According to the calendar it is still spring, yet the days are thick with heat & humidity & yesterday we had what felt to me like a summer storm. Fast & furious, it crested the hill behind our house. Niamh & I were in the backyard when we heard the wind roaring through the gums. Cool spots of rain, falling heavy & loud. It was all over in a few minutes but it was enough to clear the heavy, heady air & my mind, which already seems full to the brim with summer's free, chaotic energy. A fresh breeze blew through & the smell, one of my favourites, the soft, earthy smell of rain on hot roads & grass. Stepping out into the garden after the rain, my littlest asleep, to pick rocket. The garden is lush in many shades of green, plants a tangle, going to seed in the heat. Bugs or birds or rats or possums are eating our greens. Whoever it is is sneaky good, not a trace to be found. Summer roses blooming in droves. The David Austen is still my favourite but alas she does no good in a vase because of her blousey bustiness. She droops & sags & smells divine. Blossoms have turned to miniature apples in the space of a week. The shrivelled, brown petals hanging from the tips. William is out on his road bike, just me & my big girl & Cynthia Lair's lentils with rice & Mojadra, curled up on the couch, watching Who Do You Think You Are. A TV dinner treat. That show has me in tears every time.
There's been steady progress on my everyday cardigan & I've started my Christmas shopping, which feels good, a kind of relief. We found a cute secondhand play kitchen for Niamh in Melbourne. Now we just have to figure out how to get it home. Writing my Christmas list the other day I had an overwhelming desire to have a massive overhaul of 'stuff'. I had a minor panic attack about more things coming into our home, feeling suffocated. I'm going to be ruthless when the term is over. Linen cupboards, wardrobes, the garage, bookshelves, watch out. When writing my list I always try my darndest to be mindful of the life, size & storability of gifts. I've really got to love something for it to find a permanent home here. Printers on the other hand are ugly & I don't really love them but for a homeschooler they're a necessity. I bought a snazzy one on the weekend & am in the throes of learning how to drive the thing. Does anyone else find keeping up with the technological pace tiresome & time consuming? Plans to start Christmas sewing are swirling & slowly settling in my mind, but first Hallowe'en. It's never been a thing here, in Australia. In the past few years the stores have been marketing it & its started taking off. I associate it with autumn & the harvest, so it's a little obscure considering pumpkins aren't in season & the dominant colours around us are those of blooming flowers & leafy greenness. We've been celebrating low key in our own little way since we moved into this house as our home becomes rather 'busy' leading up to and on All Hallows Eve. I still find my sensitivity to the energies at this time of year unnerving. A fire, marshmallows, lanterns, friends & simple dress ups for the girls, Zahra & I in a cosy tent in the backyard. It all makes me yearn for the enclosing, secure, inward energy of autumn, but first...summer.
