by Krista | Feb 23, 2015 | Summer
It is a gorgeous Summer morning, clear, bright, fresh as a daisy. Just the sort of morning to rejuvenate flagging spirits and put the vim back into life.
I’m Celebrating Good Things today: new winter boots from Germany, a homemade fruit mince tart, the impending arrival of baby goats, great visits with friends over the weekend, leftovers to eat, and the healing power of creativity.
I’ve begun researching and interviewing for my next book, the story of a Hungarian Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust and the Hungarian Revolution, then escaped to start a new life in Australia, all by herself with only one change of clothes to her name.
It is a deeply emotional story, one filled with tales both heart-rending and laugh-out-loud hilarious. Above all it is inspiring, a gripping reminder that no matter how dark life gets, we can always choose love.
Researching such things can be draining, and the subject of the book and I have to take regular breaks from the darkness to reconnect with beauty and happiness. It’s such a gift to get to share all these moments with her, to cry and laugh together, then emerge to cook delicious things and potter in our gardens and create beauty through handicrafts. She bakes and brews and knits. I can’t knit worth a hoot, but I can wood-burn, so that’s what I’ve been doing.
It’s therapeutic for me to curl up in my chair burning designs or hang out in Bear’s wood shop cutting, drilling, shaping, and sanding, basking in the scent of freshly cut wood. I’ve added a few things to my Etsy shoppe, and hope to add more this week.
As the Summer winds to a close, there are still a few late Summer treasures to be found in my gardens. My favorites are the bushes of fragrant basil and rambling vines laden with gorgeous heirloom tomatoes that taste like sunshine. Picked while still warm from the sun, the tomatoes are delicious mixed with fresh buffalo mozzarella, torn basil leaves, and a simple dressing of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
What is your favorite creative outlet? xo
by Krista | Feb 20, 2015 | Summer
I fell asleep to the sound of rain on the roof, and woke to the same glorious sound. Tropical cyclones are wreaking havoc not far from us, but on our farm it’s just good, steady, soak-deep-into-the-ground rain, and we are thrilled. Our water tanks are filling, our pastures, gardens, and orchards are getting a good drenching, and the air is so fresh and clean with all the dust and smoke washed away.
On such a morning I couldn’t stay in the house. I had to be part of this wondrous weather. So I layered on flannels, pulled on my new purple Ugg boot slippers, and went out to the veranda. My chair is just out of reach of the rain, close enough to feel the occasional spray on my face, but far enough away to keep me warm and dry.
I love it out there, no computers or television or telephone, just me in a comfy chair, wind blowing, rain falling, blissful quiet and time to rest and be.
Bear made me a cuppa, strong Earl Grey tea with milk and real maple syrup, and shook his head in amusement at my Canadian love of wild weather and fresh air, happily returning to the warmth of the house.
It’s definitely a hot bowl of chili sort of day. I’m making a white bean chicken chili, studded with the very last of the mild green chilies a dear friend sent me from America. I’m going to savor every last morsel. 🙂
Now it’s time to get back to work. There are articles to write and spoons to wood-burn with breaks for “Poirot” and more cups of tea.
What is your favorite way to spend a rainy day? xo
by Krista | Feb 17, 2015 | Summer
After the launch of my book and completing the last of the radio and newspaper interviews, I’m slowly but surely getting back to normal life: laundry, animals, new writing projects, and cuddling ducklings whenever possible.
Today I got to bake up a storm and do a Country Tea Party photo shoot and story. It was so much fun, especially because my hubby and our friends, Ann and Oma, showed up to help me feast out under the trees.
We laughed hard and told stories and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves after working full steam ahead all day. Nothing like afternoon tea in the shade of a big tree to relax you in body and spirit.
After they left and the dishes were done, I went for a wander to check on animals and gardens and was thrilled to see my lilly pilly fruiting!
Until this week, I’d only ever seen them in pictures, and never heard of them at all until I moved to Australia. They have such gorgeous little berries.
Isn’t that color fantastic? I tasted my first ones today and am smitten. 🙂 They’re crisp and slightly tart and very refreshing. I don’t know what to liken the flavor to yet, but I will keep you posted.
Have you ever had a lilly pilly berry before? What is your favorite kind of berry? xo
by Krista | Feb 16, 2015 | Summer
It’s a beautiful morning, soft and still, and I’m all rested up after the launch of my book: “Freestone: a mostly true history” at Freestone Memorial Hall yesterday.
It was an amazing time with animated conversations going on wherever you looked. So many people came they lined the walls and organizers had to bring in more chairs. It was so fun to see dear, familiar faces who came out to show support, and meet some lovely new folks and people I’d only known by name through my research for the book.
The committee did a spectacular job organizing massive amounts of baked goods, tea, coffee, and lemon water to keep the masses fed and watered, and lining tables with old photos to elicit laughter and good memories.
The launch itself was short and sweet. I gave my speech and was understood in spite of my foreign accent, and was honored to present a copy of “Freestone: a mostly true history” to friends from the Warwick library.
Afterwards everyone milled around chatting up a storm as I signed stacks of books and met even more great people. It was such a warm, community feeling and I was thrilled to be a part of it.
Many thanks to Liz Hill and the Freestone Hall for these photos of the book launch.
As folks made their way home again, Bear and I got in our car and headed back to our farm, beaming but exhausted, thankful for the journey that accompanied this book, relief at being done, gratitude at being able to celebrate it with such a great group of people.
If you would like a copy of “Freestone: a mostly true history” there are two options. If you’re local (ie – in Southern Queensland, Australia) you can purchase a copy at “Art on King” in Warwick. If you’re a bit farther afield, you can purchase a copy online by clicking here. If you buy in Warwick, only soft covers are available. If you prefer a hard cover or PDF version, please order online. (All proceeds go to the Freestone community.)
If you’re local and would like me to sign your copy, I’d be delighted. Just drop me a note and we’ll make arrangements to meet up.
Now it’s time to get back to work. 🙂 I’ve started my next book, the biography of an amazing woman who survived the Holocaust and the Hungarian Revolution, and moved to Australia with only one set of clothes to her name to start a new life. I can’t wait to share her story with you.
What is one of your favorite biographies? xo
by Krista | Feb 13, 2015 | Summer
It’s a wildly blustery morning with a hint of Autumn in the air. I love waking up early and needing a blanket with my morning cuppa, then switching to sundresses and sandals for the rest of the day.
I’ve missed writing here over the last week, hampered first by computer issues, then by illness. But I’m back now and it feels good.
Our exciting news on the farm is the arrival of 12 Muscovy ducklings who are so darn cute they make us smile every day.
I can see their pen from the kitchen window and love hearing their little peeps while I do dishes and make meals. They’re especially sweet when they’re first born, still damp from their shells, laying in the sunshine to warm up and dry off.
They were so tiny at first, timid and easily spooked, but now they’re brave as can be, exploring their pen, splashing in the water, and devouring as much mash as they can handle.
Several times a day I open the lid to their pen just to watch them, grinning at their darling little faces as they crane their necks up to inspect the giant human looming above them.
They bring my focus back from the whirl of deadlines and responsibilities and help me linger in the moment enjoying sunshine on my shoulders, the softness of downy feathers, and the amazing gift of being alive.
There are other good things to be thankful for this week: time to wood-burn new items for my shoppe and a new market next month, being interviewed for my book launch which is being held on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Freestone Memorial Hall, and time to think through my life and goals and talents and figure out my next step.
Now it’s time to step out into the wind and start planting more seeds for my winter garden, check on Bear’s progress in building frames for our beehives, and say hello to the ducklings
What are you looking forward to doing today? xo
