Scenes From Life

I haven’t taken as many photos as I would like this year. I’ve been distracted more by the day to day living of it, but also my relationship to photography – I like them to be almost perfectly composed, filtered with a filter that fits the subject, and at least interesting in some way, which takes energy and time that I don’t always have. I blame Instagram!

I may be doing Susannah Conway’s December Reflections challenge this year, so it might be a good push to start taking more photos again.

But I do enjoy taking photos. And I have taken photos I enjoy this year. I’d like to share photos of my new nephew but for safety reason I won’t and not without my sister’s permission! He’s adorable though and I love spending time with him. He can smile now and laugh, and it’s lovely.

CW for a large heron! This was in spring this year when I visited Strawberry Hill House with my parents. It’s a beautiful building and grounds with lots of history, natured themed decor and flourishes, and this particular heron who hangs around the cafe sometimes being fed by the kitchen staff.

He once ran into the kitchen when his food was late and the chef, a burly man, ended up panicking and shooing him out with a tray! The library here and the light in the rooms was beautiful.

In May, we went away to Wales for a few days with my sister’s husband Matt, Sarah herself (who was pretty pregnant at the time, being due in July/August), and my parents. We stayed on the south coast, in St Florence, near Tenby. It was the first time we’d been away since Sarah’s wedding in 2021, so a much needed escape.

A photo post definitely wouldn’t be complete without sharing some cat photos! Here is Coco (Chocolat), and one of Sarah’s cats, Oscar, a black and white little panther. Coco turned ten this year, and she’s still as much of a kitten as she’s ever been.

I’ve done quite a bit of cooking this year even if it doesn’t feel like it. It’s been easy to fall back on easy things like pasta and sauces, or pre-made soup and frozen vegan lasagne, but I did learn a few recipes last year and early this year.

In January I made the same curry at least once a week – Harry’s Chicken Curry from Midnight Chicken by Ella Risbridger, but when Dan came back from Scotland I adapted it into being vegan so we’ve been having that at least once a week or every two weeks. It’s easy, adaptable to taste, and absolutely delicious.

This recipe below though is from Ruby Tandoh’s Cook As You Are, which I absolutely recommend – because it’s the kind of cookbook that works for real life. It’s easy to adapt recipes to your dietary needs, it’s mostly vegan or vegetarian, and recipes are categorised by how much energy you have or want to expend cooking.

Particularly good for those of us who have limited spoons or have executive functioning issues! The recipe I do the most often is Broccoli and Gnocchi with Harissa Butter – few ingredients needed and you can substitute the butter for oil or vegan butter.

And here are just a few random photos including me trying to crack taking a mirror selfie without having the camera visible! My plants are doing okay, but probably could do with some watering!

Happy weekend!

‘You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.’

Ansel Adams.

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