Simple Things

Meandered through our paddocks with Trevor last night, just on dusk. The sky was a gorgeous indigo blue and the moon and stars were just starting to appear. We walked down our little lane for a little while, where the holly is still exhibiting gorgeous red berries. Trev wanted me to admire his tractor work - all the clearing and cleaning he's been doing. He's really been doing well, considering he only has weekends really to do anything.

It was lovely walking and discussing our dreams and plans for our future here, with the beautiful possibility of planting a paddock full of peonies!

First we will start small (perhaps 50-100 plants) and simple and see how it goes...but we certainly have the cold climate, similar to Trentham, where peonies thrive. We're not sure if the rascally rabbits will be a problem? Hopefully not...
I'm so pleased that once again we have daylight savings, which somehow lifts our spirits.
I'm really inspired by the UK magazine - "Simple Things" - living and loving the simple life. That's what I'm doing here, living and loving the simple life and always praising and thanking God for it!!
In this magazine, I'm reminded to :
GROW because nothing beats the satisfaction of growing your own...so we are planning our veggie patch, planning our peony paddock and we're already growing fruit trees, olive trees, and elderflower plants. I'm excited that the iris are coming again and will actually flower this year!

COOK because the real joy is in the preparing and sharing...I went back to "an oldie but a goodie" and made Apricot Chicken again and I'd forgotten how lovely it is - everyone enjoyed it! I played with simple, poached pears and I've also shown the boys how to make a cooked breakfast of bacon and eggs on toast and preparing a coffee, so they can make us breakfast in bed in the future!

 DISCOVER because it feels so good to try &/or find something different...so I'm trying more graphic design work and playing with typography, chalkboard designs, photography and Instagram and I'm planning to try more online ideas. I've also been discovering and finding gorgeous birds and their song, early in the morning at dawn.

SHARE because its family and friends that share our lives - the Saturday coffee shops, the Sunday walks, the BBQs in our backyard fire-pit.

After busy days at school, it is important to STOP!...& take a moment - find a quiet place and read (for me that usually means reading a magazine although I wish I had time to read a novel)...as well as take a moment to draw. Ah, simple delights...
I'm loving Spring - the green, green, GREEN everywhere...

...the newborn animals around, watching our boys play football or ride their bikes around, delighting in the bluebells that have appeared, enjoying meals on the verandah, savouring "Spring rains" and I could go on. (Although I'm always sad when the beautiful blossoms disappear and are replaced with green leaves.)

We've been chasing childhood memories, but as "Simple Things" says, "the future too will be full of "Remember when?" days"...The days we did Simple Things!

Simple Things...