{this moment}
a friday ritual
a super special moment from my week
i want to cherish and share with you!
i hope you had heaps of sweet simple moments in your days
leave a link in the comments if you want to share
**
Tag Archives: moments
teahouse treehouse
when you where small
did you have somewhere equally small and sheltered
to play out life, imagine, create, tinker, have teaparties, or disappear?
in the last days Cedar and I have been working on his place
it’s been so sweet, delightful and cherishable {is that a real real word?}
we are both pretty happy when there is good work to be done
i thought this outdoor working together would suit us as a mama and toddler team
and it’s gratifying to see it really does
when there’s digging, lifting, mulching, weeding, watering or lugging to be done
we are slow but we are happy in the task together
it’s a simple place this boy of mine has now
tucked in the deep shade of a bottletop lemonade tree
{delicious sweet lemon with a bulbous bottle like shape}
a bit of raking
a bit of pruning
a bit of mulching
a little hauling of stumps
a little plank balancing shelving
a golden enamel teapot
some tiny teacups
free access to water
some linen {mama of course}
a wee bottle of flowers
and some guests {leopards}
a little content man
in turns, we where graciously invited in for tea…
thankyou sweet little one for reminding me to stop and play
and bringing the simple gladness of being together
and evoking memories of my own small years
***
a sibling moment…
dressing up is a big part of play in our household
and also from my childhood a beloved play
actually we used to make plays with the five of us girls…
that’s another story another time…
my sisters you’ll all be grinning now probably…
anyway anyway
Lily has started introducing Cedar to the idea
i love witnessing this sibling play
the helping, excitement, ideas, role play, seriousness, clumsy little feet in big gowns, cooperation, adaption, happiness, silliness
the fact that Lily is enraptured and deeply involved with the characters
and Cedar really just carries on life but with a costume on
and follows his sisi in her play
or gets on with what he was doing
and then they where ready for a formal old fashioned sibling portrait session…
fun for them, fun for me, fun for all, fun for you?
my costumes are still packed up but i love to join in too
how about you?
do you allow other inner characters to come out through how you dress?
are you comfortable with cross gender dressing in your children?
have you worn dress ups all day and even into town on an everyday trip? {i did, dressed as Madonna, the goddess not the singer, thanks to Lily’s encouragement}
do you ever allow your children or someone else to choose what you wear?
~Lily wears a vintage chiffon party frock with a vintage crotcheted bed jacket waist frill and numerous under skirts
~Cedar wears Lily’s corduroy floral frock from Oma with numerous frilly puffy underskirts
look at that, he has the hang of hoisting up his hem out of the dirt already…
this moment
this moment
{a friday ritual}
a single photograph, no words
a special moment from my week i want to cherish and share
Waking up to…
Waking up to…
Heidi and Peter bringing in the goats for milking
{we have only just finished devouring Heidi by Johanna Spyri these last days, now look at our new reality!}
an enjoyable chore surprisingly!
I am nowhere near as dexterous as these young ones on the milking front…
I had always thought I detested goat’s milk, but here… yum, so sweet and mild
throughout the day i listen for the tinkle of the bell in the orchard and enjoy watching these nimble girls scamper about, balance up trees to peg down tasty leaves or frolic about in that particular goaty fashion.
I am enjoying the developing relationship with these curious, opportunistic, character filled creatures and am deeply grateful for their delicious milk and subsequent cheeses which our kind friend makes! Yum
something to love on the farm…
Port Douglas Markets and more musing s…
Port Douglas Markets and more musings…
, 
We have been away for three weeks now on the West Coast.
I’ve just been editing photographs from our last weeks in Far North Queensland.
those beautiful waterways! the warmth and fresh fruit! being outdoors…
i mean really, look at me in swimmers and being painted by a little angel with river ochre!
less than a month ago!
In my bones until next time…
It’s hard to fathom Jesse will be playing his last set for the year at the Port Douglas markets today.
followed by a sunset dinner by the sea probably.
We are in such different realities at the moment, when usually we travel life together.
I’m only just starting to miss my companion and dear friend…
i’ve been wrapped up in the joy and busy-ness of family time and the enjoyment of space from the relating ship,
which is still happening, but I’ve passed half way of the trip and I think my soul is
preparing to travel East again and thoughts are coming in about my friends and family there.
It makes me aware just how difficult it is to simply be present!
Without anticipating the next chapter of life, or even the next moment of life.
How much of my day am i just trully being in the moment?
I know I relish it when I notice i have come in for a time, and feel the richness of the moment.
it’s not that often, when I really reflect on it! neither is it always comfortable moments mind!
I’m practicing though.
When I go through a phase of doing a daily practice of meditation or yoga or somesuch I notice
my awareness is more centred for the rest of the day.
I tend to put good excuses or futurisms on why I’m not in regular practice of some time of
stillness and centering.
Like, when I have a house I will set up a space or when I’m not so tired or when I wake up tomorrow or when I am enlightened or when I grow up….
{my sisters say I was such a procrastinator as a child}
How about right now?
How about you?
What do you tell yourself, which stops you from doing some helpful practice of meditation, stretching, exercise, centering, movement or so on?
or what do you tell yourself which gets you going with it again?
well that was not what I’d been planning to write about! but reading back I enjoy the surprise of it!
I had been wanting to belatedly post these photos of some of the beautiful produce and handmade crafts from the
Port Douglas Markets!
I think I’ll put them at the top of the page now…
Enjoy your spring/autumn equinox
are you celebrating it in any way?
it happens to also be Uncle D’s birthday so we had
decadent gluten free chocolate cake with cream after breakfast…
Peace
it’s the wildflowe…
it’s the wildflowers
in full festival
it’s the flowers
in every glance a hint of colour to be investigated
it’s the flowers
tiny, subtle, gracious, intricate
it’s the flowers
beckoning me across the road and into the woods
it’s the flowers
delaying me and making little ones impatient with mama as they spring on to new finds
(and me impatient with them for pulling me away, yes must go alone sometimes…)
it’s the flowers
invisibe to a casual eye
revealed with attention
unveiled with presence and patience
delighting all of us with their own groupings and gatherings
what do flowers communicate?
and here and here another another
it’s the flowers
which distract Cedar from falling asleep on walks of that intent
it’s the flowers
the bold red/orange/burgundy pea his favorite and each bush gestured and acknowledged
it’s the flowers
immaculate petalled orchids the queens
puffy pompom wattles
spreading cheerful red leschenaultia and running postman
tall sunshine billy buttons
minute pink fairies
countless silky blues orchids
spider orchids
purple pansy orchids
red beaks
dampiera
dryandras
tiny delicate fringed lily twiner
bright abundant cowslips
tall breezy jug orchids in mint candy striped shirts
at least five variations on the donkey orchid
black eyed pinks
and a myriad more I cannot name but love no less
it’s the flowers
the carpet of which trails our eyes through the open woodland
it’s the flowers
which bring me here in spring
it’s the flowers
whose essence and healing I soak up
it’s the flowers
the discovery of rarities a thrill each one thrillier that the last
it’s the flowers
in rain or wind or warm
beckoning a beautiful bouquet
in amongst the silver brown hued timber
it’s the flowers
enlivening and uplifting me
it’s the flowers
stretching my smile eyes and mind
it’s the flowers.
it is.
A Denmark Day
Mama and I and the little ones spent a happy day browsing and completing errands in the Coastal Forest town of Denmark
After visiting the two op shops and finding some great embroidered linens and pastel Johnson Bro bread plates we had a tasty lunch at
while Nanna went for acupuncture Cedar Lily and I where playful in the riverside park. A pretty cool playground, some stately old Marri and Karri trees…
I had one of those moments again. one of those precious ones where my heart pauses and I am then flooded with sentiment as I watch my little ones in their innocence and fun and kindness and I give an enormous breath of gratitude to the gift they are in my life, and the beauty and clarity of sunlight and the cool scent in the air almost overwhelms me with the richness of nature and my place in it.
try and imagine how old this Marri tree is… All it has witnessed… the slow pulsating rhythm of being a tree… go and find one and sit or lay under it or climb into her arms and soak up some arboreal wisdom…
Yes Cedar is out and about in his pyjama jumper… he loves it as much as I do… It’s from Engel via Cambridge baby
oh how i love the scent of rivers,
growing up an inland girl the novelty of bounteous water is yet to fade…
the myriad of light refractions on waters surface amuse me endlessly, the green shade and becooled air which stirs about draping leaves becalms me
and refreshes me and i am enchanted in my thoughts as i move us up to the colourful delight of wool heaven!
I was getting distracted from choosing yarn for a bold project I am about to undertake of making Lily a short sleeved cardigan for the coming seasons from an Elizabeth Zimmerman patern resized to vaguely fit an eight! phew. I think I’m abit out of depth but looking forward to the challenge.
I chose an heirloom silk touch Merino, Alpaca, Silk blend and Lily chose a sweet sky blue tint.
Lily had been quietly amusing herself, when I appeared to check with what she was amused I saw…
You know those beautiful enticing rows of neat embroidery threads in every good crafting shop? well…
Mothers panic try to be calm…
“honey what are you up to?”
thinking…oh god We are going to be kicked out, no worse I will have to painfully sort these all out into colour batches and rehang them. oh crikey
“Hi mama, these where all in a jumbly mess, some kids been playing with them probably so I took them all off and I’m sorting them out!”
“ah OK good one that’s really thoughtful of you”
luckily shop lady overheard and pipes up gratefully that it’s OK and thanks to Lily
phew… phew… phew…
Cedar had been happily driving his new tractor and trailor around which we had just found beautifully made at the Denmark arts centre…
after this we perused the Butter Factory Studios and Alpaca Centre
I am in love with Alpace fibre once again and tried to convince my mum to buy an exhorbitantly priced Alpaca coat to no avail… yet…
I found Cedar a sweet duffel coat by Oobi instead and some fantastic local ceramics.
The end
everyone tired and hungry and wants to go home now
goodbye Denmark til next time
And then Cedar was two!
good morning my beautiful son
Lily crowns you and bethrones you in bed and brings you your few gifts to help you open…
you are quietly pleased
breakfast is simply porridge but accompanied by some new play things. thankyou family, well chosen compact quality toys…
Lily adores you and invents funny games to make us all laugh
later in the day after the markets, we drive to a beautiful creek and meet friends
it is oh so peaceful by the fire and the water
you are contented to play on your own and I watch you in your own amusement and watch your big eight year old sister teach our friend to knit
we eat simply but happily
the nature at the beautiful Shannonvale creek has me breathless
reflections on cool water like an impressionist painting
an endless meditation to watch the rippling mirror
before bed we light your candles and sing our birthday medley of songs
you look so pleased in a happy quiet way
you have had your first haircut ever today!
you look different my son
your face makes new expressions
my how you have grown little one
you love the moment, as we all do, gathered around you singing in the candlelight
Lily helps you blow them out as you cannot yet
you love it so much we have to do it again, and again
we all love it and you too
we have our yummy birthday celebration the next day in the park at Port Douglas
As its your birthday Cedar i let you eat the pancakes straight from the pan
you go so fast i have to get a second pan out so I can make a stack for us to share!
finally you are full and we have a feast prepared
this is black sapote (chocolate fruit) mixed with fresh grated coconut and fresh squeezed coconut cream YUM!
mmm you are a watchful child… i read so much in your face
we sing and celebrate you Cedar
and a second later…
look at this boy! 
mmm the creativity of toppings is endless…
oh yes we love our pancakes instead of cakes for birthdays!!
thankyou beautiful Cedar for gracing my life with your calm soul
and unmatched pancake appetite!!
may we share many more…
Innot hot springs
Oh Lordy this is divine!
This unassuming little creek is actually fed with scalding (about 70’c) spring water from deep in the earth!
We are enjoying our most luxurious bathing in months!
Phil I hope you get to visit here, you’d be totally blissed!
Even sitting on the course sand the heat is radiating up to my grateful skin as the ambient temperature is 20’c and windy
This is the second hot spring I’ve visited in Australia, the other being Douglas hot springs in the NT in 2005. In 2008 we visited the thermal bath town of Renne Les Bains in southern France which was another delightful setting …
The humble natural location here is appealing to me, and results in it being very quiet. No tourist spectacle in sight. Dig a hole and soak in it. Simple.
today under thick marshmallow cloud, in my five minutes of undisturbed bathing I could lay in my hot puddle and watch the antics of the raucous parrots in the overhead flowering gum. To me that was bliss…
Joy. Hope to have a peaceful soak under the stars tonight with the silver smile of new moon as my mirror.
Go give your bathtub some love…
Continued…
We’ve stayed two nights here to luxuriate in the mineral waters!
In the camp ground are six pools of varying heat to slip between.
Lily is a happy fish
We went for some mama daughter time this sunset and stopped with our feet in the hot creek lay back looking at the skyscape. Talking planets, moon cycles, stars and imagining experiencing space travel.
Precious time to connect after a spat of conflict over dinner.
Lily found ochre to paint us up and made a coconut shell boat with anchor
The view from my bathing place I am loving the blue sky sky sky
It’s rare to find the dreaming story of a place do easily. I loved retelling it for my family
It sure beat
The water meets the magma heat 600m below ground. It expands and is forced to the surface through fractures in the rock.
RosaLindenTree 