The last post

Well technically this is not the last post I ever write, well I hope so anyway, but it will be the last post from Rainbow Love Farm. Our house sold (again...the first sale fell through) so we are moving on. At the moment we are busy packing and cleaning.  And contemplating being homeless next week.
But there was enough sparetime over the weekend to go abseiling with a bunch of friends.

6, 7, 8, 9 hang your bloomers on the line.



Today I decided to sort and store all the fancy dress costumes. So I rounded them all up and thought they could all use a wash before packing them away.

It was such a strange load of washing on the line I had to take photos.

I love the bright colours and bold patterns in all these old '70's fabrics.

But right in the middle of the washing and the folding and the sorting I had a visit from three very odd visitors.

A very cute clown...



This rough nasty looking Pirate...



And a Disco Diva!

 So I invited them all in for afternoon tea.
:)

Stuff and nonsense.

Because I have been packing I've been contemplating "stuff". It is amazing the amount of stuff that we surround ourselves with.

And it's amzing that we manage to surround ourselves with stuff in such a short time and even on a very limited budget.

Our stuff seems to fill in the spaces around us that could other wise be the space we need to contemplate.

Ten years ago Peace and I bought a bus to travel in and we sold all our stuff that we weren't taking traveling with us. We stopped travelling 8 years ago and I was determined not to collect too much stuff, only what we deemed necessary.

Kids seem to come with alot more stuff for the size of them than you'd expect. And our cultures way of celebrating birthdays and Christmas (which is to give stuff) is one way the tiny little cute baby all of a sudden needs their own bedroom. Not necessarily to sleep in (cause Mummy's bed is so much better for that!) but to store an accumulation of stuff in. Stuff that they don't even understand the concept of owning, or using yet.

It's amazing how quickly they get attached to their stuff when they start to understand.

Some of my kids more than others love to keep their stuff even when it is of no more use...broken toys, clothes that no longer fit but that have some sort of special significance.

One of my kids love to clear space (must take after me)

The littlest is only just learning the concept of belongings.

Some of the stuff we provide for our kids we call useful, because it provides them opportunities to learn. Books, microscopes and musical instruments...but I wonder what intrinsic value these have that makes them any greater than other belongings?

Talking about musical instruments, it was only while packing up the house that I realized just how many we have. They are all spread over the place, in different bedrooms, pushed into corners to make space.

One day I'd love to have a room with all the musical instruments in one place, easily accessible, because anything that makes music has more value than just any object... music the balm for the soul.

And in case you are wondering just how many instruments we have, here is a list off the top of my head.

An electric guitar and amplifier, an acoustic guitar, a 3/4 size guitar, and the latest acquisition a pink Ukulele.

3 Djembes, 2 Darabukas, a kids size drum kit, 2 recorders, a bamboo flute, a key board, an African finger harp, an Ocarina, a Kazoo, 3 didgeridoos, 2 sets of clap sticks, various percussion instruments including a xylophone, shakers, a triangle.

And Peace just told me this morning that he'd been given 2 didgeridoo blanks so he can make a couple more digdges.

And another object that I like to believe has more value than it's value as just an object are books. The one thing I really have trouble parting with...

Sigh...all this stuff to fill in the spaces where I might otherwise spend my time looking for magic.

Moving Madness

We have finally sold our farm! We'll it is under contract so if things go according to plan we will be moving from here in mid-January.
Now it is very exciting to be off on our next great adventure but it is also madness trying to pack up the house  and move over the busy Christmas and New Year period.
This time of year is usually hectic enough but now we are going into hectic over-drive.
Ah well, I will focus on the excitement of what the future holds and try not to get too stressed.

Not to mention that it has been raining solidly here for a couple of weeks which is making it rather tricky trying to pack with everyone stuck in the house and everything wet and damp.
One step at a time I keep reminding myself.

The lounge room has been packed up and now only contains a TV, a Christmas tree and a stack of boxes. It is amazing how the house suddenly feels so much bigger without all of our stuff in it.

And as yet we have nowhere to move to. The loose plan at the moment is to treat moving out as going on an extended camping holiday and start to look for a place to live. No wonder I keep feeling a bit lost. We will literally be home-less in a month!

The kids are all pretty excited, although Mr T who has spent nearly his whole life here has had a few tears about leaving. Hopefully I can help him make the transition smoothly.

Well, I'm off to pack some more belongings, and hopefully get rid of some things so we have less to store...wish me luck and hopefully the kids won't unpack the boxes as fast as I pack them...lol