Thud!
Two months home from our great caravan adventure and I have hit the ground.
Hard.
I've had a tough week.
Nothing big. Just cold, blustery days, tired cranky kidlets, sore elbows, a random nasty comment, an overwhelmed feeling, a chill in my bones, a messy house, a realisation that that's it-we're back, it's over.
Real life.
I just wanna go to bed and snuggle up and crochet the afternoons away.
I think we probably did well to hold this feeling off for so long.
There have been some good bits too mind you.
Miss Pepper's drawings of little people and animals and monsters EVERYWHERE, Miss Jazzy's excitement over her lolly passion project, an amazing phone call and plan, Nel and the gang, Miss Indi's solo, preserving and jamming, my Mum's prize, the twilight walks, the instagram and the look on farmer Bren's face when he told me it was time to pick apples. So good.
I do know I'm lucky. It's all good. It'd just be great if the sun came out and the temp rose by about 10 degrees. It's early Autumn NOT winter.
So I'll just keep plodding on towards the weekend. Trying to focus on the good things, trying to warm up little heads with eared beanies and trying to keep warm.
I'm off to pick apples.
Yay!!
See ya. x
That nasty commenter has a way of getting around don't they . I hope you stay warm picking apples and getting ready to make a few delicious apple pies xxx
ReplyDeleteHi Kate,
ReplyDeleteMichelle from country SA here, I dont have a blog but I just love reading yours, you are so ace! Your little Pepper is sooo cute, and the little blue hat is pure bliss : )Thankyou x
Oh Kate, why dont you let everything slide sideways for a day or two and youll feel wonderful again. Maybe take a blanket outside and sit under the apple trees?
ReplyDeleteI took time out last week and watched three days of a miniseries which was unusual for me.
I was cutting out some of the time from the dining table but still, very indulgent. I dont feel guilty one bit as I needed the break to reset myself.
Sending some love your way, x
I've seen all your Instagrams this week & the favorite is your shadows & more recently the lake. Thank you for the blackberry recipe (awhile ago..) it was received so well as everyone devoured 2 today! Random tidbits of happy thoughts. Have a lovely time with crocheting this week.
ReplyDeleteI'm an Autumn/Winter girl at heart and am really struggling with the heat...I long for some decent rain and a chill that hits the bones :)
ReplyDeleteIt is okay to let things go by the wayside from time to time...be kind to yourself Kate and stay warm.
x
Your little one is getting so big...I had a similar day today but mainly because I have been working out like a mad woman. It has officially caught up with me. Here's to the weekend...:)
ReplyDeletefunny how the weather seems to bring out the worst in everything sometimes !
ReplyDeletehearing you about the cold! thankgod for your post today and some lovely pictures !
Lauren
x
I pulled my knitting out last week and have been troweling ravelry for new patterns... sending love xxx
ReplyDeleteI love your beautiful blog. It looks so homely looking in your neck of the woods! We are sweltering here in Perth, so not really understanding at all :)
ReplyDeleteI know that 'holiday over' feeling. We've had some lovely times in our van but it's a bitter/sweet feeling when it's over. Don't rush to do too much .. read your lists you made when you were away on how to enjoy your life more. Mean comments aren't worth commenting on!
ReplyDeleteOh Kate, I know how you feel. I hit the ground after the excitement of being home wore off. Just go with it. I am now planning our next trip. Just a short one up to Mungo, nevertheless I can't wait to hit the red dirt again. Keep crocheting it is so soothing.
ReplyDeleteThere are days that are heavy and there are days that float. I hope tomorrow is a flyer and a chuckle for you! You are good and smart and brave and lovely so much of the time - you can take a break, go ahead and snuggle an extra minute or two under the blanket if you like and know you are cared for.
ReplyDeleteI hear you dear lady!
ReplyDeleteJust last night I told Samuel I was over it, that I wanted to live somewhere warm.
Winter has reared it's head way too early. The winds have been blowing the chill off the strait for 3 days now. Yuck. I hear it and don't want to go outside. But Mr Huckle looooves going outside, so outside I go when I really want to be snuggled on the couch with a pot of tea.
Hang in there. Don't let the dreary wintery days get you down. (This is said as much to myself as it is to you!)
Rug up xxx
Take care. Just know that there are very many of us who think you are great. xx
ReplyDeleteKeep crocheting - it is good for the soul.
ReplyDeleteAnd I find the remedy to get over that "the hoiday is over " feeling is to start planning the next. Lots more places out there for Frankie!
I get a sore elbow from crocheting and recently started using Tiger Balm on it and it really helps. Can't believe the weather on your side of the country WA is stinking hot. Best wishes x
ReplyDeleteHey mum
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say reading this blog almost made me cry your such an amazing writer !!! And I love you so much every one feals yuk at the moment wishing we were back on the road again. But know one can write it so amazingly like you just did. There is amazing things happing and to look forward to at the moment and I know exactly were your coming from in this post and I'm there for you 100 percent I love you sooooo much
P.s. I used the word amazing in this comment a lot because I don't know how to spell Auseme !!!xoxoxoxo
Love indi xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteKate those pears look amazing. I can't believe anyone would be nasty to you. Hope things settle down for you
ReplyDeletei'm totally nervouc about the impending season/s too...i feel like i def didn't get enough vitamin D to last me through a winter (it mostly rained this summer!)
ReplyDeletei don't do well in winter at the best of times, let alone on the back of a pathetic summer. maybe i need to learn to crochet this winter to distract me??? :)))
XOXO
O dear. I had thought you were lucky and missed that horrble time. I'm imagining your brown stained hands from peeling pears. Or did you use gloves? It's sad but cold weather seems to make cabin fever worse. Look for patches of sunshine. Cherrie
ReplyDeletea lovely, honest and raw post...gorgeous! How Awesome is your daughter!!! with a comment like that there is love in abundance around you and you will be shining and smiling (and be able to poo hoo any negatine comments) really soon!Hope my munchkin grows up to say lovely things about me like that :) go gently and well and thanks for the message left on my blog that I just saw xxoo
ReplyDeleteHi Kate,
ReplyDeleteIt is fantastic to read your blog. I am a fellow Australian currently residing in the UK...so it is akin to reading news about Australia from a friend.
It is absolutely perfectly fine/normal/necessary to feel down and in the dumps every once in a while...even when we feel 'lucky'. Feeling low is a good signal to help us change our position or perspectives. Impending wintery weather is terrible everywhere. If it makes you feel any better to know I have survived winter in the UK and I will survive summer too, which is not very different!
On a different note, I really like your crocheted beanie. It is a beginner project for novice crochet-ers? I was wondering if I you have a pattern that I may purchase? Thank you. Hope to hear from you.
vi
Life can be blah sometimes can't it? I'm with you re the weather...it's crazy and SO not winter yet. That naughty sun kept peeking out today and teasing me, and then hiding again. Blasts of cold wind are not fun either...yuk. Hang in there matey, it's not so odd to feel a bit flat now you are back but I'm sure there are lots of happy things ahead. Sometimes you just have to have those flat patches..hope this one passes super quick xo
ReplyDeleteI just read Indi's comment, how beautiful. You're both ORSM! xo
ReplyDeleteHi Kate
ReplyDeleteA few things I'd like to say
1. Your kid melts my heart. She makes me long for the daughter I'll never have..
2. Your blog is perfection. I read but never comment but as your feeling low I thought knowing you make people smile may help...
3. Your life seems idilic. Obvioulsy your normal & have bad days but from the outside it seems so romantic...
4. Your one of my fave Instagrammers. Your pics are to DIE for...
5. I hope you feel back on top of things soon. We all go through these periods but ti will pass...
xOx
Each time I've seen your blog photos recently, with the girls in beanies and jumpers, I've thought it can't really be that cold over there can it? But obviously it is! Throw a few things in that van of yours and get back to WA, its bloody hot!
ReplyDeleteHope you've found your 'happy' again xx
Bummer ~ luckily you have your happiness recipe to whip up when the need arises. I actually wrote my own happiness recipe (based on yours and my own thoughts) ... to be happy add someone to love, something to do and something to look forward to ... mix vigorously and enjoy. The big one for me is the something to look forward to ~ it keeps me anchored in the present and gives me hope for the future. Sometimes it's the smallest thing, but it makes me happy to have something to look forward to. Hope your week improves, and sorry for the ramble ~ as always, your posts really resonate with me! Nic x
ReplyDeleteThat pic with Miss Pepper with the ears just makes me so happy! Hope you are feeling warm
ReplyDeleteGOOD you're human! Kate, It's ok to find stuff tough and hard sometimes, it's ok to no be happy all the time it's ok to complain.Sometimes stuff sucks and sometimes it's good and it's all swings and round abouts a lot too.
ReplyDeletethat said I hope tomorrow's a cracker for you xo
Nasty comments .... try not to don't worry about it as I for one think you are pretty damn fantastic!!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely was Indi's comment? Awesome!!! I hate that thud feeling, it is a thud, it really is... but more adventure await around the corner you'll see. xxx
ReplyDeleteThere is always the opposite Kate. Always. Happy apple picking sweet lady x
ReplyDeleteI just wrote a big long comment that disappeared - must have been too rambly for blog bots!
ReplyDeleteI'm very mad at the nasty commenter - pooh to them.
I'm feeling for you, for your whole wonderful family right now. Love Indi's comment; such an amazing girl - she musta' got that from her mama!
I won't ramble too much now.
Maybe you could all set off on a weekend or even overnight adventure in Frankie Blue - to relive the good moments even if on shortened timeframe.
It's sometimes hard to remember that your everyday - your life, your home, your farm, your surroundings - are an adventure, an exciting tingle of deliciousness. Think - some people have never picked from a tree in their whole life, or a snuggled a chooken or walked amongst those strong powerful silent sturdy trees, or walked that path with someone they not only love but respect and admire and adore.
Go have a day of crochet - cheese toasties for dinner and a messy house are good things too.
Xxxx
( can you believe this is shorter than the original lost comment!!)
I can't believe people actually leave nasty comments!? I just read indi's comment to you Kate, she is a beautiful girl, how lucky you are. I hope the sun shines for you & you find some time to curl up with your crochet..x
ReplyDeleteI can't believe people actually leave nasty comments!? I just read indi's comment to you Kate, she is a beautiful girl, how lucky you are. I hope the sun shines for you & you find some time to curl up with your crochet..x
ReplyDeleteDear Kate,
ReplyDeleteIt had to happen after the adventure of a lifetime the process of settling back was always going to be hard. I know that I don't know you personally but over the last year and a half I have shared every word you've written and I've got a good idea of the kind of woman you are..... you're strong, loving, honest and hard working. You have your priorities right - I'm sure whoever upset you isn't the kind of person who could write this beautiful and touching blog with the honesty and sincerity you do. Forget those comments, immerse yourself in your family and live one day at a time.........AND DON'T FEEL GUILTY IF YOU DO HAVE A DAY IN BED CROCHETING ... we all need to recharge our batteries, you included.
Fleur xx
Leaving you nothing but positive vibes, always remember karma and nasty comments will one day come back to bite people! Remember Winter means wool...yaah :)
ReplyDeleteI hope the plodding gets easier, Kate (maybe with Indi's gorgeous comment, it already is) xo
ReplyDeleteLoving your silver linings Kate. Sometimes we I think just have to feel these things and something else is waiting just around the corner.
ReplyDeleteWish I had apples to pick. xx
Huge hugs to you Kate. You guys have done so brilliantly
ReplyDeleteto settle back into things the way you have. I hope you
guys have a relaxing weekend to refresh everyone.XXXJ
One random not so nice comment amongst 50 odd? Forget it...not worth the angst, believe me.
ReplyDeleteYou've done well to last 2 months to have this 'moment'. I remember that I felt lost for 2 whole months after a 5 month trip around Oz.
Has the weather been as dreadful for you as it has been for us here on the east coast? We missed out on summer totally! And last night we had over 50mm of rain. That in itself is enough to make one feel a little down.
Hope the apples help cheer you up. Love Indie's gorgeous note by the way.
I think you did very well to get this far. Isn't it this feeling that makes you make plans though?
ReplyDeleteI love seeing Indi pop up here. x
Maybe you should make a wall of photos of all your sunny days away in the caravan...and you can look at whilst eating your own delicious organic apples. x x p.s i need your address x x
ReplyDeleteIf you didn't want to crochet then you'd know something was really wrong! Be kind to yourself.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you had a 'thunk' day. They suck big time.
ReplyDeleteHope today brings you some unexpected beauty n joy:)
I've been having little daytime fantasies about going back to bed with a good book...and you've just gone and given me a crochet one to distract me even more.
ReplyDeleteHold tight to the good bits, Kate. Life is sweet, and its ok to have down-time. Yin, yang, light, dark, good, bad.. all that... Much love to you. xx
hugs for your post holiday hangover,
ReplyDeleteditto what the others have said.
What a beautiful comment by Indi.
cheers Kate
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first post--and I can't seem to get it right! Just wanted to thank you for your lovely blog. You are brave and creative and loving and loved. Spring will come again, just like it's coming to us here in Ohio. And it will be all the more sweeter after a dreary winter. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteWe came back from a brilliant family holiday to the school routine, nearing end of term 1 and hoping I will get my mojo back, thanks for insights, recipes (loved the blackberry cake) and nice pics, you live in a gorgeous part of Victoria and deserve the joy for the beautiful life you have created .
ReplyDeleteI think we all have those thunk days Kate. I am hoping the autumn weather is nice as it my favourite season to snuggle up and knit away whilst listening to the rain. I love Miss Pepper's hat, it is so CUTE! Hope your days become happier and you have time to sit and relax for a bit during them.
ReplyDeletePicking apples sounds awesome...and the beanie is the perfect accessory.
ReplyDeleteEnjoying watching this on instagramming too :-))
May your weekend be less ordinary.
What do you mean a nasty comment????!!!! I can't believe that anyone would be nasty to you. Must be a case of the green eyed monster because you have never said or done anything to offend me. I love the balance of your blog - that you take the good with the bad and that you are honest about your feelings.
ReplyDeleteKate, if I were closer, I would give you a hug....but you will have to have this virtual one instead.
Take care
L
x
The thud was always going to come eventually. You've got to have the downs so that you can truly relish the highs. The great thing about it is that you know you can make your dreams happen. You did it. So start dreaming again with the knowledge that one day you'll filter through them and make the ones that count happen too.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine wearing beanies and the like yet. Yesterday was 38, today is suppose to be 39 and tomorrow is forecast to be 40!!! I want to finish the blanket I've been hooking for baby O but the thought of a blanket, even though it is cotton, on my lap is urky.
Picking apples hey. Your very own apples. That's one of my dreams.
Sometimes accepting the crap makes the great bits even greater ..if that makes any sort of sense without sounding like preaching - which it isn't meant to.
ReplyDeleteAahh, I was trying to give some positive advice but lets face it somedays just aren't fun (with or without a fabulous trip behind you). And as i tell my kids, some people just aren't nice.
Hope the sun shines soon.
I normally love Autumn but it has hit with quite a thwack this year. Good news is the sun will be out next week. You should try to get in that van for a couple of nights. Sometimes a quick short break can feel like a a week of rest. We're off to dip our toes in the sea this week.
ReplyDeleteYou're my hero! I just love ric rac and I love to crochet. I'm not very experienced, but I love doing it anyhow. So now I found this tutorial on crocheted ric rac and I am a very happy girl! I'm your newest follower. It's so nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteJulie
Hugs to you Kate! I love how you choose to look for the good things when you're feeling blah. You inspire me to live a better - more authentic, grateful, resourceful and motivated - life. I hope you can get yourself some time-out to be with your sad feelings too -grieving for your wonderful roadtrip is a legitimate thing! hugs xx
ReplyDeleteJust gorgeous photos! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat makes me want to cry and laugh a the same time are the beautiful comments from your lovely daughters. What a blessing you have in them.
ReplyDeleteGive yourself a while to get over the 'bereavement' of losing your holiday. Remember that it is still there for you if you are able to take it again and the life you have now is what will make it possible, as it did the last time. And best of all - Winter doesn't last forever.:)
hi Kate - happened upon your blog this morning, and back again for another squiz! love your words and images. you've inspired me to start a blog of my own. many, many thanks for your frankness. you're such a delight to read.
ReplyDeleteI love you & your honesty & your realness.
ReplyDeleteI had some really really tough stuff to cope with over the last couple of years with the deaths of my gorgeous niece & nephew.
Both perfect little babies.
One of the best things I learnt from my counselling sessions was that it is ok to feel sad.
I had never really learned to feel ok with that before.
I was always the 'happy' one the one who was always smiling, making jokes, making others smile when they were down.
It was the most freeing thing EVER when I gave myself permission to feel sad too.
Other people didn't like it so much but this is about YOU and no-one else!
It is ok to mourn for the loss of your amazing adventure.
A totally normal part of your return home I guess......feeling sad never feels good but it is a totally healthy & real thing to feel.
And Indi's comment can be a reminder of the fact that you built something with that trip that will never leave your family- regardless of the fact that you are home.
xx
Go gently lovely.
kate, don't let one or two negative comments pull you down. what you are doing, how you are living is your choice {and it's beautiful}.
ReplyDeletei am happy for autumn, but it has been raining here in nthn nsw since mid january. we are very soggy... and our grass is growing very tall. Thanks for being real xxx