colors for me

it still is tomato harvest and with some wonderful feta cubes and fresh basil, sea salt, a dash of white balsamico and a bit more olive oil, this is a favorite for everyone at our table.
for me it's not just the taste of summer, already in autumn, but the colors too. it is a feast for my eyes and so we will enjoy some more tomato dishes tomorrow...

for dinner i sauteed mini patisson, with onions, not very picturesque, just white in white. and then there is lots of different green lettuce being served. mostly twice a day. i like to serve all the fresh vegetables and am glad, that thea loves all kinds of salads. she definitely prefers raw vegetables over cooked ones. and an other thing with vegetables, they need to be served with sauce or dressing (in case of a salad). this is very important to be able to soak the bread and enjoy the whole meal fully...
i don't know where she got that idea, but she is fixed on sauce and bread and usually over joyed if easy avalable.
it has frequently been helpful, as she can be tempted into eating mostly everything, if there is sauce available. and this is definitely a plus when eating out or being guests at a strangers house. so, for her, it's not the color, but the amount and taste of the sauce.

evening all around

that's just about what it looked a couple hours ago...
what a day, so many different activities. i guess i could rather say tasks and teaching were happening. and me in the middle of it. biking here and there to be quick and serving coffee, sitting down with my niece for a late breakfast. cooking lunch and everyone loving it (for a change i took the griddle out and made nice piece of meat....) even naomi complimented me on it. i guess she has been missing it, without me noticing really, or rather deciding not to notice. maybe i will take out the griddle more frequently and earn points with my daughter.

as it was astonishing tonight, to look into the north-west and see the sky after sun down, it was not less impressive to watch the moon rise in the south-east. a full moon coming up behind those trees and being just how such a celestial body would want to show itself to me. since that hour, while taking the photos (of course standing on the scaffolding on the top...), i have been looking out the windows a few times and it is still awe striking. the big moon looking down to me. i'm glad it's quiet in the house, thea in bed and i can stand still and stare!

under construction IV

in the morning, it started out with a bit of rain, but the workers all knew that there is more to come...
as for me, i had a few things to do in the city and as catious as i was, took the bus instead as usual my bike. i do prefere the bike, it's so much faster and riding along the bike path is good for my soule.
but the rain was not waiting until the roof shingles were unloaded up on the roof. it poured down like it hat not over a few weeks. a long hour of, water coming down for those hard labourers on our roof. and it could not be moved by an hour or two, as the truck was here and the driver wanted to unload now and not first take a coffee hour...

when i came back at 10am it looked like this and the rain almost stopped!
i really felt for those guys, all dripping as if we would have picked them out of a rushing river.
at least the weather was getting better (honestly it just could get better), and by the afternoon it was sunny and the sunglasses had to be put on. well, it has been like that with the renovation of our roof, mostly extrems of weather, either rain as here or than hot and everyone an ice creme and lots of water.
it's the last few days and we already enjoy the new roof windows. tomorrw the painter is pealing off all the tape from the window panes. the frames look new and shiny. next week the scaffolding is taken away. we will be on vacation and the cleaning will have to wait... :)

dinner in the woods

like every first sunday night, we have dinner with our community folks. it's the people of our house, as well as our neighbors next door. one month joel and i are cooking and organizing and the other month the friends next door. so yesterday we could relax and just tag along... (which i really enjoyed a lot!)
they cooked a wonderful chilli and brought everything up to a near by fire place with a grand view over our town (or at least a corner of the city...).
for some of us it was a bit of a straineous hike up the hill, but most of us made it with joy and welcomed the change of scenery. a lovely late afternoon in autumn, still warm enough to not bundle up and the colors starting to paint the woods around us.

eating, talking and enjoying each other companie, singing around the camp fire and the best of all, walking home in the dark. the moon is still waxing, not yet a full round disk. i love the darkness of the forest, the paths almost not visibale (but it's one of my regular running paths, so for me it was easy to walk in the dark). and to look at the city with all it's lights, but still somewhat quiet, as it was sunday night... it's a sweet spot here, where we live. and i'm really thankful for the place, the people and all there is around me.

the week :: through the lens

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. apple cake with ground hazelnuts

:: 2. looking up into the pine tree

:: 3. onset of autumn

:: 4. mine and joel's bikes, i love the contrast and especially the age of mine... (25+ years)

:: 5. lunch, still able to enjoy meals in the garden, the afternoons are warm and fried rice with some sauteed hot peppers are perfect

the little trip to the tower

some of us went up to the eschenberg tower again. it has been many times already (this one has been very special) and especially in the moments of late summer, when sundown is not late anymore and it is still not cold in the evenings. those days are perfect for that little trip. the big three kids were all gone, so we had just thea at home and she was ready for an adventure. of course we too!
hopping on the bikes, we went up to the tower. and climbed the steps to enjoy the wonderful view. it just is spectacular and the trees are still in all kinds of dark green. in one little spot, the yellow of autumn has caught on....

and if we would have brought sausages, we could have had very yummy quick dinner...
if, yes we did not bring those sausages, so we had to make some fire sticks and enjoyed those a whole lot. our dear nature child, she loves fires to play with and the wind in her hair...
and we absolutely enjoy watching her and being entertained by her chattering away!

the baby hedghog

we sighted a little hedghog inside the chicken fence...
of course we had to rescue "him", as he seemed unable to find his way out the gate, again. what a wonderful little animal, curling up in a ball. with all its quills (uups, i just learned that a hedghog has spines. this would be the technically correct term, as spines are not hollow. they are hardened hair and taper off at both ends. quills have a hollow core and can be released at will, not so spines).

we have had grown hedghogs in our garden for the past years. usually two big ones, and yes they can be loud when fighting each other. this one seems rather small and young. it looked healthy and was walking off, as soon as we were quiet and observed from a few yards away. it would be exciting to have this little guy find a good spot in our pile of twigs and leafs and garden cuttings. i intentionally keep those heaps in different places in our garaden.

and "we" paint

i took the carpet out over a week ago, as it was on my list....
for last week, to be exact on my saturdays list, was painting the room. it is definitely not my favorite pass time, but it had to be. our friend moved out by mid july and after a few times when we hosted people, the room needed to be painted and by the end of the month it should also have a new carpet. of course i was not left allone with the task of painting. thea was a very good and mostly willing assistent. taking down the curtains, the curtain rods, cover up the electricity outlets and windows, door frames etc. and then of course helping with the painting itself. she was very much looking forward to do so. a bit of a bummer, it was for her, when i told her, that we have to paint the corners first. yup all the corners and trims and rims needed to be painted with the brush, before we could start with that all super exciting paint roller.
so the roller had to take a bit of abuse, while i was still working on those corners, thea got excited to play and to artistic exercices with the roller, in all kinds of ways...

never mind. when we got to use the rollers, she was happy and could not be stopped applying paint to the walls. it was fun to haver her work alongside. the time rushed by and before lunch (we decided to have lunch after we were done painting) was served, all was done. before nightfall, we were taking off all the paint and plastic covering. and well, the room is ready for the carpet guy to come and put a nice the new floor in.

and who knows, maybe as early as mid october we have a new friend living with us...

the week :: through the lens

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. a very simple bouquet on our kitchen table

 :: 2. the rusty gutter pipe, not fun, but casting a wonderful shadow

:: 3. the chickens are laying eggs in very different sizes and shapes

:: 4. baking the third kind of cakes this week. lemon-apple-cinnamon

:: 5. studying math, amos is a wonderful tudor, and inbetween there is some magical music...

under construction III

a lot has been going on on with our construction site. the roof is leak proof, we know this for a fact. it has been raining a lot over the past week and never have i seen any drop or water lines on this or that wall. the metal worker has started to work up there too, "dressing" the chimney with a pretty copper skirt. gutters are being put up again and all is going well under the warming autumn sun of yesterday and today. no rain on those two days, which is nice for a change.

there are many little details, which i enjoy looking at, while still new and shiny. and of course the scaffolding makes it possible to climb up and enjoy the view high over the usual, very down to earth view points.
there have been little picturesque sights, like those gutters or below a hand full of new screws in different sizes. i love to wander and take it all in. it is also exciting to talk a bit with the workers and learn all kinds of interresting facts about the work they do and the way things work. there are also unfamiliar smells in the air, as the metal worker is welding...

the odessea of tomatoes

i didn't have a big harvest, but just enjoyed the tomato plants anyway. i loved the ones we were able to pick and eat. in order to have them again next summer, i decided to try harvesting the seeds. it should work as it is an heirloom tomato.
and never the less, doing the washing and sorting the seeds, i enjoy the wonderful color those veggies provide. it's so fully red and strong in pigment, that i forget the tiny harvest...

well i put the seeds into the soil way too late and in switzerland, we just are geographically located too far north. the season is short and my plants were not strong enough early in summer. they carry some fruit right now, but those tomatoes will stay green... it has not been a summer with great plants and big harvests since i moved back to switzerland. and still i try every year, i can't go without trying and i shall not forget to put the seeds into the soil in early march next year, to have the plants ready by mid may and not mid june like this year. big fat note to myself!

soup season upon us

soup season is upon us, and so i got started with a vegetable broth and pasta letters for lunch today. it has been too long, since i have given this soup a spot on the table. the girls loved it, not just our two girls, but thea's friend too. and i absolutely enjoyed their love for soup...
maybe soup wasn't the real enjoyment, it was the letters! of course, the letters fulfill their duty with certainty.
everyone got crafty and creativ with arranging and writing words on the rim of their plate. and because thea and her friend made it home on time, we were able to linger with the soup and the broad rim, inviting us to write.

there was a second course too. apple tart, simple and delicious, loved by everyone. i knew i could not be wrong with this meal joice and i was right. not one child walked in and sad anything provocative or critically negative about the smells in the air... and so today was smooth sailing, i would call it a success. and yes i will serve the combo again.

the week :: through the lens

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. still baking most every day...

:: 2. the tape and scaffolding are still around our house, but it's mor sweet now then bitter...

:: 3. for a week now, the window sills are all cleared off, as the painters are at work

:: 4. and it is already time to light candles for breakfast at 6:40am

:: 5. getting ready for a weekend away with extended family, yummy!

the o so happy color read

this looks already very nice. i'm glad that the workers are making progress, as they have to fight the weather this week. it has been a mixed few days, with wind and rain and then again sunshine and running clouds. the skyes have been gray and blue in all shades of hue.
some days, thea hands the workers ice creme, the other day we bring them steaming hot cafe. but they brace it all and work on. it is nice to see the progress of their work. every day a bit more of those eavs are getting ready for the metal worker to get started.

and then there is the wonderful bloom in the boxes on our balcony. this too is wonderful to see and observe, how the geranium and daysies are strong in their second bloom. it is very pretty and after a bit of a stretch of almost no flowers by mid august, i didn't expect the plants to be so strong again. thank you mother nature!

some other parts of my little beginnings of garden don't look that impressive. i can't even take pictures, this would be too embarassing. but well, lets look at the lovely geranium and i'm happy and will forget the pumpkins and cucumbers which should have been growing until now...

communing :: living :: being

after a summer with everyone having all kinds of plans and doings, i feel like we have just managed to settle down a bit and gather together in our community. it has been a good summer in many aspects. starting out with a move out and a new person moving in. one person having a really good and stable summer, which is really not guaranteed, especially not on times when we as a family are on vacation and out of the house for longer than a few days. and of course our kids as well as myself, we all have had a their bunch of adventures.
we took the chance of having this wonderful scaffolding built all around our house for a couple more weeks, to "climb up" and capture the moment.

the work is making good progress. the two carpenters are doing a fine job and next monday the metal workers are starting with their part of putting up the gutters and eaves. a good two weeks more and the painter will also be done with renovating the windows.
it's a puzzle and it is exciting to see the progress. thea enojoys it the most, when she gets up, opening the window and greeting the workers on the scaffolding and roof...
and yes they enjoy a happy up beat greeting too!