Harvest Time

We are enjoying a wonderful summer - long, hot days reading in the shade, swimming at the local pool, eating outside and keeping the garden watered. We have 2 large water tanks - one collects the rainwater from the greenhouse roof and the other one collects the water from the back roof of the house. This year it has rained regularly so I haven´t had to turn on the tap to water anything. I also collect the cold water from the shower (while I´m waiting for it to warm up) in a bucket and that´s enough to keep our indoor plants watered. The vegetables in the garden are maturing much earlier this year and aswell as eating them fresh, I´ve started stocking up our pantry for winter. I am so grateful for this garden and when we move house that is high on the list of must haves - I would hate to have to buy all my vegetables again and start worrying about pesticides and the long trip a head of salad has behind it before it reaches my local supermarket. For those of you who don´t have a garden, try your local farmer´s market. We have an abundance of green beans, zuchinis and spring onions this year and I spent yesterday afternoon making chutney and zuchini slices with herbs. I think you call chutney relish in the US, it´s a sweet and sour mix of vegetables that you eat with meats or bread or roasted potatoes. Basically, you just use a bit of oil to fry some spring onions and then you add diced zuchini and pieces of green beans(you can make this with almost any other veges too). Add tomato paste or pasta sauce or curry paste aswell as any other herbs and spices that you like and a little salt and pepper. The magic ingredient is cider vinegar (how much depends on how much chutney you´re making. Start with a dash, taste and go on from there)- it gives the chutney a kick. Let the whole lot cook on low for about an hour until it´s thick and saucy and spoon the mixture into clean jars while it´s still hot. It will keep up to 6 months in a cool place, about 3 days after you open the jar. For the zuchini slices, layer slices in jars, add herbs (rosmary or oregano are my favourites) and some mustard seads. Put a mix of cider vinegar and water (1:1) in a pot and boil, add some salt and spices (chilli powder, koriander, anything you have at home). Pour over the zuchinis while hot, about 3/4 of the way up is enough as the zuchinis will lose some liquid. Put the jar lids on tight and place them on the middle oven rack and sterilise at 90°C for 30 minutes. These are great with mozarella cheese and bread or mixed in a salad. I love going to the cellar during the colder months and choosing condiments that I know grew in my garden. Stay tuned for more recipes this week!

Last Day of Colour Week

Day 5 Blue and purple (sorry, not much purple around here).

Colour Week

Day 4 ORANGE

Colour Week

Day 3 YELLOW

A Week of Colour

Day 2 Green

A Week Of Colour

I discovered "a week of colour" over here. Day one - pink and red.

A summer shower and a list...

As I started writing this post, a summer shower came down to water the garden and clean the air. My water tank is full to the brim again. I haven´t turned on the tap to water a single plant this spring as the rain has given us a steady supply.
I was honored to see that domesticali tagged me for a meme, so here it is!
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I have no idea.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I think last week, watching “The Holiday”.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING Yes, it´s all curly and artistic.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT? Roast beef.
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? 3 boys
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes, I´d love to hang around with me.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Yes, it´s mostly misunderstood but I get alot of laughs out of it.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS Yes, but I said goodbye to my apendix when I was 12.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No, I saw a vidoe once where a bungee jumper got the rope caught around his kneck and I´d be terrified of this happening.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CEREAL? Coco Pops.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Does being strong mean being able to take a lot of crap or not taking any crap? I´m better at the first and getting better at the second.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM? A Golden Gaytime – if you´re an Aussie you know what this is, to anyone else it may sound kinky.
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? If they look me in the eyes. 15. RED OR PINK? Both.
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My thin hair.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST My best friend back in Australia, Lydia.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? huh?
19. WHAT COLOUR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Short jeans, no shoes.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Fresh bread topped with a fried egg and cheese.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? 2WS, a Sydney radio station.
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE? One of those rainbow ones.
23. FAVOURITE SMELLS? Fresh cut grass (reminds me of Aussia summers), Paris perfume (reminds me of my first day at work), baby powder (reminds me of my kids when they were babies).
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Boyfriend.
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes, although I don´t know her very well yet.
26. FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Swimming.
27. HAIR COLOUR? Between brown and red.
28. EYE COLOUR? Between green and blue.
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes.
30. FAVOURITE FOOD? A good steak or prawns.
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? I hate scary movies.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Children of men, it really scared me.
33. WHAT COLOUR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Blue tie-dyed.
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? SUMMER!!!
35. HUGS OR KISSES? I can´t choose.
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Huh?
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Huh?
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The Bride Stripped bare – very sexy.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?I don´t have one.
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Dr. House, there was nothing else on.
42. FAVOURITE SOUND? The kids running up the stairs after school.
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Rolling Stones.
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? I have called a lot of places home - mainly Sydney and Reichenfels and they are 15.981 kilometers or 9930 miles or 8629 nautical miles apart.
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I can sing.
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Styria, Austria.
47. WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU LIKE? I´d like to be able to beam myself, being able to make myself invisible would be great too!

Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it. (Anne De Lenclos)

Look at the beauty going on in our garden! I finally managed to use up most of my fabric stash by making 11 meters of bunting to hang in the garden. Check out this group for inspiration. This has been the most beautiful spring with sunshine and warm showers and the garden is growing at great speed compared to previous years. I am looking forward to a harvest of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, rasberries, zuchini, potatoes, tomatoes and runner beans, all pictured above.

I want to thank everyone for the encouraging comments on my last post. The house is definately going to be sold. Erich and I cannot afford to pay my husband his half of the house and he is at the end of the line with our bank so the house will soon be up for sale. The good news is that it may take quite a while for him to find a buyer so we have time to look for a rental home, we have managed to break the news to the children and they are ready for anything that may happen. I can then walk away finally divorced and with a little money to start new. I have overcome my first shock and now I´m looking forward to seeing what challenges the future holds.

Waiting, thinking, wondering...

...I´m having big difficulties with my almost ex-husband who is having financial problems which he is trying to drag us into. I´m trying to stay positive while the bank decides over our future in this house .
I want to reach above myself, stay calm and strong and focused so I don´t get emotional every time I am reminded of just how little the children and I mean to him.
If worse comes to worse, Erich and I will pack up the children and find a new home and start a new adventure but that would be very hard for me so keep your fingers crossed for us.

Nice Things

This is one of my set of five Lotta Jansdotter inspired place mats. I made them a little smaller because they are for outdoors and picnic dishes and cutlery are a little smaller too and they should fit perfectly in my picnic bag which is also in the works. The older I get, the more I see the importance of having nice things. I don´t mean expensive things or "in" things -I mean simple, useful and when possible, hand made things. Things that make me joyful and emotional and more alive and aware of the colour and beauty around me. I am so looking forward to hearing the children run up the stairs after school to have a lunch of ham and vegetable omelettes outside in the garden on our blue table and our new place mats.

A new book!

I was really torn between buying this book and one of Amy Butler´s books - I decided on this one because of the title, Simple Sewing and because I am an admirer of Lotta Jansdotter and Scandinavian style. The book seemed a little too simple at first glance but the more I look through it, the more I realise that the simplicity of it leaves room for my own imagination. It´s a little like Ikea furniture, the structure is there but you can make so much more out of it. The book has a lot of practical hints and instructions for sewing in general aswell as lovely photos and useful patterns in their own hard pocket so they can´t be lost. I started with some things that I needed, the sun hat (I had to adapt this pattern as it was much too big so I recommend that you make a test hat with a cheap fabric first) and a pot holder and I`m working on the all-day tote which will be used as a picnic bag and filled with a napkins and place-mats with cutlery pockets. We have booked our summer holiday to Italy in August and I can´t wait to have a picnic overlooking beautiful Lake Garda, wearing my sun hat with a lovely place-mat on my lap!

On my way to work....

I wanted to write this post days ago but spring cleaning and gardening got in the way. Megg inspired me by taking us along on her way to work...I don´t pass the amazing water views like Megg does...but after I get in my car, I drive for about 30 minutes past mountain views, castles and ruins. After I park my car I have a 10 minute walk along a river and through narrow alleys before I reach my office which has a lovely view of a church and market place. Like Megg, I often feel lonely and struggle to find friendships close-by. It took me a long time to find this creative blogging community and I want those of you who come here to know that you brighten my days and put a bounce in my step...even on my way to work.

Happy Easter!

Waiting for Spring...

Slowly, ever so slowly it´s getting warmer around here but just last week our garden was still full of snow. I´m having trouble keeping my spirits up in this gloomy weather so I´m crafting with all the spring colours I can find...Fernfern sent me some lovely paper and I used it to make a little paper quilt and I´ve started sewing a range of cheery bags. I hope it´s warm and sunny where you are!

Sunday Scribblings #53 - Deepest, darkest

I have been very lucky in my life but there have been some deep, dark moments when I have felt very vulnerable and frightened. When I look back I realise that it´s precisely those moments that have formed me and made me strong. It´s the deepest, darkest moments that have helped me to recognise and appreciate the light at the end of the tunnel.

More Scribblings here.

An Enjoyable Way To Get The Housework Done

I have been wanting to make my own inspiration cards for a while, a deck that´s a little more practical than the ones I´ve seen. I like housework and have learnt to keep my house in order but I leave some things too long and have to do a stressfull whirlwind clean-up when guests are coming over. I made a list of jobs and then cut out magazine and catalogue photos to suit them and glued them onto some thin cardboard. I have a part-time job for which I am quite well-paid and appreciated BUT I spend a lot more time working in my home and, as a lot of you know, this is not a well-paid and always appreciated job so it´s nice to see some rewards for the hard work. Of-course seeing the family happy and healthy is very rewarding but I often find that I´m spending my time and energy taking care of everyone else and forgetting to take care of myself. SO, on the back of my cards I have little rewards for myself. Once a job is done, I can shuffle the deck and pick a lovely treat. I am certainly going to enjoy housework a lot more in future!
To all those hardworking women out there - don´t forget to reward yourselves! You can adapt a deck like this to any chores OR make just a reward deck to shuffle whenever you need a little something to brighten your day.

Sunday Scribblings #52 - In the Kitchen

The kitchen I grew up in was my mother´s and the next 5 kitchens I cooked in were in rented apartments. I learnt to cook for a really big family in my mother in law´s kitchen but I didn´t feel really grown up until I cooked for my family on my stove in my kitchen. I have lived, laughed and cried in this kitchen. I have looked out the windows and watched my children play in the garden, seen visitors come and go and seasons come and go and watched my husband leave for good. In my kitchen I have surrounded myself with things I love and when friends visit it´s their favourite place too.
More Scribblings here,
more photos of my kitchen and my home here.

Sunday Scribblings #51 - Inspiration

The Crafter´s Companion projects : ALL DONE!
The prompt "Inspiration" urges me to talk about the shift in thinking that I mentioned a few weeks ago. The book The Crafter´s Companion came along at just the right time for me and I thought it would be fun to try to make all the projects in the book. I didn´t realise how moving all the stories about the bloggers in the book would be for me and while I went through making each item I thought about the experiences of the person who designed it, which role crafting, selling and creating plays in their life and also in my own life.

When I started this blog I hated my job, I thought that crafting would get me out of the rat race and enable me to earn money from home and have more time with my kids. I was unsatisfied with my appearance and with my surroundings and I felt more like I was "trying" ways to live rather than living. I used to spend a lot more time watching TV, dreaming about a life I could have, a figure I would be happier with and how I could change my job.

The steps I took - with the advice and encouragement of the people who leave comments here - were to try and make my working days more enjoyable by surrounding myself with music and things I love in my office and doing my work 100%. Now I am a lot more successful at teaching and it is such a joy to watch people understand and feel comfortable with a new language. I have made it an aim to help my students become more confident and recognise their strengths and I see that I have made a difference to many people. Now I love my job and I can finally really start to enjoy crafting as a hobby without putting pressure on myself just like many of the bloggers I read about in the book. There are many who have made their craft their occupation but there are also many who have a day job and I have come to realise that this is right for me too.

I look around me and see that the world is made up of people in all shapes and sizes. Taking care of my body, eating nourishing and delicious foods and enjoying eating without worrying about calories or my figure - that is how I have learnt to live. I don´t eat fast food and I don´t diet - over the last year I have stopped eating all those white and empty carbohydrates that had me feeling tired and heavy. I weigh myself only once a week and slowly but surely I am headed for my goal weight of 85kg (7kg to go!). I go for my walk/ride my indoor bike every day and I have found shops which sell lovely clothes in my size.

What I really want to say is that my inspiration is here...you, your blogs, your comments, your books and projects are my inspiration and have helped me to recognise my boundaries, make changes and learn to appreciate so many things that I felt negative about.

Sunday Scribblings #50 - Dream journey

When I was 3 my parents left Austria to start a new life in Australia and although these 2 countries share a similar spelling, they are very different from one another. I was lucky enough to come to Austria on holiday with my family when I was 12, we stayed for 3 months and I got to know my relatives and experience life here. When I was 16 I came to Austria for 5 weeks by myself and it was a real adventure, I felt very grown up checking in at airports and boarding planes alone. I always felt quite comfortable here as things seemed more small scale than in Sydney, it was cosier, people knew each other and everything was very old, there was history everywhere. When I was 22 I decided to come to Europe again on a dream journey, I planned, daydreamed and wrote about everything I wanted to do in Europe and although I travelled around a lot, Austria became the base where I sought refuge when travelling got too much or when I ran out of money. I stayed with my grandmothers who lived in the same town where I was born, I found work, met my future ex-husband and had babies, built a home and settled in. When I left Sydney and started my dream journey to Europe, I suspected that I may not be coming back but it wasn´t a strong thought in my mind. I was a drifter, a traveller, a free spirit. Now I see that I slipped easily into this life, there were obstacles but they seem small now. I live in the village where my father was born, 25 kilometers away from the town I was born in...so, you could say I have come full circle.

A Sunday Walk

We went for a walk around our neighbourhood yesterday, it was a gorgeous, almost spring day with sunshine and a blue sky. It´s starting to get more colourful around here as the greys and dull browns of winter are replaced with the fresher colours that spring brings with it. About half an hour´s walk from here through the forest there are some beautiful old ruins and after passing these you come to a lovely little road called Sommerau which leads you to the center of Reichenfels. Our little village is very small with a population of about 2000. It´s a bit of a ghost town on Sundays as everything is closed except the pubs and our only café. It was nice to take a look at our neighbourhood through the camera lense, it seemed very enchanting and I noticed a lot of little things that I don´t often see when I´m passing through in my car each day.