Violet Jelly & the Journey of the Piano Keys

I am so grateful to be living in this amazing time in history.

To be able to learn & connect, to encourage & be encouraged, support & be supported; share inspiration & friendship across borders, barriers, nations & provinces. We are no longer confined to friendships & connections that we make in the villages, towns or cities in which we live. We can freely cross borders of time & space to live more openly, broadly, even deeply than ever before..in connection; while still maintaining our own rhythms of daily life.

When I opened the unexpected parcel that I found in my letterbox last week, my heart melted & tears streamed down my face.    

 I had waited my whole life long for those of my past to "see" me, to tell me I was at least ok, but that time never came & never will. Yet here in my arms was a fresh proof; the gift that carried a thousand affirmations in one, from a dear heart to mine. I am seen. I will be ok. I am so grateful!

 Memories... new memories I have softly laid down in a bed of kindness & care.

 I am so glad that you have traveled with me, my friends, as I have journeyed through the hard things & the "Lucy" moments.

 The best & most beautiful things in the world are indeed felt with the heart. Thank you dearest Julie for your loving stitches of kindness. How glad I am to be able to visit Threadbear Cottage & your Threadbear Life at any time of the day or night to have a catch up, find endless inspiration & entertaining kitten antics. 

 The days have been endlessly dull for ages now, which is a little perturbing. 

 I think that that may be why, although we can see the signs of emerging Spring, it doesn't really feel like Spring; just yet. This is a lovely place to walk down by the Karamu Stream. Getting out & about in the country side always helps to lift your spirits when the times are a little odd.

There are moments of some sunshine.

Coriander does so love the cooler weather though.

 As does the floral marvel of radicchio. Such a beautiful vegetable....you could almost wear it.

A little muddly potager

 down in the back corner of the garden.

 Just over from the bluebells..

 and the brand new of the raspberry canes. Green arises from "dead" sticks.

 A new white dove descended in to the Fairy Garden last week.

 My most exciting triumph in ages....finally figuring out how to make a truly effective, non-toxic weed killer!! And so simple!! A tablespoon of nasty table salt, a big squirt of dish washing liquid & fill up the bottle with white vinegar. That's it. 

 And it really works.

 Cath Kidston has a theme of clocks going on at the moment. Aren't these little cruets cute.

 I just love my Trade Me "work"...sending things like violets, fabric & Cath Kidston wallpaper all over the countryside. We have so many lovely people living in our land. I like to wrap things nicely with ribbons & handwritten cards, but these old piano keys were a tad tricky on that count. They arrived with David a few years ago when he returned home from Greymouth. I listed them for a dollar as I couldn't bear to throw them away & a very interesting arty lady bought them locally. She very kindly deposited $10...as a "token of her delight". They have gone off to be shared with four other arty ladies & so their journey is complete. As it happens the piano itself was gifted to a kindergarten in Canterbury in the 1960's, later it was sold to a family, who eventually moved & couldn't take it with them...David fancied ownership & consequently hauled it over the Southern Alps where it resided with him for quite sometime. Heavy & cumbersome at the time of his leaving it then appears to have met it's demise, yet not quite fully caste off, the keys journeyed north with the intention of becoming an art installation...which, indeed, has now been fulfilled. 

How extravagant to pick a whole bowl of violets!!

 If you pour boiling water over them 

 & leave them to steep for an hour or two

 strain, add honey, lemon juice, gelatine & a tiny splash of rose water you end up with the most divine jelly. You can find the recipe here.

 We ate it for breakfast with rhubarb & kefir cream & a little fresh coconut grated over the top.

 Heavenly!

And so are these gorgeous grape hyacinths & bluebells.

I wish you all fragrance, good friendship, some jelly & a very happy week!

Much love

Catherine x0x0x

The Useful Art of Medium

I read a little story once. It was a very long time ago, but I have remembered it ever since.

It was a very simple story...about three kids playing in their fort, up in a big old tree. 

They decided to create their own club & made up the rules all by themselves.

Actually, there was only one rule:

No one act too big
No one act too little
Everybody just act medium!

I really like that...everybody just act medium.

It's actually a handy little rule to live by,

I just wish the weather would kinda do the same.

One minute the very first blossom has arrived... 

and all is peaceful & winter serene in our park just around the corner

 then the next minute..there are wild winds & more rain falls in two days than normally arrives in a month & it is icily cold. We've even kept our firing burning all day long for a whole week.

(the birds adore ripe apples & pears on the lawn in winter & they feel quite smug knowing that cats don't like the rain!)

 Dear clever Max, from Blackbird has Spoken (& who lives way down South where they even get snow!) recently sent me these darling little acorn pin cushions. Aren't they adorable!
They look like they would be so awfully fiddly to make. I suppose I will have to find some fairy's pins to put in them now. I wonder where they keep them?

The strangest thing turned up at our local supermarket last week...red bananas!
They taste much the same as the ubiquitous yellow ones but they are a tiny bit different & fun for a change.

After a month, one can be forgiven for getting tired of a "cough" in the house...don't you think?
More annoying for the cougher of course.
I should have done it sooner, but I eventually remembered that violets are very good for coughs.
So I looked up various recipes & decoctions & decided on this one in the end over at The Nerdy Farm Wife.  I decided to use the roots, leaves & violet flowers & followed the directions given. It's a little bit hard to tell, as the cough is probably leaving slowly anyway, but I like to feel that it has been an effective herbal assistance. At least it was taken very happily as it tastes nice & Mr Cough knows where to find it in the fridge.

Winter days are so small it's hard to squeeze enough into them, I always forget it's going to be this way. I recently went to a place that I didn't know existed.

Up in the hills with my Ruth to Blackbarn road & Sharon's kitchen tea (the bride from last week). On the way I wanted to cry "stop!! I have to look at this view", but there was no time for such trivialities & so whizzing past we went.

As soon as I could arrange it, Rob & I went back for a slow drive & an explore.. 

we found the most amazing views!

And a grove of olives with bouncy, shiny grass.

The area is known as Te Mata.

Aren't the bare vines beautiful!

When we got home we ate wonderfully fragrant chicken soup & sourdough bread.

I bought free range chicken bits & simmered them in a big pot all day long with celeriac, celery, carrots, kumara, lots of fresh tumeric & ginger & various other things.

Bone broths & soups are another one of those time honoured nourishment/remedies that everyone needs to know about don't you reckon?

Do you have chicken soup memories or special ingredients that must go in the pot?  

Tamarillos fruit in sheltered places here in the very middle of winter.
 They are friendly red & very tasty...nice cooked with apple.

Now this all brings me to the call from Hettie Brown

to consider:

To share brilliant ideas for saving our planet and our Pennies.....

Like...

Getting things for free...

Not spending money

spending less money

Up-cycling your clothes

Growing your own food

Crafty ideas

Sewing

Home cooking from scratch

Up-cycling and using what we have

&
 any other ideas you may have

Sound like you?
 Please do join in the happy parade if you'd like to, just pop in here to find out more.

Living these things, to me, is just life practice in the art of being medium..perfect!

My Treading Gently, Being Thrifty, Living Simply ideas this week, have been:

~Exploring right where you already live & notice the beauty that you find.
~Make simple nourishing meals using all the good veges you can grow or get your hands on.
~Have a go at making a few easy remedies..just check that they really are violets first!

Right, I am off to make some more of my rose scented moisturiser. I have run out completely, not a scerek to be found in the bottom of the jar!
But I have found the cutest idea for using up all kinds of odd strips of lace & vintage fabric. It's looking very sweet.
I will give you a peek next week.
Thanks so much for visiting!!
Have a wonderful medium week!

 ♥♥♥♥♥