orchard season

We had been waiting and we were not disappointed. Our local orchard is fully open for business. Found on West Coast Rd on the way out to the beaches, the Dragicevich family planted these fruit trees 42 years ago when they came over from the Balkans. Their tractor dates back 42 years too...we are quite enamoured of tractor and of them. Today was the first harvest of the first apples of the season, Oratia Beauty's. We came away with Black Doris and Sultan plums, apples and early pears. Oh and their apple juice...there is none other like it.

Jed started taking photos today. I love this one he took of the orchard shop front, sky and Mrs D.

We are allowed to walk a bit in the orchard. Give our thanks to the trees. Bliss to stand in the their shade on a baking hot day, listen to the birdsong and feel the rest of the world drop away.

Tweet

summer snapshots

Vegetables and herbs fresh from our garden make simple meals. With extraordinary taste.

I got home slightly frayed at the edges from a day in town and dealing with real estate agents (more about that soon) to these two mysterious notes in our mailbox. There were no bills, no advertising, just these two delicious notes. Love it. Whoever put them in there....feel free to deliver more!

Making new friends. Jed was very disappointed to miss out on The Big Day Out. (Have i mentioned he's a keen muso?) So we had a big day out Mama and Jed style. Jed got to choose where we'd spend the day. He choose Kiwi Valley Farm. A perennial favourite. Expensive in our world but worth it on occasion - especially if your wee one loves to horse ride. So many animals to get up close and loving with.

And they have a good old-fashioned game of horseshoes. Simple can be the best kind of fun.

Kind of eeking out the summer holiday vibe as long as we can get away with it...yesterday afternoon we popped down to the beach for a quick swim, bumped into friend after friend after friend and got home after bedtime. Good times. Clock? What clock?!
Beckoned by the sounds of the surf and the cicada song, we're off again. There will be time to tackle the crafting pile, re-stock my etsy shop, do the dishes and the rest of the mountain of things-to-do later.

Tweet

just down the road and around the corner

Five minutes drive down the hill and a scramble over the rocks at the outgoing tide

there is another world

where our voices are dwarfed in the sound of the ocean and bounced off cliff faces.

Our walk brings us to a place where the sea is wild with waves and yet, gently delivers a 'noodle' to my little ones feet. He picks it up, eyes wide with quiet awe and says, 'look what the sea gave to me mama'.

And proceeds to put it to good use.

This is my favourite swimming place. Certain death is metres away with huge waves pounding on the rocks beyond, but this side of the rocks there is a pool left at low tide, just perfect. Shallow at the edges for the little ones, deeper than i am tall toward the rocks. Swarming with crabs too...just for a little extra intrigue!

Tweet

minutiae

I am remembering to look carefully in the mud left in the wake of the huge waters of change. Great treasure can be found.

Hidden in the unfurling fronds of our days, there is drama, peace, chaos, stillness...anything we can dream up is there. I am re-learning (again, sigh) it is my choice. Happiness is not in the circumstances of our lives, but in how we meet them.

We often overlook and underappreciate the quiet power of gestation and contemplation in ourselves and in others. Doing nothing is sometimes perfect. A vital part of the creative process. I forget this.

Soaring in only one part of the process. There can be no soaring without stillness to measure it by.

Late night musings by one who has quite possibly had too much sun. Ahem. And goodnight.

Tweet

received and given

Gifts received: These gorgeous decorations were made by Ally Adeney of Harry's Desk and landed in my mailbox thanks to the random number generator magic in Sew Mama Sew's last Giveaway. I won $100 AUS of goodies from Ally's etsy shop. I had a lovely time choosing. These are made from upcycled men's ties and vintage buttons. There is another star but Jed was using it as a blanket for his wooden horse at the time of the photograph. I kid you not.

And this piece of loveliness for me. Now, i hear some of you chortling. Okay, so i haven't been a handbag sort of a gal, more of a vintage/handmade tote sort of a person, BUT i might. 'Specially with such a handbag to choose from! And besides, i wear shoes now so surely a handbag isn't a huge leap from there.

I guess you could say i have given alot in my life (ask me sometime!) and winning the two giveaway offerings from Ally and Marissa of Skooks' Playground really gave me a good boost when i needed it. I love to give, sure but thank you dear women for reminding me how darn nice to receive too.

Gift given: We live in a wee west coast 'village' famous for it's crazy wild surf and beauty. Surf lifeguards feature pretty large in our lives. If we swim in the ocean, it is firmly between those flags or we head to the stream or swimming holes. The play of 'rescue' or 'surf lifesaver' is an enduring favourite amongst the small ones around here and in our trawling of secondhand shops Jed has been on the lookout for 'surf life saver gear'. He found a yellow lunch box, insisted on buying it ($1), asked me to write RESCUE on it and proceeded to stock it with rescue essentials such as Arnica, sunglasses, sun cream, a rope, plasters, a torch and a (pretend) knife.

I made him these replica surf lifesaver 3/4 shorts out of cotton jersey as part of his Solstice package. Along with a handmade pirate patch. In the moments the pantless wonder does deign to wear pants (trousers for you northern hemisphereans), these are a big hit.

Possibly the best gift was the look on his face on opening that package on Solstive Eve.

Tweet

adventures were had

Leaving the garden in full harvest mode in trusted hands, we drove south.

To the land of granny and granpa and free range chickens. And then, beyond.

Many 'firsts' were had, many adventures. "Scootering on sidewalks like a big guy". Trampolines were discovered. Friends were made, big sisters adopted. Creatures befriended and good food was in evidence. Old friends were revelled with. Jed managed to sleep through an absolute mayhem New Years Eve at the dodgy trailer park. (Not related to the previous sentence)

We napped at will, marvelled at waterfalls, swam at beaches, playgrounds, Lake Taupo and in earthfed hot water pools.

It is the oddest thing to be off wandering a woodland trail and come across a sulphur smelling steam vent in the earth.

And now, home sweet home.

I managed not to think about life as normal AT ALL and only got slightly overwhelmed when it all came flooding back on our return. Today, i wangled my way into a few hours alone in town and somehow came back (surprisingly) with a silver pendant saying 'Love the life you live', and on the reverse, 'Live the life you love'. Hear hear. Good words to carry me into this new year.

I am excited. My notebook lies open on the table next to me, wild scribbles indicating my annual visioning has begun...

Tweet