by Krista | Mar 3, 2014 | Autumn
Autumn arrived a few days ago with a noticeable nip in the air and I’m loving every second of it.
It’s so lovely to go to bed at night and actually want to cuddle under the feather quilt, to wake up in the morning and get cozy in warm flannels before that first cup of hot coffee.
The days are still deliciously warm but no longer sweltering, and it is blissful.
In addition to the arrival of Autumn, there are three things making me smile today:
One: Making Things With Bear
Bear is one of the cleverest chaps I know, and bit by bit he’s teaching me all sorts of skills from simple wood-working to using power tools. I’ve got my own toolbox that we’ve been filling with tools and I get quite a kick out of having my own hammer, wrench set, and power drill.
One of our latest projects was making a medieval stool. Bear designed it and we cut out the pieces and put it all together with wooden dowels. There’s not a single nail in use, but it’s sturdy as can be.
This weekend I finished putting my own stamp on it, wood-burning Viking runes and my own fanciful designs around the top. It delights me no end. Soon I’ll put on a coat of clear, matte varnish to protect the artwork and make sure it doesn’t fade.
Two: Quiet Breakfasts
I’ve been treating myself to leisurely breakfasts each morning before tackling my to-do list. It is exquisitely wonderful to sit quietly in the sunshine, luxuriating in the silence before the cacophony of the barnyard begins.
I linger over ripe, juicy nectarines and an extra large mug of coffee spiced with cinnamon and sweetened with real maple syrup, reading my latest books from the library or getting caught up on journal entries. It’s so helpful in calming my spirit and starting the day off peacefully.
Three: Exploring the Woods
Every season brings new discoveries in our wooded acres at the back of our property. My most exciting find this Autumn has been a flourishing gumbi gumbi tree (aka gumby gumby). Used in bush medicine by Aboriginals and Torres Strait Island people for over 50,000 years, modern researchers have begun using it as an effective treatment for certain types of cancer (source). A friend of mine put me in contact with a local man who grows and uses this amazing plant, and I’m excited to learn from him in the near future.
How about you? What is making you smile today? xo
by Krista | Feb 27, 2014 | Summer
Since I started studying and teaching medieval medicine a couple of years ago, I’ve been determined to grow my own calendula. It is a wondrous little plant, full of so many good things that are healing inside and outside the body.
It is particularly high in flavinoids which work as anti-oxidants in the body, and is highly effective in treating skin and eye conditions. If you’re making homemade lotions, be sure to fold in dried calendula petals to make the cream especially nourishing. It is anti-septic and anti-inflammatory making it wonderful as a mouthwash and gargle for soothing painful gums and throats.
My favorite way to use it is as a tea since it is such a boon to digestion and soothing to any internal issues. I add the dried calendula petals to a mixture of green tea leaves, dried hibiscus flowers, and dried lavender buds to make a calming, fragrant, and delicious Flower Tea.
I’ve got ripper of a calendula patch growing now, with so many blossoms I’m gathering bowls full every couple of days. Thankfully calendula is very easy to grow and doesn’t seem susceptible to any of the insects that often devour my other flowers.
If you would like to make your own Flower Tea, follow these simple steps:
One: Gather.
Wait until the blossoms are fully open, then gather them into a clean bowl before they start to wilt. (If you wait until the day after a good rain or watering to gather them, you won’t need to wash them.)
Two: Dry.
My part of the world is very dry and warm so I just scatter the calendula heads in a flat bottomed bowl and let them dry naturally for 3-4 days. If you have flies or a lot of dust, just cover the bowl loosely with cheesecloth to keep the blossoms clean.
Three: Separate.
You’ll know the petals are ready to separate when they feel crinkly to the touch, like tissue paper. Simply pull the petals off the flower head – the drier they are, the more easily they come off.
Four: Sift.
Fluff up the petals in a shallow bowl, allowing any lingering bits of fluff, leaf or dust to fall to the bottom.
Five: Store
Store dried calendula petals in a clean glass or pottery jar with a tight-fitting lid. If you use glass (I like to because the petals are such a gorgeous color), be sure to store the jar in a dark place to prevent fading.
Six: Mix
Select the ingredients you like best for your Flower Tea. I use equal parts calendula petals and hibiscus petals, and two parts green or black tea leaves with just a pinch of lavender buds because they’re so strong. If you add too much lavender you feel like you’re drinking perfume instead of tea. Shudder.
Seven: Brew
Place your mix into a teapot or pottery jug and cover with just boiled water (bring to boil then let sit a minute until it stops bubbling). I like my tea strong so I let it brew for about ten minutes, then strain. Add real maple syrup or honey if you like it sweet, or drink it straight since the hibiscus adds some natural sweetness.
Do you have a favorite tea blend?
Flower Tea Recipe
Makes one pot
Ingredients:
1 tsp dried calendula petals
1 tsp dried hibiscus petals
1 Tbsp organic black, white, red or green tea leaves
1/4 tsp dried lavender buds
Boiling water
real maple syrup to taste
Directions:
- Combine ingredients in teapot and cover with hot water.
- Let steep 5-10 minutes according to your preferred strength.
- Strain, sweeten to taste, and serve.
by Krista | Feb 25, 2014 | Summer
Do Small Things with Great Love.
I found a magnet with this saying last week and have it on my fridge now to give me courage and purpose every day.
When I was little I had dreams of running an orphanage in Romania. A big, beautiful orphanage with lots of grass and trees for children to play in, and the dearest, kindest, lovingest people running it so that every child would feel treasured.
When I got older I still wanted to run the orphanage, but I also wanted to build a safe and wonderful hideaway where anyone who has been abused can go to restore their bodies and spirits and learn to thrive again.
They are good dreams, marvelous dreams, but they aren’t possible for me right now. I’m too sick and too poor and sometimes that has made me sad, wishing I could do something big and meaningful.
So reading that fridge magnet was such a gift, because I can do small things with great love.
I started hiking in our bush again and it has been wonderful. The woods are such a special place to me. The light, the trees, the wind, the air, the kangaroos hopping by, my dog Luna trotting happily beside me, and this week, the small things that are growing on the forest floor.
I am amazed by the number of small things underfoot. The tiniest of orchids – no bigger than a baby’s thumbnail – miniature ferns, and other exquisitely formed blossoms in pure white, vivid yellow, pale blue.
They aren’t huge and majestic like the trees, but they are beautiful and delightful in their minuteness.
And that makes me smile and take heart.
I may not be able to live out my big dreams right now, and that’s OK. No matter how bad I’m feeling or how poor I am, I can still do small things with great love.
And as I pondered that, delighting in it, my mind was filled with all the small things others have greatly loved me with recently:
- Bear making me a cup of tea every single morning no matter how stressed or busy or overwhelmed he is.
- friends coming over to visit with cookies and juice even when they were exhausted from a really difficult week.
- a friend giving me a jar of her homemade plum jam just because she knows I love it.
- a cousin taking time to write me real letters in Canada and send them all the way to Australia.
- a friend meeting me on Skype even though she was sick and I was sick just so we wouldn’t have to be sick all by ourselves.
Such little things that mean so much and make me feel loved right down to my toes.
So this morning after my walk, I eased my achy self into Bear’s oh-so-comfy green chair and happily plotted small things I can do with great love this week.
What small things have made you feel loved recently?
by Krista | Feb 22, 2014 | Summer
It has been storming gloriously through the night and my formerly parched world is now soggy and muddy and marvelous. 🙂
This week I’ve been drawn over and over again to photos from past trips, my recent bout of pain diminishing as I linger over beautiful images of amazing places. It has been deeply satisfying and inspiring, so I thought I’d take you with me today on a hopscotch tour of lovely places with the hope that it cheers your heart as much as it has mine.
Let’s start with an early Spring morning breakfast in Capri, Italy. We’ll sit in a sunny courtyard overlooking the sea as we dine on freshly baked croissants and sip the creamiest of lattes as we let the sunshine warm us to our bones.
Duly fortified we’ll spend a beautiful morning meandering through the steep and narrow streets of this amazing place, admiring courtyard gardens and vine-covered terraces.
For lunch let’s pack a picnic basket full of plump grapes, artisan cheeses, home-cured meats, and the nicest bread we can find and head to Albania.
We’ll choose a sunny spot on the wildflower-covered banks of a turquoise river, noticing an overgrown gun turret on a nearby hill and give thanks that it’s no longer needed.
After a snooze in the sunshine we’ll mosey over to Amsterdam for a stroll through the verdant lusciousness of Vondel Park.
We will feed ducks and sit on shady benches and find an open-air cafe where we can rest awhile and watch the world go by.
Then we’ll amble home and tuck into plates piled high with homemade pasta and settle in for a good visit over a great bottle of wine. 
If you could spend a day out anywhere, what would you like to do?
by Krista | Feb 17, 2014 | Summer
The first time I went to Hungary I was smitten. Not just by the stunning buildings and history of Budapest, but by the incredible beauty of the countryside in Spring. I remember stopping our car on a mountain top and getting out to stretch our legs. Our jaws dropped as we turned to see the forest floor carpeted with wildflowers glowing like a fairyland in the morning light.
Needless to say, when I heard about the Hungarian Farm Stay and Budapest Tour being led this May by our good friends, Shirley and Joe Puruczki, I had to tell you all about in case some of you might be able to join them on this fantastic adventure and explore this beautiful country in Spring.
Shirley and Joe were among the first people I met when I arrived in Australia and we hit it off right away, talking for hours about travel and food and good books and, of course, goats. They sold us the start of our beautiful herd and have been an invaluable resource as I’ve morphed from knowing nothing about goats to managing our 40-acre farm.
Between them Joe and Shirley have lived in Hungary, Canada and Australia. They know a lot about international travel and tourism and it shows in the details of this trip. I especially like how they’ve combined the best of Hungarian city and country living to give their guests a real taste of life in Hungary.
The two-week tour leaves from Brisbane, Australia on May 25th (but people are welcome to join the tour in Budapest for a lower rate) and returns on June 8th with an overnight layover in Hong Kong for some last minute exploring, shopping, or catching up on sleep.
The first four days of the tour will be spent exploring Budapest, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
Fisherman’s Bastion 03 by michael clarke stuff and snowdrop by Takkk
Guests are free to roam at their leisure, taking in historic architecture, great shopping and the dazzling lights of the city at night. They will also be treated to a Folklore Evening Tour with traditional food and entertainment and a Danube River Tour.
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge by Wilfredor
After experiencing the delights of Hungary’s capital city, guests will head south through old towns and ancient villages to a farm-stay resort in an idyllic country setting. For six days this oasis will be home base, a retreat that specializes in Hungarian food and wine, hospitality and leisure activities such as use of the traditional sauna.
Day trips include the therapeutic mineral hot springs in Kiskunhalas, a market day in nearby Serbia, tours of historic castles, museums, art galleries, wineries and even the Mercedes Benz factory. Every step of the itinerary has been planned to the last detail by travel professionals to create a stress-free and inspiring holiday.
Anyone signing up for this trip who mentions my name or website will receive a basket full of Hungarian specialties when they arrive in Budapest. 🙂
If you are interested in joining this tour to Hungary, please contact Shirley or Joe:
- info@besthungarianholidays.com.au
- http://besthungarianholidays.com.au/
- 07 4661 8672
If you are in Southern Queensland and would like to meet Joe and Shirley and learn more about the trip, they are hosting a coffee information night at the Warwick Public Library Meeting Room this Wednesday (Feb. 19) at 5:30 p.m.
Have you ever been to Hungary? I’d love to hear about your experiences. xo
Two: Quiet Breakfasts
Three: Exploring the Woods
How about you? What is making you smile today? xo
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