NEWS FROM THE ISLAND

WARNING -  GRANDMOTHER PICS. the last month has been focused around my youngest daughter's twins - now 6 weeks old as of last Tuesday.

New borns at only a day old

The girls are now 6 week old babies - Isla on left 

Sister Jodi is the photographer here

Emily is thinking - 

NEWS FROM THE ISLAND

OFTEN IT IS THE SMALLEST THINGS THAT CAN GIVE THE MOST INTENSE PLEASURE

The crowd of Spring daffodils are now just lifting their golden buds out of the lawn, another week and they will open. In the meanwhile though, out from my kitchen window I see a single yellow jonquil flower which appeared from the hedge a couple of weeks ago. A continuing spot of intense yellow reminding me of the simplicity of the art of Japanese Ikebana.

By the back door a seedling Cape Gooseberry appeared in the tub of Italian parsley. I never got around to weeding it out and it continued to grow its long lanky arms. Now, here it is winter and I just wait for the day the next fruit will be ripe. The burst of intense flavour in the mouth is just about too much for the mind to absorb or comprehend.

 

And the  4 week old twin granddaughters give a continuing intense pleasure all of their own. So much perfection in such a small package!  I continue to be amazed.  And then, later again,  

there is the other moment of magic when the two girls are asleep at the same time. Emily is on the left and  Isla is on the right.

NEWS FROM THE ISLAND

 I LOVE GETTING FREE USEFUL STUFF by belonging to, and using, the loyalty card for FLYBUYS.  I have been with FLYBUYS for maybe about 30 years??? and it's amazing how much I have received for free....phones, a slow cooker, covered frypan, microwaves, magazine subscriptions, kitchen whiz-stick, a couple of breadmakers, Christmas gifts...the list goes on.

This week it was picking up a free food dehydrator and I have spend the weekend playing with it. But I am sure there are some 'tricks' to getting the most out of it. Seems such a lot of fuss, and putting up with that endless noise (!!!!) to only get such a small bag of dried fruit at the end of the process.


On the plus side - the end taste is amazing, I had thought the fruit may loose its flavour instead of concentrating it. I tried out a sample mixture:  apple - that was the quickest time, next quickest was the rock melon but the persimmon and the banana circles seemed to take foreverrrrrrr. I have sealed them in a lock-seal plastic bag. Is this the best way to keep them fresh?

I think I'll take the unit outside to the studio when I do the next batch of fruit..

Any comments and helpful hints gratefully received.

NEWS FROM THE ISLAND

Those are multi-coloured freesias starting to come up through the conifer ground cover.

NO FLOWERS AROUND AT THE MOMENT BUT there are always the bromeliads to add the bright spots to the dark green winter gardens until the bulbs start their display in another month. My sister, Diana Holt, though, who is an enthusiastic hybridiser of  Bromeliads, and who has just returned from an international conference  in USA on them, would not say these were the best examples and colours available. But Bromeliads really appreciate poor soil, poor feeding, and very little care as long as they can get some sun - therefore an all-round excellent Island plant for me.