It’s the little things

Keeping hold of the dream means keeping close the feelings associated with that dream.  And as poets and hallmark have always known, its the little things that count.  Getting up early and seeing mist outside.  Putting the kettle on and being able to see the neddies in their stable, their big eyes watching the house for signs of life … movement from the humans house means breakfast! 
Its watching another rose unfold and surprising me with its colour and fragrance.  The smell of herbs crushed underfoot as I go to the kitchen garden to gather parsley and chives for scrambled eggs for breakfast.  A pause to smile, again, at how beautiful it all looks.

My Dream Kitchen Garden

Its coming in from a hard days physical work, tired and dirty and aching, but with joy in my heart.  Its the absence of a feeling of doom and an aching stomach and back from stress.  Its freedom from tall buildings all around replaced with tall and majestic trees. 
Its sitting on the verandah with a gin and tonic and watching the pink and greys come in for their evening drink and frolic.

Sunset at Wattle Grove

Its being able to replace eating between meals with a dalliance in the paddock with the horses, or the chooks.  Its getting distracted whilst taking the clothes off the line by a flock of red tails flying over.  Its chopping a barrow load of firewood and knowing we will be warm tonight. 
Its quietly watching the bandicoots scratching about in the bushes.  Its being able to wander into the orchard to graze on a plum, or some mulberries, or picking 4 or 5 lemons and thinking how nice some lemon butter will be.  Its cooking in the kitchen and knowing that all that I will serve on the table tonight came from our own land.
All these little things make me joyful inside, they make me smile on the outside.  They make my body relax and my heart sing. 
My challenge today is to learn how to translate these things to the place that I am living now.  I have come to realise that wishing away a year is a sinful waste, some people don’t even have a year to live, yet alone a year to wallow in dreams.
I told Kim the other day, while we sat on the patio, that even though we could hear the birds here in Bassendean, we could not see and watch them.  We get little glimpses and vistas of what we get totally at Wattle Grove.  We live inside not outside.  So to address this, the things I will do this week are:

1. Clean the inside of the house so it feels fresh and light
2. Write down a de-clutter plan for the whole house plus outside and shed.



Our postage stamp patch of lawn

3. Start planning the rejuvenation of the garden.

So for the rest of today, I will start on my weekly plan.
Smile today :-)