I’m capturing one last yarn along image before we leave this island paradise and head for home.

I’ve had such a productive week for knitting – at the expense of my reading – but it’s been great to speed along on some projects I was worried I wouldn’t get done in time.

My Yellow Girl is only a few rows short of being cast off at the body and picked up at the sleeves. I’m using Berroco Ultra Alpaca – it is so lovely and one of my favourite wools. I’ve also finished the body of the puerperium that I’ve been making for the new babe in Fisherman’s Wool. Now I have lots of sleeves, weaving in of ends, blocking and buttons ahead of me…not my favourite pastimes but I’m hoping that I’ll at least have a chance to finish up the sleeves during the long drive home. If my attention wanders from those pesky sleeves I do have the pattern and wool ready to begin the Owlie Sack I mentioned a while back. It’s my reward for (almost) getting the birthday sweaters done.

And speaking of birthday sweaters I did completely finish my Winnie Cooper and only a few days late. I have yet to grab some modelled pictures but hopefully you’ll get a peek in the next week or so.

I’m still reading Simplicity Parenting and enjoying it although I’ve only been picking it up while I’ve been luxuriating in my in-laws soaker tub (losing some gravity can do wonders for a heavily pregnant body). I love the talk of simplification of toys, clothing, etc (although I hesitate over his recommendation to reduce the amount of books simply because I love them so). As I mentioned last week, it’s so nice to hear so many of our values echoed and I feel more empowered to make some “executive decisions” over some of the toys we’ve stockpiled. As much as we try to keep it to a minimum by choice and necessity in our small space, they can add up over birthdays and Christmas. I have a mental list of some sorting and purging to do when we get home!

I’m also looking through Gentle Babies which is a guide to the use of essential oils through pregnancy, infancy and childhood. We use essential oils all the time and they’ve been so useful during this pregnancy. Now I’ve been reading through the information on labour and thinking about which oils I’d like to have on hand. It is exciting to think about the approach of this new little one!

Now I’m off to finish up some last minute packing, take the buns out of the oven for tomorrow’s lunch and maybe finish off those last few rows on the Yellow Girl.

Thanks for stopping by! I may be a day late in my visiting but I’m looking forward to seeing what other’s are up to over at Ginny’s yarn along.

As hoped we made it to the local dairy for a visit with the animals.

The main draw of our visits is always a chance for the kids to test their hands at milking. We time our visit accordingly and arrived just in the time for the late afternoon milking.

Amalia had last minute cold feet (“I don’t like milk so why would I touch it from a cow?”) but Elizabeth is always eager to get in there. I tried milking during our last visit and it was a lot of fun. I’d always been curious what it would be like and it was just as I’d imagined.

I’ve mentioned before how we dream of homesteading, growing our own food and living a more sustainable life. We enjoy these visits as an opportunity to take closer look at what that reality means and explore what we imagine it to mean for us. We usually walk away repeating our desire to stick to growing food not raising livestock (apart from some laying hens) but then we wonder…maybe a couple of sheep…or a sweet jersey cow? But that is then and this is now…for now we enjoy practicing our green thumbs in our veggie garden and visiting the animals at the dairy farm.

Just look at that sweet tail.

This sweet little calf was so precious.

We watched the cows wander back to their field from the milking barn.

But in this cage was where the small people had the most fun…

…visiting the very understanding rabbits.

They were thrilled when they took the offered grass.

And squealed with delight when they nibbled at little fingers.

Maybe that someday farm of ours will have to include some rabbits.

I love the ocean. I long for it. I dream about it. I imagine the smell, the sounds, the taste and the feel of it when I am far away.

I grew up near the ocean. Summer vacations were spent there. Long weekends often included a drive along the shore. Many trips were made across the small strip of it between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island when we visited my grandmother.

Now I live in Alberta. It feels very far away from the ocean. My ocean.

And as much as my home is most certainly wherever this family is together, returning to the ocean always feels like coming home.

It has been six long years since I visited my east coast home. I am thankful, though, that my in-laws have relocated to the west coast (a little more within reach than the east coast) giving us an ocean destination to visit.

It’s wonderful to breathe it in. Feel it beneath my feet. Explore its endless wonders and mysteries.

We’ve loved the opportunities to dig in, get dirty and soak it all up.

And someday I hope to have a permanent home near the ocean.

One where we can kick off our shoes and enjoy many long days adventuring.

Do you have a home away from home? Somewhere that always calls you back? Or are you settled in your heart’s home?