It has been another glorious sunny day today with blue skies and sunshine – something that always makes me smile and lifts the spirits. I was working at home today to look after Charlie. His eye is still not looking good and we took him to the vet again this morning. He now has some new medication, so fingers crossed this works and he doesn’t lose an eye. So to this week’s small pleasures, starting with the beginning of the week.
A drive and lunch
The weather at the start of the week was rather different to that today, with grey skies and some heavy rain on Thursday. At least we escaped the cyclone that devastated parts of the country. On Tuesday, the last day of Karl’s holiday, we drove over to Scorching Bay. The weather wasn’t that great, but the skies and sea looked suitably dramatic.
We had lunch at the wonderfully named Scorch-O-Rama, the walls of which are covered in old comic covers. It has been ages since we had been there so it made a nice change to visit again. I had The Bennyfishiary, a smoked salmon eggs Benedict and Karl the nachos, both of which we enjoyed.
Food and cooking
I didn’t go back to work until Thursday, so had a few days last week to enjoy messing about in the kitchen (see Wednesday’s post). On Wednesday, I picked up a head of lettuce, some green and yellow courgettes which I will use today with pasta, a small bag of white cherries as a real special treat, a jar of sauerkraut and one of grilled peppers. I also picked up a few plums. This should be the height of stone fruit season, but the weather in the north has really paid havoc with the harvest, and there isn’t the same choice and amount as usual. Still, I am making the most of what there is. In Saturday’s basket there was this glorious glossy aubergine, peas, baby carrots, shallots, sausages, chicken, and some gurnard which we enjoyed for Saturday’s dinner.
In the Botanic Gardens
I went for a walk this afternoon in the Botanic Gardens. Naturally, I said hello to the ducks, but I also spotted a few astronauts dotted about. Well, Gardens Magic is on just now, with free outdoor concerts, lights and a trail for children which this year involves finding the spacemen I presume!
Simple things
This week’s simple things included;
- Spending time in the kitchen, cooking
- Sitting in the sun, reading
- Watching the 1985 film Witness – what a good film that is.
- Walking in the Botanic Gardens
- Enjoying a Campari and soda on a sunny evening
So that is it for this week. So, 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.
- Ju Lyn at Touring my Backyard shares her Monday Musings.
- Natalie the Explorer takes us to a Garden of the Greek Gods.
- Check out Anne’s knitting over at Something Over Tea
- Share a coffee over at Trent’s World and spot the interesting Christmas tree decoration.
- Popsicle Society motivates us on Monday
- Southern Patches shares her word for 2023 – and a good one it is too.
- Laurie over at Notes From the Hinterland shares snow pictures – rather different weather to what we have here!
- Deb has been doing Bloganuary and shares here weekly post based on the prompts.
- Jo over at And Anyways shares early morning walks and shares a nice sounding recipe for salmon.
- …and all the other wonderful bloggers out there!
Also entered in The Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Natalie the Explorer.
Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer, good food and pretends to garden.
You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram @thistlesandkiwis. If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com or lofgren@thistlesandkiwis.org
Thistles and Kiwis 
I look forward to your Small Pleasures for they are both encouraging and uplifting. This year seems to have begun ‘on-the-go’ and your post serves as a reminder to take pleasure in small things like the birds in my garden, an unexpected e-mail, being able to visit a nearby national park … there are plenty of pleasures out there!
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Oh thank you! Sounds like you have had lots of small pleasures this week too.
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I agree with you that it is the simple things that mean a great deal, I’m with you on reading in the sun in the garden, and walks around the Botanic Gardens.
I loved the movie Witness, wasn’t Harrison Ford good in it? (well all of the actors really) I still remember the part where Harrison Ford puts his hand over the child’s hand so that he doesn’t speak and give away the culprit..(I think that is how it went!)
Cross fingers for Charlie’s eye getting better.
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I agree that Harrison Ford was good in that film. It was also beautiful to look at – think of the raising the barn scene – no surprise it was the same director as ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’.
Charlie was in good spirits at least this morning, though is eye is still not so good.
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I hope Charlie’s eye will be better soon! May be small pleasures, but they give so much satisfaction 😉
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Thank you! He has another check up on Thursday.
The small pleasures that make us smile!
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I remember visiting Scorch-O-Rama one day in the late summer in 2020 (just before NZ was hit by Covid), and I fell in love! The sun was shining, we ate outside, ate something delicious, I couldn’t tell you exactly what. What a great cafe – to be honest, Wellington has amazing cafes and restaurants doesn’t it!
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It is a great place in such a fantastic location. Yes we are lucky here in Wellington with lots of cafes and restaurants. There are still so many places I haven’t visited.
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I hope Charlie’s eye improves. Good luck!
I love the old comics up on the wall. I read most of my brothers’ old comic books growing up.
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Thank you! Yes the comics are fun.
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The duck was the pick of your small pleasures for me. Almost all my small pleasures this week revolved around cheeses and coffees.
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The duck is lovely – I often stopped by the duck pond to say hello.
Cheeses and coffees sound good!
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Sunshine always makes me smile too. Sending warm healing vibes to Charlie.
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Lots of lovely small pleasures here Barb, hoping Charlie is on the mend too 🙂
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Charlie was at least lively this morning, and had some of his medication.
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Finding the astronauts looks fun. I wondered if the ducks were sitting on eggs. The comic book walls look like an inviting & comfortable place to enjoy. #Weekendcoffeeshare
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It was fun! The astronauts are in all sorts of place. The white ducks have had ducklings but it does look like a nest.
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Such lovely small pleasures, I love white cherries and botanical gardens. I enjoyed watching Witness, too. Do you have a simple and tasty recipe that uses courgettes? I call them zucchinis. They’re available year round and inexpensive here but I don’t buy them often as I haven’t got a good recipe for them. I hope Charlie’s eye is getting better soon. Thank you for the mention and your weekend coffee share.
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Charlie’s eye is getting better bit by bit thanks. He was at the vet today and is making good progress.
Courgettes/zucchini – I sometimes just fry them in olive oil and add them to pasta or make a ratatouille in the summer when they and aubergines (eggplants) are cheap. Many years ago I made a loaf cake with them. You could also make fritters?
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Thank you for your great recipe ideas. I forgot about fritters.
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Last week I wrote in my post about appreciating “the tiny happy things” and that’s what your simple things list reminded me of – it’s so important to recognize and be grateful for all those little glimmers of joy that flow in and out of our lives – it helps distract us from the more difficult stuff. Loved the spacemen and the “planets” or whatever those orbs were supposed to be.
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I agree – sometimes it is really little things that bring us joy, even if just for a fleeting moment.
The space men are fun!
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I hope Charlie is okay. It is hard caring for pets because they can’t tell you much. I loved your astronauts and what look like UFOs to me. Vince was sure he saw a UFO last night and almost ran us off the road trying to follow it. It was a planet that we can’t usually see.
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Charlie is definitely getting better – eating, drinking and starting to get bossy again. You are so right though it is hard as they can’t tell us how they are feeling.
I don’t think I have ever seen a UFO……
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It is so nice to see your summer photos! I’m starting to crave some greenery now 🙂 Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!
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Hope you have a good week and no doubt signs of spring will be showing themselves soon.
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I had to google gurnard!
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🙂
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Scorch-A-Rama looks like a cool place! And the eggs benedict looked SO good! Have a great week!
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How lovely you got to go on a drive – beautiful & delicious! Eggs ben is one of my favourite things to order when eating out. I do need to have someone with me to eat either the salmon or the ham 😆
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Hi Barbara,
I’d love to visit that wall of comic book covers to see if I recall reading any of them. I apologize to no one about them being one of the first things I enjoyed reading and rereading as a child.
Blessings
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That wall of comics is cool, and the food looked yummy! I can’t wait for farmers markets again.
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