Sharing Skills

I don't excel at many things but I can do a pretty good job at most of them. The age old 'Jane' of all trades, master of none! 

A wise woman once mocked me saying "Of course you have lost interest in it, you have figured out how to do it, so it is no longer a challenge!" I think this really hit the nail on the head. 

I love learning how to do new things. Racking up the skills, feeling that if I needed to I could make most things for myself, without the need of the shops.

I also love sharing these skills, learning from others, teaching others. I have a strong belief in crafts and cooking skills being passed on from one person to another. Usually through shared experiences and communal moments. 


Learning to cook something new while sharing wine or having a bench full of little bottoms, all eager to nut out how to crack that egg without getting shell, or crank the pasta machine and see the spaghetti come out.

Sitting in the sun or around a fire with a pot of good tea and teaching someone how to crochet or read guitar tabs. Sitting side by side and mosaic-ing with someone, continually learning from each others techniques. 

The world is full of teachers and those eager to be taught.

Orlando has asked me to teach him how to knit. I have been waiting for his interest and with me doing quite a lot of knitting of late, I was not surprised at the request.

I have a delicious memory of my Grandmother teaching me to knit. She had a little poem that has stayed with me through many 'non-knitting' decades ready to be recalled as soon as I picked the needles up again. It went:

"In the rabbit hole,

round the tree, 

out the rabbit hole,

and off!"

So Orlando selected his wool, we choose some bigger needles to begin with and set to work. 

He took a movie of my instructions to remind him later if her needed (talk about techno-native generation) He settled himself in the crook of my arm and off we went. Hand in hand to begin and then just that little poem being repeated over and over.

He caught on really fast, seems interested, has come back 4 times in 2 days. I am loving that he is at an age where he can start to comprehend these more complex tasks and his fine motor control is developed enough to achieve what he needs.

Another skill shared in the beauty of a communal experience. One that hopefully Orlando will teach someone else one day.

29/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Orlando: The beanie Nan knitted him has FINALLY been accepted as 'wearable'. I think it is just beautiful. He is really wanting to be photographed at the moment, which is a lovely change.

Matilda: I love the head tilted in consideration. Is that REALLY snow I can see up on the hill? Did people REALLY live in a house as old as this one?

Pair: School holidays provide the perfect time for re-connection. These two are really enjoying each others company at the moment and playing for hours at a time. Enough to make a Mumma's heart sing :)

Joining with Jodi

Beauty in Black and White

The end of the school holidays has come too soon, we need another week at least. 

Today we donned the downs and went-a-walking...

There is something beautifully classic and simple about black and white photography. 

No colours to mix it up and confuse it, just the beauty in the details. 

Beauty in the tones and contrasts. 

In the shadows.

Beauty in the positive and negative spaces. 

We had a day full of beauty. 

Beauty in bush, granite tors, streams, and SNOW!

All beautiful, 

all contrasting, 

all unique.

Staples: Soups

Nothing fancy, just the staples that nourish our family on a regular basis...

As the weather cools my mind turns to soups. Warm, nourishing and delicious. We cook soups in bulk and have them for lunches and dinners all though the cooler months. I am a sucker for a hot lunch and soups ensure that I am not gorging on too many carbs.

These are easy to cook and require little attention. They freeze well and the kids are happy to devour them. Orlando is often heard saying "When I drink the juice, I can feel it healing my body" I hear ya buddy and I couldn't agree more!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

Oil
250 g Chicken Breast very thinly sliced
Onion - Diced
Ginger 2 inch knob
4 Cloves Garlic

Can of Corn Kernels

1 large Carrot cubed

2 Celery sticks cubed

3 Eggs beaten

1 pkt Vermicelli Rice Noodles or Soba Noodles

2 Liters of good Chicken Stock (we make our own)

Method

- Heat oil, saute garlic, ginger and onion until translucent
- Add carrot, celery and corn and cook until slightly soft
- Cover with stock and bring to the boil.
- While boiling rapidly, add thinly sliced chicken (the chicken will cook very quickly is sliced thinly)
- Bring back to the boil. Use a wooden spoon to stir the pot, making a 'whirlpool'. Pour in the beaten egg in a fine stream. The egg will cook on contact with the boiling water.
- Add vermicelli or soba noodles and cook until soft. 

Minestrone

Ingredients

Oil
Onion - Diced
4 Rashers Bacon - sliced or cubed
2 Celery Sticks cubed
2 Carrots cubed
1 Can Corn Kernals
2 Cans Chopped Tomatoes
2 Liters of Good Chicken Stock
1 Cup Macaroni
1/2 Cup Parsley
Shaved Parmesan

Method

- Heat oil, saute onion until translucent
- Add bacon and fry until caramalised
- Add carrot, celery and corn and cook until slightly soft
- Add tomato cans and cover with stock. Bring to the boil.
- When boiling rapidly, add macaroni and cook until soft. 
- Take off the heat and stir through chopped parsley.
- Serve with a generous sprinkle of shaved Parmesan.

The Camp of Transitions

Our first stop on our 8 week camping adventure is in the beautiful Mt Buffalo area.

There has been a lot of excitement leading up to our departure. A lot of anticipated fun and adventure. As soon as we hopped in the car the questions started flowing. Can I...... It took a good 2 hours in the car for both the kids to calm down into a nice flow. No we were not going to draw, sticker, watch movies and listen to audio books simultaneously in the first 2 minutes of our journey. We would get a chance to do all of these things, EVENTUALLY.


Once we pulled into our first camp it was as late as 4:45pm so we needed to set up and gather wood fast before dark and cold fell. It was all hands on deck and the kids were so excited by it all that they wanted to do everything and be everywhere without any consideration for how it was hindering productivity to be under our feet. Their bodies were moving a a million miles an hour and they just couldn't keep still with all the excitement.

The next morning was the same, Ollie was leaping from one end of the caravan to the other with questions like, what's for breakfast, can we have morning tea, where are we going today, can I play lego, where are my boots, lets go fishing! all in a matter of 5 mins at 8am in the morning.






DEEP BREATHS, KEEP CALM, SMALL SPACE-HIGH ENERGY

How about you go outside and start exploring while we get breakfast started?

No you just want to stay in this small van with all of that energy?

OKAY time to set some new behaviors and routines in place. How is this going to work for us? What do we want to have happening as this is the time to set the expectations.

There is NO television! (Yay!!)

Unless you are sleeping or helping you are outside

Rug up and be warm so that you are successful in your outdoor pursuits

We need to put things away as soon as we are finished with them... A caravan is a very small space if it is packed full of mess

Playing with dials and knobs on our appliances can be very detrimental, if you are playing you should be outside!


NO SHOES in the van, particularly muddy boots!

Clothes will be worn days after day until they are too dirty to wear, then we only replace whats dirty.

Where ever possible, engage kids in all campsite life, wood collecting, fire lighting and maintenance, cooking, cleaning everything.

I need at least 5 mins in the morning, UNDISTURBED to get clean and dressed and make some order. If interrupted I am likely to have a tantrum (already happened twice in as many days :))

We all sat down and had a chat about this and agreed to work together and to be patient as we get used to living in a small space together.


Two days on and the kids are now entertaining them selves, outside most of the time. We are all sleeping well and are starting to slow down a little, not needing to speed around as much. We are getting used to the cold and finding ways to maintain warmth. Our beds a cosy at night which is fantastic. In slowing down everyone, including the kids are less frantic and more present in just being here and experiencing.



We have learnt that setting up our campsite is more than just getting the van up and set. We also need to erect the hammock, get out the bikes, put up the rope swing and make a base for the kids to call home. These camp comforts will give some familiarity throughout our journey and give the kids a safety zone to explore for the time it takes them to suss out a new space and feel comfortable to explore. These camp comforts also give the kids something to focus on while routine times like cooking and cleaning are underway.

We have had a marvelous time at our first camp, but have also learnt a lot in regards to what we will do differently at the next one. We are excited to move on tomorrow to Wilson's Promontory and set up our next home :)

Sap Rising

While exploring our garden the other day I was reminded that one of my favourite times of year is just around the corner! 




After the cold of winter, when a few warm days herald the possibility of spring; the trees take on a new feel.








 It's like with every warm day you can feel the world defrosting as it basks in the sun. 












You can feel the sap slowly rising in the veins of the trees. 













As the sap rises the buds swell, ready to burst with flowers in the spring.









At this time of year I sit in the sun and defrost.


I bask and relax and warm. 


Spring fills me with joy, inspiration and a action.

 It is a time I spend outside, busy like the bees pollinating the flowers setting up for the productive year ahead.

We're Going on an Ice Hunt...

We're Going on an Ice Hunt. 

We're going to find some thick stuff. 

We're not scared! 

It's a BEAUTIFUL Day!

In Canberra this week we have had a run of frosty mornings, all  below -4 Celsius and one even reaching -6!! For us this is cold, apparently it is the longest run of freezing morning in 36  years!




This is all made bearable by the fact that Canberra warms up, melts the frost and provides us with a sunny, beautiful winter's day (a warm one is 12 degrees Celsius).




One of the things I really love about Canberra is the distinct change in seasons. There are 4 very clear seasons and the children (and us) quickly allow the flow of the year and our body clocks to ride with the seasons. 





This morning, after brekky when it was still a chilly -4, Orlando and I were debating the use of sandpit excavators in the lounge room. My rational was, it was an outside toy full on sand that needed to stay outside. His was that out side was frozen and that he needed to excavate NOW, not later when it warmed up. To find a compromise I suggested that maybe we could rug him up warm and he could go outside and excavate the frozen grass.


This was agreed. While getting dressed, Orlando hypothesised that it was possibly so cold that the pond may be frozen over. All 3 of us decided to rug up and go out into the frosty morning to explore.


In the forest Schools and Pre-Schools in Europe and Scandinavia they have a saying -

"There is no such thing as inappropriate weather, just inappropriate clothing"

In Australia, we have very, very hot days and this is the one exception to the rule for me. Other than that, I am a strong believer in dressing for the weather. Rain, Hail or Shine and going out into nature. The soul food children, and adult get from being in natural spaces makes it an essential part of everyday for us. It is the antidote for cabin fever and arsenic hour. It is like we all go out side and take a deep breath of nourishment and peace. 

So, rugged up we were and found that not only that the pond was frozen (3cm thick!) but also that the little water deposits all around the garden had frozen also! 

We had wonderful discussions about the ice, the patterns it made on top, how it looked like glass, how thick the different pools froze, how would the fish survive underneath?



All the while we picked mandarins from the tree, celebrating that they were finally ripe and sweet and frustrated that they were a little hard to peel with cold ice exploring fingers. I also noted to myself how wonderful it was that nature provided us with wonderful immune boosting Vitamin C fresh from the tree in the middle of winter when our immune systems need to be strongest.... smart lady that Mother Nature...


We had a great ice hunt and enjoyed playing in the frost until the sun warmed us and layers started to be shed...