posted by Lily on cooking, family, knitting, sewing

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Tonight  – as we have the last three – we sit in dismay and horror as we absorb the images of Japan’s terrible, terrible weekend.  Oh my.  Such overwhelming loss – and such unimaginable fear.  Our thoughts and hearts reach out to these poor people as they attempt to make sense of the destruction and grieve for their loved ones. One young man commented that he’d never realised how good his everyday life was until now.  How very true.  I hope the love of family and community endures, imbuing people with the immense strength and courage they will need to rebuild these everyday lives of such goodness and beauty. So many of us have children of our own, so if you haven’t already found your own, this seems like a good place to go to help …

It was the Labour Day long weekend here in Melbourne this past weekend.  Whilst I laboured a little on Saturday – spending the day chatting with mostly lovely customers about mostly lovely books – the rest of the weekend in Bootville passed slow and sweet and at home.

We played … Carcassone – at which Julian whips our butts.  Every time we play he insists on trying to re-explain the “farmer” strategy.  Yeah! Yeah! Whatever.  Abby tunes out, building outlandishly shaped castles and tramping down long, uninterrupted roads, and I’m a bit fond of monastery acquisition.  Which is why he ALWAYS wins.

I knitted … its the Rosy Harvest I started last year with some gorgeous Malabrigo.  I finished the body last weekend -  this weekend, I’ve been knitting the first sleeve – only a few rows left.  It is SO exciting how this jumper has come together.  Initially very dubious about seamless construction, I admit I’m now pretty stoked.  I’m predicting a wear for this winter.

Abby stitched – she creates her wee felt folk from her drawings.  This little lady bug critter completes the trio she started a few weeks ago with her sunflower girl.  As a stitchy mumma, it is just divine to watch my girl as her skills and confidence grow.

And … we created and are now nourishing our first attempt at sourdough – here’s our little fermenting baby.  She’s wonderfully dynamic, a fascinating consistency and is smelling sweetly sour.  Tomorrow, we cull and feed.  Hopefully by Friday we’ll have our first loaf!

After years of making bread that’s often fine, but really a bit dull, I want to shake it up!  I want bread that looks like this … new bread baking book courtesy of Saturday’s efforts at the bookshop.  If Friday’s loaf looks like this – which the author/chef assures me it will! – you can all come over for warm bread with lashings of butter, homemade berry jam and tea.

Yes, a fine long weekend was enjoyed here in Bootville.  Be it long or short, I hope your weekend had many lovely, sweet and slow at home moments too :-)