The view from a window

I spend so much time in the kitchen that this is one of my greatest, yet simplest treasures: a peaceful view from the kitchen windows! This is the window behind the kitchen sink (I'm not responsible for the peacock in stained glass but it is an arty addition!) Washing up, for me, is a time of reflection and "looking out", even if it's only for a couple of seconds at a time, when my little Mummy helpers are volunteering (and chatting incessantly:) I might add). The view is of the Community Garden being constructed next door and the Baptist Church behind the fence. It's awesome on Sunday mornings when we can hear the church starting at 9am - often the songs are the same as what we'll sing half an hour later when we start our own service half an hour later in town! It's also a great reminder as we're busy getting ready for church as to why we're actually going and creates a sense of anticipation (for me anyway; Gary has already left to go to Prayer Meeting at 8:30am:).

I also enjoy the bougainvillea when it's in bloom over our carport (although the Community Garden committee don't appreciate it's shade casting qualities and keep chopping it back. Nevermind!

Another thing about this window is that my kids and I sometimes go next door to the garden (with their permission) and they play on the swing or climb the tree or admire the vegies or play in the sand or with frisbees and balls (we have a very tree-y ard so not ideal for this kind of play) and , if I need to return home to check on dinner, I can still supervise.

Sometimes, we even take the bikes and the "rocket" over to the tennis courts behind the Community Garden. (The Community Garden is using the land next door that also belongs to the Baptist Church, as do the tennis courts) There's something I really like about all this community feeling. We're made quite welcome by the church to pop over etc (my husband has taught the pastor's son for a few years) and I love the idea that my kids are going to grow up with these fun-loving memories of living next to a church that welcomes them... I also have similar memories of hearing hymns etc emanating from the Baptist Church down the road from my Nanna's house at Upper Mt Gravatt (My Mum walked to her wedding with red carpet down the footpath!)

All this from one window! Phew!

The simple pleasure of drinking water from a beautiful, lady-like glass! I don't know what reminder techniques others use to help them to keep up their fluid intake, but this is mine; it's become a real association- I never drink anything else from it and I don't let anyone else use it; perhaps that's a bit immature or selfish but it really is a simple pleasure!!

There's something incredibly satisfying about cannisters, isn't there!

I've started baking fruit cakes for lunchboxes (at Chloe's request) and the brown paper in this tin brings back fond memories of my Nanna's baking, too:)

Speaking of simple blessings: a drawer full and overflowing with fresh fruit and vegies from Market day causes me to feel I'm doing a rewarding thing for my family when I go to the markets before school rain, hail or shine or billowing gales!! I love Thursdays!! I try to cook/bake on Thursdays, too, when everything's fresh and then pop prepared meals or part thereof into the freezer until I need them! No wonder Declan loves to "help make" -we do a lot of cooking together and he's really quite skilled, now, at pouring, sifting, mixing (gently Bentley!!:))

Gingerbread house

Finally... a photo of one of my gingerbread houses (2007):)

Happy Snaps

Here are a few of my latest Happy Snaps (I'm not sure why they've gone higgledy-piggledy, out of order:( Sorry! The photo of the newspapers is actually a Chloe/Declan creation of a campfire to go with their tent which you can see in the background with the pink cushion as the comfy floor.

This week, Declan has declared that he wants to grow up to be Daddy; not just any daddy but his Daddy! He wants to "talk like Daddy" and "do everything Daddy does":) I don't know who's more chuffed!

This photo was taken after we'd washed Declan's hair and he was enjoying his slicked back look. Add to this with what he calls his "groovy" sunglasses and he'll tell you he looks "like a rockstar":) There are some older sister influences there!!

And, as for this older sister, this is Chloe being presented with a special first-week-of-winter dessert... a marshmallow snowman. These are fast becoming a tradition after we made them for a Christmas in July gathering a few years ago. We skewer a giant marshmallow, then a regular one, then a mini "mallow bake". Sometimes, I sneak another half marshmallow in as the brim of a hat under the mini marshmallow :).

'Tis a gift to be simple...

I love taking photos of simple everyday pleasures. I wish my grandparents had been able to do this, too. I'm really interested in what I guess is called "social or domestic history"; things used around the house, what bedrooms look like at different stages of our children's development; favourite books and movies, the price of food and what food packages look like, views from windows, the changing facades of local streets, favourite play spaces, parks and games, etc.