Late Autumn Notes

This week in New Zealand we celebrate King’s Birthday.  For me, it has always felt like the marker that gently turns us toward winter. Some years we’ve even had our first snowfall around this time, it doesn't often snow here.

Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed the need for the fire to be lit earlier each evening. On the nights we don’t have after-school activities, the house grows quieter as everyone slowly settles in, each finding a warm place to curl up for the night.

I find myself pulling recipe books from the shelf again, slow cooked meals, soups, fresh bread, roasted vegetables. Food that warms the house as much as the table.

The late autumn sun has lost its intense heat now, but I still try to sit in it for a few moments each day while it lasts.  As the afternoons grow colder, sugary ginger pieces and chai tea have become my favourite way to warm up. 

Woolen blanket on beds, candlelight on tables and thoughts of the winter ahead.