thanks for the encouragement: another assignment done so back to my homespun life for a while

Thank you everyone for your encouragement and words of love during my academic freak out. Hopefully I'll pass - that's all I want.

Yesterday I was really struggling to concentrate but I needed to get it finished.
I decided to take a different take: I set up a little altar of concentration on my desk.
I lit a vanilla soy melt, put out my strawberry obsidian.
I made a card for myself: listing the things I could do after assignment 1 (tick), assignment 2 and the exams.
Last of all I set up our Tibetan singing bowl, played it for a while before powering through my assignment.

I submitted it today, so thank you, thank you, thank you.

Feeing frustrated and trapped - not terribly homespun right now

I have started studying two business subjects by distance education for the first time in almost a decade. Since starting this blog I have increasingly embraced a homespun life, working towards the life of my dreams.  I go through stages of doing nothing but sewing and others cooking and gardening in equal measure.  I gardened all winter so my vegie garden is a picture of abundance. I have a lovely cottage garden of flowers in the front and a steadily expandng fernery. We created a lovely lush lawn in the place of bare dirt in the back yard, a perfect picnic spot under large trees.

I have been eating home made granola and yogurt. Packing nutritious, tasty lunches every day and cooking great dinners as well.

I freely chose to do the study. I need to reach closure on a half completed qualification from what feels like a previous life. It will free me to undertake other study that fits better with who I am now and what I want for my future.

But I am not feeling free. I feel trapped. I keep telling myself that it really is only a few days of my life. That this too will pass. Good words but hard to take to heart.

It is perhaps the lack of balance in my life. Right now I feel guilty about taking time out from study to write this post. My darling niece arrived yesterday to visit until after Christmas and I feel guilty about taking time out from her. We need to finish painting the laundry and bathroom but I can't right now. My garden is looking neglected - I need to pull weeds, mulch with compost and lucerne and plant the next lot of summer crop.

But I must spend all my time out of work doing my study. My second assignment is due Monday. Once that is done I will have a month to complete the next two. So it really is only a couple of days until I can make my next batch of granola, refill the freezer, get back into the garden and enjoy the countdown to Christmas.

Why can't I accept that and be zen and embrace the opportunity in front of me?

Tonight's harvest: eggs, broccoli and snow peas

Broccoli soup and other garden delights

I have magificent heads of broccoli coming up in the garden. Never before have I gown such stunning specimens.

So what will I do with it all?

I've started with soup.

To make basic but delicious broccoli soup I made vichyssoise (classic potato and leek) and added the broccoli. Very simple, very quick and yes, most importantly, very tasty.

Ingredients:
Two heads of broccoli - washed well and chopped into florets
One leek, trimmed and sliced
Two medium potatoes, peeled and diced
Butter
Vegetable stock cube
Water
Cream
Parmesan, optional

How to:
Melt a small chunk of butter in a large soup pan. Throw in the leeks and cook until they start to soften, take care not to burn them.
Toss in the broccoli and potatoes. Add stock cube and enough water to just cover vegies. 
Bring to boil briefly, then simmer, stirring every now and again.
When all vegies are soft, poor the soup into a blender, in batches, to puree. You choose whether you want it completely smooth or a few small chunks are ok.
Pour it back into the soup pan and replace on stove on low-medium heat. You are not cooking it now just reheating.
Serve with a drizzle of cream and a sprinkle of parmesan and crunchy bread on the side.

This will serve 4-6. I only served two but we now have four serves in the freezer for another day.

 

There is plenty more broccoli growing in the garden.
I will need to monitor them daily now so that I pick them before the flowers start to open out and they are spolied.

As always my vegie garden is a sea of potatoes. So there'll be plenty more soup I think.

late Spring day in Robertson

We went for a walk with friends yesterday on a clear late Spring day. These photos show just how beautiful my street is.

Taken by RachaelB.

Vintage car display at the races

I have a real soft spot for vintage cars. The romantic pull of yesterday, the dedication of the owners to keep such old machines in working order. Members of the local car club showed their beauties at the Bong Bong Races.

Owners of old cars are always happy to show their pride and joys and explain their quirks such as this hand operated windscreen wiper.

Ford Capri

 

 

Greenpick for our chickens

The silverbeet and kale keep trying to bolt to seed so I am constantly pruning the tops off them.
Our chickens can't get enough greenpick so today I hung up some prunings, along with a few weeds: dandelions, nasturtiums and mik thistles.

I have thrown extra prunings and weeds into a bucket so I can keep supplying greenpick during the week with minimal effort while rushing off to work.

This healthy for the chooks adn keeps them occupied. Scarlet particularly likes her greens. If they get into the vegie garden Scully and Kate scratch around in the garlic while Scarlet goes straight for the celery and silverbeet to peck at the leaves.

How do keep your chickens happy?