Bush mouse vs Beach mouse

I grew up in the bush. A small town in rural South Australia. There was a mill, a train station, a deli, a pub, several stores, a cop shop, a school and a bank. There's not much there anymore, you'd be lucky to trip over a tumbleweed. A couple of humble shops and the school remain.

It's landscape is warm and familiar, it welcomes me with open arms. Mighty gum trees, green fields and grassy roadsides.

Childhood memories flow like lava, I long for those days again. Playing in the front yard with log truck rumbling past, my brothers and sisters pumping our arms for a horn blow. Dad playing Boche down the road with the other Europeans immigrants, underneath grapevine covered greens. The smell of freshly cut pine filling the air from the timber mill.

I am torn between the bush and the coastline I now live near, although I didn't go that far. I am still only thirty kays from where I grew up. The beach is closer.

I spent a lot of my school holidays by our local beaches. Gran and Grandpa lived in Southend, their house was only a sandhill's walk away from dipping my toes in the water, or filling a bucket with shells.

The air is crisp, the waves calming. I remember many nights laying in bed listening to the waves ebb and flow on the beach. I could not tell you how many times I was nipped on the foot by a skittish crab while paddling in the surf.

I learnt how to fish on it's jetty. Cray boats scattered the bay, bringing in their catch and rolling it in on steel carts along rail lines. 

Not too much has changed here since I was a kid, mainly the people. The beach has been eroded away by huge winter seas, but I still enjoy spending the day along it's sandy shores. These days I'm a lot more sun wise, no more blistered red shoulders, that would stick to the sheets at night, skin peeling off the following week.

I am calmed by the whispering waves, as they take my cares out to sea. I take in the fresh air, deep into my lungs and expel the negative. 

Both the bush and the beach hold a special place in my heart, though I don't think I could ever life too far from the beach now. I would miss feeling the sand between my toes. 

Are you a bush mouse or a beach mouse?

Joining Denyse for #lifethisweek

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Veggie growing, and eating!

Over the last week I've been getting out and cleaning up the garden after neglecting it most of the winter.

While weeding the veggie patch, I pulled up a rogue beetroot. I love growing beets. I love to roast them or make beetroot relish! That lonely old beetroot looked good for lunch anyhow.

I roasted it with eggplant, capsicum, garlic and onion, with some spices. When the veggies were      ready, I mixed in canned brown lentils and warmed them through in the oven. I served it with feta cheese broken up over the top and fresh parsley.

Growing my own veggies is something I love to do. I haven't always had too much success, which is why cooking with the veggies I do get, gives me so much pleasure. 

Summer helped me plant more beetroot seeds, and Isabel climbing beans and carrots over the weekend. Neither of them enjoy cooked veggies, but they will eat them raw!

Mum recalls me sitting in the pea patch as a kid and eating peas straight from the garden. My girls love to do that too, so I would recommend if you have kids to let them grow peas, snow peas in particular.

After getting rid of most of the ivy from around the garden there is a lot more space. I've planted some butternut pumpkin seeds, and as I commented to my uncle yesterday, I probably don't need to as Mum grows enough pumpkins for everybody! I still have some saved seed from the jack be little pumpkins(minis) that I grew last year. They are a little closer to a squash type of pumpkin. I grew them on a trellis last year, with cucumbers successfully growing below.

I planted broad beans back around Easter. They are flowering now and wont be too long until we are eating yummy broad beans. I love them with bacon, cream and pasta. My son loves this too. The last time I made it he came around the next day to see if there was left overs! Summer likes to eat broad beans raw, and well Isabel, it's hard to know what she will eat half the time.

I try to eat a wide variety of veggies, scouring the shelves at the supermarket for something new to throw in the trolley, or something I haven't had for a while. Like bok choy, which I cooked up this week in a chicken stir fry, also cooked under some fish wrapped in foil in the oven.

Do you grow your own veggies? Are you adventurous when buying veggies at the supermarket? Why don't you try something new when you are shopping next.

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In the picture

I have always been one for taking photos. Always the one with the chuck away camera, clicking away, and having to wait for them to be developed. The photo processing shop was one of my regular haunts.

I remember my sister commenting twenty five years ago, that I had way too many photos, especially of my new son. I should have realised back then that photography may have been the obvious path to take but there was some time in between then and now that I hardly took a photo. 

I have realised that I don't get myself in the photos too much anymore, I am always the one behind the camera.

I do remember a horrid sod, who once bluntly told me I am not photogenic, and it was hard to capture a good photo of me. I let it get to me at the time, but now when I think back about it, I realise that he should have taken a long walk off a big cliff!

We are all, well most of us, gorgeous souls and worthy off being in the picture. There are many who will appreciate those pictures in years to come and look fondly back at the moments in time captured.

Here are some of the pics I managed to get my ugly mug into over the last few weeks, thanks to Brett who awesomely took the reigns of the camera, or his phone, to capture most of these.

My friend of over thirty years! We met in high school and got to hang out for a couple of days while in QLD. You can't see the bottle of vino in my hand :)

You should recognise this bird. We've been online friends for almost five years and I finally got to have a face to face chat with the lovely Emily from Have a laugh on me. 

In line for the Batman ride at Movieworld. Bloody kids. She had a ball, and I am glad I did it with her. 

The girls first plane ride. Adelaide to Coolangatta. 

Along the Gallery Walk in Mount Tamborine Summer cracked up at this 'treeman', we stopped for a photo. Why not?!

Pick the tourists!

 I am trying hard to crack a smile, not easy with a drying face mask on.

Joining Leanne at Deep Fried Fruit

September. How I love thee.

September brings so much sparkly newness. Spring. Warmth. New growth(including weeds!) and it's my birthday month!I am in disbelief that I am turning 45. I don't feel one bit of 45. I feel 30 in the body of a 45 year old!Hubby has just turned 50, and our 10th wedding anniversary has just passed. I can't say we celebrated our anniversary, as it wasn't until I had put the rubbish out that evening, that I realised it was the 8th of September and indeed our tenth anniversary.

I walked in the back door with my hands on my hips, and announced, "By the way! Happy 10th anniversary Boggy!". His immediate reaction was "Oh fuck", and proceeded to give me a hug and a kiss. He suggested we find someone to look after the kids and go out for dinner. With snags already cooking and a case of the CBF's, I suggested we stay home...I spent yesterday clearing weeds in the garden in preparation for the summer veggie patch, and for the hi-dolly dahlias to emerge from the ground. Izzy helped me in the garden, and we planted basil seeds.It is an exciting time. We also discussed the produce we could enter into the annual show in November. She must defend her sash titles for the best junior produce, cut flowers and cooking sash. Even if her cooking sash was for chocolate crackles. I think presenting them in Christmas patty pans was the trick!Making : Loads of salad mixes to have with my dinners. On a health kick in an attempt to eat more fresh food and less processed food, and loosen my pants.Cooking : While de-weeding my veggie patch yesterday, I found a rogue beetroot. Looking forward to roasting it with some fennel and mixing with some lentils for lunch tomorrow. Maybe with some feta mixed through at the end! Mouth is watering already. Drinking : Pu-erh tea. On our recent holiday, we drove up to Mount Tamborine, where I bought some loose leaf tea at one of the shops on Gallery Walk. I only drink herbal teas, mostly bagged teas, so this is a little special than the norm. I've bought this tea before in the Central markets in Adelaide.Reading: This always stumps me, because really, I don't do a lot of reading. I'd love to have more time for novels and magazines. I bought the latest Better Homes and Gardens a couple of weeks ago, mainly to take away on holiday with me. Of course I left it home and haven't looked at it since. it did come with a free taco stand...Wanting: For my new phone to come in the mail! We ordered it at the end of July, and it hadn't come as of Friday and asked for a refund. A refund we got and ordered another phone from someone else. It's my birthday at the end of the week and I hope it arrives before that!Looking: At my floors. The house is a shambles. SO looking forward to some alone time at home, with Brett back at work at the girls at school to clean the house. Not that it will stay clean for long! I did spring clean the fridge over the weekend. There was mould growing on some of the gunk in the veggie crisper. Ew!Deciding: Where to put the seeds in my newly dug up veggie patch. I have seeds saved from last year and am keen to get them in the ground. Isabel did a fabulous job of helping me in the garden, and I've agreed to let her help me plant the seeds. Going to have a good look at my companion gardening book to decide where to put stuff. We have climbing beans, chilli, pumpkin, tomato, beetroot, carrot and radishLiking: The goodies in my first ever Bellabox. I took the opportunity to order my first box for ten dollars and am enjoying having some new skincare and a few things to feel like I am pampering myself. I would probably have never gone out and bought them myself otherwise.Wondering: What will come up to disturb my zen today. It's always something!Loving: That spring has sprung. The days will only get longer and warmer.Listening: I've bought a couple of kids CDs lately and had them playing in the car. It keeps the kids amused for a while, and I have quite enjoyed singing along with them. It is quite uplifting listening to them singing Der Glumph! went the little green frog at full voice. Makes a change to them WWE fighting in the back seat.Considering: Reading the 5 languages of love. I was talking to the mum of one of my Tiny Tots gymnasts, and commented on how well he responds to encouragement and praise. She told me that was his love language. Intriguing, as after that class he initiated and gave me the loveliest hug. I felt as though I had made a breakthrough with him, and as a coach it was an encouraging feeling.Buying: I've run out of Vitamin B pills and St Johns wort. St Johns wort is for nervousness, anxiety and mood. Not sure if my terrible moods have been because I haven't been taking it or the fact that I have been premenstrual the last few days.Watching: Still hooked on Survivor Australia, I missed watching it when I was away and caught up with over the weekend with encores. I watched Gardening Australia on the ABC yesterday too, it gave me the motivation to dig over the veggie patch and get ready for summer veggies.Learning: How to use a dishwasher! I don't have one at home, except little ol me. Or room on holidays did have one. My best friend from high school came to visit with us a couple of days and she could not believe I had never used one. She showed me how and I used it for the rest of the holidays with gay abandon.

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Adventuring in the Gold Coast

The girls had their first flight in an airplane last Wednesday. We flew from Adelaide to Queensland's Gold Coast. It took two hours, and an hour into it the asking of "When are we there?" started. A few toilet trips later, and we were descending. Thanks goodness. How vicious are those airplane toilet flushes? Geez you wouldn't want to drop anything mid flush because it would be GONE!

We went to Sea World on our first day, and drove to Mount Tamborine on the second.

After finding out Friday was a public holiday in the Gold Coast for the show, we decided we'd avoid the theme parks for a few days and we're doing Wet n Wild and Movieworld over the next couple of days.

It worked out quite well as a friend from high school, who lives near Brissie, joined us at the resort for the weekend. It has been awesome catching up, and the kids have been perfect company for each other.

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