A Monday at the end of January

Summer is slipping by much faster than it used to. I have clear memories of the week between Christmas and New Year passing so slowly it felt like a month rather than a week. Now it feels like a day or two. I don't like the hot weather. The humidity saps the will to live from me and I yearn for cold mornings, pots of soup simmering on the stove and wearing my cardigan and shawl. Now, at the end of January, I can see that time will be here again soon. My energy will increase, new plans will form in my brain, we'll plant up a new garden and the ordinary tasks of a simple life will ease us through the cool days again.

But today, while it's still hot outside, I'll have plenty to do to keep me out of mischief. I bake bread every two or three days, there is always a meal to serve at the kitchen table at noon, biscuits or cakes are baked for morning tea, drinks are made and of course we all know about the cleaning we all do. I'm not gardening now that the summer season is coming to an end because we let the garden die off, but I still water the herbs, chillies, fruit and all the pot plants. The time I will spend outside during the cooler months is now taken up with sewing some little dresses for Tricia's granddaughter, Alana and making the things I need for our home. Today I'll put the backing on a patchwork cover I made for the couch and I decided yesterday that I'll make a tea cosy using the leftover cotton wadding. I use an enamel teapot and although it doesn't need any help in staying warm in summer, in winter it's a different story.  As the weeks go on, new household linens will come to mind and I'll slowly produce the things I prefer to make rather than buy.

Doing these simple tasks reveals to me every day that what we have here is real life. It's not hidden behind fashion, stress or longing for someone else's life. I feel that this is where I should be and this is as good as it gets. Our life isn't fancy but it's productive and genuine, and after those years of mindless spending I can say that now we're settled, focused and happy.

But dwelling on those thoughts will just get in the way of having fun today because this is the last day we'll look after Jamie before he starts school on Wednesday. His Dad comes home tonight and Jamie will spend tomorrow, Australia Day, with Kerry and Sunny. So today we'll enjoy each other's company, make a batch of little cup cakes, practise ABCs and numbers, play games, laugh, draw and after lunch, watch a Lego movie. Today will be one of those days that we remember for a long time. I wonder what you're doing today. ♥︎

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