Wow, this week has wiped me out. We're short staffed at work (as predicted) so it's just been go, go, go all week. Tomorrow is a public holiday for WA but I work to the NSW public holiday schedule, so it's back to work for me while everyone else gets to laze about at home around me. Meh.

However, I did get to go to the community garden yesterday, which was fun. We harvested hops flowers (they smell delightfully herby and fresh) and dandelion root. I've chopped up the root and will roast it tomorrow to enjoy my very own cup of locally grown 'coffee'. Kind of excited about that. The hops flowers are in the freezer to be used in a relaxing tea when needed.

The long-range forecast for the current and next season, Bunuru and Djeran (autum, or roughly March -- May) is warmer than usual and also dry. I am trying to see how we can budget in a rainwater tank or two for next summer. I'm looking forward to the rain, as always at this time of year.

Failing the rain, here are the good things:

- found a ripe strawberry while watering the garden and ate it
- descaled both the washing machine and the dishwasher and cleaned the seals. That might sound very proactive of me, but I can't remember the last time I did either, so they were well overdue. However, I did feel very accomplished

- there were no eggs at the shop the other day and we were completely out and then Kid2 went hunting and found four! Woohoo!

#ThreeGoodThings

- I was going to have a potato for tea tonight (with other food) and remembered that I'd used up all the potatoes yesterday... but then I realised I also had sweet potatoes left! So I cut up some of them and made sweet potato chips and they were SO GOOD

- got the car serviced and the bill didn't break the entire budget, for once

- took back my library books when I was in town and overheard a small child telling her mother she'd like to climb into the return slot with the books, and the librarian said, 'Oh, you don't want to do that! You might get stuck in the library overnight!' and the child said, 'But I would LOVE that' and I was thinking, yep, same

#ThreeGoodThings this week

- Curly Whirly Squirlies were on special at the supermarket and I bought some and then when I went to pick up Kid1 from work, he had coincidentally also bought a bag and offered me some because he knows how much I like them :)

- Kid3 had a friend over and he is such a friendly engaged young person, a really lovely teen to meet

- yesterday was a mammoth day when I started work at 6.30am and then had appointments and errands for Kid4 and Dad and only got back at 8pm BUT!!! I got through it and was able to leave work early today and I am fully ensconced in the weekend

- bonus good thing (OK, I really should just make it four good things): Kid2 had not seen the 'fuckinggoat' video and I got to show it to her just now and we both laughed so hard we could barely breathe

#3GoodThings

- the tomato plants I planted the other week survived the wildly hot day yesterday

- I did some cleaning and the place looks less chaotic (and as a result, I feel a bit less chaotic too)

- picked up some more rainbow chard seedlings and some cheapo coffee to discourage slugs and snails

- (bonus good thing -- possibly the best thing?) I saw evidence of bandicoots in the front garden. I think they're digging up the wasp holes. There are heaps of spider wasps about (the ones that dig holes in the ground and capture spiders to lay their young inside) and so I'm wondering if the bandicoots are coming out for a meal of an evening. You've no idea how much I love that this little ecosystem is doing its thing. I'm working on making the conditions right and they like it, hooray :) :) :)

There is no such thing as an excess of books. Books are a comfortable tapestry of companionship, an invitation to exploration and contemplation, access to the thought and imagination of the past, the undemanding company of old friends, as well as the challenge to growth.

Happy morning at the community garden today. It was produce swap day so Dad and I took along rhubarb and I was hoping for zucchini and flowers – and both were indeed there! Now our tea is sorted: zucchini slice (as long as the chooks have laid). Chatted to the coordinator about volunteering there this year and he was keen. Can't wait to go more regularly and get my hands dirty.

This afternoon is baking Anzac biscuits, picking up/dropping off Kid3 and Kid2, and, of course, PhD... always PhD (but not for very much longer!!!)