There’s no doubt winter is well and truly on the way here at VMHQ. Melbourne does autumn so spectacularly well that I can sort of forget my frozen fingers while I’m gazing at the foliage.
Always reminds me of Marge Simpson “it’s pronounced ‘foil-age'”. Foil. Age. Foil Edge.
Anyway. This is how grey it’s getting:
Just your average everyday day. No rain, no real weather shenanigans to speak of. Just grey.
Except for yesterday. That was glorious.
It’s so dark. Townhouse living, I guess – no windows on the side walls make my kitchen verrah verrah dark. The top floor has skylights, so that helps. But the kitchen? Bleak. Laundry? Bleaker. That may just be that it holds seven loads of washing and the distant memories of my broken dreams, but still.
Bleaker.
Recent life also includes me running out on the balcony at full speed and at full volume trying to deter the cats from digging up my seedlings. FAIL. They just do it when I’m not home or I’m not looking. All I’ve got left is a very maudlin-looking rosemary bush, which is utterly pitiful when I compare it to the entire front-garden bushes I pass on my neighbourhood walks. My spartan little pot barely has enough for one dish.
You could say my first attempt at balcony garden in an utterly unfamiliar climate (and with two naughty cats) has been disastrous at best.
What IS making me happy though, is the baking situation. There was the salted caramel indulgence of last week, various pots of things bubbling away (the Greek roast veg/haloumi bake business was some next-level shit), golden syrup puddings, brownies, Anzac biscuits, things that smell like apple and cinnamon – you so wish you were here right now.
Hot drinks! All day long! I keep forgetting to drink water when its cold so I end up super-dehydrated. It’s a bummer. I’ve tried phone apps and goodness knows what, still can’t do it. Tea I can do though, so I’ve been giving my stash a good workout. Tentatively moving in the direction of liquorice tea – not sure how I feel about that? What do you think?
Yesterday I posted my recipe for lemon and honey tea with pickled ginger. That shit is the bomb, and super useful when you’re out of fresh ginger (what, I know you can keep it in the freezer but that doesn’t mean I EVER HAVE haha).
Other than the cold and the gloom, it’s been pretty rad here lately. Family walks/bike rides, out of town guests, stuffing our faces at Smith and Daughters, dealing with crying children in the museum, late-night trips to the toy store, endless colouring books, fun autumn nature collecting, a steady supply of play dough, new board games, new slippers for everyone (or slipplers, if you’re the two-year-old), finishing books, hot baths, watching Netflix, crocheting everything, organic veggie boxes by the shitload, endless banana smoothies, and every juice combo you can think of that contains ginger.
Oh and there was the birthday situation, too. Was totally spoiled.
What’s been happening with you guys? Getting cold? Crocheting anything? Finished a good book? tell all!
I LOVE autumn in Wellington. The weather gets so boisterous and being on top of a hill, I get to snuggle up with a toddler and a hubby and listen to all hell breaking loose outside. Also with the comfort food, hot drinks (Epic hot chocolate the other night, OOOOH YEAH!!) and the excuse to have a fire.
Your garden is AMAZING! Keep up the great work Veggie! xx
Our beautiful autumn leaves have been stripped by the crazy hail last weekend. Leaving a squishy mush on the ground. I started to make a crochet rainbow beanie for my daughter. Must’ve been feeling uptight that day as its tiny! Will go to belly baby due in August instead!! The down jackets are coming out of the cupboards and the fire place is waking from its summer hibernation.
It’s been raining kangaroos and koalas here which is a great excuse to stay indoors and make pies and bake cakes. My balcony garden got eaten by aphids a couple of years ago, every year I say this spring I’ll do it and every year I don’t. My bad. In other news, I handed in my notice, left my job and got a new one all in the space of a week. I’m still thinking about that syrup pud, you’re such an enabler!
I love liquorice tea! Sometimes I make a half half blend of liquorice and mint mix (a t2 blend of 3 mints) and that’s pretty delish too.
The grey days aren’t so sweet are they? But today, crispy morning with a blue sky sunshine day, Autumn perfection! 🙂
Definitely getting cold here! I really need to learn how to crochet so I can make adorable little baby things.
I have a love-hate relationship with autumn. I love grey days but I hate the cold. There’s something about autumn that makes me want to curl up and hibernate with season 2 of Entourage on DVD, but, you know… kids.
I love autumn – we eat more soup, the easiest dinner time ever.
not liking the cold burrry mornings…………but liking the fire on in the evenings, I am making a pink and white ripple baby blanket is very cute
Oh, lady, you had me at haloumi and now I’m after the pickled ginger tea too. scuse me while I head off and have a poke round x
I forget to drink water in the cool weather too. I was thinking of setting an alarm every hour I’m awake so I drink a glass. Did you try that?