Tuesday

The last week has had it's moments. A difficult family issue popped up and although I think it is resolved it left me feeling pretty drained. People/family/relationship stuff is so complex isn't it? So this morning after contemplating a messy kitchen, washing to be done & other exciting chores I chose instead to meander down to Hepburn Springs to see my mum. Possibly angling for a little TLC and a cuppa I was lucky to find both. Her new house/church/abode is looking wonderful and is becoming more & more like 'her place' every day. Lucy put these pretty pieces of glass along the window.

You may have noticed that Sue has a lot of colour in her life. Do you like the beautiful blanket she knitted?

Lots of little things that catch my eye in her new space.

Funny owl creatures brought back from Santa Fe.

More creatures...

Mum.

Back at home I continued on with the decluttering/remodelling of our little sitting room. It's looking so much better and lighter! It helped that today was so sunny, it was almost spring like. The dogs kindly kept me company.


This is Max, he is a deep thinker. Especially when it comes to menu options. He is a big old lover boy and he is making the most of some quality couch time. (Note new couch! Yes it arrived, & thankyou Michelle for carting away the old one. Not a fun job. But as ugly and smelly as the old couch was it did see us through alot of meaningful moments. Four new babies were fed and cuddled on that couch (were some of them made on it....possibly?) Anyway lots of happy family times involve that old couch so I really was kind of fond of it. Not fond enough, though, to hang on to it. One too many 'accidents' rendered it majorly stinky, and wonky, courtesy of a half eaten cushion (thanks to Jessie the dog, may she rest in peace).

Daisy & Max having a love fest. Oh those loving eyes. The dogs have been so good lately. Now that they are in the back yard, not the front, alot of the problems we were having have ceased. Daisy isn't running away anymore and Max is no longer terrorising the poor postie. Both dogs are having regular walkies, are sporting glamourous new haircuts & their self esteem is at an all time high! Wow!

You can probably tell, I love my pets! They are a big part of our family. They are so sweet natured & they give us a lot of love. Their unconditional love is so soothing & good for us all and their love for each other is pretty special too. Hope you & yours are having a lovely week xoxo

Still thinking..... headache tablets? Rat poison? Vintage apple core? Underpants? The world is my oyster...

Getting active...

Ok, it's official..I am on a new mission. And the mission is all about getting ACTIVE! I am already quite active, running around after five kids, growing garlic, being on school & creche committee's, volunteering at the info centre, making & creating. Like alot of others I am a busy girl. No I am not a sitting around type. But what I am also trying to create is time for my health, mental & physical! So I'm back into walking...and it's fun!

We live near two beautiful lakes and I have started walking around this one every day. It is really beautiful all through the year and I'm enjoying it's wintery colours.





Lots of duckies to say hello to.

Old buildings have lovely faces don't they? The weathered boards and general falling downness are somehow sweet to me.

On a sad note I came across these flowers left for an unknown person who drowned in the lake on Sunday night. Our local paper had a brief article about it saying only that the man was 43, of no fixed address & that is wasn't suspicioius. I found myself thinking about this person and wondering about his life and what happened to him. Who knows what kind of life he led and why it ended this way. I said a little prayer for him - I hope wherever he is he is at peace now.

Walking is good for thinking but sometimes it's good to not think too much! That is when the good old ipod is handy. Now if only those naughty mice/rats hadn't chewed through a whole pile of cords/chargers etc I might be able to charge up my ipod! Oh another thing for the list...

Near the lake is a beautiful building that has some unusual iron work. I've always loved these grumpy guys....I sometimes feel like this too.

But not today, yay! Maybe it's all the good exercise that's making me happy.

Hope you are having a good day too xox

Last days of school holidays...

Are you impulsive? Would you hop in the car with four kids, two dogs, a box of matches and a couple of packets of chips & set off for a long drive in the pouring rain? I know someone who would...

Anyway, it was a fun , crazy & damp way to finish up the school holidays. Being outside in the elements with out much planning seemed a whole lot better than staying at home with the tv on.

As for my other baby, we spent a lovely 24 hours together on Friday in the city. We went shopping - I bought this cute set of magnets for my friend Hannah...I just love them!

We also ate yummy food & chatted & laughed lots. As always I am going to miss her so much now she is back at school.

How were your holidays? Hope you had lots of adventures too xox

Getting down & dirty...

When Michelle & I headed up to Callawadda to weed our garlic crop yesterday I really had no idea what we were in for. Last years weeding at this time was fairly simple and took me a few hours on my own. I hadn't accounted for the massive rainfall the area has had this season, Terry's tanks are full for the first time in 11 years! So when we pulled up and saw this...

...a healthy crop of barley where once there was was mulch...we quietly freaked out!

But there was no time to waste so we quickly got stuck into it.

Simon worked the pitchfork, lifting the mulch and some weed away from the garlic while Michelle & I came behind pulling out the rest of the weed/barley. The sun kept us warm and it was a beautiful day to be outside. Great clouds of white cockatoos flew above and the boys, Ben & William made mud balls & played hide & seek in the gum trees.

Slowly the garlic emerged. And it looked fantastic! See above the lovely hardneck variety, Purple Monaro. We are also growing Silverskin, Oriental Purple & Italian Red (my favourite).

In the small area that we didn't mulch the garlic was going great guns. It seems to be a pretty hardy plant but I guess this is only our second crop so we still have a lot to learn.



I really love growing garlic. Even though it was a drag having to weed and remove all the mulch yesterday it's still a small price to pay for the benefits. It's great being outside in the dirt doing something I really believe in. And doing it with lovely people makes it even better. I can't wait to see our crop harvested this year and to start sharing the benefits of beautiful Australian organic garlic. Hopefully we will have enough this season to start selling.

As the sun started to go down it was time to pack up for the day. Michelle & Simon stayed over to finish the beds in the morning. Driving home I was pretty stuffed but feeling great and satisfied with a good days work. An amazing huge, yellow moon guided me home to a house full of sleepy, cuddly children, a sweet & kind Mark & a vase full of my favourite tulips. Life doesn't get much better than that! xox

Ups & downs in Melbourne Town

This replica of an old photo set from Luna Park is part of the Marvellous Melbourne exhibit at the wonderful Melbourne Museum. We have just come back from a family holiday in the city & we all loved the museum, it is chock a block full of fantastic things to see, touch & experience.

Well it rained & rained while we were away but that didn't stop us having fun. Some highlights were the Little Creatures Dining Hall where Rosie entertained the public with lengthy displays of ballet, much to the embarrassment of some of her siblings. The museum of course was amazing, here is Mark with Pharlap,

Other highlights were the Melbourne Aquarium, Brunswick St, playgrounds, movies and just hanging out together. Lucy & Sunday would probably add the Diva shop at Melbourne Central where we were all blown away by the vast array of colourful bangles, rings, necklaces & sparkling treasures. Wow.

I would be lying if I said it was all fun because IT WASN'T!!! There was tension, grumpiness, tears & stress. Is this part of a normal family holiday?? Who knows. Probably. Seven people in a confined space = potential nightmare. Anyway we soldiered on.

We had a memorable dinner at the Ikea restaurant where we experienced carrot throwing, water tossing & floor hugging (whilst screaming). And no, it wasn't me. As the whole restaurant of people helpfully turned to witness & stare in amazement, I waved bravely.

Of course a major highlight was catching up with my mum who was just back from Santa Fe. Here she is sporting her newest creation, a beautiful blue cardigan. Isn't it fantastic?

On Friday, after a lovely cuppa with Sarah, I visited one of my favourite opshops where I have been going for over twenty years, in Napier St, Fitzroy. There I discovered a huge, delicious mound of colourful knitted blankets and I think for a moment there I was truly in heaven. Apparantly they were made for the bushfire victims and there were just too many of them to give out. I was so happy to give these four a home. I really appreciate the skill, love & care that went into the making of these gorgeous blankets.

It was funny being in the area where I grew up. At first I found it unsettling & it made me a bit sad. Alot has changed and I kind of missed the Fitzroy of old. Empty shops, green trams, fruit & vegie shops, people I knew. But change happens doesn't it? And the past is the past.

I liked seeing my favourite old building, the Fitzroy Townhall from our apartment. As kids we lived one block from the townhall and I would often sit looking at it out my window, dreaming of faraway places. On a summer night the air was filled with the smell of jasmine, of sirens & people coming out of the local pub. It was, and still is, a colourful place to live.

It was good to get back home today. It's cold and wet outside but it's good to be back. How are your holidays going? Hope you are having fun xoxo

ps. do you like the little lavender bag I picked up in the city? It smells wonderful and gives me little blasts of happiness!

Wonderful winter...

Yesterday I was having a bit of a moan about winter. I have been letting the cold, grey days get on top of me a bit. But really, you & I know, there is alot to like about winter! Such as a hot cup of tea with a lovely friend by candlelight! (This particular lovely friend has a great new blog! Some of you may already know her through Daylesford Organics but this is her new little crafty baby so make sure you pop by Foxs Lane and say hello.) Winter is also good for...

dear little, woolly twins! There is also a black pair in this paddock

but they keep avoiding me!

Pretty pansies...

Sunday & I had fun today giving the front verandah a mini makeover. First we went to a great local nursery

where we picked out some flowers to plant as well as some lettuce, ferns and lavender. This prompted a lavender bag making session using the big bag of lavender stashed away for such an occasion.

It was nice to be outside today and tomorrow we will do more of the same. What else is good about winter I hear you say? Why garage sales, fetes, jumble sales & trash & treasure of course!!!

(Which reminds me of our fantastic school fete last year. I was in charge of the Trash & Treasure stall & guess who my helper was? A lovely mum from school whose name happens to be Treasure. It's a great name but it got me wondering where that left me......hmm..)

Anyway, I'm waffling...the good folk at the Anglican Church fill their hall every few months with lots of lovely bits & pieces I love nothing more than a quiet snoop around the linens, bric a brac and especially the shed Out The Back. That's where I found a sweet little blue suitcase, all the way from Chicago, which happens to be where my father-in-law grew up. Now what is the story behind this little case, I would love to know?

Do you like these pretty bits I picked up at the opshop today? How about this sheet? They are all off for a good soak to brighten them up & get rid of that musty, opshop smell.

I'm not sure if ballet is officially a winter activity but it was for one little girl this morning. How much fun did Charlotte & I have taking Rosie to her first ballet lesson today? Almost as much as we had in the Ballet Shop fitting her out in all the right (pink) gear. She makes a beautiful ballerina.

Hope you are keeping warm,

or cool if you are on the other side,

bye for now my lovely friends...see you soon!!! xox