Happy Winter Solstice

We celebrated winter solstice by walking in our local lantern parade. The night was clear, the stars were out, the moon full, air crisp and so many people turned out to celebrate. I love our local community xx Little B made the lantern above which he carried, and we donated our coat hangers too :-)

Happy Winter Solstice xx

Jenny's Garden

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Granny B works with a lovely lady called Jenny. We buy all our eggs from Jenny because she uses soy free layer and we know that her chooks are raised happily at home. Well today we were lucky enough to get an invite to visit Jenny, her chooks and her vegie garden. We are intent on getting our own chooks now we are settled at the new house and what better introduction than meeting the chookies who give us our eggs now :-)

Jenny and her husband let Little B feed the chooks by hand and look for eggs. Talk about love at first sight – he was very disappointed to hear that we wouldn’t be taking said chickens home today, but after assuring him we would get our own, he bumbled of into the garden to dust bathe with them LOL.

They also showed me around their vegie garden and fruit trees. 14 years young, the garden has 24 productive fruit trees (and that’s not including the 5 kinds of berries they also have). They have a very successful avocado tree and in a climate similar to hours I was overjoyed to hear they didn’t need another to cross pollinate nor has it grown to immense proportions (two bits of advice that discouraged me putting in a avocado this year).

Photo courtesy of Diggers

They were also keen to show me their propagating shed and how they raise their seedlings. I quite liked this little gadget from Diggers – a Bottle Top Waterer. Obviously we wouldn’t use a plastic water bottle, but it would go great on an old oil pourer we have.

It was also great to see polypipe covering a vegie garden in real life. I’ve always wondered how sturdy they would be in the wind we get, but Jenny & co have a similar problem and they hold up beautifully in the wild windy weather.

And who could resist the view. Sitting in the sunshine, drinking coffee and eating home-made cake and muffins, it was simply beautiful.

And we didn’t come home empty handed – a dozen eggs, 6 strawberry plants and a baby peach tree one of many they have self seed. They tell me that they found these peach trees to grow lashings of fruit.

It was a fabulous morning – I really do love meeting like minded people and learning from people who have been gardening for many more years than me.

Friends in a heartbeat

 Picture courtesy of www.allgraphics123.com

Little B is learning to swim again. He adores the water but is very anxious so we've been spending some lazy afternoons at the local indoor pool. One of the fun things along with swimming has been meeting other children. Dont you love the way that kids can make new friends in a heart beat?? We met a lovely family yesterday on holiday from England.

The two boys just seemed to make a beeline to each other from the beginning (despite a years age gap) and played for 2 hours together. I spent the time swimming and chatting to the boys as well as meeting and talking with his family. It was great to hear about their English village life and their community. But it made me think about how simple it is at that age to reach out and throw yourself wholeheartedly into connecting with new people.

Little B is highly social and just loves people of all ages. He talks quite seriously to everybody and anybody. I've always been the friendly sort but since having him and since he could talk, I've found myself talking and connecting with so many more people in our local community.

We know all the staff at our local biodynamic grocer, the local library staff know and watch out for Little B, the supermarket checkout ladies we see each week gave him a present for Easter and for Christmas, I know our neighbours up and down the street from daily walks and chats - you get the picture.

I envy Little B is ability to be fearless and to attempt to engage and connect with all and sundry. Plus he's so easy going that he just takes rejection on the chin and doesnt take it personally. "They mustnt be feeling friendly today" he tells me. Imagine how connected communities and people could be if they were open to so many new friendship experiences?? I know I feel great and more adventurous in getting to know people by following his spirit.