Heat Waves and Eco Guilt ......

Wow...summer has hit us with a bang......the heatwave this week has been exhausting....I have read blogs were those who care as much as I do about the environment haven't used their air cons because of the electricity usage....made me rethink my committment to the planet....bit of a conundrum really...I have used our evaportive cooling every day without a thought to the environmental impact....I'm feeling a little guilty but have had to weight it up ....family members stayed with us as they didn't have cooling at their home....is this a justification....my only solution to this dilema is get the solar panels on the roof as soon as possible....that way the power I use will be renewable and not increasing my carbon footprint....these type of issues will always be cause to reconsider what we do and how it impacts everything around us....I have also used plenty of water in the vegie gardens....cooled off the chooks with a quick hose....I don't have water tanks in place as yet...they are also on the list....weighing up water usage and sustainability of plants and animals......more food for thought...,..I have a serious case of Eco Guilt......am I practicing what I preach......am I green when it suits me....I have nothing but admiration for those who are so committed they don't use their air con when the temperature is over 40 deg.....the rest of us should still continue to do everything that they can....install solar and water tanks....that is my project for this year.

Pumpkins have survived the heatwave so far....a couple of pumpkins on it..



Tomatoes have had a big growth spurt during the heat....managed to keep them alive...

Zucchinis and beetroot all going well...beetroot needs to be picked and bottled...maybe
when the weather cools down next week.

Hopefully we have all survived the heat and risk of bushfire....the planet is warming and we can expect more episodes like this in the future....we all need to do our bit..I think every bit , no matter how small, if it contributes to the health  of the planet , is important....do what you can.

Beautiful Day....Simple Things.....

First success with broccoli.....didn't think there was anything left after the pests had been at it
but found these lovely heads today......will be delicious with tonight's chicken kiev....

Potatoes are available each day now from the garden.....and these two beetroots had popped
themselves out of the soil.....time to take them inside and eat them.

A beautiful summer's day today....not before time....was beginning to think we wouldn't see much sunshine this year.....spent some time outside in the vegie patch....it all looks good......a few baby pumpkins on the vine....tomatoes have a lot of flowers......and the zucchini's are popping up also....birds have nicked most of my blueberries....need to do more than just cover with bird netting...cheeky things have eaten them regardless of the net....A lovely day for reflection and thinking of other ways to keep life simple and help the environment....a friend is trying to organise a deal with a solar power company to get a better price if a group of us put in solar panels.....would love to get this up and going....Been out turning over the compost....one of the bins looks like it is almost ready...Have two empty vegie beds...just need to decide what to plant in them...not sure what is good to plant in January....will have to do a bit of research....It's a fabulous time of year....so much I plan to do...just hope procrastination doesn't get in my way......!!

Daisy still with the remnants of last nights spaghetti bolognaise on her chin........oh dear !!

Daphne managed to somehow clean her own chin (almost)....not much eveidence there....

Managed to fit in a walk with the dogs this afternoon....part of the get fit campaign .....they loved it but they looked a bit shabby I have to say....time for a bath I think....!!  Remember to keep your pet's cool and watered in the warmer weather....I filled the bird bath in the front garden today....have seen a few little birds flitting around in it....they must have been thirsty....not much water around here.

The Have's and The Have Nots..............

The Christmas lunch aftermath.......quite a clean up required when the vistors left..

As always Christmas was quite an eye opener.....we have new neighbours who are renting the house next door...a lovely lady and her three children...all with disabilities...not a lot of money to go around...lots of unpaid bills and not much left over to spend at Christmas....was very happy to send them a couple of things for the kids and lots of christmas cheer........The same day we attended a function in the evening where money was no object....waiters handing around expensive champagne and exotic canapes...heritage listed home in an exclusive suburb of Melbourne....excess everywhere I turned.....it really highlighted to me the different lifestyle of the Have's and Havenots'........happily we are somewhere in the middle....enough to go around ...plenty of love to share with family and friends...Christmas Day was spent outdoors eating good food and celebrating the time we have to spend together....wouldn't have it any other way .

Portrait I have painted of a friend who recently celebrated his 60th birthday...gave it as a gift to him
...first time I have ever given a painting as a gift.....hope they like it.

Yesterday's offering from the garden....leeks, rhubarb., lettuce and the first of the potatoes..
....as always the girls provided eggs...

Mum celebrated her 81st birthday on New Years Day....my gorgeous G Baby complete
with superman costume helped with the candles........memories to treasure !!

Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year....hopefully the promise of fantastic things to come ....I love the beginning of the new year and am definitely a maker of resolutions....this year is all about health, wellbeing and hopefully trying to get fit.....good health is a precious gift.....treasure it.

A Few Thoughts For Friday.......

The pumpkins have started to spread out....can't wait until they really get going.

Strawberries coming along nicely....now if I can only stop the wildlife from eating them..



Everything appears to be flourishing in the vegie patch....even the tomatoes look good..



The Christmas tree is up and the presents are out.....not long to wait now...

Finally finished the scarf.....modelled here by my man....so I could get a photo....!!

It's Friday and the sun has been shining on and off for the last few days....a slow start to Summer but hopefully more beautiful weather to come....the vegie's are going great.,...also lots of greenery to feed the chickens....they are very happy about that...Christmas is not too far away.....Looking forward to that especially sharing it with my G baby who is very excited and has his christmas list prepared...which includes a ham sandwich???....hope Santa remembers to bring that one.   Finally finished off the scarf I was making for my mother in laws 80th birthday...hope she likes it...it has been quite a project...Celebration is on Sunday so fingers crossed. As always life is good even when it throws obstacles in your way....just step over them and keep on going....illness is snapping at the heels of my elderly parents...but I guess that is all part of the aging process....another reminder to keep yourself as healthy as possible by doing whatever it takes.....my thoughts are with them as we go through this hurdle together.....just putting the love out there !!

A Few Thursday Thoughts....

   

It is taking a while but I feel I am slowly getting back to normal.....post hysterectomy is quite a painful experience but at day 17 I feel pretty good....still taking things a little easy and haven't driven yet....hopefully not much longer to wait.    ......The weather is not helping today...the beautiful sunshine earlier this week is sorely missed....this winter blast of icy rain is not appreciated by me....however the vegie garden appears to be ecstatic.....the plant growth has gone berserk......they are bursting out of the ground....I love the vegie gardens.
Not having left the house much over the past 2 weeks I have managed to almost complete the scarf I am working on......it is for a gift which I need next week.....I will be clicking away into the early hours at this stage.....Hopefully my mother in law ...who is turning 80...will appreciate all the effort that has gone into it.


Whipped up a frittata...using up all the left over vegies...chicken...feta..
Delicious....beautiful teatowel was a gift....too cute to use .

Unbelievably Christmas is nearly upon us....I am more prepared this year than ever....most of the christmas shopping was done before I went to hospital...only a few simple one to get and I am done....will not have to face the crowds at the shopping centre.....hooray for that...Just planning the menu...I should be fully fit by christmas day and look forward to sharing the celebration with my family.....it's a great time of year. ..!!


A gorgeous bunch of flowers arrived during the week...I feel very spoilt.
They certainly make you feel better while recuperating



The beauty of nature....the lillies burst forth into bloom......beautiful !

Living Well Everyday.......

 Am now back home after having surgery last week........an experience that I have managed to come through quite well all things considered......The very drugs that keep you alive and stop your pain however wreak havoc on your body....and the hospital certainly wasn't offering any organic food.....in fact the food was pretty awful..........makes me feel very aware that I now need to sustain my system with healthy foods to combat the chemical overload that I have been bombarded with over the past 8 days......

It has made me think back to when I first started seriously undertaking the need to eat organic, whole foods wherever possible......and the reminder of the dirty dozen list that warns of the high chemical load that these fruits and vegies carry.... ..I have listed them here to remind not just myself but anyone who is reading this also......even if you can't manage to eat all organic fruit and veg at least try to ensure you avoid the chemical laden variety of the following.........

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Sweet bell peppers
4. Peaches
5. Strawberries
6. Nectarines – imported
7. Grapes
8. Spinach
9. Lettuce
10. Cucumbers
11. Blueberries – domestic
12. Potatoes

Plus: Green beans, Kale/Greens – May contain residues of special concern

I can't wait until I am well enough to get back to my gorgeous organic vegie shop in Kallista and buy the beautiful seasonal , organic produce........wishing everyone good health...


Some of the flowers that I received from well wishers 

On a happy note I have finally managed to overcome the slug problem.....no the rolled up newspaper did not work.....I bought little containers from Bunnings that I put in the ground...filled with beer ...and voila the slugs quite happily it seems....drank themselves to oblivion.....a well spent $8 I think....the seedlings are all now popping up beautifully....can't wait until the new year when the vegie garden will once again be full with gorgeous veg......

This is the weird looking little slug trap from Bunnings....I also threw red petal
into the garden.....a website advised that slugs don't like red !!...who knows
between the beer and the petals....no slugs ...yay !!



Some of the winter crops now ready for harvest....the garlic bulbs drying out...
just need to clean them up and plait and hang.....delicious organic garlic !

The Lone Fig....



The Lone Fig......there were a few tiny ones but unfortunately they dropped off...what to

do with one fig !!!

The single lemon.....hopefully a sign of better things to come next year !!

It would be reasonable to suggest that I am not the most patient of people....it would beg the question why would I plant fruit trees......after 12 months my fig tree has produced "one" fig..(it had four figs when I got it last year)...

The lemon tree....which was laden with lemons when we planted it early last year....has also produced only "one" lemon....the apricot tree is only 12 months old so needless to say has produced no fruit......I'm hoping for bigger and better things next year....am going to plant mature apple and avocado trees.....hopefully the wait will not be too long.







Friday Follies.......

My chickens are laying every day...seven girls, seven eggs....they need to
take some time out....and have a rest.

Moments in the Kitchen.....spring in a vase....avocado in with a banana
to ripen up...delicious organic oranges

No happy with my onions.....haven't produced a bulb...look more like leeks...
looked it up in my gardening book and apparently soil must be too rich...
there's always next year......

The end of the week brings some much needed sunshine to the hills.....a cold blast that felt like winter this week was not what I expected this time of year.....the bushfires in NSW bring a reminder that summer will soon be with us and the associated danger of living in the hills......it is worth the risk to live in beautiful country surroundings.  ..I wouldn't want to be living anywhere else. 
On another note, my chickens laid all throughout winter ....with the exception of the two light sussex who have the good sense to take some time off .....and are still laying every day....this has caused them to loose a bit of condition and they are on the skinny side....have been working very hard to try and fatten them up...they seem happy enough but I would like them to take a break, and gain weight...anyone else have this problem?

Rudimentary Reflections ........

A little bit of sping on my office desk....jonquils from a local farmer..beautiful

I have started to wear these necklaces daily....the amulet is from Nepal and
is to remind me of all things spiritual....the beads were a gift that I hadn't worn..
I read an article that was about the average life expectancy and you deduct the amount
of days that you have been alive from the amount of life expectancy days....and that's about
what you have left....seems grim but the beads are to remind me that our days on earth are
numbered, the individual beads symbolise days................a subtle reminder to enjoy everyday..and be happy!

After the beautiful sunshine yesterday, todays gloomy weather brings a more sombre mood and time for a little reflection on where things are at........so far so good....the lifestyle changes that I started working on so long ago now have become second nature and I love the simplistic way I am now trying to live my life.....I try to surround myself with small reminders of what I am trying to achieve....a few of the more simple ones on the list....Start eating better; be yourself; help others when you can; eat Salads; do something you love everyday; eat less, move more; buy less, make more: eat organic food; try to learn something new each day; try a new recipe at least once a week; grow my own food; avoid processed foods; stop putting your life on hold; create an amazing life...................the list goes on.....I encourage everyone to find their bliss and appreciate every day...life isn't infinite, so enjoy every single sunrise and sunset.

Tuesday "Tidbits"..........

 

Nearly lost these fuschia's over winter....they were gorgeous
when I got them late last year....big full standards.....
they got sick and looked like dead sticks......Spring
has thankfully bought them back to life.....gotta love that.

Planted an early tomato plant....usually
don't plant until Cup Day...an Italian
friend advises that you should wait until
then....see how they go !!

Some early snow pea shoots....growing in pots to see how
they go....hopefully all should be good.....at least the
snails haven't found this pot yet.....

Today at the organic food store getting vegies,
saw these zucchini seeds.....will have a go at
setting these up in the greenhouse.....if the
snails don't eat them as soon as they pop up...!



Spent a beautiful afternoon on Saturday planting out my seedlings.....the
snails have spent the last two days trying to eat them all....because of my girls I can't
use any snail bait....have tried diatomacious earth......egg shells and beer....so far Daisy has eaten
the egg shells and lapped up the beer !!.....read an article that if you leave rolled up paper the
snails will look for shelter and go in there and then I can dispose of them........sounds good ??

Both the girls went to the Clippers today.....they don't seem very impressed....
in fact Daphne looks a little mad at me......!!

Daisy just looks a bit confused....but then she always looks a bit confused....so cute !!

Opening your Heart......

I am a regular contributor to Oxfam and I also buy from their store and give their gift cards at Christmas.....have given chickens, goats, school books and blankets......my friends love them, they don't really need a gift themselves and are happy for a donated gift.......Today I have received a copy of the quarterly brochure which highlights the projects that Oxfam are working on around the world......there were some sobering statistics which I would like to share....2 Billion people lack access to clean water......121 Million children each year are denied the basic human right to an education......39.5 Million people around the world are living with HIV and AIDS......2.2 Million children die each year because they are not immunised.....20% of the population of the developed nations consume 86% of the worlds goods......it certainly makes you take a look at what you can do to help........consider joining the Oxfam global community and work towards ending the cycle of poverty...by signing up as a regular contributor, shopping at their stores and buying Fair Trade tea, coffee etc.....open your heart and do what you can to help.

Wellness Woes.....

Yarn bomb.....reminding us all to stay well.........loving this new art form.....

Spring time........reminding us that the seasons change......beauty really is everywhere !!

Influenza has hit the hills.....I have been sick with the flu for the last 3 weeks...can't remember a time when I have been this sick...very slow to get over the symptoms, but hopefully on the road to recovery.....Illness makes you reflect on how we take wellness for granted.  My mum has had a recent scare with bladder cancer and thankfully prognosis is excellent.   A lot of illness around in the last 3 weeks....including one of my chickens....she had an impacted crop and after a $100 trip to the vet for an injection and a range of medications, she was no better after 8 days....a beautiful lady at the local feed store volunteered to put her out of her misery for me.....she was very emaciated and vomiting, but oddly enough still continued to lay eggs even though the energy required was killing her.......nature is a strange thing at times.....Being unwell has encouraged me to spend much more energy on the pursuit of WELLNESS......taking the time to eat well, get plenty of exercise, enjoy everyday, find magic in the simple things and laugh often.....wishing good health to all .

Remembering the Years...

Flowers from my man....every year he makes sure they have hyacinths..my favourite

I recently celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary and it gave me the chance to reflect on the passing of time.....hard to believe that 20 years has passed.....where did it go?....It's great to acknowledge special occassions....we went away for the weekend with some close friends who were also celebrating their anniversary.....a nice dinner at a local restaurant in Red Hill....it was lovely.....we received cards from family sending their love to us both...and a fabulous voucher to a local restaurant for my man and I to have a quiet dinner...just the two of us....looking forward to that.

Mum and Dads wedding photo....hand painted as they were black and white in those days.

I certainly won't get the opportunity to celebrate like my parents.....last year we celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary....Wow....now that's a milestone.

Mid Morning Musings.....

 

Camelia's from the garden...reflected by two of my paintings...need to get back to the easel

Spring is just around the corner.....daphne and daffodils are out..

Beauty everywhere you look.....you just have to take the time to look

Even a few hyacinths popping their head up......my favourite flower

Not much happening in the garden.....but the beetroots are doing really well....yum

Book club book for July........I loved it

Winter is hanging on and giving us a very chilly blast before it hopefully heads off and allows Spring to burst forth and shower us with glorious Spring sunshine and warmer days.......can't wait to get into the garden and do my Spring planting....my first Winter of trying to grow vegies has not been very successful, but Spring brings great hope with it....time of renewal and splendour...........I love the seasons as the chill of winter makes you appreciate the warmth of summer....autumn leaves signal the start of winter......it all highlights the importance of seasonal eating....eating what you have in the garden....although if I had to rely on this Winter,I think we would have gone very hungry.....we try to eat seasonal foods and local, organic foods whenever we can....avoiding processed and chemically contaminated foods at all costs......a little self sufficiency is very rewarding.....stay warm and healthy .

The Great Cholesterol Conundrum



Like a moth to a flame....I am always drawn to a beautiful cheese platter....

Life is full of unexpected things that will trip you up from time to time....my latest is that my recent blood test, just for a check up, indicates I have elevated cholesterol levels, which while not dangerous need to be reduced........oh dear....not entirely unexpected I guess when you consider my love of cheese and all things cheesey......my love affair with the cheese platter is well known among my family and friends....I am unable to resist the delicious creamy texture of soft cheeses, and the bitey tang of hard cheese.......I happily devour platters ...chatting with cracker and cheese in one hand and chilled glass of sav blanc in the other......I now have to reconsider the amount of cheese I consume....which should probably be none, but I don't think that is possible.....Also my love of the humble egg....my favourite breakfast .......this will also need to be curbed...at the moment life without my favourite things seems bleak.......but a girl has to do what a girl has to do........so farewell to my cheesey habits....hello to special occasion only cheese....and no more than 6 eggs a week....farewell also to delicious butter which I lavish generously wherever possible....hello to cholesterol free spreads....life is still good if not quite as delicious.

Perfect Poached Eggs......

Thanks to Gary on Masterchef I have mastered the art of the perfect poached egg....he made it look so easy that I just had to give it a try.....never been able to manage it in the past.  Simply bring your pot of water to a rapid boil, add good amount of vinegar and a pinch of salt.....bring back to the boil.....drop your eggs in and gently move the water so that the egg rolls over on itself.....cook for 3 minutes...and voila !! ....perfect poached eggs.

Beautiful colour yolks on home grown, free range eggs...

Tip:...eggs need to be very fresh....