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“Great Oaks from Little Acorns Grow”

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This quote sums up how I feel about my latest project.

This is not a great oak, but a bunya pine which is indigenous to our area.

As you know we live in a semi-rural area so we have neighbours but definitely not close enough to speak to them over the back fence.

I have had a germ of an idea which has been evolving in my head over the last couple of years.  I would love to promote a real sense of community among the people who live in our road.  There are probably about 20 -25 households.

I have finally bitten the bullet and contacted most people by email and we have set up a group email for us to share ideas and information that is relevant to our area.  There are so many opportunities to connect with each other, share resources and generally support each other.  I think this is a really important part of the structure of our community and one that we need to nurture.

I am looking forward to seeing what direction the group takes.  I hope to one day see great oaks (metaphorically speaking) from this seed of an idea that I have planted.

Do you have any similar networks where you live?

Mould Patrol

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When I was cleaning on the weekend I noticed some telltale signs of mould around the house.

Time to get the clove oil out again.  I have written about the clove oil in depth in a couple of previous posts.  You can read about it here.

Do you alter your cleaning regime depending on the season?

There are the obvious things like clove oil in summer and cleaning out the fireplace in winter.  The windows need cleaning again but that will have to wait until after our holidays.

The weather here is very unpredictable.  2 nights ago I was contemplating taking the doona off the bed and replacing it with a cotton blanket and bedspread but last night we were back to a doona and the woollen blanket.  It is quite cool and windy again tonight but despite that we know that summer is coming.  In preparation I am making some summer pyjamas for Miss O.  I hope to finish them tomorrow and will have some photos for you tomorrow.

Don’t Cry For Me…..

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…because I have finished preparing and freezing the onions.

We grew onions this year from a punnet of seedlings I bought at the Yandina Markets.  From 1 punnet of seedlings bought for $2.50 I had 90 seedlings.  They were tiny but I separated them and planted each one individually.  74 survived and here is the harvest..

Here they are drying on a rack after I pulled them up today.

We do not really have an ideal climate for growing onions as you should really have dry weather when they are maturing so that the tops die off completely and then they can be stored.  Since we are coming into our wet, humid weather I decided that since they were a reasonable size I would harvest them and then dice and freeze in packs of 150g (about the size of a medium onion.

Thanks to my wondrous food processor I now have 7 kg of diced onion in the freezer as well as another 1.5 kg of the lower end of the stalk sliced and bagged up.  When I get time I will use this to make stock.

By next year I hope to have a dehydrator so that I have some more options.

Despite the less than ideal growing conditions I will definitely be planting onions again next year as a harvest of  8.5kg of onions for $2.50 seems like a pretty good return on my money.

Wet Washing

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I read this post from Froogs last week and was reminded that although we live in the opposite hemisphere and it is spring here, it would soon be a struggle to get the washing dry.

We have mild, sunny winter days with relatively low humidity but the spring and summer are a different story.  The spring thunderstorms have started and before we know it we will have 6 months of humidity greater than 90%.

2011-10-15 01I do have a tumble drier but try to limit the use of it.  The dehumidifier is a very effective drier so I set up my wet washing in the bathroom with the dehumidifier.  The bathroom is a perfect choice as it is a small room so the effect is concentrated and as an added bonus the towels end up warm and dry as well.

2011-10-15 02The top rail of the shower screen is perfect to attach the hanger with socks and underwear (and the occasional ziplock bag!)

2011-10-15 03I retrieved the portable rotary clothesline from the cupboard and put it up in the bathroom.

2011-10-15 04In the really humid weather I also ‘air’ the ironed clothes for an hour or so with the dehumidifier to make sure they are totally dry before I put them away in the wardrobe.

2011-10-15 05We do have a rotary clothesline outdoors but I rarely use that as we have plenty of clothesline under the verandah.  However, when it is so humid I do resort to drying the clothes using the dehumidifier.

What seasons are a problem for you?  How do you get the clothes dry?

Don’t Forget the Peaches

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Most of the sewing I have been doing recently has been clothes for various members of the family but I have been doing other things as well.This bundle of fabric has been in my sewing room for a couple of years since I bought it at the op shop with the vague idea of using it to exclude fruit fly from the stone fruit.  We have since removed the peach and 2 nectarine trees that we planted because, although they produced heaps of wonderful fruit the fruit fly infestation was just too awful to contemplate.

However, we did keep the dwarf peach as it seemed less vulnerable to attack by the fruit fly and also it would be easier to manage some sort of exclusion since it is a relatively compact tree.

I had hoped to use this fine mesh curtaining to cover the whole tree but that was not an option so I have been making bags to cover at least some of the fruit.

I sewed the bags and then threaded kitchen string through the mesh using a large, curved needle to make a drawstring.

The finished bag ready to be used.

Here is the peach tree and the photo below shows a close-up of some of the fruit.  I hope I am not not late in covering the fruit.  I do know that I will have all my resources prepared and ready for next spring.

Here are some of the bags in place protecting the fruit.  I am looking forward to a harvest of unblemished fruit.

I have about 12 bags on the tree so far and about another 20 to finish making.  Some will be a sleeve with drawstring openings at each end so that I can slide them over the branch where there are a lot of fruit along the length of the branch.

We are very lucky in our garden as we generally do not have extremes of temperature, frosts or long periods without rain.  Too much rain and fruit fly are our only real challenges.  What pests and hazards do you have to cope with in your garden?

3 Months On….

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It is now a little over 3 months since the details of the carbon tax were released and now the proposed legislation has been passed in the House of Representatives.  It is almost certain to to passed by the Senate and will become law in July 2012.

I am very pleased to see that something is finally being done to ensure that the biggest emitters of carbon in this country will be held responsible for their emissions.  This may mean that some of us end up paying more for some goods and services.

If you want to offset any perceived or actual increase in costs, now is the time to change your habits and consume less goods and services.  If you consume less you will pay less – it is that simple.

Things that you might consider include:

Drive less – plan your trips and combine errands.

Buy local products where possible – save on transport costs.

Reduce electricity use – dry clothes on the clothesline, do not leave appliances on standby when not in use.

Then there are bigger changes that will make a difference in the long-term.  A perfect example of this is the solar PV panels which we had installed nearly 12 months ago.  We are a household of 2 adults and we chose to install 20 panels on our north-facing roof.  Since they were connected to the grid we have had 3 credit statements from our electricity provider.  As well as paying $0.00 for our electricity we are on track to receive about $1,000 credit in the first 12 months of exporting electricity to the grid.

This has required us to make some changes to our habits.  We try to minimise our use of electricity during daylight hours so that we maximise the amount of power which goes to the grid at the feed-in tariff versus what we use at night which is billed at the standard tariff.  I have never made a habit of washing at night but that has now become my routine because it saves us more money.

Change of habit is what is at the heart of the carbon tax.  As a nation and as individuals we have to stand up and be prepared to make some changes.  Those politicians, individuals and businesses who refuse to change and are determined to selfishly continue on the same course are giving no consideration to the future generations.  I hope they will show some generosity of spirit before it is too late.

Meanwhile, I will continue to do everything I can to reduce my personal carbon footprint and encourage others to do the same.  Time to hang the washing out.  There is enough moonlight not to turn on the outdoor light.

What changes have you/will you make?  Are you interested in reducing your carbon footprint or just offsetting any extra cost?

Spring has Sprung

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The last couple of days have been quite cool and grey so we are wondering where our lovely spring has gone.  However, we have had a bit of rain today which is very welcome as things are looking quite dry (all relative, of course, as we live in a high rainfall area).

2011-09-29 01Despite the grey weather we are enjoying the display from our flowering shrubs.

2011-09-29 02The birds, especially the rainbow lorikeets, love the nectar in this callistemon.

2011-09-29 03The photo is not the best but these are couple of the flowering shrubs on the verge which now screens the house from the roadway.

2011-09-29 04Finally, here is the liquidamber tree in glorious, fresh green foliage after being bare all winter.

I love my garden and the changes that the seasons bring.  Do you have a special measure of spring, apart from the actual temperature?

Till next time.  xxx

Keep it Simple

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While I will never live a truly minimalist lifestyle, I try to simplify my life as much as possible

Most of us in developed countries use much more than our share of the resources on this planet.  We accumulate ‘stuff’, need bigger houses to store our ‘stuff’ and are so reluctant to part with what we have accumulated that self-storage facilities are a growth industry.

I am on a decluttering journey, but not one that entails hiring a skip and tossing garbags full of stuff into it with no thought as to their destination.  No, I acquired these items and I feel that it is my responsibility to use or rehome things I no longer need or want in an ethical manner.  My aim is to send as little as possible to landfill.

This is my laundry.  It is clear and uncluttered which is good for a utility area.  I took this photo after I had used the bench to fold the clean clothes.

2011-09-28 01The cupboards are well-used but not full to overflowing.

2011-09-28 02I do have some ornaments and decorative items as these next photos show.  Nevertheless, I do not want to feel overwhelmed by lots of things so I have a small number of things that are precious to me.  I think this strikes the right balance.

2011-09-28 03Another view.

2011-09-28 04Behind all of this is my motto – “Live simply, so that others may simply live”.  It is not original but sums up my ideals.

Are you decluttering?  What is your goal and how do you go about achieving it?  I would love to hear your stories and experiences.

Till next time.

What To Do………..

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with a microwave oven that has ceased to work?

Our microwave stopped working a few days ago and now I have the dilemma of what to do with it.  I do not believe it is worthwhile taking it to see if it can be repaired.  Microwaves are certainly not something that can be repaired by an amateur but the thought of it going to landfill is not great either.  It seems hypocritical to be saving every little thing that I can from landfill and then I turn around and dump a microwave.

I cannot think of any uses for an old microwave without possibly compromising the safety of those in the area.

So………..what would you do??

I am going to buy a new microwave because I have realised that I definitely could not live without it – at least while I am working full-time and arriving home after 7pm each evening.

 

Be Thankful

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There are many things for which we should be grateful and I would like to share a couple of things that I have read this week.

Firstly, a blog that I read every day from Frugal Queen.  Froogs could teach many of us a thing or two about living a truly frugal (and fulfilling) life but this post really says it all.

In complete contrast is this article in the Sydney Morning Herald.  Imagine the outrage if people in Australia received a pay cut of 10%.  How many of us would just get on with it and tighten the belt a bit more?

Australia really is the lucky country and it is about time we realised just how lucky we are.