Mail and in person

Lovely mail incoming including SEEDS! As promised. All the morning glory seeds available around here are one season, and don't self seed. Lately they haven't even flowered. 

So these are seeds a friend collected and sent to try next year, a great thing to look forward to. Thank you, Ch.  Gary has been interested too, since he's been unable to get them going, but remembers his childhood garden with them all over the fences. Accompanied by a monarch. The seeds, not the fences.

Afternoon tea and toast with the mail, beautiful handmade card, thank you, C, and various greetings. 

Then, on Friday, my artist/contractor/cook/friend/neighbor came over with Christmas treats before they got on the road to visit family for the holiday.  

Glazed ham and peppermint chocolate bark. Homemade. I may possibly share but then again, life's short.

Later he came back, cleaning out the fridge of perishables before leaving for ten days, could I use this container of baby bellas? Since I routinely do, favorite mushroom, this was welcome. I'll add it to the ones I have for Christmas.

Thursday was about soup. I'd thought a large bag in the freezer was veg trimmings for stock. I found it was a bag of red onions. The little bag next to it was stock. The label had come off the big bag.

So I made a small stock, and rummaged around for other makings. Remember when I last poached fish in milk? I froze the seasoned milk, and yesterday brought two containers out to add to the soup.

Meanwhile I cooked a large handful of red onions and seasonings, including umami seasoning from Yeung Man Cooking, and turmeric, in olive oil, then blended it before I added the stock and milk, to make a cream soup. 

Seen here with a sprig of curry leaves, really good added flavor. 

I also had this soup with a slice of seedy toast and the spicy cheese spread. The milk base was great and there was the occasional little chunk of fish. 

Light snow and rain on Friday, so Thursday's walk was just in time.  It's amazing how your spirits lift from just a short while outside.

The current glove is now at the knitted cuff stage

And there was bed changing, laundry, masses of dishes, always amazing in a household of one.

I finished the Horowitz which I hugely recommend. He's so entertaining and you have to stay alert at all times. He darts back and forth, present to past, braiding real life with the fiction of the book, till you wonder which is which. 

I've downloaded a Horowitz audiobook to accompany my knitting, though I'd rather read him on Kindle.  But I can't get another without another wait. Also I can't knit and read. So sad, having to do one thing at a time. 

Happy day everyone, do one thing at a time or more if you can.