While we were travelling in the desert, Flex decided that he wanted to learn how to sail. As you do. Luckily Arutha and her family have strong ties with sailing and are teaching the boys how to operate the cute little 'optimist' sailboats. Yesterday we spent a good chunk of the day following this little boat around with various configurations of boys in it. They flailed in changing wind, whizzed along when they caught a good gust and even capsized!
Sailing is completely new to me and seems like a truly great way to spend your time.....looking forward to more this summer.

The boys have worked at the local markets for over a year now, but last Sunday was their best day yet. Flex sold his sausage sangers, making over $100, and Lucky, in a fit of brilliance (it was a hot, hot day) decided to make and sell slushies, taking in $135 PROFIT!!
It is a great exercise in maths - the boys have to add up their expenses, work out prices, add and subtract on their feet all day, pay stall fees and calculate their net profit at the markets conclusion.
It is also great for their confidence and communication skills as they are interacting with customers, practicing their salesmanship (is that a word??) and ultimately feeling the satisfaction of a wad of self made cash in their back pocket.
They are building strong stamina - I really only worked the stall when they had a toilet break, and they even made a few new friends during the course of the day.
And now, to save or to spend? That seems to be the question.....
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I'm enjoying a stolen moment while the boys are busy helping Gav build drum kits for our music store. Flex is becoming quite a pro at putting the kits together and really enjoys working alongside his father, taking instruction, feeling the warm pleasure of contribution. It's a job he happily does with no expectation or even thought of remuneration for his efforts. It's quite a delicate and complex process - I can hear them talking about precise gauges and tightening of skins, tension, size and the science of sound.
We are so lucky to have such a fun business in our family! And it provides the basis for all sorts of musical interactions and relationships with talented people. Last night we went to the local 'open mic' night and enjoyed a variety of performances, from the raw to the polished. The boys appreciated them all!

It's so wonderful to pop into the local markets and know the guy filling the air with magical music - in this case it is Tully who played at our wedding and Flex's naming day ceremony....

But maybe best of all is watching our own Gav play and sing - especially when he is singing a song inspired by the computer game 'minecraft'!

Yes we are a fortunate bunch to have so much music in our lives. And even luckier that we get to share it with such fantastic people.

Priscilla - queen of the domain!

The boys and I caught up with my rainbow bright friend Priscilla today, under the shade of a giant fig tree in the green of the domain. She has always lived a remarkable life and now is no different....the boys were quite enchanted to hear of the pink truck she drives in the manganese mine out near Arhnem Land, where the crocodiles smile at you from every beach and you catch a plane to and from work! It is always a joy to see Cilla.
While we were going to use the art gallery bathroom, Lucky and I happened upon a gentleman who was setting up a kinetic sculpture he had created. The sculpture portrayed a woman holding an iPhone in each hand, texting on one with bright red fingernails and holding the other to her ear. As she lowered the phones away from her head, you could see the cogs of her brain start to work! A poignant comment on our iSociety and another opportunity for enchantment....we chatted to the artist and I especially appreciated his observation that in the public was the "best exhibition space", and the only way he gauged his works success was if they inspired questions. If nobody questioned his work, he took it home and " pulled it apart".
It was a hot day in the city, the big city which we haven't seen for 3 months, and we were all soothed by the rain that hit the windshield on the freeway home. We must get to Cairns to feel some proper tropical weather....soon huh miss Cilla!?

When we were in Saphire we found lots of tiny gems and didn't know what to do with them....until the other day when we made gem trees!.
To make gem trees you will need lots of tiny gems, copper wire, some glue and a big rock. If you look at the pictures you will figure out how to do it!

It was so much fun even the grown ups couldn't help themselves....all the trees seemed to reflect the personalities of those who made them. This is my finished tree:

Today we went to the Lapidary(the art of polishing and setting rocks)club for the first time. Although Lucky and I weren't allowed to use the machines, we could watch and learn from the others.

My mum even polished her first piece of bolder opal.

By Flex

Life has picked up where we left off before the big red rock road trip and is swinging along nicely thank you very much. After removing the telly from our living room we now have space to hula hoop which is,for our family at the moment, important.
It is easy for me to fill up our house (and life in general) with lots of stuff. On windowsills, in boxes, hanging on the wall and overflowing from the top of the cupboard. And usually it's pretty good stuff! Useful if I ever got around to, well, using it!
This adventure had reinvigorated my desire for space, and so, a lot of the stuff is gone, and in its place is lovely open space, full of potential and inviting play. And so, we have all been hula hooping, the boys have been heely-ing and unicycling and building roller coasters. We have created new wall hangings for the 'media room' (ha ha in a ramshackle old farm house I still think the concept of a media room is a bit hilarious) and the boys have designed its interior design scheme....they decided on 'modern' which also makes me giggle a bit. But with Luckys big mirror image press paintings up, and a geometric black and white rug on the floor, it does look pretty great.

Apart from redecorating, we have done plenty of other good things as well. Back into some schoolwork....

Cooking up some yummy feasts for dinners with friends. The garden has gone wild in my absence but the kale and ruby chard are still rocking it gangnam style.

And then there has been the music....in this last week, Gav and I have been to see Radiohead, Flex went to see Cake with his Dad and some of the guys from the shop (his first gig at the Metro - he loooooved it!), we saw local musos playing at Avalon market day and then enjoyed an incredible line up of talented performers here at our very own show at the shop.

And to top it all off, yesterday we played ukulele at cargo beach on Scotland Island with Arutha and then sang sweet songs with Rita and Tully overlooking the water at Palm Beach!
This is what I call a good week.

I wrote this when we arrived back at the freedom farm after an eleven hour drive from the gold coast.....
We are home.
Just drove In the driveway. Opened the front door, walked around, looked at all our stuff. Our lovely home! Full of all our memories, all our collected paraphernalia, our animals, our plants and statues, our creaky floorboards and a few cobwebs. Was it all a dream?
No, we have the rocks, and ochres and photos to prove our travelling adventure really happened. And a bunch of new, shiny memories to treasure...

Just as it was so wonderful to catch up with friends and family on he road, it is fantastic to reconnect with those closer to home. I look forward to many hours spent showing photos, telling stories and catching up on the goss!
Our gorgeous nephew/cousin Hamish happened to be in town when we returned so we spent two days having a ball with him. I see so much of my sister in his blonde hair, blue eyes and determined nature....

Aaaaaaah the unpacking, cleaning and sorting that comes with the end of the travels....a great opportunity to shake things up a little, simplify things a lot and keep space in our lives for play, adventure and learning. Even though we are back home, the journey continues!

We have been staying with Gavs sister for the last few nights in lovely Currumbin. It's been wonderful spending time with these family members who we see so rarely! Especially Gavs niece who is a cool girl becoming a young woman so fast. She came with us to the theme parks over the weekend and we have been having a ball. We have pushed our bravery limits by riding the Batwing - a ride that shoots you horrendously high into the sky then pulls you down so fast you walk off with wobbly legs. Well I did anyway! Lucky had not wanted to go on it previously but with his big cousin there (and a little bit of bribery from mum;) the combined courage got us through!

Earlier we had gone to wet n wild water world and the boys got to ride the 'florider' which they both loved and mastered.

The parks have been really wonderful. I have to admit it. Really friendly, fun, fairly fabulous, somewhat frenzied but in a good way. There is something kinda crazy and magical about high fiving Batman, watching Wonder Woman run in her starry hot pants while the Joker gives you a demented look. The combination of nostalgia (Marilyn singing 'Heatwave'), adrenaline (the insane corkscrew speed of The Arkham Asylum roller coaster) and hanging out with the people you care about, is the perfect recipe for a pretty fun day.
Add some Ben and Jerry's ice cream just to top it off....

Thanks lovely lady and groovy gentlemen for the good times!

We spent two awesome days hanging out with My oldest and goldest friend Mel. We have known each other since Pre school and have backpacked, ran a business, lived overseas, danced, planned to rule the world, snowboarded, seen each other marry and bear children, and basically grown up together. She has a gorgeous gaggle of girls and along with her divine husband Andrew are expecting their fourth child next year. We had a great time hanging out at the beautiful beaches and playing families....

Lucky and their eldest E had a ball building drip castles and constructing a whole story around their wonderful creations...

Mel and I have been there for each other through thick and thin, discussing life, the universe and of course, analyzing ourselves as only real friends can! I look forward to many many more years of the same... And it is so much fun to play with little girls for a change!