That’s what’s going on

There’s no doubt winter is well and truly on the way here at VMHQ. Melbourne does autumn so spectacularly well that I can sort of forget my frozen fingers while I’m gazing at the foliage.

Always reminds me of Marge Simpson “it’s pronounced ‘foil-age'”. Foil. Age. Foil Edge.

Anyway. This is how grey it’s getting:

Just your average everyday day. No rain, no real weather shenanigans to speak of. Just grey.

Except for yesterday. That was glorious.

It’s so dark. Townhouse living, I guess – no windows on the side walls make my kitchen verrah verrah dark. The top floor has skylights, so that helps. But the kitchen? Bleak. Laundry? Bleaker. That may just be that it holds seven loads of washing and the distant memories of my broken dreams, but still.

Bleaker.

Recent life also includes me running out on the balcony at full speed and at full volume trying to deter the cats from digging up my seedlings. FAIL. They just do it when I’m not home or I’m not looking. All I’ve got left is a very maudlin-looking rosemary bush, which is utterly pitiful when I compare it to the entire front-garden bushes I pass on my neighbourhood walks. My spartan little pot barely has enough for one dish.

You could say my first attempt at balcony garden in an utterly unfamiliar climate (and with two naughty cats) has been disastrous at best. What IS making me happy though, is the baking situation. There was the salted caramel indulgence of last week, various pots of things bubbling away (the Greek roast veg/haloumi bake business was some next-level shit), golden syrup puddings, brownies, Anzac biscuits, things that smell like apple and cinnamon – you so wish you were here right now.

Hot drinks! All day long! I keep forgetting to drink water when its cold so I end up super-dehydrated. It’s a bummer. I’ve tried phone apps and goodness knows what, still can’t do it. Tea I can do though, so I’ve been giving my stash a good workout. Tentatively moving in the direction of liquorice tea – not sure how I feel about that? What do you think?

Yesterday I posted my recipe for lemon and honey tea with pickled ginger. That shit is the bomb, and super useful when you’re out of fresh ginger (what, I know you can keep it in the freezer but that doesn’t mean I EVER HAVE haha).

Other than the cold and the gloom, it’s been pretty rad here lately. Family walks/bike rides, out of town guests, stuffing our faces at Smith and Daughters, dealing with crying children in the museum, late-night trips to the toy store, endless colouring books, fun autumn nature collecting, a steady supply of play dough, new board games, new slippers for everyone (or slipplers, if you’re the two-year-old), finishing books, hot baths, watching Netflix, crocheting everything, organic veggie boxes by the shitload, endless banana smoothies, and every juice combo you can think of that contains ginger.

Oh and there was the birthday situation, too. Was totally spoiled.

What’s been happening with you guys? Getting cold? Crocheting anything? Finished a good book? tell all!