In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love

The ground is wet underfoot and the mornings are still cold, but the jasmine is flowering and spring is on the way!

Vintage doctor's lamp, from Royal Oak Antiques; my grandmother's sewing box, button tin and pin tin, with my grandfather's tobacco tin on edge of shot. Vintage Penguin classics from various sources - family and second-hand books shops. Indian stamp a gift from the lovely Erin who owns Madder and Rouge; Agee jar a gift from neighbours in Onehunga, who'd found a stash of old ones under their house; jasmine from the garden; orange chest of drawers a junk store find, painted in Resene's Balloon at the behest of my clever friend Anya.

So what thoughts of love are this young (ish) person's lightly turning to? If you have not yet been, I implore you to go to the Auckland Theatre Company's outstanding revival of Bruce Mason's Awatea. I challenge you to not be moved to tears by this authentically New Zealand story.

We're in the midst of Auckland Restaurant Month - and there's so much foodie goodness to choose from.  I like the look of District Dinings' $35 set menu or the pre/post-theatre offer from O'Connell St Bistro. But I'm also finding my interest in cooking reviving after a bit of a midwinter slump - the emergence of things like fennel in my foodbox are sending me straight to Stephanie Alexander's The Cook's Companion to find new methods and recipes. I made these triple chocolate berry brownies on Sunday for Miss now-8's family party last night.

This weekend we're going for dinner with family Friday and friends Saturday; Sunday we're off to support the hugely talented Chris Blackburn, who has been accepted into the Guildford School of Acting.

If you're not up to anything Sunday evening, come along - all in a good cause - and remember - there's nothing like the power of live performance.