Green Acres Is The Place For Me

We are slowly settling into our new place. Although we moved in during December, we were away for almost a month because of holidays that we had arranged before we knew that we were going to buy a house!

Since we got back from holidays life has been about establishing new routines and making discoveries about what is around the property.

We have been doing lots of study, trying to work out what all the plants are and how to look after them. It is such an exciting challenge!

The boys have stepped up into work mode and are taking on more and more jobs. The novelty of a ride on mower with a trailer has a lot to do with that I think.

With the amount of rain we have had this week there has been even more time for planning, organising and unpacking. I am waiting to get to know the place a little - to learn where the shadows fall and where the water lies before we plant too many vegies and herbs.

It is such an exciting new start !

Moving House

If you have been wondering why things are so quiet on the blogging front, it is because we are moving. I thought that we would be staying in this house forever, but over the past few months a series of things have just fallen in to place and before we knew it we had made an offer on a place out of town.

I feel quite okay about moving. I thought I would have a really difficult time leaving this house, after all,  a lot has happened here in the past 16 years. Firstly, it is the longest I have ever lived in one place. It is the home that I lived in when we were first married and the home I brought my babies home to.

In the past 16 years it has seen me be a teacher, a stay at home mum, a solicitor, a business woman, an author, a blogger and an urban homesteader.

What started as a little cottage has expanded over the years to accommodate our growing family. We added rooms, built bathrooms, took down walls, pulled up carpets all to keep up with our changing needs.

Now, as the boys are physically getting bigger they are after space. I am looking forward to new gardens, fruit trees and the next stage of family growth.

With our move shortly upon us, I thought things would be more chaotic. They are busy, but haven't fallen into total chaos......yet. One of the best things we did when we thought there was a possibility of moving was to have a severe cull of our possessions. We donated, sold, gave away  or threw out everything in every cupboard, drawer, shed and shelf that we did not need or completely love. We also shredded years and years of paperwork no longer required. Even if we weren't moving, this was a FANTASTIC feeling of freedom !

Now we have been working on preparing our house for tenants. Painting, cleaning, fixing. It is funny that jobs we have been meaning to get around to for years have all suddenly been completed in a fortnight.

Everyone is so excited about the move. I am really looking forward to having a place for everything and everything is its place. I am excited about creating new spaces for cooking,   baking and making. The most exciting thing for me, however, is the established fruit trees. Strange, I know, but having trees that are bearing so much fruit is really exciting !

Most of all, as usual, I am looking forward to creating......................a vision splendid ! 

Hello September

Image Source: http://sayingimages.com/hello-september/

Hello September. I am enjoying you so much. Just when I had settled into a life of rugging up, adding layers, snuggling under blankets on the lounge, you turn up and surprise me.

You get me every year!

I get the first hint of you in the breeze. Then I notice you in the song of the birds and the sound of a distant lawn mower. Then I smell you in the blossoms and when your light hits the new green leaves on the crepe myrtle tree.

Then I remember what is to come.... the early mornings, the long summer evenings, the swimming and skiing and playing and gardening and holidays and Christmas and mangoes and watermelon and prawns and shorts and t-shirts and thongs.....

.....and I am one happy spring chicken.

An Adoption Story

Look who has been taking up my time lately! 

This is the latest addition to our family. He is a puppy adoption from the RSPCA. He was completely unplanned! 

Our neighbour looks after puppies for the RSPCA until they find homes.....( or worse if they don't find homes). Our boys are often at her house playing with the puppies. 

A couple of weeks ago they asked me if they could bring a dog over to our house to play. I reluctantly agreed and told them to lock up the chooks ( imagining they were bringing some sort of Alsatian)

Can you imagine what I felt when they brought this little guy in ? I went from " a dog is a lot of responsibility and I'm not sure you're ready"  to  "oh, we have to keep  him?" in about a space of ten seconds.

The RSPCA get lots of puppies. This little guy was dumped at the pound. We had to wait 14 days until ownership passed to the RSPCA and then they desexed him, microchipped him and gave him health checks and immunisations. 

He hasn't been mistreated and has a lovely little personality. They think he may have been an unwanted Christmas present. :>(

He is an excellent companion. The boys have really taken on the responsibility of looking after him and I just adore him. We are putting lots of time into training him. He has brought us so much joy! 

He is very happy with us - he has even started his naughty puppy behaviour lately where he will grab a sock and run with it, hoping to be chased !

The only problem the poor fellow has is that the chooks are mean to him !

If you are looking for a companion animal, make sure you check out the RSPCA. They really do run a wonderful programme and by taking a puppy you are leaving a space so that the life of the next puppy can be saved.