The Very Good Aunt...
The Very Good Aunt...
...Also lunch, a better bullshot recipe and ten covetable things
It’s half term, and people want lunch. Holidays and half terms are never not full of people wanting lunch. I can’t believe I’m still not ready for them wanting lunch. Somehow I am always scandalised. The audacity of it. Verily go away will you. I do understand how much more delicious food is when it’s made for you, and this is particularly true I find, with a sandwich. For some reason any sandwich I haven’t made myself, even a bad one, tastes better than the one I make. So yes, I put all the paraphernalia out for them to do their own food, but often I am asked to make it.
Lunch gets in the way of stuff. It absolutely should of course; we should all honour lunch and stop what we’re doing and eat, but it completely messes with my flow. Things get left half-finished. Disaster. Luckily we have hightailed it to Andalucia where there is a giant family gathering so lunch, at least for the weekend is being managed by someone else. We are here to remember my Aunt Olivia, who lived out here on a working farm for most of her married life. She was a complex woman who loved her horses, her garden, and was fascinated by deep philosophical questions. She was a mother of many and a grandmother of many more, but for me, she was an Aunt.
If there were an Aunt ranking machine, and my Aunt Olivia were presented to it, the needle would most definitely be pointing somewhere in the space between ‘VERY GOOD’ and ‘EXCELLENT’. I have been thinking about the qualities that make a very good - to excellent aunt and I thought I would list them here as a note to myself, because I now have two relatively new nephews and obvs I want to be a good one.
Respect: She spoke to me like a grownup, even from a very young age. This is like manna from heaven when you are a child. The subject matter is pretty much immaterial, but if you use the tone of voice and the attention that you afford to other adults then your small audience will hang on your every word.
Involvement: She brought me in on her projects. My aunt always had a job for us. We often look back on this and laugh about how she used us to do menial labour (we were forever painting signs, hauling logs around, manning horse jumps etc…) but I honestly don’t think it was that way for her; it was simply that she wanted us to be a part of whatever she was doing.
Generosity: Envelopes with cash at Christmas. Always. This was obviously the easiest option for her, given she was often in a different country at Christmas, but again, there’s something very special and grown-up about receiving cash as a child.
Curiosity: She wanted to know what I was up to. There was always a keen interest, followed up by many questions, again, from a very young age.
None of these things were done in a soft, cosy way. It’s not that she spent masses of time with me, just that her attention, when I got it, was laser-focused, and I for one think that is a marvellous thing if you can pull it off. Thank you Aunt Olivia. I love you and I will miss you.
Caldo con oloroso
The wonderful lady who has been in charge of feeding all of us is a dear friend from a local family, and we have been greeted after various outdoor pursuits involving trudging through muddy fields with thermos flasks filled with piping hot ‘caldo’ (chicken, rather than beef stock) which was so very delicious that I had to track her down and discover her secret. It was of course, oloroso in quantities she describes as ‘a generous few glugs’. I highly recommend. I’m always adding lemon, fish sauce and soy in order to lift stock out of its earthiness, and the depth of this achieved the same thing.
I started doing a List of Covetable Things and it took so incredibly long that there are only ten things on it! I think I may have to add a few to every email I do so I can share everything I want to.
It’s a list of gorgeous things I either have or want to have, and because some of these things come from small independent shops it’s also a shout-out for them, especially before Christmas. Please note nothing here is sponsored.
Hurray Hurray bunting (pictured above)
Everything from Cambridge Imprint is swoonsome. I bought their Happy Birthday bunting in the summer and then found this one which I don’t think I’m ever going to take down. The papers are a delight too, particularly if you have delusions of wrapping grandeur. My thought is that if you use this paper to wrap things you could give them anything and it would be delightful.
No cords, perfect for outside, or in the bathroom, or in the kitchen. I think this is possibly the most useful present you could give to any person. Ten extra points for making a red one. Love.
The most wonderful paper flowers. They are made of crepe paper and other things and are just utterly charming. She sells via Winter’s Moon an absolute treasure trove of a shop who do mail order. I have nasturtiums and oak leaves. All of them are just exquisite and are even better in real life than in a photo.
For anyone into stitching, (even very slowly like me) these kits are a joy. Eppie has created a one stop creative shop here. She stocks everything you need as well as frames for your finished work. There is a keen emphasis on creating your own designs, which I love, and I would highly recommend the studio membership which gives you access to a treasure trove of extras including in-person courses at her North London studio.
No notes. I just want it.
My brother found this PERFECT umbrella for me at West Dean gardens gift shop. This (link above) looks to be the identical one, but it’s Amazon, so I cannot vouch. I cannot think of a lovelier thing to go out in the rain with. If you are a rain hater it’ll make you want to go out in a downpour.
This pelargonium has overtaken Attar of Roses (I know, how very dare I?) as my favourite; it is just SUCH a good doer and goes on and on and on, and the smell is just simply exquisite. I can think of nothing more welcome than to receive a trio of scented-leaved pelargoniums. Fibrex are the specialists and have a truly wonderful selection but you’ll have to wait until March for your plants, which is fine…it’ll be March in three seconds. Gift vouchers are available.
Maltese Lady Vase
I was given this by a group of dear friends for my birthday last year. I adore it. I know it’s probably a bit marmite, but I love marmite too. There are Maltese sailormen available also if you prefer a boy vase. I would like a whole troupe of them.
Sempervivum
The ultimate plant for anyone who doesn’t garden (and all those who do). They need zero attention except a bit of maintenance if they get overcrowded. A box of them would be the most glorious present. Plant in a wide shallow container or even put a few holes into a plastic pot saucer, fill with gritty compost and plant them in there. Gorgeous on a table, and pretty soon they’ll be having babies that you can give to all your friends.
Yes I would hang these up on the wall (preferably in large numbers) but also I would actually USE them in summer. If I had more than one I would use them both, TOGETHER. So SO beautiful and practical. Also just look at all these wonderful hooks!
That was a very hotch-potchey post.
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Back soon,
x Laetitia
You had me at scented pelargonium. Ordered. My poor family were conscripted to bring in all my 30-odd pelargoniums from the greenhouse to the warmth of the house at the weekend. There may have been comments about me having enough. But I don't have a Fragrans! Not yet anyway... thank you
Another hugely inspiring post! With many thanks indeed 🥰