first

On new year's eve, just after last year became this year, our friend Melissa handed out white sage leaves from her garden and invited us to go around the bonfire circle, burn our leaf, smudge ourselves and take a moment to let go of the past year and speak of our intention for the next.

When it came to my turn I spoke of how last year around this same circle I had announced that I felt like something big was about to happen in my world and that I was just waiting to see what it was going to be and that not long after that I had had my breast cancer scare. This year I'm hoping for calmer seas and nothing quite so dramatic.

I remembered that last year I had a burning desire to learn how to knit socks and had decided that in order to feel like a real knitter I had to make that come true. In August last year I cast off my first pair and have been pretty much sock addicted ever since. This year I told the circle, I'd like to knit a fisherman's sweater full of twisty cables, the more complicated the merrier.

And finally I thought that I quite liked the word even to carry me through my year but I've since changed my mind and decided to use grow instead.

Today we've had the slowest day in months. We got up late, watched episodes of The Honourable Woman on my computer in bed, read pages of my book, knitted stripes on my socks and had two other families over who ended up shelling four crates of broad beans. It was a gorgeous, restful and happy day.

And at the end of the first day I feel like everything is open, filled with potential. Hopefully in 2015 we'll grow and preserve even more of what we eat, hopefully we'll make a start on the wool project, hopefully we'll travel overseas, hopefully our school will move and become bigger and better, hopefully our girls will continue to find paths that inspire them and fill them up, hopefully my farmer boy and I can work hard on the farm and still find time to follow our other creative dreams and hopefully, as my farmer boy said so well last night, we as a planet can realise that we are all connected and be kinder to each other and make movements towards peace.

And I wish you lovely friends, the sweetest, most creative, love-filled and peaceful 2015.

Do you have a word, a feeling, a project or a resolution to kick it all off, or are you keeping your options open and hoping for the best?


LoveLoveLoveLove

xx

2012-The year of happy.

I'm not making a list of new year's resolutions this revolution. I didn't keep my resolutions last year or probably the year before so there's really no point.

Instead I have decided to declare 2012 my year of happiness. The whole year!!!!

I've got a pretty good idea of what makes me happy and I'm going to dedicate the next year to implementing these things.

I realise it might come across as a bit self indulgent, but I know that when I am happy I am a better wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, person....so its also kinda not self indulgent at all.

I'm using My happiness recipe that I wrote while we were away as a starting point.
Love where you live.
Shake up the routine.
Love the ones you're with.
Remember how lucky you are.
Be brave and change.
You can do it.
Be more social.
Indulge once in a while.
Get active.
Eat well and drink lots of water.

Also not on that list are be creative, grow lots of stuff, read books, get outside as often as you can, beware of clutter, stop talking and start doing and remember that you are not responsible for other people's grumpiness.

It's an ongoing work in progress. I know I'm going to have to check in with this list and in with myself often but it feels doable this year.

So lovely peeps, a big cheers to a wonderful and super-dooper happy 2012.
Thank you for sharing this great adventure with me and my gang and here's to many, many more.

Lotsa love,
Kate xx

Happy!!

Coincidentally the last Critical Mass of 2010 fell on New Years' Eve, so yesterday we spent the last afternoon of 2010 decorating our bikes and making them look oh so fancy.

Then in the early evening we gathered with all the other decorated bikes and their riders and pets, behind the main street for our turn to ride in the New Year's Eve Parade.

There were the usual tractors, fire engines, motor bikes, brass bands and us. That's me and Pepper on the far left.

That's us again when we saw Bren and Jazzy in the crowd.

And there is Miss Indi on her yarn bombed bike.

Miss Jazzy refused to be in the parade for fear that she would miss out on the lollies lots of the floats throw out into the crowed as they pass by.

Miss Pepper did so well on her bike riding three circuits in all, but I have to say that her steering leaves a lot to be desired.

It was such great fun and quite emotional riding our bikes through the main street of our town being cheered on by thousands of people.

Later we partied on at Meg's and for the first time in forever, the five of us were together and awake counting down to the new year, hugging and kissing and waving sparklers around. We were at a party until after midnight!!!!!!

So lovely people, on this first day of our planet's 2011 circle around the sun (thanks Dad!), I wish you health and happiness and love and creativity and inspiration and passion and satisfaction and many, many completed projects.

What did you get up to? Hope you had fun.

Have a great one. XX

Eeeeeeeeeeeeekk, our caravan adventure is happening THIS YEAR!!!!!!