Days in between

Me: What day is it today?

Bill: No idea.

The days in between Christmas and the New Year always seem like a blur to me.

It's probably because my sense of routine becomes a shemozzle.

The whole of last month has been a blur to be honest, but here we are ready to launch full steam ahead into a brand new year.

Christmas at Sue's.....thank you Sue. You always make it seem so effortless and relaxing. Such a perfect spot outside and under cover and your backyard is such a good spot for gathering and feasting.

The day began with a visit to see Bill's Dad. 

Jo had a bag of maltesers for him ( or her/ or us)!

It was just before Christmas lunch so we were all a bit peckish.

We had some pre Christmas celebrations a few days earlier with Amy and Helen who were going to be spending Christmas with Helen's family in Lakes Entrance this year. 

We gorged ourselves on some delicious seafood prepared by the girls. Thank you Amy and Helen. We love it when you visit us with seafood treats.

Dessert was the leftovers of the most delicious ice cream birthday cake made by Sam and Cara...for me!

Thank you both for a delicious birthday surprise feast. 

Ben had been over for about ten days and we got to see him before he flew back to WA.

He was home for a Britten Christmas at Marce and Jesse's.

Christmas for these little babes.....

So proud....an academic achievement award.

We picked cherries from our tree just in time for Christmas. The most we've ever picked.

My little farmshop is on holidays now after a huge lead up to Christmas.

It's always so heart warming to find these notes.

I even made up some dried flower bunches to sell this year, especially on those hot days when the real versions would have turned their toes up.

Helen made these two pretty bunches when she was here......

Sam has just been to Lakes Entrance. 

The girls loved showing him around and Pearl was more than happy to have him there as well.

He has since had to return home before the road became blocked because of the terrible fire situation there at the moment.

This was last night's view from the town centre. So frightening.

They are safe for now thank goodness but continue to be vigilant of the ever changing conditions.

This is what they love the most....

I've started to dry some herbs ( not the poppy heads). Mint, lemon verbena, basil mint and dill flowers.

My holiday stash from the library...

......and two Christmas gifts I can't wait to read.

Thank you Sam.

Thank you Brittens.



Merry Christmas to me from me.

Counting our blessings and wishing you more. 

We hope you all have a year of good health and happiness in 2020. 

I'm looking forward to all sorts of things and I hope you are too.

I won't be parallel parking though. I don't care how easy you say it is!

That'll be us.

November blog.....just!

I've taken to 'gwarshing' like a duck to water.

I'm not sure whether it's the playing with colour thing or the fact that it's just another branch to my fascination with all things botanical.

Whatever it is, I'm loving my new found pastime.

I may even look at doing the Bird gouache painting course at some stage....although that's probably getting a bit ahead of myself.

There are still the modules for leaves, stems, buds and berries, clusters and branches to come ( I skipped over these at the beginning because I wanted to get on with the flowers). Typical.

The flowers here at Frogpond Farm are all leaping out of their skins in the garden....especially after 8mm of very welcome rain.

I'm hoping it's not too late to get these tomato seedlings in the ground Jamesy.

The apples are sorting themselves out and deciding which ones will stay and which ones will go.


The liliums are getting ready to burst into flower....look at all those buds!

We've had plenty of florally goodness to pick from over the last couple of months.....





















My little farmshop has been filled to the brim.

I'm starting to think about what special bits and pieces I can put out there for Christmas. 

We met Jo at Marilyn's Native Garden back in October. Her open garden was part of the Mandurang Valley Artisans Trail showcasing art, flowers, food and wine in the area. She took a group of us on a tour of her garden and we came home with some little tubes of native flowers for the Ruby Garden. 

Bill's whipper snipping debacle.

The result of a small rock we presume. Don't think we ever found the rock!

It was just a tiny hole to begin with.

These peony poppies are new to me.

It's been a joy watching their pods unfurl.

And an even greater joy seeing the poppy pods left behind after their fleeting appearance. The bees adore them.

Wildlife visitors.....

You need to look closely at this last one.....right in the centre of the photo.

It's this!!!! Strangest thing to appear in our rose garden. It only stayed for the day. It's called a black tailed native hen. It has never returned.

Whoops! Sorry Pearl. You weren't part of the wildlife.

Amy and Helen were here a couple of weeks ago ( with Pearl) and Amy took some of the garden photos I've used.

Helen has been able to get leave without pay until the end of the year.

They are now in Lakes Entrance together at last.

Helen has also acquired an ongoing teaching position there too, beginning in 2020. She will be sadly missed by the staff and students at her school.

They've both obtained their boat licences.

Mind you, boat licence is actually.....

Recreational Boat Operator Training and Personal Watercraft Endorsement.
Ah yes, that sounds better!

The water is a huge part of their lives there.

Sam's FaceTime pics ....

Darling kids.

Amy took these photos a couple of days ago on her way to work.

A sign of our ever increasing vigilance for fires both here in the Macedon Ranges and in particular the East Gippsland area this summer.

Hopefully this week's rain will have had an impact on them.

I've been reading....

The last few weeks have been all consuming.

Bill's Dad had a fall at home  and hit his head which led to some bleeding on the area of his brain that is responsible for his thought processes. He was in hospital for several weeks and is now in a transitional care centre. The staff are keeping him as comfortable as possible and everyone is just taking each day as it comes. He is 91. 

Flowers from Cara....pink with a blush of lemon and they smell gorgeous.

Surely it can't be time to deck those halls again.....

Hope you all get to enjoy some time doing whatever takes your fancy over the weeks leading up to Christmas. 

I'd better press publish or this will become December's blog!