I just cleaned my car.  What a horrible job.  With bits of biscuits, Macca's chips, banana peel and general rubble smooshed into every surface, it took someone at the carwash place less time to clean their commercial bus than for me to vacuum mine.  Wonder how long this cleanliness will last? Couple of days?

Kim

Winter won't bring us down

Sure it's been raining. Raining and cold. The wind stinging with rain, coming in from all directions. Dams are full, tanks overflow, roads are hazardous. But it puts a big smile on our faces. It brings promise that this summer will be a very, very good season.

When the weekend finally comes round, we don't stay indoors moaning about the winter weather, instead we get out amongst it. Putting Thaw magazine to bed was the right thing to do as we can finally enjoy weekends as a family without working! We all load up in Dotty and head off, usually with a pretty vague idea of where we want to go. We just head to Creswick and take it from there. If there's a market on we'll go to it....the amount of treasure we've bought is great. We found a great old wooden shoe cleaning box, an old ladder for our high bookshelf, an old tin First Aid wall unit, and books galore. We've been to the garden of St Earth in Blackwood and got seeds for the next veggie season. We've hit the Daylesford and Trentham markets treasure hunting. We picked up fresh trout at Tuki, we relaxed fireside at the cute cellar door of Captains Creek Vineyard quaffing their stunning Pinot Noir.

If your lucky enough to live out in the country like we do, then I recommend a drive around to check out all the water in the paddocks and the creeks. We had a ball yesterday driving over flooded creek and river crossings in the Kombi. So much fun!!! Creeks are running for the first time in years, some that I've never seen flow before!

And to keep inline with our new balanced work/life balance, we've booked a trip over to Tasmania in Spring. We're more excited than the kids! This happiness is sickening.

xoRo

Yippee!!! Another road trip!!

Dotty. Our vehicle of adventure out for a bush picnic.

Garden of St Earth, Blackwood

Garden of St Earth, Blackwood

Garden of St Earth, Blackwood (The most important tree in the collection)

Trentham falls FLOWING!

Picnic at Trentham falls

Daylesford Sunday Market (At the old train station)

New duffle coat of pure wool from Creswick Wollen Mills. It's made to last, unlike the crap from available at our wonderful department stores.

Stunning Trout we bagged from Tuki, one of these ended up smoked and used in a delish pasta dish last night.

Hi-jinx at Captains Creek Winery.

Our dream weekender cottage at Captains Creek

Running through the Olive Trees. No doubt they were up to no good.

It rained outside, we sat here and drank the Pinot. It sucked. Wish you could have joined us. Really.

The Cellar Door

The booze.

The mud.

A Dooer-upper?

And my truck is finally legally mine....all fixed and ready for hauling and hunting!

Life gets in the way.

In answer to Ro's question from my perspective, I have been busy doing other stuff.  I certainly spend a  lot less time in front of a computer now that we no longer do Thaw. And I have to say I am loving it! I was the picture of domestic goddess-ness yesterday.  Picture this - me, in an cute little apron, baking cakes and cooking dinner at 4 in the afternoon! "Who is this woman, and what has happened to Kim?" I hear you ask. Well, I just have to admit that sometimes I really enjoy this "stay at home Mum" thing.  I figure I had better enjoy it while it lasts. Oh, and yesterday wasn't really the norm, I just made a promise to Laney.  She tells me I am definitely still "in".( Masterchef, that is.)

The girls very proudly display their butterflies on the fridge.

I found some great crochet patterns at an Oppy the other day.

Yesterdays cake

And a fruit and nut loaf for us grown ups

All baked with the help of my new little beauty

The chocky cake is from here. The CWA cook book handed down from lovely MIL.

Have been enjoying my colourful scarf I just finished

Few works in progress. This will be a cardie for Tia.

Granny square blanket for us, in the making.

I've been meaning to post a finished photo. Here's Tia's elephant.

Is it just me....?

Is anyone blogging anymore? Does anyone care. Has this race been run?

R

No Shame.

I have absolutely no shame in admitting that I like Willie Nelson.

In fact he's part of a long line of 'country' artist's that get a good playing in our house. I've been ruthless with my iPod lately, removing the music that just isn't me. The stuff that is left over is all quality, and gee what a surprise! Most of it was recorded 30+ years ago! Seriously I'm really tired of the new shit. Most of it is just that, and has been since the 80's. There's only a handful of albums each year that really float my boat. The rest are just filler.

I was lucky enough to go backstage and meet Willie after a show about 10 years ago. Magic moment. He played for 3 hours, until his fingers were bleeding. Kim fell asleep. I sat starry eyed, at one of my musical hero's.

If your new to Willie, try these albums, Red Headed Stranger, Teatro, Spirit and for that really early stuff try, Country Willie sings his own songs.

Ro