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This weekend was my old dads 60th :) I'm allowed to call him old now! We had a lovely weekend with a family dinner Friday night, a party yesterday and a trip to the beach with my aunts and cousins today along with my sisters, the kids and a stray husband or two. 

Honeymoon bay is seriously beautiful! And even though the wind was up as we drove in, it was magically calm and sunny in this sheltered bay. 

Snorkeling, sandcastle making, sharing afternoon tea, collecting shells, having water fights with my nephew. The things of summer!

Happy birthday to my dad, hope you too enjoyed this beautiful summers day xx

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 :)

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

Garden Lovers Fair and hummus recipe

Last sunday I woke up, looked outside and felt a sigh of relief as I saw the sun. It was the sunday of the Garden Lover's Fair, annual fundraiser of our permaculture group, and the weather can be quite changeable at this time of year and the fair is amazing, the biggest collection of plant growers, seeds, garden supplies on the south coast, and this year we increased the focus on food products and sustainable living.

I spent a lot of time on the gate, and behind the permaculture stand, answering questions about growing food, living sustainably, meeting times etc, and eventually found some time to have a wander around, buy my spring seedlings (there's a store that does pick your own punnet - so I got a punnet with 2 each of tomato, capsicum and eggplant, and one with different herbs and some red onions.

Also got a strawberry guava and a lillipilli (native food producing plant) which I'm going to plant in my neighbours yard ( we have a hold in the fence so I can get in to water and harvest) and an orchid I have been wanting to get for a while... I then texted my hubby to say thankyou to him for buying me such a lovely gift.

One of the highlights was the cooking demonstrations that were put on by www.ifeelgood.com.au with a vege tagine, hummus and salad. I went home and made the salad and hummus monday night, and it was amazing...

1 tin of chickpeas drained

1/4 cup tahini (ground sesame seeds)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 clove garlic

salt

Put all in a food processor and start it, slowly adding water to the mix until it is a smooth consistency and able to be poured (like thick cream)

Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with paprika and served with flatbread to dip.

YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hello world

I haven't posted on here... gosh in maybe over a year. life has been busy. Hectic. managing nearly fulltime work, parttime study and life is hard, but I have my eye on the prize, graduating at the end of the year. And I've also had another big thing happen this year... I got married.
So last weekend, despite the wet weather as we were staying in camping caves (giant overhangs that stay pretty much permanently dry) we went on our first hike on our own. Love hiking in the Budawangs, on the east coast of Australia, and the fact that it is only just down the road for us is amazing!

On the second night, I was very grateful that there were two caves, as a scout troop arrived to stay the night after we had settled down at Gadarra Point. They were pretty good, and it was funny to hear a family voice coming down the hill towards us (I knew one of the leaders) It was good to have a chat, and they showed us a track to a waterfall that isn't marked on the maps.

Well, I am going to try and post regularly again - once a week minimum and hope to see some of you here again.

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

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)

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

Weaving Workshop

I have posted previously about learning to spin. I haven't been doing a lot of that lately because I have been doing a weaving class, learning how to use my four shaft table loom. Denise, one of the amazingly talented women from the spinners and weavers is running a beginners class and I have joined. We are doing a sampler to start off with but at the next class i will be threading up to weave a scarf. First one may be for me, but then I'm planning to do some for others. It's such a peaceful thing, I can completely lose track of time.

Something I hope to do soon is be able to weave the wool I have spun and dyed into creations for gifts and to sell (down the track)

Some close up detail of the weaving

My loom, it's an antique but no problems working.

Some of the other ladies at the weaving class. Diny in black brings her small sampler loom to practice on but has a large floor loom at home. If only....

Nowra Show

Look at what I won. I entered a bunch of stuff in the show, some preserves, some craft, my famous bread and some things from the garden. Came away with a bunch of certificates and some prize money.

I have to make a confession, that the weekend of the show was such a heatwave that I didn't actually go. I will next year I promise.

One of the most exciting things was that as I was picking everything up the president of the show society, said to me that the entries in the produce (aka vege) section were of a very high standard and that the awards I won were well deserved. How cool is that.

I entered some of the items in the weaving because I'm a member of the spinners and weavers, and won a second for a scarf, didn't expect that as it was the first thing I ever wove.

I was excited I won the prizes in the vege section (first for collection of herbs, seconds for pumpkin 10-15 cm diameter and for runner beans) because I want people to see that you can grow things of good quality in the home garden. Yeah. Hoping to enter (and win) even more next year!

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.