eating from storage

the kitchen is still a favorite space of mine. and not just mine, we all love to gather and share a meal, be it with friends or just who ever is around. apple tart in all kinds o variations is frequently served as our stored apples have to be eaten. but not everyone likes to eat "old" apples, all wrinkled and not crisp anymore. this makes for tarts and pies, baked and cooked in what ever way i prepare them, everyone likes them. good for me, good for them (the ones eating at "my" table)

spring is springing

spring is in the air, not just out of doors, but on our dinner table too! a quick run this afternoon, i had to bend down a few times, could not resist the urge to bring some spring home into the house. well, those are the magic moments, the moments, when nature is once more waking up and calling each of us to wake up and live fully too!

 and so it happened, yesterday....
i wanted to plant my tomato seeds three weeks ago. i just didn't make it. it was too much, to even think about it. though after such a rejuvenating weekend and nothing on for later in the day, i quickly grabbed the bag with the seed soil and my little envelops with the cherry tomato seeds. three kinds, it will be fun to see them grow and harvest, a white and a black cherry and a so called "ample" cherry.
no i should not forget to water them and watch closely how my tomatoes develop. i got the seed directly from the "stadt tomaten" a group supporting the effort of bringing pro specia rara plants back into the every day life again. a very cool thing to do.

family :: easter weekend

my parents invited the family to spend the long easter weekend in the mountains, specifically at hotel fontana near chur. we were all looking forward to spend time together and even better at a wonderful place, with an excellent chef.
the weather was on our side, even though the forecast was telling us, that it would be rainy, far be it. hiking and lounging in the sun was so rejuvenating and really doing me good.

the hotel was more than i hoped for, we enjoyed so much space, not just the bedrooms, but the kitchen and living room, the play ground and places to retrieve and be still.

as it was over easter, we took the time and gathered for a solemn good friday meditation. the kids reading the seven last words of jesus and each was able to extinguish one of the candles. those moments, being together before God have been wonderful. a blessing to me, beyond imagination.

and of course, crafting and having fun. for the occasion it had to be eggs and most of us enjoyed the process, the others didn't have to and played a new card game "love letter", joel found that game and as it is so easy to learn, perfect for all ages to play.... (it was played, almost without end)

moments of just being

i got myself a bit of spring into the living room. and yes, i do stop and watch the branch and it's budding work every now and then.
things are a bit crazy in my life, not bad or out of order, i just realized the past few days, that i need a bit more breathing room and still. it will be still here until after easter, take a deep breath and come back on tuesday with new energy and ideas. maybe even stories, as we go away for a couple days with family. i'm really looking forward to a new surrounding and familiar people. i'm looking forward to good friday and it's calm and quiet (hopefully) and then easter morning, with it's joys and hopes coming alive.

ut until then, there is time and space and moments of collecting my own being.

in the thick of it

as palm sunday is past, we are in the middle of holy week and there is so much going on. too many thoughts squealing in my brain and occupying space and time of mine. the kids needing help with this test preparation, that instrument practice, "mama can you help me prepare lunch", and so much more. it has taken a bit of a toll on me and i decided to just take those 45 minutes each day to go to church and sit still, listen, sing and focus on the word. of course it is not convenient, it's not really feasible in our daily routine. but i decided, that i make time for it. to practice this time of refocusing and put my love for God first, all else will happen later in the evening, or must happen before 6:45pm.

an other helpful way to squeeze in a minute or so, is my holy week knitting, as i call it. it will become wrist warmers for me. a simple pattern and a little project, it will be done before i know it, that seems fine right now.

the week :: through the lense

 it has been on the back burner, i have not been taking a lot of photos for a while now, and that should change. so i put the "hand made" lens back on the camera body and got started this week. it touched me in a special way, as i wander and have the camera ready be it in the kitchen, or living room table... this enables me to see with new eyes and i like it. we will see if it sticks, it is a start to a new friday review of what caught my eye. there is to be said, that i was inspired by erin boyle and her blog "reading my tea leaves". she does a wonderful job and it is so inspirational to have a look at her photos...

:: 1. i made the binding for the "dotted scheme"

:: 2. my tulips are getting old, wonderful aging!

:: 3. the hyacinth is ready for bloom

:: 4. my power drink after running, i love fruit pulp with beet juice

:: 5. a quick lunch put together with left overs, pesto, guacamole, tofu, cooked eggs, cheese

in full swing

this week has turned into a busy one...
it wasn't planned this way, it was really supposed to be more quiet and restful, though some times, those weeks of "not going on too much" turn out to have their very own dynamic. this is definitely the case with my week now. it has become something like a self runner.
there was the dental hygienist working in my mouth this afternoon, after a busy morning visiting the girls at their school and later today an other appointment for one of the kids as well as dinner guests. yesterday was not any better, 10 ladies over for breakfast, it was wonderful and fun, a planning meeting in the afternoon and joel gone all evening. tomorrow is at least the morning wide open, good for a run and then violin lesson with thea, helping with a cloth drive and in the evening, i have the pleasure to enjoy one of joel's sessions as well as a great concert at the "celtic spring caravan" in town.

yup, lots going on, and the garden is in full spring garb, though i was surprised to see the rosemarine in full bloom!

carrots and spring rains

 it's raining and it is cold. the good thing about being cold is, that i can use the window sill as a fridge. cooling down the veggie soup for tomorrow and keeping the grated carrots fresh for dinner tonight. lots of those orange roots are lately being processed in our kitchen. last week it was a big pot of soup, once a creme soup with a bit of honey in it and milk, the second time coconut milk and curry, both liked and eaten with much happiness. the vegetable soup for tomorrow has the "left over" from the lowest drawer in my fridge, lots of cabbage, carrot, leeks, celery and an old limp lettuce.... all this sauteed in olive oil, some herbs, curry, ground cumin and sea salt, as well as a pinch of white ground pepper.

the spring flowers are coming out and the rain is doing them good.

pink on the table

we have a little display on our kitchen table at almost all times. we like to decorate and have fresh flowers. this week thea got the bouquet, explicitly for joel and me, how sweet!
she went to the little flower shop around the corner from our house. maya has become a good friend of ours and thea loves to visit her art studio / flower shop. she picked those wonderful dark purple, soft lofty pink, and white shades of color.

the hyacinth was chosen because of it's sweet strong scent. thea knows what we like and she was bringing them home with such a happy big smile on her face.

and then there are the three felt rabbits, which i made two years ago. since then, they come out for display every spring season.
not just out of doors the spring flowers are peaking up, but our spirits are being lifted by the day, the sowing soil is waiting to be potted and tomato seeds put into it...

the week :: through the lense

 it has been on the back burner, i have not been taking a lot of photos for a while now, and that should change. so i put the "hand made" lens back on the camera body and got started this week. it touched me in a special way, as i wander and have the camera ready be it in the kitchen, or living room table... this enables me to see with new eyes and i like it. we will see if it sticks, it is a start to a new friday review of what caught my eye. there is to be said, that i was inspired by erin boyle and her blog "reading my tea leaves". she does a wonderful job and it is so inspirational to have a look at her photos...

::1. spring is in the air

:: 2. snow at the beginning of the week was a good start to be reminded, it's still winter

:: 3. the bunch of tulips with all the produce was a lovely addition on tuesday

:: 4. a fast pair of shoes, i love them for the short runs

:: 5. thea's new pencils, o what a pretty sight and it makes me want to start coloring, so i do!

in the kitchen

as it happen this tuesday, we got lots of food, all kinds of veggies and fruit, bread and cake, fruit juice and what ever else the grocery store could not sell. it is almost for free and we help to not waste food with accepting those random groceries. overall i enjoy those deliveries every other tuesday, some big some smaller. and it is lots of work to put the produce on the table or in the freezer and this as fast as possible.

yesterday there was asparagus and sauce hollandaise for lunch (i know, i would never buy white asparagus in march, never ever! but that's what the store sells and has had lots of left over not selling). so there we go, i really have to jump over my own conscience, and remind myself, that i had not bought it, not supported the out of season, imported from the south veggies! it is better to eat then for that produce to land in the dumpster and be made into veggie diesel, for sure.

today was green thai curry, with three kinds of eggplants and chicken, green beans and hot peppers. a favorite dish for many of our dinner guests.

an other meal this in the past days, was a carrot-safran risotto as well as a rich mushroom risotto, both were liked and topped with fresh parmesan parsley a wonderful comfort food.

already springtime

it was snow yesterday and it is flowers and sunshine today! who would have dreamed of this quick switch, it would be april weather, but it isn't yet, it is still march, the beginning of march.
a leisure round around the garden has been my pleasure this afternoon. it was sunny, warm rays but the winters breeze is still sharp and very present. it is wonderful to discover the little flowers, the little drops of color on the bare wooden twigs and branches on some of the bushes. the hazel is in full "bloom" and a friend of mine is already suffering from allergies.

the tomato seeds are the next task, they are going in the soil soon. there has to be a run for sowing soil, i have two kinds of tomato seeds and also different flowers. the task is set for saturday and hopefully thea can be convinced to plant some seeds too. there is so much to observe, so much in making ones hands "dirty" and mixing the sowing soil with water is lots of fun!

snow in the city

i had a trip into the city, scheduled for this morning. it was quicker then i thought, within 15 minutes i have a new passport issued, and all that 15 minutes earlier then scheduled. once more i was surprised by the efficiency of that office in switzerland. it absolutely beats my idea and experience of public service, even in my home country of switzerland.

as i was out of the office quicker as thought, i was happy to spend some time walking the city streets. it was so pretty. the streets were not all cleared of the snow and slough, that was my gain.
i love the roof of the landesmuseum with the white dusting.
i was tempted to walk further and catch a later train, though decided to go home and instead use the time for a run in the woods. it turned out to be wonderful and just what i needed, solitude and getting my heart pounding. i seem to like running more as the time goes by, especially this winter has been easy on me. almost no snow, no cold days at all and just few rainy mornings.

it's march and a bit of snow on the ground, it will melt quickly, too quickly, as we really didn't have any real winter.

monday morning

monday morning
it's all bliss, the boy has no school today and an easy week anyway. it's good for a change and especially, if the sun is already shining her warm beams into our kitchen. a big bowl granola and the news paper are absolutely satisfying to him.

my monday routine consists of 3-4 loads of laundry, shopping, a run to the post office, cooking lunch and preparing something for dinner. spending time with thea (home work, english workbook, violin and reading). monday afternoon have become an easy but some what scheduled routine. she is in charge of choosing when what is done.

days like today, when the sun is out and the air is already a bit warmer, it pulls us out of doors and it will not be long, before we spend the afternoons again in the garden. o i'm very much looking forward to it. no run today, but tomorrow afternoon i'm planning a long one, and hope for weather as today -perfect-

the week :: through the lense

it has been on the back burner, i have not been taking a lot of photos for a while now, and that should change. so i put the "hand made" lens back on the camera body and got started this week. it touched me in a special way, as i wander and have the camera ready be it in the kitchen, or living room table... this enables me to see with new eyes and i like it. we will see if it sticks, it is a start to a new friday review of what caught my eye. there is to be said, that i was inspired by erin boyle and her blog "reading my tea leaves". she does a wonderful job and it is so inspirational to have a look at her photos...

:: 1. remembering my chickens and loving feathers

:: 2. the store of dried apple pieces got out and is enjoyed by many

:: 3. green beans with gnocchi, a great lunch on wednesday

:: 4. weekend is upon us, schoolbags should "travel on their own" to the kids rooms...

:: 5. the wedding gift for one of my friends, i', looking forward to the celebration tomorrow morning!