slow living december 2014

Aah, sweet, sweet December, why do I have such ambiguous feelings of thee? Is it the rush to get things done? Is it that I turn another year older each time you cycle round? Maybe its the family, festival and food that rush by at lightening speed? Or perhaps that you are the very last month of the year and I'm always keen for the new one to start? Its certainly a love-hate relationship that we share and while Im delighted that you are a part of the never ending cycle, I'm also always very glad when you've moved on and all the new beginnings can begin!

I'm joining in with Linda at Greenhaven for her monthly Slow Living posts again. There doesn't seem to be much to tell about December although I know for sure that it was packed with busy happenings and was certainly not a 'slow' month!  

Nourish - In some ways we have been nourished well and yet in others I feel our nourishment in December leaves something to be desired! The raspberries have produced abundantly for the first time and we have eaten a lot  but the strawberries not so well - I'm wondering if they need moving and new ones planted *note to self, check this out*. 

Of course last month culminated in the usual end of year food fest and while we enjoyed vegetarian lasagna and Greek salad for our festive meal, the amounts of sweets and sugary items made me cringe (yes, yes, I know I made too many biscuits but its tradition!!) 

Prepare - The end of the year always sends me scrambling to make my new planner in time for a fresh new start on January 1st. This year I've made my own again - a bigger one than last years and with a bit of colour because I do like 'pretty'. I'm feeling quite prepared with my handy dandy day planner and will do a more detailed post shortly. 

Reduce - we have a new craze at our place…….downhill mountain biking! Every day the boys head out into the paddock and practise jumps - over and over again! Somedays they even drive to a local bush track and actually practise the real thing too! And this new craze has necessitated some new equipment which has in turn necessitated some lateral (and green) thinking. Fortunately the tip is close and the tip man is very friendly, so they've brought home an old wooden bed frame for this jump you see above, as well as numerous other off casts such as pallets and metal frames. 

Green - so this month wasn't really a very green month. We used too much wrapping paper, ate too much food in packaging and used up too much fuel driving here and there for Christmas activities. I realise this category is meant to be for our successes but I'm keeping it real here as well, and from my point of view all of the above are just the nature of the Christmas season. I do my best but I also refuse to do more than I am comfortable with or less of what makes my family happy. After all, there are 11 other months of the year when I aim to tread lightly on this beautiful Earth we live on and overall I'm happy with my achievements in the 'green' area. 

Grow - The food in the poly tunnel is growing well, really well. Its truly so gratifying to venture in there and enjoy the warm pungent smell of tomato bushes and moist soil and I often make a quick trip out there just for a deep sniff! The first tomatoes were just turning red for Christmas and we've had a couple of cucumbers but its this month of January that everything is really taking off. 

Outside in the garden there are the first potatoes to be grubbed out and fresh juicy garlic to add to salads. Onions that were planted in winter have graced the table; lettuce, parsley and the last spinach have been enjoyed. 

Create - I didn't have much time to do a great deal of painting or collaging other than the painting for my secret person gift, but I did however sew up a little fabric pouch for a Sweet Pouch Swap I took part in. And there needs to be a card too, right? 

Discover - December was the month I discovered that there is a Visual Arts course at the TAFE college. Quite by accident too. I overheard someone speaking of it in an art shop and I raced home to look it up online. I rang up, booked an interview and was accepted all in the space of three days!!! Now I'm feeling apprehensive and unsure if I can manage everything at home, let alone study as well. 

Enhance - nothing to report in this one. Well…….maybe I should have let a child fill this category out as I'm sure they feel rather enhanced at this time of year!

Enjoy - So much to enjoy this month - first up there was my Fairy's ballet concert which made this mama very proud of my sweet baby girl. Then there were some lovely friends visiting for a week, along with my birthday which was celebrated over three! days due to various reasons. Not that I minded ;) Christmas came next and all the food and lazy days and friends and children that come with it. Yes, yes, there was much to be enjoyed in December! 

And so, with a rush and a lot of fun, December is over once again. In fact another year is over once again. Life seems to be rushing by faster and faster as I get older and I find myself wishing I could hang on to the little things that make up our days for longer. Fortunately, we have such an easy way of documenting those little things via blogging or Instagram or any number of other computer based programs. And of course, thats what I'm hoping to achieve by using this space to air a few thoughts and share a few events. As always, thanks so much for stopping by.