Suburban Life – MakeCookGrow.com

Weeding Books and Paper Rubbish

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bookshelves and weeding

We are a family of keen readers. We are not so keen on throwing things out, and even likely to have a good ‘weed’ of our book collection. When we built the house we have shelves built from the floor to the ceiling on one wall, plus on another wall with windows and a half height return on a third wall. Over the years the shelves have gone from neat and tidy to books two layers thick, books poked in horizontally on other books and books overflowing onto other furniture in the room. Time for a change!

Two days later and about third of the shelves are done.

Our son was here for the long weekend. After breakfast the sorting and tidying began. We packed the discards into boxes to take to the Save the Children Book depot. So far it has taken two days but we will persist. The big bonus of this exercise is discovering forgotten books, in my case, now all shelved together. It became apparent I like to read autobiographies written by people who have lived in foreign lands. I found and am currently reading Marjory McGinn’s Things Can Only Get Feta. Along with her husband and crazy Jack Russell they move to a remote town in southern Peloponnese.

Seventeen boxes done and ready to go.

Marjory has had a passion for Greece since she and her family arrived in Australia from Scotland and her assigned ‘buddy’ at school was from a Greek family. In her twenties she worked in Athens and speaks enough Greek to organise a house, get a car and settle into life in rural Megali Mantineia. There are few foreigners in the area. They soon meet the locals and the scorpians and the hornets. This is a humourous and engaging account of their experiences in rural Greece and some of the hot spots, too. She and her husband decided to stay for a second year despite the difficulties Greece was experiencing during the austerity years.

I really enjoyed this book and set off to see if she’d written a second book about the next year in Greece. Found there are seven more books. The titles all suggest McGinn and her husband, both freelance journalists, stayed in Greece for some years. I will be trying to get some of the other books.

rubbish recycling

Are you still sorting through post Christmas or holiday paper, cards, envelopes and cardboard? All these products can be recycled easily avoiding landfill. Recycling reduces deaforestation and the impact of the processes required to manufacture new paper based products.

Effective recycling relies on ensuring only products suitable for recycling go in the paper/glass recycling bin. Contamination spoils clean paper and means all the materials are sent to landfill. Typical contamination is related to food stuffs, such as pizza boxes and oil stained paper bags and wrapping. Recycling paper means a reduction in landfill gases and reducedCO2. It’s easy, too.

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WHAT SHOULD YOU PUT IN YOUR PAPER RECYCLING BIN?

Brochures, even if they are glossy, but not ones treated with plastic laminate, plus glossy and matte packaging
All envelopes, even if they have a small plastic window, as the processes involved sort them out
Shredded paper so long as staples and paper clips have been removed before shredding
Cardboard boxes, although waxed or greasy boxes are not suitable
Magazines, newspapers, advertising brochures, childrens’ used exercise books if the staples are removed.
Due to the materials used to line paper cups and fruit juice containers, they cannot be recycled.
Recycled paper is used to make more paper for printing on and writing on, cardboard, bags, gift tags, tissues, toilet paper and napkins. Recycled paper is processed to sterilize and remove dye. Paper can be recycled up to seven times before the fibres become too short and too weak to reuse.
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Cook, Grow, Read

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cooking

I need to be well prepared this week. Our days are full of appointments and other jobs. A quick survey of the fridge led me to using up most of the eggs. That involved a crustless quiche. I have made this in the past following recipetineats.com Crustless Quiche recipe and it was very good. This time I based my quiche on her quantities, sort of, but added chives to the spring onions, a tomato for some colour and used sheeps yoghurt instead of cream. No ham left from Christmas! I also used a Spanish goat and sheep cheese (El Hidalgo) because I had it in the fridge.

Aiming for 30 different foods a week.

There were leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch ( I love leftovers for lunch). After lunch we set off to the shops with a rather long shopping list. I like semi-emptying the fridge and getting everything fresh again and have a fair idea what I’ll be preparing this week. I also made a sourdough loaf but that’s going very quickly! I also bought watermelon, because what’s summer without watermelon? It lasted one day.

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grow

Although I don’t have a big garden I make use of all the space I have available. I have a lime tree in the centre of the front courtyard which fruits at a different time from my neighbour’s lime tree, hanging over the fence. Fresh limes are wonderful!

Then I have a side courtyard and a back courtyard. I like fresh flowers in the garden all year round but I also like fresh herbs and vegetables. All my herbs and vegetables are grown in pots. This includes perpetual spinach, which can be added to almost anything savoury and a lot of herbs plus spring onions. At the moment, the entire side and back area are a bit overwhelmed by tomatoes! I have two sorts, one a cherry truss tomato my Mother grew forever and the other an unknown tomato. My friend gave me a tomato to taste when she was given a bag full and it was very good. I harvested the seeds and they are thriving. So, of course, I grow a lot of basil, too!

read

Do you keep some books because they were really engaging and you know you’ll read them again, one day? I have a few books in the category, one I reach for about every six years if I get a cold, and two I’d forgotten about but really enjoyed rereading now. The first book I referred to is Lisa St Aubin de Terran’s A House in Italy. The author is English but loves all things Italian and writes with great affection plus a little frustration about restoring a palazzo in Italy. She writes about her treasured collections being sent from England, Scotland and a few places she’s rented throughout Italy. Amusing to read, but no so funny to experience!

My other two books are both by Karen Wheeler, who writes articles for glossy magazines about beauty and health. After discovering her fiancé was otherwise engaged when he was away on work, she takes some time to consider her future. She travels to France to visit a friends and buys a derelict house in a small, rural town and sets about renovating it. This is a slow process as she still travels to interview famous designers, perfumeriers and grand hotels and spa resorts. It’s called Tout Sweet, Hanging Up My High Heels For A New Life In France’. Very entertaining.

Her third book Sweet Encore, A Road Trip From Paris to Portugal Via Northern Spain. ( I cannot find the second one in the series. All that tidying up!) is about driving through France, Spain and Portugal with her 16 year old niece who lives in the Caymans. A real travelogue. Whilst in Portugal she visits the grave of her long time boyfriend who died as the result of a car accident. She describes Portugal as warm, beautiful and very affordable, and Spain as the exact opposite!

I sympathise with her views on Spain. Even before we lived overseas we liked to travel and have been to some very underdeveloped areas. In forty plus years of traveling independently, Barcelona is the only place someone tried to mug me! I’m sure I’ve been overcharged and my poor language skills have annoyed, but I have never been attacked like I was in Spain. We packed and took the next train to Zurich.

The other book I have read is Kate Atkinson’s Big Sky. If you enjoy a gritty, fast moving ‘who dunnit” this is for you!

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Blue Zones and Other Wellbeing Research and Reading Books

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Did you begin the new year resolving to improve how you eat and wanting to exercise more? I’ve just watched the documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones on Netflix. Although the ages of some of the people interviewed in the series have since been questioned, the film shows evidently older people living well within their communities and always in their own homes, generally surrounded by family members.

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The factors resulting in healthy, engaged older people had several common attributes. In every area studied, everyday living involved a lot of walking, and other activities like chopping wood, tending to gardens and preparing food from scratch. Most areas involved steep steps to get around. The only community investigated in this series where people created opportunities to exercise was in Lomas Linda, where a large group of Seventh Day Adventists live. Several of the communities studied identified devout and regular church attendees.

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Social connections seem to be important in getting to old age with few health challenges. Most people interviewed lived with their families or very close to families and were involved in daily social activities. There were examples of morning chats, eating, singing and dancing together. Everyday contact with family, friends and neighbours was a common factor. Times to rest from work were well defined.

The diets of each community differed depending on the region being studied, but all the Blue Zones studied ate mostly plant based diets with everything made from scratch and often grown nearby. Seasonal produce was grown near to home and tended to, harvested and prepared by family groups including the older members in the studies.

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One of the interesting comments by the researcher was that none of the people in the study showed signs of dementia.

Investigating the latest research into healthy eating led me to Dr Tim Spector, a British epidemiologist, medical doctor and science writer who researches and writes about the relationship between nutrition, the gut biome and health.

He backs all his dietary advice with a lot of research. One of his strong beliefs is eating 30 different fruit, vegetables, fermented products and nuts and seeds every week. I quite like a challenge stareted recording the fruit, vegetables, fermented food (yoghurt, cheese, some pickles) and nuts and spices I ate in a week and fell short. It was easy to begin with, but I really had to focus on adding to the list towards the end of the week. I’m trying again this week.

His recommendations

1. Commit to a ten hour window when you eat, then fast for 14 hours.

2. Reduce or avoid UPF, ultra processed foods.

3. Adopt mindful drinking, minimal tea, coffee and alcohol, lots of water.

4. Forget counting calories, just eat healthy food.

5. Eat more plants, but eat meat, too, in modest amounts. Meat eaters have better gut flora. Aim for 30 different vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs, spices and fermented foods each week.

6. Don’t obsess about protein and learn to estimate the amount you should eat at each meal. (Spector suggest 1.6gm meat/kg)

7. Seek quality snacks, such as nuts, fruits, wholegrains, all good for insulin sensitivity and improved gut flora.

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Reading

At the beginning of the year I was impressed by a reviewer whose New Year resolution was to read 100 books. She wrote that she’d tried before and failed, so this year she is aiming to read 85 books. Inspired by her goal, I thought I’d try to read 100 books this year, too. Two and a half weeks into the year I’ve read eight books. We’ve spent time sitting around, waiting for appointments and also keeping cool. I hope I can maintain the momentum.

Have you set yourself a similar goal? I’d love to know!

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Reading and In The Garden

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reading

Are you a reader? This time of the year is good for reading book reviews. Every book distributor, every newspaper and magazine literary editor has reviews of newly published books and old favourites. Interesting to scroll through the lists and see so many ‘old favourite’ authors have new books, but also the long lists of new authors whose books are recommended. Great if you buy from a list you’ve made of ‘interesting books’. Also useful if you belong to a bookclub or like giving books as gifts. I try to get most of my books from the library.

One reviewer, Laura Hackett, Deputy Book Reviewer, for the Sunday Times.UK, writes about her New Year Resolution, made every year, to read a hundred books. She isn’t always successful and thinks she’ll aim for 85 books this year. I gave up on New Year resolutions years ago, but I also read a lot of books, so have decided I’ll try this, too. It’s the first week of January and I have already read two and a half books, so feeling optimistic!

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Hackett also refers to the Book Cover of the Week. Apparently,’ you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover’, but I do like a great cover! Although I scan titles and authors’ names on library shelves, I’ll often pull the book out to read the blurb on the back of the book but also then check out the cover. The font and the images used can suggest a lot about a book, too.

in the garden

It’s a bit hot to spend time in the garden during the day, but really very nice in the evening if there’s a breeze and the fountain is running. I’ve planted two types of tomatoes this year. I don’t know the names of either type because the tiny truss tomatoes came from my Mother years ago and the large bush tomatoes came from a friend. I don’t have very much space so I grow the tomatoes in pots. When you consider the cost of potting mix and fertiliser needed to grow them in pots, it’s probably not so economical but the tomatoes don’t have hard thick skins and they taste of sunshine. I’ve bought lots of tomatoes this summer which haven’t tasted wonderful at all. I stagger planting times to ensure supply over a longer period.

There’s also a pot of perpetual spinach. It’s what it’s called, a cut and come again spinach. I toss a handful of washed leaves in so many savoury things we eat. The wilted leaves add colour and flavour. The more I cut off, the more it grows. Good.

These cannas came from the farm. They just flower and flower and add masses of colour. The Gloriosa Lily is a Himalayan Select and came from a friend. It flowers in the middle of summer but the bloom only lasts a few days. Every year when it reappears, there’s an additional plant. I don’t remove the tubers in winter but it’s recommended in the northern hemisphere. I’m obviously a bit hit and miss removing tubers/corms/bulbs, anyway, as I thought I’d sifted out all the old dahlia corms from a pot I planted tomatoes in, but the tomatoes have company; two dahlias have appeared too!

Gloriosa lily

The outdoors table is a sheet of travertine on a wrought iron frame. The glue holding the top on had begun to fail and the top felt loose. We took the top off, used a flap disc to remove the old glue and rust from the frame. I picked, poked and peeled the glue off the travertine. New glue, top back on, scrubbed it clean. Now stable and back in use. Lovely sitting out there in the evening.

Flap disk for removing old glue and rust. Very efficient.

Metal frame cleaned of glue and rust, wiped down. Later we reapplied glue and positioned the travertine top and left it to dry.

Scrubbed the travertine. The table was back in use the next day.

If you’re interested in growing some herbs that flourish in full sun, plant thyme, basil, rosemary and mint. Coriander will just go to seed until it is a little cooler. Except the rosemary, all my herbs are planted in pots.

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The hydrangeas are thriving, too. I hope you’re enjoying your garden, too!

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Dogs, More About EV Cars and Blue and White China

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dogs

Louis didn’t like going to the groomer, would eat anything, with or without a designer label and made it quite clear early on that he wasn’t wearing a waterproof coat to the park.

Do you own a dog? A quick scroll through Instagram shows the explosion in dog ownership. It also highlights how important dogs are to their owners. Once you ‘owned a dog’ now you’re a dog parents. Dogs were once ‘pets’ now they are members of the family. Dogs are being targeted by high end marketing. There’s a plethora of perfumes, prebiotics, pupcups, massages and other spa treatments, icecream ( roast chicken flavour) and ‘super foods’ being created by vets. These treats are now available in luxury establishments, such as Hôtel de Paris (Monaco) and Le Château de la Messardière (Saint-Tropaz. Matching outfits are also popular, with matching nail polish, too.

At the end of 2023, the Xerpi Institute reported sales of pet products had reached 5.8 billion euros in France, which is a 48% increase in a decade. And before you think this is just a French things, a quick scroll online reveals so many dogs dressed in designer brands, eating above mentioned treats and enjoying designer beds, toys and snacks. Dogs being taken out in backpacks and prams (I recently read more dog strollers were bought this year in Korea than baby strollers) into cafes and restaurants where their meal is ordered from a separate menu. Then off to the spa from a few treatments. I hope the dogs enjoy them!

blue and white china

Double happiness ginger jar from an antique market in Guangzhou. Although images of Mao were everywhere in the markets there were other beautiful finds, too, ginger jars, woven fabrics, wooden ornaments and other china pieces, such as teapots and cups.

Some English, some Chinese, some very old, some a lot newer.

Three ginger jars, a lovely gift from my cousin.

I grew up surrounded by pieces of blue and white china, mostly English, and I also collected a few pieces myself. Then we began traveling in Asia before finally moving to China and I had plenty of opportunities to buy both antique and more recently made pieces of blue and white china. Our driver quickly realised I was interested in both old and new pieces and took me to fascinating antique markets and small scale manufacturers. I also collected Japanese and Korean pieces.

This collection, in the upstairs bathroom, from many different places is about to get a lot bigger as I have many beautiful plates I inherited from my Mother.

So, I couldn’t resist when I saw these miniature ginger jar Christmas decorations. They are so lovely! Last year I made blue and white baubles. Blue and white decorations are becoming a bit of a theme. I have also just inherited my Mother’s collection of blue and white china but have had no time to sort it. There are no small children coming here for Christmas so I haven’t decorated a tree but like to display decorations around the house.

Ginger jar Christmas ornaments

ev ownership and charging arrangements

I’ve had a couple of interesting discussions with people about EV cars since I wrote about them a week ago. Then I read an article (ABC News, Dec 17th James Purtill) outlining the new problem for EV owners living in strata titled apartments. Strata owners are increasingly banning EVs from recharging in apartment basements due to the risk of battery fires. Strata owners have have wide-ranging powers to ban EVs and EV charging within their buildings.

The risk of batteries igniting and the subsequent damage to surrounding vehicles and the concrete structure is becoming a problem. The Australian Codes Board and EV fire safety experts insist these batteries are no more likely to ignite than petrol or diesel vehicles. At the same time, state fire authorities says buildings with charging facilities should be given the same hazard warnings as chemical plants and firework factories.

Fire and Rescue NSW recommend EV charging points only be available in open air. If EVs ignite they burn hotter than other battery fires and are impossible to put out. If a lithium battery ignites, internal cells decompose, liberating the heat, which causes more cells to decompose. These fires cannot be extinguished by water or oxygen starvation (foam). Another article referred to ‘catastrophic’ fires caused by end-of-life lithium batteries wrongly dumped into landfill sites. Fires in rubbish trucks are now regularly reported. More work to be done.

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EV Cars, Home Fire Safety and Other Things

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EV Cars in australia

A report by McKinsey & Company, released in June 2024 summarised surveys from almost 37 000 consumers across 15 countries, concerning EV cars. For several years, interest in EV cars was high, but the above report indicated 49% of EV owners in Australia would like to switch back to diesel or petrol.

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Globally, reasons for abandoning EVs included poor public charging infrastructure (35%), the high cost of ownership (34%) and the impact on long trips of no charging opportunities. (32%) Range anxiety is a big thing in Australia!

In the first half of 2024, according to The Australian Automobile’s Electric Vehicle Index, sales of petrol and diesel cars represented more than 75% of all cars sold. The article also mentions the surge in sales of hybrid electric vehicle sales. These vehicles have a battery which charges while the vehicle is running. Another limiting factor is the popularity of utes and SUVs in Australia. Passenger vehicles represent 15% of sales in Australia, SUVs account for 57.5% and light commercial vehicles, utes, dual cab utes and vans represent 22.9% of sales.

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The RAC (Royal Automobile Club ) list consumer concerns about EV vehicles as too expensive (66%), poor access to charging infrastructure, range anxiety and concerns about the life of the battery. Interestingly, there is no mention of the difficulties in disposing of, or reusing any parts of the battery once it is exhausted. Neither is the extraordinary high cost of repairs to electric vehicles.

Based on an article published in the Horizon magazine, by the Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia, Summer edition 2025

household fires during summer

The same magazine has an article about household fires, not just in summer, but generally. When we had a light fitting hung by an electrician recently, we got him to check the smoke alarms upstairs and downstairs. They were over ten years old and needing replacing. He wrote the date of replacement inside the cover of each alarm. Apparently, an out of date smoke alarm can effect any insurance claim relating to fire damage.

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This is a quick summary of the points raised in the article. The lack of cleaning of indoor and outdoor appliances and general maintenance can lead to increased fire risk. Second/party fridges stored in garages or sheds can over heat and ignite. Be aware that the coolants in newer fridges are more flammable than older models.

The biggest issue is lithium-ion-batteries. The number of fires linked to cheap batteries made in countries with poor quality control is increasing. The article suggests you never leave the battery charging overnight or while you are away from home, make sure you only use the cables and accessories recommended or supplied by the manufacturer, buy only batteries which meet Australian standards and avoid cheap replacements.

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There is also a warning to avoid overloading powerboards and keeping unused points on the board free of dust as this can accumulate and become a fire hazard.

Interestingly, in researching EVs I found the majority of Chinese manufacturing of EVs rely on coal fired power.

and other things

This has been a very difficult year for my family. Moving our Mother into care and then her passing was very distressing. The last twelve months of traveling to visit her, helping her move and sorting out small problems in care required a four hour round trip. We tried to accommodate our own interests and activities but that wasn’t always possible.

When my parents moved from the farm to their new house they took so much stuff with them. I think my Mother thought she’d sort through the four generations of paperwork, photographs, tools, maps, sporting gear and furniture. Time ran out. Luckily she’d sent an enormous amount of historical records to various museums and collections all over Australia.

During the emptying of the shed (bigger than most country fire stations) other members of the family contacted local museums who took a lot of information and equipment. I still have boxes of photos to sort and get digitalized. I need the dining table for that, but with Christmas coming it has other things on it!

Eventually the shed, garage and house were emptied, with help from other family members. We are having a break from traveling down the Forrest Highway for a few weeks. Our son came down last weekend and we marveled at what have been achieved. We marked the end of an era with champagne and chocolate, because you should eat something if you’re drinking.

Our son has also taken care of our Christmas celebration needs, too.

I hope your Christmas plans, if you celebrate, are progressing well.

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Retraining Teachers and Odd Jobs

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retraining teachers in south australia

One in three Australian students failed to meet the minimum level of achievement in NAPLAN testing this year. (National Assessment Program- Literacy and Numeracy.) The score and specific information regarding the areas the child did not meet expectations is then sent to the school and the classroom teacher to reteach. Sounds great, but what if the teacher doesn’t know how to teach that skill?

The University of Adelaide has launched a new microcredential course focussing on explicit teaching. The Federal Minister for Education, Jason Clare is reported saying, “The reading wars are over. We know evidence based teaching methods work and this free short course will help teachers in the classroom” It’s all about teaching teachers how children actually learn to read, write and do maths. In recent times teachers have not been taught these teaching skills as part of their training.

The free course is offered online and can be completed at the teacher’s own pace. It will teach explicit instruction techniques, that is, a teacher explains a new concept to the students, directs the children to practice or repeat what they learnt, tests for success and reteaches where necessary. It is very specific teaching, directed by the teacher. Universities in South Australia will be required to include explicit teaching instruction in their teaching qualifications.

The first course, already available, teaches how to teach phonics, the sounding out of letters and words. I taught junior primary for most of my 40 years teaching and cannot believe phonics is not the basis of all reading skills taught. My friends, still in teaching, talk about children in their second and third year of education who cannot sound out or spell words phonetically.

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A course already offered online teaches teachers how to keep classrooms calm and under control. These skills are no longer assumed to be learnt at home. Children are taught to line up quietly, sit and to listen. Already 1280 teachers have completed the microcredential in classroom management.

Source : The Weekend Australian, November 23-24, 2024, by Natasha Bita, Education Editor.

odd jobs

Do you save buttons from old shirts? My Mother snipped the buttons off worn out shirts before they became cleaning cloths. The buttons were stored in old coffee jars, the white buttons separated into small for shirts and the bigger ones went into another jar. Every other colour was a mix of sizes. When I was working I also kept a jar of small white buttons in the laundry plus a needle threaded with white cotton. This meant I could replace a button within minutes and still get to work on time. Over the years I must have washed and ironed thousands of business shirts and school shirts and frequently needed to replaced buttons.

Luckily, I inherited my Mother’s button collection! An unusual but very useful inheritance. Just recently, I bought a pink linen shirt but really didn’t like the wintery, dark button at the front. Snip, and it was gone to be replaced by a large pink button from one of Mum’s button jars. The jars are stored in a cupboard where I can easily retrieve them, as they continue to be useful.

Snip, stitch, done.

The same day I had to repair three necklaces. Earlier in the year I’d restrung two of the necklaces, using a variety of pretty beads. I wore both regularly. I’d used clasps I bought in a local shop and within five or six times of wearing them, the clasps broke. Annoying. ( I used a large safety pin to connect each end of the necklaces for a few weeks. Not exactly ideal, but it worked!) So I went to a craft supplier and bought good quality clasps, took apart the two necklaces and a third which needed restringing and got to work. Really pleased with the quality of the fittings, now, and considering updating the catch on another necklace.

Repaired, back in service.

Then I decided to use up half a dozen large, super fresh golden yolked eggs a friend of my husband’s gave us. I made an egg and tomato pie, using up things I already had such as onions, tomatoes, spring onions and some yoghurt, plus the eggs and then some chives on top. Baked in the oven.

While the pie was cooking I peeled and quartered some apples. We really like fresh apples but this year they all seem to be a bit doughy. You know I hate wasting food, so I caramelised some caster sugar, swirled in some butter, then arranged the peeled, cored and quartered apples in the caramel. I’d cut the pastry to the size of the pan I’d used for making the caramel and had then stored it in the fridge. Quickly arranged it in the top of the apples, poked the sides down with a spoon and put it in the still hot oven. Smelt wonderful, tasted really good, too.

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Bordallo Pinheiros, Carton Disposal and Inflation

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bordallo pinheiro

You may not know the name, but you’ll recognise these green ceramics! These pieces were originally designed by the Portuguese ceramics company founded by Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro in 1884. The design I like is based on a cabbage leaf, a metaphor for Portuguese rustic way of life. The brand mark is a frog in a circle with the brand name. There are many other designs but the Cabbage is my favourite.

My Mother gave me a Cabbage salad bowl years ago, probably because I adored hers, which I have now inherited. Over the years, my son has given me two other pieces. Then for my birthday, he surprised me with a box of Cabbage pieces! I now have two small bowls, two medium sized bowls and two larger bowls to add to the collection. It was a lovely surprise!

I’d admired a green leaf vase in Bali earlier this year. I was delighted when my husband bought me a similar vase when we returned home. He then gave me a smaller version of the vase as a birthday gift, too. I will be using all these pieces to create a red, white and green Christmas themed table this year. ( I have just realised Christmas is six weeks way, sorry to mention it, but I got a fright, too.)

Another birthday treat was the delivery of two boxes of macarons. Absolutely delicious and a lovely treat from our son.

The final birthday treat was a tart citron organised by my husband from a French bakery. I really like anything citrus and this was lovely.

recycling Cartons

“Gable” topped cartons generally contain fresh liquids, such as milk or orange juice. The cartons are usually 80% paper and 20% polyethylene. These are found in the chilled section and need to be kept in the fridge. These can be rinsed clean and put in your kerbside recycling bin. (Ours has a yellow lid.)

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Longlife or UHT cartons look like bricks and are made from liquid paperboard with a plastic exterior coating and the inner lining is aluminium (foil). These cartons often contain stock, long-life milk and long-life juice. They do not require refrigeration during transport or storage and are stocked on shelves in the supermarket. They have a long shelf life. They cannot be recycled due to the aluminium lining and go into landfill. (For us, the red lid bin).

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Bottled milk is harder to find and more expensive but the glass bottles can be recycled if you rinse the bottle and return it to where you bought it.

inflation

Interesting news item posted by the Australian Business Network (Dailytelegraph.com.au) revealing that Australians had been hit by creeping inflation since 2021. The Consumer Price Index figures, based on information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, have revealed that healthcare, cigarettes, education and utilities have increased in cost enormously since 1984.

As governments try to persuade people to give up smoking, cigarette prices have increased by 4 200%. This is ten times more than alcohol in the same period.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics, via the Consumer Price index also shows the following increases during the same period.

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Medical and Hospital Services 1 214%

Education 887%

Dental Services 522%

Spirits 416%

Beer 412%

Transport fares 394%

Lamb 387%

Childcare 365%

Fuel 305%

Interestingly, some things haven’t changed significantly over the last 40 years. Both telecommunications and computing costs have dropped, while household appliances and household textiles have hardly changed.

High energy costs and labour shortages create inflationary pressures. The government is attempting to reduce labour shortages by increasing immigration and increasing access to childcare. Unfortunately, all states and territories of Australia are experiencing housing shortages exacerbated by increasing the population.

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As we move towards a federal election, I’m sure we’ll hear numerous plans for improving the economy, but all government spending derives from tax payers money. We need longer term planning which extends beyond the parliamentary election cycle and a focus on obtaining value from money expended.

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Solar Fountain and Reading

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birds, bees and the solar fountain

Hoping to attract more bees to the garden I set up a solar fountain in a terracotta bowl a few years ago. The fountain floats on top of the water and I thought the bees could stand on it and drink safely. More often, though, it’s used by birds.

During the process of stripping, sanding and sealing.

I originally sealed the terracotta bowl and painted it. The paint started to flake off after about 18 months, so I patched the bare parts. Then the paint started coming off all over! Annoying. So, I stripped, sanded and sealed the bowl, then painted it. Was pleased to find the solar fountain still worked. I have used three coats of a different sealer this time and hope it lasts a lot longer than previous times.

Fresh, functioning fountain.

The solar fountain is attracting bees and birds at the moment. We have so many birds in the neighbourhood this spring. Suburbs nearby have had old houses on big blocks with trees and gardens bulldozed and replaced by towers of units with little or no garden and rarely any remaining trees. It seems the birds have migrated to our suburb.

reading

Our local library is shut as it’s being relocated to another building. Although there is another library close by, I bought a few books to ensure I always have something to read. I prefer to borrow books from the library and only buy them if they’re remarkable and I know I will read them again at some stage.

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl is the first book I bought. Reichl is a well known American food critic, former editor of Gourmet and best selling writer of restaurant reviews. I have read Garlic and Sapphires, Comfort Me With Apples and Tender On The Bone, all about the history of food and also restaurant reviews. Reichl has written or edited many other books about food.

The Paris Novel is (surprise!) a novel. Stella arrives in Paris after the death of her mother, cautious and careful and lacking confidence. Her mother’s message to her was ‘ Go to Paris’. All sorts of unexpected events result in her becoming very well informed about designer clothing, French food and it’s history and art, all supported by discoveries not just in Paris, but further afield. Packed with information, The Paris Novel is actually a mystery surrounded by lashings of French culture. I’m enjoying the journey.

The second book I bought is Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders. Already well known for his bestselling series The Thursday Murder Club, which became a multi million copy record breaking seller around the World. The four books in that series were quirky, recognised the skills of older people, especially women and were a fun read.

Osman has embarked on another series, also about solving murders. We Solve Murders is the first book in the new series. The characters are well developed, the plot is well presented and fast moving and I’m sure this series will be popular. It has very good reviews but I’m taking a while to find it as wonderful as the previous series.

Did you read Anne Glenconnor’s first book Lady In Waiting, about her years as Princess Margaret’s Lady in Waiting from 1971 until the Princess’s death in 2002? It was a best seller. She followed up with two novels. I have just read her fourth book, Whatever Next? A courageous, honest and strong woman, she writes frankly about her turbulent marriage and how she survived it, the loss of her two older sons and nursing a third son back from a coma, the joy of her twin daughters and their families and her many friends.

Lady Glenconnor’s husband purchased and developed Mustique, where she holidayed frequently with him and the children and Princess Margaret and her friends and their families. He loved a great party, but also suffered from terrible mood swings and was violent. Lady Glenconnor developed skills to avoid some attacks and remained open to adventures and valued her many friendships. Now in her nineties, she is still inspirational.

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Arum Lilies, Vegan Leather and Other Things

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arum lilies

Arum lilies were originally introduced to Australia from Natal and the Cape Provinces in South Africa via UK gardens where they were very popular. They thrived in Australia and eventually ‘escaped’ from gardens. They are a declared a weed in most parts of Australia. Arum lilies thrive in wet conditions, particularly under trees in swampy areas. Many districts spray annually to eradicate them. They crowd out native vegetation, are toxic for animals and humans, they dominate wetlands and impede water flow.

Arum lilies are also very beautiful. They grew well where I grew up and even years after I’d left home my Father would bring me a bucket of lilies. I love them! I have grown a bed of arum lilies in our garden where they cannot escape. They continue to thrive and I enjoy having them indoors during their flowering season. I have never had any sort of reaction to them.

Image Pixabay

About forty years ago a visiting Dutch neighbour was aghast seeing a vase of lilies in my house! She told me Europeans considered them funeral flowers. Apparently the lily symbolises rebirth and are thought to give hope to the grieving family. Taking lilies into a hospital was also a faux pas. In contrast, they are commonly used as Easter decorations in churches. Lilies are seen in many of images of Christ’s resurrection.

vegan leather

I am not a vegetarian and like to think of all parts of animals butchered for meat being used in some way. I really like the nose to tail approach becoming more common. So I prefer leather handbags. They use by- products of meat production, they last a long time with little up keep and are usually strong.

Vegan leather is most commonly made from a polymer, polyurethane. Polyurethane is plastic. Vegan leather (pleather, faux leather, artificial leather) is usually wholly plastic but some designers only employ plastic to strengthen the plant based material being used, such as pineapple leaves, cactus, mushrooms and cork. But when the bag is no longer used, it is still a plastic bag.

Consumers avoiding ‘cruelty free’ materials, byproducts from turning animal skins into leather or have concerns about toxic waste and pollution should research the production and longevity of products made from plastic/polyurethane. Also, the alternate materials being promoted by PETA ( People For The Ethical treatment of Animals) rely heavily on fossil fuel to harvest, transport and manufacture vegan leather. Make up your own mind, but do some research first!

other things

Planted two different types of tomato seeds. One type, harvested from my Mother’s garden a few years ago, produces trusses of delicious, dark red, explode in your mouth tiny tomatoes. The bush grows quite tall and needs support.

The second lot of seeds I’ve planted were saved from a delicious tomato given to me by a lovely neighbour. She’d been given some tomatoes and kindly shared them. They were big and heavy and tasted wonderful. I think they will grow on a shorter, bushier plant. Fingers crossed I have two types during summer.

Also tidied up the remnant basil plant and added saved seeds to the pot. We use a lot of basil and I really like the scent. I bought pesto today because I’d been smelling basil. Looking forward to making it from my own plants, too.

Another blogger, sustainablemum. wrote explaining how she planned meals for her family. That was the push I needed to get organised. For months we’ve been spending a few days at a time away, returning home late in the evening. Dinner needs to be fast and easy. So often we have eggs on toast!

Beef Curry

Hungarian Goulash, looks a bit messy but smelt and tasted wonderful.

As suggested, I scrolled through a slow cooker recipe book I bought back from Australind, along with the slow cooker. Marked several recipes I knew would appeal to both of us and could be served with quickly steamed vegetables and noodles. Bulk bought the ingredients and made Beef Curry and Hungarian Goulash. The scents coming from two slow cookers was very tempting.

Will make another recipe I marked but have been online looking for a curry with more flavour. Probably do the same with the goulash because basically it was good but needed more oomph, too. I can take the precooked food from the freezer the morning we leave, put it in the fridge and it will be thawed and ready to heat when we get back. I also like the idea of not cooking every night, too!

Some for the freezer, some for the fridge.

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