Friday Favourites: Baking, Flowers, Books

 

In the evening light the garden glows. I hate to admit to the waning of summer, but it's coming. Days are shorter, nights are cooler. Hydrangeas mellow from bright blue to soft mauves and beiges. Still beautiful. 

This week we enjoyed dinner with friends, eaten outdoors in just the right temperature. We didn't linger long, though, as cool air drifted in with the twilight. I made a peach-plum galette for dessert. Extreme cold last winter ruined the stone fruit crop in our province's fruit growing area, so peaches are imported from the USA - Georgia or California. I confess that they are not quite the same as our local ones, but still sweet and delicious. Not a crumb is left of the galette. 

Most of my poppies self-seed and are of the double pink variety. One lone stem of darker purple ones grew up among the squashes this week. I've marked it and will save the seed in hopes of having more next summer. Also in the garden, dahlias, zinnias (finally), rudbeckia, and roses continue to bloom. The grass is dry and brown, typical for our area, and shrub leaves are beginning to show that weary green colour of late summer. 

This week I also baked a fig clafoutis. The two of us polished it off over the course of a couple of days. I love this rich season of produce and try to use what's in season. 

No book photos, but I recently finished The Private Patient by P.D. James. I love all the descriptions of rooms and houses in the book, along with the puzzle of figuring out who did the dastardly deed. Always a delight to read this author. 

Pockets of Coziness

 

In the still dark morning, the faint scent of wood smoke sometimes drifts in lightly on a cold breeze through the cracked open bedroom window. Two of our neighbours heat their homes with woodstoves, such a lovely even heat, and the scent is evocative of north woods cabins and homes in the northern interior of BC where I grew up. (My sense of smell now comes and goes.)

I walked this morning, twice around the bog where placid ducks lined the path or drifted on the still water. Muted colours, grey skies, and gloves on my hands are reminders that it's only January and very likely to get colder before spring comes. In fact, a cold front is moving in over the weekend.

Anne Youngson, author of Three Women and a Boat, included the phrase "pockets of coziness" when talking about houses. It's evocative of homes that welcome, of warming soups and stews, of glowing fires, and of reading while wrapped in a soft shawl, of hot tea and fresh bread. After being outdoors in the chilly air, walking into a cozy home is a contrast that delights.

 

I've had a fairly unproductive few weeks, taking advantage of the quiet season to spend slow days at home doing little beyond the regular necessary tasks, choosing instead to read and putter. 

This week, however, in a spurt of energy I made a list of some things I'd like to accomplish and worked towards that. When I saw that Seville oranges were available, I added making marmalade to the list. It's a meditative process, slicing all the peel into thin slivers, then stirring for many minutes, swirling the golden mixture in a figure eight pattern over and over again. Time for thinking or for just staring out the window. 

I started a hand sewing project - a Japanese rice bag, komebukuro. First I pieced scraps of linen and cotton and now I'm adding patches and hand stitching similar to sashiko. It's coming along nicely, but I'm in no hurry as I poke the needle down and pull it up, stitch by stitch. 

These are some of the pockets of coziness I'm finding in my home - how about you? 

Comforts of Home

A few weeks ago, Mary of A Breath of Fresh Air, showed us her favourite chair and suggested we do the same. I am just now getting around to it. In the evenings I love to curl up in this blue brocade chair (bluer than it looks in this photo), sometimes with my feet under me, sometimes with my feet on the pouf. 

There is a soft cashmere shawl to wrap around myself for a little more warmth, if needed, and a pillow at my back. Most chairs are too deep for me to sit comfortably without a pillow. I read here, and stitch, with a cup of tea on a small table beside me. 

My Christmas Cactus, given to me by a friend 10 or 12 years ago, is blooming now - there is just a glimpse of it above the chair. I think it's a February cactus, for it tends to bloom this time every year. 

I bought a white poinsettia for Christmas, and a few weeks ago all the leaves began falling off. The white "flowers" are really modified leaves, or bracts, and the actual flower of the plant is very nondescript and small, found in the center of the bracts. I clipped stems of the bracts and placed them in water, like a cut flower. They have lasted and lasted. 
 

We've had a relaxing start to the day, and I'm puttering at the laundry and tidying up. A pot of soup simmers on the stove. No rain today, but cloud cover dulls the sky. I'm off now to fold a load of laundry and put the clean sheets onto the bed. 

Thoughts on Decorating a House

 

Good morning. Outside my window the wind is tossing the just-opening lilacs. Puffy clouds move steadily across the sky. It's a much cooler week than last, and there's been needed rain. The colour of the week is green, green, green. The blooms in my garden are mostly blue - bluebells, blue mountain cornflower, and blue forget-me-nots. A few pink tulips and white candytuft add a bit of contrast. I'm enjoying clipping a few blossoms here and there for bouquets in the house. 

For as long as I can remember I've loved the colour blue. Blue for my wardrobe choices, blue for my home decor. My mom always thought I looked best in pink, and my family tells me red suits me. I do wear those colours, but when I'm shopping for clothing or fabric I naturally gravitate to blue. 

In my home I've flirted with green and pink and yellow, but here, too, I remain faithful to blue and cool greys, whites, and beiges. There are so many shades of blue, from sea glass turquoise to rich teal to crisp navy. I love them all. 

I recently replaced the curtains in the living and dining rooms. The procedure took much longer than I'd planned because I did a lot of thinking about what I wanted and then what I wanted took a lot of work. I found some panels at Home Sense in a cotton jacquard from Portugal. They were just to be gathered onto rods, but I first thought of putting grommets into them. Then I thought about lining them. In the end, I ripped out the seams down to flat panels, lined them, and used shirring tape and hooks for hanging them. 

It was difficult to get a proper photo with the light from the window, but you get the idea. I'll keep trying. Perhaps at night.  I had some navy blackout curtains before, and I prefer these softer looking ones. 

While at a consignment goods store in Oak Bay (Good Things) I saw a whole set of Royal Crown Derby Mikado Blue porcelain for sale, individually priced. I indulged in four dinner plates and love the way they look on my china dresser. 

I recently skimmed through "Decorating a Room of One's Own" by Susan Harlan. It's a series of imagined interviews with literary characters such as Jane Eyre, Miss Havisham, Marilla of Anne of Green Gables, and others. It's witty, and in places very funny, but it got to be too much after awhile. Perhaps it's a book to pick up and read in bits and pieces.

In the introduction, Harlan writes "In the end, decorating a house is a lot like writing. You are arranging things in relationship to other things in a precise and thoughtful way in order to create something beautiful." That's an excellent way to describe both writing and decorating and the quotation went into my journal immediately.

Do you have a most favourite colour? Do you enjoy decorating your home and arranging things to suit you?

Thank you for your lovely comments on my last post, especially from readers I've never heard from previously. I wasn't eliciting praise, just setting out a thought I've been having. I don't plan to stop blogging, but I wonder if I'm repeating myself over and over. 

Also, Betsy J in PA - I can't find a contact for you, and you can find my email by clicking "my complete profile" on the right hand side of the blog under my photo. Also I'm on Instagram as lorrie.orr.creative and you can message me there. I'd love to answer your questions.

Friday Five: Home and Garden

 

This morning I looked out of my bedroom window at 6:30 am to see the fat gold full moon shining over the Sooke Hills. Each day is a bit longer and a bit brighter. 

My seed order arrived recently. In a week or two I'll start some seeds indoors, but most will have to wait for a month or two before planting. I love looking at these packages of potential and I think about working the soil, and the warm days of summer to come. 

This week I pruned roses and then dug the last of the winter carrots and beets from the garden. Although the tops mostly disappeared, the vegetables are fresh and crisp. From the carrots I made a smooth ginger-flavoured soup with coconut milk and froze enough for three meals for the two of us. 

Quick pickled vegetables - here radishes, red onions, and carrots - add bright crispness to salads and sandwiches. A simple 1-1 vinegar water solution with a bit of sugar and salt is the base. I add peppercorns to the jars, the onions also have a clove of garlic, and the carrots are good with a sprig of fresh rosemary. A couple of days in the fridge and they are ready to go.

These two darlings have been staying with us for a few days while their house is being painted. We've all restricted our contacts and it's positively delightful (and delightfully chaotic) with a 20-month-old and a 3-month-old. There are have been songs and games, tower building and books, cuddles and giggles galore. 

I picked up these tulips at the grocery store this week. Our garden tulips are weeks and weeks away; they are just now poking sharp leaves up from the ground. Bright colours are mood-lifters as we wait for spring to arrive. 

February is almost over and March will follow. Will it come in like a lion or like a lamb? We'll have to wait and see. 

Our weekend involves family and more home keeping. A walk is planned, and there will be good food to enjoy, and the busyness of two little ones. I am grateful for the time I can spend with them, and that I can help out in small ways. 

What does your weekend look like? 

Five on Friday

 

Isn't this a striking male House Finch? We are seeing a good variety of birds around our feeder these days. They flutter in one at a time and then a colourful charm of finches perch on railings and rosebushes, awaiting their turn at the feeder. 

This is the first year Pine Siskins have visited the feeder. They are such scrappy things, beating their wings furiously when another bird gets too close, not wanting to share. On a recent cold morning, this particular Pine Siskin sat on the railing with his feathers fluffed while he waited. 

Our breakfast table looks out to where the feeders are. We have a ringside seat to bird antics. The table is an old one that belonged to Tim's mother, and to another family connection before that. 

Tim brought the two chairs home from the office many years ago and our youngest used them in her home. She painted them black and upholstered them in a beautiful rich gold and black pattern. She no longer needs them, so we took them. Over the Christmas break, Tim stripped, sanded, primed and painted them. I chose the colour and bought the upholstery fabric. He did the work. I'm so pleased with the way they turned out. They are very comfortable, too. 

"Food is for eating, and good food is to be enjoyed...
I think food is, actually, very beautiful in itself." Delia Smith

Salads are good any time of year and we eat a lot of them. With the sky-rocketing price of lettuce, I'm looking for alternatives for winter salads. Last night we enjoyed this one: English cucumber, quick pickled red onion, a jalapeno pepper (finely minced), a handful of roasted salted peanuts, and some parsley. Tossed with a little soy sauce and sesame oil, it made a delicious dish and I'm looking forward to finishing it for lunch. 

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough
to suit me." C. S. Lewis

January is Hot Tea Month (I don't know who decides these things...). Hot tea is served year round here, but it is especially enjoyable with my back to the fire on a rainy day. My eldest daughter gave me the mug for Christmas - isn't it pretty? It's a good size, too, and perfect for the first cup of the morning!

And so ends the first week of January. My, it's been eventful, hasn't it? Our restrictions have been extended for another month, which makes us all very sad, but we will hang in there.  School is still in session, so I'm not feeling too restricted, other than not being able to see my family. I'm so glad for technology that allows us to connect with our loved ones.

I'm sending wishes for a good weekend ahead to all of you. Treat yourself well. Be kind to others. 

No Place Like Home

 

Jane Austen said it well, "There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." I'm so thankful for our home - it is a place of rest and restoration, of laughter and tears, and certainly, of comfort. 

My American friends are thinking about Thanksgiving, but since we here in Canada celebrated last month, I'm thinking about Christmas. Most of my shopping is done, and making of gifts is well underway. 

I've not really begun decorating - I like to wait until Advent for that, but I did pull out my red dishes. Then I thought it looked a little bare, so I went out with my clippers and snipped some greenery. It will all have to be changed and freshened up a couple of times between now and Christmas. 

When I bring in greenery from my garden, I plunge it all into a sink (or tub) full of water with some white vinegar added, to clean it and get rid of any lurking bugs. 

I love the graceful shape of this teacup, purchased in Switzerland when I went on a tour with my mom and sister in 2009. 

Everywhere I look in my home, objects spark memories. There's the watercolour painting we bought while boating one year, and the store wrapped it up well because we had an open dinghy ride over choppy water before getting back to the boat. There are plants from friends, and furniture made by Tim, and it all adds layers of meaning to us. Homes are very personal places and should reflect the personalities of the people who live there. 

Yesterday I roasted a chicken for a midday dinner, and served it on the red plates. I'll use them regularly now. I served a sliced orange and avocado salad alongside. 

This weekend was Christmas Fruitcake time, too. I chopped and mixed all the fruit - dates, raisins, glace cherries, nuts, and cranberries with some liqueur and let it sit overnight before mixing up the batter and baking the cakes. This recipe is one I have not tried before and I don't think I'll make it again. It's okay, but has pineapple in it and we think the pineapple dominates the flavour too much. Still, it's quite edible. I'll be brushing them with rum over the next weeks, and some will be given away. 

Sandi, at Rose Chintz Cottage, is hosting a weekly "No Place Like Home" link up for a few weeks. She's a fellow Canadian, living on an Island on the opposite side of Canada from me. Blogging is a wonderful way to make connections. 

Are you thinking about Christmas yet? 

A Friday Five: Day by Day

 

1. When there is a sunny break on the weekend, we like to go for a walk. One recent stroll took us to Sidney-by-the-Sea where beautiful Mount Baker (in Washington State) dominates the view on a clear day. I waited to take the shot until the container ship crossed into the photo. Those things are massive!

2. Another day we walked around the Bog for different views. It's an ever-changing mix of water, foliage, and birds. 

Our Island has been mostly protected from the pandemic with very few cases, until this week. Numbers are still low, relatively speaking, but two long-term care homes have cases, which means my husband, who works in administration, is working long, long hours. In addition, our Provincial Health Officer mandated new restrictions and we are not to gather, indoors or out, with anyone other than our household, until December 7. Schools are still in session, with continued strict protocols that seem to be working. I enjoy visiting with my children via Skype or phone. Little Iris, 17 months old, walks over to the computer at her house and says, "Nana, Nana" when she wants to talk to me. In other week she will have a sibling and we are all looking forward to that. 

3. I am so very glad that we can go outside and walk and enjoy the beautiful world we live in. What does that tree above care about the pandemic? Not a whit. As social anxiety rises, I pray for calmness. Here are some other things I'm doing to maintain my health, mentally and physically.

     * I limit my exposure to the news. Once a day is just fine. 

     * Creativity - I read recently, just a snippet, that handwork like knitting or embroidery calms the mind and body. I've got sewing projects on the go and love to sit down with hand-sewing. I finished one pair of grandchild Christmas pajamas this week.

     * Reading - I'm still finding that I enjoy simple stories with happy endings, and nothing too challenging. I'm looking forward to beginning my Christmas reading soon.

     * Exercise and eating well. Last night, it was 8:30 before Tim finished going through his work e-mail. We bundled up and went out into the crisp night air. Clouds reflected light from the city, but in the patches of clear dark sky stars shone as they have done for millennia. As we walked along quiet streets and through the woods, we breathed in lovely fresh air. Walking helps me sleep better, too. 

     * Prayer. Knowing that God loves me helps me keep a good perspective on life. 

4. A nuthatch at the feeder. They are so agile, and seem to prefer feeding upsidedown. Such pretty birds with mostly soft colouring, and then the contrast of black and white, like a standout accent piece on a woman's outfit. 

5. I am thoroughly enjoying my mornings at home. I baked gingersnaps this week - deliciously crisp and spicy. One of my favourite cookies. 

Outside my window a bit of rain is falling. I see a few stalwart roses and feverfew flowers blooming, but most of the garden is fading and looking scraggly. I do most of the clean up in the spring, leaving stalks and foliage over the winter as homes for beneficial insects. 

How is your weekend shaping up? I'm looking forward to doing a variety of things around the house - regular household chores, sewing, soup-making, and perhaps a little bit of pre-Christmas faffing. Wishing you the joy of gentle pursuits today. 

A Slower Pace

 

Autumn in a teacup. This photo, taken last year, reflects the season - a few hardy roses still blooming, berries on shrubs, and coloured leaves falling fast. 

On Tuesday I completed an intensive 10 weeks of teaching full-time. It was a marathon and although I will miss my Spanish 11s, I'll be glad for a slower pace. Until the end of January I'll have just two 70-minutes classes, a Spanish 9 and a Spanish 10. I'm looking forward to slower mornings and time to actually finish my mug of tea before heading out the door. 

Yesterday was the Remembrance Day statutory holiday, so no school. I heard the planes fly overhead, and watched a bit of the ceremony commemorating fallen soldiers on television. We will remember them. 

Today and tomorrow are professional development days, and although there are sessions at the school today, my principal gave me the days to stay home. I have some marking to do, and reports, but doing these tasks at home, in front of the fire, with a cup of tea, makes them easier. 

For a cultural activity last week, my 11s made Beef Empanadas. I made some at home beforehand, so I could give them helpful advice. They freeze well and make a quick and easy lunch. I got the recipe from Laylita, an Ecuadorian living in the USA. Her website is fantastic if you like South American food, as we do. 

In a couple of years we are planning a major renovation of our kitchen and downstairs living spaces. In the meantime, Tim has done a few things, like putting in the big window next to the table in the photo above, and installing the gas fireplace. I was standing in the kitchen workspace to take this photo. The kitchen itself is fairly small and will be made a bit larger during the renovation. Meanwhile, we are enjoying this cozy and bright space where we eat most of our meals when it's just the two of us. The white ice cream parlor chairs will be replaced soon. 

While eating breakfast, we watch the birds at the feeder come and go, scrapping at times. House Finches, like the one seen above, are common, as are Dark-eyed Juncos. From time to time we see Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Bushtits. Spotted Towhees come by to pick up any seeds dropped by the other birds. This particular House Finch was awaiting his turn at the feeder. 

Today I am sewing pajamas and nightgowns for the grandchildren for Christmas. I didn't do it last year, and wasn't planning to this year, but my daughter-in-law told me that the almost 10-year-old said something along the lines of "It's almost Christmas - Nana nighty time!" Such encouragement got me going! Yesterday I cut all the fabric and today I'll begin sewing. 

Thank you for all the great Christmas reading suggestions. I plan to compile a list and post it soon. 

Oh yes, there will be some marking done in between times! 

How are you doing these days? Is your pace slower than normal? I know that there are more restrictions with the rising number of Covid19 cases. Schools, however, are staying open, so my job continues as per usual. 

Five on Friday: Between Raindrops and Sunshine

 

Outside my window this Friday afternoon the trees are swaying in the wind and the sky is blue. How different it is from when I left this morning in the midst of pouring rain and dark skies, with the windshield wipers flapping madly. We've been through a few days of this back and forth weather. Summer has slipped quietly away and autumn's mercurial moods have replaced her. 

Yesterday when I arrived home, I took my camera out into the garden for the light was slanted and golden. Blossoms are dwindling, but the ones that remain are truly lovely. I planted a pot of pansies for the back patio and they are thriving. So much so that I believe I will fill another planter or two with them. They provide colour throughout most of the months until spring. 

Late raspberries continue to ripen. There are tomatoes, as well. I thought all the rain might split them, but so far, so good. Several plants are under shelter and they will provide us with tomatoes for another month or so, I think, unless it becomes very cold. I picked another zucchini, a few more green beans, and some blackberries. 

One of my parsley plants went to seed early in the summer. I've left it to grow tall and spindly because of these wonderful seed heads. I clip them for bouquets and love the shape that evokes stars and snowflakes in a mellow shade of green.

While driving today I noticed that pale brown leaves, crisp and dry, are tumbling along the roadways and drifting along the curbs. 

The hydrangeas above look a bit dull - there was no golden September light when I photographed them in between raindrops this morning. There continue to be a few new blossoms on these bushes - no dwindling light and copious rain seem to bother them yet. 

When I hear the rain pounding in the night, I think sometimes about my flowers - like the zinnias - wondering if they will be battered down when I wake up. However, in the morning they are standing tall as ever - bright spots on dark mornings. 

Another hydrangea mellowed to soft colours, and bright yellow rudbeckia beyond. The garden is thriving with this combination of rainfall and sunshine. I'm not minding it, either. I love hearing the rain outside and feeling the gusts of cool air through the open window against my face while I'm snuggled into my blankets. 

Weekend plans include some housekeeping and laundry, and I'd like to tidy my potting bench for the winter. A little reading and some sewing are also planned. Another quiet weekend at home, such as I find utterly satisfying. 

Wishing you the joys of autumn in your own corner of the world. (or spring, if you are from down under)

Friday Five: Filling the Pantry

 

Last Saturday morning we woke up to a strange greyish yellow light. Smoke from wildfires along the western USA coast is drifting north, blanketing much of British Columbia and obscuring the sun. The smoke has drifted around for all of this week, and may stay longer. It's hard on throats and eyes. My heart hurts for those who have lost loved ones and homes in these dreadful fires. 

I've mentioned my slow and minimal crop of tomatoes this year. I bought a box of plum tomatoes and put up 12 pints of Mexican salsa, then 10 more of diced tomatoes. 

In my childhood home we had a small cold room in the basement where outside air entered through a small vent. My father installed shelves and my mother canned peaches, cherries, jams, pickles, and vegetables for our winter eating. The potatoes grown in our garden were also stored here. If vegetables weren't in season we ate frozen or canned produce. Things like fresh broccoli were rare. 

I devoured books from the time I could read, and sometimes those books were beyond my maturity. When I was 10 or 11 I read a book called "I am Fifteen and I Don't Want to Die" in which a young girl describes life under siege during World War II in Budapest. I remember going down to the cold room and looking at the food stored there and wondering if it would last the winter. We never went without, but the stories of hunger during hard times, even today, are haunting and move me to do what I can to help. 

Putting food into the pantry is something my mother, aunts, and grandmothers all did, and I like to do the same, all the while knowing that there are grocery stores nearby to rely upon. 

With our homegrown tomatoes I roasted two pans full with a bit of onion and garlic, some fresh thyme and rosemary and a hefty drizzle of olive oil, for an hour or two at 400 degrees. The time really depends on the juiciness of the tomatoes. I let them cool, then blitzed them in the food processor until a chunky sauce formed. They went into the freezer in mason jars. 

Dinner the other night included more tomatoes - this recipe for Crispy Baked Tomatoes has become a favourite. With green beans from the garden and freshly made applesauce along with Mennonite Farmer's Sausage and Rice, it was a delicious homely meal.

While I'm linking to recipes, several people asked for the Date Loaf recipe from a previous post. I've put it up on my recipe blog, so just follow the link. 

I've been doing some garden trimming and cut back an enormous hydrangea bush. There were some lovely blooms that I hated to throw into the compost, so I put them into a vase on the dining room table. I love the way the colours change from blue to green or pink or pale violet as the seasons advance. 

Today's five photos have sparked another chatty post. I'm looking forward to two days at home after the first full week of teaching. There will be some housework, hopefully time in the garden, and relaxation. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend with moments of loveliness. 

Friday Five: Domesticity and Reading

Our snow is but a memory, quickly melted and washed across the land into the sea by the unrelenting waves of rain that blow in from the Pacific. It's gloomy out there, but on Wednesday, when the rain let up and a bit of weak sunshine braved through around 5:00, I noticed that it was not quite as dark as it had been a few weeks previous. Spring is on its way!

I bought a bunch of tulips at the grocery store and they've lasted more than a week. I trim them as they get rather leggy and long in the water. 

Mugs and cups of steaming tea are consumed throughout the year, not just in the winter. A cup of tea in the morning sets things up for the day for me. The blue and white teapot is from Ten Thousand Villages, made in Vietnam, and given to me by my youngest daughter a number of years ago, and I love it. It makes a good amount, and I'll have a second cup when there's time.

Tim gave me the Ladyship mug a couple of years ago, and when I saw the matching Lordship version, I wanted to get it for him. They are good-sized mugs and are perfect for those mornings when neither of us has to go anywhere, ie the weekend. 

That brings to mind Lady Grantham's words from Downton Abbey "What is a week end?" 

Well, there's another one coming up, and I'm pleased about that! The second term of school finished this week and the new one begins on Monday. 

I made a Roasted Grape and Blue Cheese Flatbread to accompany a soup meal recently. The combination of sharp cheese and sweet fruit is a winner for me. 

I've finished this stack of books; some are better than others. I really enjoyed A Single Thread, about women who embroidered church kneelers after WWII, and The Right Sort of Man, a lighthearted mystery also set after WWII. 

The cookbook on the bottom is all about Persian food and my mouth watered reading it. I like cookbooks with stories, short ones, attached to the recipes, do you? I tried an Orange Chicken recipe from the book and thought it delicious. Tim thought so, too. Turmeric, saffron, orange, onion, cinnamon, and more combined to make it both comforting and fresh-tasting. 

Rain is in the forecast for the foreseeable future. Lots of tea is in my forecast! Happy Weekend.