sunshine. storms. sparkles. swirling thoughts.

as much as i hate to say it, the temperature is dropping slightly in The Sunny Bay, and the wind is picking up. R13 and i couldn't resist these beads when we were camping @ coromandel over the summer:
and a couple of weeks ago i made mine into a l-o-n-g necklace in which (yep, here comes the symbolism) each bead is like one day, and strung together, they make My Beautiful Life.
some days are sparklier than others.
last night, snuggled up in bed, i read nearly half of my newest book (sourced for me by the gorgeous nush) Slice of Heaven: A Family on the Move, in which a growing NZ family travels the globe, daring to have dreams, and turning them into reality. now with five kids in tow. unconventional. courageous.
don't panic, we are not packing up to go to France just yet....

a little book-snippet, which amuses me:
Susan was a perfect hostess, and her parents charming people, but it seemed that no one actually knew how to cook - most unusual in an Italian household. Somehow it fell to me to produce something at short notice for the twelve or so guests who had appeared as the dinner hour approached. Armed with a simple local recipe, and with advice being offered from every angle at once, I embraced the task, and about an hour later a risotto alla milanese was served, which seemed to satisfy the diners.
Important: it should be noted that the making of a risotto, as any chef worthy of the name will tell you, is an artform that demands constant attention, not just from the person preparing the dish, but from any available audience. In the absence of dinner guests or other persons in the kitchen, it is wise to talk to oneself, and preferably to the risotto, encouraging it gently to finished perfection...

*kate breathes a sigh of relief that there are kindred spirits at large, and goes and puts on the sparkly-summer-days beads*