Being tourists at home

The other weekend John and I went to Sydney, we had bought tickets to the lion king with my sister and enjoyed our nieces wonder and amazement at the giant animals on stage and the beautiful singing and show, 

We stayed with johns parents and went to church with them, then had tickets to the rugby, but first we thought we would be tourists in our own backyard, going to bare island fort, at la perouse, Sydney.

We had seen the fort whilst visiting la perouse for a swim on a recent Sydney visit and had seen that the fort was only open for tours on Sundays, so seeing as the game wasn't until four on that side of town it seemed the perfect opportunity.

Had a fish and chip lunch at lapa and then enjoyed a tour on the island hearing about this fort which whilst shoddily constructed by a dodgy firm and would have struggled withstand any direct hit, didn't see any wartime action, but has been much more useful as a watch point for vessels coming in and out of the harbour and has been used as a veterans home for a number of years. 

This gun was buried for years, until one of the vets told then where, basically right under where it is now, and a pool table was on top for the vets to use. I think it has the best view I've ever seen for a pool room!

Bare island fort.

Oh and the waratahs won so it all ended well too :)

A beautiful day! Sun + Sea + Supper

John and I went to Huskisson for a late brunch today... the water was bright blue and so beautiful, if it had been much warmer I would have been in there. Maybe I should have anyhow?

We had brunch at Pilgrims using one of our new entertainment book vouchers... very excited there's one for the south coast now, we had a beautiful breakfast looking out over Jervis bay for little more than it would have cost to make it at home, and read our favourite sections of the paper, did a little window shopping and a walk along the beach....

I love living where I do!

We stopped at the tip on the way home and picked up some iron bars to make a tripod to cook over the fire with... and some black pipe for another vege bed covering...

And my amazing husband made this for dinner... boeff bourguinonne! In the slow cooker, it was rich, delicious and tender... I made lime meringue pie with limes I picked from mum's tree when I dropped around for a cup of tea this afternoon.

We ate in front of the TV watching the movie Tintin... very enjoyable day and evening together...

Love Weekends :)

vege garden update

Everything is growing, and currently it's raining and all the plants are loving it! In this bed all the potatoes are up and I have filled in their trench with the soil I had taken out of it. When they grow some more I'll pile up some compost and straw for the potatoes to keep growing and more of a harvest out of a small space.

In the middle I have just planted fennel, beetroot and climbing beans under the frame. On the end near us is some silverbeet from my sister which has just taken off this week, picked first leaves this morning to have on sourdough toast with poached eggs.

On the right from front to back is basil, carrots, eggplant, lettuce, okra, tomatoes and capsicum, more carrots and rocket.

The photo of the other garden didn't work but we are eating cabbage, broad beans, coriander, broccoli, celery, kale and onions.

In the very rear of this photo you can also see the great fence my hubby is putting up for me, it is to hold an antique blacksmiths vice from his great grandfather, and to seperate the vege garden from the rest of the yard. I am going to use the thickest straightest prunings to use as palings to make it look as natural as possible and will use it to grow something, maybe passionfruit? Any other suggestions...?

ferment and family

I got a wonderful gift from a colleague at work - some sourdough starter. Her sister has had this one going for almost a year, and got it from someone else before that so I have no idea how old it is.
It was not very exciting looking when I picked it up, murky white underneath, with watery liquid on top, and faint bubbles coming through, a bit of a beery smell....

I quickly did some research on tending for my new aquisition and headed home to feed it... after a while it started to respond, as you can see in this photo, full of bubbles - a sign that it is alive and well, as the yeast and bacteria eat their way through the new flour.
I divided the starter and with some started making pancakes for the morning, and with the other fed it and in the morning, mixed up dough for a loaf of bread. The pancakes were amazing.

Recipe:
1/2-1 cup starter
mix with one cup flour and one cup water
Leave overnight

In the morning mix in one egg
2tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

It's ready to cook, they were lovely, thick and moist with lots of bubbles. Delicious with fruit and yoghurt, or jam/syrup

The bread was delicious too... I will post recipe and photos soon.....

Also had a lovely time on father's day at local cafe with my dad, siblings and some partners. My nephew was only a few weeks old last father's day. He's a toddler now and thinks he's very grown up

Life

My sister showed me this clip tonight....

Makes you stop... and think about life...

This young man was physically deformed by chemical warfare in middle east, but was found and loved and nutured by an extraordinary woman. He doesn't really care that he doesn't know his birthday or how old he is, he has a family. A brother who survived hell with him, a mum who rescued them, healed them and is their hero, and a future.

I am grateful for a husband who loves me, siblings and parents who live nearby and are part of my world. Friends who I love and support and who love and support me. For a garden where I grow food. I am grateful that I do not have to worry about my safety walking outside my house each day, that Australia is relatively stable financially, politically and otherwise. That I can legally attend my place of worship with other believers. I am grateful that I have a birth certificate and a baby book scrapbooking my entry into the world and my growth. I am grateful for the life I have lived and excited about the future. I hope I live it well and expansively.

Easter Long Weekend

Spent the long weekend at Colo River, just north of Windsor (Northwest Sydney) My mum and I have a share in a holiday park there that's a bit like timeshare but better. We pay an annual fee and get 2 weeks minimum of school holiday time plus can go any other time it's available. I had it booked for easter and had the most amazing week. I had friends come and stay with me, but also made some great friendships with the other people staying who are also shareholders.

Most people ate communally, cooking food on the barbeques and eating at large picnic tables, I think we only cooked one meal inside our cabin, the rest were all outdoor meals... delicious
I have found myself cooking on the Barbeque more since the weekend.

Fun kayaking, meeting a yoga swami living on the river and doing bush regeneration, playing cards, a little bit of study, a lot of fun.

On the last night my two gorgeous cousins came to stay and we had a lot of fun, watching 'cloudy with a chance of meatballs' on the outdoor big screen, kayaking, finding eels and lots of laughs.

Just what I needed to end a lovely holiday...

Grateful for stopping and going.

This is Kieran, my friend's baby on his one month birthday.

Isn't the smell of a newborn baby something special?

Grateful for moments to breathe...

listen...

just be...

These were taken at Gymea baths in Sth Sydney on my way north, just before having dinner with a family friend. I think one of the best pizzas of my life - Crust on Gymea Bay Rd. Thanks for the pizza Sam.

Dropping into a friends and walking around the garden,

Being given some Rhubarb,

Sharing a cup of tea,

Helping fix a saxaphone... who would have thought.

A last minute call to go with my brother and friends out to Wandandian,

Watching them hurl themselves down a hill on mountain bikes,

Big kisses from his dogs,

Lots of laughs,

Hanging out with Kate, his amazing girlfriend,

The beauty of the bush, the way light streams through the trees.

Grateful for snow

I am grateful for legs that can take me places I cannot go in a car or a bus.

Places where only footsteps go.

I am grateful for moments of quiet beauty,
where my breath is almost taken away by God's amazing creation,
where I am reminded of how great He is,
and that He loves me.


I am grateful that I have the resources to go and enjoy this.
That I have a great job that is flexible.
That the sun shone...



I am grateful for moments to have fun, and play and laugh
I am grateful for family and friends to share my life with.

long time - still here

I am still alive. There's lots going on, but I was reminded that some people do read this, so I will try and keep checking in, at least once a week!

What's going on?

Fostering a (nearly) 17 year old girl.

Camp reunion in Bathurst

Church - running bible study and kid's program at night

Work

Moving furniture, and finally getting study/studio area under control

Permaculture group

New Chickens

Garden

Friends

I'm sure there's more....

Looking forward to this weekend. Tonight I am driving to Canberra to catch up with a friend, then Saturday is gma's 80th birthday, sunday taking J to the snow for her birthday and then coming back.

I think I'm going to start posting my thankfuls. Reminded by a good friend last night that this helps us get our eyes off the problems we are facing and build our hope and faith.

God Bless

Why I love where I live

Words can't compete with showing you. The shoalhaven from cambewarra mountain.

It's just amazing.

I have had a flatmate for the past few weeks which I'm really enjoying. Sheis in the area on placement and needed a place to stay. Her mum knew someone who knew someone who knew me. Turns out we have a few mutual friends from her uni course, one girl who went to my youth group in Berry - small world.

This weekend we took her to See where she's working. She was suitably impressed and possibly even more so by the devonshire tea by the fire inside at the tea rooms.

Us with my mum who came along too

And with some muffins she baked and I iced for family dinner the other week.

I always wanted to share my house with others, whether through meals, accomodating travelling friends, foster care, or flatmates. I enjoy sharing my house for the social benefit - sharing meals, company over a cup of tea etc as well as the obvious environmental benefit - a house with two people uses a lot less energy than two houses with one person in each.

It does take the right person to share a house, and so I'm glad we are getting on so well, and think I'll even miss the company when she's gone.

Anzac Day

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old.... we will remember them.

This year I decided to go to the dawn service at Greenwell Point. Karl decided he would join me and in the end there was quite a group of us. It was really special to attend, I had been to the midday events as a girl guide but never the early service.

The boss of the local parachute training school gave an address and I was really impressed with his talk looking at what Anzac day is and is not. The think I liked the most is that Anzac day is not a day when we celebrate our might and strength as a country, where we praise our victories. Anzac day remembers one of our countries greatest defeats, at the shores of Gallipoli on 25th April 1915. This is made more special for me as my great-grandfather was an ANZAC. He was in the ambulance corp and I have a copy of his diary where he makes his first entry on Anzac day, telling of how they ran onto shore dodging bullets and many lives were lost.

Anzac day is a day to remember those who gave it all. Their lives. So that we might live the life we do today.

Thankyou

Sunrise at Greenwell Point following the dawn service.

After the service we went back and had breakfast at my sister's place and afterwards Karl and I spent the day together. He took me to this place where he used to work.

And we drove around Kangaroo Valley and through to Berry visiting some old friends of mine for afternoon tea.

Later we had Michael and Erika, my old flatmates for dinner, and Erika brought Anzac slice. Very fitting.


And it must be said that Michael and I triumphed at the post dinner card game. Who would have thought you could win 500 by calling 6 spades ten times in a row:)

How great is our God

View of the hills from the Hume Hwy between Gouldburn and Canberra early April.

I was driving to Canberra for a training course, left Nowra at 5:30am so this was soon after the sun came up. I love the gentle pastel colours, in fact I think I want to paint this photo. Maybe that can be my next art project.

It was lovely to catch up with Jill and with the Green family whilst there, although I didn't see family, those guys are family to me too.

And God was faithful when I needed to get from the training home to Jill's place and didn't know the way I was walking out to my car and walked past Jill's flatmate shutting up the shop she works in. I didn't have a clue where she works, so I was able to follow her home.

Steamer's Beach 4/4/09

This beach is in the Booderee National Park, at Jervis Bay, although this is south of the Bay on the ocean side. I went with a friend from church who is now my boyfriend. It's so strange to write that. I know my family who read this will want photos, and I'll see if I can oblige soon. I'm sure you'll all get to meet him in the near future. I can say that I didn't see this coming, but I'm very grateful that God has brought us together. I only pray that we will walk this journey together with wisdom, purity and grow in relationship with God as we grow in friendship with each other.

Hannah

Degas at the Art Gallery

Last weekend I travelled up the Canberra to catch up with some friends and finally visit the Degas art exhibition at the National Gallery. I met one of my oldest friend's Rae and her boy X in the sculpture garden. It's such a great place.

X definately rated this sculpture, which was mirror like with every section creating a different shape.
Rae and her little man smiling, as we had lunch at the cafe at the portrait gallery (we were hoping to be done in the morning, but alas it was not to be, and we hadn't packed lunch!)

I love Rae, she moved into the house next door when we were both toddlers and we have been like sisters ever since. I know I don't need an invitation or a reason to catch up or even to crash at her place. Thanks Rae

My lovely cousins came to the gallery too, Mel and Bec. We had a lot of fun looking at the Degas exhibition, the children all get a treasure hunt book with things to search for in different pictures and there was a lot of information about Degas work and times. Unfortunatly it was the last weekend of the exhibition, so you can't go now, but it definately won me over to the value of paying to see a quality exhibition.

Another one of us at the lake. I really do love visiting Canberra.

And lastly, just my cousins. Thanks for coming girls.

Stop

My life gets really busy, Work, family, church and social commitments can really take over to the point where there is no time left.

My training is in the area of social work, and so is my employment, and one thing that we really focus on is reflective practice. It's all well and good doing the job, but if we can take the time to reflect on what we are doing and ask some questions - why do I do that? How does that make me feel? what am I trying to achieve by doing that? - If I can do this I have more control and start to work in a proactive rather than reactive way. I have a great manager who supports us working in a critical, reflective way and encourages us to take time to do our work well, not just do our work.

But, isn't life the same. Shouldn't we value our life enough to stop and look at how it's going, what we are using our time and energy for, and where we are going?

A friend of mine has set days each year when he reviews different aspects of his life. At the beginning of each calendar year he looks at his life, his life goals and how he is going with achieving them. Around Valentines Day each year he revealuates his relationships (including but not limited to his marriage) and resets his goals for that area of his life. Around the end of the financial year he takes time to look at his financial situation and his goals in that area. He also tells me that every now and then he sets aside time to be creative. To imagine.

I like that idea, and also work well with goals, but am not as disciplined as my friend about reviewing them.

Life: This year I have been to new zealand, gone campervanning, and hiked and camped in the snow. I have begun a weaving course to learn how to weave the wool I am spinning with my weaving loom. I took on the role of camp director for a camp I have been involved with, a role I have never done before. I bought a house and am working on converting the garden to a productive and attractive space.

Life Goals:

Go Hanggliding

Climb Cradle mountain - overland track (planned for October this year)

Write a book - need to work on that one

....

Relationships: I'd like to say I met the man of my dreams etc but it hasn't happened yet. Too bad it takes someone else to realise that goal. I did however do my foster care training and now provide regular respite for an adolescent girl who is in a long term foster care placement. I have developed new friendships and deepened existing ones and especially value my back fence neighbours who are like family.

Relationship Goals:

Be bolder in relationships with the opposite gender (and eventually meet a godly man who I love and spend the rest of my life with)

Be a better sister/daughter/friend

Build relationship with the girl I foster

Build closer relationships with my neighbours and those who live in my street.

Financial:

This year I bought a house, and have (with a little help from falling interest rates) been able to pay off a significant amount above the required repayments, saving up a reasonable emergency fund I am able to redraw and reducing my interest.

I have begun to sell my produce through a local cafe

I have joined the local community exchange (similar to LETS) which allows me to exchange goods and services with members of my community without using cash!

Financial Goals:

To pay off my HECS debt this financial year.

By the end of next financial year to have saved $20,000 and purchase an investment property.

To continue to reduce waste

To be generous in my life, continuing to support my sponsor children and financially contribute to my church and other ministries.

However, more than setting goals, I think it's important to set aside time that is to be still. To stop. It's easy to fill space with activity, with tv, with music, with books, with phone calls. It's almost as though we are afraid to spend time with ourselves. Are we afraid that we won't like the people we are?

I think it's important to take some time by yourself. Journal, paint, pray, meditate, just be. Be aware of yourself, of the world around you and of who you are. It might be hard at first, but generally you'll find that you aren't so bad and it's fun to hang out with you.

If there's anyone out there who this speaks to please leave a comment, share a goal or a success.

God Bless

A bike trailer

I have a bike trailer! I am trying to use the car less. Especially right now, as I had a little but of a ding and it's going to be written off in two weeks. Still completely driveable, all minor exterior damage, but because it's old and it's not really valuable, the work to fix it would cost more than them paying me out. I considered buying it back off them and fixing it myself, but then found out friends who are moving to UK are selling their car cheaply, and it has roofracks with fittings for my bike (and of course the kayak can go up there too!)

So, I will be getting a new car, okay so it's older than my current car by a year, but new to me.

Now, back to the bike trailer. I have been riding around town and have a small rack I can put a couple of things on, but unable to put much by way of shopping. Couldn't afford a new trailer. Then my friend started up a local Community Exchange group. http://www.community-exchange.org/ This is a cashless exchange system, you join up to your local area and start transacting.

To join up you have to offer 3 things, they can be items or services (eg old magazines you are finished with, cutting people's hair, washing cars etc) Then you can get on and see what others offer. When you purchase something you go into debit and the person you buy off goes into credit, but you don't have to have enough to pay them, so you are encouraged to spend before you earn, so long as you are committed to earning credit in the future. I have sold some seedlings, and given haircuts, and currenting have some mending waiting to be done to earn credit. Michael had offered to make bike trailers for people so I decided to take him up on the offer. Check out his blog for more of his creations.

Well, I picked it up the other weekend and Michael fitted it to my bike, it's a converted golf buggy, the handle still on so that you can detach it from the bike when you're shopping and use it as a trolley!

I've asked Michael to have a go at making me a rocket stove next. Check out the exchange, the more people join and offer, the better it will work. Oh, and they are all around the world, why don't you see if there's one near you.

Thanks to my Brother and his Girlfriend, (aren't they cute) for driving me and the bike out to Michael's place. Of course we went for a swim at the beach down the road as well.

And we couldn't leave without a tour of Michael's garden. Here you can see his chook tractor, with a repurposed real estate sign providing some extra shade for the chooks in the hot weather, and lots of healthy corn.

Michael's 10,000 Litre tank is enough for his household use, they use town water to water the garden. Beacuse Michael is on the coast there is much more rain that at my place, only 15 mins away. Microclimates!
His garden was doing well, tomatoes had been burnt in the sun just like mine have, but lots of things growing well, especially his eggplants which were covered in fruit.

Summer days

Sunny days of summer, testing out the equipment.. Jill's first sleep in a tent (22 and never slept in a tent before!!!!)

Me and Ally at Flat Rock, Upper Kangaroo Valler River, absolutely gorgeous!
Usually cooler than at home as it's up in the mountains, and always somewhere shady to sit, laze around on the rocks reading, talking, eating, or swim up to the rapids and make your own natural spa. What could beat that????

I guess Chinaman's Beach at Jervis Bay could also be considered quite stunning, white sand, cool water, gentle waves, and lots of coloured fish swimming around our legs.....

Or hanging out with my cousins at Colo River, teaching Emily how to jump off the rope swing, floating up the river, building sandcastles and playing boardgames on a picnic table under a tree.

I can't decide!