by Juliet Batten | 25, Jul, 2012 | Uncategorized
Psst! Don’t tell a soul. But I caught a whiff of fragrance this morning and found this . . .and then discovered that the tulips Mira and I planted are doing this . . . (one for every year of her life; she turns 4 tomorrow)And the daphne bush is doing this... 
by Juliet Batten | 19, Jul, 2012 | Uncategorized
It’s cold but bright. In the afternoon I heard a song that has been absent for months. Yes, the tui has returned, and here it is, eating the golden melia berries. Usually the tuis like nectar best, but I guess in late winter, a bird can’t be too... 
by Juliet Batten | 16, Jul, 2012 | Uncategorized
How to warm up the winter nights. Take one cup of lentils. Soak for a few hours Add chopped winter vegetables: carrots, pumpkins, parsnips, swedes. Stir in the last of the beefsteak tomatoes from the west coast greenhouse. But first gently fry... 
by Juliet Batten | 13, Jul, 2012 | Uncategorized
When little Miss Fun comes to visit, the winter days are brightened.We have Conversations.She tells me about her ‘friends’. One is called Rabbit, and the other ‘Rainy Day’. That’s handy. She’ll be seeing a lot of that friend at the... 
by Juliet Batten | 6, Jul, 2012 | Uncategorized
In the quiet of winter, I notice things that would pass unseen in the colourful, distracting days of summer. I discover textures, and subtle colours, such as this wall. I notice two brave shoots that have pierced the stony ground. The colours of a simple... 
by Juliet Batten | 3, Jul, 2012 | Uncategorized
As I drove home from visiting a ninety-year old in a Rest Home across the other side of town, the heavens opened. My windscreen wipers were going at top speed, but still I could hardly see. Some cars stopped. It was a relief to get home safely, but... 