cherries

Hydrangeas are in flower and cherries are in season - two good things at once.

Eating: the incomprehensibly delicious combination of rhubarb and strawberries. Together they make an amazing crumble. Recipe here for baking rhubarb in the oven. Crumble recipe here.

Reading: The New Yorker. It's the Mary Norris effect.

plates

Some Crown Lynn treasures - "staccato" side plate and a pair of "narvik" dinner plates - found on our last holiday at Matakana. And a plate by Pauline McCoy purchased at the Big Clay Day Out held by the Auckland Studio Potters on Sunday.

Reading: Between you & me: confessions of a comma queen by Mary Norris who is a copy editor at The New Yorker. She started working there in 1978 so you could say she's an authority on spelling, punctuation and grammar. Which is what the book is about. Sounds pretty dull but, actually, it isn't. Review here.

elephant

I bought this sweet little elephant on Saturday from the Toi Ora stall at the Grey Lynn Park Festival. It was made by blind artist Juliet Jackson. He's quite a weighty little elephant with a bluish grey and chocolate brown shiny glaze. So sweet. He fits so neatly in my hand.

Reading: Ru by KimThuy

north

I've had a few days away "up north". We intended to camp - which we did for the first night - but ended up staying at friends' beach houses as the weather forecast was rain every day. As it turned out the weather wasn't so bad - cloudy, windy, chilly but with only a few showers. So we still got to do lots of walking. And we got to catch up with friends. Always good.

• Mangawhai Heads. One of my favourite beaches. If I could buy my own beach house it would be here.
• Point Wells. I love this mishmash of letterboxes. Don't know how number nine got to be there though.
• Tawharanui. Lots of pukeko chicks around. And some great walking trails.
• Walking back to Omaha after visiting the Matakana farmers' market. 

  
Reading: The book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton. This is so good. Please let it end well.

tucker

Tramping in the bush all day requires a few high energy snacks. So I've made a batch of Annabel Langbein's Superhero Balls in readiness for my next outdoor adventure. They are super easy to make - throw everything into a food processor and then roll into balls. Recipe here.
Also good as an after school snack. Or homemade christmas gift.

Reading: Here and somewhere else by Grace Paley and Robert Nichols. Described as political writing this is a small collection of short stories and poetry by husband and wife. Review here.

grey

I finished this little baby cardigan for a work colleague who is now the mother of two little girls. I love the soft grey - it's a nice gender neutral colour. (Patons Dreamtime merino 4 ply in colour "silver"). The pattern is from Panda book, #205 Adorable baby knits. 

I'm thinking of knitting this next. I've joined a women's tramping group and we're expected to have a woollen hat in our kit. Yes, even in summer.

Watching: The big year. This is an OK film starring Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson. But it's based on the book The big year by Mark Obamscik who followed three birdwatchers competing to become birding champion of the year back in 1998. The idea is to spot the most bird species within North America during the course of a year. I loved the book - an incredible true story of obsession. 

Viewing: At the beach - 100 years of summer fashion showing at the Maritime Museum until 8 February 2016. An interesting and nostalgic exhibition of New Zealand made or designed beachwear and a history of our love of the sea.

vessels

Some recent pottery purchases. The black bowl was made by Kirsten Dryburgh and bought from her studio. The bowls are by Peter Lange and the pink vase by "JD" both purchased from the Clay Works Potters' market back in August.
The Auckland Studio Potters annual fair is coming up in December for those of you living in Auckland and in need of pottery.

Reading: First lady: from boyhood to womanhood by Liz Roberts with Alison Mau. Elizabeth Roberts was the first New Zealander to undergo full sex-change surgery. Listen to her radio interview here on National Radio.

Watching: Slow West. I love a western.