It's calm in our home, even with four people here. Yesterday we had Jamie for the day and my sister Tricia is staying with us for a couple of weeks. The routine is held together by meal times and cups of tea. Isn't that a lovely way to live a day? This morning, just after breakfast, Hanno, Tricia and Jamie drove down to the coast to the Caloundra markets. They said it was mostly knick-knacks for tourists and there were no fruit and vegetables. They did come back with a very good loaf of rye bread with seeds though. We had a slice each with our lunch which was corned beef hash - using up the leftovers from Saturday's lunch.
Looking towards the chicken coop and creek from the house. From left those trees are : native fig, pecan, Eureka lemon and Washington orange.
Some of the ladies leaving the coop for their early morning stroll.
Jamie with two new cushions sewn by Tricia, the cushion queen. She added homemade bobbles.
Tricia knitting and watching a Norwegian cooking program.
Tricia and I have been working on crafts for the new book although she has done much more than I have. Most of the time I've been at my laptop, fan on, door closed, writing. But even though I've been closed away, I can feel the calmness in our home. We are working, relaxing, reading, crafting, cooking and baking, but the rhythm here is quiet and peaceful. It makes such a difference to work in a tranquil home.
Above and below: preparing and then painting the front verandah. It's all finished now and it looks fabulous.
Chocolate buttermilk cake.
Someone's sewing equipment above, and below, one of many stacks of fabric.
I'm really pleased to tell you the book is half finished. It's all going along quite well with only a few brain freezes in my department. If it keeps going this way, it will all be finished on time in mid-June. Thank you for your continued visits, even with fewer posts. I hope you read through the archives because I've been told more than once that there are real treasures there.
I hope you are well and if you're in Australia, that school holidays are treating you kindly. My plan for the coming week is to keep writing and cooking but I do have to make some laundry liquid and some four ingredient soap. I'll probably do that on Tuesday. What will you be doing in the coming week?
I am on a bit of a sewing spree at the moment and really enjoying it. I am travelling to see my parents at the end of the week and looking forward to it. It's good to hear your book writing is progressing well, hope you have a productive week.
ReplyDeleteOh Rhonda, your tranquil home sounds divine. Actually, mine is fairly tranquil as well. I just need to learn to notice that! I have moved to my farm in Washington state, USA. It has been a dream of my ever since I was a little girl to own a farm. I have five acres! We just moved here in January and we are trying to get the animals all tucked in and comfortable in their new home. We came with three horses and two chickens, then between my daughter and I have six dogs, (two of which I inherited) two cats and three fish. We have acquired four more chickens, three small dairy goats, (one more of those coming) and in about a week or two we will have six geese!
ReplyDeleteSo this week, I am doing a little more organizing, putting my craft room together, feeding and cleaning up after all the critters and loving what I am doing!
Your routine with your visitors sounds idyllic.....I love visitors who can take care of themselves for a while. On the top of my to-do list this week are lawn mowing and cleaning out the chook-pen, putting fresh straw down ready for winter and a trip up the coast to visit an unwell old friend. There's a few other things..... a quilt to be started, finish painting the bathroom, and seedlings to go in the ground, but we will see....no point knocking myself out, regular chores have to be done too and since there's just me to do it all, it will just be approached steadily until all is accomplished. At least the weather is cooler. Enjoy your week Rhonda.
ReplyDeleteRhonda, there are always fruit and veggies at the Caloundra markets when we are on holidays. That's a shame if they are not going to be selling there any more. This week I hope to get my bookmarks made for the upcoming swap on the DTE forum plus lots of gardening done now that it is cooler. All the best with your writing.
ReplyDeletePompoms.
ReplyDeleteI'm making pompoms.
your home sounds wonderful at the moment rhonda & am glad all is going well for your & your family, tricia certainly looks relaxed & hope she is feeling much better too
ReplyDeletetranquil sounds nice to have, enjoy. your veranda looks great! nothing like a new colour to spruce up the old.
have a few chores that i do every day plus am knitting beanies & ear warmers for winter
have a great week
thanx for sharing
selina from kilkivan qld
So I see from the sequence of your lovely photos that Hanno was rewarded with chocolate cake AFTER the painting was done ;-)
ReplyDeleteWell spotted, Jaime. ;- )
DeleteI am in NSW and in the middle of school holidays. I am a home schooling mum so this week will be devoted to finishing off the lesson plans for term 2 for my three children. I am also in the middle of decluttering my house. I am loving the down time from school lessons and the extra time to catch up with the kids, housework and reorganising my home. I hope to get a little bit of bulk cooking in there too ( including a chocolate cake after seeing the picture of your delicious one! lol). A busy week ahead.
DeleteIt is spring here in rural New York and I am building an herb spiral and tending my seedlings under the grow lights, planted three raspberry bushes and I might put out some radish and carrot seeds as it getting quite warm. I bought 8 bags of mulch for my garden paths and 4 bags of top soil for the herb spiral. I will be buying some more herb plants this week too. I bought and moved into this house just in October so I am enjoying seeing what is coming up. Last night my new neighbor and I took a walk down to the lake where the sound of the ducks and the tree frogs is beautiful. If I have any down time I will be working on the grandmothers' flower garden quilt I started years ago. Lots of hand sewing. This weekend I also mended one of my son's shirts - I truly enjoy mending, making something look new again... Best part of this week was when I clicked through one of your weekend reading links and found my blog. Have been trying to get back to it and you have given me impetus. Thanks!
DeleteThe calm and tranquility in your home sounds just lovely. This week starts out full-speed tomorrow with some appointments for my husband (follow-up from a recent hospital stay, long story) but after that I hope and pray things will calm down some. We are trying to emerge from crisis mode, but not sure what the next month will bring, so I am hoping to do some things around the house that will make that time easier from a practical standpoint--cleaning out, organizing, stocking up on needed things, and maybe even some cooking for the freezer if I can can squeeze it in. Plus the daily stuff: homeschool, critter care (dog, cat, chickens), housekeeping, etc. Trying to remember to take a few minutes of quiet each day--even if it's while hanging diapers on the line--to breathe and sort of mentally fortify myself.
ReplyDeleteAll that green looks so welcoming! I could just go and lie there on a few cushions (don't tell Tricia) and eat a piece of that cake!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a nice lead up to your birthday, Rhonda. I don't imagine you and Tricia will go out and rage all night - we are beyond that, right? Mine will be a quiet day with hub, then out to dinner with friends who celebrate their anniversary on the same day. Bit of a tradition, but we all look forward to it.
ReplyDeleteThat chocolate cake looks sooooo goooood. Guess what I will be making tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting.
Meals and cups of tea. such a lovely routine to each day. Mine is similar when I take the time to notice. The kids are back to school and as much as I love holidays I love the quiet of the house and the school routine. I'm making upside down apple cake with our apples to take to book group tonight. Sewing one mattress cover out of two old ones. Finalising a garden design for a client, getting the budget in order for the month, drying some seeds, washing, cooking and basking in this gorgeous autumn weather.
ReplyDeleteWell done with the book Rhonda how wonderful to have Tricia there to craft and share cuppas when you take a break.
kxx
Loved your busy life and that cake looks delicious.. Glad your book is doing well..All your posts are treasures.. xo
ReplyDeleteOh Rhonda do share the chocolate the buttermilk cake recipe...choc, jam and choc cream. Just divine! Tell Tricia I just love her cushions both the fabric and hand crafted baubles.
ReplyDelete