Inspiration For Iz

who is missing her cooking husband this month.

Vermicelli soup with tomato and basil

Olive oil focaccia

Fave recipe book that inspired the above

I have looked in the hide-and-seek places of children and tried to find four leaf clovers; dug through the colouring boxes of summer and and winter and found many treasures. This is about whispering advice to a sister, swapping recipes over fences, sharing crumbs on a train with a stranger. I am passing on those things that I wish to know from people - the very stuff that makes me smile and put a twinkle in my eye. The things that we hold, together with emergency cookies, in our apron pockets - that we take to bed with us at night. The knowing and unknowing at that moment just before we close our eyes, when we wonder what we did all day, and if what we did was right.

Okay so I stole that from the book and, let's be honest, usually just eat sammies for lunch, but today felt rather daunted by my own lunch magnificence. Even used real homemade stock for broth. And bread worked despite sluggish yeast on chill morning.

Don't have an apron though.

Probably need one.

Gratitude

Today I was gifted this spectacular dress for P3 along with some family knitting from the mother of one of L6's school chums. Nyum. I was very happy and grateful to accept this fabric token of friendship.

But I have to admit I was spectacularly rude and ungrateful to come home to my husband-cooked dinner.

Summer cold pasta salad with bland chicken.

On a wintry day a girl needs comfort stodge, and whoever thought fried chicken was an adequate replacement for tasty bacon has some serious mental health issues in my eyes. See? Can't help it. Still ungrateful. I know he cooked, I know I'm so lucky to have food and family to share it. I know all that. Sorry Husband. I am Bad Ungrateful Poo Wife.

Yeurgh.

Black And White

It was a bleak, grey, winter day today and we needed a nourishing pot of porridge.

I thought about friend M, bravely celebrating her son's birthday today, even though he is no longer here to hug, and her heart is broken. It seems a strange thing to blog about when it isn't my sadness, but if it was someone in my family I think I'd like as many people as possible to remember my boy. So even if she never reads this blog, it still says today is a special day - happy birthday to Lucas.

Yesterday was also a big day for my lovely friend cc who has welcomed in a new little Pepper boy to her family. We can't wait to meet him :)

A bad, but irresistable, thing

to encourage in your children.

Heh.

Matariki

Tonight is Matariki.

We have officially sold our house

and celebrated excessively even though we are mere weeks away from homelessness.

We heard the rain on our uncharacteristically cherished glass ceiling

and wondered what on earth we are doing? But at least it isn't boring. Again.

We watched a french movie about friends which defined a friend as someone you could call at 3am. So now I expect my phone to ring many times at 3am tomorrow morning. Or some morning after you have read this. Just don't wait for me to answer or I'll be mad as hell.

I Rock Today

See my botty? (I made the pic small so it is less intimidating and rude, but who am I kidding?)
See the sun shining all around?

Yep, feeling pretty swish as I played bad cop and saved us $2500 on a builder's report negotiation and our house is going unconditional tomorrow or Monday depending on expediency of bank. Yay me! Channelling one's BIL is helpful sometimes ;)

I think I'll be scary more often.

I also gave birth (not today, but still. . .) to a boy who had super fabulous wonderful parent teacher interview today, which I will happily take the credit for as well. Thank you. I know.

Things To Blame On Your Thirteen Year Old Niece

It's spangly. It's shiny. It's pink, grotesque and impossibly proportioned.




My house is now home to Barbie passion.

Last Resorts

With a sudden flash of inspiration I told my children that if they ate up all the kidney beans in dinner it would work like a gas rocket pack and they would be able to fly around the room using FARTPOWER.

I know. I never thought I'd stoop so low either.

" "

Since I did total photo overload the other day I'm not going to apologise for ignoring the camera today. Was back to working again which is not so picturesque anyway. Blah.

So this was something the lovely and very literate* nova found, and I promised Iz I'd share. Bunce will "love" it too I'm sure.

The Blog Of Unnecessary Quotation Marks.

* (Unlike me, who couldn't spell ekeing until yesterday. Eeeeek!)

Ekeing Out The Holiday

I find that very satisfying. The crunch and beauty of it.

Or I could tell you that my house has sold. Conditionally. Cross fingers. Woohoo. But you probably all already know that eh?

About 6 weeks till homelessness with children. Oops.

Not boring though eh?

Why I'm Not An Editor

One picture a day I decided. Maybe two. So I'm not even going to begin to explain or apologise for 70. Yep 70. But we were on holiday for a week, so that explains 7, or 14 if I'm being honest, and damn it, it was my holiday and I want to remember it. I should have put them in one of those mini-grid-things by uploading to flickr, but frankly yawn to that. And it won't be the slightest bit of interest if you aren't me. Or extremely closely related to me. Or my stalker. (Yeah, wishful thinking.) So if you are none of those things, then I'll see you tomorrow. Although number 55 might just possibly be worth it.

No thoughtful words even. Except number one is because nw is right - stripey tights do help (that was my one work day). And number two is a lego flying machine created on day three of the holiday when we finally put the camera batteries in. And whoever made a ballpit in a vineyard garden was very astute. And I actually began and finished my book, which is pretty unusual for a holiday with smallish children, which is why that is in there.

And the top of the South Island of New Zealand is fantastic. And so is snow.

I'm shutting up now I promise. It was a total pain to put so many pics in, so I also promise I will never do it again.