The Little Things

The bright red of the flowers on this callistemon. It struggled through summer and didn't really flower when the others did, back in November. It is in the most exposed position on the property, getting the hot winds and the hot sun. I gave it the odd splash of water now and then, and it struggled along. And then I built the garden bed around it, so it got mulched, and a little more water, and it really picked up. I guess that would have been back in January. And then in early March it flowered. I love these flowers, they make me so happy just to look at them. And all it needed was a little love and care.

The late night dishes. I've taken to leaving the dishes until last in my list of evening jobs, and it has become something of a soothing wind down from the day, rather than another job to be done. I work quietly, as my little one is sleeping. And because of that, I work slowly. And then I discover that I enjoy washing the dishes, my hands protected in gloves, submerged in warm soapy water. As someone who feels the cold, I love anything that warms my hands. And I find myself thinking 'is that it?' when I reach the end, and scratching around for more things to wash.

Spending time with Harmony and Flo. Doing some work with them. Catching them, bringing them in of an evening, tying them up to eat some lucerne. They do not need the lucerne, that is for sure. They have had plentiful round bales in the paddock for months now. But they do need the love. They need the training, they need the consistency, they need the gentle handling. And quite frankly, so do I. The days will be shorter soon, and I will have to start managing the job with a toddler at my side. I'm still not sure how we will do it yet, but there is always a way, and we will find it.

Realising that we will get ripe tomatoes, after all. I thought we were destined for a year of no red tomatoes. The plants were subjected to hot winds in December and lost most of their flowers, but recovered well and produced a decent crop. Being so late to set, I thought we were destined for green tomatoes only, but they are ripening beautifully. Some on the plant, but I'm finding that if I bring them in still green, they ripen faster on the kitchen bench (especially when paired with an overripe banana to help them along). I'm very much looking forward to eating them.

Playing shops on Etsy. I had no idea I would enjoy it this much. It probably helps that I'm selling something I love. It's giving my brain something to do. It's keeping my mind moving and thinking, and my body doing and learning. I have wanted to have an online shop for so long, and I never knew what it was I should sell. I thought about wine, about crochet, about vintage clothes, about soap, about so many options. But none of them ever felt right. And then I had this idea about selling crystals, and it just fell into place, and now I have a shop. It is in the flow.

What little things are you enjoying at the moment?