###### Today is the first day of the rest of my year. It's a public holiday, but one in which I don't need to go back to work tomorrow. We've taken a year of long service leave to actually *live* and not do the daily grind to work. We're so privileged to be able to do so. In Australia, long service leave is accrued so that you can be paid for taking time off, because we are so far away from the rest of the world that it would give those in the colonies a chance to go back to Europe to see family and not lose their jobs. 

Being January 28th, we'd normally be preparing for work, but not today - today we're doing what we have done for most of the holidays. If the wind and the tide is right, we go for an early surf. We  have a few days of super early low tides, and our breaks are best to surf as the tide is going out. This means getting up at sparrows fart, making a coffee, and driving very carefully in the dark to try to avoid kangaroos. I hit one last summer - no real damage to the van but a dented bumper bar. Still, it could have been worse. 

![image.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/bfeWxvsN-image.png)

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> **'The best day of your life is the one in which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you are the one responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins' - Bob Moawad**

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![image.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/hzBqsHgk-image.png)

There's nothing, and I mean *nothing* better than a surf for me. It takes away all my pain - and I've had bad elbow tendonitis from blogging too much, and asthma from those few days of smoke that we had from the fires. I've vowed to swim in the ocean every day this week because it totally clears my lungs out. Here's me looking peaceful and happy post surf. I was pretty cold so we drove home with me in that hooded towel - so cosy! I felt great for the rest of the day, totally energizes from my surf! It was tiny, and I did a kinda somersault flip and felt my neck twinge, so I'm feeling pretty achy this evening as I write this. Never mind, another surf tomorrow will fix it! If you think the surf looks small in the sunrise photo, it was - but it did pick up as the tide went out and we got a few good waves. I can feel like a fat clumsy whale on land, but boy when I get *on* a wave I feel like a dolphin! 
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Then, breakfast. Breakfast at the moment features mangoes, bananas and various toppings - it's summer, so a good healthy breakfast is easy. My husband's staple is vegemite and avocado on toast - a very Aussie breakfast around these here parts. I was starving post surf so I had some as well. Food of the gods. 

Then, into the garden. We have 5 acres so we have to do at least an hour every day just to keep up with it. My chickens have gone to a friends place for 8 months as we're about to go travelling, so it's a bit quiet in the garden, apart from kookaburras! I spent a few hours today clearing up the paths of chicken shit and leaves, pruning the elderberry and pulling out the kale plants that have gone to seeds. It's not a good year for tomatoes - it's been a bit cold at night. I was pleased to get a few though.

![20200114_172827.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/MmM7eUJq-20200114_172827.jpg)

Then, it's lunchtime - today's lunch was noodles with a bone broth with reishi, cabbage and tofu. I was gifted a huge cabbage so I had craving for some kind of cabbage soup. I think I'm coming down with something, so I craved soup with pickled garlic I had left over from last year's crop. One thing I don't like about holidays is having to cook three meals a day - I don't usually, when I'm at work, preferring to buy at a cafe or just go without. However, on the other hand, it's fun being creative with food too.  

![20200125_122707.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/kDiFcAcR-20200125_122707.jpg)

I've been absolutely loving reading again. I have spent each lunchtime reading this week, which has been a joy - Catch 22 is such a gallavanting, bonkers, crazy read. Have you read it? 

By this time, my husband is begging me to help him with the Landrover. We've spent two days trying to fix the clutch - well, I say we, but my role is usually to press the pedal down when he says so. Another week and this daily routine of ours will be disrupted because we will be off travelling somewhere in it, at least for a few days before we head to India and Europe at the end of the month. Look at my happy smiling man. He's so darn happy with his Landrover. I'm so proud of him for the work he's put in - all of January has been 12 hour days on this baby, with a few breaks to come to the beach when I force him to! 

![20200127_170604.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/GToBER5t-20200127_170604.jpg)

In the afternoon, we head back down to the beach for a freedive and snorkel. It was a bit windy down there and murky, and we need to get weight belts as I struggle to get down without them. I also need to get some proper free diving flippers. It was nice to wash off shed dust and petrol fumes though and have some more saltwater healing. We have this great secret spot with a tunnel and cave for swimming too - it's so amazing, and not many tourists know about it! 

![image.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/Is7zUzBR-image.png)


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> **Oh, it's such a perfect day**
> **I'm glad I spend it with you** 
> **Lou Reed**
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![image.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/9K0p6W21-image.png)


We haven't been drinking a lot, but on super busy days like today, a beer goes down pretty well, I tell you. We walked around the garden and admired the gum trees blooming. Listening to the kookaburras and watching the sunset is pretty awesome when you don't have to work the next day. Truly blessed. 

![image.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/FmEUO91Q-image.png)

Dinner was zucchini pizza. Mum used to make it when we were kids. We don't eat cheese often but honestly, when I have a craving for zucchini pizza there is nothing you can do to stop me. It's also summer here so we have soooo many zucchinis coming out of the garden it's not even funny. This pizza is also kickass cold - we'll be taking it to the beach for breakfast tomorrow methinks! 

![image.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/43hnbBC4-image.png)

#### Zucchini Pizza

*Make the pizza dough by mixing 8 g of yeast, 2 cups of flour, 1 tsp of sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl with enough warm water to make a dough. Knead until the dough is silky soft and pliable, and then leave in a covered bowl to double in size.*

*Meanwhile, thinly sliced 4 zucchinis and two - three spring onions (and garlic if using) and saute in olive oil til zucchinis are soft.*

*Roll out your pizza dough into either small rounds or to fit a pan. I use baking paper so it doesn't stick. Smear tomato paste (I used ajvar, which is a paste made out of eggplant and capsicum or peppers) and then add your zucchinis. Add torn shreds of basil and some capers or olives, and your cheese of choice.*

*Put in a hot oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbly. Enjoy!*

# What does a normal day look like for you? 



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