The Best of Friends

Hello best of friends!
It is so nice to see you!
Thank you for being my saving grace.

 I am really struggling with my health again at the moment, but knowing that you are there & that I can visit with you makes all the difference to my getting through the week in tact, just now.
I am working closely with a lovely homeopath & continuing all my "nourishing traditions" & trying hard to believe that I will come through this strange time (eventually) enriched, empowered, humbled, more compassionate & knowing a lot more stuff! I am reading that menopause can be a transformational time for many woman. I think, that for some of us, it is the time to take stock of many things, including the impact of the past on our emotional & physical health & to find new ways of moving beyond the dumb legacies. I am going to become a wise woman called "Katie the Gatherer" ; ) instead. The biggest challenge for me, just now is anxiety, depression & ridiculously sore teeth..that almost never let up. So weird!
 I am, however, a gatherer (in case you hadn't noticed) & I am so glad to have a pile of choko to eat through these chilly autumn evenings. Sometimes I don't feel like eating much but these yummy vegetables that my friend Ruth has grown, are just delicious. The name seems to be a bit of a stumbling block for many people. Chayote, another of their handles, doesn't overly improve the situation much. They taste like a firm kamo kamo or very tasty zucchini. I used my peeler to make strips & cooked them with a little butter & leeks the other night & that was yummy.
The textured green things are another gatherer find..unnamed, probably best not eaten!

 Kaitiaki is coming to visit on Mondays for a while after school while his mother is busy.
That's good 'cos Pop has a day off on Mondays & he can help Kai with his favourite subject..maths!
This week the help was aided by an abacus & a brussel sprout.

 For $2 from the Farmer's Market & with a double life & purpose that seems pretty good value to me.
Luckily Pop adores brussel sprouts...& so do I.

 Isn't this the sweetest idea.
I found it in the first few pages of my April Country Living magazine.
Could easily be made as a brooch too don't you think?

 Rob immediately spotted our new colanders cousin, a page or two over..

 What's the story with the handle on the inside do you reckon?
I am loving our sweet persimmons. Very yummy for lunch.
 Aren't they nice & bright & happy?

 Aren't pears just huggable!
I found some Taylor's Gold this week.
Sometimes I admire them too long & forget to eat them in time.

 My best tree of all is my guava.
Such a great small evergreen tree & the birds even leave the fruit alone.

 I have other friends though.

But then my other favourite autumn fruit is the feijoa.

I am always so sad when the season is over.

I wander round & round under the tree for weeks afterwards hoping for one last little fruit to fall out of the tree.

 They really are moreish.
I shouldn't have wandered off & left this lot alone!

 They are delicious with figs too..especially with a drizzle of honey & a splash of rosewater & then leave to macerate for half an hour or so (hidden if necessary).

 One of the funnest, most useful things I have found in ages are these vintage enamel egg poachers.

 I just love them & they make a fabulous job of my eggs.
Yes, a bit watery on the plate I know, but it was delicious.

 This vintage Sanderson made it's way to my house this week. I adore the richness of the colours.
I just need to get over myself & get on & make some cushions with it now...after I wash out the old musty smell.

 We walked down at Pakowhai Country Park again this morning.

 Everyone else seems to have a dog or two in tow..

they sure come in all shapes & sizes.

The sausage dog was too far away for a photo ; )

It was a very crisp

  but beautiful morning.

 Well, best of friends...aren't these little ones so sweet?
The book was a discard at the library.
I was so delighted to find it...& for 50c.
I felt as if I had been given a special gift, just for me.
That I can also share with you : )

I'll show you some more of the pictures another time.

Thanks so much for dropping by to see me.

Hope you have a lovely week.

MUCH

 ♥♥♥♥♥

Motheringly, Sunday

Happy, happy day all my sweet mother friends!!

You are precious & wonderful!

I serenade you with birdsong!

I feel so blessed every time a Tui visits my garden..

and even more delighted when I find that he has brought a Bellbird friend along to sing his little heart out with him!

I have made delicious figs in your honour,

They are gently simmered in the juice of an orange, two tablespoons of honey & a vanilla pod for around 45 mins (lid on for first half hour). Then pop them in the oven as low as it will go (or around 75 degrees C) for the day, or overnight.

The result is a little bit different each time..sometimes the figs are very juicy so there is more "sauce"...that becomes sticky & so delicious! There are lots of other variations you could make up like adding cardomom or ginger. These will last for a couple of weeks in the fridge if you hide them well enough! I think I might try putting some figs in the freezer so that we don't have to eat them all now.

Autumn colours take my breath away.

Oh look..the Bellbird returned to the front garden. I have never seen one in town before.

When I popped into The Greendoor, garden centre last week I was greeted at the door by this glorious display.

Isn't that beautiful...in honour of mothers!

This cheery little face has been lovingly handpainted. It must have taken ages!

I love Kate Greenaway...isn't this sweet?

Look at the cat. 

A rose for you today..so sweetly scented.
 I found this rose elixir tutorial yesterday.
 I've made a tiny jar as I only have a few scented roses left.

Of all my 4392 pins on Pinterest the pictures most commented on are of Lily-of-the-valley..so here's a bunch for you. It's especially French. I hope you can smell it.

This is the sweetest little video of a mother & her daughter..a song

 by Claire Holley called Another Day.

Alisa this song is most especially for you..the bravest Mumma I know.

 I hope those kiddos spoil you & hug you to bits today.

I appreciate you all so much.
 Hugs, kisses & much beauty to you all.
Have a wonderful day!
MUCH

 ♥♥♥♥♥

Creating a Life With Soul

Creating a life with soul...
Creating a home with soul...
I feel fairly certain that most of us, most of all, just really want somewhere to belong...a place to call home.
A place that has warmth & love & soul.
If we carried this thought a little closer to our hearts sometimes I think we might discover that our lives were richer & more wonderful than we had realized.
The choices..to live a richer, better life are often so very simple..

and usually they are the things & habits that are done daily.

The heart-warming, body-nourishing, soul-engaging simple things.

Often they are the creative ways. The ways of the past but instead of having to make do & mend as many of our grandmothers did, we can make do & mend & create to make a home with soul.

Creativity & vitality can even extend to every day meals.
I am learning to love breakfast for the first time in my life. In fact I am learning so much about nourishing traditions & nurturing ways this year that my life will not ever be the same again.

I love Good magazine, as you can tell. I love the nostalgic touches & the good old fashioned, down to earth ...let's inspire & pass on knowledge, choices & information.

Foraging is such a richly rewarding past-time. It can be so easily incorporated into everyday kind of exercise, like walking & helps you connect to the place you live, your own neighbourhood & the people who live in it. Just 5 minutes down the road from our place is Pakowhai Country Park. At this time of the year it is so beautiful & such a lovely place to explore.

The Raupare stream runs through the middle of the park & there are lots of open meadow-ish spaces.

Even in a country park people can be loud & vigorous, much like the exuberant dog friends they bring with them, but if you slow down & begin to look around you can find nourishing herbs

and dear little friends.

No-one seemed to notice the enormous old fig tree..

well no-one but the birds who were wildly feasting when we arrived. We collected a huge bag of luscious figs. I'll show you what I did with them next time.

A few days later we took our Kaitiaki (grandson 2) through the "secret way" to the Farmer's Market.

It was left to Pop to carry the heavy things...like this gorgeous Muscque de Provence pumpkin & 4 litres of Village Press olive oil.

These pumpkins are so delicious. Weighing in at 10 kgs I think we might have to share it with the neighbours when we eventually cut it.

Kaitiaki had lunch with us & played at our house for a while. He really liked the little laundry things that I had found for the doll's house.

I was needing a bit of a hand on the walnut front. Thanks to my friend Gaye's suggestion, we now put the shells into paper bags & use them as firestarters.

I am very thankful for my friend Ruth who is also a constant gatherer.

A few weeks ago we went gathering walnuts at the back of her orchard...

 & across the creek & over here..

Lovely big walnuts are now drying in my washing baskets & a few hazelnuts too.

Ruth has three daughters & they have just set off on the most remarkable journey. They are walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, some 800 miles from The Pyrenees mountains to near the coast of Spain. A pilgrimage taken by many through the ages for as many reasons as there are people, but it is said that James (the brother) of John was buried at Camino de Santiago de Compostela & that the Camino trail is the path that his followers took on the way to find his resting place.

I was so glad that I was able to join some friends & see this wonderful movie "The Way" on Wednesday night & even more delighted to find myself sitting beside a veteran pilgrim Barry who had walked the Camino Way some 10 years ago..what an interesting man. I feel very blessed by the encounter and mention the movie because it really is a just wonderful & you just might like it too.  

I am so glad that you came to visit...thank you for being here!! And for your lovely comments & conversations. I so appreciate you all!

Wishing you sunshine & roses in this coming week.

MUCH

 ♥♥♥♥♥