Simple joys….

Looking out the kitchen window these days is so different to when we first arrived….

We are having days and days of wonderful weather. This is unusual for spring here, and while it is lovely, we are always thinking about our water tank, it will need to be topped up a few times this summer, the forecast is for a hot dry one. Our catchment area currently is fairly small, we are hoping with the extension the bigger roof will mean we don’t need to do this longer term.

Luca has 4 weeks of school left, going into his first serious exams this coming week. He has spent all weekend studying. He is anxious about them, Rich and I remember well our experiences with exams, and helping where we can. We split this, Rich does some subjects and me others, studying effectively is a learned technique and takes some time to understand what works best, but exams are always anxiety inducing!

Chilling last night after a days study, Pica helping where she can too 🙂

Halloween this year was the first Rich and I were not involved with. Luca went to Teds after school and then they went off by themselves meeting up with other friends. Luca came home happy, from all accounts it was successful and fun 🙂

I was sent this by Ted’s Mum, a banana and Elvis – hilarious!!!!!!!

Cruise ship season has begun and every few days hundreds of tourists hit our little village. From our deck this is the view..

From a local business point of view this is good, health not so much, as they are finding hundreds on board with Covid.

I recently spent a night in the emergency department ,(helping someone out), and they are completely overwhelmed, with covid cases on the rise again, it is alarming. I am an emergency nurse and have practiced in the busiest emergency rooms in NZ, the UK, and smaller ones in Canada, this is beyond busy, this is now chaos. I know that NZ is not alone , the NHS nurses are going out on strike for the first time in the Councils history, I am a part of that Council and I know how resistant historically they have been to striking, to have got to that point, shows how desperate the situation is. It is heart breaking to be practicing at this time, knowing that no matter how much extra effort you put in, it is not going to be enough to turn the tide, there is simply not enough of us.

With the cost of living rising fast here and internationally, it is on the majority of peoples minds. As we head into the Christmas period, a stressful time financially, it puts even more pressure on many. This popped up on my feed recently, meant humorously, but there are serious undertones…

With this I mind I have put a bigger effort into the vegetable garden, growing more and trying out some new things that will enable us to freeze and preserve more, but also to be able to grow longer throughout the year…

Borage flowers totally edible, make a pretty edition to a salad of spinach, beet leaves, broccoli, fresh herbs and various lettuce leaves

While I wait for our new potatoes to mature we eat a lot more things like couscous and orzo, cheap, nutritious and tasty.

The chickens are playing their part in the system well. Their manure pile is looking great and will be added to the garden in the fall. Between that and the worm farm it is helping on cutting down the costs of gardening.

The fruit trees I have planted over the last 3 years are thriving and we may even have some produce off the newer ones this year. The older trees are looking like we will get a good supply again .

For the very first time since planting, the blueberry bush has berries, I am pretty excited about this as first time I have grown blueberries, the raspberries and blackberries seem to be doing better this year, lots more flowers than previous years, it is year 3 for them.

With this lovely weather, drying washing on the line is very satisfying. Rich teases me about this and how much I love it , I really do! I have an app that tells me if we go over or under the electrical budget each week, washing on the line helps a lot with this.

The bank area that we planted last year has taken root, another couple of years and the area should be well covered

Next to it is what will become our front door and entrance area, this is currently what it looks like….

This tent has been up for over 4 years and about ready to fall apart but hanging in there. We brought it for $20 from the Salvation Army Op shop and has served us so well. This area is where Rich is starting to clear then build our wash house, the next project on his agenda, physically this is more hard work. Watch this space….

After these hard days, it is important to take time out to relax, love this one of Rich and Luca. Despite what is going on outside our home in the wider world, it is these simple moments that fill me with joy xx