Summer…Well, well. Folks, I have to warn you to hold on to your beach hats because I’ve been writing notes to remind myself of all the rad stuff this season has delivered and revealed. Good food, good books, things I wore, songs I listened to. You know, the Big Issues. Links…links…LINKS, kids! Just as I guessed, way back in December when I wrote about spring, summer has been all about sprinklers on the back lawn and barbecues and relentless (bless ‘em) cicadas. We’ve had our share of challenges but I will say that the good stuff was good. Like…

 

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Markets. Love a market and nothing beats a market in summer when the sky is cloud-free and buffed shiny. My two favourites this season were: Clevedon: held every Sunday, which is good for Brittany-style galettes, curious croppers tomatoes, organic blueberries, heritage seeds, macarons, hay bales to sit on and pony rides (B1 was beside herself) and Hobsonville: held every Saturday and Sunday (now moved down by the wharf) which is good for fresh, milky balls of mozzarella, eggplant kasundi, Hungarian fried bread, cumin spiced savoury scones from neighbouring Catalina cafe and a talking parrot (B2 was beside herself).

 

I’ve been a bit disappointed by shoddy fruit this summer (what happened there, NZ?) so compensated by eating stacks of chocolate and making sexy salads, some of which were inspired by the great “Super Natural Every Day” cookbook by Heidi Swanson. We had a couple of holidays, kayaked to a pub and picked our own strawberries at Point Wells as part of a hospice fundraiser (such a brilliant idea). The next food-related project on my hitlist are these crazy-cute chocolate terrariums, maybe for the B’s..impending, gulp..birthdays.

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I bought a jacket probably just because its colour is “buttermilk” and loved silly this Petra Bettjeman bracelet (because skull. Grrrr. So faux-fierce right now). I enjoyed this video about artist Rachel Levit and continued my crazy obsession (them’s slanty, creepy, stalker italics) with Lena Dunham whom I would quite like to marry especially after this interview. I read a few kilos of short stories including Waiariki by Patricia Grace (I also read Potiki and loved both. Wow.) and A Moveable Feast by that Hemingway fellow. Fiiiiiiiiinally read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield which will be a permanent feature on the stack beside the bed.

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Listened to so much great music I had to divide them into categories (it’s like the Oscars around here)…

Best song to drive to: This Song Is Not About A Girl by Flume & Chet Faker, Runner Up: Mess on a Mission by Liars

Best song to run to: Dots on Maps by Say Hi, Runner Up: Velvet Elvis by Alex Winston

Best song to wake up to: Morning by Beck. No runner up as waking up is not my forte so Beck really took out the whole category.

Finally, mainly, importantly…This summer I have come to acutely appreciate the support I have in my corner. It’s a crazy world out there (more accurately – the one you carry around between your ears) and I’m very fortunate to get by with a little help from my (wonderful family +) friends…as the great songwriters penned.

Here’s an example… I went to get my fringe / bangs trimmed the other day; sashaying into a hairdressers I’d never been to before because I was feeling bold and foolish. Let’s just say things went pear-shaped. The stylist (I hesitate to use that term. Hair-butcher? Fringe-murderer?) cut my fringe waaaay too short and really crooked. Not only that but she kept snipping around my head like she had a secret ambition to resurrect the bowl cut. Now there’s a trend that should stay dead. At the counter (yes, I paid her, she should have been buying me a hat and a strong alcoholic beverage) she casually remarked: “the good thing is that hair grows back very quickly”. I stumbled out of the salon bewildered and struck mute, looking like a deranged schoolgirl. The neglected love-child of Angelina Jolie from Girl, Interrupted and Jim Carrey as he was in Dumb and Dumber.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I reached out, rather urgently, for kind and tender support. Here is some of the reassurance I got back:

“WT? Never just go to a random hairdresser. NEVER.”

I realise this….now…

“You look like you should be in an episode of ‘Girls’. Made me laugh anyway.”

I’m assuming she means Hannah as opposed to Marnie and is referring to this scene

Picture posted of Girl with Dragon Tattoo – “As deranged as this??”

Yes. 

“Was the hairdresser on crack?” and “You just need to master holding one eyebrow up slightly then it’ll look straight.”

Encouraging.

One friend I bumped into recently just started giggling: “It doesn’t look that bad.”

You’re more convincing when you’re not laughing uncontrollably. 

And this text from Matt – “Omg did you do that to yourself??”

 

Awwwww. Love.

I didn’t just laugh or cry I laughed till I cried. Now I’m almost becoming affectionate towards my horrible, short, askew, certifiable fringe. Yeah…in that way that really ugly dogs start seeming weirdly cute after some looking at them. So. Thank you for putting up with me. Thank you for getting it. Just thank you.

And now for a new season. I can’t tell you how many things I have planned for fall / autumn… or perhaps actually I can… but I’ll save that for another post. Summer? Ciao bella, you’ve been summery. Thanks for the good times.

HUGS, Hannah x

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