April 2023 - Growing wings

24 April 202330 April 2023

Furthering My Dreams – 2023

Recently, I re-read what I’d hoped to achieve almost 4 years ago. As with most ideas, plans or goals, some were achieved, others put on the back burner, others long since forgotten.

Interestingly, what has transpired is a focus on spiritual growth which is now a conscious path of learning and unlearning, of being present, of being mindful.

My revised goals for 2023 are to –

1. Continue to deepen my spiritual growth.

Some of the ways I find helpful are reading, attending local events and giving myself ample time alone to process what I am learning.

Books I’ve read to teach me spiritual truths include –

Eckhart Tolle’s Stillness Speaks; The Power of Now; and A New Earth.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Miracle of Mindfulness, a quaint booklet of immeasurable insights into meditation. A simple learning is understanding that meditation is also known in western society as mindfulness.

The beauty of nature is a powerful entry into stillness.

2. Maintain a Gratitude Journal

A simple entry of one item a day is sufficient. However, I find the toastmaster’s approach to speech evaluations useful –
two-three positives;
a couple of areas “I could do better by…” (with a suggested ‘how to’, even if it’s simply bringing awareness to what may need to change as the Divine will open doors that lead the way.)
Concluding with another positive or two which refocuses the mind.
I find noting both what I am grateful for and what I can improve, especially at the end of the day, opens doors to possibilities being opened up while I sleep. Sometimes answers are given in the morning, other times, down the track. I may only become aware of the shift when looking back.

3. Share Time with family

My grandchildren are growing up! Two are already young adults! My youngest turns four this year. One of my strongest values is being there for family: time spent with them and with their parents is invaluable. I aim to uphold this in simple ways – sharing a meal together; childminding; chatting over an evening drink and fun outings.

4. Write

I feel like saying the corny thing, It would be a ‘novel’ idea if I stuck to my writing plan! Yeah, I know, boom, boom.

This year I kick-started writing again. Check my About page for further insights.
I aim to continue with my blogging; sorting and writing family stories, writing poetry and self- publishing inspirational verse on social media. You can read my Instagram posts here.

5. Family History

Inherited from my mother and my own research, I’ve a great deal of family history waiting to be written up. (Four dozen 50 litre crates worth of paperwork to be precise: old letters, birth, death and marriage certificates, tin plate photographs amongst the myriad of formal and informal family snapshots; articles and items of memorabilia!)

My primary audience will be family; however, some will find its way to publication for interested parties. As my family history stems back to pioneering days in Western Australia, there’s a great deal of scope for integrating the beauty, trials and tribulations of earlier times. One such post can be read here.

6. Work with a mentor

I find working with a mentor immeasurably rewarding. Being gently held with encouragement for those times I struggle to keep up with my writing plans, my mentor is a gem. Consistency is key, and I have a brilliant example in Maureen. Her blog, her novel, her short stories, our regular catch ups over coffee are invaluable to me. She has set a high bar with her blog, How to be Eighty, which Google ranks highly.

7. Holidays

In the last few years I’ve focussed on caring for others and took brief breaks. Now it is time for a treat – an actual holiday! To that end, I’ve planned my first trip overseas in some time, incorporating a spiritual retreat. I’ll no doubt keep a journal and have a zillion photos to manage! Check out future posts!

8. Health

Following on from an intense focus on my personal health in the past year, I aim to continue the new measures introduced:
- Exploring new recipes that support a balanced diet is a must-do.
- Finding simple do-at-home exercises that become part of my daily routine is a great exercise in itself!

One of many books I am enjoying using. My daughter gifted me this one for my birthday. I am not truly Vegan, but I enjoy vegetable based meals.

9. Self Education

I value life-long learning. Taking up programs that enable spiritual and personal growth, I also find insights and skills I can share with others. Social interactions are often based around small groups or with individuals I encounter in these programs.

10. Social Interaction

Meeting new people is high on my list this year. I am focusing on finding like-minded, supportive groups and individuals with whom I find mutual support for my writing and for my personal and spiritual growth. I have joined a few groups based on my education programs and enjoy outings to lovely local places such King’s Park. We meet over meals breakfast, morning tea, lunch or dinner! Often new-found acquaintances lead to sharing an event such as a comedy show or a musical.
Spreading my social wings is something I am keen to continue throughout the year. I am sure my trips and travels will offer abundant opportunities.

11. Enjoy my photography

Take lots of photos. This is a no-brainer! I always take photos! This year I’ll focus on my trips and travels.
I’ve a life-time’s worth I’m currently sorting and utilizing in my posts, as well as for family.
I’ve heaps of photos in my stash of family history to sort and share.

12. Read

For the first time in several years, I am once again reading. Apart from the above I have a list that includes –
The Resilience Shield by Dr Dan Pronk, Ben Pronk & Tim Curtis
Deepak Chopra: Abundance by Deepak Chopra
Shannon Meyerkot: Brilliant Minds by Shannon Meyerkot
The Storyteller By Dave Grohl
The Power of Awakening by Dr Wayne W. Dyer
The Elevate Bundle by Benjamin J Harvey

A busy, few months are ahead!

In conclusion, I’m sure there’s at least 23 different opportunities to fulfill in the remainder of the year! I am sure I will achieve most of them! Anything that does happen to fall by the wayside is clearly either not meant to be, or will find itself on the following year’s list. After all, time and calendars are really only concepts of convenience! Reality is timeless.

How is your your year turning out?

I’d love to hear how your 2023 is panning out. Please leave a comment below and let me know something that has been a highlight for you.

PS If the comment box isn’t visible below, please click on the title of this post. It will then appear below.

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16 April 202316 April 2023

Low Cost Meals & A Walk Down Memory Lane

Low cost meals and simple dishes were a fact of life during my childhood. In the 60’s My mother managed our household of five on a minimal budget that didn’t always keep pace with inflation. Even so, we never went without. There was always food in the cupboard, and the pantry, and later, when we could afford one, the chest deep freezer.

Because we lived in isolation, on a farm, frequent trips to the shops weren’t possible. My mother bought in bulk. It was common sense to do so. She supplemented shop bought foods with home grown vegetables; home-made preserved fruit from back-yard fruit trees; home-made jams and chutneys, and even home made ginger beer. She became adept at creating meals out of little.

Simple meals

The main meal usually consisted of simple dishes. Nothing gourmet. I don’t think I learned that word until after I’d left home.

In winter, we often had soup with bread, not a skerrick (tiniest piece) of butter in sight, followed by a simple main meal and dessert or bread and jam. Each serving was ‘enough’. That is, it was a serving, not an overladen plate. On Sundays, soup with pancakes was our meal. No in-between mains. There was sufficient nourishment in the soup.

Iced coffee at lunch time came in a 2 litre yellow jug with a white lid, not a Masters Dairy plasticized cardboard carton. My nother made it from Tooralac Powdered Skim Milk, (later it was other brands), chicory essence and raw sugar. Two thirsty men, later three, coming in from farm, downed the jug full, glass by glass, without batting an eye. I couldn’t acquire a taste for it. Milk and I never got along.

Tooralac Milk came packaged in strong plastic, so durable that I still have an original from many years ago.

Offal for meal anyone?

For main meals, my mother was adept at creating dishes from cheap cuts of meat. Liver or lambs fry was served with lashings of onion and gravy and a helping of mashed potato, carrots and peas or beans. I found lambs fry barely edible, but, I was told it was incredibly rich in iron and therefore good for me. It didn’t meant I ate it with any degree of pleasure, though!

Another meal was tripe. Colour was added to this very bland, pallid dish with boiled carrots and garden fresh peas or French beans. Once I learned where white meat other than chicken came from, I couldn’t touch it, even when it was disguised in white sauce made from milk, flour and onion. Utterly ghastly!

A favourite only ever found on a plate in front of our mother was brains on toast. To this day, I can see the squirmy looking ‘meat’ being devoured with a smile.

Home grown

Later, when my father had a spare lamb or sheep for household food, we ate chops, roasts, and whatever other cuts of meat he managed to cut. It was always difficult for me when I saw bloodied bags hanging from meat hooks on the side verandah. Later, the meat was wrapped in plastic, labelled with a texta, stored in the freezer and consumed over 2-3 months.

Steak and kidney pie might sound like a luxury. It was generally served as a stew of sorts, with toast or mashed potato. The steak was a cheap cut of gravy beef. This dish was so unusual, the kidney sort of added an exotic flavour. But I knew what it was, and avoided the chunks, or swallowed them whole.

‘Cow chops‘

In our very early childhood, a tale is told that my brother asked for ‘cow chops’. Of course, he was too young to know the source of each cut of meat.

Mum also bravely served home home-grown chicken. Visions of a headless chooks tied to the clothes line, quite why I’m not sure; the copper of boiling water beside the engine shed (we had 32 volt power) and the smell of scorched feathers as mother dunked and plunked and plucked the bird, always had me turn my back and retreat to the other side of the house. I don’t know what else she had to do. But we did eat the meat.

*This is the sort of copper my mother used. A fire was lit underneath and water boiled in the copper insert. We had an old one near our engine shed and another one in the laundry for washing clothes*

My least favourite dish, apart from tripe and brains, was trotters in jellied aspic. Good heavens! I couldn’t eat it then, and I’d run a mile now!

Years later, when my father began keeping pigs on the farm, we had pork. Huge, fatty pork chops. We were obliged to eat all the meat and the rather large, fatty portion still on the edge of the chop . We weren’t terribly well-informed about the health issue of cholesterol back then.

Meatless dishes

Occasionally we ate meatless dishes. Mum was adept at pasties and made a very tasty pasty slice. She made fillings from home grown vegetables. We were allowed to cover our serving with a squirt of tomato sauce. Of course, being a vegetable dish, we needed no side servings. I recall though, mashed potato may have been added to fill growing children and our hard working father.

Admiration

I recall my mother’s dedication to providing the best she could for her family. To this day, I admire her ability to be creative with dishes. Brought up on a pioneering farm in the central wheat belt, she would have learnt her skills in preparing such meats and other inexpensive dishes from her mother and sister.

*A ‘mincer’ or grinder, similar to the one used to mince our meat.*

A modern approach

When prepared meats became available on trays covered in plastic from supermarkets, it was no doubt much easier. Chops no longer had to be home-cut. Mince no longer had to be put through the hand turned grinder. Today we get chicken breasts, legs or wings by the tray. Or a whole chicken if we wish. We are spoilt for choice.

These days I am mostly a vegetarian, for various reasons. I don’t get why people fuss over having meat in their diet. I find plenty of nourishment without. But that’s a topic for another day.

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2 April 2023

How to waste time and justify it

De-clutter, write or study?

Recently I’ve begun de-cluttering my home. It’s a challenge as it consumes so much time away from writing and completing courses I am studying! Of the many courses I chose to study, one begging for attention is implementing what I learnt in a course on photography – all six modules crammed with high-end, professional information, intensive and challenging. My fingers itch to use my camera again!

*Learning to take photos with a fresh eye, I’m tackling close-ups before moving on to macro photography of flowers.*

De-cluttering

De-cluttering will hopefully to clear my mind as much as my home. All the unused ‘stuff’ I’ve accumulated, much of which arrived in my home when my mother passed things onto me. Family history is a big one. Several crates later, all indexed and numbered, are now being stored. Why store stuff? Why not just get rid of it all? Well you might ask. I’m the custodian of family treasures, photos, letters, keepsakes and so on. Strangely all of these items held greater importance until recently. They still do, though in a very different way.

You see, I’ve de-cluttered my mind of the constant racing thoughts that can be all-consuming, and with those thoughts gone, I now have a fresh perspective on what it means to keep all these historical items. I am not my past. Yet, family stories are unique. And so I hold onto what I will re-visit when the time is right, and hopefully write those stories, well some of them at least.

Guilt over keeping what has been passed down the generations, some from the 1800’s, diminishes as I pass items (like the Beale Piano, an early 1900’s item) onto those who want them, family first. Selected items are stored, and local groups, such as Buy Nothing score unclaimed and unwanted items.

*Ornamental* *Dutch shoe and jug from a trip overseas. One of many items now stored*.

Writing

I know we all have our excuses for not writing yet as I say, de-cluttering the home is beneficial to making way for new thoughts. It’s a trend and widely acclaimed. Just type ‘de-clutter’ into Google to see a myriad of proponents, such as Mary Kondo.

Pacing self is so important! With shifting heavy items in the de-cluttering process, and the magnitude of it all, I find exhaustion hits every hour or so. A 5-10 minute break does the trick: coffee, a quick walk in the garden, feet up for five. And then back into it! None of these breaks are long enough to write in. Besides, my focus is on the next crate of ‘stuff’ not the next sentence I might write!

In devoting nearly all my time during the week to de-cluttering, I feel anxiety build-up. I want to achieve all my goals, especially with my writing. Grumpy begins to walk in the door. Over coffee, a dear friend asked me why I wasn’t writing, and with my admission realizations hit me.

The key to writing, that is, to keeping Grumpy at bay and letting Happy walk in the door of my mind, is to write every single day. It doesn’t have to be for a long stint.

It’s often promoted by writers as the best way to write! Yet, it’s way too easy to be distracted from doing just that. Possibly because I do write from home. How do I squeeze in the time with the urgency of a major project hovering over me?

Scheduling in time to write needs to be non-negotiable!

A day to just write – or a half day – or an hour – or ….

Yes, the day, time and duration can be fluid. For example, Monday morning is often my day and time to write after a busy weekend focusing on family. However, I’m flexible, and when a family member needs help every other Monday, I re-schedule that day to another one in the week. Sometimes the change rattles the brain and Grumpy gets a look in! But here I am on a Sunday evening, my new time.

In short, I schedule a non-negotiable day or evening each week plus a half an hour each morning

With a specific time to look forward to, all the in-between stuff gets done. I plan the de-cluttering, the general housework and coffees with girlfriends. They all find their time. Happy swings through the door. And with one day set aside for writing, and the house getting closer to being re-organized, repainted and refreshed – oh, didn’t I mention the painting? Yes, that’s meant gutting the rooms. So it’s a long project. Essential, therefore to have time set aside to write!

You’ve met Grumpy. And Happy. Sleepy is me at the end of a day. Sneezy is how the dust accumulated in the now empty spare room affected me; Doc is possibly where I’d end up without self-pacing; Dopey is how I feel after a long day; Bashful is how I used to be and still am, to a measure!

Here’s how I lock in writing time

1. Schedule a non-negotiable people-free writing day or evening. It reminds me of Pupil Free Days at school. As a teacher I got so much done without the distraction of students. (Argh you say, as a mother, with kids underfoot when the teachers had these days! I feel for you! I was, and remain, a mother, too!)

Without time to set our minds to the task of teaching – and now as a writer, to writing – the task simply cannot be done as well as it could be. Ask any writer!

2. Heed Julia Cameron’s advice in The Artist’s Way and write a journal every day. It clears the head of cluttering thoughts and promotes happy smiles.

3. Use a coaching technique I learned that highlights what is important to me right now. It’s magical and helps me focus.

4. Grab my social media note book and scribble down the numerous ideas that come to mind, sometimes with content outlines for blog posts, sometimes a verse for an inspirational post. This might take away that sense of panic about ‘what can I write?’ I actually have lists already but I want fresh ideas as well.

5. Read, make notes and put into practice hints and tips from Robin Houghton’s ‘blogging for writers’ which I purchased at the Save the Children Book Fair recently.

6. Thank my dear writer friends who encourage me – over coffee – to get on with it!

*I donated innumerable books to the save The Children Fund, a fabulous outlet in Perth. Winthrop Hall, at UWA Nedlands overflows with treasures at their annual event.*

Buying time!

I’m not really wasting time. It’s called de-cluttering! It’s managing the push-pull of wanting to write about the very items I’m storing that’s hard! The advantage is, being more tightly organized means I can pull an item or a crate from storage and focus on that when I am ready! In the mean time, a fresh new coat of paint enlivens the once cluttered bedroom freed once again for grandchildren to enjoy; and the house breathes more freely!

Acknowledgements: Images from Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are from the edition published by Dean & Son Ltd, London, 1954.