03-03-03

Today I noticed a broccoli plant peeking out between some basil and tomatoes.  I can't wait for the broccoli to head up and then I can make some Easy Broccoli Pilaf, which is a dish courtesy of Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, from one of the food combining books.  This is the only way that Brian truly enjoys broccoli, although the after effects are nothing if not interesting! - especially with the curry.

 

We had an wonderful aroma wandering through our bedroom.  I found that it invaded my sleep. My husband and I both accused each other of "nocturnal emissions" (yes, I am trying to be delicate), but then we narrowed it down to either the puppy leaving behind some sort of present under the bed, or a rodent carcassing up behind the walls.

 

This morning I upturned the bed, searched around the boxes that normally make their home underneath said bed, and could find nothing.  The smell did not emanate from there, so I used my schnozz to work out that it was actually wafting in all of its glory from the drawers near my side of the bed.  No wonder I could not sleep!  Dead mouse in amongst the towels, and the drawers made of wood, soaking in that wonderful aroma. Mmm-hmm.

 

So the towels were all hot-washed with eucalyptus wool-wash mixture, and the offending drawer with the offensive odour will be washed down with vinegar and perhaps eucalyptus as well.

 

When I upturned the futon mattress, guess what I found?  Mould!  What joy clutched my heart!  I felt like the Addams Family re-visited.  I am not the world's best housekeeper (actually, I probably come in at second-worst, behind a notably intransient tornado), but I do loathe filth in all of its forms.  Have I told you about denture tablets in the loo, to clean up stained porcelain?  Anyway, out came the Eucalyptus Spray, wonderful stuff from Bosisto, in an aerosol can.  The mould was granted a long, soaking death.  I don't mind the smell, but my husband had had enough of it when he was a cleaner, so we opened the doors, North and South.

 

I remember years ago listening to a wonderful radio programme about tea-tree oil.  The uses mirror that of eucalyptus.  Back in the Great Depression days, men would go out bush, particularly in Western Australia, and would set up stills, cut huge amounts of tea-tree bush and collect the condensate after boiling the essential oils out of the leaves.  This was then shipped down to Perth, exported all over the world.  Penicillin and other wonder drugs, as well as modern disinfectants, took their toll, and the market for this curative from nature died.  Along with all of the other history, what really took my attention to rivet point, was the story of one man who would harvest by himself.  One time, he had just loaded up the still, was walking towards the local creek (stream) and the still exploded.  He was blasted by the boiling tea-tree essence and lost consciousness. Three days later he awoke, not a mark or burn on him.  The tea-tree oil had protected and healed him.

 

We have had a need for another vehicle, and so prayed about exactly what we wanted and how much we could afford.  We went window shopping at a local dealer, and found a 1991 Nissan Navara 4-wheel drive, dual cab utility for $2750.  We put it on layby at the dealership!  We've just paid it off (thanks to Brian's tax refund), and Brian is now sourcing parts to get it up to roadworthy (a legal requirement in Victoria) and to his satisfaction so that we can go and do some bush bashing - perhaps even to Coober Pedy, one of my home towns. 

 

Brian recently priced a similar vehicle - over $8000, so he was very happy.  We need to replace the tray, but I may be able to talk the dealer into letting us have one of his older spares fairly cheaply.  Understandably, we will pray about this as well.  Apparently, the dealer has them replaced by flat trays for customers.  And all we did was walk into the car yard.  I told Brian what I would like, but he didn't think much of our chances.  "Hey," I said, "the God that can create the Universe, what's one car to two of His faithful."  And there it was- waiting for us, having been heavily discounted on the Friday, we saw it on the Sunday night, on the way home from Church.

 

Remember to live this life as if you really mean it.