Fire and Ice

Fiery colours of nasturtiums in a tiny crystal vase. This one survived the 'great vase de-cluttering" of last week. It is so handy for tiny flowers and they always look wonderful in it.

I like this thought from the ALS website thread on de-cluttering:
"There is clutter and storage. Storage is stuff with a known and expected use, placed sensibly in such a way to make it readily available when its time comes. Makes you happy to look at.
Clutter is disorganised, unknown or unlikely use, and makes you feel slightly queasy to look at. In severe depression there is no part of the house which makes you happy to look at. Clear it back to bare boards if necessary, you will be surprised how much of it you will never miss, and even feel good about the loss of."


And this is the ice! On my car, this week. We people in Perth are not used to such cold mornings. It should be raining -if it was raining, it would be warmer. As it is, there have been two mornings we have had to deal with ice on the cars in the driveway this week.

The exciting thing is our new free-standing carport is due to be constructed next week. Watch out for pictures!!


I like the colours of cumquats as they ripen. I have several new recipes to try out on this year's crop, including preserved cumquats and cumquat biscuits! We plucked up the courage to try my preserved apples (faithful readers will remember this is my first attempt at preserving things using the water bath method) and I am pleased to say they tasted great.


This is a view of my front garden in the winter sunshine. In the middle of all of this profusion of winter growth my DH found space to plant a Quince tree.


We are looking forward to summer shade, winter sun from the quince, and lots of ruby red quince preserves in due course.


DH grubbed around in the potato bed to check them -and found some tiny taters. I think they need a bit longer yet.

And finally, I have been sitting near the heater sewing the binding on my Dark Nightz quilt. Soon it will be on the wall.

Hope you are all keeping well and warm during this southern winter time.