Summer Holidays and Christmas Joy

I love this time of year – it is summer holidays and we are all unwinding. I love summer – it just makes me happy and beach days, BBQ’s and outdoor living all refresh my soul. The other day we all headed to the beach, desperate for a good day of sand, sea and sun – but it turned into the beach trip from hell! The weather was very warm which was great but unfortunately a very strong wind was blowing straight off the ocean and our usually sedate swimming beach turned into a choppy, impossible for little people to swim at, beach. Did I mention that we had to walk down a steep hill to get to our favourite beach, laden with umbrellas, beach toys, a cooler box full of food, deck chairs and a large bag full of towels, spare clothes etc.

Michaela had bought herself a giant inflatable watermelon to play on in the water but with the wind it was not even viable. So after twenty minutes of this ghastly weather I suggested we head across the peninsula to a beach on the opposite side hoping the wind wouldn’t be as fierce. So we trudged back up the hill with all our goodies and headed to another beach twenty- five minutes away.

We were delighted to discover that although the wind was now hitting us from behind the water at least was relatively calm and the kids could swim on the giant watermelon.

Let’s hope our next beach adventure will be more successful as we plan to spend Christmas day on the beach this year. Low key and simple is our goal. We will be having our delicious Christmas meal on Boxing Day (26th) because that way everyone will be able to attend with no work conflicts.

Hubby is fully into the summer holiday swing – he has created a worm farm and a maggot farm (to feed our chickens) and it is a roaring success. He is at his happiest pottering away in the garden.

I am in the meantime writing books and trying out some new recipes which I will blog about shortly.

This year I decided to put together a fun family photo with everyone. I found a background I liked and then photo shopped everyone into the picture to make it fun.

This is also the year I turned 50!! The older I get the more I am enjoying life and I had the most amazing birthday party with some of my close friends. These are the kind of moments where I really miss my family, but I had such a good party despite them being a continent away. I went all out with the table decor and it was such a fun night with good food, lots of wine and cocktails and great company – and of course my beloved FAMILY.

So as the end of the year approaches I have to say that I am truly grateful, blessed and expectant for what is to come. It has been a wonderful year for me – I got to publish my third novel, travel to South Africa and see my family, enter a new decade, work on new creative projects, build relationships with my kids as I spent hours of time in the car taxiing them to and fro, celebrate 27 years with my honey and so much more.

So to all my family and friends, I wish you a Happy Christmas and New Year – may it be a wonderful year for you all xx

 

 

 

Little Digger Cake

It still amazes me that at the age of almost 50 I get to plan birthdays for preschoolers. Most women my age would be going to their grand kids parties, but since I am a foster mum to little people I get to do this at my ripe old age.  When my kids were young, I loved planning their birthdays and what cake I would make. I had some resounding successes like my Thomas Tank engine cake, Lightning McQueen cake, Star Wars cake, but then I think of my Rocket cake and I have to admit there were some disasters too. Now that I am way older I just don’t have the energy or time to spend hours on making cakes and being creative. So when the baby in our family turned three I had to come up with something that was quick and easy. I really cheated this time. I didn’t even bake the cake – no not even a box cake – I simply bought 2 mud cakes (which is a really dark, rich, moist chocolate cake) and created from there.

This is my take on the Little Digger cake – a cake full of diggers and trucks – a construction site that is messy and fun. The best part about it is that it doesn’t have to be perfect – in fact the more cake you can mess and scoop out the better the end result.

The three year old loved it!!

So if you wish to make this,  bake a large chocolate cake or two small ones (or buy them if you’re lazy like me) – allow them to cool and then cover them with icing or ganache. I used a pack of small diggers I bought from K Mart to decorate them. Dig out some of the cake – crumbs add to the overall effect. I added Maltesers and chopped up Crunchie (honeycomb)  pieces to create the feel of rocks and soil.

It was simple, fun to make, did not cost an arm and a leg and it went down brilliantly. The bonus of course is that the child gets to play with all the cool diggers and trucks after the cake is eaten.

Reunions, Nostalgia and a Lot of Love

Travelling back to South Africa after nine years has been invigorating. From the moment I stepped off the flight and started queueing in the passport control, I recognized that some things are just Africa – the way things are done, the speed at which they are done and the protocol. I smiled that there were only two passport control officers in our section working when there were 46 windows. I chuckled when another two workers stood chatting to each control worker as they worked and I really giggled when a beautifully attired lady directing passengers pulled out her lollipop she was sucking on. I had arrived in Africa and there simply was no point getting frustrated or irritated that things were going to move slowly. I had to admit to myself that even though I haven’t lived here for fourteen years, I miss parts of this place and I was enjoying seeing the chocolate faces all around me. I did not feel intimidated or afraid in any way as I thought I might travelling alone. The airport was the biggest surprise – seeing how beautifully upgraded and modern it was. Clearly things had evolved since I was last here.

Walking through those customs doors and seeing my older brother waving at me really made me happy. It’s been nine years since I last saw him and it was good to catch up. That is the one thing about emigrating that makes it so hard – leaving people you love who are a part of your family and knowing that you may not see them for many years, but the reunions are so precious and sweet when you do.

My shuttle trip down to my Mom and Dad’s place was magnificent. I don’t know why I was sucking up every moment like a sponge – maybe because I realize that even though I have left South Africa and given up my citizenship, there will always be a part of me that is African,  that loves this place deeply. I enjoyed every pothole we hit in the road, listening to the driver and a passenger talking animatedly in Afrikaans, the smog from the fires around the townships, the dry corn fields we passed through, the crisp white frost on the ground – every little experience that reminded me of the time I lived here. While everyone else slept on the bus, I lapped up every bit of scenery taking snaps on my iPhone as we travelled.

 

Finally seeing Mom and Dad again and giving them a hug was amazing. I almost had to pinch myself that I was with them. They live in a beautiful part of the country on a wildlife estate under the mountains of the Northern Drakensberg. It is simply stunning – the views and the wildlife they get to enjoy daily.

That evening we sat on their veranda and watched the duiker (buck) drinking from their bird bath, looking out into the bush. I felt a measure of calm and peace instantly. As we sat I saw a Kingfisher and a Purple Crested Loerie land in the trees. I sat for ages watching the buck. Early the next morning I was awake before it was light. I opened my curtains which had a view of the birdbath and the bush and waited for the sun to come up. The buck were full of energy, dancing and racing around the garden. I lay in bed watching them play like children as the sun came up. Oh, how I was soaking up that sun. Melbourne was rainy and cold when I left and all of us were feeling sun deprived with the grey, muddy winter weather. For two days I had felt the warm sun on my skin and I had to admit that sunshine makes a huge difference to how we feel as people – it energises, refreshes and makes one happy – there is no doubt in my mind about that.

After breakfast we jumped in the car and headed to the Kruger National Park for the day. I have many memories of being in Kruger with my family as a child and I felt that same expectation that it would be a good day – It was! The bush is so dry and the food for the animals so scarce at the moment, yet despite this we saw some amazing game. Within moments of entering the corridor between the first gate and the main gate we came across a herd of buffalo. We had a wonderful morning seeing so many elephant and their calves, giraffe, zebra, warthog, many varieties of buck such as Impala, bushbuck, Steenbok, Waterbuck, Kudu and Nyala. I was delighted to also see jackal and hippo. Unfortunately we did not see any rhino although there was a lot of evidence of them nor did we see any of the cats.

I had to pinch myself – here I was sitting eating a picnic lunch overlooking a waterhole in South Africa and just two days previously I was halfway across the world in Melbourne Australia. As I sat there I silently vowed I would bring my honey, Hamilton, back here one day – that he would experience what I was feeling in that moment.

Travelling back to a place you have lived brings back a sense of nostalgia and although I know it was right for us to emigrate, I want my kids to experience this again, for us to enjoy where we came from once in a blue moon. As we get older I think it’s important to know who we are and appreciate where we have come from, to connect with family. You can’t put a price on that.

A few days later we took a drive up to Swadini Dam on the Blyde River. The scenery was breathtaking – huge basalt mountains covered in natural bush as baboons and monkeys played boisterously on the sides of the road. Hippos lazed on the side of the dam in the warm sunshine. I felt a sensory overload looking at the beauty around me and extreme gratitude that I was able to experience this place with people I love.

 

 

Later that afternoon Dad called me over to see the new bushbuck baby that had just been born in the bush over the road from their house. We watched as it tried to stand on its wobbly legs, teetering like a drunkard. We also had a walk around their estate and I enjoyed seeing the buck and other creatures.

Since being back in South Africa I have felt inspired to create and paint. My fingers are itching to get hold of a canvas and put some paint on it. Being in the bush has somehow awakened my senses and reminded me of what living in South Africa is like.

A few days later I caught up with my sister and stayed a night at her home in Moditlo Estate. Her home sits on a river bank under two huge trees and it is simply stunning. We sat on the deck overlooking the dry river bed watching two warthog that came to drink at their little pond. She pointed out the two white-backed vultures that have made a nest in a tree on their property – they’ve named them Vinnie and Van and they’re sitting on an egg.

Later that afternoon we headed out for a game drive in their game viewing landrover aptly named Bosvark (roughly translated means Bushpig). Within metres of leaving their home we met up with a giraffe. I was so close I could have reached out and touched it. Then we head out seeing Nyala, Impala, Kudu, Duiker and Waterbuck. The highlight of my day had to be the two Cheetahs we found lying in the sun, their bellies obviously very full as they lazed – beautiful, sleek creatures. The beautiful sunset behind the Marula trees was a perfect ending to the game drive as monkeys scattered across the road and up the trees as we passed by.

Then we sat outside in front of roaring log fire watching the night jars diving into the pool. I got to eat boerewors (South African sausage) again and it tasted so good. The boerewors we get back in Australia cannot even compare to this. I cannot believe how fortunate I was to experience this wildlife over five days – I somehow felt as though I had been rejuvenated. I just wished my honey was with me to experience it too.

A few days later we travelled down to Dundee for the night where we stayed in the caravan enroute to Durban. The beautiful aloes that stood with their deep orange and red flowers framed against the dry bush was a beautiful sight. I find as I get older I have more of an appreciation for the landscape around me. I have an absolute love of mountains. I always have and I don’t quite know why. Just the changing picture when it is dawn or dusk, stormy or sunny on the huge peaks gives me a sense of wonder and inspires me in ways I can’t explain. I love the sea, but somehow mountains are my absolute favourite.

We had a fun night in the caravan – of course Mom fed us well – we woke to a frosty, cold morning but absolutely nothing could dampen the enjoyment I had on this trip. Heading into Kwazulu Natal left me feeling very nostalgic. This was my stomping ground for many of my early adult years and my younger brother literally lives a stone’s throw from the old cottage Hamilton and I used to rent in the early days of our marriage. Of course it is all gone now, but the memories of that sweet little house, the fires we had and the enormous garden, full of hydrangeas came back to me again.

I was fortunate enough to catch up with my mother-in-law for a quick lunch enroute and it was lovely to catch up.

It was lovely to see my younger brother and his family. Seeing my nieces and nephews was another plus – these guys are great and make good coffee too!

My younger brother has a new home that is lovely too – their garden is beautiful and I even had a special treat of a Fish Eagle that decided to pay them a visit.

 

Finally we were all together as a family at my nephew’s wedding and this was certainly a highlight for me – it had been 16 years since we were all together and that was during a very sad period of our lives, but this time we were together celebrating and it felt good. The reception was held on a farm and was spectacularly done. Taking to the dance floor with all my siblings was such fun as we goofed around and behaved like children again. I haven’t had so much fun in ages – hubby and I will have to have a party soon – maybe for my 50^th!

 

 

Saying goodbye to Mom and Dad and my siblings was very hard. On one hand I was so grateful for the time I had with them, but I still felt sad that it had passed so fast and it would be a long time till I saw them all again.

My last couple of days was spent with my brother and sister-in-law in Johannesburg. I shopped and took one of my sister-in-law’s art classes. She is so talented and I learned so much even in that short lesson. Here is some of her art:

Check out her website at Nicky Thomson Art

I managed to paint a small canvas that I squeezed into my luggage to bring home – a reminder of my time spent in SA. It goes beautifully with the colourful basket and printed cloth I bought which I’ve turned it into a wall hanging in my office.

 

 

They have such a tranquil home – full of indigenous plants and an organic veggie garden too.

 

One thing I realize is that when you return to a place you have lived you see it very differently to those who live there. I didn’t see all the rubbish, deteriorating infrastructure, annoying things that the residents have to live with daily. I saw it as a tourist – the things that I chalked up to experiencing South Africa as it is and those things made it all the more special – the little roadside fruit stalls and thatched huts. I guess it is a good thing to see places this way as it means you can really enjoy them.

 

So now I am home in Melbourne – it is cold but at least we are having the odd bout of sunshine and hopefully spring is not too far away. I loved my trip, am so grateful I could take it and yes, I hope to go back again – in the not too distant future. I guess what I have really learned is that I have been very fortunate to have lived in three different countries, experience three totally different cultures and that each of the places I have lived hold a very special place in my heart. So grateful for all I have experienced.

Finally, I arrived home to a warm welcome from my family – the only joy after seeing my family was to be back with my honey and kids once again.Let’s hope we can all make a trip to sunny South Africa again one day.

The Long and Winding Road…

Okay –  midlife crisis, pre-menopause or whatever you want to call it, makes a person do some crazy shit!! This last weekend was definitely one of those. As I mentioned in my last post hubby and I are wanting to enjoy life to the max and experience more things rather than spend our days slogging to pay off mortgages and Uni fees and whatever else seems to bog people down these days. So we decided  to escape all the kids this weekend and attempt to cycle the Great Southern Rail Trail. It was of course not good enough to cycle it one way – NO – we had to do it both ways of course (mainly for practicality as going one way would mean needing a lift back). I guess the stupidity of parking one end means you don’t have a choice but to cycle back again. Did I mention that this track is a 150 km round trip? Yep, we just cycled that in two days.The Great Southern Rail Trail follows the old rail line across Gippsland (The South Eastern side of Victoria)

We left early on Saturday morning and headed out in beautiful Autumn weather to tackle the unknown.The scenery was spectacular – rolling farmlands and natural bush.

We spotted many Parrots and Lorikeets, a Kookaburra, some Eagles and most exciting of all some Koalas.At one point hubby nearly rode into a swamp Wallaby that hopped in front of him. Even after living in Australia for six years I still get amazed by the beautiful birds here and the unusual wildlife – it is so different to Africa where I come from but equally fascinating.

We were not expecting some serious hills after reading that the trail has gently undulating terrain – may seem gently undulating if you’re cycling downhill but trust me when you have an uphill, it is no smiling matter. My vocabulary has slightly increased this weekend to include some very naughty words – I shall say no more.

Our first day cycling was a complete adventure as we set off without even a map. All we had was a backpack with some extra clothes and toiletries and a bottle of water each. The track was well signposted and even had some dunny’s (Aussie version of a long drop toilet) along the way.There were little towns every 8 to 12 kms along the way to grab refreshments and refuel.

 

The most beautiful point along the way was definitely between Fish Creek and Foster where we had a beautiful view right across the countryside to Wilsons Promontory (a National Park) in the distance.

We finally arrived at Port Welshpool at about 4:30 pm as the sun was getting lower. Then we cycled back to Welshpool to our hotel accommodation for the night. I have never been so happy to see a bed (even a soft, bad motel bed) and a steaming hot shower.

We bought pizza (to carbo load for the next day) and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (to kill the pain). We found a Marlborough wine from New Zealand called The Haka and thought it was appropriate.

At about 4:30 am all hell broke loose. We were woken by a raging storm – I thought the roof would blast off our hotel. We had expected some rain according to the forecast but nothing like this – I spent the next two hours stressing about how we would get home. There is no way we can cycle in this, I thought.

By 7 am when we got up the storm had passed and the sun was shining. However there was a pretty strong, icy wind blowing. Fortunately we had packed some rain jackets and leggings and so we were warm enough.

Cycling into the wind the whole way back was hard work – after an hour into our cycle we hit torrential rain and it beat our faces as we cycled. We arrived in Foster looking like two drowned rats. A strong cup of coffee and some breakfast soon had us smiling again. By the time we had finished our brekkie the sun was out again so we set off. The return trip was both satisfying, frustrating and excruciating. The wind and rain made it very tiring. Without fail we would cycle and approximately one km from each town it would come down in torrents, soaking us – then we would take cover and dry off over a drink and the sun would peep out again and the cycle would start all over. We also had a few trees to climb over as they had blown down in the storm. About three kms from the end my legs started to cramp so badly. The last stretch back to our car was a hill of about two kms. I  just gritted my teeth and plodded up the hill.

This was a wonderful trip for hubby and I, but honestly I think we were insane to tackle it both ways. I am suffering today as I type this – sore, aching muscles and I don’t think I will be able to sit properly for the next week at least. Am I glad we did it? You bet! There is nothing nicer than accomplishing something that seems huge. All in all it was a great weekend – aching muscles, pelting rain and all!

Ramblings on Life

I wish I had more time to blog – I truly do, but there is always so much to get done and not enough time in the day to get through it all. Added to that we have just had the school holidays and with more kids to entertain, clean up after, and feed constantly; there was not much time left to do anything else. Now it’s back to our hectic regular routine.

One Tuesday in the school holidays, good friends of ours kidnapped us for the day to get away from the craziness of children and home chores. We set off early at 8 am  and headed North to the Yarra Valley. This is a beautiful part of the countryside – open rolling hills and blue skies interspersed with vineyards and natural bush. I have a deep love for the country – I feel invigorated when I get out of suburbia into nature and something regenerates within me. I guess I have my dad to thank for this – his love of the bush and nature and the many experiences and adventures he exposed me to as a child have brought me to my happy place when I get out into the country. I think I was born to live on a small farm and truthfully I dream about it often, yearning for the day we can have our slice of self-sustainable heaven.

So as we travelled further into the countryside with our friends I felt myself unwinding – the premenopause tensions slipping away – my impatience and grumpiness fading. Then we began to head up into the hills where we were surrounded by the Kinglake National Forest. Finally we arrived in Kinglake. It is a quaint little town but in all its beauty and cuteness there is a touch of sadness that pervades. In 2009 Kinglake was destroyed by one of the largest bush fires in Victoria – known at Black Saturday. Thousands of acres of natural bush caught alight in the hot summer weather and raged through towns and villages.

 

Seven years later we could still see the blackened tree trunks, although the bush has regenerated beautifully. The town is newly built as much of it was lost. The saddest part was seeing the memorial where twelve people lost their lives, unable to leave as bush burned all around them.

Despite this, we had a wonderful picnic at their little park surrounded by squawking cockatoos and giant Eucalyptus trees.

 

 

Then we headed back down to the hill to the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery. This is a chocolate lovers paradise! I felt like I had fallen into Willy Wonka’s factory surrounded by every kind of chocolate treat possible.

They had the best chocolate brownies I have ever tasted.

Then it was back to reality as we headed home to a house full of kids.

Hubby and I have been doing some soul searching recently. We have come to a point in our lives where we want to downscale and live a simpler life. We just have too much stuff!! Although we cannot move to a smaller home just yet we are beginning to give away a lot of things we don’t use or need. We are looking to live simpler with way less stuff. Our goal is to become more self-sufficient and we have done well this year on the garden front. Hubby has provided numerous vegetables for us this summer. from huge zucchinis to tomatoes, kale, spinach, purple carrots, cucumbers and butternuts. Now we are waiting for our beans and sweet potatoes which are flourishing. This man is a legend in the garden.

I have been productive this year too, with my third book just published. It has been immensely satisfying to me to have accomplished this. I am proud of my efforts. I know I am not the  most incredible writer to hit the planet, but I am still thrilled that I have achieved something memorable and lasting.

As for my family – they are incredible people – each and every one of them – perfect NO – but they all add such joy to my world and I am so grateful for them. I look at my life and I feel nothing but thankful for all I have. Life is good and I intend to live each day in the moment – not wishing for yesterday or urging tomorrow on – I want to enjoy every moment I have right now, because I will never have this second, this moment back ever again.

Here’s wishing you a beautiful day too!

Mashed Potato/ Scrambled Egg Brains

I pride myself on my incredible brain! No seriously, this brain has been able to act as a virtual diary for over thirty years – I have hardly EVER used an actual diary. I have remembered appointments, playdates, birthdays, anniversaries, telephone numbers, the credit card and bank numbers – you name it – it’s all been stored up in this little grey box inside my head. So this week I have been horrified to realize that I have probably crammed too much info into it and it is about to crash like an old computer!! There’s a short somewhere because it hasn’t worked too well this week.

I feel like this brain has become mashed potato or scrambled egg. YIKES – not good!!

This week I managed to forget a parent/teacher school interview for one of the kids ( had to write an apology letter eating humble pie but teach is still talking to me so all good!)

Then a day later I forgot to pick up one of the kids from school!! YES, actually forgot to do something I do DAILY!!! Admittedly she does finish school early on a Wednesday now which is a new thing so I could say I’m still adapting, but REALLY, forgetting your own kid – a bit sad!! Did I mention that it was pouring with rain and her text message crying for help left me feeling guilty – and even more guilty when she climbed into the car dripping and shivering. I felt so bad that I even crumbled without a fight when she asked me if she could wag school today to catch up work as it is swimming carnival and she’s not swimming. A few other things I have forgotten of late – to hand over a parcel to someone that has been sitting on my counter for two weeks, to hang up washing so had to redo it.

I know you probably think I am a hopeless case reading this, but to be fair there are other things I thankfully haven’t forgotten like remembering to put on  underwear, feeding the family, my name and where I live to mention a few. Seriously though, I have had my mind on other things. I am flying to South Africa in July to see my family – nine years since I saw them last so I am beyond excited.

I plan to pack most of my luggage full of my books and I’m hoping to have Book 3 printed to take as well so I have been spending large amounts of time living in my story, getting it ready to publish. I get a bit lost when I am working to a book deadline and so things sometimes get lost along the way. I know it won’t be forever – just until I start my next book. In the meantime, thank you family for putting up with my scrambled thoughts – let’s hope the mothership finds its way back to earth sometime soon!

 

Looking Back at 2015

I can’t believe that 2015 is over – Christmas has come and gone and already we are into February. What freaks me out even more is that we are already eating Hot Cross Buns – In FEBRUARY!! God help us all!! The Easter eggs are already making their way onto the shelves in the supermarket and I’m just coming to terms with another new year – please don’t make me feel like it is already April!!  It seems just like the other day that we had just finished our annual camping trip to Barwon Heads (below) – you know the place where the cute coffee boys were?? But that was December 2014 – a lifetime ago or more exactly two Christmases ago, two rounds of hot cross buns ago, two school year starts ago, many family birthdays and thousands (not exaggerating) of cups of coffee ago (none of which have been as good as the cute coffee boys coffee or served by anyone nearly as cute!!). In other words – a long time ago!

Now it’s a whole year and a bit later and the summer holidays are over. We didn’t get to have our annual camping holiday at the beginning of December as Ethan and Hubby visited his Dad, who is very unwell, in the UK. This is something we know was important – a moment that will be remembered in the future and he will be glad he undertook even though the circumstances were not ideal. They headed from boiling summer temperatures into freezing winter so it was a shock to the system. He  also got to see his sister whom he hadn’t seen in 17 years so Hubby was very excited about that.

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So what happened during last year??

Well…. a lot actually!!

For me it was a year of personal accomplishment like none other. I managed to publish two novels in a year and the third book in the trilogy (which I feel may become a series as a fourth book is growing in my mind daily) is complete and being edited ready to be printed in 2016. I have to admit this has been a dream come true for me and although I have yet to make a penny on any of my books or see a royalty cheque (although I got my first royalty cheque for some articles I wrote a while back) , I still feel so satisfied and proud of my efforts. I have this deep sense of contentment and joy that I have found through writing. If you want to know more about my endeavours check out my website Caroline Hemingway

Hubby also had a slightly different year – taking on more practical subjects to teach last year instead of all the Maths and Science and it had been so enjoyable that he has decided to focus entirely on Design Technology this year which is a blessing in disguise as many teachers were retrenched and with too many Maths,Science teachers his head could have been on the chopping block. Now he gets to teach what he loves and his job is safe!

The kids continue to grow in leaps and bounds – our “baby” Aaron is in grade 4 and our eldest, Michaela, finishes the last year of her Nursing/ Midwifery degrees. Zoe is in year 11 and  Ethan is sitting an exam shortly to become a Protective Service Officer with the Victoria Police (yes the long hair will have to go). I must say I am loving having adult children – it is a new season in our relationships with them as parents and also getting to know their partners better.

Here is a sneak peek of what they have grown into:

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Our two little boys in foster care are growing so fast too. For more on that journey go to my blog Sweet Hope Chronicles .

So as we race into this year I hope to finish some projects that have been on the back-burner for a while – I am looking forward to getting some articles out there and some more books finished, having fun and enjoying the journey – I want to take time to smell the roses and enjoy life – to live in the moment this year and to look for the positive in everything – to drink wine and coffee (not necessarily in that order), enjoy family and friends, create and grow and savour it all. It’s going to be a fabulous year. I’m off now to enjoy a cup of tea and a February hot cross bun xx

 

I can Ride…. Without Training Wheels….

You know the little things you accomplish in life, that make you feel as though you have conquered Mount Everest even when others around you may not find it such a monumental big deal or they may not even get excited for you when to you it is as though your greatest dreams and achievements have been attained. Like when you learn to ride your bike without the little training wheels – a WOW moment!! I have been watching Hamilton teach little Zeke ( our 4 year old foster child) how to balance and ride his bike. Just when I thought we would never get there, he did it and was so proud of his feat. It reminded me how exciting things can be in our lives – sometimes we may be the only people who are actually excited about it and to others it is just BLAH, WHATEVER!

I have had a few of these moments over the last year with my writing. I know that some people comment and wish me well with my books but and I do truly appreciate it, but I’m also aware it is the right response to give someone when they achieve something – heck I’ve done it to others and yet I have no intention of ever reading or really appreciating what they have accomplished. We’ve all been there. Then there are some who absolutely support you and shout out your praises because they want you to be successful, to back you and encourage you. Sometimes it’s the people we least expect who are the ones who retweet, who share on their Facebook pages, who actually help you to market your product because they believe in you.

I have just completed my second novel (The Reckoning – Book 2 in The Destiny Chronicles) and recently published it and for me this has been a big deal!! I realize that for others it is arbitrary but boy I feel like that kid who learned to ride without the training wheels and I feel excited at what I’ve accomplished. Do I think my writing is awesome? No, I’m not deluded enough to believe that I have the most incredible writing style, but I do think I can write an enjoyable story that others may enjoy too. I thought I wouldn’t feel as much of a rush as when I  published my first novel, but this high of seeing your book in print and holding it in your hands and actually turning the pages and seeing your characters on the page in front of you is an indescribable feeling. So I am delighted to say that writing has become my drug of choice – my passion and therapy in a crazy world. I am so grateful for this journey I am on, for the people who have supported me and promoted my books, for those who took the time to write a short review – all these things go a long way in marketing and helping others to discover my stories. To find out more about my journey and what I am working on visit my website at Caroline Hemingway, Author,blogger and lover of the written word.

In the meantime take life as it comes and make it your adventure, your Everest that you conquer, your joyful appreciation of not only your own accomplishments but of others successes as well – and get out there and ride your bike – minus the training wheels!!

Floaty Cloud on a Windy Day

It has been a crazy few months and I have been pounding my laptop computer writing frantically – that is writing everywhere except here on my poor blog. I am not very good at starting and finishing ONE project. You see I just have too many ideas and when an idea strikes I have to begin working on it before it wafts out of my brain like a floaty cloud on a windy day (yep my ideas literally come and go that fast!!) – So that leaves me trying to complete many projects at once. Right now I have some deadlines I have set for myself – I have to get Book 2 of The Destiny Chronicles published by early October at the latest. So I am on the last leg – I order my proof copy and then as soon as I have checked it out can get it published. In the meantime I am three-quarters of the way through writing Book 3 of the series, I am halfway through illustrating a children’s storybook, I am almost finished a book for women dealing with self-esteem issues and finding yourself and I am almost done with a writing therapy course I hope to put online soon. YEP I did say I think too much!!

As I type it, it sounds like a crazy amount of work on top of a family with 6 kids, and it is; but the honest truth is that I love writing – it is my place of escape and relaxation – it truly is not work to me. I feel like I have had an hour long session with a therapist when I am done, and the best part is that it is free. That is why I have devised this writing course as I want others to experience the joy writing can bring.

I have also just made a little video promotion of my books that I have put on Youtube. Who knew making a small video clip could be SO time consuming!! Anyway I am satisfied with the outcome. I have popped it below for you to have a looksee.

Otherwise things are going well on the homefront. School ends on Friday and a two week vacation begins. I am loving the sunny Spring weather we are having – I didn’t realize how sun-starved I was till this week when we had warmer weather. We celebrated Kel’s 2nd birthday this last weekend (I will write a separate post on Sweet Hope Chronicles about where the boys are at). I also completed my 50th parkrun on the weekend. Anyone who knows me will be super impressed with this, as I have always claimed that I loathed running – well I have surprised myself at how much I enjoy this weekly 5km community run.

A friend of mine has entered me into an event in November called Mudderella. Yep it is exactly what it sounds like – lots of MUD!! It is a 10km obstacle course that requires our team of 15 women to complete the course together climbing over obstacles, balancing and swimming through mud, water, and a large slide as well as other interesting things. I know I am going to be aching the day after – how do I get myself into these things? Anyway should be fun.

Hopefully I will have a lot more to post on next time – when we have ventured out into the spring sunshine during the holidays. Till then, SEE YA LATER MATE, as they say here (Downunder).

I Haven’t Fallen off the Planet ….

Oh my goodness I got a shock when I visited my poor neglected blog to discover my last post was in February – FEBRUARY!!! So much has happened since then it has been insane. Anyway this will be somewhat a catch up blog post that may not make much sense at all. This has been such an exciting year for me – since publishing my first novel last December – The Awakening,  I am so close to publishing the second novel in the series. I have had such fun writing it and getting some creative things out there. Of course I can’t focus on one thing at a time so while writing the second book I am also a quarter of the way through the final book of the series ( at least I think it’s the final one!!) and busy trying to illustrate a children’s book I wrote a long time ago. Anyway enough about my writing – for more info you can visit my webpage at  http://hamicaro.wix.com/carolinehemingway

So what has been happening in our household:

I won’t blog about our fostering endeavours as you can read about that at Sweet Hope Chronicles if you want. In the meantime we have celebrated a 21st birthday with my eldest daughter, had my Mum-in-law visit from South Africa for a month, celebrated two other birthdays in the family, had a great summer, are half way through a cold, miserable winter, decided we are probably going to change the business niche we are establishing from what we originally decided (of course just to make things simple) and celebrated 26 years of marriage. In between that there have been may creative projects tackled but that will have to wait for another time.

Michaela decided she didn’t want a big party for her 21st – just something low key and family oriented. She chose a weekend away with the family to celebrate. Of course her friends were horrified and organized her a surprise dinner which was lovely and not too over the top for her. Then we went away to Philip Island for the weekend and stayed in a lovely home which was close to the beach. We made a beautiful dinner which we enjoyed and Hamilton’s speech to her had us all in tears ( even Aaron). He basically told her how proud we were of the beautiful woman she had become and commended her for always having a heart for others and for always questioning things to find the truth instead of aimlessly following others. We also put together a photo book of her life up till this point with all the memories we have made along the way living in three different countries.

We also had a great time with Hamilton’s mum visiting us. We managed to get out and about despite the cold, rainy weather we had. It was good to catch up and hear about the family back in South Africa too.

So life continues, the kids are getting bigger and all is good on this side of the world. Just hanging out now for  SUMMER!!