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
by Krista | Jul 16, 2014 | Winter
It is so good to be home again after a lovely weekend of medieval camping. It was wonderfully relaxing – just what I needed – with good sleeps, hugs and visits with dear friends, and nourishing food cooked over the fire. (I will tell you about it next week.)
We returned home to all our animals safe and sound, gardens flourishing, and four days of wood-burning my heart out in preparation for my first booth at the Allora Winter Festival this coming weekend.
I’ve been invited to present my work at “Meet the Makers”, an event where local artisans give demonstrations on everything from bead-making, knitting, and sewing to painting, chocolate-sauce-prepping and doll-creating. It is such a fun group of women, jolly, hilarious, and talented, and I’m delighted to be part of it. We’re all looking forward to an excuse to spend the day together.
If you are going to be on the Darling Downs this weekend, do pop on by the Allora RSL between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to say hello, learn all sorts of crafts, and catch live music at PJ Travers Park. For more information, visit the Allora Winter Festival Facebook page or visit the pages of some of my fellow artists:
Frog & Swallow Gourmet Preserves
Beads of Ambrosia
Radha Luxury Organics and Naturals
Twinkle Twins Clothing
Jill Kennett Art Dolls in Cloth
Now I must get back to my wood-burning. Next up – rolling pins!
XO
by Krista | Jul 10, 2014 | Winter
Sometimes life likes to play little jokes. Like scheduling hospital operations in the same week I’m supposed to go medieval camping and teach two demonstrations on medieval medicine. Good heavens. Yesterday I didn’t think I’d make it, but today is a new day and a much, much better one. It’s amazing what a whole lot of rest and good sleeps will do for a body.
I took things slow and steady and bit by by everything came together. My gear is all packed, medieval medicines made, notes printed. I think I’m set.
I’m really looking forward to our weekend getaway, cozy winter nights sleeping in our oh-so-warm Bedouin tent, foggy mornings around the campfire, late nights sipping homemade mead and swapping stories before bed.
Last year was my first time teaching medieval medicine and I was so nervous I nearly made myself sick. This year is different. This year I know my material well and the recipes and uses just come to mind naturally. This year I get to relax and enjoy it, delighting children with talk of bone saws and stitching them up with horse hair, meeting people from all over the world, visiting the myriad camps and learning as much as I can.
Mostly I’m excited to spend time with my Bear and our dear friends. It’s lovely to be with comfy folks, isn’t it? With people who love you and tease you and are glad you’re around. It’s the best medicine.
Wishing you a beautiful weekend with people who love you. xo
by Krista | Jul 8, 2014 | Winter
I’m home again from the hospital, sore and exhausted but so happy to be home. There were complications with the procedures that will make recovery a bit longer, but it’s OK. The docs were able to do them and that’s what counts. Now I rest up and wait for the results. Thank you so much for all your kind notes and messages. They mean a great deal to me and brought a lot of smiles and comfort. XO
It’s been wicked cold this week thanks to icy winds that seem to find every crack in the floorboards and gap in our clothing. Brrr. It’s a good time of year to rest inside, warm and toasty with multiple layers and innumerable cups of hot tea, steaming coffee, and creamy cocoa.
My recovery days are filled with quiet things: wood-burning, reading, naps. I’ve been reading Robert Frost, remembering why I’ve always loved his words:
“We can make a little order where we are, and then the big sweep of history on which we can have no effect doesn’t overwhelm us. We do it with colors, with a garden, with the furnishings of a room, or with sounds and words. We make a little form, and we gain composure.”
“a little order where we are” – how I love that.
When I am ill or tired or just plain overwhelmed, it’s such a comfort to know I don’t have to fix it all, feel it all, care deeply for it all. My heart gets pulled in so many directions when I watch the news or read the paper, most of which I can do absolutely nothing about.
But I can make a little order in my life. I can make our little world a bit better for me and my loves, the people that cross our path.
I can plant flowers and herbs and veggies.
I can cuddle baby goats and help them find their mums when they get lost.
I can write notes or emails to beloved ones near and far.
I can brew a cup of tea for a dear friend.
I can give my hubs a hug when he’s had a rough day.
Little things really do make a difference.
What little things are making your world better this week? XO
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?
