Grey skies, twelve hours daylight, and snow again

Gulls are swarming by, by the window, fighting over the old bread that was thrown out for the birds this morning at the kitchen door. Inside the dog jumps up and barks because he finds they are intruding his peace and quiet, and his territory. It is a beautiful sight - the gulls and the dog.

 

Dogs days of winter, the snow has returned. Northeasternly wind, which makes it bitterly cold. Time for indoor activities. For the very first time in my life I made pea soup this morning. The kitchen is in a mess. My food processor gave up. Although I thought I was making 2 litres of soup, I had to move it to a pan for 5 litres of soup. Once it was all done it went back to a pan for 3 litres, pushing it through a seive and the left overs in a small magimix. Splashes of soup and kitchen utensils all over the place. It will not be soon that I will do this again, how tidious. It is easier to buy it ready made, although I must admit: it tastes good!

 

Twigs I gathered along my riverwalk last week are waiting on the g,arden table, together with a huge bunch of what came off the top of one of the trees, to be made up into an Easter arrangement, similar to the one I saw at the floral shop in 's Hertogenbosch the other day.

 

I guess this afternoon. after my walk in the snow with the dog. I shall have a go at my knitting: a spring jacket that needs to be finished. Difficult because I shall have a go at circular needles which I have never learnt how to use. Any teacher out there to help me out?

 

 

 

 

The heart shaped oil lamp was a gift last year from my creative neighbour girl friends. It waits for better times and outdoor life in the garden. There is the promiss of spring though, the thick buds of the purple rhododendron, the colour of so many early spring flowers. 

  

 

  

The elm trees have lost there twigs on Monday, they look like dancers, like candalabers in a way, an Indian god with so many arms. Very forceful trees, in the summer they will be one huge 'hedge on legs' and form a very secluded garden.

On Monday we could sit out and have coffee in the sun. Well, not today - off to my knitting and a bit of home made pea soup. Don't you think it looks more like porridge?





 

On posting this I realized there is a very old cookbook around the house, possibly my greatgrandmother's? A hundred years old definitely, with very old Dutch spelling, falling apart and no front or back cover to it, well used. The Dutch alone is amusing as such, but so is the recipe. When I have a moment I shall make a less foggy picture and will give a translation. So, do come back!

 

Sunshiny Sunday

Today's surprises during a walk along the river and in the garden.

 

Such a huge difference with last Sunday!

 

I worked hard in the garden today, tomorrow our elm trees will be trimmed. The bird which built a nest in the top of one of them will not be happy ...  

The garden will turn into one huge pile of twigs, the noise of the shredder will be outrageous.

The lawn is full with crocusses and snowdrops, the longer I look the more I see. Maybe in the morning I shall put flower pots over some groups of them? It will be such a pity if they get trodden on. A good lesson, next year I must have this work done earlier, or in autumn.

My body aches of all the bending and stretching, the birds loved me for removing leaves and finding plenty to eat. Ladybirds still hiding and appearing here and there. It is not time to clean up everything yet but in autumn I let the garden go to sleep and leave it as it is. This is just a 'rough' beginning of my gardening.
The biggest surprise was the blooming chaenomeles along the river, the trees above reflecting in the water. Later on the sun lit up the very first flowers of the helleborus, which were given as little seedlings from my neigbour. It took them two years to get into flower.

 

 

With love, from Amsterdam

 

 

Delicious chocolates from van Soest Chocolatier in the Utrechtsestraat, Amsterdam.
The white chocolate rose is stuck in dark chocolates at the bottom. The box with hearts and roses was screaming from the window 'take me away'! What a lovely gift box!

 

 

 

Delicacies made byPatisserie Kuyt, Utrechtsestraat, Amsterdam.

You really have to zoom in on the heart shaped mouthwatering centerpiece surrounded by macarons! 

 

 

 Vintage Valentine Card and booklet filled with Valentine poems,

sent to my family in 1960 by LeeAnn who spent time with us on an exchange program of the American Field Service. I think it was the first time I was introduced to the phenomenon 'Valentine'. At the time I was a teenager and found it all so fascinating.

The lace is a bit torn, a little treasure and held on to!

 

Happy Valentine! 

 

 

Heart shaped leaves of our willow trees, I so love their shape, big size and colour.

This picture I use as my ID on this blog.

 

Mary, of the blog The Little Red House has a theme up for this week on 'Love'.

I am joining her with this post.

 

 



King Winter returned

 

The other day I thouht King Winter had departed, his farewell tears dropping into the pond. But he returned and this is what our garden looked like yesterday. During the night it looked so wonderful I almost got out to take pictures, there is so much fascination in the fact the whole world is white all of a sudden. The pictures are taken early in the morning and around noon. The sky turned from grey to radiant blue, gulls and geese filling the sky. In the garden the small birds find plenty to eat underneath the hedges and the dead leaves.

Don't you think our fire place is a wonderful piece of craftmanship? It is more than one meter high and made of wrought iron.

 

 

This is what I saw on the 5th, last week's surprise, the first crocusses and beautiful magnolia buds. It really makes your heart jump when you discover them.