"Mothering" Day

Mother's day here in Australia, and lots of places around the world.
I became an Auntie again today-, after a brief but potent brush with pre-eclampsia all is well for my sister and I have a Daisy Lou to make quilts for ...how big do you think the temptation is to try to whip up a big appliqued daisy blanket before I go to see her on Tuesday?????

Mothering in all forms is highly prized here, not just the human type, because on a farm good mothering is even a criteria for choosing stock.

Not everyone here is as capable as the Isabelle the cat.
She is going for mother of the year-well, breeder of the year anyway, but we wont talk about that!
We have been lambing for about a week. DH is busy in the tractor so I have been looking after the stock. I walk around them as much as possible, I like exercise with a purpose and it is less disturbing for the sheep...also means I can carry the camera easily.
You see a lot of stuff-
You run into the mother's who are just too tired to get up-

And then, you get her up and she runs away across the paddock so she has to be reminded of her duties by a day in the tank....

which would definitely make me pull my socks up!

Then when you have sorted that out you find the ones that the mother just forgot....
This one took a shine to Archie! I can see why....

We often try to foster these onto a mother who has lost her lamb, but as we are only lambing one mob so far and the weather has been kind, there aren't a lot losing their babies....

-which means it has to come home, where the junior "I am going to by my own farm" worker takes over the mothering!

The lamb spent the night in the kids cubby (!!) then both little darlings spent a large proportion of this afternoon trying to make it a yard before their father blew a foofer valve over it sitting squawking and doing whatever else at the back door. They dragged in the broken rose climber and threaded it with string...and pegs, and extra string. Great fun!
So this is not just Happy Mother's day from me, it is have a great day to all those out there who are carers in every shape and form-well done!

I am contemplating ending a lovely day with a bit of Stephanie Plum reading in a bubble bath-does it get much better than that? - I survived yesterday's market and you will get a report for ideas but I will do that separately for all those googlers that come searching and don't need to know everything!.
Here is a little bit of appropriate stitching my very caring quilt friends helped me finish on Friday night,

Have a great day, and here's to a peaceful week where I get to visit you all for a catch-up! Tracey