A 60
year old walnut tree, herbs and a couple of raised beds are the closest I’ve
ever got to the country. Then the Lovely Deputy moved in and transformed the
garden, constructed a green house and bought guinea pig, chicken and most
recently, quail.
My work
colleague, Ms Bojangles, is a meat eater because she’s convinced herself that
it comes in a packet from the supermarket. She’s not alone.
'Peaches come from a can, they were put there by a man…' (Presidents
of the United States of America)
Since
I’ve admitted that we’re breeding quail for consumption, people look at me a
little differently. Last dispatch, I decided it was time I toughened up and
took part. Now I’m a certified fowl plucker.
It’s
been a gentle introduction to living closer to the land for This Girl which is
a good thing because the Lovely Deputy has been yearning for more. Now he’s
bought a farm and we’re going to live together in the real country.
I’m trading
a light industrial landscape for lush paddocks and livestock.
Moving
house is a stressful life event. In one short week I might have kept the
hyperventilating to a minimum but I have gone beserk a couple of times. I’m
leaving the home I’ve made here in marvellous Moonah. It’s still early days but
here are five things which are helping me already:
- Making a home together – Moonah was my
home before the Lovely Deputy moved in. I tried to make space for him but it
isn’t a place we’ve made together. I’m reminding myself that this is the next
stage for us.
- New opportunities – Moving house, suburb
and lifestyle is a chance to live differently. Things will necessarily change
which means new adventures, new places to eat, new animals to care for, and the
produce to cook with from the most beautiful garden and hot house ever.
- Do one thing at a time – I’ve had a lot of
crazy in a short period of time. I got all overwhelmed at how much there is to
do to get a house ready to rent (that I'm renovating), and
organise a move. The Lovely Deputy and I are writing plans and lists and we’re
working our way through them, piece by piece, just as if we were eating an
elephant. I’m using a soft copy calendar which I’ll soon convert into tasks on
the App called ‘Todoist’.
- Give yourself a break – Okay so I might
have been up at 5 am this morning painting a window and packing cake tins but
I’ve decided early that I don’t have to spend every minute working towards the
future. I’m going to build in time to read a book, play a computer game and
watch the tellie too.
- Buy new furniture – just because it’s fun.
You can
expect more country living posts.