Do small things with great love

So said Mother Teresa.  And she is spot on.  Maybe its being older and wiser, but I wish I had lived this when I was younger.  It's the privilege of the young to dream big, to have the luxury of time stretching out in front of them that they can have big, expansive ideals.

This saying first resonated with me in my gardens.  I used to plan Sissinghurst style gardens in my mind. A Rose Garden leading into The White Garden and down into The Lime Walk.  An avenue of Silver Birch, a pond with water lillies and surrounded by iris.  A Dovecote and a Nuttery.  Of course living on 870sqm in suburbia with most of the block taken up by a modern house that looks nothing like a castle, never entered my mind or dampened my desires.

Starting off with a white theme soon was diluted with a pink climbing rose that I fell in love with and having limited space meant there was only one place to plant this beauty.  So the white garden became a pink, blue and white narrow garden bed along a fence line.  Very limited space, and therefore dirt, facilitated the use of pots - and lots and lots of them.  Potted citrus, olives, palms, a bay tree jostle for light and sun and water.  Raised troughs of herbs hug the side fence, its all of 1.5m wide. They need to be raised up to stop the boy dog from lifting his leg on them and adding his own flavour. 

Each visit to Bunnings, a nursery, or into the pages of gardening magazines brings an inspiration and subsequent purchase.  I can't count how many bags of potting mix I have dragged back here.  It would be tonnes at a guess.  I have never counted the number of pots, but I there are terracotta ones, ceramic, plastic, tin and baskets. 

Mr Kirsa laments and reminds me that "we will be moving soon, stop buying more pots".  But this is my way of ensuring that he moves all that earth and heaven to get me to my beloved Wattle Grove, the longer he takes, the more pots he has to move!!

One day I will have my Sissinghurst, but in the meantime there are still spaces to fill and new plants to discover.

And all the while I am practising the creed ...

...to do small things with great love. 

Welcome

Hello to my dearest and closest and most cherished people.  Today I sent you an invite to my blog and its a little exciting and scary all at the same time.

I hope you get a little enjoyment from reading here, and perhaps a little more insight into what really goes on in this head of mine!!

I have been a little slack in writing lately, but I often have subjects going round in my mind that I would like to write about. 

Anyway, this is just a little welcome to you all!

xx Jo

Step 1

Courtesy of The organised Housewife

I am going to try Kat's program to get organised once and for all in 2012.  The fog is lifting, and the energy is slowly returning. 

So, onto Step 1

1. Create a goal for myself. Where to start, what do I want to achieve.

Answer these questions :

1. I want to feel “ CONTENT “ while I’m at home.
2. I want to spend more time doing “ GARDENING “ .
3. I want an area of the home where I can “BE CREATIVE "
4. I want to organise “THE STOREROOM“ first.
5. I always lose “PAPERWORK“ .
6. I want to be all organised by “ 1 AUGUST 2012“ .
7. Something that I don’t need anymore , but am having trouble parting with “OWLS"

Eeek - Vomiting at Work

Not a good look at all.  Especially when you are the only female in a workplace of computer nerds.  Especially when you are the boss's wife.  Especially when you have to do it in your bin.  Especially when ... well you get the picture.  I would have been embarrassed if I wasn't so damn sick.

I did however, find out who the men amongst the boys were.  And the men who had wives who had been pregnant (not that this was what my infliction was) were my knights in cold flannels and water.  They didn't run away and gag in the corners.  They stayed near me and looked after me and I was oh so grateful.  It brings out the Florence Nightingale in men who have watched their wife spew everyday and engorge with child.  They get a stronger stomach and they get all calm and helpful.  Well the ones who sit near my desk did anyway!

I had a similar experience with a married man who was post baby many years back.  I was a very pregnant and I mean very.  8.5 months gone (I had to keep my legs crossed) and was my school friends matron of honour at her wedding.  She insisted that I should still do it (we were 22 and I dare say there were many Aunts and Grandmothers tut, tutting) .. .so the pretty pink taffeta (it was the 80's ... Ok!) bridesmaid dress of 9 months before got 'let out' to look like I was some demented giant fairy.  I don't have any photo's of this, thank god, but I do have a wonderful memory of the man who was my 'partner'.  His wife had just had a baby and he knew how us pregnant woman can be.  I think he took pity on me, I looked like an iced vo-vo in high heels.  He made sure I had water, shade, a seat, took my shoes off when I looked crippled - I couldn't reach my toes by this stage.  I wish I could go back and thank him properly, I always remember his kindness.

But back to the subject - its such a great thing to discuss ..vomit!

So work ... bins ... spew ... It was still not a very comfortable situation, and yes I know I couldn't help being sick, but it was still awkward.

I know this is mean, but I was glad when 4 other staff went down with the same bug that night - at least they didn't think I had been having a sly G&T, or too many wines at lunch.  At least they knew I was really sick!

Yes, that was mean to say I was glad they had it too.  It was truly a horrible 24 hours, except I seem to still have a touch of it.  Not the violent, techni-colour stuff, but just feeling unwell, tired and have no appetite. 

So can tick that one of my bucket-list. 

Tick .... Spew in my bin in front of all the staff.

Spiders ...

I am known as the mad spider lady.  I am neither mad (bwahhhhah) nor of the arachnid species.  But I do find them fascinating and allow them to live with me.  Not in a nice glass terrain, or special spider house, but wherever they like to call home.

I have black house spiders, or window spiders (Scientific Name: Badumna insignis)

They live in my windows and build thick webs with a tunnel.  Did you know that there are left handed and right handed spiders?  They will either make their webs in the left or right corners.  They are brilliant at snaring flies and bugs that dare enter the house.  Its natural pest control ... but of course I don't see my spiders as pests.

The black house spider who lives in each web is always a female.  She is bigger and more buxom than the puny male of the species. She has a velvety abdomen, and shiny legs.  He is paler and half her size and has a very brief life. He grows to manhood, finds a mate, courts her and then when the deed is over she kills him.  I have many corpses of amorous males under the window. 

She lays her little cotton ball of eggs and about 30 days later her little spiderlings emerge.  She is an excellent mother and very dexterous with all 8 of her legs.  They can live up to 2 years and never move from their lacy web.  I have grandmothers, mothers and daughters all living in the same window.

When people visit my house, I feel I have to explain my dirty, cobweb covered windows (they are restricted to 2 windows only and 1 light fitting above my desk so I can watch them closely).  Most visitors are horrified, but I set out to educate and normally win them over to at least come and have a closer look.  Kids especially are fascinated.

Then there are the crazy, messy daddy long legs Pholcus phalangioides, that stagger around like they are drunk and build messy, disorganised webs like they are still drunk.  They dont seem to be very houseproud or very good parents and I find that I evict them on a regular basis. 

There are a myriad of spiders that live outside, and I will introduce them on another blog.

So, the next time you see a spider and rush for your thong, just take a big breath and have a closer look ... she might be a friend of mine!

Having It All

This will be an ongoing theme in my blogs, as it both inflames me to anger (well being rather peeved actually) and yet I want to try and understand it better.  I am not a big fan of Ms Greer, I know she fought hard for women to have it ALL .. but do you know ... I don't damn want it ALL.  ALL means going out to work, having my own money to stress about, pay my own bills, come home, clean the house, cook the meals, wash and iron.  Gee I am really loving having it ALL.  Look after the garden, live a life on full speed but never being able to stop long enough to enjoy any of it.


Sorry, today is a bad day .. feeling like the weight of the world is on my shoulders alone. 


What did Ms Greer think was going to happen?  Did she think that the housewives of 30 years ago really wanted to double their workload?  Did she have a rose coloured view that men would equally share the household duties?  Did she REALLY believe this?

Why is it so shameful to want to be a housewife?  To do one job well. To be creative and cook and sew and garden. Why does the western world see this as so demeaning?  To be a good housewife means mastering the art of cooking and baking.  Its a good knowledge of chemistry as you remove and clean stains.  Its being a CFO and running a household budget.  Its being a gardener, a maintenance master, vet nurse.  Oh, then if you have kids a whole new world of skills opens up. 

There are days when I just want to do the washing properly .. Martha Stewart style.  To have time to soak the whites in Napisan for a few hours.  To wash until I have reached the bottom of the basket (have you ever looked down there?  I found socks that belong to my sons who moved out of home 6 months ago, a pair of trousers of mine when I was 2 sizes smaller!).  Or even, shock horror, empty the bin and wipe it clean!!!  To be able to peg all this on the line in the fresh air instead of throwing in the dryer and feeling guilty for the waste of electricity.  To iron the napkins as soon as they come off the line ... hell to be able to use REAL napkins instead of paper ones would be a luxury.

When I talk of this to ladies and girls I get an automatic reaction of they love being a career woman ... but slowly as I talk, they soften and blushingly agree with me.  Quietly, so no-one can hear their confession.  Why is that?

Pretending its January 1st

OK, like I posted yesterday, I am a little late, its January 30th, but I feel like I have put enough thought into my plans for this year that I have more chance of them happening and being completed.  Tried to get organised earlier in the month, but it all seemed to still be a jumble in my mind.  I bought a new diary insert, filled out the birthdays on my new calendar, visited my favorite stationery store KikkiK and told myself I could have a splurge there.  Left there with a bag of goodies and I should have felt a little jolt of excitement and joy .. but I just didn't.  The inspiration that drives new habits and gives you a kick of energy is AWOL. 

So two days ago, it seeped into me.  Slowly, like I was a bath filling with water, I became more energetic, clearer, with a path being set  before me.  I think having 4 extra days off (we took off the Friday between Aussie Day and the weekend, giving us 4 days at home), being able to catch up on housework, washing, and starting from a cleanish house after Mum & Dads visit was all the impetus I needed.

So, the end result?  A resolution for want of a better description of what I would like the year to achieve. 

• Restart daily Blogging
• Keep to a cleaning routine
• Treat my body better and be healthy
• Look for the good in everything I can
• Make goals and to do lists that will achieve them.

That's it.  The same list I and millions of others make every year.  But this year feels like its more real, I have got skin in the game so to speak.

So, see you tomorrow for blogging.

Soaps ... because you are worth it!

Soaps. No, not the Home and Away, Eastenders, Days of our lives variety ... but real soap. Been a bit of an obsession lately buying expensive luxurious, indulgent soap. Unlike my Grandma Brown, I use my soap. It doesn't get unwrapped and stored in my linen cupboard to "make the linens smell nice". When she died and I went to clean out her things, it was so sad to see all these beautiful soaps unused by her. I vowed then and there that I would not save things for "best" or behave as if I was not good enough for luxurious soap.

Its the delicious papers they are wrapped in that get me first.  This compels me to pick up the rubenesque bars, their smell enticing me to commit further.  Its not until I turn over the package and see the price tag - $15.00, $17.50, $19.00 - how much is too much to pay for a bar of soap?

I look for further justification.  One is French, triple milled, ooh and it contains almond oil.  Another is from Florence and visions of my holiday there bring romance and connection. Its called Emozioni in Toscana by Nesti Dante.

Oh the beautiful smell when I shower. The silkiness of the lather.  The sheer indulgence and extravagance of it all.  Makes me smile every time.

I am on a mission now, to find more soaps, to keep up this addiction.

I challenge all my fellow females to indulge in this.  Treat yourself. 

As the adverts say "Because you are worth it!"

Back to Blogging

As the title suggests, its been a while. Reading over my last posts, I can see why they have gone the same way my hopes went. We have not been able to move to WG, and I cant see us being able to for at least another 2 years. Puts all the plans into a bit of a tangle, so will try and blog my way into a cohesive plan.

I know it's tad late but I have been working all this month of January to set some resolutions and goals for 2012. Guess it says a lot about how I am feeling in general - unmotivated and down. Very hard to get all inspired and feel upbeat when these feelings are the fartherest thing from how I feel.

So, after 29 days of trying to get inspired, I found this website http://theorganisedhousewife.com.au/ . I found this a little late in my child rearing career, but what it has inspired me to do is get back to recording my life and dreams and observations.

This is the next project then .. A Vision Board.


Project To Do List:

1. Go to my favorite store KikkiK and buy the Vision Board
2. Try and resist other purchases whilst I am there
3. Collect some pictures and photos that make me smile
4. Get some quotes and sayings that inspire me
5. Put it up on the wall where I can see it everyday

Australia Day Holiday

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!

Not doing a lot this year, just being a typical Aussie and pottering at home and taking it easy.  Its far too hot anyway to go doing much, 41 degrees and humid.  There will be fireworks on the Swan, but we also get our own firework display at Ashfield.

So, we swam all day, had a few quiet drinks and sat on the patio watching nature put on its own specy show.  Lightening and thunder and a great drop of rain.