On top of the world

I was here back in January when the girls and I hitched a ride in Brett's truck into the forest.

This time the kids stayed home with Brett while I ventured back out there. I picked up Jake on the way. It was good to spend some time with him, it was a bit like old times, just me and him going on drives. Kicking myself now I didn't take some photos of my son while I was out there. 

I was surprised he actually knew which way to go home, passing the Millicent Golf Club and onto the Mt Burr road. I forget, how cluey he actually is. Maybe it's because he might have been one too many times hooning in the forest with his mates. Probably the latter. 

I've been spending a lot more time with him since his mental health diagnosis. I am more or less his carer, making sure he takes his meds and goes to appointments. He is finally getting support from counsellors and organisation like MIND, which is a load off me. 

I wasn't really happy with the photos, as when I got home there was a shadow on the photos, so I had to edit out the shadow. Must have been a bit of sand of something on the mirror. I have hopefully cleaned it and fixed the problem. It's happened once before.

It was amazing to look out over the land, to see town from up high. To see the sandhills on the horizon. To be on par with Mount Muirhead, when usually we are looking up to it from town. My uncle says it's the only landmark he can see when out on the deep ocean in the boat.

It's quite peaceful out here too.

I needed some time out from the kids, and the house. Brett had gotten back from a camping trip the day before and I wasted no time in flying out the door that morning, on my own. Even though I did take my son with me, and I wasn't alone recharging my batteries, my soul felt replenished. I felt the fresh air wash through me and for that morning everything was alright in my world. 

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Easter Sunday

Yesterday was pretty relaxed. It was a little different from the past couple of years when we've usually spent the end of the day down the beach in the Canunda National Park with family.

My nephew was in town though, and he joined us for dinner at home, which was great as he is off to live in Japan. My neice, his cousin is also in Japan for the next few years. Who would have thought that was going to happen ever. We miss them already.

I spent some time pottering about the garden, and the kitchen, lingering far too long where the chocolate was being stored and unsuccessfully resisting the temptation. God damn you caramel popcorn chocolate eggs!

I took the camera outside where Ellie our kitten explored the outdoors, Summer pretended to be a super hero and I basked in some Autumn sunshine.

I finally pulled out my basil plants, all measly four of them, and made my own pesto. My first batch ever! I had them growing in pots with tomatoes, which I pulled out a couple of days ago. 

I've used pumpkin seeds(pepitas) in my pesto. Traditionally pesto has pine nuts in it, I didn't have any of those, I always have pepitas as I use them in porridge or with yogurt.

Basil and Pumpkin Seed pesto

2 handfuls of fresh basil(about a cup)
1 small garlic clove
20 grams pumpkin seeds
15 grams parmesan cheese(just the cheap packet stuff, I not fancy!)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Blitz in a mini processor, place in a jar and store in the fridge.

I usually pour a little olive oil layer on top of the pesto.

The basil pots. I pulled out the tomatoes that were growing with the basil. I have replanted Silverbeet in one and Coriander seeds in the other.

One of our beauty parrots

Supergirl rescuing the cat from certain peril

Super girl rescuing a teddy in distress

Supergirl painting herself with her 'sidekick' Peppi the dog, rescuing the cat from a tree, while I made pesto. All the cute!

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Homegrown hen scratchings

It's five o'clock in the morning. 

I went to bed at ten thirty last night and slept like a dream until Brett's alarm went off at two thirty. After that it was game over sleepwise, my brain would not turn off and I was waking every half an hour. 

The last month of Mondays I've been turning up to the gymnastics hall and taking part in Kindergym and the following Tiny Tot classes, to complete my twenty hours of training for my Intermediate coaching course. Thank goodness I don't have that today. I think I will go back to bed after school drop off.

I have been scouring the internet for transport action songs (the theme for Kindergym next term). I find myself printing out and laminating stuff to use in classes too. Who am I becoming?! It's all very exciting. 

Some of the craziness of the last few months, has settled down and I was so keen to get out into the garden last week.

Jack be little pumpkins, which a little more like a squash to eat.

I've pulled up some of the summer veggies, like the cucumbers, eggplants, pumpkins and purple potatoes. The tomatoes will be next to go, just waiting for a few of the stragglers to ripen up.

The purple spuds I have growing in pots. When they are ready, after the plants have flowered and died down, I just tip the pot out in the wheelbarrow and pick all the spuds out. I put all the dirt back in the pot with some of the smaller spuds, and the process starts again.

Roasted summer veg, with lentils and yogurt. My lunch yesterday. Yum yum!

They're not the prettiest spuds, but I like to grow them! I just plain LOVE growing and eating my own food full stop.

I've been planting new stuff like broccoli, silverbeet, lettuce and parsley.

The sweet peas, snow peas, beetroot, carrot and broad bean seeds have been dropped in the ground. With the crazy amount of rain we got yesterday, they should be plumping up big and fat, ready to shoot to life. Better get the snail bait ready. Which reminds me, I have to go shopping at some stage today. Sigh.

The kid who won't eat tomato if I put it on her plate, but will attack a tomato as big as her head that someone else grew in thier garden.

`

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Taking the scenic route

We set of yesterday to try and find cockles down at the Canunda National Park. Before we even left home it may have been obvious that we should have just stayed home.

While not much seemed like it was going right, it all ended well in the end. We didn't find cockles, there was a lot of weed on the beach and the sea was an awful brown colour because of it.

Summer was beside herself and crying while we drove along. Something has spooked her about driving on the beach. Brett didn't help matters when he mentioned he didn't want to get stuck because the car would end up in the ocean. Good move Brett....not! She wailed a little louder.

On the way out of the national park, we stopped at the big sandhill. It's no so big as it used to be when I was a kid. I wish the council had never excavated most of the sand away for use somewhere else. What were they thinking?! It's always been a legendary local landmark. Bloody crazy.

We took the scenic route home and come across a patch of belladonna lillies. Summer had stopped crying, but still wouldn't get out of the car. 

Belladonna lillies are also known as Easter lillies, as they flower at this time of year. There were also what looked like freesias and jonquils coming up too, so I will be back again to have a look.

It is common where an old homestead once was, to find remnants of the home garden still coming up every year. Not far from here, there is another site where we've dug up wild garlic. There's a fig tree there too, but I would never walk through the long grass to get to them in a fit. I don't fancy coming across a big arse brown snake!

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