At Four Months...

 

good morning!

 

with mr m sharing my computer,

it feels like i am a visitor who pops in now and then

&

i feel the need to reconnect today

to see how everyone's faring.

 

on my 'visiting days'

i usually try to skype my little grandson.

 

he is now four months old

&

in taiwan where he lives

they have a few customs that are very different

to us here in australia.

 

 

 

 

one of those

is the tradition of tying a red string

with cookies...or more recently...

the trend of tying donuts

around the neck of the baby and family and friends

eat them.

 

 

 

i'm not sure

what this means really

but maybe you've heard of it

and can let me know.

 

little kai also had his first swim recently

&

was accompanied by about forty other babies

who were born at about the same time as him.

 

sounds like good fun!

 

i'm off to shop for dog food

in the cool of the morning

&

then when it gets hotter

i'm heading down to the pool myself to keep cool...

my kinda fun.

 

i hope you've got some fun things lined up for today...

or maybe the weekend

too!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 



How does your garden grow?

 

good morning!

 

when i last wrote,

i lay down my pen...so to speak...

&

took a rest.

 

it was like at the end of all those 500 posts

i'd finished

&

really didn't know whether i'd take it up again.

 

 

 

but this morning

after a dry spell

i leapt out of bed and there had been a storm in the night.

the world was new again.

 i had a desire to write again as well...

to share something fresh.

 

 

 

i don't know quite where i'm heading

with all this

but as with life itself...

it'll just unfold

&

a story will be told!

 

 

 

oh what a beautiful morning...

oh what a beautiful day....

 

doris day here is warbling away!

 

have a great day...

 

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 

 



A Bit About This & That!

 

hi!

how are you?

 

today i feel the need to just chat a bit...

 

 

 

life is full of little opportunities,

like the time the sun was just shining perfectly

on this tiny spiderweb

&

despite its broken unevenness

it made a moment beautiful.

 

of course not all moments are beautiful are they?

 

mr m has had a heart infection over the past few weeks

fortunately after many tests

the most recent tell us he's on the mend

and his heart size is back to normal...

 

then mr m's dog became very unwell...

it turned out that she had a two cancers in her uterus.

a week and a half ago

she had a hysterectomy and the vet took out the aggressive cancer...

the size of a baseball!

she's on the mend

&

bouncing about like it never happened!

 

 

 

ms b is transforming our garden

she's truly a green thumbed girl

like her auntie jill and both grandmas.

she's planted this pot of sweet Williams

&

tool boxes full of pansies and renunculas

to bloom in spring.

lavender and mondo grass to withstand the summer heat

&

fuschias, hibiscus and frangipanis

now grace our garden as well.

what a treasure a good gardener is!

 

our tiny kai is now 3 months old!

it has sped by and he's growing up

faster than a weed...hehe!

check out this bright baby boy...

 

he's the apple of his grandma's eye.

 

how are things at your house?

we have plenty to be grateful for.

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



No Sugar Please!

 

hello!

 

 

 

today i am celebrating

having been {almost} sugar free

white flour free

practically processed foods free

for six weeks.

 

i say 'almost' & 'practically'

'cos

i allow myself one day a month

to indulge in anything i may be totally yearning for

&

sometimes a little tiny bit of white flour or sugar may

creep into a meal

as a thickener or to enhance a flavour

but

for as much as possible i have stuck to it.

 

was it easy?

not at first.

it was ok for the first few days

then it got harder

before it got easier again.

the best video inspiration?
go to youtube,
watch "sugar: the bitter truth"...enlightening!

 

meals were not much of a problem...

basically meat or protein with veges/salad.

 

snacks...

i have learned to love nuts, raisins, dates

& fresh fruit,

sometimes a bit of cheese.

 

desserts...

my favourite is

greek full fat yoghurt, banana,

a tsp honey and a bit of fresh cream...yummo.

this satisfies all my sweet 'n' creamy desires!

 

have i lost weight?

yes...not really fast but it's going.

 

what are the advantages then?

i sleep better.

i'm happier with a clear conscience knowing

my body is getting vitamins and minerals it needs to thrive and heal.

i am more energetic.

i'm setting a better example for my family.

 

i want this to be a way of life, not a diet.

it's early days yet

but

i've got this far!

 

what good things are you doing for yourself today?

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

p.s...what did i indulge in on those two days?  first day in july, american marshmallows and sausage rolls for dinner....second day in august, sticky date pudding with caramel sauce and cream! i wonder what september's will be?

 

 

 

 



Around the Backyard...

 

hi!

 

i know it's been a while...i apologise.

 

things have been pretty stressful around here

&

when i'm in turmoil

my creative energy leaves me completely.

 

there were a few years

when i didn't get 'round to anything creative at all...

probably serving out the dinner attractively

or brushing my daughters hair into a ponytail smoothly

were the artiest things i did at that time.

 

well thankfully

those days have passed

&

i have only needed a few weeks so far...hehe!

 

 

i thought i'd take you on a little tour

of the happenings in our backyard today...just for fun.

 

 

 

 

 

i haven't seen this variety of pansy before...

we found a metal toolbox to plant them into...

much cheaper than a ceramic or plastic pot.

 

 

 

 

 

we couldn't resist buying this stunning hibiscus either.

 

 

we have had many days recently

cleaning walls and furnishings

and rearranging the furniture

to fit an extra body in the house.

 

 

 

we thought a pot of lavender

at the front steps

would be just the thing to survive

the intense afternoon heat

of queensland's summer sun.

 

i haven't bought seedlings for ages

&

it was a lot of fun shopping for them

with my newly arrived home daughter!

 

are you thinking of spring yet?...

just a few weeks away now

down here in australia!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 

 



This Week...

 

good morning!

 

i'm just taking the time

on this rainy saturday

to think about some lovely things

that i enjoy at the moment...

 

my daughter arrived home after two and a half years spent in canada...yay!

 

spending time catching up and sharing coffee with her and my daughter in law...lovely!

 

hearing and seeing baby kai on skype...marvellous!

 

enjoying time out from regular events 'cos it's school holidays here...refreshing!

 

&

 

the little things...

 

 

 

sipping a hot mug of green tea this morning

 

 

 

finding a different google illustration when i switched the computer on this morning,
a reminder of the tour de france coming up...

 

looking forward to a friend's birthday lunch today,
good food and great company with much laughter and silliness...

 

makes this day special.

 

i hope today is special for you as well...

happy weekend!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



All Kinds of Wonderful!

good morning!

 

this morning is all kinds of wonderful...

the sun is shining,

the bed linen is changed,

the washing is drying on the clothes line,

the dishes are done,

the ensuite is clean,

the dinner is cooking in the slow cooker...

 

kai is four weeks old today...

 

 

 

his dad has just informed me

that he's having his belly button checked this morning...

 

my ladies beach beanie is finished...

{it's called that 'cos i think it would make the perfect beanie

for walking along a beach on a cool windy day!}

 

 



 

i like the way it's looking

with its contrasting tiny stripes.

 

isn't it amazing how a little bit of sunshine...

and feeling heaps better after beating the lurgy...

can energise a person!

 

how's the weekend looking from your end?

 

haveagoodone!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 



Friday Snippets...

good morning!

 

i'm just quietly celebrating friday here.

it's queen's birthday weekend

so a long one for us with monday off work for mr w...and some of the boys.

 

it has been a normal week here...

no new babies

no falling down steps

or other nonsense...

thank goodness.

 

so i've just put together a few photos to capture

a normal week here...

 

 

..snuggling up warmly and comfortably

is popular at night here in front of the tv or computer...

 

 

 

 

 

...a bit more knitting has been done

over the past couple of days.

{ a beach ladies beanie actually??}

 

 

 

 

there's always washing up to do every day...

but the oranges are lovely freshly picked

from an orchard just up the road a bit...juicy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i love my new black tempered glass 'black board'...

i bought it yesterday from aldi...only $14.99.

i think it's a bargain..

my new toy.

 

mr m was very efficient putting it up for me...

he did a great job and it only took him 5 mins!

 

what's going on at your place?

 

have a great weekend!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

ps...some of you think we have baby kai here...unfortunately location wise he is in taiwan and we're in australia.  skype and email are our best friends!

 

 

 

 

 



Fallen...

good morning to you!

 

i must say the morning has improved with age..

 



heading down these very same steps this morning was a very different matter!

 

as usual these days

every second week mr m and i have a very early start.

just after half past three in the morning

i take him to work.

 

just as he's putting on his shoes and socks

i head out the door to warm up the car,

saying, "i'll meet you in the car".

 

that said i stepped outside and noticed the bulb in the outside light was blown.

i thought to myself...

'i'd better be a bit careful on the stairs'.

 

ha!

i can't take my own advice.

i stepped off the second to bottom step

&

bit the dirt.

 

i squealed in surprise ...and a bit of pain...

but the only creatures to notice

were the dogs across the road.

i lay in complete shock

spitting out bits of pencil pine

and dirt.

 

first check...my glasses...not broken..sigh of relief.

second check..my beautiful near new 'sacs' purple handbag...

brushing it off...it survived too.

 

nothing broken...good.

thank goodness for strong bones...and a bit of padding!

jumper...dirty.

knees...scraped.

 

later i noticed i was still finding grit in my mouth

and in my hair.

i got up very slowly...a bit embarrassed really...

at stepping out into thin air

and falling over like a school kid..hehe...

a bit pleased that it was the middle of the night, in the dark,

where the world wasn't watching.

 

i limped to the car.

mr m emerged from the house.

i told my story.

he was surprised...hehe..he didn't feel the earth quake

or hear my protest.

 

i'm all washed up now

but nursing my tender leg and a knee that's a little stiff.

i'll recover,

but today i'm a fallen woman.

 

bottom step...

i fell for you once

but never again

if i can help it!

 

unfortunately i know for sure

that i can't fly...oh well.

 

have you ever taken a fall?

 

{maybe i've been too proud lately.}

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 



 

 



Creatively Exhausted!

 

my creative mojo is gone with the wind this week...

last week every spare minute was spent crocheting the rug,

when i finished that i cast on another baby beanie,

blue this time.

 

i finished quickly...

but then

i think i was creatively exhausted.

 

{parsley & thyme, a gift from a sweet friend}

 

sunday..mother's day...

i didn't want to knit, crochet, sew or even read or watch tv.

 

the boys gave me two angry birds computer games

so it was loaded

and it has been a week of playing a few games

inbetween all the usual stuff.

 

i think it's just what i've needed this week.

 

tomorrow is 'show day' here...a public holiday...just in our town,

it is there so the locals have a chance to visit their local show.

different places have different 'show days' here in queensland.

 

'baby bean's' mum is booked in on saturday for a c section..

he's a breech baby just like his dad was.

we have bought a banner and balloons and party poppers...

stashed a good bottle of wine too.

we'll  have a skype party when the good news comes through.

 

i hope you're pacing yourself creatively this week...

a nice balance will do,

so you don't burn out too!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 



Mopping Up...

 

hello...

and thank you for your kind & supportive comments

on our fire event last sunday.

 

 

the shaking has ceased

my equilibrium has returned.

after some thought

my husband seems to think that

due to the temperature readings the firies took...

that the self cleaning mode

has somehow clicked in by itself.

 

apparently this self cleaning mode

brings the plates on the insides of the oven

up to 800 degrees celsius

where they burn off any food or oil in the oven

and then when the oven is cool

you just sweep up the ashes.

 

i think

that because there had been a more substantial spill

on the floor of the oven,

that it caused flames to ignite with that extreme temperature.

 

well there is nothing but a little ash now

on the bottom of the oven.

we still need to have an electrician out to have a look

and maybe an insurance assessor.

 

 

 

 

....but the dogs have had a few delicious dinners

off the leg of lamb now...

and today kara finished off the last bone...

she's lying down

with a very rounded tummy

here now...hehe!

 

 now back to knitting,

preparing bible studies,

organising myself for mainly music

&

other normal weekly events...

 

 

i hope your week is rolling along smoothly!

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 





Wordless Wednesday...Lizard in the Back Yard!

 

 

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 



While They Were Sleeping...

 

another very early 'good morning' to you!

 

this time mr m needed a lift to work

so i'm up early again.

 

the photos i showed you yesterday

were from the coast of taiwan

that we visited just over a year ago.

 

miss b will be there soon

and it brought back memories of our visit.

here are a couple more...

 

 

 

they are from the north western coastline,

the rock formations were unlike any i've seen

with their rounded tops.

 

the day we visited was wet and windy,

just like it has been here the last couple of days.

i love that kind of weather though,

it is invigorating to be out in,

dramatic and wild...

cool but not cold.

 

 

china

was just across the sea...not far at all.

 

it seems amazing to me

that a little baby will be born in taiwan

who will be a part of our family.

 

genetically coded to be one of us...

and yet belong to a country we hadn't known until recently.

the things life brings are incredible really,

things we never think of until they're reality.

wonderful!

 

funny,

the things you think of

early in the morning!

 

have a wonderful day...

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 



Seizing the Moment...

 

good morning!

 

it's very early morning here.

 

 

 

every second week

mr m has to be at work by 4 a.m.

&

i find myself waking up at 3 or thereabouts

in sympathy.

 

mostly i just go back to sleep when his car drives off

but this morning i'm wide awake.

 

my mind was buzzing with some material

i'm teaching later this morning

&

i've just done some extra prep

that i was too tired to do last night.

 

 

 

the early hours of the morning

are like a bonus to the day.

they are good hours for thinking

when the house is quiet

&

a special kind of stillness pervades the neighbourhood.

even the birds are silent.

by the time they

start their morning chorus

i'll be back in bed

just catching a few extra zzzzz's

before getting up for real

this morning!

 

what opportunities

await you today i wonder?

 

seize the moment

&

live life to the fullest and a little differently....today!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 



Let's Catch Up!

 

good morning!

 

 

let's catch up...

let's face it,

i haven't been around much lately,

just been generally busy really,

but i have been knitting too.

 

i've finished knitting my stripey blue scarf

and i'm up to sewing in all those pesky little ends...

the downside of so many stripes!

hopefully sometime this week i'll have pictures to show you.

 

 

can you see the raindrops on the tree in the backyard?

yes...it's raining again.

hopefully not too much.

we had a minor flood event last week

after our major one last month.

fortunately the centre of town wasn't affected

and the swimming pool was still open.

 

i've been swimming almost every day...

i can now do several laps at a time,

a big improvement.

when i started at the beginnning of january

i couldn't swim...or backstroke...one.

i was very rusty...and all my joints were clicky...hehe!

 

how has church been?..you ask politely.

it's been a blast!...i say.

we have seen miracles, this weekend.

clark taylor has been ministering to us.

he prayed for my friend fiona

and her back has been healed.

she can feel a toe,

that due to a pinched nerve in her back,

she has not been able to feel in two years.

 

it's been quite a time.

 

i've been visiting you all...

every few days,

'cos i want to keep up to date on your comings and goings

and see what you've made.

you're very creative you know.

 

thanks for sharing a cuppa today...

i'll catch up with you again very soon, i promise.

 

have a great day!

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 

 

 



Flooding Rains!

hello again!

 

unbelievably

this week we've got floods..hehe!

 

it has rained incessantly for the last four days

with mighty gusts of wind to boot.

there are jacaranda leaves and twigs and even branches

littering the ground

&

our bush with the orange berries

snapped off to ground level

narrowly missing the laundry trolley and clothesline.

 

now, look at this...sideways..hehe!

 

 

there are about seven little poinciana seedlings
which have sprouted suddenly since the rain started.

they are all about 3-4 inches high already
after only 4 rainy days...
trying to turn my desert of mud into a forest!

isn't life grand?

sorry about the sideways photo.
tim took the photo on his ipad
and when he sent it to me my computer refused to let it be edited,
so i couldn't rotate it...?????

the whole house feels damp now
and the eastern windows won't open as the wood has swollen,
shutting them tight!
she's a funny old house alright!

this afternoon
we went rubbernecking.
there's always a good view of the flood levels
at macca's {..mcdonald's, for those who are outside the land of oz}.
a hot apple pie each
was a welcomed afternoon tea today.
it was nice to be cool enough to enjoy something hot for a change!

we have our fingers crossed
that the swimming pool won't go under the floodwaters
just as we've grown to love our daily swims too.

i hope things are well with you...

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 



Nuts!

 

 

hi!

 

i got up early this morning...around five.

after washing up

i decided to reorganise my linen drawer.

it is deep and wide.

in fact,

whole universes have probably dwelt there under the layers of tablecloths and doilies!

 

 

realistically,

it was a huge mess.

there were not only tablecloths and assorted linens

but out of date bags of spices..coriander seeds anyone?

 

 

 

then right down the bottom

there was a big bag of macadamia nuts

&

another bag of walnuts..in their shells.

i think they may have been from christmas 2011!

 

 

so i've tweaked my cabinet vignette from yesterday

&

displayed the walnuts in a beautiful handmade wooden bowl

which mr w made himself

&

then decided to put mr owl on a pedestal of books...

all owls read books at night,

it makes them wise..hehe!

 

 

i've washed all of the linen today...just to freshen it up...

polished the coffee table

&

cleaned the louvre windows in the kitchen.

 

all in all a satisfying day of progress.

 

how are you doing today...

lazing on holidays or planning your new year?

both are good!

 

 

naturally Carol xox


p.s...blogger won't let me upload pics from my computer at the moment...so these are ones i was fiddling with for doing up my header that mr w. complained was too big for his laptop..so i altered it...just in case you were wondering!

 



Slow Down January!

 

good afternoon!

 

i have been messing around with this today,

changing the header and colours...

i'm quite liking a kind of woodsy rustic feel at the moment.

 

 

 

i think i've caught it from some of the delightful fabrics around

&

all of those christmas deer ornaments.

there aren't any squirrels in australia

so miss b just had to send her dad one this year

&

i found a brown owl languishing at the back of a cupboard

while looking for christmas platters in december!

 

 

after the christmas tree went

there was a bare patch,

which i've filled with a cabinet to hold mr m's things.

 

 

 

now,

who could resist the opportunity to freshen up the corner

with a few woodsy folk,

a couple of apples,

gingerbread and cinnamon candles

&

a nice green pot plant?

 

tomorrow

i may just attack another corner of clutter...

 

 

but

january

please slow down!

 

i'm enjoying you too much to have you rush past fast!

 

 

do you get the urge to organise and clean at this time of the year...

it must be something about the idea of a new start.

 

what do you think?

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 



xox from Mum...

 

hi!

 

when most school leavers

are going to 'schoolie's week' down at the coast,

my friend's daughter has gone to thailand

to help at 'destiny rescue'.

{a halfway house/charity that gives young women a chance at another life style

after they have been sold or enslaved, against their will, into a life of prostitution.}

 

 

she has gone armed with small gifts

&

her guitar.

her aim is just to encourage them in their new journey

and to make some new friends.

 

 

her mum is a legend.

as well as making and selling

hundreds of jars of homemade jam,

lemon and passionfruit butter

for her daughter's trip

 

she is renovating her bedroom

while she's away.

 

 

 

the windows have all been reputtied

and the walls undercoated.

 

 a couple of friends and i went around there this morning

and my job was to sand down the furniture

ready for painting...white.

 

there will be white walls

except for one...

 

 

 

 

this fabric

will be made into cushions for her bed...

 

 

i hope it will be the best surprise for her!

 

 

yesterday,

was mary's funeral...

a young woman, a friends daughter,

who died going to work a week and a half ago.

 

rest in peace, mary.

 

she had a smile as wide as the sky,

an infectious laugh

&

was a loyal mate

with a passion for life & love.

 

 

tomorrow...

a bag to make...two cushions & an apron.

well, that's the plan.

 

what have you got planned for the weekend?

whatever it is..

do it with all your heart...

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 

 



Gates.

 

good morning!

 

firstly...

a big thank you for all your thoughts and prayers

for my friend and her family...

the peace of God is evident there.

 

further down my street

a gate caught my eye.

the house is empty right now.

 the front gate stands...

 

 

alone!

 

then there was this one i noticed

directly across the road...

 

 

as you can tell

i live in an area with plenty of character!

 

it led me to wondering though.

 

i wondered when it was

that these gates got opened or closed

for the last time.

 

isn't it funny

how we lay things aside.

maybe it was the last time you rode your bike

or put on roller blades

or twirled wearing your favourite twirly skirt.

 

we never think

'this is the last time'.

it just happens...

silently

while new gates are opening

meanwhile.

 

mr m made these...

 

 

they looked like chocolate earthquakes..haha!

 

 

very chocolatey

light and cakey inside...

good with a cup of tea to wash them down!

so big

half was enough.

 

i'm tossing up

whether to go to mainly music today.

it's not my week

but some of the helpers will be away.

 

....and it's ms s's birthday.

i can't wait 'til she gets up

so i can give her

her presents.

are you like that too?

as soon as i wrap something up

i want to give it and see them open it..hehe!

 

much love to you all...

 

naturally Carol xox