through a new lens

Hello honey bunches!

How are things?

The last week eh'. Luckily I snapped some photos or I wouldn't have a clue where the time's gone.

Pepper spent much of last Sunday up a tree. The cat joined her for a while but then lost interest and left Pepper up there to sing, make up stories, make herself more comfortable and dream.

I remember feeling like nine years old was particularly difficult with my other two. Aged nine and year nine we'd grumble under our breaths. Those fiercely independent, filled with attitude, eye rolling experts we'd made. It's funny how different this nine year old seems. I'm sure it's not her, it's me and my last chance for a littley. I can feel that she's stretching her wings out wanting more from us and her world, I can sense that she's wanting to keep up with her big sisters and also carve out new path-ways of her own. She's changing there's no doubt about it. But gosh I'm holding onto the unselfconscious dreamer, the silly dancer, the tree climber and the bunny rabbit pyjama wearer, whenever she allows herself to be seen.

While she was up her tree we started pulling down the poly-tunnels. As soon as we took the white plastic off the hoops the whole area looked and felt different. The colours looked brighter, the space felt less cluttered and more open and the view across the garden and into the forest, or across the garden and onto the new hot-house, made us wonder why we hadn't taken them down ages ago.

Then we got to work picking the last of the tomatoes that had been hiding away inside and clearing the space.

We found this red-back mother spider guarding her babies on one of the star stakes we pulled out and moved her into the forest to find new habitat well away from us and our babies. Funny, I'm nowhere near as scared of spiders as snakes.

Farmer Bren carved a tiny bowl.

And a rather large one.

The hot-house build continued with a potting table built inside the space to account for the different levels of the floor.

And a shelf to hold our coffee.

I'm convinced it's the most beautiful room in the house and am only half joking when I talk about moving my bed and a little pot-belly stove in. I guess I should probably wait for the doors to be hung, the gaps to be filled and the roof to be sorted out first though.

Some other things that happened over the past week -

I finished reading our book club book The People Smuggler which I found easy to read, incredibly gut wrenching and an important story to know. It's unimaginable that one person's life could be filled with such terror and torture and risk and horror, and yet he remains a caring, humanitarian. It breaks my heart that after all he's been through that even now Ali Al Jenabi's future is so uncertain.

I finished knitting one beanie and cast on another for the ASRC.

We started watching season two of Billions.

I got a horrible cold and have lost my voice. Funny how many things I desperately want to say all of a sudden now that I can't.

I got a new phone and I don't know how to connect my phone to my car so I haven't listened to any podcasts this week but lots of radio instead.

Miss Indi had a week of year 11 exams, Miss Jazzy did a first aid course at school and Miss Pepper wrote a book about a cheese monster.

We moved our chooks and dogs, planted more garlic and started a new compost pile.

We farewelled Rod May yesterday and feel very shaken up by his legacy and loss.

I clicked on my new lens and used it to take all of the pictures in this post except the one below.

And lastly, but most importantly, it's my Dad Ross's birthday today and I'd love to wish him a happy and wonderful 70th birthday.

Two years ago I wrote this about him on my blog - 'My dad, Ross Ulman, when he isn't driving his electric car as discussed in the latest issue of Renew magazine, he's walking 14,000+ steps per day, volunteering at my girls' school, working at a Ballarat hospital, baking and delivering challah to each of his Daylesford daughters each Friday, selling tickets at the local cinema, helping out in the local kitchen garden program, doing maths homework with my girls, pole-walking around Daylesford in the early morning with a bunch of people not scared off by the cold, and supporting and loving his five Ulman girls. What a man (or an honorary woman as we used to call him when were growing up)!'

Two years later and now he's also; teaching learner driving, writing study timetables and coaching exam technique, driving our girls to school and back a few times a week, smashing his PB at the gym, planning and recording a couple of radio programs a week on Hepburn community radio, and being on call 24/7 for advice and opinion and support for his girls, their partners and his grandchildren.

I feel so lucky to have my dad at the bottom of our hill, so interested and involved and part of our lives. Since we celebrated his last big birthday he's had heart surgery, built a house, moved states and formed a new life and community. This afternoon he told us that he's happier now than he's ever been and that makes me very happy indeed. 

Happy birthday Dad, I love you!

And that's me for this wintry week.

How about you?

What have you been reading, celebrating, making and cooking?

What have you got planned for the weekend?

Have a great one!

Keep warm (or cool).

Love Kate xx

Topping out

The photos in this post may be a tad overexposed but stick with me because the story is an oldie and a goodie.

Topping out is a building custom that can be traced all the way back to the ancient Scandinavians. It is a custom that takes place when a building has reached its highest point and is a celebration of the completion of the frame and a job well done. 

Topping out acknowledges the building achievements so far, the safety of the builders and it bestows good luck on those who will live in the building in the future.

This afternoon we had a Topping out ceremony at my parents' place at the bottom of our hill.

It was my Dad's suggestion. He said he's seen buildings with branches nailed to them over the years and done a little research and loved the idea. His builders had never been to one but knew exactly what it was and loved the idea too.

The story starts with the fixing of a small tree to the highest point in the building.

The tree is a symbol of respect for Mother Nature, a symbol of new growth and an announcement to the world of how far the building has come.

Mum and Dad's builders, Scott and Andrew fixed an evergreen tree, which is the traditional tree used, a eucalypt because we are surrounded by them here and because Scott and his partner Tamela's business is called Eucabuild, and a wattle because it is August and they're in blossom. 

Then we sat around a table the builders had just knocked together and my Dad gave a speech explaining the custom and thanking the builders for the great work they have done so far.

He explained that according to the custom the builders were entitled to beer but that they had asked for a red and a white wine instead.

Then we cheersed to the builders.

 And we ate a celebratory meal my folks had made. How great are my Dad's bagels!!

Our contribution was a rainbow cake we made using all natural food dyes. Would you believe they were all the colours of the rainbow when they went into the oven? We renamed it the sunshine cake.

It felt like such an honor to be included in this little ritual today. We're so busy, busy running around and around in our lives, it's so great to stop sometimes and be reminded of achievements and to celebrate and to sit and drink wine and eat yummy food outside on a sunny winter's day. Yay!

Don't you think?

Have you celebrated, are you celebrating, will you celebrate a grand or tiny occasion soon?

Bye! 

Sixty four!

Exactly one month to the day since the oldest four girls in our family gathered in the city to support each other through Farmdoc's open heart surgery, we came together once again. This time Abby came all the way across the seas to join us too.

And this time we came together to celebrate.

We sang Happy Birthday.

We danced to the obvious Beatles song.

We drank coffee.

We ate a big lunch and a little cake.

We reminisced.

We spent time together with no husbands, or boyfriends, or children, or pets.

We talked through issues and told stories.

We cried at his speech and laughed at hers.

What a day!

Happy Birthday Dad!

I hope you had a great day.

xx

ps. Bloody Blogger just swallowed this post when I tried to publish it the first time. I think it was better the first time too.

pps. Thanks heaps for all the answers to my last post. You guys are awesome.

ppps. Imagine how much fun it'll be when you turn 64 and get to spend the day with your adult children. Now that'll be a great day too I think.

pppps. I'm on officially on Pinterest now as Foxslane.

Committing.

For obvious reasons I've been thinking about life and death a lot over the past few weeks. More specifically, I've been thinking a lot about the decisions and plans people make when they think they are going to die, or when they get a second chance at life. Plans to jump out of planes, to travel to far away places and to follow dreams and loves.

It's got me thinking about how I want to live my life and that I don't want to wait for something catastrophic to happen before I realise my dreams and live my life to the fullest.

So what do I really want to do?

I really want to go on this caravan adventure we've been planning. I really want to commit to going. To get excited and make plans and let go of the guilt and fear that's holding me back.

Yep, I feel guilty.

Why do we deserve to take off on a four to six month holiday?

We're just coming out of the worst organic farming season we've experienced since we've been here. We've only been doing the Daylesford Organics thing for 10 years. People wait their entire working lives to take such a trip. And we're leaving the farmer boys behind to work on our property while we go on holidays...

And I'm scared.

How am I ever going to get this house organised and clean enough to leave it to another family? What if our itinerary is too ambitious? What if my children drive me crazy? What if I run out of yarn? What if someone gets a cough or snores and I never get to sleep? What if it rains and rains and we are stuck in the caravan for days? What if something bad happens at home? What if Indi and Jazzy fall too far behind at school and have troubles next year...

Ok, now I've written it all down I'm leaving it here and moving on. From now on I'm going to be enthusiastic and excited. Tomorrow I'll write a to-do list and over the next 40ish days I'm going to work through it.

I am really going to try not going to coast through my life any more and I certainly don't want to wait until something bad happens to live my life to the fullest.

I know for sure that if I were to write a list here of all the positives of our travel plans, I could fill four blog posts.

So let the adventures begin!

Have a fabulous week y'all.

PS. The top two pics are of the vintage sheet pillow case I made my Dad. I'm about to retire to the couch to crochet the edge of Farmer Bren's which is the same.

The third pic is of our heart shaped Melbourne afternoon waiting for our la'heart'tes and h'eart' chocolates with my folks in the city this afternoon.

Heart shaped.

Wheat heart hottie.

Morning la'heart'tte.

My first born heart.

Milo heart for a brand new baby Otis.

Ravelled.

My sewing scraps heart.

Shopping heart list.

Pierre's Chook love art.

I called my Dad this morning to ask him how he was going.

He told me he was doing well.

He also told me there have been ups and downs and that he has always told his patients that recovery is never a straight line.

May your weekend be heart shaped.

♥♥♥♥

First day.

Mum's pic

I knew as soon as I opened my eyes this morning that today was a special day. I went through the motions of breakfasts, lunch boxes, hair plaiting, Melbourne clothes, but my head was somewhere else. Today was the first day of the rest of my Dad's life. This journey to Melbourne would be very different to my last.

We took a train to the city, Mum picked us up, we had coffee and beans on toast in Fitzroy with Emily and then waited.

Then it was time to pick Dad up from the hospital. It was scary and exciting. How amazing that only nine days ago he had had his heart opened up and re-plumbed and here we were about to take him home with us. How amazing that the constant fear of the disease that had killed his father, would no longer be a part of his life.

I walked into the hospital just as he was checking out. I saw him from behind and I recognised his clothes but not his shape. His pants and shirt didn't seem to fit him anymore. I remember being so careful not to hurt him when I hugged him.

The guy at the desk was asking him if he wanted him to cut off his wrist band and my Dad looked at me and said This is when I stop being a patient and start to be a person again. It felt huge walking out of that hospital with him. Carrying his bag as he navigated his first stairs, the footpath and then the car.

We brought him home. He was cold and my Mum wrapped him up in a rug. He looked skinny but he had colour in his cheeks and he was hungry. He was home. He was ours. Her husband, my Dad, her Ra.

My Mum made him lunch and me and Indi went walking.

She is obsessed with graff(iti) my girl is. Most of my next hour was spent down city alleys, looking at her back as she ooed and aahed and that's so cooled and snapped pics.

We bought coffee and sushi for the train and went back to the flat. Dad was asleep and Mum drove us to the station.

As we sat on the train about to leave he called. He was crying. He was so moved that we had come all the way to Melbourne to be with him and to celebrate his second chance at life and yet he hadn't said goodbye. I offered to get off the train but then reminded him of how much time we have ahead of us, especially when they move across the road.

All the way home I thought about the link between the physical and emotional heart. How deeply connected they are. If not the same.

So that's it. We're home. My own heart feels full and happy and relieved. Grateful doesn't seem like a big enough word this time.

Thank you so much for joining us on this journey. I'm hoping the rest of the story is really boring, textbook recovery stuff. Red wine, eggs, lots of walking, avocados, beans and so much love.

I hope you've had a great day too. xx

Happy Monday!

Have I ever told you that my Dad emails all his girls every Monday morning to wish us a wonderful week? Well he does. The last two have come through my Mum, but I can hardly wait to get his again next week.

So a happy Monday from me to you all too. I hope you have a fantastic and creative week.

Here a some of the things that are making me smile this chilly Monday morning:

What an awesome transformation our caravan took when the outside stripes were painted blue.

Farmer Bren's homeopathics kit. He did a first aid course recently, so now if you are overemotional, if you can't sleep, fall off the trapeze, or have a nasty cold; has he got the remedy for you.

I adore these three morning scribbles. Miss Indi's version of a Foxs Lane logo. Did you notice how similar it is to the Daylesford Organics one? I like it. Miss Pepper's portrait of me. Eeeeeeep, I am ridiculously excited to have these big headed people drawings in our house again, I can feel a screen printing session coming on. And Miss Jazzy's butterfly catcher. I love how dreamy that kid still is.

I have been smiling while reading through all the Genki T'shirt entries. I love all the crafty plans being cooked up.

The winner of the T'shirt is Fiona from Inner Pickle. Hooray!!!!!

You should totally check out Fiona's gorgeous blog and her knitted and crocheted cowls.

I am smiling about pretty little packages in the mail. Thanks Kate. x

And I'm a loving putting together piles of fabric suitable for boy pillowcases. Farmer Bren and Farmdoc, looks like it's your turn.

So that's me.

What's making you smile? I'd love to know.

Have a funday and keep warm xx

house/heart keeping.

I'm home!

The heart bubble has burst and I'm back to brush hair, do laundry, make food and turn off lights. They missed me terribly which is a great thing. Miss Pepper took a long, hard look at me and told me I still look gorgeous. Phew. Jazzy keeps asking me to spell icup (get it?!) and Indi wont stop cuddling me.

Life goes on here. There are so many stories and questions and jokes and fights and needs.

But its like there is a loooooooooong string tied between my heart and those of my parents. And while I am busy with life here, an enormous chunk of my heart is there. I never usually answer the phone but today I am. I am waiting anxiously for a scrap of news. Anything.

I am at home but I also feel far away.

Last weekend before I left for Melbourne I made Miss Pepper her caravan pillow case from a pile of fabrics she had chosen.

I wish I was brave enough to chose fabrics like she does. The brighter and more patterned the better.

She chose red for the crocheted trim.

At night while I was away I liked to think of two of my girlies fast asleep on their Mama made pillow cases. It was almost the next best thing to being able to kiss them goodnight.

Indi's is next but she's still undecided about what she wants.

I've got a yukky cold so this is probably the best place for me. I'm drinking coffee I brought back from Melbourne, knitting rows of Miss Ruby Rib, making toasties for lunch, cuddling my darlings and trying to be a patient, enthusiastic Mama.

It's such a shame blogger gobbled up the comments from my last post as I was looking forward to showing them to my Dad. As a blogger himself he totally gets it. But nevertheless I read them and appreciated them and thank you for them.

And finally, due to blogger's tantrum yesterday, I think I'll leave the Genki giveaway open for a little bit longer. Enter here and I'll choose a winner on Monday.

I hope you have the most wonderful weekend.

xx