The first cool whispers of autumn are in the air, here in Tasmania. My knee-length cosy cardigan has been retrieved from the back of the wardrobe, and those beautiful sunsets are getting noticeably earlier with every evening that passes. Autumn has long been my favourite season, and I can’t wait to see how lovely this island looks when the trees have turned to gold.
DorkySon has been playing with his boxes of Lego a lot this week. He has a real mixture of stuff – some very new Lego City sets that he has been given for birthdays and Christmases, but also a box that he calls his ‘make anything’ box. It’s a large collection of assorted bricks that has been passed down through my family – starting with my two older brothers before making its way to me and now, finally ending up with DorkySon.
You won’t get any better proof of Lego’s enduring popularity (and indeed how well it’s made!) than seeing a little boy in 2014 playing with bricks that were made in 1978!
There are some things – fashion, crafts, cake decorating – that should really be left to the people who do them well.
I’m going to add gardening to that list. My politics may be green, but my fingers most certainly are not.
Don’t get me wrong. I like to sit in the garden at the end of the day, glass of wine in hand, letting the last rays of the sun ease some warmth into my shoulders. I like to watch DorkySon potter around out there, rubbing lavender or mint or thyme between his plump little fingers, putting them to his face, and inhaling deeply. I like the sweet hum of the bees; the soft beat of butterfly wings, and the way Mr Blackbird watches with one beady eye as I walk to collect the mail. I even like the tiny little skinks that dart out from the cracks in our wall. Continue reading
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“I definitely need to have a shower tonight because I’ve been swimming. I have Claudine all over me.”
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“Stop laughing Mummy. There’s no laughing allowed in Outer Space”
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I’ve had a post brewing for a while now about some of the changes I’ve made to my lifestyle since moving to Tasmania, but it was only on reading this lovely brave piece about motherhood and body image by my friend Emily that I felt compelled to rescue my notes from the drafts folder and pay them some attention.
Something about living here has made me feel more compelled than ever before to get in better shape. I think perhaps part of it is that exercise and healthy food can so easily become part of your routine without it being a huge effort. Like Emily though, I have not been aiming to hit a particular dress size, or a certain number on the scales (we don’t even own a set of scales). I just want to feel good in myself and I’ve been trying to approach that in a sensible way. Continue reading
Dorkymum | Stories from Tasmania 