Pickled In Abundance

It happens every year & I never seem to learn (secretly don't want to ). Every spring I am seduced by the glorious notion of growing things, most especially delicious edible ones. But, now as I face the full deluge of autumnal abundance I am inclined to feel a certain weight of responsibility for having initiated such munificence.

 It's all very fine on glorious autumn days of sunshine & mild temperatures, when the colours are saturated & the leaves whisper sweet romantic rustlings..
(my new vintage woolen blanket find in the background below)

 ..the rosehips intrigue (I did try making rosehip syrup once)

the guava tree suddenly begins to drop it's delightful berries all over the driveway.

 This has to be my very favourite small tree...

 but then the rain comes too..more than we can take..Hawke's Bay suffered the worst storm/flooding in coastal areas ever recorded last week. Lots of evacuations, people lost their homes, or are now without fresh water, fences down, bridges busted, stock wondering free..so much clean up to do!

The deluge brought down a hundred million leaves & clogged the gutters & hid all the grass.

This is just the beginning. But it's good for us sweeping up all the leaves & very handy for the garden to make them in to leaf litter by letting them rot down in piles & large bags full.

Everything's sodden...I need new gumboots!

Trouble is that, there is always way more to do than there is time. The first five pick ups are fun but after that you wonder whatever you were thinking in trying to grow & gather quite so much perishable yummyness. Lucky for the fruit stall at the gate.

So, no gardening for this Garden Fairy much of last week, but jelly making instead.

 Once cooked, I pushed the fruit through a sieve & made guava paste as you would quince paste only it's even more amazing.

 The persimmons have ripened despite all the water

 and the feijoas keep coming.

 I have planted a new tree called "Wiki Tu" that produces huge fruit. I really like their shape.

Our lime was no longer thriving in a pot but is now fruiting well planted out in the garden. 

 The wax eyes are feasting on the figs

& so are we!  Figs, feijoas, persimmons, my brother's honey & a dash of rose water

 is truly divine.

 With Greek, yoghurt a perfect breakfast.

This is the yummiest combination..late raspberries & really ripe guavas.

 Outside in the wet..peering through a window...

remembering the little collection of pearl buttons that I bought this week on Trade Me. There are buttons & then there are Mother of Pearl buttons. I could spend ours just fiddling with them & admiring them.

There's a small car boot sale just down the road on Saturdays, run by these two Lee & Robbie. We've known them for 30 years..back in Taranaki. They donate all that they make here to support a young couple working for fair trade & amongst the poor in India.

 So, I was pleased to catch up with this slightly kitch but, very environmentally friendly egg box a week or two ago. Now I can pop in to see Lee with my own special container..um, only small/ medium eggs fit though & you really can't squeeze them in! I was chuffed to come across this silly knitted parrot..to cover the handle of a silver teapot..so you don't burn your hand when pouring!

 Thought I'd just tone down the yellow a bit!

 Rob, popped in to the Restore shop without me the other day : 0 & managed to find this fantastic old wooden washing line waiting at the door for him. There were a couple of bits of dowl missing but he has since done a great job of restoring this old darling..as you can see. The clothes came from the car boot sale that I mentioned before, $1 each, perfect for a young friend who has just had her third baby, a dear little Dylan.

 Thanks so much sweet friends for your lovely Kreativ blog posts & kind responses & so lovely to meet my new followers..welcome...very warmly!
With much love form Princess Aunty Catherine. When asked what the new princesses name was, my 4 year old nephew thought a moment & then said with glee to have remembered..Princess Aunty Catherine!!..soo cute.
Have a lovely week dear ones...all!

 ♥♥♥♥♥