After my family headed out, I quickly washed up, fed the animals then launched into it – researching, planning, mind-mapping … I was working but I wasn’t focussed or effective. To be honest it felt somewhat awkward without the usual hubbub of a household with a 3 year old and two boisterous homeschoolers (8 yo & 10 yo).  I love the homeschool/unschool dynamic of active learning, following interests, getting into projects, discussions about fascinating questions that always arise.

I have been getting a bit frustrated that my work is beginning to leak into my time with the kids, and my evenings are getting later (quite a few 4 ams last week!). After my initial attempt at frantic typing and note-taking, I slowed down and found myself reflecting on the pace and fullness of my ‘simple life’ and how too much time is spent sitting at my computer. I decided that perhaps today would be better spent rediscovering my balance and inner calm – a wellbeing day.

I headed straight out into my garden to graze on the salad greens and have a chat with the birds and wildlife.

This mummy wallaby has a gorgeous little joey who has just lunged into the pouch when I took out my camera. They live mostly around garden. I see them every day.

Around lunchtime I took another break and headed off for a mind-fog-clearing ride up the valley. I love my bike. I always find clarity out riding and feel energised for the rest of the day. I don’t go too far – perhaps 10-15 kms with a few good hills. Like always, when I go out with a specific question, I found a sense of clarity again in purpose and direction.

Later in the afternoon, I headed 2kms up the road to a fabulous local organic farm – Baranbali. We play tennis together each week, but it seems ages since we had a chance to sit down, catch up and share our ideas. I put my computer to sleep again and headed over for a cuppa.  A big cuddle with an orphaned lamb was a huge bonus!!! So cute – the kids had it on a little lead and walking it around the garden.

So today, instead of a writing blitz – I mostly wondered, wandered, gardened, cycled, visited.  In the end I only spend 3 hours at my computer but to my amazement, I managed in that time to clearly lay out the chapters of my book and outline the framework for the next two.  I have rethought my schedule for the next six months and clarified the direction for my next series of educational programs.

One of the little things I started today is a quick guide for simple living… and in an initial search for other similar guides, I uncovered this ‘Simple Living Manifesto’. I like it – the bit about ‘leaving out the unnecessary’ was a good reminder for me today. I’ll post my simple living guide soon when it’s finished.

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Each week my permaculture livelihood brings something different, interesting and challenging, and connects me with different communities and places. I always learn something new – about a plant, about a way of seeing the world, about an innovative technology… I love my work. This week I learnt from one of the mums from India that they mix Ajwain seeds with tulsi – the sacred basil I grow. Among other things, it can be used to sooth coughs and ease asthma. I am going to explore this plant more.

One of the beautiful smiling children I had the pleasure of working with this week with her mini-wicking hanging garden she made at my workshop at Brisbane Square Library this week.

I arrange seeds in their families and put pictures of the plants next to them for the pre-readers. I get many young people helping me to set up, and many of them who like to just get their hands in the seed bowls and feel them.

Rachel – historian, planner, earthship enthusiast and PhD researcher – interviewed me this week. Her work is focussed on Off-Grid living and with me she mostly explored the questions of why I live the way I do and what influences were in my life to bring me to these decisions. It was great to have the chance to think about and articulate this. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting her and hearing about her research too.

 CHILDREN’S PERMACULTURE WORKSHOPS

I have an absolute ball with the children’s programs and am always delighted at their enthusiasm and knowledge. Together this week at libraries across Brisbane, I led free gardening sessions for almost 100 children.  We made mini-wicking gardens and planted them with cuttings of permaculture plants from my garden. We made newspaper pots for perennial cuttings and egg carton seed trays for a diversity of seasonal annuals. We made origami seed envelopes too. We explored ecological systems thinking, permaculture design ideas, edible perennial propagation and seed saving, working toward a zero-waste system, simple living ideas, and ways to protect wildlife and nurture diversity.

This girl is delighted with her cuttings of garlic chives, turmeric, pelargonium and cranberry hibiscus to take home for her garden. She has made and decorated a mini-wicking pot out of a 3L milk bottle to help her get these plants started.

This little girl is taking home some Brazilian Spinach, Sacred Basil, plus the ever popular Turmeric and Garlic Chives too.

At one of the seed stations, the children are selecting a range of seasonal vegetables, flowers and herbs to propagate in their egg carton seed tray.

My little display at the workshops of upcoming workshops and articles about our garden. I am really looking forward to a Nature Kids program next week and a PDC from August 29 – September 9.

WORM TOWER WORKSHOP

During the week I also ran an workshop for adults at the Forest Heart Nursery in Maleny about worm towers.  The nursery is now the proud caretaker of a new colony of compost worms. Thanks to Hugh for breeding the worms.  My eight year old son, Hugh, is now launching into his second enterprise – worm farming (his first is Hugh’s Bike Shed) to supply locals who want to set up worm tower systems. (have a look at this previous post for more worm tower information)

Chopping a length of pipe for a low-set worm tower (I have used the full length of pipe in my garden).

It’s important to drill lots of hols for the worms and castings to move out of the tube into the garden. We used a 6mm drill bit here and spaced the holes about 5cm apart through the section that is underground. I don’t put holes above ground to prevent flies from finding the compost.

Extracting the compost worms from another worm farm to place in the worm tower. Mound it up, the worms go away from the heat and light. Scrape off some material and the worms go deeper. Keep doing this until you are left with a bundle of worms.

In goes the pipe – nice and level in all directions (I’m a surveyor’s daughter!).  The soil and mulch will be brought up around the tower and the pot will be placed on top.  Inside the pipe we made sure the base soil was loose, we placed some moist coco-peat at the bottom as a bedding We topped it all off with a handful of mulch to help keep the temperature stable and to prevent flies from landing on the food scraps.

ENTERPRISING CHILDREN

Yesterday the kids and I were busy making things for this weekend’s Crystal Waters Monthly Market. We have an abundance of lemons and limes so they decided to make marmalade. They researched and trialled a few different methods and made 24 jars of delicious preserves to sell at the market.  I have asked them to write these up – so hopefully you’ll see these recipes soon. Maia has decided to join Hugh in worm farming and they’ll have worms for sale too. It’s going to be a fun day with lots of friends and neighbours meeting at the village green.

Some of the delicious lime marmalade Hugh made.

Some of Hugh and Maia’s worms ready to be bundled up.

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I met Jerry Coleby-Williams, ABC Gardening Australia presenter, on Sunday. He makes 900 jars of jam from one Tahitian lime tree in his suburban edible garden (Bellis) which pays for 6 weeks of his mortgage. He also sells seeds, plants and more, plus hosts open days.  Jerry’s Tahitian Lime jam. As well as selling it, he also makes enough to give away as gifts of thanks. I will enjoy this  on some lovely sourdough soon.

I love community gardens. They are great places to be inspired – to learn how to garden and live simply and sustainably.

I was delighted to be invited to be the MC for the 2016 Open Day at Yandina Community Gardens Hundreds of people came to find interesting new ideas, to learn, to see, to taste, to smell, to share, to meet new and old friends. Parliamentary Speaker and local Independent Member of Parliament, Peter Wellington, officially opened the event.

Jerry Coleby-Williams, ABC Gardening Australia presenter, was the main speaker for the day. He talked about many things, but there were a couple of things in particular that impressed me. His jam-making prowess for one (which he attributes to his Nan’s instruction – she had a Dig for Victory garden in London). Jerry’s garden in Wynnum Brisbane, is somewhat like an old-style mixed market garden from which he creates many products for home use and for sale.

Secondly , I loved Jerry’s deep connection with his garden (a diverse edible oasis in suburban Brisbane) and how closely he observes and documents what happens in it.  He set it up to be a demonstration of sustainability – but it has also become a site of scientific interest.  In his garden he has found many new species of insects and he suggests that if we take time to look, we probably have some too.

Exploring the Yandina Community Gardens with Jerry Coleby-Williams – and searching for new bugs.

How great – being discoverers of new species in your own little garden.  Jerry suggests if you don’t know what a bug is, take pictures and send it to BowerBird for identification from leading experts associated with Museum Victoria – you never know! The kids are keen to do this as a homeschooling project.

I presented too about my adventures in getting out of the consumer-waste trap and I enjoyed listening to the other speakers including:

• Anne Gibson who shared a simple way to easily create nutrient-dense food using micro-greens.
• Elizabeth Fekonia who shared how to properly prepare legumes so they don’t cause stomach upsets (and gas!). I’ll write up the lessons I learnt soon.

Anne Gibson demonstrating how to make microgreens in a reused strawberry tub. I’ll write more about these soon.

Elizabeth Fekonia demonstrated ways to use legumes grown in a permaculture garden. This year is the International Year of   Pulses (legumes).

The kids had a great time too. Maia and I found a couple of extra plants for our garden including sweet leaf. They loved the bicycle-powered smoothie maker organised by Living Smart program of the local Council. They also entered into the photographic competition judged by Leonie Shanahan of Edible School Gardens.

There’s a great permaculture nursery at the Yandina Community Gardens. We were delighted to find some extra plants to add to our diverse garden.

Maia and Hugh with Living Smart’s, Sharon Stott and Council’s bike-powered smoothie-maker. I’d love one of these at Crystal Waters!

Maia’s 2 photographic entries above – a bee landing on Salvia in our garden, and the emerging flower of Yacon indicating the swelling of the edible roots below. Both Maia and Hugh were proud to enter pictures of their garden in the exhibition.

Congratulations to Michelle, Cristina and to all the amazing volunteers for the beautiful Yandina Community Gardens and making your second open day such a fabulous event! Amazing effort – thank you!!

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This morning I met for morning coffee with Rhonda Hetzel, local bestselling author and award-winning blogger, who last year graciously offered to mentor me as a writer and blogger. With her support and encouragement I have felt brave enough to begin writing regularly. I am so very thankful to her for taking me under her wing.  Rhonda’s blog about living simply, Down to Earth, is read across the globe and just clicked over 20 million pageviews. Rhonda has just returned from a road trip to launch her new book, The Simple Home. It’s in the window at Rosettas Bookshop in town. It was just so lovely to catch up with her, to share adventures and future plans.

with Rhonda Hetzel for morning tea in Maleny

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Maia and Hugh love iced rosella tea – very refreshing after working in the garden.

Hugh’s creation today was so enjoyed by everyone.

Hugh’s Rosella, Lemon Myrtle, Lemon and Ginger Tea

Ingredients

• 5 Rosella Calyces – remove seed pod
• small chunk of ginger sliced
• juice of one lemon 
• a few leaves of lemon myrtle
• spoonful of honey to taste

Hugh’s Method

1. Harvest rosellas, lemon, and ginger
2. Chop the base off each rosella calyx and remove seedpods (Hugh was delighted to find a good use for his newly purchased multi-tool)
3. Place the red parts in a plunger
4. Juice the lemon and add to the mix
5. Scrunch the leaves of lemon myrtle
6. Chop or bruise the ginger
7. Fill plunger with boiling water
8. Let sit for 5 minutes
9. Pour and enjoy, perhaps with a spoonful of honey
10. Lovely too as an iced tea – simply add ice cubes

Rosella caylces and Hugh’s healthy tea blend

• mint and lemongrass, 
• lemon myrtle and tulsi
• turmeric tulsi and honey
• straight chocolate mint

Rosella sabdariffa

A little about Rosella:

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Maia’s community came support her initiative and to taste the yummy food – so did friends from around the region, and several international visitors. This time she chose her wearable art shirt.

Our Japanese WWOOFer (Willing Worker on Organic Farms) has been a great help to Maia setting up, and enjoyed some of the chocolate cake while Monty delighted in a babycino. Over lunch, Rin offered Maia and Hugh a Japanese lesson. Each day she is teaching them new phrases and words.  WWOOFers are so fabulous.

Hugh’s Bike Shed

Bike-mad Hugh  had some bikes out to remind people of his community service project – Hugh’s Bike Shed.  He fixes bikes – squeaky brakes, clunky gears, flat tyres… affordably and quickly.  He also accepts donations of bikes that he can repair and either give away or hire to visitors. Today he received another bike donation and a request to hire two bikes for a week. He’s so happy too! Hugh and I will write more about his bike project soon.

Maia and Hugh were absolutely delighted when one of the cafe customers brought them some sunglasses as a gift.

The Social and Environmental focus of Maia’s cafe

Maia’s cafe had both social and environmental purposes. Amongst the many were:

• to create a midweek meeting space for the locals
• to cultivate community connections and conversations between all ages
• to create a safe and interesting play space for the village children
• to raise awareness about and give people a taste of deliciously healthy foods.
• to create a waste-free cafe and demonstrate this
• to raise awareness about endangered animals
• to fundraise to support the protection of a different endangered species each time the cafe opens.

Some of the first customers to Maia’s Owl’s Den Cafe today.

Some of the environmental initiatives of The Owl’s Den Cafe:

Maia’s Owl’s Den Cafe menu:

Drinks:

Sugar free frosting:

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Today was the grand opening of The Owl’s Den Cafe in our carport – a monthly pop-up cafe run by our 9yo daughter as a homeschool project.

She’ll need to bake more of these orange-poppy seed cakes next time!

Creating opportunities for community connection, building relationships with neighbours, creating a fun space for local kids, sharing healthy food, supporting endangered animals, raising money for a local children’s tree planting project, raising money for her own use, and learning many valuable skills were the reasons my 9 year old daughter has spend the past few weeks organising this pop-up carport cafe as one of her homeschooling projects. I am so proud of her – she was just amazing.

A relaxed environment for community conversations and play.

She thought of spaces and activities for little kids, big kids and adults.

Flowers from the garden in up-cycled decorated jars, collections of sewing project fabrics as table cloths and wall hangings.

Getting the driveway chess set up.

This was a homeschool project for Maia. This cafe gave her an opportunity to explore so many topics in an integrated way – doing something that she loves.

Helpful Hugh was delighted to assist – by being chief biscuit maker, provider of finance for the float, cake taste-tester (!?!),  selector of toys for little people, and carrier of boxes to the carport.

The menu:

• Fair trade organic espresso coffee
• Fair trade organic tea
• Lemon myrtle and chocolate mint tea (from the garden)
• Locally made lemon and lime iced cordial (thanks Lizzie!)

Fresh lemon myrtle leaves for the garden tea.

• Orange poppy seed cake – sugar free (except for the icing) – organic flour, organic coconut oil, local eggs, local honey, local orange, organic ground sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, local lime icing
• Chocolate mini muffins – sugar free (except for the icing) – organic flour, organic coconut oil, organic ground sunflower seeds, coconut, local eggs, local honey, cacao, local lime icing
• Bliss balls – dates, organic sunflower seeds, organic tahini, organic coconut, cacao, local honey, cinnamon
• Sunflower shortbread biscuits – organic flour, organic ground sunflower seeds, coconut, organic sugar, butter, honey, cinnamon, ginger

The source of power for the coffee machine and kettle (and the cooking) was solar power. She even sent up a little solar fountain.

The solar-powered mini-fountain was a lovely cooling off point for the kids.

Monty spent most of the time cooling off with his head in the little fountain

Community Conversations

It was just so absolutely lovely sitting in our garden on a barmy afternoon, cooling off a little with the easterly sea breezes  – chatting with old and new members of the community, watching the kids play, admiring Maia’s capability and determination. She created a beautiful and peaceful space for people to just relax and connect.

The environmental projects supported by the Owl’s Den Cafe:

Fundraising for the local tree-planting and supporting a critically endangered species. Maia had prepared information sheets for these too which she emailed to everyone, and had just a few copies on hand today. The preserves were donated to us to help raise funds.

Children’s Tree Plant: 

Maia has been involved in planning a children’s tree-planting to create a shaded walkway between the Crystal Waters village green park and the Mary River swimming hole. The planting happens in just over a week. The trees have been donated, the mulch is being collected locally too, but we need to buy the tree guards and stakes to protect the plants from deer and kangaroo.

At Maia’s cafe today she invited people to sponsor a tree. She had lots of great response and will continue to fundraise for the trees over the next week.

Critically Endangered Species: 

I cannot remember a time when Maia was not passionate about protecting wildlife, particularly critically endangered and vulnerable species. As a 4yo, she taught herself how to research online to find out more information. Today she chose to raise money to adopt a Lynx through WWF – she chose the Lynx because it is one of the most critically endangered species on the planet.

She has already repaid me for buying ingredients, paid back Hugh for the float, gone online to adopt the lynx and has put aside the remaining money to be able to seed her next cafe. Her budgeting was spot-on.

Being a good leader and communicator, building community, caring for the environment, starting a social enterprise and learning about ethical entrepreneurship are such valuable skills for young people have – for them to be resilient and adaptive in a changing environment. With these skills, I hope that wherever my children find themselves – that they will be able to cultivate a sustainable livelihood, through sharing and connecting, creating and giving.

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