Living in a modern centrally heated home, the changing seasons do not impact directly on my life. I don't have to think about getting fuel for the cold weather, all I can do is hope that there is no disruption to the gas supply. Likewise in todays world, food habits needn't change with the time of year. It is possible to get whatever we want whenever we want it from the supermarket. Most people are very removed from the natural cycles of the year.
Even so there are small changes of routine that take place at this time of year and I like to do these tasks that mark the passing of the seasons.
Yesterday I fetched the winter weight duvet from the loft and also sorted away some summer clothes and brought out my thicker woollen jumpers.
I have been taking cuttings of geraniums which I will keep on a windowsill so that I have plants for next year.
Yesterday when it was dry I brought these back from the allotment.
These are the seedheads from last winters leeks. I left a couple of plants to go to seed at the end of last winter and these are the seeds that I will plant next year. They are the last of my saved seeds for this year, I have already saved lettuce and parsnip. I meant to save broad beans but I forgot and ate them all and of course no marrows or squash this year as mine didn't grow well at all.
The colder weather also changes the foods we like to eat and I am starting to cook hot-pots and stews in the slow cooker. Its the time of year to make soups, butternut squash being one of my favourites even if I had to buy them this year.
Another thing I look forward to in the winter is longer evenings for knitting and spinning. As there is less to do outside at this time I can finish all my household chores during the day and then fit in a couple of hours knitting in the evening, a perfect end to a day spent at home.
3 comments:
I am a pumpkin addict. It finally came to me that, having gone through much consideration, my favourite vegetable in the Whole Wide World (apart from potatoes...) are pumpkins. People say they don't have flavour but I think they do, and we love 'em.
Next year we're going to give leeks a go, give up with carrots (if I see another carrot fly larvae I'll go postal *twitch*) and definitely more pumpkins! You're very good with saving your seeds. I tend to save ornamentals but less of the vegetables as I like trying new varieties, however when I find The One, I save the seeds from that. But pumpkin seeds, toasted = ambrosia.
The spinning sounds fantastic - do you ever take photos? It'd be great to see some of your work.
Sincerely,
PumpkinObsessed.
I enjoyed your post! Autumn finally arrived today here in the Midwest USA. I'm anxious for my sister to make us some butternut squash soup -- I love it too! I'd never seen leeks gone to seed like that! it's definately knitting weather!
In the words of Louis Armstrong, 'What a wonderful world...." great post.
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