weekly stills [ebb and flow]

I didn't think I'd taken many photos over the past week and certainly none that I considered blog worthy. Sometimes I'm surprised by what the comes off the camera. Each of these photos tells a lengthy story in itself. That last one particularly. 

I've felt right off kilt these past two weeks, it didn't help that I spent 6 days in bed with the flu - can you believe that? 6 days! I can't remember being knocked down like this before - not from the flu. It twisted the stuffing right out of me, good and proper, physically and mentally to be honest. I've had too much time to think and sometimes that's a dangerous thing. I've been getting myself a bit bogged down about the future and wanting to control it. I've been thinking about peeps I haven't seen for a while and missing them too. I've been working on solutions though, so this thinking business is proving to be productive too. I'm giving up on the future stuff for a bit, trying super hard to live in the moment. I can let the future unfold as it will, it's beyond my control. And I'm planning on visiting those peeps I miss terribly. So that has certainly lifted my spirits.  It's funny how life ebbs and flows like the ocean, the tides pulling in and out. I know I'll get my rhythm back!

[i] My man sitting on the tank, waiting for Harry to pass up the wrench so he could prime the pump because our tank ran dry - we had a load of water delivered. We have NEVER run out of water before! We haven't had our usual Autumn rain.

[ii] those funny little adventurers of mine with their nets - we walked around to a beach only accessible when it's low tide, called Second Sands (it was the first time I'd left the house since becoming unwell...the fresh air and sunshine did wonders)

[iii] Harry and Till did a horse camp these holidays - it ended with an event day so out came the best jodhpurs and polished boots. I missed seeing all the action but Ben took some great photos for me. Seeing Harry amongst all those horse crazy girls...it makes me smile, he holds his own!

[iv] a friend gave us some fresh mushrooms that popped up in her yard - Norfolk gold I'm telling you. We hardly ever get mushrooms here - this was a REAL treat!!!

[v] Miss Till wearing her Horse camp ribbons - yeah, she's pretty chuffed with herself.

[vi] a friend dropped around this care package for me - a pile of County Style magazines, some DVD's and a handfull of fresh mandarines. You made my day Ms D!

[vii] a frying pan hanging in a tree at Second Sands - gave me a chuckle

[viii] normally my happy place.....I'm sick of this bed

joinging Emily from The Beetle Shack

swimming with the little fishies

Ben got a new toy...a GoPro camera. Here's a little video he put together of our favourite place in the whole world!!!!!!!! Enjoy.

personal best

Harry did something today most adults wouldn't attempt in a pigs eye and we are super proud of him. He participated in his first ever triathlon, in the Under 15's category none the less. It started with a 200 metre ocean swim, followed by a 6 kilometre bike leg and finished with a 1 kilometre run. Our almost 12 year old Harry doesn't usually put his hand up for athletic pursuits (being the Lego, book-worm, horse-riding type) and originally signed up to be part of a team after being roped in by mates, the original plan was for him to take the bike leg. One team member decided he wanted to do the whole thing, and then somehow Harry's team disbanded. But he came home one day and announced instead of giving up, he'd give it a crack - and participate in the whole thing too.

I admire your tenacity kid. You weren't nervous or worried (I did all that for you). Instead you were focused and determined. You knew the triathlon would be tough and that it would push you to the limit. But you never stopped once...not even to smile! You were so impressed you didn't get a stitch...which makes me laugh! I would have got a big fat stitch, that's for sure. We are bursting with pride young man - today was a big achievement for you.

And yes, Harry has outgrown his bike!!!

a tad dramatic?

...now you see why.

easter blessings and germs

I'm crawling out from under the covers to say 'hello' and 'Happy Easter'. Ben got 'man flu' at the end of term and now I'm dying from something even more fatal....'school holiday flu'! On the plus side, because I'm sick now, I'll be cold/flu/germ free for ALL of winter. Yep, a small price to pay. It's a fail-proof plan. That's what I'm telling myself!

So it's been a very low key week. Harry read 5 novels in 3 days (the kid is insatiable, truly). Thankfully a 3D puzzle came in the mail (thanks Nannie) to keep his brain nourished for a few hours. Till has been working on her flute breathing and keeping her temper in check (I'm praying she hasn't got flu symptons). This afternoon I sent both kids down the paddock with orders to get dirty and breathe some fresh air. They took me literally. On their return just minutes ago, I made them strip off outside and put their clothes immediately into the bin! A tad dramatic...but I'm sick after all.

easter blessings my friends - may it be germ-free

nitgb photo challenge [week two - green]

It feels like I only just posted a whole bunch of' 'green' photos. Notice how literal I am with these photo prompts. I look at others interpretations and think "wow, I never would have thought of that'! I walked past green doors, flags and roofs, but for some reason, it was this naturally lush leafy stuff that drew me in every time.

weekly stills

Phew. When I look back at all the photos I've taken in the last week, I can see we've had some great fun.

[i] off to horse riding
[ii] birds on a roof at Kingston
[iii] dinosuar bubbles - Rrrroar!
[iv] don't climb on that fence - yikes
[v] coloured lights and a wicked sunset at the school Easter Carnival
[vi] everytime I looked out the kitchen window and saw these black shapes hanging from the verandah I thought....sheesh, what the!?...and then I remembered it's just the wet suits! not ghosts lol
[vii] Till lost in thought as she draws
[viii] a headless man brought me roses
[ix] just to prove he isn't headless....and to show you what a mighty fine fisherman he is
[x] my very lovely mother-in-law is really a mermaid and she never wants to leave Emily Bay!

joining em...

go see her photos (they are ALWAYS great)

nitgb photo challenge [week 1 - window]

Norfolk Island Tourism (NITGB) has kicked off a Facebook photo challenge to inspire locals and visitors alike to share images of this beautiful island. Like most photography challenges, a word prompt is given. To my liking though, instead of it being a word-a-day, it's a word-a-week.

Last week's word was 'window'. Immediately the window that came to mind was the beautiful stained glass window of St Barnabas. I took a quiet drive to church in the middle of the day and arrived to have the whole church and it's lovely surrounds entirely to myself. That is until a lovely lady arrived to play the organ...and what luck for me, a private concert for one! It would seem I got a little carried away, and came away with many images and most not of windows. St Barnabas is such a peaceful place and had it not been for the afternoon's commitments, I may have lost many hours to this sacred place.

This week the word is green.

weekly stills

The term is drawing to an end and I've finally found my part time groove. Yes, it's taken this long. This will sound cuckoo, but I've been spending most of my time at home cleaning the house. Afterwards I sit and admire my hard work (made beds people...thrilling stuff!), twiddle my thumbs and hardly breathe for fear of messing it all up. Not very exciting, right? And certainly not as fulfilling as I'd imagined (well, washed floors and sparking toilets do kind of give me a small thrill).  After staring longingly at my sewing machine last week, it dawned on me that maybe a mess was in order after all...for my creative urges and sanity. The other discovery I've made is, it's OK not to stay at home ie I can take a drive or a walk All By Myself! Yes I'm a big girl after all. There's no stopping me now...I've even let the house go a bit.

Here's the wrap up:

[i] wibble wobble orange jelly (free oranges in "the hood")

[ii] Till and I hang out at Bumby while Harry has his Wednesday guitar lesson

[iii] a swim before school - *someone was looking for their swimmers!!!!!!!

[iv] one of our locals - word on the street is the grass is very tasty

[v] more locals...they were rather rude to me, honking loudly

[vi] robots and rainbows - don't ask me???

[vii] we eye-spied this persimmon tree whilst driving...and I drool every time I pass it

[viii] a picket fence I photographed when I was out having an adventure all by myself on my day off

* I've just discovered it wasn't one of the kids who made this mess!!!! lol. Well done for being honest dear Ben - mwah x
He's not messy, I promise. We were in a rush.

joining The Beetle Shack