Mama goes WWOOFing

Yesterday I did something that is usually reserved for the single 20-something backpacker: I went WWOOFing. WWOOF stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms and typically involves four to six hours work on an organic farm per day in exchange for food and lodgings. A wonderful way to travel and meet people and find accommodation when you are young... but not something you’d ordinarily find a 40-something mother-of-three doing on a rare day off from work and parenting duties.

But, hey, who cares what 40-something mother-of-three’s are supposed to do, right? I’m in for a spot of adventure,  dog dammit, even if I did look like a most ridiculous WOOFer compared to the fit, lean, beautiful bunch of young travellers I hung out with yesterday.

Here’s why I went WOOFing: I am declaring 2012 to be my year of following my heart. My wild, creative heart and my deep desire to learn more and write more and photograph more.

2012 is the year in which I am going to really learn how to grow food (in my itsy backyard).  And, if this journey of following my creative heart sees me squatting over a field planting parsley and coriander seedlings in the torrential rain with a bunch of young travellers, well, so be it. That’s where you’ll find me. What better way to learn about growing food than directly from the “real” farmers themselves?

WOOFing yesterday was a hoot – although my body is aching from it today – and I learned so much, simply by being out there and taking in the surrounds of the farm and talking to the farm workers and asking 101 questions. (The journalist-within can’t help herself.)  Digging my hands into the red crumbly soil was delicious fun for this enthusiastic gardener, and I’m so lucky to be living in an abundant food-growing region that offers these opportunities.*

I asked about the corn growing; learned how to propagate sweet potato, how far apart to plant lettuce seedlings and that globe artichokes are members of the thistle family and much more. I saw, firsthand, just what hard work real farming can be; satisfying work, to be sure, but hard never-the-less.  I came away from those few hours at the farm with a deeper appreciation of the effort that goes into growing food on such a scale, and a deeper respect for the farmers that nourish us.

For my efforts I was fed a delicious breakfast/lunch of freshly picked and prepared farm food; came home with a box of fresh organic produce and a couple of sweet potato cuttings to plant in my own backyard,  a heap of inspiration for my own veggie patch and cooked up a meal full of colour and vitality for my family last night. What’s not to love?

Have you ever WWOOFed?

x

Megan 

*

- I went WOOFing at Chestnut Farm, Newrybar, home to MunchCrunch Organics. You can find out more about them at www.munchcrunchorganics.com.au

- Find out more on WWOOFing here: www.wwoof.com.au

Off we go, ready or not

She’s finished the countdown until Christmas; finished the countdown until turning five, and now Miss Melody has a new event to count down the days for: Big School.

Yes, after 15 years of motherhood, for the second time around I am about to watch my “baby” go off to big school. I’ve been here before, ten years ago, with my eldest child, and I can tell you it doesn’t get any easier.

I am filled with the same nervous butterflies for Melli starting school as I was when her big sister did all those years ago. Nervous that she will be okay in the new environment; that the teacher will be good for her; that she will remember which lunchbox is which; remember to go to the toilet and remember not to wander off from her classroom and get lost down some dark alley inhabited by gangs and drug pushers where she will meet a dark stranger who will introduce her to a cult where she will be brainwashed into leaving on some dangerous mission to a far-away place where she will parachute into a crocodile-infested waters...

While I worry about how she will go in those early days, I know where I will be within minutes of dropping her off to her new classroom on that first day. I’ll be exactly where I was a decade ago after dropping off her big sister; a blabbering mess sitting in my car wishing, in vain, that it was not so insufferably quiet and empty of her little kid chatter.

While I am running through all the possible disasters that may befall my little one when she starts school – as mothers do - she, on the other hand, is racing off in the other direction excitedly preparing for this next big adventure.

Squeaky new school shoes are being worn every day around the house; numbers and letters are being studied, pencil cases opened and closed a million times and back packs chosen. 

She is counting down the days. She is ready.

I am not.

Neither is her little sister.

When Maddi, two, sees her big sister attempting to put on her new, bright, white school socks she springs into action. Although she does not know exactly what is going on, Maddi senses her fearless leader is up to no good and so she lunges for the socks and races off to the teenager’s room declaring: “That’s Lella’s socks”. She recognises the socks are for school kids, big kids, and goes to return them to the rightful school kid of the house – 15-year-old Ella.

I should stop her, but inwardly I am barracking for my toddler at this point: willing her chubby little legs to run, run, as fast as they can and take the makings of another school kid with them. Yes, Maddi, I think. Let’s put a stop to all this “big school” madness right now. Big School! A preposterous plan. Outrageous! Let’s nip it in the bud right here...

But I have already brought two six-packs of the white socks, haven’t I (you can never have too many socks), and Miss Five has simply put on a new pair, pulled high to her knees. Maddi’s plan is foiled and at the sight of those white school socks and shiny black school shoes on those skinny little legs, the tears I thought would be saved for the car on the first day of school are leaking out early.

“Oh, Melli,” I splutter.  “How did you get so big? I will miss you so much when you are at big school.”

Melli looks over at me, beaming with “I’m wearing my big school clothes” pride and then clomps off in those ridiculously big black shoes to the kitchen table to retrieve her latest artwork. She returns and thrusts it into my lap with the instructions: “Here, Mum, you can look at this when I am at big school so you don’t miss me.”

I look down at the picture. A sticky, glued-on mess of fabric scraps, texta colour and glitter and I can see there is a resemblance. A sweet-faced girl with stringy yellow hair... It does kind-of look like her. I will frame it and I will look at it every day, but it will never be as good as the real thing.

***

Here’s the thing nobody tells you when you become a mother : No matter how prepared you think you are; no matter how many classes you take, books you read or advice you listen to – no matter how many years practice you have -you will Never. Be. Ready. for this day.

But, your kids will be. 

And they will race forward into the future regardless of you, and you must take a deep breath, brush aside those tears and sprint alongside them to keep up, puffing and panting as you go.

They grow Big. Fast.

Whether you are ready or not.

x

Megan

summer days

some days i take the i-phone with me to the beach...

pictures via instagram (i'm known over there as thebyronlife)

x

Crafty Party Girls

We celebrated Miss Melody's fifth birthday is crafty, home-made style yesterday. With a small group of little school friends, a heap of home-made party food (Alex presented the party girls with an amazing array of goodies he made himself: home baked cakes, old-fashioned toffees, home-made lemonade, hommus and guacamole dips...) and some crafty inspiration from the blogosphere, the birthday girl had a ball.

The pictures above are from the party craft table where the girls rocked the scissors, textas, glitter and fabric scraps to create these cute little party-girl pictures. The idea came from Cath who had blogged about this idea years ago and kindly sent me a photo to jog my memory. My teenager then drew the figures for the little ones to colour in and "dress" in fabric scraps. It was a hit with the girls, and I'd highly recommend it if you are looking for an inexpensive and fun party (or any day) craft activity.

And these photos are of my crafty contribution to the birthday festivities : bunting made from my collection of thrifted hankies. Again, another crafty mum I know inspired this idea after gifting us something similar a couple of years ago. I actually went looking for that bunting to hang for the party only to discover I'd lost it somehow, perhaps in the packing and clearing when we moved up to the hills last year... so I decided to make some of my own using my collection of mostly vintage hankies and a couple of rolls of bias-binding I had in my supplies.

Someone at the party commented that the bunting reminded them of Tibetan prayer flags flapping in the wind. They do look lovely in the garden and I made enough (7.5metres!) that I may leave one length out in the girls' play area and bring the smaller length inside to decorate their room.

We ended the scorcher of a summer's day here, at Melody's favourite place in nature. All up, a perfect summer's party day for my little summer baby. And, with that, we can sign-off on this season of back-to-back birthday and Christmas festivities... phew!

x

When You Are Five...

You have counted down the sleeps until this day for a very long time.

You are greeted with huge hugs from sleepy parents and excited sisters.

Your request for pikelets (always pikelets!) for breakfast is met and a trip to the beach will follow.

Of all your presents, the shiny trinkets from Granny  (the sort that mummy does not buy for you) and the pink umbrella from your big sister will be your favourites.

You will not know that your dad had to ring his editor to explain that it will be a late start today as there is a swing set to assemble (and that your mum and dad are grateful for such an editor).

You will show your mum, who may be hiding a twinkle of tears in her eyes as she watches this, just how kind and loving you are by sharing your birthday joy with your little sister.

When you are five your world is filled with love and flowers and little best friends and excitement for your birthday party coming up.

When you are five the world is huge and safe and dreams you haven’t even had yet float out there, just waiting for you to live them.

When you are five the possibilities are endless, the sky is limitless... and your mum is so lucky to have you there to remind her of that, every single day.

x

In My Kitchen :: A Summer Recipe – Chilli and Lemongrass Salsa

Growing my own small veggie/herb patch and buying locally grown produce whenever I can is keeping me in tune with eating seasonally. Although I haven’t set myself any kind of formal challenge to only eat locally, I am trying my best to do so to keep food fresh and reduce food miles.

The photos above is a small sample of what I picked from my own garden patch yesterday: Marigolds, basil, Vietnamese mint, lemon grass and a few tiny tomatoes. I have not had great success with the tomatoes, sadly, but I’m not giving up. The tiny yellow pears have a heap more fruit ripening....

And the photo above is what I brought home with me from the roadside stalls I visited on New Year’s Day. Locally grown coffee, coriander, squash, bananas, snake beans, chokos, tomatoes and at the back there, a bundle of hessian coffee bags to re-use at home (craft ideas, anyone?).

The produce above cost me just over $20. Not bad for organic food. The tomatoes were $5 for a 2.5kg box – organic and vine-ripened tomatoes at $2kg. Wow! I will have to preserve these somehow.

This pic was taken through instagram. Come find me there as thebyronlife 

Inspired by that bunch of sweet coriander, along with lemongrass, basil and mint growing in my garden, I have tested out a new-to-me recipe that I happily share with you today. This salsa is a spicy Thai-style that works wonderfully with either tofu, chicken or fish on a bed of rice. We steamed those snake beans as a side-dish, too.

CHILLI AND LEMONGRASS SALSA

1 x red chilli (seeds removed)

2 x lemongrass stalks

1 x tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

Good handful of Coriander

Good handful of sweet basil leaves

A few Vietnamese Mint leaves (or Thai basil if you have some)

2 x tablespoons soya sauce

Juice of 3 limes (or more if you want it more watery)

1 x teaspoon sugar or honey

METHOD:

Very finely chop the herbs and chilli. Make sure you remove the chilli seeds and the tough outer leaves of the lemon grass. Finely grate the ginger

Combine these with the sugar, soy sauce and lime juice.

Cover and refrigerate for an hour or more.

Serve over cooked tofu or meat on a bed of rice.

You could also use this as a marinade.

x

Megan

Summer Days

Up in the hills, through the forest and past fields, a taste of summer awaits.

Spray-free, organic, home-grown and freshly picked. Sold by the side of the road though the honesty box system.

Chokos and herbs; bananas and coffee; squash, tomatoes, garlic, zucchini and corn... This is what summer tastes like.

I drive home, my car perfumed by the scents of coffee, coriander and forest. 

Summer. Can you taste it?

x

Megan

What Will You Choose in 2012?

Last night I tried to make a collage of photos from 2011 as a NYE post, but the computer just would not cooperate with this idea. And so, I will let that one go and try something different.

It's fitting, really, because that has been the theme of 2011 for me : Letting go. As hard as it might appear in the face of it, letting go of out-grown habits, thoughts, stuff, and the way I conduct some relationships has had this wonderful effect of pulling unexpectedly positive things towards me as I let go of the old.

Some of the things I have chosen to let go of in 2011 include:

~ some relationships and situations that consistently left me feeling negative about myself.
~ some harsh inner judgements on my self-worth (related to and reflected by the above).
~ a heap of physical cluttter (truckloads, in fact)
~ a few ruts and comfort zones - including the comfort of our own familiar home for a while.


And, in letting go of the above (and more) I received:

~ A new sense of purpose and appreciation of my life.
~ A deeper, heart-felt, appreciation of the absolutely incredible friendships I am blessed with, both new and old.
~ A clearer living space (rarely tidy, but definitely more functional).
~ Unexpected, and wonderful, creative opportunities that continue to amaze me.
~ A more gentle approach to myself, and my life as it is right now; as a mother of three, including two little ones.
~ A very real sense of knowing that I am doing the very best I can for my children, with the resources I have available. This has been huge.
~ Courage to keep going and keep experimenting and trying new things.
~ Proof, in so many ways, that if I truly follow my intuition, all will unfold perfectly.
~ A renewed love for this a.m.a.z.i.n.g. region I call home. There is so much to love; so much more to discover; so much more to connect with and so many stories to tell!


2012 will see more work on letting go. It has been cathartic, but so worthwhile. I think (hope) I have gotten more into the groove of it now.

Yes, I would have liked to have put that collage of life in 2011 together, but, really, the photo below is without a doubt my favourite from the year, anyway. It shows my two little ones experiencing life with chooks and a big playground to explore as we left our home by the coast and lived up in the hills for a spell. Their enthusiasm for the "new"and their ability to make the best out of any experience is infectious.

We took a risk on that "life in the hills" stint and while there were many aspects that worked for us, there were quite a few that didn't. The grass is not always greener - who knew?! But I am so very glad we did it. We have returned with a deeper appreciation of all the good we have going for us here, in our own home, and we have so many new plans...

 I know it's only a date on the calendar, but this time of year is powerful. We can reflect, appreciate and acknowledge all the good in our lives - including the hard lessons learned in the previous year. And we can move forward, in whatever manner we choose. Therein lies the power of our lives - our choices.

I am enthusiastic about 2012 and all it has to offer. I choose to move forward creatively, with good, gentle and positive people by my side, in harmony with my family, the environment, and the community in which I live.

What will you choose for 2012, I wonder?

Thank you for dropping by this year - I do hope you (choose to) come back again in 2012, you are so very welcome.

x
Megan

p.s And, I also choose to grow garlic in my garden in 2012!

Summer Days

Boxing Day. The fridge is full of Christmas Day leftovers; the kids are playing in the sand pit and I am planning on picking some herbs from my garden for lunch... maybe we will go for a beach swim later. Holiday bliss.

And, I'm blogging over at the Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op blog today. Come visit to see how the straw bale garden experiment went this year.

x
Megan