~ our joyful moments - week 31 ~

 

After a week of sleety rain and biting winds this scene greeted us from our back door over the weekend.  This is quite a heavy snow-fall for Hobart - and coupled with a beautiful clear day it had everyone in town heading for the hills to throw snow-balls.

On the other side of the world Karin is enjoying summery sweet peas.  I must plant some this year - the colours are just divine.

#ourjoyfulmoments is a weekly photography project where Karin and I share the little moments of joy from our weeks on opposite sides of the world.

~ our joyful moments - week 11 ~

This week I found the last vestiges of summer in my garden (the ballerina cosmos come up from seed and surprise me every year) and Karin enjoyed the last gasps of winter on a skiing trip with friends.

#ourjoyfulmoments is a collaborative project stretching across the world (Tasmania and Sweden) in which we are sharing the little moments that delight us each week.  

 ♥

~ our joyful moments - week 8 ~

I've been hanging onto summer with gorgeous bright dahlias and outdoor meals while Karin is looking forward to spring with new plantings and brighter light.

Looking for joy each week is a lot like being grateful - the more I do it, the more I find.


#ourjoyfulmoments is a collaborative project stretching across the world (Tasmania and Sweden) in which we are sharing the little moments that delight us each week.

 ♥

~ baby it's cold outside ~

This is real time blogging.. its chilly out there... and beautiful.. I had to go and grab the camera before getting the wood, feeding the cats...didn't want to miss my chance!

Its truly a winter wonderland of crystals, ice and sparkles.

My knees are cold and wet, I'm off to sip green tea and eat my porridge.

Have a lovely day.

♥

~ garden mood board - June/July 2013 ~

       

Today we have had gale force winds, showers and weirdly high temperatures (about 18 today when we've been getting used to 12s)
I ran outside at lunchtime gathering examples of everything that's blooming... it was only a small handfull ... some roses, daisies that never seem to end, the first jonquils and snow flakes and a hellebore.
The pictures are kind to the garden - it doesn't look pretty at all - its bare branched, empty spaced and fairly bleak out there.
 

How does your garden grow?
I share a mood board each month with Karin and other lovely gardeners and photographers.  Come and have a look.


 ♥

{A mood board for this time last year can be seen here}

~ Friday flowers - pink icebergs ~

 

I posted some shots on instagram this week of a bunch of roses from my garden and several people seemed amazed we still had roses blooming in winter.

Quite a few of my roses are still hanging in there, mainly because we are a bit slow with the pruning shears I suspect.   The icebergs down the side of the house are still throwing up lots of buds and looking beautifully cheery though.  I brought a bunch in today and went crazy with the camera.  Interestingly, the blushing pink iceberg, is a Tassie variant - it makes a pretty variation on the plain white ones we have lining our front fence.

Hope you have a lovely weekend - we have several birthday parties, soccer and hockey - busy and fun times.  I'm also hoping to finish reading The Great Gatsby.  I saw the film last night for a school fundraiser and whilst amazed at the gorgeous costuming and lavish sets I felt it lacked an emotional connection with the audience.  I can't remember if the characters in the book felt so distant.  Have you seen the film/read the book recently?  What did you think?


♥

~ snippets ... mid-winter in Hobart ~

 

 

 

Dark MOFO hit Hobart this week and we've all been getting in the mood and celebrating all that is lovely about the dark and winter in Tassie.


1.  The skywhale in all her glory.  She was commissioned as part of the centenary celebrations in Canberra and visited here as part of our winter celebration week.  I found her curiously beautiful.  The children could not get past those boobies.

2.  Spectra a light installation by Ryoji Ikeda graced our skies all week (more MOFO action).  Sometimes shrouded in mist and fog and sometimes clear.  Beautiful and mesmerising.

3.  First night of the winter feast down at the wharves.  The shed looked beautiful - and the food and entertainment were fab.  We finished with Bruny Island icecream (it was 2 degrees outside) with hot salted caramel sauce...to die for!

4.  It's garlic planting time (apparently you are supposed to do it in the nude) - I'm wondering if this will grow. 

5.  School photos this week.  What a battle to get them all out of their sports gear and into real school shoes!

6.  They've been arranging shells.  Obsessive much?

7.  Details...I'm all about the little things

8.  While I'm busy pouring water on the windscreen, scraping off the ice and muttering under my breath about moving to Queensland they are happy to embrace the frost

9.  Daisy chains on the window ledge...little treasures and pieces of them everywhere I look.


 
I'm linking up with Em to share some snippets of life at our place. 

♥

~ snippets from a week(end) in June ~

 

 

 

1.  Camellias brightening a corner of our bedroom.

2.  Master-cheffing with playdough - this was the start of spaghetti and meatballs.  I have to judge each dish on presentation and taste (!!)

3.  4 is a very interesting mix of independence and sooky mummy's boy.  This was all his own work

4.  All Jack wanted to do this weekend was go to the beach and collect shells.  We walked for ages ... dreaming, chatting, gathering... 

5.  My favourites of our gathered treasures.

6.  Choc fudge slice from the good old AWW biscuit book.  Rainbow sprinkles instead of coconut - because its more fun.

7.  I'm very reluctant to prune our roses when, even if dying, they look as pretty as this.

Another busy week - I don't think I had the camera out at all until yesterday - we've had school swimming, extra work for me and a quick trip to Canberra for the Doc. 

We're relishing this long weekend at home - date night (so nice), cooking, gardening and a long walk along an almost deserted beach searching for shells.  We've got no plans tomorrow - always the best kind of day.

I'm linking up with  tinniegirl and Em to share some snippets of our life this week

♥

~ a weekend in the country ~

We got sick of all the coughing and not sleeping and decided to share it round a little.
Specifically, with the in-laws, who not only cannot say no, but are guaranteed to offer a little sympathy, a home cooked meal and a sleep-in.  Winning all round.

So we packed the bags, chose the DVDs {the best solution to long (ish) car trip ennui ever} and headed north for a few days. 
North to the green rolling hills, red earth and amazing gardens. 
North to family
North for a break.

Some time in my mother-in-laws amazing garden (she opens it as part of the Open Garden Scheme sometimes to lucky visitors).

 

Some time with the animals... our resting trotter, the chickens, the calves, the lambs.
Lots of time with the cousins (who we never see enough of).
Lots of muddy gumboot time, of running round the garden time.

Some fabulous new discoveries (a gorgeous gift shop in Penguin,  fabulous coffee in Ulverstone and a great home wares shop in Devonport).

Two sleep ins!!!

A fabulous birthday dinner with friends we don't see often enough either.

The temptation to embrace the bucolic country life-style is always there after weekends like this.  In perfect conditions the dream of our own little farm is seductive.  I see myself with chickens, growing all my own vegies, being closer to the land...  I forget my aversion to birds, the smell of manure and the hard, hard work that comes with being self sufficient.

We're the lucky ones.  We can have the best of it and then come back home to all that is good here too.  And I love being home (despite the coughs!)

How was your weekend?
Do you dream of a sea- or tree-change?




♥