Random Catch -up Stuff.

Its been forever since I blogged and loads of things have changed since I was last here; not the least that we spent 6 weeks tootling around overseas. What a time!
The garden fizzled whilst we were away but we weren't bothered by that - we let it go coming into winter since we knew we wouldn't be here to tend it. The kids dropped in and looked after the chickens marvellously - the girls were thriving when we got back.

I've begun to make my own almond milk; then dry and mill the meal left over to use in baking. It's an acquired taste after years of being a poddy calf and drinking gallons of cows milk for as long as I can remember, but it's growing on me. I love cows milk but it doesn't love me. lol.

Almond milk is really easy to make, or any nut milk for that matter. I use a cup of organic almonds, soaked  in spring or filtered water overnight (at least 12 hours) at room temperature. Add a dash of unrefined sea salt to the nuts and water. (this activates the nut - ie brings out all its nutrients) Next morning drain and rinse well. Add 4 cups of of spring or filtered water, blend madly until it's white and fluffy looking. Strain it into a bowl through a nut bag or muslin and squeeze out very carefully, taking care not to squish the meal back into the milk! Decant into a bottle and pop in the fridge. Dry the meal from the nut bag in the oven on about 170 c. Just spread it on an oven tray; I put oven paper on mine, and into the oven for a few hours until dry. It can then even be milled down to a flour if you wish; gluten free by the way. The milk takes all of five minutes to make and I know exactly what I'm getting. Almond milk has fewer calories and is lower in fat than cows milk which is a plus too. It can be sweetened with stevia if need be and is lovely with cinnamon or vanilla. I just use it anywhere I'd use cows milk.

I've changed my diet to boost my immune system etc since I contracted Guillain -Barre Syndrome courtesy of my first ever flu vaccine!!! For the most part I'm enjoying the changes..... well.......for the most part................! :))

Another Year in Paradise.

A new year and half way through January already. Did you make any "revolutions" for this year? lol - an old school friend and I use to call them revolutions because we figured if we actually carried them through it would revolutionise our lives! Soph passed away just before Christmas after a long illness; and  her passing made all of us who were privileged enough to have known her jump into the new year with renewed vigour and a smile of anticipation for what is around the corner. Her love for life and it's far -too-soon ending made for quiet reflection. I know that in midst of difficult times of course its very hard to see past it or believe things will get better; but you know really, it's just practise. Practising being grateful for what you have, appreciating those around you who bring you joy, acquiring knowledge and character rather than things. To live life to the fullest simply and with purpose, with joy and love, to pay forward the amazing blessings we have - that is our revolution. :)

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This heat is crazy! It's a bit all over the place here at the moment. The veggie garden has its tongue hanging out, my poor little chookies are struggling. Some horrid creature ate my lovely tomatoes and has moved onto the red chillies. He only ate the fully ripe ones. Just nibbled the top and moved on to the next one. ha - one can only hope the pain in its belly is punishment enough for him not to return!

Trying to keep the water up to the fruit trees and gardens is never-ending. Even the native birds are struggling in temps sometimes getting past 40c. I fill two birdbaths each morning to give them water but by lunch time they could probably make a cup of tea out of it. We've put shade cloth over the four main raised beds and that's saving them a bit but we just have to make the best of it. We haven't seen a fire near here so far so we have been so much more lucky than so many others in this fair land in recent weeks.

The herb garden seems to be coping ok; though my new stevia plant is looking a bit second-hand. I have some chillies (the ones that haven't been nibbled on)  drying on the back deck. Once they are fully dried I'll wizz them up and make chilli flakes for the spice rack. I was able to pick some cues, green striped tomatoes (can't remember their name), beans, capsicum, potatoes and strawberries. Even the girls gave me 3 eggs - little troopers!

Salad Days.

The spring veggies are thriving despite the intermittent temperature from hell.

I'm hoping for a good crop of tomatoes this year; last years were a write-off with all the rain.

TUESDAY

It has taken spending a lot of time away from this place to see life from a totally different perspective. Totally!

Every day off for ages has been spent dealing with family matters, ie. Marks mother and the difficulties in her remaining in the home as the Altzeimers takes an even stronger hold and then her move to the nursing home. It has been tiring, emotional on so many levels, stressful to the nth degree and at times we feel we've been trudging through mud! In these situations so often all the responsibility falls on just one person and their family.

In the midst of all of the craziness I began to lose sight of the joy of our dream here. Everything just seemed so much trouble; I'd come home and just want easy! I didn't want to muck out the chook pen or water the gardens or any other job. I wanted to eat some sort of take-away crap and not have to go into the kitchen at all. Even making bread or writing a blog :) was too much trouble. It was just too hard.

And then this morning........................! As I sat here in the office writing the next round of appointments in my diary I heard a familiar sound. My window looks out into the portico area at the front of the house. Above the front door were 5 little swallows. You may remember they had a nest on the wall when we first moved here and once the babies left it we knocked it down. They make an awful mess and it wasn't exactly what we wanted at the front door! Now swallows return every year to nest in the same place so we were advised to keep knocking down any nest they built and they would have to go elsewhere. Today they visited and when I  looked out I marvelled at their persistence and resilience. They may have had to move to have their babies but their instincts brought them back again to what they know and what is familiar. Of course they can't stay above the door; a big fake owl hanging in the portico for a week or so puts paid to that; but I enjoyed watching them this morning. They reminded me that even when something interrupts the flow of life, with persistence and resilience you can still revisit what you know, what is familiar, what is a comfort. I enjoy that, the security of it, of not having to over-think but simply enjoy. So thank you for reminding me of the joy of the familiar, you mucky little sweeties that mess up my front porch. Thank you............ now bugger off. :)

SPRING.

Isn't spring lovely?! Doesn't matter what's going on in life - the sun puts a whole new slant on things and a smile on your face.

I've been very busy; too, too busy; but it's just one of those seasons. I've finished my final assignment and sent it on its merry way; just an exam to do and then that's it! WOO HOO.

This week we've put in tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, pickling onions and leeks, carrots, cucumbers, beans, beetroot, more strawberries, sweet potato and in the new herb garden chamomile, lemon balm, sage, basil, as well as those I transplanted from one of the raised beds. The transplanted mandarin tree was looking rough for a few weeks but is now getting new growth so we might have succeeded with that. The fig is getting its spring leaves and the cuttings I took haven't carked it so my sister just might get her fig tree yet. :)
There's new growth on the fruit trees and they've all been fed and mulched  ready for the warmer days.

The chickens are laying an egg a day each, the little troopers, except dear Cackles who I'm pretty sure is past it. She just wanders about by herself when they're let out to free-range and isn't as adventurous as she use to be. She's a sweet little chook, an individual who just does her own thing. I quite like that in a chicken.

This weekend we're going to declutter the container - look out Gumtree! I'm determined to get rid of everything that isn't nailed down. lol. I hate clutter and feel weighed down when there's a lot of stuff hanging about that's not "earning it's keep" so to speak. I like the idea of moving it on so someone else can get use out of it.

And over the weekend we'll take the time to relax and put the feet up. We sometimes forget just how important that is and have to keep reminding ourselves that it's not only a good thing but also an essential thing to do.

LAVENDER DAYS.

LAVENDER OIL.

What you'll need.                                                                

fresh lavender flowers - you can use leaves and young stems but not old woody stems.

carrier oil   ( I use sweet almond which is a good all-purpose oil. You can use most oils but make sure you use one that doesn't have an overpowering smell. Be aware of allergies if you decide to use peanut oil!)

a jar with a tight fitting lid

cheesecloth, muslin or a fine strainer

dark glass bottles for storage of lavender oil.

Method.

collect flower heads/leaves/stems. I'm not making too much so I collected 1.5 cups of mainly flower heads and some soft stems.

 

Pop lavender into a jar, fill with oil, making sure everything is completely covered and put on the lid. Sit in a warm place for at least a couple of days. Give it a shake occasionally to make sure it's mixed. Strain out the lavender,squeezing out all the oil you can. Collect fresh flowers etc, adding to the jar, and do the process over again until the required perfume is reached.

Strain and decant into dark glass bottles. Keep in a cool, dark place and it should last for up to a year.

I won't go into the 1001 uses for lavender oil; there are innumerable books and websites on the subject. Suffice to say it's incredibly easy to make and because I like a very strong lavender smell I'm able to make it how I want it.

HULLO AGAIN.

It's been quite a hectic few weeks; it's so nice to be back.

Mark's mother was extremely ill; we nearly lost her. Physically she is back on her feet but the Altzeimers has progressed at an alarming rate since her illness  - the upshot being she will be moved to a care facility this week. It's been a really rotten time quite frankly; how often do we see other peoples agendas rise to the fore in difficult times and all this does is make a sad situation even more stressful. Amongst all this, my dear husband was first on the scene at a terrible fatal car accident just around the corner from us. A few days later we were told it was the youngest son of people we've known for years. So, so sad.

Anyway there's a lot to be done now, a home of 60 years to be emptied and sold. A lifetime to be fitted into a couple of suitcases.

In her more compos mentis moments Mark's mum is fine about going to the facility - that has made it a little easier on the family.

So life is busy, hectic and perhaps stressful at times but it's also funny, happy, with just a bit of crazy thrown in for good measure. That's life after all.

I'm making some lavender oil this week come hell or high water. I want to use some of the gorgeous stuff I've got growing in a pot outside my kitchen window. I'll tell you about it tomorrow . For now I'm going to sit outside and enjoy the sun.