March

And another month flews by! The fact that we’re already halfway into the next month, before I’m getting to writing this should be a testament on how busy I have been...

Soccer registrations, a new registration system, a new hope, totally crazy: 3 months of phone calls, messages, battling a new system into submission, organising coaches, getting kids organised in teams and preferably registered before they start their first game. A monster job that once again took so much of my time, energy and head space and I’m currently considering making this my final year on the committee. The responsibility for 230 players, combined with everything else going on in my life, is weighing very heavy.

And yes, I have issues saying “no”, because I like to help, because I know I have the right skill set and because I want to invest in a stronger community. But is it worth it, when it starts to give you anxiety?

Choices...
Something that I chose to take on was the Regional Master Food Expo, where I was asked to have a stall and provide a masterclass on macadamias. An honour, people that love food and don’t mind me going on and on about all these things that make my heart sing: local produce.

The day was a great success, meeting many new people and customers. The masterclass went well, I had kept it very flexible, talking comes easy and let the audience give it direction. Turned out they loved the talk on macadamias but were intrigued about the bush foods that I’ve started using in my products, so we rolled with it.

Since I was already in Yamba and having left home at 6:15am with a packed car, set up the stall, ran a stall solo for the whole day, chatting to customers and an hour masterclass snuck in. My head was buzzing. After packing up, I took 45 minutes on the beach. Catching my breath, stretching out the kinks and just listening to the waves, breathing.
Sand between my toes is a great energiser. The banquet in the evening was phenomenal, a perfect ending to the day.

The cultured honey is so satisfying to make.

How time, love and patience can transform a plain honey into something magical.

So thick and smooth...

Chester has been dreaming of rain and paddocks full of grass, no dust trailing his every step.
End of the month, after many misses, we finally got some rain. It has been glorious, the changes the landscape makes within days, the new grass so vibrantly green.
A rainwater tank overflowing with hope for the garden.

Tim’s 11th birthday party (part 2).
Instead of presents, from us and his mates, he asked to go to Tree Tops in Coffs Harbour with his best mates. Massive zip-lines, ropes and challenges, we had awesome fun.

Another Biggest Playgroup Day, come and gone. 

Friday Night Athletics. Alex after finishing his own training with the U6 was still bouncing around with every and asked if he could run in Tim’s race with the U11 and U12’s...
He ran in the lead for the first two rounds and finished in 5th position. Pretty good for his first 1500meters...

If the kids aren’t up in a tree somewhere, you’ll find them on the water, enjoying the canoes.

Tim has been getting a lot more active in the kitchen. Baking pancakes, wizzing up smoothies and whipping up a batch of (oven) doughnuts. With the school holidays coming up next week, we’ll get to work on expanding his repertoire, to the great delight of his (always hungry) siblings.

Alex’s school trip, I think he made a new friend...

A solo road trip, visiting my horse Laura, who has been in training in Uralla.
Having had such a massive couple of weeks, I decided to take the long way, to clear my head, through the mountains, and along the plateau. A drive that always puts a smile on my face. The pretty winding roads through the rainforest, the cattle grazing the road shoulders once you hit the plateau, a cuppa in Glen Innes, a cup of soup in windy Guyra and along the treelined New England highway, showing a pretty Autumn display.

Laura was amazing to ride, in the two days I was there I rode for at least 7 hours! (a new saddle has appeared on my Christmas wishlist...) A bit of work in the arena, trail rides and my first whiff of cattle work. I am hooked! Reading the herd, splitting them, singling out certain calves, herding them through obstacles, with my trusty companion not being faced by anything you throw at her. She has gotten home this week, we’ll be starting lessons on dressage this Friday. Not that dressage eventing is my game, but working on perfecting our communication is. She’s horse that needs stimulation, challenges or will make up her own entertainment.

Tim has been taking piano lessons at school, he’s loving it. Alex has been trying to work out the left behind sheet music and is showing great interest. Tim has been teaching him the basics, he started his first piano lesson at school this week.

Sophie has been taking riding lessons at a local bush riding school. She’s making lots of progress and has Sander now intrigued as well... Looks like I’ll be getting some company on my rides!