down to earth

When I was growing up it was a commonly held belief that if you did well at school, worked hard and made a lot of money, you would live a life of ease, confident in the knowledge that you could buy whatever you wanted and happiness would follow close behind. Most of us swallowed that hook, line and sinker but when it came down to it, having it all didn't make us happy.

I've often written about not spending, decluttering and giving away things you've paid good money for. Hanno and I live on a very small amount of money, we have no pay TV, we rarely buy books, eat out or buy clothes and shoes. We are making do with what we have. We've stopped eating meat (except for Hanno's pork and kale fest during winter) and work to produce food for ourselves in our own back yard. We respect the work we do and we're grateful we have the energy and ability to do it.

We often work hard at home doing for ourselves things that in former times we would have paid others to do for us. We stopped buying convenience food and instead cook from scratch so we eat pure food with no preservatives or artificial flavourings. I mend clothes and we look after what we own. We repair rather than replace. We try to conserve instead of consuming.

Some might read all of that and think we are "poor" and miserable and that if we had more money, we'd buy our way to happiness. There have been studies done in recent years that tell us that as long as the human needs of shelter, food, etc are met, having more doesn't increase happiness. Rich people aren't happier than ordinary folk. In fact, the more valuable a person's time is in the workplace, the more they are likely to spend their time making money and being away from their families.

I believe that if money and possessions do make us happy, that happiness is only fleeting. It is replaced, over time, with discontent. If I wanted to, I could still be working for corporate Australia but I know, from experience, that the money I would earn and the things I would buy would not bring me the kind of life-enriching happiness I get from my voluntary work.

I also believe that people and self awareness make us happy. I am happy with my family around me and knowing that I am what I am and that I am true to my values. I have thought about what I want my life to be and I make steps towards that every day. That gives me self respect and satisfaction and eventually that builds into the kind of happiness that is instilled deep within.

Our life paths will lead us all to different places, but no matter where yours leads, you will be able to live simply. Start by simplifying your daily tasks and then try to incorporate generosity, kindness and grace into your everyday life. Don't think of this way of living as a restriction or "poor" but instead see it as a richness that is built in small and simple ways. The rewards are there for the taking. They may not be as flashy or obvious as those store bought rewards but they are enduring and significant and they don't go out of fashion.

The Down to Earth book is going ahead. My agent thinks there is a lot of potential so we are preparing a proposal for the publishers. We'll try the North American market first, then Australia and maybe Europe. It's so exciting! I'll tell you more about it as I get further into the process of preparing the manuscript.

I have to thank a good friend, Linda Nichols, who helped me along the path towards publication when she recommended my blog to her agent. She has been supportive and generous along the way and I thank her sincerely for that. Linda is an author and has written several books, another is to be published soon. You can read a little about Linda at her website here.

I will continue writing my blog because it's become an important part of my life. It helps me reflect on what I'm doing and provides a valuable record of plantings and projects. It also helps my family stay in touch with what Hanno and I are doing. My sons, sisters and friends are reading the blog now so they can see what we're doing here when they aren't here themselves.

We had a fairly hectic weekend and I didn't do everything I wanted to do. Thankfully I planted up some luffa seeds as well as the lemon cucumber and giant sunflower seeds sent to me by Tracy in the swap. Hanno will be panting the dragon carrot seeds this week too. Thanks Tracy!

I started tidying up my sewing room a few days ago and it's gone from this (above) to this (below). I don't know how I manage to get my sewing in such a mess. There is still some work to be done in there but that can wait for another day. I took the opportunity to mend one of my cardigans while I was in there. The edging had come away so it was just a matter of quickly stitching along the edge to reattach it. It's as good as new again.

I also finished off my pincushion and needlebook for my swap partner, Danielle. I'll post it off this week. Remember, the deadline for the swap is September 6, all swaps need to be posted by that date. If you're running late or have a problem with the swap, please let Sharon know on cdetroyes at yahoo dot com

The rest of the weekend was spent reading the blog from the beginning, I got up to this April and will continue on when I have the chance. It was like a walk along memory lane. I'm taking notes as I go and working out how I will structure the book. If you have any thoughts you want to share with me about what to include, I'm interested in reading them.

I'm back at work today and looking forward to a productive and interesting week. Winter is coming to a close and soon the days will begin to warm up. I noticed the wisteria has stared to grow new leaves, the flowers won't be far behind and with them, Spring. The year is flying by.

I hope you had the kind of weekend you hoped for and that this week will be a good one for all of us.

There is good news from yesterday. Hanno's doctor said he thinks he can be treated for the glaucoma with drops, and these started last night. The other eye with the cataract and bleeding retina is being monitored. He said he wants to see if the bleeding stops by itself, apparently it often does. Hanno has to go back to check the progress of the treatment next month. I want to thank everyone for their good wishes and prayers. Hanno hasn't read the blog for a few days because we've been quite busy here but when he does, I'm sure he'll be very touched by your thoughtfulness.

Clicking on the photos will enlarge them.

Kathleen flew home yesterday morning. Moey, she used to work in northern WA and has just spent a month filling in for another worker who is away. Perth was just a stop over. Shane and Sarndra visited in the afternoon on their way back home. Sarndra said some butterflies were released for the baby at the funeral which I thought was a sweet and innocent gesture from grieving parents.

So now it's back to work. Today there will be a fair bit of gardening done because we're in another transition period out there. It's the end of winter and the garden is showing its age. Most of the cabbages have been picked, the cauliflowers are all gone and we need to fill bare patches and plan for spring. I really should have sown seeds two weeks ago but other things got in the way, so that will be done today.

Here are some seedlings Hanno put in last week. They are bok choi, buttercrunch lettuce, bulls blood beetroot and leeks.

Continuous supply from the garden is the most challenging aspect of food production for us. We often have gaps when we have to buy tomatoes, pumpkins or potatoes. We try to monitor the garden as best we can but seasonal and climatic variations make precise planning very difficult. But, it is what it is, we know that nature will always have the last say and we just go along for the ride. Whatever we get from the garden we are grateful for and we hope to shorten those gaps in production every year.

Dragon carrots will be planted here.

Today I'll plant up some trays of luffa seeds to plant on the new lattice wall near our bedroom. And with spring and summer coming there will be lots of salad vegetables to go in. Let's see ... we have long black Spanish radishes, Daikon and French radishes, dragon carrots, climbing princess beans and lemon cucumbers - all received in the seed swap a few months ago. We also have Darwin lettuce, more pink Brandywine and Moneymaker tomatoes, dwarf borlotti beans and maybe some watermelons (moon and stars).

If you are new to vegetable gardening, it is a good idea to know your food. Tomatoes aren't just tomatoes and there are many different kinds of lettuce. Get to know what you're eating - they all have different characteristics. The old heirloom types were often named after the growers, the grower's neighbours or what the food looked like, so often the names are just as lovely as the vegetable. Supermarkets have taken away our ability to know our food but I encourage to get acquainted again. When you plant, find out what type of seed you're planting and put up a little sign over the seeds so you remember just what it is you have there. Soon you'll be on friendly terms with all your vegetables and just like people, you get to know their names first.

More lettuce planted a few weeks ago under the lattice with Tropic and beefsteak tomatoes.

Another chore I need to do today is to clip back the capsicum (pepper) bushes. They have produced smaller than usual fruit over winter but with a good cut back, they should give us another year of service before being replaced. I have saved seed from these wonderful plants and will probably plant up a few more of them for summer.

And now friends, I have to prepare for a talk with my book agent. She is phoning soon. :- ) I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Hello everyone. My routine has been thrown out somewhat because I have a visitor here. My second sister, Kathleen, arrived yesterday afternoon after flying in from Perth. She is flying home to Townsville this morning. I haven't seen her since my birthday so it's great to have her here. When she leaves, Hanno has to go to the doctor to have his eyes checked. I don't think I shared this earlier but he had an eye test recently and it revealed glaucoma in one eye and a bleeding retina and cataract in the other. This morning's visit is to the eye specialist who will decide what treatment is necessary. He is a bit nervous about this visit so it's good it will be over and done with this morning. Not knowing is terrible.

Later in the day, Shane and Sarndra will arrive for lunch. They drove over last night to attend the funeral of a friend's stillborn baby. How sad is that! It will be lovely to see them both, even though the reason for their visit is so sad. I'll bake bread for lunch and already have a fruit cake baked so I don't have to do much before they arrive.

So today I thought I'd answer a few of the questions I haven't had time for during the week. Also, I want to thank all those people who commented in the Taking Lunch to Work post. I found some really helpful comments that I hope will help keep me on the straight and narrow.

My main thank you today goes to Sharon who has been a constant help to me organising swaps and now the knitting buddies. I am sure many other readers join with me in thanking you Sharon. I love the idea of knitting mentors and I hope both the learners and the mentors enjoy the experience. Please keep us updated with your progress.

First up, a photo of Alice for Cathy. I thought you might like this Cathy as you ask about her. She is fine, although still pining for Rosie. I took the photo yesterday morning as she watched me type yesterday's post. Hanno bathed her yesterday so she is looking shiny and fluffy.

Mary Ellen, it's fine to link here. Thank you for your kind comments, I hope you find what you're looking for here.

Chookie and leemomofthree, Hanno and I will net the peaches in the next day or so. When we do I'll take a photo that shows what we use.

Aileen, the recipe for soy and linseed bread is similar to my white bread recipe but you replace the white bread flour with soy and linseed flour, and leave out the gluten flour. You might have to search around for soy and linseed flour. I get mine from my local bulk wholefoods merchant. If you can't find it locally, you might find some in your state online.

Renee, I think the tide is turning. I am involved in organising some life skills workshops which include bread making, worm farming, compost making, bamboo construction, sewing and mending and preserving. And look at the popularity of this blog, it's incredible. I think it's still at the very beginning of the turn but I think there is a general feeling that things need to change. Some, like you, me and many of the readers here, come to that change early, others will follow. So you better get as many jars as you can now because who knows what will happen. ;- )

lisa-michigan, I agree totally with what you said: Planning-it is a skill and takes practice. Traveling with little ones. My daughter is 3 years old and since the day she was born I never wanted to be in a position to HAVE to grab food because she ran out of formula/baby food/adult food, I either bring food with us, stuff it in my purse or make sure she eats before we leave. The hubby is getting better about that but he's just learning since we've been together how to plan.

Planning-it is a skill and takes practice. Step outside your life and be critical of the choices that affect your time. Not critical of yourself but your decision-making.

Living simply is made easier when you organise yourself to do it. When we're organised, we have the time to do for ourselves and don't have to pay through the nose for someone else to do the work for us.

Kim NZ, Hanno uses kale with pork knuckle, pork sausage and kassler - which is like smoked pork chops. I hope your DH like the kale.

Hi Cindy, it worked. LOL I'll change the feed later today. This is a brilliant link, thank you.

CB, I loved your post. It is a good illustration of how a bit of thought can give you a great lunch and save money at the same time. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

Jennifer (humble wife), I really like your system and the generosity of your sweet treats. It is a lovely way to share what you have with others.

Ward, thank you. I hope you find a way to harvest your crops with those squirrels hovering.

Pippa, yet another great system for providing variety. Thanks for sharing.

anonymous, I think Charis gave some excellent advice. Thank you so much, Charis. I think you're already doing a lot and seem to mindful of where you're going and have made some good choices. I think it would be wise to cook meals for more than one and freeze the leftovers in one portion size containers. Do you have a freezer? Meals like soups, casseroles, curries etc freeze very well and will save you time and a bit of power (elec or gas) because you aren't cooking every day, just reheating. Do you have student friends who would be willing to swap food? You could all cook enough for four, keep one for yourself and swap the other three, thus providing variety. And remember boiled eggs, cheese or a small tin of tuna with salad and a simple potato salad for easy to make nutritious meals for one. I'll think of a couple of other recipes for you and post them soon.

Rose asked: Rhonda my queries re bread and yoghurt. Bread: my proofed yeast bubbles well but I get a very liquid loaf if I prepare the dough in the breadmaker. Should I dispense with proofing and follow the instruction book's order of ingredients?

Yoghurt: if I add the one third cup of powdered milk I get grit and lumps, even if I mix it with a little of the heated milk before adding it to the mixture. Any tips?

Rose, it sounds like you're adding too much liquid to the mix. Include the liquid you add to the yeast in the entire amount needed for the bread. For instance, if the recipe says 280mls and you use 30 mls to prove the yeast, you'd only add 250mls to the mix. Also, flour changes. Different batches from the same manufacturer take different amounts of water. The weather on the day also plays a part. You will need less water on a humid day. When I make bread, either by hand or in the machine, I always use enough liquid to mix, but I hold some of the allocation back. I ALWAYS test the dough with my fingers. You learn after doing this a few times what the dough should feel like. It's the best way to judge moisture content. Remember, you can always add more water, but never take it out, so be prudent when adding it.

Powdered milk goes lumpy when it's added to something already heated. Dissolve your one third cup of milk powder in a very small amount of cold water and reduce the amount of liquid used in the yoghurt to accommodate the amount used to dissolve the powder. You could also try using a good thick greek style yoghurt for your starter instead of thickening it with extra powder. I hope that helps.

Christine (simple quilter) thank you for your kind help with the knitting. Sharing what we know and helping others is a big part of this way of life. We all need to be helping others, especially those younger girls who are new to all this.

Moey, the baby is absolutely gorgeous. You look like a very happy mum. Congratulations to you and your husband. :- )

Jennlala, thank you for that link. I'm going to show it to my friend Bernadette who likes the holey dishcloths and is a great crocheter.

Mama K, a good friend of mine who lives in Belize makes pineapple vinegar. He says it makes up a great brew.

Carolyn, once the required amount of time has passed, just taste the vinegar, you'll know when it's ready. Also, if you see scum settling on the top, that's okay but you need to remove it. Use a clean cotton cloth or just scoop it up with a spoon.

Shannon, I hope you continue to be inspired to live well by reading my blog. I also hope you pass on what you learn to your friends. Welcome and thank you for your comment.

Shel - YAY! That's is so good that you taught yourself with the links. They were posted by Sharon, my right hand woman, who helps me here. I'll tell her about your comment.

I hope I haven't missed any questions. If I have, let me know and I'll try better next time. This post has taken so long to write as I've had breakfast with Kathleen before she left and have done a bit of work in the house in preparation for Shane and Sarndra's arrival later this morning. Please send your good thoughts and prayers for Hanno who is just about to leave for his doctor's appointment.

I remember long, long ago often seeing my grandmother drink vinegar. When a salad was eaten, she used to pour the small amount of plain vinegar dressing left in the bowl into a glass, and drink it. Nothing would be wasted. I think my sister Tricia drinks vinegar in this way too. I must ask her. If you read this Tricia, send me an email please.

I've been reading about vinegar this week and it's a really fascinating subject. I have The Vinegar Book by Emily Thacker, it's an Australian book, lent to me by a friend.

Emily describes vinegar as: "an acid liquid made from wine, cider, beer (or most any mildly alcoholic beverage) by what is called 'aceteous fermentation. What this means is that alcohol mixes with oxygen in the air. The alcohol then 'disappears'. Actually it is changed into acetic acid and water. ... It was not until 1878, nearly 10,000 years after vinegar making began, that a microbiologist correctly explained the chemical process which creates vinegar. He accurately described the three species of vinegar bacilli. These tiny creatures gobble up alcohol and excrete acid. The process where alcohols are changed to acids is called fermentation."

I have made vinegar at home in the past and you can read about it here. And here, from the book, are some other ways to make vinegar, although Emily warns that store bought apple cider probably won't work as it's been pasteurised. The secret agent in the process is mother of vinegar which is a mass of scum that forms in unpasteurised vinegar or on the top of cider when the alcohol turns into vinegar. As fermentation increases, mother forms a rubbery floating lump. It's pretty disgusting but it does the job.

These are the vinegars I currently have in my pantry. I'm going to make another batch of homemade vinegar to use when these are finished.

MAKING VINEGAR

Apple Cider Vinegar
Put chopped up apples in a stone crock and cover them with warm water. Tie a cheesecloth over the top and set in a warm place for 4 - 6 months. Then strain off the vinegar. For faster action, add a lump of raw bread dough to the crock.

Another way to make apple cider vinegar is to allow sweet apple cider - preferably homemade - stand in a jug for 4 - 6 weeks. Cover it with a cloth to stop vinegar flies getting in.

Fruit vinegar
Place apple and peach peelings and a handful of grapes in a widemouthed jar and cover with cold water. Set in a warm place and add a couple of fresh apple cores every few days. When scum forms on top, stop adding the fresh fruit and let it thicken. When the vinegar is good and strong, strain it through cheesecloth and store in a bottle.

Wine vinegar
Let a bottle of wine stand open to the air in the summer sun. In about two weeks it will turn into a nice vinegar.

Make winter vinegar by letting wine stand open to the air for about a month.

There are many different grades of vinegar. If you are buying vinegar, the vinegar in large containers is really best used for cleaning. I buy my cleaning vinegar in two litre (quart) containers. I believe the best vinegar is organic apple cider vinegar. I use this in my salad dressings and yes, I have been known to drink the remains of the dressing. It's delicious.

The purpose of this post is to encourage you to experiment with vinegar and to show you that, like most other things, you can make vinegar from scratch. The taste will change depending on what you make your vinegar from, but you can also add to the flavour by making various herb vinegars. The possibilities are endless.

The Vinegar Book by Emily Thacker is published by Tresco Publishers, ISBN 1-883944-03-1

Melinda over at 1greengeneration wrote a very helpful post about vinegar this week. Check it out here.

And now for some good news. I have started discussions with a literary agent in New York who thinks this blog is the basis of a good book. So all those readers who were hoping for a book, may get their wish. I'll keep you posted. :- )

Thank you for continuing to read my blog. We are coming up to half a million visitors soon so I'll have to think of a giveaway to mark the occasion. I think we've built up a pretty special group of people here who add a lot to what I write through their comments. If you are new here, please drop a line and say hello.

We have to net these peaches this weekend to stop the fruit fly getting them.

It's a constant battle which I often seem to lose. You would think it's a simple thing to prepare lunch for one person, but it's not. Three days a week, it's my battle.

Most of you know I work at a voluntary job three days a week. I'm there from about 8am till about 4pm, but some days it's longer. I need to take food with me. Every day I try to take a delicious, wholesome and healthy lunch. Often I do! However, I get periods when for some reason I don't have time to make something or what I've bought and have stored at work is either finished or someone else has eaten it, and I buy lunch. It freaks me out when I do it because I feel I've let myself down.

I have tried having crackers, cup-of-soup, fruit and cheese on hand, but it runs out and I don't realise it until I go to get it and it's not there.

I've been thinking about this for a couple of weeks whenever I'm sitting with my knitting. I've been trying to work out why I do this and how I can stop.

Eureka!

I realised (just this past weekend) that I have such a problem with this one meal because I don't plan for it. Every other meal we have here is planned to a certain extent. My work lunch isn't part of that plan. I never buy anything specifically for my lunch when I'm doing the monthly or bi-monthly grocery shopping. Subconsciously I think that my lunch is "a sandwich" and because we usually have bread and have any number of sandwich fillings on hand that "a sandwich" is taken care of.

I have decided to think about lunch the night before. Lunch is now not always "a sandwich", it might also be leftovers like soup or pasta or something fresh like a salad with cheese or a boiled egg. Either way, it's decided the night before. I've only had one day on this new regime. Yesterday's lunch at work was pasta with homemade tomato sauce from the night before. I heated it up in the microwave at work, shared an apple with a work colleague and had a cup of tea. Perfect!

Today I'm back to "a sandwich" again LOL!! But today that boiled egg is already cooked and will be made into an egg and lettuce sandwich. I have a small container of cherry tomatoes and some cheese cubes packed, and a pear.

This WILL work, as long as I think of my work lunch as part of our meal plan. I think that was what made me fail over and over again. I just saw lunch as "a sandwich" and not something to be thought about and planned, even thought the amount of planning was minimal.

It might seem trivial to worry about making lunch but these are just the things that slowly leak money away. Just as it is small steps to pay off debt, often it's small steps that create it too. If I bought a $5 lunch three days a week, it would cost me $750 a year. It's worth the effort to plan ahead and take lunch to work with me.

So wish me luck, folks. Today, egg and lettuce, tomorrow who knows! Joking, I already know what I'm taking, and hopefully I can tell you in a few months that I haven't had to buy lunch again.

FROM YESTERDAY'S COMMENTS:
Shannan, what a lovely and caring sister you have. I would imagine both families will benefit from your year of living together and you'll all be saving money. Congratulations on working out such a good solution.

Cherrie, that is excellent! I have to make myself a new bag soon too. Keep up the good work.

Nancy, the trick is to buy your supplies when they're on sale. I bought my big basket full of Lions cotton when there were reduced from $11.95 a ball to $4.95 a ball. I can get three dishcloths from one ball. As well as using them myself, I give them as gifts with homemade soap. I think giving this handmade duo is a more thoughtful gift than a store bought soap and dishcloth. The simple act of making things myself makes them special. Some people don't get it, but many do prefer homemade and doing for themselves.

Daharja and Christine, as Suzan said, I hope you find peace with your parents.

Carolemc, I agree, they are investments. :- )

Rose, ask your questions in the comments, please. I'm pretending emails don't exist at the moment. ;- )

Kristi, I agree, Dave's More than Enough is an excellent book, as is Your Money or your Life.

Robin, good luck with your plans, love.

I wish it wasn’t like this but money has a lot to do with simple living. I guess it’s naive to think that money, and the power attached to it, would be an innocent bystander in any kind of life. When you’re living simply, it seems too pure and wholesome to have any real connection to money or debt, and yet debt is the biggest obstacle to living this kind of life successfully over a long period of time. If there is one thing I want to encourage you to do it is to stop non-essential spending, find ways to save money and to pay off your debts.

I have written before about the constant need to change attitudes towards things we might previously have thought of as 'normal'. It's worth repeating though - changing your attitude towards spending will help you live the life you want. Back in my spending days, credit card debt and a mortgage were normal parts of my life. I didn’t realise it at the time, because shopping gave me other priorities, but I was working to pay off those debts and while I did it, I was building more debt. I thought it was 'normal' to have everything I wanted. We are encouraged to think that way. The average Western lifestyle always gives you new things to covet, it keeps creating more wants that you must have, it keeps you in debt. That will never change.

You have to change instead.

When I started living as I am now I changed my attitude to spending. I realised that I had everything I needed and most of what I wanted. I knew I should start being grateful for what I had. Shopping had lost its appeal, I was beginning to see how destructive it could be. I stopped shopping for comfort and recreation, I started thinking about what I needed and ignored what I wanted. Like many things in this simple life, one thing leads seamlessly to another. When I stopped buying, I started creating. I made the things I needed in my home instead of buying them. I regained my independence by reskilling myself, I took back the power to look after myself.

When I was a spender I was stupid enough to throw away good clothing simply because it was ripped or needed a button sewn on. I would rather work a few hours to pay for a new dress or new shoes rather than repair them. Now I value my time, and myself, a lot more than I did then. Now, let me tell you, I repair clothing, sheets, towels, shoes and anything else I can, just so I can continue using them. I have regained the strength to do things for myself. I am no longer seduced by convenience, I have taken responsibility for myself. I am an independent force.

I barely recognise that stranger in my past. No doubt there are millions who would think I’m strange now to save and conserve as I do. But here’s the rub. Living this simple life, being frugal, debt-free and environmentally aware has made me happier than I have ever been. When I was working, I earned quite a bit of money but it only served to keep me in debt because I believed I had the capacity, and the right, to own whatever I wanted. Now I know that no one has the right to continuously buy, just because they can. There is no law against it, but I believe it is morally wrong. I want to conserve rather than consume now. Now I know that if I want something of quality, beauty and uniqueness I make it myself, or barter.

I have written before about the seasons of our lives and I know that many of you are still in the season of nurturing children, building a home and a life. What I hope for you is that you still do and buy what you need, but always be mindful of how you shop, make a budget and don't be seduced by the flashing lights and those little messages that tell you: 'it's okay, you deserve it'. Make a plan to pay off your debt while you build your life, and don't keep adding to the debt. Learning how to sew, knit, cook, bake, garden and keep a frugal, natural home, will stand you in good stead because it will help you give your family the necessities of life, plus a few frills. Going back to basics and living a greener life is a much cheaper alternative to the 'normal' way.

There is no doubt about it, if you are carrying a lot of debt, or even a little, saying no to non-essential shopping will be difficult, but it will also free you. Try to change your attitude towards spending, because that will help you not notice or care about what is in the shops. As with many things, the first step is the most difficult but as you settle into it you will gain a better perspective on your own life, and if you take the opportunity, it will give you back your independence and lead you to a new life.

We set off early, just the three of us - Hanno, Alice and me, with the sun almost breaking over the horizen, heading for Shane and Sarndra's home, about three hours away. We packed Alice in the back of our station wagon on her bed so she would be cushioned from the bumps and turns of the journey.

We stopped twice along the way. First at this old hall near Somerset Dam for Alice to have a run. I imagined all sorts of old style dances happening in the corrugated iron hall in times gone by.

Our second stop was for morning tea at Marburg, a small town originally settled by German migrants many years ago. We had a flask of hot tea and water for Alice, but she was more intent on all the new smells waiting to be discovered.

Finally, after what seemed like too much time, we arrived at a little white house sitting alone on top of a hill. It was cold and windy. It had been snowing just the week before, the temperature regularly drops below freezing there during winter. After greeting us outside, Shane and Sarndra took us inside their little cottage to a hot fire blazing away and the smell of lunch cooking in the oven.

In some homes you get a really relaxed and warm feeling - this was such a home. There was a cat hiding under the couch that Alice never found, lots of books around and sunlight streaming in through the front enclosed verandah. We sat and talked till it was time for lunch and then all sat down to a delicious meal.

Shane is happy there in that little cottage. He is happy with Sarndra, his job and his life in general, I could feel it. Sarndra is a lovely girl and I am pleased they found each other, they seem to be a very good match. Usually we are too busy to take stock of a particular day and instead look back through the memory of it gathered in fragments. But yesterday, I looked at it all carefully while it was happening and tried to take in the small details so I could accurately remember that day for a long time.

Click on photos to enlarge them

Have you ever wondered what cook books a chef uses? Here are just some of Shane's. He let me borrow two lovely books - The French Kitchen and The French Market. I quickly looked through them while we were visiting and they have some excellent simple recipes. I'll be trying some of them out in the coming weeks and will share those that I really like.

We left on our return journey at 3.30pm. It had grown colder as the day progressed and I was thankful for the heater in the car as we drove those long and winding roads home. We didn't take the highways, instead we took the back roads which, like those in life, are always more interesting.

There are points in life when you take stock and decide if what you see is what you want to see. Yesterday was one of those days for me. I came away from our visit with feelings of love and pride, and, I suppose, relief, that Shane has grown into such a fine young man. You never know while they're growing if what you're doing is the right thing and as each child is different, you have to adjust what you do to suit each of them. I'm not saying I did every thing right, because I know I didn't, but I think I got enough of it right. It's a good feeling to see your son as an adult functioning so well, knowing he is successful in his job and happy with his partner and the choices he's made. As we travelled along that long thread that connects his home to ours, all those little animals hiding in the scrub would have looked in our car window and seen a well contented mother. And if I could bottle the feelings I tried to contain on that trip home, I'd would be richer than the queen.

Cleaning mould from walls and fabrics

With all this rain around we've developed a mould problem in our home. Usually we have the front and back doors open and that good ventilation stops most moulds from establishing. However, with the house locked up for the past week, the high humidity and the rain, mould is now growing on the wooden walls near our front door and on the lower parts of cupboards in the kitchen. Most of us will find mould growing in our homes at some point. Either in the bathroom or, in humid climates, on the walls, like we have now. You'll need a safe and effective remedy at some point, so I hope one of these methods works well for you. Mould is not only ugly to look at, it can cause health problems so if you see mould growing, do something about it straight away. The longer you leave the problem, the harder it will be to get rid of it effectively. If you have asthma or any allergies, you should do this type of cleaning with a face mask on so you don't breathe in any spores. Many peopl...

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