LOOKING OUT, LOOKING FORWARD

We've had a spurt of rainy days a little while back (say, around 10 days ago, I think)...nothing too extreme but definitely soggy. Last week, there was hail but the past few have been glorious with so much lovely winter sunshine..such is life in Melbourne. I quite enjoy the variety, the changeability of the weather here, particularly in the cooler months; it keeps us on our toes and really, it's rarely extremely cold or hot so there's not much to complain about.  Anyhow, we opted to spend many of the rainy moments indoors baking, painting, drawing, playing in general really...and knitting, of course (for me at least). And I reflected on all the outdoor work and play to come over the upcoming warmer months.....

IN BEDS

Those garden beds are really starting to delivery; radishes, fennel, turnip, spinach, pakchoy, so many herbs, sooo much coming through but plenty still growing away....and more seeds on their way...we're having fun, and learning too. And the beds themselves make good balancing beams! And when he wakes from his daytime nap, Rafael likes to cuddle up in the front room and watch it all happening...such a sweet lad.

 

 

A CASE OF YOU

Last week, we celebrated our Canadian heritage - on July 1 to be precise! Well, not mine but, that of my dear husband and my little part-Canadians. There's no way we'd miss celebrating Canada Day and this year we did so with all the oomf and passion we could muster in the cold, wintery weather all the while reminding ourselves that "cold and wintery" is relative (you see, I did travel to and live in Canada for years and of course, my dear husband is Canadian).

Pine Trees all round helping to remind us of Canada....if only we could see them more clearly :)

Canada Day raises a tonne of emotions for us; emotions not confined to Canada Day. We feel so very grateful and lucky for all that has us living in Australia (and for this country in general) but we do miss Canada and our friends and family there. While we miss, we accept that choices we've made, namely the decision to have me at home while the kids are little, preclude a trip to Canada - for now. But it is always on our minds, always top of our list of priorities, always in our 'dreaming'. Somehow other things, like buying our first home then selling it and buying our second, the birth of our children and planning that they enter our school of choice and, of course, choosing to be a one-income family (for now) have meant that we haven't been to Canada since just before my first pregnancy. Such is life, such are the sacrifices one makes but, it will happen and when it does, oh what fun we'll have (and, it might just be very difficult to drag ourselves away)!

We listened to CBC Radio on Canada Day and plenty of Canadian music. Every time I listen to 'a case of you' I feel a deep longing for Canada (if you open the link, please ignore the 'daggy' visuals!). Friends in Vancouver sent us a CD of new Canadian music too. We also enjoyed a big Canadian-style brunch with my sister and her family (all Canadian citizens - and Aussie too), plenty of Canada-inspired crafting, our Canada-themed and authored kid's books and baking our little short-bread maple leaves, squirrels, moose and bears, which didn't last long. In the end, I think we celebrated sufficiently well!

Of course, we are every so grateful for all that has come our way since arriving back in Australia (I hope that's obvious!) but on Canada Day more so than others, we acknowledge what we've left behind. And for me, in addition to some very special friends, I miss being here, particularly here (market images). So much to miss, so much to celebrate. So much to love and be grateful for right here where we are...

My first issue of taproot arrived just as we were sitting to enjoy a Canada Day afternoon tea on what was Canada Day in Canada, and a day later here. And yes, an afternoon tea in their pyjamas, partially at least. Ah, holidays.

JUNE MOMENTS

 

Come in,  leave you gumboots on the front verandah please...welcome to some of our June moments.

June was at time for picking and drying bay leaves and rosemary - we now have big jars full of these dried bits of goodness, which is very handy for cooking, especially winter lamb, soups and stews.

 
In June, we started harvesting winter vegies and herbs and haven't stopped. We have a new-found love for sweet radishes in salads.

In June, 'Hugo' (the doll) became more popular than ever and accompanied Rafael absolutely everywhere.

We celebrated a special birthday in June and Elsa has been playing with perhaps her favourite gift ever since! (love a good op-shop find - well, my sister did on this instance!).

Gnocchi the dog just practiced being 'Gnocchi the dog' (it's a weighty task!)

In June, we enjoyed oh so many hot chocolates in the garden...

June saw the arrival and lengthy stay of a horrid cold...

June was a time for toadstool-spotting, mostly very close to home, sometimes in our own yard...

I like Elsa's comment about these two..."Look Mama, they must be brother and sister!"

I know, I know, enough of the toadstool thing!! But, as if they're not amazing in themselves, I was so very inspired by how much time Elsa and Rafael put into the surrounding fairy gardens, hammocks (yep, every fairy needs at least two) and 'sheds' of each and everyone we discovered. And the morning after one such 'decorating' session, when they found that possums has pooed all through the fairy garden, they were very impressed; somehow it added to the mystery of the night-time frolicking that must've taken place in and around the toadstools. There's also plenty of evidence of such frolicking (by possums) all over the car each morning and I can't say I'm equally impressed!

June was a time for minding the neighbour's guinea pigs, dogs and fish. The guineas really endeared themselves to us.

In June we transferred so many wee seedlings into the garden, including shallots, leek, pakchoy and cabbage...

And perhaps the most exciting June-addition to the garden, strawberry runners EVERYWHERE! We look forward to a summer of strawberries.

 And occasionally, we found a flower or two, reminding us that Spring comes next!

And our blackberry, blueberry and cranberry trees arrived from here along with two fig trees and a plum tree!  Now we just need to decide where they go...

June was definitely a month for knitting but, aren't they all! And a good time for working with beeswax (and the fireplace proved the perfect place to soften it just a little for wee hands). And, as far as Elsa was concerned, June was for dry-felting.

And little brothers and their dolls should always be allowed to Kinder for a visit...and in June, he often did.