Winter Solstice

It is the shortest day here, and I would put my garlic in if I could make it out to the garden ! Winter is here and quite frankly the garlic will be a week late by the looks of the weather forecast! It is also the middle of Matariki celebrations (Maori New Year)...which has become more and more popular over the last few years. Matariki is the Maori name for the Pleiades star cluster also known as The Seven Sisters. The celebrations are to mark the end of the harvest and the beginning of new planting. Matariki literally means the ‘eyes of god’ (mata ariki) or ‘little eyes’ (mata riki). Some say that when Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother were separated by their offspring, the god of the winds, Tāwhirimātea, became angry, tearing out his eyes and hurling them into the heavens. Others say Matariki is the mother surrounded by her six daughters, Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Waitī, Waitā, Waipuna-ā-rangi and Ururangi. One account explains that Matariki and her daughters appear to assist the sun, Te Rā, whose winter journey from the north has left him weakened. I just love that more people are rediscovering rituals which centre on the earth, the sun, the seasons, the cycle of life and the pull of the moon.

Stormy Weather...

It has been a day of extremes, sun, rain and now storminess! Our poor old chook, who is still recovering after being chased out of her roost in our lemon tree at 5.30 the other morning, is now roosting on our front porch. Desperate for a perch out of the wind and rain, she has taken to roosting on our jack and jill seat. She does have a perfectly nice coop, but has taken to her feral past of roosting in a tree. And being a temperamental fowl she will let none of us close enough to touch her, never mind pick her up and put her inside her house! So she has settled for who knows how long right next to our bedroom window...I hope she doesn't snore :)

...I speak for the trees

So it seems I am not the only person who has taken great offence to the tree felling. Last night a secret squirrel (and no it was not me) 'tagged' the wall behind which the trees used to stand. As I write this there is someone trying to wash it off, but it is going to be on the front page of the local paper regardless. So although the trees are now woodchips there is still a voice reminding us that we need to try and stop this from happening again.

The Lorax said nothing. Just gave me a glance...just gave me a very sad, sad backward glance...as he lifted himself by the seat of his pants.And I'll never forget the grim look on his facewhen he hoisted himself and took leave of this place,through a hole in the smog, without leaving a trace.And all that the Lorax left here in this messwas a small pile of rocks, with one word...UNLESS.Whatever that meant, well, I just couldn't guess

Trees vs progress

As I rode to drop Stella off at kindy this morning, through the foggy haze, I thought something was missing. The busy corner intersection just down from our house seemed different, but I couldn't quite work out why. It was on my return trip I realised that what was missing were the trees. On the corner is a large walled property which used to be the garden of the convent next door until they sold it off last year. The trees behind the wall were probably over a hundred years old and obviously in the way of whatever development is taking place! Our area has many old trees with protection orders on them, but because it is private property the developers can do as they please. And the worst thing is that the developers must have a sense of the upset it would cause as the trees were already felled and it was not even 9 am. I am guessing work must have started at the crack of dawn, before locals were aware it was actually happening. Progress wins this one.

On a cold and frosty morning

It was very cold this morning, and still is even though the sun is shining! My hands are still sore from the cold! The garden was frozen when I got out of bed, but is slowly defrosting now. It has been a whirlwind of a weekend...on Friday we found out friends were pregnant, and that another friend finally lost his fight with cancer. So the mood was somewhat melancholic. We also went to see the Dali Lama speak yesterday. I am amazed by the man's aura and presence. He was insightful, funny and wise. But at the same time he let his listeners be aware that he is just the same as us, a human being, with flaws. I could listen to him for days...

Don't you just love baking soda....

The stuff rocks, I have no idea why more people don't use the stuff to clean their house!
http://www.curbly.com/Chrisjob/posts/1629-Clean-Nearly-All-Your-Home-with-Baking-Soda

It has been a while...

Have not posted for a while. Guess I have been feeling like I've not got much to write about, and have my doubts as to whether anyone is actually reading this. Oh well, my purpose for starting this was to be inspired and I shall persevere to find inspiration.

Craftwise I am currently reworking a doll, dressing another and I am supposed to be cutting and sewing rabbits...but all I want to do is trawl the internet for inspiration.I have stalled slightly on my knitting too...

It has been cold and dank here, and so the garden is looking a little sad. Winter is the time for Mother Earth to rest so can't be too ungrateful for what she still provides for us. We still have parsnips and carrots in the ground, caulis, collard, kale, kohlrabi, celery, beets, rhubarb and leeks. And our oranges are ripening nicely on the trees, so we will be fine for eating for a while yet.

And my gorgeous gals still amaze me. They can be such hard work but are so damn cute!