for it.”
“I thought you were interested in books. Like, a literature nerd or something.”
“Why, ‘cause I read a lot?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Harry chuckled, meeting her eyes for a second before looking away.
“Well, that’s more of a hobby, really,” she explained. “I want to become a dentist. Though… I’ve just turned 24, so… don’t know if I’m too old to be following my dreams. Everyone else taking the test is gonna be 17 or 18 or 19, and I’ll literally be the same age as their grandma.”
Harry laughed. “How’s the studying going, then? How are you getting on?”
“Okay. I’ve only read the first two chapters, but… it’s fun.”
He chuckled, buttoning some of his shirt so the wind wouldn’t get it. “Convincing.”
She smiled. “I’m sure I’ll get there. Somehow.”
“So,” he dragged it out, pursing his lips some. “What will you study at uni?”
“Dentistry.”
“Makes sense.”
She laughed. “You asked!”
“It completely slipped my mind that there’s a course dedicated to it.” He smiled at her as she chuckled some more. “Not my fault I didn’t remember it.”
“I’m going to forgive you this once.”
Harry smiled, in the light from the sunset, his skin was a glowing orange and the tips of his hair golden. “Right, as not to trigger anything else uni related,” he said, and Y/N giggled. “What’s your absolute favourite and least favourite book?”
She looked at him. “Ever?”
“Ever.”
Y/N inhaled, bringing her hand to her chin as she narrowed her eyes in thought. “My favourite has got to be Uses of the Erotic by Audre Lorde, and my least favourite is The Alchemist by Pablo Coelho. Though, Uses of the Erotic is an essay, really, but it’s the most profound text I’ve ever read.”
“Right, what’s it about?”
“Audre argues that eroticism, which has been inappropriately relegate to the domain of sex only, should instead be understood as a basic life force of vitality and creative power that guides us truthfully in all interactions. It’s the depth of feeling and engagement with ourselves and others. It relates to sexuality but doesn’t end there. It transcends all domains of life; domains we’ve been instructed to keep in neat, separate boxes.”
“Sounds interesting.”
Y/N smiled, nudging Harry’s arm with her shoulder.
“No! I genuinely mean it. It sounds interesting. I don’t really think of these things, so reading essays about stuff I don’t know much about is fascinating.”
“Exactly!” Y/N said. “As for The Alchemist… might just be that the English translation is bad, but it’s a poorly written book, for starters. It’s too philosophical, it’s full of boring, biased writing which tries to tell you that the world is controlled by destiny. There are also explicit religious themes that are hard for non-Christians to agree with. And the author’s extremely sexist.”
“You don’t believe in destiny?” Harry asked, taking Y/N a bit by surprise.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you said he tries to tell the reader the world is controlled by destiny. You don’t think the universe brings you someplace or something or offers you an opportunity ‘cause it’s got this already calculated and wonderful plan for you, and where you’re supposed to end up?”
Y/N thought about that for a second. “I’m more of a believer of energy and balance. If you give the universe goodness, it will return that goodness back to you. So, if you’ve given negative energy out into the universe and the people around you, you’ll get negativity thrown back to you. You won’t get that job offer, or you’ll have relationship problems, or your house might burn down.”
“Oi!” Harry laughed. “From 0 to 100 real quick.”
Y/N giggled. “But you know what I mean, yeah? You decide your own destiny, but opportunities will present themselves to you according to how you treat the universe.”
“Yeah, I can see where you’re coming from.”
She smiled, looking down at her feet as another wave ran lazily over them. “How do you like being a lightkeeper?”
“I love it,” he answered honestly. “I didn’t want to become one at first, but… but then my Dad died, you know. It kind of forced me to take over after him ‘cause I was the next one in line. Before he died, when I was 18, I moved into the lighthouse keeper residence. It was empty, Dad continued to live with Jessa until he died two years ago, I don’t blame him for it, to be fair. It’s very lonely living out here and Jessa loves people, but you know this.”
Y/N smiled.
“I was already living at the lighthouse, already kind of looking after it when my Dad wasn’t there, so it made sense for me to do it. And, after like a month and some of doing it alone, I found out that I didn’t mind at all.” He shrugged. “Not that I had to ‘settle for being a lightkeeper’ or that I felt ‘forced’ to do it, I wanted to. I realised that it was something that suited me well.”
“You don’t need to be there all the time?”
Harry beamed. “Well, I’m here now, aren’t I?”
She chuckled.
“No, I don’t. I just need to make sure it’s in good condition.”
“What do you do then? You got any hobbies?”
Harry scrunched up his nose.
“What?!”
“You think I’m this boring bloke that just stares off into space when I’m not around people?”
Laughing, Y/N shook her head, making Harry chuckle some in response. “No, of course not! But surely you have hobbies, yeah?”
“Yeah, I play a bit of volleyball with some mates every once in a while, also really like watching volleyball matches on the telly. And I play the piano. I actually wanted to study music at uni before I decided I’d become a lightkeeper, I applied and everything.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, when we were teenagers, Dax, Jo, Amir and I made a band. Dax knows the guitar, and Jo wanted to sing, so Amir said he’d do drums, and I didn’t know what instrument I’d do, so I just chose the keyboard. My Dad had a piano as decoration at home, so I started just playing it, and I didn’t realise how much I enjoyed it till I was in a bookstore looking for piano books with my Dad.”
She smiled. “Do you still have the same piano at your house, or did you buy a new one?”
“My Dad got me a new one when I moved out. The old one’s at the farm.”
“Harry!”
The two of them turned around to see Grace running toward them, waving her arms and jumping up and down. She gestured behind her at their family packing up and Harry turned around, motioning for Y/N to follow him.
“Guess we’re leaving?” Y/N asked, though the sun setting and some of Harry’s younger cousins were asleep, so the family departing made sense.
“Yeah, it’s been a long day, hasn’t it?”
Y/N smiled. “A good one.”
Thursday, 25 June
The Kettle and Wink was a three-minute walk from the Inn. With the help of Google Maps on her phone, Y/N found the way very easily. With her green floral wrap dress and a pair of white Vans and some white socks, Y/N thought she looked pretty casual. The frill edge of her dress blew against her thigh as she walked down the Terrace. She hadn’t brought a cardigan as she didn’t think she’d need one, but now she hoped they’d be sitting inside seeing as the dark mixed with the ocean breeze would get a bit chilly as night wore on. She hadn’t expected it to be this nippy, so she’d just have to bite her teeth together and survive tonight.
Y/N wasn’t really sure what to expect from meeting Harry’s mates. She was sure there would be an abnormal amount of questions, both about her and their relationship. She didn’t know how much detail Harry was used to giving his friends and if they expected juicy gossip neither she nor Harry would be able to provide. Judging by the way Harry acted around her, she’d say he most likely didn’t like giving up every single little detail of his life. Some things he seemed to like being hidden, he wasn’t likely to open up about everything and that was okay.
The man himself stood by the entrance to Gabriel Street, his phone in his hand and a concentrated look on his face. He was wearing a pair of tall black Converse with white socks just visible under the cuffs of his light-washed loose denim trousers. He was wearing a wool-knitted carmine jumper, it wasn’t the thickest wool jumper Y/N had seen, but it looked light and perfect for the weather and temperature that day. A white tee shirt was visible under it, probably there in case he got cold later on.
“Hi,” Y/N greeted, smiling at Harry who jumped a little at the sound of her voice.
“Hi,” he said back, putting his phone in his pocket. His eyes travelled down her body automatically, taking in her summer dress and probably thinking to himself how stupid she’d been for wearing something that would undoubtedly have her freezing by the end of the night. “Ready?” He nodded his head up the street, probably in the direction of where the pub was.
“Yeah.”
The two of them started walking up, Harry opening the door for her when they reached The Kettle and Wink. It was fairly busy, but Y/N remembered how her father often went out for drinks with his friends on Thursdays and Fridays. Maybe that was something people did.
Upon entering, the bar was straight ahead, groups of people standing by the counter to order. Tables and booths were littered about the place, dim lighting making it so the dark wooden interior was hard to differentiate between the tables and the floor. There was a pool table that a group stood around, laughing loudly and each a pint in their hands.
“Harry!”
It came from the left side of the room, a table in the middle of a couple of others, a group of five sat there waving their hands and beaming from ear to ear. Harry turned to Y/N, giving her an apologetic smile.
“Listen, I know I keep saying this, but they’re a bit intense. I dunno why I keep befriending people that are,” Harry said, walking in front of Y/N to shield her from the worst of the comments and exclamations from his mates.
“I can’t wait to meet them.”
“Don’t tell them that, they’ll-“
“-Come here, you bugger!” A blonde bloke came into view, throwing himself at Harry and hugging him. Y/N quickly realised she’d seen him before. “You’re late.”
“It’s called taking our time.”
The blonde pushed away from Harry and turned his attention to Y/N, his brown eyes lighting up. “Good to see you again. Didn’t catch your name the time before.”
Harry’s head whipped around in Y/N’s direction, then back at the blonde, a furrow appearing between his brows. “What’s this?”
“Jo and I watched her stuff when she went for a swim, few weeks back, that,” he explained, smiling at Y/N. “No idea you would be Harry’s new beau.”
“Nice to see you again,” Y/N smiled.
“And you.” He brought his hand out, smiling at her. “I’m Dax.”
She took his hand. “Y/N.”
“Let’s see then, Haz! Move!” someone else shouted and Harry sighed, sitting down in one of the free seats, dragging the other free one closer to him to reserve it for Y/N. Dax motioned for Y/N to sit down and she did, giving him a smile as he took the seat beside her. Taking the purse off her shoulder, she placed it in her lap and looked around the table at Harry’s friends.
“Y/N, these are my friends. Gang, be nice. This is Y/N.”
“What do you mean ‘be nice’?” Dax asked, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, Y/N, you’re very much welcome here and we want you to feel like one of us, alright?”
“Sounds lush,” she smiled.
“So, what pronouns do you use?”
The question was so unexpected and thoughtful that Y/N was left gaping at Dax for a bit, a smile spreading out across her lips finally. “She, her.”
“Wonderful. I use he, him.” Dax gestured to the person sitting beside him to say something next. It was the blue-haired person Y/N had seen along with Dax at the beach. Both were pale, Dax a little broader and taller than his companion beside him, but they were seated close enough to each other so that Y/N knew they must be amazing friends.
“I’m Jordan, but you can call me Jo, I go by they, them.”
“I’m Amir! He, him, please,” the brown bloke beside Jo said, giving Y/N a little wave. He had his curly dark hair in a bun at the top of his head and a pair of round glasses on his nose, looking like the relaxed hipster type.
“I’m Ellie, I go by she, her, as well.” Short blonde hair tucked away behind pale ears, some of it coming loose when she grinned at Y/N. She reminded Y/N of a fairy.
“And I’m Fatima, she, her.” Harry sat back in his seat, revealing a brown-skinned golden princess, giving Y/N a small wink before she sipped her drink. “It’s so nice to meet you. H has kept you a secret.”
“I have not-“
Fatima nudged his leg with her knee under the table, raising her eyebrows at him. “Yes, you have. Dax hasn’t been talking about much else since.”
“What do you do when your best mate lies to ya?” Dax said, sounding very dramatic. “You wallow in sadness and cry yourself to sleep, that’s what you do.”
“Oh, come off it, Dax.”
“What were you doing hiding her from us anyway?” Jordan asked, picking up their pint and taking a sip. “Lovely to see you again, by the way, Y/N.”
“And you, Jo.”
“Right, I’m getting us something to drink.” Harry glanced over at Y/N. “Beer?”
“Yes, please.”
Harry gave her a small smile, and in it she could see a slight apology mixed with a short ‘good luck.’ She assumed he was afraid his friends would tear into her once he was gone, and though she was sure they were only eager to get to know her, she was kind of afraid of the same thing. They all seemed so lovely, but she was terrified she’d answer a question and contradict something Harry had told them or make it hard for them to believe her and Harry were a thing. These were such important people in Harry’s life, she didn’t want to disappoint them or Harry.
“So,” Ellie said, leaning her elbows on the table. “Why aren’t you living with Harry in the lighthouse? Judging by it, he still needs to blow some steam off.”
“El!” Fatima hissed, shaking her head at her in disbelief. “You’ve just met this person.”
“I’m curious!” Ellie turned her attention back on Y/N. “He’s so uptight sometimes, I just think he needs to relax for a bit. Blow a load.”
“Oh, my days.” Amir took his glasses off, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
“Maybe they haven’t had sex yet.” Jo shrugged their shoulders before looking at Y/N. “Sorry ‘bout this.”
Y/N smiled. “Oh, don’t even worry about it. But we live in separate places ‘cause the both of us need our space, it would overwhelm us to be around each other all the time. Especially when we haven’t really done so before.”
“I get it,” Fatima said, nodding her head. “You don’t want it to be too much too fast. You living with him for the summer would be like skipping five major milestones in your relationship, and you’d just jump to moving in with each other.”
“Exactly.”
“Harry’s also very private,” Dax continued. “No offence, Y/N, but he generally just likes being alone. He can play his piano, and write his songs, and work on his car, and be Harry.”
Y/N’s immediate response was to ask Dax if Harry really wrote songs because she hadn’t heard anything about that before. But asking that would be very suspicious and be a major give away. His girlfriend of all people would know if he writes songs, what kind of songs, and if he sings. He’d only ever mentioned that Amir sang in their band when they were teenagers, but he hadn’t told her if he himself sang some as well. She instantly started thinking about how his singing voice would sound.
“Harry told me you lot were in a band at one point,” Y/N said, causing Jo to howl with laughter and Amir to grin from ear to ear. “Care to elaborate, ‘cause he hasn’t.”
“That wanker, he really doesn’t like fun.” Dax leaned forward in his chair. “Right, so we were all big fans of Muse at one point, yeah? Proper wanted to perform at Wembley and be viewed as sex gods by every single person on Earth, that kinda thing.”
“I heard ‘sex gods’,” Harry said, putting a pint down on the table before Y/N. “And now I’m afraid.”
“Just tellin’ Y/N here how we used to be in a band.”
Harry looked from Y/N to Dax. “Then why were you talking about being sex gods?”
“First of all, shut up. Second,” Dax said, bringing his hands out and raising an eyebrow as he met everyone’s eyes one after one. “I’m right. Tell me I’m right.”
“You’re not right,” Ellie said, sipping her water.
“Astronaut Lions would’ve been immense if Jordan hadn’t decided to fuck off to uni,” Dax continued, sitting back in his seat.
“Amir can’t sing, so we were doomed either way,” Jo said.
“If it hadn’t been for our gig at Porthmeor Beach that summer, Harry wouldn’t have met Emilia.” Dax shrugged his shoulders. “That’s all I’m saying. We did work some wonders, did ‘cause some scenes, did make some magic. Cultural reset.”
“Oh, speaking of Emilia,” Fatima said, tapping the spot on the table close to Harry’s pint. “She’s coming back.”
Harry was quiet for a second. “Coming back?”
“Yeah, from her year abroad in Munich.”
Harry fell silent, then slowly started nodding his head, eyes falling to the pint he’d only taken one single sip of. Y/N tried not to frown as she watched Harry for a few seconds, tried not to get offended. Surely Harry would’ve told her who Emilia was if he felt comfortable doing so, but he hadn’t, so she shouldn’t feel like she was entitled to that information. But… she still felt left out. If someone around that table asked her about Emilia right that second, she wouldn’t know how to react or what to say. Glancing away from Harry, she kept her eyes on her pint for a few seconds till Ellie started talking.
“Is Munich big?” Ellie asked. “I imagine every single city in Germany to either be like, big like Berlin or a small village. That being said, it’s the most beautiful country in Europe, hands down.”
“Depends on what kind of big you’re talking about,” Y/N said, Amir making a ‘ooo’ sound under his breath and a cheeky grin on his face that caused Jo to give him a firm slap at the back of his head. “City population, it’s definitely in the top five. If we’re talking about big by area, it’s in the top three.”
“Had no idea,” Ellie said.
“I might be wrong, though, so don’t take my word for it,” Y/N said, quick to wave her hands around to dismiss the knowledge she’d just served.
Harry shook his head. “Don’t take her seriously when she says she might be wrong or when she tries to discredit herself. She wants to become a dentist.”
Y/N didn’t know where the correlation there was, but she was sure the sentiment was lovely.
“Wicked! Would we get a discount?” Amir grinned, bringing his pint up in a cheers before sipping it.
“Oh, my word, Amir,” Fatima sighed, and Y/N chuckled.
The rest of the night went by in a blur. Harry’s friends were so incredibly nice. They asked her questions, but made sure not to be too invasive or make her uncomfortable, something she really liked. They were already pretty tipsy, and as the evening went on, they all got drunk. Y/N and Harry were the only two who couldn’t be arsed to drink that much, so they rather watched over the gang as the volume got louder and the laughter more constant. The focus quickly shifted from Y/N and to everyone in the group, so Y/N sank back in her seat and just watched them interact.
As she zoned in and out of the conversation, she started thinking about Emilia. She hadn’t heard anything about an Emilia before. The thought of Harry maybe having dated before she arrived hadn’t crossed her mind once. She didn’t know if they’d even dated, but by the way Dax and Fatima talked about Emilia in relation to Harry, and the way Harry had reacted, made Y/N immediately draw the conclusion that the two had meant a lot to each other at one point. She tried not to think about it, knowing that it wasn’t really any of her business anyway. If Harry wanted to tell her, he would.
At one point, Dax tapped Y/N on the shoulder and when she looked in his direction, he had a big grin on his face, chin resting in his hand while he leaned his elbow on the table.
“Wonder what an average bloke like Harry did to earn your attention,” Dax said. “Don’t get me wrong, love the bloke, but you’re obviously… way out of anyone from down here’s league.”
She smiled. “In what way?”
“Wealthy.” Dax shrugged, as if it was a given. “Think Harry knows he’s in way over his head.”
Y/N frowned, not able to hold a slight chuckle back. “Pardon?”
“No! Didn’t mean it in a bad way, just that he’s never dated anyone that’s not from Cornwall before. But you probs knew that.”
Y/N hoped Dax didn’t notice the slight pause before she uttered a small, “Yeah.”
“Anyway, don’t wanna talk about that now, I don’t wanna make you feel bad in any way. How are you enjoying Cornwall?”
“It’s nice. Haven’t spent much time here, mostly travelled outside the UK.”
Dax nodded, blinking a few times as if he was confused. “But you… you met Harry in Newquay, yeah? So-“
“-Yes! Yes, I did.” Y/N felt her heart hammering fast in her chest, reaching for her pint and taking a quick sip to calm herself down. She couldn’t reveal actual information about herself, this was not the time. She had to lie. “Met in Newquay last summer.”
Dax nodded again, reaching over and tapping Harry on the arm. “Mate, when did you go to Newquay last summer?”
Harry’s mouth opened, but then quickly closed again. Y/N suddenly realised they’d said Harry’s trip to Newquay was a lads trip. That was the lie they were going with for how they met on the beach there. But Harry’s ‘lads’ were everyone around this table. Again, a spike of hot adrenaline exploded in Y/N’s chest. A sudden sense of horror took over and she racked her brain for what to say.
“Don’t remember you going to Newquay, was it a short trip, then?” Jo joined in, a furrow to their eyebrows.
“Yeah.” Harry cleared his throat. Y/N sensed the panic in Harry’s demeanour and hoped no one else did. “Yeah, Uncle Tim and I went.”
“Uncle Timmy?” Dax frowned as well, pursing his lips as he thought. “Alright. Yeah. Yeah, you were gone for about a week?”
“Five days,” Harry said. Great detail, Y/N thought. If the two of them were specific and detailed then no one could tell them they weren’t being truthful.
“Maybe it’s just cos you don’t leave your bloody house that we don’t remember,” Amir laughed. “Who knew a five-day holiday in sodding Newquay would leave you with a girlfriend?”
Harry looked at Y/N, the two of them sharing a look she wasn’t able to properly decipher. However, looking back, she was sure she could see some sort of gratitude in there somewhere, mixed with relief that they managed to get out of a situation that could’ve been much stickier hadn’t they kept their heads somewhat cold. The conversation quickly shifted to something else, much to both Harry and Y/N’s satisfaction.
Y/N started yawning at one point, both a reaction to the small amount of alcohol in her system and her early start that morning. It didn’t take long for Harry to join in, though it took about 30 minutes for them to actually look at one another and nod towards the door. Harry announced their departure to boos from his friends, but they were quick to wish them both a goodnight. Fatima made Y/N promise she’d hang out with them again soon; the gang had barely gotten to know her, and they were very eager to. Y/N promised, knowing fully well that because of the intoxicated state of which the lot around the table were in, they would most likely have trouble remembering most of the questions they’d asked her and what they’d been talking about anyway.
Harry held the door open for Y/N, giving his friends a wave before the two of them started walking back down the same way they’d come. Y/N wrapped her arms around herself, her shoulders shaking for a second as she realised how cold it was out. She supposed it was both the wind and how tired she was that made her have this reaction to the evening chill. Once again, she cursed herself for not having brought a cardigan. She composed herself, looking at Harry as he came up beside her.
“You cold?”
“The Inn is just a 3-minute walk from here, I won’t die-“
But Harry didn’t seem to bother listening to her. Instead, he reached for the hem of his jumper and brought it over his head in one swift move. He gave it to her, his hair an absolute mess and lips parted in anticipation of her reaching for his item of clothing. Biting her lip, she took his warm jumper and put it over her dress. Upon dragging it over her face and letting it settle on her, she was hit with an overwhelming smell of mixed cardamom, saffron, sandalwood, and vetiver.
“Better?”
“Thank you,” she said, giving him a smile as they took the turn down towards the Terrace. “But you really don’t have to walk me home. The lighthouse is so far off, plus it’s in the opposite direction.”
“I’ll call someone, and they’ll drive me home.” Y/N gave Harry a look at that and Harry only let out a small breathy chuckle, shrugging his shoulders as if the next statement was an obvious indicator enough as to why he was walking her back. “It’s dark out.”
She smiled at that and looked away. They were quiet for a second before the question that had been eating away at Y/N all night finally slipped from between her lips. “Emilia, your ex, right? She’s coming back to stay, then?”
Harry shrugged, a slight redness appearing around his neck and cheeks. “Dunno. Haven’t talked to her since she broke up with me.”
Y/N furrowed her brows. “She broke up with you?”
Harry smiled a little. “You sound shocked.”
“Don’t know… I don’t know how your relationship ended or why, but you seem like a nice lad.”
“Cheers,” Harry chuckled, Y/N couldn’t hold her own back. “Nice lads can be broken up with, though.”
“Yeah, I suppose they can.”
Harry fell quiet, shoving his hands into his jean pockets as he thought for a few seconds. “She… She broke up with me around the time my Dad died.”
That made the frown in between Y/N’s brows deepen. The blush in Harry’s cheeks got redder and Y/N looked away, not wanting to overwhelm him by staring him down while he was talking.
“Said she couldn’t be with someone who was so depressed, it affected her own mental health. Which is all very valid, so I’ve never been mad at her for it. If me being sad and depressed affected her in any way, then she had every right to walk away. Last thing I ever wanted to do was be a negative factor in her life, you know what I mean?”
Y/N nodded, opening the door of the Inn and walking inside, stepping onto the stairs as Harry closed it after himself. “Yeah, I can see that.”
Harry followed her up the stairs as he spoke. “After Emilia and I broke up, that’s when Jessa and Grace started obsessing over me and how I was always alone in the lighthouse.”
Y/N smiled a little at that, getting her keys from her purse. “At least they care about you, right?”
“Yeah,” Harry leaned against the wall beside Y/N’s door, hands still in his pockets. “At least they do.”
She only shook her head some, unlocking her door. “Thanks for following me all the way back.” She gestured at her room. “Literally.”
He let out a breathy chuckle. “No need to thank me, Y/N.”
She bit her bottom lip, stepping into her room as Harry pushed off the wall. “Thanks for tonight.”
“Yeah, it was fun.”
She leaned her head against the door. “Goodnight.”
He nodded in response before turning and walking down the stairs. Y/N closed the door and when she went to take her purse off, she gripped into wool. She was still wearing Harry’s jumper. Standing by the window, she saw Harry on the phone with someone, walking at a nonchalant pace and smiling at something the other person said, his dimples already showing. She turned around, looking at herself in the mirror beside the dresser, an overwhelming scent of cardamom, saffron and sandalwood surrounding her. The carmine was almost completely black in the darkness of her bedroom, the oversized soft jumper hung to just under her bum, nearly covering her entire dress, and for some reason, she liked the sight of the woolen jumper on her better than the green summer dress underneath. It wasn’t knitted and crafted for her, but wearing it felt almost natural.
However, it wasn’t hers. She took it off, folded it, and placed it on her desk. She’d have to pop by Harry’s with it in the morning, but for now, it would have to lay safe and folded neatly in her bedroom.
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Guidelines for Initiating a Balcony Backyard garden
Just how do you start a garden in a house or condominium? If you have access to a terrace, roof, balcony, or patio, you can expand a vast array of veggies, herbs, perennials, blossoms, as well as creeping plants in containers.
1. If you stay in an apartment or apartment, does your
building enable it? Make sure to inspect the rules for your structure before you begin.
2. Can your veranda or roof take the included weight of pots loaded with dirt? Terra cotta and ceramic pots are heavy, so you might need to utilize rice pots, plastic or fiberglass containers, or material expand bags incorporated with lightweight soil blends.
3. Exactly how will you obtain water to your plants? If you are growing on a roof, it is a long way to be lugging containers of water. You could want to consider drip irrigation or self-watering pots You can likewise invest in a watering can that is very easy to fill from the bath tub. Will excess water from your plants drizzle down on next-door neighbors listed below? Be courteous as well as put saucers or trays under your plants to collect the overflow.
4. What are the very best plants to expand on a veranda or terrace? Picking the right plants for your site is essential. Don't squander space on something that is not going to prosper. The amount of sunshine is one of the most important concern.
Does your porch face southern as well as get DIRECT sunlight all day? Cacti, many flowers and also the majority of veggies-- if maintained well-watered-- will love it there.
If your terrace deals with north or is shaded by other buildings for most of the day, aim to low-light plants such as coleus, ferns, impatiens, hostas, and also begonias.
Some eco-friendlies like chard, spinach, or lettuce can expand with less than a half day of sunlight. Some natural herbs manage, too, which is fantastic for cooking uses!
5. Is your veranda or terrace windy? Be aware of any type of extreme problems. The higher you are, the even more wind you are likely to have, as well as warm drying out winds can rapidly blister your plants. Get double-duty from a lattice or wire trellis that can obstruct prevailing winds while providing support for climbing creeping plants, too. It will also include a touch of personal privacy. Given that wind is drying out, you really have to stay on top of watering. Explore self-watering pots.
6. How warm is your porch or roof? Without the sun showing from home windows, warm tends to be an issue. Lettuce would simply wilt. If heat is a concern, perhaps go unique with tropical plants! Just one pot of alocasia, banana, or canna can present a forest really feel to the space. Succulents will thrive! Think about your balcony as a little outdoor room. If you have area, include a table and also chairs as well as appreciate resting amongst the plant. If your place is as well loud, a burbling fountain or some wind chimes might help add a little soothing audio to the history noise.
7. How big is your room? If it's small, we would recommend beginning small. Yes, you can at some point think of vertical horticulture, yet a beginner must begin with a few pots. You need to obtain a sense of just how much time you have to yard and also not overdo it. Organize beds as well as larger containers around the outside sides to define the area and spread out the lots. Take advantage of wall room to hang half-baskets and also wall pockets.
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BTN Surveyors Party Wall Surveyors
A beginner’s guide to the Party Wall Act. It’s very common to want to carry out building works or improvements to your home or property investment. Styles, fashions, tastes and the way we like to live changes and of course families grow. With these changes sometimes the best or only way to accommodate is to make some alterations to your property. Most building works can be carried out with just the provision of building control approval, larger projects will also likely involve the local planning department. Some works will also involve seeking consent from your neighbour directly. These works include the ever-popular loft conversions if you are in a semi-detached house or a terrace and almost all side and rear extensions (those that are within 3 metres of the neighbours building or garden wall). And of course, works to chimneys and chimney breasts. If you’re planning these types of works then you may find yourself needing some advice from BTN Surveyors Party Wall Surveyors Brighton. What does the Party Wall Act cover and what is a Party Wall? A Party Wall is a wall shared with a neighbour, one that typically divides your two properties or part thereof. Party Fence Walls area similar masonry structures separating gardens or lands of two or more owners (not fences). And finally, Party Structures which can be a floor or a ceiling separating a flat for example. So is that all we have to consider under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996? No. Unfortunately not. The eagle eyed among you will have noticed the “etc.” in the title of the Act. This “etc.” covers off two additional areas that are sometimes overlooked. Beyond serving notice to works to Party Walls, Party Fence Walls and Party Structures you will also need to serve notice if you want to build a new wall on or over the boundary line and if you intend on digging a trench (for a foundation for example) or inserting piles that will be deeper than that of your neighbours building (including garages & party fence walls) and is within 3 metres. There are also times when this rule extends to 6 metres, but that’s typically reserved for deep piling and basement conversions. What are the most common works that require Party Wall Notices? Loft conversions where steels need to be inserted into a party wall and in some cases raising the party wall to form the dormer “cheeks”. Chimney stack or chimney breast removals. Rear and side extensions where the foundations are deeper than the neighbours and within 3 metres. New walls built on or over the boundary, that could be just a wall or a wall that makes up part of a building. Basement extensions or excavations. In summary if you are digging near to your neighbours building, inserting steels or beams into a shared wall, knocking down or building up a shared wall or building on or over the boundary you will need to serve a party wall notice. In fact it is mandatory. Can I serve notice myself? Yes, you can. Although caution must be exercised as it is not easy to serve valid notices without a good knowledge of the Act and a detailed understanding of construction. You must understand the construction process so that you know what sections of the Act are likely to come into play. You must also ensure that all of the required plans and drawings are provided and quite often there are drawings that are not included in a planning application or building regulations application that are required to be included within a party wall notice. If the notices are served and are not correct or valid, it invalidates the entire process and is equal to not serving notice at all which may render your building works unlawful. So you’ve served notice, what now? Notice has been served (hopefully by a surveyor). Your neighbour or adjoining owner will now have 14 days to respond to the notice. If they do not consent or they do not reply within that 14 days then in most cases a “dissent” is deemed to have occurred. Now you will need to appoint a surveyor or surveyors to inspect the works and draw up a legally binding Party Wall Award, otherwise known as a Party Wall Agreement. Your neighbour will have the choice of co-appointing your surveyor or appointing one of their own choosing. The surveyor(s) will then draw up a Party Wall Award that will outline the terms and conditions of carrying out the proposed works, prior to you being able to begin the works. As your neighbour has the right, but not the cost burden of appointing another surveyor, BTN Surveyors always recommend talking with your neighbour before serving notice. We always recommend engaging with a Surveyor to serve notice. One that is willing to make time to answer any questions or concerns a neighbour has about the works to help them feel at ease about the works, the process and the Act. This goes a very long way in gaining consent to notices. BTN Surveyors provide free initial consultations where we can review the works you intend on undertaking, explain the process of the Act and offer advice about how to best navigate the process to try and keep costs to a minimum.
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As a SCP writer, do you have any advice for a beginner?
Here’s a good guide!
As a mediocre French SCP writer, here’s my general advice (this might intersect with the advice in the previous link):
Read a lot of SCPs, not just the most famous ones. Read a lot of them. A looooot. What worked for a Series 1 SCP might not work for a Series 5 one! Also ask the forum or the chat if something similar already exists. There’s soooooo many of them now.
This is a very basic thing, but never base your SCP on something you saw in a movie, read in a book, etc. There’s a good chance that will be interpreted as plagiarism.
Humanoid SCPs are infamously hard to write. Starting with one of them isn’t a very good idea.
Dangerous =/= interesting. Also, usually things that kill people just for the sake of it are not interesting either.
Similarly, Keter =/= interesting. The writing makes it interesting, not the class.
Don’t write the Special Containment Procedures first. That’s a sure way to get writer’s block. Write them last, once you’ve written your SCP’s description and maybe its background too ; at that point you’ll have a better idea of what needs to be done to contain it safely.
Some questions you need to ask yourself:
What scares you? Why? If it’s a very common fear, do you have an interesting new take on it?
Is there something you’re really passionate about but most people aren’t very interested in? Like, are you really interested in, I don’t know, basket-weaving? An obscure exotic animal? A weird rock formation outside your town? What would make these things even more interesting, or weirder, or possibly dangerous, or just anomalous?
Most importantly, once you’ve decided what your SCP is, does it have a story? Is it just something with anomalous properties or is there a whole background behind it? What created or caused it? How long has it been there? Do other people know about it? How did the Foundation find it? Is it linked to any Group of Interest?
To conclude, literally anything can inspire you. I wrote one of my French SCPs after dreaming about tiny turtles and doing some gardening on my terrace. Anything can work.
Good luck with your writing :)
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10 Tips for Starting a Balcony Garden@|how to balcony garden@|https://ift.tt/38Wzr8Y
How do you start a garden in an apartment or condo? If you have access to a balcony, rooftop, terrace, or patio, you can grow a wide range of veggies, herbs, perennials, flowers, and vines in containers.
10 Questions to Ask About Balcony or Rooftop Gardening
1. If you live in an apartment building or condo, does your building allow it? Be sure to check the rules for your building before you begin.
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2. Can your balcony or rooftop take the added weight of pots full of soil? Terra cotta and ceramic pots are heavy, so you might need to use rice pots, plastic or fiberglass containers, or fabric grow bags combined with lightweight soil mixes.
3. How will you get water to your plants? If you are growing on a rooftop, it is a long way to be lugging jugs of water. You might want to consider drip irrigation or self-watering pots. You can also invest in a watering can that is easy to fill from the bathtub. Will excess water from your plants rain down on neighbors below? Be courteous and put saucers or trays under your plants to collect the overflow.
4. What are the best plants to grow on a balcony or terrace? Choosing the right plants for your site is most important. Don’t waste space on something that is not going to thrive. The amount of sunlight is the most critical question.
Does your balcony face south and receive DIRECT sun all day long? Cacti, many flowers and most vegetables—if kept well-watered—will love it there.
If your balcony faces north or is shaded by other buildings for most of the day, look to low-light plants such as coleus, ferns, impatiens, hostas, and begonias.
Some greens like chard, spinach, or lettuce can grow with less than a half day of sun. Some herbs manage, too, which is great for culinary uses!
Many people overestimate the amount of sun they get. Keep in mind that most veggies need a minium of 6 to 8 hours of sun a day!
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5. Is your balcony or terrace windy? Be aware of any extreme conditions. The higher up you are, the more wind you are likely to have, and hot drying winds can quickly parch your plants. Get double-duty from a lattice or wire trellis that can block prevailing winds while providing support for climbing vines, too. It will also add a touch of privacy. Since wind is drying, you really have to stay on top of watering. Look into self-watering pots.
Some of your houseplants might appreciate an outdoor summer vacation. Expose them gradually to their new location to avoid sun and wind burn on the leaves.
6. How hot is your balcony or rooftop? Without the sun reflecting from windows, heat tends to be an issue. Lettuce would simply wilt. If heat is an issue, maybe go exotic with tropical plants! Just one pot of alocasia, banana, or canna can impart a jungle feel to the space. Succulents will thrive! Think of your balcony as a tiny outdoor room. If you have space, add a table and chairs and enjoy sitting among the greenery. If your location is too noisy, a burbling fountain or some wind chimes may help add a bit of soothing sound to the background noise.
7. How big is your space? If it’s small, we would suggest starting small. Yes, you can eventually think of vertical gardening, but a beginner should start with a few pots. You need to get a sense of how much time you have to garden and not overdo it. Arrange beds and larger containers around the outside edges to define the space and spread out the load. Make use of wall space to hang half-baskets and wall pockets.
8. Do you want to grow edibles? You probably won’t be able to grow enough food to meet all your needs, but some pole beans, a pot of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and a pepper plant or two will give you a fresh taste of summer. Be sure they are located in your brightest spots. Learn more about container gardening with vegetables.
9. Do you have time to care for your plants? Maintenance is important in a small garden. When plant are in containers instead of the earth, they need to be watered more often. This is another reason to consider self-watering pots or drip irrigation. Fertilize, deadhead, and pinch back leggy plants to keep them in bounds and encourage bushiness. Be sure vegetables get picked when they ripen to keep the plants productive.
Image Credit: Isa Long/Shutterstock
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10. Do you have the budget? Be careful not to just buy ready-grown plants unless you want to spend a fortune. Try finding pots at yard sales. Buy seeds or ask friends to share seeds. Get discarded seed flats from nurseries. Turn coffee tins into cute containers (poking holes in the bottom). The only thing you need to truly spend good money on is quality potting soil. Regular “dirt” is not sterile and brings disease and problems. Learn how to make your own potting soil.
Here are a couple more ideas!
Don’t forget a container or hanging basket filled with your favorite herbs. See how to make a container gardening planter!
Even a window box, if well-planned, can still make a big impression. See our best plants and flowers for window boxes!
Start small and see how tending those plants fits into your schedule; you can always add more. Limited space and time can be challenging but a bit of planning this winter will go a long way toward making your tiny garden a big success next summer.
Read more about container gardening with flowers.
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source https://livingcorner.com.au/10-tips-for-starting-a-balcony-gardenhow-to-balcony-gardenhttps-www-almanac-com-sites-default-files-styles-opengraph-public-image_nodes-shutterstock_1111026287-jpgitoks7inha-421/
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How to do easy skateboarding tricks for beginners
Skateboarding is generally an outdoor activity. So, it's a little hard to learn new tricks right now when you should stay home. If you're lucky enough to have plenty of space in your garden, terrace, large balcony, or living room, you can always learn some tips.
Since we are far from our safety concerns, it is time to step on the board and learn easy skateboard tricks for beginners.
Skateboard tricks for beginners:
However, before you start easy skateboard tricks, make sure that the trick is suitable for a skateboard.
Tic Tac
If you know how to make snow, TicTac will be very easy for you to learn. In this trick, you use your shoulders to steer as you run left and right on the board.
The trick is a simple trick to improve your leadership skills.
To run Tic Tac, follow two simple steps:
- Use your shoulders to turn around to gain momentum, transfer your weight to your hips, and then turn to your feet.
- Give the tail a little weight so that it moves from side to side.
Caveman
Before running the cave, make sure you know the basics of balance and direction.
To learn how to perform a cave, simply follow these instructions:
- Hold the nose of the board in your hand.
- Make sure your thumb is on the deck.
- Start running slowly and jump in the air with your hind legs.
- At the same time, but the table under your feet.
- Sit on the table with your feet and keep moving forward.
- To learn this trick better, it's a good idea to start with the practice of running and sitting on the board. All you have to do is running up to the plateau and jump. Keep moving forward while your feet are sitting at the table.
Practice a few times before trying the caveman. If you plan to do some complicated tricks in the end, the caves are a must-see. Understanding it early gives you a starting point, as it is the basis of many other things.
Acid Drop
The Acid Drop, also known as the Bomb Drop, might seem tricky, but in reality, it's pretty straightforward, especially if you are already proficient in the Ollie Pick Up.
To make an acid drop, follow these steps:
- When riding, lean on the tail and pop the board. To do this, apply pressure to the heel of the plank with your hind legs so that your nose is in the air.
- Hold your nose as it rises and place your feet on the floor.
- Rotate the board towards you
- When the board comes to you, jump high enough to land on the board. Note that if you rock the board low, you don't have to jump very high to land on the board.
Front 50-50 Grind
Frontside 50-50 Grind is an easy trick, but compared to the other tips on this list, it can be a harder time to learn. This trick polishes objects such as shelves and borders.
Before you start learning this trick, make sure you have mastered Ollie.
To perform the 50-50 single-sided grind, proceed as follows:
- The first step is for Ollie to climb the ledge.
- When sitting on the ledge, make sure one side of the wheel is locked to the side. This will prevent the board from slipping.
- Use the truck to slide along the ledge and get off.
- This trick is easy to do if you practice each step individually. First, practice Ollie on the shelf. It's a good idea to start with low brakes and build your path as you improve.
Then practice shaving the shelves. To do this, place the table on a shelf. Run and jump on the board by sliding the track along the shelves.
If you can easily perform these steps individually, you can practice together. Learning the 50-50 Front End Network will help you learn how to create an axis stall with a ramp.
The Hippie Jump
If you've seen the skateboarding documentaries Dogtown and Z-Boys, you've probably seen the hippie jumps that were happening.
This is a great trick to accomplish when faced with obstacles such as low railings and benches. The basic idea is to feed the board under an obstacle so that it comes from below as you jump over the board and land on it.
Here's how to perform a hippie jump in three easy steps:
- When there is an obstacle nearby, push the board slightly to roll it under the obstacle.
- Jump over obstacles at the same time.
- Land on the board as it rolls under obstacles.
The key to doing this trick is to time the jump and give enough force to the push so that it can land on the board when it comes from below.
FAQ
What is the easiest skateboard trick to teach beginners?
The easiest and most useful trick for beginners to practice is Tic Tac. Not only is it easy to do, but it also helps you improve your riding skills.
What is the most difficult skating trick?
Probably the toughest skating trick for beginners is Frontside 50-50 Grind. However, since Frontside 50-50 is a combination of other tricks, it may be easier to learn if you break the steps.
What size skateboard is suitable for beginners?
Your skateboard style and skill level are important factors to consider when looking at skateboard size. The size of the board should be appropriate for the style and level of skating.
Which skateboard is best for beginners?
Control is essential in learning to skateboard. Controlling your skateboard makes it easy to use and perform tricks. Skateboards that provide control and balance to skaters are great for beginners.
In addition, it is advisable to get a board with a high-quality structure. The first time you remove the board you will encounter some obstacles. You don't want the table to split in half immediately after a few turns.
Read the full article
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The Most Common native gardening Debate Isn’t as Black and White as You Might Think
Some Known Facts About Landscaping With Native Plants - Benefits & How To Plan Your ....
Native plants help you keep the air around you cleaner. Natural landscapes do not require mowing or quite maintenance. Yards, however, must be cut frequently. About forty million lawnmowers consume 200 million gallons of fuel per year, while total, gas-powered garden tools produce 5% of the country's air contamination.
native gardening
Extreme carbon from the burning of nonrenewable fuel sources adds to worldwide warming, while native plants sequester (get rid of) carbon from the air. Native plants supply shelter and food for wildlife and support pollinators. Native plants draw in a range of birds, butterflies, and other wildlife by providing diverse habitats and food sources.
In the U.S., roughly 20 million acres of yard are cultivated, covering more land than any single crop. Unfortunately, there are extremely couple of benefits to native wildlife from a manicured lawn. Likewise, gardens that mainly include non-native types of plants are frequently of little advantage to wildlife. Natural landscaping is an opportunity to reestablish diverse native plants, thereby inviting the birds and butterflies back house.
master gardener
One research study by Applied Ecological Provider (Brodhead, WI) of bigger homes approximates that over a 20 year duration, the cumulative expense of keeping a grassy field or a wetland amounts to $3,000 per acre versus $20,000 per acre for non-native native gardening grass yards. The economic benefits of native plants can likewise be determined against the damage that particular non-native plants do.
Roy Diblik Asks "Good Plant, Bad Plant, Native ... - Garden Rant for Beginners
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January 27, 2021 Whether you live in a city house with a small terrace or a countryside home with acres of land, you can have an impact on the environmental world around you. We are all stewards of the areas we occupy, even if it is just short-lived. Picking native plants for gardening projects will assist make our collective efforts to restore balanced communities more reliable.
By contrast, if a types is brought into a location by people it's called an 'presented species.' Native plants are an essential part of a healthy local environment mostly since they support food webs in manner ins which introduced plants do not. For instance, entomologist Dr. Doug Tallamy's studies have actually shown that native oak trees support more than 500 types of caterpillars.
It takes more than six thousand caterpillars to feed a single nest of baby chickadees. As you can see, there's a huge difference between the 2 species and their ability to support regional wildlife! native plants can require less upkeep than their non-native equivalents as long as you pick the proper plant for your website.
This supplies a great chance to show friends! many native plants have intense flowers and produce great deals of seeds and fruit. Native plants likewise impress with their seasonal modifications from intense greens to vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds. native plants are sustainable, so less equipment needs to be powered by gas to look after the plants.
Not known Facts About Roy Diblik Asks "Good Plant, Bad Plant, Native ... - Garden Rant
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native plants don't need herbicides and insecticides to keep them lovely. This helps prevent phosphorus and nitrogen runoff into lakes and rivers and helps protect our water sources as well as animals and pests. native plants require less manual watering as they are adjusted to regional conditions. native plants supply essential habitats for birds, moths, and butterflies, as well as mammals like squirrels and chipmunks that depend upon their fruits and seeds.
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Not known Details About Small Garden Design
Landscape professionals create or refurbish exterior rooms by planting trees, blossoms, lawns and also shrubs, as well as creating hard landscape design features, such as courses, patios or decks. They supply services to domestic and also business consumers in homes, office complex, shopping malls, hotels and also public locations. A survey by the National Horticulture Association, "Residential Grass and Landscape Providers and also the Value of Landscape design," discovered that around 30 percent of U.S..
Landscape specialists provide clients with advice on the kind of landscape design that satisfies their demands. They go over how the client will utilize the landscaped location, talk about the client's choice for particular landscape designs and examine the capacity of the website. They additionally take thorough dimensions of the site and appraise physical and also ecological elements, such as dominating winds, climate as well as all-natural features like water or slopes.
On smaller sized jobs, contractors might operate on a design-and-build basis, accomplishing the layout job themselves and afterwards finishing the job utilizing their very own sources. Service providers pick the products they will certainly use in the job, get quotes as well as provide customers with a spending plan that covers products and labor. They also plan the logistics of the operation, establishing the sequence of job and buying the shipment of materials to fulfill their timetables.
Building creates a huge part of a landscape service provider's task. They carry out foundational job, such as laying drainage or setting up irrigation systems. They may improve the landscape with inclines https://www.washingtonpost.com/newssearch/?query=landscaping or terraces and also create special functions, such as rock gardens, fish ponds, water fountains as well as decorative yards. To create internal as well as outside borders, professionals build wall surfaces as well as put up fences.
All About Lawn
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Service providers likewise accomplish growing to create natural features, using trees, bushes as well as architectural plants. They may lay or reshape yards and produce brand-new growing areas by revamping the dirt and also relocating existing plants or difficult landscape design. To make sure the ongoing success of the landscapes they have actually created, contractors advise maintenance programs.
His posts on marketing, technology and also range running have actually appeared in publications such as "Marketing" and "Jogger's World." Linton has actually additionally authored greater than 20 released books and also is a copywriter for international business. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in background and also economics from Bristol University.
Lawn for Beginners
Rudyard Kipling's poem "The Glory of the Garden" includes suggestions for anyone that would love to enjoy a beautiful landscaping design. He writes, "Gardens are not made by singing, 'Oh exactly how attractive!' as well as sitting in the shade." Nonetheless, a contemporary viewers could advise Kipling that that he could, as a matter of fact, while away the mid-day singing the commends of the garden and also still see progress-- that is, if he employs a specialist for landscaping style and installation.
Besides, the layout phase of the landscaping process affects every subsequent action. Whether they're looking for a complete landscape overhaul or straightforward yard treatment, Portland homeowners can locate the find the appropriate landscape designer for their jobs by following the actions. Before you gather info from potential landscape developers, it's important to obtain your own thoughts in order.
The 5-Minute Rule for Landscaping Bricks
Lay out a layout that reveals what you picture for your garden room. It will certainly be a lot easier to locate the ideal landscaping service provider if you have clear suggestions about what you want. You can also compose a brief summary of what you're trying https://eladvardi.co.il/ הקמת גינות בצפון to find; this will make it a lot easier to directly compare the different options different specialists propose for your yard.
Once you know what you want, it's time to put together a brief listing of firms who develop landscaping in your location. Talk to your neighbors and friends to get trustworthy references. If you see a yard that looks particularly nice, you might also ask that next-door neighbor that did their landscaping style.
There are lots of parts that factor right into your last decision regarding that must do your landscaping layout or yard care. Portland yard enthusiasts can select the most effective landscaping contractor for their demands by considering these variables: Frequently the very best projects are the result of a synergy in between the developer and also professional.
Regardless, make sure to obtain input from both camps to guarantee the end outcome will certainly not just look good but be useful and stand the test of time without breaking the financial institution. Don't rely upon the landscape designer to understand all regarding construction techniques and vice-versa. Ask the last specialists on your brief list to provide a checklist of references.
The 9-Second Trick For Landscaping Near Me
Examine their sites to find out about their education and learning as well as experience in regional landscaping. Recurring education is additionally vital for experts who develop landscape design. Examine the associations and also certifications of your possible landscape design business. Get in touch with the Oregon Landscape Service providers Board as well as make sure your prospective prospective buyers lug the ideal license and bond to do the work you require.
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Is Now a Good Time to Start a Home Garden?
Home gardening, especially among millennials, is more popular than ever. Between 2008 and 2013, there was a 63% rise in millennial gardening. Now that most of the nation is staying home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, it could be the perfect time to start a home garden (as long as you don’t violate stay-at-home orders or social distancing practices to buy supplies). We spoke with some expert gardeners about how to get started.
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Why it’s a great idea to start a garden right now
Fresh produce. Having your own source of fresh produce can be healthier, save you money and be really rewarding. There’s also no mystery about potential contamination or chemicals.
It’s good for you. Gardening has both physical and mental health benefits. It’ll get you outside for a bit of Vitamin D and help with any stir-crazy feelings. Gardening can help relieve stress, make you feel more productive and provide some exercise. Timothy Hammond, a home gardener, told us, “Gardening for 2.5 hours a week can help achieve the same target heart rate as a moderate-intensity workout. It also provides light strength training.”
You’ve got kids at home. If you have kids home from school right now, gardening is the perfect activity. Sarah Cook, founder of Sustainable Cooks, told us it covers many homeschooling subjects like biology, history, social studies, math and P.E., “We also use our garden to teach our kids about taking care of others. You can always plant a little extra to make sure you’re able to donate to neighbors in need.”
Community. New hobbies can connect you to new communities. You can connect with other gardeners in your area – online for now, of course – to learn about local soil and seasonality. You can also donate and share your produce with your current community of friends, neighbors and family. Cook told us having a garden has made new connections for her, “My garden is in my front yard that faces a street that people use as part of a common walking route. One of the unexpected benefits of my garden has been all the amazing people I have met while I am out working. Without the garden, those people would never have stopped to chat.”
What you need to know before you start
Start small. It can be easy to go crazy and try to build the perfect Pinterest garden, but if you’re new to home gardening, it’s best to keep your first try simple. You’ll also want to think about how much time and money you’re able to invest in the garden once the stay-at-home mandates lift. Consider what you’ll be able to maintain once you go back to your normal routine.
Resist the urge to jump in and convert your entire gardening space during your first season. Let the garden and area grow with you as your knowledge expands. You may start off thinking you want to grow food crops, and after doing research, you realize you would instead grow flowers.”
Timothy Hammond, Big City Gardener
Scope out your space. Before you buy seeds or start building garden boxes, consider where your garden can live. Cook told us to consider the year-round sun exposure and the reach of your water source, “I guarantee you won’t want to be hauling buckets of water in the middle of summer out to your garden. Find an area that can easily be reached by a hose.” If you live in an apartment, you might use balcony or terrace space, or consider plants that thrive indoors.
Research your region. Where you live will impact some of the things you can plant and when they’ll thrive. For some states, it’s the perfect time to start planting for a summer harvest. In other areas, the soil is still frozen in the Spring and you’ll want to consider cold-weather options. Our expert gardeners recommend the Old Farmer’s Almanac for all your regional garden planning. You can also connect with local Facebook groups versed in home gardening.
Easy projects for beginners
Save your scraps. You can start growing food with the produce you already have in your kitchen. All you need is water and small plastic containers. Chelsea Wells-Barrett, owner of The Green Acre Homestead, said to “Cut off the butt or end of a bunch of celery or head of romaine lettuce and place it in a shallow container with an inch of water. Within a week, you’ll see new growth. Be sure to change the water once or twice a day and take pictures daily to document the growth!” This method works best with sprout and root veggies like celery, potatoes, lettuce, leeks or green onion.
Herbs. Like succulents, herbs are hard to kill. It’s a great starter plant with low up-front investment (in money and labor). Herbs like cilantro, mint, parsley, rosemary and basil may have slightly varying needs, but are pretty adaptable. You can plant them in a pot on your windowsill, or in the backyard. And if you use a starter plant, rather than seeds, you’ll be able to harvest in no time.
Seed starters from your local farms. Many local farms and garden centers are offering drive-up or delivery service to purchase seed and plant starter kits for your own garden. It’s a great way to support local businesses while getting a jump start on some home produce.
Flower beds. Food isn’t the only thing you can garden. Flowers can brighten your landscape and spirits. Wells-Barrett told us, “Flower beds can also be a fun beginner gardening project because they add a little pizazz to your landscape, whether that be a balcony or front porch. Try planting flowers that attract pollinators: Calendula, marigolds and my personal favorite, sunflowers.”
If you decide to start gardening at home, take a picture of your progress and tag us @freshome.
The post Is Now a Good Time to Start a Home Garden? appeared first on Freshome.com.
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Is Now a Good Time to Start a Home Garden?
Home gardening, especially among millennials, is more popular than ever. Between 2008 and 2013, there was a 63% rise in millennial gardening. Now that most of the nation is staying home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, it could be the perfect time to start a home garden (as long as you don’t violate stay-at-home orders or social distancing practices to buy supplies). We spoke with some expert gardeners about how to get started.
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Why it’s a great idea to start a garden right now
Fresh produce. Having your own source of fresh produce can be healthier, save you money and be really rewarding. There’s also no mystery about potential contamination or chemicals.
It’s good for you. Gardening has both physical and mental health benefits. It’ll get you outside for a bit of Vitamin D and help with any stir-crazy feelings. Gardening can help relieve stress, make you feel more productive and provide some exercise. Timothy Hammond, a home gardener, told us, “Gardening for 2.5 hours a week can help achieve the same target heart rate as a moderate-intensity workout. It also provides light strength training.”
You’ve got kids at home. If you have kids home from school right now, gardening is the perfect activity. Sarah Cook, founder of Sustainable Cooks, told us it covers many homeschooling subjects like biology, history, social studies, math and P.E., “We also use our garden to teach our kids about taking care of others. You can always plant a little extra to make sure you’re able to donate to neighbors in need.”
Community. New hobbies can connect you to new communities. You can connect with other gardeners in your area – online for now, of course – to learn about local soil and seasonality. You can also donate and share your produce with your current community of friends, neighbors and family. Cook told us having a garden has made new connections for her, “My garden is in my front yard that faces a street that people use as part of a common walking route. One of the unexpected benefits of my garden has been all the amazing people I have met while I am out working. Without the garden, those people would never have stopped to chat.”
What you need to know before you start
Start small. It can be easy to go crazy and try to build the perfect Pinterest garden, but if you’re new to home gardening, it’s best to keep your first try simple. You’ll also want to think about how much time and money you’re able to invest in the garden once the stay-at-home mandates lift. Consider what you’ll be able to maintain once you go back to your normal routine.
Resist the urge to jump in and convert your entire gardening space during your first season. Let the garden and area grow with you as your knowledge expands. You may start off thinking you want to grow food crops, and after doing research, you realize you would instead grow flowers.”
Timothy Hammond, Big City Gardener
Scope out your space. Before you buy seeds or start building garden boxes, consider where your garden can live. Cook told us to consider the year-round sun exposure and the reach of your water source, “I guarantee you won’t want to be hauling buckets of water in the middle of summer out to your garden. Find an area that can easily be reached by a hose.” If you live in an apartment, you might use balcony or terrace space, or consider plants that thrive indoors.
Research your region. Where you live will impact some of the things you can plant and when they’ll thrive. For some states, it’s the perfect time to start planting for a summer harvest. In other areas, the soil is still frozen in the Spring and you’ll want to consider cold-weather options. Our expert gardeners recommend the Old Farmer’s Almanac for all your regional garden planning. You can also connect with local Facebook groups versed in home gardening.
Easy projects for beginners
Save your scraps. You can start growing food with the produce you already have in your kitchen. All you need is water and small plastic containers. Chelsea Wells-Barrett, owner of The Green Acre Homestead, said to “Cut off the butt or end of a bunch of celery or head of romaine lettuce and place it in a shallow container with an inch of water. Within a week, you’ll see new growth. Be sure to change the water once or twice a day and take pictures daily to document the growth!” This method works best with sprout and root veggies like celery, potatoes, lettuce, leeks or green onion.
Herbs. Like succulents, herbs are hard to kill. It’s a great starter plant with low up-front investment (in money and labor). Herbs like cilantro, mint, parsley, rosemary and basil may have slightly varying needs, but are pretty adaptable. You can plant them in a pot on your windowsill, or in the backyard. And if you use a starter plant, rather than seeds, you’ll be able to harvest in no time.
Seed starters from your local farms. Many local farms and garden centers are offering drive-up or delivery service to purchase seed and plant starter kits for your own garden. It’s a great way to support local businesses while getting a jump start on some home produce.
Flower beds. Food isn’t the only thing you can garden. Flowers can brighten your landscape and spirits. Wells-Barrett told us, “Flower beds can also be a fun beginner gardening project because they add a little pizazz to your landscape, whether that be a balcony or front porch. Try planting flowers that attract pollinators: Calendula, marigolds and my personal favorite, sunflowers.”
If you decide to start gardening at home, take a picture of your progress and tag us @freshome.
The post Is Now a Good Time to Start a Home Garden? appeared first on Freshome.com.
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Is Now a Good Time to Start a Home Garden? https://ift.tt/3dZ1cit
Home gardening, especially among millennials, is more popular than ever. Between 2008 and 2013, there was a 63% rise in millennial gardening. Now that most of the nation is staying home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, it could be the perfect time to start a home garden (as long as you don’t violate stay-at-home orders or social distancing practices to buy supplies). We spoke with some expert gardeners about how to get started.
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Why it’s a great idea to start a garden right now
Fresh produce. Having your own source of fresh produce can be healthier, save you money and be really rewarding. There’s also no mystery about potential contamination or chemicals.
It’s good for you. Gardening has both physical and mental health benefits. It’ll get you outside for a bit of Vitamin D and help with any stir-crazy feelings. Gardening can help relieve stress, make you feel more productive and provide some exercise. Timothy Hammond, a home gardener, told us, “Gardening for 2.5 hours a week can help achieve the same target heart rate as a moderate-intensity workout. It also provides light strength training.”
You’ve got kids at home. If you have kids home from school right now, gardening is the perfect activity. Sarah Cook, founder of Sustainable Cooks, told us it covers many homeschooling subjects like biology, history, social studies, math and P.E., “We also use our garden to teach our kids about taking care of others. You can always plant a little extra to make sure you’re able to donate to neighbors in need.”
Community. New hobbies can connect you to new communities. You can connect with other gardeners in your area – online for now, of course – to learn about local soil and seasonality. You can also donate and share your produce with your current community of friends, neighbors and family. Cook told us having a garden has made new connections for her, “My garden is in my front yard that faces a street that people use as part of a common walking route. One of the unexpected benefits of my garden has been all the amazing people I have met while I am out working. Without the garden, those people would never have stopped to chat.”
What you need to know before you start
Start small. It can be easy to go crazy and try to build the perfect Pinterest garden, but if you’re new to home gardening, it’s best to keep your first try simple. You’ll also want to think about how much time and money you’re able to invest in the garden once the stay-at-home mandates lift. Consider what you’ll be able to maintain once you go back to your normal routine.
Resist the urge to jump in and convert your entire gardening space during your first season. Let the garden and area grow with you as your knowledge expands. You may start off thinking you want to grow food crops, and after doing research, you realize you would instead grow flowers.”
Timothy Hammond, Big City Gardener
Scope out your space. Before you buy seeds or start building garden boxes, consider where your garden can live. Cook told us to consider the year-round sun exposure and the reach of your water source, “I guarantee you won’t want to be hauling buckets of water in the middle of summer out to your garden. Find an area that can easily be reached by a hose.” If you live in an apartment, you might use balcony or terrace space, or consider plants that thrive indoors.
Research your region. Where you live will impact some of the things you can plant and when they’ll thrive. For some states, it’s the perfect time to start planting for a summer harvest. In other areas, the soil is still frozen in the Spring and you’ll want to consider cold-weather options. Our expert gardeners recommend the Old Farmer’s Almanac for all your regional garden planning. You can also connect with local Facebook groups versed in home gardening.
Easy projects for beginners
Save your scraps. You can start growing food with the produce you already have in your kitchen. All you need is water and small plastic containers. Chelsea Wells-Barrett, owner of The Green Acre Homestead, said to “Cut off the butt or end of a bunch of celery or head of romaine lettuce and place it in a shallow container with an inch of water. Within a week, you’ll see new growth. Be sure to change the water once or twice a day and take pictures daily to document the growth!” This method works best with sprout and root veggies like celery, potatoes, lettuce, leeks or green onion.
Herbs. Like succulents, herbs are hard to kill. It’s a great starter plant with low up-front investment (in money and labor). Herbs like cilantro, mint, parsley, rosemary and basil may have slightly varying needs, but are pretty adaptable. You can plant them in a pot on your windowsill, or in the backyard. And if you use a starter plant, rather than seeds, you’ll be able to harvest in no time.
Seed starters from your local farms. Many local farms and garden centers are offering drive-up or delivery service to purchase seed and plant starter kits for your own garden. It’s a great way to support local businesses while getting a jump start on some home produce.
Flower beds. Food isn’t the only thing you can garden. Flowers can brighten your landscape and spirits. Wells-Barrett told us, “Flower beds can also be a fun beginner gardening project because they add a little pizazz to your landscape, whether that be a balcony or front porch. Try planting flowers that attract pollinators: Calendula, marigolds and my personal favorite, sunflowers.”
If you decide to start gardening at home, take a picture of your progress and tag us @freshome.
The post Is Now a Good Time to Start a Home Garden? appeared first on Freshome.com.
Danika Miller
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