It's been a while

I've been sitting in the sun at the back door and I have a sense of warmth and of being home.  I've had a fortnight away in Melbourne and can't believe it's a month since my last post.  Apart from my trip to Melbourne, I've also been busy here at home with gardening, cooking, reading, water colour painting, knitting, as well as still unpacking and sorting things out.  My new job starts on 31st August so it's good to have lots done before then.

In the Garden

I especially want the garden to be weeded and prepared for sowing vegetables, flowers and herbs.  I've worked out that I need a new garden at the back door where there is more sun so I'm collecting newspapers for a "no dig" garden.  Luckily there's plenty of hay and straw at the farm to use - I'll just have to bribe Farmer Son to bring it into town!  Watch out for up dates.

I loved ordering organic seeds from Greenpatch Organic Seeds (I finally got links to other sites to work with the help of my Lovely Daughter) and will, for the first time for ages, plan to raise seedlings ready for planting when things warm up.

My three girls (Isa Brown chooks) are still laying three eggs each day and providing great chook poo to add to the garden.  They are perfect for the simple life as they are the ultimate recyclers - eating food scraps and weeds, then providing eggs to eat and poo to fertilise the garden - and they're such great company.  Good girls!

I'm reading . . .

a beautiful, gentle book by Pip Lincolne who blogs at Meet Me at Mikes.  I've been enjoying her blog for ages and always feel inspired by her writing and photographs.  Her shop in Brunswick Street when it was open was just beautiful and I feel privileged to have visited and experienced that beautiful, colourful and creative space.

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
 - MAHATMA GANDI

Pip writes in a lovely, readable style which is refreshing and engaging.  She writes quite a bit about being mindful of moments of happiness.  And consistent with the quote above, she suggests that we should do our best to live as our authentic selves - "If you're living something true to you, you'll feel happier, more creative, more fulfilled.  If the decisions you make are based on your own life mission, you'll feel purposeful.  . . . If it doesn't feel right, then it probably isn't.  . . . Only you know what your truth is."

As an added bonus, there are recipes and craft projects - and the book even smells delicious.  I know, I'm tragic but I love the smell of new books!

So til next time, find a moment of happiness.  Sit in the sun, listen to bird song, watch the sun set, give a friend a hug.  It is good for the soul to be kind and gentle.

The week that was . . .

It's hardly believable that another week has been and gone.  It has been a full week with a trip to Parkes, snow in the district, beautiful rain, family dinners, and yes, studio time.  This fantastic photo of snow and mist was taken by my good friend, Fiona, out near Wyangala on Friday:

Studio journal:

My studio journal has been working well and has been a good tool to get me started on being a little more disciplined in painting and drawing each day.  I have been using Art Spectrum Fine Tooth Colourfix White Primer on my paper which creates a different effect when painting with watercolour.  I also want to see what effect is created when using ink washes over the white primer.  The main thing with watercolour is that the pigment doesn't bleed or wash as freely.  I started a painting using Fiona's snow photo as inspiration:

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

As mentioned last time, I have been cooking with lots of pumpkin.  From memory, my grandmother used pumpkin mainly as a roast vegetable or mashed and perhaps made pumpkin scones.  With all the icy weather, it has been great to warm up with pumpkin soup at lunch.  My recipe doesn't involved exact measurements so feel free to adjust based on your preference or ingredients to hand.

In a large saucepan, heat about 1 tbs olive oil and gently cook 1 chopped onion.  Add smallish chunks of peeled pumpkin (about a quarter of a large pumpkin), 1 diced apple (if you have one, otherwise omit), 2 diced potatoes, 2 tsp powdered chicken stock and enough water to cover veg.  Add a little salt, ground pepper and half a tsp of dried mixed herbs.  The secret ingredient is about 2 tbs of tomato relish or chutney or tomato sauce.  Bring to the boil, turn the heat down and allow to simmer gently until the veg is soft.  Blend to a puree with stick blender and add a dash of milk or cream or water to thin as required.  A dollop of sour cream and chopped green stalks of spring onion or chopped parsley can be added when served and accompanied with crusty bread or toast.

An Icy Sunday

It is cold and wet which means I'm enjoying a cosy Sunday afternoon doing all the things I love without feeling the guilt I should be doing other things.  I'm listening to an audiobook Longing and Belonging - The Complete John O'Donohue Audio Collection (a big thank you to my friend, Jenny).  His beautiful Irish voice and Celtic words of wisdom are just amazing.  Lots of cups of T2 Melbourne Breakfast Tea.  The dog is in on the rug contentedly asleep in front of the heater.  I've been knitting and nearly finished a beanie for Darcy.

7 day drawing each day challenge update

This hasn't gone too well but it has been school holidays so lots of visitors and extra activities, including:

Visiting the Japanese Gardens, Cowra

As a local, I admit I haven't visited Cowra's most iconic tourist attraction for possibly over a decade so it was a treat to visit with friends from Melbourne earlier this week.  Even in mid winter, it is stunning and inspirational.  The photo above is only of a small section of the garden - there is so much more and well worth the visit.

Studio time . . .

I have been working a bit more on my studio space and becoming more comfortable with the work area.  I now have two white Ikea tables and a swivel office chair so I can easily move between the two tables that I'm using as desks.   I've set the computer and printer up on one and left the other completely clear.  It is liberating to have a studio space that has a clear desk, with good light and is heated! 

After noticing how easy it was to allow the last fortnight to slip by without being creative each day, I'm going to trial keeping a studio journal - a bit like a visual art diary.  I borrowed from Cowra library the March 2015 art issue of the Australian Country Style magazine which had a number of feature articles about artists, one being about Philip Wolfhagen who lives and paints in Longford, Tasmania.  I was really taken by some of his insights into the creative process:  "You'll hear many artists say that every painting is a world unto itself, that it has its own rules, and I think that's kind of a magical, miraculous thing.  I find that it's not explainable - and it's part of the reason why painting is still meaningful.  It does something that you can't do any other way."

7 DAY CREATIVE CHALLENGE

This week's challenge will simply be to be creative each day and use the studio journal as a structured record of the process.  We'll see if that helps get me started with being a little more committed to studio time . . .

MEANWHILE, IN THE GARDEN . . .

I started pruning the roses in the front rose garden over a week ago and need to finish that task this week.  We have had lovely rain along with the cold weather.  I'm seriously contemplating creating a vegetable garden along the path leading to the back door as it seems to be the only area in the backyard that receives enough sun in both summer and winter.  The peas and broad beans are struggling up the back as is the spinach - simply not enough sunlight.  I have herbs in pots at the back door which are doing well - parsley, rosemary and thyme, and also a good amount of rocket and mint near the chook pen.  I have three Isa Brown chooks and have been collecting three eggs a day since November from Jasmine, Basmati (both named by Erin) and Chook (the boss chook given to me by Andy and Anna).  I think I need to add sage and chives to my kitchen herb collection.   Hot pink geraniums are also a bright spot at the back door.

Next time . . .

My grandmother, Dot, was a wonderful country-style cook and my grandfather, Charlie, was an incredible gardener who grew many of the vegetables that grandma cooked.  I am fortunate to have a lot of grandma's beautiful old china and also many of her favourite recipes.  Her "make do and mend" philosophy has been handed down to me as a positive and inspirational attitude to life generally.  So next time, I'll be talking a lot about pumpkins because we have heaps of them and have been loving finding different recipes to create different ways of cooking pumpkin.  Not your favourite vegetable I hear you say - well, you might change your mind!

Let's Start Being Creative Again!

Over a week since the last post which gives some idea of how busy things have been.  I've had two job interviews and now have a new job!  I start on 1 September which is perfect.   I have some time to settle in and do some lovely things. 

Studio Update

I've finished unpacking and sorting lots of boxes that came back with me from Melbourne and have re-arranged the back room.  The light is fantastic - even if the vertical blinds are not!  I'm stuck with them for a while.  So putting them aside, I'm happy with the results.  It is so much more comfortable and functional and, I hope, a more creative space than before.

The 7 Day drawing each day challenge

And so the fun begins - the challenge will be to start drawing and painting again after such a long period of not feeling creative at all.  I need to start drawing and painting each day and see what happens!

Road trip up the Hume

For the past few years, I've been splitting my time between Cowra and Northcote.  Cowra is a small, rural town in central western New South Wales.  Northcote is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria.  I love both lifestyles - country and inner city.  I have found that both have a great sense of community.  In Cowra, it is from my long term friends and family - we go way back and don't have to fill in the gaps.  In Northcote, the sense of community started at the local tram stop - stop 27 Route 11.  There I met fellow commuters who lived in the same street or around the corner.  We found interests in common and friendships grew and even led to my house sitting a beautiful home in Northcote for the past 12 months.  Now that commitment has finished, I packed up an amazing amount of bits and bobs and moved back to live in Cowra full time.

The road trip up the Hume Highway gave me time to reflect on my time in Melbourne, the fabulous friends I have left in Melbourne and all the incredible Melbourne experiences that have enriched my life.  So I started the trip with a feeling of regret about what I was leaving behind.    I turned off the Hume at Coolac and enjoyed the countryside along the Old Gundagai Road. And at some point during the journey, I started to feel a spark of optimism.  As I came closer to Cowra, I realised I had a feeling of belonging and of returning home.

I've been home for a week now and have had a job interview, unpacked all the boxes and started to sort out a plan for restyling the house. 

A new project - the back room

My first project here will be to convert the back living room into a studio space.  I have a living room at the front of the house so it seems to make sense to utilise the "back room" into a comfortable studio space for creative projects and for hopefully holding watercolour workshops in the future.

Before:

As you can see, there is some work to do and challenges to overcome.  The windows are great for natural light but limit placement of furniture.  There is no wall space at all as there are doors and/or windows in each wall.  The room is open plan and moves into the dining room/kitchen and access from the back door also needs to be allowed for. 

I am reading:  Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier

I just purchased this copy from a beautiful vintage and retro shop that has just opened in Cowra in Macquarie Street, Finds on Fitzroy (www.findsonfitzroy.com.au - I'm sorry, I still can't get links to work)!

One of my favourite books is Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and it is a long while since I have read another of her novels.  Mary Anne is based on the life story of Mary Anne Clarke, an ancestor of Daphne du Maurier's who became the mistress of the Duke of York, the favourite son of King George III.  So I think it comes under the genre of historical romance which usually isn't the first choice for my reading list.  I'll let you know how it goes . . .

Winter Days . . .

I love winter days.  It is a time for making soup, knitting, reading, rugging up and going for long walks.

I am cooking:  Soup

I've recently made a couple of batches of Minestrone from Mangia, Mangia by Teresa Oates & Angela Villella.  My only variation to the recipe is that I use a ham hock but otherwise, I make the Minestrone exactly as in Teresa and Angela's recipe - and it is delicious! This is a wonderful family cookbook with fantastic recipes for home cooks. The recipes are written in a clear, straight forward manner and the results are amazing.  Lots of great winter comfort food.

I am knitting: Socks

I'm using Paton's Lady Classic Sock pattern and Schoppel Admiral 4 ply superwash yarn.  I just love the brightness of the blues in this beautiful self-striping wool.  I need to work on updating my Ravelry page and linking it to this blog.

I am walking:  North Fitzroy

This is my last day in Melbourne before moving back to Cowra.  It was a treat to walk in the sunshine from Northcote to North Fitzroy.  I love this part of inner city Melbourne.  I am taking back many ideas and inspiration from my experiences here in Melbourne for my new chapter in Cowra. I'm glad I still have many Melbourne connections to keep me coming back.

I am loving:  Blogs

I discovered blogs back in the day when Julie Powell was writing her blog Julie/Julia Project (in 2002) which became compelling reading for me as she cooked her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  I remember printing out so many of her posts to keep and was then delighted when she had her book Julie & Julia published in 2005.  When I read her blog, it was a revelation to me that someone could write about her cooking exploits and in doing so, compel you to come along for the ride.  It was also how I discovered Julia Child.  I now have my own second hand, dog-eared copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking which I have read more like a novel rather than as a cookbook.  I have often found the world of blogging to be a thing of beauty in an otherwise bleak and stressful day.  Blogs have provided moments of delight, inspiration and motivation as well as being an incredibly generous source of information on cooking, crafting, gardening, reading and the list goes on!  I'm working on adding a list of my favourite blogs in the sidebar so watch this space!

 

A New Beginning

I'm starting a new chapter in my life and aim to embrace a simpler life - small accomplishments, everyday comforts, a fresh approach to daily activities.  I want to live more creatively with less emphasis on consumerism and money.  I want to embrace the philosophy of the slow food movement of home grown and home cooked food, quality over quantity, eating at home with friends and family.  So there will be a lot of reading, thinking, gardening, making and baking.  Join me as I make the journey and see where it takes me along the way.