This week’s small pleasures #409

Thistles and Kiwis

You can tell it is spring. One minute gorgeous sunshine and blue skies, the next minute experiencing, as we have just done, three quarters of the normal average rainfall for October in one day. The picture used as the featured image was taken around 5pm today, though I have to say it is now much brighter two hours later.

Anyway, one of my biggest small pleasures this week was this post from Laurie of Notes from the Hinterland and this one from Carol Ann of Fashioned for Joy. Laurie and Carol Ann managed to meet up in Maine and how wonderful it was to see two of my favourite blogging friends get together. Happy times!

In the basket

Yes….those are the ‘dreaded avocados’ you see in our Wonky Box delivery…actually, having had a week’s rest I am getting through them and now have two in the fruit bowl and four in the fridge. Anyway, there was a lovely lettuce, a bunch of asparagus which we ate on Friday with a good schnitzel from the local butcher, an aubergine (or eggplant), head of broccoli, potatoes and half a small cabbage, that I used to make a coleslaw (bottom left) with carrot, chives, seasoning and a mayo/yoghurt mix dressing which worked quite well. I supplemented this grapefruit, oranges, more asparagus and – joy of joy – the first strawberries of the season. The kiwi fruit you see were a substitute for beetroot in our veggie delivery – there were three but I ate one at Saturday breakfast. I also picked up some parmesan, porcini mushroom and truffle salami to use with pasta on Sunday (with red onion, broccoli and asparagus), and venison burgers for a quick meal one day this week.

Lunches

On Friday, I popped over to the cafe in Te Awe library in the city centre, and enjoyed this sandwich with asparagus, courgette, rocket and a white bean patè which was delicious. It is a great wee place and hugely popular.

We went over to Eastbourne on Sunday and enjoyed lunch at Tartines. I had a croque mandame with a big salad, and Karl a croque monsieur with chips (I hail from the UK originally….you may say fries if you like).

Naturally, we also took a short stroll about Eastbourne, popping into a nice shop for some soap and, of course, admiring the mosaics on the pavements, including this one of a ruru, a native owl you often hear in the wee small hours of the morning.

Simple things

  • Planning trips to Perth (WA not Scotland!) in November and Hawke’s Bay in January.
  • Re-watching the 1981 TV series of Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and yes, I did listen to the original radio version when it was first broadcast in 1978.
  • Putting away my winter coat (finger crossed I don’t have to take it out again….).
  • Booking restaurants, both familiar and new.
  • Seeing photos of my brother at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC enjoying an exhibition
  • Enjoying some great fungi pictures my nephew took, such as the one below, also in DC.

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.

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.

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Published by Thistles and Kiwis

Loves summer, sunshine and cats. Beginner gardener, likes eating, cooking and reading about food

35 Comments

  2. Thank you for your kind mention of my blog. I find these of yours very uplifting – even though (here I laugh every week) you do not enjoy the current glut of avos! The food you feature this week looks delicious, and I am intrigued by the fungi!

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  3. Oh Yum! There is nothing quite like fresh strawberries. Our weather has been all over the place this fall; cold and rainy, hot and sunny… sometimes all in one day!

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  4. Thanks so much for the prominent mention and for the very kind words. I think there is definitely a mutual admiration society between you, me, and Carol Ann.

    What a sweet owl! And yay for spring. Hope that winter coat stays tucked away until next winter.

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  6. I love the colourful mosaic of the native owl – it’s so beautiful and colourful. At the moment, my simple pleasure is to watch how the vibrant green leaves gradually change their colours to a captivating palette of oranges, yellows, and reds. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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  8. You’re putting your big coat away while I am getting mine out! Though actually today is as warm as many a summer day, but cloudy, 17C. Thanks for linking. As usual your food looks yummy.

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  11. Thanks for the mention Barbara! I really appreciate your shares. That mosaic looks fab and great to hear you have some bookings being made. I’m so glad I brought my coat over here with me as it’s proving quite useful. Hope yours can stay away now that the weather is warming up for you.

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  14. That ruru mosaic is fabulous. And as for the Hitchhiker’s Guide, I love it. It’s many years since I’ve seen the TV series or listened to the radio version, but the book is one of my go-to favourites when I need cheering up. Marvin is a comic treasure.

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  15. Hi Barbara, the weather has been a been crazy and unpredictable here too. Cold one day, hot the next. Rainy one day, sunny the next. Not sure what to expect day to day! It’s lovely to see so many bloggers writing about small things that bring them joy. I find as I get older it truly is simple things that bring me joy. Lovely to see the pics here of gorgeous fresh fruit and veg. Your lunch out looks delicious … and I call them chips too and I’m Australian! I love that owl mosaic. I’ve done some mosaic’ing myself in the past. Thank you for linking up with #WWWhimsy – may you have many more sparks of joy and small pleasures in the days ahead! xo

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  18. Pingback: Thankful Thursday: Begonias, Cards, Plant-Based Chocolate | Notes From the Hinterland

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