And so it - time - goes

It's hard to believe that today is the last day of the first half of the year. I kind of feel as though I'm in a slowly swirling vortex.

Having started mostly normally, a winter storm descended mid-week. Along with wind, rainbows and fires. Tragically, a thatched home in the village was burnt down. Whether it was negligence (dirty chimney or to big a fire in the fireplace) or plain windy bad luck, we don't yet know.

The rain continued into Thursday, so work on tidying the shed continued.

What a difference: a lick of paint on a rainy day as the shed continues to get cleared up and tidied. My gardener has taken to calling my commandeered space, my "deli".

The cold persisted into the weekend so my "jar" offering at the market had to be hearty and warming: a spicy, whole roasted sweet potato and red lentil soup.

Because there was not enough to fill a third jar, I had a working lunch on a cold, busy Friday kitchen day.

The soup, the extra sweet potato and lentil that sold well at yesterday's McGregor morning market with a side of fresh dhana and toasted sourdough roll.

I should take my own advice more often and properly stop for lunch.

Seeing the real benefit

I said, a couple of weeks ago, that at this time of the year, I start packing the car in the dark, and that a light in the shed, is a game changer. These stills from my security camera (a story for another time) illustrate the point. Taken at 7am and just as the sun was rising, so already quite light. A little deceiving because of the camera quality.

Just over a year ago this chap inveigled his way into my home and my heart: Mr Richard Parker is still very much at home.

Mr P doing a Barbapapa impersonation in the late afternoon sun as I left to watch the rugby.

Unexpectedly, on Saturday, friends invited me to join them - on the mountain - to watch the first Springbok match of the season. It's a long time favourite space, and what a great way to watch the game with friends on a cold winter afternoon: up the Road to Nowhere, wine and pizza next to a warming fire. Oh, and before the sun went down, the always glorious vista.

It's cold

Gandalf does not like getting up.

Time waits for no man

I tangentially referred to what was happening around the world, last week. Worries, now, are closer to home as two sets of friends are dealing with parents who, in turn are dealing with the ravages of the passage of time old age. Given that none of us is in the bloom of youth, it's an object reminder of what we all have to deal with.

I came home on Sunday, after conversation with all of them, and cooked comfort food and sat by the fire.

Thus ended last week, to begin another.

Until next time

Post script

I blog here, on Instagram and via WordPress to my own website. I write for love and a living and you'll find out more about that here. Content for the first two, and sometimes the last, cross pollinate.

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Original artwork: @artywink

I create graphics using partly my own photographs as well as images available freely available on @hive.blog and Canva.