Juniper cafe, 6 July 2016

Hayden and I celebrated the end of our six-month 'sabbatical' at a lovely little cafe near our home. Beautiful books, warmth, coffee and great food. That's our speed of celebration.

warm day, cool drink

I'm trying to keep pace with documenting Tim's favourite drinks as we head into summer.  Recently he has most often been requesting a 'pink smoothie' (that's a smoothie made with berries and bananas).

I'm also trying to get myself (and my camera) used to the low light situation in our new home.  I tell myself it's not gloomy, it's shady, cool and dim. And calm.

photo of the month

Tim's current favourite thing is reading in bed - our bed.  He loves to bunch the doona up around himself, even on warm days.

loves working in the kitchen

...though it is sometimes hard to push the drawer closed, past one's post-lunch tummy.

swings

I love these photos.  They're the kind that I love, loud and proud, while people I show them to just smile and nod politely.  There are a few in that category (this is another one) but it doesn't bother me at all.  It's just curious.  I am glad I can post them here for myself, where I can just enjoy looking at them.  

out-takes

Hayden (and Timmy) and I did a little photoshoot for S and her lovely family.  Amongst quite a few good ones, which she will actually be able to use and send to family and friends, I also loved these two out-takes.  They show kind of what I was going for - the fun, relaxed, beachy/surfy sort of vibe of her family, filled with love and laughter.

Mosaic of my Favourite Things

Mosaic of my Favourite Things, originally uploaded by &Naomi.

Looking at my favourites all together, I notice that they're very homey and indoorsy. Not so long ago, I would have included my well-worn passport, backpack, hiking boots, bicycle and Lonely Planet guides in the mix. Where are these things now? Packed away, well out of daily use. I was issued a new passport just after falling pregnant, and I can't imagine when it's going to get its first stamp. I tell myself that outdoor adventure does not have to end when the baby arrives, but I'm not sure I'm entirely convinced...

1. Wedding photos and rings. My engagement ring is my most special possession - a complete one-off designed by a most enthusiastic new jeweller to Hayden's specifications, all organised in secret while I was away travelling for work. I could not bear to lose it - the mould was destroyed when the ring was made, and there's no way we could recreate the spirit that went into the making of it.

2. Automatic computer backup machine - this has every photo I've taken and every word I've typed since 2007, all stored safe and sound ... I've lost it all before but never again!

3. Camera

4. Macbook with ultrasound pic on the desktop - the image I open up to every day.

5. Journal, pencil case, favourite writing pen and box of print photographs - all ways to record my thoughts, my feelings and my days

6. Magazines - one of my favourite ways to relax

7. Datebook - I love to be organised. There, I've said it. I know it sounds boring, but I find that I'm completely free to be spontaneous when I know that the bills are paid and the insurance is up-to-date.

8. Favourite books - most of my books are in storage at the moment, but I kept a few precious ones aside

9. well-stocked pantry

10. Sardines on toast! I am really loving cooking and eating for pregnancy

11. Well-used coffee pot ... I can't wait to get back to drinking a couple of cups a day

12. Bed

13. 'Pursuit of Love' mug.. the book was the first grown-up one I read; the mug was a present to myself on the day I received some lovely feedback on my writing.

14. Sunset .. at the beach of course

15. DVDs - there is no arthouse cinema in our town, so we have to make our own!

16. Bathtime

17. Breakfast with a view

18. Sharing a bottle of wine ... though I haven't done this for a while

19. Ultra-sensible, helpful baby books - these are keeping me sane through pregnancy

20. The beginnings of getting the nursery together. Well we've made a start.

stillness at the end of the day

through a long lens

Hayden has gone to New Zealand this week, taking with him two of our three shared Canon lenses. He left me behind with the longest one, the 70-300 zoom. Until yesterday I had considered it too heavy and unwieldy to bother with (and it does take getting used to, all that extra weight), but while the other lenses are gone I am getting to know it a bit better.

I feel ever so slightly more confident about what I will do next time our local wedge-tailed eagle alights on one of those dead branches. I had never thought of myself as a wildlife photographer before.

Still got lots to learn.