Lyn at Patchwork Angel is having a gorgeous redwork pattern giveaway. It will be drawn tomorrow so if you want to be in the draw, go here now.

The garden is coming along well. I spent some time out there yesterday planting, picking, sitting, thinking, talking to the chooks and planning. I still haven't finished my herbs but it all waits for its own time. Not much is hurried here. If it isn't done today, it might be done tomorrow, or the next day.

(Clicking on the photos will enlarge them.)

There have been quite a few caterpillars and grasshoppers this year. The weather is mild and they've not been killed off or driven off by the cold weather yet. pfffffffft. We have some organic spray here to be made up today, so hopefully, the bugs will be gone next week. We will still eat these sugarloaf cabbages. Organic food rarely looks perfect and after a good wash, this produce will be good to go.

Here are some snow peas and frilly lettuce. I think this is Darwin lettuce.

We always grow pigeon peas which are a well know permaculture plant. They're drought resistant, good for mulch and produce a fine pea that the chooks love when they're green like they are now. Sometimes we let them dry on the tree and pick them as dried peas. They store well in the cupboard and make a fine pea soup.

And last, but by no means least, on your touraround my winter garden is Hanno's latest recycled creation. He was concerned that rain was messing up the inside of the chicken coop, so we decided to harvest that water and in doing that solve the problem. He attached some old guttering to the front of the coop and has a down pipe running into a bucket. This will probably be upgraded to a 200 litre tub as soon as we move it over there.

Welcome to all the new readers. Please leave your comments and become part of our wonderful community. There are well over 2000 visitors here every day now. To all my long term readers, thank you for your continued support and for your comments on my blogged box in the side bar. I appreciate your warm and generous comments. They help encourage more people towards living a slower, greener and simpler life.

ADDITION: I've added the Amazon box again. This time there are two - one for the American Amazon and one for the United Kingdom Amazon. I had an email request to put them back, thanks, Anwen, for your support. I don't want them to intrude too much on what we are doing here and I've tried to blend them in as best I could with the look of the site.

It's a cool morning here and I'm just about to go into the garden to pot up some herbs. After that I'll be working on my book submission. : - ). Killi, there is no way it could be published by July. Sorry.

I want to thank the readers who rated my blog on Blogged. I really appreciate you taking the time to do that. Thank you for your generous and kind words.

Finally, this week has been a big one on my blog. It was mentioned on a number of forums around the world and as a result there was quite a big influx of new readers. Welcome to all the newcomers, I hope you find what you're looking for here.

I might be back later with some photos. :- )

The sign up for the pin cushion/needlebook or the water bottle holder is now over. There are a few of you who forgot to give me some important information when you signed up. Malgosia (pastel maiden) could you leave me your e-mail address (spelled out) and your country please. Hannah, the swap is for a pin cushion/needle book OR for a drinking water bottle holder-do you still want to participate? I will try to post the list of swappers on Monday, and if I run across anyone else who forgot a bit of information I will post a note with the names and what information I need on the blog this week-end. If you want to change anything in your sign up information, please e-mail me, Sharon, at : cdetroyes at yahoo dot com and I will update your info on the list. Thank you and Happy Swapping!

I want to carry on from my post about tightening your belt because there are more important things to consider. Yesterday I wrote about the containment of spending and conservation of money but I didn't write about where that will lead you.

That post needs to be balanced by one about the enjoyment and enrichment to be found in living within your means. There is balance in most healthy systems.

There may be several things you don't like doing in a simplified life, but there will be many things that make up for that, and they will probably be those elements you didn't or couldn't notice when you were living faster and bigger. When you slow down, you'll start noticing the small and quiet parts of your life that went unseen before. You may be surprised at how you feel when you bake a good loaf of bread for the first time or when you put your home made soap in the bathroom for the family to use. Inviting a friend around for coffee and homemade scones instead of meeting at the local Starbucks will keep you in touch with your friends and show them, but example, that you don't have to be waited on and have everything made for you. You are capable, you can do for yourself and you don't have to spend money in the process. These small actions are significant, they mark your change and they often bring joy.

One of the first things I did when I slowed down and starting living well was to be mindful of what I was doing. I stopped multi-tasking to get things done fast and concentrated on the one thing I was doing. I sometimes found this difficult because my mind was racing to get to the next, the next, the next, until I accidentally came up with a strategy that worked for me, and is still working. When I do something I like, when there is something to be savoured, when there is a new feeling, I stop and tell myself aloud: "this is really beautiful" or "I LOVE this" or "that feels lovely" or "this is a good thing". It marks the moment as a special one, I hear the affirmation, I remember it because it is verbalised and it slows me down. There is beauty lurking in the mundane things that surround you, you just need to slow down enough to find it. Of course there will be times when you'll find joy and meaning in a great occasion but sometimes you'll find the same meaning in the sound of your own breathing.

You may think that not shopping and staying home more will be tedious but use your time at home to make it a place you want to be. Your home is not just a box you sleep in. It's the space you truly relax in, it's the safe haven where you raise your children, it's where you express love, it's where you keep what you need to live, it's where you grow older and wiser. Such an important place should be warm and supportive of the people who live there. There are no benevolent pixies who will come in and make it a place you will feel at home in. That is your job. You must make your home the place you want it to be and you will do that not by following what is in a glossy magazine or shop window, but instead by following what is in your heart. Make do with what you already have to fluff your nest and make your home a unique place that reflects the person you are now.

So if you're on your transition from a life lived more outside yourself to one that is within you and around you, slow down, then slow down more, be aware of what you have and don't forget to tell yourself: this is good for me. Use your free time making your home the place you want it to be. If you have to sew or create what you need, what's stopping you?

This post is to remind you that the full story of tightening your belt is not all doom and gloom. It is balanced by the joy you will find when you do it. I hope you know now that by stepping away from what mainstream society has become you will discover how you fit into your own life and your environment. You're entering a period of conservation so remember that whatever you need to fluff your nest is probably already in your home. You are cutting back, becoming independent and are starting to provide for yourself. You don't need to buy another plastic thingamajig, you don't need one more thing that's been shipped from China or India. Use what you have, appreciate who you are now and tighten that belt. Start reskilling, recycling, reusing, renewing and regenerating, and you'll reinvent and rediscover yourself in the process.

It's all waiting for you, my friends.

I just want to remind everyone that the sign-up for the new swap, your choice of either a pin cushion/needle book or a water bottle holder is Thursday, June 12. We are having another very popular swap and have nearly 100 swappers as of Wednesday evening. I will post the list of swap buddies on Monday, June 16.

Hello everyone. My feedburner was hopelessly tangled and I had to start another feed. Or you might prefer to believe I have no idea what I'm doing and I deleted the feed. ;- ) Whichever way you look at it, you'll have to update your feed to this blog because the old feedburner account was deleted.

Subscribing to a feed will allow the software to check for updates to my blog and will list them in your 'feeds' folder - near your favourite in Windows. You don't have to come to the blog to see if I've updated. Just click on the 'subscribe in a reader' in my side bar and follow the prompts.

There are many of us who have known this day would come. We've been preparing for the changes a big increase in oil prices would bring - not just to the price of fuel but the flow-on cost to almost everything we buy. We've also been preparing, as best one can, for climate change. We bought tanks a few years ago, have solar hot water, have cut back on plastics and try to conserve and reuse. We have our systems in place here and although we always look for better ways or living on less, I feel confident, without being smug, that we have made a move in the right direction.

But what happens if you haven't prepared? What if you've been working on building your life and then you notice prices increasing, there is a downturn in business, you're paying off your mortgage, have quite a bit of debt and you realise you're in trouble. You or your partner might even have lost your job. You're living a life that needs those two pay packets. What happens now?

I received two emails in the past week describing exactly that scenario. This post is for those two families and for anyone else who needs another perspective on an all too common problem.

You need to change the way you live. I'm not a financial adviser but all is not lost. You can recover from this and go on to live a full and happy life. It won't be easy but it's better than going bankrupt and losing what you've worked for. There are tough times ahead for many people but while much of the mainstream media is still advertising 50% off sales (ironically for businesses closing down or struggling to survive) here in the blogisphere you will pick up some good tips that will help you recover from living a "normal" life in 2008.

The first thing you should do is to stop spending, work out a budget and track your spending. Those three things will give you the best understanding of your financial situation. It will be difficult to stop spending and live on less but you will benefit from it in the long run. Let's face this honestly, you need to change, and if you can tighten your belt and work at it, there is a new way of living waiting for you.

Stop spending - on everything except what you need to live. You should keep paying off your debts and buy food and fuel. Everything else is on a need to live basis. This strategy will help steady your ship and help you establish a plan.

Work out a budget - so you continue to pay off your debts and have money to buy food and get to work.

Track your spending - take a small notebook and pencil with you every time you go out. Every time you buy something - even if it's a pack of chewing gum, write it down. After a week you will have a vague idea of where your money is going, after a month you'll have a very good understanding and should be able to stop spending on many things and cut back on others. For example, you don't need two mobile phones, you may not even need one. You don't need pay TV, pizza delivered to your door, a second car, a new dress or golf clubs. You might want these things, but you don't need them.

If one of you have lost your job and you're now trying to live on one income, all is not lost. It is now the job of the person who is staying at home to save as much as possible through good homekeeping and being frugal. If you read through my blog, there are posts on different ways to shop, stockpiling to save money, cooking from scratch, looking after what you own, making your own bread, soap, shampoo and cleaners, and getting back to basics. You will need to reskill yourself in a number of ways, but you'll probably find the information on how to do that if you look through my blog or by clicking on many of the links on my side bar. Your blog neighbours are here to help you.

I grew up in much simpler times when people saved for what they wanted. We had no credit cards and if you didn't have the cash, you went without. We didn't feel deprived at all. It was uncomplicated and we were independent. We don't need to have everything instantly - saving and waiting for what we want is good for us. It makes us appreciate what we have. It's normal now to want something and to buy it immediately on credit. It's normal now to carry debt. It's normal now to have more than you need. It wasn't always like that - this is an aberration. Like spoilt children we have been given all we want. We are made dependent on our banks because we borrow money to buy our wants. We have been deskilled because we now buy food and clothes that don't require anything of us, except our money. We've either forgotten or have never learnt how to cook from scratch and how to make what we need. Having everything we crave hasn't made us happier. There is more depression now than ever before, more bankruptcies and more divorce.

We need to get back on track. We need to simplify our lives and realise that we don't need all that crap to be our true and authentic selves. It probably needed climate change and peak oil to make us look critically at what we have become. Now that time is here, let's make the most of it, and of ourselves.

I hope you come to understand that everyone must limit themselves. All of us can only spend what money we have, not what credit we have. If you continue to spend, banks are there to help you, until you are deep in debt. Take charge of your own life, rediscover your hope for the future and become as independent as you can be. The true test of this is if you are strong enough to take that first step and then to keep going. Be aware that many people are going through the same thing, you are not alone. Find a good book - Your money or your life is excellent, or a blog or website that keeps you on track and focused. Here are three websites I'm happy to recommend: AU Simple Savings, USA Dave Ramsey, UK Money Saving Expert

It will help you to stay motivated and swap stories with others who are dealing with the same tough issues. It won't be easy but it will be satisfying and I guarantee you this - when you come out the other end with your financial affairs in order, being able to look after yourself without having to buy everything you need to do it, you will feel stronger, wiser and happier than you were before your change.

Thank you for your comments yesterday. I'm quite overwhelmed by them. In the next few days I'll work out my plan of attack and write about it again later in the week.

We've had a lot of women sign up for the swap. Please remember the deadline for sign-ups is Thursday, June 12. Sharon and Lorraine are organising it and they will post the list of swap partners next Monday.
In the meantime, let's get back to reskilling ourselves.

If you're like us and enjoy fresh warm bread for lunch, or if you have a family who needs feeding NOW, one of your great frugal standbys is homebaked bread with butter. I have to confess, I like Vegemite on my bread and toast but I won't hold it against you if you don't. ;- )

I baked a soy and linseed loaf yesterday and when Hanno commented on the price of bread now I decided to do a little investigating. My bread cost approximately $2 to bake. Here is the breakdown: my soy/linseed flour cost $2.80 a kilo (2.2 lbs) or 43 cents per cup, white baker's flour costs me $1.52 a kilo, or 23 cents per cup. This loaf uses four cups of flour. All the following amounts are slight over-estimations: yeast 5 cents, salt 2 cents, sugar 2 cents, water 1 cent, butter 5 cents, oats and poppy seeds for the top 3 cents, electricity 50 cents. Total $2.

The Helga's soy and linseed loaf, which is the closest loaf to what I make, is currently listed as $4.73 online at Woolworths. A saving of $2.73 per loaf.

I made this loaf using the breadmaker to knead the dough. I then put the dough in a bread tin and cooked it in the oven. Making it by hand would slightly decrease the cost but increase the time spent on it.

I've been experimenting with spreads for or bread. I LOVE butter - and it shows. LOL! I'm trying to cut down on the amount of butter I eat and have recently been whipping the butter and adding water to it. It increases in volume, so it goes further and is cheaper, but it tastes the same. When you put whipped butter in the fridge it goes hard, just like unwhipped butter, so I've been keeping ours out on the bench so it's ready for use during the day.

You can't bake with whipped butter and if I put it on really hot bread, it makes it a bit soggy. I have to wait for the bread to cool down a bit before spreading the butter. On room temperature bread, it's fine.

To make whipped butter, have the butter at room temperature and place it in a bowl. Beat it with your electric whisk to soften it and break it up. To 1 cup of butter add a ½ cup of lukewarm water, little bits at a time and beat into the butter. To make it go even further, you could add some olive oil as well, about ½ cup. At the moment we are eating the butter and water mix but I've used the butter+oil+water mix over the past month and it's fine. Again, it's not suitable for baking, but excellent for sandwiches.

Make sure you put the butter in the fridge every night but it's perfectly fine to keep it out on the bench during the day - depending on the temperature at your home. If it's very hot, you'll need to keep it in the fridge all the time.

Winter in the subtropics. There is no better time or place on this earth.

This is the view from the surf club where we had lunch on Friday. After lunch we watched the movie Then She Found Me, which we both enjoyed.

Recently, one of the men who read this blog asked for an interview with Hanno to get a male viewpoint on our lives here. That interview is below - I caught him between finishing off his gardening for the day and having a hot shower. He was impatient having to sit in the chair. ;- )

What are your thoughts on how you and Rhonda live now?It’s pretty uncomplicated. I have no worries. I enjoy it most of the time.

When Rhonda first told you her plan to give up work and live simply, what did you think?I thought it would be too difficult. I needed more convincing and I wasn’t sure in the beginning if we could do it. Now I know we can, I’m confident we can do it. We are doing it!

What is your role in your home on a day-to-day basis?
I feed the animals, tend the garden, ride my pushbike over to the shop to get a paper and pick up the mail. I do most of the outside work, but when I see something in the house that needs doing I help out there as well.

What did you do today?I worked in the garden preparing the potato beds. We are going to grow food in the front yard soon, so I pulled out the rosella bushes along the driveway and dug those beds over. I made sure there was enough food for the chooks and animals and filled the water containers. I washed the dogs beds after I fixed the outside washing machine with new brushes for the motor.

(Rhonda whispered: We have our 20 year old Asko washing machine on the back verandah plumbed up to the water tank. We wash the dogs blankets and duvets in it.)

What are the skills you use most days?Gardening, planning, mechanical, carpentry, plumbing.

Do you worry that you don’t have the skills you need to live as you want to?
No.

What do you enjoy most about the way you live?
The freedom to choose what I want to do.

Is there anything you dislike?
No, it’s all good.

What advice would you give to other men who are thinking of taking that first big step into a simple life?I'd say you need motivation and a plan. You need to have a rough idea of what’s expected of you. If you can’t fix what you have at home, look on the internet or books and learn as much as you can about repairing and building small things. I've never built laying boxes for the chooks before, but I've just built a little laying house and the chooks like it. Most things you’re afraid to do you’ll find can be worked out using common sense.

What do you think are the main problems you and Rhonda will face in the future?
The unexpected – there could be major house repairs that cost a lot of money. One of us could get sick and be unable to work as we do now. There are many things that could happen, but why worry now?

Do you have any words of advice for the men who read this?
I encourage anybody who has even the faintest hope to live as we do, to go ahead and do it. If you come up against any problems, you can usually work them out. Money is another thing – keep your eyes open to save money whenever you can. Sometimes it’s a pain and it looks like penny pinching but you really have to look after your money. And whatever you do, try to save something ever week. Even it is $5 a week, do it, and don’t spend it, be firm and keep it for your emergencies. Even if you think you have planned for everything, there will be some.

Don’t take on the impossible. For every job, make sure you can carry it out right to the end, otherwise it might cost you money to fix. I was in two minds about repairing our old washing machine. It cost $70 for the parts but it’s an investment in the future because it saves our indoor washing machine having to wash the big dirty items like the dogs beds.

Rhonda tells people to take small steps and that's good advice. You can start small just changing a few of the things you do, then when you get more confidence and know more, you can do more.

THE END - Thank you Hanno.

Following are the photos of the quark which I mixed up yesterday.

After a few days in the fridge ...

I mixed in the chopped tops of the Welsh onions, salt and pepper ...

and topped it with paprika.

We have about 300 mls of whey for baking during the week.

Hello all! Rhonda, Lorraine and I wish to announce a new swap. This swap will be a bit different than previous swaps in that you will be able to choose a project to swap. We have had many great suggestions for swaps, and have chosen two of these asour swap.

In keeping with our desire to simplify and green up our lives we have chosen to swap either pin cushions and a small sewing needle book, or a water bottle holder. Making the pin cushion and needle book reminds us how important the basic skills of sewing are today and each time you sit down to sew you will be reminded of your swap buddy. If you choose the water bottle holder, you will have chosen a green idea which encourages us to use a re-usable water bottle-either a plastic one or a metal one - but, please remember that many governments are now banning the old-style nagalene or plastic bottles that leech dangerous chemicals, so be very careful when you purchase a water bottle which you will be re-using!!

There are many great ideas out on the web teaching us how to make each of these items and I will leave a few links for ideas and tutorials at the end of this post.

We will have three months to complete and ship the chosen project-the deadline is the September 6, 2008, at which time we will announce a new swap for the holiday season.

I also wish to let you know that I will be off line for a couple of days and will be unable to respond to your comments until Sunday (US). I am having my computer repaired and it will take about 2 days to do the work. On Sunday, when I get back on line I will respond to all of you. Until then I am sure Rhonda or Lorraine will keep up with all the comments. I have added most of the tea cosy photos to our flickr group, so when you visit you now have many more photos to look at. I still have several tote bags and two tea cosy photos to upload.

When you sign up for this swap will you please give us the following information:

5. which project you have chosen to make and if you would be willing to do either project just in case there is an odd number of swappers for a particular project, please let us know also ;).

The following are links for water bottle holders:

The following are some links to pin cushion ideas :