A trip to Port Fairy

The Goslings' Grandparents live in Port Fairy and that's where we spent last weekend.  It is the perfect destination for families with young children.  It's just an hour and forty five minutes from the Mount (a bit more if you stop on the way to feed the baby) but I find not many people from the Mount exploit its proximity ... most head towards Robe.

The southern end of East Beach.

As soon as we finished unloading the car we walked to the beach.  The southern end of East beach is calm, sheltered, shallow and often covered with shells.  Miss Gosling peeled her clothes off as soon as she hit the sand and ran around with glee for a good half an hour.  A great way to wear her out.  After snacks, her lovely aunt took her for a walk along the jetty to see the boats coming in.  There is seal and big sting ray that both visit the ramp to eat scraps fishermen throw in while cleaning their catch.  It's tuna season at the moment and the men were bringing in very big fish.

We spent a morning walking over the shops and stocking up on toys and books from the op shops for the Grandparents house, had coffees and babycinos and ducked into the lolly shop.  It's a beautiful shop - more like a large cupboard lined with shelves of sweets of every shape and size.  It's irresistible.

The jetty.  It really does look like all the post cards.  I just snapped this photo on my phone.

There's lots more to say in praise of Port Fairy - the shopping is great, the day spa is a real treat, Miss Gosling rates the play park VERY highly, the cannons at Battery Point are of little interest to a two year old but there's a great hill for rolling down.   I won't say anymore, I'll leave it to you to discover yourself.

Baking

I love to bake.  Miss Gosling loves it too.  I'm pretty sure she likes the beaters, the sugar bowl and pats of butter best, but along the way she's learning how to stir, use a rolling pin, break an egg, measure a teaspoon and use a knife safely. She's also seeing how real food is prepared from scratch.  I don't get too hung up on super healthy food.  I think there's value in looking at the whole experience of preparing, sharing, eating and storing food, not just the fat content of the raw ingredients.  We made these shortbread for afternoon tea with little friends, and ate them in the sun on the verandah.  Lovely. 

Short bread. 

Excursion to Carpenters Rocks

We took the Goslings to Carpenters Rocks recently.  This is our favourite local beach destination.  It's so beautiful with the lighthouse mounted high above a rocky outcrop.  There are rock pools and shallow coves to explore, sweeping beaches, a wrecked boat for interest and miles and miles of uninterrupted views.  In winter it's blustery and wild, and in summer it's the perfect place for a shallow paddle.  The only drawback is it's also a popular destination for trail bike riders.  Don't get me started.  Why oh why hasn't South Australia banned beach access for bikes and cars?  As far as I can see, they RUIN the atmosphere with their noise and pollution and they are devastating the fragile dune environments.  However, don't let this put you off, they aren't there often and the beach is so vast it's big enough to accommodate everyone (if you can ignore the revving in the distance).

The Gander and Miss Gosling at Carpenters Rocks

Fruit & Veg Swap Meet

This year our veggie patch yielded lots and lots of garlic.  More garlic than one family can possibly use.  Luckily I harvested it around the same time the Mount Gambier Fruit & Veg Swap Meet started up.  Last December I took the garlic along, with some potatoes and onions, and came home with lemons, spinach, cucumbers, rhubarb and basil.  

I've been to each swap meet since then.  Last Saturday I only had half a dozen eggs to swap.  I traded them for some baby spinach, cherry tomatoes and garlic chives.  It's so easy!  You just put your produce on the table and take what you think is a fair trade.  The whole event has such a casual, friendly vibe.  I've met lots of other gardeners, learnt all sorts of tips for growing and preserving veggies, and swapped recipes for future gluts of rhubarb / zucchinis / carrots etc.  The organisers are hoping it will expand so people bring along worm castings, seeds and seedlings.  One lady has been bringing rhubarb crowns. I took one in January and already it has tripled in size.  Maybe I'll be able to take some rhubarb along next summer!

The swap meet is on the Mount Gambier Library verandah, 10am - 11am.  The next three dates are 2 April, 17 April and 14 May 2011.  For more information call the Library or South East Regional Community Health on 8724 5222.

Our free range eggs for the swap meet.  Dated with help from Miss Gosling.

The Womens Work Depot

This shop might look a bit dated, but don't let that put you off - I did, for too long.  It's gold.  Pure gold.

A friend told me you can buy great pav shells there.  Then a mum from playgroup told me she loves the knitted clothes for kids.  Then I saw a sign in the window for home made ice cream.  That clinched it for me, I was in the door in a flash.

I haven't tried the pavs, and the kids clothes are cute (though reminiscent of 1980's Family Circle), and the ice cream is sublime.  It's the real stuff.  No dodgy thickeners, sweeteners or dairy by-products, just eggs, sugar, cream and condensed milk, plus vanilla or chocolate. And a steal at $4.50 for half a litre.  I think it's better than any other ice cream you can buy in the Mount, and that's including when Molten stocked Timboon.

They also have frozen lasagnes, sausage rolls and pasties, plants, fruit & veg and dozens of slices and biscuits.  I can vouch for the anzacs and chocolate melting moments.  And it's all so scandalously cheap I might never bake again.

The Depot opened in 1970.  It has about 100 members contributing goods.  It's non profit and all proceeds go to charity.  Go check it out.

Mount Gambier Library

I had a full morning of activities planned in town for the Goslings today, but things went awry the moment we left home.  I wanted to print some photos at Hardly Normal, but they were opening late on account of the public holiday.  So we scooted over to Target but found the same again.  I should have known better.  Luckily I found the Public Library already open for business, just seconds after Miss Gosling announced "Wet. Pants."

This library is awesome.  I've could sing it's praises to countless tunes, and I plan to in future blogs, but today I'm in love with the parenting facilities.   Next to the kid's section there is a clean, bright space for parents and their offspring.  There's a little toddler loo, change table, kitchen sink and microwave AND comfy chairs for breastfeeding.  They have curtains you can draw around for privacy or you can keep them open to monitor your toddler playing as you feed the baby.  Very handy.  The area feels like it was actually designed by parents of little kids.

The children's section at Mount Gambier Library

Anyway, this morning I certainly got my taxes worth.  We changed nappies, played, read, snacked in the cafe, changed more nappies, fed Master Gosling, played some more then headed over to Target, who was just opening its lazy doors at 11.  By the time we got back in the car, everyone was dry, fed and ready for sleep.  And lucky for me both Goslings managed the tricky car-to-bed transfer when we got home.  Yay.

Where do you head in Mount Gambier when you need to change a nappy or top up a baby?

Back in shape

Actually, I've never been "in shape".  I like to walk and I like to swim and that's about it.  Luckily, I've never had to do much more to fit into my jeans, but having two babies in two years has taken its toll.  Parts of my body were toned and slender by virtue of youth alone and have recently taken on a rather sluggish and ill-defined shape.  And my pelvic floor is the worse for wear.  Not happy.  I'm not grasping to get my pre-baby body back (though why didn't I love it more when I had it?)  I accept that baby bearing changes a body.  I just want to fit into my clothes without cutting my circulation off at the waist.  I don't want to buy a new wardrobe (and can't afford to) and I want to be healthy and energetic for the Goslings.

So yesterday I bought a gym pass.  I have never, EVER been to a gym and have frequently sworn I never would.  I used to walk through one on my way to the pool.  The gorillas in the weights room gave me the heeby jeebies and I've never understood the appeal of cardio equipment.  It's a bit creepy seeing rows of strangers marching in the same direction, vacantly staring ahead into the middle distance at some twaddle on daytime telly.  The zombies are coming ...  Still, I find I can't motivate myself at home.  I need structure, a commitment and someone to show me what to do.  So after chatting with friends with littlies, I've signed up at Activ8 Health and Sports Centre.  They've got a creche and a class that focusses on core strength and abdominal toning.  To give myself a kick start, I bought some new sneakers.  No backing out now.  I can't start til next Tuesday, when I'm six weeks post partum, so I've still got some time to psyche myself up.  Wish me luck!

Are you doing any post-baby physical activity?  What works for you? 

My new joggers.  And what I'm much comfier in.