Wagga Wagga to Worcestershire & back again
As I sit here typing away, rain is falling steadily on the roof. Out of the window, mist enshrouds the paddocks that lie to the south of the house, there is crow squawking away on top of a lamp post and the air has a chill about it – autumn has well and truly arrived.
It’s only in the last few days that it’s felt like the season has changed, and that shift seems apt for life at the moment…
Continue reading “April”
It’s been a week since Adam, Paul and myself moved into our new house and we’re starting to settle in nicely. There are still boxes that need to sorted through and unpacked; there’s a lot of styling to do; and our yard is still mud- but we’re in!
It’s been a long process to get to where we currently are. There were a number of unforeseen, out-of-our-control situations that came up during the purchase of our land and during the build, at one point Adam and I were thinking it was all too difficult, but we’re so glad we persisted…
Continue reading “June”
A little while ago I signed up to a locally based fresh produce service. It’d been something I’d been considering for a while, but for one reason or another I never made the commitment – What if the box contained something myself or Adam didn’t like? What if Paul went on a toddler induced ‘no fruit or vegetables’ strike? What if I ended up wasting food? In the end though, I decided the pros outweighed the cons and quite a few weeks int my subscription, I’m so glad I decided to take the plunge…
Continue reading “April”
Well, here we are – Christmas is nigh and another year is rapidly drawing to a close. When I first started writing this blog, a little over five (!) years ago I wasn’t really sure what to expect. It started as a way to document life in a new country. Since then a lot of life has happened – marriage, a baby, a global pandemic. It’s been quite the ride and it’s been both cathartic and challenging at times to share that with you…
Continue reading “Summer salutations”
August has turned into quite a month. It started with catch-ups with friends and exploring local parks. It’s ending with working from home and shopping for essentials only. The one week lockdown that was recently announced for regional New South Wales has turned into two and it’s anyone’s guess as to when restrictions will be lifted.
Despite the recent onslaught of statistics and information relating to this latest COVID outbreak on Australian’s eastern seaboard, I’m still finding little joys in the every day. Now more than ever, it feels like that’s important and should be celebrated.
This is what’s been making me smile this month…
Continue reading “What’s making me happy: August”
After more than 12 months of relatively ‘normal life’, in this COVID era we now find ourselves living in, regional New South Wales was placed in official lockdown this weekend past. It’s a situation many of you know well and with it brings a sense of anxiousness – about what we’re dealing with right now and what might come over the weeks and months to follow.
At this stage the lockdown is set to last seven days, but as recent history has proven these lockdowns often get extended. Last time we were in lockdown at the start of this COVID crisis, I was on maternity leave with a baby a few months old, Adam’s business took a huge hit and it was really stressful not knowing what the future had in store. This time round, I’m an essential worker, Adam’s business has evolved to assist in times like these and Paul is an active toddler full of words, opinions and adventure. In some respects it feels like we’re in a better situation this time round, but with that position comes a whole heap of new stresses too.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the challenges this next week will bring, and also how to go about processing this current state of uncertainty too…
Continue reading “Lockdown life”
About 11 months ago, Adam and I decided to embark upon building a new house. To be perfectly honest, we probably thought come August 2021 we’d have moved and be settling in to our next home – but we still haven’t actually broken ground yet.
There were delays that were out of our control, which pushed progress back by a good couple of months. At one stage we nearly abandoned the project altogether, it just felt like we were running into hiccup after hiccup. In the end though, we just couldn’t walk away. We loved our block of land and decided we just needed to ride with the speed bumps. And now we’re getting tantalisingly close…
Continue reading “The 2021 project”
It’s been a week of contrasts at our house. It started slow, grey and sickly and ended with friends, farmyard animals and sparkling sunshine. It’s been a week very much focused on Paul, but likewise also focused on finding snippets of time just for me.
This is the week that was…
Continue reading “The week that was”
It’s been a bit of a month. Between my head-cold (which dragged on for around a fortnight) and Paul’s stay in hospital, June has felt a little underwhelming to be completely honest. The days are shortening rapidly and we’ve had a run of foggy, drizzly days , but I think that’s been a bit of a blessing. It’s encouraged recuperation and resting and I feel like I can confront these last few weeks of June with a renewed energy. Despite the stresses of the last few weeks, as always, there were still moments of joy.
This is what’s been making me smile this month…
Continue reading “What’s been making me happy: June”
It’s been a rather quiet seven days for me, as I stepped away from the normal routine to care for Paul who was struck down last week with a combination of viral and bacterial infections. As the week went on though the cheery, cheeky toddler returned and I tried to make the most of the one-on-one time we had. It’s been a week of glorious weather, of subdued pottering and of heightened perception of the world around me.
This is how my last seven days looked…
Continue reading “The week that was”
Wattle and Ash 