by Krista | Dec 2, 2014 | Summer
Sometimes life gets a bit topsy-turvy. In those moments it’s lovely to slip away for awhile and hang out with good friends in the fresh air, laughing, talking, and working together.
That’s what Bear and I did on this sultry Summer day, meeting up with Oma and Opa at their place for cold drinks and a visit before heading to the plum orchard for some serious picking.
Their trees are covered with gorgeously fat plums in dusky shades of purple and magenta. While flying foxes and birds have feasted royally on the upper branches, the netted ones below hung heavy with juicy jewels for us to gather.
We visited as we worked, swapping ideas for what to do with our bounty: Hungarian plum soup, jam, cobbler, juice, cordial, slivovitz (plum brand), and plum wine. Mmm, just thinking about such things kept us in fine picking fettle.
Before too long we had four buckets filled to the brim and it was high time for another drink and a sit down in the cool basement. We made plans to glean in the Stanthorpe vineyards this Autumn so we can make and bottle our own wine. Bear has been tasked with making a press while Oma and I will collect bottles and Opa will taste test to make sure we do things properly. Methinks Opa has scored the best job of all.
Such good memories with good friends.
My other happy thing today is the publication of my second book: “portals.” It’s a collection of door photographs from around Europe, and is very dear to my heart. It was my dream this year to publish this book, and I’m overjoyed to see it come to pass. Click here for a preview at my bookstore, and let me know what you think.
Now it’s time to cozy in for the evening. I’ve made two batches of plum juice, a stack of banana oat muffins, an apricot raisin pie, and now I’m ready for a big glass of red wine and some lasagna.
Gnite xo
by Krista | Nov 26, 2014 | Spring
It’s dark and cool tonight after a gorgeous rain that soaked deep into our parched soil. The air smells delectably clean and fresh and frogs are croaking happily outside my office window.
It’s long past my bedtime, but I don’t mind. It’s the last day of my 30’s and I feel quiet and thoughtful, happy to indulge in some quiet moments to settle my heart and embrace this next big adventure: turning 40.
I feel deeply thankful to be in this place, this time in my life. Not because things are idyllic and stress-free, far from it, but because I’m handling things so much better. I love sitting back and observing my stronger self, getting little chuckles of pride when I don’t crumple before a bully or have my health shatter at the first hint of stress. It’s a lovely, amazing thing to grow, heal, and strengthen, to feel courage and self-confidence instead of crippling fear and self-doubt.
A few months ago I decided that I was going to do something brave and creative before my 40th birthday, something I’ve been dreaming about since I was a little girl: publish my own book.
Although I’m thrilled with the history book I was commissioned to write, and can’t wait to share it with you in a month or so, I really wanted to make a book that was all mine, my words, my photographs, a sharing of something precious to me.
So, bit by bit over the last months, an hour here, a few snatched minutes there, I’ve been working on a black and white photography book about Italy. Although I initially thought I’d write words to go with it, the photos took over and it became a book more about inspiration and reflection than words. I finished up the last edits today and am delighted to be able to share it with you on the eve of my 40th birthday.
These are not images of famous buildings, fashionistas, or posh restaurants, they’re moments of daily life. From laundry blowing in the wind and a farmhouse breakfast to surprising works of art and treasured moments in Italian homes, these are the photos that I love: quiet, simple, reflective. (You can see a little preview below.)
If you would like a bit of Italian inspiration of your own, you can
order the book here if you’re in Australia, and
order it here if you’re in any other part of the world. And if you’d just like to bask a while in the preview photos, that would be lovely too.
In the morning Bear and I are off to spend my birthday together and I can’t wait. We’ve both been working so hard and it will be bliss to set aside a whole day just to have fun and make good memories.
Wishing you a beautiful weekend.
xo
by Krista | Nov 24, 2014 | Spring
Yesterday I went to a meeting in Brisbane with Bear and our friend, Ann. Thanks to clear roads and brilliant weather, we arrived with an hour to kill in a part of the city we’d never explored. So we locked the car and went for a wander.
There’s something rather wonderful about exploring a city on a Sunday morning. It’s strangely quiet and peaceful, and the only people around are locals on their morning run or making a quick nip out for coffees before the day starts.
It’s a serene time to see a place that is usually jammed with cars and people making quite a racket.
Life in Brisbane is so different than my life on the farm, and I find it quite fascinating to mosey along streets lined with towering apartment buildings, smart cafes closed for the weekend, and billboards featuring items I grow a few meters from our back door.
Hidden among the swathes of concrete are tiny gardens and clusters of trees, potted palms and precious stretches of real grass. Seeing them is like spotting old friends in a crowd of strangers. They make me smile.
At last we find a restaurant that is open. It’s housed in a rather grotty hotel whose dining area is a baffling mix of faux Turkish detail and Dr. Seussian Christmas decor. It’s ghastly and I love it. It feels like I’m traveling again, especially when the European girl serving us can barely speak a word of English and thoroughly messes up our order. I’m so delighted I can’t stop smiling and Bear just shakes his head in wonderment at me. Thankfully the decor and service is no reflection on the food. My latte is perfection and the hash browns delectably crisp and piping hot. I’m a happy camper.
I find it inspiring to go places I’ve never been before, to see different ways of doing things. It jolts me out of my comfort zone and makes me think about why I do what I do. I wouldn’t choose to live in the city, but I do like visiting it. Very much indeed.
How about you? Are you a city person? What is your favorite city to visit?
by Krista | Nov 20, 2014 | Spring
It’s a beautifully quiet morning at home after a wild storm blew in late yesterday afternoon. It’s been wickedly hot and dry here in Queensland, so when we looked up to see heavy, dark clouds on the horizon, we hoped for rain but held that hope in an open hand.
Much to our delight, the first drops fell just as we were nearing home from a day in town, and as we pulled up to our gate, I jumped out to open it and got gloriously drenched.
We made a mad dash for the house as almighty gusts hurtled rain at us in sheets, and decided instantly that our afternoon break must be held on the back veranda.
Bear poured us icy glasses of homemade green apple soda while I topped old tin plates with treasures from our stop at the bakery. Then we settled back to enjoy the storm.
We sat quiet and comfy in our chairs, munching happily on apricot cream turnovers as the rain poured down.
When you’ve gone without rain for so long, there’s nothing to be said when it finally comes. Your whole body takes it in, basking in cool swirls of wind that toss sprays of fragrant rainwater on weary skin. It is wondrous beyond words.
We watched in amazement as wood that had been dusty and bone dry moments before, suddenly sprouted tiny green shoots of lime green moss.
Lacy fans of lichen popped up on the railing as the cracked, dusty yard turned into a checkerboard of puddles.
The rain was accompanied by stunning streaks of lightning, sometimes three or more flashing at once, and massive cracks of thunder that shook the house. It didn’t take long for our power to get knocked out, and we didn’t mind one bit. As the power disappeared, our to-do lists vanished with it. Without electricity we couldn’t do cooking or laundry, there was no writing of books or editing of photos, no using power tools or wood-burning implements. We could well and truly rest with nary a hint of guilt or pressure.
It was a truly delicious respite that restored our bedraggled spirits.
After our sojourn on the veranda, Bear got a brainwave for a project he’d been contemplating for months and dashed down to the shed to see if it would work. I seized the chance to start the new book I’d found at the dump shop, and made a cozy nest in bed right under the window where I could glance up to the storm in between tales. Soon I was shaking with laughter as I read one hilarious and ridiculous story after another.
It was just what we needed.
What is your favorite thing to do when storms knock out your power? xo
by Krista | Nov 17, 2014 | Spring
After several weeks of feeling stronger and healthier, my body has taken a few steps back, and it’s time to rest awhile.
In some ways, these moments are difficult. Plans must be set aside, dreams put on hold, and my world made smaller and more manageable. In other ways, I’m thankful. It’s an ever present reminder that my worth is not in what I can accomplish or perform, but simply in who I am.
It’s a good time to really slow down and savor things. Since everything takes effort and leaves you exhausted afterwards, you only choose the things that are truly important.
Like walking through a friends garden and sighing happily over her amazing rambling roses and the tree laden with beautiful nectarines, eating ripe tomatoes off the vine, and spotting plump blueberries ready for picking.
There are a lot of naps, 30 minutes of rest that ease the pain and renew strength, and many cups of chamomile tea to soothe and calm. I was so excited to see real chamomile blooming in my garden this week. A gift from a friend, they are such cheery little things that will make lovely cups of tea.
Laundry and other chores only get tackled one step at a time. It takes longer, much longer, but I learn again that my worth is not in how tidy my house is or how organized the rooms are. Those things are lovely when they happen, but they’re just things, they’re not me. It’s hard to remember that sometimes.
I’ve set up a futon daybed in my office and topped it with a quilt and pillow. It makes it so much easier to work and rest, work and rest. I turn the fan on and close my eyes, smiling at the little peeps coming from the newly hatched chicks tucked up in their pen nearby. After awhile, I’m ready to edit a few more photos, write a few more lines.
Food is simple too. No lavish banquets or complicated recipes, just things that are easy to make and taste good: ripe fruit, garden veggies, fresh eggs, bakery rolls, shaved ham.
While I wouldn’t choose this time, I’m learning to rest in it, to care for myself and my loves as I’m able, and trust that it will get better.
How do you care for yourself when you’re unwell? xo
Their trees are covered with gorgeously fat plums in dusky shades of purple and magenta. While flying foxes and birds have feasted royally on the upper branches, the netted ones below hung heavy with juicy jewels for us to gather.
We visited as we worked, swapping ideas for what to do with our bounty: Hungarian plum soup, jam, cobbler, juice, cordial, slivovitz (plum brand), and plum wine. Mmm, just thinking about such things kept us in fine picking fettle.
Before too long we had four buckets filled to the brim and it was high time for another drink and a sit down in the cool basement. We made plans to glean in the Stanthorpe vineyards this Autumn so we can make and bottle our own wine. Bear has been tasked with making a press while Oma and I will collect bottles and Opa will taste test to make sure we do things properly. Methinks Opa has scored the best job of all.
Such good memories with good friends.
Now it’s time to cozy in for the evening. I’ve made two batches of plum juice, a stack of banana oat muffins, an apricot raisin pie, and now I’m ready for a big glass of red wine and some lasagna.
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