07

We were delighted to have a visit of Brian's youngest brother and his family, back down from sunny (grits teeth here) Brisbane. We had a day of howling gales to receive them. Serves them right. They all had tans. Poor things froze, and we had lunch on Sunday at my Mother-in-Law's, Betty. Betty is a wonderful lady, but her central heating was on the blink, so we all froze. But the atmosphere, at least familially, was warm as toast, which is lovely.

We have also been blessed in that the gentleman from whom we get bread on Wednesday nights for the ranimals (and also for us, as it is that days bake), has kindly consented to giving us the sweet and savoury for that time. Or at least one garbage bag of it. You see, he has sympathy for us as he has pigs, too. How marvellous of God to arrange such things!

Porgy is back! What a joy to have our porcine snuffler back with Bess. I hope that this time we'll hear the little patter of tiny trotters. I'm sure he missed us. He stayed very still for lots of scratches, and every time I talk to him, he gives an answering grunt in F#.

Brian is talking about cleaning out the old pens and putting the pig muck (isn't that a wonderful term? So descriptive but nice!) into the orchard.

The tamarilloes are ready. We just have to remember to pick them. This is a problem I always seem to have. Life goes on and I get busy. So I forget, and so does everyone else.

Here is a wonderful recipe for Golden Potpourri from Warm Earth, the latest edition:

1 cup dried lemon verbena leaves

1 cup dried lemon balm leaves

Peel of one dried lemon, cut into small pieces

1 cup dried chamomile flowers

1 cup dried forsythia flowers

1 cup dried yellow African marigold petals

1/3 cup orris-root powder

6 drops lemon verbena oil

Combine all dry ingredients, and add the oil a drop at a time. Seal and cure in a dry warm place for 6 weeks, shaking daily.

Additional notes: Lemon balm is Melissa officinalis. If lemon verbena oil is not available, double the quantity of dried lemon verbena leaves and add 10 drops of lemon flavouring essence. Apparently the potpourri not only has a lemony fragrance buts looks very pretty in a golden bowl. If you don't have a golden bowl, why not make one out of papier mache?

The latest quote from Lisa Mcinnes-Smith: "A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes." Or as I tell Alice, "Keep gratitude as an attitude."

Well, chicken is still the cheapest meat here, with pork running a close second. Don't even think about lamb. Last weekend and the weekend before I received the junk mail and went through it scrupulously as usual. I think I mentioned before that we don't have the massive amount of coupons you blessed people in the US and Canada get. My one continous coupon is .04cents/litre off petrol (gas) when I purchase over $30 of groceries at any one time at some chain supermarkets that have either their own stations or have an arrangement with BP.

Anyway, throughout these catalogues from the various supermarkets, over a period of two weeks, there was one mention of lamb on sale. I checked, out of curiosity, a local butcher's advertisement. No lamb at all mentioned. I'm beginning to wonder if lamb will be a four-legged caviar. But then I think it's swings and roundabouts. This, too, will pass.

I've just eaten some beautiful baby octopus. Last time I shared a Greek recipe. This one was French: gently sauteed for just a few minutes in butter, garlic, freshly ground black pepper, and, in the last minute, a dash of coarse salt. Soooo tender, sooooo tasty.

This morning I was exercising the German Shepherds (and Mowgli, who hates to be left out of the excitement, although he does spend an inordinate amount of time under various large metal objects, until the GSs calm down), and Toby, Nathan's new Labrador, was complaining as usual about still being locked up. How could I resist? So they all played together and had a wonderful time. The same thing happened tonight.

Have motorised scooters hit your area yet? They're really big over here, and I think it really started when someone realised that if you made the older person's scooter into far jazzier, perhaps just a scooter with a motor (great for kids with parents who like saying "Yes"), or even a scooter version of a motorcycle, how many would be sold? Answer: heaps!

It took off as a basic of attach a lawnmower engine to a bicycle. Yes, I know that is not a new idea, but this way the petrol consumption would really low, the bike would be really fast, and hey, they make a lot of noise. I have yet to see a female riding these beasties in the Western Districts. Can't think why.

Now, of course, the $2000 models are all the rage. And they are still noisy. But cute. They are getting so prolific that there is talk of licencing the scooters themselves. And then there will be the rider's licence requirements. And the safety equipment - helmets, lights, roadworthy checks.

I can see it all now. I don't need a crystal ball. But I do have to say that whilst they seem to be a normal part of life these days, I have yet to be nearly run over by one whilst walking on the footpath, unlike skateboards, roller blades and kids exercising their shoe leather, mobile 'phones and mouths.

I have enclosed some photographs of Come and Do, where I learn wonderful crafts, and the Salvation Armys Home League, just after we had a wonderful talk on Lorraine Tonzing's visit to Great Britain.

My Day

Snoring

Tangled sheets and missing blankets

Brian moves and I slide out, getting dressed quickly

oohhh! it's cold!

Aark! Aark! Some geese awaken as I gather firewood from the 'barrow.

The cacophony grows and I hurry indoors.

brrr! still cold!

ahhh! nice warm crackling fire!

Rain pelting like fingers drumming against my window panes,

louder and louder still,

attention seeking,

reminding me

of how much better I am to be inside.

The animals need feeding.

A whirring overhead

and the pigeons are aloft

wheeling and turning

but their beauty is ethereal

when they just glide

Animals have the impatience of little children

especially at mealtime.