It is the simple things

In a world where there is so much anxiety, so much uncertainty, it is good to stop and  focus for a moment on what is good and going well. This means, for me, getting out in the garden, where I always feel calmer and happier. This little table is right by our front door, a sunny warm spot in winter, and created by that corrugated iron clad wall which cut off the passage into the carport. The workshop behind has become DH's happy place, and this 'French cafe at home" spot has been a joy. We often stop for a morning cup of tea, both of us just reflecting and quietly sharing our projects and their challenges and successes. 

One of the successes is that I have harvested these four good size pumpkins. I will let them sit outside for a while to 'harden off' and then use them one by one. The ones with the withered stems are ready to eat, apparently. 

I have a new recipe on my "From my kitchen" page which we enjoyed last night -pumpkin gratin, inspired by Stephanie Alexander's must-have recipe book "The Cooks Companion". If you grow food you eat, you get a great deal of satisfaction from it.  These self sown pumpkins just ran under the citrus trees and looked after themselves. Next summer I want to be better prepared to grow more, and possibly try some melons too. 

Last year we hard pruned the Eureka lemon in the front garden to get a good shape. I have two compost bins under the tree, and have been taking care of feeding it with slow release fertiliser too. We are going to be rewarded with the best crop for years! I am looking forward to trying my preserved lemons again -the last lot I made with the Meyer lemons turned into a strange ferment, so I threw them out! 

The Shed in the back corner is awaiting a make-over. When we bought it we put it on concrete slabs, but now we wish we had a proper concrete floor. I have been wondering if we could take it down, get a floor laid, and then try to put it back up again? DH is a bit unsure about whether this would work. If we could do it, maybe we could redesign it to have a part for a couple of chickens to live, with a door to a small run outside?  Not sure about this one -it would be great to add eggs to the things we can produce, but chickens are a step up for us- the only livestock we have around here are the worms, and of course our cat Dora! 

Dora is pictured here, enjoying a momentary visit on my footstool. She looks like she wants something -maybe she doesn't like the music being played on the WASO broadcast? 

This cutie is a new grand fur-baby called Kaylee, now living with my grandchildren. We babysat the kids on the weekend, and Kaylee was there too. She seems to be good with the kids so far, and we hope she has a long and happy life with them. 

Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you can find some simple things to enjoy too in your life.