Monday 15 July
Up late-ish at eight for soft boiled eggs and Vegemite soldiers, tea and then coffee. I then had to nip up to the local shops for some blood tests this morning, but before I did that I made some dough for bagels which I will make later today.
Next I studied, combing over one of the books I’m looking at and documenting incidences of comfort (and why they might have happened.)
At lunch time I finished off the bagels, boiling, topping and baking them. They turned out great. Much more the kind of bagel I like – chewy and dense and delicious.
After that I put the dinner in the multicooker (using the pressure cooker function). It was this Korean Beef Pot Roast by The Modern Proper. It was really good, actually. I think I would make it again, reducing the sugar and popping some veggies in for the last little bit of cooking. It was comforting (!) and quite delicious, served with rice. It’s meant to be served with kimchi too, but I had none on the fridge, so there we are.
I skipped lunch because I was not very hungry, having the pot roast for an early dinner instead.
Reader, it rained on and off all day, which was lovely. What beats the sound of rain on a tin roof, I ask you?
Tuesday 16 July
I’m going to visit one of my kids today, so I got up and made a batch of their favourite Cheese and Carrot Muffins. I had two of them and several large cups of tea for breakfast, then settled at my desk and began trying to watch the BBC documentary Like, Follow, Trafficked: Insta’s Fake Guru on YouTube. (I didn’t get through it … felt a bit too dark for this particular day.)
Getting dressed: Jeans, black skivvy, blue jumper, fair isle socks, pink Merry People boots.
Mid-morning I nipped to Ari’s for a visit. Then we went to Saver’s for a quick scout together. I picked up four books but couldn’t find much more than that. I think it’s school holidays here, so that might explain it. Lots more people popping in during the hols making it harder to find treasures.
The books were:
Sylvia’s Cucina by Sylvia Colloca
A Book That Takes its Time by Irene Smit and Astrid van der Hulst
The Big Book of Less by Irene Smit and Astrid van der Hulst and
A Tale of Twelve Kitchens by Jake Tilson (I used to own this one, but it got lost in the moves!)
I dropped Ari home and then drove home to do an hour or two and study and make … Koreanish Chicken Stew. It is the thing I crave after a bit of a trip around the shops and this time I added some sliced corn cobs and zucchini. That turned out great and I had an early dinner and tucked myself in. Feeling pretty peaky this week, but luckily I am headed to the rheumatologist again, so that may help.
Korean-ish chicken stew (can also be made without the chicken for the vegetarians amongst us)
Masterchef finished tonight crowning our favourite as the winner. Yay!
So I must say it quickly:
Whoever is in your life,
those who harm you,
those who help you;
those whom you know
and those whom you do not know —
let them off the hook,
help them off the hook.
You are listening to Radio Resistance.
Leonard Cohen via
Wednesday 17 July
Too tired to write.
Good Things
The Gardening Bohemia exhibition looks brill.
Liberty had done a Brian Wildsmith collab! Gasp!
A free-to-browse embroidery book from 1929.
Blackberry crumble bars. Bookmarking for summer.
Who uses typewriters anyway?
Books that feel like escaping to a Scandinavian summer house.
What’s something popular you just don’t get? (Mine is … (sorry) the Marvel movies … and action movies in general.)
An online database of Marimekko patterns.
Heidi’s delicious-looking berry pie.
Or raspberry lemon cake, perhaps?
Meera Sodha writing about burnout and breakdowns.
This necklace is ace DIY inspiration.
These ‘curiosity clouds’ are so brilliant.
A very healthy-looking salad for the non-vegetarians.
Thursday 18 July
Yesterday I popped in on one of the kids, then we headed to their uni to do a few things at the office, then did a couple of op shop visits and then I came home and went to bed. Doing normal things is boringly tiring and I was tucked in by 3 (reading a bit more of Angela’s Ashes and watching some telly) and asleep by 8. My life is so riveting, non?!
I did get a few good things at the op shops, though. A pair of vintage binoculars in their carry case and a couple of books which were …
Audrey at Home by Luca Dotti
House of Dreams: The Life of LM Montgomery by Liz Rosenberg
I have found such lovely books this week, for a total spend of around $20. It really does pay off, scouring the op shops during errands.
I have an appointment at the rheumatology clinic today. It’s in the late afternoon, which is pesky, but better late than never I think.
Getting dressed: Jeans, a gingham dress over a grey long sleeved tee, flowery socks and chelsea boots.
Before the rheumatologist, I did a bit of study and then popped into Saver’s Preston. I picked up a couple of good things – a navy blue jersey Seasalt tunic dress, a vintage Kilncraft mug, a book (In the Kitchen by Allan Campion and Michelle Curtis … I used to own this book so I am glad to have it back in the fold again!), a piece of floral fabric and a little bundle which included cheese slicers x 2, tea strainers x 2 and a snowglobe bottle corker.
After the rheumatologist I nipped into Officeworks to buy a big mailing box, some pens (these ones in various colours) and a new financial year diary (this one). Then I trundled slowly home in the dark in heavy traffic, and all before 6pm.
I can feel a stupid illness flare coming on but am hoping to magically head it off at the pass. My eyes are going all blurry and weird, and that is the first sign, along with very bad upper back pain. Here’s hoping an early night and the usual medications might help. Ugh.
Friday 19th July
How is it Friday already? The days, however slow, seem to speed by. It’s some kind of witchcraft, I tell you. It gets to 3 PM each day and I’m thinking ‘noooo! I’m not ready for the darkness!’ but before you know it the daylight’s retreated and it’s time to settle in.
I watched this video about Emma Bridgewater’s home mid-morning and apart from that it was a quiet one. Nothing much to report. Nothing I could really remember, to be honest. More rest. Sigh.
Saturday 20th July
It’s so blustery outside. It was windy and rainy all night, the roof banging and the windows rattling. That’s quite a rare thing in these parts.
Breakfast was eggs scrambled with whatever veggies I could find in the fridge (mushrooms, capsicum, semi-dried tomatoes) and parmesan. Also? A big Bonsoy latte. So delicious.
I’m sitting here, in my ‘PJs’ (a bootleg Taylor Swift sweatshirt and grey track pants), half-watching Love Island, going through my blog reading and writing to you. I need to put some socks on, actually …
I’m excited to see that the first Elin Hilderbrand TV adaptation is about to hit Netflix. It’s called The Perfect Couple. I’ve read a few of Elin’s books and they are the perfect beach read/holiday read. I haven’t read this one though, so I might rectify that before it comes out in early September. The cast is magnificent, right?!
I finished listening to a podcast Rin recommended to me – Trial By Water – and still don’t know what to think. Have you listened to it? Gosh. It’s about a tragedy that happened in Melbourne quite a few years ago. I read This House of Grief years ago and it’s about the very same thing, albeit from a Helen Garner perspective.
Currently obsessed with this video/track.
I also did an hour of study after breakfast, while I still felt well enough. You have to get the gains while you can, right?! I yanked some mince out of the freezer while I was clever enough to think about it. I’m going to make some spaghetti sauce, I think. To have with potatoes or pasta, depending on the dinnertime mood. I think bolognese is actually better on a jacket potato with cheese than it is on pasta. It’s also a perfect idea for a blustery day like it is.
I forgot to say that a small package arrived yesterday (I rarely get packages!) Inside was an eyebrow cosmetics thingy that helps you to give yourself eyebrows when yours are quite spare. I haven’t tried it yet, but I saw it on TIkTok and it seemed ace so I bought one.
I think I’m going to turn on the electric blanket and snuggle down for a bit of Angela’s Ashes now. Back laterrrrr.
Sunday 21st July
I woke up at 7, got up to let the pups out and made a pot of tea. Gosh it was icy, pals. After that it was back to my cosy, tiny, easy-to-heat bedroom for some blog reading and some reality TV catchup. Yesterday was a bit of a write-off, but I suppose that is OK because a) it was a very chilly Saturday and b) there is nothing like rest for the unwell. I just snuggled down and watched some Escape to the Country and a short series about the fostering and adoption system in England. It was eye-opening to say the very least.
After the tea there was more tea and then there was coffee. I can’t work out what I want to eat this morning, so I will just wait until it becomes more apparent.
I started watching this YouTube video – What my French mom eats in a day – and now I know that I want yoghurt and fruit and oats for breakfast. I’m very easily influenced. (It was delicious!)
After that? After that I put on my UGG boots and ventured back to the kitchen to put on a giant pot of pumpkin soup.
The rest of the day was spent crocheting, reading Angela’s Ashes and eating pumpkin soup. Sunday perfection.
Hoping your week behind was a-okay and your week ahead goes as well as can be!
x Pip
“Our lives are meant to be witnessed. We need to simply remember that our experiences – the good, the bad, the strong and the vulnerable – are moments of beauty.”
– Debra Smouse – found via this beautiful blog
If you fancy, buy me a coffee —> https://ko-fi.com/piplincolne
I agree, Kate and Pip. In The Kitchen is pretty much the only cookbook I use.
Sue
I’m loving the early nights and cosying up at home with the dog and cat. Winter cooking, cups of tea. You Tube. Life is okay.
Another lovely catch up! It’s like sitting down with a friend and hearing about their week 🙂 I hope you have a restful week coming up, it’s so hard with fatigue that on the one day when you feel ok you try and do as much as possible and then pay for it afterwards, that has been my week, so rest today is my plan. Book, blanket and cups of tea and watching America’s Sweethearts, which is oddly compelling! ?
I am hoping the flare does not arrive! No!
I am so influenced about food when reading books, I become obsessive because I WANT TO FEEL IT!!
I once ate only rice and tinned tomatoes with pepper on during one book. I was so into it. I can’t remember the book now but it was all they had and I was just as cheerful about it as they were 🙂
I am sooo going to try the bagel recipe. We have a brilliant bagel shop here on the sunny coast – genuine, proper bagels. But they are quite expensive and I can only afford to treat myself occasionally. So I’m very excited to give these a go. In other news my daughter is moving to Melbourne in October – yay! I’ll be visiting regularly and one of the things I’m looking forward to is scouring the charity shops. You always find the best bargains.
In the kitchen is my fave cookbook ever. I swear everything works in their recipes. The chocolate chip cookies are incredible!
I had a copy with a sort of GOLD cover for years and years. I think Cam took it, so I am pleased to have another copy. We used to make the beef casserole thingy from it all the time, so I picked it up and checked that was in it …. then into the basket it wet! So good.