things I love

Sometimes the everyday stuff seems so full of basic things that are dull and tiring the cleaning up dog hair, the wiping off icecream from furniture, the hunt for the missing sock, the forgotton homework dramas etc.  But, inbetween the 'necessary' are the goodies, the snapshots of love and laughter, the jam and honey.  Here are a few of mine.

Sneaky big dog snoring on forbidden sofa
The mummy's day poem
The sound of recorder practice
The warm sunlight peeking through the wooden shutters
My newly planted foxgolves waving in the breeze
Peach blossom
The scent of the Jasmine
our wild and huge garden
A full fridge and dresser
A 6 week menu plan I created at the weekend
The view accross the terracotta roofs
Cool tiled floor beneath my feet
The old films we indulge ourselves with in the evenings
The sun dried tomatos from a lovely friend
The mended mosquito net ready to go above our bed
The freedom to work for myself

Here are some pics I took when the tidying (a while ago) and cleaning got too much and I grumped around feeling glum then kicked myself up the backside and focused on the good stuff, here is some of the sweetness I found amongst the grime and dog fur...

Enough of the sweetness and light, now off to pick up poo, hang the washing on the line, put more in, prepare supper and walk 3 km to pick the girl up from school.  On balance the walk is stunning and we will get a wondeful icecream when in the village, lucky us x

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.

Brain overload

So much has been happening lately I feel like my head might explode, so until I can take some time to slowly sort through the tangled thoughts I will simply post some lovely images of this wonderful, wonderful country which has welcomed us with open arms (veggies, sorry these may not all be for you).  I will save the tantrums and tears for another day... they might even have melted away by then. x

The goodstuff:  just about to light the fire, Tuscan bean soup warming in the kitchen, the girl will be home from gymnastics soon, our amazing landlord has bought home pallets for us to make a compost bin, my glass of chianti is truly yummy, our log pile is healthy again and the spring warmth is slowly bringing the garden to life.

Confessions of a modern Mummy

Well, I love so many other Mummy's blogs out there and they inspire me greatly but the ones that touch a chord are the ones that are real, the ones that include the grubbiness and the gripes, the tears and the heartache. Not wanting to bare my soul totally though I thought it might be a good idea to share just some of the reality of my life. The ebb and flow, the dark and the light, the thoughts and ideas...

I cook from scratch always but secretly crave plastic cheese squares and angel delight

I recycle, re-use and reclaim but lust after a nightmarishly expensive designer sofa

I advocate gentle and peaceful parenting but flare up like a banshi at times

I hate shouting and violence yet love watching films with knights battling it to the death

I try and drink lots of water but this gets diluted with wine most evenings

I save energy wherever possible but love having lots of lamps in corners - it's just nice

I write lists about lists about lists then lose the list and write on a list to look for the lost list

I love silence but hate being on my own

I believe in herbal remedies but when I get ill I yearn for frozen chicken pies 1970's style

I hate TV but love watching films

I love plants and growing stuff but am a blatently lazy gardener

I am great at giving advice and rubbish at taking it

I change my mind with the seasons and my hair colour too xx