festive snippets...

I figure it's not quite too late for some festive snippets from around our parts.
But you know, to make an honest confession...
this Mama was lacking this year in just a little festive cheer.
My heart was just not thumping with that full Christmas-y feeling...you know?
Perhaps my heart was still on our island?
But, don't get me wrong.
It was filled with love watching the smiles and surprise on my little one's faces and feeling the warmth of their gratefulness and pleasure.
And I'm happy our house is filled with new treasure and creative pursuits just bursting with anticipatory making!
And I am joyfully wearing my new gift that I think I may just never...ever...take off.
And there were treats and lights and shiny things.
And there were several celebratory meals.
And there was an impromptu Christmas night in our home with almost the whole neighbourhood and their friends which almost saw the sun rise.
And I am certainly aware that this festive time was indeed filled with many, many blessings.
And, considering I did not have my camera in it's usual position permanently attached to my wrist, I did manage to capture these few snippets of our time...

And with all that goodness set in memory now... I am ready for a little settling down... and letting go of this year and moving with the motion of all the big plans we have for the next.
Happy new days friends.

::: monday's summer pics :::

Week 5.
Anyone for dipping their toes?
A small taste from last week's island escape.

::: monday's summer pics :::

An early Week 4.
I think we may be in a constant state such as this for the next 5 days at least.
Cool and immersed in sea water.... salty and tasting of the ocean.
Sleeping under the stars and waking to the sound of crashing waves.
Bare feet crusted in sand and faces kissed by the sun.

filling our days

You know it hasn't been hard this week to fill in our days.
As the countdown to a certain celebration (and a much anticipated pre celebration escape!) seems to accelerate, we are achieving a lot....and a little.

This Mama has taken on some new projects...a little early for the new year but nevertheless most exciting... and this week amidst the happenings of our days I managed to achieve submitting my first assignment. I have undertaken a new venture in the form of some study again for the moment (of this ...and this for a refresher).
So amidst feelings of accomplishment after a little hard work I feel I can exhale now for a bit....for maybe the next couple of weeks until the festivities have died down and just...

be and make and prepare...

and immerse myself in the filling of our days.

The filling of our days that consists of....

watching the girl while the little one sleeps, set up with all manner of crafty supplies, make things of beauty.

(The angels are for our tree and the chicken is Daddy's Christmas gift. After all what Daddy with 7 live girls in the backyard doesn't need a lovingly made cardboard one...with eggs?)

The filling of our days that consists of...

early morning forays and discoveries in the garden...

of butterflies and kumi kumi blooms.....

of plucking giant Russian cucumbers from the vine and eating them by the slice....

And the filling of our days that consists of...

giant dreams and giant smiles.

And with that there is still more smiling and planning and preparing and dreaming to do here today and tomorrow...as we are venturing off at day break on the weekend to our little island paradise but I will be back hopefully tomorrow with an early Monday Summer Pic for you.

In the meantime, happy filling of your days....

::: monday's summer pics :::

Week 3.
Alfresco dining every evening.
The cool change and small relief that comes with a late afternoon breeze.

narnies

We're a bit *narnied* out here.
Yesterday I froze the last of our banana's that we cut down from the tree the other week. They were being eyed off for a while now by humans and critters alike and finally the day came for them to come down. Some were ready and were of course eaten straight away....others were still green and gave us a couple of more weeks of sweet goodness. But this week, and in this heat they were just ripening faster than we could eat them despite having shared hands with friends and neighbours too.
So some I just froze whole for those baking days and upcoming smoothie days (yum)....and others I sliced and froze in handy bags for a creamy cold treat whenever we feel like it.
And with the forecast today to be in the mid 30C's (just a warm one for here) I think we will be back in the paddle pool this afternoon nibbling on those very same icy lady finger delights.

::: monday's summer pics :::

Week 2.
Bags of warm summer tomatoes....from the garden of course.

the countdown

Today is the 1st day of December... and the first official day of Summer.
There is a lot to be excited about now like enjoying the true spoils of *Summeriness* and the festive season combined.
I have found some time for easy and long desired sewing and creating.
And we have consequently been decking our halls with everything handmade and Christmas-y.

The countdown begins...

::: monday's summer pics :::

Jodi is hosting Summer photo's every Monday for the next three months....
and I'm joining her.
It's still super hot here and as a result there has been lots of water splashing about in the backyard lately.
Lots of wet fun and laughter.
Summer.

vernal flowers fruits seeds

It's almost the end of Spring!
Life has been busy around here. Nothing spectacular just yet (though there are plans...yes grand plans I may share with you soon). It's just been the *simple* life which somehow and in some way with little one's and an impending festive season plus a fair bit of climbing that back fence, is just as busy as anything else can be... and in the meantime a hot hot Spring has been passing us by.
The garden has been a slightly neglected and needy constant...yet in it's constant way it has not disappointed me but provided.... in both small ways and large.
And so as promised I have a happy seasonal update for you from the patch.
True to the 12 weeks of Spring it is a photo heavy post with indeed 12 springtide photos from right out my back door....
My vernal flowers, fruits and seeds.

So yes there have been flowers and fruits and seeds this season.
There has been pretty coriander.
Rocket and basil to set seed to dry and collect.
There has been a *super* lettuce of the tastiest and largest kind that made us wait before it would seed in the most amazing manner. And right next door is the super beet that is still fattening and still not yet setting seed. But I am patient and will wait for such fantastic genetic pods to resow next winter. Maybe that spot in the garden should be labelled the *super* spot?
There have been herbs, chard, beets, mulberry treats and many many papaya's (still). Salads of all kinds!
There have been small harvests of golden zucchini....before the fruit fly broke my heart.
There have been changes of plans from eating more small golden zucchini to cutting my losses and sacrificing the plants and harvesting all the blooms for a delicious treat of gluten free smoked salmon and fetta stuffed zucchini flowers.
There are cucurbits to fill any belly. Lemon and giant russian cucumbers...quite the novelty....though with the extra heat around this year it is not as lush a display as last but just as productive.
And upon revisiting that the slowing down does sound good too though doesn't it?
With Summer and Christmas just around the corner a little post Spring slowing down could only be a good thing amongst all the munching and replanting of flowers, fruits and seeds that needs to be done here out the back.

P.S Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts last post. It is done now. There was heartbreak, surprising strength and peace that afternoon. And I will heal.

fur and feathers

There has always been a lot of animals around here. Furry and feathered.
Last count there were 3 dogs, 2 guinea pigs, numerous fish in a pair of extra large aquariums and 7 chooks. Yep 7 now.
I failed to take the time a little while back when we introduced our newest three girls to the flock to then introduce them to you. I quickly fell in love with lavender araucana's and decided to get a pair from a breeder and in a moment of weakness ended up coming home with three...only one of which is a lavender but nonetheless all are beautiful. And with green eggs now gracing our nesting boxes and all 7 girls finally getting along amicably what's not to be happy about?
So here they are....
Sophia, the lavender...

Olive...
and Millie....the broody one.

and here is how pretty their eggs are.

But you know, on a much sadder note, with so many animals around they all eventually have to grow old and you're never really quite prepared for it. Kyle's dog suffered a little with dementia in his old age recently and started running away at the slightest breeze and has not returned from his last adventure.
And as I distract myself here blogging today I am preparing to say goodbye to my own best friend and longest companion this afternoon. She is 16 now and after losing an eye earlier this year and then months of me agonising over making the hardest decision one could ever make for a friend I finally knew on Tuesday that this week would be her last. It's time. And now today has come.

She's been my shadow, my cheering squad, my shoulder. She's been funny, annoying, devoted, loving and loud.

I found her at the animal shelter, quiet and husky from barking too much.

She was at the back and only little.

I didn't realise she only had three legs until I asked to give her a pat. I knew she had to come home with me and she did after the shelter gave me a 25% discount because of her missing leg! A story that always incites a giggle. But she was definitely worth the extra 25.

And so she came to live with me and I named her a variation of the Japanese word for three.

She's knows a lot about me this dog....she has seen many places and things before and after the rest of my little family now.

So I leave you with a picture of her in her prime....a long long time ago.

My dog, Sahn.

I'm going to try and be gentle with myself this afternoon and this weekend and take some more time out, but...

I will be back soon to this slightly neglected space with something much cheerier, perhaps an update on what's been happening in the patch over Spring!

Until then friends....

all hallows weekend

A bit of this and a bit of that made up our Hallows weekend.
Our own jaggerty ghost lanterns were made and hung glowing with tea lights in the night.
Hallows eve through to post Halloween was celebrated like this.
One of our favourite movies was watched (of course)....and a few sweeties nibbled.
And throw in a visit for the Mama to a local organic community garden *greenie expo* complete with seminars by Jerry ( oh boy my second in as many weeks!), Brisbane Transition Hub, and a lesson in solar cooking and we're all a pretty satisfied bunch this Monday!
Hope you had a full and happy All Hallows weekend too.