brushed her hair, put on a pretty dress & asked me to take her photo – how could i resist?

we’ve recorded over 7 inches of rain since xmas & bright green shoots are appearing everywhere. the kids have enjoyed running in the rain, splashing in the puddles, making things out of pottery mud & generally getting muddy. simple pleasures! its been great weather for baking too! i’ve tried a few different carrot cake/muffin recipes – still looking for the perfect one though – have you got a good carrot cake recipe to share?

bogged – again!

today’s project: hanging some photos around the house. this feature wall faces a large window, so traditional framing with glass is problematic. but canvas is perfect! its great to finally display some photos on it!

do you display lots of photos in your home? be sure to share links to your home galleries!

rain is a BIG thing for people on the land and out here, receiving good summer rain is such a blessing. people from greener pastures, probably don’t understand our fascination & excitement about it. but when the paddocks have hayed off and the dams are going dry, good rain gets everyone excited! it can turn things around, giving renewed hope for the coming season.

an unexpected storm today topped up house dam & brought the xmas-new year total to almost 6 inchesthe view towards the hills – you can see green grass already

the emu apple trees looking greener than ever

michael took this photo of house dam with a camera phone soon after the storm

a new year, a fresh start, full of possibilities … i love little rituals like:

choosing a new diary – i loved this blue one from smiggle

checking waters & discovering full dams (a real treat!)

i’ve also been contemplating a word for 2010. instead of making resolutions (which most of us rarely keep), the idea is to choose a word that sums up your intentions for the year. then use that word to keep focussed & on track esp. when you are faced with challenges (as you will be). in the past, i’ve chosen focus (2008) & bloom (2009). this time, i considered focus, aspire, visualize, intention & ended up selecting action. many people have good intentions & focus & visualize, but if you want to achieve your goals, you need to take action. so action will be my mantra for 2010.

• take action to declutter (body + home)
• take action to beautify (home + garden)
• take action to move towards all my goals

want to play along? here are some great posts about this topic:

one little word – ali edwards

resolution revolution – christine kane

create a 2010 intention plan – michelle mcgraw

have you thought about your intentions &/or chosen a word for 2010? please feel free to share your thoughts about starting the new year.