I have no words of wisdom or recipes of great art to share with you on this longest day of the year.
For us, this side of the equator, the day is such and the new day tomorrow will bring us slightly fewer minutes of glorious radiant sun rays… and so, and so on repeat for the days in the months to come.
Whilst in celebration of the heat and the light that makes our celebration that is MidSummer I will remember and celebrate the light of the days gone by and darkness of the days to come and know the vibrant energies both hold for us.
it seems like a lifetime has passed since I was able to log on…
it is the strangest of weather we have been experiencing. Grey days filled with all the same shades that are our clouds and where even my moods have been mirroring the same feels. So very unusual for this time of the year. When the clouds linger longer – all sleepy, covering the tips of the pines – there is absolutely no connection technologically with the “outside” world. It’s wonderful and frustrating all at once and in days gone by this may have been my own personal tragedy, but I’m finding the older I get the more I am at peace with just BEing and eventually catching up again when the time is right. When it is all meant to BE. And this old newness of BEing is utterly liberating.
my home, is alive. Alive with sounds of children playing (even in the fine mist drizzle), weavers busying twittering about their new nests, cricket orchestras slowly beginning their tunes earlier every day. It is alive with the sounds of Summer. Albeit a grey one.
school is done for the year and we are counting sleeps until Midsummer’s Eve. When the longest day of the year is celebrated in remembrance of the light that has been and a time to reflect on the darker days to come. A cycle within a cycle within another. As always proving that all things are connected.
day jobs away from the Cottage are done until the new calendar year begins and a celebration in the home and of the home has began. Twinkly lights flicker through the branches of the ol man-made tree we were gifted umpteen years ago and alarm bells have been placed on silent for the next wee bit of the seasoned holiday. Thoughts are on days of festivities, on feasts, on togetherness with those we hold close to our hearts. It is a time of BEing, in the moment, in the present, in the home with what makes our hearts beat in rhythm.
actually under closer inspection there were a couple of them. One with black beady eyes and much larger than the one on its back. I thought their visit to my kitchen was to help remove the last of the flying ants from the floor that needed to be swept away, from the invasion the night before. But, under close inspection, it may have been that they needed a little quiet time away from the rest of nature to get their love on. … in my kitchen… I just couldn’t aide in such a rendezvous, so I woke rob to enlist him in “la amour amphibious” evacuation. Out came the broom and off they hopped, with Zeus not far behind, to the babbling brook at the bottom end of the garden. It really is more romantic down there dont you think?
a frog in the home symbolises fertility and I have heard such happenings are to bring the home good luck. The Cottage sure could do with some of that right now. I am turning a blind eye to the fact that they were actually in the throws of passion while we were quietly showing them the back door. They bare news of transformation and transition of the prosperous kind. So, knowing this I do feel some form of relief that there may be some kind reprieve in the future. Secretly, I will be keeping this in my mindset as the onslaught of doctors bills start arriving from my hospital stay, a few weeks back.
the fourth raised kitchen garden bed is in without incident. Although there have been inquisitive Vervet eyes peering on at the activities from the Leopard Trees. The Aubergines and Capsicum seed have all rooted and we have an abundant amount of seedlings that need to be thinned and replanted. There will be ample harvest of both in the months to come.
i have started part five, Gravity, of Alice Hoffman’s The Rules of Magic. I find myself unable to to place it down to rest. If it were not for our smallest Wild flower teaching me the art of patience and balance between adding rows to her Tunic, devouring words from my book, family time and home chores, my world would be in a mighty shambles . Where nothing would be done but for turning of the last page of the last book.
the final day of the fourth term of the school year is almost upon us. The boys are elated and counting down the sleeps to the Summer Holiday. I am still in a dazed bewilderment at how fast this year has come and gone. They have worked so hard, academically, and this break is welcomed dearly.
it seems that Mother Nature has decided that we should have slightly warmer weather again this weekend. We went from highs that crept over 35 in the beginning of the week to dearest mighty Woden bringing in snow to the Drakensburg – on his day of the week.
It is with certainty that I have concluded that Mother Nature is indeed suffering from bipolar. Lighting a candle for those in need during this time of absurd flash floods and wickedly high humidity.
ps… a sweet little moment captured with the flying ant invasion a few nights back and a orb that was happily dancing among us – did you see it? https://youtu.be/iZG3NsKUOjg
I haven’t updated for a bit now, it seems I may still be on a slow and steady recovery and self healing from my stint in the hospital a week or so ago. I am absolutely fine, really. You go in for a certain thing and come out knowing a whole lot more about yourself in other things.. things that you didn’t actually go in for, yes it was one of those kind of visits. I dont like hospitals and my stay was not a happy one.
I am trying to find my footing again and this weeks’ temps seem to have dragged us back into the chill of winter. I was just chatting with my bff Drisana, from Eternal Bloom Farm, saying that I may have conjured up Winter again here in Africa by dreamily gazing into her beautiful white snowed moments captured on her farm. But the chill wont last for long, according to Rob, we have wicked highs approaching from Sunday again. The boys will be able to get their daily splash fix in soon again.
Witchling Update: Tristan is gathering information about teaching in China (yes, you read right!). Joshua is studying for his year end exams (may the end of it come soon – I beg). Garren is drawing and colouring and planning his first penpal letter (it’s a process, so I am told). And, Danika has taken her first few unaided steps in life. This is all marvelous and wonderful and all emotional, this thing of growing small medium and large beings so that they can one day fly the coop.
I’m trying to take it all in every inch and every second of it but it seems to be going by ever so quickly and I am battling to catch my breath along the way.
Woolen Wips Update: I cast on for a Tunic for Danika after frogging the last one 5 or so rows in. I struggled to knit it in the round on dpns and the dk skein I cast on in wasn’t soft enough for me. Rob then treated me to a new set of circulars and a couple of pretty skeins in mixed pinks for me to work with. I love this and it feels so right even the gull stitch is so much easier than I thought it to be. This tunic may end up being lovely after all. I will keep adding updates to my ravelry account – Are you a raveler – lets link up?
Kitchen Garden Update: There hasn’t been a whole lot of sunshine this past week. It almost feels like my wildlings have paused for a moment. (like their mami, to breathe and regain some strength again) But, in saying this I must add that bold shoots of bamboo have been cut for the 4th and final raised bed. It has been a long messy road and I cant wait until it is finally in so that I can pretty it all up with new fresh wildlings. I am sure Rob cant wait either, he has put the patio on hold to get this complete and I know he is itching to get back to adding the last beams and roof and the end of the tile work. It is going to be so magickal. How are your gardens fairing thus far this season?
I got mail today… and in the mail was the perfect trio of witchy happiness for this ol’ Witch Mami’s heart! Thank you to a very special old crone who contributed and I was able to get the whole set. (she is my fairy crone mother) AND, of course, Thank you Anna Hoffman for the words I am about to devour. To you all, I wish you a peace and love for the weekend ahead. I will see you all on the very last word on the very last page of my new reads.
ps. belated beltane blessings my friends. I was released from hospital just in the nick of time to do a little lighting up of the sky with my tribe. you can see our small clip here.
we have been spending a whole lot more time outside thanks to the seasonal weather..
Although there are days were a tie-dye of grey covers the sky the temps are still pretty warm right into the evening. we are in for a good Summer ahead. Our pool pump has gone to the workshop for a service and it always amazes me how fast it can change from brilliant clear sparkles to a luminous green. But it will be worth it once the pump is all happy again and the pool all clear again just before the heat sets in for the December holiday.
It is the last stretch of the school year for the young men folk here at the Cottage. I watch on and see that they are all weary from the year that has been and that they are mustering the last strands of energy they have to just get through this last lunar cycle. We see Josh only on occasion as he takes impromptu breaks from his studies in his cave, to join us, and I try to make sure there is ample amount of earthing and love when he does.
how are the seasons fairing your side of the world?
when I received a whatsapp message from Rob on a friday afternoon that ended along the lines of… “im going to be a little late,love – i will fetch Josh and we’re heading off to Bits n Pieces farm… ” I knew deep down and right to the tipy top of my Witch’s pointy hat that when he arrived home, at the Cottage, I would be the happiest Witch alive. It really doesn’t take much to make me happy – really… I am happiest when there is surplus amounts of poop from Bits n Pieces farm all about my garden.
And arrive with poop he did. More than ever before. The back of his pick-up + a trailer load to be exact. H A P P I N E S S
From posts before you may have noticed our move of our Kitchen Garden from behind the Lapa to now aside the Cottage were we can keep a closer eye on our wildlings – away from the pesky fingers of the Vervet troupe that terrorise our lands. It has been wonderful and we have already harvested so much more than we ever thought we would in this slow but magickal process. I now get to add more wildlings to our new raised bed for more magick and abundant harvests to come. With surplus more poop for another bed to fit perfectly alongside the new one, in the next few weeks to come. We haven’t yet, erected any form of boundary except for the extra mesh fencing we are currently using. We will have to once the last bed is in place as our dear Zeus tends to think these raise beds are a place we have all made just for his afternoon naps. We do have a good amount of deconstructed pallets that may just be perfect for this project.
The men folk found an abandoned container pot alongside the babbling brook and carefully emptied and moved it up to the Kitchen Garden. This will be for growing potatoes. In container gardening news – our tomatoes have flowered and have the most precious green tomatoes growin… And the Heartsease… well I have added them to my salad lunches all week with a few to the flower-press (a little sideline project I haven’t done since I was a young girl). I will let you know how they all come along.
and then we celebrated another special day. his 17th...
His is always the last celebration of the birthday year for us. When he was so small he always would say that we loved him last because he had to wait until everyone else got to have their special day first. I always said it because we saving the best until last. (and that I may want him to stay my little boy for just a little while longer.)
Dearest Joshua, may the next 17 spins around our Sun here earth side be just as wonderful crazy and incredibly marvelous just as you are my dearest boy. Thank you, thank you for choosing me!
It has already been 2 weeks since her big day. One whole 12 Lunar cycles around our Sun. I am at a loss for words but know that this needs to be done before I just dont.
How has one year already passed us by?
We are all still uncomprehendingly awestruck by your light and even more so by the years of knowledge that sparkles behind your beautiful young tender eyes. I still wonder why we were chosen by you to love and nurture and watch grow. There is so much we are all learning from you when it should be you learning from us.
Thank you sweetest soul - may your seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years ahead be wonderful, delicious and all the other words of exhilaration I have muddled in my head but just cant put into the right words. May it all be just as perfect for you as you are for all of us.
a little of this, a little of that and clearing the camera to make room for the new moments.
I find both the week before the full moon and the one thereafter I feel a little feverish. I know it all sounds like a cliché but the truth is that it really does happen. The week before there are a swirl of high emotions that peak and then simmer just after in a bewilderment and daze. And, I am learning that our sweet young girl human feels these exact emotions too.
I posted something every day last week about our time away. What a wonderful time. And this week we have all tried to re-accustom ourselves to home normality again. But in saying that - it wasn't a normal week. The younger two boys are on their last school holiday, before the end of the school year, so it has been a rather lazy week. Very late mornings and evenings and absolutely nothing but them just being boys in between. Garren, Danika and I are also recovering from a 'bout of "that climate changing flu bug" on return from our time away. I just could not "self-help" us this time, we had to make our way to the doctor and let him assist in the recovery with non-natural medicine for all three of us. I do believe that it has its place when needed. I just do not make a habit of it. And it is the first for the year so I feel proud to have lasted this long. The good news is that we are all on the mend again.
We have had rain. I wont go further than that in fear of jinxing the flow of these slow and intermittent drops that are quenching our parched earth. Our Pansies are all flowering and are a delight in salads. I do hope they keep on giving for next week's birthday celebration. I have plans for them to be part of the decor. I found pretty purple flower embellishments for Bonnie Bear. She is almost done now, I just need to sew up her shoes and add the finishing touches then she will be ready to be boxed up waiting for the big day. I realised that I did not get on to add Woolen Wips for the week. In days gone by I would have been distraught and utterly thrown off kilter. But, strangely I am not and absolutely fine with this. I cant believe that I am saying it either. (insert chuckle here). I'm learning to take things as they come and just realise that I cant control everything and that includes a blog update!
We have Jethro to visit for the weekend which will lessen the demand of attention from all the men/boy folk for me here at the cottage. Garren and I have the full series of Harry Potter to get through together and I will be prowling ravelry for a Cowl and Summer Vest patterns (do you have any suggestions or a pattern for me?). I have never knit up a cowl and all the cowl pictures in my newsfeed are making me yearn for one. The Summer vest is for Danika, the beautiful one she has was gifted by my dearest friend Jeanette has now has finally seen the last of its wear. It will now be placed in here memories box for her to treasure in later years.
And the day it was moved we had one whopper of a storm. Although we saw the nicer side of said storm, it did take it's toll on my fragile wilding. Please keep my Hibiscus in your thoughts as we try our utmost to keep it living. My heart would just break into a million pieces if by chance it did not make it. Just the thought of no bright red petals gracing the branches of this wildlings is so overwhelmingly sad.
I am collecting Rose Hips as the Seasons change. This is the first year we have had a harvest. They're wonderful when brewed but one needs at least 6-8 hips for one cup of fresh Rose Hip tea. I will just keep collecting and keep them to dry out as I go along, these cups will be few and far between and probably only had on special occasions. We are planning to add a few more Rose bushes once the set up of our Kitchen Garden is complete. Just the thought of homemade Rose Water and extra Rose Hips for tea is exhilarating to say the very least. Standard sized, well established Rose bushes are a fortune.. I will have to work towards saving a little every month. Our green kitchen garden bed has been so giving too. We have harvested non stop with the extra going to our girls in the coop. Rob added two small Chilli tress to our new bed too. I love a thinly sliced up Chilli in my salsa and or salad. While pregnant with Danika I added them to everything!
We have been watching the movement of our Sun's rays and with just one small branch adjustment we have add a whole lot more sunlight to our kitchen garden. Those little seeds are going to sprout for all the world to see.
There were just so many moments captured and recorded that I am still not entirely certain that I have shared all that I wanted to.
The winds howled off the waves that crashed onto to the rocks almost every single one of those days we were blessed to have been there. There was a bright day where the Sun did shine ever so brilliantly off the aquamarine surf and dark days where one could not make out where the horizon met both land and sky. And moments when in all the darkness a mystical ray of bright sparkles would shine down on just one spot in all the vastness of the untamed ocean.
We heard the cries of whales passing by in the witching hours of the night. Lying in awe as its high rich tones sang us to sleep. The magick of dolphins jumping through the turbulent waves captured and brought our wildest sea dreams to life.
Awakening each day to the sound of waves breaking at shore.
The peaceful lullaby in the evenings to the sound of waves crashing on the rocks.
Rob and Garren spent a whole lot more time on the shoreline than Danika and I. Fishing seemed far better for them here and so did the exploration of tidal pools at low tide too. The Kite made it's maiden voyage into the air along this stretch of beach. (the first since being gifted at Christmas).
This was Danika's first adventure further than the local supermarket. She was in awe and at the same time strongly adamant at how it all should be. The ocean too loud - the sand that stung as gusts whipped along and covered imprinted footprints from steps before. This was not her time. I felt this all with her. It was more a time for just her and I to be.
