A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Mignon McLaughlin Hey, Lovelies. It’s our 21st Wedding Anniversary today. I wouldn’t have remembered, except that Google reminded me. We almost never remember. Ben forgets, I forget, and usually when we remember, months have gone by. Sometimes, years have gone by. […]
The Tawny Frogmouth Family
“I may not always be with you But when we’re far apart Remember you will be with me Right inside my heart” Marc Wambolt Hey, Lovelies! Ben sent me this grainy photo yesterday, taken with his phone on maximum zoom. It’s our Tawny Frogmouth Mumma and her two chicks. Dad is just out of shot, […]
The Quiet Of Morning
Outside the open window The morning air is all awash with angels. Richard Wilbur Hello, Lovelies. Mornings here at the farm are a quiet affair. The sunlight slants golden fingers that edge out the darkness and soften the gloom of dawn until you can make out the shapes of trees and cows. Birds call to […]
The Energies of October, 2020
Through each crisis in my life, with acceptance and hope, in a single defining moment, I finally gained the courage to do things differently. Sharon E. Rainey Hello, Lovelies! At the beginning of every month, I discuss the energies and gifts of the month ahead and how we can best use them to make our […]
Counting Down The Sleeps!
“After all,” Anne had said to Marilla once, “I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.” L.M. Montgomery Hey, Lovelies. Overall I’ve been doing okay, […]
Strange Visitors
“Visits always give pleasure–if not the arrival, the departure.” Portuguese Proverb Hey, Lovelies. Sometimes it seems as if the drought, and Australia’s horrendous bushfire season happened years ago. A lifetime ago. So much has happened since then. So much continues to unfold. But those years of drought and catastrophic fires have left their mark. As […]
The Survivor
“The one who falls and gets up is stronger than the one who never tried. Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying.” Roy T. Bennett Hello, Lovelies. It’s funny (or not) how nature has lessons for us, if only we pay attention. Last year, here in Australia, we experienced terrible drought here at […]
Another Weird Day In Byron Bay
“I think everybody’s weird. We should all celebrate our individuality and not be embarrassed or ashamed of it.” Johnny Depp So, this happened to me yesterday. I live in an old farmhouse on an organic farm in the hinterland of Byron Bay. Our farm is at the end of a quiet and trafficless road only […]
How Coronavirus Threw Me Back Into My Forgotten Past
“I’ll just tell you what I remember because memory is as close as I’ve gotten to building my own time machine.” Samantha Hunt Hello, Lovelies. A strange thing happened to me yesterday. I’m in lockdown here at the farm right now, just me and my husband, and our two dogs. I have internet connection. I […]
The Sound of Rain
Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book. Bill Watterson We’ve been in and out of drought here at the farm for the past two years. Byron Bay is rainforest country – it’s usually a place of frequent rainfall. When the rain dried up, huge cracks in […]
Frosty The Calf Teaches Us About Life
And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings. Meister Eckhart There’s a new little calf at our farm. She came into the world so quietly. She just slipped in without a sound. Ben named her Frosty, because once her coat dried and fluffed out it was bleached […]
The Magical Healing Qualities of Being Home At The Farm
A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one’s neighbor — such […]
Best Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” ~ Oprah Winfrey Hello, Lovelies! This simple lemony recipe celebrates the best of friendship. The recipe harks from my Nana’s friend, Coralee. Coralee and Nana were […]
Echidna Rescue!
You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there. Edwin Louis Cole Hello, Lovelies. We undertook a dramatic rescue operation yesterday afternoon. As I was walking up the hill to water our fruit trees my fairy friend Sokli yelled out, ‘Hey, that poor friend needs some help. Hurry! Help him! He’s […]
Home is… Doggy and Heavenly and So Very Good
“Coming home to friends with wagging tails and loving hearts makes everyday a good day!” ~ Anon I’d love to be writing profound things. But the truth is what I want to write is very ordinary. We came home to the farm late yesterday. We came home to our dogs. They were SO EXCITED to […]
Stubborn Determination
“He that can have patience can have what he will.”
~ Benjamin Franklin
The Joy Of Rain
“Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.” ~ Bill Watterson Down in our part of the world we’ve been in drought all Summer. The land has been so dry that the pasture has become crunchy and brown beneath our feet. Great cracks have opened up in the land. […]
Holiday At the Farm!
“There is more to life than making a living. Do not work more than you live.” ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana Hello, Lovelies! Right now we have a friend and her little girls vacationing with us here at the farm. Each day the girls have farm chores to do – watering the gardens and fruit trees (it is very […]
Are You Weathering These Recent Storms of Change?
“Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever.” ― Roy T. Bennett The energies right now are all about change. Lots is coming up to be dealt with, things that have been hidden are being forced out into the open, things that need to be acted upon are being thrust upon us and […]
I Thought I’d Recorded A Relaxing Meditation For You, But Then This Happened
“The world is too quiet without you nearby.” ~ Lemony Snicket I decided to record you a guided meditation yesterday. I sat in the sun, with birdsong all around me, moved into deep relaxation, closed my eyes, and spoke into my little recorder. Then I came back to the house and listened to the recording. It […]
It’s Hard To Blog When You Can’t Find Your Slippers
“It’s easier to put on slippers than to carpet the whole world.” ~ Al Franken The mornings have suddenly turned cold here at the farm. I’m meditating with a heavy prayer shawl around me for my 4am starts, and choosing to stay sitting up in bed so I can remain cosy. Normally when my meditation […]
He Can’t Take His Eyes Off Me!
“When the Man waked up he said, ‘What is Wild Dog doing here?’ And the Woman said, ‘His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always.’” ~ Rudyard Kipling; The Jungle Book Finally we are home. Harry Dog was […]
Standing Under Old Trees
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” ―~ Rachel Carson This morning, after a restless night, I slept […]
Grounded Goodness
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” ~ Rachel Carson Yesterday was one of those days when my […]
I’d Be Blogging But… Farm Emergency!
“Our bravest and best lessons are not learned through success, but through misadventure… ” ~ Amos Bronson Alcott Oh dear! Poor little Frida has the molasses bucket stuck around her head. We’d hoped she might figure out how to get it off all by herself, but no… So now we will have to chase […]
Five Things I Love About Being Home At My Farm
“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter… to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring — these are some of the rewards of the simple […]
Santa’s Unhappy Helper
“How long do I have to wear these stoopid things? Where’s my Schmackos and Scoobie Schnacks?” ~ Nurse Bert I tried for a cute shot of two dogs in reindeer ears. Harry ate his. Or rather, ripped them to pieces. Bert was slightly more well behaved, and stoic in his misery. It’s beautiful here […]
A Little Bit Of Chaos
“Floyd could imagine a dozen things that could go wrong; it was little consolation that it was always the thirteenth that actually happened.” ~ Arthur C. Clarke, 2010: Odyssey Two I thought about writing a blog titled ‘Reasons for Screaming Yesterday – My Top Five’. They would have been: The microbat in my bath-towel […]
Bert’s Latest Operation!
“Doctors?” said Ron, looking startled. “Those Muggle nutters that cut people up?” ~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix “I saved a man’s life once,” said Granny. “Special medicine, twice a day. Boiled water with a bit of berry juice in it. Told him I’d bought it from the dwarves. That’s the […]
Boots ‘n’ All
“It is only with true love and compassion that we can begin to mend what is broken in the world. It is these two blessed things that can begin to heal all broken hearts.” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free That, my friends, is photographic evidence of true love. Me in […]
The Joy Of Ordinary
“And while it takes courage to achieve greatness, it takes more courage to find fulfillment in being ordinary. For the joys that last have little relationship to achievement, to standing one step higher on the victory platform. What is the adventure in being ordinary? It is daring to love just for the pleasure of giving […]
Autumn At The Farm
“There is something incredibly nostalgic and significant about the annual cascade of autumn leaves.” ~ Joe L. Wheeler The last of the summer grass is long and lush and sweet. The wind by turn blows warm and then cold. The leaves are tumbling down, making a pretty carpet upon the lawn. The air is rich […]
Crazy Wild Weather
“From where we stand the rain seems random. If we could stand somewhere else, we would see the order in it.” ~ Tony Hillerman It’s crazy wet in the Northern Rivers right now. It has rained, and rained and rained, and more rain is coming. Yesterday we moved the cows and baby calves from […]
Home at My Farm
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” ~ Albert Einstein I’m home, at our beautiful farm. The dogs and I have just gone for a ramble to check on the cows, and to see if we could spy the platypus down in the river. There are branches down everywhere after the […]
My Day’s Best Medicine
“Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine.” ~ George Gordon Byron There is one thing Lyme has taught me that is well worth sharing. Some of the best medicine isn’t prescribed by a doctor. Here’s some of my favourite medicine. The smell of pine trees and sunshine. Posies of sweet little flowers from […]
Afternoon Magic at the Farm
“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by […]
That Strange Wise Universe
“All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this.“ ~ Miyamoto Musashi Sometimes things don’t go to plan. We’ve had a lot of rain here at the farm. Lots actually. Think floods. Last Saturday, after having been flooded in overnight, the causeway dropped and Ben decided we’d make a run […]
The Sound of Rain
“On the fifth day, which was a Sunday, it rained very hard. I like it when it rains hard. It sounds like white noise everywhere, which is like silence but not empty.” ~ Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Here at the farm it’s raining. It has been […]
Quick Apple and Blueberry Tart
“Cut my pie into four pieces, I don’t think I could eat eight.” ~ Yogi Berra This simple berry and apple tart is quick to make and tastes fruity and delicious. I use variations of this recipe all the time to whip up a speedy afternoon tea or dinner-time treat. Shop-bought pastry means all you need […]
What Australia Day means to me
“I am compelled into this country.” ~ Patrick White, Voss “If you would know this country, you must know its stories.” ~ Billy Marshall Stoneking Australia Day for me has always been a celebration of what makes me feel Australian. It’s a combination of landscape, energy, history and connection with those souls who have walked this land before […]
Blessings at my back door!
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” (Si hortum in bibliotheca habes, deerit nihil.)” ― Cicero, Letters to His Friends, Vol 2: Books 7-12 In my pyjamas, sipping tea in the backyard after a rough night. It’s so breathtakingly beautiful here at the farm that I can’t help but feel […]
Life -Disconnected!
“We are creating and encouraging a culture of distraction where we are increasingly disconnected from the people and events around us, and increasingly unable to engage in long-form thinking. People now feel anxious when their brains are unstimulated.” ~ Joe Kraus There was a huge storm here at the farm on Saturday afternoon. The Black Cockatoos […]
Baked Peaches with Walnut Caramel Crumble Recipe
“One day I would have all the books in the world, shelves and shelves of them. I would live my life in a tower of books. I would read all day long and eat peaches. And if any young knights in armor dared to come calling on their white chargers and plead with me to […]
What Quiet Sounds Like
“On soft Spring nights I’ll stand in the yard under the stars – Something good will come out of all things yet – And it will be golden and eternal just like that – There’s no need to say another word.” ~ Jack Kerouac, Big Sur It’s late at night. Or to be more accurate, early morning. I’ve […]
Sneaking out the Door
“Home is the place that goes where you go, yet it welcomes you upon your return. Like a dog overjoyed at the door. We’ve missed you is what you hear, no matter how long you’ve been gone.” ~ Michael J. Rosen By the time you read this I’ll be going home. Front door pulled shut behind […]
Easy Barbecued Corn on the Cob Recipe
We came home to our now flood-free farm last night. Of course I didn’t think to plan dinner, and there were slim pickings when we got here. Luckily it’s sweet corn season right now in Australia and some had survived the rain and the critters to become a simple meal. Simple is highly under-rated, in […]
Home, after Rain
“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.”~ Jane Austen I’m home. I slept last night in my own bed. After so long in the city it was good beyond measure to be here at my little farm, surrounded by a thick blanket of peace and the sounds of night; cattle lowing, croaking frogs, […]
Sometimes fat really is pregnant!
Common etiquette suggests that you should never ask a woman if she’s pregnant, even if she looks that way. I guess the same can be said for cows too. It’s been a good season, and all of our cows are fat. But we can comfortably say they’re not preggers because we have no bull! We […]
Heavenly Blueberry Crumble Slice Recipe
It’s bucketing down here at the farm again, and there’s not much for me to do but sleep, cook or sit on the verandah sipping tea. We still have no power here after the big Australia Day Weekend Wet, but Ben has fired up the generator for a while and my biscuit tins are empty […]
Safe Haven
And now for another update via my magical iphone… It has been cyclonic here at the farm the past few days. Trees down everywhere, extensive flooding, wild winds… There is still no power, but this morning the wind has died down and the sun is out although big black clouds are building up behind us. […]
Everyone has their problems
“If you’re in a bad situation, don’t worry it’ll change. If you’re in a good situation, don’t worry it’ll change.” ~ John A. Simone, Sr. My little farmhouse is also a guesthouse for snakes. We have an enormous carpet python named Cedric who lives in the roof, right above my writing desk. I often hear […]
Passionfruit and Lime Curd ~ Passionfruit Butter Recipe
Two things grow like crazy in our neck of the woods come summer – limes and passionfruit. A friend gave me a bag of old wrinkly-looking passionfruit yesterday and asked if I might still be able to use them. You bet I can! Passionfruit are very pretty when they are all firm and plump, but […]
Meet Harry- it’s puppy love!
“Happiness is a warm puppy.” ~ Charles M Schulz Meet the newest edition to our family – Harry! Harry is an Australian Blue Cattle Dog – a working dog in the finest of traditions. Although I suspect he’ll go the way of all dogs in this household; an ‘inside dog’ with couch privileges and a penchant […]
Platypus Dreaming
I have a special place down on the river where I go to meditate sometimes. I walked down there this morning, just as the sky was softening with the first gentle fingers of light. There were still stars twinkling in the sky, and the cows called to me as I walked by. I settled down […]
What Real Food Looks Like…
On Saturday morning at the crack of dawn my husband and I went into Lismore, a small country town about 25 minutes drive from our farm. We needed to buy some hay for our weaner calves, and there was a truckload of bales for sale at the showgrounds, which is also home to the Lismore […]
The Bee Tree
“If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live.” ~ Albert Einstein One of my favourite afternoon farm chores is filling up the cattle troughs. When I walk down to the pump house that sits beside our spring-fed dam, I go through a fenced off area […]
Double Happiness ♥♥
“The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters.” ~ Audrey Hepburn Today is the first day in over a week that I feel back in my body, and back to earth. What a big week or so, with the passing of our beautiful dog, Charlie, and then my Channelling […]
Easy Farmhouse Frittata Recipe
It’s cold here at the farm this morning, as Australia slides towards winter. There’s work to be done, and it’s raining and utterly miserable outside. A warm breakfast for the workers is in order, before they go to out to rebuild the cattle yards and fence the back paddock. With a full basket of fresh […]
Looking after Charlie
Charlie is one of the major loves of my life! We rescued him as a very small pup, and he has been an important part of our family ever since. I hadn’t intended to get a dog… A friend from the country, who breeds working dogs, had phoned me to say that he was giving […]
Drought, Poetry and Roses
Today’s post is inspired by a flower – a single rose blooming in my garden. Bless that rose, and all she means to me… A few years ago we weathered eight years of the most horrendous drought. Our farm in the Lockyer Valley was baked brown, and it seemed surreal to be without water up […]
Nothing Grows Well in Depleted Soil
Today it looks like I’m blogging about farming. But I’m not really. I’m blogging about you. Read on… Life on the farm is always varied. Yesterday we went down to the flats by the river to inspect the pasture regrowth. Once upon a time (long before us) this paddock was heavily cropped, year after year, […]
Easy Baked Custard Recipe AND a Free Kitten!
Today an old family recipe worth cherishing, and the latest instalment on life at my farm. This baked custard recipe was my grandmother’s, although my grandfather liked to boast that he perfected it! It always reminds me of the love and care he had for my grandmother – he was never a man to be […]
Everybody needs a place to call home, or, my little farm and what it means to me
One’s home is like a delicious piece of pie you order in a restaurant on a country road one cozy evening – the best piece of pie you have ever eaten in your life – and can never find again. After you leave home, you may find yourself feeling homesick, even if you have a […]
Psychic Dogs and Chicken Recipes
Yes, I know that is rather a strange title, but I promise there’s a link! I have been in Brisbane for over a week, and I’m feeling long overdue to return to my farm. There are a few things I need to tidy up this morning before I go, then I shall pack the ute […]
Cow wisdom and farm life
Late yesterday afternoon, just as the cicadas started singing, just as the light began to soften, my favourite old cow, 767, came up to the fence and called me. We have a special connection, her and me. She is eighteen now, old for a cow, and an illogical keep, but I cannot get rid of […]
Baba Ganoush Dip Recipe – Easy!
One of the things I love about living on a farm is being able to walk out into the garden, take a few ingredients, and turn them into fresh fast food. Today I’m making Baba Ganoush – a garlicky middle eastern eggplant dip, from today’s harvest. There is an eggplant bush hidden at the back of […]