I've been spending time in the backyard lately creating a contained herb and vegetable garden. My aim is to develop a comfortable place to spend time, relax, increase biodiversity and encourage more animals, birds and insects to live here or visit. Of course I'd prefer my old garden which was put together by Hanno with ease and German precision. Together, we created a space bursting at the seams with herbs, vegetables and fruity goodness ready to eat and share throughout the year. But time changes everything. What I'm planning on doing now, is a brilliant opportunity for an almost 80 year old with balance issues. In my new garden I'll be able to do a wide range of challenging or easy work, depending on how I feel each day. It’s a daily opportunity to push myself or sit back, watch what's happening around me and be captivated by memories or the scope of what's yet to come.
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One of the bars in the hotel.
During this past week, I worked in the garden till Saturday's solstice and on Sunday, went to a family lunch at the Kin Kin Hotel where Shane is working now. It’s been restored to what it looked like when it opened in 1914 and what a beautiful building it is. The food was delicious and the staff were friendly and helpful. Jens and Cathy are returning to Tasmania and will live there permanently in their new home. The lunch was a final catch up before they head south again. So the weekend was a big silent leap into a new era for me, although no one else knew it. The garden has moved from stage one to a garden I'll work in most days. I'm really glad I can say I'm a gardener again.
They were playing and catching big grasshoppers under the lemon tree.
I love watching wildlife in the backyard. There is a family of kookaburras (the world's largest kingfisher) living close by. The families are usually made up of a breeding, monogamous pair with several helpers from previous broods staying to help defend their territory. In the past month, I've watched the mother bird as she teaches two young males to catch lizards and insects. Yesterday afternoon the mother bird sat on the washing line while I sat on the back verandah. She was watching me while keeping an eye on the two males hunt under the lemon tree where they caught a few large grasshoppers. The female birds are more slender and smaller than the males which tend to be round and bulkier.
My meals are still from scratch. I was shocked when I saw an advertisement for a report on fast food in Australia. The stats tell us many families spend $2000 a year on fast food!!! I haven't bought fast food for years and it amazes me, that with the higher cost of living, people still see fast food as an option. Apparently, foreign fast food companies love coming here to line their pockets with our hard-earned money and take it off back to their own countries. What a shame and what a bunch of dumb clucks we are to let them do it.
The world is a dark place at the moment. I hope your'e staying safe and sheltering in your home when you can. Things WILL get better but in the meantime, stay close to your family and friends and make sure you do things that make you happy. xx
I really enjoy reading your blogs Rhonda, Thank you 😘
ReplyDeleteI heard that about fast food too....perhaps it's tired Mothers grabbing food after a long day working and also running a household. It's really only one generation where Mothers were at home caring for the children and home. I'm all for choice however society these days thinks once your kid is at school you should be out working. The other big issue is the cost of housing forcing families to have two incomes and in a lot of cases this still isn't enough with the cost of living and the price of housing. My interest rate on my first home was 14.4% and I was super excited because it had come down from 17.5% however I only needed to borrow $100,00 for my first little home. Now days that's the deposit. I'm pleased you have a little garden again suitable for your time of life and health as it's such a feel good. I finally planted my "Glen Large" garlic a few weeks ago and most of them have come up which is exciting. Your lemon tree looks amazing and we love kookaburras as well. At our place we mostly have Cockatoos and we have a Major Mitchell [pink cookatoo] that hangs with all the white ones near us and it's so lovely to spot him on the footpath or in the tree. One day he was on our roof and my son grabbed his camera and took some photos. Have a good week. Regards Kathy
ReplyDeleteHi. Kathy. One of the problems with fast food is that you have to work longer to pay for it. It would be cheaper to cook from scratch in a double batch a couple of times a week. Eat one and freeze one - after a month of doing that it gives busy families a freezer stockpile of home cooked food to choose from - and at a fraction of the price. I was born in the 1940s and until WW2 started, women always stayed at home. It was only after the 1960s and the advent of credit cards, that women chose to work outside the home. I'm all for choice too but a simple, from scratch kitchen is the most economical way to go. You can work outside the home AND cook from scratch. Maybe I should do another post on the easiest way to do that.
DeleteThis would be a very interesting and timely post, Rhonda
DeleteYes so true Rhonda, a blog post would be great.
DeleteI felt your joy in being able to continue gardening, it's such a blessing and so good for the soul! Our youngest son has just returned to mainstream school after homeschooling him for the last 5 years, he is at highschool and tells me none of the other kids he knows have mothers who are not working and their lunch is all packaged or unhealthy foods. I feel more and more grateful as time goes on that I have been able to stay at home and provide home cooked and grown food for our family. I'm almost 50 with 2 children grown and left home, and I honestly don't feel like I have missed out at all. I love caring for my home and family. it makes me so upset at times that people can't see what's been done to our food and what they are doing by putting it into their bodies, the long term implications of it all. It seems to me to be a crazy world and I feel very out of place in it at times, but we have all been put here for a purpose and simple joys are a constant reminder of all that we have to look forward to in each day and of our many blessings xx
ReplyDeleteFor most families it is no longer a choice for all adults to work outside the home, but an absolute necessity. And people are tired and overwhelmed and stressed, and I suppose some nights the call of fast food is too hard to avoid, after hours commuting and hours working — many people are away from home 12+ hours every work day (for my own dad is was 14 hours per day M-F and another 8 hours on Saturday). But Rhonda is right, some time spent planning and cooking ahead could eliminate the last minute fast food meals. So much of what seems easier in the moment costs more in the long run. Even some simple convenience foods like canned beans could help start dinner. Around here we will scrambled eggs and make toast to go with them if something interferes with the meal plan. Here we are on Monday in the USA, and my family has “freezer meals” to accommodate the one evening per week where there are significantly different schedules. It is all meals I’ve made and frozen in individual portions, or they can choose to cook a frozen burger patty and have it on bread or a frozen bun. Even when I was incredibly ill and barely managing to do anything, I prioritized using my limited energy for making food. A large pot of beans and cooker of rice plus a pan of TVP was turned into several meals throughout the week. Burrito bowls one night, chili another, tamale pie another, and then the rest of the leftovers mixed together and served as tacos. A big pot of soup was two dinners that week, plus a lunch and extras in the freezer stash. In a few minutes I’m going to go cook a batch of freezer mashed potatoes, 5# of potatoes ends up making about 10 - 12 dinner servings of 1 cup each (with the potatoes being served with a little stew, rather than a lot of stew with a little bit of potatoes). My dinner will be mashed potatoes with some grated cheese in them, which is good enough for me.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely peek into your world. Once a gardener, always a gardener, Rhonda. It gets in your blood. Your garden is looking productive. I agree that scratch meals are so much cheaper than anything fast food, not to mention the quality being unmatched.
ReplyDeleteI continue to pray for peace. Unfortunately, there is a madman at the helm.
Look after yourselves (you and Gracie). ;0D
Hi Rhonda, your garden is looking lovely, a great place to potter around or sick back and enjoy the scenery!
ReplyDeleteI agree, that cooking from scratch is not difficult & really doesn't take that much time, depending on what you make, there are simple & nutritious meals you can make in the time it would take to get take away. I always cook once, eat twice or even 3 times, which wouldn't suit some people, but doesn't worry us at all.
I hope you have a great week, take care.
In this day and age it is so hard for working mothers to make ends meet!!
ReplyDeleteBut there are also good fast food options!!
I had a fast but quality food shop for 33 years (Souvlajdiko is what they call it in Greece) every day I bought fresh products and made delicious sandwiches that were well priced. Of course I worked incredibly hard in my life and didn't make any money...
But I believe that life is not just about money.
For so many years I made a living, raised my three children in the shop,
and I think I also did some social work
(I often gave free food to anyone in need).
Some people meal prep on the weekend. Others ingredient prep upon return from grocery shopping (cutting up vegetables by chopping or dicing, cooking chicken to have ready for various meals, etc.) Both save time during the week.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to ingredient prep and then meals from scratch are a breeze. I also always double the recipe and that way I eat some and freeze some.
I haven’t gotten fast food in five years. My budget is better but my health is even better.
I have had takeout exactly twice in all my 73 years. I never had takeout or food delivered. And I know a lot of people here in rural Germany are the same. When I go to a restaurant, it is either for a celebration or for eating something I could not make at home.
ReplyDeleteAbout the costs of housing, there is a connection to the income. When a one income family was the norm, houses above a certain price would simply not have been built because people could not pay for it. And the houses that are built today are twice as big for a family of three or four than they were 40 years ago for a family of five.
Hilde in Germany
You're right Hilde, and now the houses have to be fully equipped ! when we built ours, we had the bare minimum of furniture. It was sometime furniture recovered from the family or bought cheaply.
DeleteI can confirm that. The new single-family homes are often so large that families end up in debt for over 30 years and need two incomes to even manage. It's almost like an arms race. "Look what I can afford."
DeleteBest regards, also from Germany, Sibylle
I often remind my family that on our moving into this house (30 years ago) our first 3 piece suite was two deckchairs and an upturned tea chest. And we had that for several months until a relative changed their suite and we bought their old one.
DeleteRhonda, while at the beach with a classmate recently we met up with another classmate in a cafe in Landsborough not far from you. I would have called in to say hello but wasn’t driving. I always wondered what Landsborough was like as we always bypass it. It is just as I imagined it. Unfortunately we picked the coldest weather for our holiday and even the seagulls hurried out of the water when I was walking along the boardwalk at 6.30am. 🤣
ReplyDeleteI love the photos of kookaburras in your lemon tree. Literally a world away from our garden in England but we are all stewards for wildlife and gardening is such a balm for the soul wherever you live. I will think of you enjoying your surroundings as I sip my peppermint tea in the garden this afternoon. Thank you for blogging Rhonda
ReplyDeletePenny in the UK
Wonderful photos, Rhonda! And nice to see some sun! I live in SE Queensland too and it feels like its always cloudy and rainy now! Today felt very "springy" though. Your garden looks amazing and so colourful!
ReplyDeleteIt's so wonderful to hear about your garden as Hubby and I are starting to see the end of stage one of our own garden revamp. The drip irrigation is almost complete and then we'll just need to finish the paths. We may also try our hand at cultivating edible mushrooms in an unused section - there are several mushroom growers close by that are giving away spent blocks that can be broken up into chips/straw and my fruit again in the autumn. I am quite envious of your citrus trees and that you're able to garden in the winter season. - - Holly in Oregon
ReplyDeleteYour gardens must work for you & your season in life or they don't work at all. Good job Rhonda. Hanno's spirit is still there!! ~Andrea xoxo
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading about your days. Like you, I'm very aware of making my outdoor space good for my family as well as the little critters about. I am working on a pollinator garden and it's coming along nicely. Regarding mealtimes, I'm a huge proponent of cook-once, eat-twice (or more) We enjoy a delicious meal, oftentimes giving me the day off from cooking the next day as well. Then I freeze the remainder in meal-sized servings. If it's too hot to cook (I'm in Texas) or I know there's a busy day in store for me the next day, I'll take an entree from the freezer and place it into the fridge to thaw for the next day. Grille chicken, servings of meatloaf or casserole. Recipes need not be fancy to be delicious. Then supper can be as easy as heating up the entree and adding a couple of canned veggies. It's easy, it's delicious and it saves us so much money on food!
ReplyDeleteI love your garden Rhonda! Right now I'm gardening early in the morning because here in France we have been in summer for 3 days and we already have unbearable temperatures. Fast food restaurants are everywhere in our country too, they are even starting to try to establish themselves in the countryside . There are more and more obese people and children , it's worrying !
ReplyDeleteI love your new garden; it looks like a perfect oasis to enjoy nature and wildlife. That hotel and restaurant where Shane is working is gorgeous. Wish him much joy and happiness in his new job. Thank you for all your insight on how to live a simple life, I am not there yet but working on it slowly and your journey helps me to see, that there are ebbs and flow to life and that with each new day we can start again- thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe gift of a post. Thank You Rhonda. Your garden is looking delightful and manageable. Your citrus is amazing. Our mandarin fruited well this year but for some reason we can't grow a lemon tree on our tiny plot of land. We have tried many times and have now given up. It's such a shame. We have planted many bee friendly plants and in Summer I love sitting on the deck listening to them. Bumble bees are my favourite. I can hear optimism in your days which is so nice. I too feel like the world turmoil will ease somewhat with time and like you I'm going to keep focusing on Home Sweet Home. NZ Ingrid
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks great Rhonda; it's a smart design and nicely executed.
ReplyDeleteThank you for explaining about the Kookaburras. The same thing is happening in our backyard; I wasn't sure whether there were two pairs hanging around, but they're probably the one family.
There was one sitting very still on the fence post yesterday, looking like a decorative finial.
I love them; they're such plucky-looking birds and their call always makes me smile.
I met a man who recorded a Kookaburra laughing, and set it as the ringtone on his phone :)
It's great when that optimism comes along. I'm sure you've generated it yourself by steady and consistent application to your routine and to cultivating contentedness. Good for you, and thanks for sharing it with others! Kellie
I hope you don't mind me butting in but I wanted to suggest how a friend of mine handles cooking and eating at home. She NEVER goes out, partly for financial reasons and also because she has a system where she only cooks 3 days a week. But I'll get to that later...
ReplyDeleteWhen she was married and her three children were at home, she always cooked a big meal. Then, when she was cleaning up from dinner, one of her children packed lunches from the leftovers while she did the dishes. (Or vice-versa). In the time it took to clean the kitchen, the dishes were done and the next day's lunches were made and refrigerated.
As her family downsized (kids and husband left home), she began cooking double three nights a week. But instead of eating it the next night, she eats each one two nights later so she doesn't get tired of it. On Saturday or Sunday, instead of cooking, she puts out all of the leftovers for potluck and cleans the fridge. This works really well for people who cook for only one or two.
I wish I'd thought of this DECADES ago..........
Should add, before she had each of her children, she filled her freezer with precooked meals. When ground beef was on sale, she made a bunch of ground beef dishes. Same with chicken and other meats. She learned you can freeze macaroni and cheese unbaked if the sauce is very soupy. When she had her last child, she didn't have to cook for 6 weeks!
Love your blog Rhonda. Thank you for sharing. Will keep coming back to get more info, Tqs again, Pris
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks very healthy and productive Rhonda, I'm so pleased you are enjoying it. Your lemon tree looks so full of fruit, and the birds here chase the grasshoppers as well. We also gain a lot of pleasure from the birdlife in our backyard. Your kookaburras look so fit and healthy. Gardens really are a work in progress, and ours will inevitably change as we get older as well. I love the look of the hotel, haven't visited that one. Take care, Pauline
ReplyDeleteHaving a kookaburra in a lemon tree - sounds so exotic! Your garden looks like such a great place. My mother gardened until 90 or so, then had eyesight issues. It was her happy place. Very good advice to stick close to home, take care of yourself, and find some peace. All are my goals right now.
ReplyDeleteI'm from the eastern United States and my husband and I find kookaburras fascinating. They have a unique squak and seem to be friendly towards people. I am 65, the youngest, and was fortunate enough to have a mother and father who made family, home, and work their focus. Mom (who would be 101 if alive) worked starting at age 16 when she graduated early from high school. She and Dad raised three daughters and you never heard them complain. Mom loved cooking, sewing, canning, keeping house, and yes working. We had home cooked meals every night, fresh bread weekly, and homemade cookies, pies, you name it. I never had store bought jam until I was in my 30s. We stayed at a family friend's house during work when we were young and we lovingly called her our second Mom. Mom had us call her when we got home from school every day so she knew we were safe. Dad turned the whole back acre of yard into a garden and was the handiest person I know. Mom worked because she wanted to. The extra money also allowed us to see 48 states and 2 countries before we turned 16, as they'd pack us in the car every summer and off we'd go. Sometimes mothers working is something they want to do, even in the 1940s and 1950s because they enjoy it and their family and home do not suffer in any way. And believe me our family did not suffer for it. We were and are damn proud of both our parents.
ReplyDeleteYou could be describing my family here too. My mum and dad were workers and my sister and I grew up as workers. I'm so grateful for that. I think that word "choice" comes in to so many things and here I think the difference between our mothers working because they wanted to made all the difference. It becomes much more difficult when choice is taken away from you.
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