Sunday, October 1, 2023

October first.

 


















We live in the country but drive to the big city for my peppers:) Our peppers..this is a fifty fifty job I love .
In Provence I coveted the wicker trolleys so much..LOL in 2008 I should have just bought one and paid to have it checked in the plane..years following...the opportunity didn't arrive:(



I have a plethora of zinnias..hundreds..I have to let them go to seed..






Our fall has been nothing short of stellar with more to come.
I am letting my cosmos,marigolds ,nasturtiums and zinnias go to seed from this moment on..
My 4 o'clocks also.
Or else..I won't have all these flowers I loved so much next year...a plethora of them.
We had only one coolish day a long while back and I made Ina's Italian Wedding soup.
I love it and my husband likes that there is meat in it.
You know..I never knew this but if you cut a long stem of nasturtiums and put them in water in your home ..They continue to bloom!
They took up that right hand corner of my kitchen sink windows.
All our windows are sparkling..J did the outside I do the insides..
Spring and Fall.
Feels so clean.
We went to Little Italy and bought a very large bushel of peppers..my chariot:) Comes in very handy:)
All roasted on the BBQ..all frozen..and ready for a year.

Garlic..peppers..herbs..so fun to store and have on hand.

In Little Italy I bought some tuna from Portugal packed with chickpeas too..
I made a salad with my pickled onions and watermelon radishes for the market.Sublime.I eat with my eyes first.
The other salad we both love is apple fennel and mint...
A trip to our Montreal market brings out the best in salads for me.

Bees are so nice..I can take photos right next to them..and they continue their work..

Wasps are awful..bees are beautiful.

That dessert above..is such a keeper.An Apple Crumble Tart.
So it is in my keeper binder:)


This weekend was filled with football..
Max..Oli and Lucas..
The night games..my camera is not really great.. Oli's game wasn't a home game..and at the same time as Lucas'. ..Home but in the city..
He gives it his all...



The thing about these games..all 3 of them..the camaraderie is simply amazing..even graduates come back to see the younger ones play.They hug and cheer..and are so happy to see each other again.
All the boys stay on the field after the game and get hugs and hug back from all of us.
The night games..  we get home late.
I lie in bed and relive everything..  their game..their friends..my daughter's friends.. and then I don't sleep a wink.
Truth.Too excited.
Have a lovely October.

It's like high summer here so hot.
Not looking forward to putting my gardens to bed..I might be getting lazier.
I hope not.
Take care.








20 comments:

  1. As always your photographs are just so beautiful! We have been blessed with beautiful Indian summer weather, also. Yesterday it was 85 degrees. I have lots of wasps flying around the mums on Balconville not to mention some of the stinky bugs that appear in the fall. My two grandsons were with me yesterday and Collin the oldest had a great idea to get them off of the screen door...got my hair dryer and blew them off!!! We celebrated Halloween early and decorated my apartment and had a "spooky" lunch. So much fun and yes, I replayed the day in bed last night. Is Halloween a big deal where you live? Americans seem to spend a lot of money on it. Let's enjoy October.

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    1. Yes let's not wish October away:) I hear you about the replays in bed:)It is kind of a big deal..but large lots and Covid changed the door-to-door trick or treating a lot.A lot.Our Littles always went to more populated areas lol..to cash in on more treats with less surface to travel..We usuall have the second coming of those stink bugs now..and nary a one..unimaginable..like you they could wallpaper surfaces! I HATE them Ga.Spring and Fall.

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  2. Beautiful flowers & food!
    I don’t want Summer to end either 🌹Parisbreakfast

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  3. You can get the wicker shopping wheelies from the UK delivered to Canada. However the price eeeek about $ 300 ! Also they are not built for snow. Agreed so pretty 😍

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    1. EEK:) EEK and triple EEK.. we have great taste Jane:) But no..:):):)Thanks for the info par contre:) In Provence I think..in 2008 they were 35 euros.Shoulda woulda coulda;)

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  4. We’ve had rain this week on the west coast but are still considered under drought conditions. Our summer was fierce with the province burning up with wild fires.September was much more reasonable. I’m enjoying the moderate temperatures. My garden is looking sad now. I lack the enthusiasm and joy I have in Spring. Love your pics today.

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    1. Thank you! You know I'm still watering certain things that are in planters or pots looking good ..nothing in the earth..and I am NOT into gardening at this time of year either.I will plant my garlic in a few weeks and do the necessary put to bed stuff..Today the fairies got washed and put in she shed and I spray painted their furniture lol..raked all the OAK leaves from my neighbour's tree as the squirrels are acorning their life away right now..and shoveled some crabapples...It's way less fun than Spring:):):):

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  5. I made soup for John when he first came home from the hospital...that was the last time. Ina's looks light and delicious! Gorgeous salads too! I love tinned sardines :) Same gorgeous weather here. I'm not ready to let mine go to seed quite yet. I just deadheaded my marigolds too, got an entire 4 gallon bucket full of spent flowers from the heavy rains we had last week. Three more days of beautiful weather and then we get chilly for a while. I did not know that about nasturtiums!! Did it start to form roots in the water. It looks like it's climbing too! That dessert! ♥ I hope to try soon. What fun times for you and Jacques to watch the boys play! Great photo of Lucas!

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    1. I tossed before I saw roots lol..I don't want to start ANYTHING lol..Same weather here:) Thank you re that pic of Lu.. they lost by 3 points..he is not on a winning team like his brothers.But his morale is always so cool.So next game is Max Sat.. at night..we had decided to bring signs:). But its going to rain and in the 50's:(. We got used to this warm (Actually sweltering Sat at Lucas' game)But I would sit through a lot to see them play.Like you would:)

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  6. Oh my! I love the nasturtiums. Well, all the flowers. But I didn't know that about the nasturtiums. You've been a very busy woman with making glorious food and getting ready for winter. And those photos from the game -- so good. I love Ina's recipes -- they always work and that one sounds lie a good one! Such a joy, always, to visit here!

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    1. You are right..they always work!!:)Like Marie's..glorious fall so far..signed up for one month another Jean Haines tut..I better get cracking;)

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  7. I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying fall! After this week, they say we're supposed to start having cooler temperatures, and I'm ready for that! Gracious, your food pics are so amazing...you capture them so well that it makes my mouth water. That apple tarte. I saved the recipe. When you were talking about apples for baking, it reminded me of my sweet mom. She was a terrific pie baker. In the fall, we'd buy apples from local orchards and she always wanted a mix of apples and I recall that one of her favorites was Jonathon. Funny what we remember, and so long ago (60 yrs!).

    I have to tell you about the gigantic, lush zinnias I saw recently. A friend of mine who lives near us, was showing me her gardens. She had an automatic watering system installed in one large bed--just to see if it made much difference. Oh my goodness. Everything looked so vibrant--even the colors of the flowers seemed brighter. I came home and looked at my zinnias and thought...maybe I need a watering system, too. It's always something. Right?

    How fun it is to see those handsome grandsons play football! They keep us going. I have to tell you that I can't sleep worth a hoot after any social outing anymore. I can feel really tired, but when I go to bed, I'm wide awake. Surely it's not an age thing...

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    1. Pam it's an overactive brain after some excitement! My days..are quiet except when at my daughters or at events so I come home and I am totally wired lol..60 years..
      Time flies..Jonathon.I know someone who spells his name like that:) Love it!
      Gather seeds form that zinnia!
      So..we have a watering sys tem..2 hrs a week tops usage.Town bylaw.2 AM to 4 AM.
      Sooooooooo....:(
      Friday here will be coolre..rain Sat..:(A football game:( Have a great weekend!

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  8. Your salads are perfection. I was eating with my eyes too! Seriously works of art, Monique. I hope you will paint your market photo. It would be total charm. Love seeing the boys! They are so big and grown up. Seems strange! Enjoy these October days. I envy your plethora of blooms. I plan to spread seeds for next spring. I loved it when I had a wild cosmo garden. Happy Autumn!

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    1. Seeds are gold:) And the fact that we can save..collect and reseed:)Sarah our boys bring us immense joy.Because they are so loving and funny..Great parents:)

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  9. I cannot imagine you ever being lazy. I think we just get more tired as we get older. It takes us longer to do the things we once took for granted doing. Love all of your photographs of your gardens and your food. I always do. You are a true artiste! I am so pleased you get so much joy from your grandson's games. That is what being family is all about! Happy October and Happy Thanksgiving! xoxo

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  10. Nasturtiums are lovely little plants, easy to grow and sturdy, and I think the whole plant is edible. Apple crumble is one of my very favourite desserts. I used to cheat and use packet mix but now I make my own with flour, butter, breadcrumbs and a bit of brown sugar - scrumptious :-)

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    1. I'm making 3 this weekend:) One for my neighbour two for our family.I found our golden recipe ..the holy grail as they say...a few years ago and I don't waiver now lol:) Yes nasturtiums are great to grow..in pots though mine get aphids.They prefer roaming wild in the ground:)

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