Okay, here we are (almost) at the end of March … so without any ado at all, let’s wrap the month up.
Let’s talk about the weather …
Can I just say ugh and move on? No? Well, you did ask … For a summer that was meant to be hot and dry, the weather gods have obviously listened about as well as a toddler who’s been told they can have ice cream after they do x, y, and z. All they hear is ice cream. So too the weather gods – they’ve missed the dry bit. So far this year we’ve had over 1000mm of rain against 245mm for the same period last year.
As for March, it’s rained 23 out of the 29 days. Heavy sighs. My herb pots are now filled with yellow pot plant mushrooms (they do have a technical name – I googled it, but my eyes glazed over), so rather than fairies living at the bottom of the garden, they’re now in what used to be my sage.
The mushrooms start off bright yellow and fade to this pale yellow. They’re quite pretty in a mushroomy sort of way, but I do miss the sage that used to fill this pot, and the Thai basil that used to fill the pot beside it and the basil that used to fill the pot beside that and … you get the idea.
In other news, the overnight temp has dipped as low as 19C once this month, so autumn might be on the way.
Birthdays and other celebrations …
March is birthday-month in our family with mine on the 12th and Sarah on the 24th.
It was raining on my birthday so I took myself out to lunch at The Dock at Mooloolaba Wharf and had this yummy ceviche. Sarah came over in the evening and Grant made roast chicken (my fave). I don’t eat birthday cake so we didn’t have one.
Naturally that means dinner and lunches out, but I’ll tell you more about in What’s On My Plate next week. But here’s a teaser photo …
Also this month we sold the Hervey Bay townhouse Sarah was living in (it was on the market for just 7 days and sold at the first open home) and she’s moved back to the Sunny Coast and is renting not too far from us. It’s lovely having her close – and having someone I can bake regularly for!
What I’ve been writing …
I’ve fiiiiinally finished the first draft for Christmas at Fountains Hall – my 2024 Christmas novel. It’s a sequel to Escape To Curlew Cottage, so women’s fiction in genre. I adore my characters (as I adored them in the original), but they’ve been reluctant for me to tell their story this time round. Anyways it’s done and now off to the editor.
In other news, One For Sorrow, the first Clementine Carter/Whale Bay mystery is done, formatted and ready to go live on April 7.
I love what Louisa has done with the cover and can’t wait for you to read it. The blurb is below and preorders on all digital platforms are here. Print copies will be available via all online bookstores from April 8.
When jaded Melbourne divorce lawyer Clementine Carter returns to her Queensland coastal hometown of Whale Bay after a twenty-five-year absence, she figures she’ll fly in, arrange the sale of the beach shack she’s been left in her Aunt Rose’s will, and fly back out.
Once back in Whale Bay, Clem soon discovers that Rose has been locking horns with some of the most influential people in town, and her death might not be as straightforward as she’s been led to believe. It seems someone wants to get their hands on both the beachside property and New Moon, Rose’s New Age shop – and will stop at nothing until they get it.
To complicate matters further, when Clem meets Finn Marella, a local barista and her aunt’s partner in local activism, sparks fly.Convinced Rose’s death was no accident, Clem sets out, with the help of Finn and some old school friends, to investigate.
With millions of development dollars at stake, can Clem read the clues Rose has left behind and unravel the mystery before it’s too late for her too?
I now have a substack—Brookford Kitchen Diaries—where I’ll be posting recipes and other weekly random ramble-style posts. Pop over and subscribe. I’ll still be keeping this site for all travel and bookish-style posts.
What I’ve been watching …
Cosy crime, of course! There have been new series of The Madame Blanc Mysteries (Acorn), Death in Paradise (Foxtel/Binge) and Beyond Paradise (Foxtel/Binge). I’ve also rewatched the first two series of Whitstable Pearl (Acorn)
I’ve been loving James Martin’s Spanish Adventure (SBS) and (I feel a tad grubby admitting to this) binged the second season of Traitors UK (Tenplay). Why grubby? Because other than Bake Off and Masterchef, I don’t, as a rule, watch reality TV. I do, however, love anything Claudia Winkleman hosts and this one is in Scotland and a tad murder in the dark-ish.
I’ve been Google-ing how to make Claudia Winkleman’s green jumper (her tweed/tartan/wool game is enviable) so often that my Instagram feed is now full of knitting and wool posts that the algorithm thinks I might like.
and listening to …
My favourite band, the Pet Shop Boys (please don’t judge me; I love them so), has a new track, and I’m super excited. Of course, that’s meant I’ve been listening to the back catalogue for the last week. I can’t believe it’s 40 years since “West End Girls” was released—or that Neil Tennant (the lead singer) will be 70 this year.
and cooking …
Due to lost mojo I missed doing a Kitchen Diary update for January and February. March’s update is, however, on BKD. You’ll find it here.
A temperature blanket update …
The pic below gives you an idea, but ignore the gaps and threads – I’ve just been tacking it together as I go.
There are 16 days to each row, and the blanket will end up being 23 rows long. I’m using cotton – so it will be a throw rather than a blanket. The low temperature is the inner circle, and the daily high is the outer circle. You can see the NZ days in Feb – they’re the ones with lows below 20C and below 15C.
Key:
- Purple: >=35C
- Red: 30-34C
- Yellow: 25-29C
- Cornflower Blue: 20-25C
- Grey: 15-19C
- Light blue: 10-15C
Over to you …
Alrighty, that’s enough from me … what’s been on your calendar this month? Perhaps you’d like to update us on your word of the year or intentions? We’d love to hear about what you’ve been up to…
The linky is below and it’s open for a week…
My co-hosts are:
Deb at Deb’s World
Sue at Women Living Well Over 50
Donna at Retirement Reflections
And Anyways... 
Gosh it has been wet where you are! We’ve had a very dry few months with very little rain.
We enjoyed Beyond Paradise too.
It was so dry when we were there in Feb – and super dry around Blenheim/Nelson.
Great to read your post Jo! I didn’t realise it’s rained quite that much up there but that’s a LOT of rain! I love your temperature blanket, how clever are you? I’m so pleased you’ve managed to finish your draft and can’t wait to read it. Such a good catchup with you for #WBOYC, thanks again for being a stunning co-host 🙂
It was such a struggle to write this one … now onto the next Philly!
Hi Jo – Congratulations on conpleting Christmas at Fountains Hall. I can’t wait to read it. And more congratulations on the publication of One for Sorrow. I absolutely loved that book and highly recommend it to others! ❤
Let me tell you, it was a struggle to write!
Yay for completing 2 books! I look forward to reading them both. I am sure you are so glad to have your daughter closer to home. It’s wonderful the townhouse sold so quickly.
Now, to start writing the next Philly Barker!
Jo, I enjoyed catching up on your March happenings. Congrats on your books and the quick sale of the Hervey Bay townhouse and having Sarah living closer to you. Happy belated birthday! The blanket looks beautiful. I added my link to the #WBOYC link-up. Thank you for hosting.
Thanks Natalie… it’s great having Sares so close again.
Argh – I’m so over all the rain! We came here from the UK to escape rain but the amount we have had this summer exceeds even UK levels.
I’m very excited to get my hands on the pre ordered One for Sorrow book and will lookout for your next Christmas story too. Congratulations on your writing achievements!
Happy birthday month for you and your daughter. Enjoy all your celebrations and having your daughter closer to home. Love your temperature blanket. Plus I would love Claudia Winkelmans’ current wardrobe look – doesn’t quite go with wet, humid Queensland weather though 😕
Soooo much rain! Sadly no, tweed and tartan isn’t the right look for the coast.
😂
Hi Jo, the weather hasn’t been behaving lately has it? Hot, Humid and Wet!!! So much to love about your post this month. Congratulations on finishing the first draft of Christmas at Fountains Hall and also publishing One for Sorrow plus selling the townhouse – you are on a roll. Your crochet work looks lovely and if I lived in a cooler climate I would definitely want that jumper! We’ve been watching The Madame Blanc mysteries and have watched the other three shows you mentioned as well. Thanks for being a fab co-host for WBOYC? and I hope you have an Amazing April.
xx
I love winter clothes so much. While I love where I live I do miss cold weather & have never been a fan of summer. Heavy sighs.
Happy Birthday, March is my birth month too. As for The Pet Shop Boys, I took hubby to see them perform a few years ago in Vancouver, BC. They were fabulous. We are in a terrible drought here in Spain so you can send some of that rain up here!! Have a lovely Easter.
Happy birthday to you too … & OMG re seeing PSB live!
We’ve had a lot of rain too, Jo, and are expecting more this Easter weekend. I’m longing for sunshine. I loved your photos as always. Between the blanket, the writing, and the photography, I am blown away by your creativity.
Thanks Christie … I’m blushing 🙂
Holy smokes that is a lot of rain and humidity. You captured some beautiful pictures of the beach despite all that rain. Those mushrooms are funky but sad about the plants. Super awesome though about a)Sarah being close, b)the condo selling, c)books to editors despite characters not cooperating and d)that blanket!! You crochet one of those squares a day? I would say you are definitely rocking your WOTY!!
We are having a lot of rain here (the latest storm is happening today and tomorrow) too, but not as much as you are… yikes! I love your temperature blanket, the others I’ve seen were just rows of varying colors.
I started off doing the rows of colours but when your daily temp is pretty much in the same 5deg range it got boring very quickly. I do a square a day – or, more commonly, 7 squares on a weekend.
Ugh and move on.. that is what I feel about the Irish winter weather this year, but instead of unusually wet, we’ve had these very stubborn long periods of freezing temperatures and I’ve been extremely annoyed.
But how cool to have your Instagram feed filled up with wool and knitting. That must be so inspiring! I LOVE everything tweed, tartan, and knitwear. Every time we travel anywhere in Ireland and pass a knitwear shop, I have to stop myself from shopping.
That blanket is so cool – do you mean you choose the colours based on the weather that day or week?
Hi Susanne, yes the colours in the blanket are based on the temperature for that day – a square a day. The inner circle is the low and the outer circle the high.
So sorry about your weather. Ugh, I don’t really like mushrooms except edible ones in a meal.
By the way, is the linky supposed to be closed already? I thought it used to be open longer.
Hi Astrid, tbh I’m not sure how long it stays open – I’d need to check with Sue. I know we no longer keep it open for a week as it puts a lot of pressure on us as hosts to come back and check, but there was also a balance there to stay open for long enough to pick up northern hemisphere participants such as yourself.
Well I can see where all the rain we missed out on has gone….it’s been SO dry here – barely a drop since November. Glad you still managed to enjoy birthday month and to get all that novel writing flowing nicely. I won’t judge your Pet Shop Boys love affair since I’ve become a closet Swiftie in my old age – I just love her songs so much (sad but true….) Enjoy your April and send us some of your rain! xx
Lol re PSB … I’m resisting the whole Swiftie thing – although do enjoy her music and admire what she’s done.
Hi Jo, great to catch up a bit on your news! I’m sure you’d be loving having Sarah closer again and great the townhouse sold so quickly! How exciting that you’ve got another book written and the synopsis has me intrigued and eager to read it! Loving your crochet project too – very pretty! Thanks for linking up with #WWWhimsy – hope you had a fabulous Easter! xo
Thanks Min … it’s great having her close by again.
That house on the cover of the book looks a little like the houise you just sold!! I’m so happy for you that your daughter is home (or at least closer to you). I’m dreading all the kids being gone….we saw our eldest for the first time in 3 weeks and she lives just down the road!! Busy young people (which is great but I’m greedy!!)
I am very partial to prawn toast. It’s hilarious how it’s so ‘in’ again! I think I love it more for all the decades it was off menus…that one looks SENSATIONAL!!
Happy Belated Birthday to you and Sares – it must be lovely having her back on home turf. Congrats on the writing – the book cover looks amazing – and on the house sale. I absolutely adore the blanket, you are so clever! Still, can’t get over how much rain you’ve had, I think you’ve probably had as much as us. Crazy times!
I reckon there were far more wins that losses in March.
Congrats of the book(s) news and the blanket…
And the sale of the townhouse …and Sarah living close by.
Now for some cooler days and nights..they have finally arrived in ‘the Hills’.
Denyse.
Those mushrooms look interesting. From the top I thought they were petals of a flower for a moment.
WOW…what an increase in rain…though I suppose some years we need more rain even though we despise it and just want summer. 23 days is TOO MUCH rain in my opinion…I start to wilt mentally if it’s too gloomy here in Washington. Uggh. Happy. missed birthday!! I love the cover of One for Sorrow. Can’t wait for the Christmas one. I follow a cozy mystery podcast and one of the gals has a youtube channel where she “cooks through cozies”, I thought that was such a fun idea…to cook the recipes that are found in books I read. Going to check out your substack now. The temperature blanket is beautiful!