thirty four

Hello lovely ones,

I hope you've had a gorgeous week.

I just typed out the first 34 things that came to mind when I thought of my week that just was, here they are...

We watched a movie called Faces and Places and absolutely adored it. I never agree to watching subtitled films because I still can't knit and read at the same time, but this time I made an exception and I'm so pleased I did. I highly recommend it.

I listened to the first episode of the second season of Ear Hustle and loved it. One of you guys originally recommended it to me and if it was you, thank you so much. x

I knitted the second sleeve of my Mirehouse sweater. Gosh, when I first cast on I thought it would be a quick knit because of the 10ply yarn and the size 4mm needles, but I guess not.

I finished reading Lullaby. I read it in two days. I'm always interested in books that start with the last chapter and what they must do to keep us reading when we know where we're headed. This book was not put-downable. My Mum told me that it's actually inspired by a true story too. I must remember to google it.

We made and sold apple spirals at Pepper's school's autumn fair.

I felt sick watching news of the bush fires on the other side of the state.

I received a copy of The Lost Flowers Of Alice Hart  by Holly Ringland in the mail from the kind people at Harper Collins and I can't wait to get through the book I'm currently reading so I can start it. It might just have the most beautiful cover I've ever seen. And it's about the language of flowers and a flower farmer!!! What more could one want in a book?!

I got dressed in my gym clothes for the first time in about three weeks and went to train with a new trainer and a new class. After two happy years at my old gym I was pretty nervous to begin with, but I loved it and look forward to going back.

I drove through the forest to catch a train in the dark to the city.

I visited the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show on a media pass before it opened. On a media pass!!! How cool. Our media group toured the gardens and met the winners, we did a few workshops, we walked around and we were given goodie bags. I'm not really into formal manicured gardens so it pleased me greatly that the overall winning garden had boxer shorts hanging on a Hills hoist, a cricket pitch, and some overgrown grassy bits. I loved it. 

 I carried my big camera off the farm for the first time in ages and took photos of the flower show but unfortunately the light was so bright and the shadows were so harsh that I wasn't really happy with any of them. What a shame.

I read the last chapter of my Mum's new manuscript and loved the way she ended it.

We picked crates and crates of apples.

We picked crates and crates of tomatoes. We squished most of them, made a sauce with onion, garlic and basil and bottled them for later.

We picked crates and crates of cucumbers. We fermented lots in jars.

We stayed in a house close to the big girls' school for two nights.

We sent Bren and Pepper and some friends off camping for two nights.

I started reading Mrs by Caitlin Macy.

I ate so much of Bren's tabouli.

I felt stupidly disappointed when one of my dahlias snapped off at the roots during a big wind storm.

I picked so many flowers. I picked a big jar full to take away with us and looking at it sitting up all bright and happy on the kitchen table made me feel so happy. 

We sang to my sister Emily on her birthday.

I realised that all of my clothes suit country and farm living but aren't that great for visits to the city. For so long I was proud of the fact that I could easily straddle both worlds; not anymore. 

We filled out the paperwork for a new, weekly Daylesford farmer's market starting this Sunday. It's been  years since we've done a market and I'm a bit excited.

I started thinking about the design of our market stall. Crates? Boxes? Baskets? Signs?

I dressed Miss Pepper in a school uniform to be extra on a tv show.

We visited our bees and started getting them ready for winter.

I tried not to think of winter.

I met a woman in a cafe this morning who I've only ever chatted to on instagram and I think she's as awesome as her flowers and photos. At the start she recognised my girls and introduced herself, in the end I liked her so much I wished I didn't have to leave.

We ate cheese, tomatoes and pickled cucumbers on toast for lunch most days. I ate it for breakfast and sometimes for dinner too.

I felt proud of, and exasperated by, and protective of, and amazed by, and frustrated by, and in love with, and anxious for, and thrilled for, and sad for, and hopeful for, and enchanted by our girls.

I drove through the forest this morning after two days away and had butterflies in my tummy at the thought of seeing and cuddling my farmer boy.

I drove into our little oasis in the trees and was so excited to see the next bit of the autumn renovation framed up before my eyes.

I felt touched by the comments about where you live and read my blog on my last post. To be honest I've been contemplating taking a break from my blog for a while. After almost ten years, I feel like I'm constantly repeating myself these days and sometimes I wonder if anyone even cares. But then after reading your comments I felt inspired to continue. Thank you so much for being part of my community and for being so kind. xx

And that's 34 of me. Please feel free to tell me one or two about you.

Until next week...

Lots of love,

Kate x