Life is rattling by and I’ve not yet found the right laxative for my creative constipation hence the lack of blogging in the last couple of weeks.  Instead I’ve been busying myself with other things – good and wholesome things – but distracting and tiring.  It’s that time of year when there is so much to do and so little time to do it all.  Normally I’d be celebrating the coming of Spring, the fresh bounty from the garden but an unseasonably cold snap has me grumpy and resentful towards nature instead.  I need sunshine to be most inspired and it’s been a little lacking of late.

Still, there are cherries growing in the orchard. There might even be enough to fill a bowl this year if I manage to get the bird nets up soon and the wild Wellington winds don’t blow them away.  We have miniature pears coming too, full of promise for autumn and if I’m not mistaken the signs of some medlars.  Just a few, but enough to get me anxious about when they’ll be ready to pick and the complexities of bletting them to bring them to perfect condition for eating.  Down in the kitchen garden things are shaping up too having spent a full day planting out seedlings and constructing bamboo frames to help the peas and beans climb their merry way.

All in all, life is good.  No complaints, just a lack of writing inspiration.  I can feel a breakthrough coming soon, but in the meantime, I thought I’d share with you some of the things that have brought a smile to my face of late.

• I’ve actually ordered my photo Christmas cards so there is half a chance that family and friends might actually get them in the mail to arrive before Christmas.  Now that would make a change.
• I took a day-workshop in calligraphy which was fun and resurrected a skill I first learned as a sign writer in my first job (endless posters promoting events in a leisure centre in days when personal desk top publishing and word-processing weren’t even invented)
• I finished another audio book (the perfect accompaniment to weeding).  I thoroughly recommend Midnight in Peking a sad tale of intrigue that brings out the best and worst of human nature.
• New Zealand is gearing up for the premiere of the Hobbit.  Air New Zealand have once again pulled out all the stops to make a Hobbit entertaining safety video.
• We’re on the home stretch with our veranda to conservatory conversion.  The bassets and I are loving it already.
• I found a great food book blog and enjoying this month’s book The Man Who Ate Everything - a wonderful collection of essays on food and eating.
• Sue – aka Couscous & Consciousness was October’s host of Sweet New Zealand.  Sue did a wonderful round-up on her blog with heaps of lovely things to make and eat.
• I finally found out who did it in the Mousetrap after it played to a packed audience here in Wellington to celebrate its 60th anniversary.
• The rewards of the new eating regime are paying off.  Those smaller jeans I’ve had languishing in the wardrobe for years fit me again.
• One of my favourite food bloggers has published her book – can’t wait to sample some of Maddi’s recipes for myself.
• Following the exploits of my friend Heather as she studies at the Wellington Le Cordon Bleu school.

I can feel a creative breakthrough on the horizon just like I can feel summer peaking it’s nose around the next cloud. I suspect it will involve dusting off my camera, a ton or two of compost and a long summer break. Not to mention cracking the baking code for no wheat bread and cakes.