The girls loves horses and so do I

Tabby's Summer camp seems so long ago.  In June TT went to camp where she normally goes to learn vaulting on horseback.  Basically gymnastics on horses and some circus skills on the side - perfect concoction of danger and animals.  I love this place it feels me with calm, I breathe slowly when there and I adore the old horses that enjoy their retirement surrounded by laughter, love and children.  I would spend all day hanging around the horses snorting in that stable smell and laying on the ground looking at the trees.  Chiara who owns the farm has an amazing effect on me and often I leave feeling that my life is full of hope which of course it actually is.  After each camp they have a little show and I love watching the children show the skills they have learnt.  This summer was not the best for the girl as she simply wants to be with the horses and there were some girls who were 'in your face' which bothered her and annoyed me and distracted from the essence of this special little spot in in Tuscany.  BUT that's reality, different personalities bring about different reactions some good some not so good.  For me nothing with distract from the positive effect this special place has on all of us.

https://www.facebook.com/lacasella.cavalgiocare?fref=ts

catching up

been running too fast to even breathe on the workfront, miserable.  I know we are so lucky to have work when so many don't, but gone are our weekends, our down time, time to smell the roses, time to just be. We are exhausted physically and mentally, the house has become a next of dust and dog fur, paperwork piles topple over and we are all out of sorts in some way.  BUT things take a natural path and I truly feel a shift is happening and being struck down with kidney stones has meant I have just had to stop and this is obviously what is really needed right now.  We have had so many time-sucking work projects that have zapped our energy our family life has become disjointed, hard, fretful and at odds.  Things are changing though, they have to so the promise of breathing space and time to just be I am sure is just around the corner.  Watching the signs is crucial to me and this I have not been doing, so I am going to gently realign myself and let go of some things I can't change and nurture the things I can including myself.

So a gentle reminder of the things that matter is needed and I am going to start blogging with intent and colour and am kicking off with short posts which encapsulate the snippets of fun and frolics enjoyed in the last few months, I hope they being us to a brighter, lighter place. 

when we had time at home in the autumn and TT's 8th birthday....

September - summer review

Not really felt like writing much this summer, the season has zoomed by and now we are in September.  It is all too easy for me to feel frsutrated by what I havent acheived this summer, the places we didnt quite get to and the crafty things that are still to be made.  However, I am luckier than most as my kids go to school part time and I mostly work from home, although it is a pretty full on amount of work I have to do.  So to remind myself of the good things we have done over the summer holidays here is a little review:

Made Cherry Jam
Went to the Beach
Visited the outdoor Pool - alot
Went to Lucca
Weekend Camping at the Beach
Found a tortoise in the garden
Turned 40
Visited lots of old buildings and Abbeys
Grew Tomatos, Chicory, Cucumbers, Squashes, Chillis and Herbs
Made scary Chilli Sauce
Children did a market stall and sold beaded necklaces
Practised Calligraphy
Made and bought Christmas presents
Went Cycling - alot
Remmy the cat recovered from an Eye op
Ate lots of Italian icecream
Made Pate
Started to learn to Knit - again
Visited the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum
Had friends to stay
Grandma came on holiday
AA went camping with friends
The old hound kept on going - Hurray
Went up Monte Amiata for the day
TT lost her 2nd tooth, the tooth mouse and the tooth fairy came!
I got a new Garden Design job
Put on 3 pounds (Italian icecream)
Started learning about Italian wines
TT learnt to read in English
AA learnt to answer back -alot

We have done alot this summer it seems, but I do feel sad that school is starting, the boy is going to Media (middle school) and is growing up too fast. The girl wants to start ballet so we are going to find a class for her and I have finally joined a Yogalates class starting this month.  Next week I have a work trip to London and feel so weepy to be going away from home. 

September is without a doubt though the most beautiful month, the colours of the leaves, the bulging grapevines and ripening olive groves, the conker trees dropping spiky pods from above.  Soon we will have The boy's 11th birthday and the start of the Autumn Festas and Sagres (food festivals) Truffles, Porcini, Chestnuts, Olive Oil..... I can't wait.

I am in reflection mode at the moment feeling a little lost, last week the man and I had a lovely lunch in Siena then suddenly the chap behind us had want we assume was a massive heart attack, I tried to help his wife to stay calm and soothed her the best I could, but things looked very grim indeed. It shook me to the core and I cried all the way home, thinking how fast life can change so completely.  So I am reflecting on how I spend my time and with whom as we need to totally love every minute we have on this beautiful planet.

Summer in Italy

The beach, warm mornings, sleeping outside on the trampoline, washing dry within minutes, bread rising on the table in the garden, the insects drowning out the birdsong, football with friends, playing cards with Grandma, supper outside, picnic lunches, castles and kingdoms, a sense of calm (sometimes), afternoon sleeps, coffee in Siena, swimming, diving and sunshine.  Salads and fruit, simple food but the best, tomato plants on the up, beans, peppers, aubergines all struggling in the heat, pumpkins gone wild, kittens growing up, old dog slowing down.  Time to relax watching life unfold.  No money, very little work, but one fantastic future .... Namaste x

 

  

Long time, no blog

Well, still no lovely pictures to share, not yet anyway as laptop being a pain in the rear but I promise to go down to the cantina and update the blog from my office sometime soon. All is well, the feeling in the house is that of tireness and calm(ish). AA has finished school for the summer and is at Rugby camp in the day, TT still at school until the end of June. Each day we are driving to the other side of Siena for the camp - part pain, part fun as exploring new routes and landmarks on the way. Tonight a storm is brewing and I pray for rain as the Horto is wilting, wilting, wilting. Planted young plants on Sunday inc: tomatos, peppers, aubergines, mange tout and they need more water. The hose is heavy and it takes at least and hour to do the whole garden, also water is scarce. A quick update: Health, now taking immune suppressents to try and calm the Bechets syndrome. Hate having to but feel the time has come to go mainstream on the health front but will keep up all the homeopathic and natural remedies too. Kids, happy but tired... trying to pursuade them a siesta is a good thing and that helping each other is actually also good. AA pushing the boundaries with attitude and reluctance to do anything useful, but he is growing up fast. TT about to take little wheels off her bike and go solo like the big girls! Garden, going mad in the heat and the dry.. Horto now underway after DH had incident with antique rotovator machine...dont't ask. Flower garden and roses also looking lovely. The mulching is so cool feeding and protecting the plants, thank you Jean for all the plants and advice. Pumpkins struggling why? Home, very dusty, untidy and somewhat out of control rather like my mind and hair! Just picked the last of the cherries and will do jam this week. Lots of soup in the freezer and bread rolls rising. Have made a study corner for AA with desk and shelves and plans for tree house are in the makings. Work, up & down, sideways and inbetween. Sadly were taken advantage of by con artist client, we did the work, she never paid and never will - now the police are on her case... Not nice but I believe for every 'cow' there is in the world there are 100's of good people to make up for the bad ones. Possible new projects in the wings and G has a meeting tomorrow for a job here in Italy, so all in all things are on the up. Life, I feel positive but tired, so am being soooo careful with myself not to get stressed, exhausted, out of tune, etc I am meditating for at least 1/2 a day and trying to prioritise and not procrastinate with work, home-stuff, contacting friends etc. Also listening to my body, heart, mind, nature etc and really gently letting my intuition guide me in every way. Loving the sunsets, early mornings, wild flowers, fruit and sounds of summer - insects, bee-eaters, laughing kids, swimming, eating outside, night jars etc xxx Ah presto

End of the summer

Just a small note now I finally have time to think. Plunged straight back into work following two crazy but funfilled weeks in England on holiday, all good but interupted by work agghhh. Have lots of gorgeous pics of traditional seaside adventures soon to be uploaded. V. excited as have plans to change the whole horto into a 'Permaculture' haven which hopefully will mean no more digging. Will try and spend more time on my blog this week as the seasons are changing and I want to record the new sights/smells and sounds of Tuscany in late summer.

Summer days

A few pics of the last few days. We are up to our ears in courgettes, tomatoes and onions and trying to coax along peppers and courgettes. The invitation to use Marida's pool was too much after having a week of 37 degree heat.