Month: May 2018

Regular Random: five minutes with pumpkin soup and cheesy cornbread

/ Su Leslie / 35 Comments
Bowl of homemade pumpkin soup and plate with two pieces of cheese and herb cornbread. Image: Su Leslie, 2018

Homemade pumpkin soup and cornbread with cheese and thyme. Image: Su Leslie, 2018

It has definitely begun to feel like winter here, so when Tracy at Reflections of an Untidy Mind mentioned making pumpkin soup in her Changing Seasons post, I experienced one of those really powerful taste memories.

Perhaps inevitably, pumpkin soup was on our dinner menu last night, along with some cheese and herb cornbread.

Both easy to make and, as it turned out, quite yummy.

These shots are of today’s lunch (of course there were leftovers).

Cheesy corn bread. Image: Su Leslie 2018

Regular Random is a photo challenge hosted by Desley Jane at Musings of a Frequently Flying Scientist. If you’d like to join in:

  • choose a subject or a scene
  • spend five minutes photographing it – no more!
  • try to not interfere with the subject, instead see it from many angles, look through something at it, change the light that’s hitting it
  • have fun!
  • tag your post #regularrandom and ping back to Desley’s post

Silent Sunday

/ Su Leslie / 66 Comments

… nah, just kidding.

My Sunday has been anything but silent. The sound that a door-sized sheet of toughened glass makes when it explodes and falls into a tiled floor is horrendous.

I know this because I was (luckily) in the next room when our shower door exploded and shattered.

The photo shows all that remains; a few shards attached to the hinge.

I am grateful the bathroom wasn’t occupied.

I’m also grateful for insurance.

But as this is the second sheet of glass in our that’s broken recently (the rangehood cover broke a month or so ago), I am beginning to feel slightly jinxed.

I’ve heard that soprano voices can shatter wine glasses; but I wasn’t even singing.

The Changing Seasons, May 2018

/ Su Leslie / 78 Comments

My month began in Dunedin on the tail end of a South Island trip to connect with the Big T’s Canterbury roots and to explore the possibility of becoming Mainlanders (1) in the future. It was especially poignant for us to spend some of ANZAC Day in the churchyard of St John’s Hororata, where an extraordinary number of T’s forbears are buried or commemorated.

James Isabella Gray (nee Thompson), the Big T’s 2x great grandparents. Arrived from Scotland in December 1860 with four children under 10. Their voyage took three months. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Andrew and Emily Ann Gray (nee Oliver), great grandparents. Andrew arrived from Scotland as a five year old. Emily Ann was born in Christchurch, three years after her parents arrived in NZ from England. Also memorial to their son Eric, who is buried in a Commonwealth War Cemetery in the Somme Valley. Image: Su Leslie 2018as children
The Perc, Dunedin. Image: Su Leslie 2018
New favourite cafe: The Perc in Stuart St, Dunedin. Image: Su Leslie 2018
T’s breakfast, The Perc, Dunedin. Image: Su Leslie 2018
The Perc, Dunedin. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Last coffee before heading home. Lyttleton Coffee Co, London St. Lyttleton. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Farewelling the big skies and empty spaces of the Canterbury Plains. Inland Scenic Route at Ashburton Forks, Canterbury. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Glorious afternoon in Lyttleton. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Ashburton Forks, Canterbury Plains. Image: Su Leslie 2018

Back in Auckland, we’re both missing the South Island’s big skies, mountain views, gorgeous autumn colours, relaxed people, and the relative ease of driving on roads that aren’t permanently congested.

And although it rained pretty much all the time we were in Dunedin, it still remains top of my list of Southern “happily relocate to” places. The main drawback is distance from the boy-child.

Highcliff Road, Otago Peninsula. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Otakau, Otago Peninsula. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Highcliff Road, Otago Peninsula. Image: Su Leslie 2018

One of the things I love most about this time of year is the spectacular sunsets, with Oamaru and Wellington, where I’ve just spent a long weekend, turning on the coolest shows.

Sunset, Waterfron Road, Oamaru. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Sunset, Wellington waterfront. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Sunset, Wellington waterfront. Image: Su Leslie 2018
Sun’s last rays reflecting on ‘Invisible City’ 2003 sculpture by Anton Parsons, Grey St. Wellington.

As I write this, the wind is howling and tormenting the trees outside my window. It definitely feels like winter has arrived.

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge, originally hosted by Max at Cardinal Guzman. I’ve taken over hosting duties this year, and if you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:

The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):

  • Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
  • Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
  • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them

The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):

  • Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
  • Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
  • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.

If you do a ping-back to this post, I can update it with links to all of yours.

UPDATE

If you haven’t already, please visit check out these posts from some very cool bloggers around the world:

Magnificent May, from Joanne at My Life Lived Full

The Changing Seasons, May 2018 from Lee at Ladyleemanila

Change of Seasons from Tracy at Reflections of an Untidy Mind

May in Brussels from Klara. This is Klara’s first Changing Seasons post, so please visit and welcome her.

May: Summer Weather is Here from Deb at The Widow Badass Blog

The Changing Seasons May 2018 from Ju-Lyn at Sunrise, Sunset

The Changing Seasons, May has been very yellow from Tish at Tish Farrell Writer on the Edge

Changing Seasons: May 2018 from Pauline at Living in Paradise

The Changing Seasons: Flowers are Blooming from Marilyn at Serendipity — Seeking Intelligent Life on Earth

The Changing Seasons — May 2018 from Sarah at Art Expedition

Back to School from Ruth at RuthsArc

Changing Seasons May 2018 from Jude at Under a Cornish Sky

Changing Seasons Challenge May 2018 — At the Museum from Yvette at Priorhouse Blog

The Changing Seasons May 2018 from Mick at Mick’s Cogs

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Colloquial term for those living in the South Island of New Zealand.

Just because

/ Su Leslie / 35 Comments

Seen in Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, Wellington. Su Leslie 2018

I am well and truly back from my little break in Wellington. The bags are unpacked and the laundry’s done. I’ve even dealt to the email backlog.

Unusually, the camera’s SD card isn’t particularly full from this trip. I think the weather may have played a part in this. Although the threatened rain held off, the wind was sufficiently robust to cause the organisers of the LUX light festival to close the event early on two evenings due to public safety concerns.

But I suspect also that Wellington has become almost a second home (albeit one where someone else makes the bed and clean towels appear as if by magic), and as such I no longer see it with eager eyes and lens.

I did however, enjoy the whimsy of the poster above (and yesterday’s Wordless Wednesday shop window).

The poster is promoting an initiative that invites visitors to the museum to “hang” their choice of work from the collection on a virtual Art Wall. Annabelle’s choice (above) is by Michael Smither, and is called big occity (1984).

Given the wealth of NZ art and the large collection at Te Papa, I’d struggle to chose just one work to add to the wall. But this work, Mangaweka, by Robin White, would definitely be a contender. I love the simplicity and clarity — and I have a sneaky fondness for the tiny village of Mangaweka in the central north island.