WELL HELLO

It has been a long time since I visited this old blog of mine! So much has happened in the last year but I am not going to bore you with it all, so lets start here and today. The most exciting thing is I have decided to give up work.For the last 6 years I have worked at our little local Post Office and truly enjoyed it.Things change and now it's time to move on.

I will spend more time with my children and grandchildren and a lot more time with my Mum and Dad...Bruce and I have lots of ideas and things we want to do and see. We have been busy doing the markets this year selling candles and soap, Bruce has been making wooden items as well, we both enjoy doing the markets and getting out and meeting new people and saying hello to our regular customers.

My days are filled with the rhythm of slowing down while working in the garden growing our food to eat, making soaps and candles for our marketstand and just taking the time to stop and enjoy the beautiful place we have created and live. Life has many seasons in it and I amgoing to enjoy this season in my life. I am going to make the time to blog again even though on this old computer its so hard. I can't even connect my phone to it to download photosbut I have found a way to get around that by sending them to myself and then downloading them.... For now I am going to make a cuppa and finnish making the candles for next weeks market.... Mandy.....

New Year Ramblings........

Hello and Welcome

I hope you had a blessed Christmas and New Year...

Christmas 2021

was time for the family to have Christmas here at home...

For 12 months I panicked, cried and gave up any hope of us all being together..

 

Me & My Girls Cassie,Jess, Alanah,Chloe.

But we were...

I am thankful that my God is bigger than my fears and all that is going on in the world and all were able to come home...

My Boys..William,David, Robertson.

Memories were made, so many hugs and kisses...

Watching and just being with my children and grandchildren was the best present I could have wished for. 

Grand daughters

I know so many were not able to be with their families and my heart went out to them.

What will 2022 bring..

I don't think I can even begin to guess because who thought we would be a fearful nation the way we are now. 

For us  we will continue the life we have been blessed with.

 

Planting food, working our farm, cooking our meals from scratch.

To some this may seem boring, but over the last 2 years I have seen people struggle to make ends meet with the rising costs of living, which is only continuing to rise.

we are thankful we are able to go out and pick fresh strawberries, a salad, milk the goats and make cheese as this is what we have worked towards.

Enjoying family and friends..

But now family has returned home safely, soon every one will be back to work and a new year has begun to unfold....

I know I can't change the world or even my kids lives and beliefs but I know one thing for sure....

I have a faith that has seen me through some dark times, a faith that has seen me through the happiest of times a faith I am thank full to have and cherish..

 So in this new year I will keep my faith, Bruce and I will continue to work as a team sustaining the life we have worked so hard to have.....If lock downs come again we are ready.....if they don't well we are ready for that too ( the caravan is packed and ready lol )

May 2022 be a better healthier blessed year for everyone...

More Changes....

Below is 3 pictures all different yet all have one thing in common, can you guess what they all have in common???

 

 

 

Camping, Grandchildren and gardening.

I don't have enough time to enjoy them.

 Well I am about to have a lot more time to enjoy all 3 off these and so much more.

 

 

 

 I sold Greg's Auto Electrical Business.

After 4 long hard years running the business on my own after Greg died it is all coming to an end. 

 I have mixed emotions as I want to get out but at the same time it is losing another piece of Greg.

I am glad to be going though, in the last 4 years I have not had enough time to be there for my children, I am looking forward to being a stay at home Mum again, and so are the kids!!!!

 

 

 

If all goes well I will be out by mid July.....So blogging will be last on the list while I am getting organized.

 

Wish me luck

 

Mandy

 

 



A Catch Up......

Hello

I hope every one of you had a blessed Christmas and a Happy New year. Our Christmas was very quiet this year with 3 of the children away.

 

I closed  the workshop down over Christmas and New year so spent 10 days at home titivating around the house. Soooooo nice to be at home and just be me.

 

 

 

I have cleaned and cooked and read and gardened and done all those lovely things I don,t do enough of any more.

 

 

I have been moving furniture around as well, the white cabinet  has found a new home in the kitchen, as you can see above it was near the side door, and below in the kitchen. Not to sure if I like it there yet or not..

 

 

A close up of my new stools which i just love. They bring a little touch of modern into this old house, and yet they go with my 1950's red table...

 

 I am looking forward to this new year with 3 grand babies due Jan, Feb and March...No 1 should be here soon we are hoping, well Chloe is hoping it will be soon. I miss having little ones around the place, we love it when Jess brings Grace home to visit, she is the sweetest little girl, I don't like being a long distance Granny but that is life and these children of mine do tend to move away.

I guess that means Greg and I did a alright job with them that they grew up to be independent Men and Women, that aren't afraid to move away and have a life of there own. Hmmmmm getting a little soppy here sorry about that, did I mention I am missing my kids.....

 

 

 

I am now going to catch up with you all and see how your New Year is going...

 

 

Blessing to All

 

Mandy

Rantings.......

 How was your week end????

I have been catching up and it seems you all had a good one...

Saturday saw us up and out the door to kickboxing, when 8 of us got out of the car they thought it was rent-a-crowd.hahahha

The boys loved it, Robbie 6along and William 7 along in shorts and singlet..They got right into it. Me lets just say say I may walk every morning for an hour but I am so not fit...But I am going to be yes sirree just you wait..

 I just want to say this is NOT a mid life crises just a good old fashioned mental break down. Body break down more like it, my back is aching and I do have muscles in my tummy after all.so sore I am sooooooo sore. May be 46 is to old to try kickboxing.

I have been thinking about this....getting old thing...My sore aching body and my wardrobe got me thinking.

Now your wandering how my wardrobe got into this..Let me try to explain...While looking for something to wear to church I realized some thing about my clothes.....They're boring....and I don't know when this happened..I used to wear bright happy clothes....

I have a theory...

With every thing that has gone on in the last few years I have become a bit of a worrier....I never used to worry about what people thought about me, but since Greg died and I have been working I worry about  what so and so thinks. I know I'm probably rambling a bit here sorry.....but I have changed and not for the better....

What to do?

I am going to stop worrying, I will have bright red hair if I want it.

I will wear bright loud clothes if I choose.

And I will dam well do kick boxing at 46 and be proud of the fact that I have the guts to have a go.

I am going to live MY life the way I choose to and not how others think I should...

No more playing it safe and NO MORE BLACK...

OK that's it ranting over...

Thanks for listening

Mandy

The last day of 2011...

 So this is the last day of 2011.

 2012 is nearly here isn't it? I thought about reflecting on the past year, instead I am going to tell you about our new project.

Above you can see a lovely paddock of tomatoes growing, and below more being planted. With all these tomatoes that Damien and Chloe are growing we need pickers....

 Introducing the Backpackers..

Well some of them any way...You have already met David and Anise, but let me explain why I have backpackers.

 For a long time I have wanted to join up with Helpx. This is a site that people holidaying can come and stay at your house. They will work 4-5 hrs per day in exchange for accommodation and food, also Internet and I do supply a vehicle so they can get to Toowoomba.

(above Oceane French)

 I also have 2 Japanese staying with me for 3 months.

Below is Koo doing cross eyes at me as he thinks that is funny.

Below is Ayia and Cassie. Koo and Ayia are not back packers, they are through Shake Hands with Oz..This is a exchange where they come to live with you for 3mths to learn to speak English. With this they also work 4 hours a day in exchange for room and board. But it is more than that, they become a part of your family and through this they learn our way of life and to speak English.. Koo is a Architect and Ayia is a English Teacher so she speaks English all ready.

I hope you are following all this?????

So the Table below is all the back packers staying here at the moment.  2 live in The Old Dairy and the other 2 French girls live at Chloe's and Damien's to help with the tomatoes.

The Old Dairy is now no longer my craft room but a back packers resort...hahahaha. How things change in life. We are enjoying them though and my gardens are looking great..Come the new year the farm is going to start to get the horrible lantana cut out and tidied up.

I may not be able to travel the world so we are bring the world to us.

What are your plans for 2012?????

Why not share them so we can all follow along on your journey...

May the New year bring you happiness and joy.

Mandy

Greetings from Ayr...

Happy New Year every-one....

I saw the new year in with a lovely lady I met in Townsville called Leanne, we sat and talked to 1 am.and saw the new year in together. Leanne was from my old stomping ground Mt Isa. You know some people come along that you just click with well she was one of these people. I wonder if she was an angel in disguise. Well I thank God for sending her down to sit and listen to my mad ravings, and you all know what there like. My eldest son said he was staying up to midnight to kick the old year in the a**e and make sure it was gone.Well it's gone and 2010 is going to be a year of new beginnings here in the Storey household. I hope you have all enjoyed the first day of 2010...We spent the day over at Magnetic Island with my Aunty and Uncle, cousin and her 2 children..We had a wonderful time catching up with them and seeing the sights of the island..The boys loved Magnetic so much they asked if the could move there.They met there 2nd cousins how were there age and played in the creek that was running at the back of the house (ankle deep) a very care free life that's for sure.
Last night we spent in Ayr as we only left T/ville at 4p.m. What a lovely pretty little town this is later I'll take a photo before we get on the road and show you. Today we are heading down the coast, I don't know where we'll stay but I'll know when I see it.
So far this trip has been what I wanted a healing trip and I am starting to heal.... slowly.
I'll talk again from the road...
Blessings Mandy.