The last week of September

The last week of September is done.

It brought with it my 40th spin around our Sun.

As well as the last days of the 3rd term of homeschooling which now means we are on Spring break. A much needed break this week for not only the small children but for this Mamma too - my house needs urgent spring cleaning attention. All the nitty gritty of house work always gets shelved during the school term.

It also bared a much needed break from social media. Not intentional I might add but it was needed - thank you cloud covered sky and stormy echos from the heavens for ever knowing just what my soul needs.

Welcome October.

Week Ends

Hello there, 

Thank you again for all the well wishes for our Danika. Although we are still waiting for a hospital bed for her, she is absolutely fine. She has no pain and the swelling in her mouth were her teeth broke has gone down too. It is as if it never happened, well except for the missing places in her mouth where they broke. I almost feel compelled to cancel this whole surgery. Rob seems to think otherwise and feels that it still needs to be done or there will be another flare up. I'm sure he is right - I am still just apprehensive about it all.

The sky changed late Friday afternoon to the darkest shade of grey that it has been in quite a long while. We took a chance and wrapped up warmly and made our way to soccer practice. Only to find when we got there that Garren had forgotten to pack his togs in his bag. So we excused ourselves, as he wouldn't be allowed on the field without them AND we knew that by the time we should return from collecting them practice would be over with, so made our way home. We arrived home just as the clouds began to open and gift us a fine drizzle.

It came down softly all through the night and when we woke on Saturday morning it was cold. The cold that freezes to the bone. Snow had landed on the mountains and the winds that swept of that range howled through our pines and brought back a Winter that we hadn't actually had this year at all. The sky grumbled through most of the day and with it a downpour of rain that we all gazed out the windows at. It was beautiful - but cold. Rob left mid morning to help a friend install lighting into his warehouse. When he arrived home he was drenched and battered and bruised from falling off a ladder. He is better today with a little swelling left and achy muscles. Much of the day was spent cooking up a curry in the kitchen for dinner and being curled up on the couch adding a few rows to my knitting and reading The Gruffalo's Child on repeat.

Credit: @a n g e l a 🌙

➖ watching the rain fall from my kitchen window 💦 ... all the kids have cabin fever! If there wasn't a cold wind blowing off the snow on the mountains I'd let them out to play 🌬❄️

Sunday the clouds cleared but that icy wind kept up it's dance through the forest. We decided it best not to venture out but rather catch up with each other around the table for Sunday Roast and then movies of Peter Rabbit (Danika's favourite) and Marley and Me  ('cause who doesn't like the Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston comedy).

I am hoping for a bit more routine this week and a little more warmth to warm up these bones of mine. I could do with a little of both. How was your weekend? Did you get out or stay in?

blessings for the week ahead my friends.

love as always, Angela ♥

On Week Ends (and a blue monday)

Our weekend was far from angelic as pictured in these few moments from the days gone by. 

Friday saw us calling all the dentists in our town for an appointment for Danika. Not one could fit her in that day. It was such a worry and I could see that she was beginning to get utterly miserable. Finally Rob found one in Hilton who slotted her in on Saturday morning. We managed through the evening by taking her mind off of it all at Garren's soccer practice and allowing her to feed from me on demand. 

Saturday morning we headed off to the Dentist and of course, as predicted, she refused to oblige in any means or form. It was rather traumatic. But what was able to be seen amidst all the attempts is that it best to medicate and revisit on Wednesday for a final decision. I do fear there might be dental surgery to remove these two teeth. I am not sure that I am handling this news very well. I haven't had any of my older ones in surgery or hospital at this age. 

Much of the rest of Saturday she napped and Rob stood the sidelines of the Soccer field cheering on Garren. In the evening we had a braai and let the kids run until late in the evening. Danika's meds had started to work so she was feeling a little better. It is strange to watch a child never medicated react on it. I messaged Tristan, who is back in China, to wish him for his 22nd birthday. They were in the middle of being filmed. He had not had a good morning with his small students and was hoping that the next classes that were being filmed would go better. His friends were going to be taking him out for supper and movie later. It feels very strange not to be baking a cake for his day. I felt a little out of place not seeing him on his birthday too. They say it does get easier.

Sunday the weather was lovely, as it had been the whole weekend. Rob and Garren were at soccer again in the afternoon. Sadly Garren's team lost both matches this weekend so he was feeling down in the dumps - his only consolation was that they have made it into the semi finals for the season. I am not a very competitive person and try on all accounts to teach the children that it is not about winning or loosing but more about that they have participated and have had fun. This always seems to fall on deaf ears with this boy child.

We checked in on our growings and again let the small ones play until late in the evening. 

Monday did not fare well in my attempt to get online. Danika fussed a bit and was a little demanding of attention which I always love to give but then nothing much else gets done.

I am just thankful that it's Tuesday and that it feels like we are in some form of routine again, well for now - who knows what Wednesday's Dentist appointment will bring.

How was your weekend? I hope it was relaxing and spent with all the ones you love.

Love as always, Angela ♥

Another Raise Bed For The Kitchen Garden.

 

and more additions to the kitchen garden…

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.

How are all your kitchen gardens faring?

Her First.

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.

Happy 1st Birthday Our Lovely Girl Child.

A Little Of This.

 

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.


Have a blessed weekend!

Shelly Beach

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.

 

https://youtu.be/KBkZw7TL68s

This. That. The Other.

22 . 33 . 22 . 33 . 33 . 18 . 21

The numbers in degree Celsius predicted for our weather for this week gone by.

Funny thing about last weeks' post was that as soon as it was sent a strange wind howled on in  - whipping through the tops of the pine and gum trees - causing such a hullabaloo, not only on our homestead but around our town. Just outside of town a poor man was caught in the throws of the storm while fishing and sadly never made it to shore alive. Fallen trees brought down power lines and the rain disturbed the already sorely neglected infrastructure to the water pipelines that carry water to our suburb. So, no electricity and no water for the rest of the weekend. We would have coped without the water, as we do have a water tank in place for times such as these, but Rob had just filled the very low pool for fear of burning out the pool pump, an expense we could just not entertain. We are kitted out with solar emergency lights, which Rob has set up, throughout our home and we do have a gas stove to cook and make tea and warm water on. In reality we were absolutely fine and thankfully safe this time and I am so very grateful for that.

Here's a small clip of those howls that screeched through the tips of the trees.

https://youtu.be/KHmI16hxfNg
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHmI16hxfNg]

New Moon

The New Moon is always a time of beginnings. It is my favourite phase through the lunar cycle because of the promise of new things to come.

It is a time of hope and renewal.

A time to wipe the slate clean and start afresh.

So go and plant your seeds and set your intentions in motion!

 

Degrees in Celcius

6 . 38 . 37 . 19 . 26 . 31 . 20

I wish these were the winning numbers for this weeks' Lotto draw - but they're not. These numbers were the high temps (in degree Celsius) that we experienced this week and it is only September! I am a little worried as to the highs in the making at Mid Summer. Usually around this time of the year we have the last of icy Winter. It's as if Winter would say "Hey you all - just so that you dont forget me - here is some snow for you all to play in" and then we would make our way into the Berg to play in the cold white stuff. Kind of like our last farewell to Winter.

Somehow I don't think we will be doing that this year.

A Month Away.

We are one month away from this dear human having made her way one whole trip around our Sun.

I wish I could have written more and shared more. But, I am living in the moments with you, my child. Trying to imprint it all to memory. And I feel I may have lost a few of those already. Is it age or does one really loose a little of ones mind with each child that is bought here Earth Side? (insert chuckle here.) I know that my eyesight has faded ever so slightly and there are times when the further you seem to crawl from me the defining lines become more hazy.

Goodness Part 2.

We have been talking and talking and talking about setting up a new bed for the kitchen garden, and sweet humans - it is finally in! Rob went early on Saturday morning to collect the most wonderful poop ever from our dear friends at Bits and Pieces Farm. Sally and Neil are the same friends who gifted us our small flock of Zulu Chickens all those years back.

I was paging through my chicken photographs this morning. Most of them blurry but there are quite a few that show the majesticness of our Cock, Nugget. I will miss him - he has moved on to a new home this past week. For those who have followed from the beginning of our adventure into backyard urban farming you will remember the love hate relationship I have had with this jerk of a Roo. I loved him and hated him all at once. He was beautiful and oh so very cruel. Over the last few months his cruelness had become lethal. The boys could not enter the coop for fear of his full fledged talon attack and Rob would not allow Danika and I to collect eggs from the girls. How could we not collect eggs - all we could do was watch from the fence while Rob battled it out with rake in one hand and food for the girls in the other while feathers and talons flew through the air. He was pomp ass and magnificent and utterly devilish. I already miss his crow in the mornings. The girls, on the other hand, look less disheveled and have thanked us with a full house of eggs.

So poop.. it makes this heart of mine smile. It must be a Mama thing. If the children are all pooping we're happy and when there is good organic poop for the kitchen garden we are grinning from ear to ear. Am I right? Over the years we have had one failure after another. Well, not really failure, maybe more of a few learning curves. Learning to grow with shade from the abundance of trees. Learning to grow with the constant attack of the monkey troupe that terrorise our neighbourhood. Learning to just grow. But after all of this I feel we may have got it right this time. And we are now ready to expand and grow with the sprouts. (watch this space there will be at least two more beds to come in the future.)

We have planted new heirloom seeds of Finger Carrots, Runner Lazy Housewife Beans (dont ask - do you think Rob maybe trying to tell me something?), Black Beauty Egg fruit, Capsicum (Green Pepper California) and for my edible and medicinal flowers we have added Echinacea, Nasturtium, Chamomile and Sunflowers - for the love of flowers for the vase. We also added a Pansy variety (from seedling trays) - which is an absolute delicious and beautiful add to our salads! I have a thing for all things bright and pretty. I think being blessed with the dearest of baby girls has bought all that back for me.

Oh, and those sweet young faces you see there belong to our tribe from the Big City.