Farm progress and weekend links

Well, the boys have been back to school for two weeks now and Elsie and I are adjusting to the change in routine after having them home for so long. Elsie has been asking daily "where Will-Will, where 'enry, where Gussy?" Which is both incredibly sweet and also a bit heartbreaking. 

Grant's job is going well and he continues to be very happy and is thoroughly enjoying his work. He has started in a new role this week which he is pleased about. 

Though things are good, the last few weeks have been filled with small challenges. The kinds of challenges that by themselves are no big deal, but when they come together it can be tedious. I have been fighting a low-grade virus, nothing notable but the kind of thing that saps your energy and symptoms such as a sore throat/headaches/migraines/body aches/fatigue come and go. Maisie the pup had a nasty abscess that required surgery. The gas fridge died so we took the opportunity to buy a new super energy efficient one, which meant we had to push forward with installing the new solar system before we were quite ready. I wrote about the new solar system HERE. There was a child with headlice which fortunately was caught early but still, it required the whole family to be treated and to do the necessary hygiene cleaning of linen, towels, cushions, throws and thorough vacuuming/mopping. I know these days they say you don't need to be as thorough as they used to, but I am not remotely convinced. It only takes one particularly resilient louse to survive to restart the whole cycle. I would much rather be overly cautious than under. The caravan needed a deep clean due to discovering a mildew problem, Grant's car has been in and out of action... I don't even remember what else now. There have just been constant hiccups that have required time, energy and money. 

But such is life. At least the car is fixed, the caravan is fresh and clean, the house has been deep cleaned, the new solar is on and the new fridge is a blessing indeed. The dog is thankfully recovering too, albeit more slowly than I would like.

In between, we have been busy cleaning up some of the piles of stuff around the farm. There is scrap metal to take to recycling and rubbish to remove. We don't have any rubbish removal services here so we must cart everything in and out ourselves. Since we try to do as much as we can utilising up-cycled and recycled materials, stuff accumulates and needs to be periodically sorted through. Grant has also finished the shelving in the loft which has given Angus and Henry their own rooms, much to their delight. I have been continuing to declutter the yurt, deep cleaning as I go and doing the usual things it takes to keep a family of six ticking along.

Angus is pleased to have his own little room and space for his things. One day I will get around to painting the plywood and varnishing/oiling the hardwood. Probably after we have built the deck and there is more room to shuffle things around. 

The wall behind Angus's bed in this photo is a set of shelves facing Henry's side of the loft. 

Most importantly there have been birthdays to celebrate. Sweet Angus turned 12. He is a delightful child with big brown gentle eyes, quiet nature and a desire to do well in everything he tries. His kindness is most apparent when he is spending time with animals and his little sister. He has a wonderful sense of humour and particularly enjoys music and art. He is learning guitar and for his birthday he asked for a harmonica.  I was concerned that having a child learning to play the harmonica in such a small space would be a slightly painful experience, but I have been pleasantly surprised. He is progressing in leaps and bounds. He had a few mates come for a sleepover and they planned to go camping. They discussed it and planned it in great detail, but when it got dark they became frightened by the sounds of the bush. At 10:30pm Grant helped cart their stuff inside and they bedded down happily in the loft. They were very funny. 

Then little Elsie turned three today, though we are celebrating her birthday tomorrow as a family. Oh how time flies. She has recently weaned and so the chapter of my life that has revolved around sweet babies, funny toddlers and chubby hands is nearing its end too. I turn 40 in a few months and I have been pregnant or breastfeeding for 10 of those years, nearly half of my adult life. It makes my heart ache to know this season is coming to a close. These children of mine have been my life's biggest blessing. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I hope to see you again next week. 

Much love,
Emma
xx

Interesting links

For those new here, on Fridays, I often like to share a newsy post as well as links to articles, videos and things I have found interesting, inspiring or helpful throughout the week. 

Happen Films - Building a Better World with the Power of Community - Together We Grow (Full Documentary) 

A great documentary and well worth a watch. 

Becoming Minimalist - Our desires are being manipulated

so surprises here, but a worth while article.

Helen Garner - It's taken me 80 years to figure out it's not a tranquil, sunlit realm

Because Helen Garner is a bit of a legend. 

Grandma Donna
I enjoyed this post of Grandma Donnas

Life In The Shoe

I recently discovered this post by Dorcus Smucker and enjoyed poking through her blog.

Morgan Gamble with Robyn Rosenfeldt

A great listen