Friday, January 13, 2017

birthday blog

Hello lovelies,

Happy Friday! How's your week been? How's your weekend looking?

Thank you so much for your care for the girl in the forest post. As the days have gone by her place in our story and in our lives has settled somewhat. The other day though out of nowhere I grew desperate for some details and quizzed Bren about what shoes she was wearing - lace up black boots, what colour and how long her hair was - black long bob, and what she had screamed for the most - her boyfriend. 

It's strange to be so connected to someone else in their time of complete distress, for such a short but intense time, and then to have nothing to do with them ever again. But I guess her story is now part of our story and we'll think of her at different times and hope for the best for her. I daresay we'll look at the forest a bit differently now when we drive through it. We'll probably look for lost girls and imagine how it would feel to be out there lost and alone.


What I really want to talk about today is farmer Bren's birthday last Saturday.

When I first started blogging, birthdays were blog gold. There was the planning stage, the invitations, the food, the presents and the party. So many creative opportunities. So much to photograph and say. So much fun! My girls love looking back at those posts and remembering their childhood celebrations. 


My farmer boy was born at the start of January which is right in the middle of the summer school holidays. Growing up he never had birthday parties because all his friends would be away. Since I've known him every year I've come up with a long list of fancy ways we could celebrate him but every year he chooses the simple. And every year we all agree that his way of celebrating is the best.

We started the day off with a huge stack of crepes, and plates full of all the summer fruit, and cups of strong coffee.

We sang, he read out his cards, he opened his presents and we all made a big fuss over him.

Then we went outside and sang for him while he played To Her Door over and over and over until he nailed it. 


Then he carved a birthday spoon out of apple wood. 

What fun to spend an entire day doing the things that make you happy.


While he was axing and carving and cutting, I wound the yarn for his birthday socks and knitted the toes.

After a little lunch, we wandered down to the windmill dam for a swim.

During the week while we had watched the weather forecast for his birthday get hotter and hotter it had occurred to our boy that he'd love to spend the day at the beach. When that wasn't going to work out he decided to bring the beach to him.

The day before his birthday he mowed and cleared a section of bank of the dam. He put some old tarps down and lay some fine gravel over the top. Very early on the morning of his birthday he had a truck of sand delivered. He smoothed it out and voila! Bren's birthday beach!

We found some old air mattresses and a yabby net in the caravan and in between swims and floats, the girls used a bit of sausage to catch the nippy critters.



They discussed the anatomy of each one, they gave them names and then they raced them.

The highlight of the afternoon was when Bob junior beat Bob senior in the grand final race. The worst part was watching in horror as Sheila ate Pepper's prize frog!

All the yabbies were let go at the end of the races and no animals were hurt at all apart from that poor little frog.

As evening fell we came back inside and watched Pete's Dragon together. We ate pasta with pesto, ice cream cake and toasted our boy with mugs full of ginger beer.

He's pretty awesome our boy and it's such a treat to celebrate him.

Happy birthday Farmer Bren!

We love you to bits.

x

So I was just wondering, if you could spend a whole day doing the things that bring you the most joy, what would they be?

I think mine would involve coffee and a few chapters of a good book in bed, lots of knitting, time together in the garden, a family movie that would make me cry, a salad with crunchy noodles, fruit salad and yogurt and a fancy cocktail or two.


Hope your weekend is ace!

Love! Love!





17 comments:

  1. Wow, bringing the beach to you is inspired. I'm currently on holiday at Ohope beach in NZ doing the things that make me happy. Staying by the sea which is a whole calming thing by itself, it's hot, I'm reading books and lying in and then surfing the day at the beach, in the pool and playing board games. Thanks again for sharing x

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  2. Kate you mentioned Bren playing To Her Door..I was in a shop recently with my little grandaughter who is just three years old waiting to pay for a few items when she started singing that very song, word for word at the top of her voice..they got married early, never had no money.. well I guess you know the words. In her sweet little voice there were smiles all round. I might play songs for little ones in my car from now on! Happy Birthday to your farmer,the sand idea was a stroke of genius!

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  3. He made a birthday beach! If that's not the most awesome birthday gift ever, I don't know what is. Happy birthday, Bren.

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  4. So much love in this post, farmer Bren is a lucky man! What an awesome birthday!

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  5. A birthday spoon out of applewood and a his very own handmade beach! these are the things...so good. X

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  6. this sounds like a wonderful day :) Happy Birthday Bren!
    my birthday is also very near christmas and i've learned to love spending it by myself or with very few people around. a few years ago i had on my 22nd birthday, it was beautiful and rainy, and i went into the city and read in the library, and watched the rain, and then i went to a vegetarian dinner party where i barely knew anyone and no one knew it was my birthday so there was no fuss or unneccesary attention and i could just enjoy everyone's company. it felt perfect. :)

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  7. Hi Kate, another lovely post. Such beautiful pictures, such love in your words, such genuine, special humanity. I love the idea of Bren's birthday beach, how cool is that? My perfect day would be up in the Swiss mountains, sunshine, but not scorching, a delicious veggie picnic, peace and the company of my hubby Elaine x

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  8. Hi Kate,
    Thanks again for sharing your story with us. It's beautiful.
    "The most joy?" Hmmm. This is a tough question as I would have to say it would include my children and at the moment they are all off doing their own things (college, etc.). I'm almost at a loss for what brings me the most joy.
    My husband and I are enjoying starting our own projects, things that we've put on the back burner like gardening, knitting, planting fruit trees, and making some repairs on our home.
    I get such a kick out of reading your blog. The woodpile and gardens inspire us!
    Happy Birthday Bren!

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  9. What a beautiful birthday! My day of joy would involve a pot of tea followed by coffee, some time in my garden, some time taking photos, some time to read a book or magazine and perhaps a little uninterrupted bread baking time x

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  10. Happy birthday farmer boy!!!!
    You are so lovely Kate. Have a nice week end

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  11. What a fabulous birthday day! Many happy returns to the farmer boy.

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  12. Love to join the wishes for Bren !~! Happy Happy, carving, crabbing, cake and ice cream, with socks to come--does it get better ?!

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  13. Happy belated birthday to Bren! Sounds like it was a truly specia birthday!!

    Hm, a perfect day for me would involve sleeping in, playing with yarn and my crochet hook, cuddles with my husband (and the cat I would like to have) plus going out for coffee!

    Take care
    Anne
    Crochet Between Worlds

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  14. Happy Birthday to your Bren,
    I must say, I have been living some perfect days these summer holidays, gardening and spending time with friend and family. Interspersing housework with relaxing quiet activities like crocheting and reading.

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  15. What a fantastic birthday celebration! Mine too would involve a sandy beach with long walks and being lazy on a float in the warm sunshine, then in the evening a big fire with loves ones about roasting hot dogs and baking potatoes in the fire and of course some s'mores.

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Thanks so much for stopping by...

I do read every single comment you leave and appreciate it very much, but I should let you know that I can be a wee bit on the useless side when replying to comments, that's just me, everyday life sometimes gets in the way....so I'll apologise now, just in case.

Kate XX

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