Hard work

My sister and I run a small children's wear business. The last 3 years have taught me a lot about hard work, my sister and our relationship and trust.

While not all these lessons have been enjoyable there have been some wonderful moments including travelling to France on a regular basis and seeing the support our family and friends have willingly provided.

Today was one of those nice moments. While my sister has frustrated me with her work ethic of late, today we had a full day of productive and rewarding hard physical work. We managed to remain focussed and achieved all and more of our objectives while enjoying each others company and even having a giggle or two, oh and a nice lunch out!

It is with a great sense of achievement (and sore hands) that I sit down tonight to enjoy a rewarding coffee and relax.

Tomorrow I will think about all the end of financial year stuff I need to get done.

Bake bake bake...

What is there to do on a cold wintry weekend?

Yesterday we walked the coastal trail from Mentone to Ricketts Point (not that far but considerable for a 5 year old) collecting shells and sticks along the way. Rock pools were a source of great delight for my 5 year old in her new gumboots! The joy in something so simple, so natural - just priceless!

A wintry day at the beach is one of life's hidden wonders! There were only a handful of us brave enough to venture out, but that just added to the feeling of doing something special. We greeted the few beach goers we encountered with a knowing smile or nod! Like we shared a wonderful hidden secret.

During the week in my normal search of the internet for new and wonderful organic/natural products I found a fantastic website which had a recipe for Morning Glory Muffins (http://www.ebfarm.com/). Saturday's batch were so wonderful and nourishing that I made another batch today to freeze for school lunches! Just call me Martha!

The wonderful Earth Bound Farm also has a recipe book that I have ordered - The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook - full of what looks like delicious, organic, seasonal food. The muffins are full of fresh organic apples, pineapple and carrots and make you feel good just looking at them.

I finished the weekend off by inviting a couple of girlfriends over to do some "baking". Living on my own (with the lovely Lucy) I tend to be lazy and eat the same thing over and over. Solution - bake and freeze. Today my house was full laughter, good company and the aroma of chickpea curry, veggie lasagna and muffins.

The only other thing that would have made this blast of winter absolutely perfect would have been a fire to sit in front off, alas I don't have one of those, but I can dream!

Dancing in the dark..

So on Friday night I had my first school function - a bush dance! I was dreading it! I am not really sure why - maybe it was the whole idea of a late night out with a 5 yr old who normally goes to bed at 6.30pm or the trepidation with which I approach a new and different social experience, possibly magnified as I am a sole parent and don't have the buffer of a partner to stick with in social situations.

Luckily I am blessed with the gift of the gab (funnily the 5 yr old does too) and found it quite easy to blend in - or maybe that was the charddy! Either way I was surprised to find myself enjoying the whole experience. From the bush dancing to chasing the kids around the dark playground.

The smile on my daughters face was priceless and the sound of the her laughter joyous!

We stayed to the very end and I will not be so skeptical about attending the next school function. Being apart of a community feeds the soul through friendships, conversation, play, laughter and pride. I felt proud to be apart of my daughter's school community and enjoyed the laughter and conversation over a drink with some new friends.