Sweet thank you's

Gratitude

Sleeping children in warm safe beds

Playful loving dogs

Hot soothing tea

Warm oversized dressing gown

Seedlings on the windowsill

Wood chopped for the fire

Freshly baked bread (made by tired Husband)

A few days off later in the week

The rain softening the soil

Second chances and fresh starts

Music and laughter

Curry in the freezer for tonight’s supper

A morning hug from the boy

Boxer dog kisses

Giggles from the girl’s room

Giant puppy hugs

A freshly cut lawn

The glasses that help the girl to read

Daffodils and iris blooms

This stunning part of Tuscany in which we live

Knowing we have each other

Siena and its buildings and cafes

Coffee in the piazza

Dreams and hopes

The possibility to change

Old sofas and old films

Parcels from Grandma

September - summer review

Not really felt like writing much this summer, the season has zoomed by and now we are in September.  It is all too easy for me to feel frsutrated by what I havent acheived this summer, the places we didnt quite get to and the crafty things that are still to be made.  However, I am luckier than most as my kids go to school part time and I mostly work from home, although it is a pretty full on amount of work I have to do.  So to remind myself of the good things we have done over the summer holidays here is a little review:

Made Cherry Jam
Went to the Beach
Visited the outdoor Pool - alot
Went to Lucca
Weekend Camping at the Beach
Found a tortoise in the garden
Turned 40
Visited lots of old buildings and Abbeys
Grew Tomatos, Chicory, Cucumbers, Squashes, Chillis and Herbs
Made scary Chilli Sauce
Children did a market stall and sold beaded necklaces
Practised Calligraphy
Made and bought Christmas presents
Went Cycling - alot
Remmy the cat recovered from an Eye op
Ate lots of Italian icecream
Made Pate
Started to learn to Knit - again
Visited the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum
Had friends to stay
Grandma came on holiday
AA went camping with friends
The old hound kept on going - Hurray
Went up Monte Amiata for the day
TT lost her 2nd tooth, the tooth mouse and the tooth fairy came!
I got a new Garden Design job
Put on 3 pounds (Italian icecream)
Started learning about Italian wines
TT learnt to read in English
AA learnt to answer back -alot

We have done alot this summer it seems, but I do feel sad that school is starting, the boy is going to Media (middle school) and is growing up too fast. The girl wants to start ballet so we are going to find a class for her and I have finally joined a Yogalates class starting this month.  Next week I have a work trip to London and feel so weepy to be going away from home. 

September is without a doubt though the most beautiful month, the colours of the leaves, the bulging grapevines and ripening olive groves, the conker trees dropping spiky pods from above.  Soon we will have The boy's 11th birthday and the start of the Autumn Festas and Sagres (food festivals) Truffles, Porcini, Chestnuts, Olive Oil..... I can't wait.

I am in reflection mode at the moment feeling a little lost, last week the man and I had a lovely lunch in Siena then suddenly the chap behind us had want we assume was a massive heart attack, I tried to help his wife to stay calm and soothed her the best I could, but things looked very grim indeed. It shook me to the core and I cried all the way home, thinking how fast life can change so completely.  So I am reflecting on how I spend my time and with whom as we need to totally love every minute we have on this beautiful planet.

A wee rest

I have just not felt like blogging of late, I have felt that blogging was getting in the way of actually doing things. I was writing rather than achieving and this is not good for me. So I have had a rest from my blog and can now come back renewed and afresh. In my time away from the blog I have managed to spring clean the house, plant up roses,herbs, strawberries and veg seeds. Move the office to the cantina so I can now 'go' to work, converted what was the office to a playroom - perfect for everyone. Made apple cake, easter rabbits, easter cards and had lots of fresh air on walks with the old man (the dog not the husband). Also had my full body scan at the hospital, results are looming but I have continued to stay well on my diet of Echinacea, Dog Rose and Vitamin B supplements, which seem to be supporting my immune system well, though I am still really shattered. The children are loving the warmer days: blossomy trees, wild flowers, mud pie experiments, swinging in the trees, diggin in the dirt, wearing short sleeves, staying outside after school, harrassing kittens and days in the park. Today has been about gluing and sticking, feathers and pompoms, cakes and biscuits, chalks and puzzles, rugby practice and now a sliding sun and a warm fireside. Preserved 6 huge jars of baked artichokes from the market... very industrious. Tomorrow a day of gardening and then the man (not the dog) and I are planning a walk around Siena at dusk, as the children are off to the grandparents for the evening. For now a random selection of pics - notice TT's bed hair (saying morning to the kittens at 6am). x

organic gardening

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours at a friends house looking at her amazing garden, using all natural compost and mulch for beds. So inspiring, wire cages lined with card and filled with grass cuttings, veg waste and chippings to create rich environments for plants to grow -truly fab and almost free way of making your own compost. The veg plants were thriving and I came home with a car full of roses, iris, leeks, herbs, wild strawberries, vines and many more wonderful gifts. We have planned our next step and will build more large tubs and fill with natural waste, as it rots we top it up and plant straight into the planter in the autumn. To say it was better than Christmas would be very true and the morning was rounded off with a glass of local wine and some smoked salmon. Pure bliss. This morning off to the market in Poggibonsi with my old baby buggy to snap up some cheap veg for preserving and pasta sauces. A very good friend is going to give me the low down on the best buys and the local cheeses etc, as I haven't had the time to really get to grips with all the different types of pecorino yet - only been here 2 years, pathetic time management!!!!!

Here and There

Busy busy weekend full of nice things.  Saturday we visited a farm saw the cows and the bull, a donkey and horses, a few calves and lots of hens etc.  We bought organic apple juice and our friends treated us to fresh mozzarella, ricotta, warm bread and salad.  The girls played in the mud and enjoyed the sunshine, smashing ice and getting dirty.  Made a Thai meal for our family valentines evening on Saturday - very lovely but too tired to enjoy the evening, think my energy levels are flagging. 

 

Sunday lovely too - the menfolk went to Rome to see the rugby England v Italy and TT, Nona and I went for a walk around a lovely old town 'Casole' then had some lunch.  We really must slow down more and relax as I noticed that all the other tables were full of families who arrived before us and were only on their first course when we were ready to go.  Normal here to have 4-5 courses, will have to build up my stamina and appetite.  TT had Salmon then risotto even she was too tired for panacotta!!!  

 

Hooray the loft is sorted - Christmas stuff is away and Easter lovelies unearthed as are ribbons and birthday wrappings.

 

More cereal bars made and banana bread cooked in the bread maker, went very dark and weird looking but am told it is delicious.   I am planning to schedule in more time for hearth and home every week now as recently all my time, energy and thoughts have been on work and money, this only means that other things get neglected , then that upsets me too!!!

 

Plans for the week:

 

• Water pots and plant more seeds for the Horto - veg plot
• Make a large pot of Tuscan bean soup
• Polenta bake and homemade baked beans
• Cherry Muffins - last of Cherries in freezer
• Soup - Carrot and Orange
• Marmalade
• An hour a day on my book
• Some inner work on all of our worries - money, stability, fear, being more supportive of each other
• Photos - print for albums
• Read, read, read - 2 books a day to the children  
• Chickens - research which ones and how
• More salads - when warm enough!