life changing

On the weekend the Husband and I packed our bags, our boots and our knives in the name of education and discovery on our food journey.  We joined fourteen other enthusiastic folk who were passionate about understanding another way to approach the food we buy, cook and eat.  Not many times in life would I imagine I would experience a life changing situation like I found myself in.  I have walked away inspired...determined to live with a better respect towards food and how I nurture my family.  In a way returning to basic principles that perhaps your grandparents and mine would have adopted.  

Our weekend was filled with talk of food, foraging, hunting and taking from nature what you need and only what you need.  There was laughter around the campfire as we shared our hopes and dreams in regard to living a semi sustainable life.   A common thread amongst us. 

Ro, our leader, teacher and inspiration was humble as he is candid.  His passion for food, hunting, foraging and respect for sacrificing animals is evident.  He taught us to dispatch chooks and skin rabbits with upmost care and the joy upon his face when searching and spotting mushroom under the pines was palpable.  He loves what he does. 

We have come away with visions for our food future.  This future is ours and it will be what we make of it. 

*Of course these are the "nice" pictures of the weekend.  I will post the not so nice ones on my other blog later in the week, if you so wish to see them.  If not, I understand. 

back to basics

Husband and I have never had a weekend sans children.  Not for nearly seven years have we scurried off on a dirty weekend, or boarded a flight just for two, or even bunkered down at home without them.  Just hasn't been our thing.  That is until now.  And it's all in the name of education and learning for our future.

We've packed our bags, but not for a romantic getaway.  Oh no.  We're going back to basics and joining Rohan in his first workshop as he teaches us about foraging for wild mushrooms, cooking techniques, skinning rabbits, and dispatching chooks.  Not everyones ideal weekend, but we cannot wait.  As we venture closer to our dream of living a more simple, sustainable lifestyle we realised we had to practice what we hope to be preaching.  No good talking the talk if you can't walk the walk so they say.

I'm a little nervous about the whole killing a chicken thing, but I eat them and cook them for my family, therefore I should be brave enough to learn how to dispatch them myself.

My camera is packed, our warm winter woolies, boots and some homemade produce for the hosts.  Oh and we are staying in the most glorious homestead to lay our weary heads!  


Wish me luck x

pictures of you...

You know one art that we are all apart of?  Portraiture.
If you've ever held a camera or phone at someone and taken a snap then you are a portrait photographer. This week I've taken the liberty of friendship to those close to me and asked a few to let me take some portraits of them.  In all sorts of light, in many different ways.
Oh and lets not forget the prop holders, those two wonderful girls were such fun 'on location' so they get an honourary mention.

I'm usually just a happy-go-lucky snap when I can kinda girl, so it was a challenge yet fun having some planning, thought and visualising going on for these images.  Whilst some were disasters, there were a few I really like.

Do you have willing friends to assist you with your crazy projects?
And can I ask, which image is your favourite?



xx

goings on...

The week is up, the weekend is here and I've not spent much time here this week...talk about life getting in the way.  In a full on good way though.  You know, when things all just happen all at once however, now the calm has come, I invited some lovely blooms into the house after spending most of the day with my cleaning groove going.  Ah...weekend here I come.  We've got family staying with us,  and I go collect my first organic veg box tomorrow and I've planned a bit of baking, sightseeing around this lovely city and loads of playing with my nieces...

1 & 2 - Images I used as part of my photographic assignments.  Learning about low key images, black and white conversion....
3 & 6 - Beautiful blooms making me smile each time I walk past them
4 - home made peanut butter on homemade wholemeal bread - It really doesn't get any better than this.
5 - little monopoly cars...ready and waiting.

what have you been up to this week? and what do you have planned for the weekend?   Whatever you do, I hope you squeeze in some fun

xx

a lesson well learnt

This parenting gig is full on at times.  Oh who I am kidding.  It's full of most of the time if not all the time.  A little while ago I was presented with a situation that I had not yet had to deal with as a parent (of a school child) in particular.

On collecting my son from school, I got the look from his teacher that alerted me that I was not to escape without discussion.  Yes.  I was approached by said teacher and the details explained before me were to the effect that my son who was standing oh so innocently beside me, had in fact decided not to complete his comprehension work that day "just because".  As a way of protesting further he had written clearly in block letters on the top of this page  "NO NOT TODAY"

We had homework.

I had to take that work home with me, and he had to complete it.  hmmmm......

I thought on the short walk home - calm and collected brenda, calm and collected. 

As my kids sat side by side at the kitchen bench eating an after school snack I got out uncompleted work and directed my son's attention to it.  We completed it with little fan-fare and minimal agitation from me.  done.  but not really.  A lesson had to be learnt from this.

Later on I crept into the bedroom that is my sons domain and spoke to him about what had happened and what he thought he should do.

"Oh mum, I know I should do my work in class, I have to say sorry to Ms Dunn"

"Yes you do"

"But I don't want to say it, I think I could write it."

"Ok, that's fine"

So he popped up to his desk and wrote the sweetest apology and as a tear trickled down my cheek I realised that making the mistake isn't so bad if there is a lesson well learnt at the end.  And said apology note snapped on the iPhone as reminder before we took to school the following day.

What lesson has your child had to learn recently?  Did it make you proud?