Living Simply Out and About

I've been enjoying the term holidays. It's nice to have a change of pace with enough time to talk to friends, go for leisurely walks and simply take it easy. 
I caught up with old college friends on my friend's farm. Good, homecooked food, wonderful company, hills and mountain ranges.
We stopped off at the Great Western Seppelts Winery. Lots of sun and, though I don't drink wine, the history of the place interested me greatly. 

In the middle of nowhere, you never know what you might see!

I've spent a bit of time at a friend's house close to where Mr S works, so I get to see him every day.

Mr S's brother is over for a visit so we've been doing sightseeing. I've only ever paid short visits to Daylesford and Hepburn Springs but this time I got to spend a few days up there. So much: cottages, historic buildings, bushland, relaxation, the lake. I bought two beautiful "reused" tables for our home, drank mineral water fresh from the spring and I discovered a cafe-though expensive- which combines the heavenly ambience of a homely library and a cosy lounge. Divine. Even if it doesn't sell chai lattes.

There was also time to catch up with family and join in the annual Easter egg hunt.

We've kept living simply with the occasional treat here and there. We brought food from home that was already in the cupboard rather than eating out at restaurants. We lit warm fires at night using firewood from the property and picked pears off the tree.  Going for walks costs nothing. Long, endless talks with friends is priceless. I did lash out and buy a couple of small, beautiful tables which we needed for our lounge area. I saved up money for some home accessories last year that was never spent so I "transferred" the funds from there to finance it.

I think I'm not farm girl material but I love being close to nature: one toe in the bush and one foot in a cottage in a small town sounds like perfection to me. I love the character of country towns. I'm grateful to my friend for opening up her home. I'm already thinking about the next time I can get up there. 
We were going to do some weeding for her but her warning not to poke around woodpiles, lest we waken the snakes, has ensured we stick to the paths when walking in the bush and kept us at a safe distance from her garden!