advice

Raisins, Environment and Dolphins

Posted on by mjlarter2

I can’t believe it is already March! 3rd month of 2019 – the time goes so quickly.

It doesn’t help that I have another birthday, so am one year older. birthdayI remember my father telling me when he was 80 that he didn’t feel any different to when he was 40. At the time, I didn’t quite believe him, but now I understand. It is a pity the mirror can’t be more understanding and show you a younger face as well! LOL!

At the moment, the environment around here is still dry. All through January and February we were crying out for rain and relief from the heat and still we wait. The ground water table is low and my house has moved and the doors don’t close. We desperately need moisture in the soil. The fields here were nearly dust when they should have been lush and green.

The fires, in Tasmania, were ravaging the land, the snow, in the Canada and the USA, was frigid and thick, and floodthe floods in North Queensland killed cattle by the thousands, and with them, people’s dreams and livelihoods.

Nature is, and always has been, cruel. We hear of famines and floods in the distant past as well as now. Potatoes in Ireland full of disease, droughts in Africa with thousands dying of starvation, earthquakes in Europe burying people, and mudslides in Asia eradicating whole villages.

Perhaps the Earth has been trying to tell us for ages that we, as a species, need to be more mindful of this beautiful planet. I honestly feel that we haven’t learnt – we populate at a staggering rate, ruin habitats that have been sheltering animals for years, and pollute oceans with rubbish and plastics without a thought or care about other species.

Can you imagine a life without dolphins, whales and fish in our oceansdolphins – no eagles, owls, bats or birds in our skies, or Polar bears, majestic cats and great elephants on our lands? It would be a sad and sorry planet. And it is heading there fast!

It is time we did something to halt the spread of our peoples ( almost like a virus) over the planet.

Suggestions? Is education the answer?

Is the earth ready to eradicate us? Are governments so full of idiots that they can’t and won’t see what is in front of their eyes?

OK. Enough said.

But I would love to hear that we can do something – the plunder of our planet and greed that causes a lot of it – must stop.

Just so we can end on a positive note – let’s have a lovely recipe.

(just be aware I add sultanas in place of raisins.)

Barabrith – Welsh tea bread.

Ingredients:-

250g mixed dried fruit/raisins/sultanas – your choice

125g raw sugar

250g SR flourbread

1 egg

½ tspn mixed spice

1 cup cold tea.

  1. Soak fruit overnight in the tea with the added sugar.
  2. Next morning, pre-heat oven to 180-200°C.
  3. Add egg, flour and spice to the fruit mixture. Mix well.
  4. Place in 2 greased loaf tins or one large square cake tin.
  5. Bake for approx 45mins.
  6. Serve cool, sliced with butter. Serves 8-12.

YUMMY!

With Kindness

Maureen

P.S. – Have you checked out page two and three yet? There is another story to read on page two ( readeatdream.net/free-childrens-picture-book ) and some art to look at on page three ( readeatdream.net/sweetfields-products-and-mykelcee-designs ). Some of my archives have recipes, too. (I haven’t learnt how to tell the contents of each post in my archive list – sorry).

Resolutions,Envy and Distractions

Posted on by mjlarter2

Now that 2019 is well underway – gosh – February already – it will be Christmas soon!

(I really didn’t say that – one thing on your New Year Resolutions list of things to do this year, is to buy or make one gift a month!)

At the beginning of the year I traveled by train to Ballina on the north coast of New South Wales in Australia, (an 8 hour trip), to see my daughter.

I had plenty of time to think, without too many distractions. I was luck to have a seat to myself on the train, both up and back three days later! I spent the time organizing my resolutions for the coming year – things to do and books to write.

Fortunately, the list is long, and the motivation to rule out the jobs when they are done is enough to keep me going.

Motivation is a problem for many people, and I understand. There are some days that I really feel like staring into space, envying all my friends for their achievements, but not willing to do anything myself.

It is a trap we all fall into! But once you actually make yourself do something towards your goals, you actually feel better! Funny how that works!

However, please accept, that some days it is alright to relax, re-charge- and sleep if necessary. Factor it into your resolutions – one day a week for yourself – relaxation, meditation or just simply – doing nothing. It is good for the soul!

What resolutions did you make for this year?

Have you been distracted yet – or have you managed to start?

If you have begun your list, and actually crossed a couple off, I envy you.

To help you in your motivation – follow these steps:-

  1. Make a plan/list.
  2. Get up!
  3. Start!
  4. If the list feels overwhelming, start with the simplest tasks first.
  5. Each day allow one hour to do something on your list – even if you don’t finish – it is progress.
  6. Repeat.

Well, that’s all from me this month.

For all those in the Northern hemisphere who are snowed in – I hope it gets warmer. For all those waiting desperately for rain in Australia – let’s hope it arrives gently on your doorstep. For all those in Townsville, Queensland, having to cope with the mess of floods, I hope you can cope, and for all those in Tasmania beset by fires, I hope a deluge occurs to quench the flames.

Life and nature are harsh and difficult at times, but there is beauty and happiness, too – remember that.

With Kindness

Maureen

P.S. Remember to have a look at readeatdream.net/sweetfields-products-and-mykelcee-designs for some artwork to buy.

readeatdream.net/free-childrens-picture-book has a new story to read as well. Enjoy.

Return, Everyday and Drudgery.

Posted on by mjlarter2

Don’t believe the title!

Sure, I have returned from my holiday with my daughter, when I went fishing, shopping and eating in a nice, if noisy, restaurant. (not worth the price of the meal, I might add.)

Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, sitting, ocean, sky, mountain, outdoor and nature

Yes- that’s me! Out on the boat catching the most fish that day.

Yes, I have returned to the everyday chores of my home life after the silly season. (I’m sure we all gave a collected sigh of relief for another year!)

But DRUDGERY? No way!

If life came down to a dull, painful monotonous day, would it be worth living?

Now, I know many people, as they age, can not do too much, due to health problems. but I decided many years ago, to not give in to aging. I saw my grandmother go downhill rapidly when she decided she was ‘old’ and therefore couldn’t do anything. She gave up knitting, sewing, gardening and reading. All these things had been her normal life, but as soon as she gave them up, she became a shell of her former self.

Not for me!!

The old saying – ‘to grow old gracefully’ should be changed to – ‘to grow old DISgracefully’ That is my idea to make sure I keep young. The more interests and the busier you are, the better for the body and the mind. I ‘do’ even if I don’t feel like it – once my day becomes active (either with the body or the mind) I feel better immediately.

I knit, crochet, garden, write and read. I socialize, I market on the computer and I publish other people’s books. I teach piano and violin and keep bees, cows and chickens.

meandbees

Only two hives, but they keep me well supplied with honey. I’m giving a workshop here for Landcare, about keeping bees.

I cook – making sure I get whole, fresh produce every meal.

I make my own mayonnaise, peanut butter, muesli (granola) with my own home-grown fruit, dehydrated in my own dehydrator and more. I endeavour to cook a variety of food, so that my body gets a load of different vitamins and nutrients every day.

Here is a typical weekly menu – but, remember, it changes every week.

Monday: Breakfast :- 1 egg on a slice of multi-grain toasted bread. Lunch: – salad wrap, with lettuce/tomato/cucumber/ mayo/ ham and pickled onion (my bit of fermented food)) in a Quinoa wrap. Dinner:- Sweet and sour Pork with rice (include capsicum/onion/pineapple/broccoli and carrot in the stir fry). for my homemade s/s sauce see recipe later)

Tuesday:- Breakfast:- 1 cup granola with 1 cup milk ( and a touch of sugar – optional). Lunch:- 2 egg mushroom omelet. Dinner:- Crumbed chicken thigh or breast and vegetables – generally carrot, peas and potatoes.

Wednesday:- Breakfast:- 1 weetbix with 1/2 sliced banana (or diced strawberries, blueberries) with 1 cup milk. Lunch:- Tuna and avocado with mayo and corn sandwich. Dinner:- Spaghetti Bolognaise.

Thursday:- Breakfast: 1 cup of yoghurt with diced fresh fruit and a sprinkle of granola to add texture. Lunch:- Bubble and squeak ( leftover potato from previous night with onion and cabbage.) Dinner:- Satay chicken stir fry with vegetables and rice.

Friday:- Breakfast:- 1 egg, (scrambled). Lunch:- Caesar Salad. Dinner:- Macaroni cheese with mixed vegetables on the side.

You get the idea!

I was thinking of putting out a cook book called ‘For one and only” as most cookbooks are for a family, and as I live alone, not really relevant for me. 

What do you think?

Oh – and here’s the sweet and sour sauce recipe:-

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

1 cup Pineapple juice (with water)

2 tblspns cornflour

¼ cup vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tblspns soy sauce

2-3 tblspns tomato sauce

1 cup chopped onions

1 ¼ cup of pineapple pieces

2-3 drops of red food colouring (optional)

other chopped vegetables as desired. (carrot, cabbage, broccoli etc.)

  1. Blend cornflour, pineapple juice and vinegar in a saucepan.
  2. Soak onion in red colouring for a few minutes.
  3. Add everything to saucepan except pineapple pieces.
  4. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Serve with rice. Serves 4. 
  5. Veg can be par cooked if desired.
  6. I bottle extra and keep in fridge for a little while – using the next week with a different meat – pork, or chicken or diced lamb – it can also be used with just vegetables for vegetarians)

P.S. Don’t forget to have a quick look at my second and third page. There is a new story  (The Killing) up to read on page 2 ( readeatdream.net/free-childrens-picture-book ) and some art for sale – will be doing some T-shirts soon) ( readeatdream.net/sweetfields-products-and-mykelcee-designs )

slower

 

 

Reactions, Educate and Dairy.

Posted on by mjlarter2

Gosh a fortnight goes quickly!

It is time to post another article about my thoughts and life – although why anyone would find that interesting, beats me!

Judging people always seems to me to be an exercise in futility. We all have challenges and obstacles in our lives, and that is what makes us who we are. Reactions to our hurts, worries and doubts often cause us to react to other people, often with anger, and they react right back. It can cause heart ache and misunderstanding.

Always treat people the way you would like to be treated – I know that is difficult sometimes, but kindness, tolerance and love are emotions we feel, and they shouldn’t be buried. We need to educate ourselves to show these qualities, so that we can reach the happiness we all deserve.

Now that I’ve done my preaching for the day, I should give you something to enjoy.

I’ve already given you a great recipe for ice-cream ( see Archives – May 27th – you can find that by clicking on the bars on the right hand corner of my site). I often give you icerecipes – and I don’t consider gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan or vegetarian or allergy making ingredients.

I’m sorry.

I will try to find a great tasting treat to include all those things.

What about :- No cook, Apricot balls?apricot No – that’s no good – it includes dairy.

What about :- Christmas mince pies? No – that’s no good, there is dairy in the pastry and                              gluten, too!

What about :-  My favourite – savoury mince with rice? – Obviously no good – it includes                               meat!mince

Well, that took care of my ideas for a recipe  … so … instead of a recipe today, I thought I’d give you something to make for a Christmas gift – after all, Christmas is fast approaching. This is a knitting project.

Knitted Slippers – can be made in any size – from baby to adult.

slipperUse 8 ply wool or acrylic yarn, double strand, and size 6.00mm needles (remember I live in Australia – use the equivalent in your country.) 2 x 100gm balls in two different colours makes two slippers for an adult.

Cast on (using two strands) 17 (23, 29, 35,or 41) stitches, depending on the size you require.

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Knit 5 (7 – 9 – 11 – 13), Purl 1, Knit 5 (7 – 9 -11 – 13), Purl 1, Knit 5 (7 – 9 – 11 – 13)

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until there are 11 (13 – 15 – 17 – 19) ridges on the right side, ending with a row 2.

Shape toe:

Row 1: Purl 1 Knit 1 across the row.

Row 2: Knit 1 Purl 1 across the row.

Repeat these two rows until you have 9 (11 – 13 – 15 – 17) rows worked.  Break off yarn, leaving a length of about 10 inches to use for stitching together. Slip the thread through the stitches on the needle, casting off and pulling the thread tight to form the toe shape. Sew to the beginning of ribbing. Fold in half and sew inside seam for centre back. Add a pompom or button or bow (use your creativity) to finish off. Make a second one to finish the pair.

Knit a pair for each member of your family.

With Kindness

Maureen

quakeP.S. A new short story is up on the next page. An amusing true story!! – readeatdream.net/free-childrens-picture-book

 

 

Rocks, Echinacea and Disease

Posted on by mjlarter2

mobileThe thing I hate the most about the youngest generation of adults has just been proven to me this last fortnight. They have a disease!

It’s called isolation disease.

It seems that teenagers are suffering from the inability to have manners, language and communication skills, as well as not being able to physically work.

Should we blame it on technology?

I was unfortunate to host a 19 year old Japanese University student. This is the first time I have been thankful one of visitors didn’t stay. He had no curiousity about the life in Australia, grunted his replies to me , seemed to have no ambition, didn’t smile or laugh, and didn’t say ‘thank you’ more than he could help it, even when he left. He stayed in his room only to come out and eat, then returned. Didn’t get out of bed until around 10 a.m. – then was probably amazed that I lost the plot with him on occasion and got rather cranky.

If you intend to travel – use the experience to rock your world, open yourself up to new life styles, food and friendships. Be prepared to get involved with your new country, otherwise why would you bother to visit? Get to know the customs of the country you visit, so you don’t offend your hosts. Enjoy the sights, take photos so you can have tangible memories in later life and absorb as much as you can of the differences you see.

Now – don’t get me wrong – not everyone has this problem. Many of our young adults are generous, outspoken and knowledgeable. A pleasure to have around.

But for the few that can’t live without staring at a screen – what is the cure? No penicillin, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics,  surgery or herbal medicines like echinacea or rescue remedy will fix the problem.

Do you have any suggestions?

What about those of you who have grown up with the technology? Am I just being an old-fashioned worry-wart and nag? Or is this a common problem for all?

Is it time that we put a halt to the amount of time youngsters look at their screens, whether it be smart-phones, computers, ipads or similar – or is this just a new world I should get used to?

With Kindness

Maureen

PS – next chapter of ‘In search of the Elusive Panda’ is up on my second page. Also note my catalogue of books. All prices are in $AU. Just message me and we can get one sent to you.panda2

( readeatdream.net/free-childrens-picture-book )

Rivers, Essentials and Detergent.

Posted on by mjlarter2

Warning – I’m on my soapbox! (Note the recipe at the end!)

soap

One of the hot topics at present is the way the human race is polluting the planet. In Australia we have a program called ‘War on Waste’ which is, hopefully, waking up an apathetic population. ( http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/war-on-waste )

Waste not only destroys our immediate surrounds, but affects so much more. The consumer mentality means we buy, buy, buy – and often for no more than to meet a greed not a need. The more we buy, not only is there more waste, but great swathes of land are cleared to make way for more product – whether it is a fad – like palm oil or some latest gadget – or a luxury, like toys that are bigger and better than the next door neighbours. This includes TVs, cars and jewelry, as well as children’s toys that are played with once until boredom sets in and we have to buy more, more, more. And yet in the poorer countries, even the essentials are hard to come by.

Have you ever watched a child play with a cardboard box, a wooden spoon and a great imagination? Basics can be better than all the luxuries in the world.garbage

I’m not asking that people go without, but to be more mindful of what they own, want and buy.

When plastics are finally outlawed, we will hopefully go back to more sustainable ways of wrapping food and products.

A lot of the rubbish ends up in pristine waterways (affecting the wildlife), rivers (affecting the eco-system) and oceans (affecting the fish and sea creatures.) I’m wondering if we will ever learn.

The destruction of the planet means the ultimate destruction of ourselves.

Let’s go back to having only the essentials – a home with fresh food in the cupboards, a couple of art works for aesthetics, and a few books for education. Clothes that are made by the industry of our own hands and tools that are used over and over, not thrown away after one use.

The problem with all that, is it is too much work for most people – much easier to go to the shop and buy goods that are laced with chemicals to give them more shelf life, or electronic games to keep ourselves amused.

Growing your own food seems to have lost its popularity, preserving the harvest is tied up with too much legislation, and making your own clothes is now frowned upon as unfashionable.

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

Some of my gardening guides (for a temperate zone) that can give you the knowledge to start a garden.

zuc

We need to go back to basics. Do you agree?

Here is a simple and more healthy way of making a detergent to wash your clothes – it is cheap and easy to make, and gentle on your clothes and the environment.

clothesHOME MADE Washing Detergent.

Water, 1 grated cake of pure soap ( in Australia we have Sunlight brand) 1 cup of powdered washing soda, some eucalyptus oil or similar (for fragrance).

In a special large saucepan used only for this job, place 2 litres of water. Add the grated soap, and heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it is dissolved. Bring to the boil. Add the cup of washing soda, stirring to dissolve. Be careful – it bubbles up.

Now tip this into a 20 litre container. Add hot water to half way, then about 5 litres of cold water to make approximately 15 or more litres of detergent. Stir in your fragrance oil. Allow to cool. Use two scoops per wash.

It will separate out into a solid sludge and water, but it is all useful. In your scoop make sure there is some solid soap as well as the water. This costs me about $2 per bucketful, and lasts about 3 months.

I love the challenge of making products to eat, use or wear, as well as budgeting – getting more for the few dollars I have, as I am on a pension. I find I can still have a good qualiity of life, and I eat healthy food. The other benefit? Because I’m always busy, I am never bored and I stay fit.

What more could you really want?

With Kindness

Maureen

P.S.  Don’t forget to have a wander through the second ( readeatdream.net/sweetfields-products-and-mykelcee-designs )  and third pages ( readeatdream.net/free-childrens-picture-book )to learn more about me and mine.panda2

FLOW

Records, Editing and Dishes.

Posted on by mjlarter2

If you have been following my blog, you should know by now that I do many things. I am an organic gardener, I teach music  (piano and violin) and I write. I write and publish my own and other author’s books. I will do editing, but prefer not to.

Writing books is a strange thing. The words you write flow onto the page from the brain. You call the first writing, the ‘first draft’, then when you have finished all your first draft, you read it again.pen

And again.

In the process, you pick up some mistakes via errant fingers (typos) the occasional spelling mistake, and a clunky sentence here and there.

On your second or third reading, (after a time lapse), you often wonder what you meant with the words you wrote. Hopefully you fix that, add more details or take out unnecessary sections.

THEN – you get someone else to do the editing. Invariably they will find more mistakes.

You think to yourself – how did I miss that? – but – because you know what you meant, every time you read your work, your brain rides over the mistakes. Seems, impossible I know – but it happens all the time.

That’s why I prefer not to edit, either my own words or those of others.Alphacovers

It’s times like that that I feel like giving it all up.

My writing is not good enough.

I should go back to being a housewife, do the dishes, cook the meals – in fact, I’d even go on record as saying to myself –  ‘Give it all up – just stay in bed and hide!’

Every author feels that way at some point – so don’t imagine it is only you.

I’m here to set the record straight!

DON’T give up.

DON’T allow the doubts to win.

ALWAYS persevere.

You WILL improve.

REMEMBER – if you like the story you have written and have done the BEST you can do, then there WILL be someone out there in the world that loves your story, too.

KEEP WRITING.

KEEP BELIEVING.

KEEP FOLLOWING YOUR DREAM.

With Kindness

Maureen

P.S. As promised last week – the first chapter of my new book ‘In search of the Elusive Panda’ follows – on page two of this post. (click on the three bars on the left and follow the Free children’s book heading). It is ‘A Kathy Edwards Adventure’, aimed at 8 to 12 year old age group. Read and enjoy. Let me know what you think.

panda2

An art work From Mykel is also available on the ‘Sweetfields and Mykelcee Designs’ page.