Good things that are also nice and lovely

How are you friends? Are you on holidays? Are you freaking out about covid waves and the state of the world? Are you tired and limping to the end of week 10 of term 2 like us? Whatever it is you are, I hope to find you well at least. Try and stay positive, I know I do most of the time, although this year certainly has given us a run for our money hasn’t it?

The Daphne has started to flower and that magical scent instantly takes me back to freezing cold winter days, which apparently is where we are. It’s July tomorrow, somehow, when I still feel like I am trying to get my head around March, let alone January and fires and death. Here, smell some Daphne instead. We can’t begin to understand what’s happened.

It’s cold and beautiful here, the fire has been on for weeks and weeks. There’s ash and mess from it everywhere and I still love it as much as I did when I was a little girl. That crackle and glow never gets old.

The girls are well. Thanks for asking. Daisy is on holidays and getting up around 10 ish and to bed lord knows when because it’s later than any of the rest of us. I can’t wait for next week when we can all take the pressure off a bit. Bring on no 5.15 wake ups for a little break I say. Maggie has lost two teeth now, spent an inordinate amount of time last week crying because she can’t be shrunk down to the size of living in her dollhouse and Harper is resilient and hilarious and the steady rock for us all. Dorothy and Archie are growing up, they are all getting so big and there’s nothing that can be done about that and isn’t time a thief?

We had lunch at Mum’s a few weeks back for my dear Step dad’s birthday on a freezing cold Wednesday., It was just Lucy and I and the two of them – a perfectly set table by Mum, blooms from a winter garden, a glass of cold Prosecco and a delicious lunch. A wonderful few hours all spent together and moments that when we were apart at the start of the year I wished for and missed so much. Mum cooked a lovely lunch as requested by the birthday boy…mushroom soup and then some fish cooked over baked fennel and veggies that was delicious. I think it was a Neil Perry recipe but it’s something I must do again. From memory you bake fennel, red capsicums, capers, anchovies and then place the fish on top for the last 10 mins or so. Cooked with these crispy potatoes…DEAD SET YUM.

We also had some friends come for dinner and a visit from Sydney which was lovely mid week treat. The joy of catching up with good friends after a long time and a great dinner is a wonderful thing. I cooked lamb shanks all day with some cauliflower mash and green beans and a cheese platter for dessert and too much wine of course! I ned to try that mash again as it was too creamy for my liking and lacking what was it? Oh yes,  POTATOES.

Isn’t it also great to be able to have coffee in a cafe again? In a proper cup and everything?

The shop has been busy and I am so grateful to you all for our all wonderful orders and customers who are so loyal and lovely. I LOVE my job so so much. So much! I never take for granted one moment the fact that I get to have flexible work hours, be in control and work in partnership with my sister. We have built a real thing and I am so proud of us.

Anyway, enough about me, tell me everything.

What have you been up to?
Tell me something lovely and good…there’s so much out there I’m certain of it.
Stay warm, enjoy your loved ones and smell some Daphne if you can x