The season is changing. There's still warmth in the afternoon sun but the mornings and evenings are icy. The school holidays are over. The quinces are all cooked and bottled and shelved. The beans have been dried and jarred. The washing only dries inside. The wood-fired cooker stays on. There is a big bowl full of feijoas on the kitchen table. The girls pack beanies instead of sunhats in their school bags.
We have spinach and kale and lettuce growing in the garden again. The outside tomatoes are slowing down and the ones in the poly tunnel have only a little while longer. We're eating soups and stews and pies for dinners. Every bed has a blanket tucked up on the end. The freezer and the shelves of the pantry are full of summer goodness. Every day I try to spend about 15 minutes splitting wood.
Yesterday I sprained a little muscle in my foot driving far, far away and now I have to ice it every few hours, brrrr. We've been talking and learning and are about to start playing with bio-dynamics. I can't remember how I dress to stay warm and comfortable in this cold. I'm so pleased I picked up so many dry sticks for kindling over the past few months. At night we're watching sneaky episodes of Girls while our girls are asleep.
Right now farmer Bren is out planting the very last of the winter veg. It might be too late for things to grow, but it will rain tomorrow so it's worth a try.
I've got a pastry shell blind baking and am trying to write a magazine article. I feel like I need to hurry up to get everything done before getting the girls.
I've started a Facebook page for Foxs Lane. I resisted for so long but now I love it over there. Why don't you pop by and say hello.
Oh and thanks for all your wonderful feedback on the motif meditation. I'm so excited that so many of you are keen to join in. I think we'll make an instagram hashtag and a weekly link-up here. Do you know if you guys can post to my Facebook because that might be fun too.
So tell me peeps, what're things like where you are?
What are you wearing/baking/making/growing?
OK, I'm off - as Willy Wonka says - So little to do, so much time. Strike that, reverse it.
xx
Hello Kate, as usual you have summed up life at your place perfectly. Love those quinces and beans. Today I sowed some extra kale and cauliflower seeds as we are expecting rain too...and it is still unusually warm here. We are back into our distance education school routine which feels familiar but I miss the holiday freedom already.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely week x
Well I'm off to to say howdy-do to your FB page!! Getting a bit cooler here too - but not beanie cool. The sea is still just warm enough for swimming. We ran out of tank water on the weekend - we had a load delivered so now it's water ration time at our place. We usually get good night rain in Autumn on our sub-tropical island...but it just hasn't been a-happening. Love every photo here as always - yours is one of the nicest blogs in Blog Land Kate!!
ReplyDeleteWe live about twenty minutes from you near Trentham and the weather is the same...it feels like winter already but I know it will really get a lot colder! My nineteen month old grizzled all morning at the door saying "outside now" until I relented and we rugged up and went out. It was freeezing! We put in our first vegie garden during Spring and our capsicums are still growing really well and turning red, spinach is going crazy and the tomatoes are still ripening but everything else is slowing down.
ReplyDeleteLove your motif a day in may idea, I'm trying to finish crocheting a blanket for a friends new baby due soon and this will help with the motivation! I've also recently created a page on f'book so will pop over and give you a 'like'! Hope you're foot feels better! Stay warm and have a great week x Dre
Always great to call in and hear your news. Jo x
ReplyDeleteWe finally, finally got some rain & the temp has stayed under 30 for almost a week- it's heaven for this heavily pregnant mama!!!
ReplyDeleteAs you seen on IG I've finally started a new crochet project & even though it's slow going & I have to concentrate super hard I'm loving it!
I can't decide if I'm going to grow anything this winter. I have cabbages, spinach & chard in the ground already, oh & pumpkin & chilli left in there from summer, but I'm unsure if I'm going to have time to give the veg patch the attention in needs in the coming months....I know I feel better about life when I have food growing but I'm not sure....
And your last line? LOVE IT!!! The music that plays when they all walk down the stairs for the first time is my happy placs music, I just love it!!!
Making much dough, see blog latest. Looking forward to no frost and planting my tomatoes and peppers outside. It's Spring here in England and I look forward to the end of April showers and the warmer weather (fingers crossed.)
ReplyDeleteI had a great and active weekend and there is bank holiday on Thursday and Friday, so only two more days to go... Peas and carrots and spinach are growing happily on the windowsill and weather is nice enough for a skirt. Basically - springtime heaven and my English man is coming to visit over the weekend, so I expect it will just be AWESOME! I havent been doing much of the meditation, but in a way, getting sporty and doing work was even better!
ReplyDeleteIt's cold and wet in Auckland today. Long sleeves and jeans have been pulled out of my drawers. The cat is curled up on my bed, no more lying outside in the sun. The rain is greening up my lawn, my spinach, chard, rocket and celery have taken off with all this rain.
ReplyDeleteHi Kate. Spring hasn't yet sprung but is trying really hard here in Cumbria, England and The Beautiful Lake District. Time for caravan packing and escapes in Doris Caravan! I've been making birthday cake, the fudgy chocolaty kind for my eldest (19!!!), Anzac biscuits last week with my y6 class (topic Australia), and rippling along on my crochet ripply blanket - see blog and Facebook for pics. Loving the reversal of our little worlds; seasons and clothing. I'm taking my sunglasses with me everywhere I go now, just in case!! Lovely post, great photos. A pleasure. Karen xx
ReplyDeleteisn't it funny how you forget how to dress warm and comfy, I'm feeling the same! Popping over to your facebook page now..x
ReplyDeleteThe winter veggies are in and the broad beans are going crackers, though after being away over the last 2 weekends it seems the chooks have been in one of the beds scratching around and there are only a few seedlings left standing. Not good. I shook a heap of poppy seed heads over a stack of pots and all the seeds are all sprouting in the shed in the warmth of the glass window. They look like a carpet of weeds at the moment. I am also on the hunt for a wool card pattern for mum to knit for me. Anyone out there got some good patterns?? Im off to check out your FB page. xx
ReplyDeleteHello, I've been reading your blog for about a year now, but I don't think I have every commented. I am a secondary school teacher so my life is busy and often stressful. I definitely crochet meditate--and run too which lets my mind slip loose even though I too use headphones.
ReplyDeleteI loved your post about sewing. My boys loved to sew by hand and collected scrap fabric and got little thread sets from their granny to make pillows and little crooked animal friends. I still have some of the little gifts they made. So sweet. They are teenagers now and don't sew, but often their first thought when they need something is, 'how can I make this' rather than 'where can I buy this' which makes me smile.
Hi Kate, Thank you so much for a wonderful wholesome inspiring blog. My family has just arrived in Australia, moving from Europe. What a wonderful country! Also thank you for introducing me to Frankie, got my first issue this week. Trying my best not to read it all in one go. Still waiting for my "makes" tools, arriving by boat.... Thanks again.x
ReplyDeleteHi Kate, here in Germany we actually have a very warm spring this year and it's fun to read about your autumn life. I love your blog and now I'll look at your facebook page. See you soon ;-)
ReplyDeleteJutta xxx
It's rather grey with low cloud here in West Somerset but it's not raining!!! I've hopes for the sun breaking through later. Love your post. Will now go over to your fb page; I've wondered if I should set one up for yarn and pencil but I'm still not sure...
ReplyDeleteTracey xx
Wonderful pictures (as always), but that first one is just beautiful. It is a wet Spring week here, so the woodstove is still cranking so that my clothes will dry. Not enough sun outside yet.
ReplyDeleteCool and drizzly here in Maine...hoping for some warmer weather soon! I've just finished knitting a sweater that actually fits(!) and am now crocheting pillows-fun! Going to check out your FB page!
ReplyDeleteWhat a joy it is to read a blog post that yet again is so far removed from what is going on here in N.Ireland. Stunning photography as always xx
ReplyDeleteI always say "strike that, reverse it" and no one ever knows what the hell I'm talking about. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI wish it was so little to do, so much time, without reversing it :-) But then I guess I'd be bored...
ReplyDelete