twenty second

On the twenty second day of the new year my farmer boy took me on a detour past the hazel-nut orchard but wouldn't tell me why.

I wandered up and down the rows chatting about how the blackberry vines needed to be cut back, how last year when we picked the hazels I had just gotten out of hospital and my world felt like it was upside down, and how we should make sure we finish eating the last crop before we harvest the next. But I had a feeling he was too involved in what he was doing to really hear me. That he had other plans.

After we found what he wanted we came back up to the house, I started on the laundry and then lunch and he disappeared for a bit.

When he returned he gave me a bunch of gypsy flowers he'd made from the hazel-wood.

I'm not sure who's getting more from this new wood cutting love of his. What a gift. What treasures.

I feel like when we made the almost impossible decision to minimise our business a year an a half ago, that this is exactly what we were hoping for. Time. Love. Passion. A focus inward rather than out. I feel like it took us most of that time to get here but it sure was worth it. I think I said this the other day but I have to mention again what an incredible thing it is to watch someone you love doing what they love. What an honour.

I look forward to seeing what happens next.

I hope you are feeling the love, my friends.

Bye!

xx

Twenty first

On the twenty first day of the new year I picked my sewing machine up from being serviced and made a hat.

I don't know if that sounds like such a big deal to you, but I'm a bit pleased.

You see I used to sew a lot: clothes, flags, accessories, you name it. There was a time back there that I could design, cut and sew a girl's dress in a few hours. I had sewing confidence, I had little girls who were happy to wear homemade, I had time to sew and I had a sewing machine that behaved beautifully.

But somewhere along the line all that changed. My girls started growing bigger and raising their eyebrows at my mixy-matchy creation, my baby started school and all of a sudden I found myself with less time (?!!), and then my machine started acting up. But instead of getting her serviced, I pushed her all the way to the back of my desk and forgot about her. And every now and then when I pulled her out with the idea that I'd sew something cool, the thread would keep breaking, the stitches would gather in a lump at the back and she'd make sounds like a lawn mower. So I'd give up, push her back and feel like maybe I just couldn't sew anymore. I lost the sewing way.

But these holidays the number one thing on Miss Jazzy's holiday must-do list, was learn to sew. So we chose some fabrics and a tote bag pattern and pulled out the machine, only to find she was still misbehaving. We managed to get half the bag done here and finished the rest at our friend Merrilyn's shop. The machine went to the fixer-uperer.

Which brings me to today. Today I picked up my machine, downloaded a pattern, chose the fabrics, carefully cut-out the the pieces, even more carefully followed the directions and ta-daaaaaa!!!



Of course with apple season almost upon us I had to quickly crochet a cute little apple too.

Now to make a few more to keep in a basket by the front door to try and eliminate the school morning hat scramble.

For those interested - I bought the hat pattern here and found the apple pattern here.

Wishing you great success with whatever you're making.

Lots-a-love

xx

twentieth

On the twentieth day of the month I lost my blog voice.

I have the photos but not the stories. I can't work out why but I suspect it has something to do with two little girls bursting into chorus every time I open my mouth. Let's just say it was funny for the first ten or twenty times.

Anyway, I'll let you make up your own story tonight. I completely trust you.

I'm off to watch The Truman show with Indi for school.

All being well I'll see you back here tomorrow.

Enjoy the silence.

Love Kate xx

nineteenth

On the nineteenth day of the new year nothing much happened, yet so much did too.

I got dressed in a denim dress that until yesterday belonged to my sister Emily. I finished one book  which I really liked at the end, and started another which I am a bit nervous about. The girls watched a couple of episodes of The Wonder Years and then we all walked down to the front to pick two bowls of blackberries. I may have seen a snake or it might have been a blue tongue lizard. I'm not sure either way but the fact that I am halfway through listening to this podcast may have pushed me to the snake side. Anyway, it was gone by the time I came back with my brave farmer boy and I survived to tell the tale, which is lucky because I didn't really follow any of the if you see a snake rules.

So we picked blackberries for a while in this area where farmer Bren mowed the bushes into rows to make them easy to get to, prickles and all. And it felt so much more civilised than the average blackberry pick and because of the recent rains, the berries were bigger too.

Once our bowls were full we came home, Indi went through her school book list and made a to-buy list, and Jazzy and Pepper did a stock take of their stationary. Then we had last night's leftovers for lunch.

Early afternoon I left them all playing, reading and arguing outside and I went into town to the post office, the craft shop and the chemist. When I came home we made blackberry, honey and yogurt pops. We only used one tablespoon of sugar and if they taste sweet when we eat them tomorrow, I think we'll cut it out altogether.

Then we sat around the table and made dates and put them in our family diary. While we were doing that I cast off my stripy socks, yay! I have just enough yarn leftover for a little Miss Pepper sized pair, so I cast them on straight after.

Latest afternoon we went for a walk and then visited the animals, fed them and collected the eggs.

We had haloumi and salad wraps for dinner.

And now it's now. I'm writing this ramble, the girls are brushing their teeth and then Indi promised to read them a story in Pepper's bed. Occasionally I worry a bit that these summer days are flowing past so quickly, but I think I might end this one a bit early by having a shower and jumping into bed to read.

What did you guys get up to today?
What're you reading?

Sweet dreams.

xx

eighteenth

This is the story of the spoon second from the right made of apple wood.



This is the story of a twilight walk down our big hill, across the paddock, through the forest and out into the oldest apple orchard on the other side.



This is the story of visiting our orchard of brides and lifting up their veils to find the perfect branch.



This is the story of how magnificent everything looks in the golden twilight glow.



This is a story of knives and axes and other sharp tools.



This is the story of watching the one you love do what he loves and how much happiness that brings.



This is a story of letting go and allowing the tree and all it's grains and knots lead the way.



This is the story of taking something and turning it into something else.



This is the story of the walk back up the hill home armed with everything we came for.



This is a story of chipping, and carving, and whittling and cutting.



This is a slow story of making mistakes and learning and creating.



This is the most beautiful story from start to finish that I've seen in such a long time. This story has convinced me that I need  a small flock of sheep so I can be part of that closed circle crafting myself. What a beautiful thing.

I do hope that your story is a lovely fragrant one right now.

Big spoon love

xx

Seventeenth

The other day, before we went to the beach, we were out somewhere when I overheard someone asking Miss Pepper if she was enjoying her school holidays and what was the best thing she'd done so far. I heard her hesitate and then tell this person that she hadn't really done much at all, just lots of hanging out with her sisters on the farm, playing and doing jobs.

When I heard her say that I felt a bit guilty. I imagined her in a classroom full of students on the first day of school listening to stories of big fancy adventures and cool outings, and of her sitting there quietly, feeling like she had nothing to compare, nothing to share. Pretty much the same way I cringe inside every time I hear a grown up ask my non Santa visited children what Santa brought them for Christmas.

When we came home they resumed the game they'd been playing for days. And as I watched them in the golden light and listened to them giggling with sister glee, it occurred to me that all busy year long, these are the times we dream of. These slow days that meander along from one activity to the next, going to bed late and waking up later, eating when we are hungry, getting dressed in dirty farm clothes, wearing yesterday's braids, reading an entire book in one day, listening to an album so many times that you know every single word by heart, playing games that go on for days and days, picking fruit still warm off the trees, eating berries and plums until the juice runs down our chins and our tummies ache, walking through golden grass to feed the animals, spending time together without the demands and responsibilities of the school year.

These are our summer days. These days are golden and just right.

Sending you love and the sweetest, juiciest plum that makes you squeal with delight upon the first bite (that's what happens to us every single night).

xxxx

sixteenth

YOU GUYS!!!!! I just read through all of your ridiculously kind and thoughtful and generous comments and emails and I feel humbled and blessed beyond words. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and thank you once more.

Sometimes blogging feels like the strangest thing, writing a journal is one thing, but seriously, why post it out there in public for the world to see? You guys are the answer. Our community. And I just feel so very grateful to have you and this outlet in my life.

Kisses and cake for all!!


In the meantime, we took a spontaneous trip to the beach. On Tuesday night I was looking at the weather forecast and feeling claustrophobic about the oncoming summer holiday days that would have to be spent inside out of the cold and wet, when I decided we had to get away. Just like that.

We never get to leave our farm over the summer because of the bushfire threats and the irrigation issues, but after all the rains we'd had, we certainly could. So we did!

The very next morning we packed up and drove to the beach. It was exactly what we all needed. Exactly! We spent a few days with family, we played board games, we went to the movies, we looked in the shops, we read our books, and we played at the beach.

The beach!! We got sandy, almost blown away, wet and salty. We felt alive and exhilarated.

And wouldn't you know it, just when we drove onto the ferry to come home, the sun came out. It was time.

When was the last time you took a little break from your life?


Sending you a bit of that fresh summer holiday feeling, my friends.

Big love

xxxx