Click: In the Wooden Basket

The more we are approaching the end of February, the cooler weather it is. Now, it is March and look at what we've got. One day of full sunshine, just lovely to take children to swim or cycle up the school, the next day can be abruptly an opposite with ghastly wind and heavy rain. We have to cancel to swim at the school club yesterday when we learned the wind turned to be a nasty strong bugger. There is no heater at the pool and I thought there would be no good point to swim in a cold wind.

I also was not really well a day before. Monday afternoon at the dance class there was a girl who was always keen talking to me and being near me. I knew she was having cold but it was just too mean to shove her off from me while she was enjoying my company. So, I was being a good ten year old girl and pretending not to know that there are possible germs or viruses started attacking me. Wednesday morning I decided not to go to Tai Chi class as I could feel the infection was developing in my system, and I did not want to infect aged ladies there. And guess what? I had had snooze twice in the afternoon instead of bothering to do the house chores. Something I have never done in my life, unless I am ill, the afternoon nap. My good husband took care of the house work, the piles of clothes I had missed to do with my busy early days of the week. I just love him.

This is my first illness of the year and first time to test out the newest method I have been applying to take food which are good for me that is, rather than give pleasures to the palate only. I feel so much benefit from muscle test, really. Last year, when I was attacked by the virus or same illness, it would take a week at least for me to recover, but now with this newest condition my body can deal with it much better than I can ever hope. It was only a day for my body to get rid of the virus, and here I am now, being active again. Although I still need to take Echinacea drops every two hours, I can feel that my body is a lot stronger than before. I am so happy that this muscle test works for me and keeps me aware of what I eat in order to stay healthy.



Being healthy makes me happy. And there's another thing that makes me (all of us, to be frank) happy: we spotted monarch butterfly in our garden yesterday. YAY! I thought they won't come this year as they usually come to my garden and lay eggs in the middle or late February. I have been told that last year was a bad year for them. Can you believe that these insects are fluttering from one continent to the others just to lay eggs? They are pretty hard workers, these beautiful creatures. I often found the ones just came from, goodness, wherever, have faded wings and sometimes are torn. The wings are so worn out, you could just take a pity and help them gently to lay eggs on the proper place. I also have planted more swan plants this year, just in case more and more of them will be coming and I can't bear to look at starving caterpillars. You know, they are greedy when they have to eat a lot to wave wax around them before transform themselves into pretty fluttery butterflies. Oh, yes I and my children watch them every move, nothing to be missed!!



One of these days, the fruit trees in our orchard are stripped off where the latest fruits are stored in the lidded jars. I bottled them to be enjoyed in Winter when there are out of season. I am quite keen on preserving and I think it is a good way to use up abundant of Summer fruits home-grown or locally grown.

Introducing you The Black Boy, one of many varieties of peaches we are home-growing. These peaches are ripening in the late season of Summer. I have to pick them just before they have gone soften as they are prone to brown rot and other disease, besides being yummy yummy food for possums and birds.





This is my entry for Click: Wood. I am honoured to be on the judge panel this round before I have to pack to visit Indonesia in May. So, come on, send us your entries, let your imagination run wild with wood and make us impressed by your creations!