Another Year Older

Growing older is not without benefits... The house has been full of whispering and secretiveness and closed doors for days now.

But this morning all was revealed as Bryony and Kitty indulged me with a light-breakfast tray and their gifts, which included Turkish delight, and handmade jewellery. 

Then there was an outing with Ingrid to a new country garden and shop The Old Meadery, which sells old French country wares - all sorts of oddities and desirables. I desired an old iron day bed but instead we bought some desirable little soaps. The highlight here was the guided tour of the old garden that Anette and her husband Graeme, are making their own. I didn't get any photos there, not even of the charming little hen house, but when it was time for morning coffee I snapped Ingrid and Kitty at the counter of Soda. This cafe was set up in the countryside near Rangiora, after the February 2011 earthquake had driven its owners away from their high profile city bar and cafe. 

Definitely Rangiora's gain with excellent food and coffee and a line in imported Italian delicacies. It's always a pleasure to eat here. My sister Ingrid, treated me and Kitty to coffee and cake (I'm wearing the lacy hand-made scarf that Kitty knitted for me).

Back home I found a mysterious posy of sumptuous anemones on the door

And Ingrid gave me a beautiful box full of more indulgence.

My girls and me, thought we'd brave the nip in the spring sunshine

And lunch outdoors. 

Lovely to be able to eat in the garden again.

To finish off the day Bryony took us out for dinner

to our family's favourite restaurant in Amberley: Nor' Wester Cafe.

The cafe has recently changed hands and maybe didn't quite meet our expectations, but maybe the something that was missing was Elwin. As an end to a lovely family - and food - focussed day it was the icing on the cake (my de-constructed birthday cake is bread pudding!).