I still have one spot in the blogging workshop and a few spots in the writers' group. Full details are here:  https://down---to---earth...

In early April we had a sewing bee to make aprons with the information and comments here on my blog. When the aprons were finished, I made ...

When I gave up work in my 50s and decided to live a simpler life, I secretly hoped that one day I might be able to earn some money working ...

I'm still dealing with the over-supply of chillies so a couple of days ago I pulled out the bush, stripped the chillies off and starte...

Over the years we've lived here, I've grown to love the homing pigeons that live a few doors down. You can set your clock by them i...

Before I start today I want to thank Teri for sharing information in my last post about using a Kitchen Aide mixer to knead bread dough.  S...

Before I start today, I want to thank you all for such beautiful comments on my 12 year anniversary post.  I was surprised and touched tha...

Twelve years ago today, I sat here at a table in my sewing room and started my blog, Down to Earth. I had no idea what I was doing. During ...

It was a close to a perfect day in the garden yesterday. Temp 26C, low humidity, the brightest of blue skies and so many migrating birds re...

I'm having a Blogging for Beginners Workshop on Saturday, 25 May and a Writers' Workshop (getting published) on Sunday, 26 ...

After a couple of weeks of rain, we now have sunshine and the gentle heat of late autumn. The strawberries are growing well, raspberries an...

At some point in the morning, without fail, I make our bed. It's an indispensable part of my home making and the comfort it provide...

It's been a busy week. Shane, Alex and Eve slept here last night. Jamie is here now, Shane is at work and soon they'll go over to K...

Today I've been working on another felt rabbit, this time for my granddaughter Eve's fourth birthday next Sunday.  Eve told me last...

I wrote the first part of this post in 2013 to celebrate my 65th birthday and thought I'd add to it today, on my 71st.

Recently I revised my recipe for Gracie's meals. I've never fed her canned dog food because I want her to stay healthy and I doubt ...

I wanted to hold this world-wide sewing bee so that we could work collectively on aprons that we use everyday. It's economical to make ...

Well, that was a delightful surprise!  I didn't expect so many ladies would join the sewing bee.  We'll have a good time and hopefu...

It's such good weather here at the moment. The nights are coolish at 15C and the days are warm and comfortable around 28C. The true mar...

I received a comment on my last post from Kellylynn who wants to know how she can start living a more sustainable, simple life. This is par...

When we first moved into our home we made quite a few changes. We pulled up carpets, built a new kitchen, added another bedroom and bathroo...

I've spent a few Saturday mornings on Skype recently chatting away to people I know through this blog. It's been a lot of fun and m...

I intended to post yesterday, and wrote something to accompany a video I made of Gracie running around the house like a ratbag. When I trie...

All the grandkids were here on Saturday and stayed for a sleepover. They ran around like headless chooks in the afternoon, Eve watched ...

Rye flour has always been expensive but now it's expensive and hard to find.  Most places have rye premix but I don't like using ...

Hello to our family over in Korea - Sun Ja and Sunny and the rest of the extended family.  I found a photo you probably haven't seen an...

I meant to show you these delightful photos I took, then forgot all about it.  The ducks visited us last week, I was inside when Hanno yell...

The garden is overgrown with flowers and herbs and the soil is rock hard in places. Hanno has the sprinkler on to make digging easier. ...

I think I'm a little ahead of myself when it comes to the transition from cool summer food over to warmer and heartier autumn meals.  W...

My first book,  Down to Earth,  is seven years old today, it was published 22 February, 2012. My editor, Jo Rosenberg, said she thought the...

My mum was a collector of buttons. She loved roses and magnolias and preferred raw vegetables much more than cooked ones. She was a dedica...

Sunny flew to Korea on Friday to spend time with her mum Sun Ja. She has been receiving treatment for an illness for a few years now and Sun...