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!