Woo! Shiny! I bought a new sewing machine :D Hopefully it will be delivered in the next couple of days - just a basic Singer. Will be fun relearning how to sew. I havent used a machine since ummmmm the pedal on mums old one blew up and started belching smoke. But anyway I cant wait. Things I plan on using it for so far are:

Hemming Troys pants
Making Kitchen curtains
New apron
Net bags for produce

aaaaand anything else I can think of :) Maybe I will try re working some old clothes that dont fit into something more functional. I have been wanting to make a patchwork quilt for a while so maybe now I will. Hand stitching an entire quilt is just waaaaaaaay too time consuming.

In other news...not much happening. Mum is going into hospital today for a hysterectomy and hopefully will be fine. We will be going to visit her in hospital on Mothers Day. Work has been busy but I have finally gotten on top of a few things which have needed doing for ages and been stressing me out. Feeling much more relaxed now.

I have also read some great books lately, mostly on the environment/current events etc. I should post a booklist some time if only so I can keep track of what I have read and what I want to read.

Hope you are all well.

oxo Em

Wow, I really haven't been around much lately have I? I have been spending most of my time over at a few BlogSpot blogs I have found on homesteading, people starting out and everything it entails. All the mistakes and such :) It is quite amusing but also good to learn from their mistakes for when it is my turn! Also been busy with work and such (new job is going great btw)

It is something that I have never really gone into in this journal but I have always loved the idea of having my own self sufficient property. Of growing our own food, raising our own stock and making butter and cheese from scratch, of living off the grid and having as little as possible to do with the rest of society. Since I was a kid I have loved stories like Swiss Family Robinson, the Tomorrow When the War Began series and the Clan of the Cave Bear books. Anything with that apocalyptic/back to nature/hunter gatherer type theme... Up until a few years ago it all just seemed like a fun dream, something to think about and wish for when all the buildings and cars and people I was surrounded by were really getting to me but now I am seeing why I really want and in fact NEED a life like that. Not only because of global problems like changing weather patterns, peak oil and the accompanied food shortages etc, but on an emotional and spiritual level too. It is a natural part of ourselves as creatures on this earth to want to be connected to our environment but one of the major side effects of modern western society is losing the knowledge of how to connect.

We are all so busy working 40+ hour weeks to earn more money to buy more toys and electronic gadgets, or the latest shiny car, or our big McMansions that we have lost the ability to recognise what really matters. We spend our lives living in artificial environments, eating chemical laden over processed foods and wonder why so many people suffer illnesses like obesity, heart disease and depression. Considering I suffer from two of the above three, I figure its time for a change in the way I live my life.

I have been trying to ‘go green’ and simplify my life for a while. Some of the changes I have made are:

Using green shopping bags instead of plastic bags (unless I forget them!)
Buying recycled loo paper
Composting all food scraps (using a bokashi bin – www.bokashi.com.au)
ATTEMPTING to grow some of our own food (I suffer from a brown-tinged thumb haha)
Using vinegar, bi-carb and elbow grease for cleaning the house
Washing clothes and dishes with environmentally friendly detergents
Cooking from scratch – making my own pasta, bread, cookies etc and eziyo yogurt
Driving only when necessary – once a fortnight. Walking, bus or train the rest of the time

Some other changes I want to make are:

NEVER accepting plastic bags
Making small net bags for fresh produce instead of plastic bags (or brown paper bags at Macro)
Buying meat and dry goods in bulk and splitting it up to freeze or store at home
Buying fresh produce in bulk at the markets and canning it at home
Stop buying lunches during the week – make it at home and bring to work in reusable packaging

There is plenty more I want to do or stop doing but this is getting too long…

More posts soon :)

Em

totally random but this cracked me up...i am eating chicken and rice for lunch, and the rice has bits of vegies in it like carrot and corn...i went to eat a corn kernal and this is what i saw:

seriously, it had a smily face on it! it totally cracked me up. i got some weird looks haha

Friday today :D This means that tonight I get to see my wonderful boy and snuggle and just HOLD him :D *bounces around in excitement* I love him so much I feel like my heart is going to explode with the joy of it. And I want everyone to know!

As Rascall Flats say (sing)

I have always been a little shy
I've always been the quiet type till now
And I never let my feelings show
I never let anybody know
Just how much I was so deep in love
But now that you're in my arms

Chorus
I'm gonna stand on a rooftop
Climb up a mountaintop
Baby, scream and shout
I wanna sing it on the radio and
Show it on a video
Baby, leave no doubt
I want the whole world to know just what I'm all about
I love to love you out loud

You keep bringing out the free in me
What you do to my heart just makes me melt
And I, I don't think I can resist
But I've never been one to kiss and tell
A love this true can't be subdued
So I'm gonna let out a yell

Chorus
I'm gonna stand on a rooftop
Climb up a mountaintop
Baby, scream and shout
I wanna sing it on the radio and
Show it on a video
Baby, leave no doubt
I want the whole world to know just what I'm all about
I love to love you out loud

Bridge
Baby, I want the whole world to see
Just how good your love looks on me

Chorus
I'm gonna stand on a rooftop
Climb up a mountaintop
Baby, scream and shout
I wanna sing it on the radio and
Show it on a video
Baby, leave no doubt
I want the whole world to know just what I'm all about
I love to love you
Baby I love to love you out loud
Yeah, I love to love you out loud