Dreams and Make believe

I took this photo on our recent camping trip to Nelson, British Columbia.  I followed Harper

to the lake being careful not to intrude.  He was playing quietly completely

absorbed by his imaginary game.  I wonder if he noticed that he was in one of the most

beautiful places in the world.

Out To Dry

I have lived in Canada for over 15 years and since I have been here I have had to use an electric clothes dryer to dry my washing.  Clothes lines are just not Canadian, at least for the majority.  Granted the temperature here isn't really suitable for most of the time. Nobody wants to hang their clothes on the line when the temperature is 22 degrees below zero but even when the sun does shine most people rely on the clothes tumbler. The problem for me is that it's just so UN Australian.  Every time I turn on the dryer I am drowning in this enormous sea of guilt. That's a lot of guilt when you calculate fifteen years worth.  So recently my lovely husband and I built  this beautiful clothes line to hang our washing on.  I love it sooooo much, even if I can only use it for 3 months of the year.  I know it doesn't seem like much to make a fuss about  but it is worth a million dollars to me.  I love the crisp fresh smell of air dried clothes.  I love the feeling of a scratchy towel when I get out of the shower.  I especially love the moment of solitude I experience when I'm hanging out the clothes. It is one of lifes simple pleasures.  Now I will admit that my new clothes line is no Hills Hoist but I think Lance Hill would still be proud. 

We all have our roots in Nature

I have been spending a lot of time in the garden lately and it got me reflecting on how much gardening has influenced my life. I have always been a gardener. It is innate and instinctual. I had my first vegetable garden when I was 10. My Nonna Matassoni, who was an extraordinary gardener, helped me turn a tiny patch of dry sand into a flourishing vegetable garden. In true Italian style, Nonno converted his entire backyard in a vegetable garden. His enthusiasm for the garden was contagious and as a child I loved spending time with him there. Grandfather Honeychurch had a more delicate interest gardening. His green house was full of exotic orchids and his garden was a monument to Rhododendrons and Camellias. Although he died more than 20 years ago I still have a few of his orchids. They are living memories of him.

Later in my life gardening brought me together with a wonderful lady. Muriel and I started talking over the fence as we worked in our gardens and soon became friends. I built a green house for her a few years ago with some old windows she had salvaged from an airplane hanger in Vancouver. She uses it on a regular basis but the best thing about the green house is that during the cooler months of September and October we meet there for afternoon tea. We sip tea from her mother’s fine china tea cups and solve all the worlds’ problems. Sometimes we are there for hours. She is in her 80’s and is one of my closest friends.

Through Muriel I met Jim Comrey, also in his 80’s. Jim had a beautiful organic garden with rich black soil the texture of talcum powder from years of compost and seaweed. I pulled weeds, planted seedlings, and under his watchful eye dusted sulfur on his begonia divisions. After a while gardening was secondary to a cup of tea and a good yarn. I got a first hand account of what it was like to be a Major in the Burmese jungle during the 2nd world war. Jim introduced me to Jean Sturdy. She was a lovely, gracious, courageous woman. Jean was a fabulous story teller. While tending to her garden I learned that she had served in the British air force during the 2nd world war and her husband was a bomber pilot. She came to Canada as a young war bride. We became great friends. She would discreetly slip $10.00 into my hand for helping her. At first I objected to being paid until I realized the ten dollars enabled her to ask for help while leaving her dignity in tact. She was in her 90’s and still working in her garden.

Gardening has influenced and enriched my life in so many ways. Gardening is how I make my living. The physical act of gardening makes me strong. It grounds me in a world that sometimes feels like it is unraveling at the seams. My family and many of my friends have been nourished from the food that I have grown. When I stand in my garden marveling at my beans and tomatoes I feel connected to the earth. I am responsible for its well being. Gardening connects me to the past, helps me live well in the present, and will nourish me into the future.

I was once a child in the garden being guided by adults. In middle age I am teaching my 3 year old son to plant seeds and honor bees. Through the Botanical Garden Societies “Gardeneers’ I am able to help other children connect to the earth. I feel I am responsible for passing on the knowledge that I gained from my elders. Gardening nurtures and nourishes our existence as human beings. Fortunately my story is not unique. We all have our roots in the earth.

Gardeneers

I was going to write about my flea market finds but I think I'd rather talk about my latest project known as "The Gardeneers".  Gardeneers is a childrens gardening program offered by the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden Society, of which I am a volunteer.  It is just one of the projects I am involved in.  Gardeneers started last year and I was one of the original program designers, along with five other women.  Our goal is to connect children to nature.  There are 20 children enrolled in the program which runs throughout July, every Tuesday morning.  Last year was a great success but this year we have been able to fine tune it and I am confident that it is going to be even  better.  We have a different theme for each week. Week one - Seed planting, week 2 - Botanic garden critters, week 3 - making compost and whats in the soil, week four - all about trees.   I am responsible for week one and this is what I have planned. Upon arrival the children get a seed kit which includes a packet of seeds of different kinds so they can see how diverse seeds are.  The class begins with a look at seeds and how they grow.  I have set up a demonstration that shows what a seed looks like from the time it is planted to when it starts to grow.  I did this by planting a seed everyday for a week so you can see the stages of growth.  Next  we open our seed packets and look at the different kinds.  Some of the seeds get planted into peat pots to take home. The bean and sunflower seeds get planted in the vegetable garden.  . After we look at seeds we go out into the garden for some planting time. Each week we return to the garden to see the growth, pull weeds and water the plot.  This is followed by a snack and story.  This weeks story is Strega Nonna as it fits in well with our theme of growing food and sharing it with others.  After snack we are building a bug hotel.  It consists of a bench with some flowers pots.  During our nature walk around the garden the kids pick up objects that are to be placed on the bench for bugs to move into, such as logs, sticks, leaves, and rocks.  Each week we get to see which bugs have decided to move in.  At the end of the session we get into some plant and bug art which we hope to display at the harvest festival in September.  And that is my day.  It does take a lot of work and it is all volunteer but it is so much more rewarding than a paycheck.  It is my way of addressing my concerns about the future of our planet.  My goal is to connect kids to nature so that they know what is is they are looking after in the future.  My question is "How will they care about the earth if they don't know what it is?"  We don't talk about the doom and gloom of the planet.  We simply involve kids in activities that show them how to have fun while interacting with nature.  It is my hope that my sons generation won't know any other way to live other than responsibly and with sensitivity to their environment.  www.coastbotanicalgarden.org

Don't forget to read my articles in the news letter.

Botanica confusii

What is Perovski atriplicifolia?  Answer: Russian Sage.  Does anyone else find the language of botany confusing?  I work in the plant industry and although I spend a large amount of time reading about plants I still cannot come to terms with the complicated language of botany.  The latin language of botany dates back to 1867 when an internationl standard was agreed apon.  The rules and regulations of plant naming are called : The international Code of Botanical Nomenclature. The most important levels of classification and identification in horticulture are:

Genus -A genus is a group of plants that all share some common characteristics

Species- a large group of plants that exhibit similar charactoristics.  Family names end in "aceae"
Cultivar- these plants freely interbreed maintaining the same charactoristics from generation to generation.

But thats enough about that.  How about this name - Helictotrichon or Rhodochiton Astrosanguineus. Just one more to confuse you - Molopospermum peloponnesiacum.  I could go on but for some reason these names are so complicated and intimidating that they take all the fun out of gardening.  I'm going to stick to my common names even at the risk of being considered a Botanical ignoramous.  So bring on the bell flowers, and the daylilys.  I'm going outside to enjoy my garden.

Coming Next - Flea Market Treasures.

Heart Broken

My son moved out.  Not actually out of the house, he's only 3.  He moved out of my bed. Completely out of the blue he went to sleep in his own bed.  At first I thought it was just a cruel April fools day joke but when he went into his own bed the second and third night I knew it wasn't a joke.  Even when I sublimely suggested that he might like to to sleep in my bed he still chose his own. My heart is broken ( just a little) and now something isn't right when I go to bed at night.  It's just not the same.  The balance has been shifted and I don't like it.  What am I going to do when he goes to school?

Gadgets and goodies.

I'm not usually into kitchen gadgets.  I like simplicity and I do things the old fashioned way.  I don't even own a microwave.  On a recent trip to New York a friend of mine gave me a gadget for a gift.  It is called a Pancake Pen and it  includes a recipe for making Blini.  Blini are small, yeast-leavened, buckwheat pancakes that originally come from Russia. Classically they are served with sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon.  It's no surprise that I've never heard of a Blini until now.   The joy of the Pancake Pen is that it has a small spout at the end to control the amount of mixture that comes out and you can make all kinds of fun shapes, letters or just plain rounds.  A few days after we returned home from our travels I unpacked the Pancake Pen and made a special breakfast to celebrate our home coming.  Although I didn't go as far as serving caviar my very plain blinis were more creative than gourmet and every bit as appreciated. 

Olympic Sniffle

Some people might read this and think I'm obsessing about the weather and they might be right.  I do check the thermometer every morning hoping that it will read above 10 degrees but it seems to be going down instead of up.  Its minus 2 this morning with a clear sky and a heavy frost.  The sun is out and I'm certain it will be a gorgeous day, maybe even reaching 12 degrees.  Yes I am a little obsessed.  I'm just tired of being cold and anxious to get into the garden. 

We dropped Kirk off at work this morning with the frost coming off our breath.  On the agenda this morning is muffin baking and if there is time some banana bread for school tomorrow.  Harper continues to thrive at preschool and has his first nemesis. (OK maybe a little exaggerated) A little blond, curly haired boy named Archie whose mother also happens to be Australian.  That may explain alot.  Anyway, apparently they butt heads all day because they are both bossy. 

With one week to go before the Olympic closing ceremony I have to admit that I don't have Olympic fever.  It's more like an Olypmic sniffle.  I seem to be missing that 'Sport Gene' and I just not that into it.  Not that I'm completely imuned to the excitement.  Last week we ventured into Vancouver to soak up the atmosphere downtown.  Streets were closed and there were people wandering around draped in the flags of their country, waving flags and chanting.  It was really exciting.  We didn't make it into any of the pavillions because of the long line ups but the electricity in the streets was enough to get anyone excited about the Olympics. Even Harper, (although I think the highlight of his day was riding on the bus). As you can see he found it all a bit to much.  

One week before we leave for Florida and we're counting the days.

I feel so tall

There is a hint of Spring in the air. Or at least that's what I like to think when the sun shines for a change. It has been such a cold, grey week here on the Coast. Kirk is out in the garden pulling weeds and I just saw him with the old fashioned push mower cutting a patch of grass under the picnic table. I am staying inside where it is warm, with my feet resting on the heater. The sun might be out but it is deceiving. I think the temperature is about 8 degrees with a cold wind.

Harper had another successful week at pre-school.  This week Kirk was able to drop him off and I'm happy to report that Harper was equally unphased when his dad left the building.  He did come home with a scratch on his face from a collision with another little girl.  Apparently she said sorry and all was right with the world.  Next Wednesday is Valentines Day at the school and we are making cards to give to each of the kids.  Let the crafting begin!

We had a few days in Vancouver with Tom and Shawne this week. Our mission in Vancouver was to collect Bing Bing from the airport and deliver her to the Coast. Bing Bing, whose real name is Estralisa, is the Phillipino caregiver that Muriel has sponsored.  She used to work here until her Visa ran out. Then she had to go home and re-apply. Now she will work a little bit for Muriel and also for an agency that supplies home help for ill and debilitated people. Bing Bing is quite lovely. Harper took to her immediately. She speaks English as well as any Canadian and we are looking forward to hearing all about her home and family in the Phillipines. She has grown children working all over the world . I think she will have some interesting stories to tell and hopefully some traditional recipes for us to sample.  On the way home from Vancouver there was a large group of kids from Uganda travelling on the ferry.  They were the Watoto Childrens Choir and they were on a world tour.  This was there first trip out of Uganda.    The children in the choir are mostly orphans whose age range was from about 7 to young adult.  They were all so lovely but the true pleasure of having them on the ferry was when they sang for us.  The room was silent.  I had tears in my eyes.  You've never heard anything so beautiful.  They must be performing  on the coast.  I'll have to get the paper to find out.  Hopefully we will be able to see them sing again. 
http://www.watoto.com/index.php

Kirk made bread last night and it was deeeeeelicious. As you can see there isn't much of it left.  We gave up making bread because it always came out dense, like a balance ball. Our friends gave us a new recipe and it works well. This could be the beginning of fresh home made bread. (Bread machine at least) Speaking of baking, I tried the cookie recipe from my last post. There is a reason I don't bake. I think I cooked them to long as they were a bit hard. Harper said they tasted good. At least he enjoyed them. I don't think I'm going to take up baking anytime soon.

I had my first pilates lesson this morning. It's not the tradional mat pilates. We work with machines and the goal is to use the correct skeletal positioning so that your strength comes from your entire core and not just you abdominal core. It is more remedial than exercise. I went to the class with a sore lower back thinking I wouldn't be able to do anything today but by the end of the session I could to stand without pain for the first time since I hurt my back in December while in Australia. When I stood up after the work out, Sunjata asked me how I felt. I said I felt tall. She explained that the work we had been doing was decompressing the spine and elongating it into a more natural state. It feels amazing.  I am looking forward to having a pain free body with the help of Sunjata, my amazing instructor.

I am making progress on Erin's quilt.  Here is a sneak preview. It's really bold and colourful.  I just hope she likes it.

A 130 pound cougar was shot and killed on a popular hiking trail in Gibsons last week.  The article in the paper suggested that in the presence of a cougar always be aggressive.  Gee thanks.  Apparently bears are making an early appearance due to the warmer weather.   Great.  No wonder I don't want to go outside.

I think I'm going to make some more bread while Harper is asleep. Kirk has his lawn aerating shoes on as is pacing around the backyard. Why are men so obsessed with having the perfect lawn. I quite like the moss.

Five degrees.

It has been over a week since we arrived home from our trip to Australia. We are back into work, play group, cooking for ourselves, cleaning etc. The sad thing about holidays ending is that you get back into your daily routine without having time to savour your holiday. There really should be a mandatory 'holiday savouring' period. For now I'll have to settle for blogging to appreciate the events of the past 8 weeks.

Our visit to Australia was all things fun, amazing, entertaining, relaxing and wonderful. My previous blogs have touched on a few of our holiday experiences. Our last two weeks were spent at the farm in Colac. We had a few days with the McMahon's before they trucked out, (and they do truck out) on their annual family retreat to Renmark in South Australia. They are all doing well. Terry had another successful tree season. He planted thirty thousand trees this year compared to his usual ten thousand. They take about 4 years of growing and careful pruning before they are harvested. Lisa is her usual busy self, looking after the family, working on the farm and taking care of the house. I think she even finds a bit more time for herself these days. Brigitte is entering her 3rd year at R.M.I.T. Her course in Valuation is keeping her interest and she speaks with optimism about her post uni opportunities. She recently won a scholarship from a firm in Albury and has developed a relationship with them. I think she may be doing work experience with them soon. She has expressed a desire to work in the rural areas and I'm sure she will find it easy to get a job. Kathleen is heading off to Melbourne to begin her first year at Melbourne University. Her chosen course is Commerce. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it during the year. Tim is entering his last year at high school. He turned 18 a few weeks ago and a few days ago he got his drivers licence. He's been dying to get behind the wheel of his new car - a jet black Holden Commodore station wagon. He was a little deflated when Jo called it the family wagon but we all had a giggle about it. Michelle is her usual sweet self only much taller. I can't believe she is 14. She is going into year 9 (I think) and is quite a good tennis player. Liam is missing a few front teeth and is his usual cheeky, energetic self. He goes into grade two this year and recently turned seven. We all enjoyed a family Christmas dinner on the veranda. The conditions were perfect and the view was breathtaking. Jo and Andy came with the girls. Erin has really grown up. She is going into grade three and Summi is about to start. Both are lively and lovely. Jo is coaching swimming and rowing. Andy is as busy as usual with his job and still travelling overseas alot. I apologise for the sketchy details about Erin and Summer. I may be incorrect but I'm close. I'll check with Jo and edit the details if necessary.

After the McMahons left we settled into the farm. Its a good place to be when the weather gets hot as the big grey stone bricks keep the house cool. There are so many rooms that no matter how many people are around you can always find a quiet place to sit and read a book. The farm has a way of making everyone feel relaxed. Unless the McMahons are all at home and then it takes a strong constitution to survive. No offence McMahons. I did puzzles in the formal room, Kirk read books. Harper played cars up and down the big hall. We were joined by my friends David and Anna and their two girls Nelly and Veronica. Harper loved playing with the big girls. We had a lovely dinner on the veranda, grilled porterhouse with a herb vinaigrette salad. Complimented by a bottle of All Saints 2002 Cabernet Shiraz that we had stashed in the McMahon's cellar about five years ago. Incredibly, the 6 other bottles we put down there were also still there. Most likely because the cellar is kind of creepy and no one ever wants to go down there. WELL DONE KIRK FOR BEING THE BRAVE ONE. Also thank you to Anna for the delicious banana cake. I think Harper may have enjoyed it for breakfast the next morning. Mum and Dad chose not to join us for dinner. Instead dad took mum for a romantic night at the Colac R.S.L. Lucky mum. No offence dad, just having a laugh on you.

With conditions so dry and many trees suffering the drought it is no surprise that one of the big fig trees along the drive way came crashing down, or at least one third of it. Fortunately no one was under it.

Harper had his first salon hair cut. It was slightly traumatic and but with the promise of a chocolate milk shake we all managed to survive.

At the beginning of our visit I caught up with an old friend, someone I hadn't seen in about 18 years. We had shared a flat together in Melbourne but I lost track of him after he got married and moved to Sweden. It was great to see him again. He has two boys and two girls. We got talking about family and I mentioned that Lisa had moved to a big old farm house in Colac. Nick asked if the name of the property, by chance, was Yeo. As it turns out his Great Grandfather, Oliver Winter Irving, bought the farm from the Austin's ( the original owners) after the WWII. Their family lived there - his Grandpa William Winter Irving with his Brother Clive Winter Irving and when Nick's great grandmother died the property was sold to the McMahons. It's a small world. I hope to keep in touch with him.

Almost forgot, apparently the farm is haunted. The McMahons and many friend have had ghostly experiences. They believe it's the old gal, Mrs.Winter Irving. One of Lisa's friends claims an old lady was standing over her while she slept. She woke up to find this old lady's face staring down at her. Could this explain the creeking floor boards in the middle of the night even though everyone is alseep.

One of the best things about going home is catching up with two of my oldest and best friends, Carolyn Laffan (Caz) and Anna MacDonald. Unfortunately Caz and I didn't get to spend as much time together as we had hoped. We keep in touch with skype and emails whenever possible. We all have young children and busy lives. I have to thank Caz for starting me on the road to blogging. Like Caz I have always fantasized about keeping a journal but never have. After I read hers I knew this was for me. So Caz, thanks for getting me started and I always enjoy your writing. I must get a copy of that amazing travel book, Folio Society edition of 'Colours: Travels Through the Paintbox' by Victoria Finlay. Thanks also for the cookie recipe. I plan to make them over the weekend. Hope you don't mind me sharing the recipe. Look for it at the end of this blog.

Anna, I have completed cutting the fabric for my first quilt in many years thanks to your inspiration. The sewing began a few days ago. Although I may strive to catch up to you,you have set the bar high. You are my new Quilt Goddess. Erin will be the recipient of my quilt (please keep the surprise) and I have another design in the works for Summer. I believe I am hooked again. Photo's will be posted upon completion.

Of course no trip to Australia would be complete without a trip to Myrtleford.  As usual our host, Aunty Anne, otherwise known as 'Nin', spoilt us.  The weather was perfect and we made good use of it with trips to the play ground, iced coffee and chocolate milkshakes at our new favourite coffee shop and deli, and time spent with Nin.  Unfortunately Ann had a bout of hives and we hope she is feeling better now.

Our flight home was tedious and exhausting and despite delays out of Melbourne and luggage issues in LA, not to mention all the extra security checks, we still made it home as scheduled. Harper travelled so well. It took us about a week to get our sleep routines back to normal. We came home to 10 degrees and sunny but the weather has taken a turn for the worst. We are back to zero in the mornings and about 5 degrees during the day. I am reluctant to go outside unless I have to. Fortunately we are all flying down to Florida in March for the annual Nederpelt family holiday. I hope my tan doesn't fade to much before then. Kirk is only staying a week. Harper and I will stay on for an extra week before driving back to Toronto with Jack and Judy. A week at the new farm and then home by March 25Th. We're looking forward to our road trip up the east coast of America.

Harper had his first day at pre school and loved every minute of it. He will officially start next week and is quite excited by it. He also had his first trip to the dentist today, although that wasn't quite so successful. I told him we were going to the dentist and he said 'does it talk mummy'. At least he scored a toy from the toy box. Below is a picture of sleeping beauty after a big day. He didn't even make it to his bed.



The following photo was taken by Harper two days after we arrived home.



Tessa Kiros' Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies

75g butter, softened
50g soft brown sugar
1 egg
few drops of vanilla extract
160g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
110g dark semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
50g dried cranberries


Preheat oven to 190C (375F) and line two baking trays with baking paper. Cream butter and sugar, mix in egg and vanilla. Sift in flour and baking powder with a pinch of salt. Beat with a wooden spoon to make a soft sandy mixture. Stir through chocolate and cranberries.

Lightly moisten your hands and roll teaspoons of mixture into balls. Arrange on trays leaving room for spreading. Bake for 12-15 mins or until golden in centre and darkening on edges. Remove from oven but leave on tray to cool and firm up. Makes 30 small cookies.

I Hope these cookies are tasty. Harper will be pleased.

how long till my heart stops pounding

Happy New year. Welcome to another year. Right now we are spending time in Ocean Grove with my old friends, David and Anna.
We arrived in time for New Years Eve and spent the evening sipping wine with Div, Anna and another couple from Melbourne. We even managed to stay awake past midnight, a first for me in a while. Our planned dinner on the deck was moved inside when a thunderstorm rolled in and almost blew us away. It didn't spoil the evening and provided a fantastic lightening show which was as good as any fireworks.

Time seems to be flying by very quickly. It feels like yesterday that Kirk arrived. We were all excited for his arrival and when he finally appeared through the big customs doors a funny thing happened. Harper had this strange look on his face as if he knew it was dad but couldn't quite believe it was actually him. He was very quiet and hung onto me tightly. It was several minutes before he would look at Kirk or even go to him. I was surprised at his reaction. I expected Harper would shout out or run up to dad with a great big smile. I guess he was so happy he was speechless.

After a few days rest we drove up to Mount Beauty where my cousin and his wife have a holiday cottage. The weather was beautiful, the atmosphere was relaxed. Kirk and Craig played golf while Bec and I took Harper to the playground at the lake. We had dinner at a funky little Italian restaurant and coffee's at the Swiss coffee shop. It was lovely and relaxing. The perfect place for Kirk to recover from his jet lag.

We spent a couple of days visiting Jo and Andy and the girls in Hampton. Kirk played gold one day and then spent the next day enjoying the atmosphere of the Melbourne cricket Ground watching the fourth day of the Australia/Pakistan test match. I think Australia won. Jo and I took the kids to the beach. The temperature was around 30 degrees so our beach visits were restricted to the mornings. But it wasn't to hot for gelato in the park. We also enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Brighton Baths restaurant on the beach watching the sun go down over the bay.

We have been in Ocean grove for a few days now and although the weather hasn't been so great we are still having a wonderful time. Another couple from Melbourne, Dan and Jo, also came for the night with their three girls aged 5, 7 and 9. With a house full of 5 little girls Harper was in his element. The girls were so wonderful with him, including him in their games, helping him on the trampoline, finger painting and what not. It was funny when Jo and Dan left as Harper was most upset when the three little girls had to leave and asked me if he could go with them.

We have had lots of rain and then most unbelievable thunderstorm. It came out of now where in the middle of the night with a clap of thunder so loud that we both almost went through the roof. My heart was pounding for about 10 minute afterwards. Strangely though Harper didn't stir despite three or four equally powerful claps of thunder that followed. The storm must have been right above us and when it let loose it shook the house and you could feel the electricity in the air. Following shortly after was a brief but wild down poor of torrential rain. And just as quickly as it blew in it blew away. The garden has a new lease of life this morning and the sun is out so I imagine we will be heading for the beach soon.

Off to Colac this afternoon for some time with the McMahons.