Things to come

Here is some of what we have been doing. This weekend Tim's twin nieces were christened in Esperance, and it was a bit of a taste of things to come.

Otherwise we have been enjoying the normalcy of the now, before harvest begins again for the year. Swathing should begin this week, and although every time I am sure harvest is embedded in my memory, somehow I can't remember how it goes or how I feel.

The babe is all going well, and while I'm sure my stomach can't be any more squashed, it seems we're only just over halfway.

Here it is

Baby yoga

We had our halfway ultrasound yesterday, which entailed a 3 hour round trip to town and a very full bladder...The baby's stats are all normal, so that is a big relief. While the baby has been very active recently, it got into something like a sun salutation (head between legs, hands behind head), and stayed there for the whole ultrasound. Needless to say it took the poor technician nearly 45 mins to find everything as the baby was so curled up. We also didn't get a good whole body picture, or see its face very clearly. But - just as we were finishing it moved! So we saw a bit of the face and legs. Otherwise had our first antenatal class last night, and should have some interesting topics of conversation for the drive home.

halfway there

This week marks halfway through the farm child's incubation period. So it's good in a way, and also reminds me how long there is to go! Life carries on as always - not much in the way of events or revelations to blog about. This morning I have prepared the vegetable beds for the spring plantings that I will put in late, this week. Corn, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, some more spinach and some other herbs and things hopefully. So now it's time to have an afternoon nap and think about what else there is to do in the next 20 weeks, before life changes in a big way.

...and this as well

what we've been up to

the educated farmer

My farmer and I are just returned from kota kinabalu, and here is some of what we have been doing overseas - attending weddings and watching orangutans. My farmer spent 6 months in indonesia, and it turns out that malay and indonesian are very similar languages. So I have once again been in awe of his skill in slipping straight back into the language, and communicating about things from pregnancy to pool towels.

you know you're living in the country.

I've decided that the best way to reframe the sometimes frustrating mostly humourous and sometimes ridiculous moments I experience living where I do, is to have a common thread on this blog. That is, you know you're living in the country when...

I have been still very sick from the farm child, who we hope calms down a bit soon. Nothing glamorous about tasting meals more than once. Every day. So thank goodness for the Olympics, they kept me occupied for a whole two weeks. Yes, I even watched weightlifting and men's volleyball.

Anyhow, a week or so ago the farmer and I had some rare time together in town (140km away), and decided to take advantage and get takeaway. I had decided on the vegetarian pizza, until I realised that it included one choice of meat...You know you're living in the country when even the vegetarian pizza includes meat on it.

The farmer and I head off for a holiday on Friday (the farmer's birthday), so I will post more when we come back from our much anticipated trip to Kota Kinabalu.

how good news travels

One thing i've had to adjust to living in the country is how good news travels. i have been shocked at the speed and the wide spaces it travels. This week I went to get some hair removed at one beautician, and on warning her I was pregnant and likely to run out at any time, whe replied "I know"... have had many more similar experiences. it reminded me of a time when I had just moved here, and I discovered that I was being referred to as 'old man Fowler's son's girlfriend'. I was suitably horrified.

We are now the proud owners of a new canon digital camera and so I will be excited to add photos to this blog soon. In hindsight, adding the ultrasound picture would be interesting to no-one at this stage,, as it's indistinguishable. We'll hold off to 20 weeks I think.

a farm child

Yes it's true. A farm child is adding to this equation of farm wife and farmer. We are due on the 20th February, and I will try to get a copy of the ultrasound picture up sometime soon. So reason for my aforementioned sickness - quite extreme nausea and tiredness hve led to very low activity levels. I am definitely not doing 10000 steps every day...the farmer has also taken on the culinary mantle as I retch on walking into the kitchen which is turning out to be quite effective 'conditioning' for those of you who studied psych at uni. So while we are very thankful for this new life, we are eagerly awaiting 12 weeks when I may be able to tolerate the smell of cheese again. All of my predictions about how I would feel when pregnant are not coming true...it is definitely about being in the moment at this stage. We are expecting a visit from sister, brother and cousin next week to improve the social situation around here - looking forward to having friends to be with.

drought but not out

I read in some article that the zone we live in should soon be eligible for dry season assistance, as we are said to be in a bit of drought. Forecasts for next year are apparently not great. So without getting too morbid I have been thinking about what this means. But for now I am still sick - a long time now - and not puttting many coherent thoughts together. Hope to be back on the wagon soon.

tinned corn and mince

I've always thought dishes with tinned corn were beneath me...until now. I have come to appreciate the mondayitis that comes with not having grocery shopped properly for 2 weeks or so and being far from any food seller. So tinned vegies, mostly corn, it is. And as we've had a cow that needed freeing from this life, mince (all 110 kg of cow converted). Any ideas for brilliant combinations...

mary had a little lamb

Or rather Kath had 8 little lambs as of this afternoon. They're ensconced in the chook pen. We have lost a few lambs as the mums have not had enough feed and water. So the three oldest have ribbons around their necks, to identify them. So my blogging absence has been partly about gradually acquiring 8 lambs, as well as just returning from a fabulous crafternoon/weekend at Williams. Many things learnt. Hope to do it again. Off to laugh tonight at the comedy festival roadshow - we both need a bit of that around here at present.

animal vegetable miracle

I've just started reading this wonder of a book. After experiencing the death of ray charles this morning I read Barbara Kingsolver's first recommendation. Never name the baby animals as I presume you then won't want to kill or eat them. I would tend to agree. Curious George is alive and well although I would be hesitant to kill something I have bottlefed like a baby. Otherwise this book has so many parallels with Australia and our lack of cuisine identity. Still thinking that joining the Slow Food movement would be a good thing on many fronts.

curious george and ray charles

curious george and ray charles are the new two members of the family. they are orphan lambs. ray charles had his eyes half pecked by a crow and now alternates between standing still looking forlorn and bumping into things or falling down holes. curious george is hungry ALL the time.
we have just farewelled some friends who came for a stay - i could get used to company. i have some more visitors on the horizon so looking forward - july and november.

a country gathering

here's a birthday invite i got the other day - love it!

You know how we've said we must catch up.Well, we will. Instead of fighting the crowds for a bit of yum cha, why don't you come over for a textural marvel.? You'll get messy hands,top heavy heated up and a big, glossy lipped grin and chin.!!!Chunks of dough, herbs,onion,
figs,chorizo and the like,all topped with oozy,gooey cheese's. Yep,thats right mate, it's a's birthday on tuesday 10th June. So lunch at my place for a 10.30ish start.Bring the vino.We're going to cook a pizza or 10.It doesn't matter how late or early you are just join the mob!Please rsvp. Some things are best done in crowds.Some things are funny and irreverent and also taste good.Some recipes just seem to suit our bush lifestyle. So don't worry about the day before or the day after ,just join the mob,tell worn jokes, watch the rain and catch up. We really must.
P.S- the birthday girl insist's no present's or she will knock your teeth out!!!

time out

i've just come back from some time out from all things esperance. some time spent with a wise woman who has helped me feel that i may just be able to manage the opportunities and limits that this farm wife life presents. she sent me home with a rooster in the back of the car - fortunately it was silent for the whole trip, or it would have been a long 7 hours.
the rooster is alive and well, which is lucky - as there have been other deaths while i've been away. one calf, and half my vege patch. the sheep were left to roam the house block, which includes my carefully tended vegetables. unfortunately a lamb got its head stuck in the makeshift fence around the veges and pulled it down. you can see how that story ends. lulu is the only calf left and going strong - think we're over the most tricky time for that pet hopefully.
i don't think i'm at the stage where i can healthily philosophize about farm life yet. hoping my resilience to challenges improves in the near future. this covers everything from seeing your farmer 15 minutes in 24 hours, to being told your hand fed pet has gone to "calfie heaven"...

wish list

birthdays and christmas remind of how my life has changed recently...my wishlist has gone from cds, clothes and funky trinkets to a sharp spade, a kaffir lime tree, a finished vege retic situation and maybe some more sheep manure. and some new gardening gloves. although i asked tim for a cd...bring on the 30th.

it's raining!

We got 10mm of rain yesterday - enough to make everyone smile. Except my calf Lulu who doesn't think it is funny at all. Have been reflecting with some friends on the time it takes to increase your self sufficiency. There is no way I could work full time and be self sufficient - the vege patch is basic at best and to improve our productivity I will have to work hard to develop some fruit and other yet to be determined things. No other deep and meaningfuls at the moment - life is just ticking along.

dead stuff

It still hasn't rained yet. So not much to blog about really in that regard. Today a whole heap of sheep walked into the dam behind our house for water except the dam is empty. And they got stuck and died. There is a distinct smell of rotting that is in the whole house - yuk. I am going to town tomorrow so will be good to get away from the smell and the disheartening emotions it provokes.
I got two more calves last week but one died after having muscle tremors and falling over a lot. So I have one more feisty calf who is still in the chookpen calming down - I keep telling her there is such a thing as peaceful coexistence.
Tim and I kayaked across the Esperance bay on the weekend and it was great to do something like that together. Inspired to do more and develop my upper body definition...Tim working at night a bit at the moment so generally desperate and dateless at present - spending a lot of time trawling free sewing pattern sites on the internet is keeping me entertained.

the psychology of rain

didn't really believe in this...but, here we are. we have had zero rain. and everyone is starting to get stressed and grumpy. i read somewhere recently that australians have recently changed how they feel about rain, given the drought. where we used to get annoyed at the inconvenience, now we enjoy it. it is so dry here and the animals are running out of food and water. we have lost quite a few lambing ewes because of it. i have found myself praying for rain - it is getting pretty desperate. although i also have been thinking about the people over east who have gone 5 years without rain. hopefully we get a break sometime soon.

a new love

Although I'm sure the farmer hasn't read my last post, he must have sensed the vibe. For he bought me home a present this afternoon. It is a skinny orphan calf, and I have named her Lulu. I am not sure if it is a girl, but Lulu seems right. It has just drunk it's first bottle of milk and I hope that it is a bit stronger in the morning. My pet Brownie from last year came up to have a look - and she is huge compared to little Lulu. Again wishing we had a functional camera, but just imagine a black calf with a white face - and the cutest cow face ever seen!
The farmer is the love of my life.

turning thirty

thirty's just around the corner for me (about a month). And I'm having somewhat of a problem with that. So I thought I should use the opportunity to do thirty things around the date of my birthday to help distract from this event. I've got about 10 things so far.
One of the things I am feeling acutely as thirty approaches is my current lack of engagement with social justice. My work at the moment involves working with the most disadvantaged people in Esperance, and while I feel I do offer them a chance to interact with a health professional, it doesn't feel like much changes when they walk out the door. In the past my volunteer work has given me a chance to maintain an outwards focus, but here's the issue. If I spend any length of time in Esperance, I generally bump into clients who would rather not see me. And sometimes I would rather not see them. So while I continue with this work, it makes it hard to have personal relationships with people who are marginalised without crossing some boundary. So I'm pondering what to do as I turn thirty - feeling more self-centred than I ever have before. The movie that triggered this for me is the Oasis movie off the ABC - but I think the change that may happen can only be good.
Tim is working long hours again as we have started seeding crops. This weekend I am finding that difficult - talking to yourself has nobs on it.

...and a favourite series

Our uncle and friend, Doug.

some more of the day

the circle of life

Today some small friends of mine came out from Esperance for the day. We went catching yabbies at the dam, and managed to catch 5 good sized ones. Tonight I used 2 for dinner. I was quite traumatized to have to pull the heads off while they were still very alive. I actually apologised to the animal while I was doing it which seems ridiculous now...It made me think about the other animal products that we eat. Ironic, living on a farm.
I ordered a new digital camera today so hopefully we will have some pics to add to this blog soon. Off to Mandurah this weekend for my Grandma's 80th.

a farm wife part two

March 1st 2008 was everything we wished for. Highlights include the vintage Jag some friends organised for Kath, having an array of precious friends and family present and show stopping food made with care by farm friends. We were also fortunate enough to have our flowers picked from many gardens and amazingly arranged by Tim's aunty Jen and cousin Gilli. It was a great day to reflect on the goodness that my farmer brings into my life.
Nearly three weeks spent on the beach in Thailand means that Tim is having difficulty fitting into his clothes and I am incredibly physically tired by the most menial tasks...However we had the honeymoon that should be had after a wedding. We stayed on three islands - Ko Yao, Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta. We read voraciously and ate well. The final night I booked on a cheap rooms site - and it turned out to be a 5 star hotel just off Orchard Rd in Singapore. It was fabulous!
We have been home for two weeks now. I am probably having adjustment issues - although it's difficult to tell what to...Last week I spent agonizing over whether to pursue two job opportunities in town, and decided I wouldn't. It seems I will have to make the decision to be a good farm wife more than once! TOday I am feeling inspired about finally getting organised and creating tidy spaces to live in. It's hard to be creative when things are very messy.
Here's to my official farm wife life.

the big day

here we are! some lovely photos from our friends gareth and michelle.

a farmer's wife

this blog reflects the experiences of a fledgling farm wife. and i am now officially a farmer's wife! will write more once home - in singapore on the free internet at the airport so not the ultimate blogging location. the day went fabulously and we hope that we share many more visits with the people who travelled in for the occasion. we have just had some serious tropical time, with 3 weeks in thailand. back to perth tonight, and off to the farm soon. photos soon.

new year's resolutions

I read this in a meditation today. Considering my new year's resolution was to try to be better at remembering and recognising people's birthdays, I thought it was brilliant.

Birthdays are so important. On our birthdays we celebrate being alive. On our birthdays people can say to us, "Thank you for being!" Birthday presents are signs of our families' and friends' joy that we are part of their lives. Little children often look forward to their birthdays for months. Their birthdays are their big days, when they are the center of attention and all their friends come to celebrate.We should never forget our birthdays or the birthdays of those who are close to us. Birthdays keep us childlike. They remind us that what is important is not what we do or accomplish, not what we have or who we know, but that we are, here and now. On birthdays let us be grateful for the gift of life.

If you are my friend and you have a birthday, I will be getting in touch soon to write you in my calendar.

sorry

today we, or at least the government, said sorry. and i was teary with happiness. about time - as kevin said, we can be slow sometimes. he has gone up in my estimations.
may i continue this year in sensitivity to the things i need to say sorry for.

the sunday times

oh how the mighty have fallen. there once was a time when the australian was the only paper for me. living 45 minutes from the nearest purveyor of newspapers, i am now reduced to asking people, yes actually asking, to buy the sunday times for me if someone dashes into town. while i know i am going to be disappointed, there's something about a cuppa and the rustle of newsprint that i am looking forward to tomorrow at about morning tea time.

never put pickle in vegemite jars

i have just this instant learnt: never pour hot zucchini pickle into vegemite jars. while i'm sure you can guess what happened i will tell you that while tim was holding the jar, it shattered in his hands. shame steph alexander forgot to mention the above heading when explaining her zucchini pickle. crisis averted and i have 3 other jars of zucchini pickle in the fridge.

in other news...i find myself addicted to other people's blogs and procrastinating my own. i need to be more disciplined as this is proving an effective way to give voice to this newish farm wife life. heading to the big smoke this coming week for some much needed girlfriend time and general being together. while it feels like life moves slowly in such a remote location, i do learn such lessons every day, and i would like to document my shift from driven career woman to something else (as seems to be happening). will let you know what that turns out to be.

this esperance summer

If I had a digital camera that worked, I would take a picture of the view out the window. It has been overcast and drizzly all weekend. It is good for the garden, I keep thinking! Good weekend home produce wise - 7 eggs today and many capsicums ripening on my plants!! While the grasshoppers have made the vegie patch their home, the capsicums, tomatoes a nd sunflowers have survived.
Have just spent the weekend off the farm, and it has done a world of good to my state of mind. Things are still ticking along for the wedding, and it is now 41 sleeps. i had intended to write a blog entry as soon as I got home to express my rage at the poor service at most food shops in Esperance - but it is interesting what time and space do to priorities. Suffice to say that the Turkish shop in town ran out of bread to wrap around kebabs by 8pm....
Tim is spreading clay at the moment, and I have just been to get a load of flat rocks in lieu of slabs for the garden. Hope summer is treating you well wherever you are.

mornings and evenings

"It is difficult to accept that life is difficult; that love is not easy and that doubt and struggle, sufering and failure, are inevitable for each and every one of us. We seek life's ease. We yearn for joy and release, for flowers and sun. And although we may find these in abundance we also find ourselves lying awake at night possessed by the terrible fear that life is impossible...Nature however requires that we have the darkness of our painful feelings and that we respect it and make a bold place for it in our lives. Without its recognition and acceptance there can be no true sense of life's great depth, wherein lies our capacity to love, create and make meaning...Nature requires that we be soulful and therefore require a dimension within us where darkness and light may meet and know each other. Mornings and evenings somewhere inside, with similar qualities to the mornings and the evenings of the earth.."
Michael Leunig always comes along just when i need him. This is something I read that helps me remember that everything belongs. I am on countdown to the wedding and looking forward to the rich time with friends that is approaching. Here's to the coexistence of mornings and evenings.

caught out

this morning's experience demands a blog entry. there is a story about a local farmer's wife who decided to mow the lawn topless because it was hot, and at that moment the Elder's man arrived...enough said. now there will be a new story. this morning i decided not to wear any trousers because i had other things to do before putting them on. unfortunately, the horizon power man decided to come and check our power lines, and let me know he was doing so, this morning. so he has seen me in my knickers. i can't really debrief (so to speak) about this with tim, as our only method of communication at the moment is over the two way- not the thing you want everyone in the vicinity to know.

the long way round

i bought tim the long way round (TV series) for xmas and we have been enjoying watching the different experiences that the journey presents (2 men ride from london to new york, the long way). so last night's viewing showed a moment where lateral thinking was required to get across a river that was gushing with water. ewan mcgregor reflects and says that he is enjoying the fact that this is the only time in his life where he has had to tackle problems like this, rather than go around, up or over. i was thinking that that's a lot of what happens in life in general.
the other day i went down to one of the dams with tim, where about 10 rams were stuck up to their necks in the dry but muddy dam. while admittedly i was no help at all, even getting in the way of the rams, there was no way around the situation but to run out on planks, lassoo rope around their horns and pull them out. there is no shortcut. for me there's some similarity in the happenings of daily problems - i need to learn the benefits of getting on with the job!
wedding planning also seems to be following the analogy of the long way round, but it will be here soon enough, and it will happen in a planned, or unplanned fashion, as the case may be. i will be posting the dvd invitation sometime soon for those whose addressees i still haven't got my hands on (i think we're down to 3 which is helpful!).