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Sunday 1 June 2014

In Bed with Linda Cockburn for the Day





That's PM not AM on that clock and I am still in my nightie.  I'm wondering if i can pretend there is no one home if someone knocks on the door.  A bit hard when all 3 cars are out the front and Tilly would be bouncing on the back of the door.  Thankfully no one comes.

The French doors outside are open and it's been raining softly but steadily all night and day, the first day of winter.  All my senses are being fulfilled - I'm snuggled up with a blanket and Miss Tilly, who is softness itself, listening to the sound of rain on a tin roof, with a mug (or several) of black coffee and a plate of Vegemite toast, reading. I'm slightly sore from shovelling dirt in the veggie garden yesterday and I think I've fulfilled my housework quota this weekend before I head back to a full time job tomorrow so no guilt here.

It does one good to occasionally have some down time which includes not moving from the bed for the day except to re-fill the coffee mug? It's called a Thermos Lynda!!! Last night was one of those nights when all three of us were doing our own thing.  Only problem was, we all did it ALL night and so lucky for me they are also in bed for the day and no one is bugging me for meals except Tilly, who wants my Vegemite toast. I ended up smearing some on a plate so she would leave mine alone.

Boy, did she lap up some water after this.
So what would keep me awake night and day - queue book pic



OK, so I'm a bit late to the party, as usual.  This book was published in 2006 and it was referenced in a recent post of Gav's (Greening of Gavin) Top 11 Books That Changed My World View.  I've actually followed Linda's blog (Living the Good Life) for a little while now but had not read the book.  I love the way Linda writes and you can tell she is a reader and loves words.  She has given me a new one to play with so watch out peeps.

floccinaucinihilipilificationist - someone who deems things of little worth  - Page 222.   that's 9 i's

We've been having great fun trying to pronounce it flock-see-naw-see-ni-hi-li-pi-li-fi-kay-shun-ist
Good one to introduce when you have a room full of slightly inebriated guests.

I'm awfully glad that they did this adventure with Caleb.  Having a small child involved introduced so many funny and heart warming moments throughout their six month "holiday".  This is one clever and involved child and very much loved by equally clever and interested parents.  What a childhood he is having/had.

I'm making this sound like a light read but Linda's retelling of their experiences living for six months without spending money unnecessarily and doing so in a self sustainable way provides many relevant segue-ways to eye popping facts and figures.   Her inventiveness in providing meals solely from their garden and bartered goods is only rivalled by Trev's willingness to partake of snails as a substitute for red meat and forgo his cigarettes and alcohol.

I kept my husband in stitches last night (was it around 3am) reading about the demise of Dead and Gone, two dominant male bantams with a penchant for raking their spurs down Linda's calves.  Don't worry, Linda got her own back and lets just say that they are "dead and gone".  Page 121  I love chooky stories.

During the book, when things often got tough, Linda referenced moving to Tasmania.  It was funny reading the book about the past knowing that they now live in Tasmania so I guess they got over their fear of hypothermia.  I'm looking forward to going back to the beginning of the blog and finding out about the move from Qld to Tas and how they set up their new place having learnt from their mistakes.



Which leads me to another book that arrived this week 5 Acres & A Dream The Book from Leigh's blog ((here) of the same name.  I've done this one completely different.  Last time I had  "Me Time", I spent a weekend starting at the beginning of Leigh's blog and working my way forward.  You certainly do get to know someone, their family, their critters and garden well when you immerse yourself into it for a few days.   I'm looking forward to now reading the "summarised" version in the book.




I managed to finish reading at 3.30pm with just enough time to shower and race over to see Noelle.  Its now a week since her hip operations and she is in good spirits (love those morphine patches).  Her granddaughter Mia was visiting and i sat patiently while she combed my hair flat (i hate flat hair) and pretended she was a hair dresser.  I was rewarded with a big hug on leaving.

Have a great week everyone.  I'm one week from a long weekend which I have extended into a week of gardening - Yeahhhhhhh!!!!!!

Thanks for Visiting Living In The Land Of Oz


8 comments:

  1. Hi Lynda.

    Living the Good Life is such a great book, and glad you liked it. It had me in stitches most of the way through. Linda is such a good writer.

    Gav

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    1. Thank you for the referral. Yes, i laughed quite a bit as well.

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  2. Hi Lynda, wow sounds like a lovely relaxing day, I have not read Living the good life I might have to grab that one. I do have 5 acres and a dream though but havnt quite read it yet. Hope all is good in your neck of the woods xx

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    1. I'll put the book away for you when i visit SOON!!

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  3. I've not read the Living the Good Life blog but it was one of the first ever sustainable living blogs I came across and I was so fascinated by it all (they were still in QLD at the time I think) that I dug right back and read every post. They, along with Greening of Gavin were instrumental in our journey towards self sufficiency and treading lightly on the planet.

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  4. So we have them to thank for our very own rabidlittlehippy.

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  5. What a great way to spend the day. It is good to give yourself permission to do that sort of thing every now and again.

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  6. I own Living the Good Life, but never did finish reading it. I am like that, never finish anything, I really must change my habits! I am so going to pick this book up and finish it now, thanks to you for the reminder. No excuse now that we have our new enclosed area... I have been thinking of getting Leigh's book too but as yet have not done so. I do have it on watch on eBay though, so I might just bite the bullet and buy it :)

    We all need one or two of those days occasionally, trouble is I start to feel guilty if I am not doing anything constructive lol!

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