Five Things I'm Loving this September

 

In the summer you want fresh, light and sort of quick things; in winter you want things that are comforting, so your body really tells you you want to go towards potatoes, apple, fennel, things that are warm and comforting. 

Ina Garten

1. Nothing says Autumn like the first bite of a crunchy fresh apple. Our own apple trees bore abundantly last year, and sparsely this year. No matter. We've been gifted apples from friends, and the market is full of apples of multiple varieties. I most like sweet Honey Crisp and tart Granny Smith apples, with lots of juicy crunch. An apple, quartered and cored, on a plate, makes for a satisfying afternoon snack. Our trees did supply enough to make 11 pints of applesauce, delicious with yogurt, pork roasts, and sausages. Apples are so versatile - apple pie, apple cake, apple crumble - oh, so good to eat. And the fragrance while baking fills the house with comfort. My mouth is watering even as I imagine these delectable goodies. 

The leaves are changing:

I feel poetry in the air.

Laura Jaworski

2. There is some colour showing up on the trees here, but the photo above, taken last year on our trip across Canada, reminds me of the brilliant colour in the temperate forest in Quebec and Ontario. Our leaves are more muted in comparison, with more gold than red. I love a windy day when leaves fly about the streets and gardens. There are still a few weeks to go until we see that here, but I'm anticipating the delight. 

Meanwhile, purple wild asters bloom in the woods, and pale cyclamen glow alongside the path I often walk. 

3. The pantry shelves in the basement are fuller this year than they have been for a few years. Several types of jam, applesauce, and salsa line up like jewels. In the freezer are a year's worth of blueberries, raspberries, and green beans. Preserving food for the winter is not a necessity as it was in the past, but I still enjoy making a few things when fresh produce is in season. I have a lovely crop of beets in the garden, but they can stay there throughout the winter. I pull them as needed. 

Sense of beauty is the gift of God, 

for which those who have received it in good measure,

can never be thankful enough.

Gertrude Jekyll

4. I've been cutting flowers with abandon, filling vases with hydrangeas, dahlias, rudbeckia, feverfew, zinnias, and roses. I know that once the first frost comes this abundance will disappear, so best to enjoy it while we can. The roses seem to lose their petals more quickly now than in the early summer, and each morning I collect a few soft petals from beneath the drooping stems. I take long sniffs of their sweetness knowing that I'll not smell their heady fragrance for long months ahead.

 

There ain't nothing in life better than true love

and a home-grown tomato.

An old saying

5. Tomatoes. Sweet, juicy, and oh, so full of flavour. Nothing can compare to a vine-ripened, sun-warmed tomato. Every day or two I pick another few of them. Simply sliced, drizzled with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a scattering of fresh basil - it's a dish fit for a king. 

And there they are - five things I'm loving this September. How about you? What do you find to admire about this month? 

Wishing you a lovely weekend filled with the delights of a changing season, be it autumn or spring, depending upon where you live. 

Friday Favourites on Saturday

 

Spring is slow to arrive. We've had a week with rain, wind, and snow, and hail. And a wee bit of sunshine that I captured as it cast wonderful shadows on the living room mantel. We're happy for all the moisture as it means snow in the mountains that will feed the streams and rivers later on. I am looking forward to warmer weather, though, and am itching to get out into the garden more. We've begun pruning and trimming and I cleaned up one section of the vegetable garden. 

It's been a quiet week of ordinary things, minutes and hours and days falling gently upon each other, piling up in contentment and satisfaction. Here are a few things that have delighted me this week:

- The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams 

I highly recommend this book about books 

and the power of reading

- prunus tree blossoms, pink and white and oh, so frothy

- homemade sourdough bread

- bright patches of yellow daffodils seen from my 

kitchen window

- a little spring cleaning, so satisfying to see tidy shelves and cupboards

A bit of indoor gardening. Basil is leafing out nicely under lights and I'll likely be potting it up this next week.

And finally, one little incident that tickled my sense of humour. When I remember the linens at my grandmothers' homes, I remember how soft the sheets and pillow cases were. Soft and oh, so thin. This week, while changing pillow cases, one case split wide, and I laughed to think that I now had those same soft, thin linens. It's time for a bit of a refresh, I think. 

Tonight the clocks spring forward, not my favourite thing. There's talk of stopping it, but who knows if or when that will actually happen. Meanwhile, we'll change all the analog clocks and the digital ones will take care of themselves.

Happy Sunday!

Friday Favourites: Welcome Spring!

 

Late daylight on golden daffodils. How beautiful they are. The sunny warm days we've enjoyed have brought out many blooms and gladden my heart. 

In the spirit of keeping it real, I confess that I am sitting on my bed writing this post at 6:30 pm. Two plates and two sets of cutlery lie at the foot of the bed. Tim and I just finished our dinner, purchased at the deli counter at the grocery store.

It's been a bit of a stressful week with tradesmen here refinishing the ceilings on the main floor, and they are still here, working much harder now than they have been all week. You would not believe the mess. Seriously. Splotches of plaster from here to there. Dust everywhere. I've been spending time with my daughters and working in the garden to avoid being in the house. The promised finish time of Wednesday has been extended until Friday morning. Grrr. That afternoon my parents arrive. I hope the work is done by then! I'm trying to be cool about it all, but it's exhausting, and I just want to get to cleaning it all up!

So let's look at beautiful spring things and practice avoidance. 

Our Persian friends brought us a beautiful platter for the new year, celebrated on March 21. Spring is such a logical time for the beginning of a year, don't you think? Everything on the tray (other than the sweets on the little plate) begins with the letter "s" in Farsi. "Haft-seen" meaning seven s' is a tradition of the season of Nowruz, celebrated for over 3000 years in the middle east. There are rich traditions in other cultures, and I love to learn about them. 

Apricot blossoms popped out this week, and I've seen bees and insects flying around, so I hope they are doing their important work that will result in lots of sweet apricots in a few months. 

A few grape hyacinths bloom in sunny spots, and there are many more to come. Hooray for early spring flowers that begin the parade of blossoms. Cooler temperatures and a bit of rain arrived today after I planted potatoes, arugula, radishes, and carrots. 

Last weekend, when I still had a functioning kitchen, I made a simple supper of polenta topped with sauteed asparagus and poached eggs. Fast and simple, and surprisingly delicious. 

The raspberry canes are leafing out. Such delicate colouring and fine shapes that glow in the evening sunlight. 

In another avoidance technique I read Charles' Todd's A Forgotten Place, featuring Bess Crawford. Reading is a stress-buster for me, as even 30 minutes with a book calms me as I lose myself in the story. 

There's a party this weekend, and my parents' visit to look forward to. Anything particular happening in your world in the next couple of days? 

Five on Friday - Rituals and Routines

 

I was given a beautiful vaseful of flowers at Tim's retirement party a couple of weeks ago. The flowers lasted and lasted, and this week I cut them down, threw out the dead ones, and created a smaller new bouquet. 

Beginning a new phase of life - retirement - has meant a shift in routine around here. It's subtle, but things are different. I've been thinking about the routines I've established for myself that are important to me. The non-negotiables, one might say. The things that ground me and help me structure my day.

#1. Exercise: Walking is my favourite form of exercise, along with a bit of stretching and strength building. I'm happy to walk by myself, or with someone else. Often, after dinner Tim and I would walk together through our neighbourhood. Now that he's home, but working on the renovation, he likes to relax in the evenings. I've taken to walking after lunch, or when the noise of saws and drills gets to be too much. How lovely it is to walk in these brighter days, although the wind is still sharp, and mornings chilly. 

#2. Cooking. My kitchen is still functional - to a degree. I'm shifting things around, and more cabinets will disappear this week. After breakfast, Tim covers the counters with drop cloths, we close what doors we can, and I stay out until noon when we find some leftovers or soup for lunch, then the kitchen shuts down again until 5 pm. That gives me time to wipe down the dusty counters and make dinner. 

This is a definite change in routine. I never realized how much time I spend in the kitchen. 

One evening this week I baked banana muffins and granola while preparing dinner. Although I prepared ahead and have meals in the freezer, some last minute things need to be done. I'm adjusting my cooking habits and so far it's going well. I have a few months of upset and things will be back to normal.

#3. Prayer. I hem my day in prayer, beginning by saying "Good morning, God" as I come to wakefulness in my bed. Gratitude for food and health, lifting children and grandchildren to the Lord, amazement at the wonderful world we live in, and prayers for so much brokenness all around. Communication with God throughout the day. Then, at night, a prayer of thankfulness for the day. 

#4. Reading. A day without a few moments with a book just doesn't feel right. Sometimes I manage only a few pages, but I always, always read something. To me, reading is self-care. I lose myself in a story, or am challenged to think about a new concept, or find comfort in re-reading a favourite passage. My husband, to whom reading doesn't mean quite so much, once told me, "For you, reading is like breathing." I thought it a lovely thing for him to say.

The library above is one I visited in Austria, in 2019, at the St. Florian Monastery. My breath caught when I walked in - not visible in my photo are ethereal painted ceilings. It's the most beautiful library I've ever seen. Books are magical!

#5. Eating. We eat three meals each day, with our main meal in the evening. Tim snacks, I usually do not. I cook because I like to eat good food, and because I enjoy it. Meals often anchor a day. I recently enjoyed a lunch of salad greens, sliced pear, and blue cheese. Eating together or alone provides stopping points throughout the day, time to regroup and relax. 

Anne Lamott writes "Daily rituals, especially walks, even forced marches around the neighborhood, and schedules, whether work or meals with non-awful people, can be the knots you hold onto when you've run out of hope." 

What are your rituals and/or routines? Do find they provide structure to your day?

Friday Favourites

 

Close your eyes and do not peek

And I'll rub Spring across your cheek

Smooth as satin, soft and sleek,

Close your eyes and do not peek

One

While walking earlier this week, immense delight bubbled up when I saw the pussy willows along the path. Their soft catkins are impossible not to touch, and are sure harbingers of spring. The blue sky and sun had me soaking in the apricity, an old word meaning the warmth of the sun in winter. 

She turned to the sunlight 

and shook her yellow head.

And whispered to her neighbour, 

"Winter is dead."

A.A. Milne

Two

Tightly closed daffodil buds have been popping up all over town, but the recent warmth has coaxed them out to see what's happening in the world. There are several clumps of the small tete-a-tete variety in my garden, and I wandered around looking at them this afternoon. 

Although much of the house is a mess just now and will be for several months due to the renovations happening, I'm still finding spots to bring in the outdoors - and what is more suitable just now than pussy willows and daffodils? 

Once upon a time there were four little rabbits and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter."

Beatrix Potter

Three

I was at my youngest daughter's house last week and she said, "I have to show you something." We moved over to a window and there were four of the softest, sweetest little bunnies nibbling on the grass outside, two honey-coloured, one grey, and one a soft black. They hopped away as soon as I went outside and in subsequent visits I couldn't get close enough to take a photo. Little Cora really wants to hold one, but that's not going to happen! They are growing rapidly and I managed to capture a photo of two of them a couple of days ago. Soon they will become nuisances, but oh, how sweet they are for now. 

Warm thoughts.

Soup puts the heart at ease...

Auguste Escoffier

Four

I love soup in any season and make a pot at least once a week. Lately, I've been making double batches and freezing them for the day when my kitchen is inaccessible. A recent soup was Broccoli Soup - filled with the goodness of vegetables and no milk or flour. I like to top it with crumbled blue cheese. 

Five

I laughed at these dabbling ducks. They spent far more time with their tails in the air than their heads. They bobbed up for air, then down they went, tails wriggling as they found good things to eat in the shallow water of the bog. 

And one more delight - the song Blessings, by Hollow Coves. A good reminder to "hold onto the ones we love". Wishing you all a lovely weekend. 

Friday Favourites

 

Five moments from this week. I'm writing in the quiet of evening with the fire glowing. Tim and I spent some time this evening going over the plans for the kitchen renovation. We're to the point of ordering cabinets and choosing countertops and sinks. So many decisions. 

1. In my garden the hellebores are just beginning to open. How pretty these are against the browns of late winter garden beds. Lilac buds are beginning to swell and daffodil leaves poke sharp and green from the soil with the promise of later flowers.

2. Inside I got up close and personal with a chrysanthemum. Isn't the symmetry amazing? 

3. These two make me laugh. They sit on the couch cuddling their little stuffies in blankets and pretend-watch television. Iris makes up the story and Cora listens. Then Cora decides to turn off the imaginary television and oh, what a reaction she gets! Iris gets so upset that Cora keeps turning off the imaginary television. It's hilarious. Suggesting they each have a television does not work. 

4. Little animals are ever so happy in the zoo. I savour these times with the little ones and enjoy spending time with them. These young years fly by quickly. Once they attend school there is not as much freedom to spend the day with Nana. 

5. Weather is still chilly around here, in spite of the brightening days. We might even get some more snow. A bowl of Turkey Chili is warming and delicious, and so easy to make. 

Have a wonderful weekend filled with activities you enjoy and people you love. 

Five Thoughts on Friday

 

Hooray for the first crocus bloom! Such a tiny thing to bring joy. Pansies, too, but they bloom most of the year, especially in a pot on the porch. Outside my window this February morning the sun has just been blotted out by a cloud travelling by. How much greyer everything looks, but since the clouds are travelling fast, perhaps the sun will peek out again soon. 

And snowdrops! More to delight. The way their petals lift to open reminds me of nun's wimples or old-fashioned nurse headdresses with white wings flying. From my spot here in the house, the nodding snowdrops are white spots of brightness in my mostly brown garden. 

Inside, the cactus is blooming. I can't call it a Christmas cactus although I thought that's what it was, for it blooms a little in November, and again in February. 

These days I've been going through closets and cupboards, cleaning out things I don't need anymore. Binders and files full of teaching materials - gone - and I feel lighter for it. Cracked dishes - binned. A stack of books to take to the thrift shop is growing. Ceiling fans dusted. (I couldn't believe the amount of dust on the blades.) Linens re-folded and neatly stacked. Cupboards emptied and wiped out. As Marie Kondo says, "The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment." 

The other day I was cooking Chicken Florentine and the kitchen was redolent with garlic. Iris walked in with her mother and sister, and Iris' first words were "What is that amazing smell?" At 3 1/2 she loves to cook and isn't afraid to try new foods.

My daughters and I watched the most recent Downton Abbey movie last weekend. (We would have included daughter-in-law, but she was out of town and has seen it.) We all agreed that spending some time in warm sunny Provence while wearing beautiful clothing sounded most attractive. 

I did an old-fashioned thing and actually purchased a DVD. I've been collecting a few favourites from the thrift store, too. I don't like all this digital stuff - movies disappear from streaming services and are difficult to find sometimes. My family calls me old-fashioned. Do you still watch DVDs or do you stream everything?

"Give yourself a gift: the present moment." Marcus Aurelius

There has been some sunshine lately and I caught it illuminating the fireplace mantel, so I stood and watched for a moment before picking up the camera. The days brighten a little more each day and I can feel my energy levels rising, too. 

Two little girls are coming to stay for two nights and days this weekend while their parents are busy. I made some tiny blueberry muffins, lots of fruit, and a wedge of Brie cheese for Iris (she's quite an adventurous eater), and have games and crafts organized to keep everyone busy. There won't be time for anything but child care, I'm thinking. At least until the evening when I can collapse and do nothing.

What are your weekend plans?

Five on Friday: Reveling in Quiet

 

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. 
Ralph Waldo Emerson

The quieter days of January are welcome after a busy festive season. December was busier than usual, and in looking back, we had at least two events on our calendar for each weekend of the month - usually hosted here, occasionally elsewhere. That's a lot of social engagement for this introvert. 

It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts,
as for that subtle something, that quality of air, that emanation from old trees,
that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.
Robert Louis Stevenson

Today has been a mixed bag of weather. For a few moments I admired the pale sunlight washing the living room in delicate light, throwing shadows onto the furniture and walls. Now, however, wind moans about the house, dark clouds scud across the sky, and rain will soon follow. 

I'm back to continuing my writing project after a month away, and was happy to get right back into the rhythm. 

The days are short. The sun a spark hung thin between the dark and dark. 
John Updike

January is a good month for reading, curled up in a comfortable chair with a warm shawl around one's shoulders and a cup of tea alongside. 

I recently finished The Shepherd's Life by James Rebanks, learning much about the business of keeping sheep, and of the farmers' connection to the land in the Lakes District of England. 

I've just begun Louise Penny's latest A World of Curiosities and am looking forward to getting deeper into the story. 

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand 
and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.
Edith Sitwell

Above is a photo of the dinner table at my parents' home last week. I've added a watercolour pencil effect to the photo. I just love my mom's china and remember her collecting it over the years when I was a child. My mother enjoys setting a beautiful table, something I enjoy, too, having learned it from her. 

Good food is very often, even most often, 
simple food.

Anthony Bourdain

After the delicious indulgences of December, it's time to get back to more simple eating. Today a pot of vegetable soup simmers on the stove, to be accompanied by good bread and a bit of cheese. The other day I used up a solitary beet, a few carrots, mushrooms that were past their best in a roasted vegetable medley to which I added some leftover chopped deli ham and feta cheese. 

Five quotes that reflect January quiet to me, and five photos with commentary. On that note, I wish you all a good weekend. I know that I am looking forward to a quiet one. 

Friday Favourites: More Summer than Autumn

 

In my garden on this first day of September, golden Rudbeckia dominate one bed. I never used to allow yellow into my garden, but one year I planted these, and oh my, have they ever flourished! I will be dividing them in hopes of curtailing their dominance. The purple Echinacea that I had hoped would take over are not as aggressive as the Rudbeckia, but I plan to give them more space. The yellow does add lots of brightness.

One afternoon I took two of the grand girls to Butchart Gardens. It was hot and sunny and not very good for taking photos. But we had a fun time together. Many tourists continue to visit and I enjoyed hearing the cacophony of languages as we wandered the paths. 

On another day Sadie (whose mother is in teaching preparation mode this week), and I accompanied Ashley and her two littles to a nearby lake for the morning. Digging in the sand appealed much more than swimming in the lake. 

Okanagan peaches are in season at the moment and Sadie helped me can 12 pints of them. I peeled and halved them, she put them into jars and poured the syrup over them. The work was done in very little time. How delicious they will be in the darker, colder days to come.

This morning I noticed how the rich fragrance of ripe fruit rose to my nose as I held a round peach and peeled it with a paring knife, the velvet skin pulling away from the golden flesh in long strips. Then the soft plop, plop, plop as the chunks fell into my bowl. I added raspberries and strawberries from the garden, plus yogurt and nuts, and enjoyed a most delicious breakfast, along with a cup of tea. 

I had thought to eat on the patio, but after going outside, I quickly changed my mind. Mornings are cooler, and damp, a harbinger of days to come. Still, the days are pleasantly warm, and summer lingers in spite of the quickly shortening days. Already by 8:30 it's now getting dark. I plan on enjoying every bit of summer I can. 

Friday Favourites - Raspberries, Roses, and a Recipe

 

Outside my window this morning the sky is mottled with fluffy white clouds, streaky grey clouds, and bits of blue in between. Closer to home the fluffy pink poppies dot my garden beds. They come up wherever they please, and I love them so much that I often let them stay where they like, or I move them to another spot. 

Our strawberries are almost finished their first fruiting and now come the raspberries. All the rain has helped them this year. We're enjoying them with our morning granola and yogurt, and some have made it to the freezer. The grandchildren know where the berry patch is and pick to their hearts' content. Little Cora will gladly eat strawberries, green cap and all, if she picks them herself. 

In the house, bouquets of roses fill vases on the mantel and in the hallway. Such luscious colour and fragrance. On the deck, climbing John Cabot scatters hundreds of pink petals in carpet-like fashion.

I found a spot for another new rose this year - Litchfield Gate by David Austin. I can always find a spot for another rose bush. Litchfield Gate's creamy colour shows up well against all the green in the garden beds. 

We moved Falstaff this spring, and it has been late to bloom, but is much happier in full sun than in partial shade. Many roses are suffering from black spot this year with all the damp weather. Soon the first flush of roses will be over and I'm planning on cutting them back quite a bit as we will be away for awhile. 

A crustless vegetable tart (if one can call it a tart without a crust) made a satisfying dinner one evening, accompanied by salad. Zucchini, tomatoes, and onions are combined with goat cheese. I'll post the recipe on my other blog. I started that blog when my children were always asking me for recipes, and I've found it handy to keep them all in one spot. 

My plans for the day include going to pick up a new fig tree from our local grower. We have one, but it doesn't do as well in our short summers, so we're planting another. Then I'll pick up lots of tomatoes and jalapenos to make the year's supply of salsa. It's a cool day, so being in the kitchen will not be uncomfortable. 

Whatever your plans, and do share what they might be, I hope your day is filled with contentment.