It's a Classical Life

  In her book, Cosy: The British Art of Comfort , writer Laura Weir says: "In my daily life, I am surrounded by noise and opinion, and over the past few years I have found myself seeking comfort from politically dark winters and the relentlessly bleak news cycle. My instinct has evolved and become an undeniable urge to hide away and find solitude. Rather than swipe and scroll my way through life, I want to feel protected and nurtured. I don't just want to drink a warm cup of tea, I want my emotional state to mirror that cuppa too - warm, predictable, reassuring. Perhaps I'm just getting old, but I want to swap toxic politics and anxieties induced by social media for reliability and kindness. I want to feel more cosy." Oh my, yes please! Count me in! She goes on to explain that cosy is what you do when no-one is watching - it's your definition of cosy, not one that is being prescribed by current trends or marketing techniques. This book really made me think. In Aus...

"Self-sufficiency is the greatest of all wealth." ~ Epicurius   As February has come to an end I wanted to take the time to reflect a bit on what's been going on in garden. As I watch floods, cyclones and other extreme weather events lashing our country and others, I give thanks for the relatively mild weather we have been having. Most of February was hot though - as in over 30 degrees celsius. We have been watering the grass by attaching a hose to the washing machine and allow the grey water to go onto the grass rather than down the drain. You can see just how dry the grass still is despite this! Honestly I think the soil has become a bit hydrophobic and the water just sort of puddles. Still we are trying to recycle the water and also create a greener yard. This snake-like thing has been a great source of entertainment to Norman, our new Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who has been my constant companion. There is something so precious about having an animal that shadows y...

This January has been a bit atypical in the garden. November and December were very hot here in south-east Australia and a lot of the grass died off earlier than usual. January, however, has been peppered with cooler days and rain. Generally it is the time that we get some of our worst thunderstorms which have arrived this week. The days have been 30*C plus and then there are storms at night. We even had hail this week, but thankfully they were only tiny pieces and didn't do any damage.  Spending time in the garden is always a relaxing and therapeutic activity for me. This year I have decided I'd like to cultivate more flowers in the garden; something that I find even more enjoyable and less strenuous than vegetable growing! Last year when I dropped my bundle I spent very little time in the garden - and I'm beginning to think that one may have been affected by the other. There is something so mindful, grateful and grounding about working with soil, plants, animals and natur...

  Nonna Knows Best  - she knew it then and she knows it now! The summer continues to roll slowly along in our little corner of the world. The grass has died off, leaving funny brown patches and sporadic spots of vibrant green weeds. The tomatoes, zucchini and capsicum plants are all full of flowers. The potato plants are looking sad on top but are flourishing deep beneath the warm, brown soil. There is nothing better than potatoes for producing a rich, nutrient-dense soil. Every afternoon I give the chickens and the rabbits a cooling shower. I spray the trees above their enclosures so that drips of water continue to drop down on them long after the hose is turned off. In the cool mornings, we collect eggs, feed the chickens, water the plants and breath the summer air. By late morning we are inside, enjoying the slow days with board games, lego, movies, paper crafts and reading. The children want to play on their devices (of course) but we encourage as much creative play as we ...

  I know that many of you may be experiencing hotter than usual temperatures, and I really feel for you. Extreme summer can be such a tough time to endure. I hope that wherever you are, you can find cool moments in your day to rest and relax. For those of you that are walking through winter with me, how is your winter garden going? Extreme weather can really impact our food supply, especially if we are dependant on our gardens for food security. Additionally, it can affect our farmers who provide produce for our local shops and markets. We haven't had much luck at all in the garden this year - even summer was a dud after a severe hail storm took out our flowering fruit trees and plants. But, on a more positive note, I thought I would take you all on a little walk-through my winter garden in which I have been working this past week. It doesn't look like much, I know, but every little bit helps! As Charles Kingsley tells us in his poem, My Winter Garden, is it not worth mor...

"Whether in winter or summer, spring or autumn, it’s always got its fun and its excitements."     The Wind in the Willows ~ Kenneth Grahame                                                      May is a funny, in-between month where I live. The beautiful glory of autumn, heralded at the start of April is near over, and the dark, quiet of winter hasn't yet arrived. May, sort of a blip on the seasonal calendar, passes with variable weather and little to inspire me. One thing that I love about reading classic literature is how well they (and by 'they' I mean the characters and the authors) do to live seasonally. They savour the seasons for what they have to offer. In our busy, modern world it can be hard to see the opportunities that each season has to offer. We continue school through winter, and the children's extra ...