Talofa lava! Yes – this week is Samoan Language Week here in New Zealand. Samoan is the third most spoken language in New Zealand (and interestingly, second in Auckland), and this week is one of 11 official Pacific language weeks held throughout the year. Monday began with Samoan prayers and song at the morning’s karakia which was a lovely way to start the week.
It is really feeling autumnal now, with golden leaves, dark evenings and much cooler days. It is also a good excuse to make tea, rug up (as they say in these parts) and generally get cosy, a few small pleasures.
Out and about
Last Monday, I went to hear the author Trent Dalton in conversation with Bret McKenzie (Oscar winner and one half of Flight of the Conchords). Unfortunately, the event started over 10 minutes late, and after the opening welcome by Wellington City Mission, the interview did not begin until 20 minutes after the advertised time, which caused a few people to leave at the times 7pm finish time even though the conversation was in full flow. Dalton though was very entertaining, and full of stories about his life and books.
The cold weather and drizzle stopped us going to the light show in the Botanic gardens on Thursday in the end. However, on Friday evening, we went to see Pax Assadi, the New Zealand comedian, who was in Wellington as part of the New Zealand Comedy Festival. He was entertaining, and the hour passed very quickly.
In the basket
The Wonky Box presented me with a whole red cabbage which I braised with apple, onion, spices and a few raisins. We had some of it with sausages and mash on Saturday evening, freezing the rest for later as there was a lot (and I mean a lot) of it. There was also spinach, a cucumber, a little pumpkin, potatoes, carrots and broccoli. I added some tangerines for the lunch box, tamarillos, probably the last tomatoes for the season, and some rainbow chard, just because it looked so pretty. There was also halloumi and Portobello mushrooms to make burgers during the week.
Nibbles and bites
I roasted the pumpkin with a left over parsnip, carrot and pumpkin seeds and topping the dish with creamy peas (dish from Peter Gordon’s Savour) which we had with chicken on Sunday. There was a treat of a very good bacon and egg pie from our local bakery for a quick Sunday lunch after a spot of gardening and this chicken pesto sandwich from newly opened Super Deli on Featherston Street.
Simple things
- Seeing all the wonderful seasonal produce – the pumpkins, the kumara and leafy greens.
- Enjoying my food filled Wednesday.
- Planting the bulbs I had purchased – fingers crossed!
- Going to my French class on a chilly evening – something nice about that.
- Thinking of places to go for our birthday dinners – even though they are still weeks away.
- Finding this little fungus in the garden.
What were your small pleasures this week? Here are some other blog posts from a few fellow bloggers looking at the good things in life.
- Green Dreams grows an amazing amount of rhubarb, and other things are also doing well in her allotment.
- Platypus Man goes on the Peak Rail steam train.
- Mr Tootlepedal shares so many beautiful things over at Tootlepedal’s Blog.
- Jude over at Cornwall in Colours shares an explosion of joy.
- Deb of Deb’s World shares some words on things you ‘get’ to do.
- Sue over at Women Living Well After 50 hosts the weekend traffic jam reboot.
- Natalie tours The Vatican.
- And The Glasgow Gallivanter visits the peace wall in Derry as part of her great series of posts about a visit to Northern Ireland.
- .…and all the other lovely bloggers out there. Sorry if I have missed anyone…..
Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer, good food and pretends to garden.
You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram @thistlesandkiwis. If you want to get in touch, email me on lofgren@thistlesandkiwis.com