Today I woke later than usual but still I rose before the sun. A gentle aching in my shoulders reminded me of yesterday; a productive day full of children, animal care and building a shelter for the animals from recycled pallets. 
The ache is probably from lugging the pallets without waiting for Belle's help. I was keen to finish the job though, because our new rotating paddocks are going slower than I would like. I was also conscious of being back in the house in time to make a rhubarb pudding to complete our meal. In the morning I had prepared a broccoli soup with my own chicken stock and broccoli from the garden. A lovely meal which created few food miles - very satisfying for the soul but not so satisfying for the hungry tummies of busy people. Hence a yummy, stodgy pudding to round out the meal.
This morning began with a light frost which saw me running outside in my slippers to tend to the newly planted avocado. The sun is rising now and revealing a gentle mist in the valley. The leaves on the gums are sparking with gold under the sun's bright rays. It's going to be a beautiful day and I intend to start on the next shelter and perhaps move one of the electric netting fences if I find time. Yesterday I broke a promise to the girls that we would sit together with some colouful wool to do some felting. Maybe today... I was also going to take a neighbour some wheat. Maybe today... I should fix the grey water pump, plant the seeds that should have been in a month ago, do some baking, weed the garden, turn the compost. We'll see how far I get.
It's always hard to know how the days will progress. Unexpected things happen. Animals get sick, fences stop working and need immediate attention, chooks find their way into gardens they shouldn't be near. Today a friend of mine is not well and will possibly need a hand. If this is the case, it won't be a problem. I have a couple of jobs I need to do in her town so I'll just rearrange my day and achieve those jobs instead. I'll complete today's tasks tomorrow.
Life ebbs and flows and the pace is hectic but the work is simple, gentle and very real. As a family, we are well connected to our lives, our food, the seasons and our friends and family but there's not a lot of breathing space left.
I tell you this because today I should be writing the month by month, slow living link-up and I can't bring myself to do it. While, in my head, I write to you every day giving you snippets of gossip, recipes, tips on gardening or farming, or simply sharing an amusing anecdote of something the children have done, I rarely find time to sit in front of the computer to put my thoughts down.
While I intend to continue writing because I love it so much, I can't commit to a regular timeframe in our busy, overly filled lives. I apologise to those who love being part of the monthly catch up with others travelling a similar path and I thank you for having taken part. It's been a wonderful way to connect with a community of people who share a common love of striving to live gently and respectfully in this world of ours. Thank you Christine (Slow Living Essentials blog) for beginning this idea and allowing me to continue with it. It's been great fun over the past few years.
Cheers, Linda xx
