A change is in the air

This time of year always gets me thinking about things I need to do - things I should be doing and things I did and didn't do this year, month, week,

Day. 

This year has been wonderful in so many ways but I am restless. For so long I have worked to a strict plan ans this year I kind just cruised with the flow. I still am. 

My ambition has dissipated and now I just get through my days. Not very productive or exciting. 

Normally when I come home from holidays I cannot wait to get stuck back into work - but not this time - even though I love my job. 

So am taking an extra couple of

Days to define some goals and get

Excited again. 

Anyone else have these glitches ?

Until next

Time

Angela

What's a girl to do ???

I wake up this morning and see Bonnie Hunter from Quiltville has released the fabric colour selection for the new winter mystery quilt. Very exciting. 

Not So exciting is having to buy a new

Mattress cover - trip to Spotlight ensues. 

And guess what ? Fat quarters on SALE !!!

But the mattress

Protector was 40 % off so .... Mystery quilt time !!!!

Angela

First "from the garden" post !!!

So after three months I have finally bottled something from our newDaisy  Mountain. 

After not knowing what they were and discovering they were guavas - I went In search of a recipe for guava jelly. 

I found a very simple one 

Cut the guavas into one inch chunks throw into a pot and cover with water 

Cook until the fruit is very soft. 

Strain liquid through Muslin let cool and then squeeze all the liquid out of the Muslin. 

Measure the liquid and for every cup add a cup of sugar 

For every cup of sugar add the runs and juice of a quarter of a lemon - it as I did an orange. 

Then boil until it thickens and coast the back of a spoon evenly. 

Pour into sterilized warm jars. 

I froze the fruit and then cut it and the fresh fruit from today.  It worked so all good. 

  

A weekend in Melbourne

Just got back from a very cold weekend in Melbourne.

Everyone knows I am no fan of the cold but at least a Brisbane winter feels like an aberration from the norm rather than a life sentence. Bright blue skies and sunshine - if you are inside looking out you could be fooled into thinking it is a summers day.

                                              What a 14 degree day in Brisbane looks like

But not Melbourne winter settles in like a shroud - logically, historically, scientifically you know it will be warm one day but there is no promise of warmth in a Melbourne winters day - even with the sun shining!

                                                           A 12 degree day in Melbourne

So why do I go to Melbourne every year in the freezing cold? Because I love it ! I visit my very closes friend, see some amazing things, eat incredible food and soak up the very different vibe.   In Brisbane on a cold night a few people venture out - in Melbourne they go out in droves its almost as if they refuse to let the winter stop them.

The bay is always beautiful, the shopping is incredible and just an hour away is the gorgeous Yarra Valley with all the little villages, wineries and amazing views.

But it was nice to get home to a 20 degree day in Brisbane.

A long weekend

When you work in Real Estate a long weekend is a blessing. Normally I spend Sundays cramming some need to do jobs and some me time into one day shortened by club rugby games.  But a long weekend means I get a real weekend - two days "off".

So what will you be cramming into your long weekend apart from the usual school and club sport shopping, cleaning and getting organised for the following week?

I plan on gardening - I have some plants to put into the garden - hippeastrums and agapanthusand nasturtiums.  Then I plan on spending a chunk of time at my sewing machine getting some serious progress made on two UFOS.  One that needs to be in the post and in the US by Thanksgiving this year !! ( hint hint Dawn) - and is at the moment a pile of untrimmed blocks with no plan for setting - yet.  I have a book I want to spend some time with and a crocheted cape I making for an upcoming weekend in Melbourne to finish.

People ask me all the time were I find time to do things - the answer is I fit them in here and there - I will get half an hour of crocheting done on the way to and from rugby this weekend ( home game so not much time - but last weekend it was an hour and 20 minutes worth).  My books are always in the car and I read them even if only for a few minutes while I want for kids at the train station or at lunch - even if I am early for an appointment.

My sewing is always sitting next to the machine with the bobbins wound - needle threaded and fabric in a pile ready to go.  The gardening stuff is all in a bucket that I can grab when I have two minutes and just start - gloves, seeds, plants, trowel, bag for weeds etc.

I started doing things that way when the kids were little because I was so short on an time let alone time to do things I loved and it has carried through.

Enjoy your weekend -

Chat soon

Angela

Coming full circle ...

Two and a half years ago my boss at the time took us to New Zealand to visit an award winning office in Christshurch. 

That experience Was life changing for me on lots of levels - but professionally most of all. 

I loved the vibe in the office we visited. I remember telling my boss how impressive it was and enthusiastically suggesting things we could do. His response was "we will never be an office like that " and just like that I knew I had to leave. 

Today I celebrated my one year anniversary in an office that upon reflection is exactly like that amazing office I visited.

From the philosophy And business practices to the culture - it is - as I have said many times the best office I have ever worked in. 

So if  you are somewhere and you know where you want to be - keep the faith - it is worth the journey. 

Chat soon

Angela

There's a snake in my ..... Bookshelf

So this gorgeous girl came to visit yesterday. Ms20 was dusting and something moved !

With the help of a pool net and a hook she was safely relocated to a nice open cardboard box in the shed out of eyesight of the dog and not in the house !  (The dank not Ms20 - although there have been moments......)

Chat soon

Angela

A work in Progress

One thing I am most excited about in this new house is my gorgeous light filled sewing room - Well half a room. Master18 has the other half as his bedroom for the time being until the "guest" house is finished and he can move up there. 

It looks out at the Guava trees and what will be the vegetable garden. And it has a tiled floor so easy to tidy up and keep clean - and as they are white tiles to find dropped pins on ! 

The first project out of this sewing room will be a baby quilt for a work colleague - 

This is what she chose 

And this is my version - a work in progress !

Chat soon

Angela

What is outside the house yard.....

We finally got to the mower and tidied up outside the house yard.

Above is the "gate house" we aren't quite sure why the old owner decided he needed a gatehouse but we have one.

This is the driveway leading up to the guest house - this will be completed soon hopefully.

Such a pretty place to live.

Chat soon

Angela

Happiness Journal Results

It turns out the things that make me happy are wide and varied.

Helping a great client find the perfect house had me smiling on Monday.

Tuesday - I had lunch with a good friend - that was a happiness moment.


Wednesday -  I drove my Prado to work which I haven't done in ages cranking the country music and singing all the way - then parking miles from the office because our Prado is a 4wd not a pristine large car - So it's dirty, there's a trim panel missing and some scratches and it isn't clean but it's my favourite car To drive and I love it.

Thursday I was happy to be home and having dinner with my family.

Friday I was just happy to be put and about early doing a zillion little jobs - catching up with a dear friend.

Saturday - a quick stop in to watch the boys play rugby in between working made me happy - and coffee - and a gift of home grown herbs and flowers from a client.

Sunday - Mother's Day so much happiness - rugby for daisyboy 11 - made scones and had morning tea with the family - then sewed all afternoon - then sangria around the fire - and hamburgers with the family. Much laughter - and sangria !!!! Who can be unhappy ???


So all sorts of things push my happiness buttons - does it come from Within or without ? 

For me it comes from being true to myself just being me - being a wife, mother, friend and a real estate agent on my terms - not pretending to be what I am not.

How did you do ??

Talk soon

Angela

Chickens

I love our chickens - I love how they cruise around - they bring a sense of calm to my early morning cup

Of tea. 

Happiness is.....

Had a chat with a friend today and she is having a hard time with some work colleagues .....

But I digress.....

The thing is she wanted people to post things that had made them happy about today or things they had done to make other people happy.  It got me thinking....

.... is happiness something you feel or is it a reflection of the way you make other people feel?

Some days I just wake up happy - no particular reason I just feel great but perhaps that is because for the a few days beforehand I have been working my ass off to get things done to make other people happy.

I think this is worth investigating so for the next week I am going to keep a Happiness journal - those times when I feel really happy I will write down when they are what I was doing and what I had been dong beforehand - perhaps if we can establish exactly what it is that makes us have that euphoric feeling - we can do more of it.  Or perhaps it might just be that your mind and body get sick of not feeling like that and it is a for no particular reason other than it is good for you.....or maybe thats menopause - another thing I might have to start looking into.

Play along if you feel you want to and share your findings next week.

Be Happy !

Angela

Much Rain !!!

This photo was posted by Frederik Eklund ( yes of Million Dollar Listing fame) he posted there was a framed poster on his parents wall with a photo of a duck gliding gracefully - and he made reference to the little feet going hell for leather under the surface.  It arrived on my FB feed just after I found out our road had been cut by floodwater - and it was so cheery and so appropriate I couldn't help but steal it and share it.

This is how I felt yesterday afternoon - paddling like crazy and the water was rising !  What a rain event that was.

There was flooding in places I have never seen it flood and so much water lying around.  Friends and relatives taking three fur and more hours to complete a 20 minute drive - and then this morning it dawns clear and bright and stunning.

A bit like my mood this week - cloudy and gloomy and then the sun comes out and it is all good again.

Enjoy your day ! ( trialling new sign off lines......)

Angela

Rainy Days

All I want to d today is sit at home at my sewing machine and finish a baby quilt I am sewing for a friend.

But I have to work and I have to do LOTS of work today to set me up for a busy Friday and even busier Saturday.

So I will post some photos of other things I managed to sew on gorgeous rainy days like today.

Until Next Time

Angela

A Proud Mummy Moment

Yesterday Daisyboy11 was made Captain of his Rugby Team.

Here he is the only one not wearing a helmet running the team on...

Being the youngest of 7 - and the youngest of the 6 boys - he plays rugby rather ahhhhh aggressively - put it this way he isn't afraid to get in and get the ball.

This week he was made Captain because in his last rugby game - a hard fought affair - where he threw himself into the fray on every occasion.  In this game he played really hard and really well but the stand out performance was his ability to hold his naturally exuberant nature in check and not "lose" it.

Yesterday he played against kids who are in his school team - and once again he played hard.

At the end of yesterdays game he was voted Man of the Match by his team mates - the ultimate compliment. His coach came over to tell me and I could tell by the look on his face he was "bursting" with pride.

I have been pondering that look ever since - and thinking back to the emails we receive every Sunday afternoon after the game ( accompanied by photos taken by the coaches wife of the whole game) - where he refers to the boys as "men".  No bagging the referee or the other team if we lose - or being superior if we win - just a focus on what they did right and what they need to work on.

It certainly isn't an "every child wins a prize' team.  In this team you have to earn respect and kudos - but along the way every time you execute a skill that you have been working on - it gets mentioned.  Every boy gets a handshake hello and a hug goodbye.

What some of you won't know about my boy is that he has shortened tendons in his legs and walks on tip toes - we are trying to avoid having him have the operation to correct it as it means 12 months in a wheelchair or on crutches.  It isn't a handicap - it just makes packing a scrum in the front or second row a little harder - and running makes him really really tired.

I was so proud of him yesterday - but even more proud he has found his way into a great team.  Every kid deserves to be part of a team like this for at least one season in their lifetime.

Until Next Time

Angela

Working from home

This morning a I read a facebook post from a friend about how her day unfolded - working from home because One of her children was sick. It ended many many hours later standing in the kitchen sending emails with a glass of red in hand. 

When I had my own business and worked from home I was at my happiest. I would make calls order

Stock - get stuck into the work arrange

Classes and in between would

Put on a load of washing - organise dinner and sweep the floor. 

With that in mind - this was my office space yesterday afternoon - I made four appointments - over 50 calls - sent emails - and organised my diary for the next few weeks   

I was calm happy and productive - Are you able to work from home ? Are you the type who can work from home  or do you need the office environment to keep you focused ?

Until next time

Angela

A lost weekend

I didn't feel like I achieved much over the weekend - well "weekend" mean Sunday for me as I work six days a week but still.

We got up later than usual - had a lovely cooked breaky and then I sat around thinking about all the things I should be doing - finally moving to weed the gardens ( that took all of 40 mins) - did a few loads of washing, hung them up, bought them in and folded them, tidied up ( finished unpacking) the bar area - cleaned our bathroom, swept outside, vacuumed, collected leaves and wood for the firepit - put more stuff away as I came across it outside - cleaned the pool, cleaned the outdoor BBQ area.  And that was it .........

One Day this will be my Garden

Then I sat back around the fire with the kids and had a glass of wine and realised - it didn't feel like work because I wanted to do it  and in a rambling wandering way I achieved an awful lot.

Until next time

Angela

What fruit is this ??????

We have these two largish bushes where I am going to put one of the vegetable beds. 

I have no idea what they are - the fruit is yellow when it ripens and smells quite strongly of passion fruit. The inside kind of looks like an immature pomegranate - 

The chooks and possums love them. 

If you know shy it might be please let me know. 

Food is Free

Just saw this delightful post on Facebook - what an awsome idea. 

https://www.facebook.com/foodisfreelanewayballarat/photos/a.401452736672323.1073741829.401406933343570/441826839301579/?type=1

When Daisy Mountain is up and running there will be excess veges and eggs at the front at the for the nieghbours. 

So much to do - getting into the garden now.

Until next time

Angela

A Walk around Daisy Mountain - Part 1

Here are a few more shots around the garden - this is the house yard only.  Tomorrow I will take some shots around the rest of the acreage.

This is the entertainment area - with the fire pit a sink and plenty of room for us and our guests

This shot was taken at 6am - so it is shady but it will be the site of  one of the vegetable gardens - will get a close up of those fruit trees tomorrow not sure what they are some kind of  guava or fig maybe.

This is the bed on the other side of the wall from the vege garden - I am planning on filling this with flowers and herbs - my very own pottager bed.

The verandah along the front of the house 

This used to be the chicken run and will be again - but we need to add some wire over the top - we have crows who think they own the place.

This is looking from the chicken pen back towards the pool, back verandah and the entertainment area.

Until next time

Angela