Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.
The above quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby seems fitting as we drift into autumn days. Gatsby is 100 years old this year – hard to imagine somehow. It has been many years since I last read it, so maybe it is time again, but we did at least watch the 1974 film version with Robert Redford as Gatsby on Saturday evening.
While we have been blessed with good weather this week, there is a definite chill and crispness to the early mornings and evenings. Below is the autumn sky at 6:20pm on Sunday.
In the basket
On Wednesday I picked up a bag of feijoas and a bag of pears from our local greengrocer, as well as blueberries. I’m planning on a cake with some of the pears and have been enjoying feijoas at breakfast and lunch. The Wonky Box this week delivered potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, more courgettes, a single ear of sweetcorn, a lettuce and pak choy (not pictured) and some sort of squash – the beige thing in the middle. I guess I will just roast it? I topped this up with the first of the season’s persimmons, tomatoes, more blueberries, some sunflower sprouts, parmesan and rigatoni.
Eating
After last weekend’s feasting, there has been a more homely set of dishes this week. There was fish and chips at the pub on Thursday, chicken served with a bulgur wheat salad and roasted courgettes and tomatoes on Wednesday, and we enjoyed sausages from our local butcher with potato salad on Saturday. On Sunday I made this lamb ragu from Sip and Feast which we had over rigatoni and enjoyed the leftovers for dinner tonight (and yes the rosemary is from the garden).
Watching, reading and listening
This week we caught the first episode of the new season of Black Mirror (so good…); a tense and excellent French mystery (Black Box from 2021); the New Zealand comedy drama Happiness, and a not very good remake of the classic British crime drama, Bergerac (far too serious).
I started the new book club book (very good so far), spent a lot of time with my nose in cook books and listened to quite a bit of old British comedy on BBC Sounds, which it looks like we will loose access to soon. I’ll need to get a VPN set up on my iPad.
Simple things
- Enjoying a soft, white roll filled with creamy scrambled egg and a perfect cup of tea – Saturday breakfast.
- Appreciating sunshine and yet more sunshine.
- Feeling strong at Pilates – despite the foot – it is what I can do not what I can’t.
- Getting the garden tidied up (see Saturday’s post).
- Going to the hairdresser and trying out a shorter haircut.
- Sitting out in the garden, late Sunday afternoon, as the evening approached, listening to the tuī, kākā and occasional duck, and spotting a pīwakawaka or fantail ducking and diving.
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.
- Laurie of Notes from the Hinterland says goodbye to snow.
- Anne of Something Over Tea shows us the painted reed frog.
- Deb of Deb’s World explores the colour purple.
- Enjoy coffee with Trent who has been playing a lot of music this week.
- Mr Tootlepedal as ever shares so many lovely pictures of his world.
- Check out the BKD Bookclub at Brookford Kitchen Diaries.
- Sue reminds us to create space for ourselves.
- Travels Through My Lens shares some final thoughts on the cruise they were recently on.
- And Fred shares 6 things from his trip to the south of France.
- Meanwhile The Travelsketcher shares his week in The Pearl with some lovely sketches.
- Mr Platypus of Now I’m 64 shares a wordless Wednesday.
- Jude of Cornwall in Colours visits another Cornish garden.
- Natalie goes on 5 amazing walks in Italy.
- And…Jo shares some of her trip to the UK over at And Anyways…
- ..…and all the other lovely bloggers out there. Sorry if I have missed anyone…..
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.
Thistles and Kiwis 
Hi Barbara I remember seeing The Great Gatsby with Robert Redford and our Book Club read it last year. Your Lamb Ragu looks delicious I’m going to make that one now that the weather is cooling down. I made a decadent Lindt Ball Chocolate Cheesecake for my daughter’s birthday which was delicious. We also watched Bergerac and agree not the same as the original. Have a lovely week, Sue L x
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The lamb ragu was even better on day 2. That cheesecake sounds amazing! I was disappointed in the new Bergerac. Thanks for stopping by!
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Your little squash is a butternut 🙂 They are tasty roasted, but equally good boiled – and make a lovely soup! I have enjoyed your upbeat look on life on this rather gloomy morning 🙂 🙂
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It doesn’t look the same shape as a butternut which I always think of as being ‘pear shaped’. The last pumpkin I had in the box was very unpleasant so I am a bit wary!
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It definitely is one – the smaller ones are often that shape 🙂 🙂
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“tuī, kākā” I’m surprised seeing ī and ā 🙂 I thought those were just for the Latvian language 🙂
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Yes used in te reo Māori too!
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Do you have also š ņ ķ ī ļ etc 🙂
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In te reo, ā ū ī
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That first picture of the sky is a beauty. The Great Gatsby is one of my favorites. I have read it many times, and I am reading it yet again for the 100th anniversary. Get something new out of it each time I read it.
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I haven’t read it for many years so will pick it up again this year for the anniversary.
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Well worth rereading.
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P.S. Thanks for the mention!
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I agree with Anne about the butternut. We often get them that shape here. Odd to get only one ear of corn though. I guess you’ll have to fight over it, or chop it in half! I like your idea of sausages with potato salad. And thanks once again for the link.
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After a horrible pumpkin in the wonky box, am a bit put off by the squash! Luckily my husband won’t eat sweetcorn so I had it all to myself.
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great you doing strong at Pilates!
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I hope you enjoyed that squash. I find them dense but tasty. Your food always looks good. Like you I enjoy the sunshine and blue skies and now am enjoying much later sunsets as we rotate!
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The squash is still sitting in the fridge… Thanks Bernie!
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Hi, Barbara. We watched the new Bergerec series and I find it way different from the old I don’t Bergerec in the old series being so scruffy, but then time moves on so a new take on the character.
the ragu looks delicious.
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The old Bergerac had some humour in it. The ragu was good even though I say so myself.
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I also preferred the actor 🙂
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Me too!
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The song of the tuī is one of my favorite memories of NZ.
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It is quite distinctive.
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I reread Gatsby when the later film came out, but never actually watched the film. Sometimes characters seem so right, as in the 1974 version, that I don’t want to dislodge them from my brain.
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I agree – I will forever see Gatsby as Robert Redford!
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Our small pleasure was seeing some rain at last. An odd pleasure for sure.
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But good if needed!
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Definitely.
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Sounds like you had a good week. I remember seeing the Great Gatsby with Redford many years ago. I’ll have to watch it again; it’s a classic. Thanks for the shoutout!
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It was a nice quiet week for a change.
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Such scrumptious food photos!
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“it is what I can do not what I can’t” – I love your mantra! On on!
As always, I peer into the contents of your Wonky Box with great interest – is that corn on the cob I spy? Good reminder for me to checkin with my ugly veg guys; it has been a while with all the moving and travelling.
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Thanks! Yes it was corn on the cob – coming to the end of the season here.
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What a beautiful week you’ve had. The wonky box and your lamb ragu look so good. Thank you for the mention and for your weekend coffee share.
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It was good in many ways. BTW – showed the pictures of San Marino to my husband and he also wants to go…
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That’s great. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on San Marino after your visit.
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Maybe in 2026 if we make it to Europe.
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Its super hard to imagine The Great Gatsby turns a 100 … I suppose the movie adaptations have also kept it alive giving modernised renditions of it that it seems like a timeless classic that can appeal to any timeline…
The first episode of the new season of Black Mirror is a piece of work… scary emotive stuff…. fortunately the other episodes dont have you asking who is cutting up onions as much as that one did?
~B
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I know – Gatsby at 100 – hardy makes sense!
Agree the first episode of Black Mirror was good. The film one was not so good. It is still a good series though overall.
All the best from NZ!
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I have a non-spoiler review of the latest season of Black mirror on my blog so do pop by after or even before you finish watching it… just putting that out there ^_^
~B
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It sounds like you had a good week. I’m happy you’re feeling good doing pilates. I also love cookbooks.
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