Pioneering

The subject of pioneering continues to be big for our family - initially encouraged by my interest in it and enthusiastically grasped by kids who have heard Little House on the Prairie and other stories.

We haven't learned much about our local history, I think because neither Hubby nor I have a personal connection to this place. On a day this week when winter decided to have a last go at us, we visited our local settler cottage museum.

The kids were fascinated that the very swing used by children over a hundred years ago is still in the tree.

This amazingly detailed dollshouse with working lights was gifted to the museum. We could have stood there for ages looking at the intricate details.

A slate, like the very one Anne bonked Gilbert on the head with! This thing is heavy - poor Gilbert.

A4 in front of one of Mum's favourite things - a Singer treadle machine. I want.

Pumping water would be fun for a while, but good, hard tedious work every day.

After our visit I was inspired to finish the girl's Little House costumes. I7 is having a lot of fun in her Laura regalia.

This photo screams Holly Hobbie to this '70s girl;-)

Some other thoughts on Pioneering:
* I bought Hubby a book on Handy Farm Devices in the hope we'll have a little handy farm for him to utilise it on one day.
* I had huge fun last weekend at a cheese-making course with a homesteading buddy (she's a real homesteader while I'm still just a wannabe).
* Thank you, Aunty Claire, for introducing me to the writings of Wendell Berry. I am getting so much soul nourishment from his descriptions of people connected to place, and his honouring of those who work and love the land.

(Eek - I should update here more to avoid long, disjointed ramblings.)

Spring Has Sprung

Spring has definitely sprung at my place. The winter knitting has been put aside and the sewing machine fired up as inspiration hit with Soulemama's new book, Handmade Home arriving. Did anyone else have the Reader's Digest Needlecraft book growing up? Mum had "disposed" of our old copy so I was super excited to find a copy for M (gonna be 10 in the weekend).

I put to use some Amy Butler decor weight scraps I'd scored and whipped up a pretty new mousepad for my ugly puter desk. Playing around with a bit of patchwork encouraged me to sign up for a beginners quilting class at my local fabric store for next year. Hubby and I are always keen to pick up new skills, particularly those we can pass onto the kids.


I replenished my supply of mama pads with some thrifted sheet remnants and gifted bamboo fleece. I'd already made my little sister and I matching "sheet pants" from the sheets. We were able to wear our pants and share a bed in a fancy schmancy hotel during a girl's weekend away recently.

The kids and I discovered a summer coloured candlewick bedspread and matching pink'n'yellow sheet to be turned into a Beach Blanket to Go.


I'm nagged by the thought that some of this creative energy would be better spent in a much needed spring-clean of our house. Oh well.