Urban camping

 

Here is a shot of a spot on the Upfield Line that has intrigued me for a couple of years. Actually, it could be longer. Every time I am passing between Flemington Bridge and Macaulay stations I have a flash of this place. Next to the graffitied wall, beneath a peppercorn tree, in a vacant block of land there is a tent. It is hard to see in this photo, but you can just make out a flash of red. Every time I pass it, I wonder who sleeps there. Are they homeless? How do they eat? How do they sleep? Do the police notice them and try to move them on? Has anyone else noticed it before? Every time I pass, something is different. One day I saw a campfire and a lady and a man sitting next to it laughing. I saw mounds of earth  piled up there one day and was stricken with sadness that they had lost their home. They hadn't. I'll keep watching and wondering...

I earned these grey hairs!!

This is a dodgy, on-the-go shot after I left the hairdressers today and you can't really see my grey hair, but believe me, they are becoming more obvious. A couple of weeks ago I had a birthday. I made a bit of a fuss beforehand, reminding the kids of the impending date quite frequently, just until I had annoyed them enough! When we woke up they sang to me and remembered, which was great. It wasn't until I saw my Dad and he said "How does it feel to be 48!!!" It suddenly occurred to me that I was actually turning a year older. Weird huh? You know, 47 was close enough to 45 to feel like I was still in my mid 40s, but 48 is getting very close to 50! I'm not really sure how I feel about it. Today, my wonderful friend  offered to have my kids for a couple of hours, to give me a break and I decided to visit my old haunt, Brunswick St. On a whim I decided to get a real haircut, in a proper salon, you know, where they wash and blow dry your hair, give you a cup of coffee and charge a fortune? I was assigned a gorgeous young Frenchman from Lyon. I was telling him how I loved Paris, had been there a few times and probably the last time was 1995, which to me feels like a couple of years ago. He points out it was 20 years! He was 2 in 1995!! So we chatted about this and that and he was telling me which colour would suit my cut and I explained to him that I had stopped getting any colour in my hair, mostly for financial reasons but then I had a sudden epiphany! I don't want to cover up these greys!! I have earned every single one of them! And every wrinkle and blotch on my face has been painstakingly etched by time and stress and tears, by sunshine and laughter! So there...I embrace my grey hairs and wrinkles and my 48 years.

Grateful for paté!

I have just come home from dropping my kids at their Nan's for the night. The first morning of the school holidays has been loud, setting my nerves tingling, my teeth gritting. There's been plenty of silliness, shouting and arguing, laughing and crying. I went to La Manna on the way home and bought myself some fresh bread, terrine and paté. Now I am enjoying the peace and quiet. I feel such a party pooper sometimes. I know children just want to have loud fun, but sometimes I have to hide myself away for a moment to give my ears a break! 

Bad photo I know, but I am grateful for every mouthful and every quiet breath! For now.......

Grateful For Bunnies

I'm listening to the kids jumping on the trampoline. That distant summer shouting that I love because it means they're outside and being active and I'm feeling grateful and proud. Grateful because my children are healthy and happy and we have everything we need. Proud because I have done most of this myself. I work and I pay the bills and although I have lots of help from friends and family to make it possible, I make it happen. I hope that doesn't sound self important. I don't often give myself credit but today I am! And we have bunnies!

Merlin and Arthur!

And they have a palatial hutch!!

Dining room dreaming

I'm sitting at my dining room table, flies buzzing around me as they slowly die. It's been a warm day here in Melbourne and I've had the back door open. I've been wondering why I started a blog and why I stopped. I had time in the past. I was working one night a week, my kids were smaller. Blogging now has become such a big thing. It's hard to compete! These days I am working 7 days a fortnight. I hardly have time to work in the garden or sew something, let alone blog about it!  I am inspired by things in fleeting moments that pass quickly! I still have plenty to say though. Perhaps I should try and share the inspirations before they fly away! Here a few of my favourite photos shot recently. Random shots of life passing by!

Recent trip to Funfields

A holiday in Torquay 

My friend put together this great blanket to help save our local hall. I've just started to use the blogger app and haven't worked out how to put links in. When I do I will put a link in.

 I sewed some Harry Potter robes. They went as Ron and Ginny Weasley!

 Coburg North Farmers Market!

That's enough for now. I don't want to use up all my enthusiasm!  I should take myself off to bed. I thought when my children were 8 & 9 I would sleep through the night and so would they! Apparently not the case. I had one in my bed from the start who woke me at 4 which then woke the other and we all had an unsettled night. I'm looking forward to a day off tomorrow and I think I should plan to do absolutely nothing! 

 

Long time passing

It has been so long since I wrote anything here! I thought I would start using my iPad to post and do lots of little quick posts instead of long ones. Lets see how I go!!

This is my third loaf of no knead bread. I have been using Gourmet girlfriend's recipe and it is easy and SOOO delicious.

Yesterday was Easter Sunday. The kids were at the farm and I woke up after a post-nightduty sleep wondering what to do with the day. I started looking at the iPad, seeing photos and posts about kids having Easter egg hunts, families away camping, enjoying time together. I started feeling a bit sad and sorry for myself. Then I made a choice not to look at social media, to find the joy in my own company. I read my book, I dug out weeds, I sang to myself and I had a good day!

I am loving my new purple trug in the background!

Today is Easter Monday and I have the day to myself again. I plan to garden, to clean and perhaps to read and I'm going to sing really loudly to the birds in the backyard.

I am reading Shantaram for the second time. I love this book. I will leave you with a quote:

"Prabaker believed with the whole of his heart that his smile made a difference, in people's hearts and in the world. He was right of course, but it took a long time to understand the truth and to accept it"

This week I am going to smile!!

A quest to Montsalvat

My Kids love the show The Legend Of Dick and Dom

Last week we decided to go on our own quest to Montsalvat. 

Our quest was to find a magic feather. As we arrived, the lady at the desk asked them if they would like a peacock feather! Our quest was over already? Never-mind, we would go exploring anyway. I haven't been there for years but it is still as magical as I remember: