Slow summer holidays and interesting weekend links

The car is in the mechanics and it seems we have been without a second car now for months now. It is wearing thin that's for sure. It has been an interesting exercise in simple living. We are hoping it will be fixed by the end of the week, but I am not holding my breath. 

Sweet Maisie. She has such a little frame for a border collie, but she is delightful. She and Tuk are best mates and she is incredibly intuitive and sensitive. She is eager to learn and please and will should be easy to train as a result.

But it has made me think of families in previous generations when transport was limited and they had no expectation life would be any other way. Though we are on a rural property, most people here can not make enough money from their properties for farming to be their primary income. It is a commuting area. In the past people would have made their living through logging and selling timber, raising cattle and running small dairys. Sadly, the viability of the small, mixed-family farm is mostly long gone. Though there are some examples of those who do it well through clever avenues of diversification. One day we hope to join them. 

Back in the day when horses were the main source of transport, this place would have been quite an isolated, close-knit community. I imagine every farm would have had extensive fruit orchards, veggie patches and flocks of chickens. 

But that is not the world we live in now. Life is faster and most people spend long stretches away from their properties. Many are working away not because they want to, but because they must to make ends meet. The local post office has long since closed and now our friends live in it. The church still stands though its congregation has dwindled to just a handful of oldies. The old school hasn't functioned as a school for many decades  Children are bussed further afield, the cost of keeping such a small school open was deemed not financially viable. The building has become the community hall where markets and local events are held, it is at least well-loved. 

Sometimes it leaves me feeling like we are cocooned in our own little world and so the days pass. Feeding children, cooking meals, preparing snacks, playing games, reading books, doing the washing and caring for animals. All whilst living in a yurt. I seem to set goals and tasks for the morning only to discover the end of the day has arrived without having done half the things intended to. I have been motivated to tackle small annoying jobs between wrangling children. Jobs like decluttering the linen, board games, kitchen items and pantry. Just a few minutes here and there have helped us fit into our tiny home better. No longer does my linen tumble out the cupboard whenever I open it. Since I have no car, it is Grants job to remember to drop the bags at the op-shop which frankly, I am not sad about.  

To be a real homesteading family, I feel like I should be tackling the new garden, but it seems to be either hot and muggy or raining. I need a couple of big loads of compost to fill the garden spaces I am wanting to work on. It's premature to do too much until they come and I cannot get them until the Landcruiser is fixed which we need to tow the big trailer. Though I do have some seedlings which are ready to be potted up for when the garden is ready. Then I can start a new batch, so time is never really wasted. 

One thing I didn't take into account when we moved here would be the amount of waiting we would have to do. Waiting for things to be fixed, waiting until we have saved enough to buy supplies, waiting for one job to be done before we can start the next. It has been an exercise in patience. 

But patience is a good skill to have, no? At this rate, I will be up there with St Monica in the patience department. Ha! 

I started this sweet little goat for Elsie's birthday in February. I thought I might make her Waldorf doll a little red dress like Heidis from the book. I confess I think I enjoy reading the book to her more than she enjoys the story, even the picture version is a bit longer than her attention span at the moment. But she does enjoy the pictures and the familiarity of the mountains and the goats. It seemed an apt present to make for our own little mountain-dwelling, goat-loving child. 

Angus's birthday is also coming up in a couple of weeks and he has asked for a harmonica, I would like to make him a soft pouch for it to protect it in his pocket and perhaps embroider it with his name along with some music notes or something similar. I am just waiting for it to arrive in the mail. I can't belive my sweet, gentle Angus is nearly 12. These babies of mine are growing up so quickly. He has also requested a new bodyboard and goggles.

Well, the dishes are beckoning, there are animals to feed and children to rustle into action for the day. I hope this finds you well and that you have a lovely weekend. 

Much love, 

Emma

xx

Anne Wood Handmade

This is a lovely web site that offers many delightful free patterns, as well as patterns you can purchase at a good price. Many (if not all, I haven't looked that closely) are PDF meaning you can print them off at home or at the library which saves postage.  

Barradale Farm - YouTube

As my days are a little less all consuming with a very young child, this year I am determined we will get back to YouTube. There is going to be alot to share about fencing, gardening, improving our solar system, milking goats and of our everyday off-grid yurt life.  We have a couple of videos there if you have not seen them yet. I keep allowing myself to be held back by imposter syndrome and feeling shy in front of the camera. Though I enjoy filming and editing very much. Though I have a huge amount to learn! 

BBC - The Wartime Farm

I loved this series, and if you haven't watched it I recommend it. 

BBC - A psychologist explains how modern life is making us lonely, but it doesn’t have to.

Becoming Minimalist - The calm of everything as it should be

Futuresteading - Jade Miles

I recently read this book in Libby which is a free Australian library app. If you are not on it, do look into it. It is my favorite app. Anyway I really enjoyed the book and that Jades recipes weren't prescriptive as such, which is much like the way I cook. I enjoyed it so much I will be purchasing it, perhaps for my birthday. 

Libby 

Here is a link to Libby, or you can go to the app store on your device and download it. It will sync with the app on any device you are on so you can switch between reading on a tablet or a phone and not loose your place.