a date with the smalls
is very important to have
leisurely and playfully
and with presence
gave me such joy
thankyou Jugiong
such a tiny highway side spot for an overnight stop
near Gundagai
Tag Archives: mothering
Advent adventuring inside
and then later again
making swiss biscuits on advent Sundays over the last few years has become
a simple joyful tradition for us
connecting me with my family heritage in Europe
we bake them, taste them, parcel them up pretty, then walk up the street to our nieghbours and share them
or take them to friends
this year i have lacked any christmassy stamina until four days ago {new flower essences have supported me to shift my mind and lift my energy YAY!}
{oh gosh thank goodness what a relief because i was feeling i could not pretend and i had nothing authentic i wanted to share or celebrate
i was planning on jumping ship and avoiding the whole thing ie. go camping alone
it is revealing how low i have been feeling this last month and now i am perking up a little again and i am grateful
and it would be a non event in our household through advent and isn’t that sad for the children {lily wants the full glitz and glimmer and festival felling}
and i honestly had only one gift and no inspiration to make any more {lily has made a basket full and keeps asking where i am hiding mine…}
and i was wondering if that’s ok, to not give gifts and how would that feel and would i be ashamed or embarassed or would i write letters
or… should i rush out and just buy stuff?
well, what would christmas be without the gifts, the advent rituals, the biscuits, the candles, the nativity, without Mary Joseph and a donkey walking across our house through december, without the singing and poems, the wreath, the secrecy and elving, the crafting together, the fun and wonder?
it’s great things to contemplate isn’t it? what do we give from our hearts? what do we hold in our minds and beings? what is the energy which enlivens the experience beyond the gift giving bit? do i just take it all too seriously and need to lighten up eat lots of bikkies and be silly? probably a little…
before the advent of jesus there are the festivals of the solstice and the return of the light and many other ancient traditions around the world at this time of year
in the last years i came to thinking of the birthday of jesus {who is jesus mama? a kind and good man who was a healer on earth a long time ago}
and found i could sit with the picture of the birthday of the light within me and within us all. the looking towards the goodness and love and kindness and generosity in all of us that we celebrate at christmas. and when i put that lens into my glasses, it makes sense again in a way it hasn’t since childhood.
the handmade gifting element began when i was 20 and i decided i would aim to hand make as many of my gifts as possible
they can be very humble offerings, but you know if you get one, i have thought of you as i stitched or wove or painted or preserved, i have held you in my focus and embedded my good wishes for you in this gift, i have enjoyed the making of the gift and reflecting on our relationship
there is no cold winter to bring us in to the hearth together here in the southern globe but we still gather with our families and friends inside and out at this time of year around candles and games and beaching and reading and costuming and eating and cooking together
i’m so grateful to my family of origin and my extended families for the brightness you all bring into my life and the forethought and generosity which you share with me and mine
for me once again in december i am seeking a depth of meaning in the festival/life
it doesn’t mean i am judging how you or anyone else does it
im on my personal quest to enrich the experience for me and my children
so i can cope with all the hoopla out there in the world
so we have made our first batch of advent Basler Brunsli
and it was really fun even though it was on a monday…
delicious chewy almond meal, cinnamon and chocolate biscuits
this year’s recipe i am trialling can be found here
i think it was a little sticky as i used big eggs
so we waited a few hours before cutting the hearts
messy
yummy, but too sweet for me with the sugar sprinkled on top
will remember to cut down the amount inside
{my family always complains i don’t put in enough sweet}
cute huh?
lily’s teachers gifted her with the cookie cutter for a farewell gift
perfect.
wow end of class two already!
i know we spend a lot of time away from school anyway
but really that has come way too soon!
anyway enough rambling
blessings to you and yours
xx
what are you doing in preparation for christmas {if anything}?
what does it mean to you?
what stands out from your childhood christmases?
what is special to you at this time of year?
Waking up to…
i have become quite attatched to these animals
the hens and Mr Pantaloons are so amusing
as anyone who has spent time with hens knows
in that slightly daft and theatrical way which they behave
he really is very beautiful, a storybook rooster
with a fantastic crow
and he takes good care of his ladies
i’ve been playing farmgirl these last months
and it is sweet simple tasks which brighten the morning
and encourage one to get up early before it is hot
animals who love to see you every day consistantly boost one’s self esteem
{even if deep down i know it’s the one with the bucket they love….}
i have gained more confidence with these goat girls and can milk with a
great Heidi-esque splash now
i still cannot yodel, surely there must be a you tube tutorial on it…
must look that up
they are mischievous and daring
cheeky and personable
just like a story one girl turned around and started to nibble my hat
really! goats don’t really eat hats do they??
and then later i morph from farm mama into crafting mama
i had some lessons on setting up a table loom in WA
i never did post the photos… another day yet again
{do you wonder about behind the scenes and all i don’t share?
some of it is simply beautiful and disappears in the motion of the days of wonder
and some of it is the most ugly parts of my life which i hold tight to me in fear of what you or i might think or they are simply too raw to reveal on this medium}
anyway weaving.
lily received a great loom from aunty J for her birthday,
instructions in German where too complex
but yesterday i did it! {thanks mama}
success and away we went
the three of us a weaving team, the rhythm of our tasks helping something wondrous and special come together
for papa {shhhhh}
a little mending…
how to love mending as much as the making
i’ve been working on this and in the last weeks
gathered in the holey things and begun
wow! i’ve let them go a long time and some holes have grown noticeably
but here i go with my needle and thread and a little stillness
and a lot of enjoyment of handling these beautiful things again
and knowing i am giving them a new burst of life
Lily is not feeling well
as i wrapped her in her baby blanket {with big girl extensions}
i noticed those holes
so with children at one end and me at the other
i got to my task
feeling the texture and weight of this beautiful crotcheted blanket
how quickly it warmed my legs and memory
i was pregnant with my first big belly
traveling in a beautiful old yellow kombi van
Jesse and I on our first adventure together
i gathered yarn from my family and friends
along the way i gathered more
and as we drove often i had my basket of yarn at my feet and
this growing blanket on my growing belly
i wove into it all my wondering of who and when and how
all those pre mama feelings
who would i be bundling in this wool one day soon?
thousands of stitches thousands of kilometres and thousands of blessings.
from my reverie i glance up
and here is my daughter
bigger than ever
as i mended we talked about her birth
she and Cedar chatted and played
and i cherished this gift i made
once upon a time for a wee babe
this moment…
{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
**
keep cool for after school {bircher muesli}
Bircher Muesli Recipe and story
when i was a small girl
we lived in the West Australian wheatbelt
summer days frequently kissing blue skies and 40~celcius
after school the seemingly endless burnt orange gravel drive
shimmered and baked me
chasing after bigger faster sisters on bicycles
anxious in the hot vast expanse of golden crisped paddocks
i don’t remember a single tree on that km stretch to the house paddock
was there shade along the way?
and then i was there
pushing through the small side gate
often teary often late
there was our sturdy brick home with deep shaded verandahs
and my calm mama waiting in the cool dim kitchen with
hugs cheerfulness and
bircher muesli
sweet tart chilled textured cooling surprising delicious
was it so tasty because it was made with genuine swiss hands
and the apple grated with an authentic swiss bircher grater {so i call it}
what secret ingredient did you infuse this refreshing meal with mama?
mine never meets the reputation of my memory
so here i am now
on a meltingly hot day
waiting for my little to come dancing into home again after a long week
and i make bircher muesli
and think of cool kitchens and dark, even cooler pantries
{where i used to sneak crunches of dried pasta or other goods and lat on the cold floor
or draw on the back of door chalkboard}
now i think of
mama love
growing up
sour apples and yoghurt
i am blessed to be using yoghurt from the cows milk provided by yonder dexters
which forms a coveted cream top
thankyou to C for making it
there is an abundance of Bircher Muesli recipes out there in the world
i wouldn’t say mine is traditional as my bircher grater is still in storage and i chopped the apple instead…
you know i’m kidding right?
so I won’t do more than list the ingredients i used this particular time
2 handfuls organic unstabilised rolled oats
2 oranges squeezed over oats fresh from orchard
2 cups natural yoghurt from neighbours cows
1 handful dessicated coconut
2 tablespoons unhulled tahini
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 small handful raisins
1 handful chopped almonds
1 tspn cinnamon powder
1 green apple from farmers market
1 green pear
1 banana from big market
1 handful blueberries
1 handful wild rasberries picked by a neighbour
mix and refridgerate
be inventive be flexible use what you have
the idea is softened oats yoghurt and fruit
i tend to soak the dry goods in the orange juice for a while before i add the yoghurt and fruit section
some people soak the oats overnight in the fruit juice til morn
for me that becomes a super digestible breakfast but kind of slimy and sticky, what do you think?
i forgot to add chia seeds, that might be nice
my mama used to put in stone fruits and grapes in later summer
and i hear tell she used some condensed milk to sweeten it…
is that true? did i forget any other special ingredient mamala?
how do you make this dish?
what would you add?
what was waiting for you when you got home on hot days?
what do you make for your kidlets now?
**peace be with you and your bellies**
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…
glimpses of indoors
This gallery contains 54 photos.
Glimpses Of Indoors a gallery of moments from my month with my extended family in Western Australia a chapter of time many shared moments centered around the hearth and the heart centered around all the activities which have their place … Continue reading
all in one day
our last day on the farm or was it days?
entailed lots of outdoorsey horsey time
and lots of quiet knitting sitting with my mama
{see how fancy she knits}
i said to her
“when I grow up I might knit fancy socks too…”
she replied in the vein of
“when do you know you are grown up?”
“when i knit fancy socks of course”
on the winding deck on the eastern house side you can chase the sun all morning long… and maybe have a spontaneous yoga session…
after babies sleep we went to a friends stables and Lily got to groom, ride and feed a placid freckled nana horse…
I got distracted by the divine golden blooming wattles… mmmm… i wish i was a bee
then after lunch off down the field to see aunty’s horsies
we all sat about and watched her give her horse Bowen and then work with another naughty pony which did not want to be caught
photographed cute baby instead of horses
no big trees to climb here yet, so miss monkey goes up other obstacles…
they are growing though… i remember a certain cold day with a very little Lily,
hands cold in the earth and mud planting some of the sheoaks and melaleuca ‘s at the bottom of this little forest
and now a date with the long oatey grass and my little ones
i was captivated by the sound of the wind in the long grass, i felt very still amidst the sea of green, the scent of sweet oats, children’s giggles and calls and falls,
memories of making grass houses just like this with my best friend of childhood, rolling about flattening rooms, making oaty meals, looking at the sky and feeling hidden and safe
i was trully enraptured by grasses again, this was the golden glow of my day, here simply laying in the grass, a truly happy simple moment to savour
it certainly sweetened me amidst all the weeping and longing of leaving…
then i managed to convince Lily to shoot me
in my newly hemmed more complicated than it could have been pocketed mama cheerful springtime skirt
really digging the clash of blue prints and red boots…
what do you wear on the farm?
goodbye to this part of our travels
filled with sweetness and mama love and family closeness
thankyou all of you who enrich my life and cradle me in the family nest, help me, encourage me, tease me, put up with me, hug me and love me
Windy day Toddler Bonnet
The Windy Day Bonnet is born…
Well I did it! Yes I really did.. see evidence below…
I adapted this gorgeous bonnet for Cedar from another simple pattern to fit my boys noggin snuggly and embellished the designwork for my own interest, challenge and enjoyment.
You would not believe how hard it has been to find a pattern for this two year old in a bonnet style! who says children over one year don’t need cosy bonnets anymore… so now there are at least two bigger bonnet patterns out there! if you know of any more please share with me as I love this style, they stay on better at this busy age.
look at this lovely big boy… i mean lovely bonnet…
we rummaged for a long time through my mama’s button tin looking for just the right button. Important business for this fellow and me. While my heart swelled and stretched with the dual joy of having made something from these stumpy fingers of beauty and use, and the joy of quiet buttoning with my boy just as I did with the same buttons as a little one…
i am capturing all these glimpses of time here in my heart and storing them to replay in my mind as time zooms in front of me and my tears well up and I start packing my bags again to leave the nest of my beautiful family…
in the end he put aside the fabric covered vintage buttons, the carved bone, the plastic orange elephant, the sparkle encrusted jewel, the leather square, the big red retro and chose the plainest little white plastic button.
“now i’m ready to go out into this southwest wind and play mama…”
anyway, I now need a test knitter or two, game enough to knit up my pattern The Windy Day Toddler Bonnet and give me feedback before it goes up on Ravelry!
it’s easy, honest!
I used 4mm knitting sticks and about 70g of Misti Alpaca Tonos Worsted {aus 10ply} in Tealing Blue. You can use whatever you like of course…
the pattern used to look like this…
{I did go to art college for three years to be able to make it look so, well, artistic…}
please contact me if you are willing… {it is beautifully legible and sensical now!! and downloads as a neat pdf file…}
In celebration of my achievement I bid you good night!
and in celebration of yours, whatever they may be!
Good night *
ps thankyou littlelom for models cutest toadstool singlet and cord whale trousers…
RosaLindenTree 