by Krista | Jul 29, 2014 | Winter
“When spring came, even the false spring,
there were no problems except where to be happiest.”
Ernest Hemingway
After weeks of frosty mornings and ice-covered windshields, it’s wonderful to step outside into warmth and sunlight and bits of green here and there.
These days I look forward to hanging laundry on the line and watering my gardens instead of having to psych myself up for the freezing ordeals. It may be a false spring but it’s healing, glorious weather and I’m loving every minute of it. Is there anything better than sunshine on bare shoulders after the cold of winter?
Such balmy days inspire me no end. I’ve been digging new garden beds, hauling rocks for borders, and – most fun of all – collecting all sorts of interesting seeds and seedlings like sandpiper figs, ruby red Brussels sprouts, mouse melons (you can pop them in your mouth whole!), strawberry guavas, dragon fruit, and lilly pillies. I’m eager to find just the right spots for them so they can flourish and provide us with all sorts of deliciousness in autumn.
Bear has caught the inspiration bug too, building an amazing pen for our chickens full of mulberry trees and climbing vines to provide both food and shade. It’s shaping up to be a beauty and I’ll share pics when it’s finished. He’s also collecting all the bits and pieces we need to fence in and cover two orchards full of plums, apples, oranges, blood oranges, lemons, hazelnuts, chestnuts, figs, and pomegranates, with room to add in other trees as we acquire them. It’s so exciting to see these projects come together bit by bit.
It’s great to have these outdoorsy things to do in between my writing projects. Sometimes I simply can’t string one more sentence together, and it’s fantastic to turn my computer off and head outside to check on the progress of the kohlrabi and red cabbage, find a warm spot to watch the goats play, or just sit on the sun-drenched veranda with a cold drink.
What’s your favorite downtime activity when you need to rest your brain?
by Krista | Jul 26, 2014 | Winter
It’s a cuddly sort of Saturday morning, dark and cloudy and quiet with the hope of rain. The sort of day where everything is leisurely and gentle, nothing rushed or harried.
It’s a day for meanderings through the gardens, checking on the progress of baby kale, sturdy cabbages, and prolific radishes, peas, and parsley.
Of strolls to chicken pens collecting freshly laid eggs and scratching the ears of dogs eager for some loving.
Of morning naps, coffee breaks with slices of strawberry tart, and snuggling under blankets to lose myself in a new mystery, favorite magazine, and a few squares of dark chocolate.
What are some of your simple pleasures? xo
by Krista | Jul 24, 2014 | Winter
Now that I’m on the road to recovery, it is marvelous to be able to plan and hope for the future. One thing I’m looking forward to most is traveling.
I’d love to explore some new places like Bulgaria, Tasmania, and Finland. But first I want to go to countries I’ve already explored that hold people I love dearly. Like Germany.
Of all the places I’ve traveled, Germany is the one country I return to over and over again, not only for its stunning beauty, fascinating history, and seriously good sausages, but because of the friends and family that have lived there. Just thinking about them makes me happy.
One of my favorite places in Germany is the Black Forest. I love it there any time of year.
Winter is a fairyland of falling snow, twinkling lights, and half-timbered houses that have me dreamy of wintry hikes in the woods and cozy nights around the fire.
Spring is when I love hiking in the Black Forest. It’s not too hot or muggy and the woods are full of wildflowers and vivid green ferns. It’s not too hard to imagine fairy tales being lived out in a place like this.
Summer is wonderful for swimming in the lakes and eating copious amounts of ice cream while wandering through the many beautiful towns of the Black Forest. Baden-Baden may be a highlight for gorgeous architecture, spas, and shopping, but heading up into the hills to smaller villages is well worth the effort. Going from the airport in Frankfurt to Baden-Baden is easy and by train delightful. It is a great starting point for further exploration.
Autumn may be my favorite time of all, for this is when the orchards and vineyards are overflowing with luscious produce. I love ambling through the markets and scoping out massive cabbages and huge baskets of apples. Going for drives up in the hills is sheer bliss, rolling past ancient castles and beautifully designed vineyards dripping with grapes ready to be turned into wine.
If you could plan a trip to visit people you love, where would you go?
by Krista | Jul 22, 2014 | Winter
Sometimes the world seems a terrible place. Most of the time I do not watch, read, or listen to the news because it only seems to find the evil on this planet of ours. It makes me feel hopeless and sad, helpless and angry. It distorts how I see the world and instead of goodness, hope, and beauty, all I can see are the crazies, the tyrants, the brutal murderers.
The news gutted me this week, as I know it did most of us. A pregnant friend of mine was scheduled to be on the Malaysian Airlines flight with her two children but got bumped because the flight was full. Afterwards she could hardly breathe, overwhelmed with grief and shock. The horrors unfolding in Israel, Ukraine, and other places are devastating, and I ache for the people caught in these untenable situations. I’m scared about the lines being drawn where entire groups of people are lumped in with the decisions and actions of a few. I see the refugee situation in Australia, America, and other places, and my heart is breaking for the people, just regular people, who are imprisoned like criminals when all they want is a safe place to raise their families.
And I know there aren’t easy answers for any of it. Each big issue is filled with tiny issues, personal relationships and histories and needs and fears and prejudices and misinformation and conflicting values and beliefs that make it all one giant muddle.
It feels Too Much.
So I have to stop. And breathe. And go outside and wander in my gardens and get some perspective.
I walked out to my greenhouse and was amazed to find it nearly full of tumbleweeds blown in with the last winter wind storm.
It’s a big ol’ mess that will have to be cleaned out, but I can still see beauty and growth through the drifts. It calmed me and reminded me that even though the world seems full of cruelty right now, there is still beauty and growth to be found, uncovered, nourished. I’m not rich or powerful, I have no influence on world events, but I can look for places of growth and help them thrive.
I can start with myself, doing everything I can to foster kindness, generosity, and tolerance in my heart, and live that out with the people I see and interact with: my husband, friends, random people I run into in daily life.
As I heal and get stronger, I can find ways to help the refugees that are in my area, collecting food, clothing, household items, whatever they need.
As I earn money and get a bit extra, I can give it to those who do have influence and opportunity to help those in need.
And I can focus on the good in this world, cheering for the millions of people every day who are not murdering or bombing or harming anyone. Supporting every effort to heal, restore, empower, and inspire.
I can also make my own little spot on the planet a place of rest, healing, peace, and welcome where differences are respected, creativity is celebrated, and love is given lavishly.
Today I’m celebrating good little things in my life:
- I don’t have cancer. I DON’T HAVE CANCER!!! Yesterday I got my test results back from my operations and they now know exactly what is wrong and how to fix it. Cancer has been the big fear and the relief we felt yesterday cannot be expressed. We are overjoyed. My diagnosis will mean some lifestyle changes for the rest of my life, but they’re manageable and good and I’m full of hope and excitement.
- I’ve been commissioned to write a Christmas book!!! Once my history book is completed I’ll be cooking, writing, and photographing my heart out to finish it in time for release over the holidays. My office is filling up with Christmasy inspiration and it makes me happy just thinking about it.
- 15 baby goats leaping about. They make me laugh every day as they gallop around like marionettes being jerked on strings. I love their little faces as they reach up to sniff my hand then run away as fast as they can because I’m big and scary. And it’s pure bliss when they snuggle into my arms and fall fast asleep.
What are some good things in your life this week? XO
by Krista | Jul 18, 2014 | Winter
It’s a deliciously quiet and peaceful morning. I’ve got my first cup of coffee and can hear Bear rattling around in the kitchen as he whips up his favorite toasted egg bread rolls for our breakfast. The weather has warmed a smidgen this week and it’s lovely to only need a couple layers to keep warm instead of waddling around like a flannel-wrapped pillow. I’m taking a break from my wood-burning marathon to luxuriate in stillness and treat myself to a few moments of writing and reading.
I’ve been living in a black and white world these past few weeks as I delve into archives, old photos, and writings from the 1800’s while I prepare my first draft of the Australian history book I’m writing: “Freestone: A Mostly True History”. I get such a thrill when I find a great story to fill in a blank section of the timeline, pulling together loose strands of memory with hazy recollections to form a cohesive narrative. I especially like leafing through the old photographs, drawn by the occasional cheeky grin that slips through the stern facades old time photographers liked their subjects to assume.
There are sad stories and hilarious ones, tragic characters and those so inspiring I wish I could sit down with them for a long chat to learn everything I can. I’ve been amazed at how human beings do not change. The stories from this small Australian community in the 1800’s could be stories from any town around the globe at any time in history. Only the props are different.
There are loving parents and abusive ones, honorable folks and those who at best could be dubbed rascals. There are clever children and ornery neighbors, racists and humanitarians, hard workers and lazy bums. The community was both united and divided by religion, politics, and race. Some were able to bridge the gaps, others never even tried.
Freestone has had its fair share of scandalous liaisons, tragedies, and family feuds – wherever human beings gather, drama swiftly follows – but as interesting as these stories are, the ones I like best are those that light up of the faces of the people I’ve interviewed. The ones that elicit smiles and chuckles. I love seeing them shake with laughter as they recall the antics of characters so quirky and vivid that their memory lives on decades after they’ve died.
The deadline for my first draft is 3 August, so the next couple of weeks will find me sequestered in my new office that Bear helped me make (thanks, babe!), writing my little heart out.
In the spirit of “a black and white world”, here are a few shots from my life.
This is me and my friend Ann on our medieval camping trip last weekend. We always get up before dawn and huddle around the fire Bear builds, brewing strong Earl Grey tea, chatting, and staring quietly into the dancing flames and shimmering sparks. It’s a truly wonderful way to start a day.
This is me in our woods, overjoyed to have warm sunshine on my face after equally glorious rain.
And a few more wood-burning designs I’ll be showcasing and demonstrating at the Allora Winter Festival tomorrow.
What are some of your favorite moments from your week? xo
Such balmy days inspire me no end. I’ve been digging new garden beds, hauling rocks for borders, and – most fun of all – collecting all sorts of interesting seeds and seedlings like sandpiper figs, ruby red Brussels sprouts, mouse melons (you can pop them in your mouth whole!), strawberry guavas, dragon fruit, and lilly pillies. I’m eager to find just the right spots for them so they can flourish and provide us with all sorts of deliciousness in autumn.
It’s great to have these outdoorsy things to do in between my writing projects. Sometimes I simply can’t string one more sentence together, and it’s fantastic to turn my computer off and head outside to check on the progress of the kohlrabi and red cabbage, find a warm spot to watch the goats play, or just sit on the sun-drenched veranda with a cold drink.
What’s your favorite downtime activity when you need to rest your brain?
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