Here & Now 25

In these last weeks of November, we are counting down days here. Days that will take my son to the end of his primary schooling journey, that will see us make the last of the long drives up and down the highway to the little school, with the alternative educational philosophy, that we love. Days that will see us packing for our much-anticipated family holiday on our beloved Straddie island. November will merge with December soon, and those days will see us looking forward to the Christmas the come. Now though, in this November, it is a time to remember and to celebrate the journey a once-small boy has made through his primary years before we look forward to a new beginning ... 

White Yarrow and little orange Zinnias.

Spring onion seeds collected from our garden.

A tea towel tote bag of vibrant wildflowers.

Healthy & delicious quinoa salad.

A pale yellow nasturtium blooms in my own garden now.

Loving //         Warm November days that are not too hot!

Eating //         Healthy quinoa salads with roasted carrots, asparagus and cranberries. So good!

Drinking //    Two glasses a day of a green drink to support my body's healing and to help bring it

                             back into balance.

                           

Feeling //        Proud of my beautiful boy and nostalgic too as I remember the small fellow he once 
                             was.

Making //       Lots of little handmade things to gift for Christmas.      

Thinking //    I would like to make a knitted star, like the ones in Sarah's garland.

Dreaming //  Of my feet touching the familiar sands of Straddie again.

These are our Novembers days. Others have joined in with Sarah, over at her gorgeous blog Say, Little Hen, to share some of their Novembers too. It's well worth visiting such loveliness.

May your November days be happy ones.

Meg

Here & Now 24

Here, as I write this, it is raining steadily. Our sky is a blanket of heavy, grey cloud that has obscured the view of the horizon to the East. I don't think there will be a chance of rainbows today! The air is damp and cold and I am wearing the Winter woollies I have resisted packing away so far this Spring. Soon, I will make a warm drink for my hands to hold but I'm reluctant to move lest I wake the snoozing Sir Steve dog at my feet. Should he stir, the day will officially begin and I am content with the quiet just now. 

Arum Lily blooms.

(A gift from my Mother-in-Law.)

One creamy cotton washcloth.

(I really need to block it & weave in the ends.)

Tiny & sweet Alyssum.

(The honeybees and native bees both 💛 it.)

Our beautiful elderly statesman.

(Such a gentle soul.)

A single, white Ranunculus bloom.

(Catching the light of a sunnier day.)

Loving //  The warmth of creamier whites.

Eating //  Warm and nourishing meals like this delicious version of Shepherd's Pie.

Drinking //  Lime cordial, in defiance of the weather, and just because I love its zing.

Feeling //  Like the year, and the last of my son's primary school days, are passing by so

                       quickly.

Making //  Less than I would like to be ... but I am adding to my pile of cotton washcloths!

Hoping //  ...  that our farmers, battling the drought, have had some of this

                          beautiful rain.

Dreaming //  Of Straddie island days which, at last count, are only 49 sleeps away!  

Our wet weekend days will be spent cocooned, warm and dry, at home. The furthest we might go is to the little creek, down the hill and round the corner, just to see how fast its flowing and to jump a few puddles along the way. Otherwise, we'll be watching the rain fall beyond the window panes and listening to its music on our roof.

Sarah over at Say, Little Hen, hosts this monthly link-up. I'm not sure if it's raining in her part of the world this morning but you can visit her there for a peek at her gorgeous photos and for links to others joining in to share snapshots of their own days.

Have a lovely weekend, no matter the weather!

Meg

Here & Now 23

Our Winter days here begin and end with glorious skies.  The sun-warmed sky of the early morning glowing with golden fire and the tell-tale dusky pink sky-ribbon that signals a cold night ahead. These days begin and end with extra layers, jumpers upon jumpers and thick socks within  slippers all encased in an extra blanket or two. As each day warms, as most do during our Winter, we peel off some of this extra warmth but enough remains to remind us that this is the coldest season of our year. 

 The gentle light of a fragrant candle.

Warm and nourishing porridge.

A warm blanket for an old friend.

Hearty Winter soup.

 The warming flames of a bonfire.

Now is a time of year I relish for its distinct difference to our Summers; those scorching days seem far away...

Loving //  The gentleness of beautiful Winter's light.

Eating //   Bowls of warming, nourishing soup.

Drinking //  Pepperminty hot chocolates just so I can wrap my hands around the mug!

Feeling //  Toasty in all my Winter layers.

Making //  Time for sewing little things like this sweet tea towel bag.

Thinking //  A fire pit in my backyard would be lovely!

                           

Dreaming //  ... of toasting jaffles and marshmallows in my imaginary fire pit!

Is it Winter or is it Summer where you live?  There are others posting their own Here & Now happenings over with Sarah at Say, Little Hen. You could visit with them awhile there or join in and share some of your season with us.

Meg

Here & Now 21

It's cold here. Positively chilly in contrast to the days last week that reached as high as 28C. The wind has picked up and brought with it a cold briskness that has us rugging up and snuggling in to stay warm. The gum trees along the ridge are bending to the whistling wind's will and the golden leaves of the plane trees are swirling to the ground and forming their own Autumn blanket. In our garden, the first lettuces and bunches of silverbeet have been picked and tiny little fruits are forming now in the centres of delicate native raspberry blossoms. I hope they will ripen into the little ruby red fruits I remember from childhood; I can imagine popping the first ripe one straight into my mouth and tasting memories!

Tiny native raspberries forming in the centres of delicate blossoms.

Shredded silverbeet for early-morning omelettes.

The speckled leaves of a lettuce.

 Clusters of tiny, sweet Allysum flowers.

Loving //  The subtle wafts of honey I breathe in when I run my hands over the sweet Allysum.

Eating //  Omelettes filled with our homegrown silverbeet. 

Drinking // Hot chocolates with swirls of cream. 

Feeling //  Toasty warm.

Making //  Plans for our trip to Melbourne and Sydney coming up soon. 
                       (All other making has ground to a halt!)

Thinking // It's time to bring out the hot water bottles that warm our beds on cold nights.

Dreaming //   Of Melbourne adventures. A visit to the amazing  Queen Victoria Market is very high 
                              on my to-do list.


In just a few days time, we will be in Melbourne where it is apparently going to be even colder than it is here. Brrr!  Might need to pack those hot water bottles. 😉

My Here & Now reflects the season enveloping us in our little pocket of the world. If you'd like to see what others have happening, in their Autumns or their Springs, you can visit the lovely Sarah, over at Say, Little Hen, who hosts this sweet link-up. She's been knitting mice!

Meg

Here & Now 20

We've rarely left home the past couple of weeks. It's school holidays here and with very few plans we've been absorbed by the simple happiness of our home. Gardening, baking, sewing, knitting, reading and playing both inside and outside have filled our days. Friends and family have come to share morning teas and afternoon teas out on the verandah. Sir Steve dog has been for his daily stroll around the neighbourhood and occasionally to the park in the back of our old ute. (He barks the whole way there, sharing his quite obvious joy with everyone!) Nightfall comes earlier now that Autumn is here. We tuck ourselves up in our beds with our books, lightweight blankets ready for the crispness of the early morning air come the morning. These are ordinary days but they are good days...

The Autumnal colours of natural dyes.

Delicious and chewy Honey & Ginger ANZAC biscuits. 

A mustard-y yellow sailor top for Autumn.

A bowl of homemade pumpkin soup.

The beginnings of a shawl.

One of Autumn's changing leaves.

Loving //  All of Autumn's glorious golden colours.

Eating //  Morning tea biscuits out on our verandah. (Chocolate chip cookies & ANZAC biscuits too.)

Drinking //  Sparkling mineral water with a little lime juice squeezed in.

         

Feeling //  Content.

Making //  Plans for how I'll use the little stash of the fabric I dyed ages ago. 

Thinking //  That young people, like this little girl who helped convince her city's council to ban 
                           plastic straws, can be so inspiring. 

Dreaming //  ... of a mid-May holiday to Melbourne, a city I have never visited before!

So, this is the here & now of my April. What's been happening during your April days? To join in with Sarah's lovely link-up, over at Say, Little Hen, just visit her there. She's just moved house and run a knitting workshop so there's lots to read about and her photos are gorgeous too. 

Meg

Here & Now 19

We've had a lot of rain here. Not as much as other areas to the far North, where torrential rain has caused widespread flooding. For many, this rain is a welcome relief from a drought that has parched their landscapes. 

Where I live, there is blue sky again now, dotted with clouds. The returning sun has brought with it the feeling of a season turning. Summer is fading and my favourite season, Autumn, has begun. 

Two skeins of a beautiful hand-dyed yarn.
(from Saltwater Yarns)

 A delicious Pear & Dark Chocolate Loaf.

Milky brown cotton for a new washcloth,

Loving //  The change in the season from Summer to Autumn.

                      Autumnal is one of my most favourite words!  💛

Eating //  Slices of lovely pear and dark chocolate loaf eaten warm when the chocolate
                      is still little sweet puddles.

Drinking //  Water, as always! A twist of lime or lemon too. 

Feeling //  Quite tired and sore. I have developed tendonitis in both feet!

Making //  A few washcloths in latte and chocolate brown cottons.

Thinking //  ... that I may swim laps and knit a lot while my feet heal.

Dreaming// ...   of a first shawl made with yarn the colour of sandstone cliffs.

Over at Say, Little Hen, you will find the lovely Sarah and others who post their own monthly Here & Now lists.  Why not make yourself a cup of tea or coffee (or pour a glass of whatever you fancy) and visit with them awhile? 

Meg

Here & Now 18

The Summer seems to be stretching on, another wave of very hot days is here. Now, the heat keeps me from the garden but for the early morning hours when I wander, hose in hand, under the blue-ing sky. I am especially besotted with the yarrow that is blooming in the garden;  its tiny flowers daisy-like with their little white petals and yellow centres. An ancient plant, said to stand for health and inspiration, I'd love to capture its simple beauty somehow before its flowers fade.

Tightly closed buds in a yarrow flowerhead.

Little buds just beginning to open.

Tiny & sweet yarrow flowers.

Loving //   The tiny, daisy-like flowers of ancient yarrow.

Eating //   Jam drops with sticky, golden centres of apricot jam.

Drinking //  ... in the quietness of home on Summer's weekend mornings.

Feeling //  A little Summer weary.

Making //  Sailor tops and chocolate cakes (a perfect combination!)

Thinking // ... of stitching a cluster of tiny yarrow flowers on the wide hem of my sailor top.

Dreaming //  ... of the gorgeous handmade projects in this lovely magazine.

Lazing in the garden in late afternoon shade.

To look at all the creativity and loveliness that is in other people's photographs, gardens, crafts, baking and projects, you can visit Sarah, of Say Little Hen, who hosts the Here & Now link up. Join in too if you want to, then we can see what is happening in your own here and now.

Meg

Here & Now 17

Our days here of late have been punctuated by showers and the odd thunderstorm; all bringing beautiful rain. The soil is moist to a decent depth and the water tanks are full, ready for the hot Summer weather that I'm sure will come. For now, I am relishing these milder days, overcast skies and the lush growth and blossoming in the garden after rain. 

A little pink puffball on Bees Ruby (Armeria).

 Simple & sweet homemade shortbread.

A vintage doily sewn onto a re-purposed bag. 

My favourite grevillea in bloom.

Loving //  All the native flowers that are out in bloom now. Grevilleas are a favourite!

Eating //  Our own crunchy  cucumbers. So fresh!  Homemade shortbread too. So yummy!

Drinking //  Lots & lots of water!

Feeling //  Content after a day working in our garden.

Making //  Simple things like wrap skirts & little  bags with lovely fabrics & vintage linens.

Thinking //  How wonderful this cool & rainy weather is!

Dreaming //  Of  being in Sydney soon with two of my oldest & closest friends.  

                      

Sarah, over at Say, Little Hen, hosts this lovely little link-up beginning on the 10th of each month. Whenever I see each of her new Here & Now posts, I find myself wondering how it's been a whole month since the last one. It seems time flies!

I hope the early days of your November has been a happy ones.

Meg

                           

Here & Now 16

It is October and the beautiful Jacaranda trees are in bloom now. Their distinctive seasonal flowering, a soft lavender purple, is synonymous with Spring in our sub-tropical city. In our oldest parks and public gardens and along many streets, these majestic trees put on their Spring display. Here, in my little suburb, there are many jacarandas, their spreading branches covered in masses of their beautiful blossoms. These blossoms fall in a swirl of purple that covers the grass and footpaths below in a soft and flowery carpet. I love to walk beneath them ...

Masses of jacaranda flowers 

A carpet of fallen flowers covers the path.

Soft & beautiful purple blossoms.

An almost-silhouette against a greying sky.

Loving //   Jacarandas in bloom, like purple punctuation marks along our streets.

Eating //  Little chocolate chip cookies made with chick peas and peanut butter. 
                     (Back to school biscuits!)

Drinking //  Cold water with a few lemon juice ice cubes for zing!

Feeling //  So very tired. 

Making //  A set of Melissa's red and white peace doves for Christmas giving.

Thinking //  That Christmas gets earlier every year ... 
                        
Dreaming //  Of this distant, but not too distant, shore. It's only seven short weeks away!

I'm not sure what's blooming in your own Here & Now but if you'd like to share, or to peek into the October of others, you can pop over to Sarah at her beautiful blog, Say Little Hen. A visit there will brighten your day!

Meg