On the mend...

This winter I have hardly been sick at all which makes a nice change from previous winters - the worst being the one when Rosie was born and I had the flu & pneumonia. So, health wise, I have been travelling along nicely. But now it is Spring and this week I have been laid up with a tummy bug of some sort which has left me very drained and in bed alot of the time. You know that 'hit by a truck' feeling? Well a whole lot of that & a nice dose of total body fatigue has knocked me for a six.

It's actually been weirdly relaxing as I haven't been able to rush around in my usual mode. Rather than fighting the bug I've been going with it and not worrying too much about keeping up around the house. Lets face it I'm never going to be a great housewife as there are too many more interesting things to do than keep a tidy house. So there has been alot of lolling around in bed and a tiny bit of pottering around, picking up a few things here and there in a lackadaisical fashion. Oh and a bit of quiet cutting and sewing which has been therapeutic.

(This being sick caper is a whole lot easier now that I don't have as many under fives running around. In the past when I have been sick there was NO TIME for me to be unwell, it was impossible to even lie down. People out there with several small children, I remember how it is, boy do I remember.)

Whilst tucked up in my bed I have found myself soothed by my collections of odd things, memorabilia, colours, photo's, things that are distinctly me.

This glass dish above was my Nan's sugar bowl. Now it holds little precious bits & pieces, watched over by Nan and her baby (my mum).

Can you tell I'm not a minimalist? I love all my treasures, they all have some kind of significance or memory. Having said that I am also better at letting things go that are not meaningful anymore, or that may bring someone else more pleasure than me. Do you have room of your own, a study/bedroom, a place that is just about you? I really need this as it seems to ground me in my hectic life and gives me the space I need to think, dream, plan, relax, be.

I know not everyone has the luxury of their own room but even a part of a room can be good, or perhaps somewhere outside in the garden. I also like to have something I've recently made nearby to look at or pat affectionately (I think the illness is unhinging me slightly...) eg. my Australiana tea towel covered pillow, see above (also not too familiar with irons...)

Today I woke up feeling a bit better and managed to stumble up the road to meet Kate in a warm cafe filled with beautiful Spring sunlight. It was good to sit there and chat about the millions of things that fill our worlds and to feel vaguely human again. I always come away from coffee with Kate feeling inspired & happy, she's one of those friends that gives me alot in so many ways. If you live in Melbourne or are visiting, pop in and see Kate & Bren at the Farmers Market, at the Collingwood Children's Farm tomorrow. You can pick up some of their amazing produce from their Daylesford Organics stall. I think it's going to be a windy, windy day so hold onto your hat and watch out for flying chooks.

Besides feeling like I'm on the mend it's also been a real tonic to be enjoying some long overdue sunshine. Today I have been out chatting to the chooks and GET THIS, hanging actual washing on the actual washing line. (As opposed to draping items all over the house in an attempt to dry them within several days...) To me this is close to bliss. I love my wonky washing line and the dreamy state I get in when hanging out the washing. It's sad but true, being out there with the birds and flowers, smelling that good country air and pegging away, I'm in heaven.

So, that's me for another week. Tomorrow I'm going to have dinner in Melbourne with Charlotte, followed by a good old snoop around the books at Borders in Carlton. Can't wait. What are you up to on the weekend? xox