From the Archives

In December, Hubs and I went to NZ for our honeymoon. It was also our first Holiday, our first overseas trip and the first time we’d ever been tourists good and proper. Driving through the mountain ranges we were suddenly surrounded by lupins. So beautiful, so fragrant (said my pregnancy supersonic sniffer) and so so many.

Take me back to NZ now please.

Saturday afternoon, 3pm.

SuperMoon

Saturday night heralded a SuperMoon, the brightest in many many years. (Statistics elude me right now… whatever.) Monday morning and it was still bright across the river. Pretty, huh?

The Happiness Project


I love to read. I am the daughter of a library technician and I spent the bulk of my childhood free time in the stacks at whichever library my mother was working at.


However, pregnancy changed my brain around a little. Okay, a LOT - and I found I just couldn’t concentrate on more than a couple of paragraphs at a time. Enter my vicious addiction to the moving picture and watching entire box sets.


As baby time draws nearer my sweet boss (I call her my Book Pimp Daddy) put aside some reading material for me. More specifically a copy of The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, amongst some other things.


This morning I forced myself to settle down with a cup of tea and give it a whirl… before my focus is elsewhere.


I’m a couple of chapters in and quite enjoying myself. I have quite a soft spot for biographies and self help books. Voila! Two birds, one stone.

Hook, stitch and… er… sinker..?

Hubs Man-Nested the linen cupboard on the weekend and this project was sitting there, just asking to be finished. I started making a plastic bag holder for the pantry in winter 2009, and promptly forgot about it sometime in 2010. Now, I’m almost done. It’s a lovely silky acrylic, perfect the pantry wear and tear, in a dainty shell ridge stitch.

Kitty Snuggles

As time moves on and my Hubs and I draw ever closer to meeting our baby, Lucy has been glued to my side most days. We spent Tuesday on the couch, me crocheting, her snoozing. Every now and then a little paw would reach out to touch my side, just to reassure both of us that all was right in the world.

Horacek

For every occasion there’s a mug to be had. I love this one, and it’s something that always makes me smile. It’s been a sad week here with news of an acquaintance taking her life, my dear city Hobart is feeling the sadness - we need some smiles. Find more Judy Horacek wonderfulness here.

And if you need to talk help is available at Lifeline on 13 11 14, 24/7.

Today marks the birthday of my dear sweet man, Andrew.

Happy Birthday lovely man.

New Music

On my last day of work I was given a gift voucher for my local music shop by a dear colleague who thought I might like a non-baby treat. Rock on Olive, thanks!

New to my collection is the latest Justin Townes Earle and the new Sally Seltmann albums. Enjoying muchly - I loved JTE’s Midnight at the Movies, but I secretly wish he’d record a live album as the recordings are amazing but in no way touch his solo acoustic shows. I started listening to Sally Seltmann (formerly New Buffalo) after seeing her speak at a music conference in 2009 about the recording of this album and hearing some of the rough demos. I highly recommend you go and check both of these artists out.

Sun Seeker

Backlit photo aside, I had to show you the colour of underneath these leaves. This is a mystery plant purchased at our local CWA that has been slowly staging a takeover of the bookshelf. We haven’t had indoor plants for years, after our first kittens decimated a houseful of indoor plants in the space of one workday. Lucy shows no signs of interest, so I think we’re safe. I love the way this plant curls it’s leaves around toward the sun and the branches look like arms reaching for the sky.

Naughty Face

On occasion, Lucy can’t sleep. I’m certain most cats would pop the kettle on and kick back for a few hours of TV until they’re tired again. However, Lucy feels the need to chirp randomly and quietly near my head and knock off most of the things from my bedside table.

In the morning a grumpy pregnant FurMother glares at the cat and promises to keep her awake all day, standing next to her head calling her name randomly, and poking her.

She pulled this face at me, and I’m disgusted to say that all was forgiven.

Blast From The Past

This is one of my favourite pictures - the blossom tree outside my house, October 2009.

I never tire of laughing at this. I love Judy Horacek cartoons, and this one reminds me of so many people I know who wish they could don a cape and set the world straight…

Our offering pleases kitty…

First fire of 2011. Post carpet cleaning, pre furniture replacing.

Huon River
9am. Mist rolling down the river, mist through the trees. A perfect reflection in the dam.

Cockle Creek, Saturday 26th February. 3pm.

Baby Eviction Notice Jam, March 6th, 2011.

Raspberries from my canes, 2kg blackberries from along my fenceline and apples from across the river. Err… sugar from QLD…

As yet, my dear baby has not taken her notice…

Clouds and Destruction

On our way back from the deep deep Southern South bits of Australia (Cockle Creek) last weekend, photographer Husband stopped in this logging coupe to see if the hills were clear.

As we both snapped away I was surprised to find I still feel the same emotions every time I’m in a logging coupe. Curiousity to see precisely how the land looks after logging, and before a burn, a level of disgust in myself for finding such a hideous act (for this is native logging) so beautiful and interesting to look at and sadness at how much waste is left behind to be burnt. Wood that could keep several hundred families warm for a cold Tasmanian winter, wood that could be turned into furniture, wood that could be turned into mulch at the very least.

I’m by no means opposed to sustainable forestry - as I sit at my desk made of wood, with it’s coasters made of wood and a notebook made of paper next to a box of tissues and on top of a deck of cards; but waste bothers me. And this strikes me as wasteful.

The clouds however, spectacular.

Southport

Southern Southern Southern Tasmania. Approximately 40km from where the last road in Australia ends.

Misty Mountains… again

Saturday morning, looking across the neighbour’s yard to the hills behind my house. I never tire of seeing mist rolling through the trees.