by Krista | May 15, 2015 | Autumn
“Winter is the time for comfort,
for good food and warmth,
for the touch of a friendly hand
and for a talk beside the fire:
it is the time for home.”
Edith Sitwell
Autumn is one of the busiest times on our farm as we bustle about getting everything ready for Winter.
Summer’s bounty is swiftly withering, wilting, going to seed, so I’ve been gathering up the last of the tomatoes, capsicum, and hot chili peppers, savoring their fresh flavors before they are all gone.
I’ve been pulling out old plants, stacking them on the compost pile to be turned into good, nourishing stuff for the gardens over the next few months.
I’ve been weeding, watering, and trimming our trees, thickly mulching above their roots so the fierce Winter winds don’t dry them out.
My wheelbarrows have been good friends this week, enabling me to cart load after load of straw from the barn and beautiful composted soil from the goat yards to their new homes in my Winter gardens.
Tonight I worked until well after dark digging new garden beds, spreading compost, and digging that in. Tomorrow I’ll add some more compost then plant my remaining seeds – red carrots, leeks, red onions, black radishes, sorrel, garlic, turnips, and a few more rows of peas – before covering the whole lot with a layer of straw mulch.
The gardens I planted earlier are coming up beautifully! It’s such a thrill to see delicate dill fronds, green radish leaves, and purple beetroots pushing up through the straw. The red cabbages and purple Brussels sprouts are nearly 10 inches tall already!! Peas are sprouting up and sturdy green garlic shoots are standing tall and straight. It is all rather marvelous.
Bear has been hauling loads of hay, filling our barn before Winter hits and the price of hay doubles and triples. When he pulls in I hop on the tractor and together we get the bales off the trailer and stacked neatly up to the rafters. Inevitably we get hay EVERYWHERE and spend the evening sneezing and finding bits of hay in our ears, hair, and clothing, but it’s worth it knowing our goats will be well fed.
As the temperatures dropped this week, we’ve been turning to comfort food to keep us warm and full of energy while we work. Roasted potatoes, creamy root veggie soups, and slow-cooked meats are very welcome as we collapse into our chairs each night, too happily tired to even talk.
Breakfasts are nourishing times, hot and hearty to ward off the early morning frostiness. My favorite thing right now is a big bowl of porridge spiced with cinnamon, studded with dried cranberries, and topped with salted butter and real maple syrup. Wrapping my cold-stiffened fingers around a steaming bowl of this goodness is a splendid way to start the day.
How are you getting ready for the next season in your part of the world? xo
by Krista | May 12, 2015 | Autumn
I’m luxuriating in a few quiet moments this morning before I must knuckle down and get to work. The goats are snoozing in the sunshine, dogs temporarily quiet after the last car drove past, and all I can hear is the tick-tocking of the clocks.
We’ve had stunning weather this week, chilly mornings followed by sun-drenched afternoons of warmth and light.
I’ve been outside every day working hard planting my gardens for winter, building a straw-bale greenhouse, and taking advantage of the sunshine to dry load after load of laundry.
Over the weekend Bear and I took some time off for day trips to celebrate his birthday. We had such a lovely time together, exploring nearby towns, treasure-hunting in thrift stores, treating ourselves to delicious things at various cafes. It’s been so marvelous to eat outside on warm afternoons, soaking up sunlight that is so cozy it nearly lulls you to sleep.
Today I’m working on writing projects and tackling in-depth house-cleaning one room at a time. I’m trying to get everything shipshape so I can start school this week without the stress of laundry piles and boxes of veggies needing to be roasted, dried, or frozen for Winter.
Yes, I’m starting school, and I am so very, very excited. I’m taking a course in Business Administration followed by one in Bookkeeping, all working towards a diploma in Business.
I know most people go to school in their teens and twenties, but back then I lived in a world where girls weren’t supposed to go to school. It simply wasn’t an option for me. Thankfully it IS an option for me now, and at 40 years old I’m embracing the “better late than never” mantra, and stepping into the world of education with a hugely grateful heart. I’m especially thankful to Bear who is supporting me fully and cheering me on every step of the way. He is a treasure.
In celebration of this occasion, I’m hosting a giveaway of one of my wood-burned necklaces (see photo below). To enter, all you need to do is leave me a message here or on Facebook telling me something you’d like to do, try, or learn this year. All contributors names will be put in a hat on Saturday, May 16, 2015 and the winner drawn by Bear.
Now I must skedaddle and get the animals fed, the laundry off the line, and the next couple of trays of tomatoes into the oven for roasting.
Wishing you a beautiful week. XO
by Krista | May 8, 2015 | Autumn
“Dawn is the time when nothing breathes,
the hour of silence.
Everything is transfixed, only the light moves.”
Leonora Carrington
I never tire of watching as weeds, spider webs, and brown stalks of grass are transformed into spun glass and shimmering gold by the luminous light of the rising sun.
I love following the light as it edges higher, slipping over the walls of my veggie patch and onto the flowery star bursts of the fennel blossoms.
The asparagus fronds are rendered ethereal as the sunlight catches the mist droplets clinging to each feathery branch, transforming them into shimmering diamonds.
All too soon the sun will rise, mist disappear, and the farm will return to its treasured rustic self.
But for now we will bask in magic.
by Krista | May 4, 2015 | Autumn
“Everyone craves for truth,
but only few like the taste of it.”
Tushar Chauhan
It’s been a soul-searching sort of morning, a time of taking a mirror in shaking hands and looking straight into it and choosing to stay in that Looking Place instead of glancing away or dropping the mirror entirely and losing myself in busy work.
It’s quite uncomfortable, mostly because it’s not all good that I see there. I see fear and insecurity, impatience and unkindness to myself and others, and the weariness that comes from avoiding this soul-examining for too long.
In the old days I would’ve stayed looking at all the bad things, letting them loom larger and larger until they obliterated the goodness that is also there. But I’m trying not to do that anymore. I’m trying to look inward with gentleness. To see those dark places and, instead of scolding myself, figure out how to flood them with light again.
I ask a lot of questions: What do I need to do, think, or believe to respond out of courage and peace instead of fear and insecurity? What can I change, add, or remove from my life and thoughts to nurture a heart of kindness, patience, and much, much love?
I find a good cry helps immeasurably in these moments. A liquid expression of remorse and release and resolve.
I also need verbal reminders of my worth and the value of those in my life, because sometimes I forget. I remind myself that we are worth going through the dark times, wrestling through the hard stuff, making the effort to establish new patterns of behavior that create relationships of safety and belonging and love.
Then I sit quietly with the dark things, the harsh words spoken out of fear, the self-protective reactions that send walls shooting up a mile high, the insecurities that keep me from doing what needs to be done. I picture us sitting on a fence, side by side, chewing a piece of grass plucked from the field as we talk things through and figure out how to do things differently next time.
I’m learning that the dark things aren’t my enemies. In fact, they’re a different sort of light, illuminating the places in me that need some attention and care. I’m learning to pay attention to them faster, to see their presence as an invaluable reminder that I need to stop, look, listen, and change.
So that’s my day today. Not one full of happy thoughts and creative pursuits, but one of soul care so that my little world is a better, kinder, gentler place for the people in it. I’m so thankful that I get to start over. And over and over.
How do you care for your soul when you haven’t been the person you want to be? xo
by Krista | May 3, 2015 | Autumn
“For after all,
the best thing one can do when it is raining
is let it rain.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
It has been pouring in Southern Queensland. Solid, steady rain turning sun-baked earth into black spongy mud, filling wheelbarrows and planters, causing every heat-withered plant to lift up vibrant leaves to the skies in unabashed joy.
Everywhere you look are signs of the storms: flooded fields and rivers, branches tossed higgledy-piggledy after fierce winds ripped through the area, new potholes along the highways.
It’s been wonderful. And wild. And scary. And shiveringly cold. But mostly wonderful. It’s like every bit of my world threw up its hands and said, “Let’s sit back and enjoy this.” So I joined in.
To-do lists were set aside, projects completely ignored, and we gave ourselves up to utter relaxation. Movies were watched and naps taken, popcorn popped and soup simmered. I made bread and curry and pasta, delicious comfort food while the farm turned into a giant puddle.
The rains returned this morning, so I brewed up a pot of Cherry Cider spiced with star anise. There’s something about the licorice flavor of star anise that goes beautifully with cherries, and the combo was deliciously warming as the temperature dropped.
Now it’s time to roast some veggies between storms – turnips with fresh thyme and Brussels sprouts with Balsamic Dijon dressing. Teamed up with Beef Garlic sausages from the butchers, this meal is going to warm our bones for sure.
What is your favorite drink on a stormy day? xo
Spiced Cherry Cider
Serves two
Ingredients:
3 cups cherry juice
1 star anise
Directions:
1. Simmer cherry juice and star anise over low heat for 5-10 minutes.
2. Serve hot.
