February started in the French Alps and is ending right back home in Luxembourg. Kaya turned eight months (what?!!) and is determined to walk everywhere. She cries if we sit her down. Crawling she has zero interest in. My family came for a long weekend in the middle of the month, so they could give mama and far’s backs a break walking her around…!
This month I was mostly…
reading.
I finished People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks. It’s a fascinating story following the life of an illuminated Jewish prayer book, the Sarajevo Haggadah (which actually exists), on it’s imagined journey from Spain in the 14th century, to Sarajevo during the war in the 1990s. It’s an interesting and sobering read which shows the heartbreaking history of the Jews in Europe. I preferred the flashbacks to the current day narrative, but overall a good novel.
I’m also nearly finished reading A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle. It wasn’t a book I ever came across as a child, but sooo many people I know feel about it the way I feel about the Chronicles of Narnia. So I decided to try it, and although you can never recreate the magic of reading a book as a child (I was underwhelmed by the film ET when I watched it as an adult for the first time!), I’m enjoying it a lot.
listening.
The new album from The Brilliance – Brother – is fantastic. I have it on repeat. I love how many of the lyrics are taken from ancient liturgies and prayers. They stay in my head and they calm me when I’m feeling stressed. All good.
I enjoyed the On Being interview with Mary Oliver this month. I adore her poetry, so it was interesting to hear her read some of them, and talk about her life.
watching.
I watched the documentary Alive Inside, on the recommendation of a friend. It’s a look at the power of music to help dementia and alzheimers patients. It was both sad and lovely to watch, reminding me a lot of my Nana who suffered from dementia the last years of her life. It’s a heartbreaking disease and anything that can improve the life quality and happiness of those who live with it, is worth it.
eating.
I made my own granola for the first time which made me very proud. And feel a little silly,because it is sooo simple. Why haven’t I done this before?! I used this recipe, but will play around with the ingredients a bit next time (just for fun – it’s a good basic recipe).
I made this chicken, chicon and sage bake again, which I really like. Ignore the terrible taken-on-a-phone-with-flash photo at the link. It really is delicious!
And of course for Shrove Tuesday, we had to have pancakes! We invited our friends Gautier and Eli over and made traditional Breton crepes with buckwheat flour. So good! I am never going back to plain flour crepes, these had so much more flavour. We had them with a bacon, leek and gruyere filling.
making baby food.
We do a mixture of chunky purees and finger foods right now. Kaya’s favourites this month:
- Ratatouille (I made it without the quinoa but make fresh cous cous to mix in when I defrost and serve it)
- Carrot, apple and spinach puree (I also substituted peas for the carrots in one batch)
- Sweetcorn fritters. She LOVES these.
- Aubergine and Pear puree. I think this is gross but she eats it up very happily…
loving…
A visit from my parents and little sister. It’s precious seeing them spend time with Kaya.
A wonderful week in the French Alps with good friends.
Looking forward to our church’s woman’s retreat at the beginning of March. We’re escaping to a manor house in the south of Belgium and it looks amazing!
Finding the perfect child-sized rocking chair at the second hand store, which Rasmus then went back and bought after I’d spent days talking about it.
Having lunch on the balcony for the first time this year. It was so sunny and warm! And then we woke up to snow the next morning… Ugh, I guess spring is still a little way off.
I’m linking up as always with the lovely Leigh. Click over there to read all the other link ups. I always find some great recommendations.
