Fossage

Women's day

Yesterday was Mother's Day - I call it women's day. It's a perfect opportunity for women who care about each other to get together and celebrate the connection they have with one another - whatever that may be. It's a time to celebrate the contribution made by the wonderful women in your life.

I took my mum and one of her closest friends out for lunch on the tutukaka coast - yum!!

Thank you for all your kind comments since my last post! Yes, I am going to India - good guess!! I head off at the end of June on an internship with CNN IBN, a 24 hour news channel run predominantly by Indian people but part of the wider network of CNN. I will be there for two months, then will spend another three months traveling to other parts of India visiting friends. Then in November I am off to the UK. I would love to hear your travel stories and advice!!

socks and jandals

I have returned for ten days in silence, it was wonderful, but meditating for ten hours a day was never going to be easy. In the end it was a fully rewarding experience that I would whole-heartedly recommend to anyone. The socks with jandals was something of a fashion statement I made on my course, I forgot my slip on shoes, so it was those or my running shoes. I loved the look, I also got quite into meditating in my pijamas, something else I recommend. The book in the background is Gregory David Roberts, "Shantaram" - it's a little taster for my future posts. I have so much to tell you about the adventure I am about to head off on for work and personal reasons. I hope I will also get to post once a week while I am on this adventure. It's nice to be back even if everything is very bright, colourful and there really are too many things to choose from!!!

Posting

Hi there, I am not sure if people are still checking my wee space here. I am sorry I have been a little lost in cyber space recently and a little burnt out from work pressures. But... good news. I am on the mend. I have finished work and today am off on a ten day silent meditation retreat called Vipassana. Sounds scary huh!!! I hope to be posting soon. Lots of love and warm wishes!!!

new beginnings

Today the sky opened up; it poured. We've been in major need of rain.

I stocked up on buttons yesterday from Salvage; I've put them to good use...

I made this clutch purse today - I've had some beautiful silk fabric sitting around. I bought it last year from a fabric sale at State of Grace

Craftwerk here I come.

Abundance

It's been a very dry hot summer - yet there is so much abundance around at the moment. Here's some of the harvest from our garden and shade house from today.

We have beans growing up our apple tree

I am always amazed by nature.

Craftwerk as part of the Cross Street Carnival is coming up - I decided to replenish my button collection. A friend and I are teaming up this time - I will keep you updates this week on our progress.

baking with strawberries

These are the nicest muffins I have eaten; and they were a joy to make.

They're gluten-free, but are the type of gluten-free goodie that is well-conceived and not dry and flavourless like a lot of wheat-free or gluten-free recipes often are.

They remind me a bit of friands that I used to buy at the cafe at the University of Canterbury while I was doing post-grad journalism. They were also wheat-free and delicious.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup ground almond grated rind of 2 lemons 1 1/4 cup Chelsea Icing Sugar, plus extra to dust 3 tablespoons fine polenta 1/4 cup maize cornflour 200 g butter, melted 4 egg whites, beaten until frothy 1 cup sliced strawberries

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place paper cup cases in a 12 cup muffin tray. In a large bowl, mix ground almonds, lemon rind, icing sugar, polenta and cornflour. Mix in the melted butter then fold in the egg whites and carefully stir through the sliced strawberries. Spoon into the paper cases and bake for 18 - 20 minutes until lightly golden and springy. Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar. Serve with extra fresh strawberries and cream or yoghurt.

Makes 12

I visited some friends recently on the Kapiti coast - Rach inspired me to enjoy cooking again. It really is my vice of choice in life.

holiday highlights

one last thing

This is an image i was emailed as part of a christmas email from Oxfam.

tis the season

When I found this wee gem, I felt a christmas spirit mustering inside me. I adore the paua and the swandry fabric skirt. The spirit was so heavily mustered that I couldn't resist the TV3 santa on my last day at work today.

I am off on my journey south tomorrow so this will be my probably be my last post of the year. Have a safe holiday with family and friends. Before I head off here is a a little story.

This beautiful little fella kotare/kingfisher was found by a friend of mine on the ground next to his dead sibling :( they had both fallen out of a pine like tree at Unitech and one had survived. We took him to a place in Browns Bay - to a woman that specialises in looking after injured birds. She has a licence from DOC that allows here to care for native NZ birds and other non- native birds. The experience was amazing she had a range of birds ranging from the teeny tiny (about the size of half a finger to penguins and herons. She was so passionate about rehabilitating these birds.

Our little friend was met by a few other kingfishers who were being rehabilitated; one fully grown and one still quite small.

Our little friend was such a peaceful wee bird, barely complaining about his fate. We learnt from Sylvia the bird lady that Kotare have adapted their nesting patterns because there aren't the same kinds of trees available for nesting these days. The little fella was covered in brown stuff - which she told us was from burrowing down inside the pine tree.

Well wee friend we hope you're recovering!

Too brave

I made a smock top I've been admiring for ages.... and took a photo of myself wearing it.

Making this top out of beautiful silk and brushed cotton that's been sitting on my shelf feels so good.

I'm back

Hello,

Wow, it's been such a long time since I have blogged; so much has happened and I have so much to say. I am going to keep it short and sweet today though and over the coming weeks blog a bit more about what I've been up to, making and thinking about.

I have launched my shop finally!! I am also going to be out and about at markets in Auckland over the next month - if you are free come and visit me at the Grey Lynn festival on Saturday 17th!!