2024

 I hope you had a lovely Christmas and New Year? I don't think I can read another diet or goal planning article and it's on day two of 2024. I had thought about setting 'goals', not resolutions, I have set a couple but don't really want to commit them to written words as I am sure I will feel bad if I don't achieve them. I thought I would write about what is happening around me at the moment instead.

Sounds - the birds are chirping now first thing in the morning and that makes me so happy! It's pitch black when I get up to walk max but I can hear birdsong and it's wonderful. In Fulham where I live, there are so many lorikeets - someone released them years ago and they continue to breed and the sound takes me back to Sydney each time I hear it. 

See - I am continuing with my mission to see two cultural things a week (got a bit sidetracked over Christmas). I did go to Accidentally Wes Anderson the other day which I wouldn't recommend unless you are fully into tik tok and under the age of 30! 

Taste - My daughter gave me the most wonderful cookbook for Christmas Bee Wilson the secret of cooking  It's one of those books you want to just take to bed and read. It is more of a common sense cookbook, but comforting common sense, not someone bamboozling you with ingredients you have to wander the high street trying to find. I am working my way through the soup section at the moment and she has this wonderful formula to go by - 800g of vegetables, 800g water, 1 teaspoon of salt, 40g butter and put everything chopped into a pan and simmer for 45 minutes and add I tablespoon of lemon juice and chopped herbs at the end and blitz! so simple and delicious. 

Smell - I have filled the house with paperwhites and the smell has been amazing. Due to the central heating in the house they have bloomed very early but they are great to have in the house over the winter months blooming at different times. I absolutely love candles and my Christmas candle actually finished last night so I am on the hunt for a new one, I love the smell of fig candles, remind me of panelled libraries and winter fires. 

Feel - I am still feeling a bit unsettled in our new country and I am finding that running my hands through my dog's coat and stroking him whilst watching tv or reading a book is such a way to feel grounded and safe, Max loves it and it brings me a sense of calm. 

And finally, here in the UK you always buy amaryllis bulbs before Christmas and mine has been going for about a month and yesterday it came out in all its glory! they are so beautiful and are normally red but I went for the candy striped look, it brings me joy each day on my kitchen table, what do you think?