In praise of the domestic

I've just about given up on TV. I enjoy watching the cricket during summer, I'm still faithful to Time Team and there is the occasional fine program that gives me hope but overall I think TV programmers are asleep at the wheel. However, I did watch a good program on SBS last week called Family Feasts which featured a large Italian family who gathered for the annual cooking and bottling of tomato sauce. I enjoy seeing these traditions being passed on and as I record most of the TV I watch, so I never have to see any advertising, the side benefit is that I can replay certain parts and study what they do.

Another program recorded last week was Compass. I think I've passed on links to Compass before when they featured the Amish. Compass is a program about ethics, belief, faith and values and how various people live true to what they believe. At the moment there is a series of three programs called The Good Life where three prominent Australians talk about their beliefs and why they live as they do. The first was about Ian Gawler, a man who is a long term cancer survivor, next week's is about philosopher Peter Singer, and last week's featured Gay Bilson, well know for cooking at a couple of famous Sydney restaurants. I expected interest from the Gay episode, I got much more than I expected.

Gay lives alone in South Australia now. She celebrates her solitude, takes pleasure in cooking and baking, she grows food in her garden, and reads. There are several delightful parts of the program where she reads from her wonderful book, Plenty. I have to tell you I love this program. I've watched it three times so far - I become a tad obsessed with certain odd things at times - I asked Hanno to watch it with me and he said "... she is just like you.".

We do have a lot in common, I adored seeing her kneading bread in her wonderful kitchen and yes, I have slowed the vision down so I could study every nook and cranny therein. I love to be alone and Gay brings that aspect of her life into almost everything she talks about, but if my truth is told, I am too frightened to imagine myself being alone now because of the dire circumstance that would bring that solitude to me. Nevertheless, on an intellectual level, if not a physical one, I do understand that need for solitude.

I love what she says about generosity, her daily domestic tasks and how home cooking and restaurant food differ. But there are so many parts of this wonderful program for me to recommend to you, let me stand back and just give you the gift of it. For Australian readers it will be replayed on ABC 2 this Friday at 6pm. For my friends further afield, there is a link to the program here. It runs for 30 minutes so get yourself a cuppa, sit back and enjoy this treasure.

ADDITION: Pebbledash has alerted me to the fact that this cannot be viewed by anyone outslde Australia. Thanks Diana. Sorry everyone. Maybe you could satisfy your curiosity by reading Gay's award winning book - Plenty.

ANOTHER ADDITION: International viewers need to "download" to view this. :- )