Baking and writing about it

Rain falling on the roof is always a welcome sound here and when you're inside, busy with everyday tasks, it gives a cozy feeling to the day. Mondays are usually busy in my home and yesterday was no different. The weather is cooling at night now and is still cool when I let the chickens out at 6am. I stand and watch the girls running around to get the overnight bugs that haven't managed to fly or jump away before the chance of snapping beaks present themselves.  I stood at the fence and admired the rich soil in our gardens - the product of 16 years of one family's care and devotion, and the pride of one particular gardener. Before coming back inside, I walked around the green house looking at the seedlings and cuttings, making sure they were all well hydrated and healthy. Crumpets and tea for breakfast, then I hurried through the bed making and tidying up so I could do some writing and baking before lunch. During the morning, showers of rain fell on the roof and trickled into our water tanks. Water catchment and storage without lifting a finger.

I'm working on my baking ebook and wanted to do a couple of test bakes for the book. Later in the morning, I made up a new recipe for a small sandwich loaf. Since we changed our main meal to lunch time, we're eating less bread. We now need a smaller loaf for sandwiches and the toast we often have in the evenings with tea. Whatever's leftover I gladly share with the chickens. It's generously soaked in milk and they love it. The bread still needs a slight adjustment before I'll be happy with it. My other baking experiment was vegan biscuits/cookies - oats and coconut, and even if I do say so myself, they're delicious. The recipes will be in the new books.

When the rain stopped, Hanno worked in the garden and mowed the lawn, and then went out to fill the car up with fuel and get a couple of bags of groceries. I took the opportunity to finish off some dishcloths I've knitted for my sister and to examine Johnathan's cardigan. It's at the stage where I have to piece it all together and I'm not looking forward to doing it. But do it I will because Tricia is coming to visit us soon and I want her to take it back to Johnathan when she goes back home again. I'm thankful I lay the cardigan out for the photo above because although I thought it was almost finished, I still have one front to knit!

I'm knitting with the most wonderful bamboo knitting needles at the moment. I bought them when I was in Blackheath last year; when we did the workshops there. I forgot about them for a while but now I use them every chance I get. They're smooth and warm and picking them up to begin work always makes me smile a little. I've grown to believe that the materials I use when making and knitting should be the best quality I can afford. It allows me to thoroughly enjoy the process of hand making clothing and household linens, as well as the end result. I guess it's another interpretation of the journey being as important as the destination. :- )

Kerry stayed with us overnight so he could be up and ready to go back to work early this morning. Hanno will drive him to the transit bus that takes him to the airport. So I made up a bed for him mid-afternoon and put aside a plate of the chicken and vegetables we had for lunch. Now that I'm used to eating and washing up at midday, I prefer to have everything prepared so I don't have to start work again late in the day. It's one of the benefits of having a grown family. We can plan our days suit our needs again.

Yesterday I received the notice the Sunshine Coast libraries are using to promote my talks later in the year. I'll remind you about these again in a few weeks and put it on my side bar but here is the notice if you want to book in for the talks.

I love that we're right at the beginning of autumn and have all those months of cooler weather ahead. I always feel more energised in the cold weather. The heat and humidity sap the will to live right out of me sometimes. But now there is much to look forward to, lots of productive work ahead and a garden out the back that holds so much promise. I hope you've got things to look forward to as well.