Beans

Zucchini and our snoopy, nosey parker - who tried to manouvre herself into each shot!

I hope you like the pics of our garden!

Each cake we bake takes 5 years off my life, but creates a life time of close and funny memories.

We loved the series 'The Cook and the Chef' and before we begin cooking, on every occasion, Lily must announce which one of us is the Cook and which one of us is the Chef! It varies from time to time.

Sweet Indulgence

Lily's Luscious Lime and Poppy Seed Cake

Last night, Lily and I began cooking my favourite, Lime & Poppy Seed Cake. This morning we iced it.


There are about 3 different parts or processes going on, to cook this cake. Certainly there are 3 separate bowls happening. As a consequence of having my little helper by my side, who is impulsive and loves to create geat puffs or clouds out of icing sugar, I left out the 'creaming of the butter and the sugar' step of the operation.


Paul sat in the dining room, last night and read, whilst chuckling and listening to us, as we fought it out hammer and tong in the kitchen.

Alas, the cake survived and so did we and it was consumed in slithers, out on the deck for morning tea. The stramberries are essential, to mop up the refreshingly, zesty, lime icing with your fingers.

Satiating creative pursuits

The above picture is a drawing from C.S Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - the story of which, I have been in love with ever since I was a little girl. Like Lucy, we sometimes wish to peer into our future, plan for our goals and realise our dreams.

I spoke to my friend Simon on the phone a couple of nights ago and he told me that he had written a new 5 year plan, for his life. In essence - his hopes for the next 5 years. He bought himself a banjo and is going to find a teacher to help him learn how to play. I think this is a noble and a sensible pursuit. His wife may think it expensive and time consuming! However, every man and every woman needs a hobby.

What sustains you outside of work? What is your 5 year plan? Has your plan changed? Mine has changed of late - Simon has inspired me to re-plot my goals. Why? I feel I have so many things to do and achieve in this life and not enough time to do them.

I have so many creative pursuits on the back burner. Another mosaic project is dancing in my head. I want to create a sign that hangs beside our front door which reads: Lily Kate Cottage, thus naming our home after our beautiful girl.

There are so many little, somewhat trivial things that I am saving up for/would like to buy in order to make our home more comfortable. Little items that swirl in my mind:-

--- thick and heavy, straw coloured curtains for our bedroom, to block out the light, since our neighbours cut down their tree, that used to block the street light!

--- a duck egg blue, antique light or wall sconce, in the shape of a tulip's bell to put above the chair beside the fireplace.

--- a freestanding light to stand beside the couch, to create another reading spot.

--- an exquisite ivory dossier, with quality paper for me to place photos of miss Lily and the pressed flowers and leaves that she has given me over time. Complete with drawings and scribbled comments, pieces of her hair ribbons etc.

--- would a dishwasher be too much to ask? For those of you that have one, do you recommend one? I am not sold on the idea yet, but people who have a family seem to love their dishwasher.

--- another visit from the electrician to install more power points in our old house, that was built at a time when only one power point per room was installed (if that). They didn't have all the appliances and mod-cons of today. With the increase in price of electricity, and the effect on the environment of carbon emissions, this should be at the bottom of our list, I know.

What's driving you? What do you source and scour when you get out and about? What's on your wish list?

Off to ice my favourite, homemade cake - Lime & Poppy Seed - Yum!

Paul is building a bed for our little, campervan Rosie. He is talking to me about what lengths of wood he will need. He will go pottering about in the timber yard up the road today. I can tell this makes him very happy.

Happy hobbying! Whatever you are into!

Release...

When one door of happiness closes,

another opens; but often we look

so long at the closed door that we

do not see the one which has been

opened for us.

Helen Keller

This happened to me recently. I let go of something that I was looking at, striving for and was hell bent on attaining. It wasn't a possession, it was a job, a mind set, something that I thought, would have served to make life for our family, a whole lot easier.

I looked at this door, this opportunity for so long, that I failed to notice any other doors or opportunities around me.

Taoist philosophy states that:

"When you let something go from your life,

something better will come in".

I have unburdened my thoughts and mental anguish from chasing that goal. It is said in Aboriginal culture, stop chasing it -you will chase it forever - let it come to you like a boomerang.

I have released myself from that mountain of perpetual effort and as such, peace and other options and avenues have been gushing in!

The job was never, ever meant to be mine. Thank goodness that it didn't take effect.

Has this ever happened to you? You have had your heart set on something only to have it taken away -but for a reason - to ensure your happiness?

This happened another time in my life. I was aspiring to something, working my tail off and seeking another location in my employment, only to miss the boat.

Thank goodness this happened, or I would never have met Paul.