Sunday Afternoon

Outside my window the trees wave in the wind. It's not warm, but at least it's not raining. I clipped a bouquet of all the sweet peas in bloom for the kitchen windowsill. I'm hoping that my fearless clipping will result in a profusion of blooms. 

Our wedding cake was a towering three layers of my mother's fruitcake covered with royal icing. I dislike fruitcake, but that was the tradition. At least Tim liked it. I digress. The royal icing decorations were of sweet peas, made by my Auntie Ruth. It was a beautiful cake for looking at. All to say, I do love sweet peas.

The house is so quiet. We've had a fun and busy week with our Vancouver family staying with us. Miss Iris is a busy, busy 13-month-old who is an absolute delight. Today, after they left, I wandered around the house and garden, hardly knowing what to do with myself. So I cut some daisies and put them on the table on the patio. They are pretty flowers, but they stink. Our outdoor carpet is always covered with rose petals blown in on the wind. It's barely warm enough to sit outside, and if I do, I have a blanket and a sweater handy. 

Once Iris figured out that the piano made noise, she frequently crawled over, pulled herself up, and looked pleadingly at someone to open it. Not content to stand and play the keys, she was happiest when I pulled out the bench and sat with her on my knee. She banged away while I played simple tunes with one hand. 

I love soup at any time of the year. In summer, I love to add freshly snipped basil or other herbs to my bowl. Vegetable soup is a favourite. 

A couple of weeks ago Tim and I visited our son and his family while they were out camping. We enjoyed making smores over the campfire. Rather than graham crackers and chocolate (which rarely melts), Katie had McVitie's Hobnobs. I had never heard of them, and found them delicious! Yesterday I tried making some and they turned out quite well. I used this recipe from Bon Appetit. , and added chocolate to the bottoms. Oh, and I had Lyle's Golden Syrup in the cupboard and used that in place of honey. They are faintly sweet and slightly salty. Most delicious. Apparently they are a British classic. 

I think this poppy is an anomaly - it's growing along with the peony poppies that come up in my garden. I never planted any like this, but I like it a lot. I've marked the plant with a twist tie to collect the seeds later. 

Poppies spring up everywhere. They are easy to pull if I don't want them, but I rather enjoy their spontaneous appearance amongst the vegetables - here the squashes. I plant marigolds at the ends of the garden beds, for looks and because they deter some insects. 

During this week of Iris visiting, we often took tours around the garden. She curls her little nose and sniffs the flowers. The lavender is full of bees and she moves her little finger in circles and buzzes along with them. She is the sweetest thing in my garden.

The sun is shining and I've pulled a 5-story volume of Agatha Christie off my bookshelf. I'll make a cup of tea, accompany it with a Hobnob, and read outdoors for awhile, where the hydrangeas grow through the railing.

Wishing you a peaceful beginning to a new week.