a positive twist

isn't it funny how things turn out?

I did my first proper weekly home blessing in years yesterday.

and was going to write about my long-term 

relationship with flylady...

then last night, the main fuse in our house blew 

just as I was about to serve up dinner.

normally this would bring out my anger or 

frustration as I would have been tripping over 

random objects trying to find a candle or torch.

instead, I was able to comfort little mister J 

when he was panicking, go straight to the locations 

where I store our candles, light a fire in the wood heater, 

serve up dinner and then enjoy a game of cards with 

the kids before tucking them into bed.

even when the power company had fixed the fuse

we decided not to turn anything back on

(with the exception of a quick tidy in the kitchen before bed) 

and I had a candle-lit conversation with the love of my life

snuggled up on the couch in front of the fire.

[image credit]

what would normally have been a disaster

turned out to be a blessing!

i thought wow i have an amazing mother   by ellowyn(<=10 year old vandalism!)

a goal for the week...

our grocery budget was even smaller than usual last week 

(we shop on a Friday) as my lovely man starts his 

final placement this week and he needed a couple 

of essential items (and petrol) to be able to partake.

he will soon be a qualified enrolled nurse! I am so proud of him!!

so Mr G has to travel an hour each way,

5 days a week, for 7 weeks, without pay...

tightening the already tight purse strings will be

a challenge... but I am up for it!

I will, however miss having my

 personal chef preparing all the evening meals... 

I have been very spoiled the last 2.5 years.

I love baking and cooking.  

being frugal can bring out an unexpected creative inspiration.

so, my goal for this week is to prepare a nutritious

and thoughtful menu to get us through the week.

yesterday, we had:

 

MONDAY

breakfast:-   cereal

morning tea:-   yoghurt, apple, homemade brownies

lunch:-   lettuce, cheese & tomato sandwiches

afternoon tea:-   banana & choc chip muffins

dinner:-   spaghetti with garlic vegetable sauce

today's plan:

TUESDAY

breakfast:-   cereal

morning tea:-   yoghurt, apple, banana & choc chip muffin

lunch:-   E=peanut butter/carrot wrap, J=rice cakes with vegemite

afternoon tea:-  baked oca (New Zealand yams)

dinner:-   vegetable omelette with cauliflower 'rice'

then...

WEDNESDAY

breakfast:-   cereal

morning tea:-   yoghurt, fruit salad, anzac cookies

lunch:-   noodles

afternoon tea:-   fruit toast

dinner:-   tomato and lentil soup with damper

and...

THURSDAY

breakfast:-   cereal

morning tea:-   yoghurt, apple, anzac cookies

lunch:-   sandwiches with spread

afternoon tea:-   caramel popcorn

dinner:-    vegetable curry with rice

and FRIDAY?
your guess is as good as mine!!
whatever is left in the pantry...

freeeeeezing!

brrrr! a clear blue sky and a heavy frost greeted us this morning.
my car looked like it was covered in glitter!

the end of last week was a bit of a non-starter.
the weather turned grey and rainy and 

we have all come down with varying degrees of head colds.

so, since my burst of activity last week, I haven't moved
very far forward... physically, anyway.

during my bed resting and trying to stay warm, 

I did look at a lot of blogs and TED talks.

 there is some AMAZING inspiration out there!

happiness, wholeness, mindfulness, simplicity, minimalism,

sustainability, self sufficiency, organisation and fulfillment...

though, sometimes I think these things elude me on purpose!

I desperately desire slow, intentional, uncluttered living.

but it just doesn't come quick enough! *chuckles at self*

(unlike the grass I mowed only a week ago!!!)

like climbing uphill during an avalanche...

so once again, focusing on the here and now.

practicing being in the moment.
loving how pretty my washing looks on the clothesline...

noticing an unexpected, dainty addition to one of my plant pots.

I <3 LOVE <3 what IS around me and I am completely grateful.

produce of productivity

due to the beautiful weather we have had this week 

I was coaxed out beyond the front stairs 

(which is the furthest I go most days).

seeing my shiny, clean steps and door

has made me smile every time I venture there.  

It has motivated me to keep going. 

on Sunday I mowed the yard. 

I always forget how much I love mowing. 

the instant gratification is always a winner,

but the lack of interruptions and being

left to my thoughts is an inner bonus.

now returning home is an even more smiley event 

with a tidy lawn and a clean doorstep.

happy happy!

as a result of mowing the grass super-short 

around my little vegetable plot I was motivated 

to continue with my outdoor adventures.

So, on Monday I laid down the new paths of

newspaper and sawdust for my vegie patch.

 returning home from the school drop-off on Tuesday, 

I noticed that ducking and weaving to avoid the camellia

 branches on the way to the front door was a bit bothersome.

weather was lovely.

crisp and clear.

out came the secateurs and long handled loppers...

I ended up pruning 4 very mature camellia 'bushes',

a mature old, Autumn-flowering rhododendron and a raggedy old greengage. 

inside for a cup of tea and a bite to eat, then out to tidy up.

...or so I thought.

 after putting my tools of mass destruction away I saw

 that my little, neglected, frost-damaged produce-plot 

looked very odd with a nice new path.

so I got to work!

 I dug up the last of the potatoes and okas,

removed my rotting zucchinis and stunted corn, 

turfed the tomatoes, dug over the gorgeous soil and 

transplanted some carrot and lettuce seedlings I had grown.

Hmmmm.... satisfied now?   

a resounding

YES!

sun salutation

it is interesting how the weather seems to have changed since I rebooted my blog.

since I decided to change my perspective and appreciate what I have 

instead of what I don't have, the sun has been warming my soul every day.

this has helped greatly with my mood!

thank you sun!!!!!

mindful moments

what a beautiful Autumn day!
clear blue sky and a delicious crispness in the air.

after the kids were ferried off to school and my lovely other had left for 

college this morning I wasn't really sure what to do with myself.

although yesterday was a productive day, having no clear 

goals or plan left me feeling a little deflated.

I had a drink of water, took my medication and grabbed a bowl of cereal

 to munch on while I searched the web for inspiration.

don't get me wrong here, there were a load of things that

 I SHOULD have been doing, but in the vagueness of my low

 mood and chaotic mental state, reality just seems to be on 

the other side of the bubble.

 I came across this blog again:

slow your home

it has an amazing list of 21 simple things to do to kick-start

 your way to a life of simplicity.

...which then led me to a TED talk by carl honore

although I know I should start with a list of some sort, 

I wasn't really in the head space for deep contemplation

 and soul searching, and because there is all sorts of clutter

 to be dealt with in our house, I decided to start on my 

own front doorstep, literally.

every time I come home lately, it depresses me.

the front door is covered in grubby marks and spiderwebs,

 steps have become filthy and covered with rotting autumn leaves. 

the screen door is turning green from mould.

I feel embarrassed to think that is the first impression of our home.

yes, we are renting.

yes, the house is in bad structural repair.

does that mean I shouldn't care?

does that mean I can't keep it clean?

does that mean I can't have pride in my home?

no.  elbow grease is free, after all.

besides, I want to set a good example for my chidren.

to appreciate our blessings and make the most of what we have.

I even had a moment of mindfulness.

I stopped scrubbing to listen to the warbles of the magpies. 

 it is my very favourite birdsong.

several buckets of hot soapy water later I realised that 

this might be my plan... for the house, anyway.

to maybe work my way through the house,

one square metre at a time.

there are a lot of things that don't belong in our

 front porch that I don't even notice anymore.

and it is the closest space to the door to get rid of stuff!

there are a lot of other facets in my life I want to improve upon.

hopefully they will come to me, as pleasantly as this one did!

a small success is still success...

tip-toeing forward, i have had a good day.

i got the kids to school early, with healthy lunches in their bags.

[photo credit]

i did four hours of study for my diploma of practice management.

[photo credit]

i made a yummy lentil stew with parmesan and pine nut dumplings for dinner.

[photo credit]

i drank plenty of water and brushed my teeth.

[photo credit]

i even finished hand-sewing the binding on my flower quilt. 

[photo credit]

i did not buy anything.

[photo credit]

hooray for small victories!