It’s been a quiet, calm time in our house.
The HSC seems to go on forever – three weeks for the actual exams, but a couple of months of serious study leading up to them. Small Man is traveling very well – thank you all for your kind wishes.
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After a long winter, spring has arrived, bringing with it a lightness of spirit. Our star jasmine is at its most glorious…
At the back door, my unnamed succulent – a tiny $3 Bunnings’ purchase that I stuck into a pot years ago – has exploded with colour. I’m not sure how it survives in the same small container that it was originally planted in…
Like all desert flowers, these are daylight sensitive, opening with the sun and then shutting again at night…
Spring has also meant the return of the dreaded cabbage moth. This year we’re trying decoys – Pete read somewhere that they won’t lay if there are already other moths in the same area…
So far, it’s working well – we watched the little pests circle over our bed of broccoli raab but none of them actually landed…
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We’ve been eating a lot of pizza and drinking beer – I’m told this is appropriate study food. Big Boy is delighted that his favourite Little Creatures Pale Ale comes in proper pint bottles. We’ve also discovered that defrosted sourdough focaccia, sliced in half, is a fabulous substitute for freshly made pizza bases…
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When I caught up with my cousin Seng for the first time in twenty-five years, we were both wearing rings made from vintage spoons. It’s funny how things like that work in families. My cousin Lynette and I have very similar tastes as well, but we’ve all grown up in different countries…
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My gorgeous nephew Bryan (my cousin son) is currently studying in Sydney. He’s become an instant part of our family and I’m madly scheming ways to try and keep him here. I sent him home with birthday treats a couple of weeks ago…
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I’ve just discovered Petal Post Sydney – a new company offering floral subscriptions at just $38 per month. All the flowers are Australian grown and my first box was delivered by the florist herself! Lovely Zoe is based in the inner west and has a keen eye for blooms…
I couldn’t resist taking this photo in the morning spring light…
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Finally, as well as baking like a madwoman these past few weeks, I’ve also been tempering chocolate. This 40 piece tray was a gift for our dear friend Johnny, and included Belgian milk chocolate dragons, nutella cane toads, and hazelnut praline squares…
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How are things at your place? I hope you’re all well and happy! ♥
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Life looks lovely at your place Celia! x
Now I don’t want you to think I’m a stalker – I just happened to be in the email when your post dropped in. I saw your picture of the jasmine on twitter. Gorgeous and I bet the scent is wonderful! What a fantastically simple idea about the moths. It will be some time before our garden is up and running again but I won’t forget that tip.
That star jasmine look stunning – and I’ll bet it smells divine too!
What a post…chocolate, flowers and Broccoli Raab! we can’t seem to grow it here and I LOVE it and it never appears in the grocery stores :( All the best for the HSC.
I do hope Small Man is going well with the HSC. Yes, it does go on and on and on and it’s such a great relief when it’s all over. That’s an amazing coincidence about the spoon rings. Your star jasmine is gorgeous xx
Your garden is looking beautiful and l think you are not only a master baker, but a master chocolatier:)
I’ve been sending lots of good exam vibes, are we almost through them? Another approach for the cabbage moths is a company called Bugs for Bugs. They sell the predator insect and I’ve found it really effective. Lots of love to you all xxx
Thanks for the moth deterrent tip Celia.. They’ve attacked & destroyed our peach tree, strawberries & passion fruit vine. I couldn’t believe it! Those pests will eat anything & leave their larvae behind to demolish everything else!!
Your brownies always look homey! X
One old country trick in England is to plant broad beans amongst your brassicas. The white flowered variety fools the moths into thinking the area’s already populated – the red flowered one doesn’t do the trick, so make sure you buy the right kind if you’re tempted to try it.. Plus you get broad beans! And your riotously pink-flowered succulent is pigface, I think…
I’ve been peeking in and out of your blog for some time, Celia. However, in the midst of a long stint of illness, I’ve managed to literally read each and every one of your posts. I’ve absolutely savoured your writing, photos, observations and the delight and awareness with which you greet the many facets of life.
And now I’ve just made up a batch of supernatural brownies. And yes, they’re delicious.
Cheers aplenty to you, Celia and family!
Beautiful flowers and blossoms! My garden is bare…waiting for our first snow any day now. Next year I will try decoys and broad beans in my brassica patch. I have used dill, tomatoes and marigolds, as well as floating row covers, with mixed results. I didn’t know cabbage moths will not land if the area is already populated. Now I need to find a deterant for cabbage root maggots…
Thank you for your wonderful post, such a joy to read after another hectic day..I hope all goes well for the last of the HSC exams for your son..not long to go now…as always, thank you for all the beautiful pictures, tips and suggestions…I love reading your posts Celia..take care
Ann☀️
Pizza & beer. Match made in heaven! My nose is twitching just thinking about the divine smell that must be emanating from that Jasmine :)
Your plants are out of this world, Celia! I can’t believe the potting issue. :)
The rings are a hoot and your brownies have me drooling.
That all looks wonderful. I love the idea of a floral subscription. And your chocolate looks amazing, I still haven’t managed to give tempering chocolate a proper attempt!
Nutella cane toads – not sure I’d want to bite into these!!
I’ve made note of your decoy cabbage moths and Kate’s suggestion for white flowered broad beans… I learn such wonderful things in the blog world :)
Hands are such powerful symbols, I find. When I look at my own hands I see my father’s and his mother’s hands. I found your picture very moving. And – beer and pizza, for me is modern-day comfort food. My gardening guru, Jerry Coleby-Williams, follows his grandmother’s garden lore and plants Upland Cress amongst his cabbages, etc and says that is grand defence against the leaf eating cabbage caterpillars – we at last know the possum is not impressed by the cress!
Calm but hectic – in a good way…that’s how it looks like your life is! That jasmine is stunning and I love those decoy moths, very clever indeed :) I am craving a decent home made pizza, hopefully in a few days we’ll be back in England and I can bake again. Loved that photo of the hands – I think someone else also comments on it. Hands can tell us so much about a person. Beautiful. Big hug to you Celia xx
I love autumn here in the UK, as the trees are colourful and I enjoy seasonal baking with new crops of pears, apples and nuts. But it’s starting to get colder now, and darker til later in the mornings, so it makes me jealous to see you going into spring and looking forward to summer!
Wishing Small Man success in his exams!
You are such a wonder woman!!!
Cornelia, I sent you an email, did you get it?
Hi Celia, I don’t recall getting an email from you. Can you send it again please. that would be wonderful thank you
Have resent! :) x
love the idea of a flower subscription – a fab gift for yourself. And those brownies – drool!
Celia, I love your “bits and pieces” posts… such a picture of YOU, your life, your family, and your interests. xo
Hello love, glad to know that all is well at your place… baking like a madwoman is a good thing, such great therapy and so relaxing… best wishes for the HSC… love your flowers… our jasmine is flourishing too… and there are fairy wrens nesting in it xx
Stevie-boy has been imbibing pints of Little Creatures Pale Ale as well. I originated in W.A. and love that one of our local brews has wended it’s hop scented way right around Australia and graces the tables of beer lovers the world over. Your son has excellent taste :)
38 for a bouquet like that is amazing! That would be well over $60 here. We’ve named our starter Bob, he’s been fed and watered and now I need to check if he’s gurgling, too chilly to get out of bed yet!
Boy your exam are quite serious over there. Many parents here are now complaining about too many exams for the kids & that they aren’t learning much because the teachers are just teaching to the tests. Not having any children in the system anymore I’m not sure what exactly is going on with all the testing complaints but it seems that your students have a very rigorous system that they take very seriously. Wishing Small Man much success through all this.
I am absolutely amazed at your moth repellent! What an idea – is this something that you read about or that you/Pete came up with on your own? If this is your idea, you definitely should market this idea because it’s great!
Celia, how do you manage to do all that baking? Where does it go? I’m so impressed with the lovely cakes and breads and marshmallows and chocolates! You must have hundreds of visitors breaking down your door to get at them!
I have just discovered your beautiful blog and subscribed! Looking forward to reading more.