Hello Spring!

This is the second in my experimental series of posts greeting the seasons, the first being Hello Autumn last April. (Oops, I forgot to say hello to Winter. I'm not going to apologise or feel bad for not being consistent. I suspect I probably have Seasonal Affective Disorder but I'll write about that another time.)

Spring comes early in Australia. We first feel its effects in the middle of August, when cold days are interpersed with a sprinkling of sunny ones, with a hint of a warm breeze wafting the scent of magnolia through the air. By the end of August, the wattles are in full bloom, buds are starting to appear on the fruit trees, and bright green new leaves are peeking out everywhere.

What things am I looking forward to in Spring?

flowers
While we are lucky enough to get some flowers throughout most of the year (with the height of Summer probably being the exception), Spring is the time when the flowers are most plentiful and beautiful.

I also love the wildflowers that grow on infrequently mowed lawns throughout the neighbourhood -- and yes, that includes ours!

working with plants
Spring is the time to re-pot potted plants, and plant new things outside. My succulents have really taken off and most either need to be transferred to larger pots or divided up into even more new little friends.

baby birds
This photo isn't the best, but it shows one spot under the eaves where doves nest every Spring. Every year there has been at least one bird come into being and grow up in this spot. It makes me proud!

pastels
Wearing them, decorating with them -- just having them everywhere!

Not my table, unfortunately!
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Not my bedroom, unfortunately!
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Spring treasure box
This time I chose a pink Lavshuca eyeshadow, a floral scrunchie, and quince-flavoured tea from Daiso. A cute comb to replace the boring old one in my backpack kit. There's also a Spring-themed pond decoration for my bedroom, but I've had it for several years and a few bits have fallen off, so I'll probably spruce it up a bit.

events
Aside from the Spring Equinox, there are the Marimo Festival on 8th-10th October, which I celebrated a couple of years ago. Later is Halloween / Samhain / Dias de Muertos, and the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in November.

and another thing
I've decided to try another experiment, this time inspired by a small challenge we were set at school. We were asked to make a list of goals for the next term (terms run for 6 months from equinox to equinox). It was quite an easy challenge to do, but it got me thinking about that sort of thing. The end of my first 101 Things in 1,001 Days is in June next year -- that's only 9 months away! Plus there are all the other things I want to do in my life, too. I need something to motivate me that's a bit more short term. 6 months is a good time period to think about doing things school-wise. In the spirit of the Slow Time course I'm doing at the moment, I like the idea of having each season as a natural time division. 3 months seems more realistic than 6 months, but less scary than 1 month! I'm still thinking about how this will look. Having goals that tune into the seasons really appeals to me, though.

That reminds me, I've been meaning to write a post about how there are 6 seasons in South-Eastern Australia. Or even 7 according to one Indigenous culture. This could get messy!

Hello Autumn!

Finally, it's here! Autumn.

Autumn comes late in this part of the world. According to our Western calendar, it should have arrived on 1st March. And according to the equinoxes, it should have appeared on 21st March. The indigenous people of this region know better however -- Autumn doesn't show itself until the end of March, at the very earliest.


Lately I've been thinking more about the things that are important to me, how they tie together and how to appreciate them in my life. Honouring the seasons is important to me, but I don't follow the Wheel of the Year as many do. I've been thinking about how to do it in my own way. For the last few years, I've written a list of crafts and other activities to do each season, but after a while it started to feel like just another to-do list. This time I modified it to more of an inspirational concept, with a bit of calendar thrown in. I put it on my listography here. I'd like to find a way of presenting it so that I can add more photos, perhaps of finished projects, etc.

I've also decided to start doing a seasonal series of blog posts, as I love writing and taking photos, and my crafts, hobbies, lifestyle and spirituality are so intertwined that blogging about it feels like a spiritual practice to me. So here is the first one -- with all the things I'm looking forward to in Autumn!

tea
I missed drinking tea so much! I suppose I could make iced tea in Summer, but it's just not the same. I think a yearly re-organisation of my tea cupboard is a good idea, as it certainly doesn't look as tidy as in this photo (taken a few years ago).

layers
I love wearing layers and lots of accessories, whether it be for special co-ords or just every day. Finally, I can start wearing scarves again -- though only light ones! These are just my light scarves: I have another hanger for my woolly knitted and crocheted ones. Those are still sadly waiting for Winter to arrive, but for now at least I can content myself with all of these pretties.

rain
Listening to the sound of rain on our steel roof is so soothing. Snuggling under a blanket with a cup of tea and just listening is a wonderful way to enjoy the little things. It's also nice to not have to water the garden every night: just visiting and enjoying it is so much more relaxing.

baths
I'm looking forward to having baths again, and trying out all the bath bombs and fizzies that I've collected. I love reading in the bath, and any opportunity to read more is also welcome. I'm not sure I'd bathe in rose petals again like I did in this photo from last year, but you never know!

hot meals
Husband and I still eat hot meals in Summer most nights, as we're not really into salad, but in hot weather we don't use the oven and try to keep stovetop cooking as short as possible. As the weather cools down though, we're free to make meals that take longer to cook, and of course, baking. I can't wait to make scones, hot cross buns, banana bread and more.

Autumn treasure box
I chose a few Autumn-themed items from my stash to add to the experience -- a tea sample and 'tea snails' (which sit on the edge of your mug and stop your teabag string from disappearing into your tea). Some gingham scrunchies in appropriate colours, a bath fizzy from Daiso, and some stickers for my Hobonichi art diary.

events
Autumn is my favourite time of year. Perhaps I'm biased because my birthday is in April! I also love it because of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, which happens in the first 3 weeks of April. There's such a jovial atmosphere in the city, and I always look forward to watching the Comedy Gala on TV (it's on tonight!). Then of course, there's the Eurovision Song Contest in May, a chance for cooking, eating and drinking, and exploring other cultures. Autumn is such a magical time!