The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.
I had to dig deep for my happies this week. After a week which has felt rushed, even frantic at times, I find myself tonight feeling tired and frazzled. But when I sit here and think about it and look back through all the photos I took here and there, I find that yes, there was lots to be happy about this week. There is a bit of a food and flowers theme to the photos - two things which never fail to make me happy. So, joining in with Jen at little birdie, here are this weeks four happy things.
1. The garden. I don't know what kind of magnolia tree we have but it blooms later than the pale pink variety, and they last for months. The first flowers always cheer me. And the bluebells. Are they still bluebells if they're white? I always feel lucky that we have them. I didn't plant them and year after year they pop up and wave their blue and white heads at me. I might pick some this weekend.
2. Meringues. I tried to make hollandaise sauce last weekend to go with some asparagus. It looked great up until the point I added the lemon juice and then it went very,very wrong, splitting and curdling horribly. I was left with two egg whites which I whipped with brown sugar to make fantastic dark ivory coloured, toffee-flavoured meringues. They tasted good, but more importantly they soothed my bruised kitchen-ego.
3. Tea loaf. The best kind of thrifty, comforting baking. Stupidly easy to make and disproportionately delicious.
4. Friends. Book group on Wednesday night, take-away and beers at a friend's house last night, quick daytime coffees, hurried chats, emails to a new friend overseas, hellos and waves at the school gate; just that warm and supportive network of women (and some men, but let's be honest, mostly women) who make life richer and that bit more enjoyable.
And it's half term next week. We have nothing planned this weekend which is fine by me. I hope to do some serious lazing. I've promised Bella and Angus a hot chocolate and cake in a cafe tomorrow morning but other than that our day is deliciously empty. If it would just stop raining and warm up a little that would be nice. The best word to describe our garden right now is battered, after days of wind, hail and rain. Wishing you all a lovely weekend. x
Your week looks perfect you wouldn't know the wonders of the internet. Have a good half term! x
ReplyDeleteFlowers and food feature high up in my happy things too Gillian ... and I like the look of that lovely strong cup of tea ... just the way I like it ... have a lovely weekend ... Bee xx
ReplyDeleteLovely happy things. As you know, I'm all about the food and flowers. :)
ReplyDeleteYour meringues look perfect. Mine always end up looking like cowpats! Enjoy your relaxed weekend x
ReplyDeleteI feel like your garden this week. The happy post is great for reminding us of all the good bits of our week. I usually find it quite therapuetic.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely weekend and a great half term xx
Someone else who drinks their tea like me! A battered and bruised garden here too. Looking forward to some quiet days over half term and hoping there is sunshine for us all. Have fun. x
ReplyDeleteI am useless at hollandaise. It always curdles.Your meringues are gorgeous. Thank you for visiting my blog this week and supporting my morning tea with your good words AND donation. I so appreciate it, Gillian. To have such support from so far over the seas means a lot to me. Good woman, you? Yes, I think so xxx
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to half term too! Great photos as usual Gillian...your magnolia looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, "Stashmerino" is not my invention....Heather at Little Tin Bird came up with it and I thought it was very clever.
Would love to catch up with you at Yarndale if you can make it.
Jacquie x
So glad your garden is bringing joy in a frazzling week, hope you get some real summer weather soon. In Brisbane autumn is one of our best seasons as we get sunny blue skies nearly every day and a mild chill in the evenings. Sending some sunshine your way! mel x
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are looking lovely. I'm the same as you with bluebells of different colours, as it sounds funny when you say 'pink' bluebells. Maybe it should be pink scilla. The teacake looks nice and we just finished one the other day. Is it made with a cup of tea and currants?
ReplyDeleteGreat happy things! I also made a tea loaf this week. Your meringues look perfect.
ReplyDeleteM x
Sometimes its the weeks when we are busiest that we need our little bits of happiness the most ... these are lovely ... sarah x
ReplyDeleteI always love your happy things posts! I think the weather is getting to us all, but today is sunny so I'm hoping to get in the garden and try and sow some seeds....even if I am in my fleece! Have a lovely, happy half term! Enjoy the hot chocolate and cake! :) x
ReplyDeleteall lovely! I must try making the tea cake one day, is it really fool proof! have a nice break, Heather x
ReplyDeleteI love this idea of looking at your happy moments. It's amazing what a bit if reflection upon life can bring about and how it can make us appreciate the things we so often take for granted, like perfect meringues, bluebells, magnolia, tealoaf and the special energy and strength we get from these wonderful people (and yes mostly woman) around us. Thanks for this lovely post and for reminding us to be inspired by the happy and to get the most from life. Enjoy the hot choc and cake and definitely the sunshine!! Xo
ReplyDeleteHave a great half term break full of gentle moments and happy smiles
ReplyDeleteOh dear so the hear about the frantic week. Hope that you enjoy term not sure what my daughter and I are doing yet.....we'll see. The magnolia looks beautiful x
ReplyDeleteHot Chocolate and cake sound like the perfect start to the weekend and I hope you have a lovely half-term break and can re-charge the batteries. Mel x PS I love what you did with your pots in your last post :-)
ReplyDeleteI too have had a silly busy week Gillian, thank goodness for my mobile phone's camera or I wouldn't have managed to capture any of my sweet, simple moments. I hope you and your kiddies have a marvellous, unplanned half term, they always turn out to be the most spontaneous and best! Your tea loaf looks delish and very more-ish ...yum xxx Penny
ReplyDeleteI think this school holiday is so welcome. The last half term at school is always frantic so it's a case of calm before the storm. I hope you manage to recharge your batteries in readiness.
ReplyDeleteFriends are the most precious things ... a fabulous week of happy, its the small things that count!! x
ReplyDeleteI've had one of those weeks too and haven't even been able to find the energy to blog. Hoping to recharge my batteries this long weekend so we're having a quiet one too. The meringues look delicious and so pretty. x
ReplyDeleteWell done you for finding the happiness and the beauty in a frantic week, that was a lovely post. And tea loaf, yes, you have reminded me how nice it is. Must make some, I know it will be popular around here. Hope the rest of your weekend is great.
ReplyDeleteThose meringues look amazing.
ReplyDeleteI love empty days, too; so full of promise.
Hope you have a happier, half-empty half-term, and that your garden recovers fast x
The meringues look scrumptious as does the tea loaf and coffee! Good friends and great conversations are definitely the best! So glad you had some good girl time this week! I hope you have a fabulous, relaxing weekend doing whatever makes you happy! The hot chocolate and cake at a cafe sounds like the perfect Saturday morning to me...Enjoy!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful happy pics Gillian! Love your pink magnolia especially. And your meringues look perfect! Hope you have a lovely relaxed half term week! E x
ReplyDeleteMeringues and tea loaf in one post, very happy reading indeed!
ReplyDeleteHope the weather has perked up with you and that your half term is full of fun.
Just read the pots posts, you are a magician, they look fabulous.
Lisa x