John Le Carre, Another Spy Story and Domestic Occupations

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john le carre

Are you a Le Carre fan? I think we’ve read every book he’s written and watched every film based on those books. His newest and final book Silverview was well received, too. Years ago we were in a bookshop in St Ives when the owner began chatting to us. Imagine our surprise when we finally realised it was le Carre himself!

Of course, Silverview is a spy story based on retired spies who were active during the Bosnian War in the former Yugoslavia. It involves Julian who has retired from his high flying broking job in London and moved to a small British seaside town and opened a bookshop. He is befriended by Edward, a Polish émigré who lived in ‘the big house’ at the edge of the town.

Their lives become entangled, first by Edward persuading Julian to take a message for him to a mysterious lady in London and then Julian becomes friendly with Edward’s daughter who has returned to the family house to help nurse her mother, another spy from the same era.

This clever story is about spies, the secrets they kept, sometimes from each other and the impact on families. The last great read from Le Carre who died in 2020.

with my little eye

Written by Sandra Hogan this is the incredible true story of a family of spies in the suburbs. Set in Brisbane in the 1950s during the Cold War the story describes how the whole family worked for ASIO. ( Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation) The three children were taught to recall car number plates, the colour and number of cars parked in streets or driveways, to wait patiently while their father ‘did business’ sometimes for hours and to never draw attention to themselves.

There was a beach holiday with Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov, Soviet defectors, who were hiding with the family. The father’s relationship with Abe Saffron, a property developer and major figure in organised crime in Australia in the latter half of the 20th century were never explained nor discussed amongst the family. This book is a snapshot of comfortable suburban life in the 50’s with the added layer of intrigue associated with their secret world. Another great read!

domestic occupations

One of our nation wide supermarkets publishes a magazine promoting their brands and lots of recipes. The photos are very enticing! We spent a lot of time preparing some dinners for the week and a few to go into the freezer.

One of these was a recipe from the magazine for poached chicken and vegetables intended for our dinner. The photo was gorgeous. The poaching liquor with ginger, star anise, chopped up spring onion and soy sauce smelt lovely as the chicken poached. Then the meat was left to cool under foil and the vegetables were quickly boiled in the strained liquor.

Looked good, smelt good, tasted awful!

Delicious aromatics. Dinner looked good. It tasted awful. I couldn’t eat it and my husband couldn’t eat the vegetables cooked in the poaching liquor and wasn’t thrilled by the chicken, either. The dog had exotic dinner. But what to do with the rest of the poached chicken?

The next day we washed the breasts and sliced them into smaller pieces. They still smelt lovely but we weren’t tricked! I fried a big spoonful of green curry paste then added some yoghurt, some tinned tomatoes and finally, the leftover chicken. Towards the end I added a finely chopped quarter of preserved lemon (here) and it was really, really good.

Deliciously recycled chicken breasts with roasted vegetables.

eggless chocolate cake

Have you ever made eggless cake? Me neither but I knew lots of eggless cake recipes were popular during WW2 when eggs were scarce. We don’t really celebrate Valentines Day but I have always made a heart shaped cake for the family. There was a problem, though; I’d boiled all the eggs the day before for curried egg sandwiches!

Went searching online for an eggless cake and found a step by step recipe (here) Having very specific instructions is good for me as I tend to be a bit relaxed about cake making measurements but they always turn out well.

Rich, moist and delicious!

February is BAKE FOR YOUR FAMILY month. Well, that’s pretty easy to celebrate, isn’t it?

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The Summer Garden, Reading and Treating Rust

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Daily temperatures around 40ºC suit the roses and some other plants, but not me! I’ve spent a lot of time on the settee with books, keeping cool. Tuning into the Winter Olympics not just for the action, but to gaze longingly at the snow.

in the garden

This red Pierre de Ronsard rose had 13 roses on one stem! Pretty scent and the blooms last a long time in a vase.

These flowers will last a long time, too. That’s because they’re made of Lego! A Christmas gift, they continue to amuse me. The artwork behind is the work of Spence Guerin. You can see more at www.spenceguerin.com

The clivias thrive in the garden. Interestingly, these flowers were originally bright orange with a row of cream clivias in front. Not anymore, they’re all creamy orange now!

This beautiful myrrh scented sturdy rose is Glamis Castle. It blooms most months of the year and was virtually uneffected by chili thrip last year, unlike the other roses. I cut the flowers for in the house. Within days there will be a fresh lot ready to pick. They do well in the heat.

A lunch salad from the garden. Picked the lettuce leaves, the tomatoes, the spring onion and basil leaves then added bought gherkins and red onion plus later, some goats cheese.

The lettuce bed with chives. Since this photo was taken the pick and come again lettuces have been scorched by the heat and gone to seed. Annoying.

The ever blooming hippiastra. I have red, red with white throats and white hippiastra and they seem to bloom for about eight months of the year. Big, pretty and long lasting blooms.

reading

Are you a keen reader? At the end of the year I kept seeing lists made by other bloggers recording the number of books they’d read during the year. These lists ranged from in the 30’s to over 100, so about two books each week. I decided I would keep a list for one year, too, and have made a cracking start. I must add we have had scorching hot weather since before Christmas and we are a family of very keen readers. Too hot to do many jobs outdoors!

We give each other books as gifts. My husband orders most of his books from online book sellers. I reserve many books online and pick them up at the library. I read all the book reviews! If I really like a book I will buy a copy to keep from a local bookshop.

This book, by Annie Smithers, a well known and much admired Australian restaurant owner, is in the ‘buy a copy’ category.

RECIPE FOR A KINDER LIFE

Well known for her French style bistros and restaurants, Annie Smithers has written a manifest describing how she lives a balanced life. Not many of us have hectares or the resources to grow fruit and vegetables on a commercial scale (she supplies her bistro from her farm) but her approach to juggling work, growing fresh food, caring for livestock, her family and staff makes interesting reading. She is determined to live in a sustainable way and to live well.

I enjoyed reading her recipes, too. Based on one of her recipes, this is my new favourite salad dressing. Place into a jar with a lid a dessert spoon of Dijon mustard (buy the French brand as the others are slightly sweet), and two parts extra virgin olive oil to one part vinegar. Shake until it is amalgamated then drizzle over the salad. Thick, creamy and delicious.

treating rust on metal

My week hasn’t been all cutting flowers and reading inspirational books! I’ve been attending to some home maintenance. Some of our exterior door frames are metal and some are timber depending on the protection they have from the weather. The front door is protected by a portico but this door frame is exposed to all the weather. I have had to treat rust patches in the past. During this very hot, dry season it made sense to rub it back, treat the rust and repaint the area.

Wipe the effected area of the frame clean then rub back the rust using sand paper. Wipe again with a damp cloth to remove any dust.

2. Apply the rust treatment and leave to dry.

3. Repainted the area. This was done on a very hot day and the area dried quickly. I applied two coats of paint over the previously rusted area for lasting protection. Now it looks perfect but I forgot to take a photo!

Next week on the 14th of February, is St Valentine’s day. Are you planning something special?

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Cooking and Reading and Staying at Home.

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Early December, our Premier announced our hard border, separating us from the rest of Australia would come down on 5th February. Then Omicron arrived in the east and spread quickly. The border will not open and due to some spread in WA and associated risk we are staying close to home.

cooking

chicken piccata

Chicken in Lemon Butter Caper Sauce

Every time I saw the bottle of capers in the fridge I thought about making CHICKEN PICCATA. One of the ingredients in the sauce is lemons and they are near the end of their season with only a few late ones on the tree so time was running out to make this traditional Italian chicken dish.

Gather (for 4 serves) two free range chicken breasts. (These can vary in size so I used two large, similar sized ones.) Cut them in half longways and pound to an even thickness. (I use a rolling pin but you can use a proper meat mallet or even a bottle.)

Dredge the fillets in the flour making sure all the flesh is covered. Traditionally, the breasts would be dipped in oil or sprayed with oil before going in the flour but I skip that step.

Heat a good slosh of oil in a heavy based pan. Brown the breasts. Each side takes about 5 minutes on a medium heat.

Set aside and wipe any burnt bits out of the pan using a paper towel. For the sauce, gather 2 tbspn lemon lemon juice, 30gm butter, 2/3 cup white wine (I used a good chicken stock pod instead and added water to equal 2/3 cup), 3 tbspn drained capers and 3 tbspn chopped parsley.

Simmer the wine/stock over medium heat in the pan used for the chicken for about 3 minutes before adding the lemon and chopped butter. Let it just melt and slightly thicken before adding the capers and the parsley.

Place the chicken breasts back in the pan in the sauce to warm, serve with beans and mashed potato or anything else you fancy!

reading

Staying cool and having time has resulted in me reading many books in the past ten days and I really, really enjoyed it! Kate Longbroek’s Ciao, Bella (here) prompted me to borrow Frances Mayes’s Always In Italy. This wonderful, comprehensive travelogue zigzags through Italy, explaining the characteristics of each region, the best sites to visit, recommending hotels and restaurants and wines particular to each area. Vicarious travel at its best.

Then two books about using less. The first is a history of consumption, outlining how everything had value and was recycled from clothing, to furniture, cookware to building materials and so much more. Screws, springs, nails, everything had value in the second hand market. Robyn Annear’s Nothing New A History of Second Hand is full of interesting little anecdotes and facts. Where once, owning ‘used’ things was normal, she outlines our evolution to constantly buying new things and makes it clear this cannot continue.

The second book is about reducing our use of plastics. Kate Nelson’s ideas and tips about using less plastic, shopping and eating and generally living plastic free are all easy to incorporate into your life. I Quit Plastics and So Can You is based on statistics concerning the amount of plastic waste in the world and its impact on the environment. The figures are very disturbing. This is a great source for making change if you are worried by unthinking consumerism.

Then another travel book Night Train to Varanasi, written by Australian Sean Doyle, about taking his daughter to India when she finished school. India had charmed Doyle as a teenager and he writes eloquently about the history, landscape, religions, the heat and intensity of the crowds but mostly about his continuing passion for the country.

During the journey he begins to understand his daughter’s anorexia and the impact of his decisions on her and how she is gaining confidence and strength from being in his company. Fascinating in parts but this felt like two books; one about the history of India and one about showing his daughter India. I found myself flicking through some of the dense historical and religious information but I enjoyed Doyle’s insights into his family and his aspirations for his own girls.

Liz Byrski’s At The End Of The Day was another great read from this well known local author. She writes about women her own age (in their 70s) and their aspirations, limitations, families and friends. This book particularly resonated as there’s not many books written about the suburbs between Perth and Fremantle. I particularly found the impact of childhood polio on one of the characters in her 70s very interesting.

Salley Vicker’s The Gardener was a great book and I’ve already recommended it to some friends. Two sisters use an inheritance from their father to buy a house in the country. One continues working in the City and the other, a book illustrator, moves into the house and begins renovating the garden. She establishes herself in the village and becomes friendly with some of the locals and restores the garden. A lovely book.

The final book I in my pile is Beneath The Fig Leaves by Olympia Panagiotopoulos. This lovely memoir tells the story of Panagiotopoulos’s family coming to Australia from Greece in 1955 and how they adapted to life here and still maintained many of their traditions.

This book is based on reminiscences with her 91 year old mother, descriptions of the garden and its bounty and lots of recipes plus family rituals. Warm and inspiring I really enjoyed reading about the history, family traditions and food in this memoir but began skipping bits because the story became a bit repetitive.

February 4th is WORLD CANCER DAY. Support research, if you can, by donating or sponsoring fund raising activities.

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My Intentional Word and Other Verbs

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my intentional word

After reading lots of blogs at the end of last year where the writers referred to their ‘word for the year’ or their Intentional Word I decided on one, too. My word was BALANCE. Not even remotely original but that only underlines how unbalanced life can seem at different times. Mine was pretty skew whiff!

Put lots of thought into rearranging how I spend my time but found it hard to change things where other people were involved. Then we began having cases of Covid in Western Australia and suddenly, we had to wear masks in the metropolitan and Peel regions. That meant canceling lots of things and staying home. Mostly these things were lunches with several different groups of teaching friends who are still enjoying school holidays. Masks combined with top temperatures over 40ºC for six days in a row meant many planned activities went by the board!

So, suddenly, I had time to read, paint, watch TV, phone friends and go for long (masked) walks. Some of my daily steps had to be done indoors as it was very hot outside. Although I was aiming for balance in my life things actually felt out of balance again as there was a lot of downtime.

reading

birds of a feather

Tricia Stringer is a prolific and well known Australian author. I haven’t read any of her books before but will definitely read more in the future. This story about a group of women in various stages of their lives, widowed, mother of young children, newly partnered woman in her forti is set on Spencers Gulf in South Australia. It centres around the prawning industry and the local town.

We follow the women as they resolve family problems, sell long established businesses, sort out future plans as a family and change direction at work. So, all the usual things that happen in families, but well written with the od unexpected turn of events. This is a book to take on holidays or to the beach and become immersed.

Abbi Waxman’s THE GARDEN OF SMALL BEGINNINGS was a light, easy and entertaining. The text is smart and snappy. The story focuses on the characters who enrol in establishing a community garden under the guidance of a famous horticulturalist.

As the garden evolves, so do the characters. Their lives become intertwined in many positive ways. Each chapter ends with notes and advice on growing a particular vegetable. Enjoyable, with a happy ending.

TWO FEET FORWARD

Written by husband and wife team Graeme Simsion and Anne Burst this is the story of Zoe, from California and recently widowed and Martin, recently divorced, from the UK. They meet just before they both set off to walk the Camino de Santiago trail.

The walk is known to inspire reflection and change. The walkers meet other pilgrims and their stories about their lives, their challenges finding accommodation and food and the general difficulties of walking the various terrains make up the story. Martin and Zoe bump into one another along the way but for various reasons, mainly barely credible misunderstandings, they never quite get together.

I persisted with this book as I’d like to walk the trail, too, and found the descriptions of various towns, the hospitality offered and the reason people embarked on the walk interesting. I found Martin’s attempts to improve his relationship with his hurt, troubled daughter rather tepid. Zoe’s faith in the universe, which was very unhelpful at providing regular vegetarian meals, was irritating and quite sad for a woman and mother in her forties.

Reviews vary from five stars to one star, with strong feelings expressed at both ends of the scale. I’m glad I read it because the information about the Camino trail was interesting but I didn’t enjoy the book.

watching

Credit Walter Presents

Ice Station Murders is an Italian police drama on Stan. Set in Aosta, close to the Swiss Alps, it is a gritty drama in a very beautiful setting. So when I flicked through Frances Mayes’s ‘Always in Italy’ I read everything about the Aosta region. Apart from the surrounding Alps, always covered in snow in the series, one of the attractions is the beautiful buildings. So many of the characters live in lovely old buildings with high ceilings, big rooms and a cafe with outdoor tables and chairs just downstairs!

Pleased that there are many episodes of Ice Cold Murders as there’s little to watch on free to air TV and cinemas are out of the question at the moment.

cooking

Two loaves of sourdough rye bread. I wait until they are cool as they are easier to cut then I slice and freeze most of the bread, leaving out six slices for immediate use. This is a heavy bread with a distinctive taste and not liked by everyone. My husband prefers a white loaf from a local bakery which he cuts into thick slices.

australia day

Wednesday, 26th of January was Australia Day, commemorating the landing of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove in 1788. We reflect on the history and diversity of our nation. We celebrate with family barbecues, community events, citizenship ceremonies welcoming new members to Australia and acknowledge personal achievements through the Australia Day Honour List.

It is a public holiday in Australia. Like thousands of other Australians, my favourite event on Australia Day is the fireworks! They are fabulous. Usually, people crowd around the foreshore to watch the display, but social distancing resulted in far less spectators this year. I watched it from an upstairs window. Really like fireworks.

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Aiming for Balance, Cleaning Granite and What I’m Reading

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planning for change

This week I’ve scrolled through another blogger’s list of her favourite 100 blogs. It took a long time. Some I read, a few I’ll subscribe to and some I quickly closed. They were the ones about food, accompanied by many luscious and tempting photos. Post Christmas I need less temptation and more lettuce.

One of the frequent things in all the blogs I read was the blogger’s “word” for the year. The chosen word reflects their goals for the next twelve months and serves as an aid memoir. Some of the chosen words were resilient, indomitable, prepared, organised, calm, forgiving and adventurous. It was really interesting to read why these were the chosen words and the intention that resulted in the words being chosen. Some of the bloggers also talked about how well they utilised their “word” the previous year.

I was outside, walking, thinking about these stories and how each word could act as a reminder and wondering if if there was a word which would resonate with me when it came to me, my word should be “balance”. My once organised life was pretty balanced and taken mostly for granted and re-establishing that balance should be my goal for this year. My life definitely lacked balance towards the end of last year.

Pixabay

When I left work four years ago there as a period of adjustment but in time I had a number activities which were stimulating and mostly fun. Some of that fell apart due to Covid, but there was time to paint, read and potter in the garden, meet friends for lunch or coffee and entertain at home. During Covid, when painting, Pilates, bookclub and yoga ceased, I found online alternatives. When our border with the rest of Australia opens at the beginning of February we might have another period of seldom leaving the house but there are alternatives.

Creating balance will take some planning. The concept is new and I am still considering what a balanced life will look like! Instead of doing some cleaning, sorting and organising today, for instance, I have read. I started the day reading the Sunday paper but haven’t touched the crossword yet! Walking 13 000+ steps a day requires considerable planning, too, but I am inspired by bloggers who say they feel they’ve made positive changes by applying their “word for the year” to their lives.

maintaining granite benchtops

We have granite benchtops in the kitchen. They are nearly 15 years old and in very good condition but after constant use for food preparation over the holidays, they needed attention to look their best. The surfaces are wiped after use and again during the post dinner evening cleanup but now the granite needed a good clean and polish.

That magic cleaner for stovetops, tiles, floors and granite, warm soapy water.

Granite contains trace elements of acid sensitive minerals. It is made up of quartz, feldspar and mica. It is strong and durable but many commercial cleaners, bleach and other favourites such as lemon juice and vinegar will damage the surface.

To begin the process fill a sink with warm water and squirt in some mild washing up detergent. Using a soft cloth dipped into the water and wrung out, give the granite a really good clean. Follow with a clean water rinse. When the surface is dry, polish with another soft cloth (I used an old, clean t-shirt) There are commercial granite cleaners available, too.

Then I resealed our benchtops using a commercial sealant which is sprayed on, rubbed in, left to dry and then polished. The entire process took about 15 minutes. I am so pleased with how shiny the granite is now. ( I have had the sealant for about ten years. I know it is still available but may have a different label now)

reading

Just finished Kate Langbroek’s book,’ Ciao Bella! Six Take Italy.’ Langbroek is apparently a well know radio and television personality in the Eastern States but I’d never heard of her before I picked up the book. It is an account of her family of six moving to Italy, initially for a year, then they extended it to two years and then they were stuck, due to Covid! She, her husband and four children are now back in Australia.

After an idyllic holiday in Italy, they decide to move there for twelve months. Eventually they decide on Bologna. They want a town with an international school to lessen the changes for the four school aged children. The book is a marvelous tour of Italy and its people. She writes eloquently about where they go and what they eat. She recounts with good humour some of the challenges of living in a country where she doesn’t speak the language and doesn’t do well at the language school.

glass of wine and vegetaler

Upsplash

This is great escapism, especially in a time when we haven’t been anywhere outside Western Australia for two years. Langbroek’s enthusiasm for adventures and fond anecdotes about her family make for fun reading. Her descriptions of food in Italy just make me hungry! This book is Langbroek’s love letter to Italy and I really enjoyed it!

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2022 The First Week

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It still feels strange to write 2022 but we adjust to writing the new date quickly. Did you make New Year resolutions? The New Year used to be a big party night but not since CV-19. I miss the fabulous fireworks but not the parties. My energy and interest used to flag by 10.30pm and I’d want to go home to bed.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!

fireworks display during night time unsplash

packing away christmas

The Nativity figurine closeup photography

Apparently, Christmas decorations should go up four weeks before Christmas at the beginning of Advent. So, of course, there’s rules about when the decorations should be taken down and packed away. It seems decorations should stay in place until the Twelfth Night, celebrating the arrival of the Three Wise Men or Magi, who followed the Star of Bethlehem to offer gifts to the newborn Baby Jesus in the manger.

Twelfth Night is the 5th or 6th of January, depending on your religious affiliations. I quite like traditions which make it plain when things should happen but most of our decorations were hanging from high light fittings so were taken down by our 192cm tall (6’4″) son before he went back to Kalgoorlie. It is much more fun putting up Christmas decorations than taking them down and packing them away.

single use plastics

I often refer to the damage single use plastics are doing to our environment and therefore our health. Western Australia will be officially phasing out the sale of single use plastics as of the first of January, 2022. The list includes plastic plates, bowls and cutlery, stirrers, straws, takeaway expanded polystyrene containers, thin plastic bags and helium balloons. Single use plastics required in medical, aged care and disability circumstances will be exempt.

Reusable picnic ware, made from bamboo, taking your own bags for shopping and fabric bags for loose fruit and vegetables are easy swaps. Ask if you can provide your own containers for takeaway food. Not always well received but I hope that will change now! Plastic shopping bags will be phased out within six months.

image 123RF

The next stage in reducing our reliance on single use plastics will be in January, 2023. Cotton buds with plastic shafts will be banned along with polystyrene packaging, microbeads, oxo-degradable plastics, takeaway coffee cups and lids and polystyrene cups. Cotton buds with cardboard or bamboo shafts are available online and from many supermarkets. They use organic cotton, a cardboard or bamboo shaft and paper or cardboard packaging and are compostable. Oxo-degradable plastics are conventional plastics such as HDPE, like carrier bags, which include additives to promote oxidation resulting in smaller, brittle fragments as they decompose, but it seems the fragments don’t dissolve, they just get smaller and smaller.

assorted-color disposable cup lot unsplash

reading

I really enjoyed Hannah Kent’s previous two books, Burial Rites (2013) and The Good People (2016). I found her third book a bit more difficult. It is based on her Prussian/German ancestry and history around Hahndorf, in the Adelaide Hills. Some of my ancestors also came from Prussia and settled in the same area of South Australia. They left Prussia to escape religious persecution. Like many Australians I have a diverse genetic mix, in my case, Norwegian, English and Scottish plus German.

This story is like a grown up fairy tale or ghost story. It’s about Hanne, a German girl who ends up living in the Adelaide Hills as a ghost, having died on the ship journey to Australia. Before her death she was confused about her identity and her role within her community. She knows she doesn’t share the same interests as the other girls, but all this changes when she meets Thea, whose family also migrated to South Australia on the same ship. She continues to observe the behaviour of the people on board and stays with them when they land and eventually build their community in Hahndorf. Thea marries Hans, who wanted to marry Hanne.

Kent’s books are recognised for the level of research and historical accuracy in each. I found the information about these early settlers very interesting. Kent’s lyrical descriptions of the nature around her are wonderful but I’m not so keen on adult fantasy. Despite my reservations all the reviews are full of praise for the book and Kent’s gentle treatment of a situation which would not have been recognised within the religious sect both girls belonged to nor within the wider community at that time.

international cuddle day

2 girls sitting on floor unsplash

January 6th was International Cuddle Day. Cuddling releases oxytocin which is good for your health. A good cuddle should last at least 4 seconds! If a cuddle is not possible, a massage can result in the same health giving release of hormones, too.

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Happy New Year, Resolutions and Gardening News

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HAPPY NEW YEAR

We spent a lovely Christmas Day with our extended family. Enjoyed catching up with all the news. Not so lovely was the 43°C top temperature. Really hot nights, too, so I’m watering the garden every night. Then Boxing Day was hot at 44° (111°F) but we’d already planned to take my Mother shopping for a new television. Despite the shop being air conditioned it was very hot and crowded and this week we have to wear masks. Not complaining, as we’ve only had to wear masks twice in two years.

We have had 9 deaths from Covid in Western Australia and I realise we are really lucky. We will need to wear masks at any New Year parties and the numbers able to attend will be limited. Why? Because 86 close contacts of a French unvaccinated back packer who arrived in WA and was diagnosed with CV-19 haven’t fronted up to be tested.

The best post Christmas thing is settling to the books we received as presents. We are a family of keen readers and enjoy this slower time after the festivities to read and stay cool. There’s always lots of leftovers to eat for two or three days so it’s a relaxing time. One night we wanted variety and had a curry feast! Unfortunately, the garden is wilting. It is also too hot to set up our new worm farm.

Luscious curry dinner, not cooked by me!

I was really interested when a friend told me her family only exchanged gifts they could eat, drink or read. Probably because we’re all in a similar age group we don’t need other things but still enjoy reading, eating or drinking! In fact, most of our gifts already fit into these categories but now is the time to formalise the plan

resolutions

woman stretching This is definitively not me!

Do you set New Year goals? I know lots of people see the new year as a fresh start and therefore the ideal time to make changes for the better. I’m not big on coming up with goals for the new year, despite being aware of some changes I’d benefit from making, but I’m always interested in what other people are planning. Popular goals mentioned amongst friends regarded diets, exercising, drinking less alcohol, spending more time with family and friends, decluttering and organising expenditure. In fact, losing weight or just eating a healthier diet are the most popular resolutions in the Western World. Do you make resolutions? I’d love to know if you keep them!

happy birthday greeting card on brown wooden table

decluttering

We spent a day decluttering. It wasn’t a New Year Resolution but really a necessity. The large cupboard under the stairs was overly stuffed with things. We couldn’t get to the back! About four years ago when I decided to retire I brought home and stored work things in case I ever wanted to go back. Of course, I’ve never looked at any of those things since. Our son moved home after a couple of years in another state and many of his things were stored and forgotten in the cupboard, too, when he returned. Years of me painting, drawing and printing have resulted in an overflow of art works. I have no idea what to do with them.

It took a day, many difficult decisions and two trips to the tip plus a large box of things to donate to sort out the cupboard. It is at risk of being filled with the overflow of our lives again as it is on the way into the main part of the house and we can just shut the door on the things we can’t decide about and there are many. But for now we’re just enjoying standing at the door and admiring how organised and tidy it all is, however briefly.

gardening

purple flower in macro lens photography

In gardening news, the agapanthus are loving the scorching sun and blooming with great gusto, the alstomerias have given up, the roses are managing but not enthusiastically and I am picking passionfruit, blueberries, a few tomatoes, coriander, perpetual spinach, mint, parsley and basil.

Wishing You All A

Happy And Healthy New Year!

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T’was The Day Before Christmas

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It might be the day before Christmas but all is not still in this house! My Mother and our son are staying and I am still running around taking care of Christmas preparations. The Christmas carols CD is on, the oven is on and the heat is high. The cards are mailed and the gifts are wrapped. The fridge is bulging but I know all the food will get eaten.

Lots of last minute jobs finally done before the Big Day. Cherries were bought, drinks enjoyed with neighbours, all the plants were watered as it is very hot (42C/108F) and the table is set for tomorrow. No crackers this year as I left it too late to order empty crackers to fill myself with chocolates, scratch and win cards and jokes. I wont be buying crackers with plastic novelties which end up in the bin after lunch!

last minute treats

Thinking about a really fast, last minute classic Christmas treat? Me too, so I made Rumballs. All you need is a 250gm packet of plain sweet biscuits crushed using a rolling pin. You can put them in a food processor to crush them but it will result in very fine crumbs and I like a few bigger, crunchy, biscuity pieces in my Rumballs.

Add a tin of condensed milk, a teaspoon of vanilla and 3 tablespoons of rum to the crushed biscuits. I add half a cup of unsweetened cocoa, too, to make the mixture firm and not too sweet. Mix with a knife. It will feel quite stiff but that means it will roll easily into small balls. I roll them in my hands but there is no way I’m including a photo of that bit as I was covered in Rumball mess!

Drop the balls into a bowl of coconut or another bowl of unsweetened cocoa. It took two of us to do this part, one rolling the sticky balls and one dropping them in the coconut or cocoa and then putting them on a lined tray to chill in the fridge. Leave for a few hours then they’re ready to serve. Delicious!

shopping and silicone covers

Wandering around while we were in Kalgoorlie, looking for stocking fillers, I spotted these silicone sheets. The packet said they stretch to cover bowls securely. I’ve tried bee wax covers. I tried bought ones and ones I made myself and they just don’t stay on in the fridge! So I bought these. I currently use silicone bowl covers. Eventually, with constant use, the covers snap and break but they do seal well for freshness.

I use these silicone covers all the time. When I saw this packet of three different sized flat covers I bought them. Back to Perth and tried them. They’re useless, they don’t seal at all! They don’t even partially seal.

So what was I going to do with three sheets of useless silicone? Well, I cut them into strips and used them as shelf liners in the fridge door where they do a good job!

New, useful fridge door shelf liners.

two great books

Very little spare time but I’ve squeezed in two books found on my son’s bookshelves.

The first was Under The Wig. A Lawyer’s Stories of Murder, Guilt and Innocence by William Clegg QC. This case book and part memoir follows the progression of the son of provincial florists who achieved mediocre success at school and went on to be a “squatter” in a London law practice and eventually, became the head of a large London firm.

Clegg write clearly and concisely. He believes everyone should have access to fair representation in court, despite their crime and outlines the consequences to the deep cuts in Legal Aid funding in the UK.

He writes about appealing to the jury and winning the trust of the judge. He seems to have a almost forensic skill for disseminating information and evidence. These are intriguing stories, well written. A good read.

The second book, Hitler’s Horses also relied on collecting, analyzing and acting on evidence. In this case, the Dutch art detective, Arthur Brand had heard a whisper that two bronzes by Josef Thorak made for Hitler had not been melted down and destroyed at the end of the war, but where held by a private collector of Third Reich memorabilia who wanted to sell them.

The Standing Horses are 4.9m (16 feet) high and 10m (33 feet) long but had been carefully concealed since they were spirited away from a secret location in East Germany before the wall fell. Originally they had stood at the front of Hitler’s New Reich Chancellery in Berlin. Brand eventually located the statues and the police retrieved them and other artworks.

This book is translated from Dutch to English and parts of the discovery and retrieval remain secret. At times the story feels awkward but it was a compelling read.

Merry Christmas and

Happy Holidays

to you all!

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Fast, Delicious Dinner, Reading and When Do You Decorate The Christmas Tree?

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fast squid, asparagus and potato dinner

Do you need a quickly prepared dinner tonight and don’t want to order take away? Gather about 250gm of thawed squid rings, 180gm asparagus, two small potatoes, two limes or lemons and about half a preserved lemon, plus oil to fry the squid. Always cook squid quickly or else it gets tough.

Preserved lemons chopped finely and lemon juice add great flavour to the squid.

Heat a heavy pan then add the oil, flash fry the squid, adding the juice and finely chopped preserved lemon twice during the process. ( Make sure you rinse the piece of preserved lemon to reduce the pickling brine on it. Also, scrape off any remaining pulp.) Meanwhile, prick the two potatoes and microwave them for three minutes, then cut them in half and brown them in with the squid.

Keeping an eye on the squid, dampen four sheets of paper towel, fold in half and place the asparagus along the shorter edge and roll up to make a cylinder. Microwave for two minutes, turn off the squid and serve. Add a little butter on the asparagus, season and enjoy!

These quantities fed two people. We followed up with a punnet of strawberries and thought it was a delicious, fast and easy dinner.

reading

Modern farmers often lead the way towards more sustainable and diverse food production. Heida , A Shepherd At The Edge Of The World, is the story of an Icelandic farmer. It immediately attracted my attention with its combination of a successful New York model returning to the family farm in Iceland in an area known as the ‘edge of the world’ and century old farming methods combined with a political career resulting from a plan to dam her farm for a power station. Old and new meet on her farm!

Heida Asgeirsdôttir’s story is told in four parts based on the four seasons. She reveals the intensity of farming five hundred Icelandic sheep close to Iceland’s most notorious volcano, Katla, which has frequently driven the inhabitants of Ljôtarstadir, her farm, away since farming began there in the twelfth century. Her life is one of earthquakes, glaciers and deadly snowfalls but also wonderful friends, adored animals, a beautiful environment and her close family. And hard work.

Icelandic sheep are a pure breed admired for their meat, wool and milk. They have not been cross bred as in other countries. The modern Icelandic sheep is a direct descendant of the sheep taken to the island by the Viking settlers in the ninth and tenth century. The ewes can raise twins and often triplets without complications.The sheep form a major part of Asgeirsdôttir’s farming responsibilities.

Asgeirsdôttir is from a family of poets and enjoys ‘poetry slams’ in the local bars. She often makes up poems when she in the tractor or shearing sheep. She is a champion shearer. Some poems are published in the book. Off season, she and her business partner travel Iceland pregnancy scanning up to 1200 ewes a day.

When a major power supply company proposed damming Asgeirsdôttir’s farm as part of a massive power station development she became active in politics, eventually blocking the development. She remains in local politics, but not at the same level, as farm work has first priority.

This is a book about a satisfying, healthy, productive life. The farmer works every day of the year and considers what is best for her animals, the land and her people. It is interesting, sometimes amusing but also thought provoking. It showed the impact one determined person can have on a huge company but also how one woman is living the life of her choice, happily and successfully.

Christmas preparations

I have two jars of dried fruit macerating in port for the Christmas fruit cakes I will make soon. I went to a huge shopping centre yesterday and did some present shopping. I’m off to a Turkish shop this afternoon to get trays of Turkish Delight to give as gifts. So I thought I had Christmas planning well considered and under control. Then I read on the UK Country Living site that there’s a day when you should put up and decorate the Christmas tree! It’s the 28th of November, the beginning of Advent, which is four weeks before the big day.

Did you know that? I asked my Mother what date we decorated the tree as children. Ever pragmatic, she told me we decorated the tree when she had time! She hadn’t heard of the four week rule, either.

Although I decorate the front gate, the entrance and the front door and put out various decorations inside the house, we don’t put up a tree anymore. According to the same article, 6% of Brits don’t put up a tree and 24% of people spend over A$200 on new decorations every year.

A note about wrapping paper. If you’re buying paper, crush it in your hand to check it doesn’t contain plastic. Paper based (can be composted and recycled) will remain crushed, those with plastic will resists crushing. Also, research the plastic contents in crackers, as the novelties all end up in the bin within days. Please avoid as much plastic as possible.

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Recycled Plastic Labels, Flowers and Books

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RECYCLED PLASTIC BOTTLES

This hard to read label says, “I used to be a plastic bottle. This label is made from 100% recycled plastic.” My new cardigan is made of 100% cotton except the buttons and has a label made from recycled plastic. Good.

West Australian solo sailor Jon Sanders found on his recent world circumnavigation that nearly every 100 litre of seawater sample collected contained around 300 particles per cubic metre of microplastics. Why is this a problem? The chemicals released from plastics contribute to infertility, immunity disorders and abnormal neurological development in children.

FLOWERS IN THE HOUSE

The Phalaenopsis orchids are showering themselves in glory! Very satisfying, very pretty.

Several vases of early ranunculus. I cut them on short stems as the remaining stems have so many buds.

I read on a gardening site that ranunculus have more flowers if the corms are soaked prior to planting. I’d never done this before so tried it this year. I shared the corms with my Mother who lives further south. Unsurprisingly, mine germinated and bloomed before hers did but they also seem to be stronger plants. From now on I will soak the corms before planting.

I love arum lilies. They are a weed in Western Australia but my lilies are contained within an isolated bed. The lush, thick leaves don’t die off totally in summer as they do in the wild. The flowers start appearing at the end of August. I like to put the beautiful lilies in vases indoors.

The last of the Glamis Castle roses. They’ve all been pruned now.

CHOPSTICK STORAGE

We use chopsticks regularly. They’ve been stored in a cardboard tube for the last twenty plus years. The tube they were stored in was getting tatty. I was about to throw this acrylic chocolate box in the recycling bin when I realised it would make a great storage box for the chopsticks!

It had a brand sticker on the lid. I tore it off slowly and carefully but it left a layer of sticky glue. Tried removing it with hand sanitizer which was within reach. Didn’t work. Sprayed the sticker with Isopropyl alcohol and the residual glue just wiped off. Gave the box a wash in hot soapy water, dried it and now it’s a perfect chopstick box.

READING

Dr Norman Swan is a well known Australian broadcaster and physician. When I saw his latest book, So You Think You Know What’s Good For You? on the XPRESS ( seven day limit on borrowing for very popular books) display at the library, I borrowed it. He answers the health questions he’s asked all the time, based on the latest evidence and with good humour. Easy to flick back and forward following items of interest, this book is full of information and sound advice. You can just avoid the bits that make you nervous!

PLANTING OUT HYDRANGEAS

These ‘sticks’ are from pruning existing hydrangeas. Take a piece with two growth buds, push it into soil and come back a few months later. Roots should have appeared. I will plant these new plants in a very shady place where I planted some last year, as a trial. The plants only grew a little bit but each one produced flowers. I hope in time they reach a height where they will get more dappled light and thrive. I really like their glossy leaves and big, blousey blooms.

PRESSING EARLY SPRING FLOWERS

I collected a hat full of early springs flowers to press. I’ll use them to make some gift tags so I snipped their stems short. If I was planning to use them to make a card or a picture for the wall, I’d leave a longer stem and include more foliage.

I’d already cleaned the dusty press and put four layers of lithograph paper ready for the flowers. I don’t use paper towel as delicate petals can end up with the pattern of the paper towel imprinted on them. I also avoid newspaper as the ink can seep through the paper and stain the flowers during the pressing process.

Arranged the flowers then covered them with another four sheets of litho paper. I used a wooden press as I have one, but heavy books are also effective.

Put the top layer of the press in place and screwed on the wing nuts not really tightening any of them until they were all in place. Then I tightened them until there was no more movement.

I’ll put the press somewhere cool and dry for the next month. It needs to be accessible as I’ll continue tightening the nuts every three or four days for about a month.

TRAVEL JOURNAL PAINTING

Visited Rowles Conservation Park near Ora Banda while we were in Kalgoorlie. This lagoon is very beautiful. I have done a quick water colour painting for my journal.

In Australia and New Zealand, Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of September, so we will be celebrating this Sunday. This is a lovely opportunity to get together with family members but it may not be possible for all families due to ongoing lock downs in New South Wales and Victoria. Wishing all Fathers, where ever they are, a lovely day. Happy Father’s Day!

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