Dailies: Unbecoming weather, English breakfasts, secret stamp language, Glorious Flowers

Wednesday 5th February

The heatwave has broken. Oh my gosh. Thank goodness, pals. It was pretty unbearable.

Catastrophe.off on Instagram pointed me to Rika Noguchi so I spent some time looking at her evocative and special photos while I drank my tea and ate my toast.

I got up very early and had a long bath, hoping to wash the unbecoming weather away. Then I got dressed and did some grocery shopping because the fridge was cluttered with a bunch of weird things that did not really go together. I’ve got some meals planned out now, so that always feels good, like insurance …you know?

Getting dressed: Very old op-shopped checked pinafore (probably from 90s Sussan or somewhere like that), khaki t-shirt, Birkenstocks

I made Koreanish Chicken Stew for dinner because we haven’t had it in a while and also because we have a big bag of jasmine rice (which was on sale) and it goes very nicely with that.

Next I rested for a little while and then wrote about motherhood and a favourite book on Wallflower Cordial. That felt very good and it was nice to get some thoughts down about where things are at in my life right now, philosophically speaking. Sort of.

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Good things

Mike White talks about the new season of The White Lotus.
How Melbourne Zoo moved a herd of elephants from one side of the city to the other. There’s a video here, too.
Process is not progress.
In praise of mugs!
Virginia Woolf on the moments that make you YOU.
The rise and rise of ‘dupe culture’.
It’s time to fall in love with dressing tables again.
I love this! Ideas on how to make your garden (and gardening) accessible.
The Åre Murders series is based on the novels of Viveca Sten.
Roman-Style Fresh Tomato Pasta.
A very Diana kind of jumper. Very cute cosmetics pouches.  And adorable jelly sandals. (Found via Katie Considers)
Sotheby’s meets Spice Girl.
Mexican-style Potato Cakes.
Tips and inspiration for embroidering your clothes.
Brown butter shortbread.
This book looks so good. What a clever marketing tool.
How protein mania took over the grocery store.
A bunch of gorgeous wallpapers in situ.
Make your own Hot Fudge Sauce to put on ice cream or other things?
This looks like the best kind of page turner.
Chai-spiced Hot Chocolate.
I love this cluttery and homey and hopeful Tassie home.
The marvellous and creative life of Anni Albers.
Flourless orange and chocolate cake.
Try the CUE or CUEE Test to tame any unwanted social media use.
The secret language of postage stamp placement! Gosh. So cool. (Found via MessyNessyChic.)

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Thursday 6th February

Starting to feel more like my usual self after all that heat, although it was a bit of a patchy sleep last night due to possums creeping along the fence by my bedroom. I’m guessing they were feeling more like themselves after all that heat too.

I did my usual first-thing habit bundle (pets, tea, watering) and then returned to my desk to drink the tea and watch some gentle YouTubes. I thoroughly recommend this one for the comical and cheery apple picking alone.

I made a BIG breakfast today for the first time in years – bacon, baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, eggs and toast. I keep seeing English Breakfasts on YouTube (looking at YOU KrisAtomic) and have been wanting to make a pared back version for ages, so today I did that. It was delicious. I sprinkled the mushrooms and tomatoes with Worcestershire and sizzled everything in olive oil. The cats were very interested, towards the end there. 

It’s going to be hot again today, but it’s just one hot day and then cooler ones, so I am going to try to ignore the heat and go about the day as per usual. Sometimes you can catastrophise about the heat, right? I do it whenever there is a storm warning too. Gosh knows why … Perhaps it’s the way the news cycle latches onto these things (quite necessarily) and then plays them on repeat until all you can think about is the incoming weather. Shudder. The news is like that all round, I think. Necessary … but on menacing repeat.

I suppose I’m like that with a lot of things, mostly due to chronic illness? Any task will take a bit of a chink out of my health, so I view things as little mountains to climb, and then when I’ve reached the peak and done the thing … everything crumbles into a pile of consequences and I have to rest. It feels a bit like living in survival mode. Every minor thing is a win and is accompanied by hours/days of rest and recovery. I suppose it doesn’t look like that from the outside though? That said, I feel like I’m slowly improving and able to do a little more each year. Fingers crossed this pattern continues. Slow but sure.

Saturday 8th February

It’s lovely and cool again this morning, with another mild day ahead. I started the day being yelled at by my eldest dog who was miffed that I was ignoring the alarm and insisted I get up and take them out. “Rah-rooooo!” he howled. Reader, I did get up and take both dogs out.

Yesterday I finally got my hands on a copy of The Jam Maker so I’m hoping to finish Lost Lake this weekend and get started on that. It’s about the jam factory on Hobart’s docks back in ye olde times. My great-aunts and great-uncles worked there back then, so I am excited to immerse myself in a fictionalised account of their world.

Today I’m going to rest up as I’ve not been feeling great. See you back here tomorrow.

Sunday 9th February

Still a bit creaky, but up at 8 to undertake my usual bundle of habits – pets, tea, watering – and then back to my desk. Someone stole my newspaper this morning – or else it was not delivered – so that’s something to deal with. Never mind. It’s hardly surprising because the delivery people throw it on the footpath for all and sundry to tramp by. Clearly someone needed the news more than I did. I like the weekend newspapers because it feels old fashionedy to read them over a cup of tea. It’s very relaxing, you know? Anyway, none of that for me today.

I watched a narrowboat video (which is my surefire way to warm up to a good day). Also yesterday I found this cute vest that I want to knit this year. You might like it too? Its maker posted it on Instagram and I hotfooted it over to look at the pattern which can be accessed for a few dollars. Nice.

I want to do a lot of things today but I know my darned illness will have other ideas. I miss being able to do a bunch of stuff. It’s hard choosing what will and won’t be on the to do list because I want to do all the things. I really miss going for big drives/trips. Those would totally conk me out for a week now. Darn. It. That said, things could be worse so ON WE SOLDIER, pals. (Sigh.)

I need to make some breakfast so I will pop back later to catch you up on things. Hope that’s okay. 

Breakfast was tomato bruschetta (with home grown cherry tomatoes … so proud) and a cup of tea. After that I did some stretching in a quest to increase my strength (because I am a weakling). Next I weeded some of the Mother’s Day Garden Bed which resulted in my old friend pressure urticaria so I stopped ¾ of the way through and went inside for a shower and to wash my hair. Now I am sitting at my computer, hair dripping slightly, waiting for the antihistamines to ease the hives. It’s a glamorous life.

While I was waiting for my hands to de-puff and de-itch I read a few more chapters of Lost Lake which I am enjoying so much. It’s a gentle story set around a decaying but beautiful Southern lake resort and is packed with magical realism which I have such a soft spot for. I will be sad to finish it, but also need to tear through Winter Solstice again for Old Lady Books Club, so I best get a wriggle on.

I worked on my newsletter (Wallflower Cordial) for a little while and then read some more of Lost Lake (nearly finished!) I skipped lunch because I could not be bothered with it, then made a lovely big dinner – roast chicken with all the veggies and gravy. It was a comforting end to the weekend, pals.

Monday 10th February

It’s Superbowl day and this quite new Chiefs fan is heading to my eldest’s for a cosy viewing together. 

Up at seven for the usual things. Breakfast was toast with roasted tomato and roasted potato smooshed atop it. Then I opened The Happier App which I have decided to invest in this year. They began a new thing called Daily Jumpstart today with the prompt ‘embrace the element of surprise’. So cute. I am going to think of a good little surprise while I finish my morning tasks … Hmmm. Maybe I will come up with a surprise while I try to do my (newly adopted) daily stretching. (I’m only on day two, pals.)

Okay. The Superbowl did not go so well (for the Chiefs) but our little get-together did and involved a lot of talking to cats, eating snacks and catching up on all kinds of things. Better luck next year to ‘our’ team.

I came home at half time as I was feeling awful (thanks to yesterday’s weeding, I suppose) and I am gonna rest up and hope for a better day tomorrow. Too tired to read or do much of anything really. Hopefully a small blip in the week and not a flare up. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed, pals.

Wednesday 12th February

Yesterday was a bit of a write off due to the usual chronic illness suspects. I did manage to get a recipe up for my current favourite Green Tea Noodle Salad, so there was at least one win. I also managed to drop off a box of cookbooks to Youngest Kid. He’s just started his collection, so I wanted to surprise him (hello, Happier app!). He was super pleased and said I was “so cute” which I liked very much.

This morning I slept until 8 then did my morning habit bundle (dogs out, cats fed, tea made, dogs fed, plants watered) and then sat down to chat a little bit to you.Now that I am not studying I don’t know how I managed to study at all. I don’t manage to do much at all these days due to the health sitch, although I suppose I am writing here and at Wallflower Cordial so that counts for something, doesn’t it? We wont talk about the weather pal because it’s an other mini heatwave and we are all bored of talking about that.

It’s so nice to be able to talk to you here, like this. My life since I got sick is a quiet one. Last year – in the whole year, twelve months – I only managed to see one friend once and another once and yet another once … due to unwellness. And I saw my uncle and aunt once when they came through Melbourne on the way to the Spirit to go back to Tassie. Any energy I do have I spend on my kids and tiny creative outings to the op shop. So you can see that even if you don’t get to read this far down the page, it means something that you opened this email or jumped onto my blog (to me) regardless. So thanks.

Someone emailed me to ask me where I put the things I buy … and that made me pause a bit. The answer is they just fit into my house. And I often buy to give to family and friends, as a little treat. I didn’t have much at all when I moved into this place in Fawkner as I had to get rid of most of my belongings to move to Tassie back in 2019. The cost of moving things there is terrible, so I cut down to the bare minimum. And we weren’t there long enough to accumulate much. What we did acquire, we mostly had to get rid of AGAIN. Now I’m back in Melbourne again trying to replace some of the things I lost in the moves, slowly but steadily. Mostly I buy books because I gave away so many back then, putting them in boxes on the verge outside our house back when COVID was at its worst. Neighbours would traipse past on their daily allowed walk and grab a few to take home. I’m glad of that bit, at least.

Reader, breakfast was a little stack of scorched toast with Vegemite and a cup of tea. Before that I did my movement for the day. I’m using this video and even that’s a bit hard as I’m not very strong, but I AM determined. After that I got dressed and read my favourite blogs for a while … then got ready for a mini outing.

Getting dressed: ASOS long checked dress (bought on sale before Christmas), Birkenstocks.

I spent the day test baking (I KNOW GOD!) for the Old Lady Books Club recipe and watching telly and knitting in front of the air conditioner. Lunch was leftover Green Tea Noodle Salad and dinner was Green Chicken Curry because I had all the things and I didn’t want to waste those veggie box vegetables from last week, pals.

Above: Happy Tales From the Country by Young World Productions (1970)

Thursday 13th February

Hot again today. 37 degrees is predicted and then an early evening change, so that’s not TOO bad. The day can not go fast enough, pals. Bring on that rain!

The Happier App’s prompt for today is to give someone in your life (OK … they say a partner but not everyone has one, Ms Rubin!) a GOLD STAR or compliment or thanks for something they do/have done. I’m going to think on that and see where it lands with me. 

Above: Glorious Flowers by Laura Peroni. Illustrated by Marilena Pistoia. 

Friday 14th February

Thank goodness the weather has changed. We got some rain last night and the garden is heaving with drops and delight. 

It was a little stack of toast kind of morning. I chose Promite and had two big cups of tea in a quest to shake off the heat-induced wobble and feel okay enough for the day. 

Getting dressed: Op shopped black jeans and a t-shirt with a kitten on it.

Then I nipped to the op shop this morning on a little creative outing and came back with a Morgan and Finch cup that reminds me of Horace in Winter Solstice SO MUCH. I already found two matching tea towels at a different op shop a week or two ago, so I am all Horaced up and feeling very lucky. I also found a beautiful storybook and a gorgeous book about flowers (both shown above) which I am semi-planning to dissect so that I can frame the pages.

I bought dinner things while I was out too. Some sausages and potatoes and carrots and peas. I’m going to pretend it’s autumn and make sausages and mash for dinner. When I got back and made coffee in my Horace cup and had some gingerbread and felt much more like myself than I did yesterday.

x Pip

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