a little break...

I haven't been around much lately, as you may have noticed. So I've decided to make it official & take a little break over the next few weeks.
Our life is full of ups & downs at the moment. My husband is unwell & I'm putting all my energy & love into looking after him (as well as myself & belly too). The past few weeks have just been exhausting both mentally & physically, so we're both going to lay low & just take it super easy.
Thank you all for your support & reading my blog this past year. It's so wonderful to be a part of this little community.
May the end of this year finish with family, friends & happiness; & may the new year be a beautiful beginning for all your future dreams.

yay for saturday...

Well I'm officially out of the grumps, so you can all come out from your hiding places... the crazy lady has stopped throwing things.

I'm excited today, because in a few hours three of my besties will arrive for the weekend. Lot's of food will be eaten & lots of belly laughs to be had too. Tonight we're cooking sicilian & two more friends will join us. I love dinner parties. Not in a fancy, doodah way. Just in a way where there's a few peeps & some yummy simple food. There will be three pregnant ladies at the table, one due on the 12th of April, me who's due on the 16th of April & the other is due on the 5th of May. I'm sure there'll be lots of belly comparing & I wonder which order the babies will come out in too.

I was out in the garden picking more rhubarb to stew & look what I came across. What a sweet little froglet. I bet he's enjoying this inclement weather we're having..

the problem with technology...

... is that it doesn't always work.
My computer has been on a downhill slide for a few months now. It was taken to be fixed by a lovely man, who didn't actually fix the problem... it just progressively got worse. Until this week, when it decided to die. Now it really needs fixing, because the darn thing won't even turn on.
So here I am posting from the hubby's computer. Please excuse the quality of my pictures, as I'm uploading them direct from the camera. It's amazing how much one can miss photoshop, I think I'm addicted.
I digress, enough of my whinging & whining. It's not the end of the world & it really isn't that bad compared to losing a limb or something of the like.
I did put up this lovely little garland I made from crochet stars. It's my only contribution to decorating the house for the festive season so far. The splash of colour is making me happy, so maybe it will become a permanent fixture.

I'll try & pop back tomorrow with a chirpier post, when I'm not so cranky bum.
Have a great weekend!

oh mister postman...

I lay in bed this morning listening to the rain fall upon the roof, it's rhythm soothing & constant. It's still raining now as I type & I don't think it will let up for a while yet. A day inside is definately in order, luckily, the wonderful postman dropped a parcel of books off yesterday. I do have a bit of cleaning to do & some cooking aswell... but after they are done, I shall sit on my comfy armchair & soak up the beauty that lay between these pages. I think there will be a few more projects added to my list after today.

grandma's hands...

One of my favourite Bill Withers songs, such beautiful & true lyrics.
These tiny baby clothes came to us in the post this week. They were crafted by Samuel's grandma's hands. Such an amazing knitter, she whipped these up in a week!
Do you think perhaps she is hoping for a boy? This will be her first great grandchild & she's very excited. For a lady in her 90's, she certainly has alot of sprite.

let's take a walk...

Early yesterday evening before dinner, the husband & I took a walk. It's so lovely to amble along this piece of countryside, taking in the surrounds & the fresh country air.
Our house is on the corner of a gravel road only taken by farmers, even then perhaps only one car per hour at most. It takes us up a big hill from which you can see 360 degrees around.

The winds blow from all directions, so be prepared with a life preserver. I fondly call mine the sleeping bag. A lovely windswept hairdo like mine is also inevitable.

We pass lots of cows of course, this groups always runs to the fence when we pass. Perhaps they think we'll bring them food. They often give the dogs an awful fright, I'd be frightened too.

The rolling green hills seem endless, only stopping when they reach the sea. We've had good rain lately too, so all the dams are full & healthy.

New neighbours are met, along with their dogs & black angus herd.

Our boys run like mad, excited for the adventure. I just had to catch Otto midflight, I love the way his ears flap up & down when he runs. Poor little Arthur has quite short stocky legs, he runs double time to keep up with big Otto.

The walk home down the hill has a more relaxed pace...

Until we get to our dam of course, then it's last one in is a rotten egg. For the dogs that is, I don't have a bar of that game.

a day in the kitchen...

Today has found me in the kitchen, I truly haven't done much else. It's a beautiful day outside & there's a bounty of fresh food due to yesterdays shop... what better reason to relish the day cooking away.
First thing to make was muesli for the husband. He has been having trouble with his energy levels & tiredness at the moment, so I'm trying to find foods that combat this at the same time as being delicious. This muesli is chock full of pecans, almonds, pepitas, sunflower seeds, figs, dates & apricots... & oats of course. I wanted to add some linseeds, but couldn't find any at the supermarket. I made do with some lsa mix & perhaps I'll make a trip to health food store for my next batch.

This apple & cranberry loaf is also a winner & healthy too. The recipe said it is good toasted with some ricotta & honey atop... I bet! Might have to give that a go for breakfast.

Our rhubarb patch is out of control at the moment. It is planted with the mint & they're both quite abundant. Let's not say out of control... that sounds negative. Flourish my pretties.

This bunch has been stewed with some ginger & honey, should go nicely with the muesli me thinks.

I've also marinated some tofu, made chickpea patties for tonights dinner & whipped up some quesadillas for lunch. I think I still have time left in the day to stew some apricots too.
I feel the day has been quite a success, now for a little rest on the couch.

checking in...

I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted. My blogging mojo has been a bit up & down of late. I guess it's a reflection of my energy & the fact that my computer is being tempermental & I cannot for the life of me find my battery charger. I'm gently coaxing my computer to be more consistent... & for now it is working. Yay! As for the battery charger, I may have to cave in & buy a new one.
I've got my head down & hands making today, a big bookbinding order is due tomorrow & there's still a bit to do. Of course, like everything... I like to leave things to the last minute, to get the full adrenalin rush. Crazy yes, but it's just how it always pans out.
Off to Melbourne tomorrow to catch up some friends, hopefully I'll fit in a spot of fabric shopping too. My stash is getting a little low, (meaning: I still have heaps, but nothing is inspiring me at the moment) so I think I need a little top up. I love that I can justify almost anything these days, most of the time I use the pregnancy excuse & it really does work.
Anyway... I'll stop nattering & get back to the task at hand, lots of cutting & gluing!
Here's a gratuitous flower shot for you... because you can't have a post without a picture. Right???

Hope you're week is turning out great!