Waking up to the beauty of the Sense river in Switzerland. A steep gorge and rocky bed. This unique covered wooden bridge frames the morning sunlight.
Yesterday we hiked up the valley to a hidden, adult size bush-cubby and made a fire. Swimming sunning roasting haloumi marshmallows and flower sausages. Across the water is a small house built into the cliff, Villa Anna. Intriguing.
A happy warm family day lingers with me this morning.
What are you waking up to?
And then it was,
I left the stair
And rode the wind
through time wrapped air.
Geoffrey McSkimming
waking up to.
this fine nest of eggs.
this wild woven willow nest was Jesse’s gift to me upon return from a recent trip to New Zealand. in such contrast to my own methodical approach to weaving which is my meditation and pleasure, i am moved to joy with Jesse’s wild cohesion. his first basket i believe. and for me. oh.
i’m touched that he has spoken to me in a language i understand and have great fluency. the concentrated placing of stems, the twining, the listening with fingertips to the song of the sticks, the bend, flex and play, the creation of something beautiful and useful from nothing and deeply pleasing is the remarkable willow perfume.
it enraptures me as i pass and underlies the blueprint aroma of our house at present. slightly spicy, true tree essence. this scent turned me onto a new road in my life when i entered Mike Lillian’s willow weaving workshop in Kakanui in 2008. as i entered this richly scented haven, more baskets than i could poke a stick at and bundles of rods, graded and waiting! i was entwined with a deep knowing of familiarity and a sense of coming home. i think i have done this before. Mike gifted me with a willow technique book and as we drove home from Sydney to WA i was weaving my first willow basket. he gifted me with more guidance and great yarns on subsequent visits.
this willow so recently harvested by Jesse’s hand on Mike’s farm on the south island; where he grows all his willow stock for the years intricate weavings. these wildly twined together green shoots tell me a beautiful story from Jesse’s fingers and travels.
this morning it found it’s purpose. mayhap one day it will hold eggs from our own hens. i would have hens laying various coloured eggs. white for dyeing of course, pale blue, tiny speckles, sturdy brown, the pale pink/apricot, and on and on.
my beloved also brought me a master basket of Mike’s, a French ‘panier a jour’. a lightweight and sturdy market basket which has already had a few fruitful adventures. if i wasn’t using it so much it would be high on the wall of honour.
i won’t question why these wonderful woven vessels make me so happy.
i shall simply rest in the joy of it all and carry on weaving.
my friends, i am a true basket case.
and looking forward to north queensland’s abundant coconut fronds for weaving in just a couple of weeks!
ps much love to you Mike and AnneMarie, thanks for putting some fat on Jesse x
Sometimes our 1.8m by 6m home really feels like 1.8m by 6m!!
Waking up to chaos and cramped ness after the weekends work at the markets is over. Last night was an incomplete pack down and departure as I had a date with Lily, to kick off her birthday week, to see Tango Amor (brilliant Traditional tango music on Violin, cello and Accordian)
Hence this mornings scattering of random objects…
In a motor home everything really must have its place and be in it before we drive anywhere. Very quickly I can be overwhelmed by this scenario of disorder.
Remember the scene from the castle film where they have to move all the various cars to pull out in the one they need. It can be a bit like that around here. (Can you move the guitars, oil tin, clothing, books, wee bucket, didgeridoos, sticks, tractors and shoes so I can get to my toothbrush…)
thank you Jesse for evacuating with the kids this morning. (Self preservation mechanism!)
I know the space will take less ten minutes to be back to vogue living but far out! It’s a moment of remembering how tiny the space is we four live in! Is that less than 2sq metres per person?? We are a bit crazy… Or brave.. Or both…
must remember our garden is the whole country…
Ps before this photo was uploaded its all ship shape and the eggs are cooking for breakfast:) (wow I can cope so much better than a year ago even though it is Monday!)
momentary madness
And Lily loved the performance as did I, she is so inspired by the potential of her violin playing and the ladies costume and sparkly stilettos…
When I grow up I can be like her…
So heart filled to share this moment with my girl and see her confidently imagine out another possible future of creativity!
A ceaseless sea
Rippling splash towards me
Ever mercurial
Ever rhythmic
Ever reinventing
Ever longing for the shore
cloud grey silken quilt wraps the expanse of my view
The mountains wear muslin shawls
The dawn has but dimly lit the stickiness of day
The earth holds its breath this
Tropical morning
Yellow the bracken
Golden the sheaths
Rosy the apples
Crimson the leaves
Mist on the hillside
Clouds grey and white
Autumn good morning
Summer goodnight
Author unknown to me
I revel in this crisp changing
Colors of the season enthrall me and I have to pull over and pause to savour
This tree is on my friends property
Almost a year ago I arrived to be present with their big children while mama was birthing
In the morning this tree shone vermillion crimson russet gold against a soft ash sky just like today
I will remember this baby’s arrival when I see the trees like this and the warm stillness of her family home
and on the way home, i see the trees like this adorned with a rainbow. I am aware for the first time of Cedar’s conscious recognition of a rainbow! a special moment… mama, burple wed gween in sky…
this classic Australian Grug book has been preparing him for the Autumn/Winter rainbow season…
ps is it really Autumn goodnight Winter hello??
Mornings at Salamanca market in Hobart and another
Golden sunrise 
I was initially surprised by the length of the market street amidst the beautiful heritage stone buildings of the docks.
Now I’m more familiar with the layout I confidently seek the organic growers and craftspeople I prefer. It’s a little over stimulating to spend too long in here but the oncelers love it!
The produce is scentfull and colorful, I shop while the others are still in bed and return with fresh bread and goods for the week.
Apples have just started appearing and today there are seven unfamiliar varieties to choose from. The seller says in a fortnight he will have 25 varieties!! Yum but we will be back in Victoria then.
Apples are my favored fruit along with raspberries so I’ve been happy happy happy in Tasmania. 
I’m in a blessed position where I am committed to come to markets every week while we travel yet am free to roam and fossick, eat and enjoy. When I was a stallholder I was tied to my stall and couldn’t explore much so this liberty is appreciated! Thanks Jesse! (even if it means having the children all day in a busy noisy atmosphere, or even when I am bleeding and in pain and the last desire is to be in public, I am learning to handle my role and take it gently) we have a stroller again which makes it easier to move about and I pack a rug, snacks and water and a book for lily and knitting for me and cars for Cedar.
I’m learning to go to the park and play for most of the day and make focused forays into the market for what we need. On my own I am an avid browser and appreciate the beautiful artisan crafts and vintage clothing stalls… I have also learnt to just take some cash and not my bank card so I am on a budget.
Fresh morning organic produce from
Salamanca market in Hobart.
Mmm … Come over for breakfast it’s gonna be great!!!
I didn’t sleep much last night so I was happy to leave the others sleeping and dress warm and go for early shopping in the market. An unplanned, happy moment of solitude!
Hope your day has a great start
Xxx
Waking up to…
Lily quietly tidying house, making beds and making fruit salad for breakfast!!
(last night we had a talk about helping out, working together and chores as I was noticing she was playing helpless or whinging when asked to contribute)
An un expected gift in her response to the reminder yesterday!
I am always appreciative when she lifts her game and is motivated from herself to do extra tasks and notice she is always very self pleased and energized! She was proud about how spic and span the bus was and expressed when it’s tidy it feels peaceful and bigger and when it’s messy it feels like chaos. ( yep me too!)
Within five minutes of us all being up, Lily was noticing how quickly it gets messed up again after all her attentive work! Mutual gratitude went between us as she understood this process of home love.
Everyone needs to eat, everyone uses things, everyone makes a mess and everyone helps clean up!
She then volunteered to cook us pancakes! Yay!!
The children had honey and Brie or blueberry jam and the bigs had savory, mmm
The following is not edible…
After eating ( and more cleaning up)
We got into wax play, as i had got it out to make her a little ta Lily wax note and heart decoration by her plate ( see above) We use stockmar knetwachs which you can find in most Steiner inspired shops or online. We found our latest batch at Southern Swan in Cygnet southern Tasmania for $2.30 per color.
We keep the colors in one plastic box and the makings in another. It’s beautiful to feel the wax soften in your hands and become something to admire. I like it as much as the smalls do! Sometimes we’ve left the wax land on the dash and have had a sad melted occasion!! Droopy trees and mermaids melting into the sea…
And then out out out for some running and flying!
We are camped at Lagoons beach on the east coast. The sea is rumbling in with a clean right hand break, perfect tubes and offshore breeze… Why no surfers? Too cold?
I know all that because my first love story was with a gorgeous surfer in my teens…
After more snacking, i am inspired with the anniversary of our bus purchase in 2005 approaching ( valentines day) I could make a fingerknit wreath as decoration! Lily gave me a lesson and away I went. You can find great finger knitting tutorials at Flax & Twine
Well that was fun… What next?
Cedar goes to sleep, Lily plays on the trapeze so tired mama can put on a few more rows…
Beautiful handspun, nature dyed alpaca from the Salamanca markets, soothing for my fingers and mind..
What else can the day hold I wonder?
Xx
What are you
Making, cooking, eating, planning, reading these days??
Ps I can’t seem to make all that text un italic??..
Early morning craftings
A little one joins in with big stitches
A big one guides (and bosses)
Together creating a new day of play and friendship
(and a lot of mama love and gladness)
Cedar is making his first stitches on big weave hessian with tapestry wool and a big blunt needle, held on a little wooden embroidery hoop. Everything cost less than $10 from second hand shops except the needle! Kids up to about 12 like this pleasing art of free embroidery or drawing a picture first then stitching it. Actually even I still like this craft…
We sing
up up up I sew,
then down down down I go
To the up down stitching motion, so Cedar now has added up and down to his little vocabulary!
RosaLindenTree 