Kismet...

OK, so I'm professing to the world...well maybe just this humble screen in front of me...that everything's a little overwhelming right now...I can't give 100% to anything (even the cat needs worming!) then voila! Like the proverbial bolt out of the blue elements beyond my control begin to manipulate my universe without a thought or care from me. On a mindless mission to the much loved local bookstore - I happened upon this little 'hint' from who knows where...

this book called to me from the shelf - well the gorgeous linen like cover and the 'a guide to simple living' drew me right in - a few flicks through the pages and I was sold - chapters such as 'organising your life'  'nourishment'  and 'home grown self reliance' held promises of a plan to release my family and I from the crazy mayhem that we have come to believe is part and parcel of a normal existence. I promptly purchased said book, tucked it under my arm and came home and devoured its contents. One of the first chapters calms me with its guide on 'moving towards simplicity' hallelujah...bring it on....I'm thinking Rhonda is definitely on my side. She tells me that taking on extra work isn't necessarily the answer to funding number 1 babe's journey through Uni (it's his first real day of Uni today, just thought I'd mention that..) maybe working from home to avoid the 'we'll have to get takeaway tonight' syndrome that seems to happen every rep netball training night by meal planning and taking the time to cook food from scratch. There are recipes for baking bread, making soap and using natural oils (olive and almond) as a moisturiser - cheaper and way better than lavishing all the contents of the essay of scientific ingredients found on the back of my jar. I waffle on - but this book is the tonic my life needed and I'm determined to swallow a little of it's advice each day. Rhonda has a Blog here that massaged my brain for a least an hour on Saturday night, it's a wealth of calming information.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's instalment dear reader where a brief interlude on a shopping centre's lounge introduced me to a wonderful market stall that opened another lock on the shackles of my life....
Sally xxx

Birds of a feather

I was just over at Retro Mummy's and saw my favourite magazine is also Corrie's fave too! I just can't wait for it to hit my newsagent :: and even though the seasons don't quite line up with ours, the inspirations don't lose any of their magic. I only wish that the climate I live in would sustain some more English flora :: I have to spray my roses for black spot as it's quite humid where we live and I'd loooove to plant lilac, peonies and a broad leaved boston ivy...but I still try to create a little of that English charm in our garden.

La Vie En Rose!

My poor little blog...how neglected you've been...so much happening in my world outside this cyberspace...I've missed your sweet company and have come to visit to make amends.

I have still been perusing the delightful blogs that I love - popping in for a quick chat and then back to reality...sigh. Kris over at Townmouse provided the 'kindling' to get my blog fire burning again - she has purchased some beautiful stitchery books from Amazon France and see, you can have a peek at the dragonfly she has stitched over here - I mentioned to her that there is an equally divine publication that I picked up in my local bookstore called Made in France and I've got to say that this book is a gem if you love quaint and quirky crossstitch and embroidery.

I was amazed to find this book loitering (as I tend to do) in our local bookstore. Patience is definitely not one of my virtues, and waiting for books to come from Amazon can give me a twitch. It's kinda nice to be able to support this local establishment as well - even though the book has winged its way from the USA anyways...but we wont think about that will we??

I have another project fermenting in the background....we have always had a little veggie patch on the go, yet nothing serious that could sustain us for any length of time and I'm really interested in heirloom, organic veggies too. There is a myriad of info on the net and I've been searching and reading into the wee hours dreaming of a garden of manageable proportions that would meet some if not most of our herbaceous needs. I've given my husband a bit of a shock too when I asked him how much a second hand rotary hoe would set us back....see I'm not on the best of terms with power tools and lawn edgers and the lawnmower only speaks to me when it has to...so to propose the purchase of the said rotary hoe (I'm qualified - I can vaguely remember learning how to use on in ag classes at high school - and that was quite a while ago) set him back a bit, but he seems quite comfortable with the vision of another petrol powered beast to tether in the burgeoning shed of his.

this plus this equals easy digging!!

No...we won't be getting this baby!