“Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings.”
~ Victor Hugo
Yesterday was Friday.
Friday in our household is also now our official Nicole and Ben Day.
It’s a day that we have chosen to dedicate to spending as a couple. Not a day of leisure – that’s what our Unplugged Sunday is for. Nicole and Ben Day is a day where we sit together and talk about our plans. We discuss our long-term dreams and goals, and our shorter-term projects. We talk work. We talk farm stuff.
It’s a day for doing things together. Home maintenance, tax, business and creative projects. We get to go on expeditions – yesterday it was a trip to the Farmers Markets, and then into Lismore, our closest big town, so that we could visit an office supplies chain, the rural produce store and do a quick grab of some dry goods groceries. Which also meant lunch at Steve’s Bakery! (One massive cheese and salad sandwich and one egg and lettuce sandwich and a pot of tea for two to share – deluxe!)
Friday’s also a day where we can just be together.
I’m tired right now from all of these treatments I’m on. So after our busy morning we made a pot of tea (Melbourne Breakfast – it’s a robust black tea with a hint of smooth vanilla) and sat on the veranda, watching the rain and relaxing with Harry Dog at our feet.
There is a birdbath under the jacaranda tree, just across from where we sit. It’s one of my great pleasures, watching all the birds come down to drink and to bathe. All spring and into summer it has been unseasonably dry here at the farm. Ben or I have hauled a hose over to refill that birdbath every day. But the last two days there has been enough rain to fill it for us.
And finally, after I got my hands into the dirt and planted new seedlings in the rain yesterday afternoon, we went for a swim while it rained. The rain was cold. The pool was warm. It was glorious.
But what was most important was that we had an entire day to consciously connect, and to talk about and work on what matters most to us.
How about you? Do you have dedicated time for yourself, or time for being with your partner or family members, where you can deepen communication and focus on personal projects and plans? I highly recommend this as a practice.
Sending much love to you, on the wings of happy-dancing birds, Nicole <3 xx
more really cool inspo Nicole, thank you! (must look up that Steve’s bakery in Lismore too) Much Love to you xxx
It’s cheap and cheerful – opposite Aldi and next to the Barbeque Place. And as Ben always helpfully points out, it is just down the road from the chainsaw shop.
Love your bird bath–Also, I absolutely love getting your blog in my mailbox. Encourages always. Thank you.
such a great suggestion! thanks sx
Oh Nicole, as much as I love your posts, you had me unnecessarily excited this morning seeing your subject announcing Melbourne morning tea. Living in regional Victoria, feeling very far away from Brisbane and the lush Byron hinterland, I glimpsed a small hint of you visiting Melbourne for a fleeting moment. Experiencing a tumultuous emotional roller coaster journey at present but enjoying the summer heat here after a very long cold winter spell, thinking of you in my heart and if your Melbourne tea is as close as I get for now, I know you’re close by x
Today was the end of a long cold snap here in France. The birds have depended upon the feeders in the garden during the freezing weather. The birdbath was finally able to be filled again and there were very many happy feathered friends out there during the day. Love and light. Bless
Rain is good, it washes away stuff and leaves things feeling new and smelling awesome, too much rain not so good though