taking stock (again)

Hello you! I just realised that it's the last day of April. My how time flies eh! So in the spirit of capturing the moment I've decided to go back and visit Pip's list. Here goes….

Enjoying: right now. For a while we've been feeling like we are on the edge of something new. Like this is the slow, calm before the next big thing. But maybe it's not. Maybe this lovely, simple, farmy way of life is it. I hope so.

Waiting: for our biodynamic preps to arrive in the mail so we can start the journey.

Liking: finding Indi and Jazzy together in Indi's bed practising singing harmonies.

Sewing: not so much sewing but sewn. a couple of weeks ago I bought some patchwork fabric at a garage sale and a couple of weeks after that I made a skirt. It's been so long for me between sewing clothes that the maths hurt my head, but I loved getting back on the old Bernina and need to do it again soon.

Wishing: for some more sunshine filled warm days before we head into winter.


Cooking: down tomatoes for sauce and podding beans.

Thinking: about heating up last night's leek and potato soup for lunch.

Feeling: like I am on school holidays after submitting all the writing and pictures that are due by the end of today. Yay!

Bookmarking: knitted sock patterns. I'm looking for an in-the-round pattern that is fitted and not saggy baggy.

Opening: the wood stove's door to chuck more wood in. (I think I've used that once before - is that cheating?)


Making : knitted feathers, just because.

Wasting: time on Facebook and feeling completely overwhelmed and full of love for you and your support with my brand new baby Foxslane page.

Wondering: if we really could pack up and live overseas for six months next year.

Following: the trend and sprinkling chia seeds on everything.

Noticing: how late we are to the garlic planting party. Tomorrow!!

Drinking : veggie juice and peppermint tea.

Reading: my way through this pile of wonderful. I think Wild is one of my favourite books ever and I'm trying to read Tiny Beautiful Things as slowly as I can to make it last and to try to remember it all.

Wanting: to have a play with shibori dyeing.

Looking: in the pantry for dinner inspiration. What're you having?

Playing: at denying the fact that I can hear mice in my roof!


Loving: splitting two year old dry wood for the fire. Such great stress relief, exercise and fun. If it were five years ago I'd totally get a coffee mug made up saying 'Keep calm and split wood', it's true!

Hoping: that we can get back into the bread baking habit.

Marvelling:  at how magnificently Daylesford does Autumn.

Needing: to hang out the laundry that has been in the machine since last night.

Smelling: Indi's new perfume and wondering how my Mum coped with my high school days with Paris and Poison.

Wearing: A cashmere Country Road jumper I bought at our school fair and waiting for someone to come up and tell me that it used to belong to them.

Knowing: how lucky I am to be working and living and parenting alongside my farmer boy.

Giggling: at Miss Pepper's sleep walking antics. Last night, very late, she came into the lounge room, looked around blankly, picked up her lunchbox (tiffin tin) and headed back to bed. About 15 minutes later she returned holding her tin with a very confused look on her face and asked us what on earth her lunch box was doing in her bed. She didn't remember any of it this morning.

Feeling: ready and excited to start the motif meditation journey tomorrow. I'll pop a linky thing up on my blog on the weekend and use the hashtag #motifdaymay on instagram so we can all follow each others' progress. If crochet isn't your thing but you want to play too, feel free to post whatever it is that gets you in the zone.

This was my April last year.
This was my Taking Stock from August last year.
This was my Taking Stock from January this year.

Hope your April's been ace!
See you in May.

Big rad love xx

taking stock

Making : rainbow bracelets, friendship bracelets, pom-poms, a crochet blanket. 88/200 made.
Cooking : babka, gozleme, shakshuka, frittata, toast...
Drinking : so much water, vodka and ginger beer, mint tea.
Reading: burial rites by hannah kent. as slowly as possible. i so don't want it to end. (thanks mum xx)
Wanting: to write blogs about the truths of family farming in the year of the family farm.
Looking: at how pretty the garden looks in the late afternoon's summer light.
Playing: the strangers podcasts. from the beginning to now. brilliant!! (thanks dad xx)
Wasting: precious crochet time by reading. and reading time crocheting. it's always a juggle.
Sewing: nothing lately. i do have a pile of fabric sitting here waiting to become a skirt. someday.
Wishing: that we had planted more beans.
Enjoying: walking around the big block each evening.
Waiting: for the first tomato to ripen so i can break my tomato fast.
Liking: that my girls are learning important skills like starting the fire pump and sharpening a chainsaw.
Wondering: if there is really a chance of italy in october?
Loving: listening to miss indi singing in her room.
Hoping: that the last 10 days of the summer holidays go so slooooooowly.
Marvelling: at how quickly the girls can make a mess in any part of the house i've recently cleaned.
Needing: to do some mowing but the wind is still too fierce.
Smelling: the chocolate dipped waffle cones i just made for afternoon tea.
Wearing: my fitbit.
Following: along behind my farmer boy, digging and shoveling and listening and learning.
Noticing: that the double batch of challah i made the other day killed my kitchen aid. crap!
Knowing: that i need to start thinking about and getting organised for the school year to come.
Thinking: about what a relief it is to forget about the fire plan for a few cooler days.
Feeling: itchy. from a jumping jack bite two days ago.
Bookmarking: pictures of conservatories. a glass house on the side of this house might fix it.
Opening: google images to look at pictures of iceland. i can't get burial rites out of my head.
Giggling: at how funny the newly shorn alpacas look.
Feeling: like i might sleep tonight after finally doing something this morning that i've been stressing about for weeks.

so what's going on with you?
have you read burial rites?
are your tomatoes ripe yet?
what have you been making?

(thanks pip xx)
(last time i played)