Flowers and bunnies

Maybe because I feel so much for Mae and what she is going through, I'm feeling a bit brittle myself and rather glad not to be anybody's therapist at present. I'm having trouble reading the news because thinking about awful events just feels like overload. Even fiction about crime or misery or misfortune is frankly too hard at present and I'm avoiding it. Extremely unlikely to watch a Tarantino movie or read a Patricia Cornwall novel. I'm managing my emotional pain levels by paying attention to happy, uplifting, simple, optimistic things. Like bunnies and flowers. Here are some flowers, snapped last week during our latest visit to Canberra. Spring is well and truly spring and the weather was gorgeous.

This is a Manchurian pear. The white blossoms give way to pretty leaves, that eventually turn all kinds of colours in autumn and then the winter branches are very sculptural. I wonder if you can grow this tree on the mid north coast?

A crab apple. Please note the artistic composition - the tree canopy mirrors the shape of the roof...

 This is my favourite blossom tree - a Dutch Elm

Elm blossoms up close

Having had some flower photos, let's turn our attention to bunnies. This is Evie demonstrating cupboard love. She jumped up on my lap and allowed some patting, but only because there was a bowl of carrot peelings involved.

This is the garden bunny, now named "Ellem" ( LM for lawnmower, geddit?) Ellem is a "wild" rabbit who has adopted Mae and Nick's place and sleeps in their garage. Here she's having a daytime snooze under a bush, with her eyes closed and the ears flat.

She hears the camera clicking and one ear goes up.

Having had flowers, then bunnies, now we have bunny and flowers. Ellem chows down the backyard floral display.

Continuing the theme, Julian does bunny ears.

On Saturday David and I went with Julian and Keliyah to Questacon. Keliyah ran into our arms when we picked her up and remembered everything from the last time we saw her. She said, I'm five! Later she said, I love you Sue and I love you too David!  K has always known us as "Sue and David" although she does also tell people we are her grandparents. Lindsey's Sharloe calls us "Nanna and Fafa" - I like that too.

 Keliyah loved Questacon.

On Sunday we drove back home. The house is still looking very new, plonked in a bare paddock. It's quite an unusual form, uncompromisingly modern. We really like it, but I'm guessing it is a bit confronting for some people. Especially at the moment when it is so exposed. Garden will soften and blend it in.

We have chosen a pared back, minimalist look. Inside is a big empty space at the moment, with a few basics. Most of our stuff is still in storage.

Furniture and boxes will be arriving early in October. The minimalist look will give way to clutter!