Spring time rituals

I rather like the idea of spring cleaning. Of taking everything out, giving it a good wash, hanging the rugs in the sun and beating them out. I would like to say I am working throughout little yurt top to bottom in a methodical, industrious and thorough manner but alas, that is not the case. I am working through it, but it's a snippet at a time. You might think that living in a small space would mean that it would be a quick job, but there are 6 people's belongings to sort through and some of our nooks and crannies are pretty full.

Though I did scrub Elsies cubby top to bottom and toss out the toys that were beyond it as some items had become mildewy and the dogs had traipsed mud through it. It's back to being a clean, healthy place for her to play again. If only the rest was so simple! 

Living in a tiny house seems like it would make cleaning easier, but in my experience, that’s not necessarily the case. Primarily because each area is heavily used and there is no space to spread out and work through things over a period of days. It means deep cleaning has to be tackled in small pockets. 

For example the other day I cleaned out the filing and the little art desk. That had to be juggled around a toddler playing at the table and children eating. I have had to learn to tackle one extra job at a time, on top of the usual household stuff. Something I know I can complete fully that day, taking into consideration interruptions. One day I got Grant to help me pull the window covers off so I could clean them inside and out thoroughly, another we tackled some mildew on the roof. A few days later I cleaned out my wardrobe, tossed old ripped items into the rag bin and bagged up good-quality things to donate. 

Once upon a time I would have been able to get all these things and more done in a day, but somehow, in the yurt things seem a little harder. I think because there is no way I can just close the door and focus on just the task at hand. The close, open nature of the yurt means my attention is never really able to be on one thing. My focus is constantly pulled elsewhere. To vacuum means to turn on the generator and switch the power over, to full a bucket with soapy hot water means to boil the kettle on the Aga or the gas stove. 

As I write this I have had to stop and make lunch, feed the cat, settle the baby who was woken by the dog and pull my boots on and run outside to help with Hagrid who got loose and was chasing a calf. (We have never managed to get him to bond well with cattle.)   

But just because it is a little more difficult, doesn't mean it can't be done. It just means things have to be broken up into bite size tasks. Over time those small tasks add up and before you know it the room has been deep cleaned and de-cluttered top to bottom. 

I have been more brutal this spring when it comes to tossing things out. The yurt is cluttered and it's driving me bonkers. We are also clearing out the storage space in the loft to turn into Angus’s room though Grant needs to find a day to work on the shelving. The boys need a little more room to play in peace without their LEGO creations being smashed by a cheeky toddler. 

But despite it being a slow process, and at at times frustrating. It is remains a deeply satisfying task. 

There is something instinctual that comes with the arrival of warmer days that pulls us to adapt with the seasons. To pull things out, let them air and free up space for the coming season. To know everything we grab in our wardrobes actually fits and is wearable. To clear away the cobwebs and dust that have built up over winter from the wood oven. To open the windows and let in the fresh, clean warm spring air. Being able to let the sheets and towels dry in sunshine outside, rather then above the wood oven.

It is worth the effort, even if sometimes it feels like We are chasing our tails. It leads to a calmer and more organised rhythm in our days over the coming season. 

Clearly, Rocket the adopted rescue cat is tuckered out by all the springtime activity! 

How are your spring time plans and activities going? 

Much love, 

Emma 
xx

Well hello there little one!

It has been a promising start to spring with the safe arrival of the first kid (of the goat variety I should clarify) of the season. A lovely, strong healthy girl born to a doting mother with oodles of milk. 

I think given all the baby animals in the world a baby Boer goat might have to be up there in the top 10, maybe even the top 5 sweetest babies, although I may be biased. There really is nothing quite like stroking their long soft velvety ears. Perhaps if there was more goat-ear stroking in the world, we would all be less stressed. A worthy experiment for a study if there ever was one, yes? 

My freshly rejuvenated garden near the back door is coming along beautifully. It is giving me hope that this year the garden might fare better than last. I'm slowly popping into my round garden for a few minutes at a time clearing it out, ready to add compost, manure and spring veggies. It's taking longer than I anticipated but sometimes that's just how life goes on our higgeldy piggeldy property. The farm has affectionately earned the nickname "Footrot Flats" which is a series of comics and a movie Aussies and Kiwis would be familiar with. 

I have been planning out the new garden area I want to build this spring and I really wanted to add some kind of water feature. Preferably a lovely pond with tall grasses and pretty ground covers around it with a simple spout fountain in the middle of it as a focal point. I started googling the price of ponds and quickly grew discouraged. Then as I always do, I hopped onto Marketplace and bingo! I stumbled on a big, sturdy pond liner for free that had just been listed a few minutes prior. Clearly, the thrifting Gods were in my corner that afternoon. The pond is a lovely diameter, but a little deeper than I would have chosen, so we will half-fill it with gravel to ensure it's well within the depth of the child-safe recommendations. 

Grant has been away this week for work and by golly we miss him. The boys are being incredibly helpful with the farm chores, which is heartening to see. They are all pitching in where they can without (too much) complaint. A reminder to me that though it can be hard at times, the benefits of this lifestyle and this property outweigh the negatives. The boys are thriving, they love they get to call this beautiful valley home and mostly willingly do what needs to be done to make it work. We are all entitled to our off days. Though poor Elsie has been asking for her Daddy, confused why he doesn't seem to be coming home from work like usual. 

On an early morning run to check Mama goat and her brand new baby.

I'm pleased to say Grants new forestry job is going well. It's all very professional, the people are lovely and things are looking promising for a permanent position beyond his 5-month seasonal contract. He finds the work really interesting and it's a place he would love to build a good career.  

I am so deeply grateful for the opportunity. 

I'm not going to lie, there have been some periods of deeply questioning if we had made the right decision in uprooting our lives and moving halfway across the country away from everything we knew and everyone we love. We moved because we believed it would provide better opportunities for our family. We fell in love with the beauty of the region, wooed by the lush forests and crystal clear creeks. We felt the towns and closest rural city would be wonderful centres for us, with good schools, TAFE and a growing University. 

But the reality has at times, been shaky. There have been more than a few discussions about if we should throw in the towel and opt-out for an easier life. One with mains power and a proper, full-size house. 

But despite that, something keeps us here. As you come into our gulley, the space opens before you. We wake in the morning to a cacophony of birdsong and wildlife. Kookaburras, magpies, catbirds, whip birds, cicadas, frogs and so many birds I still can't name. This morning I saw a big fat echidna scurrying across the track.  This place....Well, it's a bit magical. 

Now we seem to be in a period of living with COVID and things are functioning in a relatively normal manner, I have been blessed that Elsie and I have been able to attend a beautiful community garden group, storytime at the library, and our church playgroup regularly. I feel like I am finally making some lovely friends and building some great connections. And our shy, scared-of-everything little COVID baby is becoming more confident in herself, which is a delight to watch. There is a sweet spring fair at the community gardens this weekend, I'm looking forward to going. 

Today Grant comes home. I'm also looking forward to coffee in bed and a nice sleep-in! 
I hope you have had a lovely week. 

Much love,
Emma
xx

Shades of grey and a new job

Grant starts a new job this week. It's full-time seasonal work with the forestry department. It's a good solid government job, and he is really looking forward to it. To be honest, so is our bank balance. It's a job he has wanted for a while but with Elsie being a baby and things so basic here, he didn't feel the time was right to apply as he is required to work away sometimes. But Elsie is getting bigger, the track is slowly being improved and the farm is becoming easier to manage.   

These photos were taken on a recent afternoon spent fishing with Grant's parents when they were visiting. They hired a boat for a couple of hours and we all really enjoyed ourselves. 

He left the dairy job after realizing there were very different communication styles and different expectations that were not going to be resolved. He watched the dairy churn through staff and it proved to be an unnecessarily stressful time. He enjoyed the work and the pay was fair, but after a few months of slogging his guts out it became clear that it wasn't going to work long-term. He had already started to apply for other jobs before deciding to hand in his resignation early. Over the past month or two, while forestry went through the slow government process of due diligence, he has been working full-time on the farm. It has been wonderful to have him here getting stuck into some big jobs like getting the bug shed usable and starting on the permanent fencing. The children loved having him about for their two-week school holidays and for once he was able to enjoy our recent run of visitors right alongside us. The timing, despite being initially stressful, could not have been better. 

 
Being seasonal forestry work, it is likely there will be days or even weeks working away fighting fires in national parks and forestry areas. Though he will be fairly reimbursed for being away, I am a little anxious about managing this place on my own. The dogs are excellent security, especially Hagrid the livestock guardian dog so I am not concerned about that. I'm more concerned about managing the animals, the children and keeping the house running in some kind of fashion. Fortunately, the boys are getting bigger and growing more helpful by the week. Slowly but surely our off-grid systems are improving. The days are longer meaning our solar is doing better too. We also have a small backup generator now which brings further peace of mind. Knowing Grant would likely be working away this summer, we recently upgraded our internet to Skylink, though it was a costly investment it was a necessary one.  Without satellite internet, we would have almost zero phone access. Our new and improved internet means communicating with the outside world is clear, fast, easy and reliable. It has brought me significant peace of mind. We also have some wonderful neighbours and friends I can call on if need be, so we will never really be alone. But still, I prefer it when Grant is home with us. 

Keeping good relations with neighbours is one of the important things about living in the country. In the city, if neighbours don't get along, there is no reason not to express that dislike. We have watched city folk move to the country and maintain that attitude, which results in them essentially throwing away their security blanket. In the country, where trees can fall on roads, floods can block off properties and bushfires can threaten livelihoods, it's best to live a  peaceful, accepting life with those around us. The further out you live from town, the more important it becomes to learn how to get along. To truly accept people for who they are, rather than what we wish they were. 

It seems we live in a world increasingly geared towards the opposite. News articles and situations are presented to us as strictly black or white. There is a growing expectation that people will agree with us without making room for listening to different viewpoints. To disagree respectfully seems to be a diminishing art form. Social media and algorithms designed to feed us only the things we like are a significant contributing factor I'm sure. As are news sites that report with strong bias, whether the station leans towards a conservative or liberal viewpoint, the effect is the same. In this day and age we have the ability to tune into whatever outlet gives us what we want to see and hear, rather than delivering a broader picture if what we need to see. We frequently see that people hold firm opinions about what "other" generations are or aren't, instead of seeing the beauty, wisdom and strengths in each and every age group. In an ever-increasing competitive job market, I often hear stories of employers expecting perfection from employees but delivering significantly less than perfection themselves. Unfortunately, due to the need to source good references and an increasingly casual workforce, employees are left with no real voice, lest they rock the boat. 

It seems for most of us, life is lived within the shades of grey. Each of us has strengths and weaknesses and we muddle through the best we can. Some of us are high achieving in a particular area, some of us are generalists who do well at a broad range of things, some of us are talkers, and some are listeners. Some are mathematicians and statisticians while others are intuitive and creative. Some have a heart to quietly serve those they care about, others may stand on their soap box and fight for inequality publically.

It seems to me that society is increasingly focussed on seeing what those around us are not, rather than what they are. When we look at what our garden has produced, rather than what it hasn't we can joyfully celebrate our harvest. When we focus on the things our community does well, it can inspire us to reach out a little wider. When we seek people's strengths and see the value they bring just as they are, we are less likely to become fixated and overly critical of their weaknesses. 

When we can find acceptance of our own shortcomings, it frees us up to see beauty in the various shades of grey that exist within all aspects of our lives, setting us up for a happier, more joyful and better-connected life. 

This morning as I have my cuppa, I'm looking at our tiny somewhat cluttered home, filled with washing hung at various stages of drying thinking about all the things we have, and all the people whose presence bless our lives. Including you dear readers. I hope you have a lovely day. 

Much love,
Emma
xx 

PS I have had some readers email recently to let me know they couldn't comment. I have played around with some settings and it seems ok on my end from what I can find. But amidst fiddling I have managed to be able to comment as myself again rather than anonymous, so I have managed to change something. If you have a moment could you let me know if you are able to comment or not? For a writer, comments are a lovely part of blogging and I'd like to ensure it is possible for those who want to chat! xx