gone fishing….see you in January dear readers.
xxx
(there is still lurking to be had on instagram and facebook however.)
Gone Fishing…
12
Category Archives: Rambles, Waffles and Digressions
The smell of change
There is a smell of change in the air.
A subtle hint at first,
almost ignored.
But not now,
not now that the distinctive aroma of different is settling in and around.
I wonder what all this will brew?
I’m crazy nervous, and a bit excited. A big breath, and a long exhale right?
I’m pushing around more thoughts in my head at the moment than should be humanly possible. Things will be hard, things will be different, things will be…well changed.
There’s a smell of change in the air, and it’s no longer possible to ignore.
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I also thought I’d take a moment to check in with you guys, the readers.
While I can go off my stats and behind the scenes blog details I do love to hear things straight up. If you are a long time reader of cityhippyfarmgirl, I thank you. If you are a short time reader, hey hello there, awesome to have you here and again thank you.
Now tell me, what is it that keeps you coming back to this site? I don’t mean in a shower me in compliments and let me bathe in blogging glory kinda way, I mean which bits do you like? Which bits don’t work for you, which bits do you want more of?
Would you like to read more bread posts, how to’s, community stories, links to other like-minded people and companies, recipes, frugal living tips, photography, or just the general ‘rambles, waffles and digressions’?
There is a new year coming up and like a blank piece of paper, the possibilities are deliciously endless… errr, saying that it’s highly unlikely I’ll be doing sponsored posts for nestle and huggies any time soon. But if it’s in the umbrella term of cityhippyfarmgirl.com, hit me with your requests if you have them. Bonus points for obscurity! (If you would prefer to shoot me an email rather than leave a comment, I promise I won’t bite…cityhippyfarmgirl(at)gmail(dot)com)
loving…
Loving…
weekend sneaky swims before breakfast
reluctant kids that don’t want to go, changing their minds
friends that make you laugh
pictures that make you think
words that get shifted around until they fall into their ‘slotted’ place
and standing up for things that you believe in, (you should always do that.)
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What are you loving this weekend?
[“Often life’s pleasures pass us by simply because we don’t take a moment to focus on them… Make a point of noticing everyday something that uplifts your spirit or tickles your heart… Stop to breathe in the joy of this moment and then tell someone about it. Share your joy and revel in it. When your joy is savoured, and then shared, it is magnified…” ROBIN GRILLE]
Swedish Pancake Cake (and the joy of getting older)
I just had a birthday.
Another year gone where I have taken breath, a breath that has been held while diving into the oceans, a breath that can hasten while riding up steep hills on a bike. A breath that can sing songs with my kids for no other reason than it feels good to sing with them. That same breath that has been granted to me, just got to blow out a candle that signified another year passed, and for that I’m incredibly grateful.
I don’t begrudge the late thirties grey hairs, I don’t shower hate on the lined page on which I write my age. I love that I am here. I could easily not be.
With my accrued numbers, I’ve played, learnt wonderful new things, talked deep into the night, eaten dishes that have delighted the taste buds, sobbed entire afternoons away, drunk deep weekend coffees in my favourite cup, had three kids that have pushed me to dizzy limits I didn’t know existed, while they’ve also exploded my heart with delirious happiness and exquisite divine love.
All of these, along with 68790 daily other things have helped create the evolving lucky layered person I am today.
Luck yes. I do feel lucky to be here as so many people who wanted to be, simply aren’t. To be able to age it’s a wonderful and curious thing. So how does it feel to be in my late 30’s?
Well at this age, choices can be contemplated and ideas are challenged, (and I love that.)
At this age I’ve got a fair idea of what I like, and what I don’t like, (which makes things a hell of a lot easier.)
At this age, I know what my body needs and what it doesn’t, (I just have to make sure that I listen.)
At this age, it feels far more confident than 28 ever did, (and hooray to that I say!)
Now I know at whatever number my age may sit, there will always be an endless supply of curiosities to discover, of thoughts to think, and of a diverse array of people to learn from. And with the time that I’m granted? Well I intend to go seek out as many of them as possible, until that simple act of getting older, well it just isn’t an option any longer.
A Swedish Pancake Cake seemed like a sensible idea to celebrate another year gone by.
This was the first time I had made one, and I’m quietly hooked. Layered, pancakes, berries, no sugar and a second slice yes please.
Swedish Pancake Cake
What you’ll need:
your favourite pancake/crepe recipe (keep them fairly thin and then build them up)
mascarpone and cream whipped together with some vanilla and honey to sweeten
mixed berries
and some extra honey drizzled over the top
Sunday 7:10am
Sunday 7:10 am
Tea- hot
Outside- cloudy, 17C
Immediate plans- pancakes, lots of them.
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What are your Sunday plans?
Unshackling Ideas and the Art of Daydreaming
Daydreaming, completely underrated.
A few weeks back I did a post with a link to the Susan Cain TEDx talk on The Power of Introverts. There were lots of parts of the talk that had my head nodding but there were four words in particular that stuck in my brain….”the transcendence of solitude“. Now I’ve often thought this, often talked about this, often simply just wished for it, but I’d never quite described it like that.
Listening to those four little words in her 20 minute speech?
She had nailed it.
Not always does solitude and transcendence go hand in hand, actually in my experience it’s not often at all, but then again it’s not particularly often in this stage of my life do I get to be alone. But when it’s there, when it happens…
It’s exquisite.
That’s when ideas flourish, when creativity sparks, and that’s when problems get turned on their head. If our brains are constantly being switched on and running at even a low-level concentrating point (facebook I’m looking at you), you don’t get that. You won’t get that, (or if you do I’d love to hear from you.)
In my view it’s unlikely that scrolling through your FB feed you’ll suddenly exclaim, I’ve got an idea!!! Or be inclined to go create something incredible. While I’m not squashing the merits of FB, I do think we need those blank spaces to be able to get more out of life, to do more we need the “trancendence of solitude”, and that’s especially important for our kids. We need for them to know what to do in those pauses.
To be able to let your mind wander.
To let your subconscious run free.
To let your ideas…
Unshackle.
loving…
If truth be told, sometimes it gets exhausting being inside my head. There’s a lot to be thought in there. Juggling, like with 10 balls in the air kind of thing.
Sometimes it’s a beautiful mix of shades, words, colours, and wonderment.
Other times it’s just down right bloody messy. Doing posts like this is good for me though, it slows things down, words that aren’t in a hurry, pictures that have no purpose other than them being a moment…
a tiny moment in a swirling mind, that paused for a second, and I’m loving that.
the smallest of small birds singing at sunrise, singing with all it’s little heart
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What are you loving at the moment?
[“Often life’s pleasures pass us by simply because we don’t take a moment to focus on them… Make a point of noticing everyday something that uplifts your spirit or tickles your heart… Stop to breathe in the joy of this moment and then tell someone about it. Share your joy and revel in it. When your joy is savoured, and then shared, it is magnified…” ROBIN GRILLE]
A tiny garden unfurls
It being October and all, it seems Spring has thrown a little of it’s extra super growing power into my tiny potted garden.
At night when we sleep, everything seems to power on ahead. Green-berries become blue, nasturtiums run rampant, cumquats multiple, and volunteer tomato plants declare any unclaimed space their own.
For a tiny garden that comes from a few plastic and ceramic pots in a shaded concrete courtyard, well, I’m absolutely delighted to watch the unfurling.
What are you growing at the moment?
It being October also means, the nation wide Garage Sale Trail is coming up this weekend. An easy way to sell on a few things you don’t need anymore, get to know your neighbours, make stronger ties in your community and perhaps even schnaffle a few bargains for your self.
The Garage Sale Trail is on this Saturday 24th October.
How to dress like a Revolutionary
Wear handmade
Wear second hand
Wear well made
Wear organic
Wear ethical
Wear sustainable
Wear thoughtfully
Try for one, or two, or if you feeling particularly revolutionary, go for all of them.
A long time ago I made a pact with myself. Any purchases that I made, needed to be as ethical, locally made, fair trade, or as a conscious purchase (do I really need it?) where ever possible. For some things it’s been fairly easy, other things, not quite so much.
I thought I’d create a little list of some of things I’ve been super happy with over a fairly large chunk of time, (both bought and not bought.)
How to Dress like a Revolutionary
* Pure Pod– Kelli’s range of ethical fashion is divine. I’d happily wear any one of their outfits.
* Op shops- frequently provide goodies. Timing, choosing your op shops, and mostly down to just whether the op shop goddesses are smiling upon thee is dependent on what you’ll find.
* Undies- Tuffy’s and Tuffette’s (locally made and owned in Australia- their excess plastic wrapping is a big sore spot however.)
* Friends and family are also often kind enough to pass on kids clothing.
* A soccerball gift- Etiko has a lot more than just soccer balls though, have a peek at their fair trade underwear, clothing and shoe range as well.
* Make it myself- My sewing skills are still somewhat lacking, so while I would love to make a lot of our family clothing it’s really not going to happen for awhile, smaller things that I can make though, yep, I’ll give it a crack.
* If you are going to be a human billboard, be aware of what you are advertising, (Sea Shepard as pictured here.)
* Buying second hand- living in the city, I’m incredibly lucky as there really are so many practical options for this- Garage Sale Trail is also a good one to do.
* Ecolosophy– Small loving business that has all your ethical clothing, kitchen, food options also covered.
* Organise a clothing swap in your community.
* Yoshi Jones– small designer in Sydney, that does divine Japanese influenced unique clothing (think vintage kimonos), especially good if you are after something for a special event.
* Go looking on Instagram- it’s great for finding small businesses. I LOVE how I have found different people and their work over the time I’ve been on instagram, and really enjoy supporting them- community shopping at it’s very excellent best.
Supporting small ethical businesses where ever possible is important. I know it’s not always easy, financially, time wise, and also accessability. Having three kids, I very much get that. Pay the extra dollar when you can though. New shoes, they really shouldn’t be costing $8, someone is being ripped off if they are.
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How about you, do you have any revolutionary links to add?
Where do you sit on the cat fence?
I posed this question on instagram recently and was interested in the answers it might create here as well.
Cats what do you think of them?
Where do you sit on the cat fence? Native animal killer or small sized bundle of therapeutic pet love?
stepping out…changing light
The lights about to change again. Daylight saving is around the corner, and while I’ll miss the softer tones, it will be back again…just stepping out for a bit.
St Ives Medieval Faire…so good
Battles, jousting, traditional living, swords, birds of prey, there was quite a lot to love at the St Ives Medieval Faire. For someone who has no made no secret of a love of all things Viking and Nordic influenced, well, there was quite an excited lead up to this one.
Located on the edge of the Ku-ring-gai National Park, the festival was running for the second year, and despite a rainy start, it didn’t keep people away. Mud splattered boots and sodden velvet gowns just adding to the medieval atmosphere.
The festival had a fascinating traditional village that was made of different re-enactment or living history groups from all around Australia. Living, eating, dressing, and crafting as they once did.
Ahh, all so interesting…and so good! With the smell of soft wood smoke in our hair, leather cuffs on our wrists and happy tired smiles on faces. There were vows of returning next year for another Medieval Faire, well how could we not?
cityhippyfarmgirl 