Cooking, Cleaning, Making and Other Occupations

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A Quickish Fish Dinner

Been baking luscious cakes and biscuits and need something easy to make and digest for dinner? This fish dinner is quick and easy to prepare. Then simply put everything in the oven and let it cook. I’ve added pan fried zucchini because it was just picked and looked so fresh and green.

Place 180gm white fish fillets per person in an oiled baking dish and squeeze two lemons or limes over. I was preparing dinner for two people.

To get the maximum juice from your citrus, microwave them for 30 seconds, let them cool slightly then cut and squeeze. Lots of juice. And your hands will smell so good, especially after handling the fish.

Then, for two people, prepare three carrots and two potatoes, cut to equal sizes and place into an oiled roasting dish. Drizzle some more olive oil, then add sea salt. Microwave for 5 minutes. Meanwhile prepare ten Brussel’s sprouts and place in an oiled dish, too. Drizzle with more olive oil.

Heat the oven to 200C. Sprinkle finely chopped rosemary over the microwaved carrots and potatoes and put them in the oven. Twenty minutes later add the Brussel’s sprouts and five minutes after that, add the fish, putting it on the lower shelf. Fifteen minutes more and it’s all done!

While everything was roasting, I flash fried a sliced zucchini. It was so fresh and crisp I just sliced it and fried it and served the slices with everything else. I thought the zucchini was delicious…..my husband was not so thrilled.

Cleaning A Baking Tray

So many hints online at the moment about the magic cleaning powers of dishwasher tablets. Our baking tray was pretty grim so I decided to try and clean it with one of the tablets.

So, wearing rubber gloves I rubbed the moistened partially unwrapped tablet on the wet baking tray as instructed online and then I rubbed some more and finally scrubbed it. Total failure.

Not much difference at this point.

Then I tried cloudy ammonia, equal fail. Finally tried a cream cleanser. Scrubbed and scrubbed. Not very impressive.

So, if a dishwasher tablet is supposed to be so good, what if I put it in the dishwasher? No change at all. This tray is such a useful size I don’t want to discard it, but it is pretty awful. Any hints, please?

Renovating Worn Coasters

These once mismatched coasters live on a side table in our family room. We have sets of coasters but these two don’t belong to any of them. They are in constant use. My mother likes to sit in the chair next to the table they are on and uses one of them for her coffee cup. The other one has always sat under a vase. They were worn and the surface on one was no longer smooth. Time for a renovation.

Sanded the surface of both coasters until they were smooth.

Glued the images on the old coasters after I’d traced around them and cut carefully. I used a standard glue stick. Smoothed the images using my fingers to work from the centre out. I sourced both pictures from Dream Factory, a wonderfully inspirational site. https://bydreamsfactory.com

Trimmed around the edges with a sharp craft knife.

The white of the photocopy paper looked too stark, so I made a bowl of tea and dipped both coasters, image side down, to stain them.

Prefer the darker, older look after the tea bath!

Originally I dabbed little touches of gold around the edges but I didn’t like how that looked when they were in place, so I used a black Sharpie to create a new border. Then I coated both coasters in Gel Medium (Mod Podge) and let them dry. Really happy with how they look now and have already used them.

Other Occupations

Also made rye sourdough. The weather is a little cooler, in fact we have had some rain, so it was a drier dough than usual. Tastes very good.

red petaled flowers

Commemorated the ANZAC day Dawn Service on our driveway at 6AM. After a Missing Man formation ( one plane missing) of Tiger Moths flew over, we heard the bugler play the Last Post. This was followed by a minutes silence and then we heard the Reveille. After this we joined some neighbours on their driveway for coffee. Observed social distancing. A very memorable and moving morning, so different from the service we usually attend.

Poppies are a significant symbol on ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day (11th November) as the Flanders poppy was amongst the first plants to spring up on the devastated battlefields in northern France and Belgium . It is thought that the churning of the soil by the soldiers and their horses encouraged amazing fields of the poppies, never seen before.

We had a new car delivered yesterday. It was very strange learning the special features of the car and observing social distancing! I’ve had my previous car since 2007 so things have changed. Alot. I might have to read the instruction book!

Reading Min Kym’s autobiographical book, GONE. A Korean child prodigy, her life is turned upside down when her 1696 Stradivarious violin is stolen. Only just begun but it has very impressive reviews.

I’ve had an email from the (closed) library saying I could nominate five books or DVDs or indicate a particular genre of books I’d like and they will deliver them. Wonderful idea!

Did you know The World Wide Web (www) was first launched into the public domain by scientist Tim Berners-Lee on 30th April, 1989? Hard to remember life without the instant access provided by the World Wide Web.

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5 Covid-19 Occupations and Interests

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1. Slow Cooker Bread

Are you baking bread? There was such a shortage of flour and yeast until recently I wondered if everyone was making their own bread.

When I saw this Slow Cooker Bread recipe from Jack Monroe I knew I’d be trying it! Pragmatic and practical, Jack’s recipes are always good. The ultimate frugal cook, Jack utilises every day, affordable pantry staples to create tasty, nutritious and interesting food. Great recipes and some droll comments at http://www.cookingonabootstrap.com

Using only 260gm of flour ( I used strong bread making flour, but Jack makes it clear any flour or combination of flours would do), yeast, water, salt and a little oil on your hands to knead the dough, this is a simple and great tasting bread.

Delicious!

2. Autumn in the Garden

Big Red geranium and red violas. Still some colour in the garden.

Brushing against this spearmint scented lavender releases the loveliest smell.

The umbrella stand petunias continue to thrive.

Arum lilies under planted with violets. The lilies are lush, green and they bloom for months. We can see them from our bedroom window. These lilies are considered a weed in Western Australia but I really like the elegant, white bloom with its egg yolk yellow stamen and the large, green leaves. They are planted in a separate bed and cannot escape. Originally found in marshy areas of South Africa, these plants have adapted too well to Australian conditions.

3. Walking

Out walking before Easter and saw this bird’s nest on the ground. No sign of birds. Used it in an Easter decoration now just enjoying it for the clever construction. Can you see the layers of soft leaves lining the bottom of the nest?

I walk alone, then with a neighbour and later, with my husband and the dog. One of the many pleasure of walking is looking into the neighbourhood gardens, watching the birds in all the trees and watching the sky change. These days there are so many people in isolation at home and I often chat to them in their gardens or when they are also walking. Our other walk is taking the dog to the dog park where he has a wonderful time and we walk too with views of trees, the river and boats. It’s lovely.

4. Reading and Watching

More sitting time than usual in this household! I’ve read my haul of magazines including Country Style, UK Country Living and Australian Country, so a bit of a theme there, all topped off by The English Home. And some essential nutrition.

Also read Caroline Baum’s ” Only, A Singular Memoir”, an Australian journalist’s account of a rather unusual childhood in London. Her adult relationship with her parents reflects her need for independence and her need for approval. Hard path to follow! Interesting book.

<i>Only: A Singular Memoir</i> by Caroline Baum.

Currently reading Ian McEwan’s “Amsterdam” and enjoying it. Other books of his I’ve read are “Atonement” made into a film with Keira Knightley,”On Chisel Beach” and “The Children Act” also turned into a film with Emma Thompson. Great book, great film. Also reading favourite gardening books, gathering ideas and shortcuts.

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan (9780099272779) - PaperBack - Crime Mystery & Thriller

Watching “Escape To The Country” on YouTube. These are more recent episodes rather than the older ones on free to air TV. Part tourism, part real estate curiosity, always interesting and in my case, part envy, this program is “before going to bed” relaxation after the murder, trial and retribution series we have been watching.

Decided not to watch every news program or online account of the spread and destruction of C-V 19 as it is exhausting and we are doing everything possible to stay well and safe. Initially grateful when the country closed down, I now think we need to be more moderate and build up some immunity as a vaccine is a long way off being available. Should the vulnerable be careful and the rest get on with it? Seems to have worked well in Sweden. I wonder if more people die of the flu each year in Australia than will die of C-V 19? Should we all be tested to determine asymptomatic carriers and existing immunity then make a decision? This is a rapidly evolving situation, requiring some long term strategies.

5. ANZAC DAY

On April 25th Australians and New Zealanders commemorate ANZAC Day. We remember those who have participated in all armed conflicts and peace keeping missions since WW1.

Traditionally, there were dawn services and later in the morning, parades, often followed by community breakfasts. This year everything will be different. We are being encouraged to stand at the top of our driveways at 6AM with a candle, a torch or a phone light and with our neighbours, observe one minute of silence, broken by random buglers playing the Last Post.

Snipped long but not too stiff rosemary pieces from the bush. Bent and tied the base circle with green gardening wire, then wove extra pieces in the make a stronger wreath.

I have made a rosemary wreath to hang on the fence. Rosemary is the plant of remembrance. If I make this again I will make a smaller wreath based on a deformed wire clothes hanger. I cannot go to the floral supplier for a round base for the wreath but it still looks fine. I cut pieces of rosemary which are still whippy, not too long and hard and using green garden wire, joined them at regular intervals to make a circle. Added two poppies, symbols of the red poppies growing on Flanders Field and a red bow.

I have also made boxes of ANZAC biscuits to give to our close neighbours. The recipe is derived from the recipe used to make long lasting and nutritious biscuits to send to the troops in the Middle East and France, a months sea voyage from Australia, beginning during WW1. ( Lots of recipes online if you’d like to try these delicious biscuits )

Trays of cooked and waiting to be cooked ANZAC biscuits.

Printed labels, cut and glued to tags, punched holes, filled the boxes and added labels and rosemary. Off to distribute them soon.

ANZAC the acronym for AUSTRALIAN and NEW ZEALAND ARMY CORPS

Searching through the pantry for biscuit making ingredients I came across this forgotten Christmas Pudding. Only seemed right to heat it and eat it. Glad we did, it was very good.

EARTH DAY

Earth Day was first celebrated fifty years ago. The focus is on reducing your environmental impact. For me, this particularly means using less plastic!

The reduction in pollution since the onset of CV-19 is sobering. I think the message is use less, buy once and buy the best and always consider the place of origin of everything you buy.

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Here and Now

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Long time readers of the blog will remember I used to participate in a monthly link-up with the fabulous knitter and wool shop owner who writes ‘Say! Little Hen’ (https://www.saylittlehen.com/.) She’s no longer linking to other blogs but posted this week using the original headings and I’ve decided to use them for this blog, too.

Loving

Self imposed isolation has changed the busyness of our lives. I really enjoy so many things I do outside the house but now those activities are not possible, I am savouring the time I have to do other things. I have begun an online course on FutureLearn from the Institut Français de la Mode to learn about clothing sustainability. There are courses from many disciplines, this one covers aspects of fashion and history plus consumer behaviour.

Like many people in the neighbourhood we walk the dog at least twice a day. We read, especially online news, go on virtual tours of gardens, galleries and a zoo, I paint and cook and we were able to get a generous pile of books from the library before it closed. Looked at lots of online magazines. I love house and garden magazines but find the online format frustrating so I’ve given up on them!

Judging by the overflowing charity bins around here, everyone else has also taken the opportunity to sort their kitchen cupboards and their wardrobes, too. Very satisfying but now the bags are piling up in the garage.

This break from our usual routines gives us all time to appreciate our homes, to plan improvements in organisation, decoration, the very essence of homeliness that resonates with each of us can be refined at this time. Use all your precious things, sit out in the fresh air, sort and tidy, be surrounded by what is good for you and your family. Have time off social media and cook something special, ring someone you miss, dig in your garden or walk in a park or on the beach, if you can.

So, lots to enjoy about this unusual time. Hope it doesn’t last much longer, though!

Eating

As usual, I’ve made bread and immunity boosting soup. I usually make chicken stock soups whenever we have a chicken which seems to be once a week but now I add lots of turmeric, ginger and often garlic to the mix.

Today I made Shakshuka for lunch. This spicy, delicious dish is probably more commonly eaten at breakfast but we enjoyed it for lunch. There are many recipes online if you’d like to try it. Apparently Shakshuka means “all mixed up” in Hebrew. Interestingly, almost every European nationality claims this as a traditional food in their cuisine. Tastes good, anyway.

I cooked up onions and garlic then added fresh and tinned tomatoes and spinach from the garden and let it simmer. Added paprika and pinch of salt. When the spinach was wilted I made four holes in the sauce and broke an egg into each and left everything simmering until the yolks set. Grind of black pepper and it’s done. Serve with toast, pitta bread, Turkish bread, anything that comes to hand. Sprinkle parsley on top.

Drinking

I’d like to say I’m drinking some exotic flower based tea, but I’m not. I drink about 3lt of water everyday plus several double espressos. I make sure I stop drinking coffee way before bedtime after reading that it stays in your system for hours after you’ve drunk it!

clear glass of water selective focus photo

Feeling

Like everyone else, I feel worried about Covid-19, the economy and the long term impact of all of this on Australia and the rest of the world. I hope the longer term outcome for Australia is that we develop our own manufacturing base, so we aren’t so dependent on imports. I think we should have a trucking industry to service the farming, freight and resources sectors. Since Holden ceased manufacturing in Australia we have a ready made, skilled workforce available. We should manufacture our own medications, make all our own toilet paper. The list could go on and on. We should all look to see where things are made before we buy them and encourage a strong manufacturing base in Australia.

Making

I am renovating the back garden but the soil is still too hot to start planting. I’ve weeded, added Bentonite clay for water retention, then an organic fertilizer. Topped it all off with pea straw and watered it down making the area ready for planting. This bed is surrounded by a brick rendered fence and brick paving so it’s very hot for seven or eight months of the year.

We have had the hottest April day for years this Easter. I haven’t planted the tulips, yet, but hope it cools down soon. Then we can start re-planting areas cleared at the beginning of the garden renovation.

Thinking

black framed eyeglasses

Will schools re-open in Australia soon? Will some businesses be able to open? I’d like the regional border controls to relax soon as I haven’t been able to visit family. Also thinking of the friends and family members who have celebrated their birthdays in isolation .

Also thinking about obsolescence. We built this house 13 years ago. In recent years we’ve had to replace the oven and found the only model with the functions we wanted that fitted in the space was stainless steel. Looked funny in an all white kitchen. Now I’m used to it and don’t notice. Then the range hood stopped working. Almost impossible to replace it with the right size and we’d just renewed the cupboard doors so didn’t want a carpenter having to change things to fit. Getting the existing unit repaired cost more than a new one. Very annoying. Then last week the Bosch dishwasher, only eight years old, stopped working. The repairman arrived after the Easter break in his gloves and mask and quoted for the repair. It was almost the cost of a new dishwasher. So we decided to get a new one with an extended warranty. Delivered and installed the next day and the old one taken away. It is also stainless steel as that was all we could do without going into electrical shops. I suppose I’ll get used to it, too. I wonder about the lifespan of electrical goods. I also wonder about the cost to repair things. We are a small family with light usage of our white goods. Is having to replace things that are not very old common?

Dreaming

It is autumn and I am looking forward to planting the garden for next spring. Dreaming of fresh produce and glorious flowers.

Abraham Darby (pink) Pierre de Ronsard and Father’s Love Glamis Castle (white)

April 17th is National Haiku Poetry Day. This genre of poetry is usually three sentences long. The first and last sentences should have five syllables and the middle sentence should have seven syllables, if written in Japanese. Written English words are longer and can have 10 to 14 syllables. Haiku poems do not need to rhyme. So, if you’ve run out of things to do in isolation, try writing a Haiku poem!

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What Are You Reading, Watching and Doing?

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Apologies

I have been experiencing technical difficulties publishing the blog and it took a while to realise there was a problem and to rectify it. Well, I couldn’t rectify it but thanks to the techo-maestro in Kalgoorlie, our son, all is well again. I am sorry if this caused you any frustration and thank you for persisting.

It would be lovely to know what you are reading, watching and the jobs you are doing, so please comment. We’ve done home maintenance, gardening, read books and online watched “Unorthodox” and “Traitor” on Netflix. Both beautifully filmed and thought provoking. Also watched some very funny old Rowan Atkinson performances and the Mr Bean series. Our favourite serial now is “La Forêt”, “The Forest”, in French with subtitles. If you loved “Broadchurch” you’ll love this thriller, too.

Coco Chanel Photographs

Just before we pulled up the drawbridge and lowered the portcullis we really enjoyed this exhibition of Coco Chanel photographs taken over a period of three weeks in July 1962 by Douglas Kirkland. Now 85, Kirkland is famous for photographing famous people. He was sent to Paris to interview Coco Chanel after Jacqueline Kennedy appeared wearing Chanel suits in the White house.

Kirkland was 27, Chanel was 79. They developed a wonderful relationship, the respect and mutual admiration apparent in these photographs. Chanel was not known for being easy to work with, but these two gifted people obviously enjoyed working together and this exhibition displayed the resulting photographs from his book.

The very stylish Coco Chanel learnt to sew in an orphanage, before a short career in cabaret performance and training as a milliner. As a designer she modernised women’s clothing, using simple shapes, low heels and focusing on comfort and style. She championed trousers for women, swimsuits and bobbed hair. No more corsets and feathers.

Chanel also popularised “junk” jewellery and wore lots of it, layered with real gems. She is probably best known for the first couture perfume, Chanel No.5 which is the most popular perfume ever made.

These photographs reveal a different side of Coco Chanel. She is beautifully captured by Douglas Kirkland, surrounded by her designs and models. Fabulous exhibition.

And Also Sculptures By The Sea

Already being careful and mindful of social distancing, we wandered around this annual exhibition of sculptures, arranged on the beach and grasslands above the beach at Cottesloe.

My apologies to the creators of these interesting works, but crowding, including masses of school groups, prevented me from safely reading or photographing the titles of theses sculptures or their creators. Looking forward to next years’ exhibition being back to normal.

A New Sphere For The Renovated Garden

I like spheres as decoration in the garden. This is a buoy, washed up years ago on the coast near our farm. I had already painted it pink about ten years ago, but wanted something more vibrant for this area under the clothesline.

Buoys are designed to float on water or just below, to mark a location. Traditionally made from iron they are now made of polyethylene.

The existing base was pale pink. It was bleached yellow when it was found. I drizzled it, a la Jackson Pollock, with four colours, using recycled chopsticks and paint sample pots. I placed it in a pot on an old tablecloth, my painting protective sheet and covered it all over by painting an area, letting it dry and then rotating it.

The colours remind me of my parents’ old atlas, which I poured over as a child. I’d love to sit on their bed, looking at the map of the world and then particular countries, many which I have now visited.

It adds a bit of colour to this reduced collection.

Random Jobs

Across the bottom of our steep drive there is a stormwater drain covered by a grate. It was full of compacted leaf litter. This meant rain coming down the drive was not running into the drain and going off to the soak well but actually going into the garage at the bottom of the drive. Not anymore! The grating was removed, the leaf litter dug out, the drain washed and the grating put back in place. Now we need rain to soak our sandy soil and start the seasonal growth cycle again.

My husband likes white bread so I decided to try making this French Loaf after reading about it on a blog. It was so easy to mix in the Kitchenaid and I could have done the second knead in the machine, too, but I wanted to feel the elasticity of the mix so I’d know when it was ready. This recipe made two lovely loaves of bread.

Always have chicken stock, now called bone broth, so made more immunity boosting chicken, vegetable, ginger and turmeric soup. This one has a lot of chicken in it, too, as I’d bought a big one and after three meals still had some meat, so added it to the soup.

Following the success of white bread made in the Kichenaid I mixed my normal 100% rye bread mix in it, too. I added some plain white flour to increase the gluten and expected it to rise more. It was a bigger loaf than my usual rye sourdough. Still quite dense but tastes very good, so I’ll continue using this method.

Always trying to avoid waste, so used leftover bread (bought, not bread I’d made!) for Bread and Butter pudding. Very nice.

Apples lost their crunch? Don’t throw them away! Use a core remover to de-core the apples, cut them in half then put them cut side down on the cutting board and lightly cut them closely but not all the way through. Place them cut flesh side down in a lightly oiled baking dish. Microwave 60gm brown sugar or caster sugar, 60gm butter and 1 tspn cinnamon for 25 seconds, mix, pour over the apples. Bake in a 200 degree C oven for about 30 minutes. Serve with icecream, yoghurt or just as they are and enjoy.

Pruned the hydrangeas and planted cuttings to propagate and then bulk up the existing bed. These are semi-sun tolerant hydrangeas and they also bloom for an extended period.

Set up my paints on the table and really enjoyed painting these flowers. Top one finished, lower one a work in progress.

Alternate Entertainments

As our lives change completely and movement outside the house becomes difficult each of us misses different aspects of our previous lives. For some it is eating out or visiting their favourite cafe, for others it is going to work, theatres, cinemas and beaches. Some people are missing shopping. I miss being able to visit my mother and seeing friends. I continue to paint at home and have found a yoga session on YouTube which leaves me feeling stretched and well. I am so impressed by the many online entertainments people have posted or watched! I hope you are comfortable and well in isolation.

Enjoy Easter whatever you have planned. It will be very different for many people this year. HAPPY EASTER!

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10 Distractions in Self Imposed Quarantine

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We are in self imposed quarantine. We have reasonable food supplies and any medication we might need. We are being cautious. Schools are still functioning although parents are being told to keep their children home if they are worried but school will finish this week in Western Australia, a week earlier than expected. We are being told to keep our distance from each other: two arms length apart.

Small businesses are closing and unemployment will be a major challenge for Australians. We’re shopping online and focusing on small local businesses where possible, but we are not big consumers, either. I can’t help but think about the towns decimated recently by bush fires and now being commercially effected by CV-19.

We will use this home time to do jobs around the house and in the garden when it is cool enough. Talking to friends it seems lots of us have long TO DO lists for the house and garden. My first job involves the plastics cupboard. About five years ago my sister-in-law was staying here and she sorted and rearranged all the plastic things in this cupboard and I was able to maintain that for ages, but not any more! Big job ahead.

These are a few of the things I have already done during the first few days of quarantine.

1. Before/After in the Plastics Cupboard.

Or, when I suddenly realised it was not only a mess but I have no need for so many containers now we’re not going to work and there are just two of us here.

BEFORE

AFTER Accessible with frequently used small containers at the front.

2. At Home Dry Cleaning

My husband’s tie had a mark on it after a recent outing so I said I would wash it. Read the label. It said “Dry Clean Only”, but we are in self imposed quarantine, so no trips to the dry cleaner planned. I consulted Google and found several items describing safe ways to launder a silk tie.

Following the advice on Google, I gently rubbed dish detergent on the mark, then swished the entire tie in lukewarm water before rinsing it three times in clean, lukewarm water. Placed it on a towel outside. When it was dry the mark was gone, so I ironed it with an ironing cloth on top and it is perfect!

3. Marbled Paper

I needed to marble new sheets for the inside covers of my journals. My mother gave me this tissue like paper but it had tears and marks on it so I cut sheets to fit the inside covers of my journals. Then I ironed out the fold marks.

I use Japanese inks to marble paper. Usually I do enough for the inside front cover and inside back cover for five or six journals. Wearing gloves, I mix the inks using the dispersing drops from the ink pots or a chopstick but you can also blow on the inks with a straw. I then print the sheets in the laundry trough by gently floating the paper on the mixed inks. The sheet of paper is then carefully peeled off the surface and placed outside on the brick paving to dry. They dry very quickly and are then ready to glue in place.

The tissue thin papers I cut were too fragile, so I used printer paper which is what I usually print on. The colours are pale and pretty and more like traditional marbling colours.

These prints are on the tissue paper I cut. The inks gripped well and resulted in strong colours, but the paper was too fragile and tore when it was wet. I was able to rescue a few sheets but not many.

Marble papers inside, trimmed, glued in. Three new journals ready to go! They’ll keep me going a long time if we are in isolation for months.

4. Easter Tablescape.

Easter feels really flat this year. Normally I do a lot of cooking but we wont be entertaining or going south to visit my Mother. All the usual decorations don’t sit well in this time of concern and closed churches. So, just a little arrangement on the table and an online order of chocolate!

5. Squared up Pictures and Mirrors

Love this clever little spirit level. Had it for years and love it. Wandered round the house after dusting and straightened the pictures and mirrors. Everything looks straight.

6. Immune Boosting Soup

Always have chicken stock in the freezer so made a thick, immunity boosting soup for our lunch. Borlotti beans, chicken stock and lots of vegetables cooked up with ginger and turmeric. Delicious but not ideal when the temperature is 37 degrees celsius (98.6 F) at lunch time.

7. Pretty Touches

Now we are housebound I’ve added more flowers. There’s very little left blooming in the garden except roses. The swathe of very pretty Mexican rose creeper flowers don’t last well when cut but I really like the colour.

This is where we keep photos of our fathers and our previous, much missed dog, Toby. I did the painting in the background when he was quite young. He and Louis, our dog now look very alike but are very different personalities. Both wonderful!

8.Yum Cha For Sunday Lunch

Our son was down from Kalgoorlie for the weekend. He left in February when it was very hot and now the mornings are much cooler and he needed warmer clothes. He also wanted some of his kitchen equipment and spices.

As a family we used to enjoy going out on the weekends for yum cha. That is no longer possible. We had some frozen so were able to sit down to our favourite family Sunday lunch. We had Prawn Hargow, Szechuan Pork, vegetable dumplings, Thai Chicken and broccoli in garlic and chili. Plus some dipping sauces and pickled ginger.

Prawn Hargow with broccoli and pickled ginger.

9. Garden Jobs

Went through my tin of seed packets. Planted some hollyhocks and yellow nasturtium seeds, plus some fresh perpetual spinach as the existing plants are getting a bit tough. Also planted some little gem lettuce as the seeds were close to their expiry date. Found coriander seeds which were past their expiry date so planted them in little pots and if they germinate I’ll snip them off when they’re small and we’ll eat them as micro nutrients scattered on our dinner.

Also did masses of weeding. There’s still a lot more to do but today we have had very welcome rain. Such a change but it is autumn now.

10.Cupboard Cooking

Suddenly cooler so thought I’d make a chickpea curry for lunch. Unfortunately, we have no fresh ginger or garlic and I’ve run out of onions. Discovered I can make a very good curry using only bits and pieces from the cupboard.

Mixed 2 tspn onion powder, 2 tspn garlic powder, 1 tspn ginger powder with 1/2 tspn each of cumin, turmeric and cayenne plus 1 tspn ground coriander in a medium sized pot and heated it up. Added a tin of drained chickpeas and a tin of diced tomatoes, plus 1/2 tin of hot water I’d used to swish out the tomato tin and let it all simmer for about 15 minutes. Stirred to prevent sticking. Then I added some frozen broccoli and cauliflower and simmered another 10 minutes.

Very nice straight away for lunch and even better the next day as leftovers for lunch. Next time I might add a couple of potatoes to the mix or spinach. Cool enough now for hearty meals.

I always have onion and garlic powder as I make our own taco mix. There’s lots of online recipes if you want to try it. A jar lasts a very long time.

Picked the last of the spinach and the basil which is going to seed. Added to a squid dinner. Fresh and lovely.

Hope you are managing with the limitations and risks of CV-19. Love the way people are sharing online museum and art gallery visits, book lists, great things to watch on TV and online/text communications. Found some new blogs I’m really enjoying, too. Think frequently about the hard working farmers who grow the fresh food we eat, the staff still working in food shops and the many front line health professionals. I thank them all. Keep safe, keep well and make sure you’ve had your fluvax!

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Ages of My Life, The Memories of My 88 Year Old Mother

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My Mother’s Memories

I was talking to my mother when I was writing the previous blog, 12 Things I Like About Being Older, and she was relating those things to the events and changes in her life. It was so interesting I asked her to write down some of the events we were discussing. She did despite recovering from a broken wrist. These are her thoughts, memories and comments on her life. I will encourage her to expand on her later years which were full of farm work, community engagement, church and family plus continuing contact with her pen pals and friends all over the world.

My father, Reg, my sister Marty, myself and my mother, Mick.

A DIFFICULT BEGINNING

I was christened in the hospital where I was born as I was dying. I have been told it was lung failure. My sister told me years later that I was born prematurely and that was the problem. However, I survived. It must have been because the only clergy available was the Anglican Bishop!

NEXT ERA

My sister, who was three years older than me, started school. I was very unhappy! Our dog became my new “playmate”. I wouldn’t leave him alone. The two of us would lie on the drive, at the gate and wait for Marty, my sister, to arrive home from school.

THEN IT BECAME MY TURN

I left the dog and went to school. We were called “the bubs” and our room was very basic, with wooden walls to window height and canvas “windows”. No heating or cooling. The room had a cement deck outside where we sometimes had our lessons in fine weather. Children from Grade 1 to Grade 3 were altogether. The wooden main school house had Grades 4, 5, 6, and 7 all together. The headmaster taught the children up to 12 years of age We walked along bush tracks from our house overlooking the river to school and picked wildflowers in the spring. There were very few roads and they were made of limestone.

I joined the Brownies. I am on the left, middle row.

Then the war came and with the war, flying boats on the river. Australia was cut off by the Japanese advance and the only fast link was by a 26 hour non stop Catalina flying boat flight to Colombo in Sri Lanka. We could no longer swim in the river off the jetty but we did anyway. The girls school in the city was requisitioned and my only sister went by bus to the newly built Kent High School in Victoria Park. School for her was only half a day due to overcrowding. By the time I got there, more buildings had gone up so there were more classrooms. There was food, clothing and petrol rationing and a blackout at night. No lights at all anywhere. There was an air raid shelter at school and we dug one at home.

POST WAR AND ANOTHER ERA, STUDYING FOR THE LEAVING AND MY PARENTS SEPARATION

Our house in Duncraig Road, Applecross

By now I was studying for the Leaving, the final school exam, and my parents separated, causing quite a change in our lives. We had to move from our home in Applecross overlooking the Swan River to a two bedroom flat with my mother’s friend who ” took us in”. We stayed there for some time. I finished my schooling, passed the Pharmaceutical Apprentice’s entrance exam and went to work at the Adelphi Pharmacy on St. George’s Terrace in Perth. When I was old enough (you had to be 18 as it was a four year apprenticeship and not allowed to practice until you were 21 years old) my father signed the indenture papers and I began my four year apprenticeship.

In the city.

The apprentices did all their studying at night at the Technical School in St. George’s Terrace, very convenient for me as it was nearby, but not good for many. We finished work at 5.30 and began lessons at 6pm. We were paid one pound, about $2.oo a week for first year, two pounds for second year and so on. After I left, the lessons were held in the daytime and the pay increased. Not long after, apprenticeships ended and university degrees came in instead.

At the Women Pharmacists’ Association dinner 1950. I am on the right.

Morgan and me, 1949, Rottnest Island.

I finished my time but had married and had a young son and found it difficult to manage childcare. My husband, Morgan, was studying law at the University of Western Australia on an ex-serviceman’s grant. We had decided on a block of land in Doubleview and were working on house plans, but that was not to be. Morgan’s father had a timber milling business and was building another mill and running a farm, so he wanted his only surviving son to come down to the farm. We went.

I was about to have our second child and, having had some medical problems having the first, I stayed near my doctor in Perth and the hospital. Morgan’s mother looked after our first son at the farm. This was 1954. Two years later our daughter was born.

My Mother In law holding Twinkle the Shetland Pony with the three children, my Father-In-Law on Greyboy and Morgan on Bill

At “Parkfield”, the farm with my sons and daughter.

We left the farm 54 years later and Morgan died of leukemia three weeks later. What has followed in my life in the 64 years since I left Applecross and became a farmers wife has had many “ups’ and perhaps some “downs” but it would take many, many pages to chronicle them.

St. Nicholas, our family church with my husband, Morgan.

I can only say I am happy, I have been loved and still am. With reasonable health I trust I shall have time to record some of those memories in the future.

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12 Things I Like About Getting Older

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ABOUT GETTING OLDER

1. My husband and I are both retired and spend more time together. We led busy working lives and my husband was often overseas, so this is a change. We enjoy doing things together and this is balanced by our individual interests which we now have time to pursue. Lying in bed reading in the morning is such a leisurely start to the day.

2. We can have people to lunch during the week as generally our friends are retired, too. Long, lazy, luxurious lunches with some feisty discussions suit us well and leave Saturday free to read the papers with coffee and breakfast and Sunday free for more of the same!

3. I go to a yoga class at 10am on a weekday. Many of the people are older than me and not in full time work. There’s not a lot of lycra. Focusing on flexibility and balance plus lots of relaxation, this class really suits me.

three woman doing yoga inside room

4. We go on holidays when children are in school. As a school teacher for 41 years, my long holidays coincided with families holidaying, too, and often we paid a premium. Not anymore!

boat on body of water during daytime

5. The house is full and we are beginning to declutter. We have everything we want and more, so no expensive purchases. Now we want less, not more. Not everyone in the house agrees with getting rid of stuff, but it is a work in progress!

6. Age has resulted in more personal time. No children at home, no work rush and pressure, so time to garden, paint, read, walk and all the other things I never really had time to do before. The sense of urgency about getting things done has gone although I still have a TO DO list. Often I ignore it.

color palette

7. Many of our friends are a similar age and don’t need more ornaments as gifts, either, so it’s fun thinking of edible or similar gifts. I have time to look for ideas ( hello Pinterest) and time to make things, too. I enjoy creative activities and giving meaningful or edible gifts. And I enjoy making the giftboxes and the cards and sometimes even printing the gift wrap!

8. Issues matter less. I’m more relaxed about political issues and more empathetic about the ideas and passions of others…or I’ve learnt to keep my thoughts to myself!

magazines displayed on a rack

9. I used to walk later in the evening when dinner was finished and cleaned up, watering the garden and preparing food for the next day was under control and the neighbours were in their homes. Now I walk whenever suits me and chat regularly to people up and down the street. I enjoy this greater sense of community. I also enjoy a gentle meander around the dog park in the cool of the evening, not carefully timetabled in between getting home from work and serving dinner. The dog enjoys it, too!

10. Fashions and fads generally pass me by. I know which colours and styles suit me, so I wear what works. I like a low maintenance hairstyle and eschew very high heels. I’ll try new food ideas but stick with old favourites, too. Instagram is good for following friends on holiday but the faux lifestyle photos have no impact. The confidence of being older, and maybe wiser, is a good thing.

women wearing yellow cap during daytiem

11. We have just become empty nesters for the third time. It was very special having the adult child living with us for the past three years but now he is gone. This is the third time he’s left. The first was to go to the School of Mines in Kalgoorlie when he did Mining Engineering, the second when his company transferred him to Adelaide and now he is off to Kalgoorlie again in his new job.

brown nest on tree

So, we eat dinner when it suits us and we eat less. Our bigger meal is in the middle of the day, now. We don’t do the same amount of food shopping and what we buy for ourselves is different. Although we miss the energy of him arriving home for dinner weekdays with his news of his day, the time is right for him to move on.

12. Somewhere along the way you get to know what really matters and what doesn’t and who is important and which people will slowly appear less in your life. I have also made new friends through painting, mahjong and book club. I have developed new interests from spending more relaxed time with people. I have learnt to relax and zone out, things I could never master in the past as I was so busy. I think the very best thing about getting older is having time to do what you want.

aerial photography of blue body of water under white and blue sky

I wrote this blog two weeks ago. China and Italy were struggling with Covid-19 but Australia was still to develop the same problems and risks. That has all changed in 14 days and will continue to evolve daily. So, like many of you, our day to day engagements are seriously curtailed. There’s no yoga, mahjong, book club or visits to cafes or restaurants. I will stop going to my painting class next week. We go to the dog park and stand well apart from other people and have stocked up on food ( toilet paper, not so much) in case we have to go into quarantine.

The post-CV 19 world will be different from the world we knew before the onset. Financially this is a difficult time for so many people. Emotionally, most people will be focused on who and what really matters in their lives. Keep an eye on elderly or single neighbours and friends.

During these uncertain times take care, wash your hands frequently and don’t expect me to elbow bump as a greeting; you can’t sneeze into your elbow then expect me to touch it! Keep well, be careful and if you’re not in quarantine, go for long walks in the fresh air.

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Mushrooms, Repairs and Sculpture at Bathers Beach

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Researching Mushrooms

I’d like to grow my own mushrooms. I bought a kit a while back and was disappointed with the yield. Inspired by a book*, I set off to buy some inoculated substrate to make my own mushroom farm.

I was told about a local Saturday morning market where a variety of mushrooms were sold and some seemed to be growing in kits. Found the grower and had a good chat! He sells already inoculated pink oyster and white oyster kits. I bought a tray of pink and white oysters and some king mushrooms.

Research dictated I cook and eat them, one type at a time, but quite quickly as they’re fresh and it is still very hot in Perth. I’ll be back at the market for one of his oyster kits next week. My husband will be back for the German sausage with onions and mustard in a bun.

The long mushroom on the left is the king mushrooms aka Erygii the KIng (genus Pleurotus erygii) The other two are pink (Pleurotus djamor) and white oyster mushrooms.

This delicious plate of king mushrooms on buttered toast was a real surprise. The grower had said they’d taste a little like scallops and they do, cooked in butter and served on toast with a light sprinkling of Himalayan salt and fresh parsley.

Like the pink oyster mushrooms the white ones had a very delicate flavour. I am going to try growing the King Oyster mushrooms which have a distinctive flavour.( I have just discovered the kits are not available until it is cooler, maybe in May)

*MILKWOOD, Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar, Murdoch Books 2018

My Own Repair Shop

I watch a British program, The Repair Shop, on ABCtv every week day afternoon at the moment. Extremely talented crafts men and women repair and restore family treasures. The range of things which are repaired is amazing. Less landfill but mostly, these repaired pieces are of huge sentimental value to their owners.

My repairs are far more modest but I like maintaining the things we have in good shape. I wish I had paid more attention to my Father when he was working out in the shed as he seemed able to repair anything and had a huge stock of bits and pieces to do these jobs. He collected nails, screws, bolts, leather, rubber, glue, even bits of wire in various gauges plus useful bits of timber. The shed was a lovely place to poke around for a creative, crafty little girl.

So, this week I have re-glued the patch in my husband’s panama hat, originally intended to keep hair oil off the top of hats. He doesn’t use hair oil but I didn’t want to lose the patch. I gently peeled off the existing strip of glue, which had failed and squeezed another narrow stripe around the protective piece and held it back in place. Job done!

Collected my bag of glues and gently eased the old, spent glue from the patch.

Glued it and held it until it was secure.

My second job was repairing a hole in the kitchen floor tiles. Something had been dropped and chipped the porcelain. I cleaned the hole then over filled it with all purpose Polyfilla. Protected it with a faux witches hat while it cured! Later I saw Kirsten, the ceramics specialist on The Repair Shop, repairs ceramics with car/auto body compound, a flexible putty which dries to a strong mend. I’ll get some this week to try.

Next I sand papered it flush with the tile then painted it. I painted the repair with a layer of Dulux Antique USA , then I touched it up with some colours I mixed myself from sample pots. Now smooth and matching the surrounds and difficult for anyone else to see.

I know where the repairs is but it is hard to see….good!

The final repair was treating and re-painting a few rusty spots on an outside metal door frame. Firstly, a rust converter then two coats of paint to finish the job. Matching the white paint was the hardest bit as the existing white has discoloured with age. Took a couple of tries to get it right.

Sculpture at Bathers

This is the fourth event since 2013. The intention is to establish the presence of local sculptors and increase their opportunity to been seen and appreciated. There are 95 sculptors represented in this beach side exhibition.

Richie Kuhaupt Man of Steel

I can’t find the name of this very beautiful and textural sculpture which looked like an octopus. Swaying slightly in the sea breeze and the movement of people it was lovely to look at from the distance and close up.

Greg James Bolte and Co. These bronze Indian Runner Ducks are amusing.

A popular exhibition, it was difficult to see most of the pieces due to the number of people there, enjoying the works and the weather. The beach at this time of the year is an ideal setting for exhibitions, especially when the sea breeze comes in.

This is Bathers Beach in Fremantle. A beautiful stretch of beach easily accessed via public transport and private vehicles, there’s a lovely park nearby plus restaurants, coffee shops and bars. A very pleasant environment to visit the sculptures.

Later we meandered around Fremantle, enjoying the old buildings, the wharf and the ocean. A lovely afternoon.

Today is Friday 13th! Are you superstitious? Historically, the number 13 is considered unlucky, probably resulting from 13 people sitting down to the Last Supper. Actually, the Mayans considered it a very lucky number. Friday the 13th only happens once to three times a year. To be fearful of the number 13 is to experience triskaidekaphobia.

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How To Grow Stephanotis and Being Grateful

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GROWING STEPHANOTIS

This attractive vine with its leathery dark green leaves and pure white, highly aromatic flowers is a stephanotis vine. Also known as Madagascar jasmine, wax flower or Hawaiian wedding flower, it is native to Madagascar. It was traditionally used in bridal bouquets as the cluster of flowers hung down and smelled sweet.

It is a quick growing, climbing vine with fragrant, waxy star shaped white flower. It needs to be supported on a frame/trellis or fence. My friend has a vine growing through a magnolia tree. Both plants have thick green leaves and white blooms. It looks very pretty.

These are the seed pods. They are about the size of a large avocado. The pod will turn brown as it dries out, then split and release many seeds, each attached to white silky filaments, or propellers, which will spread them far and wide on the wind.

To Grow Stephanotis

I was given the brown seeds from a seed pod. I dug a trench about 2cm deep in seed raising mix, scattered the seeds in the trench then lightly covered them with more soil. I kept the pot moist as it was very hot here at the time. Within two weeks the first dichotyledon (two leaf) plants had appeared. Within three weeks all the seeds planted had germinated.

The seeds and seedlings need to be kept moist. They germinate in hot weather.

Three weeks later I transferred the seedlings to temporary pots ( yoghurt pots) to take to a friend who wanted to plant them along her fence. I have already planted more seeds and will pot them up to give to my Mother. She grows plants for fund raising stalls. The funds support the School Chaplain program in her parish.

Stephanotis plants like heat but not constant direct sunlight. They flower in summer. The flowers have a strong but attractive scent and once established, they are hardy and bloom freely. They need the support of a frame or fence.

In cooler climates stephanotis are grown inside as a house plant. They need to be near a window for light and warmth. Be careful not to over water the plant.

Other highly scented plants which will attract birds and bees and are blooming now are gardenias, lavenders and frangipanis.

Grateful

I’ve just come back inside from checking on some lavender seedlings I planted in the front courtyard. I’m glad I checked; the reticulation needs adjusting. While I was out there I looked down towards the highway. Two lanes moving, the other two lanes not. We live near several big private schools and the highway goes into the city, so the traffic can be awful early in the morning, then not so bad, then heavy again in the afternoon from 4-6pm. Looking at the cars I felt so grateful I didn’t have to edge along with them to work!

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Sunday, 8th March, we celebrate International Women’s Day. This year’s theme is #EachforEqual. The over riding view is an equal world is an enabled world. It is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

The Women’s Movement of the 70s strived for the same changes, but in Australia there is still not equal pay for equal work in all fields of employment. Consider female representation in parliaments and in company leadership. We have along way to go.

So, let’s celebrate the courage and determination of the women who have played a role in change but also be mindful of areas which are unfair and limiting our women and girls.

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Thoughts and Everyday Things

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In the past, I used to really enjoy linking to a blog which has gone in a different direction now. Reading that blog and the similar blogs which all linked up was really fun and interesting.

The headings I have used today in this blog are copied from Fiona’s blog “Stay Home Instead” but with some modifications so they are more closely matched to what’s happening in my life! I hope you enjoy these little snippets.

Looking Around the House

We’ve been down to my Mother’s in Australind, so returned with lovely things. These roses are from her garden. They are bravely holding up in this dreadful humidity and heat, but only just!

Also from her garden the sweetest, prettiest grapes. My husband had to climb up on the tank stand and them onto a retaining wall to snip these off the vine, but what a luscious bounty. We shared them amongst three people and my Mother had enough to do the same.

Also remnant fabrics. I have a friend who makes quilts for a charity so my family and friends often get me to pass on fabrics for her to make quilts.

On the Breakfast Plate

This delicious loaf of bread came home swathed in layers of white tissue paper. As a child our bread come home wrapped the same way. I usually eat fruit and yoghurt for breakfast but couldn’t resist the crust off this loaf. Added butter and Vegemite…wonderful.

red and white ceramic mug

An important part of breakfast every day is a double espresso.

On My Mind

Like everyone else, I am concerned about the coronavirus. We’re taking precautions but there seems to be so much we don’t know about the transmission, treatment and limiting the spread of it, so it’s on my mind. I am so glad our government has declared it a pandemic and is taking appropriate steps to limit the impact on all Australians.

On My Reading Pile

brown mushrooms

I really like mushrooms but I’m the only one in the family who eats them. I tried growing them last year using a boxed kit I bought. Not very impressive yield, so the kit became soil for a new, potted rose. (It is thriving)

I’d like to try again so have been reading Milkwood, Real skills for down-to-earth living, by Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar, as a guide. There’s five sections in the book; how to grow tomatoes and mushrooms, beekeeping, collecting and using seaweed and wild food. The mushroom section is easy to follow and very motivational. I’ve just been told this morning about a local farmers’ market where there’s a mushroom grower who sells inoculated substrate, so we’ll go hunting Saturday morning.

On My TV

This heading is a bit difficult as we aren’t watching much television at all. We watch The Repair Shop (ABCtv), the news and weather and The Little Drummer Girl on SBStv, but not much else. We have so many channels but we’re not really interested in most of the programs at the moment.

The Repair Shop is a fascinating program where artisans repair antique or special artifacts which are damaged. These very talented restorers repair everything from clocks, paintings, ceramics, textiles and furniture. Owners take their specials pieces to the Repair Shop and the craftmen and women show us the process of repairing and restoring their treasures. Intriguing stories and wonderful artifacts.

On The Menu This Week

I love reading about people who plan their menu for every week and shop based on those plans. I’ve tried to do it, I’ve printed off beautifully coloured planning sheets and I’ve shopped according to those plans. Something always happens and I’ve realized it just doesn’t work for me.

Salmon with Mediterranean Spices, cauliflower, broccoli and green beans plus a squeeze of lime and a grind of black pepper.

I hate wasting food and somehow everything gets eaten. I’d like to say I make double every time and freeze half, but I rarely do that, either. We tend to eat seasonal food and what is available dictates what we eat. The green grocer we go to has amazing fruit and vegetables and the rest just seems to happen.

So, the photo above shows our dinner last night!

A Chore I’m Not Looking Forward To This Week

After I’d photographed and written about removing or at least taming this bougainvillea the enormity of the task hit me and I’ve rung a gardener to do it, instead! It was carefully kept under control until some birds ate the middle section out of it and the top just shot away. It needs to go before it engulfs our house and the neighbour.

Sir John Tenniel, the principal political cartoonist for Punch magazine for over fifty years, died on February 25th, 1914. He was most famously known for illustrating both Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass.

Tenniel drew the 92 illustrations for the book, which were then engraved in wood and these woodblocks were then used as masters for the electrotype copies printed in the books.

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