Sweet, sweet water!

As of Wednesday, the clouds rolled in, and since Thursday, we’ve been getting some lovely, much-needed rain. It’s nice to know I don’t have to worry about the garden getting enough water, and that all the landscape is getting a drink!

The sweet peas and sugar snap beans are growing well…

As is the lettuce…

It’s definitely been doona and cuppa weather - worst type of days to have to get up and go to work!

One of the nicest lazy pleasures in life, in my book, is curling up in bed with tea and a good novel as the rain patters on the roof. It’s so relaxing, just letting the day slip by in quiet and dusky contemplation.

It doesn’t happen very often - there’s usually too many little things that I need to do swirling around in my mind to allow myself to stay in bed all day! Sometimes I miss being a kid, when this was acceptable!

But sometimes, we just need to let go off the thousand and one things on our to-do list and just enjoy the quiet of a lazy, rainy day.

Walking - a cure for ills

Missing Nick combined with feeling crook and stress about work combined to make me feel a little down this morning. I stayed in bed later than usual reading my latest NewScientist, but my mind kept wandering to the myriad little issues that have been cropping up at work for me to deal with.

So, I decided what I needed was a good long walk. It’s uncharacteristically grey here today, so it was a cool, though long, walk around my neighbourhood. It cheered me to see all the lovely gardens and houses around, and it got me moving, and thinking about what was really important. Work is important, as it is my livelihood, but once it starts impacting on my life beyond the hours I’m there, something needs to be done!

Thinking about it, I realised that living a more sustainable life is all about trying to slow down, to avoid the ‘rat race’, which I’ve never been attracted to anyway, and focussing on the things that really matter, like my family, friends, health and personal development.

Jobs will come and go, so I need to make sure I’m not neglecting my life and well-being for the sake of little stressors that will mean nothing in five years time… and probably even sooner.

I rode - but puffingly!

So, I rode to the gym today again, as par my challenge. It’s getting a little easier each time, as I figure out the best ways to tackle each specific evil hill! However, I realised a few things today..

Firstly, riding home is harder! This is for a few reasons - first, of course, because I’ve already ridden there, done a workout, and I’m getting pretty worn out by this stage! Second, I’m riding against the traffic, which creates a hell of a wind that ends up pushing against me as I ride. Third, there’s more up than down on the way home!

The other concern I have is for my health… I realised today, as I puffed, how bad the air smelt/tasted. I think that riding beside the highway is not the best for my lungs and heart. After doing a bit of research, all of which strongly warned against exercising near heavy traffic, I may go back to driving at least half of the time after this week is out, in order to reduce my exposure to carbon monoxide.

The Riding to the Gym Challenge - Part Deux

Okay. So I rode to the gym twice last week - as I thought, the stipulation to ride actually discouraged me from going - mostly because of the extra time it takes. Not to mention I was sleeping in more than usual… But Nick has flown out today, and my cello lessons have moved to Saturdays at 11 - so I now have more free mornings.

So - to extend my challenge to another week!

Apart from that, I’m getting more in the habit of walking places rather than driving. Especially now I’ve realised how bloody close I live to a humongous shopping centre, and how nice a walk it actually is at this time of year.

It’s the old ‘doing something for my health and the health of the planet’ thing - and it’s true, it feels great!

Mushrooms?

I was just daydreaming about the additions I’d like to make to my garden over the next few weeks, and in addition to strawberries immediately coming to mind, I thought of mushrooms. Now, I’ve always wanted to grow some, but I don’t know where to get a good mushroom kit from.

If any of you lovely people have any idea of where I can get one from in Brisbane, I would be eternally grateful!

More fruit trees

Well, I managed to be quite restrained at the Plant Fair - I bought Ruby Red Grapefruit and Tahitian Lime trees to add to my collection, plus a little nasturtium. I like plants that are pretty and edible!

And as of today, the sacrificial plants have not been eaten - woohoo! So hopefully our possums have decided to stay away. This week will be the time to plant out my tomatoes, plus some more bits a pieces. I think we’ll use the cage for our seedlings, just to make sure, but take the chance with the other plants.

Yay for Zygos!

Well, I didn’t make it to the gym today, as I had my cello lessons… and a sleep in… so, anyways, I went for a run instead. Nick is going to the UK for five weeks on Monday, so I’m going to extend my challenge to next week - when I’m more likely to get to the gym a few more times rather than trying to store up five weeks worth of cuddles!

This weekend I’m off to the ‘Plant Fair in the Back Paddock’ at the Botanic Gardens - it looks awesome. Though, knowing my history, I’m likely to come home with waaaay more plants than I actually need. Though, when it comes to plants, the more the merrier!

I have to say, one particular plant I’m immensely enjoying at the moment is the zygocactus. For those of you who don’t have one… here’s one of mine in full bloom.

Most of the year it’s a rather boring succulent - but when it flowers, it does a proper job of it!

They come in all sorts of colours - pink, white, red, variegated, and apparently some yellow and orange, but I haven’t seen these. I’d love to collect them all. They are fantastically easy to propagate - just break off one of the stems and stick it into some good soil, and like any good succulent, it will eventually take root and form a new plant. I plan on having a big collection one day! Just a few years and a little patience.

I shall update you on what I succumb to on Saturday…

One ride down…

Today was my first day to the gym this week - and yes, I rode! I quite enjoyed it today - it’s a lovely bright autumn day with a gentle sun in the sky. The only downside was when my bike chain slipped off… three times! Very frustrating, but I got to the gym, had a good workout, and made it home less puffed than I was on Saturday. So basically, it felt good!

The only concession I may make to ‘bike culture’ is to buy a pair of cycling gloves, as my hands are red/raw after my ride - that, and I’d like to keep the sun off them. I’m already clothed neck to toe to wrist to keep the sun off me when I ride, but my hands are getting fried at the moment.

Some of you may think this concern a tad strange - but as a born and bred Queenslander who had my first skin cancer cut out of my lip at the age of 21 (by a very skilled plastic surgeon, thankfully) I am a tad paranoid about sun exposure! I’ve always got my gardening shirt/hat/sunglasses/long pants on when I’m out pottering around. I’ve tried to convince Nick to wear a hat, but as an Englishman who barely saw the sun until last year, he’s still enjoying getting tanned. Oh, well, perhaps I’ll get the fear of the sun into him one day