~ our joyful moments - week 4/52 ~

The last week of our nature themed photos

I chose some dahlias at the farmer's market and set them on our kitchen table - I love having flowers inside - makes the mess and chaos more bearable!

Karin went walking by the sea  - it almost looks like snow!

#ourjoyfulmoments2015 is a weekly photography project shared here and on IG (although Karin's webiste is being upgraded)

What's bringing you joy this week?

~ taking stock : January ~

Making : a big mess as we move furniture around and rearrange the office (and 2 of the kids rooms)
Cooking : I've hardly cooked all holidays - have big plans to trial a new recipe each week from now though
Drinking : san pellegrino mineral water and mint and lavender tea (and too much wine all month)
Reading: lots of YA fiction (trying to keep up with my daughters).  I've just finished The Protected (Claire Zorn) which was great. I loved We Are All Completely Besides Ourselves (Karen Fowler)
Wanting: more storage space in the office
Looking: for a square table for our dining table - we've outgrown ours
Playing: words with friends and lots of cricket
Deciding: whether to fish out my patchwork (and hopefully finish it this year!)
Enjoying: the school holidays (mostly)
Waiting: for a letter from os (impatiently)
Liking: summer fruits
Wondering: how my big girl is going to go on her first day at high school this week
Loving: the apricots I bought by the roadside today
Pondering: a dry February
Considering: starting a little online shop to sell some cards/photos
Watching: the tennis on tv (when the cricket or soccer aren't on)
Hoping: for a few more beach days this summer
Marvelling: at how much sand we brought back with us - its everywhere
Needing: to get back to some pilates/yoga classes
Smelling: the yummy hair mousse stuff in my hair
Wearing: warm clothes - it's chilly tonight
Following: lots of pretty streams on IG
Noticing: how well behaved my children were today
Knowing: that life is good
Thinking: I need to get out weeding in the garden
Admiring: all the growth on our tomato plants
Sorting: out washing from our holiday (still)
Buying: school books
Getting: organised for the new school year - naming uniforms and covering books
Bookmarking: soup recipes for winter (I love soup)
Disliking: so many of the things our government are doing
Opening: mail from friends - its one of the things I miss most when I'm on holidays
Giggling: at the answer Jack gave to the question in our 365 questions book today - "why are you a good friend?"  "because I'm good.  I'm good at being good.  I'm good at being sensible"
Feeling: happy to be home after 3 weeks at the shack
Snacking: on almonds and cherries and apricots
Coveting: a sewing machine
Wishing: I was more organised
Helping: Grace clean out her room (its a big task)
Hearing: my husband patiently answering the million and one questions Jack has when he watches anything new on tv (soccer tonight - "why is he running there?"  "what happened?"  "what was that whistle for?" " why don't they kick to him?" "what if his shoulder touches it?" "what are green cards?" "why did he do that?")

Thanks Pip for the list and your endlessly interesting blog

~ our joyful moments - week 3/52 ~

We've both captured colourful little details for our nature themed joyful photos this week.

The hydrangeas up here on the coast are stunning... I cannot resist taking photos of them. These were "foraged" and then photographed in the back yard here - the background is a beach towel.

Karin is delighting in some pops of colour in the greyness of winter.

#ourjoyfulmoments2015 is a weekly photography project ... Karin and I share our photographs on IG and on our blogs. 

~ nights by the sea ~

2 am

Awake (again).

Thoughts tumbling around in my head, jostling each other for space ... to-do lists, plans for the year, worries, hopes, dreams ...

The darkness is complete (no street lights here) ... heavy, salty and warm.

The sound of the ocean pulses through me ... relentless, persistent ...  but calming.

And the longing to live by the sea, to have my insomnia soothed by the waves is with me again.

Maybe one day.

~ our joyful moments - week 2/52 ~

We both chose stormy days this week.  

I try and walk along the beach most mornings when we're on holidays. This was early before a big thunderstorm later in the day. The pier burnt down 80 years ago...it's very photogenic. 

Karin ventured outside on what looks like a very bleak day ... brave lady!

#ourjoyfulmoments2015 is a weekly photography project between Karin and I. Our January photographs are all nature themed. 

What's your joy this week?

~ 10 on 10 (January 2015) ~

The 10 on 10 project has fascinated me for a while now...and I always mean to join in but forget until I see the photos popping up in my feed again.

I'm so happy I remembered this year... its a good start! 

1.  Starting the day with a foreshore walk is one of the best things about being at the shack

2.  Spotted these 3 fluffy owls on the way down to the beach 

3.  Rinsing his cuttlefish collection to reduce the stink factor 

4.  Hydrangeas along the back wall of our shack

5.  Loving the pompom action on my niece's sarong

6.  My fielding position for the epic cricket game 

7.  He really does think he's George Bailey 

8.  Dangerous games 

9.  Waiting for her turn on the kayak 

10.    Washing line full of towels

11.  The end of a wonderful day 

(Of course there's more than 10!)

~ what a difference a year makes ~

    

Last year all he would do was bat (and he'd never admit to being out).

Last year we'd bowl and bowl and bowl and he'd hit 1 in 10 (if that).

He hated fielding, he couldn't catch, he sulked whenever anyone else batted. 

This year he's happy to bat and bowl and field. 

He bowls a mean Terry Chappel underarm. 

He prowls in the field like Viv Richards and he hits like George Bailey. 

He's still learning to catch.

What hasn't changed is that it's all he wants to do all day 

~ our joyful moments 2015 - week 1/52 - nature ~

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This year Karin and I are continuing with our weekly photo project... because it was so much fun!

This year we've decided to have a monthly theme word to give us some direction in our shooting. January's theme is "nature"

I've chosen a macro shot from our garden...it's a tendril from the passion fruit vine snaking it's way up the wall outside my kitchen. There's no flowers or fruit yet... maybe next year. 

Karin (photographybykarina.blogspot.com.au) says it's too cold to be outside much... she did well to find this beautiful stand of trees. 

Once again I'm blogging from the iPad so I can't link or format as I'd like (and today my keyboard has vanished so it's really tricky!)...forgive me!

~ our joyful moments 2014 ... the wrap-up ~

All 52 of my photos for our weekly project...so many happy memories. 

#ourjoyfulmoments was a weekly photography project - Karin (photographybykarina.blogspot.com) and I each chose a small moment from our week that made us happy and shared them here and on Instagram. 

In 2015 we're changing it slightly with a monthly theme word.  We've chosen "nature"  for January...would love some suggestions for later on!!

~ our joyful moments - week 51 and 52 ~

Still playing catch-up with this project!!

Week 51 was all about exciting snail mail (mine from Sweden!) and Christmas cookie making.

Week 52 was a summery Christmas table (here) and a frosty landscape.

What a fabulous project #ourjoyful moments has been.  We're planning even bigger and better things for this year - so stay tuned.

(There might even be a blog post later today as I'm about to delve into the photo library and see if I can find all the shots for the year. 

IF I had a good editing/filing system that would be a simple task - but I can see myself sorting through every photo for the year searching....)