Back To Basics - Week 30

I am going to put update posts on hiatus for about three weeks. I am getting ready to go away and my internet connection situation is uncertain during that time. No matter what I will resume challenge posts when I get back as they are about the only thing that is even close to keeping me on track right now.

It is possible I will post but it will be even fewer and further between than my "stellar" efforts recently. Bare with me if you can, I know that the general lack of content here over the last 6 months is loosing me many of the few regular readers that I had.

Sowing seed or Planting -

Plant

• Peas
• Sugarloaf Cabbage
• Spinach
• Silverbeet
• Scotch Kale
  

Maintenence

• made climbing frame for the pea tent
  

Observing

• One of the Chickens went missing this afternoon and hadn't come back by roost time.. not likely to survive the night in this area if it is still alive. (Woooeeee, girl turned up this afternoon seemingly unscathed.
  

Planning for The Future -

• Considering a Grant writing course.
  

Working for the Future -

• Made dinners various dinners for the freezer to cover the weeks I am away.
• Put the word out to see if there is enough interest to run another sourdough workshop
  

Building Community -

• Ran Sourdough workshop
• Attended residential working bee for one of the community harvest members
• Attended Herb Society meeting

Learn a new Skill -

• Learned about some weeds that can be used for various food and medicinal purposes

Participant Posts

Remote TreeChanger
Sunday May 17th

The Rise and Fall of the Hostess Gift

Thinking back my Grandmother almost never arrived at any home without a posy of flowers cradled in her arms. She loved flowers, that was certainly true but looking back the reasons seem so much more complicated than that. It didn't matter if she had been invited for a cup of tea by a young Mum down the street or an elaborate meal with family or friends she always arrived with something. To walk in the door without contributing something to the hostesses home or event was, I suspect to her generation, primarily a silent admission that you had nothing to give. It was a point of pride as well as a genuine as well as a respectful acknowledgement of the hostesses effort to be able to walk in the door and hand over a little gift.

She was well and truly old enough to remember the depression years that she grew through as a child. A time when sometimes meal invitations were issued not only because you would like to spend time with a friend but also because you noticed that their children were loosing weight and your family had enough food to share this week. The thing is that just because the family being received may have been poor in the food sense, often there was some thing special they could share. It might have been some unusual flowers picked from the garden, an ability for wood carving or the type of artistic flair that can make the weeds picked up from the side of the road into a delightful posy. It was a way help even the scales of obligation even if you thought you were never going to be able to reciprocate in kind.

Maybe it was just that everyone got to the point of having enough money that inviting someone back to their place was always an option so they didn't feel the same need to balance the obligation. Or maybe it was the fact that most people no longer valued something unless it came from the store and the stores weren't open to buy things for most spur of the moment weekend visits. Regardless of how it happened, sometime during my parents lifetime, in Australia, the tradition of hostess gifts seemed to give a couple of coughs and die.

The thing is that something got lost in the shuffle. A formalised way to say thank you for the invitation and an acknowledgement of the efforts bore by the host to provide the venue. Sure everyone who is visiting often comment on the wonderful meal or company but very seldom do I hear people even in passing mention the invitation that led them to be sitting at the table, or sleeping under your roof.

Now none of us need people to make a fuss over such things but being thanked always makes any job feel happier and inconveniences just that little easier to tolerate. Maybe, just maybe we should bring the hostess gift back, not out of obligation but as a celebration.

Back To Basics - Week 29

The growing season is slowing but there have still been some exciting occurances this week.

Sowing seed or Planting -

Plant

• ummmm .... nothing

Harvest

• Rosemary
• Thyme

Maintenence

• manuring beds for winter growing season

Observing

• Chickens are now roosting on the stick I have secured in the wire over the house roof which is an improvement as eventually I will be able to slowly move them to a more appropriate spot
  

Planning for The Future -

• revised winter garden plan
  

Working for the Future -

• joining the local "Healing circle" to give me a set time to focus on my own health and wellbeing.
• Preparing to run the Community Harvest Sourdough workshop on Saturday.
  

Building Community -

• Supplied plate for PDC Lunch

Learn a new Skill -

• making african keyhole garden beds
• making no turn hot compost heap
• making no dig beds
  

Participant Posts


Cockatoo Dreaming
Wednesday May 12th

Remote TreeChanger
Sunday May 10th

Living the Life of Luxury

Ok, I am feeling a definite need to come clean at this point. For one reason or another my green goals have been shuffled from pillar to post this year and honestly I haven't been anywhere near as focused on making improvements as I wanted to be. While I am being totally honest we have probably slipped quite a way backward in most categories.

Due to various fire situations and a really hot summer where the garden was massively under stress our water consumption is through the roof. Running fans for most of summer and now me playing with some serious bread baking has our electricity consumption figures looking sick. Gas isn't looking too bad yet but it is our heating source and we have only just started winter, just thinking about the possibilities is just making me cringe. On top of all that since the beginning of the year we have bought more consumer goods than probably the 5 years previous.

All the consumer goods have solid reasons why they should be present in our life. They are a whole lot more about work than play.. but it's still resources not matter how you justify it. In some ways I guess it is a positive step that I really view these things as privileges rather than rights. Still the world can't afford me to fly to the family event coming up in 2 weeks... but I am gunna do it anyway.

Unfortunately because the environmental cost isn't currently factored in to this type of travel right now I can afford it. My back although much better is most certainly not up to an 8+ hour road trip so there really aren't any other viable options for me.. it is either fly or not go. I have missed many important events, and people, in the last 2 years since I got hurt that I just couldn't say no yet again when presented with an opportunity that was a definite maybe.

I have decided that until the end of this month I am granting myself a boon.. at which point I MUST focus down and restructure our life again based on our personal priorities rather than conveniences. I know it it will be worth it but boy does it feel like an intimidating challenge right now.

Anyone else struggling with their priorities and keep feeling like they are coming up short?

Days go By...

Sometimes you get visitors



Others beauty

Before the dusk relaxes to night.

Back To Basics - Week 28

The growing season is slowing but there have still been some exciting occurances this week.

Sowing seed or Planting -

Plant

• ummmm .... nothing
• 
  

Harvest

• 5 sprigs Rosemary
• 1 Tbsp Greek Oregano

Maintenence

• continuing to remov old tomato bushes
• general change of season cleanup
  

Observing

• Baby purple cauliflower is starting to form
• the colourful leaves are now coming off the trees, mulch time
• Autumn Raspberry varieties are starting to do their main crop
• Zucchini and squash production slowing ... no fungal problems yet though
• Chickens are choosing to roost on top of the house rather than within it even when wet
  

Planning for The Future -

• investigated travel options to Canberra
  

Working for the Future -

• set up semi permanent fencing around chicken coop so they can mow grass and set area up to plant chookie benifical herbs
  

Building Community -

• Supplied plate for PDC Lunch
• Contributed to BYO dinner with Community Harvest

Learn a new Skill -

• how to record video on my laptop
  

Participant Posts


Cockatoo Dreaming
Wednesday May 6th

Footprint Reduction in the Burbs
Sunday May 3rd (sorry GreenFumb, I missed this first time round)

George Tindale Memorial Garden