late summer bounty

 Savoring simple daily pleasures

An unexpected delight yesterday afternoon- an impromptu walk to visit a friend nearby resulted in a profound feeling of peace, and contentedness, and the abundance of simple pleasure's and the joy celebrating the ordinary can bring us, should we choose to see it. 

After a wander in her beautifully well tended garden (she is my dearest green fingered friend) bursting with late summer wonderous dahlias, huge globe artichoke plants, roses, and her quaint and utterly unique green house crafted with old windows and treasures. We then had a restorative cuppa and chat while observing the sheep gently grazing beyond her established garden and the twinkling estuary and mangroves beyond. 

I left feeling like I'd had a mini holiday from daily life, inspired to get into my garden and armed with a freshly picked bunch of succulent rhubarb! 

I was then lucky enough to come home and shower and get ready to meet other dear friends for a sumptuous dinner in town at a Greek taverna - whos décor and ambience transported us to Europe on such a warm balmy evening and the food- oh my goodness, I will remember that unctuous meltingly tender lamb for all my days! 

Its now a fresh and sunny autumnal Sunday, with the doors and windows thrown open, several loads of laundry on the line, and the rhubarb bubbling away on the stove, turning into a deep jewel coloured pink,  ready to enjoy with yoghurt for breakfast tomorrow.  

Mornings are drawing in and dawn is much later seemingly all of a sudden, temperatures are fresh- as low as 12degrees now first thing, but sunny days are still very warm and summery. Dining outdoors is pleasant for lunch but by evening its getting a little too cool now. While non of us here in New Zealand feel we got much summer at all, I am quietly ready to see the first wisps of wood smoke curling from the chimneys, to welcome into my kitchen all things pumpkin, savor the first slow cooked beef stew, and get my home ready for Easter.

On that note, I am off to bake a double batch of indulgent chocolate chip cookies for the weeks lunchboxes and snacks, and retrieve the dry linen from the line ready to re make the girls beds up and take a walk before dinner preparations and a quiet Sunday evening home. 

I haven't ventured further than the garden yet today and I still feel refreshed and recharged and lucky to live in my own little sanctuary.