Norfolk Exposure: January 2012

Finally finished!

I've been plodding away at this little linen and felt project since last September! It was supposed to be a Christmas present for my sister (it'll be in the post soon Lou).

Matilda drew this little picture early last year. Months ago I traced it onto some calico and embroidered the illustration using simple running stitch. It's taken until recently for me to get around to making it into a cushion. Now I'll have her drawing forever and all can admire her artistic flare whilst sitting comfortably on our lounge. I found a picture Harry drew around the same age that I'm hoping to immortalize into a cushion soon.

Kefir and Crumpets

Look how seriously I'm taking my 2012 goals! I really don't enjoy cooking or preparing food. I prefer my kitchen to stay clean and tidy. Cooking causes far too much mess for my liking. I like to eat though, and I'm conscious of making good food choices. Unfortunately though, that means eating foods that need to be prepared at home from scratch!

My sister brought a jar of live Kefir grains to Norfolk when she came for Christmas. I've been eager to try my hand at making water-based Kefir for a while now, but no-one I knew had any live grains. Not long after hopping off the plane, Lou popped the funny looking grains into my fridge, where I left them for almost a fortnight for fear if I touched the jar I'd somehow kill them. Lou returned home before I got a chance to quiz her on the procedure. After a few 'please explain' phone calls, she emailed me a link to this video. It explains the steps beautifully and gave me the confidence to try this (what I now know to be) simple process. And it tastes pretty good. Even Harry and Till are drinking this unusual fermented beverage (Ben isn't as keen - but we're working on him). I've been adding crystallized ginger to the final stage and then serving the Kefir mixed with mineral water. It tastes a bit like ginger beer, except it's sugar-free and VERY healthy. The grains seem to be multiplying at an incredible rate, which I hope is normal. They appear to almost double over night. Soon I'll be handing out jars of live grains to everyone I know!

Now if you are impressed with my enthusiasm for making Kefir...check out this photo below. I actually had a go at making home-made crumpets. Baking!!!!!!!! Something I rarely experience any success with. I found the recipe here on this fabulous blog. Tania's look SO much better than mine but seeing as I'm a beginner I'm cutting myself some slack. I used up the left over flour in our cupboard - half wholemeal and half spelt. Next time I make these I'm going to try plain white flour as my crumpets were VERY heavy. Yes, I really will make these again. It might be a while though as I bought the last box of yeast in the supermarket here yesterday......now we'll have to wait for the next ship. Ah, such is life on Norfolk. Like I said earlier, making things from scratch takes time.

On the raft

The good old raft was removed recently for renovations - apparently the barrels underneath were rusting away, causing the raft to slowly sink! Boy did we miss her. Emily Bay just didn't feel the same. Swimming was different too, it felt aimless. That raft is something to swim towards, or around, a destination so to speak. It's also a symbol of accomplishment - a right of passage. Every kid waits for the day when they are a strong enough swimmer to be able reach the raft without a floaty or grown-up assistance! Harry was as pleased as punch the first time he made it on his own. Till can do it now too, though mostly we tag along just in case she gets tired (it's quite deep after all). With a swim vest on she's out to it like a rocket!

All sorts of antics go on out there - especially when it's covered in kids. At times, it's so crowded you can't find a place to sit! If you want to stretch out and mooch around in the sun, best you head to the beach early so it can be all yours, a private oasis, for all of, hmmm maybe 5 minutes if you're lucky!

Ready. Set. Go.

I like to write lists.

I like to set goals.

So now I'm going to list my goals for this year. I think it'll help me to be more accountable! Maybe. Sometimes I set goals that never see the light of day. Sometimes Ben and I set goals together, and those we usually stick to. Like our 2009 goal, which was to not buy a single new thing for the whole year. We did it too - isn't that cool! Last year we gave up eating refined sugar together successfully for a few months. Another year we decided to give away TV watching....we got rid of our TV completely! Yes. When Ben and I commit together, I certainly experience a higher rate of success. But I have a good feeling about 2012 - It's going to be my year!

So here goes....I hope to....NO!...wait, that's not a good start....I WILL......

1. Read 20 novels this year

2. Cook a new recipe every month

3. Take 2 long walks a week

4. Ride my bike often (at least twice a week)

5. Sew Christmas Presents ALL YEAR LONG (one a month sounds good)

6. Ride 20 km's in one stint

7. Swim from Slaughter Bay to Emily Bay (flippers optional)

8. Get back on the sugar-free wagon

9. Live in the moment a bit more than I do!

How does that sound? The reading thing is important. In the before time (ie marriage and kids), I read all the time. I never make time for it now. Maybe it's because I spend my days teaching others how to read?

I don't like cooking. So that goal will be hard. I hope to use sugar-free recipes. I recently read this ebook which is fantastic and should help me immensely to regain my sugar-free life.

Every year I say 'This year I'm going to get fit!'....I never do it. This is THE YEAR!!!!!! I've committed to a triathlon team (WHAT was I thinking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). By Easter, I need to be able to ride 20 kilometres effortlessly.

And about that big swim from Slaughter to Emily. To most it wouldn't seem far. I think it's about 700 metres - which is a really BIG deal to me. A strong swimming friend has already offered to accompany me and yes, I'm going to wear flippers the first time I try. Ben is going to follow along behind in the canoe, just in case I wimp out. I'm hoping to give it a crack in the next fortnight (I'll keep you posted).

Now as for that 'living in the moment stuff', well that's a biggie. You see, I have a huge problem. I worry far too much about the future! I constantly plan and dream about stuff that hasn't or may never actually happen. I also dwell on the past, over-analysing stuff and feeling guilty about everything and anything that didn't quite go to plan. I worry about what family think, I worry about what strangers think. Ben would tell you I over-think, and over-worry! But not this year, it's time I landed in the present, living my life happily and taking each day as it comes. That's a healthy place to be, don't you agree?

Wish me luck!

Two Years Ago

This month two years ago, we took a journey into the unknown. With suitcases containing what was left of our worldly possessions we boarded a plane with great anticipation. A flight 1600 kilometres across the sea brought us to our new island home. At the time it was impossible to imagine how life would be different. We couldn't foresee what opportunities were headed our way!

Sitting on the plane I was filled with feelings of trepidation and excitement. It was upsetting to be leaving family and friends behind, but I was comforted by the promise of new friendships. Stepping off the plane onto the tarmac, we were greeted by a group expecting our arrival. We felt at ease from the moment we saw their friendly faces and waving arms!

Once we'd settled into our new house, I found the truth is it doesn't matter where you reside, the daily grind is the same; there's always washing to keep up with, groceries to buy, meals to cook, appointments to keep, floors to clean, bills to pay. But somehow, for us at least, getting though the menial stuff is so much easier to deal with when the air is clear and bright, the breeze cool, the sunsets gobsmackingly out-of-this-world and the view of green trees and valleys breathtakingly beautiful. Truly, it's THAT beautiful here!

At a moments notice we can find ourselves ankle deep in the warm golden sands of one of the prettiest beaches in the world. Just a quick drive in the car and we can find ourselves walking through rainforest searching for birds and bizarre fungi, or at the top of a mountain looking down at the whole island and the sea beyond (hoping to glimpse a whale). After a big day out and about, we can cook dinner, serve it up and jump in the car carrying our plate in one hand and our cutlery in the other to eat down by the sea. If we feel the urge for an impromptu fishing trip we can be down to the pier, our lines dangling in the sea, in the blink of an eye.

We LOVE how our world has shrunk. Everything is close! Getting anywhere is simple. The biggest drive we do is to Anson Bay and that takes all of 10 minutes (well OK...12 minutes!). Ducking to the shops is a cinch. There are no traffic lights to be found. There's no such thing as peak hour traffic or road rage. We can always get parking. We don't have to lock our car or be fussed about it's age and condition. There aren't too many flash cars to be seen here. My kids can run through the streets without shoes on and nobody cares whether your clothes are fashionable. With every trip we bump into people we know, there's always a friendly face or a wave. It's a simpler life.

Yes, two years on, we couldn't be happier and without doubt I can say that coming to live here was the right move for us! Certainly residing in such an isolated place has its drawbacks, I'd have to admit that. But those negative aspects are FAR outweighed by the positives.

Who knows how much longer we can take advantage of this wonderful lifestyle - best we appreciate Every. Single. Day!

The very first photo I took Of Emily Bay taken the day after we arrived - and Harry's first swim (Check out the crowds!!!!!!! Ah....another reason why we love this place so much!)

Less Rubbish :: Tip #3

Today's rubbish reducing tip is....Forget buying tinned produce...Bottle it Yourself!

OK. I'm being a bit cheeky with this one! But seriously, isn't bottling our own tomato puree a great way to reduce rubbish. We (actually it's all Ben's hard work, I just take the photos) are aiming to fill our pantry with a years supply. There won't be any tomato tins in our bin this year!

And so, after what feels like forever, we said helloooooo Vacola! It's been a while since we plugged you in, but once we dusted off the cobwebs you were all systems go.

We brought our Vacola preserving kit and what feels like hundreds of kilos worth of preserving jars with us to Norfolk. To get our jars here safely, we had wrapped each one individually in several layers of newspaper. Unwrapping them was quite nerve wracking as we weren't certain they'd survived the journey. As it turns out, a couple did get smashed. The kit was well used in our previous home but has been sitting in the shed here for the last two years. The biggest reason being that our attempts to get a successful veggie patch flourishing have failed due to a lack of water. We only have one rainwater tank and so have to be quite precious with water-use. It does rain regularly, but still not often enough to keep a veggie garden happy, really happy. It's a shame, but not all is lost. We have a fabulous growers market here every Saturday and everything sold is local, organic and reasonably priced. There's no cold storage here folks, so we can only buy/eat fresh what is in season. Lucky us I say.

And so we kick start our preserving program with tomatoes - boxes of them (seconds in fact - not beautiful to look at, but PERFECT for cooking). Something tells me, now we have our preserving groove back, there will be preserves a plenty in our cupboards once again! And I suspect spaghetti bolognese may be on the menu soon.

PS We think we may have a solution for our lack-of-water problem. Sometime in the future, we plan to re-locate our veggie patch down hill, so our shower and washing machine water can be put to good use.

A pinch and a punch...

In the blink of an eye the year 2011 came to an end - and boy was I caught off guard. In the blissful aftermath of Christmas, I struggled to keep track of what day of the week we were up to - and as for actual dates....I had NO idea where we were at! Quite frankly, I'd barely got my head around Christmas suddenly arriving and then going again without giving me time to suck it all in. New Years Eve jumped out from behind the door with a big fat BOO! and so consequently wasn't particularly eventful (if I'd had d a y s to plan something it would have been soooo much better). But that's OK, it is what it is. We didn't have a rollicking party or anything (let's face it, that's hardly my style), but instead were blessed with good company, and the amusement of watching nieces and nephews playing all sorts of creative noisy games - keeping us on our toes with their trampoline antics!

Is it just me or does it feel as though every year passes more quickly? Truly. I get older, the years speed up.

And here we are, on the first day of a new year. I'm on track with what day it is, so that's a good start. We don't own a 2012 calendar yet, which means I'll probably be completely lost again mid-way through the week. But that's what holidays are all about, right!

Looking back through our year in photos I decided to pick out those which capture some of my favourite moments in 2011. It was so hard to choose, and I got VERY carried away (and have probably chewed up my upload limit for the whole month). But gee, looking back I can see clearly what a great life we have, and how fortunate we are!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

May 2012 be filled with
love, laughter and good times xx