Five on Friday

 

Isn't this a striking male House Finch? We are seeing a good variety of birds around our feeder these days. They flutter in one at a time and then a colourful charm of finches perch on railings and rosebushes, awaiting their turn at the feeder. 

This is the first year Pine Siskins have visited the feeder. They are such scrappy things, beating their wings furiously when another bird gets too close, not wanting to share. On a recent cold morning, this particular Pine Siskin sat on the railing with his feathers fluffed while he waited. 

Our breakfast table looks out to where the feeders are. We have a ringside seat to bird antics. The table is an old one that belonged to Tim's mother, and to another family connection before that. 

Tim brought the two chairs home from the office many years ago and our youngest used them in her home. She painted them black and upholstered them in a beautiful rich gold and black pattern. She no longer needs them, so we took them. Over the Christmas break, Tim stripped, sanded, primed and painted them. I chose the colour and bought the upholstery fabric. He did the work. I'm so pleased with the way they turned out. They are very comfortable, too. 

"Food is for eating, and good food is to be enjoyed...
I think food is, actually, very beautiful in itself." Delia Smith

Salads are good any time of year and we eat a lot of them. With the sky-rocketing price of lettuce, I'm looking for alternatives for winter salads. Last night we enjoyed this one: English cucumber, quick pickled red onion, a jalapeno pepper (finely minced), a handful of roasted salted peanuts, and some parsley. Tossed with a little soy sauce and sesame oil, it made a delicious dish and I'm looking forward to finishing it for lunch. 

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough
to suit me." C. S. Lewis

January is Hot Tea Month (I don't know who decides these things...). Hot tea is served year round here, but it is especially enjoyable with my back to the fire on a rainy day. My eldest daughter gave me the mug for Christmas - isn't it pretty? It's a good size, too, and perfect for the first cup of the morning!

And so ends the first week of January. My, it's been eventful, hasn't it? Our restrictions have been extended for another month, which makes us all very sad, but we will hang in there.  School is still in session, so I'm not feeling too restricted, other than not being able to see my family. I'm so glad for technology that allows us to connect with our loved ones.

I'm sending wishes for a good weekend ahead to all of you. Treat yourself well. Be kind to others. 

A Bit of Yellow

"How wonderful the colour yellow is. It stands for the sun."

Vincent Van Gogh

I would never choose yellow as one of my favourite colours. However, I've been admiring it lately. Feverfew, seen above, seeds itself wantonly in my garden, and I let it grow where there are empty spots. The unwanted plants are easy enough to yank out. Some of my plants are single-flowered, others are double. Aren't they pretty?

Yellow, combined with white, is sunny and fresh. My neighbour has a few daisies that have crept across the strip of land between our gardens, cheerful open flowers that hide nothing. 

My mother recently gave me two plates and two bowls of J & G Meakin ironstone ware that belonged to her mother, the grandmother I never met. Mom told me that when she was about 12 years old, she and her father went to Mission, BC to buy a set of these dishes, a breakfast set, as a gift for Mother's Day for her mother. These are all that's left of the set, given at least 70 years ago. They are a pale creamy yellow with a floral pattern. 

A simple vase of uncomplicated feverfew flowers complements these dishes well. 

"Yellow is capable of charming God."

There is little yellow in my garden, yet when I went looking for it, I found more than I thought. A stray poppy plant growing under the jasmine, the center of a late blooming strawberry, a zucchini squash flower, and many tomato blossoms. The marigolds I plant to deter insects and they are a cheery sight at the end of one vegetable bed. 

Where do you stand on the colour yellow? Love it, hate it, ambivalent, or somewhere else on the spectrum? 

No yellow here, but a salad we enjoyed this week. Freshly picked and washed lettuce, diced avocado, strawberries from the garden, blue cheese, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. Delicious! 

As I write this, on Sunday evening, a flash at the window startled me, followed by the long rumble of thunder. We rarely get thunderstorms here, and I find them exciting. There's a bit of rain falling, most welcome on our already dry lawns and gardens. 

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life.

I hope you've all found out about the fix for Blogger comments going to emails. Another blogger emailed me to let me know, and I've seen the solution elsewhere. Here's a link to the simple fix.