Bec

Tea witch; writer and editor; keen on planetary survival; PhD (Australian steampunk and the environment); parent; gardener and friend of pets. Grew up on a farm, still feel the land in my bones. Menang Country/South Coast, Western Australia

#gardening #hiking #academia #writing #editing #kindness #nature #environment #climate #dogs #food #cats #agriculture #permaculture #reading #books

Pronouns: she/her
Languages: Posting in English, speak/read fluent German, basic French

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Published at

2026-06-04T11:50:09Z

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Last Notes

2026-05-10 12:25:36 UTC

What a full weekend. Thank goodness for work tomorrow, in some respects – it was a really great couple of days but I badly need some recharge quiet time!
Yesterday was the Green Fair on the Square and I picked up my free plants, huzzah! Bumped into a friend, which was lovely. I also rode a bike to make a smoothie for Kid3 and then Dad and I went to a talk by a local elder about resilience and sustainability from an Indigenous perspective. That was super interesting and fascinating and I would have loved to stay and chat with her for hours.
The rest of the day was errands and busyness. Today was a bit the same but with extra gardening (which was, of course, great). I planted the free plants and also the poor kangaroo paws that I believe have been waiting in their pots since last year 😬 Had to get quite aggressive with the trowel to break up some of the roots... hopefully they cope in the ground OK.
#gardening #MothersDay #KillYourLawn #DieLawnDie #plants #community #ThingsILove
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2026-05-08 04:21:18 UTC

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❤️

2026-05-08 03:58:23 UTC

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I'm glad you're feeling better. And glad to hear that the overheard conversation has resulted in the staff being very clear about how long your mum needs to stay there.
It's sweet that she wrote to use 'LOL' correctly, too! Sending Lots of Love to you all ;)

2026-05-02 01:13:33 UTC

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Indeed. May I present Exhibit A (aka Booker, aka Fatty Book, aka Booker Deluxe, aka Catniss Evergreed)
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/116/502/313/104/990/046/original/2d36fac01a08d351.jpg

2026-05-02 00:59:07 UTC

Slept in, which was delightful. Heard Kid2 leaving the house and when I got up, I messaged her to ask if she had fed the dogs. She said no, so I fed them – only to discover that Kid3 was also up... and she had fed them already.
Dogs! Such opportunists!!
#dogs

2026-04-17 11:02:20 UTC

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Mum has since rallied. This is both heartening and exhausting! She's eaten some food today but then slept the rest of the time. We're taking turns to visit and be beside her but I'm also pacing myself because I think this could be a long process...

2026-04-14 08:21:53 UTC

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Could be? I had another word in mind but my brain is that fuzzy foggy way you get when you're tired and now I can't think of it. You know how it is?!
@npub1wpx…2kkp

2026-04-14 08:18:56 UTC

Seems Mum might be close to the end. She's no longer eating or drinking, drifting in and out of sleep. Waking sometimes, mumbling things -- last night was quite convinced I was her younger sister (which is fair, since we do look alike, and the disease has erased us children). In a way, that's good, because she's comforted by someone familiar. I'll go and see her this evening and I guess we'll see what happens overnight.
It was a late night last night and a busy, phone-call-and-message-filled day, so there has been much tea. Thank goodness for tea. It should come as a surprise to nobody that I've drunk many, many cups with my mum. I'm about the boil the kettle and will think of her while I drink it
#death #dementia #Alzheimers #aging #caring

2026-04-14 08:11:03 UTC

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Oh, the little bits! So annoying and inconvenient!
Once you've made tea and the stove is cooled down, can you get the vacuum end up there? I've done this when we had a similar accident and it got rid of most of the little pieces.
Also I realised I don't know what the cast iron things are called either 😅

2026-04-13 03:42:11 UTC

We went to see this the other evening and I have been thinking about it a lot.
First because I went into the film knowing really nothing about it (other than it was in space), and about 10 minutes in, I thought, ah, so Andy Weir likes to write books about 'man alone in space'.
But then as I got into the movie, I realised that the man-alone-in-space theme is only part of it. He's not glorifying individualistic crusade, he's showing us how much we need each other. We need our friends. Without them, we are lost and we'll die.
I've only ever read/seen one other work of Andy Weir (The Martian) and I'm using this limited sample of two works to decide that Andy Weir really likes writing about friendships, and he does it REALLY WELL.
I love this because friendships and connections are one of the things I explore in my own writing, because I love it so much, and I want to be better at writing about those relationships -- the true, deep affection you feel for your friends and the way you can support each other. In the film, it's literally about life and death but also in real life, our connections are life and death. Loneliness kills us.
That's not to say that romantic love is completely ignored. I felt a pang of grief when Rocky's talking about his mate, and Grace makes a joke about the length of time they've been together (over 100 years) and Rocky says something like, 'It's not long enough.' Because of course it isn't. For our closest people, our closest loves, it's never long enough. We always want more.
I also appreciated the way that Rocky and Grace are quite evenly matched, intellectually. Of course they are, because their civilisations have both sent them out to find a solution to the problem, but I like the emphasis on how difference does not equal inferior.
Anyway, I will likely watch this film again, and probably read the book too. It's not perfect, because it is art made by humans, and we are not perfect. But I loved the characters a lot, and I loved the friendship a lot, and it made me feel better about the world and our capacity to connect with each other, whoever that other may be.
#film #musings #ProjectHailMary #friendship

2026-04-12 07:30:30 UTC

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Ugh, that's just rude. As someone who has to restrict certain foods due to a temperamental digestive system, I also know it's MY issues and if someone is generous enough to offer to make a cake, I would either politely not eat it or just eat a small amount so as not to trigger a reaction. Good grief! No wonder you feel annoyed, I would too!

2026-04-08 07:38:57 UTC

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It is not too bad! It's a moody grey afternoon and I'm looking forward to homemade pizza for tea

2026-04-08 07:08:53 UTC

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Dietician, books and art supplies, what an excellent day!

2026-04-07 04:51:50 UTC

Friends, the long weekend continued to be full of care work all the way through, but as Adam remarked, if I had not been on holiday, the care work would still have been there -- and I would have also had the paid work to manage.
So at least I had free time to manage it?
There are some good things, though! I made soup and curry, and froze them both in some cake bar moulds (cheap versions of those popular 'Souper cubes' that are everywhere at the moment). This means I have nearly two dozen meals ready to defrost and eat as needed, huzzah!
I drove over to Denmark (the town not the country) and hung out with a friend for a couple of hours at her place. So good to catch up, we haven't seen each other for a couple of years. She's in the final gasps of her PhD so I was keen to hear her progress (and commiserate and cheer where appropriate).
Dad is doing better today and hopefully we'll hear back from his specialist about how we can modify his medication to prevent a repeat of the last few days.
And Kid1's friend is staying with us for a few days, a lovely guy, and we've had some good kitchen chats about food, religion, politics and childhoods. It's awesome 🥰
#today #work #caring #friends

2026-04-05 04:49:57 UTC

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Ahahaha and then Dad had an episode and needed me to come over for a while – but no hospital this time, so yay for small mercies, right?

2026-04-05 00:34:03 UTC

Despite taking two extra days off last week, I don't feel very rested. Wednesday and Thursday involved some kid-related drama that meant meetings with various people and Friday and Saturday were full of phone calls and ferrying people places.
Last night I hit a wall and so today is rest day by necessity. I'm sad about that, because it's a perfect day for gardening. But the body needs what it needs. There's some housework to do but it can mostly wait. We have tea and chocolate; that'll do for now
#family #caring #life

2026-04-03 14:12:29 UTC

Squeee! As part of the Tree Festival, my little city is giving away free trees for the garden! I've submitted my application for five indigenous and locally grown trees – I did pause on the question, 'Do you have space in your garden for these trees?'
Surely I can find a spot for them...
#gardening #trees #KillYourLawn

2026-03-28 03:07:28 UTC

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That sounds like an amazing afternoon ☺️

2026-03-28 02:22:19 UTC

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I'm very fond of Esperance too! But it is faaaaar from other places and also doesn't have the population/infrastructure that I wanted so we have to slum it with ever so slightly less picturesque landscapes further west 😁
@npub13yd…7xc7

2026-03-28 00:30:33 UTC

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Yes indeed 😁 It hasn't really changed since the 80s, haha!

2026-03-27 08:08:14 UTC

Bah. It's one of those days where it feels like everything went wrong.
Obviously not everything did.
But enough did to make me cranky.
Had to edit a thing that bothered me.
Had to run Dad to an appointment during my work day which meant I have to make up the time next week.
A colleague has asked me to do something extra which annoyed me because it goes against processes.
Had to run another errand during my lunch break.
Got home from said errand and the dogs had knocked over the huge bottle of washing liquid all over the floor in the study.
None of these things are bad. They're all manageable. It's not the worst day ever but also FEELING ALL THE MEH.
At least it's the weekend now. And once I clean up all this washing liquid, the floor will be spotless for the first time in years.
Still.
Bah.
#cranky #weekend #annoyed

2026-03-24 01:53:09 UTC

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A slow day sounds ideal after all that activity. And yum, lemon cake. One of my faves!
Yesterday was busy here and today will be too, but in a nice way. We have a cluster of birthdays in the family around this time, so tonight we're going out for tea together. I can't remember the last time we went out together for a meal. This poses some logistical problems since the car doesn't fit all of us at once, but we are solving it with some of us catching public transport into town and then a taxi out of town.
In between finishing work and meeting at the restaurant, I need to do the food shopping. Although I may just do the essentials and do the bulk of it tomorrow. I need to finish the meal plan for the fortnight before I go... I'll ask Kid2 to help me with that since she's home for the day

2026-03-19 02:44:13 UTC

A friend suggested to me today that I should plan a long weekend away, just on my own, and as much as I think that would be amazing, I'm also quite terrified by the idea.
This reaction intrigues me... what have I got to be afraid of?!

2026-03-15 10:52:21 UTC

Kid2 is making a cake for her gluten-free friend and the friend has requested carrot cake. So far we've had two test cakes (it's for a special occasion so Kid2 wants it to be very good) and neither has been amazing. Edible? Yes. But not special occasion-worthy.
Does anyone have a failsafe gluten free carrot cake recipe? Boosts very much appreciated
#baking #cake #GlutenFree

2026-03-10 03:36:23 UTC

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Very much so, I'm just so surrpised by the whole thing

2026-03-10 03:33:00 UTC

I had a call from my manager today to tell me that one of our colleagues had died very suddenly.
We weren't very close but she'd been with the company a long time, and I've chatted with her online and on calls several times. She was a lovely human being, really chatty and friendly and so full of life -- and only middle-aged, too.
I'm so shocked, really -- she was here one day and then just not the next.
A good reminder to all of us to savour the precious moments, I suppose?

2026-03-04 03:36:09 UTC

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Yeah, ours are also very fond of showing us their butts as well, I feel like there's some cross-species miscommunication going on there 😂

2026-03-04 02:52:50 UTC

I feel so lucky to be able to live with non-human beings. There have been times when we couldn't and I really feel my life was poorer for it.
The little tabby cat just jumped on my lap, gave a little trill and rubbed my chin with her chin and I feel such a rush of warmth and connection between us 🥰
Pets. The absolute best.
#pets #home

2026-03-01 04:57:54 UTC

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These are adorable!

2026-03-01 03:27:47 UTC

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Bird ornaments! They sound so gorgeous.
Yay for good things 🥰

2026-03-01 02:05:21 UTC

Happy Sunday to you, friends. I've dropped the middle Kids in town for their respective shifts and on the way home, visited Mum and gave her the flowers I bought yesterday. She was chatty and it's kind of fascinating what phrases and words are still very clear. She gave me such a happy smile when I got there, and said, 'Oh, it's so good to see you!' and then when I got ready to go, she said, 'You're off, are you?' I gave her a hug and wished her happy birthday for tomorrow (I won't see her as I'm working). Sometimes I grieve so deeply for the way things are. But they are that way, so I suppose just... acknowledging the grief is all I can do.
On the agenda today: pancakes, some washing, and checking in on the groundcovers (I promised a picture! I'll take one shortly). No beach walk today as I promised Dad I'd take him home from church and I need to pick up the Kids later. That's OK. I'll be able to get some good trumpet practice in instead. Not quite the same but still cup-filling
#grief #dementia #alzheimers #gardening #trumpet #sunday

2026-02-27 23:47:01 UTC

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I want to read it but I suspect it will just make me angry about what I can't (or won't, I guess) change. Sigh/grrr

2026-02-27 09:42:30 UTC

Finally the weekend – and I say finally, despite having just had a week off and only working three days this week. I was really happy to go back to work, too! And now I'm tired already.
You know what I think it is? It's just full time work is so... full time. Eight hours a day and then all the other things like parenting and Dad and making sure that plants don't die and cooking and washing up and grocery shopping, it's just so much.
And I'm not complaining about my work, which is not 'hard' in the sense of physical exertion or responsibility (if I mess up, nobody dies, and any mistakes I make are generally fixable). I love my colleagues, and my work is satisfying for the most part. But eight hour days... surely we could switch to six hour days and still manage? I feel as though the four day week isn't really getting the traction but what about a 30 hour workweek? That would be kind of great, don't you think?
#work #rambling #tired

2026-02-21 12:39:00 UTC

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43.4 – but also I was too inept to work out how to share my score 😅

2026-02-21 06:47:15 UTC

Maybe if she tucks herself under the doona near the pillows, nobody will notice that she's there
#caturday #CatsOfMastodon #tabby
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2026-02-09 04:46:04 UTC

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Wheat is not my friend, so whatever ones I get, I'll have regrets later – might as well make them as tasty and buttery as possible 😂
(yes, gf is an option but they're not a patch on the wheat ones, sigh. Maybe I should try and make some myself)

2026-02-09 01:08:35 UTC

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I really enjoy the occasional one, but it's traditional all the way for me... although apple and cinnamon are probably the best out of the alternative flavours on offer. And definitely toasted with butter, no matter the type!

2026-02-02 05:49:35 UTC

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Yay for making a start, and in my long experience with digestive discomfort, dramatic moaning (and dog cuddles) definitely helps! Hope your body gets used to it very soon xx

2026-02-01 09:20:49 UTC

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That's a great find! I love your cut – I'd absolutely have short hair if I had a good hairdresser close by
@npub1308…wa44

2026-01-28 19:33:04 UTC

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Nurses. Absolute gems. Dad has gone for a scan so I'm waiting here for him to come back and the nurse just asked if she could get me a tea or coffee (no, but thanks for asking!)
'Not even a water?!'
I laughed and said I'm OK for now, and now she's cheerfully bringing orange juice to the child who sounds so much less pukey, thank goodness (for her and her parent's sake!)
I'll have something to eat and drink when we're back out in the fresh air and I can safely unmask (both figuratively and literally)

2026-01-28 19:15:12 UTC

Back at the hospital again, thankfully it's not super busy and Dad is OK and getting tests. I'm masking of course but also hoping very much that the puking child in the nearby bay is not contagious. I'm feeling a bit rough but I'm fairly sure that's just being awake at 3am.
Yay for hospital workers, boo to bodies... can't live with them, can't live without them
#hospital #sick #health #caring
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2026-01-25 01:39:58 UTC

It is a calm Sunday morning here and in an odd coincidence, there is only one teen at home (the others are away on holiday and at sleepovers) and it is quiet and a little strange for the house to be so empty. Not terrible, just different.
Plans for today are a catch-up with my brother and his family, trumpet practice and some cleaning and decluttering. I'm consciously limiting the to-dos but I also really need to meal plan for the next fortnight too.
Outside, the corn is nearly ready to be picked and I am going to soak the kangaroo paws to be planted tomorrow. We're expecting some mild weather and they've been waiting to go in the ground for weeks. I'll take some pictures when I plant them
#sunday #today #trumpet #family #gardening

2026-01-25 01:00:48 UTC

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Just wow, that's a lot

2026-01-24 03:08:45 UTC

Happy birthday to Mia, who turns 20 today.
Let me tell you about Mia. She came to us when she was 11 and is a foster fail (to be fair, we never really set out to foster cats, so when we brought her home it was always only going to be for good). She and her sibling, Ted – a sweet natured orange and white shorthair – had lived with a couple who broke up and couldn't keep their cats, so we agreed to take them despite already having three cats (and four Kids under 12) at the time. What can I say? We like a challenge.
Mia is a lapcat, through and through, and she will fight any other cat who wants to take her rightful cosy place, whether that's a warm human belly or the couch, which she's doing her best to cover in fur.
When she was 14, she got hit by a car and we thought that was it for her, but the vet was confident that she would make it. The surgery was going to cost $2k, though and we were like, well. That's just not possible, right? We barely made it from week to week as it was. Enter my friends from the internet... an old friend from livejournal messaged me and said she was happy to help pay for Mia's surgery if I wanted. She said, don't let her age or the cost influence your decision. So I made a crowdfunding account and she and other friends met the target within days and Mia got her surgery (a leg amputation). Soon after that we also built our catio. Apart from the surgery, it's the best cat investment we've made.
And here she is at 20. She's quite deaf and probably can't see as well as she used to but she still enjoys cuddles, yelling at everyone, and devouring the expensive tinned cat food and any spare roast meat you might want to toss her way. I don't know how much longer she has but we're just enjoying her company while we can. Who knew this crotchety old lady – who was already quite old when we adopted her! – would make it this far?! I do believe she's just alive out of spite at this point
#caturday #HappyBirthday #cats
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2026-01-22 06:51:45 UTC

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As an editor, I feel this in my bones. It's so disappointing

2026-01-17 07:16:34 UTC

I took Dad home from visiting Mum yesterday and we dropped into the supermarket on the way, which meant this morning I was free to do whatever I wanted, hooray!
I went into town early and parked up so I could walk everywhere I needed to go :
- the markets (apricots!! still there until the end of the month, according to the growers)
- the wholefood store (star anise, cloves, cinnamon and chia seeds)
- the music shop (valve oil for the trumpet, and asked the owner - a tuba player, who gave advice on cleaning the trumpet - if he knew anyone who gave lessons; he does, and I left my name and number)
- the op shop (for singlets, but there were none)
- and the health food store (shampoo bars)
I had to run a parcel to the post office for Dad, which involved a lengthy process of filling in a customs declaration, so annoying. Then I drove round to the animal feed store for chook pellets and dropped into another op shop on the way home -- and this one had singlets! I got three, plus three tshirts for Kid4.
Dad and I picked the last of his rhubarb yesterday so now I need to cook it... I might make a cake with some of it. And I've still got plums to stew. Both of those things may have to wait if I want to avoid a 'you did too much' headache later, though.
Still happy that I ticked all the things off my list in a couple of hours, and I got to chat to friendly folk and feel welcomed in my community. A good day :)
#today #community #markets #food #trumpet #weekend #baking #GrowYourOwn #secondhand

2026-01-12 12:07:30 UTC

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I did attend my graduation after I did honours, so I feel as though one is maybe enough?! I can understand the significance of being the first in your family to graduate though, and wanting to celebrate in that way ❤️
[@sister_ratched](https://toot.community/@sister_ratched )

2026-01-12 11:09:11 UTC

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I'm feeling bolstered by so many people telling me they didn't go to theirs!

2026-01-12 06:10:55 UTC

I just got an invite to my graduation and I decided I'm not going to go.
My oldest kid and my friends and my sister were all encouraging me to go, but... I just don't love events like this. And it's an extra trip to Perth, plus hiring a gown, and booking leave from work. I guess I would have to get something fancy (even if secondhand) to wear too, since my wardrobe consists of jeans, tshirts and hoodies, and really nothing else.
The reasons for going would all be good reasons if I weren't actually me, a person who doesn't like crowds of strangers, or having to mask and make small talk, or dressing up in fancy clothes.
Also, the relief at the realisation that I am choosing 'no' is kind of amazing. I will be just as thrilled - in fact, much more thrilled - to get my certificate in the post
#phd #SocialEvents #university #academia #graduation

2026-01-03 06:50:38 UTC

It was produce swap at the community garden today. I picked Dad up and we cut some of his rhubarb to take with us; I brought along plums from our tree, and one of the older gardeners helped me identify it, which was exciting and helpful! It's a Santa Rosa plum – it was well established when we moved here so I didn't have any info on it. She said it's a good jam plum, which is what I had planned to do this afternoon anyway, but it's great to have confirmation.
I swapped the rhubarb and plums for blackberries, silverbeet, a strawberry and an eggplant seedling, and some very ripe tomatoes.
There were about a dozen people today, including Dad and me. It was fun – we discussed gardening (obvs), keeping in touch with old school friends (none of us do, apparently, but we all live in different places to where we grew up), and public transport in our little city (I want it to be more accessible, available and possibly free of charge).
I've only got one more day until it's back to work, but that's OK. It's a quiet weekend so I can do some things that help boost my energy, such as cooking and gardening and some extra walks. The other day, I was feeling resentful about having to return to work, but the truth is, I quite enjoy my job and I'm looking forward to catching up with my colleagues. Plus working while the kids are on holidays makes things somewhat easier and the long days mean there are still some hours outside of work for gardening and potentially swimming
#CommunityGarden #family #food #gardening #today

2025-12-29 13:56:04 UTC

The holidays are progressing well – today involved grocery shopping, trumpet practice, taking Dad on some errands and sorting out a birthday gift for a friend ( I bought a kitchen thing I thought she might like, and potted up some peppermint for her windowsill).
Also finished reading The Cat who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa. Not a bad book, lots of food for thought, especially given my own struggles with finding value in creativity lately.
Still to come this week: the sister is driving down to visit so we'll catch up for coffee (she is taking the birthday gift back to Perth for my friend, yay for saving postage) and another friend is visiting on holiday so we'll meet up for coffee too. Can't wait to see her – it's been about two years since we've met up in person, and even though we've chatted via text, it's not the same as face to face
#holidays #summer #reading #family #friends #AdventuresWithTheTrumpet

2025-12-12 02:28:56 UTC

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Now I'm super invested in who it was and also what the olives are like 😅
@npub1k57…48fh @npub13ky…zgu6

2025-11-23 00:54:45 UTC

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😂 Here it's black cockatoos and sometimes my arthritic foot (depending on how bad the weather is going to be!)
I read an article a while ago that says the cockatoos don't always get it right but I'm thinking, also neither does human modelling...?

2025-11-19 07:09:13 UTC

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Oof, poor little thing. Hope whatever is causing the pain is soon resolved!

2025-11-19 02:36:58 UTC

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Ahahaha, same. YOU might spend most of your time in the bar car socialising @npub12cj…hqkq 😂
I think I would spend a good amount of my time daydreaming, reading, napping, writing... gosh, what a lovely thought

2025-11-19 01:44:03 UTC

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The not-cheapness is the thing that's stopped me so far 😅

2025-11-19 01:23:33 UTC

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Welcome to the West! Enjoy the Indian Pacific... I would love to do that trip one day...

2025-11-08 11:13:30 UTC

One of the potato plants was looking a bit yellow so I decided to dig them up. Not the biggest haul since I grew them in containers and probably needed to wait for longer to get more potatoes, but given the cost of spuds these days, it's more worth it to grow your own than it used to be
#GrowYourOwn #gardening #potatoes
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2025-10-25 09:51:42 UTC

#caturday post from last Saturday. We enclosed the patio to make a catio a few years ago and it's been such a good thing for everyone involved. Since we've stopped them going outside, we've not lost any cats to road accidents, they've not been in any fights, and they get to enjoy watching the birds, not killing them. I mean, I'm sure they enjoyed killing the birds but obviously the birds weren't fans of that, and neither were we!
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2025-10-19 00:34:38 UTC

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Oh yikes, less of that kind of thing, kitteh! I think those sorts of near misses use up some of our lives too...

2025-10-05 13:32:22 UTC

Sunday night: I'm doing the shopping list for the next fortnight. The last month really kicked my butt and I've been skating by trying to wing it with meals every night, but that's stressful and also means I often take forever to decide what we're having, so we eat super late. So this fortnight will hopefully be better.
As Dad was in hospital yesterday, I went on my own to the community garden. Stayed for about an hour, talked about water security, homelessness, and had a good catch up with a friend there. I took some lemons and rosemary for the produce swap and brought home rhubarb, rainbow chard and some corn and pumpkin seedlings, which I've planted (that reminds me, I need to dust them with coffee to keep the molluscs away).
This afternoon was a whirlwind of taking children, children's friends, and Dad various places. One of the kids got sick and needed picking up early, pretty sure it's a 24 hour bug so she should feel a bit better by tomorrow but she had also better keep any germs to herself! I don't feel like enduring a full household of gastro germs any time soon.
I was going to get all the blood tests in the world done tomorrow but I've got a cold (courtesy of the same sick kid, wtf) so I'll have to go later in the week. It's not really urgent and I'm not getting the associated ultrasound until the end of the month so I feel as though we can take our time with it.
Sigh, back to shopping list. It's boring but having to choose what to eat is not at all a bad problem to have, is it?
#shopping #food #update #family #gardening #CommunityGarden #sick #MealPlanning

2025-09-22 03:13:32 UTC

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I'll be crossing everything for you and hope that it's sorted really soon and you can start bartending as soon as possible!
(also good grief, it's criminal that $2.13/hr is even a thing, omg)

2025-09-22 01:49:11 UTC

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What I learnt from years of freelancing is that if my gut was telling me that something wasn't right about the job/client/scope of work, then I should listen to my gut. Every time I failed to do that, I got burnt and it ended up being a terrible job (they wouldn't pay, awful scope creep, etc).
Not quite the same thing as what you're experiencing but you seem to have identified plenty of red flags, so my advice would be if they don't get back to you with some kind of explanation or clarity, then I would look for something else. Which obviously sucks! But better than being stuck in something you didn't ever really want to do and which will not pay enough to live on.

2025-08-16 10:05:07 UTC

On the advice of a good friend, I took the day off today – no freelance stuff, no PhD edits, just usual things: went to the markets for soup ingredients, took Dad shopping, came home and made soup, and then a good hour and a half in the garden (the sun! it shone!)
I saw someone on youtube growing potatoes in cardboard boxes so I thought I'd give it a go. Also Kid2 brought home a polystyrene box so I am trying that too (less delighted about polystyrene in the garden but since it exists in the world I might as well use it).
I planted one box about three weeks ago and have been looking out for the sprouts and today I spotted two! I've put butterfly stickers there to show you where they are.
Not pictured: the jasmine, which is blooming so beautifully but the light was fading so my phone somehow found it impossible to focus on the flowers. I'll take some more pictures tomorrow and see if they're better
#gardening #GrowYourOwn #vegetables #potatoes
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2025-07-05 09:16:08 UTC

We've got strong winds and heavy rain forecast for tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday so I got into the garden this afternoon for a bit and wrestled with the kikuyu. It is so damned persistent. But I won't give up until it's all gone! And even in writing that, I realise I've managed to get rid of at least two thirds of it. I have been focused so much on what there is left to do that I forgot to take stock.
Anyway this is what I'm dealing with. The ground is soft but even after pulling out as much as I can, I'm still left with roots that go too deep to grab with my fingers. So once I've pulled as much as I can, I cover it with cardboard, paper shopping bags (I had to get groceries delivered when I was sick recently) old magazines, pizza boxes, the community newspaper... the thicker the better. It's such a slow process and even after all that, there will still be tendrils that emerge because it's everywhere (see it poking out of the agapanthus?)
Elsewhere in the garden there's daisies and thyme and dichondra, though, so I just need to keep at it!
#gardening #KillYourLawn #persistence
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2025-06-29 02:04:54 UTC

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😢 I was at the hospital with Dad last week and the lack of masks was upsetting, to put it mildly

2025-06-24 00:28:01 UTC

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Oh wow, that's some nasty heat! Take care, won't you?
@npub1v5a…ny6w

2025-06-10 01:24:46 UTC

In the interests of distracting us from all the awful, I would love your input on this item. It's a contraption/stand usually made from wire and metal tubes that folds out for you to dry your clothes on. Sometimes they're made of wood (my parents have a wooden one still).
Familiar, right? Right. So what do you call it? We always called it a clothes horse but my mum (from Cheshire originally) called it a clothes maiden.

2025-05-17 12:40:57 UTC

Also I took Dad to a garden centre, one I'd never been to before. Such a cool little nursery with very decently priced plants.
He had a couple of gift vouchers and I didn't, but I still bought a bunch of plants. Oops. Had some stuff to do this arvo and was staving off a migraine so I didn't get into the garden today but tomorrow, I will.
#gardening #gardeningAU #NewPlants #KillYourLawn
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2025-04-21 06:32:26 UTC

Today I went to visit Mum and took a posy from the garden. She seemed to like the flowers. I'm not sure she knows *who* I am but she knows I'm familiar (I'll take it; it's expected but I guess another sign of decline).
I had the thought when I was walking back home... it's not too late to plant bulbs. I might get an assorted pack and plant them in the ex-lawn and then I can take her bunches in the spring. I always find it easier to visit if I have something to bring, and flowers brighten up everyone's day.
#gardening #bloomscrolling #today #parents #dementia
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2025-04-05 08:58:21 UTC

A day of being near plants. First stop, the community garden for produce swap day, where I took peppermint cuttings and swapped for a cute little posey (posy?) in an old Vegemite jar. Also took two figs and some silverbeet, the latter of which I will add to the pea soup I'm making tomorrow.
I got to chat to a friend and meet some new people, and we tentatively discussed meeting up again socially soon (outside of the scheduled garden catch-ups).
Then dropped Dad home via Bunnings, where he bought some pots and other odds and ends, and I bought two punnets of English spinach seedlings and one of bok choy.
So this afternoon has been pulling up all the weeds (I mean, not ALL the weeds, of course – I have to leave some for another day or I'd be bored, right? Right) and planting out the seedlings in pots. Ideally I'd have them in raised beds but that's not possible just yet. We'll see what I can salvage/create as the year progresses. I figure if I can keep up the nutrients to them in these small pots they're going to be OK
#gardening #gardeningAU #GrowYourOwn #bloomscrolling #saturday #plants #ThingsILove #CommunityGarden
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2025-03-16 11:27:35 UTC

I have been proofing my thesis and novel one last time today and this evening I'll send it off to my supervisor to check. Tomorrow I meet with him to go over any final things and then... submission?? I will keep you posted!!
Meanwhile, if you thought that the recent rain would make for the perfect conditions for lawn murder, you'd be correct! I pulled up a heap of runners yesterday and today and planted some more ground covers in the area that's had cardboard on it for about three months. I'll look pretty silly if the season hasn't broken yet but I suspect it'll be OK, even if we still get some warm days.
#DieLawnDie #KillTheLawn #gardeningAU #gardening #phd #writing
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2025-03-05 12:15:13 UTC

Friends! The orange tree is growing oranges!
I have largely ignored it apart from adding a bunch of chook poo and mulch back in spring but today, as I was watering it, I decided to have a look for snails and lo and behold, ORANGES! We've had blossoms before but the fruit has never really set, so this was a total surprise. I'm so excited for oranges!
#gardening #gardeningAU #GrowYourOwn #food
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2025-03-02 12:05:50 UTC

Wow, this week has wiped me out. We're short staffed at work (as predicted) so it's just been go, go, go all week. Tomorrow is a public holiday for WA but I work to the NSW public holiday schedule, so it's back to work for me while everyone else gets to laze about at home around me. Meh.
However, I did get to go to the community garden yesterday, which was fun. We harvested hops flowers (they smell delightfully herby and fresh) and dandelion root. I've chopped up the root and will roast it tomorrow to enjoy my very own cup of locally grown 'coffee'. Kind of excited about that. The hops flowers are in the freezer to be used in a relaxing tea when needed.
The long-range forecast for the current and next season, Bunuru and Djeran (autum, or roughly March -- May) is warmer than usual and also dry. I am trying to see how we can budget in a rainwater tank or two for next summer. I'm looking forward to the rain, as always at this time of year.
Failing the rain, here are the good things:
- found a ripe strawberry while watering the garden and ate it
- descaled both the washing machine and the dishwasher and cleaned the seals. That might sound very proactive of me, but I can't remember the last time I did either, so they were well overdue. However, I did feel very accomplished
- there were no eggs at the shop the other day and we were completely out and then Kid2 went hunting and found four! Woohoo!
#ThingsILove #GoodThings #weather #gardening #work #update #today
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2025-02-09 08:21:35 UTC

Today the tap stopped working, meaning it was stuck in the on position. Problematic.
I turned off the mains and Adam checked the shed for a spare. No spare. Also problematic.
So off to Bunnings for a new tap, except when we got there, we realised there are two different sizes AND both a male and female connection and we weren't sure which size or connection ours was. Bugger.
So we called Kid4 who was at home, and asked him to duck outside and take a picture, which he did beautifully! That solved the male/female conundrum. And Adam pointed out that we'd bought our hose from Bunnings, so we took the tap over to the hose section, tried it out on the end of the hose and huzzah! It fit!
Feel free to admire our shiny new tap, if you like.
#gardening #gardeningAU #DIY
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2025-01-27 10:11:53 UTC

Today I did some copyediting and references (aka the bane of my life right now, it's fine, this too shall pass) in the morning and then this afternoon, put the laptop aside and just... did fun stuff.
First was potting up some cuttings and Kid2's jacaranda seedlings. Then I took some more cuttings from the epipremnum 'Brasil' which is beautifully varigated in dark green and gold. Mine has been sitting on the front step where I think it gets too much sun, so I am going to move it inside soon. Just need to find a big enough pot.
Ooh, also replanted the terrarium with a fern and two cute little ground cover-y things. I've put it on my desk in the study.
Then after I'd done that, Kid4 and I walked to the park to play kick to kick with the soccer ball he got for Christmas. This is something I always say I'll do but never do and it was so, so great. We each took a turn in goal and then when we got a bit hot, we went and sat in the shade and talked about Minecraft (he talked about Minecraft, I listened and made successful attempts to relate it to things I have more knowledge of).
Back home now, making shepherd's pie with lentils and All The Hidden Vegetables for tea. Still waiting on two kids to return from their adventures, but I'm sure they will be back just in time for food (they have a habit of this) and we'll have an extra to feed, so I'm making a double batch. Watch it disappear by tomorrow lunchtime!
Back to work tomorrow. Once again, I feel there is an excellent case for a four-day week.
#today #Sunday #parenting #food #football #gardening

2025-01-25 12:02:57 UTC

#3GoodThings
- the tomato plants I planted the other week survived the wildly hot day yesterday
- I did some cleaning and the place looks less chaotic (and as a result, I feel a bit less chaotic too)
- picked up some more rainbow chard seedlings and some cheapo coffee to discourage slugs and snails
- (bonus good thing -- possibly the best thing?) I saw evidence of bandicoots in the front garden. I think they're digging up the wasp holes. There are heaps of spider wasps about (the ones that dig holes in the ground and capture spiders to lay their young inside) and so I'm wondering if the bandicoots are coming out for a meal of an evening. You've no idea how much I love that this little ecosystem is doing its thing. I'm working on making the conditions right and they like it, hooray :) :) :)
#gardening #gardeningAU #nature #plants #ThingsILove #BestThings

2025-01-18 12:31:38 UTC

Stewed nectarines with cream (what a delectable and luxurious dessert) and the nectarines are ones from our tree, which I accidentally grew from seed. So lucky!
I was thinking about how, when people are trying to decide what to grow, the recommendation is often 'grow what you eat'. But I think it's more important to grow what you buy a lot of and which will save you a trip to the supermarket.
Eg, we eat a HEAP of potatoes and I do like to grow them but last time the rats ate them (can you believe it? I could not!) and that's not to mention the space/time they take. Potatoes are still relatively cheap to buy so I am better off growing green crops like rainbow chard, salad greens, sprouting broccoli, all those cut-and-come-again vegies that are the ones I'd need to buy more regularly from the supermarket.
In terms of fruit, I am so happy to have a lemon tree and I definitely enjoy picking our own fruit from the other trees but if we had less space I would be hard pressed to use it for fruit trees. I reckon if you're pushed for space but want fruit, berries are the go.
Thoughts?
#gardening #gardeningAU #summer #fruit #GrowYourOwn #food #sustainability

2025-01-17 12:47:42 UTC

Does anyone remember the children's author Richard Scarry? We had a few of his books and I adored the drawing style, even read a couple to my own kids when they were younger.
Adam and I disagree on how his name was pronounced. Adam pronounces it 'Scarey' but we always pronounced it with a short 'a' (to rhyme with 'Harry')
But admittedly I grew up with very limited access to television as a young child and the radio I listened to was geared toward adults/the news rather than children's programmes, so I never really heard it pronounced by someone other than my mum or siblings. Plus Adam and I are not American and maybe that also makes a difference?
Have you heard of this author? How do you pronounce his name?

2025-01-12 11:41:00 UTC

A warmer than expected Sunday. We saw my brother and his family at the beach and despite having to stand in the sun and watch their kid (she's younger than my kids so needs a bit more supervision) it was a nice time. I did get a headache from the sun though, despite wearing hat and sunnies. This sun. It'll getcha.
Anyway this afternoon has been a bit of a fug, what with the headache and all. But I made icing for the cake and I also picked more nectarines. Here's a picture of some I took for my relatives for their drive home
#nectarines #gardening #produce #today #Sunday #family
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2025-01-04 06:56:50 UTC

Happy morning at the community garden today. It was produce swap day so Dad and I took along rhubarb and I was hoping for zucchini and flowers – and both were indeed there! Now our tea is sorted: zucchini slice (as long as the chooks have laid). Chatted to the coordinator about volunteering there this year and he was keen. Can't wait to go more regularly and get my hands dirty.
This afternoon is baking Anzac biscuits, picking up/dropping off Kid3 and Kid2, and, of course, PhD... always PhD (but not for very much longer!!!)
#writing #gardening #CommunityGarden #ThingsILove #community #food
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2025-01-02 01:45:17 UTC

It's hot here today (34°C, which is like 90-something F, and quite hot for us here on the south coast) and I have a headache thanks to poor sleep. I watered the garden early and will check on the pots later to make sure they're doing OK.
There's a fire danger warning and so of course I'm on edge about that too. Planning to stay inside as much as possible. I wanted to go to town to run some errands but I've shifted that to tomorrow. Trying to change my mindset to respond to the weather rather than just pushing through with plans regardless.
#summer #climate #today

2024-12-22 09:41:13 UTC

Indoor plants probably prefer to be re/potted when it's cooler weather but right now is when I have the time to do it, so right now is when it's getting done.
They are mostly epipremnum but there are a couple of syngonium, a peperomia and a varigated dwarf umbrella tree. Some of them have been eking out an existence outside on the front step and so hopefully they'll be happier inside, in good soil, with less exposure to the elements
Not pictured: two tomato seedlings from mystery seeds that I've just transferred from the hydroponic system to the outside.... update to follow
#gardening #gardeningAU #houseplants
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2024-12-19 08:30:03 UTC

Had a discussion about AI with Adam today, who told me I sounded like a luddite, and I can understand why he would say that, but also I'm just so sick of people using ChatGPT as a substitute for thinking, and also that it's integrated into every damn platform without us even asking for it, and that it's creating literal tonnes of CO2 while doing that.
It's not that I'm against AI, I'm against the uselessness of it, the unnecessariness of it. Please, use it for processing data, use it to help improve climate models or the many other important and helpful applications. But just the careless waste, that really shits me
#AI #stupid #ProbablyNeedAHoliday

2024-12-17 12:41:52 UTC

Neither apple tree had much fruit this year... not sure why. Possibly the late winter, or the lack of good rain. Between the two trees we got four (!!!) apples. I don't love these apples anyway so I left them on the trees for the birds. Seemed to take ages for them to notice but today I saw that they're tucking in, hooray!
#gardening #gardeningAU #fruit #birds
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2024-12-12 07:28:01 UTC

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Sending sympathy. Ours went for nearly 2 hours. Ugh

2024-12-06 23:46:16 UTC

I don't give Christmas presents to many people outside my family. I like it that way -- it appeals to my anti-consumerism -- but there is one friend with whom I always exchange gifts and even though she has a lot of cool interests, I don't always know what to get her.
I'm conscious of adding to clutter when I know she's working on minimising that, plus we don't live close to each other so I have to send the gift. And we are of the age (and indeed the privilege) where we have most of what we need.
Watering the garden this morning, I had a thought: herbs. I have several growing in the garden, and I could dry some, bag them up and send them to her so she can use them in cooking or tea. I'm so excited about this idea :)
#herbs #gardening #Christmas #friends

2024-11-30 12:08:43 UTC

Proof that my children are chaos demons: Kid2 went on a week-long camp today and told me cheerfully when she left that she had deliberately taken 14 different socks so that not only would she have odd socks every day while she was away, but we probably would too
#silly #parenting #ThingsILove #today

2024-11-23 12:23:43 UTC

Dad asked if I could bring him some beans and peas from the markets today so I parked up after dropping Kid2 at work and walked over in the sunshine to get them.
So many good things to eat... I haven't been for months and if any time is premium market-going time, it's now! I picked up Dad's peas and beans and got myself some honey, mushrooms, zucchini and cucumbers. The woman who served me had dirt under her fingernails. I thought, 'my people' 🥰
This arvo I spent an hour in the garden pulling grass and weeds out. The very heavy showers we had the other night made it a dream. For tea tonight I made risotto with half of the mushrooms from the market, plus broccoli and spinach I had on hand. Damn, I love risotto
#today #saturday #markets #food #GardeningAu

2024-11-21 09:50:55 UTC

I'm spending the day and night with Dad who had a day procedure. The upside to this has been being able to chat and drink tea with Dad; catching up with his resident skink; admiring and picking ALL THE RHUBARB which I will take home tomorrow
#gardening #food #reptiles #rhubarb #caring
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2024-10-27 10:37:29 UTC

Nearly finished editing and writing in a thesis chapter, which I'll send tonight – this means tomorrow I'll be starting on the final one...
Outside in the yard, the peppermint tree (agonis flexuosa) is flowering. Tiny little white star flowers that are so delicate up close. From a distance, the tree looks as if it's behind a screen or dusted with snow. The petals fall off one by one, speckling the garden, the driveway, the car
#trees #bloomscrolling #writing #gardening #GardeningAu #ThingsILove #writing
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2024-10-19 13:02:32 UTC

Things I like about Mastodon compared to other places:
- no pressure to gain followers. Some of that is also due to a change in circumstances but in general I just feel like it's so much more chill and it's not a competition?
- diversity... far less US-centric (again, that is probably by my own design) but I'm reading so many toots in German and French (which I can understand) and even Dutch and Spanish (which I can sometimes interpret) and it's so good to get different perspectives/learn about things that my own country's news orgs tend not to report on
- such great and amicable folk in general
I know there are some dicks here and there, it's not a utopia and I wouldn't enjoy it if it were, but I just really enjoy dipping in and out of the place, with less pressure to post and generally such a good vibe overall
#mastodon #thoughts #ThingsILove

2024-10-13 11:18:35 UTC

Took Kid4 to meet a friend at the pool this morning and forgot my phone at home! Ack! What to do... especially since I had not met this friend or the parents before. Luckily, I had my laptop so I messaged Kid1 on discord, got him to keep my phone by him so he could relay messages.
It worked great, and I settled down at the pool cafe and worked on my chapter and... uh... was really focused and managed to get a heap done and I have a sneaking suspension that's directly related to not having my phone with me?? Lol. Phones aren't great for attention spans. WHO KNEW.
Anyway we came home and this arvo, in between loads of washing, I managed some garden time and it was just beautiful outside 🥰 Pulled weeds, mulched around the elderflower, struck a bunch of rosemary cuttings. The apples are starting to grow, so I expect parrots to start frequenting the garden more often to check on them. I also was about to give up on the lilly pillies I'd planted in my seedling tray but I gently checked to see if there was any progress and every single one has sprouted 🌱🌱🌱 Yaaay!
#gardening #seedlings #growing #writing #sunday #phd #ThingsILove
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2024-10-05 10:53:12 UTC

The community garden had a festival today... it looks like nobody was there but I promise that's not true! Lots of people coming and going, just not in the pictures.
It's been a busy day after a huge week. Gave a presentation yesterday as a practice for a conference panel I'll be on with two friends next month. It went fine, got some good ideas about what worked well and what I need to improve. The demon who lives in the cave at the back of my mind has been reminding me of all the places where I messed up but I'm doing a pretty job of telling her to fuck off.
Dropped kids various places, bought Kid4 some new shoes, got mushrooms and honey at the markets, and ran an errands for Dad, and now it's already time for tea (satay chicken and vegies with rice) so I didn't get as much time in my own garden as I would have liked. But! It's a long weekend for me, so watch this space 😁
#community #parenting #gardening #bloomscrolling
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2024-09-08 02:39:52 UTC

Woke up after a sleep in, the sun already well high above the horizon. Outside to check on the sunflowers seedlings I planted yesterday... more fool me for not checking them last night, as the snails and/or slugs have had a grand time. I'll sprinkle some coffee today and go out with Kid1's headlamp tonight to check on them.
But the best thing? You can smell the change in season and I love it. This white iris hitchhiked in a plant pot from a friend and is blooming beautifully
#bloomscrolling #ChangeOfSeason #gardening
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2023-12-31 23:29:05 UTC

I thought I'd do an updated #introduction since my first one was a bit sparse on details. Also, #HappyNewYear 😊
I'm an #editor working full-time from home for a small publication. The organisation has gone through a lot of changes over the past six months, which have been stressful, but hopefully things will be more stable this year.
#2024 will also be the year I finish my #PhD. I know I said that last year but I've run out of time so I really have to do it now. It's a #creative PhD -- I'm writing a #steampunk novel set in #WesternAustralia and my #thesis discusses Australian steampunk. Weirdly, despite having spent years on this, I still like the topic and I hope to write some more papers on specific elements when I'm finished. (But first I need to finish).
I have a partner and four #children and live with them plus two #dogs, three #cats and a bunch of #chooks (aka #chickens) in a little regional city on the south coast of Western Australia. I love #cooking, #reading, #writing, #gardening and #hiking and am interested in all things #green ... I've been banging on about the #environment for decades and despite the dire predicament we humans collectively find ourselves in now, I'm heartened by the fact that #climate issues are mainstream news now. I believe in #hope because I think it's a radical act of defiance against the #doom.
I'm fascinated by #science and #space and the #history of how humans have learnt and passed down #knowledge through millennia. I love to learn new things from people whose backgrounds are different from my own. I spent a little time in Germany and did languages in my undergrad degree, so ich spreche #deutsch et parle un peu #français. I'm also learning #Japanese on Duolingo so now I can say 'this cake is tasty', which, I think we can all agree, is a very handy phrase to know.
Ooh! Nearly forgot. Love #tea. Big fan.