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january days the kids are now spending days in imaginary worlds together only surfacing for food every now again. i potter around the house sorting through stuff-piles of paper and artwork from last year. i brought a book to read by the author of eat pray love. its a little diappointing....way too much analysis of marriage..not the summer escape i was hoping for. i ventured into our poor neglected garden yesterday. its been so hot lately, the only time we go outside is to drive to a swimming pool, get food, or pick berries. the garden was looking so sad and scorched so yesterday it was time to give her some love. our strawberry patch is threatening to climb through the window. it seems we have found the way to grow strawberries. we have zucchinis that could be used as baseball bats and squashes that are as big as my head. the most exciting thing that happened in my garden this summer is my red flowering gum tree that i planted as a little seedling years ago is now taller than me and has bunches of bright red flowers. it is so beautiful. each year i would go out into our front garden, inspecting her to see if their were flower buds. well this year there were bunches of them. i love her.
i need to get a big pot for my new girl, miss frangipani..a christmas gift from my farmer boy. she has had one flower at a time and smells divine.
when the weather cools down im going to untwist jasmine from my kitchen and plant and wrap her to the outside of our house. she is a wild girl miss jasmine.
i was going to blog about how i havent been making anything and the kids have been doing all the making- veda's awesome patchwork dress in the photo above (we have an indigo dye set waiting for us- how much fun that will be)....i guess ive been so busy in my head thinking about what this new year holds for me and for our family. ive a had a few teary days wondering how i am ever going to say goodbye to amelie on her first day of school.
mostly ive been gently encouraging the kids to appreciate each other and these days they have together. it seems theyve finally found a happy place.
i'll get my camera out and start taking some photos again soon. im thinking i may do a february post a thon. a post a day. something to distract or maybe give me a place to blurb...as i find myself with the most time and quiet ive had in 11 or so years.
in the mean time...we still have some holidays to relax in.
happy days....
manda x
Posted by Manda at Monday, January 18, 2010 
They sound like lovely summer days. Is it cold there? It is so cold here I wore about 6 layers all day. Veda's dress is wonderful. Looking forward to your feb post a thon. XX

January 18, 2010 at 7:06 PM manda said...

yep we had a cold windy day. i liked it :-)
veda made a wardrobe full of clothes for the elves at christmas. she is keeping my sewing machine company while im lost on holidays.

January 18, 2010 at 8:15 PM KeLLy MummA said...

i know how to keep you busy while sweet juniper bug is at school...come to my place and we'll sew sew sew together xxxxx i promise to have plenty of coffee and tissues :-)

January 18, 2010 at 8:48 PM 
January can be a weird time but its nice just to go with the flow for a bit.

January 18, 2010 at 10:22 PM beck said...

Hey Manda, I loved this post with it's flavours of your January and your always interesting thoughts. Sounds like you & your family are having a dreamy summer and doing some lovely things. I love the patchwork dress...so sweet & pretty & clever. Good luck for that first day of school xo

January 18, 2010 at 10:25 PM melindatrees said...

hee hee, i can still see those zucchinis.hana was worried amelie might be sad and missing her too much...

January 19, 2010 at 12:56 AM 
we are all sad and missing hana (and you) too much.

January 19, 2010 at 1:12 AM 
Hi I'm Manda
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