Valentine's Day

Whether you think it's the most romantic day of the year

 or the commercialisation of smug coupledom,

I hope this St Valentine's Day is a good one for you.

What's Rare Is Wonderful

There's a saying is Irish 'An rud is annamh is iontach' which mean's what's rare is wonderful.
That is certainly the case with snow.
We don't get much snow. Some winters can pass with scarcely a snow shower and we're still talking about the winter of 2010 when it snowed for most of December and the country almost ground to a halt - and I'm not just speaking figuratively as local authorities ran out of salt to grit the roads.
Anyway, the long and short of it is, snow is regarded as pretty special. Certainly by children and by adults like myself who see photo opportunities in every snowfall.
I couldn't believe my luck when it started to snow this afternoon as I had finished work early. That meant I had time to visit the pretty Ice House Hill Park to get some photos before picking my son up from collage.

Naturally enough, I wasn't the only one taking photographs.

Looking for Spring

Between bad weather and bad health, it seemed like an eternity since I'd been out and about with my camera.
So when Saturday came along, I was determined to go and seek out some signs of spring. Ideally I would have inspected the garden, checked on the bulbs I planted last autumn, and maybe taken a walk though the fields.
But still it rained. And rained. And rained.
I'd have to  find spring indoors and what better place than Strandfield Flower Market? I had time to pop in for some quality 'me time' before going into town.
There was a cosy fire to chase the chills away but the blinds were pulled in the coffee shop making it too dark for photography.

However, there was plenty to see in the large conservatory and flower shop.
The spring bulbs look tempting so I think I might buy some later in the week to augment those I planted.  Perhaps I will drop a few hints that they would be preferable to overpriced roses for Valentine's Day.

I am really drawn to that botanical print and would love to buy it but unfortunately I  don't think there's a space for it on our already crowded walls.

Fortified by a hot chocolate, I made my shopping list, read some of my book, and left refreshed to face the weekly grocery shop.

Keep Calm and Make Soup

February 1st is St Brigid's Day and, in Ireland, it is traditionally regarded as the first day of Spring.
This year Ireland was battered by Atlantic storm Brigid, causing major flooding in coastal communities.
We checked the weather forecasts,  tapped the barometer, listened to the wind, and hoped we'd be safe.
Luckily the wind dropped just in time and the high tide on St Brigid's Day passed without incident.
There's been another storm, Petra, since then which brought more flooding and hardship. After a night of fitful sleep we arose to find that we had once again escaped safely.
It's calm now and I'm desperately searching for signs  that perhaps Spring isn't too far away, welcoming the snowdrops in the garden, buds on the plants,  and birdsong in the air. Anything is better than the wind and rain.
This is the weather for homemade soup, warming and comforting. My favourite winter soup is leek and potato, rich and creamy, full of natural goodness.

It's a quick and easy soup to make, and with leeks in season and often on special offer this time of year , it makes a cheap and nourishing winter lunch, accompanied by some homemade brown bread.

This is a recipe I've adapted from a couple of cookery books, experimenting until I came up with a version that I like best.
Ingredients
3 leeks, chopped and washed
1 onion, chopped
2 or 3 potatoes, chopped into small cubes
1 litre chicken stock
rinds of parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
olive oil
Method
Gently fry the onions in the olive oil until soft, add the leeks and potatoes and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the stock and old parmesan rinds (a tip from Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries), and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and then simmer for approximately 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Scrape the melted cheese from the rind, discard the rind itself, and blend the soup.
Delicious served with some crispy fried bacon to garnish.

What I Read in January

I  had already decided that I wanted to read more books this year, so when Laura of Circle of Pine Trees posted launched the  The Year In Books I didn't think twice about joining in as this was just the encouragement I needed to make sure I didn't go back on my resolution.
The first book I read in January was 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn.  The book opens as Amy disappears on her wedding anniversary and pretty soon suspicion falls on her husband. Set in contemporary America, it's a real page turner with lots of unexpected plot twists but ultimately I found the ending unsatisfactory. As it's a thriller, I'll say no more.
The other book I read was 'N W' by Zadie Smith. Smith, of course, is a highly acclaimed young author and I was looking forward to discovering her work. In 'N W' I wasn't disappointed. I loved her adventurous use of language, particularly the streams of consciousness in the first section of the book  which reminded me of the cadence of  rap music.
'N W' tells the story of four people who grew up on a grim working class council estate in the cultural melting pot of  North West London. Three of them, Leah, Keisha (who later calls herself Natalie) and Nathan went to the same school. The two women were among the few to go on to university while Nathan has become a drug addict.  The women keep in touch but their friendship is brittle. Leah, still living in the area where they grew up, is married to a romantic Frenchman who dreams of improving their lot and of having children. Natalie's life seems perfect on the outside - she is a successful barrister, married with a handsome husband and two children, a nanny and beautiful house. But the cost of what it took her to achieve this takes its toll.
The other character is Felix. A one time drug addict, he has but his bad habits behind him. He's in love with his girlfriend, calls to visit his father (the description of his Rasta dad and his overheated apartment is outstanding), seals a deal to buy an old MG car from a yuppie, and calls in on an old girlfriend to seek closure on their relationship.
To say anymore would spoil the story which I would highly recommend if you enjoy a book which challenges and sparkles in equal measure. It might not be perfect, a couple of things jar, but then life isn't perfect either and this is a book that's all about life.
As I've been feeling poorly lately, with a sinus infection which refuses to go away, I've been doing a lot  more reading than usual.
I've read some short stories from the Richard Yates collection 'Eleven Kinds of Loneliness', dipping into perfectly crafted and heart-breaking insights into the lives of 1950s New Yorkers. They're so good that I want to save them, like rationing a box of rich dark chocolate.
And I've even read my first February book, 'Italian Shoes' by Henning Mankell, which I'll review at the end of the month.
What next?  At the moment it's a toss  up between 'A Street Cat Named Bob' as I'm in the mood for some undemanding reading or 'Noctures' by Kazuo Ishiguro.
Of course, now that I've rediscovered my love of reading, there could be even more.
Thanks to Laura again for this great idea to bring readers and bloggers together.