Time to Reflect.

The sun was already low in the west when I closed the door on the farm accounts, escaping to stretch my legs and breathe some fresh air.  The dog leaped out from under the house, tail wagging. He finds book work boring too! 

A kookaburra kept one eye on us as we passed him by,

 but his gaze was out to the distance.

Down the hill we went at a spritely pace towards the dam

 surrounded by gum trees.

Cobba  frightened a pair of ducks and they took off  in an excited flap to circle above us. Tiny flying insects and water boatmen, and the plop of a water dragon launching from the bank, were all that remained.  

Clouds reflected in the rippled water

                               Cobba waited for me ~  not so patiently!

Gum leaves wafted in the breeze as I trudged up the hill.

There's always something to catch your eye 

(and let you get your breath back!) on the way up.

The sun was setting as I reached home, lovely soft soothing colours.

  I fed the dog, brought in some wood, 

and headed inside without another thought.

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As I am about to publish this post I am sitting with a heat pack on my lower back, having done too much in the garden yesterday.  My back is now suffering the consequences.  

It has made me think about just how much I take for granted every day ...... being able to go for a walk, bend down to pick up a feather, reach up to study leaves on a tree....things that you don't think about until you can't do them. For me it is just temporary, but others are not so lucky.  I hope that I will appreciate these things just a little more now.  

How about you?

I'm beginning to see the light.

I have been floundering with my blog since I decided to have a break from selling my potato jewellery. 

Why am I blogging if not to showcase my wares?  I have always enjoyed blogging, but now it seems to have no purpose.  

I read two fabulous and inspiring blog posts, one from Tasha Chawner, and one from Catherine at Foxglove Lane.  They both set me in a spin, and got me thinking.

So when I woke up the next morning and looked out of the window, 

a mist enveloped my world, but unlike most dull misty mornings,

this one was seared by sunlight.

 I was drawn outside, away from the warmth of the fire

and the early morning coffee.

I woke the startled dog from his sleep in his cosy kennel

 and closed the garden gate behind me.

  

The distant sun-glow beckoned me towards it, out across the hill paddock, 

under the fence, to the trees beyond.  The dog was way ahead!

Magpies were warbling, kookaburras cackling, 

rosellas reeling with delight in the morning air.

Like my mind, the spiky branches were a tangled mass

 ~  muddled, darting in all directions ~ a blur.

Suddenly in a flash, fingers of light were thrusting through the trees

 in an ordered fashion ~ not chaotic, all over the place ~  

but directed, purposeful and....yes, stunningly beautiful.

Everything seemed to fall into place.

It all became clear.  I could see above the mist.
  

I wandered back across the fields to home. 

Back in our sunny kitchen my husband was making a cuppa.

"I've had a wonderful walk and taken loads of photos" I said  

"and best of all, I've worked out why I'm blogging!"  

"Because you love it" was his instant reply!  

He knew all along, I just never asked.

Thank you too, Tasha and Catherine!

We need space sometimes to soak up what may be obvious to others.  

A good walk always enables me to sort out my mind.  How about you?

Lovely day to share

Hands up who loves spending time with their grand child!  Me too!  Wanted to share a tiny part of my lovely day with you.

Morning started early, water vapour from planes way up high,
 as I headed down the mountain to mind my grand daughter for the morning.

Reached my daughter's place in nearby Bellingen.
Colours of fading flowering gum quite delish!
Linking this photo with Mandarin Orange Monday

Lasiandra and bunting welcomed me in.

Darling grand daughter and I headed for coffee 
and fun at you know where!

She has the most delightful facial expressions!

Appointments dealt with, met up again with daughter and son in law
for lunch break at Botanic Gardens in Coffs Harbour.

The Grass Trees are just one of the attractions

Son in law went back to work & after some quick shopping I left sleeping baby girl
 at home with Mum & headed back up to my mountain home

Where the sun's fingers were tickling the hills 

And making their own special magic

Hubby had some fish cooking on the stove as the sun went down.
No complaints!

Grand children are pretty special, and so are grand parents. Do you have a special memory of a grand parent, or moment with a grand child that you could share with us?  Would love to hear:)

Garden in the Mist

Hello there, I'm so glad you could take a few moments to join me for a  peek into my garden in the mist.  The place was all damp and dewy and cloudy and misty and not a breath of wind.  The birds were flitting around with excitement ......come on, let's tiptoe over the rain drenched lawn and see what we can see....

Agapanthus bud enjoying a drink!

Mist over the Mountain

Do you spot a little visitor?

Yep, that's him, Mr Superb Fairy Wren!

And enjoying the scenery 

Just checking the time of day

Grasses and Thrift take centre stage to the prolifically flowering groundcover rose

Kangaroo Paw in all it's splendour

Agapanthus again:)

Oh you darling thing!

Woops!!!

You never know what you are going to find in the garden do you?

  What have you found recently??

Give Thanks!

It's Thanksgiving in the U.S. on Thursday 22nd November, and I thought there was no better time to take a look at the things we are thankful for.
Personally, I am very thankful for my wonderful family, who recently treated my husband and I to an anniversary dinner, bed and breakfast. Our luxurious room overlooked the Pacific Ocean at the beautiful Opal Cove Resort, in Coffs Harbour on the sunny mid north coast of New South Wales. Come sun up I leapt out onto our lovely balcony and sat enraptured as the scene unfolded before my eyes. This very obliging sea gull in the photo above flew into view just as I was clicking, so it was more good luck than good management!

Thanksgiving is celebrated every fourth Thursday in November over in the United States. According to Wikipedia  Thanksgiving Dinner centres usually around roast turkey, and  traditionally contains food native to the New World, as it is said the Pilgrims received these foods from the Native Americans.  

I understand that mashed potatoes are one of the main staples of the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, and so I thought this was a great opportunity to share with you this scrummy recipe for very special mashed potatoes from one of our blogging friends, Dawn Yucuis  from  Words of Deliciousness.

Words Of Deliciousness: 

Parmesan Cheese Mashed Potatoes With Sour Cream And Chives

Dawn writes " We eat a lot of potatoes in our house; it's one of our favorite side dishes. When I was growing up it was that way in my parent's home too......"  And later... 
"So if you are looking for something besides plain potatoes give this a try. They are nice and simple to make and the flavor will leave wanting more."



I think the title of the recipe is enough to whet your appetite, so I will simply suggest you hop over to Dawn's blog, check out her recipe, and I am sure you will be giving it a go! And while you are there, pause a while and soak up the aromas of delicious foods and simple but exciting recipes which Dawn showcases.



But wait.......there's more!!

I thought I'd share with you a few of my recent photos of things around me that I am liable to take for granted like the birds, the flowers, the trees and nature itself.  It's good to stop sometimes, and remind yourself how lucky you are, and perhaps this is as good a time as any!

What do you think this Kookaburra is saying to his mate?

Lewin's Honeyeater enjoying breakfast!

Tea Tree blossoms

Fiery gum leaves stand out from the crowd 

Red cedar tree in it's delicious Spring attire

Jacaranda and Flame Tree are just made for each other.
Sharing this photo with Mandarin Orange Monday.

If you'd like to share something that you are thankful for, I would just love to hear about it!  If not, that's OK, take a quiet moment and enjoy it yourself:)  Bye for now and if you are in the US enjoy your Thanksgiving on Thursday!