This week’s small pleasures #283

Thistles and Kiwis

There’s been a lot going on this week: our boiler collapsed so we have no hot water as I mentioned in Saturday’s post (why do these things always happen at the weekend?), the Eurovision Song Contest and some wonderful news. More of that later…..

So to this week’s duck picture, featuring an awake duck keeping his eyes on me in case I am bringing food. These white birds are particularly noisy, and it can be quite a moment when they are quacking and the kākā are screeching overhead. Still outside, there have been a couple of nice sunsets too such as the one in the featured image at the top of the post taken on 11 May at 5:45pm.

And so to food…and there was a bit of a rushed shop on Saturday (see boiler episode) with a top up on Sunday. I picked up some Jerusalem artichokes which I cooked with chicken from Ottolenghi and Tamimi’s Jerusalem and served with a potato and celeriac mash. I remembered to buy onions, and also picked up some shallots, lemons, passion fruit and the new season’s tamarillos, as well as some broccoli and silver beet.

We were up early on Sunday to watch the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, and some friends came round to join us for breakfast and the competition. I ordered some croissants, pain au chocolat and apricot pastries, as well as some rolls from Arobake. Also on the table were hard boiled eggs, cream cheese, smoked salmon, capsicum, strawberry jam and orange and tomato juice. A really simple but tasty breakfast table, along with tea and coffee – and note the Swedish flag napkins!

Sticking with Eurovision….and no surprise that Ukraine won. I have to say I didn’t like the UK entry and am surprised it came second, and was even more surprised that Spain came in at number 3. What was that about! Sweden at least came fourth, a bizarre song from Serbia came fifth, and a strong number of votes from the public pushed Moldova up to sixth place. Anyway, that is it over for another year!

Side note – there was a 4.7 earthquake here in the middle of the contest – I am sure there was no connection! My husband was the only one who felt it as he was sitting on a wooden chair with legs as opposed to the sofa.

This week I finally got to see some live dance, Footnote’s latest work Dry Spell performed at the Opera House. It was quite good, full of energy and had a few costume changes in the 80 minute piece. At home we have been enjoying Snack Masters, with chefs struggling to make iconic things like mince and cheese pies and Tip Top Trumpet ice cream – very silly but good fun. We also watched The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, a true crime drama about a man who faked his own death and persuaded his wife to go into a hare-brained scheme to buy property in Panama. Well worth watching if you get a chance! I’ve not really had a huge amount of time for reading the past couple of weeks, but there is always time to browse a food magazine (love the cover of the current Cuisine).

Finally…the wonderful news. Please welcome Niko, my new great-nephew, my 11th ‘great’. I think he already looks like he will be full of fun.

So that is me for this week. What were your small pleasures this week? Here are some other blog posts from a few fellow bloggers looking at the good things in life. Also entered in the weekend coffee share hosted by Natalie the Explorer.

You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram @thistlesandkiwis.  As for Twitter….am totally inactive these days.  If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com

Published by Thistles and Kiwis

25 Comments

  3. Thanks for your report about the Eurovision Song Contest. I’ll look up the winning entries, including Sweden’s! And it looks like you hosted a lovely and yummy breakfast. Finally, congratulations on your new great-nephew. I hope you’ll all have fun together! (And thanks, as always for the mention.)

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  6. Your post is full of snippets and I also wonder why those dramatic things like boilers breaking down happen on weekend or the middle of the night! I’m off to check out The Thief, his Wife and canoe :). Congrats on the arrival of Niko, such a little cutie, looking as snug as a bug in a rug! Thanks for the mention of my post too – really appreciate the support.

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  7. Congrats on the arrival of Niko! He looks adorable all bundled up. Your breakfast spread looks delicious and I’m glad to hear the earthquake did not ruin your fun get-together. Thank you for the mention and for your contribution to #weekendcoffeeshare.

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  10. Niko looks adorable. Hope you get lots of time to hug and kiss him. Sounds like you’ve had a full week. Enjoy the next one. Hope your weather is as gorgeous as ours is today.

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  11. Hi T&K,
    Do you suspect that Ukraine won only because of the war brought to them by Putin?
    Often, I suspect contests of handing out awards, not for the purpose of the contest but to serve as a political statement of support – which more often as not, does not correctly recognize the talent of others. But doing anything in support of the oppressed like this case – who could speak against it? Sigh.
    I do hope all is well on your side of the globe and that, by the time you see this note, your hot water has been restored.
    Blessings.

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    1. I think there was a big sympathy vote from the public for Ukraine, though I think it would have done well anyway.

      Still no hot water – Wednesday we have been promised – but the kindness of friends and my Pilates teacher have enabled me to get hot showers instead of the icy blast of cold water in the morning. All well otherwise thanks Gary!

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