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Sometimes readers ask me how I keep going and why housework isn't boring for me.  It is boring sometimes but boredom doesn't stop me from doing anything. I keep going because of the rewards I get from doing my house work - it gives me the life I want. There are a lot of things we have to take responsibility for when we're adults and one of them is creating a home that you feel comfortable in. If you don't have the drive to regularly do the work that gives you that home, push yourself.  If you keep at it you'll see the benefits and the work you do in your home will change you. It did that for me. It made me slower, more generous and thoughtful and I'm glad for that.



Cleaning up the kitchen.



When you get stuck in, you'll be surprised that it doesn't take much to make a really warm and comfy home. Nothing has to be perfect, it just has to be to the standard that makes you feel comfortable. And remember, housework never ends. So when you have enough, stop and come back to it the next day. The sky won't fall in and you'll feel better for it.



I think you'd be surprised at how much you can get done in a short time.  For instance, when I'm waiting for the kettle to boil or the toast to cook, I clear the kitchen bench. If I still have time, I wipe the bench too. If the bench is already clean but the kitchen bin is full, I empty it. If you have 15 minutes to spare, empty everything out of the fridge, wipe the shelves and put it back in. It's a good habit to get into the day before you do the grocery shopping. 


I've got a couple of meal ideas for you today. I had these two meals this week and they're ideal for one or two or five or ten. If, like me, you're living alone, the ravioli bake makes four portions, the omelette makes two. 


Ravioli Bake

This will take less than an hour to cook. You can put it all together and have it ready to cook in the fridge and just heat it up when you come home from work. It will be ready in about 20 minutes.  Just enough time to make a nice salad. 


When you freeze the leftovers, put it in a container already cut into portions but without them touching so you can remove them easily if you only want one piece. I had one on the day of cooking, the second portion the following day and I froze two portions for next week. 


Buy a bag of ravioli or make a batch of ravioli. I bought a bag because I wanted this to be a fast meal.

Make a tomato sauce. I made mine with a 400ml bottle of tomato passata that was on special that week. I fried off an onion, half a capsicum/pepper, diced two sticks of celery and added oregano and parsley from the garden.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for 20 minutes.

Add the uncooked ravioli to a small oven-proof dish and pour the tomato sauce over it. Sprinkle on some cheese if you like it. and bake in the oven at 180C until the top is golden. Mine took 20 minutes.


Spanish Omelette 



This recipe takes two eggs per serve. I used four eggs and it served me for two days.


Peel a medium potato and slice it into thickish slices. Microwave for four minutes and cool.

Use a non-stick frying pan you can put in the oven. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, sliced onions, capsicums/peppers, garlic and any vegetable you have in the fridge or backyard. I picked baby silverbeet/chard and added that after the onions and peppers were cooked.  Remove the vegetables and keep the pan on the stove.


Break the eggs into a bowl, add salt and pepper and about a quarter cup of cream.  If you want a spicy version, add some chilli flakes. Pour that into the frying pan, add the vegetables - potatoes and onion mix - making sure they're distributed well over the top of the eggs. 

Cook on the stove top on medium heat for five minutes then put the pan in a preheated oven at 180C. Cook in the oven until the top is golden and the eggs are set. 

I used a small frying pan - 150mm and I cut the omelette in two for two meals. I like this when it's cooled rather than hot from the oven.


Here is my constant companion. Gracie and I sit out on the front verandah most afternoons and watch the world go by. She's an easy dog to live with. She likes to stay by my side but does go a bit mental running around the house with a lamb fleece in her mouth.  It's her seventh birthday on Wednesday. How time flies.


Of all the simple pleasures waiting for us in our homes, my favourite is sleeping on newly washed sheets that have been dried in the sun. Last night I drifted off into a deep sleep, cuddled by warm sheets smelling of sunshine. Bliss! Sometimes these small simple pleasures are what keep you going on hard days. Having the capacity and awareness to plan your days, your budget and to keep yourself focused on your goals. Being able to sit down to a good meal cooked from scratch, or to defrost one from your stash of meals that you keep exactly for such a day. Enjoying what you have right there in your home and working to a routine and rhythm that carries you through each day without having to think what comes next. They are some of the simple pleasures I've built into my life.




However, now that I’ve written that I realise my rhythm has gone!  Hanno and I were together for 45 years and we each chose what housework and yard work we wanted to do. It wasn’t set in stone because life is never predictable and when things changed we had to be flexible (without whinging about it). When I was writing books, Hanno did more housework than I did. In the last nine months of his life, I did most of his outside work.  Over the years, with the repetition of our various chores, we developed rhythm to our days and that helped us carry out those chores. In fact it made it easier.  I realise now that since Hanno died I've been struggling with the rhythm of my housework - knowing by experience when to do what and how it fits in with the overall scheme of things. That was one of the many things shaken to the core when Hanno died. He was part of that rhythm. I'll have to restore it because for me, that's one of the main keys to tending a home and enjoying it.






My inside work this week has been in the kitchen and dining area. I've simplified both spaces and I'm happy with the outcomes.  I'm still working on the dresser and book case but I have plenty of time to finish them off before I move on to another part of the house. I love moving things around, it gives a fresh, new look to a room and a feeling of contentment, productivity and renewal. I wonder if you feel that too.



I can't say I've had a busy couple of weeks. I worked steadily on decluttering, started building a flower garden on the front verandah, I cooked and cleaned and watched YouTube. I clipped Gracie and removed a large bucket full of her thick black fur. But at the end of the clipping, I got tired and so did she so I didn't get around to doing her head or legs. When I look at her legs now she's got a kind of poodle cut - smooth body with puff balls on her legs and head.  LOL. I hope to finish the job tomorrow and bring back a more balanced look. 


Here she is!  Gracie with her French poodle cut. Eek!



Like the rest of you, I've been horrified by the wild fires in America and Europe and the house fires in London. Seeing family homes and wild habitats burn is heartbreaking.  All those years of building a house and creating a home - for humans and wildlife, gone. It must be the strongest reminder to us all that we have to change the way we live or those weather extremes will become part of our "normal" world. We all have to start at home, doing what we can to stop spending, cutting down on the use of single-use plastics, saving water and energy and simplifying everything we can while we still live a good life. It can be done. 


I hope you're well and safe.  Covid is a big problem again in Australia so I've been staying at home and wearing a mask when I go out.  Take care.  xx



Things are going well here. I'm slowly working through a few projects, sorting through things I no longer need or want and each day I look back on what I've done to help create a future so different to the one I thought I'd live. It's amazing how many things I had here that just sat in a drawer or cupboard, had no purpose and just took up space. What I'm doing now should have been done years ago. Every day I declutter, the happier and more satisfied I feel.



My goal is to keep the comfortable and functional feel of my home without stripping it bare or throwing out things I'll need in the future. I brought a little trolley inside and when I fill it, I leave it for 24 hours before the items are placed in the rubbish bin, the recycle bin or given to someone I know. So far this is working well and I've retrieved only two things from the trolley and kept them.  I'll never have a minimalistic home, I love my home but I want to rid myself of things that weigh me down: old clothes, books and the appliances and items that helped me do the work I once did. I'm still living simply but I'm no longer making bread because I've found an excellent ancient grains loaf at my local bakery that serves me well. It takes about 10 days to eat one loaf. I no longer make my soap but I'm still making laundry liquid. I no longer preserve as much in jars as I did in the past but I'm still making bread and butter cucumbers, tomato relish, chilli jam, and a variety of fruit cordials. So my Fowlers preserving equipment is gone but I still have a good range of jars and bottles.



Here's my new kettle - low tech and pretty. When I found the one I wanted, I looked for the best price - I got this one at Peters of Kensington for $54 reduced from $100.

I want to use everything in my home. I don't want to keep too many things that aren't functional. To help with that aim, I've moved most of my "good dinner set" from the dresser to the drawer under the stove. The Villeroy and Boch Petite Fleur set that Hanno gave me for my 50th birthday is now used every day.  I did reverse the trend though because I bought a new kettle. My old one had been very dodgy for months. Some days it would work, some days I wouldn't. It went to the bin early last week when I had visitors and it wouldn't turn on to make coffee. 😡 I replaced it with an on-stove old fashioned kettle.



It may not look it but I've decluttered the kitchen too. Lots of glasses, plates, mugs, a slow cooker, bread machine, pots and pans have been recycled. This kitchen is 25 years old, we ripped out the old kitchen when we came here. I designed this kitchen and we got a local cabinet maker to make and install it.  It's seen thousands of meals produced and it's still a great place to work.



This is the first drawer under the stove - easy to reach when cooking. 


I'm also concentrating on building safety into my new life. As I'll be alone a lot of the time, I decided to buy an Apple watch (second hand) which will help me if I fall. The watch can detect hard falls and when it does will it will either ask: "Did you fall?" or show it on the watch screen and if you choose or say "yes", the watch will dial 000 for an ambulance to come and help you. If you don't reply after a fall, it will dial 000 immediately. The other day I was cleaning some mats on the back verandah and I was dropping a mat on its side to remove dirt and my watch asked if I'd fallen. I must have been holding the mat edge as it hit the cement. But all I had to do was say "no" and everything continued on as normal.


We also have these motion sensor night lights, Hanno bought them about 18 months ago. They're great if you wake up to go to the toilet and don't want to turn on a bright light. They're battery operated and you position them around the house in places you walk at night. We have one in the bedroom so when someone starts moving in the middle of the night, it turns itself on. It's a very soft light not like an overhead light. They're also helpful when visitors stay overnight and don't know where the lights are if they go to the toilet in the middle of the night. As soon as they open the bedroom door, the light comes on. We have them in the bathrooms and all along the corridors. You can buy them at Bunnings, Etsy and Amazon. Batteries last a long time. In the 18 months we've had ours, I've replaced the batteries once.


For those of you who ask about Gracie, here she is sitting on her new outdoor bed. She went through a stage of wandering around looking for Hanno but now she just follows me everywhere.  When I sit on the front verandah having tea, reading or listening to the radio, she's always with me. We're having a very cold winter this year so I gave her this little sponge mattress to sit on. Usually she lays on it but here's an unusual sight - Gracie sitting down.  She usually stands or lays down with her legs pushed out the back. She is such a cute and tender soul. I don't know what I'd do without her now.

I've been gardening this week too. I've planted lettuce, radishes, pansies, yarrow and penstemons, moved my Welsh onions and some roses and pulled out a lot of oregano that was taking over the herb garden.  Today I'll be adding more manure and organic fertiliser, watering and filling my new garden waste bin with clippings piled high by Tricia when she was here. It's a bit odd going into July without our big vegetable garden, it's was a big part of our lives for years, but it feels right to be keeping a small number of plants and growing all the herbs I eat.

The main thing is that I feel okay and optimistic. I want to keep working at maintaining my simply life. I never want to be sitting at the computer or watching TV all day.  What a waste! I want to live, not just watch others live. It's important for me to connect to you via my blog because it keeps me writing and provides the best record of my life as it is now. Blogs will become more frequent but I won't return to daily blog posts or the Weekend Reading list.  Instead, I'll write when I have something to say and drop in interesting links if and when I find them.  Like these:

  • ‘Disturbing’: weedkiller ingredient tied to cancer found in 80% of US urine samples
  • Not just what it says on the tin: the best recipes for canned fruit
  • Honey trap: is there a downside to the boom in beekeeping?

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. ♥️


For the past couple of decades I've been knitting dishcloths. I generally knit some for gifts through the year and I make sure I always have eight or nine cloths in my kitchen linens drawer. Knitting is good for the soul. It slows you down, gives you a reason to sit and stay quiet while adding to the products that support you with your housework.

Above are my latest dishcloths. While Hanno was in hospital and the nursing home, I knitted some for Shane, my nephew Danny, Tricia and I'm just now finishing off a set for myself.  I knit a new set for myself every year and when the older cloths are no longer serviceable, they go into the rag bag for general cleaning and when they're worn out, to their final resting place in the compost heap. 


I use organic knitting cotton for my washcloths but any type of knitting cotton would do. Just make sure you DON'T use wool. It will shrink in hot water and take ages to dry. To buy online, try EcoYarns, Spotlight, in the US Peaches and Cream or Laughing Hens in the UK. I think 8 ply is the best weight but if you have lighter weight cotton, use two strands and knit them together.  I did this recently with Japanese 4 ply cotton it was easy to do and it looked really good.

Materials
  1. Either leftover knitting cotton or a ball or skein of cotton yarn.  You'll get about one and a half washcloths from one ball.
  2. Straight knitting needles. This doesn't have to be precise - either 4.00mm, 4.5mm or 5.00mm if you're in Australia, UK sizes - 8, 7 or 6, or US sizes - 6, 7 or 8.  I used 5mm needles for my washcloths.

Knitting Instructions:
Cast on and after three rows you'll increase the length of each row until you reach 50 stitches.
    
    Cast on 4 stitches
    Knit next 2 rows
    Next Row: Knit 2, Yarn Over, Knit across to end
    Repeat this row until you have 50 stitches

    Then you'll start to decrease:
    Next Row: Knit 1, Knit 2 together, Yarn Over, Knit 2 together, Knit across to end
    Repeat this row until you have 4 stitches left
    Knit 2 rows even
    Cast Off


This is what the first half of your dishcloth will look like. At this point, I start to decrease the length of each row.

If you're an absolute beginner, teach yourself to knit by watching these YouTube videos. It's not difficult. This beginners' dishcloth pattern is an ideal way to learn to knit because you'll be able to produce something while you learn. Expect to make mistakes, we all do when we learn anything new. Mistakes make you stop and think. 

All the stitches you'll need are in the list below:
  • Casting on
  • Knit stitch
  • Yarn over
  • Knit 2 together
  • Cast off

I use organic cotton. It's soft, very absorbent and they can be used and added to your ordinary washing load. If they're stained, an overnight soak in sodium percarbonate - Napisan, Sard, Disan etc., will easily take care of the stains. They'll last for a couple of years if you use and care for them this way.  They're ideal for washing up by hand, wiping kitchen benches and for more general cleaning such as walls, doors, mirrors and glass.



These are some new skeins and lots of leftover balls of knitting cotton. This is how I use all those little bits of cotton and end up with new washcloths every year. There's no wastage, just repetitive stitches which, like meditation, relieve stress and add to our self-reliance.

Knitting has been part of human life for thousands of years and it's a really useful skill or have. Knitting washcloths may seem like such a simple activity you might wonder why I bother when I could easily go to the supermarket and buy cloths. Knitting is a small step and simple life is full of small steps. Living as I do isn't about large gestures or about complicated ways of doing things. Sometimes it's just sitting quietly and slipping stitches from one needle to another.

Please note:  Google has stopped feedburner which is the software used for email subscriptions.  I'm sorry but I can't add it back.  I'll announce every new post on Instagram. For those not on IG, you'll have to take the time to come in and check.


 


Hello!  Remember me? This cup of coffee is helping me get back into blog writing again; I've missed it. I think I'm ready to get back to the routine of writing about what I'm doing day-by-day and having my phone in my apron pocket so I can take photos when the opportunity arises. I feel it's an important part of my life now. I need to stay connected to you because most days I'm alone.  I still have family and close friends drop by and today I have Shane, Alex and Eve here. Shane is taking a few loads of things I no longer need to the recycle shop and dump.  I'll keep an eye on the kids and provide sandwiches, fruit and drinks as needed. Today's drink is freshly squeezed orange juice from a tree in the backyard.  What a delicious lifesaver that tree has been over the years.


This is one of the lemon trees in the backyard this morning. I've given buckets of lemons away but as you can see, there are still a lot to be enjoyed. Soon I'll squeeze juice to freeze for summer cordials. Summer without homemade lemon cordial doesn't make sense to me.

 

These strawberries weren't grown in my garden but they're local. I live in an area surrounded by strawberry and pineapple farms so we always take advantage of the local produce when it's in season.  It's always fresher and cheaper. It's an excellent way to help growers too. Every time I buy local it strengthens my community.


I changed my mind about keeping the vegetable garden. It makes mowing the lawn quite difficult, and we have three-quarters of an acre, so I decided to grow what I want to grow in tubs and pots. Shane removed the garden edging and I'm waiting for the grass to overtake the space again.  This is my first crop of tub-grown rainbow chard. I love this vegetable and it's very easy to preserve in the freezer so it's an easy choice for my first crop.  I've kept the herb garden too. I use a lot of herbs and it makes sense to me to grow and use them fresh instead of paying an arm and a leg for wilting herbs at the supermarket. Soon I'll be writing about what can be easily grown in pots and tubs and how to produce top quality herbs and vegetables in small spaces.


I've not got big loads of washing now. These towels are the result of family staying here but usually I have two towels, four dishcloths, numerous rags and bed linen to wash each week as well as my clothes. I still use my three ingredient homemade laundry liquid and it's still keeping everything clean without the use of nasty additives. It makes me shudder to look at the ingredient panel on bottles of laundry liquid and many of the other cleaners sold now. Please be careful when you choose because most of the items we wash are in contact with our skin when they're used.


I'm still happily working away in my kitchen. I cook lunch from scratch for myself every day and although I'm no longer cooking the meals Hanno loved, I've moved over to the foods I grew up eating. These include casseroles, soups, roast chicken, lamb chops, meat balls with pasta, curry and fish, although they will change with the seasons. I usually make enough for two or four meals so I don't have to cook every day and I have a nice stash of meals in the freezer when I don't feel like cooking.  I can write about that in the future if you're interested.


I no longer make my daily bread but I'm still making pizza bases and scones. I'm looking for the bread I'll stay with. Currently I'm trying oat bread which is okay but not something I want to eat every day. I think I'll end up with the local bakery's ancient grains bread. It stays fresh for a few days, it's tastes good after it's been frozen and there are no preservatives or other additives.

I'm keeping my bread in the bread bag I made a couple of years ago. You can read about it here. 

Thank you for the support you've given me and my family over the past few months. I did everything I promised Hanno I would do after he died and now I have to look after myself and carry on. I'm excited about what might be ahead.

I'll be back in a few days. Enjoy your time at home and let me know what you're doing there. 😊

Hello everyone. This is one of my first steps towards a new life without Hanno.  Most of you know he died on 25 May after a long period of medical tests, doctors' consultations and time in hospital. He was diagnosed with vascular dementia and brain cancer but it took months to reach that decision. I tried to look after him at home in the early days of his illness but he deteriorated quickly with new problems presenting every week. I gave back the Home Care Plan the government gave me for his home care and after he refused all further treatment, he went from the University Hospital to a nursing home where he spent his final days.


Sunny and I after our family lunch.

Our entire family was devastated and overwhelmed by his death, even though we knew it was coming after the diagnosis of brain cancer. We were told about it on 23 March and he died nine weeks later. It was so fast, and cruel.


L-R My grandchildren: Eve, Alex and Jamie at the German restaurant.


Alex and (DIL) Cathy with Kerry and Shane in the background.


Eve, looking very comfortable with a spade.


Jens (step son) and Alex fixing a down pipe.


Shane doing the edging behind one of the water tanks.

I've been surrounded by my beautiful family and I can't begin to tell you how much help, love and support they've given me. I invited everyone to lunch a couple of days after Hanno died and after lunch Sunny and I started cleaning up and everyone else went outside. Then I heard lawn mowers and wheel barrows being moved about and there they all were, mowing, trimming edges, pruning, and doing minor repairs on the outside of the house.

L-R: Kerry, David (nephew) and Shane.


My sister Tricia and nephew David arrived the following week and on Friday night we had a family dinner at Hanno's favourite German restaurant up in the mountains near here. Tricia and David have been a great help too. David put up a curtain, attacked some mould spots in the house and juiced oranges from our tree. Tricia made a huge difference by sorting through Hanno's clothes and taking them to various charity shops. She's helped with the decluttering too and as we go through all these processes, I feel like weights are being lifted from my shoulders. 



These beautiful tulips were sent by Clare Bowditch and Marty Brown.


My sincere thanks to everyone who sent cards, letters, messages, emails and flowers. They helped me and my family get through some very tough days. It's the small things that help normalise critical periods when life seems out of control.


(DIL) Sarndra with Alex planting a grevillea they gave me.


I'm feeling optimistic and eager to move forward now. Of course, Hanno's spirit will always be here but now I have to live my life learning new things and cutting back while I refine my life and share what I learn. If I can do that it will reflect the life I lived with Hanno and that will be enough for me.

I intend to continue on with my blog, writing about what I'm doing, with small bits and pieces on Instagram. The bulk of my writing will be on my blog so if you don't want to miss anything, follow me. I've learned so much about budgeting and paying bills that I thought I already knew but because Hanno organised our money, bills and banking, I only knew a small portion of what I should have known. I'm cooking and shopping for one now and by the amount of decluttering already done, I can see I'm still learning about what is enough. I'm continuing on with the back garden so there'll be some information about small gardens and what we can grow in small spaces or pots that will help us eat fresh, organic produce in the months ahead.  


I'm glad I'm getting back to writing because not only does it provide the best record of day-to-day life, it helps me think about the beauty surrounding me and how I'm nurtured and inspired by my home.  ♥️


Photos by Sarndra and Kerry.


Another good fall of rain this week with over 220mm in the gauge. I say "over" because the rain gauge was overflowing again when I emptied it. It feels wonderful having an abundance of fresh water.

We finally got a neurologist appointment for Hanno. Our GP pushed for him to be seen urgently, the next appointment was in March! We still have over a week to wait and in the meantime he's moving around with the help of a walker and only goes from the bedroom to the living room, and back again at night. 


The Sustain issue of Taproot arrived today with the article on four of us simple living folk - Heather, Alyson, Farai and myself. 



We made the decision to give the chickens away. We've kept chickens for nearly 40 years and it will seem strange not having them clucking in the backyard and having the opportunity to go out and collect fresh eggs.  For everything there is a season.

Another change will be that this will be my last blog post of the year because I'm having trouble keeping up with the work I have to do now. I'm sure you understand. I'll keep in touch with you on Instagram.


I'm getting ready to bake our Christmas cake.  Dried fruit wallowing in French brandy - it should be a good one.


Donna and I had another great online catchup today. I love talking to her face-to-face. We really get each other so the conversation flows and we have a laugh.

Thanks for your visits this year. I hope you enjoy the holidays and have a chance to relax and unwind.  Don't forget, I'll make sporadic posts on Instagram to keep in touch over the holidays.

 ðŸŽ„♥️🎄♥️🎄 
Weekend Reading

  • Santa Claus Village, Finland - webcam
  • Nurdles: the worst toxic waste you’ve probably never heard of
  • A wonderful spinning, weaving, stitching Instagram page 
  • One in six Australian birds are now threatened
  • Here is Pip's Best of the Week and, as usual, fabulous
  • Staff at UK’s highest pub bid ‘fond farewell’ to snowed-in guests
  • Introvert, extrovert or other? Welcome to the age of the ambivert
  • In Australia’s wet weather ‘tis the season for spiders, mozzies, mice and mould
  • Christmas almond and orange pastries quick and easy - gluten-free
  • How to make a handmade Christmas paper wreath
  • The magical miniature worlds of terrariums

It's been a busy week, a mix of doctors, decisions and housework. Hanno is still unwell and now we're waiting to hear about another appointment with another specialist. I don't want to go into it here and please don't email or message me about it, when we have a solid diagnosis, I'll let you know.


This rose is called The Fairy. It's an old miniature rose that grows well in a pot or in the ground.

The thing that lifted my spirits during the week was rain. We had 200mm/7.8 inches of rain in three days and another 40mm/1.5 inches last night. I always feel safe and secure when it rains and just the  thought of rain soaking into the garden out the back makes me smile.


I cleaned my utensils bucket out and "edited" a number of items. Amazingly, I use everything in the bucket now.

Meals during the week included pork chops, red cabbage and potatoes, ham salad and the day we went for Hanno's MRI in Caloundra, we came home with fish and chips. I made biscuits and a tropical cheesecake for morning teas and desserts and some lemon cordial.




The rest of my time has been spent cleaning, doing the washing and clipping Gracie. I hope to wash her in the coming days. I'm also starting to organise my summer sewing which I hope to start next week.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends. I hope you enjoy this special day.  And to everyone, slow down, sit and think and glide into the holiday season.  I send love across the miles.  xx

Weekend Reading

  • Kitchen larders making a comeback
  • 9 fun family games to play over the Christmas holidays
  • Keeping it crisp: how to care for white shirts
  • Christmas recipes – our all-time favourites
  • Pickles, ketchup and chutney: recipes for Christmas gift jars
  • Trophy Cabinets, Kitchens podcast 
  • The Secret for Extra, on-Demand Counter Space Lies in Your Laundry Room
  • 31 fabulous cabinet and drawer organising ideas
  • Is flying home for the holidays bad for the planet?
  • Renegades - Born in the USA, Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen
  • The Art of Solitude: Buddhist Scholar and Teacher Stephen Batchelor on Contemplative Practice and Creativity
  • How we make pencils

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I'm Rhonda Hetzel and I've been writing my Down to Earth blog since 2007. Although I write the occasional philosophical post, my main topics include home cooking, happiness and gardening as well as budgeting, baking, ageing, generosity, mending and handmade crafts. I hope you enjoy your time here.

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How to make cold process soap

I'm sure many of you are wondering: "Why make soap when I can buy it cheaply at the supermarket?" My cold process soap is made with vegetable oils and when it is made and cured, it contains no harsh chemicals or dyes. Often commercial soap is made with tallow (animal fat) and contains synthetic fragrance and dye and retains almost no glycerin. Glycerin is a natural emollient that helps with the lather and moisturises the skin. The makers of commercial soaps extract the glycerin and sell it as a separate product as it's more valuable than the soap. Then they add chemicals to make the soap lather. Crazy. Making your own soap allows you to add whatever you want to add. If you want a plain and pure soap, as I do, you can have that, or you can start with the plain soap and add colour, herbs and fragrance. The choice is yours. I want to add a little about animal and bird fat. I know Kirsty makes her soap with duck fat and I think that's great. I think t...
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Preserving food in a traditional way - pickling beetroot

I've had a number of emails from readers who want to start preserving food in jars but don't know where to start or what equipment to buy.  Leading on from yesterday's post, let's just say up front - don't buy any equipment. Once you know what you're doing and that you enjoy preserving, then you can decide whether or not to buy extra equipment. Food is preserved effectively without refrigeration by a variety of different methods. A few of the traditional methods are drying, fermentation, smoking, salting or by adding vinegar and sugar to the food - pickling. This last method is what we're talking about today. Vinegar and sugar are natural preservatives and adding one or both to food sets up an environment that bacteria and yeasts can't grow in. If you make the vinegar and sugar mix palatable, you can put up jars of vegetables or fruit that enhance the flavour of the food and can be stored in a cupboard or fridge for months. Other traditional w...
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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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Five minute bread

Bread is one of those foods that, when made with your own hands, gives a great deal of satisfaction and delight. It's only flour and water but it symbolises so much. I bake bread most days and use a variety of flours that I buy in bulk. Often I make a sandwich loaf because we use most of our bread for lunchtime sandwiches and for toast. Every so often I branch out to make a different type of loaf. I have tried sour dough in the past but I've not been happy with any of them. I'll continue to experiment with sour dough because I like the idea of using wild yeasts and saving the starter over a number of years to develop the flavour and become a part of the family. However, the loaf I've been branching out to most often is just a plain old five minute bread. By five minutes I mean it takes about five minutes actual work to prepare but it's the easiest of all bread to make and to get consistently good loaves from. If you're having people around for lunch or...
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This is my last post.

I have known for a while that this post was coming, but I didn't know when. This is my last post. I'm closing my blog, for good, and I'm not coming back like I have in the past.  I've been writing here for 16 years and my blog has been many things to me. It helped me change my life, it introduced me to so many good people, it became a wonderful record of my family life, it helped me get a book contract with Penguin, and monthly columns with The Australian Women's Weekly and Burke's Backyard . But in the past few months, it's become a burden. In April, I'll be 75 years old and I hope I've got another ten years ahead. However, each year I'll probably get weaker and although I'm fairly healthy, I do have a benign brain tumour and that could start growing. There are so many things I want to do and with time running out, leaving the blog behind gives me time to do the things that give me pleasure. On the day the blog started I felt a wonderful, h...
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What is the role of the homemaker in later years?

An email came from a US reader, Abby, who asked about being a homemaker in later years. This is part of what she wrote: "I am a stay-at-home mum to 4 children, ages 9-16. I do have a variety of "odd jobs" that I enjoy - I run a small "before-school" morning drop-off daycare from my home, I am a writing tutor, and I work a few hours a week at a local children's bookstore. But mostly, I cherish my blissful days at home - cooking, cleaning (with homemade cleaners), taking care of our children and chickens and goats, baking, meal-planning, etc. This "career" at home is not at all what I imagined during my ambitious years at university, but it is far more enriching. I notice, though, that my day is often planned around the needs of my family members. Of course, with 4 active kids and a husband, this is natural. I do the shopping, plan my meals, cook dinner - generally in anticipation of my family reconnecting in the evening.  I can't h...
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Every morning at home

Every morning when I walk into my kitchen it looks tidy and ready for a day's work. Not so on this morning (above), I saw this when I walked in. Late the previous afternoon when I was looking for something, I came across my rolled up Zwilling vacuum bags and decided they had to be washed and dried. So I did that and although I usually put them outside on the verandah to dry it was dark by then. I turned the just-washed bags inside out and left them like this on a towel. It worked well and now the bags are ready to use when I bring home root vegetables, cabbages or whatever I buy that I want to last four or five weeks.
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You’ll save money by going back to basics

When I was doing the workshops and solo sessions, I had a couple of people whose main focus was on creating the fastest way to set up a simple life. You can't create a simple life fast, it's the opposite of that It's not one single thing either - it's a number of smaller, simpler activities that combine to create a life that reflects your values; and that takes a long to come together. When I first started living simply I took an entire year to work out our food - buying it, storing it, cooking it, preserving, baking, freezing, and growing it in the backyard. This is change that will transform how you live and it can't be rushed.  
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NOT the last post

This will be my last post here.  I've been writing my blog for 18 years and now is the time to step back. I’ve stopped writing the blog and come back a couple of times because so many people wanted it, but that won’t happen again, I won’t be back.  I’ll continue on instagram to remain connected but I don’t know how frequent that will be. I know some of you will be interested to know the blog's statistics. 
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Every morning at home

Every morning when I walk into my kitchen it looks tidy and ready for a day's work. Not so on this morning (above), I saw this when I walked in. Late the previous afternoon when I was looking for something, I came across my rolled up Zwilling vacuum bags and decided they had to be washed and dried. So I did that and although I usually put them outside on the verandah to dry it was dark by then. I turned the just-washed bags inside out and left them like this on a towel. It worked well and now the bags are ready to use when I bring home root vegetables, cabbages or whatever I buy that I want to last four or five weeks.
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You’ll save money by going back to basics

When I was doing the workshops and solo sessions, I had a couple of people whose main focus was on creating the fastest way to set up a simple life. You can't create a simple life fast, it's the opposite of that It's not one single thing either - it's a number of smaller, simpler activities that combine to create a life that reflects your values; and that takes a long to come together. When I first started living simply I took an entire year to work out our food - buying it, storing it, cooking it, preserving, baking, freezing, and growing it in the backyard. This is change that will transform how you live and it can't be rushed.  
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Creating a home you'll love forever

Living simply is the answer to just about everything. It reduces the cost of living; it keeps you focused on being careful with resources such as water and electricity; it reminds you to not waste food; it encourages you to store food so you don't waste it and doing all those things brings routine and rhythm to your daily life. Consciously connecting every day with the activities and tasks that create simple life reminds you to look for the meaning and beauty that normal daily life holds.  It's all there in your home if you look for it. Seemingly mundane tasks like cleaning and cooking help you with that connection for without those tasks, the home you want to live in won't exist in the way you want it to.  Creating a home you love will make you happy and satisfied.
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Time changes everything

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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It's the old ways I love the most

I'm a practical woman who lives in a 1980’s brick slab house. There are verandahs front and back so I have places to sit outside when it's hot or cold. Those verandahs tend to make the house darker than it would be but they're been a great investment over time because they made the house more liveable. My home is not a romantic cottage, nor a minimalist modern home, it's a 1980’s brick slab house. And yet when people visit me here they tell me how warm and cosy my home is and that they feel comforted by being here. I've thought about that over the years and I'm convinced now that the style of a home isn't what appeals to people. What they love is the feeling within that home and whether it's nurturing the people who live there.
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Making ginger beer from scratch

We had a nice supply of ginger beer going over Christmas. It's a delicious soft drink for young and old, although there is an alcoholic version that can be made with a slight variation on the recipe. Ginger beer is a naturally fermented drink that is easy to make - with ginger beer you make a starter called a ginger beer plant and after it has fermented, you add that to sweet water and lemon juice. Like sourdough, it must ferment to give it that sharp fizz. To make a ginger beer plant you'll need ginger - either the powdered dry variety or fresh ginger, sugar, rainwater or tap water that has stood for 24 hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate off. You'll also need clean plastic bottles that have been scrubbed with soap, hot water and a bottle brush and then rinsed with hot water. I never sterilise my bottles and I haven't had any problems. If you intend to keep the ginger beer for a long time, I'd suggest you sterilise your bottles. MAKING THE STARTER In a...
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An authentic look at daily life here — unstaged and real

Most days Hanno was outside happily working in the fresh air. It may surprise you to know that I started reading my book,  Down to Earth , yesterday - the first time since I wrote it 13 years ago.  I had lent it to my neighbor, and when she returned it, I started reading, expecting to find surprises. Instead, I realised the words were still familiar—as if they were etched into my memory. As I flipped through the pages, I was reminded of how important it was for me to share that knowledge with others. The principles in Down to Earth changed my life, and I truly believed they could do the same for others. After just 30 minutes of reading, I put the book down, reassured that its message still holds true: we can slow down and reshape our lives, one step at a time.
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