Here comes the light - winter solstice

I have never celebrated winter solstice before, I think because if it's ever advertised it's put forward as a pagan religious festival full of chants and spells. Winter solstice is the night when the earth turns back towards the sun for us southern hemisphereans and we experience the longest night of the year, but that means the light is coming back! 

A friend of mine was going to a solstice lantern walk on a property near where I live. Her two children had made lanterns and there were lots of families with different creations. An almost magical time was had of playing games about Jack Frost followed by quiet walking through the woods leading to a fire with lanterns strung around where stories were told and songs sung with the children before eating sun cakes and hot chocolates for all. 

A lovely night, so glad to have shared it. Do you or your family do anything to celebrate winter solstice?

Hannah :)

How to build a worm farm for almost nothing!

Hi blog people, 

This is me, relaxing on milkwood farm http://milkwood.net/ out near mudgee. Went with a friend who won a prize, very blessed to spend time out here under the stars, with like minded ppl, immersing ourselves in the world of vegetable growing and market gardening.

Spending time under here around the fire, and in the classroom too.

One of the things I learnt was that worm castings are an important ingredient in potting mix, and that worms will happily subsist on a diet of animal manure and coffee grinds... And already knew the worm liquid is amazing foliar spray - you dilute it and spray in leaves of plants...

At milkwood, their worm farms were made from old bathtubs raised on star pickets with some aggregate in the base, then a large piece of shadecloth over that, filled with all the worm food, the worms, and big enough that it can fold over the top to keep the worms shaded and moist.

The following week I headed out to our local tip which has a buy back centre. I came home with a pile of star pickets, a stainless steel industrial double sink and a garden kneeler for weeding for under $20!

Cleaned out under the rabbits, visited a local coffee shop for old grinds and a friend from permaculture who has worm farms was able to share some and hey presto - a worm farm for almost nothing :) a bucket under the drain collects the liquid, and the worms seemed to have fully settled in after a couple of weeks there!

Home sweet home!

Gratefulness

Rasperries surprising me with red globes of goodness, it didn't last very long as a ring....

Sunshiny days spent in the garden and at the beach with a friend, eating icecream by the bay....

Knowing that God is with us, never forsakes us, even when we feel a little lost...

Beautiful babies to create for. This is a jumpsuit with a skirt added to make a little dress for winter, perfect for little Hadassah, my friends' new daughter.

Weekends :)

Gardening and Cooking with Friends

It was lovely to spend the morning gardening and cooking with some friends from the permaculture group and with some friends from church who are interested in similar things.

Jody and Deeann weeding the cherry tomato jungle - and all the subsequent weeds, pruning the grape vine and harvesting what they could.

We spent the morning gardening, below you can see the other garden bed near the house weeded, mulched and the rhubarb plants were dug up, divided and replanted with soil food - horse manure and dynamic lifter! We then stopped for (a couple of pots of) tea and lamingtons, and then spent the rest of the morning cooking. Made sweet chilli and tamarillo sauce, posted about that one last week, bottled pears and demonstrated and discussed drying food. I am currently experiementing with my first fruit leather.

Jody really enjoyed bottling fruit and was very proud of her bottle of pears.

Working with 4 is so much more productive than one.

Thanks for those who came lending a hand. hope you had fun, and your cuttings grow well!

Have a lovely day xo

Upcycling - recycling but better.

Rhonda over at Down to Earth posted this week on recycling and asked others to talk about their efforts. My house, and the majority of it's contents are recycled in some way, in fact it's only in the last year or so that I have ever bought new furniture (although I did buy new whitegoods when I moved into my house as I had given my old ones away a year before when I moved from Sydney to the south coast to board with friends.

My garden beds are recycled from old fences, rabbit cage from an old chook cage that was chucked out on the side of the road, Some of my plants are recycled (cuttings, saplings from other gardeners, even a mature pear tree that someone gave us in return for digging it out of her garden.) About half of my kitchen equipment is recycled, handed down by an aunt when she replaces things, collected at op shops and garage sales etc. Clothes the same. The list could go on....

Probably my favourite example of recycling/upcycling is my wedding. (click on hyperlink to go to photographer's blog) I got married in June and a lot of things were recycled. Candle holders from op shops and markets, vases from a friend at church, ring holder made from an antique prayer book by inserting a secret hole by cutting out with a punch. We also had a friend drive me to the wedding in a recycled boat (he bought it worse for wear and did it up) some friends were taking bets that I would fall in as there wasn't a proper jetty and we had to walk off the front of the boat

The most important upcycled item was my wedding dress. I purchased it over ten years ago (about 9 or so years before I met my husband but anyhow, it was a steal) in a second hand shop as it was beautiful and fit me like it was made for me... It was a bit old in style though - think lace sleeves with frills over your hands, high frilly neck. I unpicked the sleeves and worked out that I could modernise the dress by pulling it to the sides. Lucky for me I have an amazing friend who studied fashion design and together we recreated the dress....
And it was an amazing wedding!

This last photo is a photo of us recycling a shed - It was originally recycled with old corrugated iron roofing, built around an old cottage fireplace with chimney - to use as kitchen for a camp, and storage when camp not on.

It was blown down in storms last year in September (on father's day - Aussies will remember the weather on the south coast) and we rerecycled it.

learning new skills

A year or two ago I bought some cake decorating equipment at a garage sale. My grandma has a history of beautiful cake decorating, equisite fine lacework and my parents wedding cake (in fact every wedding cake of my aunts and uncles) my dedication cake and other special events were all celebrated with cakes she had made.

Today I spent the morning with a friend from church learning and experimenting with how to use some of the equipment I had purchased. These are the piped butter icing cakes, a sunflower, a flower and a swirl. Then we played with fondant, and I made a rose and a carnation. Amy my friend has attended two short courses and then taught herself the rest, and is very inspiring. She was very impressed with the supplies I had bought... and it may have inspired her to start attending garage sales :)

I had one of the cakes for afternoon tea with a cup of earl gray, and it was very nice.

Then while I listened to a uni lecture, I made cassoulet - I have been wanting to make this since we ordered it on our honeymoon in july and it was delicious, both then and now. I roasted vegetables to go with it, and the sage, leeks, kale, potatoes and sweet potatoes were from my garden! And served with my sourdough bread... The proportion of food from the garden is steadily increasing...

I didn't find this recipe on any of the websites, but the place we went served the dish with an amazing crumb, reminded me of farofa from brasil. The chef told me it was almond meal and sage in olive oil.

My version of sage crumb
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup almond meal
1 clove garlic crushed
small bunch sage leaves finely chopped
s and p
2 tbsp olive oil

Lightly cook garlic in oil then add other ingredients, turning to coat crumb with oil and prevent burning. Ready when fragrant and lightly brown. Serve generously sprinkled over cassoulet

Speaking of the garden, yesterday I visited a gardening friend and came away with a plum tree sucker I had been wanting ever since eating the fruit of one of the other trees, a fig tree, warrigal greens, leeks, carrot seedlings, mint, currant bushes, turnips, and land cress. Everything seems to be growing well, and the bunnies are enjoying the pepino leaves she picked for them.

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.

fire's burning....

We have been enjoying clearing up some of the remains of my recent kitchen renovations by making use of the firepit. it's a 44 gallon drum made from steel and cut in half that I picked up at the tip for $2 or so. I drilled holes around the base on the outside to allow for ventilation and propped it up on a couple of old bricks and hey presto - it's a fireplace. I have a grate I can put over the top to make it a bbq too.


There's something magical about flames, I can sit and watch them for hours, occasionally adding a log or repositioning... We have had a few dinner parties now outside around it with mugs of soup and fresh bread, cooking damper as the coals die down (delicious) or just enjoying it while people are arriving and chatting. an essential part of the backyard :)

Long weekend

Grateful

For those who have given their lives that I might live

For those who are serving to protect lives and human rights around the world.

For an extra day off this weekend...

For sunshine and walks along the beach...

White sands walk at Jervis Bay, no dolphins today...

For history preserved for us to explore

For God's amazing creation

For water, gently flowing, making music, restoring my soul

Yalwal creek, track was massively overgrown, but fun, and had a snack on a log by the creek

For food shared and fun had

For family and friends

For memories

Amen

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 travelling and for coming home

I was away for a couple of days with work recently, travelled to Newcastle for some training. We were blessed with an amazing view from the room where the training was held, right on the main Newcastle beach. I may have gotten distracted at times....

Grateful for the chance to catch up with Carli, a very old friend who is studying in Newcastle. She put me up at her place and we got to know each other all over again as we saw the sights, had great coffee by the beach, cooked dinner, went out on the town....

But always grateful to be home,

exploring new walks and undiscovered beaches,

spending time with friends...

Throwing birthday parties, BBQ's and enjoying eating outdoors as the weather begins to get milder.

And being inspired by the Watoto children's choir

These children are all orphans, some in the most horrific circumstances, but they have been found by Watoto, a group that house orphans with widows, who would otherwise have to turn to begging or worse and create families, villages and communities. I was overwhelmed by the joy of these children, the healing they show and their passion for life and for God. This picture shows just a tiny bit of their energy as they danced and sang (and tried to get us to join them)

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

A day at the beach

This past Saturday (prior to the trip to the mountain in my last post) Vani my housemate, SJ my back fence neighbour's housemate and I went out to Huskisson, on the shores of Jervis Bay. Yet again I am reminded that I live in one of the most beautiful corners of the world.

Vani and I at Husky

(all the photos today were taken on my phone - I was surprised at the quality)

Me, Vani and SJ

Looking south towards Vincentia across the rock pools

Looking out into the bay - point perpendicular a faint outline in the background as the sun begins to set behind us.

Toby's Estate coffee from supply, some fish and chips by the water, and a walk along the beach - what more could you ask for of a weekend.

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.

Saturday

Arts in the Valley was on this weekend.

Arrived just in time to see these guys marching and playing.

They're from a sydney school that has a property in Kangaroo Valley and all the boys spend 6 mths of year 9 there with a mix of regular classes and outdoor ed - hiking, kayaking, ropes and mountain biking. Wish I could have gone to a school like that for girls.

There were artworks and performances in lots of venues around the valley but the pick was definately the sculpture exhibition at Wombat Hill. I think the garden outshone the scultures. And my neighbour Dora had a beautiful piece on display there too.

Loved the Autumn colours


And the afternoon colours

As we watched the sun go down over the river.

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

Easter Hike

Hello there,

Happy Easter!
I spent the holiday on a hike in the Blue Mountains with some friends from the camp I lead on in January. We went for two nights, and although it rained quite a bit, it was nice weather when we were walking and I had a really good time. On the last day we walked through an amazing rainforest beside a creek that had lots of beautiful waterfalls. You can see a couple of photos at the sites below. (Unfortunately I didn't take my camera and my friends haven't gotten photos to me yet.)

http://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/australia-bridal-veil-falls-govetts-leap.html
http://knol.google.com/k/david-iori/a-photographers-guide-to-evans-lookout/1kkkijplszxq9/2#

One of the special parts was on the Saturday night when we stood around in the drizzling rain and I told the others about how the ancient church celebrated (and some anglican and catholic churches still do) the night before easter sunday with a service of new light. They would gather in the darkness, representing that Jesus, the light of the world was gone, and light a new light, often with a flint. From that they would light the easter candle, which for the next year would represent Christ's life in the church. Then each member takes a candle and lights it from the easter candle and then renews their baptismal vows. We didn't have candles but it was very special to stand and each in our own words rededicate our lives to Christ.

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.