All blogged out.........

.........me?  Never! I haven't been writing for a while, mainly because I've had no brain waves with good topics to write about........but today, I miss it too much so I will sit down and write and see what evolves. I have found that having a blog is something that you have to nurture and look after in a way, as you can't neglect it for too long.  It's almost like another child that wants and needs attention, otherwise it doesn't stay happy.......or maybe, more to the point, its author wants and needs the pleasure and enjoyment that she/ he gets from the big, blank page that is like a new canvas, ready to be filled with some sort of creation.  But at the same time, I can't rant and rave too much about nothing now, can I?  That would miss the point entirely, so here goes.......

So, what's new with you?  Me, I have no real dramas to speak of and as I always say, 'No news is good news'.  What does amaze me though is how quickly time flies when you're having fun........and, how quickly time flies when you're on the 'daily grind treadmill'.  This year's birthdays for my family are about to kick off as we celebrate the first birthday for the year, my husband's, this week.  We're not doing anything too dramatic but will acknowledge the day in the usual way with friends, family and of course, food!  It's now March and soon enough, it will be the end of the financial year again.........mmm, not sure what I think about that.......because that means that it will be Winter here in Australia and as you know, I struggle in the cold.

We have enjoyed a great Summer and I noticed yesterday that the leaves have started to fall from my deciduous trees in my garden and funny enough, I was kind of relieved to see that.  It meant that time was moving along and the weather is changing, something that affects the way I feel in a big way.  Funny enough, I thought for a split second that I was actually getting sick of the hot weather and ready for a change.......but that thought passed very quickly because I really don't like short days, long nights and a lack of sunshine.  Then I started to look forward to dusting off my slow cooker, ready to cook lots of hearty, heavy meals again........but give me my back yard and my BBQ any day, I'll always prefer that option!

Blink and before you know it, you realise that another year is in full swing.  My kids are growing and developing so very fast, each with very different needs, but all demanding my attention at the same time.  This is a big challenge, being able to dedicate yourself to little people that are at different stages of childhood and giving each of them what they need, when they need it.  And not to forget mum and dad, they have needs too and I try to set aside time for us also.  Most weeks, it feels as though we never see each other.  My husband leaves early in the morning for work and I get busy doing what I have to do.  At night, once dinner is done, we are that exhausted that we hit the sack, flake out and sleep.......and then it all starts again the next day.  Aah yes, that's life, I'm afraid, nothing more or less than plain, old reality.

Speaking of reality, I was having a coffee the other day with a lovely lady who I have not known for very long (in the big scheme of things), but it feels like I have known her forever.  In our conversations, she often helps me to have the most amazing realisations about all kinds of stuff and one thing she said to me that day I want to share with you now because I think it is so relevant and important.  We were talking about how my husband and I are your typical middle aged, married couple.......but also, how hard we have worked together over the last 20 years to establish ourselves and our lives together......and now, what we are doing, probably without realising it, is working towards 'adding value' to it.  I said to myself, 'Yes, that's it!  We ARE doing that and how crucial that is for a happy heart and a happy home'.

Let me explain.  I started the year with a bit of a panic because I felt totally lost and confused about what it was that I should  actually be 'doing'.  The holidays were over, the kids were back at school, everything started again for another year.......and that left me stuck in the house with my pre-schooler, doing the same old same old, wondering what it was all about.  But then, after a couple of 'light bulb' moments, I realised that it was all OK because I WAS actually doing something of utmost importance......I was raising a healthy family and continuing to grow a happy partnership with the man that I married last century.  Doesn't sound like much, but in reality, it actually is.  Now, my husband and I keep on working together to live the way we want to live, BUT also, we are finally starting to enter a new phase of our lives where we can actually do more of the things that we enjoy, that make us happy, that add that 'value' to it that I have just mentioned.

For me, that value is all about creating successful, well adjusted and happy people in my children, caring for and loving my partner and doing other things for me.  Other things like losing myself in my garden, getting more involved with my art and painting, nurturing my friendships, helping other people, staying 'house proud' and of course, writing.  This year, it's all about value adding for me and I will always remember how very fortunate I am to be able to say that.  Once I clear my mind of the usual petty insecurities and unnecessary worries that usually clogs it up, I can start to think about getting the most out of life by doing things that give me pleasure and not just focusing on the usual and very normal pressures of life that often gets me down.

There you have it.  What started off, yet again, as a blank screen, is now full of words and images and I feel better now.  I will always remember my Year 12 English teacher giving me very low marks for almost everything that I wrote that year because she said it had too much 'waffle'.  Now I ask you, what's wrong with a good waffle to sooth the soul, clear the mind and lift the spirits? LOL!  As I read back over what I have written, just like I always do and think about a way to wrap it all up and reach some sort of conclusion to what it is I have been trying to say, I realise today that I couldn't have picked a more relevant and suitable title for my blog if I tried.  Again, all I have really done is write about 'living a little and loving a lot'......and this works for me!  Until next time, may your grass be green, your nights warm, your days sunny and your heart happy :) xxx

Awesome Adam's achievements

Awesome Adam, as I like to call him, is our first child and is now 10 and a half.  He is a Cub Scout here in Australia and has been working on some 'Achievement Badges' as part of the program.  I had suggested to him that he help me write this blog, but he has had a very busy weekend and this afternoon, looked very ready for an early night.  So, tonight, while he is fast asleep, I write my blog on his behalf, knowing full well that being a kid can be a bit full on at times.  Adam has been a Cub Scout for almost 18 months so it was time that he put his skills to good use and earn some badges.  He chose the Cooking, Pets and Gardener badges to work on.  In this blog, I will show you what a great effort he put into this and 'show case' my boy with much love as one very proud mum!

When I was a child of this age, my mum had me doing chores every week.  Now I have to admit that I am not as disciplined with this and my kids as she was with me, but when it came to doing these tasks for Cubs, I realised that Adam actually did have many skills that he puts to use all the time.  I am a SAHM with 3 kids and my mum always worked and only had me, so I guess this plays a big part in how you run your household as a mother.  Regardless, I believe that kids should be encouraged to learn life skills and also contribute with chores around the house. These exercises that Adam had to do for Cubs really brought home to me how capable he actually is at such a young age.  This made me almost burst with pride, hence this blog for you today that will tell you all about it!

This always makes me smile.  Adam absolutely loves baked beans and he is also a big cheese fan.  So the natural progression of this was to mix the two together, heat them up and then put them on toast.  This is by far one of Adam's favourite 'comfort foods' and a big winner as an after school snack that he makes for himself and his brother.  We affectionately call this dish 'Cheesy beans on toast' and he has become a real wiz at it.  He always adds plenty of cheese, sometimes a dash of parmesan too, all ready to heat up in the microwave.

 Now Adam is almost tall enough to reach the microwave that we have up high and that doesn't stop him from stretching up to heat up the beans himself.  This was one of the first appliances he learnt to master and I have to say they are a pretty handy gadget.  For Adam's Cooking badge, this was his first task, to make a hot dish and Cheesy beans on toast seemed the perfect choice as he's had plenty of practice at it.

 This is the fun part, putting the beans with loads of melted cheese on top of the toast.  Adam insists that this is an important part of the process as the melted cheese has to be mixed up in a certain way and putting it on the toast in the right way is also critical LOL.  I guess I don't mind him eating plenty of baked beans as they are nutritious and packed full of fibre.......and he loves to make this dish and eat it regularly, so I encourage it.

 Adam's second task for his Cooking badge was to make a 2 course lunch for himself and another person.  He decided to make toasted cheese and salami, followed by sliced canteloup. Here we have yet another snack that involves tasty cheese and I guess that's OK, you're only a kid once.  Here he is using the griller and melting the cheese first on the toast, before he puts the salami on top.  This is another very crucial part of the process for making toasted cheese and salami LOL.

 Adam also loves to eat salami, being a boy after my own heart, as his mum can demolish lots of it in one sitting too!Once the cheese is melted, it's then time to toast the salami on top for a super greasy, but yummy snack.

 Here is my gorgeous boy with the finished product as he slices it up ready to serve.  Salami doesn't stay in our fridge long as between Adam and I, we gobble it up pretty quickly.  This is another snack that Adam is now a real wiz at and he often makes it for himself and his brother and sister.  This is great and helps me a lot because at times he takes care of them all for me and stops the usual carry on about be 'starving', like they haven't eaten for a week.

This lunch task had to consist of 'two courses' so would be followed by sliced canteloup.  This was a bit tricky for Adam but he did a good job of preparing and cutting the melon and serving it sliced, ready to eat.

The third task for the Cooking badge required Adam to make a hot breakfast.  Adam really enjoys cooked bacon (but doesn't like eggs) and he wanted to cook some bacon for his hot breakfast dish.  He carefully puts it in the pan as I give him a quick run down on how to do this safely.

Adam is really starting to enjoy his cooking and offers to help me quite a lot.  Usually I'm in such a hurry, with little patience, so I take care of it myself, but I'm going to make the effort to involve him more in cooking as he really likes it.

Above we have some perfectly cooked bacon, served up on toast, ready for breakfast.  Adam takes much care and pride in his cooking and he'll make some young lady a wonderful partner one day!

Here is one task that Adam was very familiar with, cooking on the BBQ.  His mum and dad have loads of BBQs in summer so the fourth task of cooking on the BBQ was fun and easy for him.  Here we have some rump steaks, with loads of garlic and oregano, drizzled with olive oil and vinegar, ready to whack on the barbie.  Adam is right in his element and enjoying this task very much.

I have to say that he cooked this steak exceptionally well for a 10 year old!  His dad likes his steak well done and I prefer it medium to well done.  He managed to find a happy compromise and we were all happy.  This was the final cooking task for this badge.

What Cooking badge would be complete without the task of washing the dishes?  He was a bit lost with this at first, because his silly mum is usually chained to the kitchen sink and doesn't make her kids help with this chore often enough.  But with a bit of guidance, Adam washed, dried the dishes and put them away.

The Cooking badge also required Adam to clean the cooking area in the kitchen and here he has the bench all squeaky clean, even has a smile on his face!  He managed to complete the tasks for this badge in no time and he (and his mum) thoroughly enjoyed it.

The second badge that Adam has worked towards is the Pets badge.  Adam, as have my other children, grown up all their lives with a dog and a cat as pets.  My kids understand that our animals are very much a part of the family and have learnt to treat them with kindness and care.  Here is Jasper, the cat, who is 14 years old and still going very strong.  We have had him since he was only a few weeks old after we adopted him from a pet shelter here in Melbourne.  Adam knows that Jasper loves to eat, as most cats do and here he feeds him.

The kids know that animals always need fresh water to drink so Adam tops up Jasper's water bowl.

Adam is pleased that Jasper is all taken care of for the day.....and Jasper is pretty pleased about that too!

Our family also has a German Shepherd called Jack, who is also 14 years old this year.  We bought Jack, and his sister, Kimba, from a reputable breeder who was a member of the German Shepherd Association here in Melbourne.  Jack and Kimba were brother and sister from the same litter and we have loved them so much.  Sadly, Kimba passed away last summer at the age of 13, but we still have Jack who is so much a member of the family.  He is now starting to show his age and is getting very weak on his back legs but we keep caring for him, like we always have and enjoy every day that we have with him.

Here Jack has something to eat and plenty of fresh water and is also one happy pet. Adam and his brother and sister love our pets and I am so pleased to be teaching them at a young age the value of caring for another living thing, how to be kind to and how to love animals.  Doing the Pet badge was no trouble for Adam as he often helps me look after Jack and Jasper and is always very considerate of their needs.

The last blog I wrote was all about my new vegetable garden and one thing is for sure, I could not have started this project without Adam's help.  He was fantastic and helped me move all of the soil into the patch and prepare it, ready for me to plant my seedlings.  Adam also has a big interest in the garden and nature, so helping me look after the garden and now the veggie patch, is fun for Adam.  Here he is pulling a couple of weeds out and checking on the plants.  The Gardener badge was also one that really suited Adam and I am glad to be able to share my love of the garden and nature with him.

My awesome Adam, my number 1, is a boy who is fast approaching his teenage years.  He can be difficult at times as he learns how to manage his sensitivity and moods, but is always a kind and gentle soul.  Adam has enormous patience as he copes with having a little brother that wants to do everything he does and a little sister who is always demanding his attention.  Adam usually keeps his cool and takes his brother everywhere with him and he has a big soft spot for his baby sister who in his eyes, can do no wrong.  He tries hard at school and is always ready and willing to give me a hand when I ask.  Doing Scouts is the perfect complement for him as he grows into a handsome, young man.  He is learning invaluable life skills and getting wonderful experiences as a Cub and this is only the start of many more to come as he moves up to Scouts soon.  

I am the mother of 3 bright and healthy kids and the leader of the pack is awesome Adam, my first born, who changed my life forever the minute he was born.  He made me a mother and as I live, I love him a lot :) xxx

Believing in tomorrow

'Planting a garden is believing in tomorrow'. This is one of the best posts I've read in a long time. For some reason, lately I have really developed my love of the garden and nature.  I have always enjoyed looking after my little patch of Earth, but now I'm taking this to a whole new level and having a wonderful time.  Over the summer school holidays, my sons and I started work on a Vegetable Garden, or as I like to call it, my 'Patch of Goodness'.  Here is a blog all about it and one which I take much pride in writing.  Looking after a garden, especially one that you can eat, takes a lot of time and patience and is really all about nurturing, caring and love for me.........it also means that you believe in tomorrow and what surprises and joys it can bring.

My back yard is lined with tall trees that are about 11 years old now.  They provide great shade in summer and are very relaxing to watch as the wind blows through their leaves and branches.  But that was about it, there was never much else out there as we have had pet dogs for well over 10 years who, as puppies, had a great time digging everything up!  So this restricted me a bit with what I could do out there.  Now I only have my mate, Jack, to worry about, who is 14 years old now and very slow and old so he doesn't do much damage anymore.  I wrote a post over the holidays about how I loved the idea of being able to grow fruit and vegetables in the back yard and how wonderful it would be to be able to go outside and pick what you needed, cook it and eat it.  My mum's family have grown vegetables and fruit at home for as long as I can remember so I thought it was about time that I gave it a go.  Above you can see the area where we cleared the lawn and the wood and pegs that we used to create my very own veggie patch.

It was a lovely project to do with my sons who thoroughly enjoyed it.  Being summer at the time, it was warm and sunny, just the way I like it.  Adam in particular, my oldest son, was a great help.  He couldn't do enough to help me and I think he was pretty keen to see the finished product too.  Above you can see the wooden frame and pegs secured and we lined the base of my patch with paper and soaked it through.

Marc, my second son, also wanted to help as he hates the thought of missing out.  He was a good helper too but didn't have the patience and stamina of Adam.  Here they are in the patch, finishing off the paper lining and soaking it with the hose.  Any excuse for Marc to get muddy and grubby is a good one for him, so he enjoyed mucking around in the dirt.

My lovely boys are working hard here to finish off the paper lining.   It was hot on this day but my tall trees gave us some shade.  I could start to see the size of my new veggie patch and I was getting excited.  It wouldn't be long now before we could fill it up with good veggie growing soil.

Once the paper lining was complete, we started to fill the patch.  I wasn't sure if I had ordered enough soil from the local Nursery to fill it and thought we would put a low lining of dirt from my garden bed over the paper.  My boys are busy doing this, shovels in hand, getting some exercise.  One thing I like to teach my kids is to never be afraid of hard work and one thing's for sure, with me as their mother, they're pretty used to getting the job done well.

Now the fun begins!  Here is my delivery of compost soil mix that I had delivered especially for my little patch.  Above you can see one cubic metre of the stuff which took a bit of time to move from the front drive way out to the back garden on a hot summer's afternoon.  The front of my house gets the full afternoon sun and it gets pretty hot out there later on in the day.  Adam, Marc and I set to work, shovelling the soil into the wheel barrow and moving it one wheel barrow load at a time out the back to fill my patch.

Doesn't look like much but I can tell you this pile of soil was big enough and took plenty of elbow grease for my young boys and I to move.  Marc didn't last long helping with this job but Adam was a little trooper and didn't stop until the job was done.

Voila! Here we can see what was starting to look very much like a patch of really smelly soil that was full of manure, but also great for growing veggies in.  Now I was getting excited as I could imagine what it would become.  I had purchased some seedlings to plant but when the patch was finished, Melbourne had a massive heat wave with four consecutive days of 40+ degree temperatures, so I couldn't plant anything until this had passed.

I was really pleased with how my veggie garden was taking shape and felt very happy that I had started this project.  It felt great to think about what to plant and how to care for it.  It also was nice to think about harvesting my little crop over time and cooking with it.  Cooking is another one of my passions so I thought that this would all work really well together.

Finally the day had come when the heat wave had passed and I could start planting.  This is the fun part. Above I planted sweet baby corn, capsicum, spinach, rocket and silver beet seedlings.  I absolutely love all of these veggies and use them a lot in my cooking.  Yes, my patch was indeed full of goodness!

There is nothing more relaxing and enjoyable for me than to get stuck into the dirt and plant things.  I love it.  For me, I hope that my vegetable garden is a success (as I'm really new to all of this), but more importantly, it is a great interest and hobby.  I think that for me, I get much pleasure at having something else to care for and this is all part of the thrill for me.  I will try my best to grow some great veggies but it's the fun I'm going to have along the way looking after it that is all part of the pleasure and enjoyment for me.

I'm nearly finished planting my seedling here and having a great time doing it.

The young plants were so delicate to handle but thankfully, all very healthy and easy to plant.  As I'm doing this, my imagination is running wild with what it will all look like in a few months time and what wonderful meals I can cook with it all.

I had finished planting the seedlings that I had bought a week earlier and was thrilled to see what almost looked like a proper veggie patch!  The soil was so moist and fresh, ready to nurture my new plants and grow me some great veggies.  It had come a long way in only a few days and I was really pleased with our work.

Above you can see how my veggie patch sits in my back yard......and I still have plenty of room for more veggies and trees.  It was all taking shape and now I wanted to buy a few more things and keep planting.  I quickly also began to think of this as my 'patch family' as it felt like these young seedlings were 'little kids' that would need to be looked after and cared for.

Here is what my patch looks like now, after only 4 weeks.  I attached a trellis along the back of it to support my new cucumber plants which are still tiny.  Eventually, I hope that they will take off and cover this trellis.  I have planted a few more things and now have a big list of vegetables in such a little space.  I am growing tomatoes, pumpkins, spring onions, white, red and brown onions, strawberries, sweet baby corn, capsicums, spinach, silver beet, cucumbers, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower and rocket.  I also have mint basil, Thai basil, parsley, rosemary and chives on the go.  Loads of fun and plenty to cook with if it all keeps growing!

You can see how far it has all come in such a short time and I am thrilled to bits.

My plants are green and healthy and after I fed them the other day with some liquid fertiliser, they have had a great growth spurt.

I dug up the section of lawn next to the patch as it was getting very soggy and water logged and laid some pavers.  I also removed a massive Flax plant that was right here to give me more room.

Behind the patch I have a couple of planter boxes that were once my grand parents'.  I salvaged these from my mum's place and they help to extend my little patch of goodness just that bit further.

I am pleased with how everything is growing.......now I just have to look after it and see it all grows to maturity.

My first Roma tomatoes which haven't ripened properly.....but practise makes perfect!

More tomatoes!  Very exciting. I love eating tomatoes.

Here you can see my pumpkin plants that are going berserk.   I grew these plants from seeds after roasting a pumpkin one day and scooping out the seeds.  Dried them out and stuck them in the dirt......and look what happened!

So, I'm getting right into this and have bought myself my very own compost bin.  I do a lot of cooking and always use fresh vegetables so I have lots of scraps to throw in there.  I thought that it couldn't hurt to make my own compost and have done some research on what to put in this bin........very interesting, to say the least, just what you can actually re-use and recycle.

Love taking photos of my little patch family from different angles and perspectives, I find it beautiful to look at.

I also inherited a hot house from my mum that I will grow seedlings in eventually.........but for now it doubles as my garden cupboard for all my bits and pieces LOL.

So, the moral of the story is that green isn't good........green is GREAT!  By developing my interest in gardening like this, I have gained a huge sense of satisfaction.  I have friends that have been doing this for a very long time and know a lot more about it than I do, but hey, you've got to start somewhere! I'll keep on believing in tomorrow and look forward to what surprises it will bring.   I'll keep on pottering around in my little patch of Earth, taking much care and pride in watching it grow........and you never know, I may just be able to eat some of it one day too :) xxx