Wednesday 12 July 2017

Here & Now 14

Here, our mid-Winter days are short and cold now. Much colder in comparison to our scorching Summers. Winter's contrast to the heat, the dry and the light of Summer is perhaps what I love most of all about this season of the year. It seems a gentler season somehow.

Tiny blueberry blossoms

A little knitting.

A warm salad.

Delicate rose petals.

Loving //  The favourite and familiar songs that have filled our house and set me to remembering.
                        (Like this beautiful acoustic from the ever-talented Finn Brothers.)
Eating //   Warm Winter salads like this one made with homegrown and roasted beetroots.
Drinking //  Frothy hot chocolates ... now with marshmallows!!
Feeling //  Exhausted as our son has had pneumonia and we are all tired.
Making //  A set of these washcloths in soft colours.
Thinking //  Soon, there will be blueberries!
Dreaming //  Of Millford Sound, in New Zealand, where I have never been.

In the garden, the soft and delicate petals of the old-world Duchesse de Brabant roses are unfurling. The bees land on them and then make their way to the hidden centres to find their pollen. Imagine being enclosed in rose petals like that!

 Going in ...

... and coming back out again!

This is our Here & Now. If you'd like to share too, then you can click on the link and join in with Sarah over at Say, Little Hen. There is always many beautifuls to find there.

Meg


25 comments:

  1. It is a snowy day in Millford sound today (and much of the south) and fierce winter rain here up north - better for dreaming on days like these. :) I hope you son's pneumonia has passed and you can all get some much needed rest and recuperation.

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    1. One can stay warm while dreaming, Laura:) We are thinking of visiting New Zealand later in the year and Millford Sound is one of the places I would love to see and to experience. My son is doing much better now and we are all beginning to catch up on much needed sleep. Meg

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  2. Beautiful roses, Meg. It is cool here on the coast too although not as cold as at home. I wear my jacket when we go for an afternoon walk on the boardwalk. I got up early to watch the sun rise over the ocean and it was already up so I was too late :-)

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    1. You will have to set your alarm clock for a touch earlier, Chel;) Sunrises over the ocean are worth getting out of bed for! Meg:)

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  3. Oh I'm so sorry to hear about your son, I hope he recovers soon. It is a bad season for those Winter lurgies!

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    1. Thanks, Cheryl. He is doing much better now but I felt so sorry for him as he was sick for a lot of his school holidays! Meg

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  4. I'm sorry to hear your son is so sick, I hope he is feeling better soon.

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    1. Thanks, Jan. He is much improved and coughing much less. It's that coughing that really disrupts sleep so much. Thankful for the medicine that has made him better. Meg:)

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  5. My kids have been sick too for the first few days of their school holidays, so glad your son has recovered. When you go to Milford Sound, make sure you have insect repellent, it's a mecca for sand flies.

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    1. Thanks for the tip about the insect repellent, Julie, I'll make sure to take some if we get to New Zealand. Meg:)

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  6. Gosh I had pleurisy for 3 months late last year (that's one stage below what your son has) and it was horrible. Hopefully he will be on the recovery soon...get him to lay on a blanket in the sun to get some vitamin D.

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    1. He is feeling much better now, Kathy, and is much improved. This is the second time he has had pneumonia. The last time was two years ago and he was off school for 7weeks!

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  7. I really love those roses, they are just beautiful :-) I hope your son is feeling better! It can be very tiring both physically and emotionally when dealing with illness :-( Yum to warm salads! They are a great way to get the greens in while enjoying something a little fresh in Winter :-) Megan x

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    1. I love the old world roses with their fluffy petals and beautiful fragrance. The bees love them too! Meg:)

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  8. What beautiful roses and well done catching Mr Bee in action too! I am envious of your homegrown and roasted beetroot. Yum! Kate x

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    1. I've taken a lot of bee photos lately, Kate, and most of them were blurry! They buzz around so much it's hard to get them in any kind of focus! Meg:)

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  9. That salad looks wonderful Meg. The roses and bees are beautiful. Glad to hear your son is improving. XX

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    1. Thanks, Sally. The bees are loving the roses and the lavender in the garden at the moment. I hear them when I walk by, buzzing away happily. I could watch them all day, they are just fascinating! Meg:)

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  10. Don't you just love making your own washcloths, I crochet mine and that's all I use now. oh those big pink roses!

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    1. Hi, Ann. I do love making washcloths and finding patterns for them where I can learn a few new stitches. I am trying to figure out star stich at the moment! I love it when these roses come into bloom, they are a joy in the garden. Meg:)

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  11. I'm so sorry to hear about your son Meg! I hope he's on the mend now?
    Your roses are so very pretty. I'm off to check out that recipe as I've some beetroots in the garden that need using.
    Stay warm & thank-you so much for joining in again!
    Sarah x

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    1. Thanks, Sarah, my son is feeling a lot better:) These Duchesse de Brabant roses are my favourites, they are very hardy and not overly prone to black spot. And they smell divine! Meg:)

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  12. How do you do that stitch for your dishcloths, or what do you call it so I can google it please :)

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    1. Hi, Clarissa. I found the pattern for this washcloth over on the blog, Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. I'm not sure what the stitch is actually called but the pattern is written out clearly at this link:

      https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2016/03/29/knitted-dishcloth-pattern

      Meg:)

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