i love her

saturday

i took my camera to melbourne and took zero photos.
the melbourne trip was just what we needed
the city so dirty and noisy and interesting
we walked along the stinky yarra river
saw tennis on the big screen and got the kids and me an arm sweatband with the promise to play tennis together one day soon
we found a bookshop with books for all of us
we wandered around the art gallery which was a nice big space to be in..the kids liked it
we trammed our way in and out and around the city
we never seem to find delicious food
the hotel beds were crappy..or maybe it was the things they called pillows causing the restless sleeping
we went to st kilda at night to see something that looked like a beach. it stunk also. but sounded like a beach. and the kids had fun. though we wouldnt let them take their shoes off. hehee...we were a little worried.
we drove to prahran which brought back memories of more youthful days .... some shops remained , others have disappeared.
we found me some new clothes . i like gormans clothes alot. she makes nice, simple pieces. and sells them for a lot of money. clever girl.
veda told me if we lived in the city she thinks i would wear lots of makeup. ! ! i would not.
we then zoomed over to highpoint which is a giant ugly shopping centre, but we went into the darkness to see the fantastic mr fox .. it was delightful. .
and then the long drive home at night. the distance between melbourne and our farm is not so far, but they are two completely different worlds.
i like both. but im happy we live here amongst the trees and the birds under the clear blue sky.
so here we are on saturday.
the kids have watched the new studio ghibli movies we got at borders. they love these movies. especially veda. she needs to go to japan one day.
a cow got into part of our vegie garden and ate all of the corn. like right down to the ground almost. what a pig. i didnt mind so much. . at least it didnt get into my garden and destroy the place...like they have in the past. they know when we go away and usually get into some sort of mischief.
im going now to spend the afternoon in the garden.. i need to take the kids out there to get some fresh air.
x

itchy

Ive had this itch all holidays to go somewhere. Really...I have this itch all the time...but with three kids in the house with me 24 hours a day... the itch got itchier. And yes farmer boy...I know I know we are going to Adelaide in March. But its January. And Im itchy..hehee....so I decided I was off to Melbourne for a day or two.. and farmer boy loveheart decided to come. So off we go to Melbourne tonight. Not sure what we are going to do when we are there but hopefully it will involve the beach, a bookshop, lots of food that I dont have to cook, some people watching- I love to do that... , maybe the museum, the cool playground in St Kilda that Ive heard about, ..... and more or less. Just not being at home will be a nice distraction to the first day of school coming on Monday. in 5 sleeps.

and maybe I dont need a new camera....maybe I should learn to use our one properly. My sister took nice photos in my garden with buttons I had never pressed. Soon I will have time to experiment with pressing different buttons. gulp.

monday

a new little basket . found. waiting for me. for my basket family.

Veda has so many wonderful ideas in her head. Aerial snapshot of one such idea.

my favourite pattern book and dress.

i recently came out of my sewing cocoon to make a new one.

how i love nice mail. and how we love ponyo. now we are almost ready to start the year...

and the new nani iro pattern book has no patterns to trace. did i get ripped off or is nani iro playing with me?

january days

the kids are now spending days in imaginary worlds together only surfacing for food every now again. i potter around the house sorting through stuff-piles of paper and artwork from last year. i brought a book to read by the author of eat pray love. its a little diappointing....way too much analysis of marriage..not the summer escape i was hoping for. i ventured into our poor neglected garden yesterday. its been so hot lately, the only time we go outside is to drive to a swimming pool, get food, or pick berries. the garden was looking so sad and scorched so yesterday it was time to give her some love. our strawberry patch is threatening to climb through the window. it seems we have found the way to grow strawberries. we have zucchinis that could be used as baseball bats and squashes that are as big as my head. the most exciting thing that happened in my garden this summer is my red flowering gum tree that i planted as a little seedling years ago is now taller than me and has bunches of bright red flowers. it is so beautiful. each year i would go out into our front garden, inspecting her to see if their were flower buds. well this year there were bunches of them. i love her.
i need to get a big pot for my new girl, miss frangipani..a christmas gift from my farmer boy. she has had one flower at a time and smells divine.
when the weather cools down im going to untwist jasmine from my kitchen and plant and wrap her to the outside of our house. she is a wild girl miss jasmine.
i was going to blog about how i havent been making anything and the kids have been doing all the making- veda's awesome patchwork dress in the photo above (we have an indigo dye set waiting for us- how much fun that will be)....i guess ive been so busy in my head thinking about what this new year holds for me and for our family. ive a had a few teary days wondering how i am ever going to say goodbye to amelie on her first day of school.
mostly ive been gently encouraging the kids to appreciate each other and these days they have together. it seems theyve finally found a happy place.
i'll get my camera out and start taking some photos again soon. im thinking i may do a february post a thon. a post a day. something to distract or maybe give me a place to blurb...as i find myself with the most time and quiet ive had in 11 or so years.
in the mean time...we still have some holidays to relax in.
happy days....
manda x

red

melinda and hana have gone back to japan...well melbourne then japan.
need i say more!
i henna-ed my hair today.
why not.
its just hair.
and i love henna.
and i like my red hair.
im dreaming of the beach.
and of autumn coming quickly.
i cant help it.

a New Year

happy new year :-)
Tinky (above with my favourite flowers) came to live with us at Christmas. This year I would be really happy if I learnt to make dolls that are half as special as her. Shes Amelies friend but secretly mine too :)
In a few days my sister and her Hana will go back to Japan...and they are taking Mum with them. Thats going to leave a big hole. I usually like holes but not this kind.
Luckily I have three kids that won't let me sit and mope too much. Or maybe we will mope and eat our blues away with tubs of icecream.