Utopia and Flying Pigs

Over the weekend two friends and I went to Fremantle to participate in a facilitator’s course so that we can offer a program locally on creating a more sustainable life. I really enjoyed the weekend and learnt a lot about my own sustainable journey, gained inspiration and direction. And of course I picked up some good facilitation tips which are what I went for in the first place.

We spent 3 days learning and discussing and one of the things that particularly stood out to me in conversation was people’s desire for Utopia. By our very nature we are constantly looking for ‘more’ and what stands out in the sustainability crowd is this idea of a Sustainably Holy Grail. A fictional place with lush green meadows, singing birds, rainbows and none of the ‘bad’ things we have in our current life that we are trying to get away from. A place that meets all our needs - physical, emotional and mental - and a good deal of our wants.

For some this is growing their own food, throwing grain to the chickens clucking around at their feet, plucking carrots from the soil, giving them a light brush off and taking a big crunchy bite. For others it is working in the office of their passive solar straw bale home, watching their kids play outside through their triple glazed windows while they tap away at the keys of their laptop that’s powered by the solar panels on their roof.

I understand the need to have a goal, a future, a direction that you can aim towards. But an important step in long-term goal setting is working backwards from that end point to today and creating measurable steps to lead you there. The fervent talkers, with a far off look in their eyes recite their perfect ideals and lofty dreams of ‘somewhere else’ and seem to miss this point. (Have you noticed how this utopia is generally in another location from where they are?)

Certainly no existing village, town, city or country has everything sorted in a way that can be sustained for the future. There is no place that is perfect – even if we could define what it would look like – and if there was, the world is a changing place so it is unlikely to stay that way. Peak oil, climate change, the re-emergence of certain diseases in our society, bacterial mutations, waste and natural disasters are just a few of the things that will affect every place on Earth.

There is NO Utopia. By focusing on Utopia you are actually preventing growth and change where you are right now. Every person, family and community needs to make changes that balance economics, society and environment and define what sustainability means to them. There is room for improvement and change in every setting and it’s up to us to make them happen.

Resolutions

I have been thinking about resolutions today. I don't normally make them, but I have been hit by a need to get more organised. I think things could run more smoothly and that I could use my time more efficiently.

The housework always manages to get done, even when the timetable is overloaded. Creative time, on the other hand, seems to evaporate when the schedule gets busy. The garden gets a bit neglected. The sewing room door remains shut. The days seem too full for fun and I hit the pillow worn out but not tired.

I have learnt over the last couple of months that I need time to be creative. It makes me a much happier person and fulfills me in a way that other activities can't. Whether it be sewing, drawing, writing, painting or crafting, I feel more positive when that need has been met.

I want to smile more, laugh and be open to the possibilities that present themselves. I want to say yes more often.

I want to relax more. To take those small opportunities of calm and peace whenever they arise.

I want to focus more on my health and write exercise that I enjoy into my days. Whether it be going for walk along the beach, riding our bikes, yoga in the backyard or jumping on the trampoline. When we are fit and strong, the day always seems easier and you sleep better.


The garden planner needs to be synced into my daily timetable. I have this dream that our garden can feed us the majority of our fruit and veg. At this stage though there are gaps in the seasons. We have weeks without lettuce and then a glut and that sort of thing. This is all about planning, whether you have a food forest or a high intensity system.

I want to plant weekly. Seeds and seedlings. Most of our seedlings are raised from seed in a small hothouse, so that requires some forethought. There also needs to be time for harvesting and preserving. Jams, dehydrating, bottling.

Part of harvesting and preserving is menu planning our nightly meals. I love to get up in the morning and already have dinner organised. I know what to prepare and that I have everything in the pantry/freezer/garden to make it. Focusing on seasonal eating is definitely cheaper, fresher and easier to get locally.

I generally write out a list of eight meals for the week and then we just pick and choose on the day. On our days that are full of outings, I like to have everything prepared in the morning and I keep it simple. It prevents those fast and unhealthy meals that can become a very poor substitute.

DragonGirl is year four this year. Even though we do a blend of life-learning and unschooling and our schedule has been pretty relaxed up until now, I feel it is time for a little more structure. It is partly about her prefered learning style and partly about me needing more time to do the things I need/want to do too.

One of the positives of home educating is that we can tailor our timetable and focus to suit our needs, and to make changes as the need arises.

Corby has been home for a week which has been great. Going to the beach, riding our bikes, watching dvds, sleeping in (even the kids did a few times!), going out at midnight to watch fireworks, painting Boo's bike, reading, snuggling on the couch outside. All nourishing to us and our relationships.

Besides catching up as a family and relaxing, it has given me the space to plan and prepare for the term. It has been a week of recharging, refocusing and reconnecting. I am very thankful that we've had it.

Summer gifts and parties

I have been busy in the sewing room making fabric and felt playmats, birds, books and other bits and pieces. I have received orders for 6 playmats, 18 birds and 2 book holders in the last couple of weeks.

The playmats are for orders for Christmas presents. I have settled on two designs that I then vary as required.

Here is an animal mat that DragonGirl set-up for me so I could take some photos. I had planned on making them more detailed but as I was sewing I kept simplifying and refining. As it turns out, that was the best option and it opens it up for the kids to be creative and imaginative.

And here is the other design. The car mat suits matchbox-sized cars.

A close up of 'Reepicheep'. DragonGirl had fun playing and planning with the mat. I think I will make her one for Christmas too.

Simple felt buildings.

The idea of the mats is that they are portable and low fuss. You could easily add 3-dimensional buildings, trees and other accessories. I have been making felt trees that have a circle of velcro on the bottom which sticks well to the felt.

Being the season of festivities, we decided to hold our annual Summer party. We had a great turn out of friends and neighbours, lots of food (we're still eating the leftovers!) and fun for the kids.

I had colouring pages, air-dry clay, a loom frame for a nature weave and other activities ready to go. DragonGirl had planned on having egg and spoon races, a rope pull and some sack races but we didn't get around to it. The kids were having far too much fun on our other party guest...

There were 22 kids on the day and at one point they were all on there. They all had so much fun and I think it was money well spent.

Over the afternoon people went off to other parties and family dinners and we were left with a couple of close friends and a very light dinner after eating all day.

Last night our favourite neighbours joined us for dinner (leftovers!) and we lit the small fire. The back patio is so much warmer and more comfortable when the wind is blowing now that the end wall is up.

We have little on this week and it's going to be nice to just wind down to Solstice and Christmas Day. Corby is home for a week which will be good. A week spent at the beach if all goes to plan. :)

A day at the park

We needed a break away from our busy schedule and decided to head to the park for a run with the ducks.

Even though we homeschool and so avoid the hectic school routine, this time of year always seems to fill up with socialising, planning and preparing. Activities come to an end, with parties and performances. There is food to make, cards to write and post, costumes to sew, handmade presents, planting Summer and Autumn veg and preserving the harvest.

In amongst all that we needed some time to just relax, so we packed a picnic, some food for the ducks, our nature journals and got on our bikes. Despite it being a little windy, the weather was gorgeous.

We love the space at the park to run around. Boo finds the biggest leaves he can and flaps along behind the ducks. It he wasn't following them, they were following him, hoping to get a snack.



There are some lovely old trees to climb. Some are easy to get up into but others require a boost. DragonGirl tried them all out of course. She is needing less and less boosting these days as she gets ever taller.

We gathered leaves, feathers and seeds for craft activities. We've been making wreathes, solstice decorations, seasonal dolls, collage and doing some nature weaving on a big loom made from prunings from the garden.

I took some photos of interesting textures that I will use in my art journal.

We wandered from one end of the park to the other. Around the lake, up the hill and back - all the while the ducks were waddling along behind.

Boo was as cheeky as always!

After spinning around and around, she was laying down on the grass and watching the sky spin.

The wonderful thing about taking a break from our daily activities, is that it actually makes us more productive. We come home refreshed and ready to get on with it. It reinvigorates us for current projects and inspires new directions.

Winter Activities

Winter is creeping in. We hit -0 this morning, just as the sun was rising. All the deciduous fruit trees have dropped their leaves. We've been lighting the fire each night for a couple of weeks. And I've started planning more activities for rainy days.

We have been doing some felting and DragonGirl is keen to try out some tie-dyeing. We've got a couple of shirts prepared with elastic bands, marbles and knots and will apply the dye today. We've been on YouTube to get different technique ideas.

DragonGirl is working on a project most days. At the moment she is doing Wolves, so we have been reading about wolves, watching nature DVDs, drawing, making masks, exploring the idea of The Big Bad Wolf in stories and she is creating a lapbook.

We've also been making candles from flat beeswax sheets, carving candles, making candle holders from vines and repurposed glasses and playing endless amounts of Lego!

Boo has been helping me in the garden this morning. We planted out some more lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower in a sheltered, sunny spot of the garden. He also helped me to feed the animals and get the eggs.

He has been surprising me lately with his helpfulness. The other night he grabbed a teatowel to dry the dishes. He couldn't reach the sink, but did a very good job of drying the dishes and putting them away. It seemed like such a Big Boy thing for him to do. Though Grandma said that Big Boys aren't nearly as helpful...

The main focus in the garden at the moment is covering the ground. I've been marking out the rest of the garden beds out the back and plan on covering them with paper, hay, manure and compost. It will minimise rain compacting any bare soil and also prevent the grass from growing like mad. Last year we had to use the trimmer to keep the grass down because the ground was too wet to mow.

But for now, the sun is shining, so I think we'll take our bikes up to the park and record what we see in our Nature Journal's.

Face paint and the chickens

This is what I woke up to! Two very colourful faces.

They have been playing with face paint, tattoo pens and dress ups a lot at the moment. The drama course seems to have brought out their creative side. No, that's not true, DragonGirl has always loved being colourful. Boo is definitely getting into it too though...

We went to the zoo a few weeks ago when we ducked up to the Big City.

The kids loved seeing all the different animals. Boo hadn't been and DragonGirl was quite small when we went last. By far the best moment was seeing Boo's face as an Asian elephant sauntered past us on the walkway. It's one thing to know they're big, it's another to see it to scale.

As I mentioned in my last post, things have been cooling off. We've lit the fire a couple of times already.

We normally light it from Mother's Day to Father's Day, but we're trying to be a little more conservative this year. It's nothing that a pair of socks won't fix so far. Mind you, 4'c this morning was a little brisk!

These are our new chickens, commonly refered to as The Girls. They are our fertilisers, pest control, soil airators, mulch spreaders, plant pruners, composters and a constant form of entertainment. Well worth the effort of a bucket of veg scraps every day, some grain and fresh water.

They're still in the coup at this stage but we will run them all through the fruit trees out the back. I have been making little wire rings to put around any plants that I don't want them to eat too much of.

Today I am planting out some garlic, 3 feijoa and more lavender (I will almost have commercial quantities if I keep going!)

Surf, Sunrise and Sewing

The weather has been mostly fine but it's definitely cooling off. Our trips to the beach aren't happening as often and you definitely need a wetsuit to enter the water.

Unless you're Corby of course. He is stubborn enough to swim no matter what, just to prove he is impervious to the freezing temperatures.

We find there is more weed on the beaches at this time of year too. I guess because of the storms that role through.

There has been a sighting of the first whales for the season, so we will be spending more picnic dinners at the beach lookout, watching for them. Last year we didn't see very many. The first year that we were down here, there were lots of sightings and a couple of special close-ups. Corby was surfing just a few metres away from a mother and calf without realising it. They were tucked in behind the rock reef.

Sunrise is getting later. At Summer Solstice we had to be at the lookout at 4am. Now it is a sleep-in at 6.



We have been doing a few more inside activities too. Boo is right into puzzles, drawing and lego. DragonGirl has been reading, drawing and trying her hand at sewing. She used the sewing machine for the first time the other day and was so pleased with herself.
She will naturally do more writing as well. I have found that our schedule has become very Seasonal. The fine weather is filled with picnics, science experiments, riding around town, swimming, gardening and building tree houses.

The cooler weather is more about crafting, writing letters, doing projects and nice long novels by the fire.

DragonGirl has just finished a project on the chickens and next she wants to learn about wolves.

A few photos...

Boo came in from the dress-up box looking like this -


We went camping for a few weeks over Christmas. We spent most of the time at the beach, surfing, swimming, eating, making sand castles and just generally enjoying the sunshine.



One of the parks we stayed in had a simple rope flying fox which we would like to copy at home. The kids played on it for hours.

While the girls were playing on the flying fox, Boo was over near the tree doing the haka. It was so funny to watch. I'm not sure if he was trying to scare the girls away or impress them.

Parry's has a little rockpool which is sheltered from the wind and the big waves. It is definitely a camping spot that we'll continue to go back to no matter the season. It had something for everyone.

DragonGirl and Boo were rolling down the sand dunes and thoroughly enjoyed getting covered in sand and then running out to the ocean and washing off.

We've been picking apricots, plums, figs, boysenberries, strawberries and apples from the garden. We also have cabbages, pumpkins, watermelons and tomatoes that are close to eating.

Our sunflowers are in full bloom.

My First Market Stall!

I did it! Ten days of sewing from early morning until late at night. Ten days of not seeing many people, not gardening (something I normally do for hours a day) and getting blisters on my fingers from hand sewing. Ten days of DD and DS asking me to do the usual things we do together and me having to say no.

Summed up that way it sounds like a terrible experience but it wasn't. I feel expanded, stretched and I've learnt a lot. When I went to bed last night I said to DH, 'tomorrow I don't want to see a needle, touch material other than the clothes I'm wearing or eve go into the sewing room. And yet, this morning I woke up with designs rolling around my head and wanting to go op-shopping to find some more material.

I had limited time, so kept things very simple. Next time I want to embellish more, have more variety and do the things I would have liked to this time. I think I need to get a logo, design a simple website and make up some business cards. I also want to make my stall more pretty. I'm thinking sheets from the op-shop turned into corner curtains (like a 4-poster bed) and some dangly bits from the roof. And a banner would be great.

I shared the stall with my step-father who is a painter which was a relief because it meant I didn't need a huge amount of stock, but next time I'll have more room for things. The business cards as tags that Belinda from Spiral Garden suggested worked very well.



Some things that I made were -

The ring slings

Cloth pads

Play mats

that turn into little bags

Felt crowns

And colourful overalls

I covered my costs and made a small profit (under $100) but I'm happy with that for a first time. My biggest fear was that I wouldn't sell anything!

A local shop has put in an order for 5 ring slings, the cloth pads, hoodies and the overalls. I am sooooo excited.

Summer is here in all it's glory.

The weather over the last couple of days has been stunning. We have been at the beach the last 3 days, soaking up the sunshine and getting a little pink on the cheeks.

The garden is blooming and fruiting at high speed. This morning I picked youngberries, strawberries, blueberries, lettuce, silverbeet, kale, spinach, 3 figs, 2 lemons and 4 plums, along with some lemonbalm, mint and thyme.

I also picked a heap of weeds which are flourishing too, for the rabbits.

Despite being separated the rabbits have still managed to have babies. (I am assuming Pegasus was pregnant before we moved her - though, it is the season for immaculate conceptions...) They were still closed eyed and wobbling around a week ago and are now quite agile and fast.
Circus is finished up for the year. DragonGirl really enjoyed herself though she is looking forward to drama starting up next year which is her favourite of the three activities (circus, drama and dance) on offer.

The group put on a performance last week for parents and the older kids. They were all proud as punch when we applauded at the end.

DragonGirl and Boo decorated a tree outside which Corby has named the Jolly Solstice Tree.

Normally I do the tree inside and hang decorations in the windows. As we move away from all things Commercially Christmas, the traditions are changing. The plastic tree and the tinsel will go to the op-shop in January and our tree will be outside from now on. I am hoping that next year it will be decorated with more homemade decorations and no baubles and plastic.

We've been making gifts, like this tic-tac-toe game which is made from felt, velvet, coloured thread and the clay buttons.

The felt, velvet and thread are from our Seasonal packs that we get from Spiral Garden. The clay is air-dry clay that we got from the local craft shop.

Friends of ours get their clay from a stream near their house and it seems to dry well. I think once our supply has run out, I will go and get some of theirs and try it out. The clay under our soil gets too crumbly when it dried, though I am sure with a little research I would find out there is something we could add to it.

DragonGirl and I have also being making the hoops for the wreathes. These two are made from cuttings from the apricots trees I just planted and from an obnoxious vine that keeps trying to take over the yard.

We will decorate them with shells, seeds, dried leaves, flowers and scraps of fabric and ribbon.

Planning for Summer Solstice

This year we are toning down on Christmas even more. For the last few years we have minimised on the commercial aspects of the Season and we never did the santa thing (though we've taught DD about St Nicholas) anyway.

For the past two years we have followed the Season of the Year and matched our homeschooling and lifestyle activities to them. Down here on the South Coast we get four definite Seasons which makes it easy really.

So, as Spring is coming to an end I've pulled out our books, Seven Times the Sun by Shea Darian and Earthwise by Carol Petrash, which I picked up from http://www.spiralgarden.com.au I also find Sunwyse by Roxanne T. Bodsworth and Circle Round by Starhawk, Diane Baker and Ann Hill, useful resources.

For us Summer is about the beach, harvesting stonefruit and berries, eating and playing with friends and family. We get clear sunny days and spend most of our daylight hours outside in the garden.

We will collect shells, flowers and interesting rocks for our Seasonal Table. We have already planted a heap of seeds, which we will watch grow to maturity, including sunflowers of course. The image of Summer.

We made a batch of strawberry jam yesterday and preserving and drying will continue right through to Autumn.

DragonGirl would like to try some basket weaving and make a wigwam. I would like to make a wreath woven with grasses and vines from the yard and decorated with flowers and ribbons. And we'll get the clay out and make some Sun images.

We've picked a tree to decorate out in the yard and we'll make the decorations from things we find over the next couple of weeks. I thought we might try again for the Garden Party and perhaps decorating the tree would be a good activity for the kids to do.

Learning new things

I've only got a few more weeks left of the Creative Journalling course I'm doing. It's been great to learn new things, explore new mediums and do some favourites too. We get to paint, glue, cut, dye, collage and many more things.

Last term we collected and exchanged paper napkins. Some of the designs you can get are amazing and I've often thought that they look too lovely to use.

I chose 3 different napkins and then made a design, highlighting it with gold paint.

I love having 3hrs a week that is entirely for me. DragonGirl and Boo are being taken care of and I get to sit and create to my heart's content.

Homeschooling suits us all and I enjoy having the time with the kids but it's nice to have a break too. While J-Boy was visiting, he found the constant noise and company a little too much. I was a meany and didn't let him watch much tv (because I didn't want the kids watching it with him) and in the end he resorted to playing lego with earplugs in!

One of the best things about home educating is that we get to set our own timetable (or not set one as the case may be) and that means trips to the beach that we otherwise wouldn't get.

While J-Boy was here we went out the dinner and he got all dressed up. This one's for you Mum...

You could smile more darling, you have a gorgeous smile.

I found this next picture on my camera while I was loading them onto the computer. Corby took it while I was away.

On his soapbox? :)

Last week was all about socialising for us. We had visitors every day and of course enjoyed every minute of it!

This week is all about gardening. I picked up 8 new fruit trees on Friday - they were at wholesale prices through a friend which is why I got so many. Two apricots, two apples (heritage red and green), a peach, a green plum and two pears. I just need to find spots for them now. I am thinking 3 out the front in the mandala garden, 3 in the middle section and 2 right out the back.

And the mulch arrives tomorrow, ready to spread out on all the gardens. I am going to focus on the front and the ones down the very back of the yard.

Spring time is busy in the garden.

Sewing and crafting has cranked up a notch too in our household. I organised my work space which has made things easier. It's so great having the granny flat to work in. I've got orders to get out and of course christmas is coming.

We don't really celebrate 'christmas' as such but we give gifts and feast together with friends. For us it is a celebration of Summer, growth and harvest, the beach and endless entertaining.

The patio roof is up!

I am so happy that it's finally done!

We were hoping to get it done when we first moved in, nearly 12mths ago. (Can you believe it's nearly 12mths already!) It will be so great to have it ready for Summer.

We are now working on the floor. Corby and Boo have been shovelling out the dirt ready to put the river sand down.

Then we'll lay the pavers. Correction - then I'll lay the pavers. You know how it is around here...

The roof of the old sunroom has found a new home. We've kept the wall panels to make other things with. Like the chicken coup (which is an ongoing saga) or the glass house. And the windows will go back in at the end of the patio.

Speaking of glass houses, I've upgraded my seedling shelf

It's getting warmer in the day time, so I roll the door up but it's handy for at night. I've got tomatoes, corn, pumpkin, rockmelon, watermelon, lettuce, beans, capsicum and a few other things in there.

A lot of them can be planted straight in the ground but it's still a little cold and the ants and rats tend to eat them. This way, the seedlings get a good head start.

I got the majority of my seeds from Diggers this year and the germination rate has been really high. I'll definitely buy from them again.

I got my first litre of worm juice out of the new worm farm today. I diluted it and put it on the newest plants and the citrus trees out the front.

I mentioned it to a friend on the phone and she hestitantly said, 'you don't drink it do you?' I laughed so much! Apparently my green smoothies and weed eating have got her worried...

Today I've been planting parsley, tansy, marshmallow, wormwood and a few other herbs from the local nursery. The nursery is such a great resource to have nearby and I often call in to ask questions or just wander around.

The garden has totally transformed from when we first moved in.

Fun and Games...

We decided to go for a drive to the beach yesterday. Get a little sunshine when the clouds rolled past. Have a swim. Corby go for a surf. J-Boy and DragonGirl drop a line in and catch something for dinner. Boo and Casey (a dog who we minded for the weekend) dig in the sand and play with the ball.

I had the option of going to the markets and seeing Maggie Beer but was convinced by the family that this would be much more fun.

I packed a picnic and off we headed.

We did some 4WD-ing along the coast, drove up a hill and stood at the lookout for awhile. Drove down along the beach and go out to enjoy the air and let Casey have a run.

Everyone smiling...
DragonGirl, Boo and Casey went up in the dunes for a look. You can't do it in Summer because the Tiger Snakes are out and active, but over Winter it's pretty safe.

Then we thought we would cut in a bit around some rocks and keep going up the beach. We went through a rather large puddle. I was in the middle of explaining why I thought it would be a good idea to walk through the puddles first when it happened.

The drivers side was full of water to the seat and the passenger side was about 2inches. We've got vinyl floors which is good, but the water has probably got into the lining underneath. It's going to stink for awhile!

Corby went off on a walk to look for help while the kids and I waited with the ute running. We were a little wary to turn it off and have it not start again. In one spot I sank to my waist in muddy water (not to mention the farm run-off and cow shit!) which was a cold gasp and a naughty word moment.

While Corby was getting help and J-Boy was trying to dig the mud out from under the ute, a guy came past and pulled us out. It took a few tries but we got there in the end. I opened the door to get out and water gushed everywhere. We let it drain away and wiped up as best as we could while we waited for Corby to come back.

I'm still laughing though. I was proud of myself for managing to retain my sense of humour. Corby just said, 'See, that's why we need a snorkel!' I restrained myself from throwing something at him!

DragonGirl is Eight!!!

DragonGirl and Boo's birthdays are only 3 weeks apart, so this time of the year is a time of giving and receiving for us.

We like to celebrate the person and what they like on their day. We let them pick the menu, the music and the daily rhythm of activities. I feel it becomes a bit more than 'where are my presents' that way.

DragonGirl watched a movie a couple of months ago and loved the cake in it and wished for it for her birthday, so I baked two sponge cakes and then cut them in half and filled the layers with strawberries and cream.

Another tradition in our house is Corby pulling out a present at the end of the day. This year's one was a Big success. He had to work until mid-afternoon and when he came home he brought a telescope with him. Her face when she saw it was priceless.

He got her a Night Sky book to go with it. We are going to head North for the weekend in a couple of weeks to get a clear view of the stars and planets and try and pick some of them out. We've had too much cloud cover to see much.

It apparently works quite well on land too and I thought I might take her out whale watching with it next time there are sightings. Yesterday we saw a mother and her calf, as well as another lot that were too far to away to define. There was also a seal on the rocks down from the lookout we haunt.

On Saturday we got together with friends at the local pool and hired out the inflatable. The kids (and grown ups) had an awesome time. I would have liked to have had a go as well.

I can't believe DragonGirl is eight already. It has gone quickly and been quite eventful. We've moved to NZ and back, driven from one side of Australia to the other, lived on a couple of farms and now we have the coastal lifestyle with our little piece of Land.

We started school and then decided that Life Learning is much more our style and DragonGirl is blossoming happily with the choice.

We had a visit from the local home education Moderator last week. He said that he 'is impressed with how we are going' and that he hopes we will continue homeschooling next year - which we are. I knew that DragonGirl had made some big steps in the last couple of months but it was still nice to have some feedback. It boosted my confidence in our ability to keep going.

I have seen DragonGirl's confidence grow too over the last two years. She is more willing to try new things and conquered a few fears too.

One of her biggest fears were situations where she was required to perform or speak in front of a group. Last week she had a session of Drama and I really wasn't sure how she would go. She amazed herself and did really well and I would even go as far as saying she was really good at it. Needless to say she is looking forward to next week's session.

The Little Bloke is 3!!!

It has gone by so fast! I know all mum's say that, but it's true.

I've been meaning to make this post all week, sorry it took so long.

We had a lovely day together. He got some lego and as the weather was wet, we spent hours by the fire making trucks, houses, helicopters and gardens.



At a few days old...


...and now...

I made him a choc berry fudge cake which went down well with everyone. We waited for dad to get home from work to have it. He spent the whole morning singing Happy Birthday to You, so was more than happy to join in with us when it came time for cake!


Thank you so much for all your gifts. They have been appreciated and enjoyed immensely.

Spring is in the Air...

...despite the weather saying otherwise!

I've been busy in the garden when I get a chance (in between rain and hail) and it's coming along really well.

I got this lot of plants this morning, ready to plant out over the weekend. I am going to put them into the existing gardens and fill them up and then will get on to digging some more.

The fruit trees are all waking up and in flower. This is a good shot of the plum tree's new shoots.

We've got bulbs coming up that were planted by the last owner. Some of them are really interesting. Like this one, any ideas what it is?

I've finished down the side of the house finally. I edged with pavers, fed the soil with compost, manure and seaweed, then planted and mulched. It will be great once it is established. It's close to the back door, gets all the morning and midday sun and is protected by the house from the horrible south winds.

We are getting some more fruit trees over the next couple of weeks and I want to start the garden at the very back of the yard.

The plan is to put in sunflowers, corn, tomatoes, peas (for green manure) and melons. I am going to make traditional rectangular garden beds using the pavers for edging.

We got the pavers free from up the road. We had to pull them up but it was worth the effort to have them to use around the place.

Sunset watching

We went up to Perth last weekend for the night. It was mainly a crop checking exercise. Corby likes to see how the farmer's are going - what sort of growing season they're having.

This time of the year is normally spraying, rock picking and lambing on the farm. Lambing and rock picking are Corby's least favourite things and the spraying is only made better by the cool machine it's done in.

We managed to find some accomodation near the beach and spent the evening there watching the sun set over the water. I don't think we'll ever live inland again, after leaving near the beach. It has become a large part of our lifestyle.

I would have liked to have done some op-shopping while we were up in Perth. It's the first trip we've done up there in 18mths, but everything was shut (minimal Sunday trading). It made for a cost saving weekend, but what's the fun in that?!

We've had 2 weeks of sunshine which has been magic. All the more appreciated after a South Coast wet Winter. I've spent as much time as I can out in the garden, weeding, pruning, feeding, digging new beds. The compost bins are all nearly full again which means it will be ready to spread out by mid-Summer. Perfect timing really and completely unplanned.

Seedlings - literal and metaphorical

Term 3 has kicked off with a bang and I am feeling very optimistic that the second half of the year is going to be a bit smoother than the first.

I think we are often given challenging situations to learn from. I find that I rally and rage when things are tough, but I come out the other end with clarity as to what I want/need to do. I'm grateful for the people who listen and support me through it all.

The Creative Journalling course has started back up and I got a spot which I'm very happy about. This term we are going to be doing an equal mix of writing and art and keeping a visual journal.

We did the covers on Tuesday and this is mine -
It's not quite finished and is bound to evolve through the course.


Last week I got busy in the garden and did up a few trays of seedlings. I went out the other morning and they're already up and started. I think the clear plastic over the top made a big difference, as the last lot without it took a few weeks to get going.

Aren't they lovely!

Compost

I just spread out my first load of home-made compost! Very exciting! (well, if you're a gardener you might understand...)

I built our compost bins using 5 old pallets that were out the back. I held them upright using star pickets (again, they were out the back) and secured them with some found wire.

You can see them behind the retro strawberry stand.
I lined the left bay with cardboard and then covered it with black plastic, leaving the floor open. The plastic was left over pond liner from the tip shop, so it was made from all recycled materials and it cost me nothing.

I've only been filling it for about 4mths and got out 5 wheelbarrow loads of compost. I took off the top layer and put it into the next bay, ready to begin the next lot.

We have used foodscraps, newspaper, grass clippings, manure, seaweed, leaves (green and dried), dust from sweeping and vacuuming the house, lint from the dryer, hay from the rabbit hutch and dirt.

I spread it around the bananas -

And made a new garden bed for the garlic, another fruit tree and some herbs. I have put some potatoes at one end as well. I lightly dug up the ground, spread out the compost, some sheep manure and then topped with pea straw.

It's all being watered in by the rain as I write this.