Glamping

Sorry for the absense, but I'm sure you'll understand........this is what consumes us in the summer.

I look forward to a return when the sun stops coming out to play.

Memories from Home - Good Sensible Shoes

My dad had this little ritual when me and my brother were young when it came to time for new shoes. My dad is abit of (well actually a lot of ) a 'Made in England' man. He would only ever drive Triumph cars, wear Marks and Spencers clothes (when they were still made in blighty) and wear Clarks shoes. Clarks Shoes is and always has been based in Somerset, England, although the shoes are now manufactured elsewhere. Famed for designing the iconic desert boot and the wallabee. Their shoes have always had a reputation for quality and good ergonomic design. And this is what my dad liked about them. He considered them to be 'good sensible shoes'.

Although these are now considered pretty darn cool, at the time they certainly were not. Fashion did not sit high on my dads list of priorities when it came to selecting 'good sensible shoes'. I remember sitting with my legs crossed in assembly trying to hide my shoes underneath my skirt so that the cool kids with their cool shoes didn't take the mickey.

I remember the sales assistants seemed very stern and important as they approached with their special machine to measure every contour of the foot which was a pretty scary prospect to a seven year old who has ridiculously ticklish feet. Although dad always saw the funny side of my nervous giggles.

After buying the shoes we'd go and buy a pasty for lunch which we'd eat out of the bag and then he'd take us to the swimming baths in Street. It became abit of a ritual for us so when dad said that he wanted to take Maggie to buy her a 'good sensible pair of shoes' whilst we were visiting home this year, I felt an overwhelming love for him and the little ritual that we enjoyed together. It was just as I remembered it. Thank you Clarks for years of happy feet in happy shoes.

Farm Shops

Just a quick little post about farm shops. This is one that I became a bit of a fan of during our stay on my Uncle's farm in Over Stowey in Somerset, England.

It's just simple, how life should be.

They grow it.

We buy it.

Bobs your Uncle. Farm fresh locally produced fruit and vegies. Come on, lets all just buy direct from our local suppliers, find them, use them, it just makes sense. It's just one of those little things we can all do easily to collectively make a difference.

Home

I always feel such a mish mash of emotions when I embark on a trip home. The fact that I still naturally call England home will give you an indication of how I regard England despite leaving seven years ago to travel the world and hang out with a guy I had only spent two weeks with in Indonesia! He ended up becoming my husband, we had Maggie and the rest of the story is pretty happy ever after. Apart from the yearning I have for home, for the things that made me who I am, the things I took for granted when I had them and the things that I didn't even realise I'd miss the most.  Can you imagine the excitement of seeing my family again? I haven't seen my dad for two big fat years. The thought of seeing him again makes my heart flutter. Hanging out with my homies, dancing with my girlfriends, long walks in the countryside where I grew up, drinking beer in a local pub, village jumble sales and fates, proper curries, seeing old school mates. It's what drives me to endure the ridiculously long journey home and the anxiety leading up to it.

Stir all that excitement around with a big helping of guilt at putting Maggie through the arduous journey and seperating her from her dad for a relatively long periods of time and it makes me feel pretty weighty. And whilst Kim and I actually love having the time apart for all those reasons of rekindled love, appreciation and having time to do our own thing, I actually feel abit like my right arm has been cut off when he's not by my side.

But it will always be this way. I will never be able to have everyone and everything in the one place at one time. I will never be able to make my two life's collide. And I make no apoligies for feeling sad about this. No matter how hard I try not to, I will always miss home and will always feel the need to return.

So now I'm here, in Somerset England and still it's beauty just blows me away. The feeling of belonging is something I will never be able to explain.

Tomorrow another lovely family reunion with my dear Aunty Florrie who this year celebrated her 100th birthday. And Sunday a day on the beach with my bestie and her boys. Time really does make the heart grow much fonder indeed.

Children of the 70's

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the passenger seat was a treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle - it tasted the same.

We ate dripping sandwiches, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.

Our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint which was promptly chewed and licked.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to play with pans.

When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just flip flops and fluorescent clackers' on our wheels.

We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no one actually died from this.

We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us all day and no one minded.

We did not have Playstations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No 99 channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet chat rooms. We had friends - we went outside and found them.

We played elastics and street rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt.

We fell out of trees, got cuts and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits. They were accidents. We learnt not to do the same thing again.

We had fights, punched each other hard and got black and blue- we learned to get over it.

We walked to friend's homes.

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate live stuff, and although we were told it would happen, we did not have very many eyes out, nor did the live stuff live inside us forever.

We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood.

Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.
For children growing up now…

They have never heard of we are the World, we are the children, and the Uptown Girl they know is by Westlife not Billy Joel.

For them, there has always been only one Germany and one Vietnam.

AIDS has existed since they were born.

CD's have existed since they were born.

Michael Jackson was always white.

To them John Travolta has always been round in shape and they can't imagine how this fat guy could be a god of dance.

They can never imagine life before computers.

They'll never have pretended to be the A Team, Red Hand Gang or the Famous Five.

They'll never have applied to be on Jim'll Fix It or Why Don't You.

They can't believe a black and white television ever existed and don't even know how to switch on a TV without a remote control.

And they will never understand how we could leave the house without a mobile phone and travel on a bus.

I wish I knew who was responsible for this so that I could credit them. It's something that was flying around the Internet a long time ago and has always stuck in my mind. I think about it from time to time when trying to 'keep it real'.

Boys Weekend

Last weekend, I got my rocks on and went on a boys off-road adventure trip to the Pieman River on the North West coast of Tasmania.....this is where I start jumping up and down clapping my hands together, how exciting!!

If this were an advert, this is about where some ACDC track would chime in with images such as these.

 

I woke up in my swag camped in 'leech gulley' to rain dripping on my forehead and a puddle at my feet, but hey nothing a sanga in some slut bread and a flourescent orange coloured vodka drink won't fix.



Matt is an awesome diver. I love our cook-ups:)

The second night we found the best camp spot next to the river and lit fires to dry our stuff.

I was happy that the targets were only oranges. You know they're actually very healthy when camping are those boys......well apart from the beer and ciggies, but that doesn't count:)

I feel privilaged. I've always loved doing stuff with the boys, anyone who knows me knows that. Whether it's playing footie in my roller skates when  I was a young teenager, going to festivals and oasis concerts with the lads, stag weekends, camping, surfing trips, you name it I love it. Bet ya didn't think that about me?

Hi, how the devil are you all? Well I hope. Did you have a nice Christmas? Seems like ages ago now doesn't it what with all the trees and decorations down, the left overs gone and the New Year in full swing. It's been so long since my last post I haven't even wished you all a Happy New Year. I hope you manage to make your year ahead all that you wish for.

Falls Festival

I decided to take abit of a holiday this Christmas, from my sewing room and from my computer and I have to say it's been great.  It was also abit of a forced holiday as dear little Maggie is still exerting her assertive self and being very demanding. Thank you so much for all your emails, comments, kind words and help. It was really good to hear different ideas and thoughts on the issue. It was funny, Christmas night I was sat outside having a  er 'bit of time'  after dealing with the biggest tantrum Maggie had ever had and I heard crying and tantrums coming from the house behind us where there are two young children. It made me think, I wonder how many other children are doing the same right now, at bedtime on Christmas night. Makes you realise, you're not alone.

Wynyard Christmas Parade

So last Sunday I said to myself ok enough 'time-off' time to get stitching again. I have so many commitments to fulfill (I haven't forgotton you) and a new range for Baby Boudoir that I am very excited about.

West Point, Marrawah

But then Monday was such a beautiful sunny day we spent the day in the garden and on the beach. Tuesday was even hotter and Wednesday too, in fact the whole week has been just perfect with heaps of fun in the paddling pool, playing on the beach, surfing with Maggie, reading a fabulous book, eating lots of yummy mum cooked food, I just didn't want it to end.

But this week I really must get organised for our next MadewithLOVEBazaar market which in on this Saturday ...... YIKES! Same time 9am - 1.30pm, same place Artscape in Wynyard, Tasmania. Be there or be square. Dress-up theme Hippie Love.

What's with the No's???

Hello peeps. How are you? Enjoying the Christmas festivities I hope? It's been so long again hey? But that's ok, it happens. We all have other things going on in our lives. I bet you've all been abit busy too. I seem very stressy at the moment and maybe even a little bit messy. Not because of all the christmas stuff, but more because of my darling little two and a half year old, who at the moment seems to be in training for her teenage years!

Yes she may in deed look ever so cute here, a picture of domestic bliss making mince pies in her Santa hat, but underneath it all there lurks a monster who hits me, doesn't do as she is told and who's only word is NO! And not just a little no either, but a big fat defiant NO! What's happening? This wasn't part of the master plan! I'm finding all this Tom Fool-ery very unsettling.

It's just a phase I'm sure. Isn't that what we mums say. But when will it end? How can I react appropriately? Have we been too soft doing the whole reasoning, explaining and ignoring the bad behaviour method of parenting?

I've tried raising my voice but this seems to just encourage her more. She seems to get this "right, scrap on" look about her when I do that.

Of course some might say she needs a damm good smack but we decided this is a definate NO NO for us. Anyhow how can you expect a child to learn not to hit by hitting?

I'm sure it'll work out ok. It's just sad to see. If anyone has any divine intervention they'd like to share, it'll be very gratefully received otherwise I might just offer her to Santa when he pops down the chimney, I'm sure she'd make a good little elf, it's just me she has issues with. Happy Christmas all. Hope your little helpers are being good boys and girls.

Making Dreams Comes True

We've been making the most of the lovely sunny days we've been having here in Somerset to spread the word about our MadeWithLOVEBazaar market, walking around our hood, posting flyers and chatting to our community.

I felt so funny posting the flyers through letters boxes, especially those that said "No Junk Mail". It's scary when you put yourself out there, try to achieve a dream. The fear is always that 'no-one will come' or you'll get knocked down by negativity. But you've gotta try right?

Maggie is such a little trooper, always happy to come along for the ride on mummy's crazy little adventures. It was so nice to have special treats for tea at our local milkbar in the beautiful early evening sunshine. Chocolate milk and chips....yummo! Thank you for your help you two, you're the best x

Kitchen Table Stories

When I was eating my breakfast this morning, I was particularly happy with the way our kitchen table looked. For me kitchen tables are the centre of the home, the place where whatever is going on in your life gets tossed, where plans are made, where things are created, where disputes are settled, where countless cups of tea are drank, where an endless number of stories are told and three meals a day are enjoyed. The kitchen table is a sign of the current status of our life. Ours too often of late has been littered with dead flies, discarded dirty clothes, piles of things to do and dried up bits of food because I haven't been bothered to wipe the table properly after a meal. 

But today, it looked different, looked fresh. We have the last of the apples that were given to us by our dear friends. Poor Maggie has had apple pie coming out of her ears of late, I made eight apple pies last week! The flowers were presented to me by Maggie and Kim when I arrived home yesterday. There she was stood in the doorway grasping the big pretty bunch which she thrust at me with a big cheesy grin on her face, but wouldn't then actually let them go and instead thought it was much more fun to bash them on the floor (like a gisgruntled girlfriend would). The pile of clean laundry is so much more satisfying than the usual pile of discarded sandy or muddy clothes and in amongst there is some lovely pink/white striped jersey cotton bought from the oppy to add to my stash . The rescue remedy cream is my life saver, I use it all the time.  This time of year my hands get so dry, particularly when I scrubbed the whole of the inside of the caravan with bicarb/vinegar at the weekend and burnt my hand on the wood burner. The different shaped and textured foliage in the coffee cup was collected by me and Maggie on our Sunday walk and will be used for our next painting session. The green jacket hung on the back of the chair is a favourite of mine, made from wool, it comes out of the cupboard when jack frost comes out to play. 

There we have it, the story of my life as it stands at the moment. Do you have a kithen table that is the hub of your family, where the props to your life sit? Would you like to read other peoples kitchen table stories? See where we all hang out? Hear what's going on in our lifes today? Share where we're at in this big adventure of life? If you think you'd like to share, please write a post "Kitchen Table Stories". This is a 'take me as you find me' invitation, no 'staging', just pure laying your cards on the table so to speak. If it is popular maybe I could link everyone so we can take a little peek into each others worlds via the great kitchen table, the real master of the house.