This Week’s Small Pleasures (episode 3)

It’s Thursday, it’s Easter, there is a long weekend ahead.  I can start to eat cheese again (I gave it up for Lent and if truth be known, haven’t missed it), maybe find some time to bake, enjoy some Swedish herrings and do an autumn (instead of spring) clean of the kitchen.  In the meantime…this week’s small pleasures.

Early morning, Sunday

1  A lovely email from one of Thistles and Kiwis’ readers in Canada.  It made my day.

2  While a work day trip to Hamilton might not sound like a pleasure, it was a lovely sunny day so the views were excellent on the flights up and back.  Plus I met lots of interesting people, so for a work day it wasn’t bad at all.

3  Having some time to catch up reading – blogs, a magazine and the standard detective novel – but still, some time was made during the week.

4  Watching nature change as the seasons change.  It’s not like northern Europe where I am from, but the flowers change, the fruits change, the light changes.  It’s been wonderful to learn new seasons in the last three years.

Butterfly on a neighbour’s lemon tree

5  Finding so many good things to cook!  I really should make a list. I’m currently loving My Favourite Pastime – easy things to do in a home kitchen that look like they could become family favourites – and as a black pudding lover feel tempted to try these Black Pudding Fritters from Frugal Feeding.

6  The smell of hot cross buns.  Had to buy some more today – this time from Pandoro.

‘Tis the season

7  Our visiting cat who seems to be very jumpy these days.  I do so wish he could talk and tell us what is going on in cat world.

Charlie at rest

8  And….Thursday Pilates at The Pilates Studio, to start the weekend off with a stretch and a smile.