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This morning, with a view towards my trip to Tasmania, I pulled my old anorak out of the cupboard and found three-and-a-bit dollars in there. It’s one of the nice things about living in a quiet street. Of, if that isn’t, then it is nice to ride my bike slowly down the middle of my street with impunity, like a fool. Speaking of the foolish, it may be be incumbent on me to tolerate them, but that’s as much as I feel like achieving on that front.

All of which brings us to twenty past seven.

Today was, just in case anyone happens to be interested, a pretty good day at school. I did my work. My students did theirs. I managed to get along with my fellow staff members.

It might sound trite, but these are really all things that I want out of your average kind of day.

We have heaps of terrific parks near our house, and very literally spoilt for choice. Finn and I have been talking about taking some photos of them so other people get in on all the parky goodness.
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Modelling her new dress by Nicky P

Pattern: Little sister’s dress (Kjole til lillesøster) by Tora Frøseth Design, found on Ravelry
Yarn: Clan 4ply (vintage)

Photo taken pre-blocking and without buttons

Cuties by Nicky P

A rare and welcome moment where both kids are smiling and friendly.

Okay, it’s not that rare. It’s just that holidays seem to be long.

The plans for today were many and ambitious, but not onerous. I was actually looking forward to sorting through the toys and getting rid of some, possibly rearranging the back living area and feeding last week’s prunings through the mulcher, along with a lot of more mundane cleaning and tidying. That’s the kind of stuff I enjoy (well, not the mundane stuff, but I was looking forward to getting it done).

I came home from dropping the kids off. And went to bed. I have a bit of a cold and after the hustle of getting the children out the door – one not wanting to turn the TV off and the other not wanting to put Mr Potato Head down – I felt quite tired. So I thought I’d lie down. For an hour or so. Just to recharge my batteries. I got up 3 and a half hours later.

The day was close to half over and there really didn’t seem time to do the things I’d planned. And the motivation had quite left me anyway. So I sat down and finished reading The Spiderwick Chronicles.

Now, with only a couple of hours left before the family spill through the front door, I’ll do the mundane stuff and get dinner on the go. And I’ll have house brownies (I could use one of those), trolls, goblins, griffins and other fantastical creatures meandering through my head as I do.

# :: Never allow yourself to compain about anything — not even the weather.

# :: Never picture yourself in any other circumstance or someplace else.

# :: Never compare your lot with another’s.

# :: Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.

# :: Never dwell on tomorrow — remember that tomorrow is God’s, not ours.

via Being Content with Our Homes | Organizing Your Way.

The houses of the rich are confectioners’ shops, where we get sweetmeats and wine; the houses of the poor are imitations of these to the extent of their ability. With these ends housekeeping is not beautiful; it cheers and raises neither the husband, the wife, nor the child; neither the host nor the guest; it oppresses women. A house kept to the end of prudence is laborious without joy; a house kept to the end of display is impossible to all but a few women, and their success is dearly bought.

from Online Library of Liberty – DOMESTIC LIFE. – The Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson, vol. 7 (Society and Solitude).

Found while reading Radical Homemakers by Shannon Hayes

Another brilliant talk.

Found these via Make and Meaning, by the way.