FWAW RECAP EPISODE 7 - Let's Finish This Fairytale Already

Episode 7 – Let’s Finish This Fairytale Already…

I’ve just been watching that kid Fletcher on Australia’s Got Talent as I wait for this season finale to end. I’m actually, seriously, bawling my eyes out… not just because this kid is AMAZING, but because I know my television standards are about to drop significantly in the next 5 minutes. Clearly I’m tired.

There’s no time to dwell on this though, as FWAW is starting – and THANK GOODNESS it only took us 7 episodes to get here! Woohoo!

Bring it on…

Sam talks about how over the last 10 years this show has helped some of the ‘loneliest on the land’ (debatable) find true love. She also makes reference to these 6 ELIGIBLE Bush bachies. Ugh. This makes me so cranky. Eligible HOW? Massive mortgages? Or living off their in laws? Or what? It’s a stereotype that infuriates me. C’mon Sam… you should’ve argued that one. You know better. Tut tut.

Ahhhh we've all come so far!

Last Morning on The Farm:

Lance: Still thinking. Oh god. This is going to be just as painful as I think it will be…

Adam: Needs more alone time… *yawn*

Matt: Gabby is a hot mess. Promo Model (ahhh… so that’s what a Brand Ambassador really is) Aprilis sad too. Both girls cry on their drive back to… well… wherever. Matt is left contemplating life on the farm with no girls.

Jedd: He’s ‘keeping his emotion down’. Jedd has come such a long way. There is discussion about his ‘first favourite’ Sam (so what does that made photographer Kerry? Second favourite?) GASP – Kerry is unsure of her feelings though. This is obviously some editing code for something… but I am too tired to give a shit figure it out.

Julz: He has a fave – Mel. Alex is the good sport third wheel who stands idly by as Julz and Mel have a long and painfully sweet goodbye. Alex declares that Julz is batting above his average. Lots of ‘L word’ and kisses.

Girls are Gone:

The boys all have a week to decide who is their happily ever after.

Let’s Finish This Fairytale:

We head straight into the reunion in the Hunter Valley. This is all happening a month later. There’s lots of beer and cheers and… Lachie… who is still on this show too. Apparently. Sam enters and takes…

Julz: Sam starts by asking what Julz was hoping to get out of this experience? And Julz answers by giving the Donald Trump answer to ‘a wife’. We flash to the city break and see that Mel lives by the sea. Well done mate. Holidays at the coast from now until eternity. There’s lots of feel good tv. Kissing and butterflies and love. It’s ‘the start of something amazing.’ Sam asks to bring her out…

Mel emerges resplendent in pink. They kiss and poor Sam realises she is now the third wheel. Lots of love and then Julz can now go brag to the boys that he is a winner.

The cuteness!

Jedd: Sam asks about his date with Sam. Jedd says it was ‘amazing’, and then goes on to list all the amazing qualities about Kerry too. He decides to follow his heart, and so he chooses… (flash to city visit)…

KERRY??? WTF??? She is doing some kind of martial arts, and Jedd probably only chose her because he feared for his safety otherwise. They do some high tea date that is just awkward after awkward. My hot tip Jedd, is that if you have feelings for BOTH OF THEM at this stage, it probably isn’t going to work out. There is some awkward touching and then…

Sam asks if Jedd has invited anyone, and all of a sudden things become clearer… down the stairs comes SAM! Oh the sneaky sneaky shenanigans that go on behind the scenes at Channel 10.

Sam asks Sam how she feels about being chosen second Jedd meeting up with Kerry in the city, and Sam gives an answer not dissimilar to the one Louise gave to the press when Love Rat Blake Garvey ditched his first choice for her after the show on The Batchelor. Sam says she understands why he did it, and adds something about his cheeky sense of humour (followed by a lip rub – weird!). They say they enjoy each other’s company, and it looks like there is some real emotion there. Too early to tell for sure though.

Jedd with his first favourite...

Lachie: We are reminded again of his abysmal failure is all things dating in the past, but Lachie assures us that he is now closer to knowing what he needs. (Perhaps a vagina and a heartbeat?). He assures us that he has real chemistry with Belinda, and she is here… looking amazing too. They cozy up on the couch, and there is much ‘sense of humour’ and ‘chemistry’. Belinda says she loves the farm and is planning her next farm visit… unless it sells… right? (I know, I know… they are keeping the house and a tiny bit of land right?)

Jedd declares that Belinda is “bloody cool”. Nice one.

I'm still unconvinced... fingers crossed for Belinda though!

We are told that there is a SHOCK CONFESSION after the break that NO ONE SAW COMING… so it’s almost certainly going to be something else….

Lance: Talks about his overwhelming journey… boring boring… he chooses Lisa. She jumps all over him. He declares he is a mad salt man. And then….

LANCE DIDN’T BRING ANYONE HERE!

SHOCK HORROR!

Actually… Lisa IS there… but not on the couch.

We flash to earlier that day out in the vineyard. Lance confesses (only AFTER Lisa reminds him of her open heart) that he doesn’t have a full connection with her. He has no goosebumps. Lisa looks sad. She will live though…

I’m just not sure what Lance wants? At a guess I’d say he wants a rough around the edges worker who will keep him warm on those cold and lonely rodeo nights. He announces he is still looking for love.

The boys all insist that women will be knocking on his door.

Who could resist this face?

Okay….

Adam: Sam announces that Adam (although the baby of the bunch) has been the most sincere in his search for love. Yep. That cooking test was a true indicator of how life on the farm will really be. We get the pros and cons of Taryn and Hayley… He said life on the farm isn’t the same without his special someone. There is a slight avoidance of the ‘L word’.

We flash to Adam heading to a cool Sydney apartment to choose… HAYLEY!!! She has two dogs and they feel ‘cute’ together. They have never kissed before though, and Hayley declares that she wants to ‘start from the beginning and get to know each other all over again’ (clever girl). They kiss. They look very comfortable together, and I hope it works out for them.

Maybe Hayley will finally get around to that butchery course now!

Matt: This entire episode has been geared for this moment. Who did he choose? Gabby or April??? Gabby was ‘amazing’ and April (a tomboy in a beautiful package) ‘gets him’.

We flash to another area by the sea… and see… APRIL. She announces they are going to meet the family. There is skateboarding and a family gathering and Matt is lapping it up. They seem really at ease.

April walks down the stairs and there is loads of hand holding and cuddles. She is extremely comfortable around him and talks about how he ‘doesn’t realise how amazing he is’. Awww. Sweet.

                                       

Sam asks how this is going to work? They both admit they have spoken about it and now APRIL IS MOVING TO THE FARM NEXT WEEK! Wow… talk about moving along quickly. I guess when you know you know. I’d also imagine that leaving ‘Brand Ambassadorial-ship’ is easier than walking away from say, teaching. There is lots of love in the air. They throw the word around freely, and admit that they are confident this farmer has found a wife.

Their children will have amazing teeth!

THE END… sort of.

So apparently only three couples are still together. Any guesses on who it would be? Does anyone know? Who do you think? I’m going to say that Matt, Julz and Adam are still together with their ladies. Also - Ten bucks says Gabby was the one who spilled her guts to The Courier Mail today about broken hearts and ruined lives.

The McClymont Sister sing a song together and all the loved up couples dance and kiss.

THE END!

*drops mic and walks off*

FWAW RECAP EPISODE 6 - Hot Dates and Alliteration are Alive and Well

Episode 6 – Hot Dates and Alliteration are Alive and Well

Sam opens tonight’s penultimate episode with discussion about ‘our boys’, and a reminder of how the real prize here is true love, and not (actually) sponsorship, brand ambassadorial-ship, infamy etc.

The Most Romantic Day Yet

Adam:

His girls are both in PJs, and Taryn still looks better than me on a good day. Oh to be young again. Taryn says she’s hoping to hold hands with Adam soon. And as I’ve just learned what “Netflix and chill” ACTUALLY means, I’m wondering if “holding hands” is also code for something more sinister.

Dashing Dairy Farmer Adam (FFS with the alliteration already)is taking Taryn on the shag fest to a hot spring nearby. He says he’s never been before, and that doesn’t surprise me. What WOULD surprise me is if he was a regular there. There is the WORST POSSIBLE AWKWARD MOMENT EVER as Taryn goes in for a sexy spa kiss, and is rejected by Adam. She is gutted and embarrassed, and even asks him ‘when is a good time to kiss?’ (Eeeek). He says he doesn’t kiss on the first date. Awwww. Danger music plays and Adam adds cold water to the spa. Ouch.

After Taryn’s rejection, it is obvious that something needs to be done to rectify this. They drink bucket loads of wine, Taryn invites Adam back to her Villa, and they PASH… Taryn announces there was a ‘happy ending’. Noice.

Lachie:

Apparently he’s “shaken” after his altercation with Kelly. (And as an aside, Kelly is NOWHERE near as cranky at Lachie as the rest of Australia was after last week, which makes you wonder about the dodgy editing on this show. Mountain out of a mole hill anyone? I mean if that had been me last week, I would have reacted swiftly and violently… so maybe it was all a bang up after all?) I digress. Apparently she’s opened “old wounds” for him. Whatevs. He now has some clarity however, and as a result, cancels the remainder of his farm stay by booting BOTH girls from the farm. Wait, what??

Lance:

Lancey-boy (his words, not mine) is off to Great Keppel with Lisa, and I am so jealous of them both. That island is AMAZEBALLS. Lance is wearing the biggest hat ever on the boat over, and I’m wondering if I’d had the brains to wear a hat that big on the boat over, I could have saved myself a load of sunburn last time I went)… Susie is back home shovelling sheep s#!* (as you do… said no one ever). She is wondering if they are drinking cocktails over there…. YES… they are Susie. They definitely are…. Lance has probably had more than Lisa though, as he’s started speaking about himself in third person again. “Lancey-boy is not a paddle boarder.”

Susie is home going cray-cray. Talking to cockatoos and playing air guitar with a shovel.

Lancey-boy thanks Lisa for “coming on the show” (because this is all about tv, and not love right?). They do a lovely sunset cruise dating thing. Lance announces he is above ‘cloud 9’. Meanwhile, Susie laments the death of the sister-wives club. The writers outdo themselves with alliteration by making poor Sam spit out that “the sun has set on the smitten sweethearts”. Groan.

Matt:

Helicopter Hottie (and I SWEAR I am so happy this is all over next week, as the alliteration is really starting to do my head in), Matt, is taking April on the BIG date. It feels like it’s the sympathy vote. You know… I have this great connection with Gabby, but I’d better give you some time too”. Maybe I’m wrong, but I bet I’m not. There’s loads of kissing in some gorgeous hidden waterhole though, so Matt is getting his money’s worth out of this date.

Gabby is back home proving she can do hard work even without Matt, but I am thinking that if that was me, I’d be fixing to “watch Netflix and chill”… amiright? Hahaha There is lots of hand holding on separate swags under the stars.

Julz:

Still looking for a spark, which is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack apparently. Surprisingly, he takes Alex on the big date to a cute beach location, but they have as much chemistry as me and Maths A do. Melanie surely has this in the bag. Poor Alex.

Jedd:

No shock that he takes Sam on the hot date. They go to a Luxury Eco Lodge and get a massage. But wait… Jedd’s DOG is there too. Ummm I’m not really sure why Kerry who is still at home couldn’t be trusted to feed the dog? All that aside, they try to ‘get in the mood’. This means donning white robes, and sipping on sparkly wine. Because nothing says “we are so going to shag” than donning a white robe in a room you didn’t have to pay for. Sam gives Jedd the LURVE talk (you know… connections and electricity…etc.”) They kiss.

Jedd later says they shared a “vulnerable experience in front of the fire”, and as if that wasn’t enough, he follows it up with “Pandoras box opened, and he embraced the box.” I couldn’t make this shit up!

The Morning After The Night Before

Matt:

April is so touchy feely (arm strokes and fingers entwining) and there is still a lot of kissing. April announces about Matt that “150% this dude is the one.” hey discuss goals, ambitions, world peace and global fiscal policy (kidding). April talks about 1, 2, 3 kids. They reflect on their ‘unspoken bond’ (ie: Matt’s erection in the water hole presumably), and April cries happy tears.

After his date, Matt is wrestling with his feelings. He invited Gabby on a dinner, where they are waited on (presumably) one of Matt’s workmates, who has gone all out in one of his blue RB Sellars work shirts. He lurks suspiciously in the background as Gabby asks the tough questions. She cried a little and Matt tells her (nicely) not to.

Lance:

After the big hot island date, Lance and Lisa meet a frosty Susie at home. Completely oblivious to her pain, they don’t spare her any details, and annoy her with the facts. Lance stops short of asking her if she got all that s#!* shovelled while they were gone.

Adam:

Adam and Taryn start telling Hayley all about their hot date, and suspecting she might actually throw hot coffee on them for the effort, they back off a bit. Adam decides to take Hayley the ‘graphic designer/wannabe butcher’ on another date. Taryn relishes telling Hayley about the “HOT baths.”

Adam is clearly looking to pash Hayley on this date as well to even the score. He doesn’t really strike me as that kind of guy, but they are drinking whiskey, so who knows.

Taryn is at home eating three buckets of ice cream to drown her sorrows…

Julz:

Once home again, the spark between Julz and Mel is clear. He invites Mel on another date and even though Alex tries to throw her off by insisting that anything they do tonight will have nothing on what she has just had with him, Julz and Mel have the best date of the night.

There are sparks flying everywhere, hands being held and love confessions abound. I will be totally gutted if they don’t end up together.

Lachie:

Now that he has had his much needed time to think (ugh), he heads 900km away to find Belinda and give her some token flowers and discuss love. She seems smitten. Hope she is protecting her heart. X

Jedd:

Jedd takes Kerry out for a coffee and they mostly discuss Sam. He says he doesn’t know who he will choose, but the producers and editors are gearing this to look like it could be Sam.

NEXT TIME:

Yay for the season finale! The boys are heading to the city to pick their girls, and then we are back to the Hunter Valley to see who has won found love, and who is a tragic loser needs to go on another reality tv show to try again.

Stay tuned! Please share this with a friend if you enjoyed this! x

House Dog vs Working Dog

There has been much discussion around these parts over the last few years about the purpose of certain dogs. We are top heavy when it comes to working dogs, and I have been a fierce activist for (what The Farmer calls) ‘lap dogs’ for as long as I can remember.

I grew up with a series of small dogs who were all much loved members of our family. My favourite one was a Jack Russell called ‘Tebo’, who I received for my birthday when I was in Year 5, and who I said goodbye to a month before I married at the age of 26. He was the dog who kept on living, and after him I couldn’t bring myself to get another small dog.

We usually run an average of about 10 dogs at any given time on The Farm. They are not all ours. Some belong to my in-laws, and others to The Farmer’s brother. Some are older and more experienced, some are better at yard work and others being out in the paddock mustering. Some are being trained up, and others are in retirement, but essentially, they are all sheep dogs and kelpies: working dogs. They all serve an important farm purpose. We love all of them, but they are not ‘curl up on your lap and have a sleep’ members of the family.

And then two years ago, after very powerful lobbying on my part, we introduced Gypsy (a Jack Russell) to the family. The Farmer was not instantly impressed. He often lamented the point of a dog that doesn’t serve a purpose. The purpose (I argued) is to teach us about true love and affection. To help us learn about loss (after she dies) and to bring us laughter and joy in the meantime.

 

 

Two years later and Gypsy is a bona fide member of our family. She is very protective, and a great snake dog. She barks when they are around and saw us through a few close calls this summer just gone. She joins us on trips in the car. She likes to be out on the property, surveying sheep and kangaroos and emus. She potters around the garden with Granny on the days when we can’t be at home with her, and she has found a special place in all of our hearts in the meantime. She’s not great at yard work, and she doesn’t have a head for mustering. But she is lovely company around the house, and that can be just as important as any other purpose a dog can serve.

The Boyfriend Criteria

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner I have found myself remembering the days of ‘new love’ (as opposed to ‘now we’ve been married forever love’).

Back towards the end of my single days, I was sick and tired of dating the wrong guy. Just to help clarify things in my mind, I developed a boyfriend criteria. The boyfriend criteria was designed to help me weed through the wrong guys in a bid to find the right guy.

Essentially it was a business card sized piece of paper that I had divided into two categories:

1.     Wish list – which included things such as ‘plays the guitar’ and ‘nice teeth’. The purpose of the wish list was to help me visualise what I thought would be nice to have in a partner. Of course, any guy who was otherwise perfect but didn’t match certain elements of the wish list could still slip through the cracks if he was lucky.

2.     Deal Breakers – which included things like ‘gambling addiction’ and ‘drug user’. Any characteristic that made it to this list meant that if I spotted it in a potential partner then I wasn’t prepared to waste any more time on them at all. End of story. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

On top of the copy I kept in my purse, I also hung a copy on my fridge, so that anyone who came into my house knew what I was chasing. It became a great conversation piece, and to be honest, mostly it was only good for a laugh.

Once The Farmer was on the scene, I ran the list past him too. He didn’t play the guitar. He didn’t live in the city. He had lovely teeth though and beautiful skin. Plus he got on well with his parents. Most importantly he didn’t meet any of the items on my deal breaker list. He was worth the effort.

So given that I had the criteria drawn up and then the universe provided, one has to wonder if the list played any part in nabbing me a husband? Which brings me to my next point… perhaps I need to renew the original list and rename it, ‘the husband criteria’? Maybe the new wish list items could include ‘shuts cupboard doors after using them’, ‘empties the rubbish without announcing that he’s emptying the rubbish loudly and repeatedly’ and ‘gives me a neck massage at the end of every day’ or ‘offers to take the kids off my hand at least once a day’.

I’m so relieved The Farmer didn’t have the foresight to do up a girlfriend criteria. I dread to think about if I’d have made the cut or not. One thing is for sure. My list certainly served a purpose. Fourteen years later and my Mr Right and I are still together. Perhaps it was the list, or perhaps it was all just a matter of timing.

In any event, I’m happy to still have him. Happy Valentine’s Day to The Farmer.

 

What would be on your 'wish list' and 'deal breaker' list?

The Long Drive

As I have started submitting a column in the Queensland Country Life, I thought I would start posting the articles that are published on here, with the addition of pictures, so that you can see what and where I am talking about.

 

. . .

I had been dating The Farmer for about a week when he invited me out to the farm to see shearing in action. They were winding up the following week and so I had to decide quickly.

I explained to my boss about how shearing was finishing up that week and how I may never have the opportunity to see it again. The Principal agreed that it was a worthwhile occasion, and I completed all the relevant paperwork to take Friday afternoon off work.

The Farmer gave me the easiest directions to the shearing shed. They weren't necessarily the quickest directions, but they were by far the least complicated ones, and as this was to be my first foray into the world that was 'country driving', we agreed that this was for the best. The Farmer told me to pack my 'work clothes' for the trip.

Friday came around faster than I expected. I had put aside a pair of jeans (new) and a check shirt I had borrowed. Neither were what I would classify as 'work clothes', but as my 'work clothes' mostly consisted of dress skirts and pants and blouses, this was foreign ground for me. It would have to do. I left work at 1pm, and tried to recall the directions as I drove.

I was busy concentrating on counting the grids (was it six or seven I was supposed to cross?). I couldn't believe that I was driving on a 'road' with grids! Soon I had been driving for over an hour and I was starting to fret about the definite possibility that I was lost. In the very likely event of that happening I would either be forced to drink my own urine or eat a kangaroo carcass in order to survive before anybody would EVER find my fully dehydrated and emaciated body on this road to nowhere. For all I knew, I was already a goner. The road was less than ordinary. It was too far from anywhere, and I was really starting to wonder if The Farmer was even worth all this effort. Surely this couldn't be the road he lived on? It was rough. Pot holes were scattered haphazardly from one side to the other. The corrugation left me sore and tingly. I couldn't imagine myself driving on this road on a permanent basis. This would probably be my first and last visit to the farm.

 

Example of a corrugated road.

 

Just as I was about to give up and turn around, there it was in front of me. Across the roof of the shearing shed, clearly visible from the road, was The Farm. I visibly relaxed. I had survived, and was then able to see shearing in all of its magnificence, all explained to me by The Farmer.  It’s something I still love to see all these years later, I just don’t have to take time off work to do it anymore.

 

The Farmer doing his thing. Worth the drive!

 

I’ve also come to realise that it’s not the journey (all corrugated and long), but the destination that matters anyway.

 

Do You Have A Story You Want To Share?

 

Are you married to a farmer?

Or a man who is on the land?

Do you have a story you'd like to share?

Next year I am going to do a series of guest blogs on my page, where people will be sharing their stories of love!

How did you meet?

And how did you end up getting married?

If you think you'd like to contribute - or you know someone who might - please send an email to:  thefarmerhasawife@hotmail.com

The Lucky One - And A Giveaway!

Having just spent almost three weeks away from my hubby and 2/3 of my children (I took one to Brisbane to have her tonsills and adenoids removed), I had a fair bit of time to think about how much I actually missed my little family, and how lucky I was to have them in my lives. (Being away from all the noise, fighting, tears and tantrums helps with perspective).

I also put a call out on my facebook page for 'girly' movies to watch to help pass the time. I ended up watching 'The Lucky One' (starring Zac Efron - *sigh*), from the author of 'The Notebook'. It ticked all the right boxes: sad, romantic, girly.

And it's awesome. But I am biased, because I love Zac Efron. Does that make me a wannabe cradle snatcher? Or is her older than that now? Essentially it's the story of a US Marine who goes in search of the unknown woman whose photo he believes was his good luck charm during his 3 tours of duty in Iraq. Wahhh!

I am, in conjunction with Roadshow Entertainment, giving away copies of 'The Lucky One' DVD to 3 lucky entrants! (One for every week I was away from my loved ones!)

All you need to do is pop over to my facebook page and leave me a comment stating your favourite 'girly movie' - I'll file it away for the next rainy day! It's that easy!

PS. I had this blog post written up a while ago, and coincidentally today is now Melbourne Cup Day (a big horse race in Australia). I put a few bets on and as it turns out, I am not so 'lucky' after all. Blessed maybe, but not lucky, to still have all those special people in my life!!!

Conditions of Entry:

1. Competition closes 5pm 10th November 2012.
2. One entry per person. Winners will be selected randomly.
3. Judges (me) decision is final. No correspondence will be entered in to.
4. Competition only open to residents of Australia and New Zealand.
5. Winners will be announced on the blog on 10th November 2012.

A Day For Mums

My children tell me daily that they love me 'more than the trees'. (A cute reference to how many trees they perceive there as being in the world). And today is supposed to be a day to pay tribute to me. Their earth mother. Actually, scratch that... just their actual mother.

I've never been big on 'occasions'. I love Christmas. I love the noise, the celebration, the time with family, the food, the time off. And if I am being entirely truthful, I actually do enjoy birthdays and Easter as well. I am a 'giver' by nature. Don't get me wrong. I like doing my fair share of taking too! But I get more of a kick out of doing things for others, and especially my kids.

I believe I may even have blogged once upon a time about how CP isn't big on gifts. Maybe that's the REAL reason I enjoy giving so much??

And so today was Mothers Day. I almost forgot. Thank goodness for teachers everywhere who send my little babies home armed with priceless treasures they have been concocting at school and Kindy.

My day started with Olivia entering my room and announcing loudly, "Oh my goodness! It's Mothers Day! You stay RIGHT THERE while I get you breakfast in bed! What do you want?"

I smiled sneakily and declared "Pancakes please!"

Olivia's jaw dropped and her right eyebrow raised questioningly. "Really?"

"No, of course not silly! Peanut butter on toast and a glass of juice would be fine." Actually, I'm not big on breakfast, but I was so excited about the prospect of Olivia getting it for me, that I would have probably eaten the cereal box, if she had served me that.

"And what would you like for Mothers Day, Mum?" Olivia seemed keen on making my day perfect.

"12 hours of solid, uninterrupted peace and quiet, please."

And again Olivia's jaw dropped and her eyebrow raised quizzically...

"Okay. Just a cuddle would be fine." I believe that's called compromise.

When Darcy and Sam awoke, I was set upon with cards and flowers picked from Granny's garden and cuddles. With a little help from Sara (au pair) during the day, I was also presented with a lovely short story (illustrated by Olivia, and partially written by Olivia too), and a gorgeous heart shaped cake. It was truly beautiful.

And then reality set in. I had piles of laundry to do, rooms to clean, floors to sweep, vacuum and mop. And Mothers Day was forgotten. But like I said... I'm not big on 'occasions', so technically there is nothing really to complain about. As I cleaned, and washed and folded and put away, I dreamed of an hour spent lying on a fold away massage bed. Hot rocks, essential oils, and gentle music playing in the background. In reality, children cried, fought and complained.

Tonight I am up later than usual. I am enjoying the serenity. I had the most wonderful dinner with my amazing family. I still dream of hot rocks, essential oils and gentle music, but I am incredibly satisfied with my little piece of farming paradise. My children tell me on a daily basis (and Darcy on a 100 x daily basis) that they love me 'more than the trees'. They are the three most amazing things to ever happen to me. They are little miracles. And even though I will always dream of a relaxing massage, I wouldn't swap my children for all the trees in the world.

Happy Mothers Day everyone!

It Must Be Love

It's interesting when you think about all the different ways that people show 'love'.

A few years ago CP and I were driving back home from Brisbane together. I had been away with the kids for a few weeks, and CP had come to collect us for the long drive back again. About half way into the journey CP turned to me with the most loving look in his eyes. He took my hand in his, and gave me a big goofy smile. Then he said, "I've got a surprise for you at home. It's something that will make you very happy." Well naturally, my curiosity was piqued, so I started to guess.
"Is it sparkly, and can I wear it on my finger?"
"No, it's not sparkly and you can't wear it."
"Is it something I can use? Like maybe something in the kitchen?"
"No, it's bigger than that."
"Is it a new car??"
"No."
"Did you renovate the house??"
"No...but it's an outside thing."
"It's a POOL! You got a pool!"
"No... they cost too much money..."

I think I may have frowned then...

"I give up. Just tell me."
"It's something I KNOW will make you really happy. Something that will change your life."
"Just tell me."
"I took out the gate you have to open every day on your way to school, and I put in a grid!"
"And what else?"
"That's it. I knew it would make you happy. I know how much you hated having to open and close that gate every day. Especially if it was raining. And I thought, this way, you never have to get the gate."

I think I may have smiled a little. Just a little.

This is the grid.

He even put in a little sign and everything.
And up close...

It wasn't until I actually started using the grid that I realised something very important. CP really loves me. I always knew he really loved me, but I realised how he just shows his love in a way that is so completely different to the way in which I express love. He chooses 'acts of kindness' to express his love, where as I am more of a 'verbal or physical'expresser of my love.  When CP put that grid in for me, he would have spent considerable time beforehand thinking about how much it would improve my quality of life. He had foreseen how I would have one less thing to complain about. And then he slugged his guts out for at least a whole day or two to install this grid so that it was perfect for when I got home.

He must really love me.

Or maybe he just was sick of getting the gate too? No - he loves me.

I'm really not a big gift person. But it has taken some time getting used to the fact that CP is not a gift person AT ALL.  And who am I kidding? I'm still not used to his ignorance in the gift giving department. But if I added up all the times he 'did something' for me to show me that he loved me, I would have lost count years ago. I'm more of a "thought that counts" kind of girl. And NO, CP, "Happy Birthday Jess" and then completely ignoring me for the remainder of my day does NOT count as a 'thought that counts'. But if you'd thrown in dinner cooked by you, then YES, it would definitely count. Just saying.

My sister, Hannah, has the world's most perfect partner. (Hello Lole, that's you!).

He's a 'thought that counts' kind of guy, AND a gift giver. Amazing. This guy has to be told when to stop buying gifts. And he chooses GREAT gifts. He is responsible for this:

And this:

And he's also responsible for the famous 'double bin liner.' Which basically means that after a big night out on the town with your friends, you can come home to a nice bin beside your bed/lounge and if you aren't feeling crash hot, you just lean into the bin... and then remove the top bag, leaving a spare for later. Genius. Only a truly sensitive guy would think of that.

So I suppose that while some guys show love by cooking you braised (organic) asparagus on a bed of cheese and bacon cream for your birthday, other guys drive 90km to change a flat tyre, or pick you up when your gear box is broken. If you're lucky, I suppose some guys could do both.

And then there are the guys like Farmer Russell, next door, who just like to buy sparkly things for his wife. Or a nice car for her to drive around in. And I know life shouldn't be all about keeping up with the Joneses, but I'll admit that sometimes I do get sparkle and car envy.

Life is like that though. The grass is always greener, isn't it?

I wonder if anyone has grid envy after reading this?