Painting

Wordle and Other Pastimes

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wordle

Are you a fan of Wordle? Originally designed by British software engineer, James Wardle to amuse his wife, Wordle is an online word puzzle. Now owned by The New York Times, a new puzzle is posted every day. Each puzzle has one word of five letters and you get six attempts to solve it. Each time you enter a correct letter in the right box, it turns green, a correct letter but not in the right box turns yellow and a letter not in the word stays grey.

This is a quick, ad free, satisfying puzzle. There’s no flashing lights, no ghastly sound track and it only requires a few minutes. There’s all sorts of ‘cheat’ sites online, too, but I can’t really see the point! These sites give hints, a starting letter, lists of the most common letters in five letter words, and suggests best starter words and even lists of all the five letter words plus the answer.

Lots of off shoots online, too. There’s so many variations of word puzzles, plus a fun one called Flagle which gives you hints to guess the flag and also Worldle, with hints to help you work out the country or region featured. All engaging and pretty quick to complete!

other occupations

I’ve painted a blue wren and a Banksia burdetti, both endemic to south west Western Australia. I was happy with the wren but not so happy with the banksia

Completed the fourth week of an exercise class which feels like Pilates on steroids. Just when I feel I can do something without leaving exhausted, they increase the weights. Feel great afterwards. Yoga is gentle but I leave there feeling great, too.

Annual visit to the dermatologist done, nothing burnt off or cut out this year. Wonderful!

Sad remnants of the once glorious apricot tree.

This sad sight is our espaliered apricot tree which no longer gets enough sun to flourish, so I decided to remove it. Hard decision but the palm trees behind are only going to get bigger and block out more sunshine. We stripped off the branches and then my brother used his chainsaw to cut the remaining trunk to a manageable size for us to deal with later. I’ll start new planting soon in this bed. I’ll be planting things that don’t need much sunlight but will bring some colour.

These orbs have sat under the lime tree in the front courtyard for about twelve years. They were rusted and disintegrating. I treated the rust then sprayed them with a rust retarding paint. This is a temporary treatment and I will have to replace them in the future.

The repaired orbs look good under the lime tree. Spring is in the air and things in the garden are waking up! We have fresh lemons and limes at the moment. The azaleas and clivias have added some colour during this gloomy, long winter.

These dear little pansies with their sweet faces are blooming, too.

As usual, made three loaves of rye sourdough. I keep a few slices in the fridge and the rest in the freezer and I find it lasts almost a month. Homemade rye bread is made using a mother/starter, flour, water, molasses and a pinch of salt. Now days I let the Kitchen Aide do the mixing. I used to rely on feeling the elasticity of the dough as I kneaded it on the bench top to tell me when it was ready. It was quite a lot of work. Now I just guess and it has worked well so far.

Three bowls of sponge starter and three bowls of flour ready for a morning of bread baking.

The ease of making bread in the Kitchen Aide compared to hand kneading, the way bread has been made for centuries, made me ponder other changes brought about by technology. My car replaced one I’d had for thirteen years so the new technology was pretty amazing. Connectivity allows me to use the phone, talk to it to change radio stations, swap tracks on Spotify, change the temperature, get directions and probably many other things I haven’t discovered. I have never explored the self parking system but like some of the other things, such as the screen image of exactly how I’m lined up in a parking bay, how close other vehicles are, changed speed limits and advice on traffic flow are all useful.

This is not my car but you get the idea! Image Pexels

I think about the things I can do on my devices, the individualised settings on some of the equipment at the gym, even the noise the fridge makes if the door is open too long and the way lights are set to come on around the house at different times in the evening. Developments in medicine are equally amazing, resulting in quicker and more accurate diagnosis and treatments.

did you know?

The Australian dollar is considered to be the most structurally advanced currency in the world. The notes are made of polymer and are almost impossible to counterfeit. They’re colourful, too!

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Eggs, Entertaining and Reading

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eggs

The difficulty in finding free range eggs in shops at the moment seems to not just be an Australian problem, but a widespread issue. Supply in some countries has been limited by disease (farmers in the USA have killed millions of egg laying hens due to spread of the deadly avian flu) ; some countries believed Covid was spread in eggs, hens lay less in cooler weather and all supply chains have been effected by Covid. The price of feed doubled in cost after Russia invaded the Ukraine, a major supplier of wheat, particularly impacting on prices in the UK.

brown egg on brown nest

The demand for eggs from hotels, cafes and restaurants dropped dramatically in Australia with the onset of the pandemic but was quickly replaced by an upsurge in home cooking. The supply problem arose from a swing towards free range eggs. Free range eggs cost more due to the limited number of hens per hectare, free range hens lay about 20% fewer eggs and the cost of collecting the eggs out in paddocks is greater than barn laid or caged eggs. The other additional costs of fuel, staff shortages and increased cost of feed and packaging materials are spread across free range, barn and cage laid eggs. The drought, the flooding, recently introduced government levies and the mice plague have also added to production costs.

flock of chicken on green grass field during daytime

Unsplash

Why choose free range eggs? Nutritionally, all eggs in Australia are very similar. For me the decision was based on concerns about the welfare of the hens. I just think a hen pecking outdoors is a happier hen! The alternative, keeping our own, is not possible as we don’t have a big garden. It is better not to contemplate that free range hens sadly lead significantly shorter lives. I just hope that they are happier ones.

rooster and hen on grass field

Unsplash

Interestingly, recent information indicates backyard hens’ eggs in some areas of Sydney contain about 40% higher lead levels than commercially produced eggs. Older, inner city homes are more likely to have high levels of lead in their backyards. All gardens in older, inner city areas probably reflect the same issues with lead contamination. This also impacts on the quality of home grown produce and honey. (c.f. Elsevier, volume 301, Lead poisoning of backyard chickens: Implications for urban gardening and food production)

eating

We’ve been entertaining ! We’ve had relatives to morning tea one day and afternoon tea another day. It was so good to catch up with people returning to Australia and some other family members. Now you know why I was thinking about supply and quality of eggs. I always make curried eggs sandwiches. Everyone in the family makes curried egg sandwiches. I also set cakes and slices and platters of cheese, nuts, dried fruit, fresh vegetables, dips and crackers. I want to be sure there’s something for everyone!

Still a bit chilly in Perth at the moment, so I also made scones to serve with jam, hot from the oven.

reading

England Postage Stamp Exeter, United Kingdom - February 14, 2010: An English Used First Class Postage Stamp showing Portrait of Queen Elizabeth 2nd, printed and issued in 1998 british crown stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images

I was recently given a hefty tome, Tina Brown’s The Palace Papers. I don’t really follow the royal family although I admire the Queen. I don’t usually follow stories about the younger members of the royal family. I did watch the Oprah interview with the Sussexes and felt uncomfortable about their claims and demands. The factual accounts of their behaviour and expectations documented in this book certainly indicates they could never live the life of service and restraint expected of the royal family.

Interesting and supported by thorough research, this is the story of the Queen’s life after she ascended to the throne. Subtitled ‘Inside the House of Windsor – The Truth and the Turmoil’ the change in the public expectations of royalty is evident, especially after the death of Princess Diana. The monarchy had to change with the times. The triumph of her Jubilee year and Platinum Jubilee, the ongoing dramas around Prince Andrew and Prince Harry and her involvement “parachuting” into the opening of the Olympic games certainly revealed the Queen in a different light.

gold and blue crown

Unsplash

Never a fan of Prince Charles I was interested in his support and popularity with younger people who recognise his passion for organic gardening, protecting wildlife, building and restoring buildings using sustainable methods and general interest in housing. He acknowledges the disruption to the lives of younger people due to the pandemic and expresses concern for their mental health. His trust supports many youth programs. His plans to ‘slim down’ the number of royals depending on the public purse are also popular. The Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, long time ‘third party” in the Prince’s marriage, is also gaining popularity.

British Collage Illustrator Vector EPS file (any size), High Resolution JPEG preview (5417 x 5417 px) and Transparent PNG (5417 x 5417 px) included. Each element is named, grouped and layered separately. Very easy to edit. british crown stock illustrations

Like so many families, there are those who work hard, like Princess Anne, and those who exploit their position, like Prince Andrew and Prince Harry. Being the ‘spare’ lacks clear purpose and we know how that has played out! This is a very privileged strata of society and different rules seem to apply to what is acceptable behaviour. The difficulty for the Royal family is their once private problems are now broadcast on social media almost instantly.

The author’s conclusion, “The fascination of monarchy is that its themes repeat themselves because its protagonists are earthy.”

A fascinating book, too. Have you read it?

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Sorting, Plastics and the Coastline

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sorting

This very lovely armoire hides a dreadful mess! Tucked neatly into a vestibule I’m glad it has doors to hide the chaos within. This is where I keep my art, craft and ‘it might be useful’ things. Once tidy with labeled storage boxes it now resembles a danger zone. I didn’t know where to start and wouldn’t have even tried to sort it out except the other day I opened the door and a box of pastels fell out. They made a mess and some broke. Not good.

Thought I’d deal with the paints first as most of them were in boxes or bags or palettes. Some were immediately binned as the tubes were solid, some I tried to use and some I’ve put aside to investigate later. One small palette (origin unknown) reminded me of the compact traveling boxes people I know take with them to capture views during their travels. I’d like to do that, too. Tried them. Despite the lovely colours, actually the paint was thin and disappointing. Bin.

Other paints also found their way into the bin. The tubes with cracked and crumbled paint went but some others are sitting, waiting to be tested. Interestingly, I found oil colours from my student days which are still usable and acrylics of unknown origin which are in good shape. The tin of aquarelles will compliment a huge box I have and use frequently. I sharpened them with a sharpener found amongst the jumble and I remember writing my son’s initials on it 27 years ago. It still sharpens well.

I’d like to say I persisted and sorted and organised the contents of the armoire, but I didn’t; I was distracted by the treasures within for hours. And there is the problem, what do I need to keep, what might be useful and what if I want that sheet of textured red card in the future? A work in progress but I’m glad I can shut the doors. I think next time I’ll focus on the drawers at the bottom. They are full of my husband’s photos.

plastic free july

We must reduce our reliance on plastics. I like to think progress is being made, especially in first world countries. Well, maybe. I’ve just seen announcement in the paper informing us that the President of the United States, Joe Biden, has Covid. In the photograph heading this item is a photo of Biden with a plastic water bottle on his desk.

China is the World’s biggest polluter (10 065 million tons of CO²), followed by the United States of America (5 416 tons of CO²) and then India (2 645 tons of CO²). The next three are Russia, Japan and Iran. Plastic Free July encourages people to be part of the solution by reducing the reliance on single use plastics. I know many, many Americans are working towards reducing their use of plastic but apparently not their President.

australia’s coastline.

Australia is the sixth largest country in the World. In fact, Australia is almost the size of mainland USA! The middle of Australia is arid. The greatest population concentration is around the coast. It is estimated that it would take almost 29 years to visit one new Australian beach everyday. There are at least 10 685.

This morning was warm and sunny after days of (much needed) rain, so we set off along the coast. We started at South Cottesloe Beach, famous for being the best place to view stunning sunsets. We then progressed one beach at a time until we reached Mindarie. We sat in the sun eating lunch and drinking coffee before being lured into the gelato shop. A slight wind but beautiful views of the water.

The coastline of Australia is about 34 000 kilometres (21 000 miles) although different sources vary slightly in length. The coastline includes more than 1 000 estuaries. The Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans surround different parts of Australia’s coastline.

European exploration and discovery highlighted how treacherous parts of the coast can be, with many hidden reefs. Early explorers included Dutch, English and later, the French. Sealers and whalers, mostly American and English, had temporary bases on the southern coastal areas of Australia.

There are over 8 000 known shipwrecks off the coast of Australia although not all of these have been located. The oldest shipwreck discovered is the British East Indian, about 500 tons, wrecked on the Tryal Rocks off the north west coast off Western Australia in 1622.

FOOTNOTE

I’ve started tidying the cupboard. I’ve actually done three shelves but not thrown out much stuff. I found so many things I’d forgotten about and feel inspired to begin a few new projects. I sorted envelopes, paper, coloured and plain, plus cardboard into separate piles but then they seemed to take up more room than before I began! I think I need a workroom but the unused rooms are all upstairs and I can’t see that working. Currently the dining room table has potted orchids, a bonsai, some ‘slips’ I’m propagating, a scented candle and a vase of eucalyptus leaves. Also on the table; paints, palettes, brushes, pencils, paper, art blocks, feltpens, blotting cloths and so many other things to do with my artworks. Now you know why I think I might need a workroom.

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How To Reuse Hotel Soaps and Refreshing The Outdoor Areas

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recycling hotel soaps

When we were away recently I had to move my husband’s toilet bag and was surprised at its weight. Took it out to the table, tipped out the contents and started sorting through the jumble. The toilet bag was a gift from me 39 years ago and it seems it’s only been added to, nothing has ever been discarded. He working life involved frequent traveling and he’d collected things from all over the world.

Sorted the sewing kits, the razors, shoe shine kits, the combs and folded hairbrushes, the nail kits, the ear plugs and the bars of soap. Most things went into the bin, but as I was scooping up the twenty plus bars of soap I suddenly wondered if I could reuse them.

Using tiny bars of soap isn’t easy nor appealing, although the bars seemed to get bigger as the years went by. So after I’d amused myself identifying the country of origin from the packaging I put them into a bag and brought them home.

Searching online revealed lots of ways to use scraps of soap to make more soap. Put it off for a while as it seem a bit of a faff and soap is pretty cheap to buy. But I also put off throwing the soaps in the bin as it seemed very wasteful as we had so many! Eventually unwrapped them and settled into reusing or rebatching them.

Apparently, the soap needs to be grated, boiled, pressed into a mold. When I’d grated one tiny bar of soap and one fingernail I knew there had to be a quicker/better way. Chopped the bars roughly with a long blade, sharp knife then put them in the food processor. Most of the bars were powdery and ready to mix after being cut, so I sifted them and only processed the larger pieces.

Cooking the grated soap and water.

I could have added a sprinkle of dried lavender to the soap or some scented oil or colours, but the soap mix was really aromatic without any additions. Added water to the powder and left it for an hour or so, then cooked it on a low heat until it formed a ball. Pressed it into a silicone cake mold. Left it to harden over three days. Cut into bars.

Would I do this again? No. The resulting bars of soap are very highly scented, which we don’t like and it was a lot of work to save a few dollars. We haven’t traveled much during the past two years but I have noticed most accommodation now offer shower gel. (All those little plastic tubes!) I usually take our own soap, anyway. My husband dislikes gels and insists on soap.

By the way, the Hilton Hotel Group and it’s associated hotel chains collect all the used soaps from their rooms and send them to be sanitized and turned into bars of soap for the homeless and third world countries. Sensible.

preparing for spring

Really enjoyed wet, cold winter days, for a while, but the bulbs have germinated and I’m looking forward to spring. Still enjoying boots, jumpers and warm scarves but I’m preparing for more time outdoors.

So I’ve renovated some little chairs hanging on a wall which were showing signs of rust. I also resurfaced a terracotta pot which has a solar fountain floating in the middle. The idea of the pot was to provide water for the bees with a landing pad so they could be safe and rest for a while. Only ever seen a few bees at the water but see little birds perched there frequently.

Treated the rust on the chairs with rust retardant. The next day I set up a ‘spray box’ aka a big cardboard carton. I sprayed the back of the chairs, left them to dry, repeated over two days, spraying a different side each time. I used a spray designed to retard rust, too, but it isn’t perfect. Which is why they needed re-doing!

The next project was the terracotta bowl. I scraped off the existing paint then sanded the inner surface before applying two coats of terracotta sealer. The outer surface was still in good condition so I only sanded a few spots. When the sealer was dry, I spray painted the pot twice. Left it in the sun for a few days as the paint smell was very strong.

Ready to go but it is too overcast for the solar fountain to work!

super moon

Image Roger Purdy, Pixabay

Did you see the Super moon, the largest and brightest moon on the 13th of July?

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Happy Living, A Drawing Class, Painting and Cooking

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happy living

According to the World Happiness Report 2022, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the fifth year in a row. Other northern European countries follow with Denmark ranking second, followed by Iceland, Switzerland and the Netherlands. New Zealand comes in at number ten and Australia is number 12 on the list. Then Canada was 14th on the list, UK came in at number 17 and USA came in at 19.

Finland’s Flag Pexels

WHR considers lifestyle and peoples’ sense of well being to rate various countries. The report noted that volunteering, helping others and making donations had all increased in many parts of the world during the past two years. This increase in social benevolence due to COVID 19 has benefits for the givers, receivers and observers. Also evident was that countries with a higher trust in public institutions and more equality recorded much lower rates of death.

The six factors considered were gross domestic product per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom of choice, generosity of population and perceptions of internal and external corruption.

Information is collected from a number 0f sources for this survey. If you are interested this is the site https://worldhappiness.report

drawing in nature

I enrolled in a four week “Drawing in Nature” course with a well known local artist, Jane, because I know I get a lot done when I focus for two hours. She introduced our theme for the session, ( last week it was feathers, this week was shells) and showed us examples of her work. Next we chose a feather/shell to examine and then draw. Jane talked about the different depth of line using 2B, 4B and HB pencils. We experimented, working on drawn circles, going from dark to light, exploring blending, pointillism, feathering and cross hatching.

Guinea Fowl feathers

Jane also introduced us to blending stumps used to blend our pencil marks. I had never used one before and I really like the way they allowed us to smudge and blend.

(A blending stump or paper stump is a stick of tightly rolled soft paper with two pointed ends. It can be used to blend, smear or smudge graphite, charcoal or similar mediums. Also known as a smudging stick or a tortillon. There’s online instructions for making your own! )

Inspired by Annie Herron’s art projects in the book, Around The Kitchen Table, Good things to cook, create and do-the whole year through, a mother and daughter project, I did some quick small paintings. Herron uses seasonal prompts to suggest quick works and talks about capturing simple scenes.

Around the Kitchen Table

Her daughter, Sophie Hansen, adds seasonal recipes and ideas for family fun, making this an interesting and motivating read. I chose one of Hansen’s slice recipes, Triple Ginger Crunch to make and take to my drawing class this week.

If you’re a fan of ginger, you’ll find this slice delicious!

Triple Ginger Crunch with glace ginger chunks.

decorating trends: GRANDMA COASTAL

Companies producing everything from paint, wall paper, furniture, lampshades depend on you purchasing new pieces regularly to support their businesses. I’m tragically a huge fan of decorator and garden magazines. I don’t follow decorating trends although they are an intriguing window into fashion and how easily we are influenced. I occasionally add or take something away, but not often. I am endlessly curious about people, how they build or renovate their homes, select colours, styles and finishes and how they allocate their budgets. I’m interested in how frequently they change their living environment and what provokes change. I’m a fully blown sticky beak!

Image PEXELS

As we all become more concerned about landfill and our use of limited resources so decorating trends change. When the mid century style replaced the white minimalist fashion we saw the focus move to re-using existing pieces. The latest decorating trend is partly based on recycling or upcycling everything from furniture to curtains and decorator items. Let’s look at Coastal Grandma and what it means.

Image Unsplash

Google has reported an increase of 334% searches last week into Coastal Grandma style. The style features nothing obvious like shells and faux life bouys on the wall, but neutral colours, loose linen covers and other natural, sustainable fabrics. White, cream, beige, grey and caramel along with cosy lighting, cushions and always, fresh flowers. The house should look lived in, comfortable and a bit worn and faded. Recover, restore, reuse. The aim is timeless, pared back but still luxurious.

Image PEXELS

Interestingly, the style is discussed widely in clothing sites, too. The same neutral colours reign. Button down collars, trousers, straw hats and straw market baskets plus knotted jumpers around the shoulders are all mentioned. Styles are classic in cut and design and feature natural fabrics. Again, faded, lived in colours and styles with a preference for vintage and recycled items. Sustainability is a constant theme.

international mens health week

The theme this year of International Mens’ Health Week, 13 -19th June, is Building Healthy Environments for Men and Boys. It’s about focusing on creating physically, mentally and emotionally healthy males. Lots of information online.

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Politics, Planting, Painting and Eating

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politics

Australians will be voting in a Federal election shortly. Both major parties are promising all sorts of unachievable changes, such as more doctors and nurses and aged care staff. These are going to be created out of nowhere! Political magic. One party is promising more workers for rural areas. More magic. We have the lowest unemployment rate since 2014 and anyone still unemployed, especially in Western Australia, has probably made a choice not to work.

Of course, I’d like to hear about importers, manufacturers and consumers held responsible for their use of plastics! This is not a hot topic with either major party, but it should be up there with national security, food security, education, health and housing costs. Instead, both parties promote green washing, fake change to make people feel better.

Tiny changes, such as refusing plastic cutlery and using your own bamboo implements which can be washed and reused, taking your own reusable straws and your own reusable cup are easy and would make a difference. Single use plastic bags are now banned in Western Australia. Look for products in glass containers as glass is infinitely recyclable. Use the paper bags intended for mushrooms if you don’t have fabric vegetable and fruit bags when you’re shopping. Little changes.

eating

It is so much cooler now in Western Australia and we have had very welcome rain, too. My thoughts turned to warming foods. I’ve made vegetable soup and also fritters. These are corn fritters. For a pop of colour and flavour I added finely chopped spring onion. Served with chili dipping sauce.

When I’m making cupcakes, muffins and fritters I use an old fashioned icecream scoop. This is an easy way to regulate the amount of batter used and the contents fall smoothly into the hot pan or paper cup. Easy to wash too and no spillage to clean up afterwards.

planting

The cooler weather means it’s time to plant tulips. In the past I have ordered tulips for my Mother and myself from a famous tulip grower in the east but we were both disappointed with how poorly they performed recently. This year we’ve bought the bulbs from a local shop. This was far more economical as we have to pay a quarantine fee to bring bulbs from the east to Western Australia to prevent the spread of disease.

red tulips in close up photography

I’ve planted Ed Rem Darwin tulips. The flowers are described as being intense orange – red with a yellow edge to the petal. A Darwin tulip is a cross between a single, late tulip and an early emperor tulip. I didn’t know that!

I have also planted out the cuttings I took from a pink pelargonia. I struck them in water until threadlike roots appeared on the stems then planted them in soil. They look healthy. The creeping fig and lucky bamboo I propagated are doing well, too. I enjoy creating new plants from cuttings.

COMPOST WEEK is from the 1st -7th May. I don’t make compost having created a few evil smelling piles of horrible mess in the past but I do make weed tea. I have plenty of weeds and like the idea of them adding nutrients to the garden. I use a plastic pot which has inbuilt drainage holes and a little metal bucket. I put the pot in the bucket (it goes about half way down) fill it with weeds then add water to the bucket until it is full. For a few days after I push the now dying weeds down until all the foliage is in the water and leave it for about 10 days. Then I throw the mushy weeds into a big pot which holds my exhausted potting mix and pour the ( slightly stinky) weed tea concentrate into a bucket. I dilute this about 1:3 so I can see the bottom of the bucket. Today I poured it on food plants such as the passion fruit, blueberries and all my pots of herbs and spring onions.

Put weeds into a pot with drainage holes.

Insert the weeds into a bucket filled with water.

After about 10 days remove the weeds and pour the tea into a bigger bucket.

Dilute the tea about 1:3 with water and pour around plants.

The soggy dead weeds I put in the exhausted potting mix will become part of the soil improvement plan.

We celebrate Mother’s Day in Australia on Sunday 8th of May. My Mother really likes and grows many carnations. She takes a slip off any existing plant and grows her own from it. So I have painted a carnation on the front of her Mother’s Day card. Every year we renew her subscription for her favourite gardening magazine as her Mother’s day gift. She is such an avid gardener!

Painted a few other flowers, too. I read blogs where the writers commit to doing a painting a day. I once followed a group doing a painting every day for one hundred days and made the time to complete that task but have never been able to consistently paint every day since. I paint in fits and starts. I mostly flowers.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland, is the largest ecosystem in the world. Made up of nearly 3000 individual reefs, it can been seen from space.

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Reusing Scented Candle Holders and Other Occupations

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Cleaning and reusing candle holders

An empty candle holder with a replacement pillar candle in it.

Do you burn candles for their scent? So many of them are packaged in the most attractive holders and I don’t want to throw them out! Some are glass and some are porcelain. They are quite easy to clean and reuse. My favourite scented candle is packaged in a tin. I’m still thinking of ways to use the pretty tins. The labels will peel off and the lids seal snugly.

Still deciding what I can do with these tins. Any ideas?

When the candle has burnt to the base of the holder you can light the remaining wick to melt as much wax as possible. Pour the liquid wax into something where it can set then be thrown in the bin. Don’t pour liquid wax down the drain! Then place the candle holder in the freezer. The wax shrinks a little and about five hours later you can use a knife blade to pop out the residual wax. There’s probably a metal disk in the base which can be eased out with the knife, too. Leave the holder to warm up before you wash it in hot, soapy water.

Then I reused this pretty holder to hold cotton pads. I’ve actually been reusing it for years in different ways.

Boil a kettle, squirt some detergent into the holder then add the boiling hot water. Leave for five minutes, swish it around then pour out the water and wipe with a paper towel. All the residual wax should be gone, but you might have to repeat the process. If I’m using the holder for food stuffs I put it through the dishwasher.

Stationery holders for pencils and paper clips.

Now the fun bit, reusing the candle holder! Some have lids and some don’t, so that dictates what they can be used for, but they’re pretty versatile.

Once a candle holder now a salt container.

Some ideas for recycling candle holder include using them as vases for small bouquets, holders for pencils and other stationery such as paper clips, cotton face wipe holders, pretty pots for serving treats like wrapped nougat and other food things. I keep salt in one. I’ve reused them by putting short pillar candles inside them, too. Some people make their own candles to put into used candle holders.

Now a pretty bowl for treats and sometimes a vase, too.

Sweet vases for single blooms.

These two have well sealed lids and will end up in the pantry with food in them. To get rid of any lingering scent after you cleaned out and washed the container leave it and the lid out in the sun in a safe place. Should be scent free in a few days.

ITALIAN NOUGAT

In case my paintings suggest we only eat healthy, fresh food I’ve included this photo of what we were eating one afternoon when it really, really hot. We were experiencing an historic heatwave. It was too hot to do anything at all active. Very delicious sweet, Italian nougat coated in dark, bitter chocolate whilst watching TV.

watching the parisian agency

So glad there’s a second series of Le Parisian Agency. (L’Agence) This series on Netflix follows the super successful but down to earth Kretz family and their real estate agency. The mother, father and three of their four sons all work together. The fourth son finishes high school during the second series and assumes one day he will join the agency, too. The family deals in the multi million euro market and the properties they sell are so interesting. Old, new and everything in between, originally in Paris but now throughout the country, too. We get a good look around properties few would ever get to visit. Fascinating, especially seeing how much of the original architecture from the Haussmann buildings has been retained.

Pixabay

Chateaus and palaces, once unpopular except with foreigners, are now becoming more sought after by the French. Foreigners buy deserted chateaus in need of restoration, the French like them already restored.

annual macaron day 20th march

Unsplash Heather Barnes

Unfortunately, this delicious day passed me by but I am willing to celebrate later than the actual day. Macaron Day began in Paris in 2005. Parisian macaron makers initiated the day to raise money for charities.

There’s some excellent recipes and demonstrations for making macarons on Youtube, but, for me, it’s far safer to buy a few from the patisserie rather than bake a tray of about 20 exquisite little treats. Way too tempting.

and finally, the last food painting

This is the last food painting! Moved onto other things now. Well, actually I’m back painting botanicals again.

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International Women’s Day, Plastic Pollution Treaty, Painting and Eating

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international women’s day

Last week, on Tuesday 8th March, we celebrated International Women’s Day. The campaign theme this year is #BreakTheBias. Officially recognised by the United Nations in 1975 I wonder what has changed. A recent study, quoted in the Sunday Times Body and Soul liftout (March 5th, 2022) refers to a study which found that young females exhibiting headstrong behaviours grow up to earn about $4000 less a year compared with men in a similar position. Interestingly, young males who demonstrated headstrong behaviours end up earning more than men who were considered dependent in childhood. So girls are still expected to be compliant. Boys are seen as leaders, girls are seen as bossy.

woman signing on white printer paper beside woman about to touch the documents

Unsplash Photo Credit

While it seems obvious that women need to get into the top positions in management and boardrooms and generate change, there’s that tricky little problem of maternity leave. Men feel women lose momentum after having children. Childcare is disproportionately the mother’s problem. Not many fathers prefer to stay at home and mind the baby. It’s often not a choice for many parents as (of course) the father has a greater earning capacity.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, a woman working full time earns $1575 a week compared to a man, who earns an average of $1837. The Australian Federal Government has introduced guaranteed superannuation contributions during maternity leave plus a baby bonus of $5000 for women giving birth or adopting a baby. Unfortunately, women are still retiring with an average of 23% less super than men due to lower pay and time out of the workforce.

Golden Retriever lying on bed

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The same issues women were campaigning against in the seventies are still being discussed today. Women want equality of opportunity, greater flexibility in their paid work (working from home, for instance) and equal pay for equal work, resulting in financial security. They are tired of sexual innuendo and harassment. The situation is changing, but too slowly. Time for positive and meaningful change at all levels.

historic plastic deal signed in nairobi by 175 nations

On the topic of change, in another long overdue response to social pressure, 175 nations belonging to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) met in Nairobi to sign a legally binding commitment to end plastic pollution by 2024. While the details now have to worked out, the meeting acknowledges that plastic pollution is a worldwide problem. It spans international borders and all nations must work together to solve the problem.

The treaty encompasses all stages of the life of plastic: it’s production, consumption and disposal. The treaty is legally binding, includes financing mechanisms and acknowledges that some countries can do more than others.

white and brown boats on blue sea water during daytime

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“In the space of one human lifetime, we have caused unimaginable damage to the global environment, choking every part of the global ocean with plastic pollution”, said Lord Zac Goldsmith, a UK Minister for the International Environment.

painting and eating

Whenever I go near the fridge at the moment I seem to open it and have a look. Obviously, nothing has changed since I last looked, no amazing treat has magically appeared, but I do get inspired to paint what I see. Then I usually eat it! Not a good plan.

I made an Egg, Creamed Corn and Potato Pie, by mistake. Had some lovely free range eggs to use so added some grated Edam, which was getting a bit elderly, 4 medium potatoes thinly sliced longways, a tomato and then went looking for something else preferably something to add some colour. Found a tin of corn in the pantry. I’d sliced the potatoes, beaten the eggs and grated cheese and just needed to add the corn. Surprise! It was a can of creamed corn, origin unknown! Pondered briefly, then added the creamed corn to the egg mixture, mixed well then constructed the pie. Layer of thinly sliced raw potato, egg mixture another layer of potato then a cut up tomato on top a grind of pepper. About 40 minutes in 170°C oven. Quick. Easy.

This ended up as a very tasty experiment. We really enjoyed it. I’m not sure I’ll make it again as I never think to buy creamed corn but it blended well with the egg and tasted very good. Add salad for lunch or cooked vegetables for dinner.

I don’t buy a lot of books despite being a keen reader. My husband buys a few books every month. The problem is storage. We have a large room upstairs with bookshelves built floor to ceiling on two walls and every shelf is full. Some are packed two books deep.

I borrow books from the library. If I really enjoy a book I buy it, but not very often. A fortnight ago I borrowed, read and reviewed Jaclyn Crupti’s Garden Like A Nonno. I read every page. This book is packed with practical advice. I didn’t want to return it to the library, so I bought a copy! It wont be going upstairs either, there’s so many things I want to start doing now, particularly improving our scorched, grey beach sand soil. I’m collecting the things I need to make weed fertilizer right now. (Page 68, I know because I’ve already marked it.)

My final painting of food from the fridge; I’m back to painting flowers.

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Watching, Eating and Gardening

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the tinder swindler

Image credit: Netflix

Three women meet Simon Leview (above) through the dating app, Tinder. He befriends them, claiming to be the son of the super rich diamond dealer, Lev Leview. He dazzles them with his wealth, then steals from them. He claims to be under threat from unidentified people and asks them to help by sending money for him to escape. Each woman goes into debt having borrowed money to give to him. Eventually, they doubt his story and can borrow no more money. They then connect online and realise they have each been seriously duped. One swipe right changed their lives and not in a good way. This is their story. Leview claims to be misunderstood, the women are trying to pay off massive debts.

Interestingly, while the women involved struggle to repay their debts and get on with their lives, Leview (real name Shimon Hayut) has been released from prison, has a Hollywood agent and is dating a model.

inventing anna

undefined Image credit:Netflix

Anna Sorokin, a Russian who claims to be German, arrives in New York in 2013 and works hard to become accepted by the rich and famous as a wealthy socialite. Inventing Anna is a dramatized version of how the real Anna conned an enormous amount of money from friends and the wealthy associates she sought out. She was ruthless, scamming banks, hotels and high society.

Sorokin got away with her audacious scams by claiming to be a German heiress waiting to inherit a multi- million dollar trust fund when she turned 25. Finally found guilty on a number of charges, she is sentenced to 4 years in jail. Many of her victims are too embarrassed to report their loses. She was released in 2021 but is then taken into custody by Customs and Immigration for overstaying her visa and is awaiting deportation. Meanwhile, she’s written a book and done lucrative deals, including working with Netflix on the program.

So what do we learn from Inventing Anna? Social media is a clever platform not necessarily based on fact. Proceed with caution if you’re relying on what you see on your device!

Eating

GRAPES

Chilled grapes from my mother’s garden. Despite breaking a record held for 110 years by having 13 days over 40ºC the grapes are lovely! My own garden is not doing so well.

RED CABBAGE

I cook for two people and find so many fruit and vegetables last two people more than a few days. They do not stay fresh and crisp! So, after I bought a medium sized rockmelon and realised we’d have to have a quarter each for lunch and then a quarter each for dinner, as it wouldn’t keep, I started looking for smaller pieces, especially vegetables. This is a petite red cabbage.

We enjoyed half one night braised in a pan over high heat in cider vinegar then a knob of butter and a good grind of black pepper. We had the other half the next night simply boiled. No waste. This is really a hot weather problem as leftover vegetables go into the soup pot in winter!

TOMATO, BOCCONCINI and BASIL SALAD

Gathered the ingredients for a light summer salad at lunchtime. They looked so luscious I sat down and painted them!

First I painted them, then we ate them!

This is a traditional Italian salad and features the colours of the Italian flag. So, red tomatoes, green basil and white bocconcini!

So quick and easy. Slice the tomatoes and cheese thinly and arrange on a plate. I put a sliced avocado in the middle, drizzled with a peppery olive oil then sprinkled basil over the top. Served with toasted ciabatta. Lunch done.

When I set my plate of salad, I added finely diced raw red onion for a contrasting crispness. Delicious.

SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD

Every fortnight I make two loaves of rye sourdough. Some goes in the fridge, some goes in the freezer. I’m the only one who eats it, my husband has two favourite local bakeries where he buys his white artisan loaves. No rye bread for him!

growing vegetables

Affirm press

Are you growing your own food? Whether you’re new to gardening or an old hand I think you’ll find something interesting in Jaclyn Crupi’s Gardening Like Nonno. I certainly found loads of advice and recipes for improving soil quality. This is little book packed with practical bite sized bits of information.

Crupi grew up with two Nonnos ( Italian grandfathers) who she describes as “…no-nonsense, hard working and cheeky. They know how to fix things, how to make things, how to grow things and how to care for things”. This little book is full of useful information about improving the quality of soil organically, choosing and saving seeds, seasonal plants, the tools you’ll need and how to care for them, chickens and even some recipes for preserving your crops.

Whatever size your garden I think you’ll find inspiration in this practical book. I couldn’t put it down and have gone back to find particular advice, especially on soil improvement. La dolce vita in a book!

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Painting, Cooking, Reading and Huge Lotto Prizes

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painting botanicals

A friend arrived with two picture frames. He asked me to paint pictures for the frames. I asked what he wanted me to paint. Fruit, vegetables or flowers? He pointed to my Moleskin painting book and said anything like those in there. So, flowers. Did he have favourite flowers, preferred colours. No, just do some like those ( in the book) So I did!

I began with the dark red geranium as I have several pots of them and I know he likes them. Then I painted a gladioli, which I didn’t like at all, so started again and painted some carnations. Painting for someone else is actually very different from trying to capture the colour and shape for myself.

Took my friend’s frames apart, cut some mounting boards then put them back together again.

The unloved gladioli.

cooking

This recipe for Feta and Leek slice was doing the rounds at yoga. I had a leek and a packet of feta so knew I was going to make it for lunch. Had everything ready to go when I discovered I didn’t have enough plain flour, so I used self raising flour and left out the baking powder. Worked well!

To make a LEEK and FETA slice mix 200gm yoghurt, 200ml vegetable oil (I used a mild olive oil), 200gm crumbled feta, 200 gm chopped leek, 2 cps sifted plain flour and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder plus 4 eggs.

Spray or oil a baking dish and spoon in the mixture. I used a spatula. Top with 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds if desired. Bake is a pre- heated oven 220°C for 15-20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Can be eaten hot or cold

Conversions weight 200gm =7oz, temperature 220ºC-=430°F

This made quite a big pie. Next time I make it I’ll freeze half as eating the same thing for lunch and dinner and then again for lunch the next day is a bit too much. I drizzled sweet chili sauce over it the second day as it seemed a little bit dry.

NOTE I used self raising flour as I discovered I’d run out of plain flour. This made a ‘puffier’ slice than the original one. Tasted just as good.

Also I find leeks need a lot of washing to remove all the sand embedded with in the leaves!

Served at lunch time with salad, at dinner time with steamed vegetables and the next day with sweet chili sauce.

apple crumble

What do you do with leftover apples losing their crunch? I try not to waste food so peeled them, removed their cores and cooked them in water, a little sugar and cinnamon. Cold stewed apple with icecream would have been appropriate during this never ending, record breaking heatwave, but I decided on apple crumble.

While the apples were stewing I thought I’d look up a ‘proper’ recipe for the crumble instead of just mixing the oatmeal, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar and butter the casual way I usually do until it feels just right. I immediately discovered a problem. Apparently I should have weighed the prepared apples before I stewed them to determine the ‘right’ amount of crumble! Too late, proceeded in my usual casual ‘throw it all together’ way.

There are many recipes for making a crumble online. This is a great way to use up any fruit which can be stewed. Serve crumble with custard, cream or icecream. Delicious even on a hot day.

reading

Adrian Hyland’s Canticle Creek is a fast moving story about Leading Senior Constable Jess Redpath briefly leaving her police job in the outback to accompany her artist father to an awards evening in rural Victoria. This gripping murder mystery, taking the reader from one drama to another, left me not sure who the killer was until the very end. Full of twists and turns with some great descriptions of the various landscapes, the story has well developed characters and is a good read.

Kit Kemp, regular readers of this blog will know, is one of my favourite interior decorators. Her new book Design Secrets is full of her colourful and clever combinations of fabric, colour and shape. She talks about the design processes she uses with her staff to come up with new projects and ways to put things together. Kemp doesn’t dictate strict guidelines and encourages the use of everyday objects to create pleasing arrangements. The results are often exuberant! It did occur to me that this style of decorating with layers of fabric, paper and objects plus furnishings was probably more suitable for cooler climates!

huge lotto winnings

Last week one of Australia’s lotto prizes was $120 million dollars which sounds like an enormous amount of money for one person to win. Actually, there were two first division prize winners, winning $63 million dollars each. One of the winning tickets belonged to a Kalgoorlie syndicate of 250 people. They each won $261,986. Millions and millions of dollars can be life changing, but not in a good way, whereas $261,986 must be wonderful! This is a great deposit on a house, a way to pay off loans, a chance to travel, educate children or buy the family treats. I’ve just read in the paper, some syndicate members plan to pay off mortgages, buy caravans and travel, plan for their retirement and help their children get settled. Makes so much more sense that huge prizes.

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