This week’s small pleasures 501

Well, what started out as a good week with an exhibition, sunshine and tickets for the ballet, ended with me leaving the theatre early at the interval and retiring to bed, sleeping for 9.5 hours and spending Sunday resting and feeling pretty awful. Today I am a lot better but nowhere near 100% and have taken the day off sick from work. Eugh.

Still, earlier in the week, I popped into Unity Books who have recently expanded their space. It is great to see a book shop growing, and what with that and two new book shops opening in the city, it seems there is a good appetite for reading.

Exhibition

On Tuesday, I went to Adam Portraiture Award exhibition at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery. It is always worth going to see what has made the final show and the winners and runners up. This year’s winner is shown on the left below, Duncan Pepe Long’s, Solomon Tāmehana. It is quite striking and you can really sense the person in the portrait. The one on the right is of Tanea Heke, actor and Tumuaki/Director of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School, who I have had the good fortune to meet.

In the basket

The Wonky Box delivered up potatoes, an orange kumara. broccoli, carrots, a leek, mushrooms and a bag of baby spinach I used with salmon. There was also a lettuce. I topped this up with tamarillos, both red and yellow, pears, sausages, feta, parmesan and some chicken.

Lunches

Also on Tuesday I enjoyed an egg and pickle sandwich from Dough Bakery, which is always so good. On Wednesday I returned to Bond Street Deli for one of their fabulous tuna salad bagels. Sometimes the old favourites are the best.

The weekend

It started well, with Pilates and picking up a chocolate chip cookie from our local deli to have with tea on Saturday afternoon. I hadn’t felt hungry at all on Friday or in fact on Saturday, and even this always delicious treat seemed to fail to hit the spot. I should have guessed something wasn’t right. A friend and I went to the ballet as planned in the evening, but after the first piece (the 1954 ‘Birthday Offering’ choreographed by Frederick Ashton) I felt I had to go home at the interval. The other two pieces were by a choreographer I am not too keen on and we had both seen the third piece twice, but it was not a great way to spend an evening. After sleeping 9.5 hours (I obviously needed it), I spent a restful day, but put on these bright and happy socks I bought in Porto to cheer me up.

Simple things

• Reading that kaitiakitanga has been voted the world’s most beautiful word.
• Spending Sunday reading and listening to music (discovered a new favourite, Fergus McCreadie, a Scottish jazz pianist).
• Enjoying some sunny days.
• Feeling the days getting longer….
• Hearing and seeing a kākā in the city centre – gosh! When we arrived here 13.5 years ago that would have been unheard of.
• Finding an unexpected crocus in the garden.

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.

• Carol Ann shares her wonderful weekly delights – always a lovely list.
• And Alex of Scribble and Scran goes to the market.
• Then take a look at six things in Fred’s garden.
• Take a walk around Gozo with The Glasgow Gallivanter.
• While Jo shares some Thursday doors.
• Meanwhile Travels Through My Lens takes us up the Kotor Cable Car.
• There is some amazing looking food and wonderful art over at The Travel Sketcher.
• Mr Tootlepedal shares more beautiful pictures from his garden.
• While Ilze tells us about a weekend of home cafés which sounds such a great idea.
• And Maria is grateful to cook a meal from her garden.
• Neal shares five Friday happy bringers.
• And Natalie takes us for a walk around Fort York.
• The mimosas are blooming for Lisa of Southern Patches.
• And Jo of Story Crumbs shares a recipe for goulash that looks very good.
• Finally….Mr Platypus shares a picture of a Tudor mansion.
• ..…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 and good food. Thistles and Kiwis can be found on Facebook and Instagram @thistlesandkiwis