Winter Sweetly

Dear Sophie of Fading Grace, in her recent post,  Paisley and Roses spoke of acquired taste...where does it come from & how do we get it? "What is it that makes us love the things we do?" I have long been interested to observe, that as a little girl fully separated from my own mother, from around the age of 6, strong tastes & inclinations have instinctively surfaced in my personality, despite near drowning (no one should ever be made to grow up in the 70's quite apart from anything else!)... I would definitely have to tilt heavily on the side of gene pull. I suspect that I have been on the journey "home" in one way or another ever since. I decided to make use of my salvaged eiderdown fabric to line my lovely basket, to at least make good something of the experience. I came across a large tablecloth recently with heart filet crocheted edge, which was just the right depth for a pretty edging. Not too sure about the rickrack but it was a useful spare bit at the time.  

 I feel much better about it all now & am thinking that I might use this basket for all my bits & pieces for work. You know, hanky, wee bag with bandaids, lipstick & stuff & other useful Garden Fairy paraphenalia.

You would honestly think that all that recent feathery trauma would have taught me a lesson, a very big one, but no apparently not!! Here I am..right back again (I'll blame the genes) having bought two very vintage barkcloth quilts from Trade me this week. The seller wasn't too sure what they were filled with so I am pleading ignorance too! They had been rescued from a great aunts batch on Rangitoto Island & it is very true they did deserve a fresh chance at life.

 I do adore the fabric but, they are feather eiderdowns & they were utterly grubby (or aged). The fabric is robust, fortunately. I have soaked them in napisan twice & they have definitely shown signs of improvement, however, the smell!! Well what can I say?? Rob has waded in with patience & full commitment & they have had an all day spell on the washing line today in mild temperatures & glorious winter sunlight. (Don't have a tumble dryer anymore) I shall give them a chance & wait & see....

 A friend from down the road came to buy feijoas yesterday & I was delighted that she had brought me some sprigs of winter sweet...a truly divine scent in trying times.

I love these vintage handles..they were no longer comfy in their designated pot so they are having a little rest up here for now.

We have been having big tidy-ups & a clean out & even managed to gather up some old pictures & oak frames to take to auction in Napier. It was another lovely day.

We pulled the fruit in early & got all the bits & pieces delivered in time. On our way home along Marine Parade we were entranced by the fleeting evening colours along the waterfront.

 Sky meeting sea.

 My darling arrived home around midnight the other night bearing roses from work. (He's allowed to pick them..or so he says ; )

 We have had the lovely opportunity to head out to a local orchard & pick some of the kiwifruit that remain on the vine after the harvest. I've never picked kiwifruit before. Mandarins are on full stream & we have the last of the feijoas. A full little larder indeed!

A lot of fruit still left on the vines..

 quite furry these ones. Like the originals. Not sure that you'd want to pick them full time though as at this height, looking up, the furry bits get in your eyes after a while.

 There's always the odd one or two!!

A day later my roses had spilled all over the place.

 This small growing hydrangea called "You & Me Together" has the really useful kind of flowers that just hold for months & still have colour right in to winter like this. I think I shall have to take some cuttings & create some more.

 This old rose Duchess de Brabrant can always be relied upon to have another good go at flowering in June which is quite remarkable, I feel.

 Winter light in just the right place.

 I have a small raised garden down the back that gets sun again in winter..my few veges seem to be happy enough with the arrangement.

 Snowdrops already flowering even as they have barely pushed through the soil right on cue for the advent of winter beginnings here.

 The sol d'or have happily staggered their flowering..as the front lot expire this new crowd is now taking the stage.

With much 

 ♥♥♥♥♥
wishing you sunshine & hugs this week. Thanks so much for dropping in.
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