2015 - A Retrospective

"Come quick dear friends, I am drinking the stars"

                                                                                Dom Perignon 

The year did not go at all how I planned. I was going to slow down and have less commitments but maybe that was my guardian angel preparing a clear path for our major life change this year.

I didn't entirely let go of the Living Better With Less group but I am more of an active organiser with lots of others as the group members have also stepped in to organise and plan too. I did a radio interview with ABC Tas about our group and we had an "expo" at the Fiesta on George back in October. A big highlight for me was meeting Steve Solomon and his garden (here)

The group also got to forage for olives earlier in the year, had a guest speaker about cheese making, learnt how to make soap and deodorant and dabbled in gardening by the lunar cycle and much more.

The volunteer/fundraising focus was firmly on Kidney Health this year with with the Big Red Walk, two fashion parades and a garden tea party and dialysis group luncheons. There are so many good people in the community all working away quietly and I would like to recognise them and thank them for all they do and providing us the opportunity to help.

Julien turned one and has attended his first shearing lesson.

I organised another knitting tour, this time we toured the north west of Tasmania and visited the Tasmania Weavers Spinners and Dyers Guild.

But our biggest and all consuming project for the year has been the move and renovation of our new home. To be honest, if we were 10 years older, we wouldn't have been able to do it. It's not about the money, it's about the sheer physical requirements and mental fortitude that this job has required. We still continue to scrub and still there is no kitchen but we have no regrets and are loving life. Again, thanks to the dear friends who helped and gave us positive messages of encouragement.

We've really enjoyed the opportunity to start another garden and already I can see the design being as fluid and changeable as our old one as we learn to garden in another climate zone.

Next year I believe we will complete the inside and have all rooms functioning at the very least and I wouldn't be surprised if we don't have a poly-tunnel or glass house of some sort so we can grow citrus as winter temps typically drop to -5C here and sometimes a smattering of snow!

So onwards dear friends, the only thing that can stop you achieving your goals is lack of heart and imagination. Find a moment in every day, no matter how small, to say "...it doesn't get any better than this" and you'll lose count of your blessings.