Weekend goodness

No time for chat, I've got so much work to do...

To make the long story short, this is what I did this weekend:

Saturday... removing the spider webs from the front of the house, cleaning the terrace, moving flower pots to the attic, wrapping the present for my grandmom, taking a short walk and enjoying the sun, the blue sky, the warm wind, joined a workshop with my neighbour - we were painting the candlesticks (or however they are called) which will be sold next week at the bazaar (I like such workshops when I don't have to take anything home) ...Sunday... time for a trek to the nearest Alpine meadows, visiting my grandparents as my grandmom celebrated her birthday... time to get together with relatives... chatting with Ž until late in the evening, as we haven't seen each other for almost a week...Have a great Monday!

And the winner is...

I know that you are eagerly waiting for the results of my giveaway. :) The random number generator has chosen Feronia for a winner! She will receive a green lantern and some other goodies to go with it. But this is not all! As there are not so many of you, I will make a lantern for each one of you who participated, in your chosen color. If I don't have your address already, send it to this e-mail: pinafelis (at) yahoo (dot) com (or you can send it just in case once again). Have a great day today! And thanks for reading! :)

Little piece of history

Her name was Marija, but she was called Marica. She was my dad's aunt, sister of his mother. She was more beautiful than my grandmom, with smaller and straight nose, her skin looked without wrinkles also when she was very old. She died a few days after I started to work here where I work now, at the age of 94. She spent her last years in the old people's home, and yet then she actually started to live her life fully – she didn't color her hair anymore, and she was really beautiful then with her natural hair color and plain hairstyle, she found new friends – imagine, she was alone most of her life, having only a few friends and family around every now and then (hey, that sounds like me!).She was in love with someone who was killed in the war. So she was never married and she didn't have any children. She was a strict woman, her home was always clean and tidy. We visited her often when she lived close to our home, but later she moved away when she swapped her flat for the one of her nephews'. Bigger for smaller, few rooms in a house with a garden for few rooms on the 7th floor.

Always when I traveled, I sent her a postcard. Not that I really liked her – she was a strict woman after all – but I thought that she might like receiving a postcard from faraway places. And she did, as I was told later, when she died. She actually left me a small golden pendant in her will, some money and a few pieces of furniture that I have never received; though I have never expected to receive anything from her. She also gave me and B a wedding gift - that was a big surprise!

When I was still living with my parents, she came for a visit from time to time. She always brought that kind of sweets that you can see on a photo. Always. She never brought anything else, at least I don't remember that she would have. Believe it or not, but always when I see this kind of sweets in a shop, I remember her.

Five hundred

Time flies, and sometimes this is good. This is my 500th post. Amazing, isn't it? I hope that when I write my 700th, I will live a happy and content life.Well, it is time for a giveaway. There are not many here on my blog. I found out in all these years writing my blog that meeting friends on this journey is important and fun, because so I know that I am not alone in all this what is happening to me. People have stories to tell and so do I. Thank you for being here, for reading what I write.

So, I will give away one paper Waldorf lantern made by myself, and I will add some other things that you might like, or even not. I promise not to send any herbs or seeds or plants or teas if you don't live in EU. :)

If you wish to enter this giveaway, leave a comment to this post telling me what's your height ;), what color of lantern would you like to have (yellow, green, red or magenta) and if you like chocolate (dark/milk/white) or not. I will randomly select one of you (if there are any) at noon on Tuesday, 17 November.

Leafless

I went for a walk yesterday after dinner, it was getting dark already and it was only 4pm. Clouds were covering the sky, and in a distance a huge disc of the sun was seen through them. The cold pierced me to the bone; I do need a new winter jacket and gloves. :)

When I was almost back among the houses, I noticed that trees were already almost all leafless. When did this happen?

I am looking forward to spring (leaves will grow again in April, so for six months we will be looking at this dull brown and gray landscape), though there's lots do be done until then. Life to be lived.

I baked bread in new baking tins in the evening, but the light was too bad to take any photos. It is this time of a year when we should actually rest and prepare ourselves for the time after Easter, time of growth. It is time to make plans and it is time for learning. I should probably not complain over fog which we have every day now, should I? ;)

Dirty windows

"My gosh, I am ashamed you have such dirty windows!" thought this cat named Kaj, and looked away. Felix didn't even come close, so ashamed he was, and Piki rather stayed behind a corner.I have 21 of them (windows, not cats, fortunatelly), and it takes some time to clean them all... I am sure you all do a better work! Why do cats always look away when you want to take a photo of them?

Sweet little owls

I am not so sure that I would bake them if I didn't have to write an article for a magazine. It took me three days! I made a dough the first day, but the light was too poor to take any photos, so I continued making them the next day. Then I forgot to buy M&M's and white chocolate, but you know how it is with shopping on Saturday - crowded! I finished them yesterday. Ž ate most of those which fell apart. Delicious, he said. You can find the recipe here.

For the dough I used 250g flour, 150g sugar, 125g butter and 1 egg. I mixed 30g of cocoa powder into 2/3 of the dough, but I suggest you use only 20-25g of it, if you are going to bake the cookies.

Time consuming, but lots of fun!

Made of wood

Yesterday I spotted this table while rushing through the city center:I like it, though it is a bit dark. I like bright things.

Have a nice weekend!

Fruits like flowers

I still haven't found how this shrub is called:Do you know? It has these beautiful "flowers" on at this time of a year.

It smells nice

I was sitting in my armchair last evening, listening to some music on a radio. It was warm in a living room and after many, too many months it smelled of freshly baked bread. It was funny how quickly I have forgotten how much of everything I have to put together for a dough, and how long I should bake it. A colleague brought quinces yesterday to work. I took two of them home with me, and enjoyed in their nice smell all afternoon. It is amazing how certain things can bring pleasure into life.