– because sometimes it is going to rain on your life and then you can only do what you can. And sometimes it is Cold hard rain. And sometimes it is on the day you had pegged to cut hay. And that is what we had yesterday. Wet, cold, hard rain. But the work went on – just in a different direction. We don’t need to save the world every day. Some days we just do what we can then take to the swing chairs when enough is done. 
Fede our gentle solemn handsome Argentinian volunteer (fast becoming a good friend) did not care about the rain, he just smiled his quiet smile because it was his turn to be Kitchen Mama yesterday, so he got to stay inside in the warmth and make ravioli. Though the outdoors did come indoors at one point when he got a visit from a pig. 
These are the butternut and ricotta ravioli.
It was the girls and I who worked in and between showers. Getting muddier and filthier by the minute. But getting the jobs done.
We cleaned the winter out of the chook-house. Mercy, I hate that job. It was dusty and smelly – heavy and filthy. I changed rain soaked clothes three times during the day then gave up and did the milking in my clown suit.
Lady Aster is being lovely at milking time these last few days, did I tell you? John talks. She eats. I milk. Excellent.
And after dinner the girls were cleaning up the kitchen with the music on loud, laughing, dancing and flicking each other with Tea towels, Fede was dishing up elegant wedges of perfect lemon meringue pie and bitter coffee and there was that stardust blend of ease and joy punctuated by shouts from John watching the basketball on his ancient television in the Snug that seldom gets a signal, thrilled that the wind had sent him the game, shoveling great scoops of incredible dessert into his mouth with a delicious lack of appreciation at all shouting at the screen with his mouth full. And all our kitchen eyes met and we laughed with the sheer perfection of it. Just that moment of absolute balance.
Later they all went to bed exhausted and I was not far behind.
The girls leave tomorrow after an incredible few days but Fede is staying on for a few more weeks. Then we will be having Fellowship visitors. That will be such a treat. Life is a treat. It is a treat to have such a life. Lucky I am.
I hope you have a lovely day. We will, we are having a lovely big Sunday lunch. It really is all about the food around here.
Love your friend on the farm
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
65 responses to “Do what you can –”
Maybe he could post some recipes for us? The ravioli looks wonderful! Have a great Sunday!
Yes, I would love that recipe, sounds delicious!
Yes, please!
Exactly what I was thinking!
Oh Lord, look at us making more work for you C.
Oh no, it is work for Federico – I will ask him.. and he will be happy to share.. c
It sounds like lots of fun in spite of the rain 😉
It IS. This week has been great.. what team i have had.. c
…and good company I imagine 😉
Happy Sunday to you Celi! Enjoy! 😊😋
Happy Sunday for you too G. love c
One of those perfect days filled with goodness: good laughter, good food, good company – and ultimately, good weather to be indoors!
We have an exceptionally relaxed atmosphere here today.. just waiting for the visitors to arrive and then it will be all noise and boisterous -ness.. c
Lovely capture of a day. I experienced mucking out the area in a field where two horsed lived out a harsh winter and my back is just now recovering. I love a farmers porch on rainy days. Light rain is falling today after a downpour last night helped in a spring drought in a holy water blessing of a fine spring day last of May.
Peace!
Farmers porch – perfect explanation of all the mud and boots and sighs of relief! hope your back gets better soon, mine does that too, it is the twisting and throwing with the fork i think.. c
It’s no wonder I come to the Kitchens Garden the moment your post appears in my inbox: it’s such a place to recoup happiness and bonnheur on the dreariest of days.
Food: I cooked the best winter comfort food last night: steak and kidney slow cooked in beer, with as many vegetables as I could lay my hands on, including fluffy jacket potatoes. Additional blessing: there’s enough left for tonight and two batches in the freezer. Wish the girls and Fede well for me.
love,
ViV x
That sounds absolutely yummy Viv. I love my slow cooker and how a few minutes in the morning can release me from thinking about supper all day! And, I do the same thing, first thing in my morning, make tea, visit with Miss C, the animals and the fellowship. 😀
My Mum used to make something like that in these fantastic heavy blue oval pots with lids.. OH How I would love to still have those.. c
I have one of those, and it bloops away gently on the stovetop with a batch of chicken curry, or a beef brisket slowly disintegrating, or a huge batch of ratatouille melting into succulent sweetness. I love it when the house fills with the smell of cooking. Which is just as well, because it does that every day…
I would have loved to be in the kitchen laughing, dancing and flicking tea towels, The image brought me back to my childhood years at home, in our day the loud music came from us as we sang our way through a mountain of dishes, pots and pans. Have a wonderful Sunday Lunch together and wish the girls well and safe travel as they head to the next adventure.
My happiest memories of my Dad were of singing as we did the dishes together, or exchanging scurriolous lines of verse.
My dad never came into the kitchen it was such a pity he missed so much fun.
I can’t remember my Dad in there either.. it seemed to be much later in life that he began to cook and shuffle about in there.. c
My father never even put a kettle on to make tea, he earned the money and saw everything else as my mother’s responsibility. She was a real 1904s housewife.
My father had one kitchen job only. He made the cheese on toast for Sunday night supper while the rest of us listed to ‘Sing Something Simple’ on the radio….
I loved ‘Sing Something Simple’ but my older brothers preferred ‘Top of the Pops’ or Radio Luxembourg, they won!
Well, it was Parent’s Choice in those days, we had no TV and Radio Luxembourg was for my brother’s bedroom transistor radio and caused a lot of parental grumbling…
I am going back to the days when we had one big radio it sat on top of my father’s desk, it had long medium and short wavelengths. When my parents went out our sport was to tune in to Ship-to-Shore calls, on some occasions we only heard one side of the conversation, but fun. TV? What was that? 😉
ah.. cheese on toast.. good cheese from the shops too.. yum
It was a nice strong crumbly Cheddar from the farm shop down the road on a crusty loaf from the baker’s van (they still delivered in those days). But we did have a nice dollop of Branston Pickle on top – dark brown, small bits and sweetish, yummy!
That sounds exactly like what i want for dinner.. I love that strong cheddar – very hard to find down here.. c
Or perhaps a nice nutty Swiss: Emmenthal or Gruyere… Num num!
So glad Fede will be able to stay another few weeks and you won’t have a suddenly empty house! I do hope he has two ghosts and will be able to leave one behind . . . Love the look of the ravioli: bursting with filling and, I am certain, flavour 🙂 ! And am glad there were six hands to clean out the muck in that chook house!! Stormy night here and so cold . . . am looking forward to making beef cheeks tomorrow morning . . . slow-cooking them in the manner of my favourite osso buco . . . seems appropriate for the first day of winter . . .
Won’t be empty for long. more people coming next month! Beef cheeks – you are all eating well today! c
Twelve hours and a sleep later! I did mean ‘angels’ and not ‘ghosts’ naturally . . . tho’ some angels may seem ghostly 🙂 !! Beef cheeks sending an appetizing and warming smell from the kitchen: they are hugely popular in Australia at the moment and I must admit I do love their wonderful texture!! Found a supply at one of our supermarkets and filled the freezer: at $A3 per large portion not expensive either as far as this country is concerned!!
All that food sounds delicious! Home-made ravioli….wonderful! 🙂
just perfect, and with a spinach pasta too! c
I am envious of your life Miss C. I can say that honestly. With all the work, and surprise, and often mishaps and missteps, and even uncertainty, you have such joy surrounding you 99% of the time. I know that it is up to us as individuals to find such joy for ourselves, to make that joy appear even in the smallest ways because it really isn’t just handed to us I believe, but oh…there are days that you make it look so simple and right and I am not sure that I have ever experienced a run of joy such as life on the farmy brings.
My sentiments exactly. Well said.
Oh Deb. That is all so true, there is such joy in the tiniest of things, .. c
I would love to have some of Fede’s ravioli recipes! Here’s my post from yesterday and I have a Lemon Meringue recipe
featured- without the crust. May your days always be a sweet as your posts!
Popping over to have a look!
I must come and look too – I love lemon meringue!.. c
Joyful balance… ❤
We had another big rain storm yesterday with the lightning and thunder to accompany it. Luckily, Bill mowed the lawn before it arrived as with all this rain, it really needed it. This morning the sun is shining. Five more days until the school year is over. YAY! Have a wonderful Sunday meal, a great send off for the young women. May flicking and laughter abound.
Your school year finishes early. In France and UK the holidays start in early July. Enjoy your holiday.
Not long until you arrive either.. just over two weeks i think? YAY!
It sounds absolutely marvelous!
That photo of the muddy legs extending tentatively from the hugging hammock is so beautiful and says so much. What a life you lead.
Morning Charlotte – hope you had a lovely weekend! c