Only one more week of summer remains and I can’t believe how quickly this season has passed me by. I generally don’t fair too well in the colder months but i’m hoping this autumn and winter will be different. Jon turns 30 in March (!) and I start teaching again in a few weeks. It’s always exciting when there are new students to educate, fresh out of high school and encountering university life for the first time. I also want to learn to crochet this winter so i have something to do in between planning lessons and marking essays.

In the meantime, i am looking forward to at least another two months of swimming in the saltwater pool at the beach. I have surprised myself with how well i can cope swimming in the cold ocean but when it drops to 10 degrees outside, the only place i want to be is inside, with the heater on, Ray LaMontagne on the stereo and a cup of tea in my hands.

I woke up to this today- 10 things i love about you. No.6 is a comment on my tidyness and how much he appreciates it.
He’s very sweet.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I was feeling quite disheartened yesterday with everything that was going on around me and the cold, wet weather wasn’t helping either.

So, I decided to indulge in a little tea-for-one. I baked these banana, weetbix and chocolate chip muffins and made some adjustments- i used wholemeal self-raising flour, 3 T. olive oil and 1 T. applesauce in place of the butter, increased the milk to 1 (and a tiny bit extra) cup and used dark chocolate chips. The muffins were delicious- moist, not too sweet and perfect with a pot of chai and a white nectarine.

It was another reminder to take pleasure in the simple things.

What a devastating tragedy. We have been watching the news and praying for rain to help put out the fires. So many lives lost and whole towns have been burnt to ashes. Those who managed to escape the fire now have the task of rebuilding their lives from scratch, having only escaped with the clothes on their back. It’s too sad.

So, it’s February, also known as the last month of summer. I don’t want to linger too much on that thought so i’ll move on.

It’s so hot. And this Sunday, it’s supposed to go up to 44 degrees (111 F)! I need to stock up on ice-cream so i can keep us cool with milkshakes. Maybe freeze some grapes as well because i love frozen grapes.

Yesterday, i made the most amazing chai, following this recipe. I made it with Indian tea leaves i got in Singapore, so it tasted out of this world. Go try it now!

I also made bircher muesli for brekafast yesterday- overnight, i soaked 3 cups of oats with 150g of chopped up dried figs, 1 cup of unsweetened apple juice and 1 cup of milk. In the morning, i added one grated apple, 1/2 t. vanilla extract, 1/2 t. ground cinnamon, a handful of toasted almonds, a few tablespoons of LSA, 1 T. honey and plain yoghurt. Yum! For dessert last night, i grilled some yellow peaches rubbed with brown sugar and cinnamon. So good.

The shows on television have shown a marked improvement since summer is almost over. Most importantly, Grey’s Anatomy is back on tonight. Thank goodness.

Last night, Jon and i stayed up just to chat. It was so intimate and we laughed so much. I love him so! I’m so blessed that he is my husband and my best friend!

Heard a song by the Robertson Brothers today titled Not Beautiful. It describes how women feel so much of the time and made me a little teary. Check it out here.