procrastinating... again

This morning was cold.

Windy and brisk.

But not quite brisk enough to see me lose the thongs today. I'm not a shoe lover, me. And it takes quite a decent amount of chill to see me don them. It's one of the things I'm grateful for about Australian Winters up here. Perfect for the casual non fuss don't hole me in kinda gal.

But aside, after morning school drop off today, and still flapping around in the flip flops, I found myself heading out as usual with a steaming fresh brew and a recipe book under my arm to my new *perch* in the garden. I'm starting to feel like there's something missing if I haven't ritually *taken my tea* in the garden before I really start my day you know? It's like that deep breath, splash your face with cold water awakening... and sometimes steadying.

On cold mornings like this I find myself coaxed further from my usual stoop to follow the sun which touches now in its warmest giving on the steps of the cubby house at the very back of the garden.

From this warmest of high posts I can look down on the garden and still plan my doings... and plantings and pickings of course.... and chat to the girls right next to me as I sip, while the hot steam condenses on my nose and the sun seems to magically fix itself to my skin all the way through those layers of clothes.

The plan today was to finish an assignment I should be working on straight after the last drip of my tea. But as I sat drifting in that intoxicated blissful sunned state, my vague scrutiny of the edible greens passing before my eyes, the heavy enduring line of chokos across my fence caught my attention again...and again. After all it was recipes of preserves I had that favourite of all recipe books under my arm for... though just not exactly for today.

But alas procrastination wins out again...

or maybe it's the need to not let any of my gardens yields go to waste?

Either way that assignment was (somewhat guiltily) put on the burner for tomorrow.

So with warmed toes and a tea filled belly I headed back indoors for a spell, my jumper quickly converted to a carryall and sinking from the weight of freshly picked fruit to boil jars and bubble chutney over the stove instead.

Well at least I'm a productive procrastinator.

oranges and lemons....

the bells of St Clements...

I keep finding I'm singing this to myself lately.

Winter is definitely all about citrus.

And winter is also all about warm desserts.

You know helping you add that extra unwanted layer for warmth over the cooler months? Hmm.

Well this year, even though it's still not quite officially Winter yet, I've been blessed with picking my own citrus from the backyard. Finally. My first real lemon harvest and my first ever oranges.

A small modest harvest, yes.

A little seedy, yes.

But super sweet and *real* tasting, oh yes.

Am I a bit chuffed? Yes indeed!

And for me Winter citrus just has to be turned into a warm citrus delicious. Aside from a rustic apple crumble it's my next favourite cold night dessert. A creamy warm tangy self saucing pud with the lightest spongy meringue top. So so good with a hot aromatic cuppa.

So good indeed I've made it twice this week already.

So what's helping you layer your bones for warmth this season?

chayote truths

Steamed...
Boiled...
Stewed...
Roasted...
Casseroled... (is that a word?)
and my new favourite Stir Fried with garlic and a smidge (now that's too cute not to be a word) of cumin. Yum.

My side fence is literally abuzz with bees.... which is exciting enough in itself... but when they are pollinating and helping my garden produce masses, and that is no exaggeration, of chokos it's kind of inhale, settle the warm fuzzy nerdy gardener tummy, and enter grin really grin territory here for me this Autumn.

OK I'm just a little overrun. And the girls at work have all had verbal lessons in preparing my giveaways. But I still have plenty of recipes and prep methods I'm excited about and yet to try out.

I'm really loving their homeliness right now and am honestly finding them most delicious. Maybe it's because of their homegrown stature? Certainly not because of any unfortunate choko reputation.

In fact the only reputation I do believe is their complete willingness to take over the garden and perhaps bury you under an abundance of green pear shaped fruits. I simply won't listen to any talk about them being boring or goodness forbid *yukky*....
and that's my not so ugly chayote truth.
Honest you can read more here if you're a disbeliever.

The last minute risky decision to sow my final few rosella seeds in the Summer garden has proved most fruitful this Autumn...

by way of blossom, fruit and jam for our chilly morning toast.

And even though the Autumn shade is encroaching on the garden... a little more than my green fingers would like... my bushes are continuing on with perfect bleeding throated blooms and fleshy finger staining calyxes.

There will be more peeling to be done on the deck... stirring over the stove and steaming thick red liquid locked in glass jars to make that sweet popping sound of a successfully preserved Autumn.

steadying myself

"Mama has the earth moved?"
That was the first question I was greeted with this morning as a sleepy eyed three year old boy ran in to me in the kitchen, fresh from dawn cloud gazing.
Of course it was just the clouds that were visibly moving... but little did he know just how timely his observation was for this Mama.
You see the earth has moved...metaphorically....right under my feet.
The demons that plagued this little family here won out just before Christmas and those demons saw me here managing alone with my babes and a big wound in my heart.
It's funny almost 4 months on that I feel I can finally put it out here now. Not that the earth has quite stopped moving on me yet... no way, those complications seem to have their exhausting way of prolonging their untangling.... but it just hasn't felt right before to share this change here, even though as a result this blog has also outwardly changed somewhat in focus, feel and commitment during that time. I wonder if you felt it?
I'm hoping now to turn that right around, though there may be more soul sharing in amongst it all as I travel and ever so hesitantly explore this scary path further. So as those clouds still blow overhead, the first guava's fall from our tree, the autumn snow peas poke their heads through the earth and the girls lay perhaps the last of their summers eggs, and as we prepare ourselves for the cool of winter ahead, I will continue to steady myself on this shaky new ground until the earth moves right around to spring for me again.

the last of summer

We've been munching melons...
straight from our garden.

Opportunistic rogues who made themselves at home here thanks to my Summer compost shuffles and garden renovations.
The last juicy fruits of the season it feels like as today saw me in my morning spot outside with my hot tea at 6am...with sleeves! Yes sleeves.
There's a chill in that breeze that's come to visit for a few days after the rain.
So with thoughts of Winter veg in my head the garden has been planted again while fare welling the last of Summer...

other than just one more taste of melon that's stored in my fridge...
and welcoming what is to come with the Autumn.

gathering

I've been finding myself gathering things.
Flowers seeds shells leaves feathers.... and strength.
But it's all the seeds from the garden, aside from their own abundance and beauty and purpose,
that have me thinking most.
There is something about their cycles and potential.
How much potential there is within a single one is something quite astounding.
And as I quietly gather and admire these seeds from my garden
I am also aware that to a certain extent I am gathering them for within myself as well right now
A little symbolism of life lately...
Gathering up exhaustingly for the harsh Winters of existence and hopefully awaiting the potential of a new Spring and a deep exhalation.
For like those I gather from the garden,
the seeds we gather for our souls can only attract the most beautiful things into the gardens that lie within us as well... right?

sunset

the sun is noticeably shifting again
sunset is reaching the sill of my kitchen
and from the other direction sunrise is casting crystal rainbows through the same
it's still all about the flowers from my garden here
and sun
and heat
and trips to the sea
but then it is February now after all

just us here

Wandering the garden this morning with my tea

As I find myself needing to do each and every morning

The bird song

The chickens

Fat boy awaiting my treats

And the bees

Just us here

There are sunflowers standing tall and proud in my garden again

There's something about them that just makes me smile

I think it's a combination of their larger than life existence

The way they tower over my head

Their green leaves that could easily cover more than one dinner plate each

My eyes can't help but be drawn to their vibrant yellow and then skyward

and I dream of climbing them, just like Jack and his beanstalk

I wonder what sunny land would live at the top of such beauty

war and peace

There's been a little war and peace here.
Work to be done, work being done, goodies to nibble fresh from the patch, baddies being nibbled by goodies fresh in the patch and little critter friends....
A balance of good and evil, hard work and rest...

even if enforced rest...

We've been struck with a nasty tummy bug.... literally one by one within hours we each succumbed to it's assault... in an almost comical matter really even to the point of being forced to share the same puke bowls at certain points (it's hard for any Mama to care for others in the throes of ill when her tummy is doing the exact same thing). Sorry for the detailed visual there but that's been the reality in our house this last week. Good news is we are all on the mend.

Before that though life was all about shifting the contents of those numerous yellow bags up there and digging out concrete and demolishing one rotten side fence... finally. Excitement mixed with dread at the changes about to take place in my beloved garden and just how much work is going to be involved.
I've given you a little sneak peak in there of what my mulched paths are going to look like...some of it I managed to complete before being forced back indoors to nurse the ills. Three and a half of those bags are gone.....
and I know the others are still there waiting.....and with more pavers due to arrive today....
life will again get back to being about those bags and our garden....

War on the bugs...
Peace in the garden...
or is that the other way around with all that heavy hard work waiting?

nah
Peace in the garden it is!