Focusing on the Positive...

As much as I've been trying to keep it all together these past few months, behind the scenes wheels have slowly been falling off my once fast moving car leaving this Mumma in a bit of a heap... Things still need to be done though, as most Mums out there realise, so I've just had to suck it up, take a deep breath, even count a little at times - anything to keep this car moving..

So for this blog post I'm going to focus on some positives and reflect on what I'm loving around my home this week....

I'm loving that weekly wood cutting expeditions (or 'wooding' as my girls like to call it) are family affairs and that our trusty old wood fire has provided us both warmth and food this year, nothing beats slowly cooked meats on fresh baked bread with relish in this home - how about yours?

 

I'm loving getting my hands in the dirt, excitedly digging up clumps and clumps of iris's this week - ready for transplanting - somewhere. These gorgeous bulbs do amazingly well out in our arid environment and seem to thrive when neglected - my kind of plant... I have plans of planting them the entire way around the outside of my house yard.

 

I'm loving that I have fruit on my 4 year old Valencia orange tree for the first time and that they are finally sweet enough to enjoy - my girls are super excited to make orange cake and juice this afternoon...

 

I'm loving that I have clever friends who inspire me and 1 friend in particular who's inspiration on the gardening front oozes from her skin each and every time we meet... These cuttings that she gave me are flourishing on the window sill of my kitchen, enjoying the morning sun.

 

I'm loving that all of the leaves have almost fallen from our Cedar trees, changing the way my garden looks in a surprising way, opening it up more than I ever remembered.
I can't stop thinking about what I can do with this bare, unproductive section of my garden... It gets all the hot wind in Summer and heavy frosts in Winter so I've had many failures in this space. 

Although unproductive I do love to visit this space!!! Maybe some kind of rusty sculpture? Mini green house using old windows? What do you think?

 

I'm loving that generosity has come my way in the form of something that I truly love - old stuff. Some wooden boxes, an old school bench, a cast iron table from a meat house, a galvanised mop bucket full to the brim with succulents and a 1950's kitchen cupboard have made their way into my furniture shed this week, waiting for a little love..

 

I'm loving that the sun has swung around just enough that I can now hang clothes round the side, under the verandah, out of the elements - a true sign of Winter in this home.

 

I'm loving that after a special friend sent me a secret package I was filled with inspiration and motivation on the preserving front again. Tomatoes have been soaking in brine overnight and are now ready for draining...

 

I'm loving that my girls are usually not too far away when I'm in the kitchen, helping out where they can - sometimes a little under my feet and in the way but I'm learning to breath through this and enjoy their company. The kitchen is the heart of our home and many hands do often make lighter work when it comes to hectic meal times round here....

Today we are making tomato relish!!

I'm loving that at least once a week we are enjoying camp oven dinners.
I'm even loving that my middle girl, Millie, has taken to waking at 3am and climbing into my bed for an early morning snuggle... I can still remember when my eldest, Connie, did this very same thing. I know that it won't be long before Millie grows out of it too so I'm embracing our snuggles for now, no matter how tired I am...

 

I'm loving the company of my eldest girl who in a very short time will be turning 7!! Has it really been 7 years since she made me a mother?? I'm also loving the fact that all she wants for her birthday this year is for her Mum to make her a blanket in her favourite colours...

 

So, after some time spent together choosing which colours go just right I am now loving that I get to create something for my sweet girls 7th birthday, something that she wants and something that she is simply going to love for a very, very long time..

What are you loving this week?