I haven't posted for a while - there are a few reasons for that. They involve self-imposed anxiety, cleaning and a secret.
100 posts
This is the self-imposed anxiety bit. You probably haven't noticed but this is my 100th post. Now that shouldn't mean anything really, but it is funny the limits you can put on yourself. I have delayed and delayed thinking I should have something profound to say. Alas, I haven't but I decided to post anyway...
I started this blog in January when, on a long summer vacation, I was having trouble with the idea of going back to work. I decided that if I started a blog and wrote about the things I love about my veggie garden, I would have something to distract me from the thought of having to selling my labour.
When I started, I didn't know what a blog was, I was technically incompetent and I didn't know there were others - yes like you - who write about their garden and the joys of their produce. It's been fun exploring the blog world, reading your blogs and learning from the things you do and from reflecting on my own mistakes.
I started by putting a limit on the blog - just a year - and now that the year is 3/4 over, I cant imagine stopping on 31st December.
100 years
This bit is about cleaning. We have been very very busy, cleaning, painting, shining, sweeping, buying flowers and hiding things in cupboards. You may have guessed what we have been up to? We have sold our house.
"So what has this got to do with 100 years?", I hear you asking. Ours is a fabulous Federation house (for those not from Australia, 'Federation' is an Australian style of architecture hatched around the time when our separate states came together in a Federation and when Australia became independent from Britain in1901).
Our lovely was born in 1915 - so she is nearly 100 years old. This is the view from the backyard back to the house.
This house is loved. It is a treasure of original features - fanlights and irons, fireplaces with art-nouveau tiles, coloured glass and patterned ceilings. We have nursed her back to her glory from a shabby, neglected state and she is now so pretty. It is hard to sell it, but we have sold to people who we know will love her as we have - a bonus and a comfort. We hope they will love her well past her 100th year.
"So why did you sell?" - Gosh, you ask a lot of questions!
Selling has allowed us to make a huge lifestyle change. I no longer have to sell my labour ( but I can chose to do that if I wish). And it has allowed us to do something we have wanted to do for a long, long time.
100 miles away...
This is the secret - not a secret any more! We have bought a property in the country.
So I guess we will be busy for the next few months too. For the next while I will be doing a lot of my veggie gardening in pots so I can take them with us. I may not be in paid labour but there will be lots of labour to make the property work for us. I have to contemplate gardening in frosts and work out how to beat the 'roos and rabbits to the glut. There will be wood chopping, wombat watching, yabby catching from the dams and droughts and flooding rains.
If you are still interested, I will still be blogging from my patch in the bush!
100 posts
This is the self-imposed anxiety bit. You probably haven't noticed but this is my 100th post. Now that shouldn't mean anything really, but it is funny the limits you can put on yourself. I have delayed and delayed thinking I should have something profound to say. Alas, I haven't but I decided to post anyway...
I started this blog in January when, on a long summer vacation, I was having trouble with the idea of going back to work. I decided that if I started a blog and wrote about the things I love about my veggie garden, I would have something to distract me from the thought of having to selling my labour.
When I started, I didn't know what a blog was, I was technically incompetent and I didn't know there were others - yes like you - who write about their garden and the joys of their produce. It's been fun exploring the blog world, reading your blogs and learning from the things you do and from reflecting on my own mistakes.
I started by putting a limit on the blog - just a year - and now that the year is 3/4 over, I cant imagine stopping on 31st December.
100 years
This bit is about cleaning. We have been very very busy, cleaning, painting, shining, sweeping, buying flowers and hiding things in cupboards. You may have guessed what we have been up to? We have sold our house.
"So what has this got to do with 100 years?", I hear you asking. Ours is a fabulous Federation house (for those not from Australia, 'Federation' is an Australian style of architecture hatched around the time when our separate states came together in a Federation and when Australia became independent from Britain in1901).
Our lovely was born in 1915 - so she is nearly 100 years old. This is the view from the backyard back to the house.
This house is loved. It is a treasure of original features - fanlights and irons, fireplaces with art-nouveau tiles, coloured glass and patterned ceilings. We have nursed her back to her glory from a shabby, neglected state and she is now so pretty. It is hard to sell it, but we have sold to people who we know will love her as we have - a bonus and a comfort. We hope they will love her well past her 100th year.
"So why did you sell?" - Gosh, you ask a lot of questions!
Selling has allowed us to make a huge lifestyle change. I no longer have to sell my labour ( but I can chose to do that if I wish). And it has allowed us to do something we have wanted to do for a long, long time.
100 miles away...
This is the secret - not a secret any more! We have bought a property in the country.
So I guess we will be busy for the next few months too. For the next while I will be doing a lot of my veggie gardening in pots so I can take them with us. I may not be in paid labour but there will be lots of labour to make the property work for us. I have to contemplate gardening in frosts and work out how to beat the 'roos and rabbits to the glut. There will be wood chopping, wombat watching, yabby catching from the dams and droughts and flooding rains.
If you are still interested, I will still be blogging from my patch in the bush!
In order of mention in the post: 1. Congratulations! - I have loved the 100 posts thus far! 2. Lovely house! 3. How exciting! Where is it? Climate wise if not geographically? Do you feel liberated both by potentially leaving the confines of the city and indeed the paid workforce?
ReplyDeleteOh thanks Liz!
DeleteIt is about half way between Sydney and Melbourne, in the area called the south-west slopes of NSW. It gets a good deal of frost but is no where near as cold as Canberra. The temps are more like Katoomba in the Blue Mountains or like Wagga Wagga.
Yes, it feels very liberating but also a bit daunting. There are so many new skills to learn, so many new challenges and starting to grow my patch all over again. But a new challenge is exciting and I cant wait to start.
I am going to miss my limes big time, I think it will be pretty impossible to grow limes there and I might struggle with lemons too! But there will be nut trees and hopefully it will be fruit fly free??? Does anyone know?
Grow your limes and lemons in pots. That's what people do here in the United States, when they live in climates too cold for naturally growing limes and lemons. (Sorry, I just jumped into the last part of the conversation.)
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for you to have a new homestead! Lucky you! I have a little house in the suburbs with a 1/4 acre plot. I garden as much as I can in my space, but often wish for more land. Sounds really exciting!
Oh I am glad you did, thanks Cristy! Good suggestion and I guess I can move them around to suit. I have also heard of planting in front of north facing walls (in the southern hemisphere anyway).
DeleteI have always wished for a little more space. I have plenty now - or will when we get possession. It might be a case of 'be careful what you wish for'!
Wow wee that is all so so exciting. What lovely new adventures for you I can't wait to read more. Perhaps you can grow citrus against the warmth of the house? Fabulous view to look at each day. Congrats and like liz I have loved reading all your posts, they always inspire me to get into my veggie patch and put in more effort (today's job).
ReplyDeleteOh thanks - it is very exciting. I certainly wont get bored with the view. You should see the sunset from the front verandah... maybe you will one day.
DeleteAnd I know I am going to need some of your advice re planting in frost. What do you think of planting citrus in front of north facing water tanks?
Well try them in big pots for a year with lots of water and mulch that way if they look like they are struggling you might be able to move them or cover them with fleece.
DeleteSigh I bet the sunsets are going to be amazing. I look forward to the photos
Do you mean fleece = wool fleece? Plenty of that, that wont be a problem, or is it a fancy horticultural thingy?
DeleteAnd what do you think about stacking straw bales around the pot?
Congratulations on the 100th blog post, the sale and the big move!! Very exciting! On the lemons/limes thing, you could try the Jackie French method of planting in 'groves' where bigger trees shelter the more frost sensitive like citrus. Apparently she even grows mangoes, and she's an hour or so outside Canberra (I did a garden tour there last year - very inspiring stuff!). I think her book 'Backyard Self Sufficiency' goes into a bit more detail on the concept, and you'll have a more impressive backyard to work with!
ReplyDeleteOh that's a great tip! I will take a look. I am pretty sure that where she is is MUCH colder than where we will be. So if Jackie can do it...it should be theoretically possible for me. But I do think she has fairy dust in her pockets - that would explain the mangoes... mangoes?!
DeleteOh, I tune out for a day and look what I miss! Congratulations on everything, but particularly on the move and escaping the workforce. I am very excited to see more of your new place and all the great things you will achieve there.
ReplyDeleteOh thanks! A BIG change. It is exciting and daunting and everything. It is a rather dramatic solution to the fact that I no longer felt challenged in my job! Challenges galore here we come, bring it on. Tears, laughter and sore muscles, here we come.
DeleteI've only just found you, so you can't stop now, not when you've got new adventures to document! How exciting!
ReplyDeleteDont worry, I wont stop, just the venue will change and there will be more references to wombats. And I might have to take someinspiration from your gum quilt and make one of my own to suit my Red box trees and River Reds.
DeleteI've been busy selling my labour - :) - so I've just caught up on your fantastic news. Congratulations! You'll love it.
ReplyDeleteSo how do think Half-tail will cope with the relocation? You can't leave him behind! He loves you!
Yes, I do think that Half-tail is in love with me, ( more likely just incredibly curious!) but thankfully, I think Half-tail has a partner... a very bright and snappy currawong that often turns up with Half-tail but that is much more shy. I think Half-tail will cope without me, but will I cope without Half-tail? I will miss him/her.
DeleteYesterday Half-tail and I spent some time in the patch together. I dug around and found some worms and tossed them to him/her. These gifts were gratefully received. Just a toss of the head to shake the dirt off, then down the hatch. We had a great deal of fun. (The worms didn't!). Half-tail is so trusting, so smart and curious. I have never met a bird like him/her.
Oh wow, what a great adventure. Good luck to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteLove from Mum
xx
Oh thanks for visiting and for your best wishes. I am enjoying your craftyness!
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