Winter garden

Despite the day starting out with a wet and gusty morning, the afternoon mellowed into a sunny winter day. That low slung winter sun is so soft and golden, it beckoned us outside to enjoy an all too brief hour in the garden.

There is so much going on.  The hens have started laying again, only since the solstice, right on cue.  The garlic is spouting, the green lemons are slowly ripening and the rhubarb I divided a few months ago is going crazy. No sulking in their patch. I have a whole bed devoted to kale, my favourite vegetable, that thrives in this cold climate. We pick the leaves everyday to cook in soups, pasta and pies. The broad beans Hugo planted three weeks ago are ever so gradually getting bigger, we should have a crop ready by spring. Yep, it's busy out there in the garden, with plenty to eat, even in this cold weather.

Tomorrow we might go and meet the new neighbours, a young family who just arrived from Sydney on the weekend. Can you believe there are nine houses on our street and five families who live here are originally from Sydney!

In the studio

We have a studio did you know? A little self contained cottage that sits adjacent to our house. It has a loft bedroom, a bathroom and an almost finished laundry.  It's a rather new building, compared to the big old house that we live in, so it's slightly lacking in the rustic charm department. It has good bones though, and with a cosmetic makeover we should be able to get it looking lovely. I'm inspired by the summerhouse above, as seen in the Delicious Miss Dahl series.

Since we moved in it's become home to odd bits of furniture that don't quite fit in the house. A bit of a lost space. However, after four years I'm finally getting around to making a start on the grand makeover.  I've made great inroads with gallons of white paint already.  For the windows, I picked up three vintage lace curtains at the op shop for mere 50 cents each. While I'm not quite ready to reveal all just yet, here is a little glimpse.  I love the patterns the curtains make on the newly painted white walls.  A summer house studio.  A place for friends to stay, a quiet sunny place for me to sit and read, just like Miss Dahl.  That will be quite delicious.

Home love

Today was my first day at home without the peeps, or any meetings or work commitments since the school holidays started almost four weeks ago.  It was heavenly.  And while spending the day reclining on the sofa was tempting, the house really needed some lovin'.  Especially the peeps room.   Check out the before shot. Yikes! It all started going horribly wrong three days ago when they turned their room into a shop.  It never quite recovered. I'm sure A Current Affair were on their way to do a story on the family living in such a mess.

It will be a pleasure to tuck them in tonight without risking a sprained ankle or a bruised shin.  Fingers crossed it will stay that way until bed time.

Slow down

I've been neglecting this space lately as I've been very distracted. With life. It seems our life is going through a transition phase.  There has been a real shift in my children's behaviour and what they expect from their days.  Their horizons are broadening.

Our days are a blur of school, work, travel, homework, soccer, walking the dogs and play dates. More and more they want to run off and play with their friends in the neighbourhood.  Home from school and out the door to play and come home at dark. I can't follow them around with my camera any more.

When I started this blog my little ones were at home, and I wanted to document our days to help remember the good things.  Now they're at school and the days are whizzing by and I find myself struggling to find the time to keep up, let alone stop and notice those good things, those special moments.  And even those moments are in transition like my children.

I really want life to slow down, to go back, but I know that's not going to happen. Instead I have to really rethink how to capture those good things.  So I can remember them. Remember to bring my camera,  remember to pause and to notice the good things.  Before those little ones get big and run away for good.

Rainy days

I love rainy days.  Round here it's pouring.  I think the river will burst its banks and we'll be cut off from town. No matter. We're back from the library with a pile of books and we're nice and dry inside, cosying up just fine.

Yesterday we were so excited to be given an entire frame of honey from a friend's hive.  One day our friend is going to give us a hive of our very own.  I can't wait!  The frame is very heavy, and we should get over a kilo of honey.  We cut the top off the comb with a hot knife and let the honey drain into a bowl. It is very runny and quite delicious.

While we wait there's lots cups of tea and finger knitting.  Cute pups by the fire and a new nest of pie dishes. It's a pie kind of day. Shepherds pie and apple pie for dinner tonight me thinks.  Ahh rainy days. I love rainy days.

Best in show

Scenes from the Campbell Town show. 

We were part of the food tent that hosted cooking demonstrations from Ashley at Two Metre Tall, great coffee from Red Bridge Cafe and honey from Yves at Miellerie.  All good company. 

I enjoyed a wander through the exhibition hall to see all those gorgeous sheep, craft dispays, and the results of the lego and shoe shining competitions. All rather charming and totally country.  I guess after 173 years you get it just right.

Winter garden

School holidays now and we've been busy in the winter garden.  Building sawdust paths, planting garlic in straight rows and enjoying the salvias.  Good times for the peeps.  Who aren't really peeps anymore.