Tag Archives: siblings

Waking up to…

Posted on by

0

IMG_0901

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??


 IMG_0898 IMG_0900

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}


IMG_0912 IMG_0913 IMG_0914

 

 

Mullumbimby community gardens

Posted on by

0

IMG_4691

amidst the forest of edible green

little hands and big hands alike are foraging

a tomato wrapped in sweet basil

and popped and spurted between sharp teeeth

a joyous exploration of tasting leaves and  petals

pure vitality and nourishment

flavours piquant and bright

a chile which made me cry

a haven of play for my tired little ones

a carpet of lush green to flop onto in mama exhaustion

a quiet place for us to be together

nurtured by vibrant life

the rustle and whisper of food growing

glorious food

abundant food for all!

gratitude

IMG_4633
IMG_4635 IMG_4639 IMG_4642 IMG_4647 IMG_4648 IMG_4649 IMG_4631IMG_4650 IMG_4651 IMG_4654 IMG_4655 IMG_4656
IMG_4659 IMG_4662 IMG_4657IMG_4664 IMG_4670 IMG_4676 IMG_4677 IMG_4678 IMG_4679 IMG_4634IMG_4680 IMG_4681 IMG_4683 IMG_4685

i’ve said it before and i will happily say it again and again

Mullumbimby Community gardens are fantastic

and if you can go there you are sure to be inspired

and feel happy simply by being with all the good growth

and feel connected with the ladybirds and the caterpillars

and come away well fed body and soul…

IMG_4690

gardening with a paper bag

Posted on by

0

 

 

a weekend holiday

some happy hours in the northbank community gardens

children wandering and gathering

mama weeding and dreaming of how her seedlings bought today will grow

{and realising i won’t be here to see them grow}

but enjoying my gardening all the same…

flavoursome leaves and a few asparagus stalks

chicken friends and chicken squawks

blossoms and seeds

ladybirds and weeds

chickens want holding

and a little paper bag folding

peace, rhymes, being together outside on a tired day

 

 

this garden is an amazing resource for the community

abounding gratitude to the committed crew who keep it growing well

and accessible to us all*

a little mending…

Posted on by

3

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

a sibling moment…

Posted on by

10

 

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…

 

 

Waking up to…

Posted on by

3

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…

glimpses of indoors

Posted on by

2

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

Posted on by

2

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 beethen 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

it’s the wildflowe…

Posted on by

3

it’s the wildflowers

in full festival

Image

it’s the flowers

in every glance a hint of colour to be investigated

Image

it’s the flowers

tiny, subtle, gracious, intricate

it’s the flowers

beckoning me across the road and into the woods

Image

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.