5 April 2013

Seasonal changes at home

I've been very ill with a virus the past 36 hours. I wrote this blog the other day but couldn't get up to post it. I'll be back as soon as I can be.

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It's changing here. The warm days are cooling slightly and at night we take advantage of flannel sheets, fluffy doonas and homemade quilts. The bed is always the first to signify the change of seasons, followed fairly closely by the slippers, food and our clothing. I find the older I get, the less I like the extremes of temperatures. There was a time when I worked much further north and didn't feel any adverse effects. There was I time I loved the coldness of snow and those climates that seem to be shrouded in mist for days at a time. Now I love cool but not cold temperatures, although I am looking forward to establishing a yearly winter trip to visit my sister Tricia, who lives in the Blue Mountains at Blackheath. It's wood fire country. We have hot tea instead of cold drinks and there life is mostly lived indoors during winter.



Back here in the sub-tropics, we're looking forward to a milder winter. It's still warm enough to grow vegetables but it is cold at night. Sometimes it goes down to 3 - 5C but luckily we never get frosts. If it were up to me, we'd be sitting beside a wood burning stove in the evenings. Unfortunately, Hanno hates wood fires so I have to make do with extra layers of clothing and my slippers. Do I whinge about that every year? 

I think my favourite aspect of ordinary life during the colder months is the food. All those soups, stews, porridge, hot scones and bread, and being in the warmth of the kitchen, cooking. I love cooking winter food. It fills a need in me to nurture my family and fill their bellies with nourishing hot food that will keep them going in the cold weather. Chopping vegetables and adding meat, chicken, lentils, beans, or barley to a hearty stock or a simple broth never fails to satisfy my soul. I love the smell of those rich foods wafting through my home. It's like a lifeblood running through us; it keeps us alive. 

A close second to the foods are winter crafts. I knit all year long but in winter I'm like a possessed woman, clicking away madly to create more woolly warmth for my family. It seems like important work to me. I love sitting with my knitting on a cold and wet Sunday afternoon, watching something like Vera, Time Team or The Sopranos on TV and if I can smell vegetable and barley soup cooking slowly on the stove then, you won't find a women more content than me.

What do you love about your current season?


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63 comments

  1. Hello Rhonda, firstly I hope you recover quickly. It is school holidays here in Victoria and in our region we are enjoying gorgeous days and even nicer cool nights. Blankets have been added to beds and quilts washed and aired. Our region's weather is similar to the Blue Mountains and life during winter lived inside. We have a wood fire which along with the kitchen becomes the heart of our home. I LOVE the atmosphere of the wood fire, casseroles or soup on the stove, a roast in the oven or a special dessert being prepared. The only worry is trying not to use the dryer as electricty costs are so high. Winter is great famiy time and a perfect reason to indulge in sewing, knitting and reading. We also have mist that envelopes the area, winter is truly a stunning time of the year. We do get very cold temperatures, frost and occasional snow! My daughter has a virus/cold and has been in bed most of the first week of the school holidays. Hope you are back on your feet soon, Ann

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  2. Sorry to hear you're poorly Rhonda, hope you're feeling better soon.

    I'd love a wood fire here too, but also don't have one. We're meant to be coming into spring here in the UK, but it's been cold cold COLD for what feels like months now, and there's still pockets of snow in my garden from last week's heavy snowfall. I confess, much as I love being cosy inside in winter, this cold snap is lasting a little too long for my liking...

    Still, our clocks have just changed, so it was light when I got home from work at 7pm today. I planted my first seeds on the windowsill yesterday, and today the sun has been shining (not warm, but at least visible). Tomorrow we'll wrap up and visit the seaside - quite a trek for us so we don't go often. There are no buds on the trees yet, but tiny daffodils are poking through the snow and blue tits are investigating the nest box (they were doing this in January last year!)

    Tonight, though, I'm inside with hot water bottle and hot chocolate. Brrr.

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  3. The warm fireplaceApril 05, 2013 5:47 am

    I hope you will be feeling better soon, here in the UK we are still struggling to get out of winter, i love to sit and knit of an evening evenly better if the fire is going, i am wondering if spring will ever come! So i am still in winter mode at the moment, it is a slower pace.
    Sue

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  4. Rhonda...Hope that you are feeling better soon. It is spring here and we rode out to the beach to have lunch and look at the Gulf of Mexico. We felt so happy thinking about summer, planting our garden, visits with children and grandchildren, and projects around our home. Also we love to can jams, sauces, salsas,etc. Blessings, Carolyn from Florida

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  5. Oh man, you can't take a trick at the moment.
    Hope you feel better soon.
    (I'm reading a Vera book at the moment and I LOVE Time Team.)

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  6. We are slowly creeping towards spring...I am looking forward to sitting outside on my porch swing during all times of the day but especially in the evenings. I love taking my knitting out there and just listening to the birds. I bought myself a Kindle this winter and I look forward to sitting outdoors and reading it too:)

    ~~Renee

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  7. Take care of yourself, Rhonda!

    Spring is trying very hard to make an appearance here in Atlanta. Today is cool and rainy, but the beautiful cherry blossoms on the tree in my front yard tell me that spring will get here soon. I love these trees with their clouds of blossoms!

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  8. Hi Rhonda,

    I’m very sorry to hear you are unwell, and hope you get better soon. Here in Canberra, although it (almost) never snows, we experience a proper four seasons and things are well on the way to changing – the leaves are turning all sorts of rich autumnal colours and starting to fall, and we’re already getting nights where the lows are consistently hitting 5 degrees. It’s typically ANZAC day (or a few days on either side) when we get our first frost, and after that it frosts most evenings until mid-spring.

    Staying warm has been a challenge for us in the past, and for this reason Winter was never our favourite time of year, but two years ago we installed insulation in the walls and double glazing on all windows – you’d not believe the difference that made. Also we just recently installed a wood stove/oven to keep the place warm, and to cook all our favourite winter meals – stews, pies, soups, and hot porridge for breakfast. The other night it hit a low of 3 degrees so we fired her up for the first time and it was magical – the type of heat it emits (radiant heat) strikes me as something that humans really respond to, similar to the sun, as opposed to the hot air from a gas heater which is then blown about the house.

    Further to all that, as you’re aware we’re expecting our first baby in June – so I can’t properly describe how much I’m looking forward to Winter this year! Bring it on!

    Best wishes in your recovery,
    Michael

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  9. I hope you feel better soon Rhonda. I'm beginning to struggle with loving my current season this year. Here in the UK it's freezing and has been snowing off and on since mid January - I even had some snow today 4th April! - and I live in the south. My son and his girlfriend were over from Sydney at Christmas and would have loved to see the snow, but I'm bored with it now and can't wait for Spring to arrive properly! I must've put 2 baskets full of logs in the wood burner today so at least I'm snug in the house :o) You stay snuggled up too & take care xxxx

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  10. Oh I do hope you are healing up well. Keep snuggled up and look after you.
    I love the comforts of winter too - and I am lucky to have a woodfire. There is not much better than eating comfort food, sitting by the fire in the evening sewing (usually with the dog asleep on my foot) and then hopping into bed with my hot water bottle. I'm so glad to hear you appreciate the colder months as so many people have thought I was crazy liking this time of year!

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  11. I hope that you are recovering Rhonda. It is a beautiful Autumn morning here-the dawn was layers of pink sky and fog with clear night sky above. I sit here with a cup of tea listening to the rooster crowing and the washing machine spinning and feel contentment such as I never thought possible in my younger years.

    Our winters get cold and wet-but I have a warm home and look forward to our wood heater each year. :) We built the house with passive solar principles in mind and I adore the morning sun streaming through the windows across the back; then get to enjoy the afternoon sun in the front rooms as well.

    Good thoughts your way.

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  12. Praying you get better real fast.
    Sam
    oldgreenpastures

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  13. I too love the cooler months, we have just put the flannel sheets on & it's lovely to snuggle down for the night, we have some veges growing well & it's always easier to work in the garden if it's cooler, I keep talc on the table by my chair to keep hand 'sweat' to a minimum when I knit/crochet/sew in the warmer months- but don't have to worry about that as it cools down- another bonus. We are lucky enough to have a small gas heater for a quick warm in the morning & a wood fire for the 'longer warm'. I'm sorry to hear you have been under the weather for the last few days & hope you are feeling better, take care & rest up. Deb M

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  14. Sorry to hear you have been unwell, Rhonda. I hope you are on the mend soon. It sounds like the flu has hit early here in Queensland this year.

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  15. I hope you feel better really soon. Be sure to rest up and give yourself and extra day to recover if you need it.
    Denise

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  16. It's starting to get that lovely fresh feel in the mornings, instead of the stifling humidity and heat of summer, that I love.

    And being able to snuggle up in bed under a light blanket - kind of like a nest - and feel all cosy.

    That doesn't mean I don't like summer. I just find different things to love about it. The seasons can't be avoided, but I used to hate some of them. Now, I'm trying to find something to appreciate about all of them.

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  17. Like you, as I get older I like the cold less and less. I have had Fibromylgia 17 years now, and the cold really ties me in knots! It's coming on Spring here, the daffodils are poking up thru the grass, and the sheltered ones next to the garage are even blooming a little. I walked to the bank this morning (NO coat) and it was wonderful - sunshine, no clouds no wind. Tomorrow it will change but today was terrific.

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  18. Sorry you under the weather, dear Rhonda :( Knowing Hanno, he'll be doing a smashing job of looking after you. Rest up XO

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  19. I think I have a love/hate deal with Spring. I love the flowers, the green, the warmth. I love the part after the deep cleaning. It's just so much work to get it all under control!

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  20. I hope you feel better soon, Rhonda. Do take care!

    It is spring here, and I love the season of new beginnings. Fresh starts, cleaning up, planting, and planning. I still cook and bake daily, and knit and craft... but often with the windows open and a fresh breeze blowing through. And, chilly nights mean we do still have a fire in the wood stove.

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  21. hope you are feeling better soon xx shilo

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  22. I love the cooling of the days, being able to add layers and curl up under blankets. It's finally cooling down enough to be cardigan weather, not cool enough to run the heater yet. Flannelette sheets have gone on the bed but still only need one blanket.
    I'd love a wood fire too but like you I have a husband who doesn't seem to like them or is it the work that goes with them? My dream house has at least one fireplace and even a wood burning stove.

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  23. I hope you are feeling better soon Rhonda. I love the cooler change too. It is such a great time to be out in the garden. I love the feel of the sun on my back warming me up as opposed to cooking me through like it does in summer. Here in Kilcoy we get frosts so we have a fire going. This is my favourite time of year.

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  24. Probably the thing I'm loving most about this season (Autumn) is that the nights are cool and the days are warm. Slipping into a warm bed thanks to the electric blanket.

    Last night it got down to 5.9 degrees and the cool air as I step outside in the morning is magical - with the sun peeking through the trees and the kookaburras singing and magpies warbling it is a very special time around here. There's a faint whiff of wood fire smoke as well.

    Then as the morning goes on it warms up as there are no clouds in the sky, just the glowing sun. We are expecting a top of 26 which is just perfect. Driving my car with the warm sun on my arms and cool air against my face is my favourite!

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  25. Oh Rhonda I do hope you are feeling much better now. I have been noticing the change in the season with a few leaves starting to yellow, the cooler, darker mornings and the ugg boots being pulled on as I get out of bed now & a pot of porridge on the stove for the breakfast. I usually prefer the warmer weather although I have been anticipating the cooler weather this year so I could plant out my flourishing vegie seedlings into the garden. I also have been keeping the stock from my steamer in readiness for making lovely warming soups for winter. I too love making the warming, comforting foods of winter to nourish & warm my family & me. I know it won't be long now til I am rummaging through the winter clothes I have bundled away & pulling out the flannel sheets for the beds. We have a lovely wood fire in our house which takes that chill out of the air. Mum had a wood stove when I was growing up which she cooked on, heated the water with and made the house a cosy and welcoming place to be, so I know what you mean when you wish you had a wood stove.
    I have also picked up the knitting needles(the first time in probably 25 years, since my grandma & mother taught me when I was a child) and made a gorgeous scarf with fish net yarn & I think I may have the bug it is incredibly relaxing and the end product is so rewarding.
    So for the time being I am enjoying this change in the season but I know when the first frost hits I will be cursing the cold weather again. That's probably the Queenslander coming out in me even though I have lived in northwest NSW for 12 years. Take care Rhonda and hope you are feeling well enough to enjoy your weekend :)
    Julie-Anne

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  26. You watch The Sopranos?! Well, I never! :-)

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  27. So sorry you have been unwell, hope the coming days will restore you!
    I love the quietness and home keeping in the winter. Spring brings a lot of business to all the neighborhood, and although it is wonderful, all the neighborhood park activity can be wearing. I find the best balance seems to keep busy whatever the season, and just be thankful to have each day. Blessings to you both!

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  28. Oh Rhonda, sorry you have been ill but do hope you are on the mend. Here in northeast pennsylvania, USA ,spring has been very slow to come this year...Although I like the cozyness of winter, I am a summer girl at heart. I love the warm weather and growing things and all of the greenness. I have to smile to picture you knitting and watching "the Sopranos"...funny!!

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  29. I hope you feel better soon, Rhonda. I'm just like you; give me cold, wet weather, something delicious simmering on the stove or in the slow-cooker and something yarny or clothy to work on, and I'm a happy girl. I think I like fall and spring best, and equally. I don't hate any season, though I do get tired of summer after awhile. Living in the desert makes for a very long, drawn-out and wearying summer season.

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  30. Hope you feel better soon!!

    Your post made me laugh because I just took the flannel sheets OFF the bed, here is CO it's starting to gear up for a nice warm summer.

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  31. Oh Rhonda, I hope you feel better soon.
    We should have spring here in Germany, but instead we have a strange kind of prolonged winter. Frost during the night , maybe some sun in the day, an ice-cold wind which dries the soil. Everything is grey and bare outside, and my house is full of seedlings and bulbs I cannot plant out because the soil is frozen.
    Take care and rest
    Hilde

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  32. I hope you feel better soon Rhonda, and straight after you had that foot problem which I hope is fully healed. I wonder if the antibiotics brought your defences down. Up here in the tropics the weather is very pleasant in the winter - it never get cool enough that we need winter clothes, but I still cook up soups and stews. We grew up near a German family in South Africa and they had an anthracite heater and in the winter there was always a pot of soup simmering, and the kettle ready to make a fresh cup of tea.

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  33. Oh, I really hope you feel better soon, Rhonda! We all caught the most wretched stomach bug here this year, and it was miserable. Nothing like being sick to make you appreciate health.
    Take care,
    Jaime

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  34. I am longing for flannel sheets and socks on feet but alas over here in the West of Australia we are experiencing one of our warmest Autumns on record. Yesterday was a very warm 36.4 degrees!

    wishing you a speedy recovery

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  35. Fight that bug Rhonda and get well soon!
    Have to confess I have a split personality. Feel like two different people depending on whether it´s the winter or summer half year. Now we have turned the corner and the days are getting longer and longer. Then I get a new lease of life and so much energy I even fool myself into believing I can carry out all those projects I think of. Yes, making a list is wise. As it grows longer even I the eternal optimist can see it´s unreasonably long.

    I enjoyed the Sopranos for the first year or so then like so many other series, I felt it flipped out.
    Take care
    Ramona K/Sweden

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  36. Oh dear,so sorry to hear you are un-well,hope you are feeling better very soon,the weather here in Adelaide the past few day's have been quite delicious!finally that awful heat and humidity has left,and i am all ready cooking some yummy soup,and enjoy my morning walk's again!xx Carol

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  37. I love being able to rug up with a hot cup of coffee and my two doggie hot water bottles, Sorcha and Baxter. Hope you feel better soon. :)

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  38. g'day rhonda,
    sorry to hear you are unwell, hope you get better soon
    i used to enjoy summer & spring the best as growing up in nsw I never liked winter always too cold. up here in queensland is much better, more mild winters here, though these last few years i haven't enjoyed my warmer months as much i used to, due to menopause, internally always hot!
    autumn so far is proving to be quite nice ...
    hope you get well soon

    selina from kilkivan qld

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  39. oh Rhonda, Hope you feel better soon.

    Priz

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  40. Here in the netherlands i love the exciting feelings the comming spring gives me( i realy hate the cold winter)

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  41. I do hope you are feeling better soon Rhonda...my twins have had viruses recently too...so many things going around unfortunately.
    Loved reading this post though as I was just sitting her last night thinking the same thing. For some reason as we begin to get the cooler weather I feel myself begin to come alive and want to cook wonderful stews and puddings as well as sit down and craft or read. I don't often get the time I want to with 2 yr olds but I know that this season of Autumn is my absolute favourite! Feel better soon xx

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  42. Take care and be gentle with yourself. Your body is telling you to slow down and let it recover form both your foot ailment and the virus. The outside world will be there for you when you are better. Lots of fluids and rest.

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  43. Gee Rhonda, you really are having a rough trot lately. I'll add you to my prayers list tonight & hope you're feeling better soon.
    Take care,
    Ann & Donnie
    x x

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  44. Spring has been stressful for the last few years. Just two years ago we were in drought and were hitting record spring temperatures. This week we finally recovered to 'normal' spring temperatures after the second coldest on record - and then the snow fluttered down again yesterday.

    Still, the quince shrubs in the park are looking glorious, the ground is warming up and the evenings are now longer - British Summer Time began last week. The tomato seedlings have been transplanted into bigger pots - I think it is the tomato seedlings that make me happiest at this time of year, actually. If it hadn't been so cool and damp, the first barbecue of the year would normally be on the equinox, too.

    I hope you feel better soon x

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  45. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Rhonda! Kirsten x

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  46. Hello, hope you get back on your feet soon, sorry to hear you havn't been well. Love the way you describe a home cooked meal, couldn't agree more. Here in the norwegian innland winter still has a fast hold. My vegetable garden is hidden under 30 cm of snow, but the light is different somehow and spring is on it's way. I love Autumn and winter perhaps best of all, but all four seasons are special. We are a real wood fire-family and a dream is to do up an old kitchen cooker and not be so dependant on electricity for preparing food. Pam x

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  47. Hope you are feeling better today Rhonda ... I just got over some kind of flu bug that put me in bed for a couple days. Not fun ... but it's amazing how your body heals itself. I was fortunate to not have to take antibiotics, but was close.
    Healing thoughts coming your way!
    Sue

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  48. Feel better soon! Up here in Minnesota, USA.....we are trending in the 40's (Fahrenheit) and struggling to get warmer. Springtime is just beginning here and the birds are returning, the snow is melted, and the children are playing outdoors more. It has been a very long winter, with several feet of snow and cold temperatures. I am looking forward to warmer temperatures and open windows! Short sleeve shirts are coming out of the closets and winter jackets are being packed away......enjoy snuggling in! Looking forward to getting Down to Earth delivered this week! Hopefully, with it will be some warmer air from down under!
    Blessings,
    Nicole Bourgeois

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  49. Hope you feel better soon!!

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  50. We're just into Spring, or supposed to be it's still in the minuses most nights, I love this time of year, it's usually the time for planting seeds in the greenhouse, preparing the veggie beds ready for use and deciding what is going where this year. I spend more time watching the chickens revelling in any sunshine that comes their way and we eat goose eggs for the precious couple of months that they lay for us.

    It's a time of promise of the good things to come, a time to fling open doors and windows and let the fresh air in, time to take stock and be thankful that another Winter has passed us by and we are here to start all over again.

    Sue xx

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  51. Rhonda we are between winter and spring here in Northern Maine. There is still some snow on the ground, but the smell of spring is in the air, the temps are getting warmer, and the days are getting longer. The winters here are long and cold, so we are all looking forward to the warmer seasons.
    Fall is definitely my favorite season. I compare myself to a bear that time of year, as I busy myself preparing for the long winter hybernation. Reading the grandchildren stories in front of a cozy fire, cuddled under warm quilts, the smell of bread in the oven and the love of family safely tucked inside together.
    Feel better soon!
    Julie
    www.ourlittleredsaltbox.blogspot.com

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  52. Rhonda, i hope you feel better soon!
    my favorite season is autumn, followed closely by winter: cool/cold days, rain, snow, changing leaves, apple cider, stews, soups, knitting, reading, picking apples/pears. it's spring here now and i guess it's kind of nice: daffodils, tulips, trees blossoming, not too hot yet. i wish we could skip the whole summer thing though; i'm not a fan of it.
    take care,
    Tanya.

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  53. Hope you are feeling better soon :) I noticed last night it was pretty chilly when I put the dog out it seems to have come from no where - time to dig out the boxes full of winter clothes! We will be moving to Kilcoy in a couple of months it's even colder there in the winter and our house is an old Queenslander so I am going to be very busy crocheting blankets and slippers for us all
    I love winter too being from England most of my comfort foods are warm stews and pies so I like being able to make them for my children in the winter - I would love a wood heater too

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  54. Here our temperatures have been in the 80s recently. Spring is here. We just got over colds but our stamina is still not quite back to normal. I hope your's is over quickly. We want you to fully enjoy your visit with your sister!! :) As the years have flown by we certainly have noted a change in how we feel each season too. We used to take all but a very thin blanket off the bed during the summer month. Now we keep a thicker one on and use it. Also we are more uncomfortable in the coldest parts of the year or the hottest for that matter. We seem to notice things more...or is it what we are now home more and not at a work place and so our minds are on other things and not the temperatures? Hubbies work was never heated or cooled as he worked manual labor in plants. So he was not used to air conditioning and such. Good thing as we don't have it at home either! :) It sounds wonderful to have but I don't think we could ever afford the expense of such a device. Our neighbors who have them are always complaining of the high electricity costs of running them no matter how efficient they are. We are out working in the yards more than ever this time of year naturally. This year we have cut down on the amount we will grow. We are working instead of moving things around and making the space more efficient this year. With just the 2 of us now we have plenty already canned and dried to do us this year so we will only plant what we need for daily use this season. There will still be enough to give away to family. Doing things at our age takes a bit more time and effort so we are keeping this in mind with our improvements. We are ever so grateful though that we can still get out there and dig in the soil and feel the sun shine!!!! Sarah

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  55. Hope this finds you happy! I pray you're mending well and that you are enjoying your day! I love the change of seasons because they each have a pleasure of their own. We are starting into spring and I'm enjoying starting seedlings with my children. I think it's such a gift to create a HOME for those we love!

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  56. Feel Better Rhonda! Praying for your speedy recovery :)

    Donna

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  57. Oh Rhonda, hope you're feeling better soon. Over here in the UK winter is still here like an unwelcome guest that refuses to leave,with snowdrifts and overnight frosts- although the Met Office forecasters promise we may have spring by the end of April. Plenty of hot tea, quilts on the bed and warm, comfort food until then.

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  58. I'm with you on that Rhonda. We are finally seeing a glimpse of spring here in the UK which is great but I do miss cooking those winter meals for the family. There is nothing quite like serving up a plate of stew and dumplings to hungry family members on a cold day. Wishing you a speedy recovery
    Kate

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  59. I know we don't really get the cold here on the Sunshine Coast, but I too would just love to curl up in front of an open fire with a book, my crochet and my four-footed family. Like you this is the season of soup, sour-dough (all year long really) porridge and home. Take care and regain your health quickly.

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  60. Hello Rhonda, I hope you are feeling better:)

    I too, love nothing more than cooking heartwarming soups, casseroles and stews. There is no greater joy than serving a hearty meal on a cold night to family and/or friends. A meal that as simmered for hours, a meal to warm the bones. This kind of comfort food reminds me of my Nana. For me it is hospitality and love in one. Like a warm hug. I just wish that it was colder in Queensland for longer, I could happily eat soup for months and months. However I'm not sure my children would share my enthusiasm!

    Take care
    Jacki xo

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  61. Hopefully you will be fit and well soon after the problems with your foot and now a viral infection. I think you've had more than your fair share of illness lately :(.
    I cooked a nice lamb curry yesterday in the slow cooker with soup mix in it that contained barley, pulses and lentils and served it on a bed of boiled rice with crusty home made bread to mop the plate with. Yum. I made enough to have the same again tonight as the air is becoming nippy in the evenings and it will soon be time to light the wood stove.

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  62. I hope you feel well soon, Rhonda. Fortunately some of these bugs are not too long lived. We are going into our springtime here, it is just easing up on cold weather and I don't have to put the heat on too often now. We have had rain lately; a good deal- as we are six inches short this year. We still might get it, though. I, too, look forward to seasonal changes; I am planting a lot now and already have a few things coming up: my potatoes are going gangbusters, the fig is leafing out, apples are starting, the dogwood is in bloom. But your autumn season preparations sound yummy.

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  63. This is older so I see now you are feeling better. Good to know. I am in Louisiana, US. Here it's spring time. We've got our garden planted and will start harvesting sometime in June thru August. By the time August gets here it will be peppers only as it get's too hot and dry for much else to grow. It's hot & humid from about late April and on into Sept. 81 was today's high. Luckily we've got a breeze blowing & I have the windows open. I love the breeze and seeing the curtains blow. We will be getting our air conditioner serviced later this week as that is our largest bill but a necessary one. I do love spring time, as short as it may be. Winter seems a bit lazy and it feels good to get out and enjoy some yard work & the baby animals. Foods we eat in spring tend to start being cooked outdoors & salads. Tonight we're having chicken cooked on the bbq, cabbage salad (coleslaw), and bread. I love to hear about your life in Australia. I've been obsessed with wanting to visit there since watching McCleod's Daughters on our tv. :)

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