Ramble: Time

not something I seem to do well with at the moment, piling again too many projects on and not spending the time I would like to give each one in an effort to get them all done.

So I am slowing down, sorry to those projects that did not make my list for now, you will be in on the next round!! It seems so easy to say, yet hard to do, I see so much that I want to do and that needs to be done I try and take them all at once, however it has meant some of my other passions have failed and faltered and those I need to pick back up and concentrate on because without them the other projects are just not so much fun.

So, I wont be quite going all the way to Tonga time, but somewhere in between, I am just lengthening my shutter speed and enabling myself the time to put more detail into the projects that are on at the present.

Not normally a rambler, but there we go.

Family time

Tonga is very committed to all the family helping with the chores, each member of the family plays their role in the day to day life and settings here. It is nice to see families working together, I grew up with my brother always being with my mum and dad and at their work. It was nice, I think today its too easy to forget that just time together is as important as fun and exciting times.

One Saturday I was at the beach and witness to one family as they were bringing in their pandanus leaves which they use for the weaving of the mats. They place the dried leaves into the shallow ocean waters to naturally bleach them before again drying them and then creating the mats.

These mats are either sold in the local market or sent to a family member for funerals, birthdays and celebrations. Traditionally the sails of the canoes and vessels would also have been woven this way however there are different pandanus trees for these.

It was thoroughly enjoyable watching them separate and string the pandanus leaves, the littlest one of the right became a huge fan of having his photo taken and to much amusement of his sister would just wave at me no matter what.

New pandanus being set for seven days.

I hope her family cooked her a nice mothers day lunch yesterday, its a huge day here as is family day and fathers day, yet to come.

For real

I did the recycling vegetable garden today, many of us on Facebook share posts and ideas about ways to improve our sustainability and conservation for our gardens, homes, lives and careers, but I am actually trying to do several of them.

Generally, we are pretty good, we are active in conservation around the islands through VEPA and through our business, but the one place that seems lacking in our time and care has been our house. Its a wonderful place and now we are turning it from a "house" to a "home".

ha ha, how are we doing this and what does it mean? Simply before we lived here we came, we went, but what we did not do was spend time and enjoy it. What we are doing now is putting up art, unpacking all the boxes, and finally getting the place looking and running like it should.

So before I blabber on, I built three planting/seeding areas today - my plastic bottle recyclable attached to plywood - my small growing garden and my seedlings trays.

One of the issues with growing vegetables for where we are is finding a place that has the right amount of shade and sun but is protected for the salt air. So we have to do small testing sites to see what works.

We are also clearing land to have access down to the water and chipping the offcuts to fill holes in our garden - all in all not a small project but a fun one at present!!!!

Here are some pics of the recycle garden and my cuttings of sandalwood, citrus and bougainvillea shoots. The mini garden will be finished tomorrow and my rocket will be going in there.

Enjoy, it was easy and will be doing lots more if it works......

Sandalwood- an illegally and over-harvested species

Citrus and bougainvillea plants

My recyclable vege patch on generator shed

Yes, we like apple juice!!!!!