July Slow Living Notes • Wintertime in the Bay
- mavisandflo
- Aug 8
- 5 min read
July, what a great month. Coinciding with the school holidays it was a wonderful month of catching up with family and friends. And also for realising the importance of watching the sunrise. Both of those things are always so good for the soul.
Our little family grew in July. I became a Great Aunt again when beautiful Matilda James arrived earth side. How divine it is to watch little baby’s sleep? And why do I always forget just how little babies are? As someone whose job it actually was to look after babies you would think that I would remember that. I adore watching babies sleep, and as I held little Matilda she preformed all of those amazing face gymnastics that intrigue me. From frowning deeply or smiling broadly, I wonder, what is she seeing or dreaming? Is there a beautiful angel whispering secrets into her ear? My thoughts can not help but slide to think of my mum. How she would love Matilda as fiercely as she loved all of her great grand daughters, her grandaughters and her one grandson. And I think she would be absolutely delighted that her ‘girl legacy’ continued. Oh how I miss my mum.
Living in the Bay at wintertime was always going to be new and interesting. Holidays at the Bay were always from October to May. With camping holidays spent in the bush (my husband’s favourite) during wintertime. So we have both been delightfully surprised at how warm the days are. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some cool days when the wind is icy and jackets are needed. The mornings are chilly too, but nothing compared to the frosty mornings from our past home. The beautiful sun filled days have led us to continue our exploration of the bay further.
We boarded the Tea Gardens Ferry which took us across the Bay and docked where we enjoyed a scrumptious seafood chowder. The beauty of the Ferry crossing is a joy within itself. Having done the trip in reverse 7 years ago I knew that if I stood at the bow I would be greeted by the dolphins as they swam along with the boat. What a delight, seeing their magical powers, swimming so fast, sliding from side to side with what look like a smile and a wink to us from above.
We have also continued our exploration of the Coastal Walk that we have conquered by breaking it up into sections. These hikes are hard, not physically (although they do give you a bloody good workout) but it is hard in knowing just where to look. I need to now concentrate on where I am walking. But it is virtually impossible as my mind’s eye can not decide where to look.
Shall I look at the beautiful rugged scenery of the rocky cliff that we are walking on? Do I look at the incredible natural walkways filled with natural staircases, rocks and plants? Do I focus on the water which is such a brilliant blue with so many whales frolicking in the water? These whales seem to make a game of blowing out huge sprays of water from their blowholes, just to let you know that they are there. Other whales jump high into the water arching their backs as they dive smoothly through the water. Or what about that group of whales that seem to be teaching their little babies how to thump their tails on the water.
Seriously this is all going on at one time. It is really unbelievable. After our hike we were warm so decided to take our first ever winter swim in the ocean. Our favourite little waterhole near the rock pools was very welcoming. Oh it was magnificent to be in the water again. And it was not nearly as cold as I thought it would be, I honestly did not want to get out of the water. Although the idea of a good coffee in a cup always gets me moving.
It was surprising at how busy the township was especially during the school holidays. I guess a lot of people knew the secret before us, how good the Bay can be in winter. The Winter Festival ends the school holidays with a big car show in the centre of town. I thought it would be a great way to soak up the atmosphere and pack up all my handmade goods and kits from the studio and do a market stall.
It was so good to talk crafty handmade talk with fellow makers and people who wandered into my stall. And the best bit? My son (the the one grandson, in a sea of granddaughters) came to help me for the day! Can I just say how man power makes set up and pack up of a market stall a breeze? How I loved spending time with him there. And to think that I did a market stall with my mum at the same market in the bay over thirty years ago? Priceless! My only regret? I did not get a photo of us together.
Of course, winter is always a great time to snuggle indoors when the it all gets a bit too cold. Creating granny squares for the Slow Granny Blanket Project and creating baby Matilda’s newborn blanket has kept me busy in the studio. As was a restock of handmade goodness at Charli Blue Collective
To keep me company while creating, I have watched many great tv shows this month. Mostly about women + sisters; funny that.
My library pile has been high this month. At my local library the popular books can be placed on hold (one book has 128 holds on it) or you can borrow it as a ‘grab and go’ which means you have 14 days to read it (instead of 3 weeks). Well two of my reservations came up at the same time, which meant I had two big novels to read in 14 days, which is quite hilarious if you are bookworm like me or you may consider it completely boring.
July library books and slow winter reading at home.
But I managed the task. All books read this month were very good but 'The Titanic Story of Evelyn' deserves a special mention, just because her story is incredible and everyone should know about it. And Sarah Wilson’s book ‘This One Wild and Precious Life’ also clearly stated the importance to walk through the ‘shittiness’ of pain so it doesn’t get 'locked into your body and psyche’. That was one ‘ahh’ moment for me and I have been doing just that. Walking through all of my problems, nerves, anxiety etc. and you know for me it is helping.
In another delightful surprise for this month of July is realising that the sunrise can be seen from our bedroom window. What a treasure. Now that we know that our mornings in the Bay house are limited, I love to wake up early to make the most of watching the sunrise from my bed (previously the only time I have had that pleasure is when we have been camping in the roof top tent on the beach).
So when my husband has left for work, I toddle out into the blackness to make a coffee (very careful not to wake the dog, outside) and then I snuggle back down under my big winter quilt and watch the magic happen. The range of colours that turn the sky the most amazing array of colours even before the sun peeks up over the horizon is breathtaking. Once it has arrived, I take my time to write morning pages and then I read some of my current book. It is a perfect slow morning ritual that I promised myself when life was crazy busy. It is the most beautiful way to start the day, nice and slow before breakfast, listening to the birds and feeling so happy that we made this move.
Remember to do something just for yourself today,
Melissa.
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