patience {slow}

 {sweet pea shoots}

 {new strawberry plants - 

they now have straw on them, to keep them warm during these cold nights}

 {one garden bed at a time}

 {the blueberry leaves turning their glorious red hues}

 {our little home, viewed through the treeferns, blueberry plant, and tree waratah}

Some days around here we all wonder if we are actually living in the 21st Century. Of course, it's a silly thing, but currently we are having to learn to live within a slow time scale of life.

With :: no electricity (which means no television, limited phone charging options, short computer time) :: an outside shower (it's Winter and windy here) :: candles & torches to cook dinner (on a gas camping stove), to eat dinner and to read :: a bucket for a toilet (that needs a big hole dug every few weeks or so to empty). We do have a radio, which seems to only tune into either the country channel or mostly Triple J (which has a bit too much drum beat and such for me, but on some occasions has some good songs to listen to and also regular news updates and most importantly no adverts).

Surprisingly both children have easily fitting into having no tv. They do on rare occasions play games on our phones (if we have enough power charged up).

We are mostly happy to sit and read (endless trips to the town library, and great reads from Ari's school library). There's been lots of chapter book reading around here with the whole family involved, sitting around our fireplace - currently Milly Molly Mandy. And a big favourite with us all (Sam included) was Where the Mountain meets the Moon - highly recommended by us all!

Watching kookaburras visit our now bare persimmon trees, listening to the little fairy wrens, finches and other small birds, waiting for the call of the black cockatoos overhead, or gazing at the native pigeons circling around. Being intrigued by the call of a fox in the forest, or excited by the sighting of a powerful owl in the yard.

Slowly I am tending patches of soil, and planting seeds and seedlings. Strawberry plants were put in last week - I am dreaming of eating luscious warm fruits plucked straight from the garden in Summer. Raspberries will go in soon, and the blueberry is doing it's thing well enough on it's own (as it has been for the past few years). The sweet peas are growing steadily - I can't wait for the flowers, though I know it will be some time off yet.

Being slow, and learning to have patience for things is a good thing. Learning to settle in to where we are and enjoy the day-to-day pleasures and joys. To be excited about the seedlings springing forth, and watch their growth slowly - to imagine them in the warmer months, to think about the 60 days until harvest of the cauliflowers or broccoli, but to also just stop and watch and patiently wait for the slow passing of time. To enjoy the slow passing of time.

I know I've been talking about SLOW a lot lately, but it's where I'm at.
:: Slow stitching - by hand with a needle and crochet hook at different times
:: Slow cooking
:: Slow nights - quiet and dark by the fireside
:: Slow days in town looking through op-shops
:: Slow breathing (at times... still working on that one)
:: Slow growing

....... slow being........