Krista | ramblingtart

A Pre-Christmas Date

by Krista | Dec 23, 2014 | Summer

I’ve never gone into the Christmas holidays more unprepared than I am this year, and, oddly enough, I’ve never felt more peaceful.

Bear and I decided to give ourselves permission to have the most relaxed, laid back, no-expectations Christmas possible, and it has been truly wonderful. In the beginning it was difficult for me to accept that it really was OK to do nothing, a little bit, or as much as we were up for, but now I’m so very happy in the sure knowledge that it really is.

Today was the first day we both woke up wanting to be Christmasy and holiday-ish. No doubt due to finishing major projects and getting some long overdue rest. So off to town we went with big ol’ smiles on our faces.

We had so much fun lingering over breakfast and coffees, pottering about finding little treasures for ourselves and others, stopping in at all our favorite shops to see what we could find. We chose a Christmas tree – a cute little live Juniper that will be planted in the yard when the holidays are over – and stocked up on fresh bread rolls and mince pies at the bakery. Bear bought a ginormous ham that will feed us for WEEKS, and we picked up semi-dried tomatoes, grilled capsicum, marinated artichokes, cheeses, mustards, mussels, sardines, and all sorts of things for a humdinger of a smorgasbord. We had a grand time.

To celebrate the completion of projects and the return of some vim and vigor, we treated ourselves to an hour in our new favorite spot in our village of Allora, the Frog and Swallow Cafe, run by our friends, John and Jackie.

It’s a blissful spot, a cool and peaceful respite from the summer heat. We ordered cold drinks and our food, then sat down to luxuriate in uninterrupted reading. Bear sipped on iced coffee whilst perusing a car magazine, and I drank sparkling water and paged through an inspiring French cookbook.

Lunch arrived, and after one bite of the crispy cheese tuile atop my Cheese and Onion Tart I was a happy woman.

For dessert we sighed swooningly through bite after bite of Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with cream. Oh. My. Neither of us could think of a better or more delicious way to start off our holiday celebrations.

Now we’re back at home wrapping pressies, listening to Christmas music, and taking breaks to watch movies and take naps.

Wishing you a beautiful and relaxing holiday with people who make your heart happy. XO

Old Doors and a Book Giveaway (Closed)

by Krista | Dec 15, 2014 | Summer

This weekend Bear and I traveled to Fort Lytton (near Brisbne) for a meeting. We arrived an hour early, giving me time for a wander through the empty fort, exploring dark tunnels and cavernous rooms with beautiful views of the Brisbane River.

There’s something lovely about exploring an abandoned fort. It becomes a blank canvas for the imagination, fed by images and stories from the nearby museum.

I will show you more of this historic place next time, but today I wanted to focus on the wonderful old doors that guard entrances throughout the fort.

This red one is my favorite: the color, the shape, the wonky bits at the bottom. I think I need a red door on our house.

This weathered blue one is massive and sturdy, opening to admit guests who have traversed the bridge to enter Fort Lytton.

This is the most posh of the doors, looking stately and sombre against the aging brick.

I love the contrast between the old brick and the neatly painted door and window frame. Peering through the glass you see a spindle chair, just waiting for someone to sit down and rest awhile with a hot cuppa.

I’m focusing on doors today to set the mood for a special giveaway: one copy of my book “portals” which is filled with black and white images of old doors from around Europe.

To enter the giveaway, leave a message on this post, on Facebook, or via email – ramblingtart at gmail dot com telling me about a door that you’re especially fond of.

For an extra entry, share this link – https://www.ramblingtart.com/2014/12/15/old-doors-and-a-book-giveaway/ – on Facebook or Twitter and leave me another message telling me you’ve done so.

This giveaway will run until Friday, December 19 and is open to entrants worldwide. The winner will receive one copy of “portals.”

Wishing you a wonderful week! xo

PS – Click here if you would like to purchase a copy of your own.

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Giveaway is now closed. The winner is Val from More Than Burnt Toast. Congratulations! 🙂 Your book will ship to you shortly. xo

Sun, Storms, and Happiness

by Krista | Dec 11, 2014 | Summer

The sky continues to rumble with thunder and dance with lightning as one storm after another hurtles its way through our farm, saturating us with rain and turning our meadows into an unrecognizable maze of waterfalls, creeks, puddles, and ponds. It’s marvelous. We’re celebrating the glorious coolness with wine, pasta, and a Leverage marathon.

I’ve been working hard this week, catching up on writing projects that had to get set aside while I was sick. It’s such a wonderful thing to send off the last article tonight and get to sink down into my chair, wine glass in hand, sharing Belgian dark chocolate truffles with Bear.

I’ve also been wood-burning a lot, sending off a flurry of Christmas orders to England, Washington, D.C., and New South Wales. I’ve got a stack of audio books to keep me entertained as I work, and find it such a therapeutic activity to balance out hours at my computer keyboard.

Being self-employed and running the farm with Bear, there’s always something to do, but I’m renewing my efforts to make time for people no matter what. Yes, I need to meet deadlines and fulfill commitments, but that’s never an excuse to miss out on building relationships with people who make my heart happy.

I’m so excited to be done my work and have a few days to hang out with Bear and visit dear friends and get ready for Christmas.

Earlier this week we went hunting for our Christmas tree and even though we didn’t find one, we happily wandered through a nursery filled with gorgeousness. I’m completely smitten by artichoke flowers and am excited to grow my own.

And after seeing this stunning water lily, I’m more determined than ever to make a water feature in my secret garden. The secret garden is still in its infancy. We’re working on getting the ground prepared and collecting stones to outline the beds and make hidey-holes for the bright green frogs that live around here. I think it’s going to be something that we’ll potter at for many years, and I don’t mind one bit.

Now another storm is coming through and it’s definitely time for a cuppa before bed.

What are you looking forward to this weekend? xo

Summer on the Farm

by Krista | Dec 9, 2014 | Summer

The air is soft and warm this afternoon as storm clouds gather overhead and thunder rumbles in the distance. Bear and I are both recovering from round two or three of a flu that’s hit one friend after another, leaving us all exhausted, aching, dizzy, nauseous, and bedraggled, looking forward to days when we don’t want to crawl right back into bed the moment we get up.

I’m loving the stormy weather that arrived last week bringing gentle rains falling for a few minutes each day, keeping the countryside moist and green.

After spending yesterday resting, it was lovely to get out today and wander a bit in my gardens, plucking ripe blueberries, checking on the asparagus, inhaling the scent of fresh dill filling the veggie patch.

After most of my nasturtiums withered away in the drought and heat wave, a few stalwart fellows have come back, thriving in the rain and cooler temperatures.

The comfrey has come back as well, covered in tiny lavender bell flowers that look like they ought to make music when the wind blows.

Our ducklings have been moved out of their heated box to the yard, and they’re having a marvelous time splashing about and learning to nibble grass and catch flies.

I love watching them as they luxuriate in their new mud puddles, nibble on a dangling rope to see if it tastes any good, and cuddle close with each other at night to keep warm.

The San Marzano tomatoes are finally growing from tiny red bullets into fat, juicy fruits perfect for salads and snacking.

I haven’t done a blessed thing about Christmas yet. No decorations, no baking, and not a single present wrapped. But it’s OK. Sometimes life gets a bit muddled and you just have to let go and do what you can. Instead of going all out with decorations and traditions, we’re sticking to simple things that make us happy: movie marathons, reading of beloved books, regular naps, visits with dear friends, wood-burning while listening to audio stories, dark chocolate with afternoon tea, and eating as many fresh white peaches and plump apricots as we can. When we feel better again we’ll think about Christmas trees and fairy lights and all those lovely things.

Until then we will rest and look after ourselves.

How are you faring this week? xo

Hay, Gardens, and Kindness

by Krista | Dec 4, 2014 | Summer

Last weekend Bear and I went to pick up a load of hay for our goats from people we’d never met before. Our friends, Joe and Shirley, who also raise goats, had told us we simply must visit a property they’d recently discovered, not just for the hay, but also for the stunning gardens and kind owners.

So on Saturday morning we hitched up the trailer and drove to Banyala Downs, a beautiful property that sits at the base of a hill and ambles its way up to the top.

Banyala Downs is owned by Doug and Avis Stehn who began building a home there 18 years ago. When they arrived there were two palms and a fig tree. That’s it. Nary a flower, hedge, or garden to be seen.

Since then, Doug and Avis have transformed this barren landscape into a lush oasis of shady nooks and exquisite vistas, making the most of the views around them.

Everywhere you look is something interesting, such as these incredible artichoke blossoms. I’ve eaten artichokes for years but have never seen artichoke flowers until I moved to Australia. They are marvelous! Huge, vivid, blooms that look like something out of a Dr. Seuss book.

The fruit trees and vineyards are outrageously good this year, each branch and vine dripping with delectable fruit.

Aren’t these grapes amazing?! It was so inspiring to see an established garden and catch a glimpse of what our place could look like in a few years. It renewed my vision for our property and set my imagination whirring about what we could do, plant, and build.

As Avis and I walked among the fruit trees, we stopped to pick sun-warmed peaches and apricots to eat along the way. Juicy, fragrant, and luscious, the perfect treat for a sultry Summer afternoon.

Once or twice a year Doug and Avis host an Open Garden Tour and invite the community in. All proceeds go directly to sponsoring the education of young people in Cambodia. In Avis’ words:

“Cambodia is a country that suffered incredibly after the Pol Pot era from 1975, when Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge tortured and murdered one quarter of the Cambodian population. They singled out the educated people and their families particularly to kill, so that is why it is so important to educate young Cambodians now so they can help their country to grow and get back on its feet.”

The day Pol Pot took over Cambodia was the day Doug and Avis’s eldest daughter was born. Avis was struck by how the same day could bring so much misery to one part of the world and so much happiness to theirs.

When their daughter grew up, she was a passionate humanitarian, and when she died in her mid-twenties, Doug and Avis decided to carry on her work by raising money each year to sponsor students in Cambodia.

It was such a pleasure to walk through the gardens at Banyala Downs, to see how Doug and Avis have created an outlet for their grief by making a place of beauty and respite that in turn transforms lives. I loved listening to stories of the young men and women who’ve been rescued from abject poverty, given an education, and prepared to change and rebuild their country after it was crushed and devastated by such a cruel regime.

I especially liked talking with Avis and seeing how content and happy she is to simply do what she can to make a difference. She doesn’t try to do everything, she just focuses on providing an education for 1, 2, 3+ people who can then change the lives of the people in their small circle, and on and on it goes. One kindness leading to another.

It was also good to know that it didn’t happen all at once. This beautiful place has taken nearly two decades to build and they’re still adding to it, changing this, enhancing that, knowing that every addition is building towards something bigger than pretty flowers and charming vegetables.

The day we went to meet Doug and Avis I was so very tired and run down. Recent situations had knocked me flat and I was discouraged, plain and simple.

But by the time we left, I felt so much better. We had such a fun time admiring two-day-old piglets, swapping recipes, pooling our knowledge to figure out the best way to build and use a smoker. They gave me great advice for how to help my garden survive the heat and drought, and filled my hands with fresh garlic and onions just picked from their veggie patch.

As we drove home, Bear and I chatted a mile a minute about everything we’d seen. The creativity of Doug and Avis had given our own a boost and we were full of ideas and plans.

Sometimes all a weary soul needs is time with kindred spirits.

This is Avis. 🙂 See that apron of hers? I’m going to be sporting a similar one soon. It’s her very clever way of protecting herself in case of snake bite while out gardening. In one pocket she has her mobile phone to ring for help and in the other a pressure bandage. Such a simple but smart idea for those of us whose gardens tend to be a haven for critters of all sorts.