End of Spring Reflections

Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of travelling.

Margaret Lee Runbeck

I can't believe how quickly November passed us by! It felt like chilly October hung around a bit too long, but this last month has flown by. Spring, in all its variable and unpredictable glory, has come to an end and I thought I would share with you some reflections of life in general around here lately. The quote above was in a book that I was reading this weekend and it was a perfect reminder that the simple things really do matter and play such an important role in our day-to-day contentment and appreciation.

In the garden

Spring is always a tough time around here. We can get frost as late as November, so often we wait before planting out tomatoes, zucchini or other cold-intolerant plants. However, because there was so little frost this winter we took the chance and planted things a bit earlier. We are already enjoying zucchini and there are some tomatoes growing. We have three lots of tomatoes this year; I've tried to space their planting out so that we can enjoy them continuously through the summer. Up until recently November had been quite dry and you can see in the photos below that some of the plants were starting to look a bit wilted. But then the spring rains came and everything got such a good soaking that I was worried that they would begin to rot! The hot sun is back today though and I think that everything will really take off in the next week or two, especially the herbs which are always running low in my pantry at this time of year. Currently, my parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil and lemon balm are all thriving and I hope to dehydrate soon. 

Heads of cabbage 

Baby snow peas

Potato plants desperately needing a drink
before the rains!

One of many zucchinis

UPDATE: We had a massive storm on the heels of 33+* (91* F!) weather last night and I have just wandered through the garden this morning checking on everything. The potatoes are looking very sad but as they have already flowered I'm not too worried about them. The tomatoes seemed to have survived although are looking quite water logged. I'm not sure how they will turn out. Sadly, it seems we are losing a hen. I did go out into the garden this week and hose the chooks down to keep them cool but our Isa Brown seems to be suffering greatly. I have let them out for a scratch and to enjoy the cooler morning but she hasn't come out :(

In the kitchen

I've been trying to use the produce from the garden in the kitchen as soon as it comes in. The spinach I added into a quiche which I shared a couple of weeks ago, but I also like it lightly sautéed with some onion and garlic. A splash of lemon juice at the end gives it a nice, fresh flavour. Yesterday I used the sautéed spinach to make a Greek spinach pie called Spanakopita. It was delicious!

Our favourite way to enjoy zucchini is sliced, lightly salted and barbecued. We have this as a side to our barbecued sausages, chicken, or chops. I will also be grating it in the food processor and freezing it for the winter months. It's my favourite way to quickly add vegetables to bolognaise sauce. I am waiting patiently for the cabbage heads to be ready so that I can make up batches of coleslaw, which I really enjoy.

As we are hosting Christmas at our house this year we have been preparing for a couple of months. I find this is the easiest way on our budget. We plan to have roast pork and chicken drumsticks, plus roast vegetables, and salads. My step-mother has made the Christmas cake and pudding, as she does every year and are absolutely delicious. 

In my wardrobe

One of the things that inspires me most about classic literature is the idea of a small, simplified but elegant wardrobe. Most of my life I have spent standing at the wardrobe door wondering what to wear. There were even times when I would refuse to go to an event because "I had nothing to wear." I feel like I have come so far in this area. My ultimate goal is to have a year-round wardrobe of about fifty pieces of quality clothes and shoes. Currently, I'm at about 65 so I still have a bit of work to do. I recently donated another bag and I have a box full of "maybe" clothes in the top of my wardrobe that I hope to discard in the coming months if I haven't reached in there looking for something specific. I think choosing few quality pieces that go well together is the key to making a capsule wardrobe viable. 

Often I like to curate a seasonal wardrobe inspired by the classics. This year, as we have been re-watching The Durrells - an annual summer tradition for our family - I have been loving all the pastel linens and striped tops that are worn. I didn't want to buy a lot of new things, but I'm keeping these styles in my mind as I create my own outfits. You know I love midi length skirts, and this summer I have four midi length dresses and one skirt, and three pencil skirts (knee-length). Most of these are linen or a linen/cotton blend so are lovely and cool. Funnily enough, all my skirts are second-hand and one of the dresses is. I love knowing that I have saved money and avoided the fast-fashion industry with my clothing choices. 

Reading

I have found it a bit difficult to commit to books lately; I think my brain has reached it's end of year rest period! When this happens, I return to tried and true classics, like Poirot and other Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle stories. I read The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, which included the title story, The Mystery of the Spanish Chest, plus other short stories. I enjoyed the re-read. As the weather has heated up I turned to Tender is The Night - a new read for me set during the summer of 1925 on the French Riviera. Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is one of my favourite novels, so I am hoping that I will enjoy this one too. 

Finally, I have started reading Richard Rohr's Preparing for Christmas: Daily Meditations for Advent. I always like to have a faith-based or spiritual non-fiction book in my pile of books, but this one is particularly seasonal and I am enjoying the reflections a lot. What are you reading at the moment?

Listening

At the moment I am enjoying Christmas carols :) I have a new-to-me disc that I listen to in the car (old-fashioned, I know!!) called Keep Calm It's Christmas which is full beautiful classic renditions of favourite carols. I love this, especially when I'm feeling overwhelmed by traffic or shopping. Another favourite is an album of Christmas carols sung by the old-time crooners. Many of these can be found for free on YouTube, but as I can't stand the ads, I keep listening to the old cd's!

So there we have it. As summer is well under way here in South-East Australia, it is nice to reflect on spring and prepare for a hot, long summer. If the rain and storms we have had recently are anything to go by, it's also a time for preparation and alertness, as well as rest and reflection. December is always my favourite time of year and I wait with joyful anticipation for Christmas and the long summer holidays that follow.

I hope that your seasonal transitions have gone smoothly; that you are enjoying each season for what it brings and that you are also seeing some hope and joyful anticipation in the coming weeks. Thank you so much for stopping by.