This week’s small pleasures #476

I can’t really believe it is almost the end of January already and only 5 weeks until we head to the other side of the world. Before that, there is a lot going on from the theatre, to a visitor next month to a couple of dinners out. Karl was in Sydney this week at a conference, so I had a couple of quiet evenings to myself.

Some of you may well be aware of the tragedy of the slip at Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park and the dreadful flooding on the east coast around Gisborne and further north. Wellington has escaped the worst of the weather, though it has hardly been very summery here – this was me waiting at the bus stop on Saturday morning on my way to Pilates. Actually, it has been a bit of a Scottish summer for those who know what I mean!

Eating

Last Monday, I had a go at making Hasselback potatoes. Not that these are exactly difficult, just it takes a little time to cut the potatoes. I did the trick of putting each potato between wooden spoons to stop cutting all the way through, which worked perfectly. So easy, so pretty to look at, so good to eat.

On Wednesday, I had a very good smoked salmon bagel, with massive amount of salad and a pesto dressing at Atrium, a nice cafe with friendly staff tucked away on Victoria Street. At home I made a salad with brown lentils, roasted beetroot and carrot, feta and some seeds which I ate with some salad leaves for dinner on Wednesday and had the leftovers for lunch on Friday. I am slowly getting to like beetroot, but only well roasted in tiny bits!

We didn’t get a Wonky Box on Friday, so picked up some carrots, green beans, sweet corn and radishes, along with nectarines, raspberries and blueberries, chicken, beef mince and sausages. I forgot, if you can believe, lemons, garlic and cucumber, so picked those up on Sunday.

Going out

On Saturday, we went to the cinema again – this is the third time this year and we haven’t even reached the end of January. This time it was Nouvelle Vague, which follows the shooting of Breathless one of the first feature films of the nouvelle vague or new wave of French cinema. You can read more about it here. We really enjoyed it and highly recommend it for something just a little different. The next film I want to see is Blue Moon.

Simple things

• Catching up with the work book club – good fun!
• Visiting the dentist and just having a check up and polish, nothing else needing done.
• Having Karl back home safely from his trip.
• Enjoying Pilates.
• Reading and nearly forgetting to get off the bus.
• Spotting this flag outside a shop on Cuba Street (and yes the sign does say ‘nothing you need but everything you want’ which I love).

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. 

• Travels Through My Lens tells us more about a recent trip to Mexico.
• And Fred shares six things from his garden.
• While Anne spots olive thrushes.
• Meanwhile, Debbie  goes to Jamberoo Action Park.
• The Travel Sketcher shares the week in The Pearl including some excellent looking pizza.
• While Mr Tootlepedal spots lots of birds.
• The Glasgow Gallivanter takes us to Craster and Dunstanburgh.
• Maria of Green Dreams says than you for the little things.
• And Ilze sees the Northern Lights for the third time.
• Still Restlessjo shares a book of letters from Mozambique.
• And Jo makes some shortbread from a favourite cook book of mine,
• ..…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.