Up for a walk? Wear comfy shoes, cause this is a doozy!

Hello everyone, it's been a while - again. I've missed you! I'm glad you're here - if you haven't completely abandoned me, already - since I'm not here as often as I used to be. But, more on that, later. Let's walk, shall we?

 We'll start from my house; that way,

 you'll know where it is, next time you come.

 

If you've visited me on Instagram, lately, you'll know 

that almond blossoms are everywhere, right now. 

Their sweet, honey-like scent fills 

the air with the promise of spring.

I never tire of this particular spot, near our home. I have taken its picture many times throughout my years of blogging, where bare grapevines take centre stage, while silver leaved trees beaded with olives and bobbles of oranges beaming from another, act as a chorus, harmoniously illustrating how a variety of very different produce thrives so well, in such close proximity to one another, on this island.

In contrast, white mustard, (yes, it's yellow!), has invaded winter vineyards, all on its own. The adorable flowers add cheery colour to the fruitless vines, and every time I walk by this one, I want to merrily run through it, like a little girl, without a care in the world. 

Heading out towards the next village, this beautiful branch
 of almond blossoms in the distance, beckoned me 
to bestow its allure from up close,

 

thus forcing me to take a new path, deeper into the 
Cretan countryside, one which I had never explored before.

 

Do you see where I'm going with all this? 

Fields of aloe vera, vineyards, fruit and olive groves form the width of the countryside surrounding our village, while the mountains in the background soar to magnificent heights.

There are many reasons, my friends, that have been keeping me from posting as often as I'd like, but  I won't bore you with what they are. Besides, we probably have a lot of them in common. Just like the rows upon rows of aloe vera in the pic above, most days, my long list of 'to dos' seems endless, so that the components of composing a blog post, i.e., writing a theme oriented (as I tend to do), piece of prose, photographing 'subjects', formatting its text and pics, editing, editing and editing,😓 somehow, gets pushed to the bottom of the priority pile, and thus, days turn into weeks and weeks morph into months!🗓😲 Anyway, it's not like there's a rule that dictates how often one should post, but if you're like me, and really need to reach your creativity quota every few days or so, you could have a problem.

Or not. Enter Instagram! It allows me to post random pics, (although I tend to do triplets with a bit of text), in a few minutes. I really appreciate the frequent interaction with my followers, too; even just popping by to say 'Hi!',😊 is always a sweet gesture! As I've pointed out in a previous blog post, Instagram will never replace my blog process, as I really enjoy being challenged by what a blog post involves, but it is more achievable, for me, for now, regarding time and effort.

Interestingly, this seems to be a timely topic, since recently, I've come across several bloggers who are dealing with similar questions as to why they, too, are not posting as often. Some have explained that they don't have anything to report, or no new pics to share, they are not feeling inspired, or are too bombarded by deadlines in the real world. All good and valid reasons, wouldn't you agree? 

Unfortunately, I've lost a few followers the last few months, which I assume is due to the inconsistency of my posts - driving readers away because I've become blasé is too scary a thought! On the contrary, there are blogs that still grace my sidebar which haven't been updated in years, but that doesn't mean that they never will, and when they do, I will dash over to read them and say 'hello' to their authors and tell them how much I missed them and how happy I am that they're back. But if they don't ever appear at the top of my list, as blogs do when a new post is published, I will continue to keep their thumbnails there, like I do old photos, to remind me of their creators and their wonderful worlds.

Well, this blogger's all talked out 
and you are, no doubt, all walked out, 
so I'll say goodbye for now.  
But before we part ways, 
tell me, are you, too, 
going through a phase
 of unintentional delays, causing
 you 'blogger mystery' malaise?

As always, 
thanks for visiting!
xx
Poppy💟

August Harvest

Well, it's been almost a month and a half since I last posted, and, in that time, there's been a host of hearty harvests that have graced 
our table, like the platter of sweet, precious figs, above, 

from our one and only fig tree, planted by my husband's father,
 who was a farmer, over sixty years ago, on the outskirts 
of the village in which he was born and grew up.

 

The 'fruits of his labour',
 we are still enjoying, today.

It was very hot, the day we picked the figs, and looking 

up towards the sun to pluck each one from its stem, was

stressful on the eyes, but worth the effort, in the end.

 

   What proved to be more of a challenge, for me, was the rough

 and rocky road back to the car, as I struggled to keep my balance, fearing a flip with every little slip, unlike my husband, whose footsteps seemed to fit perfectly between each pebbly crack and cranny!  

Earlier, we had stopped by the three loaded
walnut trees, to give them a good watering, in

 preparation for their collection, next month.

It's the obvious difference in the shape of their leaves 

that assists in the distinction of each, since from afar, 

these two golden green globes look almost identical!

Facing north, towards the sea, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini and cucumbers

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, our veggie 

garden is finally in full swing, after a late start.

Facing south, a variety of tomatoes

Due to our neighbour's towering Leyland Cypresses,

an entire side of our garden, unfortunately, does not

get enough sunlight for veggies or flowers to thrive,

so we planted in the field across the cement wall,

In the background, just before all the dry weeds begin, green onions, most of which 

will be yanked to dry in the sun, then roughly braided and used as cooking onions.

where our little chapel of St. Irene can be found,

 overlooking all the pretty produce in progress.

Clockwise, from top left: lemons, plums, pomegranates and tomatoes

 Our fruit trees are also flourishing! And, since 

tomatoes are technically considered fruit, I 

included them in the collage above. 

Our lemon tree did not disappoint; a second series of blossoms

 a little while ago, freshly scented the breeze and now the fruit

provides tangy, citrus accents in roasts, cakes and cookies.

I hope you've enjoyed reading about our August harvest, this year. We are blessed to have such healthy, organic fare at our fingertips, although, I admit, my  husband deserves all the credit for digging, planting, watering, weeding and worrying about it! I merely whip up a dish with whatever bundle of beautiful, earthy goodness he gathers.

Simple, seasonal, local food (and you can't get any more 

local than your own garden), is, by far, the most exquisite.

What's growing in your garden?

 Thanks for visiting!

xo

Poppy 

Sharing at:

Saturday Sparks 

The Art of Home-Making Mondays 

Feathered Nest Friday 

Friendship Friday

A Special Request

 Hello friends, hope you are all well.

 

There are three people who mean the world to me,

facing some health challenges at this time.

I look up to the wide, spectacular sky,

asking God to give them strength,

and down to the flourishing earth, 

where new growth grants me hope.

I believe in the power of prayer, positive energy 

and good wishes, and I ask you to please keep 

my three loved ones in your thoughts.

Thank you.

Wishing you 
a lovely weekend,

xo

Poppy

Catching Up!

Hello everyone! It's been a while, huh? Hope you are all well! I've been busier than usual the last three weeks and haven't had the time or the energy to post at the end of each day, even though I kept promising myself that I would!

 April 23rd is the feast day of St. George
in the Greek Orthodox church, and so we headed 
south to a tiny chapel to attend church services.

The icons were beautifully adorned with flowers 

that members brought from their gardens.   

 

 After a wonderful BBQ lunch, hosted by the congregation,

we picked pretty wildflowers in the gorgeous

landscape that surrounds the church.

Then, on the 27th, Liberty and I hosted the Ladies'

Philanthropic Society monthly coffee meeting, so baking 

and cleaning were our top priorities for a few days.

From left: chocolate orange gateau, bacon onion tart, 

an assortment of orange, almond and cinnamon cookies

 and a Victoria sponge were the featured sweet and savoury fare.

Can you guess what followed?

Flowers, of course!

 

Pots and pots of newly planted petals now decorate the patio and boxes beautify the balconies. Watering all of them takes time. I'm finding that quenching their thirst in the early morning instead of the early evening, is better for my skin - no mosquitoes on the prowl!

Yesterday, my nephew and his girlfriend arrived from Canada. It's always refreshing (and a little nostalgic), introducing Crete to our guests. The island's rich culture, culinary delights, spectacular scenery, ancient history and treasured traditions impress our visitors and never cease to amaze me, too, every time I have the pleasure of presenting it to newbies.

And speaking of newbies, the camera icon against that bright rainbow is a logo that caught my attention recently. Its array of applications have taken up a bit of my down time, lately, just after dinner dishes are done and shortly before bedtime! I'm definitely in the honeymoon stage, but I must admit, it's been a quick and easy way to be creative, make new friends and stay connected.

Most of all, though, it's convenient, since it only takes a few clicks to post a few pics every night. Nevertheless, it will not replace blogging, for me, since I thrive on reading and writing. Stunning photos are sweet eye candy, but 'hearty' words are what I find most satisfying.

Now, just like this sole lily, left all alone, since I picked all its petaled pals for various bouquets, there's one more thing that I have not yet mentioned that had kept me busier than everything else put together, but that's another post. Hope you all are having a lovely spring, so far. Promise I won't stay away too long, next time; I miss you all too much!

  

Thanks for visiting!

xo
 Poppy

Sharing at:
Make it Pretty Monday
Amaze Me Monday
Mosaic Monday
The Art of Home-Making Mondays
Home & Garden Thursday
Home Sweet Home 
Saturday Sparks