Thankfully, things are slowly starting to get back to normal after about six months of chaos, shopping, reorganisation, relocation and, at times, barely contained nervousness over moving our Neighbourhood Centre and Flexischool to a new and permanent location.  Finally we have a real home; it's the first time ever in our 17 year history that we have a building to call our own.  We'll never have to move again because we can't afford the rent or because the neighbours don't approve of our clients coming and going.  But now the move is complete, all the furniture, equipment, odds and ends purchased and installed. New services have started, old ones expanded,  and with the opening last Friday a wonderful confirmation of our community's support, I can relax and just get on with my job.  Phew!

Now I can come home again and centre myself here.  There have been many days in the past few months when I have bought bread rather than make it, left the floor unswept because I was too tired to do it, or sat to knit and gone straight to sleep in my big old floppy armchair.  It goes to show that I am not the perfect angel many think I am and just like many of you I am overwhelmed by my life at times.  It happens to everyone and we all cope in our own way until things return to normal.  And that is where I am.  I'm looking forward right now to a gentle slow day when I catch my breath and start putting things to rights.

Hanno is taking a group of seniors out in the bus today.  They're going on a boat cruise along the Pumicestone Passage, back to the Tavern on shore for lunch and then home in the bus.  Price $5, it's subsidised by our Neighbourhood Centre and a partner.  It's a lovely day out for everyone, that gives our seniors a memorable day with friends but keeps them on budget.

So that leaves me home alone.

I have some tasks I enjoy doing this morning - potting tomato seedlings into larger pots, building up the worm farm, and moving pot plants around for the winter conditions soon to be upon us.  Of course, I'll make the bed and sweep, but no bread making today as I'll be here by myself, so I'll make a tea cake for morning teas.  There is a load of washing that needs to be done and later in the morning I'll sweep and tidy the front verandah.  It will be sunny out there then so I can rearrange my pot plants for the winter sun.  

To tell you the truth  I could do almost anything here at home today and I'd love it.  Just knowing that I have that big job behind me and many sunny winter days ahead, fills me with the kind of pleasure they often talk about in advertising but always fail to deliver.  Being here, pottering around, freshening things, gardening, cooking, baking and keeping my home in a way that suits Hanno and I are the small things that keep me going with love in my heart.  Nothing else gives me the kind of joy I feel when working in my home.  Oh, I love doing all manner of things and I get pleasure from many of them, but homekeeping - that warm and comfy feeling of knowing I'm fluffing up our nest and that in this space we call home, we can close the gate and be alone, together, that, my friends, is worth a queen's ransom.

I wish you a day full of peace and joy too, and I hope that like me, you'll find some time for knitting or whatever it is that you relax with.

Today's kitchen is in the beautiful far north of my state of Queensland. It's Joanna's kitchen, I'm sure you'll enjoy her story.

Joanna writes:
"We live in Far North Queensland on the Atherton Tablelands, in a small Queenslander cottage. The kitchen is cute, but TINY! It's about 1.5 metres wide by about 2.5 metres long. It has a double burner gas stove and a smallish wall oven. In this photo I've got two dehydrators on the counters, but they are put away when I'm finished with them to save space. There's no room for a dishwasher, but I've got four little 'dishwashers' running around helping, so that's okay (as long as they're not all in the kitchen at once!). The fridge and the open cupboard where I display my glassware are just outside the kitchen, in the dining area. 

I like the country feel to my kitchen, and I really don't mind it being so small (usually!) as I don't have a lot of appliances - just my Thermomix, dehydrator, electric frypan and crockpot.  At least it doesn't take long to clean!  The counters are made of wood and the sink is enamel.  I love how the windows open out into a tropical garden, where I can watch the birds and butterflies as I cook!

Please don't forget to comment. A comment is like payment for the time taken to post, and in this case in sending in the photos.  Many of us were enthusiastic about this series, so make sure all the photos get a good number of comments.  I don't want any of the people sending in photos to regret joining in.  Thank you friends. 

I may be missing for a few days this week - our internet is going from one company to another.  If that happens, I invite you to read some older posts.  Take care everyone!

I was asked in an email recently if I would reveal the secret of simple living. I have no secrets, I think I've been fairly open with what we're doing here.  I have a set of values I live by and everyone knows my day to day activities, so that was my reply. An email came back that surprised me quite a bit - it said that she had done most of what I was doing, made sure she planted what I planted, was knitting dishcloths and cooking from scratch, making soap, and a lot of other things exactly as I had written about them, but she had failed to find contentment. "What is the secret of contentment?"

Let me answer that question first and then I'll elaborate. The secret of contentment is to live the life you want to live. It must be your authentic life, not a copy of mine or anyone else's.  The secret is to find what you're passionate about and to carefully weave that into your life. The secret is to think carefully about what makes you truly happy, and then live a life that reflects that. I developed a certain set of values a few years ago and that value set, if I live true to them, makes me happy and content. I know deep down in my bones that if I am generous, kind and helpful, if I live slow and according to my values, and not those of mainstream Australia, if I give while expecting nothing in return, my life sails smoothly, even on troubled waters.  It's a circle. What you give out, comes back.  Always.

I often urge readers here to live their own lives.  What Hanno and I do is what suits us, it's not written about because it's THE way.  To find real contentment and to live well requires that you examine yourself and find what it is that makes you happy.  You need to think about how you want to live, what kind of person you want to be, what you want from life and develop a set of values that helps you live that way.  That is not easy to do and it takes a long time to figure out.  This part of the process is slow too.  You don't wake up one morning, think "I'm going to live simply" and then just copy how someone else lives.  Every element of your life must have meaning; making soap because I make soap is ridiculous and time consuming. Make soap only when it makes sense to YOU.  One of the advantages of this way of living is that it's organic and flexible and can be made to fit almost anyone.  Unlike mainstream living you don't fit a mould, you break the mould and then start adding and taking away until your life suits you.  You start with the mindset - the practical things that make up daily living change according to how old you are, whether you have children living with you, how much money and time you have.

Find what makes you happy and do it.  If you can't do it now, actively and earnestly work towards it.  And always remember, there is no final destination - we are in this for the journey and where it takes us.

Make a pastry case, my recipe is here, but you can use any good short crust pasty recipe. Blind bake the pastry and allow to cool.

FILLING

4 large eggs

Half to two thirds of a cup of fresh lemon juice - depending on how tart would want the filling to be

45 grams/1½ oz softish butter cut into little pieces

200 grams/7 ozs white sugar

½ cup cream

Put all the above in a bowl and beat with an electric beater for about three minutes.  Everything needs to be combined well and the sugar dissolved.

Pour the filling into the pastry case and bake in a slow oven, around 160*C/320*F.  The filling should set around the edges and still be a little bit wobbly in the centre.

"Here is my kitchen. The first is taken with me leaning on the fridge, the second with me leaning on the sink. As you can see there isn't much room to move! The 3 shelves and the racks with the knives etc on were all added by my other half in the 3 years we've been here. He also added the section of sideboard that the bokashi bin is on and a folding piece of sideboard that appears in front of the back door. We have plans to decorate at some point as the tiles are painted and it's all peeling off. I think there will have to be Gingham in there somewhere. All kitchens need Gingham I think.  I dream of a big farmhouse kitchen with a large central island to work at. But I have learnt to work in this kitchen if not to love it. I feel best about it when there is fresh bread on the side and all the washing up  is done :o)"

Please don't forget to comment. A comment is like payment for the time taken to post, and in this case in sending in the photos.  Many of us were enthusiastic about this series, so make sure all the photos get a good number of comments.  I don't want any of the people sending in photos to regret joining in.  Thank you friends. 


We have the official opening of our Neighbourhood Centre today - lunch for 100, plus politicians - gulp.  We've come a long way and this is a significant milestone for us.  Luckily we have the weekend to recover.  Some of you might remember that I'm changing ISPs and when that happens, I'll be offline for two or three days.  If I'm missing next week, that will be the reason.  Enjoy your weekend, I hope you spend it with those you love.  ♥

When you think about it, the only time we working and middle class people get to do exactly what we want everyday is when we retire or when we're on holiday/vacation.  I guess we have a fairly free and easy life in childhood and as a teenager, but then there are people telling us what to do and when to do it.  Retirement, whenever it happens, is all about freedom.  It's the freedom to do exactly what you choose to do each day, the freedom of time, and even though the weekly wage stops, if you've gone through several simple decades, and arrive at retirement's door with no debt, no mortgage, a roof over your head, money in the bank, some investments or a pension, you'll be fine.  There may be a few upheavals and you'll have to get used to a slower pace to your days but life in your 60s and I'm hoping beyond it as well, is wonderful.  I have never been happier than I am now.  

Things are different when you retire.  Many of your expenses  drop, your priorities change and you'll have time to bargain shop and to make a lot of the things you used to pay someone to make for you.  Depending on where you live and what benefits your government gives its seniors, you'll have to look at your budget now and make all the changes necessary.  For instance, in Australia, when you're on an old age pension, you get goverment discounts on your property rates, ambulance, telelphone, pharmacy costs etc.  Hanno and I decided to keep our private health insurance, even though it's very expensive, it gives us peace of mind to know that we can get medical help, choose our own doctors and go to hospital if we need to without having to go on a waiting list.  

Before you sit down to redo your budget, find out exactly what you're entitled to and claim it - it's one of the many reasons you've been paying tax all these long years - now you get a few pay offs.  There are other benefits too - just yesterday I parked my car in a seniors parking spot for the very first time. It was close to the front door of the place I was going to.  I felt like a bit of a fraud to tell you the truth, but the sign said "senior parking" I am a senior so I parked there.  Nice.  Check out the businesses in your area as well because many give seniors' discounts.

In the months before you retire, start thinking about what you'll do on a daily basis.  If you've always gone out to work, you might find it difficult to adjust but if you decide on your activities, whether they be home-based, volunteer-based or out in the community at a club or library, if you have something planned, you won't be sitting there on the first day wondering what to do.  As you all know, Hanno and I are as busy as we want to be.  We decided that we would use our retirement to provide as much for ourselves as we could.  That involves all sorts of home-based tasks like maintenance, gardening, cooking, baking, recycling and mending.  Living like this gives us variety and interest to our days and even though we've been working away here for several years now, it still feels fresh.  We take breaks whenever we want them, we take days off and sometimes we take ourselves out in the car for an outing. It's a peaceful and rewarding life full of the enrichment that comes from being self reliant and independent.

Of course we do some voluntary work too.  I am the coordinater of our local neighbourhood centre and Hanno drives the bus there.  He collects food in the bus from the Foodbank in Brisbane and takes our seniors out on shopping trips and excursions.  If you have the chance to do some voluntary work, grab the opportunity with both hands because, in my experience, it has been rewarding and life changing.

Pass on what you know.  I believe it is my duty as an older woman to pass on what I know to those younger.  Older people are our connection to the past and if we don't tap into that, many skills and memories will be lost.  If you still have great grandparents, grandparents or parents living, ask them about YOUR history.  Even if you're not interested now, I guarantee you there will come a day when you will be interested and if your loved ones are gone then, you will never know.   Write down what they tell you so you can pass your family history on to your children.

And speaking of history, get rid of everything in your home that you don't need.  Ask your family if they want that second or third set of dinner ware.  Donate old clothes to charity. Clear out your cupboards so you can let more life in.

Stay active and look after your health because things can come back to bite you in your 60s and 70s.  I have been lucky so far and haven't had any health issues and I am confident that I'll be out in the backyard when I'm in my 80s, yelling out: "Hanno bring me the camera please. There are new birds here!"  Keep cooking from scratch and eating wholesome food.  Even if it's only one of you, it's important that you eat well.

Many people have an unrealistic idea of old age.  They think we oldies are helpless and feeble and not capable of much.  Well, I'm here to tell you that the majority of us are just fine and dandy, thank you.  We may not be able to lift what we once did and we may be taking naps in the afternoon (I am), but we're still waking up every morning eager to get stuck in to our tasks and to get as much from the day as we can.  Don't be scared of aging.  It has many rewards, and retirement, and the freedom that comes with it, is one of  life's golden eggs.

PS.  Go here and read Sonya's excellent post on learning and losing life skills.  I am happy to tell you that Sonya is coming to my home this morning to learn how to knit.  No doubt we'll talk of other matters too.  We all have to do this.  If you know someone who wants to learn something you know how to do, offer to teach.  It's the only way.

You don't see or hear of genuine articles much nowadays.  In my youth, it was a fairly common expression that meant something or someone was authentic.  I don't hear the saying at all connected to things now.  I believe that's because people are less concerned with the genuine now and more concerned with fashion and acquisition.  It matters not that something is true to its type, or that a person is outstanding because they're eccentric, unusual or passionately devoted to their beliefs and values.  Nowadays, it seems to me, that popularity is more important than rarity, it's safer to blend in with the crowd than have the courage of your convictions and that celebrity wins over the genuine article every time.

Shane and Sarndra came up for my birthday recently.  Shane is pictured here reading John Seymour's self sufficiency book while waiting for his mum to load the table with food.  Sarndra and Hanno were outside talking to the chooks.  : - )

I really love it when I come across a name that everyone seems to know but I've never hear before.  Hanno and I were watching the morning news on TV yesterday when the presenters were droning on about someone called Kim Cardasian.  Apparently Kim has millions of Twitter followers and is famous far and wide.  When I come across something like this, I smile and feel like I'm doing something right.  That somehow, even though millions know this person, this famous name has been filtered out of my simple world.  I have no clue who she is, where she lives, what she looks like.  That, to me, is success - I've filtered out a small shard of popular culture - gee it feels good.! I didn't get caught up in the hype or seduced by a need to know.  Even now, I decided not to Google her name to check my spelling.  The less I know about Ms Cardasian, the better.

So what of the genuine article?  Why do I hold high such a concept?  It's because it's easy to go along with the crowd and much more difficult to walk your own path.  In many different ways we are all walking the path less travelled.  We see what is considered "normal" now, we know that consumption is the new way and we have decided to reject it.  Instead of buying all that is new and shiny, in the latest fashion colours, we are standing our ground and going back to basics.  It's comfortable back there.  It's warm traditional oats soaked overnight and cooked slowly rather than cornflakes or all the new designer breakfast cereals; it's home baked bread instead of sliced white in plastic wrap; it's "come over and I'll teach you how to knit" instead of "let's go shopping".  Instead of buying fast food, we have it slow and easy bubbling away in the oven when the family comes home in the evening.  Even the smell of that home cooked food in the air when they walk through the door tells your family that someone loves them enough to make it all happen.  It's sitting around the table with the entire family, talking about today, and tomorrow, and this and that.  It's really knowing your family instead of just knowing what they tell you.

After the spaghetti and meatballs I served this lemon tart.

There are so many things that can be fake now - fingernails, breasts, flawless skin, "home cooking" that is bought over a counter or in a packet, "limited editions" that sell thousands and sometimes millions.  So when you see the genuine article, be that in a person, a way of life, or the ideals they engender, it stands out like a shining beacon.  There has probably never been a better, nor more difficult time, to stand up for the authentic, but doing that, going against the tide of popular opinion, and seeing others doing it too, will help you reject the flim flammery of the popular and hold close the values and beliefs that will help you lead a simpler and genuine life.

So now you've moved into your 40s, maybe even your 50s.  During your younger years I'm sure you heard all the negative silliness about aging but now that you're middle aged, you'll realise you're in the prime of your life.  You feel confident, ambitious and capable.  You are at the height of your money earning power, so you can pay off more debt now than at any other time.  Decisions made in previous decades about reducing debt are now starting to pay off and you can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Hopefully, with a bit of hard work and determination, you'll pay off your mortgage now and keep putting something aside for your retirement.  Try your best to pay off your mortgage before you retire. And again, do not add to your debt burden.  Less is best.

FUNDING YOUR RETIREMENT

If you're working, it is a wise step to put money aside all through your  working life for your retirement.  In Australia, this is called superannuation and the government adds 9% of  every employee's annual earnings to their superannuation fund.  Most employees earning over $450 a week must put a certain amount of money into their own fund too.  They can add more if they wish and receive tax benefits for doing so.  Most Western countries have some form of government assisted retirement funding.

I want to make two important points about funding your retirement:

Children need to be taught life skills all through their lives, and now, in their teens and 20s, is no exception.  Of course, you'll hit a brick wall if you've never tried to provide this type of parenting before - this is a life long style of parenting, starting when they were toddlers. Now you're at the pointy end, now you have to reinforce what you've been teaching them all their lives, now it really counts.  As in previous stages you make sure you are a good role model for them and always be the kind of person you want them to be.  Now you teach them about being a good and fair employee, you talk to them about how to treat their friends and acquaintance with respect, and above all, you help them develop self respect and confidence. 

There are also the practical skills like driving, shopping for groceries, cooking, looking after their own clothes - how to wash and iron them, and saving.  Even if you've encouraged saving and focused on money management before, now is the time to reinforce all that again because there will be a lot of peer pressure to spend, spend, spend.  This is the most difficult time for a parent, but it's also the most rewarding.  If you can set your children out into the world, fully equipped with the life skills they need, as well as the formal education of schooling - in whatever form that took in your family, you will have given your children their very best chance of a happy and successful life.

As you age you'll realise that you don't have to please everyone around you.  You mature, and part of that maturity is to make yourself content.  This is the time of life when the children have grown out of their very dependent stage and with that, you get more time to yourself.  It's not as freeing as when they leave home, but at this stage you get an inkling of how things will be when your babies fly off and make their own lives.

Now is the time to develop your hobbies and to get enjoyment from the things you choose to do.  You'll have the time now to learn new skills, develop your passion for cooking, or painting, sewing, gardening, hiking, camping, or a hundred other things you'll now have time for.

If you choose to live like Hanno and I, now is the time to develop your home and land so it can support you in later life.  You might add chickens to the backyard, if you haven't already done so, you might add bee hives, aquaponics, or a couple of milking goats, and, of course, along with whatever you add, you should learn all you can about it.  Do you need to add more fences? You should do that now.  Whatever requires strength and energy, add it now because in your 60s, your strength will start to go and you'll wish you had thought to do it earlier.

If you're hoping to live with some degree of self sufficiency, now is the time to learn how to do everything that will help you with that aim.  You'll need to learn how to bake, put up jams and preserves, mend clothes and shoes, if you're a couple, divide the chores and learning up between you both with each taking the things you enjoy doing.  I like doing the inside tasks here and Hanno enjoys being outside, so he does most of the traditionally male chores like home maintenance and I am the homemaker.  Now is the time to look into how you can develop your knowledge and understanding of your roles.  Read - both books and blogs.  I believe blogs are a wonderful way of seeing how others are living so you may pick the bits that you want to do and incorporate them into your own life.

When you're entering the final years of your fifties, and while you're still earning money, do an audit of your home.  Look at your home in another way now - you want it to support you in your older years, you do not want it to be a burden.  Now might be the last time you have a chance to change what you don't like and what doesn't work for you.  Look at your furniture - is everything in good order?  You might need to replace a few items, but do so at the thrift shop, not the department store.  There are many items of old or antique furniture that may suit you that have been well made and made to last many years.  Even if you have to have things recovered, revarnished or painted, you'll end up with a more sturdy and longer-lasting piece than buying furniture from China or Vietnam.

You'll realise as you get older that you need much less so now is a great time to declutter.  You can give some of your odds and ends to your children as they leave home and start living their own lives, so keep a couple of boxes of the good stuff for them to use, and give away or sell what you don't need.

What you're aiming for at the end of your 50s is to have your children out in the world, working and set up in their own homes, you want to have your mortgage paid off, or almost paid off, you want your home to be supportive and comfortable and you want to know most of the things you need to help you live in that way you have chosen.  If you can say you've successfully done that, then you are set for the ride of your life in your 60s for that is the time when all your work pays off.  You can retire, do whatever you want to do every day, and you can live life to its fullest measure.  ♥

Today we have another Australian kitchen, in the state of New South Wales.  It's Carole's kitchen and as you can see it's packed with character and looks like a real cook's kitchen.

Carole writes:

"I live in a little town in the Hunter Valley N.S.W. my kitchen is great to work in. The window you see looks onto a little sunroom we built for my 89 year old Mum who lives with us you can see straight out into the back yard at the chickens, roses and a waterfall; we love it.

The little shelving you can see is where an old air con was and the builder made it into curio shelves for me; my jug collection is on them with antique laces for dividers.The cabinet with the rooster is for my spices. My husband made it out of an old wardrobe and I painted the rooster. The small cabinet beside it is an antique sterilising cupboard full of little treasures.

The 2nd pic is of our loved Irish dresser full of Willow Pattern which I have collected for years, and the little egg cupboard was made by Bob and painted by me; as you can tell we love chooks.  The third one is of my other dresser with all my collectibles, this is also part of the kitchen.

Please don't forget to comment. A comment is like payment for the time taken to post, and in this case in sending in the photos.  Many of us were enthusiastic about this series, so make sure all the photos get a good number of comments.  I don't want any of the people sending in photos to regret joining in.  Thank you friends.