22 September 2011

Rest and recover

This is our local Sunday market.

We had a very busy week here. Sunday we drove to the Gold Coast to visit our family, stopping in at our local market on the way to buy fresh fruit and seedlings. Monday was Hanno's birthday, it was a quiet celebration this year, he had a doctor's appointment and we spent some time in the garden. On Tuesday, I went to the Centre for my craft group - Crafternoon. That is developing into a wonderful group of women who meet to talk and work on whatever craft project they have going at the time. One of the ladies, Bev, brought along some books with ideas for school fetes and suggested we do up some small projects like little dolls and mice, dishcloths and odds and ends to sell at our local kiosk to raise funds for the Centre. This is a great idea and something we'll start doing next week. Any chance of extra money coming in helps us keep going. We get no government funding and rely on donations and grants to continue opening the doors every day. I love meeting people, and there are some in every group, who are generous and supportive. Our Centre gives a lot to our community but without some form of local financial support, we can't pay the bills.

I was at the Centre again yesterday, this time for a work shop on green cleaning and making laundry liquid. I call these workshops "Kitchen Table Talks" because women used to sit together at kitchen tables and drink tea while they shared their recipes and talked about how they work. There were six of us there yesterday, sitting around a table covered with a table cloth, sharing tea and chocolate biscuits, and discussing various ways of cleaning without using harsh chemicals. It is always very reaffirming to connect with women who "get it", who understand that change will only happen if we change ourselves first. One of those ladies, Moira (affussa), came because she's been reading this blog for a long time, so it was good to meet her face to face.

When I came home, baby Jamie was just going back to sleep while Opa gave him a bottle of breast milk. Sunny and Kerry had arrived earlier in the afternoon and took the chance to have some time together while Opa took charge of the baby. Hanno is so good with him. Apparently Jamie had been asleep but the phone rang and he woke, Hanno had settled him down again, but then I came home and he woke up again and screamed. Nothing settled him until Hanno took him outside and walked around the garden with him, talking quietly in his ear about the chooks. After about 30 minutes he was tired again, so Opa fed him again, he went back to sleep and had just woken up when Sunny and Kerry came home. Then he was a very happy boy.

On the way home from the Centre, I picked up a parcel at the post office, which had come all the way from New Mexico. It was from Sharon who has sent some beautiful gifts for Jamie and Alexander. I gave it all to Sunny and she dressed Jamie in a few of the little jackets.  Here is a photo. Thank you Sharon and Claude!


I have a few things to do today, but I'm looking forward to breakfast with the family before they head back to the Gold Coast again. Hanno has another doctor's appointment, so late in the morning, when everyone's gone, I'll get through my work and hopefully I can relax and recover from this busy week. I used to be full of energy and could work long hours, now I  am worn out after a few hectic days. It's one of the very few drawbacks of ageing. So I'm looking forward to some slow days ahead when I'll do my housework and take a lot of time with knitting, gardening and relaxing. I hope you have a chance to rest and recharge too. What are you doing today?


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23 comments

  1. We are finishing up our 3rd term of schoolwork, doing some spring cleaning and my 2 biggest boys are getting organised for Ag Camp, so I have to buy some work boots and a couple of other things for them.

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  2. Glad you're having some rest time Rhonda! Some of us young folk are worn out after a couple of hectic days too you know ;)

    It's 9.30pm here, so I'm doing nothing else tonight. But I'm taking tomorrow off work, going to a yoga class in the morning, building a fence, going to a talk about woodlice (!), and a hospital visit. And plenty of tea. A restful but cheerful day for me too. Enjoy yours!

    Jenni x

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  3. That little Jamie is such a cutie!!

    It's still Wednesday here in North Carolina and I'm just sitting down to read your blog. Tonight's supper was country style steak, green beans and Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. MMMMMM....good. I felt such a rush of satisfaction from peeling potatoes that I grew. For sure, they will be in the garden again next year. I loved yesterday's post about gardening. Your words are so true.

    Tomorrow will be spent washing and hanging out clothes since it rained and I couldn't do it today. I also plan to pull spent plants from the garden and take some time to start planning next year's garden. I also hope to start a new knitting project - a sweater for me. While I'm knitting, I'll be thinking about several Christmas gifts I'd like to knit or sew.

    I so love being at home and rest is a welcome event at the end of a productive day. Hope Hanno gets a good report from the doctor.

    Love from Diane in North Carolina

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  4. I work from home so I will do a few hours this morning and then I definitely need to do some cleaning this afternoon! I'm quite looking forward to getting the house shipshape as it's very sadly in need of that clean :)
    Judy

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  5. Amiga rhonda, me encanta tu blog, como me gustaria vivir en un sitio como el tuyo, o mejor la manera como vives, adoro las plantas, los animales y ese vivir tranquilo, estoy jubilada y cansada del ir y venir de la ciudad, te felicito, y quiero algún día de vivir la vida frugal y natural que llevas, adoro tu blog.
    Saludos desde venezuela.

    fátima

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  6. Isn't Jamie getting big! It's good to see his Mum and Dad looking so well.

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  7. This is the Google translation of Fatima's comment above:

    Rhonda friend, I love your blog, as I would like to live in a place like yours, or rather the way you live, I love plants and animals that live in peace, I am retired and tired of coming and going of the city, you congratulations, and I want someday to live the life you've been frugal and natural, I love your blog. Greetings from Venezuela. fatima

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  8. Like you Rhonda, I need to take it easy after a few busy days...it does catch up. I've been doing hard garden work all week, moving and levelling big piles of soil that were left after the builders dug new foundations for my deck and extended kitchen. it's been hard work!! Now I want to get various areas planted with natives and herbs, and do some paving before the heat really hits. But today my body is complaing, so now I'm going looking forward to relaxing indoors, I have a cupboard to finish painting, and then I think I'll take it easy and do some hand sewing, and read my book, with lots of pots of tea as well....Nanette

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  9. Lovely post Rhonda, thank you.
    I'm happy to be home alone today as Joe goes out with the camera group. A little bit of this and that and then lots of knitting and reading for this Nana.
    What date is your fund-raising stall?

    Enjoy today.
    Love from Sue
    xx

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  10. Hi Rhonda,
    It's going to be sunny and 25 degrees here in Melbourne today, so I'm going to make sure I go outside for a while at lunch time. Thanks for reminding me to rest!

    Jo x

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  11. Sue, we don't have a date for the stall. It will depend on how quickly we can make what we need.

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  12. Hi Rhonda
    I'm on holidays at the moment and having a lovely day just pottering around the house getting to all sorts of little jobs that need doing but just doing them in my own time. I love days like these. Can you tell me where the local markets are in your first picture. I would love to visit them.

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  13. Cheryl, it's the Caboolture market. They're only there on Sundays.

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  14. Happy Birthday Hanno. And I am glad you had some time to rest Rhonda. Just slowing down at the end of the day here. Getting ready to head to bed. Baked two batches of granola bars today and planted some herbs and other plants. Sincerely, Emily in South Texas

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  15. Hi,
    I came across your blog a few days ago. I am REALLY enjoying reading your new posts and some of the older one's as and when i can.
    Its absolutely lovely what you have created and continue to nurture.
    Thank you :)

    cheerfully,
    Ishieta from India

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  16. I know what you mean about getting tired more easily. We have a big weekend ahead of us with a Moving Planet event here on the farm, so this week has been about getting ready for that and today it's a biiiig farm cleanup with all hands on deck!Then on Sunday we have our daughter's fundraiser in the name of our little grand daughter who died earlier this year from a brain tumour. Maybe next week will get a chance to have a little rest I know we both need it!.

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  17. Hi Rhonda
    very much enjoying your posts
    thanks

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  18. Hello Rhonda,

    "Herzliche Glückwünsche zum Geburtstag" to Hanno and many happy returns. I hope both of you can enjoy a few quiet days. As always, I enjoy reading your blog and the advice you give. In Germany there's currently a strong movement for "eco-living", but most people think about cars, houses, household appliances etc. Vegetarian and vegan food is now quite popular. What most people don't realize is, that you can start with small steps like giving up those harsh chemicals for cleaning, cook fom scratch, start a garden. I wish we had a Centre like yours here...
    Speaking of relaxing - on Saturday we're going on a two weeks holiday to France. We're taking our two elderly dogs and, of course, the caravane. I've just finished another book and wrote some articles for another publishing house, which kept my busy for more than 4 months. Even on the weekends. I'm looking forward to a few relaxing days in the valley of the Loire. And, of course, the food and the wine are always excellent in France. And the French people so nice.
    Enjoy your break. Hanno and you, take care of yourselves!
    Heike from the south of Germany

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  19. Thank you Rhonda for sharing pics of your family..the little one is growing..they grow up way too fast:)
    I sure have noticed that I don't get as much done anymore as I used to but then it is nice to take those resting times and do handwork and read.
    I am making peach jam today.

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  20. Today I viewed possible new student univ accomodation with my son & his mates, taught 3 second-lang English lessons, bought 5 good birthday cards for bargain prices, made an easy beef-noodle-mushroom sauce & salad supper and wrote a letter of introduction to the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town (ahead of giving him a complimentary copy of thislife magazine tomorrow). www.stjohns.org.za -- St Johns Parish (Wynberg) for online version. My hubby was interviewed on p 23 about mentoring....older people helping younger people in coming along side one another in the everyday areas of life.

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  21. Hi Rhonda,
    first thing this morning we went out and set fire to a pile of dead Jasmine and Wisteria stems, it was a huge pile, maybe a metre to 2 metres square. They say it is going to be a hot summer so we needed to get ridd of it before bushfire season really starts. I put some photos on my blog about pulling the stuff out of the Sycamore tree. We found the remains of a gazebo of some sort in the old garden. We will try to restore uit to its former glory, we think it must be over 50 years old "A Lost Garden"?
    Later today I will so some more veggie seeds in my polyhouse and then go out to lunch with Martin. And then potter for the rest of the day and just enjoy being alive.
    Dayla

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  22. Hi Rhonda,
    This morning I have been washing, planting beetroot seeds, watering the garden, tidying up, called a friend and reading blogs.

    This afternoon I will do some grocery shopping, knitting, more tidying up and will make dinner.

    Hope you have a lovely day and a lovely weekend. Happy birthday to Hanno. xxoo

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  23. LOVE the look of your amazing market!

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