Nooo-vember!

 This month even starts with a negative syllable – it never really had a chance with all its undesirable connotations ! We now feel the days becoming cooler and shorter. Some places have already had snowfalls and Jack Frost has begun to make his presence felt. We have had our share of wind and rain, though have been spared the storms that have been raging elsewhere. Leaves are changing, some trees are already bare. One neighbour likes this aspect of the changing season: she says she can now see what we’re doing. :o

Not being out and about so much leaves us to our own devices inside. I have thematically grouped photo files and the final task is to reduce them – but, drastically! I find that so hard. I also pushed myself to make some time for sketching, an activity which always tends to be put on the back-burner. Actually managed to do several cards in water colour – well you gotta start somewhere!                                  

 Lugging countless documents to countless different administrative offices finally paid off: I am now the proud possessor of an ID card and a passport, both of which vouch for me being of Hellenic nationality, and thus restore me once more into the European Community fold. I am, of course, delighted and I think Z is quietly proud of what really is a joint achievement.                                            

Our big event this month – momentous, even – was the arrival on Sunday 14^th of Jenny and Mark’s baby, Alanna Lismore Bull. Her lovely name in Gaelic means beauty and serenity, while we say that  

…’the child that is born on the Sabbath day

Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.’

What with that, and the family she has been born into, that little lass has really lucked out.

 Below is a celebratory plant given to me by a sweet friend to mark my becoming Greek.                                               

For all these lovely positive aspects, I rename this month. Let it be known as … Yay-vember!

Autumn Tones and Tangs

 I thought I’d like to share some of the scenes from our garden these days. After a great deal of rain and a mild spell, things are greening up nicely after our summer drought. Our morning glory is still glorious. Here I love the shapes its delicate tendrils describe as they intertwine and with colour combinations only nature can carry off elegantly.

                                    

Our honeysuckle is a little confused: some branches are producing seeds while others are producing flowers - though not as fragrant as when in full season.                                            

The pomegranate tree has a really, vibrant green leaf, a beautiful flower and now its fruit light up the garden on these darker days, like early Christmas decorations. I remember our niece, Gillian, when she was little, painstakingly extracting the seeds with a tooth-pick, and savouring these sweet capsules, one by one!                                                   

But gardens always entail effort and this year Z decided to plant the winter crops of lettuce and onions. He rushed to get the plants in just before the rains came, and they really are thriving now.  The damp, mild weather also encouraged great growth in our rocket patch- we’ve never had such a good crop. So very soon we can look forward to salads with home-grown lettuce, rocket, spring onions, sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and seasoned with our own virgin olive oil.                                            

Apple recipes are great autumnal favourites. This is one I tried for the first time: an apple and yoghurt cake, tasty but just a tad soggy. Maybe a little heavy-handed on the yoghurt?     

                                

We are very fortunate in that our neighbours are generous about sharing their produce.

                                    

These are the lotus fruit made into cookies with lots of lovely seasonal seasoning in cinnamon and nutmeg, with dried sultanas added for extra flavour. 

                                    

And finally we come to the borlotti beans which I enjoy cleaning as their green and cranberry pods divulge the cream bean with markings which can range from burgundy to a mauve blue. They have a particularly creamy texture and are delicious in a tomato sauce with onions and bacon. Sorry, this is such a paltry portion - we ate them too greedily to record!!