the Wise Robin

buffalo dreaming

 

 

The first day we hike eight kilometres. The girls doing a stellar job. The older wanting to turn back three quarters of the way there & the littlest wanting to walk the whole way, stopping to pick daisies every five metres. In the end the big girl made it & was rewarded with a gorgeous view, while the little fell asleep in the pack on the way back. Big, old snow gums, greyed & bent, alpine grasshoppers, dry marshes, big blue sky, a pair of wedge tail eagles riding thermals over The Horn, an alpine meadow picnic & back to camp before the sun set. Hot chocolates around the fire, simple cooking while the kids rock hopped in the bush, early nights, cosy tent, wild dogs howling across the valley through the dark, wind in the treetops whispering into my dreams, not wanting to go out into the dark to pee, lying awake, sunlight slowly seeping. Cold. Condensation drops making little paths down the tent walls. Drag my clothes into my bag to warm them up. Tent zippers, children trying to whisper, campsite waking. Cup of tea, hot breakfast, lakeside meanders.  A short trail through the Old Galleries. The energy these old rocks hold I cannot find words for. There's a sacredness here.

We've struck a sweet spot with our cooking, layering, camp fire, keeping warm routine. This night the wild dogs howl as I drift off to sleep, but later as I lay awake there is nothing, a quietness, a rustling in the understorey, probably a wombat. The kids are sad to go but the adults are tired, ready for our own beds, convenient warmth. We say goodbye to Lake Catani & hike to the top of the Monolith on our way out. We'll be back when the snow flies!

~

Back to hearth & home we came a little over a week ago.  Mount Buffalo, a special place, a distinctive landscape with amazing rock formations, ancient & wise, a place full of peaceful energy. I always enjoy visiting this mountain butI have to say this camping trip took me to the edge of my thermal comfort zone. Keeping warm & keeping little people warm is exhausting work. Days clear & crisp but as soon as the sun started to dip there was a small window for layering everyone up before the aching cold set in. Had there still been fire bans in place, because gosh it is dry & we haven't seen a speck of rain for months,  as soon as the sun set it would have been " well goodnight folks, see you in the morning" just so you could climb into a downy sleeping bag & be warm. That's not to say we didn't go prepared, we had our layers of merino & down jackets, it was just spear you to the bone cold. Zahra was brave enough to dip her toes in the lake, but not this Mama.

 

 

summer fade

 

 

A glimpse at our alpine camping trip a few weeks back. We camped by the Kiewa River, heading into the mountains during the day to do some hiking; Wallace's Hut, Cope Hut, Mt. Cope & Mt.McKay. It was a wonderful end to our summer holidays & there's no-one else I'd rather have spent it with than my gorgeous peeps. Niamh did quite a lot of walking for a two year old, frustrating at times, when there are still five kilometres to walk before nightfall & every wildflower just has to be examined. Perfect too as a reminder to keep things slow & mindful. Mt.Cope was by far the best walk, even though there was no sign of brumbies grazing on the moor- like landscape. I love the High Country, feel right at home up there. The landscape, the light, the cool air, the spaciousness all around & the spaciousness it creates in my mind. We all felt a little sad as we drove back into town. We're now back in the swing of things, another high country trip planned in just six weeks. Whoop! While the days are still hot here, the evenings & mornings have cooled right off. The sun is rising later, the evenings draw to a close sooner. I might have even spotted the first leaves turning. There's still plenty in the garden coming into the kitchen, carrots, tomatoes, herbs, zucchinis, the odd strawberry, flowers, onions & corn, but I can't help feeling that there is not much left in her, this glorious summer, the first summer I have deeply & truly fallen in love with.    There is a certain melancholy I feel as each season slows to its conclusion & yet such anticipation & hope of what the next will bring. I wonder if anyone else feels this too?

 

 

 

 

 

to the mountains

 

 

 To the mountains we did go on the weekend! We've had such warm weather the past few weeks that there really wasn't much snow left at all. Mwah. But Mama got her fix of mountain air & Niamh & Zahra got their bonhomme de neige, albeit a little patchy but sweet looking in the end. Niamh carried his carrot nose all the way from home never  letting it leave her sight until it was firmly stuck in his face. His glasses, hat & I suspect eyes & arms were secondhand from all the other melted piles dotted here & there. We tobogganned for a while but ended up walking to the nordic bowl to enjoy the spring sunshine.

My heart is in the mountains. They are what I love more than anything else, more than the seaside, more than the river. The big forests of Mountain Ash, the alpine heath, the gnarled snow gums, the winding climb, the cooler air, the ancient,grounding energy. By the time we wind down the mountain I feel balanced & peaceful.

 I declare that next year is going to be cross country skiing year. I've been wanting to learn for a few seasons now, really since my body's been feeling older & with littles in tow. Spending snow days on my board doesn't hold much appeal anymore. It some odd way it feels like I've grown up, like when you discover certain types of music now hurts your ears. 

Everyday since we put our feet firmly back on the river flats Niamh's been asking to go to the snow and hauling out bits and bobs from the piles of snow gear I've yet to put away.

 

 

 

 

forest. farm. bush. sea

 

 

It's just passed seven in the morning. The girls are still snug in their beds. A cup of tea in hand & a rare moment to greet the day, just Kaya & me, watching the sunlight touch the autumn colours in the garden, while she chews on a bone. Truth be told I've been up since four thirty, unable to sleep, listening to William potter in the kitchen as he greets the dawn & his first week back at work. I've grown used to rising early over the past month of traveling north & south, twenty five hours in the car, saying goodbye to daylight saving, welcoming shorter days, Niamh taking a month to adjust to the time change, rising at four fifty on the dot to greet her day. Reluctantly leaving my warm bed, breakfast in the dark, lamplight reflecting off darkened windows, whispering so as not to wake everyone else. Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery, mixing up the routine, then tumbling back into our own beds, our friendly familiar rhythm, to feel rested & re-awakened.

 

 

 

the warmest of winter days

 

 

I had this post almost ready to go then Zahra broke her arm & the days were filled with tag teaming at the hospital, squeaky, fold out hospital beds, small pockets of sleep, convalescing & general catching up on life. We're out of the bubble now & enjoying the warmest of winter days. 

 In between the driving rain & icy blasts off the hills this past week, there have been inklings here & there of spring. The air is soft & the breezes warm. The days are lighter, brighter, longer & just more springy. I can feel the rustlings of the garden, the energy quickening, all the plants rumbling & teetering on the edge of erupting. I have been busy out in the garden clearing away the last of the apple tree prunings & doing a bit of yard spring cleaning. It feels almost ready for long, lazy afternoons in the sun beneath the apple tree, listening to the bees buzzing the blossoms & dinner on a blanket outdoors. Today I saw a maggie with a beak full of dog fur & a determined look in it's eye. William said he's been smacked on the head outside St.Pats by the same maggie for the past week. Our resident maggie family haven't started swooping but there was a territorial tussle in our backyard just yesterday.  Even though snow fell down to five hundred metres & it didn't climb above ten degrees yesterday, spring is gently elbowing her way in little by little. I think I've almost given up on finishing my flanelette lap quilt for this winter. I'm missing one last fabric that will finish all the strips & I've still got to get a start on but I have got a start on Miss Juniper Kitty for my big girl, who turns nine on the the first calender day of Spring! 

At two o'clock this morning Kaya woke me to be let out.  I stood outside in the one degree air, bare feet on the concrete step, looking up at the winter sky. It was deep & clear & filled with endless stars. Then we turned back inside and padded softly back to our warm beds, the piles of quilts, the flanelette sheets, William's warmth, the darkness & cold air breathing in through the just open window.  Last weekend  A few weekends back we made wood fired pizza at Libby's, eating outdoors, occassionally warming backsides & hands by the fire when the air got chilly. Potato & fresh thyme, cheesy mushroom, margherita. Jonquils on the table, the girls pottering in the garden. Heading home across town with a basket of lemons & cuttings. Soon we'll be in that transition time between seasons. Sun shining outside, warm air on bare arms & feet, while inside the house is cold & the heat stays on until the blossoms have finished & it's almost time to swim. Happy last days of the season wherever you may be.

 

 

snow day adventure

 

 

 

What an adventure we had on the weekend in the SNOOOOOOWWWW! I looove snow. I wait for it all year. I fantasise about it in the scorching summer heat. I severely crush on northern hemisphere blogs in January & just genereally pine for snow. I don't know what it is about the stuff. Maybe it's the way it sparkles. Maybe it's the way it transforms the landscape. Maybe it's the fun you can have in it. I'm sure all you northern hemispherers who live in snow for half the year think I'm crazy & yes I've never experienced a blizzard, but oh, it's just magical to me. We headed up the Ovens Valley to Mt Buffalo for a day of toboganning. It had snowed all day Friday, so we arrived to find fresh, dry powder. The sun was shining & it was a balmy ten degrees. We flew down the mountain on our pieces of coloured plastic, built a snowman, threw snowballs, drank hot tea, absorbed our daily dose of high altitude Vitamin D & fell in a heap of happy exhausted. I even got a snowboard run in. The girls had a ball but the wheels fell off as the sun started sinking & the temperature dropped. We filled our bellies, dried off, changed into warm gear & piled in ready for the trip back down the mountain. Only thing was the car woudn't start. "Come on Violet " we all chanted { I have a habit of naming cars... Sophie, Sylvie, Pauline, Veronica, Francesca, Will's car Connie & now our old Volvo, Violet, named by Zahra}. People are leaving & the car park is now shadowed by the hill behind us as Will asks around for jumper leads. Meanwhile I run into an old friend. Small world. We chat while Will finds some leads & we get a jump. Hooray. We pull out of the carpark & start off up the road. Only, onaproblem. Foot to the floor & no power. Hmmm.  No phone reception. Hmmm. It's now zero degrees. Hmmm. Will parks in the last of the sun while I head back to the carpark to catch up with the ranger who has just pulled in.  By now the carpark has emptied  except for a few last stragglers. We chat about our predicament & the falling temperature & the screaming baby in the backseat & the lack of phone reception. Best thing we decide is to keep the car running back in the carpark while we make an RACV ranger radio call. Will needs his wallet for that, which incidentally we can't find. We turn the car upside down while trying to keep the heat in. Bless those Swedish cottonsocks, they sure know how to make great car heaters. One ransacked car later & Will finds his wallet where he'd put it, ya know, to keep it safe! One phone call later & there'll be no help till tomorrow. Abandon ship is the verdict. Will & ranger Scotty head off to the office while I stay with the girls, car running, heater blasting, sun sinking, carpark emptied. We wait, we sing, we watch the sun change colours on the tors. We talk about what an adventure this is & how everything is going to be ok as the sky turns pink & lavender then indigo & finally black. Eventually Scott returns with his car. We say goodbye to Violet as the temperature hits minus three. Scott takes us back to his house where there's a wood fire. We rotisserie ourselves until we're thawed & chat about our options. We decide to phone a friend. It's agreed. We'll leave Violet, get the girls home & Will will come back for her tomorrow with a tow. So we wait. We eat the last of our scroggin & soup. I completely forget about the whole baked cake in the bottom of the bag while Niamh eyes off Scott's lamb casserole, pointing at it with her egg flip, which she found in one of his drawers. Poor guy. It was the last day of his work rotation & he was down to his last meal. Boy it smelt good. We follow Niamh around trying to keep her little, overtired self out of mischief while Zahra watches out the window. Just when everyone was really starting to hit the wall, our dearest of dear friend turns up. There were quick goodbyes & many thankyous then off we pile into the next vehicle. I suggest we head back to get the last of our gear out of Violet & perhaps one more try of the engine, you just never know. She blasts into life, hah, of course. The temperature gauge now reads minus five. William takes Violet & the rest of us follow down the mountain. Niamh fell asleep the moment we left ranger Scotty's & Zahra wasn't far behind as we headed for home. We arrived just before midnight, bundled the girls into bed & pondered our snow adventure over a chamomile. My heart is always overwhelmed by the kindness of friends & complete strangers. While waiting up there in the carpark Zahra asked anxiously "Are we going to be ok Mama? Will I get to sleep in my own bed tonigh? "  " Yes, baby girl, we're gonna be fine. People help each other, the world is full of kindness".  A big, big heartfelt thankyou to Kim & Scotty & those kind strangers in the parking lot who lent a hand. We are incredibly grateful. It could have turned out so differently, but we ended our snow day tucked up in our own beds. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

rain & shine

 

 

My head is all a whirl today. I tried to make mayonnaise, twice. First time I used the wrong oil and it tasted yucky. Second time I couldn't get the thing to emulsify. Oh, I don't like it when I waste eggs. We eat so many of them, they are precious things. Mrs Dietz, my highschool food tech teacher would be proud that I know the word emulsify, but most dissatisfied that I'd wasted two whole eggs. We were so heavily rationed in those classes. Two beans each and half a sausage when we were learning the meat and three veg routine. Her budget must have been teensy tiny. The dog ate the first batch and is sleeping peacefully over the heat vent now. We ate the thin one, drizzled over a tuna salad. It tasted fine, just wasn't thick and creamy how I like it. Anyway, the whirly head is due to househunting. We drove out to Stanley to look at a house on the weekend in the most atrocious weather, you know driving rain, snow predicted down to eight hundred metres ( oh please, yes), bitterly cold. It felt good, the house I mean. She had good bones, needed work, but good bones. Two of our dearest friends are living in it at the moment & would end up being our neighbour. But oh, what to do. I'm totally grasping in the dark when it comes to real estate & renovating, how much these things cost. My only experience being Grand Design re-runs & they always go over budget by hundreds of thousands of pounds. It's a whole new world for me, us. I feel completely blind, terrified & excited too. On the way out there, amid the stormy weather, a rainbow followed us down the valley. Is it a sign?

We made it down to the river on the weekend. It was all sunshine and blustery. Zahra made a fairy house in the river bank and Kaya splashed at the water's edge. She doesn't get out much these days, spends most of her retirement sleeping.  But she still adores the river. She's a river dog through & through. I remember when you could throw a stick for her, right into the current and she'd be after it in a flash, drifting downstream, out of sight. Then a little while later she'd come back with the stick, all fluffy from shaking out her coat, & do it all over again. She won't go out into the current anymore, even if you do throw a ball or stick. She just stands on the shore, watching it float away. Sweet, old girl. 

 

 

 

ruby red ducks

 

 

it was back to the secret garden today. wishing you all a wonderful june weekend.

 

 

weekending

 

Oh what a wonderful looong weekend we've had. Then it's only three working days and another longish weekend. It is so lovely having William home for more than two days. I've always thought a three day weekend would do so much more for everyone. A day to do all that running around getting odd jobs done, a day to really sink into the weekend and a day to gently coax yourself out again, get your mind ready for the week sort of thing. This weekend was so full of good things. The sunshine, the rain, the preliminary op shopping  for tea cups to make our easter candles. Normally we make really simple ones from beeswax sheets, but this year we've gone all out on teacup candles.  It's now Tuesday and there's still no sign of the wicks I ordered, so we made simple roll up candles any way. We gardened and lay in the sun like the puppers, full of chocolate and hot cross bun goodness. Fruit buns for breakfast and chocolate buns for afternoon tea. I hadn't done the crazy "oh my goodness the stores are closing for a whole day" shopping thing so come Friday, with no groceries and a hankering for flathead, we hedged our bets on Wests. Surely being a seafood shop and being Good Friday they were bound to be open. The place was packed. While we waited there was a sun storm and the sky was bright and dark all at once.  We took our fish home and caught up on Hugh's everyday veg from last week. I love that man for his passion and humour, his handknits and his farm. Wouldn't you just love to live in that white cottage and eat from that garden?  We ordered his book last week. Zahra's keeping vigil by the mail box with her shop front. She's been open all weekend, selling lambs-ear that sprouted in our front lawn and odd bods that she doesn't want anymore. I think it's mostly trade with the neighbourhood kids, " how about I swap two chocolate eggs for that elastic band bracelet?" I did peek out the window today to see her selling one of her plants to the neighbours' visitor. The lady across the road politley refuses to buy anything but did come across to give the kids choc chip biccies. I occassionally wander down and splurge on a handmade card or some fingerknitting. Apart from the shopping and gardening there was reading in bed. Will gets up for work at five to ride to work so seven thirty is big sleep in for him, at which time he springs out of bed to make porridge and eggs for the girls. There's hardly ever any springing from this end so I was left to wake slowly, roll over and read. I'm easing myself back into sewing and knitting. With my dodgy disks I have to be mindful to keep my neck and back loose and to not sit for ages stitching. I've realised I get quite excited and tense when I'm nearing the end of a project and will sit and keep.on.going. until. it's finished. I stitched the last of the binding on Niamh's birthday quilt and could feel each muscle begin to ping and pop as I neared the finish line. So I tried to make it go more like this. Stitch, stitch. Make a cup of tea. Stitch, stitch, stitch. Eat some chocolate. Stitch, stitch. Stretch back. Stitch, sticth. Pat the puppers. Stitch, stitch. Admire handiwork, don't get excited. Stitch, stitch. Eat some more chocolate. Stitch, stitch, stitch. Ah, all done, nice and calm, loose back, loose neck. It's usually starts out like this, all sweet and slow, but ends up more like  sticth, stitch, stitch, stitch, stitch, nearly done, twitching eye. Stitch, stitch, stitch, ARGH. MUST. FINISH. NOW. It's a whole new way to work I tell ya. The knitting went much the same. Just gotta pace myself. A finished project is still a sweet thing but I think I'm finally getting that whole "the process is more important than the poduct" thing.  We've been working like mad shovelling compost and constructing garden beds so our winter veg is all snuggled in before ANZAC day. That seems to be the gardening lore on winter vegies round these parts. I always overestimate how many seedlings we need for the space we have and am left scrabbling to make another bed or find a space in the garden that the chooks can't get to. I still want to get a bed of garlic, onions and leeks in too.  There was an insane amount of dandelion tea drinking, which Niamh decided to get in on. She's so sweet, bringing us a jumper and a pair of shoes to indicate outside time. It doesn't end well if we're busy indoors. She'd spend all day outdoors if Mama would let her.  But Mama wants to cook delicious things like poached chicken noodle salad and spanish omelettes. I tried to find a link to the salad but no good. All I can tell you is that it's in Donna Hay's Spring 2008 magazine and it is so good. Fresh ginger and mirin, snow peas and green beans, coriander and udon noodles. Mmmm. But what I do have for you is this salsa recipe. If you've never made fresh salsa go get thyself lickety split to the kitchen and make this one. I don't know where I got it, it's handwritten in my recipe journally thing. If anyone recognises it do let me know. Credit where credit's due. It's not really Autumn fare but it's good and you should try it. Goes well with spanish omelette!

 

YUMMY GOOD SALSA

Toss all these ingredients in a bowl

2 cups of fresh tomatoes

1/2 cup white salad onion

2 garlic cloves minced

1 chilli

juice of 1/2  a lime

1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander

season with salt and pepper

 

 

 

weekend

66/365

 

 

 

a slow, weekend afternoon 

 

mornings

60/365

 

 

good morning

 

 

frock

57/365

 

 

helping mama hang laundry in her party frock. 

 

 

firsts

 

it's been a week of firsts around here, starting with the first crafternoon in such a loooong time. first time back on the bike since i was three months pregnant, felt so good. first ride on the back of the bike for our little girl, she loved it [except for the helmet part]. first dip for the season in the river, brrr. first dip for the season in the backyard shell pool.  first time swatching [oh so tedious, but worthwhile i keep telling myself]. first time casting on for a summer, cotton knit. first time i've had a block of four hours sleep in six and a half months. the first two raspberries off our vine this very morning, warm from the sun and delicious. first unveiling of wintery, white legs to the spring sunshine. first time she's waved, kissed us back, and sung along [to the Be Good Tanyas, makes those long days and nights worth it]. first time remembering how busy little ones can be. first time [since last summer] that a park in the shade is where it's at. first time since being a kid that i shower in the evenings, so as i'm not still in my jim jams come lunch time. first time i've seen a fluffy, baby silvereye learning to fly. first time i've seen a blackbird's nest [on our windowsill]. first time in a long time i feel in my heart i really know what i want to do with this one precious life i have. have you had any 'firsts' this week? 

 

outtakes

 

we had a wonderful halloween and weekend relaxing as much as we could. it was just what we needed after a string of busy weeks. we spent most of our time in the yard, zahra still wearing her halloween costume and dressing naimh and i up. my costume was quickly hijacked by little hands. zahra set up the camera and we had a little fun. i managed to get some writing for the project done and i'm hoping to have it here for you tomorrow. very exciting, i hope you'll all enjoy it. i'm already planning the next installment. i've figured out i end up less tired in the mornings if i stay up until naimh wakes for her 11pm feed then go to bed, instead of going to bed early and getting woken more. it also means i get some quiet time at the end of these busy days to write or knit. it's what i used to do when zahra was little. i guess these things get forgotten with time. hope you had a good weekend too.

 

 

ice cream and buttercups

what a lovely weekend we had spring cleaning, gardening in the sunshine and catching up with friends. i put the finishing stitches on zahra's birthday quilt and finished it off in our friends tumble dryer, just the way alicia recommended. it didn't come out as pruney as i'd hoped but it still has a little of that crumpled, cosy feel. we made hamburgers and ate toasted walnut and honey ice cream, stood in the last of the evening sun and wandered down to the creek. there were masses of buttercups and unfurling fern fronds. buttercups make me think of lemonade and english summers. as kids we used to play a  funny little game holding buttercups under each others chins, looking for that yellow reflection that meant you liked butter. the things we remember. then driving home through the darkness, one girl sleeping and the other quiet in the stillness of the scenes caught momentarily in the passing headlights. and today more cups of tea and more friends. freshly baked bread, soup scraped together from what we could find in the pantry because i didn't feel like going to the store yesterday or the day before or the day before that. there's something satisfying and beautiful about meals like this, much the same as when you go camping. it just tastes all the better for it's simplicity and ease. then there was the gorgeous young couple expecting their first baby who came and took away some of my old baby gear. she looked so relaxed and beautiful. it felt good to be passing it on, clearing space, making room for good and new things. i worked a little on my new project and made it into the bush with william. we strolled and talked about what we hoped this week would bring. goodbye weekend, hello new week

in review

 

We spent this weekend sitting in the garden surrounded by Autumn prunings and winter sunshine, drinking tea and playing hookey. One of my favourite things to do in the yard is to just sit and watch the girls scratching over the leaves, doing their backward breakdancing, as Joel Salatin calls it. I have a chook run on my gardening wishlist. These girls get into everything and I've decided it's time to get serious about where they can roam. Most of my plantings in the herb garden have been scratched up or eaten, they've figured out how to get into our fenced off vegie garden and the poop, well there's plenty of that. I know I'll  miss watching them wandering around the yard.

We gave our old, old apple tree a serious haircut, which will make it easier to net, so we can finally harvest some apples instead of feeding the cockies and rosellas. I felt a mixture of sadness and lightness at seeing its crown come down, such a reshaping, but it's almost as though we could hear the tree exhale with the release of so many branches. Zahra has claimed some of the prunings as a cubby and the girls are now roosting in the open at the very top. They're funny to watch as they make their way to bed each evening, checking and rechecking which is the best approach and branch, as though they've forgotten how they did it yesterday. 

Today the sky was clean and clear, the air crisp and fresh. It's not warm but the windows and doors are thrown open on days like this. We watched spiderwebs floating gently in the air and swarms of tiny bugs dancing in the afternoon light. Niamh fell asleep on the trampoline in the sun. Babies and bonnets... too delicious. Zahra said she finally felt like a big sister today after dancing with Niamh to   'Blackbird'  on the Beatles White album. She is so proud of Niamh, completely adores her, always asking when she will wake up so she can play with her.  I'm still finding it hard to make some space in the day to recharge with a little crafting or reading. I mostly wonder where the days go. A craft post soon, I promise. William took on all the nappies today and some of the settling so I could get a little knitting in. What a sweetheart. I've finally made it to double pointed needles. I feel a little cumbersome with all these sticks jutting out here and there but I like it. It's my new frontier. Just think, there's a whole new world of patterns within my reach now. I'm very excited. And I shouldn't  forget to mention afternoon tea. Zahra is loving making pancakes (I think of them more like pikelets), all by her big self. Love. Another week beginning.

 

morning light

 

 

With sleeep still heavy in our eyes  and the scent of last nights fire still heavy in our hair, we donned our woollies and headed up the hill behind our home.

Up there was a world  bedecked with liquid jewels, swirling in white cloud.

Cold noses and rosy cheeks, frosty leaves and flecks of golden, everlasting colour.

We stayed a while in this magical place then headed back towards home with thoughts of hot chocolate and toast with jam fresh on our minds.

 

Have a lovely, warm weekend

Cxo

northward

 

Miss Kaya dog sleeping in the sun is a good measure of how we spent our weekend...soaking in the Autumn sunshine.

We read, collected, rode, walked, drank tea, snoozed and Zahra cuddled. She loves her frocks this girl of mine. Chooks, frocks and boots, a perfect combination.

Tomorrow we head North for a week.

May soft sunshine find you wherever you are friends

~Cxo~

today

 

Today we slowed down after a busy week and enjoyed the morning rain. We baked, ate and walked...happy weekending dear friends.

~Cxo~

sunny Sunday

 

A week of braving swimming lessons in the non stop rain led to a general sogginess that meant our weekend was destined to be filled with indoor time and cosiness. Yay, I say. Nothing like wet weather to create an opportunity for hot chocolate, snuggling with a good book and getting one's hands busy with paper and paint.

The result...a rainbow of tealight lanterns and an afternoon in the studio.

A young girl came in with her Grandmother. They watched , talked and looked around. The Grandmother spoke of how she dreams of having a space at home just for painting. Her eyes shone as she spoke of her art and dreams. It's a privilege to meet those that come through the studios and to listen to their stories.

I showed them how to lino-cut and sent the young girl home with a small heart in her pocket.

I cut, folded, oiled and unfolded while listening to a little Dirt Music, Be Good Tanyas and Paul Kelly (after showing Zahra the story of Vincent Lingiari earlier this week, Mr.Kelly's voice and these lyrics have been getting a lot of airtime round here). By the afternoon the lanterns were drying, the rainclouds had all but vanished and the sun was shining.

Happy sushiny Sunday friends

~

Cxo

 

 

 

vanilla and rain clouds

 

There's nothing more perfect than a rainy Sunday

Vanilla cake in the oven, grinning dog by my side, climbing the misty, rain shrouded hill behind our place

Threading my way up,the town falling away, replaced by a quieter mind with each step

Weebills and Thornbills chattering to each other through the rhythm of raindrops hitting the leaves

An earthy sweetness that only rain can bring

Tiny streams picking their way down the track

Ants moving to and fro

Branches laden with dripping jewels 

Glaucous, heart shaped buds of Red Box sprouting by the wayside

A red capped robin, accompanied by his lady friends

We stood watching each other for some time

Returning soggy and smiling

Treasures for the table

The fresh scent of the bush

~

Happy Sunday to you

Cxo

 

 

 

 

goodbyes

 

There was a touch of sadness about the weekend just gone as we fare-welled three of our 'chicks'. Out of the seven eggs that arrived on our doorstep last Spring we decided to keep four. At just over three months old our one and only cockerel (fingers crossed) had begun to crow. A young and gentle, unbroken  kind of a crow, but a crow nonetheless... that was heard progressively earlier each morning. And so with last cuddles cuddled, young Jo Jo and two hens were plucked from the apple tree in the dead of night by a tree climbing, tag team of three. It's as if they knew something was in the pipeline and had roosted a good few feet higher than usual. With mozzies feasting on our legs we settled them down for their last night in the neglected chook tractor until morning.

 

 

Then, with chooks cosy in a box, we headed out of town to the place where they originally came from.

 

 

While they've been earmarked for the dinner table, right now they're finding their place in the pecking order and settling into their new chook dome home alongside the goats, dogs and appleyards.

There were extra cuddles for Matilda, Anouk, Stripey and the one un-named one ( we're watching those tail feathers) when we returned home.

 

~

Wishing you a Happy Midweek

Cxo

 

spring cleaning

 

When we moved into this house nearly two years ago I realised how much 'stuff' I had collected since Miss Z was born. Before I found out I was pregnant I could fit all the essentials for day to day living into Sylvie, my little red car. My kit included some clothes, my dog, a thermarest and sleeping bag, music and a few books, a pillow and a box of spices for cooking. I had just come back from France and unable to live in a city once again, found myself in the North East living out of my car, staying with friends.  When I did eventually move into a house I kept things minimal. It was only the constant nightime bathroom visits and difficulty getting up off the floor when Zahra was in my belly that I conceded and bought a bed.

Four and half years down the track, one house move and a truckload of things later left me wondering how and why as humans we can and do amass a house full of things. Some things are full of memories, some things practical and some things simply bring beauty to our lives. Then there are the things that don't bring any joy to the day to day. They sit in cupboards, sheds and garages, taking up physical and emotional space.

So when we found ourselves with a garage full of stuff after our move I made a personal pledge that I would no longer bring anything into our home that I didn't love and those things already in our home that I didn't love had to go. And so the pile in the garage grew. It grew until I could no longer manoeuvre my bike out to cycle into town and I could no longer move around the garage or find anything down there without stubbing my toe, moving something out of the way or tripping over.  Time to spring clean

A couple of late nights and early mornings later and we have space. Space to wheel the bikes in and out, space to move without hurting ourselves and space in my head. A physical and mental de-cluttering so to speak. It sure feels good.

this heart

Feeling a little disheartened today until ...

I made some fresh butter and ate these...

picked a cabbage and fried it up...

baked some tatters with salt and rosemary...

and spent some time in the garden with my peeps...

Happy Sunday.

xoxo

 

 

seaside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 After a crazy, busy week of final year assignments, exhibition installations and opening night we uttered a collective sigh and headed for the Southern Ocean. Unplugged, unhurried and unplanned we slept, lounged, ate and breathed in a weekend of ocean air.

 

 

 

 

 

With my fair skin and auburn hair I have always tended toward the mountains when searching for soul restoration and peace. But dipping my toes in the chilly Antarctic waters this past weekend did the trick for slowing us back to the rhythm we prefer.The southern currents were still too cold for bathers so we fossicked, built, explored and soaked in the salty seaside breeze and sunshine .

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a healthy respect for the mighty power of the ocean but the allure of the sea that appeals to so many has never stuck with me...until now. She finally has me with her palette of colours and washed up treasures. I've realised that the appeal is not in long, white sandy beaches or perfectly curling waves but in rugged coastline and wildness. The untamed quality... peppered perhaps with a long weekend vibe. And there is something in the way a child can show you the simple beauty of an object or place through the way they explore or exclaim, like they are seeing something with fresh eyes every time. It feels like I've been walking around with my eyes closed to the beauty of the seaside for the last thirty three years. I've got a little catching up to do. And while this visit wasn't nearly long enough we've returned to the mountains and river refreshed...and planning our next trip.

We weekended in Winter sunshine and Winter rain.

 

 

There were warm Winter mittens

 

 

A long overdue flower to adorn a Winter hat

(Simple Hat from Erika Knight's Simple Knitting ,with rolled edge replaced by a rib. Flower from I Love Knitting)

A new haircut

 

A little finger printing

 

 Birthday wishes

and some long overdue planting

 

sunshine or rain

 wherever you may be

whatever season you are in

wishing you a slow, simple, rhythmic weekend

 

winter weekend

 

It was just this week that I was exclaiming how harsh the Winter light is compared to the beautiful softness of Autumn (we all know that I'm an Autumn gal through and through). Biases aside, I've been trying to see the beauty through the glare that is this clear, crisp, bright light of Winter. Days are either filled with grey skies, rain and fog or this clean, pure sunlight that reminds me of midsummer. And then, it was as if Winter cast aside her bright mantle for just a moment this weekend, to reveal her gentle spirit and divine beauty to me. 

 
 
 
  
  

We enjoyed a lot of indoor time this weekend. Miss Zahra spent most of her time with scissors and kite paper in hand, making window snowflakes.

 

I started stitching a little something for my budding birdwatcher

 

It's a blue-faced honeyeater, her bird of the moment, which we've been watching feed on the nectar from the flowering camelias right outside my bedroom window for the past few weeks.

We also baked

 

raspberry coconut slice...mmmhmm,

Cooked

 

garlic, chickpea and spinach ( or in our case, bok choy) soup,

checked out a couple of new finds

 
 
 
 

 there was a wee bit of lingering over the cutest pair of alpaca bunny slippers,

 
 
 
 

Published in 1959... found on a recent visit to the op-shop. Gems like these are what keep me going back people.

Enjoyed a 'homey' exhibition by a very local artist that I know,

 
 
 
 

soaked up the many faces, colours and beauty that is this season Winter

 

 
 
 
 

and managed to squeeze in some river time with friends

 
 
 

All this was topped off by a certain proud, little, girl, who blew up her first balloon.  One very proud Mama, gah.

 

Happy  Weekending to you.

winter weekend moments

 Winter has dawned crisp and clear.The air is fresh, the light is bright and the sun is warming. After a cold snap sent us scuttling indoors during the week, we were blessed with blue skies, winter sunshine and plenty of outdoors time this long weekend... As a friend so aptly put it ..." thank goodness for the royals!" We filled our days....

 

with tea, tea and more tea

 
 

drinking in the sun...with a little bit of knitting thrown in for good measure

 

finishing projects

 

birdwatching and spelling phonetically

 
 
 

 drinking in some more sun

 
 

felting

 

adding to the winter nature table

 

with early morning moments

 
 
 

apple tree climbing

 

watching the garden grow

 
 
 

with a first attempt at patchwork (from which I've learnt that sometimes it pays to do a teensy bit of crafting research)

 

winter walking

 

admiring the seasonal changes around us

 
 

down by the river

 
 
with reminders of next seasons promises

This long weekend was especially memorable for the truly inspiring and healing women's workshop that I was blessed to participate in. Thankyou to all of the amazing women who shared of themselves and helped to create an amazing space, energy and connection.
 

With my sisters beside me

I am strong, I am free...

(Tiddas)

 

winter weekend moments

 

 
 
  

We woke early Saturday to the sound of rain on the roof. For me this rhythmical drumming means rolling over and sleeping just that little bit longer, a day indoors 'mooching' around reading books, cooking, playing games and getting creative. And what does a 'mooching' mama need for such an occasion? An oversized nanna knit of course. This over sized, but extremely comfy knit was gifted by a dear friend just this week after a winter wardrobe clean-out found her with too many of her Nanna's knits. So she generously passed on a knit to this Mama who was more than happy to oblige (thankyou Miss S). 

    
 

So we kicked off the day with a lazy breakfast but then opted to step outdoors to see what changes the rain had brought to our garden.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

We then headed back indoors for our fill of rainy day 'mooching'.

 
 

(a new project for my little Miss Birdwatcher)

 

And then when we were just getting into our 'mooching' groove, some well anticipated goodies from Melbourne arrived. 

 
 

Almond croissants from A Treat of France on Nicholson Street, Carlton North (ah, so, so, so good)

 

homegrown rhubarb (there's a pie on the menu this week)

 

a rather large quantity of pasta nests

 
 

and three wintry coloured merino tops ( from the Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Victoria )for some felting projects I have in mind. The turquoise is a wee bit, shall we say richer in colour than I had expected, but when carded with some natural top should produce a softer, paler blue. After tea and croissant consumption the sun shone down,so we headed to the gardens for some more tea with Miss JJ.

 
 
 
 

Happy Days.

 

weekend moments

 
This was our last calender weekend of Autumn for the year. The leaves are still falling, the sun is still shining (most of the time),the air is crisp, the ground wet with dew or the occasional frost in the mornings and the Southern night sky inky and clear. Following a week of early winter sniffles and coughs, a slow and simple weekend was in order. So we spent  our last Autumn weekend...

painting

 
 
 
 
 
 

printing

creating for winter

 
 
 
 

sewing small things

 
 

carving

 
 
 

( the little red fox had been in my thoughts for a while and Miss Z joined in with this leaf design)

 

enjoying little surprises that arrived in the post this week

birdwatching

 

and "high tea-ing" with dear friends

 

Happy last days of Autumn to all of you under Southern skies.