the world is still a good place, the 2/1/14 edition

The world is still a good place.  This time of year is tough for a lot of people, including the bereaved.  I've been feeling David's absence more acutely these past few weeks.  A "Merry Christmas Brother" card in Woolworths was very nearly the undoing of me a few weeks back.  It's little unexpected things that can trigger sadness, but it's also little unexpected things that remind me that the world is still a good place.

the world is still a good place

• Now we've found a teat that Lucy likes, she's powering.  She's wagging her tail and twirling and doing the little post-milk happy dance that calves do.  She's well enough to be cheeky.  Yesterday when Mum bent over, Lucy put her head between Mum's legs and gave Mum ride on her neck.  That's my picture of Mum on her 64th birthday: trapped by a calf and a denim skirt, legs waving in the air, laughing proper happy laughs.  Later, after licking my leg, she bunted me in the va jayjay, the way calves smack their heads into their mother's udders to stimulate supply.  More happy laughs (after I regained the ability to talk!)
  

  naughty Lucy attempts to send Mum flying head first into a cow pat

• Someone is leaving baby carrots for Lucy on the front lawn.  I guess they figure that baby cows eat baby carrots.  Bless.
  

  she's a ways off carrots

• I saw in the new year with family and a girlfriend I haven't seen since she moved across the world.  The girls watched the 8.30pm fireworks, then went to sleep like angels.  Mum's birthday white chocolate and fresh raspberry cheesecake made the trip from the farm and onto the plate without cracking (despite my blood alcohol content during serving).
  

  success!

• Yesterday, I couldn't raise my brother Ant or his fiancé on the phone for hours.  They were coming to town for Mum's birthday and I knew I should have been able to reach them.  By the third hour I was really freaked.  They weren't in a ditch, Ant had just misplaced his phone and Flic's was on silent. Cue relieved tears.
• When they did arrive, they bought the sweetest mud crabs I've tasted in forever!  We soaked up mud crab juice with fresh ciabatta, drank cold wine, toasted Mum and Bearhands drove home.
• The shower door came off its hinges last night as I was getting out and despite being wet, slippery and au naturel, I managed to catch it before it smashed on the floor.  A year at the gym may not have made me fitter or thinner, but I must be stronger!
  

  the inter web is not ready for photo of that!

I'm having such a blast writing the blog.  Recently someone pointed out to me that writing a good blog is like throwing an awesome party.  So I figure there's no point in putting on a keg if you'd all prefer a nice sav blanc.  So my goal for the new year is this:Will you please help make 2014 a fabulous soiree?  I've put together a quick poll so I can write the stuff you want to read. I'm even dangling a carrot: if you include your email address in the survey, I'll choose a winner at random and create a personalised biscuit recipe just for them.  If the winner is Australian, I'll even post a tin of their special biscuits to them!

Click here to answer ten quick questions and be in the running!

how did the holidays treat you?

were you as surprised as I was to see hot crossed buns at the Supermarket on the 27th?