Don't forget the camera!

A farm, a paddock for kite flying, a girl, dried up weeds and that golden end of a day. 

I've been wanting to share these photos, but I was reluctant because they weren't great. They were taken with my phone. It was one of those kick myself times, when I should have had the camera in the car. Just in case. Hindsight sucks.

Many times I have made a pact with myself to TAKE THE CAMERA. After this night, I have definitely changed my habits, and take the camera. Because you never know.

I went to coffee with a friend, which is weird to say, because I don't drink coffee. I had a pot of peppermint tea. She's a creative person, like me. We have great conversations about cooking, gardening, arts and photography. I never feel exhausted talking with her. Only uplifted and inspired. 

I talked about forgetting the camera. About not pulling over and taking photos when a view takes my fancy. Most of the time it's because I have the kids in the car, because my mind is on a mission to just get to the destination. She agreed, she used to do the same when her kids were younger. She even said that she does the same now, even though her kids are grown. 

Is it because life is so busy? 

Is it because I am only thinking of the end game, and not embracing what's happening right now?

I need to slow down. Do the things that make me happy. Fulfilled. AND take the camera everywhere!

   

 

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My hobbies

I don't have one particular hobby that I spend a lot of time on. I have several different hobbies that I dedicate my time to. I'd love to have more time to dedicate to them and I would probably be amazing at them all. I am happy with mediocre.

I think it's important to have some sort of hobby, even if it is just one. Everyone needs something to fill the downtime with, to keep minds active and to help relax, whether that be reading, knitting or scrapbooking, or whatever.

My hobbies begin with gardening. I've made a garden in every house I've lived at for the last 25 years. I find great pleasure in planting something in the ground and being rewarded with gorgeous flowers or produce to use in my kitchen.

It's taken me a lot of years to be good at growing my own veggies. I sucked at it for a long time, mainly concentrating on having loads of colourful flowers. 

I enjoy going on garden tours and looking at other people's gardens too. My mum is  in a local gardening group who do just that once a month and I don't mind tagging along with the old ducks. I am sure they will set me straight about the old bit right away!

My other hobby is photography. I would love to be better at it, and I suppose this is one of those things that the more time I spend on it, the better I will be. 

I have to make more time for getting out with my camera to different places and conditions. I could probably explore with my camera settings to see what more I can do with it.

The Wattle Range Council photography competition is coming up quickly. I need to go through all the local photos I have taken in the last year and pick some good ones I can enter. 

I am a pretty creative person, and love to create when inspiration hits. I 

I don't do one particular sort of craft, like sewing or painting. I like to have a go at just about anything. You could say that I am a jill of all trades when it comes to crafting.

I have never been inspired enough to take up knitting or crochet, but don't mind sitting behind my sewing machine if something takes my fancy. Like the humpty dumpty I made for my Kindergym class.

There was a time when I did lots, and I mean lots of embroidery. I enjoy that, but haven't done any for a while.

I don't mind getting my paintbrushes wet every now and then too, and I've been known to do a bit of drawing.

I tend to only craft when I am inspired and motivated to do so, and I am always happy I did. Google comes in handy if I get stuck on how to get something done! I get very determined when I set out be creative.

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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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Out of the mouth of babes

I didn't get my night away by myself the last weekend. It's all good, we went to the neighbours, the kids got to play til their hearts content, and I got to drink wine.

With no encouragement from me, or my other motherly neighbour, apparently we are all going to the Lake Mountain snow fields at the end of the school holidays. Four adults and five kids.

Men are their own worst enemies. A few wines and the inevitable scotch and their holiday is organised, bar the women's perspective bit, of all the fucking organisation.

I am actually looking forward to it. The last time we went to Lake Mountain, I was on the  cusp of an depression/anxiety diagnosis that Brett did not embrace. It was hard. Apparently crying half an hour into the trip, after the stress of organising all the shit for the trip on my own, was "ruining the whole fucking holiday". Yes, the man in life has less tact than a fucking grenade.

I am so ready for this shit, I am ecstatic.  I'm in a totally different frame of mind. I am going to ace this. And with my amazing mother of three under six neighbour in the cabin next door, I am going to feel so at home. The kid are going to have a ball, and me, well I am going to be having so much fun too.

We have a busy as shit school holidays, with Izzy competing in her first WAG gymnastic championship, in Adelaide, and then now, going to the snow in the second half of the holidays. 

What a ride. 

I'll be hanging on.

What is more exciting, is the Wattle Range Photography competition coming up this Friday night. I have been so looking forward to it, especially now since it was postponed a week. I have thirteen photos entered, and Izzy two. I'll be taking Izzy along with me for the opening of the exhibition. 

One of Izzys, showing people in the Wattle Range council area

I may have one too many photos featuring Summer in the exhibition, which is totes understandable. I don't have too many subjects to photograph besides my own family.

It doesn't matter whether I win anything at all. My mantra for this year was 'be brave'. This is the first year for me entering photos. I am being bold and brave, and having a go. At least, I am getting my photography out there. 

Some of the other photos, are photos of our local area, and this is what I am most excited to share with the wider world. 

Any hoo, back to gorgeous Summer. I asked her some questions via recent Facebook posts I had seen other parents post.

Here are her answers.

What is your name?  Summer
How old are you? four
When is your birthday? Junior (it's so November)
How old is  Daddy? 21, (gag, younger than my eldest son) her dad is 48.
How old is Mummy? 24 (Oh how I wish)
What is your favourite colour? Orange (such a cool colour and has been her favourite colour a long time)
What is your favourite food? Apple
Who is your best friend? Renae
What is your favourite song? Let it go
What is your favourite animal? Dolphin. News to me.
What are you scared of? Lions
What makes you happy? Funny stuff. She likes to watch funny stuff on YouTube. She has the best laugh too and a wicked sense of humour. 
Where is your favourite place to go? Swimming pool.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Shop keeper at Woolies. A couple of weeks ago this was a clothes shop. Now she has her sights set on Woolworths. 
What is Mummy's favourite thing to do? Cooking
What is Daddys favourite thing to do? Work 

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Egg #fmy52weeksofmemories

Easter Sunday morning. Crack of dawn. Isabel came into our bed. She laid there for ten minutes, then asked if she could wake her sister. I said as long as she did it gently. As soon as Isabel quietly mentioned the Easter Bunny to her, she was up!

There was lots of  "Oh my gods" about the foot prints and chocolate treats. Although it was early, it was exciting for me too. I didn't care that their breakfast consisted of Disney chocolate and Cadbury eggs.



Mum put on a pizza night for dinner and we left with our stomachs bursting. I am still getting over it.

The following photos were taken with my camera by Izzy. She likes to use my camera, I know I shouldn't let her play with it, but she loves taking photos and I don't want to discourage her. It could be her 'thing', and I quite like the images she produces from the angle of a six year old.

How I remove dust from my camera sensor

This is a Fess, Little noses snot sucker. The idea is you compress the bulb, then insert into your baby's nose, release the bulb and suck out the snot.

It works awesomely for that purpose, to extract blockages up your baby's nose. It quite frankly grossed my husband out. He doesn't do snot, or poo. He's a fogging woos.

When you're a breastfeeding mum and you have a baby taking umpteen breaths just to have a feed, you do what you can. Especially if that babe is holding on to your nipple with it's teeth, as not to let go of the food source when they are taking that breath. You try ANYTHING!

I did use it. It's a useful thing.

Problem is it's been sitting in my junk draw for the last four years. It's only useful on little babies who can't blow their own nose.

It's not likely you will be able to get rid of it second hand in a hurry. Because SNOT.

I did however find a use for it. It's now in my camera bag. You see I had an annoying, annoying shadow on my photos. It was giving me the shits and after a google search(what else), I found it was from dust on my camera sensor. Before this day, I had no idea what the fog a camera sensor was. I thought it was just dust, or a mark on my lens.

I thought I was doomed, because there was no way I could replace a lens, let alone a Canon camera.

It was a relief finding out what I needed to do, but I didn't have a blower. We have an air compressor in the shed, which was highly recommended I didn't use. I did remember the sucker I had in the junk draw. Only I'd be using it in the reverse, of it's intended use.

The day I realised I had the blight on my photos, was a blustery day at the beach. Got great photos of the fam with our neighbours, but also ended up with a grain of sand, sucked into the camera body, onto the sensor.

I did a lot of photoshopping to get rid of the shadow on a heap of photos. It's inconvenient and sometimes not successful, depending where the blight is.

After putting the Canon EOS camera setting on manual cleaning (which lifts the mirror), I could see the tiniest grain of sand I couldn't see with the mirror in the way. Making sure I did NOT touch the sensor I gave the sensor a puff from the snot sucker, pushing air out as quickly as I could.

I saw the grain of sand disappear before my eyes. Make sure you hold the camera with the sensor facing down, so that whatever is blown out will fall out of the camera body for good. Turn the camera off and the mirror will go back into place.

I put the lens back on and took a photo. No blight. It was gone. Thank fog!

So the snot sucker is now an accessory in my camera bag, for the next time a foreign body finds it's way onto my camera sensor! I have learnt something useful, and it wasn't as scary to fix as I thought. Good old Google.  

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