Visiting family and the The Heidi Museum of Modern Art

A few weeks ago I took time out for the first time without my children and flew down to Melbourne to visit my brother who as been quite unwell lately. Just taking two days out, the longest and furthest I have ever been away from my littlies was difficult, something I never would have done if my brother had not been sick. Fortunately he is recovering well and we could actually enjoy time together.


We made it out to lunch, going to the Heidi Museum of Modern Art to see the gardens and sculptures. I enjoyed seeing my brother excited by the art, spending time with family and seeing the beautiful gardens. They time away was so good. Knowing that my children were happy and safe with their Daddy, I could really enjoy myself. I felt like I had the rare experience of viewing the gardens (and eating my meals and shopping...) at an adult's pace, not driven by the time line and needs of my children.

I felt a little guilty about how much I liked this! My husband and his voice of reason reminded me that it was the first time that I had been away from our children like that, being me and not mother me or teacher me, but me being allowed to focus of just being sister me without juggling the others at the same time. I can never stop being mother me and I certainly didn't stop thinking about my children. Knowing and trusting that they were safe without me for more than a few hours was liberating and I think perhaps a mind shift for me for the better. My children are just turned 2 and going on 4 and I am starting to get some of myself back...

When I left to come home, I felt like thanking my brother for getting sick so I could spend the time with him. I realised that visiting him, my sister and step mother is much easier now than it has been in a long time, and know that it is something that I can do relatively easily again. I'm not sure how long it will be till my brother is medically able to fly again, but I hope to see him again soon, especially as my popping down for a visit is now a more viable option!

Mother's Day

Mother's day today. I had a day spent out doors with mothers in my family. Breakfast was mine, with beautiful, tasty pancakes made by my husband and children (actually not outdoors as our outdoor setting was borrowed by my mother in law for her lunch). I did get to potter in my own garden for a bit, in pyjamas and slippers :) The temperature was still low, but the morning sunlight warmed my back as I relaxed and enjoyed my space.

Morning tea - more of the traditional Mother's Day breakfast from my own childhood. We had croissants on a sunny deck with my mum as my children explored the yard. Mum will be moving closer to us soon - I am excited about the possibilities that it will open up and the closeness and support that will be achieved from this.

Lunch with my Nan, Mum and Aunts. Once again outside. Beautiful Autumn air, colourful changing leaves and the warmth of the midday sun.

After lunch I joined my husband and children with his extended family who also had finished lunch and were settling into coffee, cake and outside play. Bustling with people, it was vibrant with play and conversation.

As the sun's glow was cast behind the trees and the afternoon chill setting in, we made our way home. With tired children and a day spent outdoors, my boy came over to me. "Cuddle Mummy". Scooping him into my arms and a kiss on the forehead, he was asleep.

My Mother's day afternoon was not spent outside gardening as I had imagined. Instead I was cuddled on the couch with sleeping boy in arms and girl by my side. Gardening is one thing I love to do with and for my children, and plan to do for many years to come. But sleeping cuddles is a very limited occurrence, with opportunities dwindling.

As I type, my children play happily together and the smell of a gorgeous dinner cooked by my husband wafts to me, beaconing me into the evening. I feel so happy to have such wonderful people in my life, and that two of them call me "Mum".

My May Garden is missing a cat

The pumpkins are out (well over 70...), the big bean plot has come out and the garden is looking very bare... This time I didn't feel so much of the loss of the plants as I was clearing up, but more the sadness of my cat. Remembering seeing her in her hiding spots, taking in the sun or napping. I still call out for her to come in - I wonder when it is time to stop trying.

The broccoli bed has been dug over and the little home raised seedlings have gone in. Broccoli is a firm favourite in my house hold, so growing them is always very exciting. This year I an trying a number of different methods to ward off the cabbage butterfly from laying its eggs on my brassicus. I have interplanted my seedlings with lettuce, ruby chard (silverbeet) and herbs including parsley and coriander in an attempt to confuse the butterfly with smell and different shades of green.


I read somewhere that white half egg shells deters the butterfly as it is tricked into thinking that another butterfly is or has laid its eggs there already. White egg shells come from Leghorn chickens and it seems that the freerange chicken eggs that we buy are from a different breed of chicken, so don't have the white shells I require. So the milk bottle butterfly idea was born. Butterfly shapes cut out of milk bottles and stuck on skewers to mimic butterflies. Now to see if it makes any difference!

Olives

This past weekend my Mum and I got out the ladders and picked a tub full of olives. My littlies had lots of fun helping us pick the plump black olives, tossing them into the tub and squeezing them until their hands were stained purple. Fortunately they didn't squash too many and we rescued a fair amount of olives ready for curing.


This year we decided to split the olives between us and try curing them different ways. We have slit some and pressed others, then are leaching out the bitterness in one lot with plain water, one lot with salted water and one lot is dry salted.

I really like the process of preparing foods, such as drying and jam making, although this is the first time that I have tried curing. I'm looking forward to tasting the results! Perhaps if we get a good result we might find a spot for an olive tree in our yard...