So here we are 12 months on. On reflection it's been the busiest, most fun, most frustrating year of our lives. It's been such a time of learning; a time of establishing even more firmly in our lives the belief that life can be simple and abundant.
We've had successes and some failures - though the "failures" are just an integral part of the learning curve. We began this venture with a vision to be as self-sufficient as is possible for us.(self-sufficient.......ish)
I guess it's not what everyone would choose though more and more are. We, like so many people all over the world, have turned our back on the "gotta have it" mentality (I don't know that we ever really bought into that rubbish anyway). There is so much more to life (and to us) than owning "stuff". To be present - I mean
REALLY present in the moment is an art well-learned, and one I'm still to master completely. :)
So what are some of the things we've learnt??? For me - I've been able to grow so many more veges and fruit; quite a few additions to my vocabulary (bumble foot springs to mind), cured a chooks foot with natural remedies (this is where bumble foot comes in) learned how to make things I never knew one could make at home, coaxed the girls through the moulting period with barely a drop in production (eggs I'm talking about) found out I need to duck when walking under the tree where the bird-feeder hangs, been glad I decided to stockpile essentials so I didn't have to go to the shops for bits and pieces; and learned that its O.K............no .......essential to relax after a big day with a cold drink and feet up watching the birds and wildlife. A surprising lesson was that it's further for people to drive 20 mins in the country than it is to drive 20 mins in the city. :) There is so much more that we've done, achieved and learnt, for just one year it seems the list is huge.
We love our new life and the people who've come across our path because of it; interesting, clever people who have something to share and teach us. I've always appreciated the fact that I have a clever husband who is able to do most things but he has really come into his own out here. I come up with these ideas - not always practical and just a little crazy at times - but Mark finds a way to sort it out. Very handy man to have around. I think I'll keep him. :)
This is the crop of garlic drying a few weeks back. I had bought the cloves at Gloucester Organic Market ages ago. Garlic does feel like it takes forever to harvest (about 8 months for these) but its worth waiting for. I use to grow them in suburbia but only a few because of space. I think I got over 100 if I remember correctly. Given the amount of rain we've had here I was very surprised to get such a good crop.
I attempted to braid them (attempted but didn't do it very well) and hung them off my undercover clothes-line until we got some dampish weather so now they are strung up in the laundry cupboard. I never could braid Kim's hair when she was little - time hasn't improved my technique. :) The smaller ones I'll use and mince some of them, the others will last quite a few months.
I ran out of liquid soap in the laundry and kitchen a couple of days ago so thought I'd try to make my own. After consulting various recipes it seemed the easiest was just a cake of pure sunlight soap, grated and mixed with hot water. I did one cake to 4 litres of water, glycerine and lavender oil. I just winged it with the glycerine and lavender. It looked a bit like, well never mind, but the consistency wasn't pretty. lol. I scooped some into a pump bottle, about half filled it, topped it with hot water and gave it a shake. Viola! One less thing I have to think about.
The beginning on the left and the lovely goop on the right.
The end product. We'll see how it keeps. It's in the blue bucket with a lid on and the date that it was made. I know there are other ways to make it and I will experiment when I have more time but for the moment it will do just fine. :)
It's a new year for us and a new day tomorrow. See you then. :)
