Gratitude

Last post for 2013 been an interesting day, went shopping with the kids and for the first time I can ever remember we shopped as a family.  I'm grateful for that it's hard to keep an eye on 3 kids was nice to have 2 extra eyes on them!

Then we went to an sudden decision for lunch out that was nice we were down one child he was on a play date, but the 2 child dynamics made the lunch that much nicer.

Then a friend popped over and I love talking gardening to her and I found a little about what goes into,being a teacher, I had no idea - today I am grateful we have these angels help raising our kids 6 hours a day in school time.

Then I meant to work, the soup bus but I got the wrong night, it's tomorrow!  Oh well! I'm grateful for that as I went kayaking instead it was bliss!

These are my gratitude diaries, it is said one will appreciate life more if we right 3 things we are grateful for each night.

The one to the far right is 2014's I cannot wait to see what that year holds.  Must think of some intentions to set for 2014!

This is book I read slowly during the year it also helps to make me feel grateful for all I have.

These are my journals, I only journal positive and exciting new idea's and positive healthy ways to improve my mind and body.  The body needs work, the mind is doing well.

I have many different packets of cards, this has been the one I pulled out for the past week.  I think it is what I need to work on in 2014.

I am grateful Monty came I to my life, he just loves me, no expectations, no talkback, no demands really.  He's supposed to be sleeping on his little comfy bed in the bathroom.  He's moved into the bedroom though! 

Happy New Year All. Peace and Joy for 2014. Sue xxxxx

December again!

Soon it will be January and I can change the titles of my posts!

Today I worked flat out in my veggie garden and took all the Silverbeet out, and harvested the strange looking Leeks. Next week will be red onion harvest.

Then I went up to the school in the evening to seethe parent rostered on to water had done an absolutely brilliant job watering! The garden was so well watered we didn't have to bother and concentrated on clearing the veggie garden weeds and removing all the Silverbeet that had gone wild! While I did this my eldest watered the grass with the sprinkler.  I found, I kid you not 57 snails.  I counted. Just goes to show now wonderfully organic our garden at school is!  

Then I went to check on this, and was delighted at its colour and shape, I've been watching it since October, it's nearly ready....it surely will be before the kids go back!

As this post is on December which about to end in 2 days I feel I should add what I made Christmas Day or the before for the pudding.

It's massive and sweet hubby is the only one that eats it!  It took 5 hours to make!  

Ok Coles provided the Pav, but hey I decorated it!!

Someone was rather tired after all the festivities!

Only one more post for 2013, I am working New Year's Eve on the bus that feeds people so will post my goals tomorrow.  Have to think about all those tonight! After Christmas lunch eating healthier have to be on that list!! 

December garden pics

Deep breath today and focus on the beauty! After all 2013 is nearly over!

I noticed this Parsley bush was quite odd when I went to use some in a recipe.  Half the leaves are straight half flat leaved!! Bizzare! All tasted the same.

I picked this sign up at the Pleasant st School Market.  Because my herbs are simply awesome!

My beautiful Buddleigh, it makes me smile and want to inhail the scent all day.

This was a gift from my gardening friend Chris, it has a long name and of course it has left my memory!!!

I don't have a lot of white in the garden, looks nice against the green grass though thanks to my grey water tank!

The Beans starting to get bigger in the herb garden.  I ran out of space in the veggie garden!

This makes me smile too, I love garden ornaments.

Another Sue creation, as you can tell I'm really not arty but I think the birds will love it!

Retaining wall Reno!

Here are some before and after shots of our big renovation.  We needed to remove the telephone posts holding up our retaining all as they were getting very old.  They actually were not in too bad condition so I now have a good supply of fire wood for next year.  Hubby did all the major work.  I did all the garden, I did previously have a garden there but sadly it all got demolished in the process.

We had a new wall by a week prior to Christmas but no garden, that came along with all the mulch and new grass we had to lay as all the soil had killed it, garden was put in Xmas eve, we worked 8am until 9 pm!

I'm very blessed to have a clever hubby and helpful kids.  :). I love my new garden and wall.

December happenings

It's been a busy month, school books to source second hand for high school - they only seem to use for one year and can't be passed to the next child. A huge retaining wall to finish and a garden to plant out.  Books to sell, last minute pressies to buy - my hubby and boys shop Xmas eve.... 

The last day of school I was awarded the most delightful award.  I have to take a pic because it was such a surprise. The school awarded me a community prize for helping with garden stuff.  It was nerve racking  to walk up there and talk in front of so many people at assembly but so exciting to come home and share my news!

Now my children are all talking about how we can enter things to promote our wonderful school - and that is coming from the high school boy who is no longer a student there!

I had a quick visit from my favorite garden friend and she have me these;

They are craftly packaged seeds from;

I cannot wait to sow them!  It got me thinking though what a perfect present it was for me.  Each year I have friends who give me chocolate - lots of it, I asked please not too every year though they do, in actual fact a $2.50 punnet of plants would be so much better and delight me.  These seeds delighted me, they are packaged so well I'm not sure I want to open them.

In other news we have a new member of the family, he is 9 weeks old and came to live with us last week.  Introducing Monty!

The little fella met a bunny this week;

That bunny is about the same age!

Today on Christmas Day he tried some Turkey and ended up tuckered out so slept like this;

We love Monty he brings joy to the home :)

Solace

The past 2 weeks have been up and down in weather and I've had little time outdoors.  I've been taking solace in my meditation room and sneaking out to bring the outdoors in.  I get great pleasure in flowers and like to have them in all the places I sit.

My meditation table.

This is a great Brahma Kumaris book/ CD in am studying and meditating to each day, very insightful and brought on my last retreat.  

This was taken at the boys school.  I had gone to assembly to see my son get his certificate for playground mentor and the environmental group kids get their certificates for the year.  It finished early and I sat in the sensory garden in pure peace. I have not been out too much he knew it would be hard for me to get there.  He played up badly that morning and I was determined not to go, but he will never do this again and the look on his face when he saw me there made me realise sometimes you really have to let the bad stuff go and focus on what he has achieved. The mornings and evenings will always be hard with this child, but what he achieves during the day is phenomenal. I am super proud.

New Arrivals....

Over the past few weeks,we have had some new additions to to the place:

Some lovely new Sussex chickens from my friend and soup bus boss lady Rhonda we got to visit her beautiful property too so a double bonus as the garden is stunning.

Henrietta and Gertrude had a week alone then moved in with no problems at all to the existing flock.

Some of ladies had a few dags I their fluffy Cochin bottoms and wanted a nice bath and boy did they settle down for the experience! They loved it all fell asleep.

This is Henry my Rooster he barely fit in the bath, they all appreciated the spruce up to welcome the new ladies.

2 weeks weeks,after we returned from a trip I went to clean my rabbit out who lives with a desexed buck might I add and found these.....

Genetics never lie, this fellow in the opposite cage looked very pleased with himself and his mum is a Lilac mini lop.  So is one of the kits...

Few weeks on happy little friendly babies.

Inside for their model shots.  Now for families.  I'm a hard person to buy from, I ask a million questions to find the perfect owner.  No, they are not Xmas presents, I look for owners that will make their kit part of the family, perhaps bring indoors a bit - considering they are easier to train in a litter box than a cat it's often very appealing to people. Love it to bits and pet often, make a pen and let play outdoors too, be vigilant for Myxomatosis and Calici. People that don't just buy for their kids entertainment. And will never ever breed from them.  I've found some brilliant owners that adore their pets, I breed maybe once a year max now, if that, those great pet owners are out there, but they are tricky to find! Always get a ton of enquiries but not so many suitable.

Lately...

I've not blogged much of late, I'm trying my new neem spray out typing outdoors as there seem to be mozzies everywhere here! I'm not it's working they are hovering.

It's been a very down fortnight but I've tried to get out of bed and garden when I can then back under the safe doona when it all gets too much. Some days it takes until 4 to get there, it's amazing what can be done before nightfall though.

I did manage to get out and mulch yesterday afternoon when the kids were home to help me.  This is really old mulch and it had gone loamy and rich and was lovely to spread about.

This is the eldest child's  new garden bed and it's newer mulch both look good but I think I shall leave to break down a bit and this one might be a little water repellant.

Some colour, these all died off over Winter so I pruned back and waited am delighted they came back some colour for my chook pen.

This little viola sprung up in the 3 inch grass, I knew moving was imminent so I potted it up some colour for my nursery area.

Eldest also pruned my front garden weeping cherries now I think it looks nice. I love my Lupins.

My little Bonsai is going well I potted up the other week.  Hope it loves water kids are fighting over the watering right now as tanks are full so everything happy in the plant area.

Where I go to sit each day to try and be ok. My canaries sing to me while I try and gather a thought.