Married!

Ive been awfully quiet here, but only because I have been so hectically busy with planning and preparing for Friday the 12th of March 2010. A week has passed now... a whole week since the best day of my life... so far. Happy sigh. If I could just live in Friday the 12th of March forever I think I would be very content.

Sunshine, storms, friends, family, food, dancing, laughing, love, and magic all rolled up in a perfect package of wonderfulness. I still cant get over how lucky I am. We are. I want to remember always how happy we both were to be celebrating US that day. How did so many hours of planning and work fall into place, just for us? Unbelievable. The country hall, the golden grass, the wild apple trees, the mountain views, the rolling farmland, the hugs, the bunting, the dress.... everything. Just. So. Perfect.

Thank You Universe.

I cant bear to tuck that dress away just yet so its hanging by the window with some wedding bunting. So many hours of work Mum and I put into it, I want to enjoy it for longer than just one day.

Ive a million stories I could tell, but we are off on our Grand Tour of the North Island Honeymoon. Back in 6 weeks!

Love Unexpected

An unintentional and unexpected message of love from my afternoon snack. More heart observations over at Chrissy's

Old and New

One chilly winters day last year (or was it the year before?) I ventured outside to refill the log basket. The roaring fire needed re stoking and the task fell to me. The wood pile, stacked against the house seldom seems to diminish, the logs at the back sitting there for seasons while the front logs come and go with more frequency. Anyway, this winters day, towards the end of the season, the pile was getting a little lower and as I tugged at the dusty, cobwebbed old logs i spied a treasure. A treasure in the real true sense. A jewelery box. Somewhat worse for wear, but mostly intact. Can you imagine my delight! I'm mean, I love this kind of thing! Not forgetting my duty to the fireplace, I added the box to the wood basket and headed inside the house.

The old jewelry box, its hinge now only half working allowed me to open it up to peek inside. Within I discovered old necklaces, earrings, beads and jewels, all from another era. All covered with mud and dust and the patina of time.

This, it turned out, is a tale of ancestors, of a flood, and perhaps a little forgetfulness. I shall leave the story there, for your imagination to take it where it will.

Above you can see an art work I created at the end of last year which includes a brooch from this old jewelry box.

Peas

Picked.

February

Outside my window today; a glistening harbour and a hundred little yachts marching out across its surface.

January disappeared before I noticed and here I am living in February. Sometimes lately, well most of the time, I feel hours go by in an instant, days melt away rapidly and I am left wondering how to make the clock slow down so I can pause and catch my breath.

I collected these hydrangeas from across the road the other day and they serve well to remind me to get outside and take a walk in the sunshine, to have a moment to just be. The little jug I picked up recently in some Op shop or other. It reminds me of a lovely friend on mine, I think she has a similar one.

Merry Christmas

Yesterday I bought my first cherries of the season. Cherrries are the most Christamassy of fruit I think. Especially heart shaped cherries.

I have finally, finally tidied up a lot of work and for the first time in ages I can now take a breather. This morning it seems, at last, that the holiday season has begun. Today i'll head into town to finish up my Christmas shopping, while I'm near by I will take a look in The Academy of Fine Arts to see my art hanging there. I'll have coffee with a friend and visit the library. I'll drop off some home-laid-free-range eggs to this years nominated Pavlova maker and then head home to begin preparations for my vegetarian Christmas dish, Tibetan Roast. After that I might pull out some Christmas lights and decorate the window.

Tomorrrow my summer holiday shall begin! Merry Christmas!

I'll be back in January sometime...

Elderflower

Across the road and down a steep bank, amongst an overgrown garden there blooms an Elder tree. Beautiful, but impossible to reach from above or below. Those little white explosions of scent taunted me as I dreamed of Elderflower Champagne.

Then, oh happy day, amongst a tangle of blackberry, cabbages and chickens, I stumbled upon another Elder tree. Yes!

I plucked some blooms and now have a sweet liquid ready to bottle. I used Jannelle's recipe and will keep the bottles in the shed in case they explode, as apparently can happen.