room with a view

it became apparent over the past few months that this little shack we are living in wasn't quite big enough for a family of nearly six, so some changes were made. The most urgent thing we needed was a bedroom so that we could stop sleeping on the fold-out lounge (not the best thing to sleep on when one is pregnant, after all) so plans were made to add a new "wing". This wing now houses a very comfortable parents retreat (more to come on that), and also a pretty awesome kitchen.the thing about building these things yourself is that you can get everything just the way you want it, or thereabouts. Everything here is recycled...old wood, tin, glass and enamel. Loving that sink. Oh, and those windows. A friend asked me recently how we find all this stuff, and to be honest, it's not something we really think about too much. We simply like old stuff better than new stuff, and we're willing to stop the car by the side of the road to pick up someone else's trash or go rummaging through junkyards to find just the right window or door. And people give us stuff too. Although that can sometimes be a problem. We have lots of stuff.the thing I love most about this kitchen, apart from all the sweet stuff in it, is the view through all those old windows. It's a pretty great place to make school lunches, prepare dinner, and sit down with a cup of tea. It's a pretty great place to just "be".

happy new year

after spending the last two weeks back on the coast for christmas and catching up with family (and washing!), it became absolutely necessary to get back to the farm, back home. The thought of spending new years eve with the drunken early morning stragglers and random fireworks going off all night, not to mention multiple doof doof parties around the neighbourhood, just didn't appeal to me. Don't get me wrong, in years gone by...well, long gone if the truth be told, I've enjoyed a good party as much as the next person. But not these days. To lie in bed and listen to the symphony of frogs and crickets is my idea of a good night (in!).
the past year has been interesting, inspiring and life-changing for us, and we are looking forward to many more good things to come in this new year that has just begun.

water, everywhere

for the past few months, our "sometimes" creek has been a real life stream, and after the recent rain we've had, it's been the favourite after-school hangout for the boys. They spend all afternoon swimming and catching tadpoles...good old fashioned fun. To tell the truth, I'm a little envious of their childish enthusiasm, it reminds me of doing the very same things when I was a kid. Finding suitable accommodation for my tadpoles seemed to be the only real concern I had back then. I do love a good stream. Ever since I can remember, I've had a dream of one day having my own little farm, complete with stream. In my mind, it would be something like the one that scuffy sets out on his big adventure upon...it seems I've found it.
Jasper asked his dad to tell him a story the other night when he returned home from work, and he told him a story about a girl who met a boy and had three wonderful children, with one more baby in her tummy, and they lived on a farm and they were so happy because they had all they ever dreamed of in life.
I am reminded to be thankful and cherish what I have.

hello, from here

ok, ok, I know it's been ages since I wrote anything here, but there has been so much going on in our lives that I simply didn't know where to start. And really couldn't be bothered, if the truth be told. At the start of last term, we made the move to our little farm, enrolled the boys in the local school and generally decided to just give it a go. Nothing to lose, everything to gain. I had my reservations, but I've been grumbling about living in close-knit suburbia for so long that I really had to try. I knew that it was going to be hard, no washing machine, no running water in the house, very close living quarters...just a whole lot of space (outside!) and freedom, and an amazing little school that is everything I ever dreamed of for our kids. They cook, garden, craft, play music, watch chickens hatch and generally just have an awesome time. Not to mention the great friends they have made. We actually thought this would just be a short term thing, but this place has really got under our skin, and we are still here, despite the lack of facilities (they will come), and I don't think any of us ever want to go back to the burbs. In fact, I think we would have mutiny on our hands if we tried.happy kids, happy dog, happy chooks. Happy life? I'd be lying if I said it wasn't difficult, but yes, it's a happy life. And, it's about to get a whole lot happier too...well, busier, anyway, with a new little person joining us early next year. Must be all that fresh country air.

p.s. as you can see, snowy has two new friends, chooka and atilla-the-hen. we are now enjoying fresh eggs once again, although snowy has chosen to retire from the egg laying business and leave the hard work up to the young ones.

chilly

it's turned chilly here. Cold and blustery winds and a bit of rain. I have one boy home from school with the sniffles...honey and lemon and blankies are helping. On our last stay at the farm, we awoke to a world of white. The temperature dropped considerably overnight and the whole valley froze, as well as water in buckets and baths. Having hugged the coast all my life, I've not had a lot of experience with cold weather...we've always got by with light quilts and clothes. But now, I find myself seeking warmer things. The boys are sporting alpaca beanies, knit by one of our neighbours who also spins the yarn herself. We eventually plan to have a couple of alpacas on the farm, so maybe I'll be knitting with it myself some day. I'm excited and inspired to be becoming part of a new community; experiencing a different climate and looking at life from a new perspective.

down on the farm

no need to explain where we've been, I think it's fairly obvious. It's getting harder and harder to come back to suburbia. We'd rather be here.

bathing under the stars,

catching sweet morning rays,

making mud puddles,
working together,
climbing trees,

and blowing bubbles.

Life's good.

this is the place for me

oh, how the time slips away from me at this time of year. Wasn't it just october? Amidst the normal chaos of christmas and birthdays and families and all that other stuff, we have been busy with something else. Something I still can't believe is really true and real, something I have been dreaming about all my life. Yes, really. We bought a farm. it's just a little farm, five acres to be exact, and not a real farm as fin pointed out, because it has no farm animals (yet!). But there are trees, a big paddock, a sometimes creek, and lots of adventures to be had on this farm of ours. Five acres of pure bliss.we're working on a shack...doing what we do best and scrounging materials. For now we're camping in the tent as often as we can get away. No phone, no power, just the birds to listen to. Life doesn't get much better than this. oh yes, this is the place for us.