perennial

i am meant to be...

2012-02-12T13:50:00.001+11:00

working on developing some tasks that take into account different learning styles and utilise a flexible learning space whilst aligning marvellously with the agreed learning standards. Ergh.

I am trying, but when I got out of the armchair where I have been re-reading the novel that this pedagogical masterpiece is to based upon I noticed the roses and hippo on my coffee table. Then I noticed the circles of the pouffe and the coffee table. So I took a photo. And now I am posting it.

Posts here have been a little few and far between lately as I try to slip back into work mode without compromising the play, sew, relax, cook, read mojo I developed in the holidays. I will work it out soon and be back with a vengeance I am sure.

back to routine

2012-02-07T12:24:00.001+11:00

It's the first full week of school term so this is our proper return to routine. Which means I am in my own little OCD happy place where I can predict what will happen each day with a fair amount of certainly.

So that means that so far today I have walked to school, caught up on the gossip in the school yard (another school mum has started selling Tupperware - Good Grief, for the life of me I can't understand the call of the plastic). I've been to swimming lessons, done some shop type perusing with a birthday gift in mind and am now eating lunch in front of the computer before I clean floors and bathrooms (it is Tuesday after all). I am aiming to squeeze in some time at the sewing machine between cleaning and walking back up the hill to school; at some point a friend is calling in.

Not a bad routine once holidays are over. As I sometimes think to myself but would never utter aloud - holiday from what? This is actually pretty bloody nice.

flower friday

2012-02-04T16:17:00.002+11:00

I have not posted a Flower Friday for quite some time - these are the harvested Drumstick Allium which grow wildly in the front garden bed. Our flowers are becoming more sparse and being replaced with beautiful dried heads which are full of seeds. I have a slight problem in that I bring the dried flowers inside and put them in vases, bottles, jars, anything that will hold them. I am not sure if they are beautiful in this state or I am just remembering their former glory. They stay inside long enough for me to get sick of them, then they hit the compost. In the meantime I am planning flowers for winter. Besides Hellebores, what are my options here in Victoria? Time for research.

the day before school

2012-02-02T20:58:00.001+11:00

The first day of February and the last day of school holidays was spent at the beach - making sand boats, collecting rockpool creatures, swimming (half heartedly - it really wasn't too warm). Throw in some icecreams and a round of mini golf. Cap it off with a dinner of fish and chips at Amber and Russell's. The recipe for a a great day before the school routine starts again.

(photo and feet by Amber)

grade 2 begins

2012-02-02T20:48:00.001+11:00

Sam woke me at 6am in full school uniform. At 7:30 he remembered we had to remove his holiday nail polish. At 7:45 Milly was in tears pondering the misery of Sam's absence during the day. By 8:00 the tears had subsided and Sam was released from his cuddle duty long enough to stand for his Grade 2 memorial photograph...

At 3:30 we picked him up. One day in, Grade 2 has rave reviews - Generally speaking the day was "fantastic". More specifically: the teacher is "really friendly", work is "good, not too hard yet", and the other kids are "awesome".

By 4:30 we were at swimming lessons. Thus the routine has begun. Tomorrow is Milly's first kinder day as well as my first day back at work since December 19th so I am trying hard to suck it up and go with a smile on my face.

counting down

2012-01-30T13:48:00.001+11:00

With only two full days left before Sam starts school and Milly heads to kinder we are planning how to finish the school holidays. Tomorrow we will head to the cinema for the fist time this holidays to see The Muppets. Wednesday we have decided that regardless of the weather we will spend the whole day at the beach.

I am not ready for them to go back yet. I feel like we have a groove going that is working for all of us. It is the first time I have not been longing for the return to routine and structure that term time brings. I am holding on to this endless summer with both hands and refusing to let it go just yet. There may be school and kinder and work but I am sure we can suck some more life out of this lazy beach caper adventure we have made for ourselves since December.

florals

2012-01-28T22:22:00.001+11:00

I finally managed to cut into some of my vintage sheets. I have struggled to do it for months as I have such a sense that a large part of their beauty is in their functionality. I am not one for 're-purposing' vintage treasures, I love foraging in op shops for treasures and then using things for their intended purpose - pyrex, linen teatowels, bakeware. Once they are changed into something else they lose some of their beauty for me. I have no issue with people doing it, but it is not my thing. If I can't use it I usually leave it in the shop. But the sheets - they are so beautiful - Milly's bed is always made with florals and she loves them. We all sleep on them in the caravan. I do however, have a hankering for a quilt made from the graphic florals and it is a hell of a lot cheaper than buying the fabric for a king size quilt so my frugality won out. Yesterday I sucked it up and started wielding the rotary cutter.

In short, I have finally started the quilt. It will be king size, 2 inch squares in a block of 16 inches - 64 squares per block. There are 30 blocks for a total of almost 2000 squares. I have made a quarter of them so far.

It is a long time since I quilted but I am remembering how much I enjoy the straight lines, ruling, measuring, piecing. It is my kind of heaven. I am aiming to have it finished by the end of February - which seems a long way away given I have pieces a quarter f it in two days but when I get to the stage of handsewing the binding around more than 10 metres of edging I need to allow a lot of time.

As for my purist thrifting tendencies - now I have hacked into my stash I have an excuse to buy more of them.

spending the big bucks

2012-01-25T12:20:00.000+11:00

It seems that Gina Rinehart made 20 billion dollars last week. Yesterday *The Hoopla asked readers what they would do with that much money. Seriously - that is a ridiculous amount of money. I can't even begin to fathom such an amount - I know I would be ecstatic to pay the mortgage off and that would be loose change for Gina.

However, I am thinking that if I had 20 dollars I would love a Tala Dry Measure to help with baking. I am a sucker for a ready reckoner and all those lines and grids make me happy. Over the years I have seen them in op shops but as lovely as the vintage ones are I do think that the dents and dings may impact on the accuracy somewhat. It may be time to buy myself one.

*if you haven't read The Hoopla it is definitely worth a look

painted pebbles

2012-01-25T12:01:00.000+11:00

The kids have been collecting all manner of things from the beach this summer. Our feather vase is full to the brim and last week we gave the pebbles a facelift with some pebble painting. Concentration and a light touch were required.

drinking

2012-01-24T13:05:00.002+11:00

In recent years I have been consuming about 3 cans of diet coke a day (about a litre). It is my only form of caffeine so I can convince myself that it is not so bad. Except that I suspect I may be better off drinking water. There is quite some scientific evidence to suggest it.

I stopped drinking diet coke completely during both my pregnancies. Notably, I was half way through my habitual after work diet coke when I took the pregnancy test for Sam. I didn't finish it, nor did I drink another for 8 months. I thought it might be a bad thing to feed the foetus all those phenylanachemicals. I gave up again when I found out I was pregnant with Emily.

George Clooney watched me have my last diet coke on Saturday. It was in the cinema and I toasted him and his gorgeous brown eyes and enjoyed every last drop. That was 72 hours ago. Since then I have drunk a lot of water. I have also had a small headache behind my eyeballs that I know would disappear with one sip of the fizzy muck.

On Sunday Michael made me a delightful glass of Pimms at lunch instead of Diet Coke. But then I had to lie down for an hour as I was a little pissed at 2 in the afternoon. I have decided against making it my replacement beverage.

Sparkling mineral water would be lovely. But we don't have any in the fridge and I don't have the energy to go and buy some. I would if I had had my caffeine hit for the day. Instead I will take two nurofen and lie on the couch scowling at the glass of water next to me.

update

2012-01-23T12:49:00.002+11:00

Outdoors we are giving the garden a midsummer prune and collecting seeds from spent flowers; planning the next planting in the small vegetable bed and harvesting gorgeous tomatoes from the large.

Indoors we are making tents in the lounge, playing board games, reading aloud and watching a bit of tennis while mostly staying in air conditioned comfort. Kitchen offerings continue to improve with time spent buying lovely fresh food and then preparing it for dinners.

Beyond the boundaries of number 55 we are swimming, catching up with friends and walking for miles along the river (dog ownership has revived hour long walks for me, rides for the kids).

Our endless summer continues...

thrifted treasure

2012-01-20T12:13:00.001+11:00

It has been a long time between op shop visits. Most of them shut over Christmas and a visit to the oppie with the kids is nowhere near as enjoyable as the solo experience. I decided to drop into an oppie that is barnlike with stroppy volunteers but has the occasional treasure. Compared to the happy chats with the ladies at my favourite oppie on my corner (who also put things aside for me) it is quite a terse transaction.

Today I found the Singer Sewing Book, first edition from 1969. The cover alone would have drawn me to it but the tips and illustrations are gorgeous. My other find was something I have not seen before - a Shred Master. Made in Italy, it is a manual food processor with lots of attachments and a suction cup mechanism that holds it firmly to the bench top. Two treasures that are both useful and beautiful.

hot trip

2012-01-17T12:49:00.001+11:00

Michael is away on a 'hot trip'. He is in the middle of the desert driving cars in circles, taking internal temperatures, timing how long a locked car takes to heat up, then timing how long the air conditioner takes to cool the hot car down. I think they also ask each other questions about 'comfort levels' and collect their combined perspiration, measure it, then calibrate it against the socio-economic profile, physical characteristics and hormone fluctations of the internal passengers giving them data that means when YOU get into your (insert name of well known popular car here) in summer and turn on the air conditioner you are cool and comfy before you get out of the carpark.

I don't really know what he does on a hot trip. But he does it in the desert. Luckily this time it is the South Australian desert rather than Dubai and he will be home next weekend. I mean luckily for me not him - he was quite happy to fly to Dubai last year and stay in a hotel made from gold where women aren't allowed to speak their mind. I much prefer the thought of him in the 70's (and not in a cool "lets play homage way ironic" way but in a 'it hasn't been updated since we did it the first time' way) splendour of the Desert Cave Motor Inn. He is in a dug out (ie underground room) which means he is cool but living with artificial light constantly and looking at dirt walls which are the colour of raw sausage meat. Oh, and he doesn't have any internet or mobile phone access, which is also lucky for me as he can't read my disparaging version of his most important work.

Meanwhile down here at a much more humane latitude it is hot and we started the day with a 7am beach walk at 13th Beach. It was stunning. By 9 when we came home it was already 32 degrees and as I write this at midday the estimated high of 33 has been passed and it is 36. We are now bunkered down in air conditioned comfort and the kids have a pop up beach shelter tent thingy in the middle of the lounge room. Later we will head to the beach again, this time for a proper swim. Tonight I have promised the kids they can sleep in the tent.

It used to be that when Michael went away for work I was envious of his business class flights, room service and general good luck at escaping the children for a couple of weeks at a time. Strangely the shoe is now on the other foot. His company's tendency to throw money around to enhance the calibre of his work trips has declined in direct proportion to our kids now being kind of easy to hang around with. Single motherhood seems easier every time I have to do it. We still miss him though.

emily

2012-01-14T21:05:00.000+11:00

She has to muster all her self control to not ask for the beater/spoon/spatula/bowl until the cake is in the oven (a rule created years ago when I was sick of being pestered). At the moment she has a black eye that she has declared her "rainbow eye" and "better than face paint". She is infatuated with Sadie and can regularly be found crouching at the window talking to her. She is speedy fast and fearless on her scooter.

We have 12 months to spend together before she starts school and I need to remember these things when I am itchy to have time to myself in 2012. I think it will be far too soon and she will be in a school uniform and our 'you and me' days will be restricted to school holidays.

at the moment I am...

2012-01-14T10:33:00.000+11:00

Michael left very early this morning for a week long work trip. The kids were in my room crying their eyes out at 6:33. In an effort to get through the week unscathed I am...

Listening to The Verses. Which a 27 year old friend turned her nose up at. I may have settled nicely into "adult contemporary genre" and I am happy about it. Michael has Temper Trap on high rotation - more evidence.

Reading this - it is guaranteed to make me laugh out loud. I love all his books and somehow have missed this one until now. His books are perfect for single mothering - they can be read for ten minutes, put down at the end of a chapter and not picked up for hours. Anything but blood can wait until the end of the chapter.

Watching Friday Night Lights. I have only heard great things about this so I have borrowed it from the library and am looking forward to spending evenings watching it.

Cooking up a storm using a few blogs, this recipe book I gave Michael and some Stephanie Alexander when I have more time to enjoy the process. The kids have fallen for spaghetti puttanesca so that is on high rotation. Last night we sat down with friends for a meal and the kids ate like normal people. Is it possible that our final horror of parenting may be conquered soon?

Looking at these flowers sent yesterday by Mum and Dad after they read my blog. The card wished me a happy KFD - how great is that?

kfd

2012-01-13T10:23:00.003+11:00

I didn't know what a KFD was until Amber used the acronym - Kid Free Day. I have one today. I am going to use it well. I will enjoy preparing and cooking dinner for friends we have not seen since Easter. I will get to at least one op. shop. I will think about and then write a proper reply to an email from a friend who has raised something called 'blog life envy' which I think may be a very real condition. I will take some photos of the garden. I will listen to music all morning and cricket all afternoon. I will take random photos and post them to Instagram, then compulsively check to see who has liked me them. I will take Sadie for another walk, introducing her to the river. I will wrestle with html codes and put an RSS feed on my blog. I will make the most of this KFD.

The photo is one I took during my last KFD at The Bookshop at Queenscliff - I recommend it.

An important note - the 'blog life envy' spoken of in the email did not refer to envy of my life, blog or otherwise. I have no illusions of that. If you doubt me, read this post). Aint no one gonna wish they were me.

addendum

2012-01-12T14:12:00.002+11:00

I feel a definite need to blog and counter last night's blog post focusing on the insanity of the day. Rest assured that yesterday ended magnificently with Amber and Russell babysitting and us having a lovely dinner with friends, Kym and Paul.

At some point I am going to have to go to Kym and Paul's property with a camera because everywhere I look there is ridiculous beauty - a laden pear tree, fenced off veggie garden, goats and chickens, lovely old gates, a little corrugated shed with an ornate white iron door that is picture perfect cute (don't even know what it is for). They also have two gorgeous sons who give me a peek into a future life with our own kids, when they are young adults - interesting and interested humans in their own right rather than the pesky yet sometimes amusing offspring that we have hanging around at our dinner parties.

Between the evening out and Russell and Amber who happily babysat until very late at night on a school night, the chaos and tension of earlier in the day has been completely erased.

When I talked to the kids about the crazy yesterday they did point out that there was one high point - Sadie had her very first walk up to the High Street. They are right, the walk up there (which was dry) was great. And in my efforts to be IN more photos, Sam took a shot of us as we set off. This was two hours before the gate was ripped off his hinges, perhaps it is a sign of things to come is the shot of me battling to control my hair in gale force winds.

And a small update on the fallout of yesterday - Milly didn't end up with a full shiner, just a lovely arcing bruise around her eye; the whites are hanging on the line and so far neither kid has mimicked my colourful vocabulary. I think it will all be alright.

You know the days...

2012-01-11T17:12:00.002+11:00

When you have plans to do lots of stuff outside because the kids were in a car most of yesterday and need to let off steam, but it rains and gale force winds blow instead?

When you want to soak your whites in napi-san so start to fill the machine with the intention of stopping the wash cycle but get distracted and don't realise until your stained whites are spinning; so you start the fill again and then have to stand there in case you forget again?

When you break a major rule of motherhood and spontaneously yell at your 7 year old - "For Fuck's Sake" in the carpark of Dan Murphy's as you are loading a box of alcohol into the car

When you go for a walk to the library and supermarket, feeling virtuous because you are a: walking not driving as per number 2 of your 12 resolutions and b: because you now have a dog - but it rains on you and the kids as you walk back so as you arrive home freezing cold and wet you realise you forgot anchovies for tonight's pasta?

When the kids build a cubby with pillows and sheets using the coffee table as the roof and bang their heads on it at least four times, each?

When your son is playing with the car door, ignores your pleas to stop and yanks open the car door into the face of your daughter, resulting in a a graze and the start of a swollen black eye? (incidentally, this is when you break your rule of motherhood).

When the gale force wind rips the gate (which has not had a problem in the 5 years you have lived here) off its hinges not 24 hours after you bring home a dog?

When you go to a local provedore to buy a thank you gift and the shop assistant remarks on how lovely and well behaved your children are and you laugh so loud and hard she thinks you are a crazy woman?

When you call your husband to come home early to fix the gate because you are going out tonight and he informs you it is SNOWING in the mountains today, five days from the middle of summer?

With this information you realise the Apocalypse is nigh and the rest of it doesn't matter so you tell the kids to leave you alone and sit at the computer.

How has your day been?

Sam

2012-01-10T21:15:00.000+11:00

I am loathe to wax lyrical on the theme of "time goes so fast" and "don't they grow up quickly" but - has anyone else noticed that Sam looks about two years older than he did a week and a half ago?

He has had a growth spurt. Summer has tanned him (despite SPF factor up the wazoo) and his hair is bleached blonde by hours spent riding and being out in the world. But more than that, he has some new expressions, his body language is changing and he is interacting with people in a slightly different way. He turned 7 in October and I feel like I am getting glimpses into him as an 11 year old. He can pull the surly out when needed (see photo 3) but mostly he is a happy and thoughtful and thinking kind of kid.

(God only knows why the carnival clowns have blackface - I remain horrified)

sadie

2012-01-10T20:46:00.001+11:00

... is a young terrier cross who has joined us from The Lost Dogs Home. We collected her today and so far we are smitten but with a strong desire to do what it takes to have a lovely, friendly addition to our home. There has been lots of talking to the kids about being her boss and the importance of being calm and assertive. I am channelling my inner Cesar Millan and expounding the benefits of discipline. She was desexed yesterday so I doubt we are seeing her true spirit yet - while playing on the back lawn this afternoon we were treated to a running leap that was truly impressive and may be a glimpse into things to come.

I promise to keep a reign on the urge to post dozens of photos of her but can't resist a couple here today...

home again

2012-01-08T18:51:00.000+11:00

We are home. We had an amazing time. Friends were lovely. Milestones were achieved (note the absence of Milly's trainer wheels). Lovely food and drink was consumed. Sam was missing in action except when he got hungry (the chess photo was taken on the first evening). Laughter abounded. Mostly, though, we relaxed. A peek at our week away through my instagram pics...

break in transmission

2012-01-03T08:25:00.001+11:00

Once everything on our 7 (!) lists is complete we will be heading away for the week with friends. While I could wirelessly hook up with the world I think I will opt for laughing, relaxing and holidaying in an e-free zone. Enjoy your summery or wintery week, wherever you are in the world.

Carol x

cabin fever cure

2012-01-02T20:31:00.000+11:00

As I write this at half past eight it is 40 degrees. At 6 it was 44. We stayed inside all day and by late afternoon had driven each other crazy. The perfect remedy was sprinkler romping for the children and lemonade/beer drinking for the adults (with a little sprinkler action as well) at Russell and Amber's house.

the kids

2012-01-01T22:01:00.000+11:00

I can only imagine the things this year will bring. Today I wanted to capture the kids unawares. I am so aware that I have a lovely life in dozens of ways but most of all I am blessed that these two really are the cat's pyjamas.

twelve for '12

2012-01-01T21:28:00.000+11:00

Organise babysitters and tend to our social life beyond the occasional movie.
Walk instead of drive.
Cook more of the food I love to eat.
Play music in the house. All kinds of music. All the time. Dance when the kids want to.
Read bedtime stories to the kids more often than not.
Drink more water than diet coke.
Be in more photos.
Wear lovely knickers all the time.
Leave comments on the blogs I read instead of merely lurking.
Find a way of stopping the neighbour's cat from living/toileting in our garden.
Go away more often.
Nurture the veggie gardens for an additional 6 months so we can enjoy autumn and winter harvest as much as summer and spring.

31st

2011-12-31T19:45:00.001+11:00

We spent the final day of the year at Indented Heads snorkeling and swimming and floating. Russell, Amber and Tim joined us and adventures abounded. We took Sam to the shipwreck of the paddle steamer The Ozone and he was doing superbly 'til his snorkel dropped from the mask and he watched it spiral down into what seemed like a never ending abyss (admittedly it was well over all our heads - probably 10-12 feet deep). Russell the diving master retrieved the snorkel but Sam was suitably terrified and reef snorkelling ended in favour if the rockpools amd shallows. Importantly, Sam has put the terror behind him and is now talking it up as a great moment in his seven years thus far. I had buoyancy issues (I am a natural floater) so need to practice my submerging techniques. Nevertheless I did see striped fish and lots of waving planty things on the rusty wreck.

Lots of people and boats there today so it didn't have the sense of an idyllic private beach that we usually enjoy. Nevertheless it was a lovely way to spend the last day of '11. The photo was taken by Amber, I left my phone in its case.

Happy New Year!

flower friday

2011-12-31T09:25:00.001+11:00

Rudbeckia Maxima in the back garden. There are dozens of them and they all make me happy and revel in summer.

one week in

2011-12-30T09:53:00.001+11:00

We have been on holidays for a week now and it has gone a lot like this...

Mornings are spent doing lots of sorting, culling and cleaning. There have been three car loads to the op shop so far; linen cupboards, clothes, the shed - they are all getting the treatment. So much so that there is a dump run planned for this afternoon. It feels great. Today the kids are out and their toys are getting a once over in their absence. I will not be sidetracked by thoughts of Milly weeping at the loss of her twisted pipecleaner 'sculptures' - anyone who thinks this is cruel hearted can have them, all 27 of them. Send me your address.

At some point every day we are getting to the beach. On Tuesday we watched the Melbourne to Hobart yachts race through the heads. We had a close up view of Veloce with our lovely friend Noel as the bowman (they finished yesterday in third place). Tonight we are packing a picnic and going for a twilight snorkel.

I am trying to have a walk every day. One day it was to the supermarket with my "old lady trolley" as Milly calls my shopping trolley. Another day along the river. I have decided it doesn't matter how far or where, as long as I do it.

We are catching up with friends every day and cooking lots of easy but delicious meals thanks to the discovery of this lovely blog www.gourmetgirl-friend.blogspot.com and my gift of Jamie's 30 minute meals to Michael. Last night we had friends over for slow cooked lamb (thanks Ruth), earlier in the week the kids declared Michael's (ie Jamie's) Puttanesca sauce worthy of 9/10. Tonight will be Vietnamese cold rolls at the beach.

Next week we head away with the caravan for a week with friends. Very excited about that. In short, nothing bad about the holidays so far. Oh, and Instagram. There has been a LOT of instagram.

the 25th

2011-12-27T07:52:00.001+11:00

Christmas Day was lovely. Lots of books, puzzles, a baby doll, new snorkels all round, body boards, a nerf gun (the first to ever enter our house - I may regret it), colouring in, real life camera, air hog vector wave (if you know what that is you I pity your ear drums) and board games. The enormous storm missed us completely with not a drop of rain, let alone hail stones the size of lemons.

tradition

2011-12-26T19:40:00.001+11:00

I managed to finish sorting the cupboards in Milly's room and sit down to my jigsaw just in time for the coin toss of the Boxing Day Test Match...

At lunch we flipped channels to watch the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race...

By Tea Break the puzzle was done...

Boxing Day, cricket and a jigsaw - a Christmas tradition that has nothing to do with baubles or gifts but may well be my most favourite.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T23:25:00.003+11:00

Christmas Eve saw us celebrating with the best of friends and ushering kids to bed once the Santa and Reindeer snack were ready. Everything is ready for an early start tomorrow.

Thankyou for reading the blog this year, whether you were a regular or sporadic visitor, or merely found yourself here after a random Google search for German Measles (my 3rd most popular traffic source). Visitors have come from near and far and have numbered over 9000 hits from 786 different people this year. Last week, with no fanfare I blogged my 600th post since I started in 2008. I hope you have found some joy in reading Perennial as the joy I have in recording our life here has been boundless.

Merry Christmas to all and to Mum:

Cx.

xmas angels

2011-12-24T13:07:00.002+11:00

... of both the chocolate and sand variety.

oranges and lemons

2011-12-24T13:05:00.000+11:00

Amber's mother's citrus trees are 60 years old and produce huge, thick skinned, juicy fruit. On Friday last week Amber texted and asked how many I'd like. I told her I would take as many as she could spare. On Saturday this bounty was delivered. She had warned there were a lot. I seem to remember my reply was along the lines of "the more the better". I was gobsmacked at the quantity and have a distinct memory of Russell's laughter as he kept unloading bags and bags. On Sunday we made one batch of cordial and promptly ran out of sugar. They have been sitting idle on the verandah as we hustled and bustled around them all week. Some started to grow fuzz. I started to worry about wastage (but I did buy more sugar).

This morning I was out the house at 6am to buy the Christmas bounty. Home by 8am, I unpacked all into the shed drinks fridge (which now has more food than beverage for the first time in its life); a quick birthday call to Mum and then the task of making the first layers of trifle, by 9:30 I was back in bed. I woke two hours later to the smell of Michael roasting beetroot and garlic and the sight of him squeezing lemons on the verandah...

Am I not married to the loveliest man? And a huge thanks to Mary and Stan for loving their trees long enough for us to enjoy their bounty.

the graduate

2011-12-23T13:47:00.002+11:00

from this...

to this....

In his school year book Sam's interview is thus:

I am happy when... I have my favourite food, fish and chips.

Happiness tastes like... homemade spaghetti.

Happiness feels like... me on my bike.

Happiness sounds like... a bird

Happiness smells like... fresh fish.

more on the theme of xmas

2011-12-23T10:06:00.001+11:00

The garlands are up and the tree is presiding over a bounty of gifts.

Heavy brown packages keep arriving from England. Mum has ordered from The Book Depository and there have been ten (!) parcels addressed to the Jansen Family. We have decided the fun will be to open them up and guess who they are for.

The small gifts for friends who we don't exchange gifts with are wrapped and distributed last night at our end of year celebration. Who doesn't love After Dinner Mints?

flower friday

2011-12-23T09:49:00.003+11:00

Allium and Agapanthus in the front garden.

celebrations

2011-12-22T11:43:00.002+11:00

The end of year functions are coming thick and fast. Last night I hosted the end of year afternoon tea with the gorgeous women from work. Debriefing and laughter and gossip (the things you learn about your coworkers!) were running as freely as the punch. Tonight about 8 families from school are gathering for an end of year bbq celebration in the park. Kris Kringle presents for the kids, there is a rumour a man in red will be making an appearance. Tomorrow sailing and swimming.

With shopping done, work finished and a clean house, it is a lovely time of year - catching up with different friends each day. The upside for me is that I will be cooking something lovely for every occasion ... yesterday cannoli, today pavlova, tomorrow trifle. At some point soon I will be making plum jam, lemon cordial and orange marmalade. So in this spirit of Christmas and the kitchen, here is the "recipe" for Amber's lovely punch - Pomegranate juice, sugar free lemonade, a sprinkling of rose water, serve with ice, lemons and strawberries. Delicious.

exhaustion

2011-12-22T11:03:00.000+11:00

Sam has one day left at school and wanted to sleep in his uniform as it would be a while 'til he wore it again. Unfortunately he also snuck out of bed, dragging his quilt onto his bean bag to read Roald Dahl. At some point he fell asleep despite the angle of his bedside light set to interrogate.

club

2011-12-20T13:09:00.003+11:00

This afternoon at approximately 3:40 the first meeting of the Finger Bun Club will commence. Finger Buns have been purchased. A clubhouse has been made from an old sheet and the divan. A sign has been hung. A movie will be filmed. There is a password. I can not tell you what it is.

kicking off my shoes

2011-12-20T08:12:00.001+11:00

Last day of work yesterday and the holiday feeling started straight away as I headed to a friend's for dinner and a chat. I was meant to be keeping her company following a hospital incident (all is well now) but I think she was more of a tonic for me. No more work until February. These photos are details of the lovely patterns, colours and textiles that abound at her house.

dinner harvest

2011-12-18T21:38:00.003+11:00

We grew tonight's inner of pea, mint and feta salad, with a honey dijon dressing and lamb cutlets. It was delicious but more satisfying was heading out to the garden for mint and peas of all kinds - plain, snow and sugar snap. The perfect combination of eating and gardening - two of my loves.

baubles

2011-12-18T19:32:00.001+11:00

Dodgy weather meant we decided against going to Carols by Candlelight. The kids are disappointed. I am now contemplating braving the big production of Christmas Eve Carols instead of the low key service in the local park. Someone talk me out of it.

If you look closely you will see my reflection in these glass baubles. I have been buying vintage decorations from op. shops for a year and a half and it seems I now have more than will fit on our tree. This bowl sits and sparkles on the coffee table.

instagram

2011-12-18T12:13:00.002+11:00

Move over Trism, I am cultivating a new iPhone addiction - loading my photos to instagram. If you want to follow me (you could be the first) I am over there as Perennial. Above are a few shots loaded this morning.

this afternoon

2011-12-17T19:22:00.000+11:00

Sailing, swimming and snorkeling in the ocean. Russell and Amber joined us. A most glorious afternoon. Look at the sky.

at the moment I am...

2011-12-17T08:31:00.003+11:00

watching...

Lark Rise to Candleford. A BBC production about English village life in the late 1800's. It is a slow and sleepy series that sets a nice tone in the evenings when Michael and I sit on the couch. We have just started series 2 and the library also has 3 and 4 so it could become our summer routine.

reading....

The Street Sweeper. I read Elliot Perlman's first book Seven Types of Ambiguity years ago and loved it. I have not actually started this one but now that I have only 1 work day left I feel like holiday reading can start in earnest. This is the best kind of holiday book for me - one that is long and involved so I can have hours of reading and still stretch it out over days rather than consume it all in a day.

shopping...

I really don't have much more to do. A couple of Kris Kringle offerings and something for Russell. I will head to Goose in East Geelong. It used to be a short walk from our old house and I would be in there a few times a week, pushing a tiny Sam in his pram. It is bigger and more glamorous than it used to be but Gloria and Kristen still remember Sam and always ask after him. I think today the place will be packed so I am off early.

.... and of course later today we will head to the beach for what seems like our regular weekend play.

flower friday

2011-12-17T08:09:00.000+11:00

Poppies in the back garden bordering the verandah. I have to be quick to find these as the rain and wind we are regularly dealing with means I am more likely to find the petals on the ground than the flowers themselves.

mindful

2011-12-14T09:57:00.000+11:00

It is really busy at home and horribly stressful at work (Amber called it the Bermuda Triangle of Education on Friday when I was talking about my day). One kid is sick, the other is exhausted. And despite attempts at seasonal frugality money seems to be hemorrhaging from our bank account. All the hallmarks of a stressful life.

I caught myself yesterday having a negative view of things around me. I was at the hairdresser, Milly was with Amber. It should have been two hours of peace and tabloid magazines. Instead I was getting cranky at the pace of the salon, the inane babble of my hairdresser; the assault on women's bodies in a magazine purported to be a 'woman's mag'; the glare coming in off the window; the chemicals itching my scalp. You name it, it was bugging me.

So I stopped. I breathed out and shut it all out. And I realised that the last few weeks have been more like this than not. Half empty instead of half full. So it is time to be more mindful. Time to accept the things that are and let them wash away rather than feel my body tense up and absorb the things that can get to me.

As I sit here with Milly sick on the divan watching Playschool I can a see our Christmas tree bursting with sparkly baubles, beyond the windows some new flowers are about to unfurl their upsidedown petals and way down near the garage the tomatoes are heavy with fruit. Amber is coming over for a cup of tea and laughter. I only have two more days of work before February. Payday is tomorrow. The kids will catch up on sleep. Things are more good than not.

deliveries

2011-12-13T15:08:00.003+11:00

The best thing about doing so much of my Christmas shopping online is that I have not been anywhere near a Westfield or KMart or other horror location that requires me to gird my loins and accept that it will take twice as long and three times as much angst to find a car park.

The second best thing is that there are now packages arriving everyday. They wait on my doorstep for me while I am at work. They are in the hands of the happy, pink haired rollergirl who delivers for Aus Post. And yesterday one was tucked behind the cane chairs on the front verandah.

(the photo is one of Amber's - taken on Waterfall Way in NSW)

blodig helvete

2011-12-13T14:43:00.002+11:00

Bloody Hell. Did you know that Norway is in the middle of a "butter crisis"? Heavy rainfalls over summer has meant unproductive cows and a shortage of milk to make into butter. Unscrupulous Europeans are selling sticks of butter online for the Norwegian Krone equivalent of fifty dollars. Having just enjoying a lovely buttery tomato sandwich with a liberal sprinkling of salt I am aghast.

I read the blog of an English woman living in Norway and she has just posted her joy at being able to buy butter in Sweden on a weekend trip. It's definitely a crazy world huh?

that time of the year

2011-12-11T20:24:00.001+11:00

Seems like all the blogs I like to read are on a the same go slow with posting as I am. It is the end of the year and we are busy. Saturdays are spent sailing and Sunday social calenders are full as well. Today was our annual Christmas Party with lovely ex crew members. We've just arrived home from a day that started at 9am. All is well at number 55 but we are most looking forward to the end of school term, Christmas and days of happy summer holidays stretched out before us.

I am feeling most satisfied that I have finished Christmas shopping. I am now avoiding shops again until late January.

flower friday

2011-12-09T07:29:00.001+11:00

Milly's photo of the Echinops (Veitch's Blue) in the back garden, one of my favourites.

harvest

2011-12-08T19:12:00.001+11:00

This is half the crop of beetroot and carrots picked this afternoon. Rumour has it that Michael will be making beetroot dip tomorrow to serve to guests in the evening. The addition of yoghurt and cumin seeds to my shopping list today suggest the odds of it happening are high.

photographer

2011-12-08T18:55:00.001+11:00

Tomorrow's Flower Friday post will be courtesy of Milly. She spent some time this afternoon in the garden.

christmas

2011-12-08T18:33:00.001+11:00

Christmas is getting closer. Sam forgot to ask Santa for a present in his letter but did ask some questions that I, for one, would be interested in knowing the answers to. Meanwhile Milly was an Angel in the Kinder Christmas concert and was quite enamoured of her halo.

Sam's letter: Dear Santa, How old is your oldest elf? How heavy is your smallest elf? How is Mrs. ~~Santa~~? How many elves do you have? Are you a very nice man? I hope you have a good day. Love from Sam J

busy

2011-12-04T18:44:00.001+11:00

It is nearing the end of term. I haven't been able to sit at the computer to blog when incomplete reports abound. I am almost there though so will return soon.

I had to post something, a friend of a friend asked about the blog this week and I realised that the worms post has been sitting there in top spot for days - blergh. The choice of a photo of this lovely sheet is nothing more than a reminder that I have procrastinated more about making something from my enormous stash of these than I do about reports. What is that about?

intestinal infestation

2011-11-30T09:17:00.001+11:00

This blog is a place for me to lay down the happy stuff for keeps. It is not that I have a morbid sense that at any moment it could go belly up and in a haze of misery I will long for tales of the good old days. It is more an attempt to live in the present and see the happy in my days. And I have a lot of happy.

I also have a fair share of the horrors. But I choose not to blog them - I choose instead to deal with the horrors by sitting comatise with my head in my hands and a drink at the ready. Or when things are really bad - just going to bed and sleeping for twelve hours knowing that when I wake up something will have changed - even if it is only my level of tolerance for the horror. But blog it? Not a chance. So the result is a kind of skewed magical version of the life here at number 55. Which is lovely. But is only 7/8s of the pie.

Case in point - on Sunday I had this conversation with Sam...

Sam: Mum, why does it sometimes look like there are worms wriggling in your poo?
Me: What?
Sam: Well sometimes I look at my poo and it looks like there are worms in it.
Me: What?
Sam: They are white.
Me:
Sam: And skinny.
Me:
Sam: They look like worms.
Me:
Sam: Mum?

Yep - that's the world here that doesn't get blogged. I tell you with authority that the top selling worm treatment "chocolate" coats your mouth in a way that can not be washed away with any amount of red wine.

I will also mention that in search of information I turned to Google. What has been seen can not be unseen.

ps:

2011-11-29T22:01:00.001+11:00

Amber just emailed a photo of the kids at the beach this afternoon with the email subject: wagging school. Perfect.

tuesday afternoon

2011-11-29T17:58:00.001+11:00

It was hot and muggy today so Milly, Amber and I busted Sam out of school an hour early and we went to the beach for the afternoon. There were a few people there but we were the only ones swimming. Milly has grown a foot since last summer so was (mostly) holding her own in the waves - her resilience in the face of occasional dumpings was a joy to watch.

advent 2011

2011-11-29T12:59:00.001+11:00

It all starts on Thursday. One jar a day for 24 days, each one holds a treasure - a treat, outing, activity or challenge - designed to make the kids smile every morning in December.

all done

2011-11-29T12:54:00.001+11:00

Milly painted and I bustled around getting everything on the list done. I can recommend the bathroom as the prime site for a very quick declutter (case in point: mouth ulcer ointment from 2009). Now we are busy hatching plans for a happy afternoon of mad adventure...

write it and it will happen...

2011-11-29T09:09:00.001+11:00

Tuesday:

finish making the advent calendar (then take photos of it because it is lovely)
vacuum (urgh)
get birthday present for Rosie
clean bathrooms (at the very least, a cursory wipe)
remove two bags of clutter from the house (this involves a random walk with the timer on, scrambling through junk drawers to de-junk them)
write a christmas present list (super budget conscious this year - leave a comment if you have any ideas in this direction)
email my book depository list to mum (she is ready to give up on us)
organise a playdate for Milly so I can get started on end of year reports a bit early.

The photo is of a modern art quilt by Heather Bennett (from here) who hand dyes fabric then pieces and quilts them. I think they are very beautiful.

it's all in the pose

2011-11-27T13:30:00.001+11:00

(a tiara helps too).

rainy day lucky dip...

2011-11-26T19:11:00.001+11:00

...meant a day of collages, uno, carpet bowls, balloon rockets, film making, smartie toss, disco, jigsaw, monopoly.

We each write down three activities we wish to do, fold in half and bury them in a cake tin full of our dyed pasta and do whatever gets drawn out. All of us do it together, noone is exempt. It makes for a fun, if somewhat exhausting family day. As I type, the rain is still coming down. I am not sure Mike and I have the energy up for a second day.
(photo by Milly)

milestones on a thursday

2011-11-26T18:49:00.001+11:00

What is missing from the first photo may not be immediately apparent but is something of a big deal for Milly. Rather than stuff Teddy into her backpack, she plopped him onto her bed with the pronouncement "I don't need to take Teddy to kinder any more" and just like that, we walked out the door.

On the same day Sam handed in his first "project" and I am proud to say that he knows more about France than I do, having done the project himself.

flower friday

2011-11-26T18:42:00.001+11:00

Verbena Bonariensis and a very grey sky, this one was taken this morning (saturday), a day when it has rained all day without relief.

note to self:

2011-11-22T09:06:00.001+11:00

Not too much going on here at number 55. I have had blood tests and await results. Exhaustion and parenting is not a combination that I would recommend (nor is exhaustion and teaching Year 9s). There are great things happening though so I need to remind myself of them - Amber and Russell are home after living in Queensland for three years. The garden seems to be thriving on very little love. The kids are playing together in a way that makes life easy. The weather is glorious. The holidays are a month away. I have started making a necklace that will either be amazing or awful. I am seriously whipping Michael in an ongoing game of scrabble. It's the little things.

saturday

2011-11-20T10:09:00.001+11:00

Junior Sailing was cancelled due to horrible weather. Which didn't stop us, a lone boat in Port Phillip bay. Friends came with us and the kids were intrepid, splashing and running around. As for keeping warm and dry? Obviously overrated concepts. However, I am on now the lookout for op shop wetsuits - size 6 and 8.

flower friday

2011-11-18T20:27:00.001+11:00

Agapanthus shielding the chickens. This shot was taken in the gloom after the thunderstorm that brought welcome relief from the 37 degree (98 F) heat today.

crabapples

2011-11-16T21:49:00.001+11:00

We have eleven crabapple trees in the front garden. They are three years old but when they were one and a half we transplanted them and they have been sulking ever since (tree #12 actually took sulking to the extreme and died). They have never been particularly successful, it is a boring story along the lines of: wrong species of tree in the wrong place, too much money invested, pulling them out would kill me, transplanting again would kill them. Not my finest arborial hour. But today...

... as I climbed out of the car and squinted through my grove of trees into the sun to check the letterbox I saw a cluster of blossoms. The very first - with six pretty flowers. There are no signs of any others following suit, but it seems that tree #4 has stopped sulking and come to the party of doing what crabapples are meant to do. It has flowered, which means it will fruit. Which means the others might catch on and next year I can make some pale pink sour-y sweet crabapple jam. And then I might sit on the verandah and look out at them lovingly, instead of the looks of disappointment I give them at the moment. Perhaps a horticultural corner has been turned.

summer plans

2011-11-15T14:00:00.001+11:00

Our 2011/2012 summer plan is to spend as much of it as possible at the beach and sailing. Sounds marvelous, although it is a little problematic as I loathe sand. I used to think I didn't enjoy the beach. Somehow, somewhere I realised I love the beach, it's the sand I hate. I love the waves, water, sun, the potent mixture of complete relaxation and exhilerating physical exertion. And mostly I love watching the kids, their sheer abandonment to the whole experience. But there is the issue of sand. I have learned that through meticulous packing everything on 'the beach list' that the horrors of the sand can be somewhat countered.

My beach list is both extensive and hilarious to those around me (who apparently have no issue with the discomfort of a sand filled gusset):

2 full size plastic buckets. Various uses whilst playing at the beach (can be used to fill the moat of sandcastles to great effect). However, their primary purpose is to be filled with water for rinsing sand from body parts during the beach experience (sand free sandwiches - only possible after rinsing). They are used in various ways for various reasons all day but their final task is to rinse feet and thongs/crocs a millisecond before getting back into the car.
at least 2 rugs, size large. To spread out and ensure a sand free sitting zone. This year I have been buying large heavy 70's bedspreads from op shops and I am thinking they will be perfect.
a shovel. To dig small moat around rugs to mark out the no-go zone, ensuring that children do not step on rugs with putrid wet, sandy feet (shovel may be played with by children once rug area is secure).
(when milly was small) a small inflatable wading pool. To fill (using one of the buckets) for baby to sit and crawl around in without becoming as putrid as the aforementioned feet. I am still tempted to leave it on the list but am willing to have a trial beach day without it before deciding.
ziplock bags (size large). For protection of telephones, keys, wallet. Can also be used when children insist on bringing home sand drenched foundlings. Very handy for sunscreen which can become grit filled within moments of use.
beach chair. The type with low legs. I may look like I am sitting on the rug, but I actually have another line of defense between the sand and myself.
enormous sun hat. For hiding behind so that I am unrecognisable as the crazy lady who has brought a dozen anti-sand measures to the beach.

Our first beach and sailing outing is planned for this Saturday so I am spending time this week preparing items on the list.

For the record, I look at families who arrive at the beach with nothing but sunscreen and bathers with both awe and respect. Did you know that some people don't even bother with shoes? Or a towel? Imagine.

Wichelsea Festival

2011-11-15T09:24:00.001+11:00

We have friends who try to convince us to go to the Geelong Show each year. Each year we refuse the lure of spending an exorbitant sum to walk around in the dust, eating fried food and dodging crowds of screaming kids (and adults). This year we took them to our idea of a show - the Winchelsea Festival. It has woodchopping, sheep shearing, sheep dog demos, dog high jumping (Milly and I love it, we can watch it for hours), tractor demos and snow cones.

Winchelsea is a 40 minute drive from here, the show takes place on the town's oval and the kids spend hours running from one stall to another. There are rides and showbags and fried food but they can't beat the lure of the SES cutting up a real car, watching a white dog called Red jump an 8 foot high barrier, eating cordial flavoured ice shavings or seeing a man called Max win the overage axeman's championship on his 71st birthday. Got to love a country fair.

maintenance

2011-11-15T09:18:00.001+11:00

Milly and Michael got their hands dirty in the kids' vegie bed this weekend, harvesting gnarled and knobbly radishes, thinning cauliflowers and planting more leaf seeds so we have our middle ages inspired salad crop rotation system working for us.

lately

2011-11-15T09:00:00.001+11:00

This seems to be where I am spending most of my time, generally feeling knackered while the kids run around in circles. I went to work yesterday and was completely exhausted. I feel like I have been a spectator to the goings ons here lately, although always with the camera, so this morning I am delaying answering the call of my verandah chair and catching up on some blog posting.

kids have been snapping

2011-11-11T11:04:00.001+11:00

Top photo taken by Sam, bottom by Milly. Milly has asked for a "real life" camera for Christmas. She also told Sam to take photos "really, really close up, then boring things look better" - advice that worked for the chink of light coming through the fence.

storm

2011-11-11T10:59:00.001+11:00

At the end of a very humid day on Wednesday we had a storm. While other parts of the state lost trees and had roofs fly into adjoining properties it was much less dramatic for us. We had rain, thunder, lightening and dinner on the verandah. My favourite place to be in the rain is our back verandah, protected from the wet but exposed to the chill and noise - really beautiful.

flower friday

2011-11-11T09:03:00.001+11:00

Sam went to school today wearing a Remembrance Day poppy. It was sobering to explain to him the significance of the day. Fittingly we have poppies in our garden at the moment.

enamelware

2011-11-08T15:03:00.003+11:00

Mindless internet browsing in the 10 minutes before we walk up to get Sam from school can be a dangerous thing. I have discovered these lovelies, from here. I am not sure which I love more - the special edition pillarbox red or the traditional white with blue edge? Would I choose the pie set or the bake set or both? They are so beautiful. Alas, no International Shipping so this is a dilemma that does not need to be solved.

Now off to get the boy...

number 13

2011-11-08T14:54:00.001+11:00

Amber and Russell are coming back and this is where they will live. We could not be happier. It has happened in a flurry and they will be here in 10 sleeps. And they will live close-by again. And we will all be light of heart and smiling our most smiling-est faces.

hot day, cold milk

2011-11-07T21:55:00.003+11:00

...and chocolate wafer biscuits used as straws makes for the perfect beverage.

adelaide kids

2011-11-06T19:27:00.002+11:00

The Popeye is an institution in Adelaide, unfortunately I didn't take a full frame photo of her in her blue and white painted glory. She hasn't been gussied up at all and looks as she did when I was a kid. She is a clunky fibreglass monstrosity of a motor boat that cruises between the weirs of the River Torrens. Riding on her is part of an Adelaide childhood and when Shirley joined us for the day by the river we were three generations who had been on it as children.

The other half of the duo of River Torrens childhood delight are Captain Jolley's Paddle Boats. The Paddle Boats haven't been gussied up so much as Occ and Safety-ed up, now installed with umbrellas for shade and requiring children to wear lifejackets. Deceptively difficult to pedal around the river, the kids and Michael had a grand time dodging swans and ducks and playing the game of pedalling tantalisingly close to the spray coming from the fountain...

In more mundane news, the sore throat I woke with yesterday refused to be banished and has morphed into a full head cold. Just as some glorious spring weather settles in. Poor Me.

littlehampton

2011-11-05T14:21:00.000+11:00

4 acres in the Adelaide Hills. Fruit Trees. Original 50s house. Separate building for a studio. Dam in the top paddock near a forest of small gums. A ruin (albeit currently spider riddled and scary). Large vegie patch fenced off from the sheep who clustered under the mulberry tree. And of course - the rope swing.

Covetous much? We were. Michael's Aunt Lesley and her partner Susannah bought the property this year and are slowly working their way around it. Lesley has a lovely orange and grey ride on mower which makes it sound like no work at all to tend the rolling hills. In reality I think we are too slothful for this kind of adventure but the fantasy makes for lovely daydreams.

friday follies

2011-11-05T09:39:00.001+11:00

After feeling less than gung-ho about a return to work on Friday after a week away it was actually a nice day. The kids were happy, I taught my lessons then attended a staff trivia night. Said trivia night may have been the least intellectual I have ever attended, which is very important to keep in mind as I revel in the glory of being on the winning team.

Then home to tuck the kids in, eat dinner prepared by Michael before making a cake for tonight's dinner with friends. The rest of the evening was spent lounging on the couch reading my freshly delivered copy of The Perfectly Imperfect Home. A lovely way to end the week.

I have woken with a sore throat though so that will need to be banished...

flower friday

2011-11-05T09:25:00.000+11:00

Achillea (Coronation Gold) starting to flower in the front bed - morning and afternoon. Amazing what the different light can do to the same spot in the garden. Which is surely the best argument for spending an entire day sitting in the same spot - the ability to never move and have the view change around you.

S words

2011-11-03T12:26:00.002+11:00

Swinging... on a log, suspended from a very high bough of a very old gum tree in the rear paddock of Michael's Aunt's home in Littlehampton.

Sunshine... on the River Torrens, we spent hours on the banks, interspersed with rides on the Popeye and the paddleboats.

Sweets... Trick or Treating on Hallowe'en (accolades for my last minute cape making abilities are welcome).

Smiling... with cousin Adele outside the church on the afternoon of Charlie's christening.

More photos and posts to come. First there is shopping, unpacking, washing and recovery to be done.

arrived

2011-10-31T09:24:00.003+11:00

Disregard Milly's expression (taken at the McDonald's drive through two hours into the trip), it was a good trip over. The first time we have driven with the kids at night, and we will be doing it again. They listened to the audio book of Harry Potter, read, coloured in, ate Maccas, then fell asleep after three hours so Michael and I were left with a peaceful (although very rainy) drive over. By Saturday morning they were frolicking and have yet to stop.

flower friday

2011-10-31T09:12:00.000+11:00

A bit late due to travel - Sam took this one which gives an exaggerated sense of its height, but the self seeded Queen Anne's Lace in both the front and back is taller than I am.

secrets and joy

2011-10-27T20:40:00.004+11:00

I have just had a phone call to deliver news that has filled me with joy. True, incandescent happiness. So while I am normally horribly cynical about photos of allegedly cute kids and fluffy animals, this really does capture how I feel right now. Details to come later.

something

2011-10-26T19:17:00.002+11:00

Look at this lovely lamp which doubles as a bookrest. I have added it to my list. The list is titled "things by which I am enthralled, that I may neither need nor attain, but are worth writing down regardless."(it is from here, but I first saw it here).

disco

2011-10-26T18:50:00.001+11:00

We at number 55 are known for regularly pulling back the furniture and dancing with abandon. Russell and Amber have had a special invitation to the disco, my parents have experienced it as well. It is not pretty, Michael and I break out our 90's dance moves, the end result being we now dance like old people; the kids dance like crazy people. It is exhilarating and exhausting and often ends in tears with stepped on feet or bumped heads. On Saturday, when furniture was pulled back in preparation for furniture moving there was an impromptu daytime disco and some dancing like an Egyptian.

taste of home

2011-10-24T19:02:00.002+11:00

When mum sends the kids a package she invariably puts in a couple of packets of Fruchocs for me. What are these Fruchoc of which I speak?

Made by Menz, they are balls of apricot covered in chocolate, truly spectacular morsels. I didn't know they were an Adelaide 'thing' until I moved here for love, not realising I was leaving them behind. I may have reconsidered had I known. They are delicious, my all-time favourite chocolate. When friends come over they bring me a bag or two and don't expect me to share (true friendship indeed). Mum sent a package for the kids two weeks ago and amongst the craft, books and $10 notes were two bags of Fruchocs.

They are in a jar on my desk, not many left now but when we get to Adelaide at the weekend I will replenish the supplies.

at the moment I am...

2011-10-24T18:53:00.000+11:00

listening to...

The Dan in Real Life Soundtrack. Kym commented on my post about Crazy, Stupid, Love and reminded me of this film, which I saw years ago and loved. Michael and I rented it last week and it was as great as I remembered. Subsequently I bought the soundtrack and we've been playing it nonstop since. Instrumentals and songs, all by Sondre Lerche (a Norwegian artist I had never heard of - which means nothing given my scant music knowledge). It also has Pete Townsend singing Let my Love Open the Door and our personal family favourite - the film's cast singing "Ruthy Pigface Draper" which is from a scene in the film. The kids and I sing it at the top of our voices, then fall about laughing and congratulate ourselves on being so immensely hilarious.

needlecraft

2011-10-22T19:13:00.000+11:00

With embroidery hoops, hessian, a large needle and variegated wool I am teaching Milly to sew, which she calls "needling". She was initally confused about sewing versus knitting, wondering why we were starting with only one needle.

milly...

2011-10-22T10:42:00.002+11:00

playing barbies in the park. The room has been emptied in preparation for the new lounge suite - more on that later...

flower friday

2011-10-22T09:50:00.004+11:00

Oriental Poppy - Papaver Orientale - in the front garden bed. These need lots of winter frost for them to flower on tall stems. This year I think we only had two proper frosts so the flowers are nestled deep down in the foliage. Which is sad as they are so beautiful and usually they are standing tall in my front garden. Regardless, the flowers are beautiful, just stumpy.

lamp

2011-10-22T09:17:00.000+11:00

My latest find is a lovely lamp with a porcelain and timber base from one of the local op shops which I don't really enjoy too much as it is cavernous and highly organised. I prefer a crammed in, don't know what you will find at the back of the shelf oppie experience. I drove past it to get to a friend's house for lunch on Thursday and was rewarded with this treasure for $12 (electrician tested too, which is always a bonus).

playing hookey

2011-10-20T09:44:00.003+11:00

Playing hookey, wagging, skiving off, escaping, slack attack, truanting - whatever you call it, I am doing it. I should be in Sam's classroom helping him and 19 other grade 1 and 2s with their Literacy while Milly is at kinder. Instead I am shaking out my fabric and starting to sew. Bad Mother example #762.

I am also planning dinner - tortellini with sage and pumpkin in a brown butter sauce from the first edition of the SBS Food magazine Feast. It is a great recipe - have you checked out the mag? (a hint - it will work with bought wonton wrappers if you can't be bothered making fresh pasta, I'll let you know what I decide, will depend if I get too absorbed in my sewing)

(and playing hookey is my personal favourite term for it - reminds me of my US author centric Judy Blume, Paula Danziger, Paul Zindel teenage reading).

florals

2011-10-19T21:49:00.000+11:00

I think it may be time to blow the dust off the sewing machine and start sewing all my vintage sheet loveliness into a summer-weight quilt. No promises, but something needs to be done as I keep buying them. My basket is literally spilling over and the bottom drawer is over stuffed. (top pic from here)

seven

2011-10-19T20:28:00.002+11:00

We are all exhausted, too exhausted to write anything of note. But take heed - we have a seven year old in the house and he is very, very happy.

Best quotes of the day- after opening his present, sincerely declaring: "My dream came true!" and when asked what the best thing about being 7 was: "I'm not on the bottom of the clock anymore" Huh?

And this is how you fall asleep after a day traipsing every level of the Aquarium, keeping up with your big brother and his friend...

sam's birthday treasure hunt clue

2011-10-18T19:10:00.001+11:00

everyday is wash day

2011-10-18T13:06:00.001+11:00

My life as a happy housewife has so far involved spending anywhere between 20 minutes and 2 hours of each day randomly tidying and cleaning. The randomness is dictated by whichever corner of dust and chaos calls loudest. I repeat this three days a week. Two days a week I work. Weekends we all have a flurry of Sunday afternoon activity to restore order. I vacuum almost every day.

Not any more. I have designated days for jobs. Tuesdays is bathrooms and toilets, Wednesday is mopping, Thursday is dusting and putting away any washing that hasn't been already dealt with in a timely manner (this is my Achilles heal of organisation - I hate folding hate laundry). Everyday is vacuuming and laundry - such is the fate of a woman who lives with dark carpets and kids who change clothes on the hour.

So far the new routine working. At some point in the week, everything is clean once; although never all at once. My house being clean from top to bottom on the same day is a forgotten dream. I reassure myself that in the not too distant future my house will be spotless. Of course this will be a direct result of the fact that the children will be locked in their rooms painting their fingernails black and telling strangers on facebook how much they hate me. Until that particular silver lining of a terrifying future cloud, I love that we have a happy house of a happy family. And it is rarely clean from top to bottom.