Dreaming...................

'Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.'  Goethe

Things are unsettled around these parts.  There are a few facts that are adding to the unsettledness (is that a word?) namely:

• Debt.  While not adding to it, we are not doing a very good job of reducing it.
• Being fed up with being part of the Rat Race (still makes you a rat).
• Wanting to live a simpler life.
• Being fed up with living in 'rabbit hutch road'

Now I realise that we are healthy and we LOVE each other, and we are truly lucky in those things, and I don't want to sound moaney, I am just writing to myself here, but this life is here for the taking.  I believe we only get one shot at it, so better make it a good one. Hence I find myself needing to do something about the above in order to make myself (and therefore 'us' I hope, feel better about things).

I confess I have never really had a proper life plan.  I know people who have five and ten year plans, tbh this always seemed a bit anal to me, I preferred to see what happened as I trotted through life. However, as I have gotten older, I see that there isn't really that much time just to trot through, if I want to make changes I need to plan for them in order for them to happen. Simple really. It just took me a (long) time to realise this.

For the past 12 or so years, since I went back into education, I have tried to make decisions by asking myself if I will regret doing something or not having done it when I get to the age of 70.  Whilst it may seem trite to some it has caused me to make some of the biggest decisions of my life (hello baby no. 5), and I have absolutely no regrets so far (well, I could have lost a few pounds more but hey, no one is perfect).  While this works really well I need to be a bit more focussed. There are a few things I can recognise here:

• While we are not fostering (another post) we can't pay off any debt - fact
• I am on the way to fixing the above problem
• which will mean that hopefully by 2012 we can start to repay debt
• which will mean that we can have a plan to do so - working out how long it will take
• which will mean that we will be nearer to living our dream

I have determined that we will not increase the debt for anything, especially Christmas. Therefore, each of the children will have a very small present this year.  I have told the older ones who are fine about this. I think or at least I hope that this may lead us back to the true meaning of the Season, rather than the commercial crap that usually takes over.  I don't think that our friends and families will mind contributing to food etc if they are coming to our home and if they love us they will understand.

We would like to need much less money to live on.  This will probably mean selling our house and down sizing.  I don't think this will be a problem for me, however for those of us less inclined to visualise things working out as we hope, this may pose a few problems.  I am a glass half full kind of person, haven't always been but life events (one specificly sad one 21 years ago) changed my perspective on life as I knew it and with regard to optimism I haven't looked back since. Others however are not so blessed and may be trickier to win over.

I will keep plodding on

Chickens and other things



Ok so I have missed this little space here.  I think with the addition of two little children for 12 weeks I haven't had time to do much more than look after everyone.  I am now feeling like I am on holiday as they have gone back to their original foster carer which was the plan all along, just that 6-8 weeks turned into 12.  I believe that everything has it's own timing, and ours for that journey seemed to be perfect for us. The chooks are laying daily, although we think they are all laying, not had a day with three eggs yet so hopefully soon we will be in full production.  We seem to be having lots of eggs though, poached is the preferred method of preparation around here at the moment!  Here as promised are some pics of the chicks:

Marjorie




Penelope




Matilda




treasure from our allotment




more thrifted finds - 50p each




I have wanted one of these for ages, an Acroc Cow butter dish - 50p!




lovely 1970's table cloth 50p




fairy skirt for Miss Noodle £2





beautiful linens £3 the lot




lovely table cloths - to be used as dolly shawls I think! 50p each!




just because I like to look at her picture!



chickens

Wow, with three under 5's I feel like I have never been so busy! Things are manic around here! We got our three chickens last week, and have been gifted with three eggs already!  Marjorie, Penelope and Matilda are very cute, and so far very well behaved! Miss Noodle loves them, she calls Penelope 'Pen melon pea' - so cute! will add some pics here later.

"Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you."
~ Lao Tzu

our Easter Tree

first rhubarb from the allotment in a crumble

the gorgeous Miss Noodle

Miss Noodle with her Daddy and his lovely granddaughter

can't believe it's been so long......

WOW! I can't believe it's been so long since I posted anything here! We have two little children come to stay (we are foster carers) and life has taken a turn for the busier! They are 16 months and 4 years old! Combined with our own Miss Noodle things are a bit hectic around these parts!

To say I'm not sure if I'm coming or going would be only slightly an overstatement!

Will try to upload some pics later, things are certainly challenging at the moment!

{ this moment }

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.-soulemama