Miscellaneous

It’s hard to believe, but we are already up to planning next summer’s garden. Seed catalogues are being studied. With the house renovation taking up all our spare time, our vegetable plot has been sorely neglected and we have even had to buy vegetables this winter (!!). We do have some kale and broccoli coming on, but that is it! Now that the extension is finished, CB is eager to get his hands back into the soil. The dirt around the house has been dug up and trampled by the building, so we need to put in new paths and work out where to put garden beds. It’s a good thing CB and I like a project.

We are slowly getting the farmhouse into order. We’ve had several trips to IKEA to buy wardrobes for two of the bedrooms. We need another trip to get some bookcases for the hallway. I want bookcases with glass doors to protect the books from the dust that seems to accumulate quickly with the fire going. So far we are loving all the light that flows through our windows, and the warmth of the whole house. We are still very much working out how to live in the space.

My parents bought down a big bag of oranges picked from their orange trees on the weekend. They remind me of my childhood. Every winters night growing up we had freshly squeezed orange juice for dinner. It was always my job to do the squeezing. I might have to introduce Hannah and Meg to the art of making orange juice while we have all these fresh oranges to use up.

Since finding my wool stash, I’ve hit crochet with a vengeance. I didn’t realise how much I missed it. I’m working on a multicoloured hexagon blanket at the moment and whenever I need a little break I grab my hook and knock out another hexagon. It’s so soothing and relaxing. Of course, once school goes back I will have less time to spend on it, but right now I’m loving it.

Since moving back, I’ve also got back into cooking again. A little more time and a kitchen that is enticing have me making and baking more often. As we moved in, we rediscovered things that were squirrelled away in the back of the freezer, so I’m doing my best to cook it all up. With school holidays upon us, there are also ravenous mouths to feed. I’ve made this chocolate sour cherry tart to take to church, together with this pulled pork and coleslaw (I just skipped the rolls part). I’ve also trotted out these chocolate oat cookies, and the kids have made jam drops. Yep lots of cooking, and in our new spacious kitchen, it is nothing but a pleasure!

We have been spending the holidays at home. Working out where to put furniture and the like. Despite a smooth build, the renovation has been a stressful time in our lives, so the chance to rest and decompress is exactly what we needed. With sun pouring in the windows, and a cosy warm house, it’s impossible not to feel relaxed.

What has been happening around your place lately?