Last post, BOM blocks and an extra pattern...

 

As promised in my previous post, today I'm sharing the final two blocks in this year's free BOM, Joy in the Ordinary. 

The Sewing Machine - Block 11...now where would the world be without equipment to sew?? Dresses, curtains, bedding, repairs, baby wear, furnishings...it's a true 'maidservant' in our homes and I'm so very grateful to have a good solid machine to help me create and mend in this wonderfully ordinary life. 

Baking Essentials - Block 12...when I was a child watching Nana 'whip things up' in her tiny kitchen, it was like magic. How she could take a few plain ingredients and bring them together in a marriage of flavour and lightness never ceased to amaze my little girl mind, and I knew that when I grew up I wanted to be just like her. 

So I chose flour and sugar for the final block in this Joy in the Ordinary project in honour of Nana and the JOY she gave me watching her at work in her little home. We never know what little eyes are watching us as we go about our daily chores, but it is important to remember that if they see us grumbling and annoyed about cooking, cleaning, tidying, and serving our families, they will never want to do it when they grow up for it will be to them a burden that makes mummies (or Nanas) grumpy. 

Nana showed me there was JOY in caring for Pop and I, and her little home, so I grew up knowing this was the life I wanted one day too. And God blessed me. 

Use the links below to download the free patterns -

DOWNLOAD Block 11 

DOWNLOAD Block 12

Another free pattern I would like to bless you with before I take my extended leave from blogging for this year, is another Scripture design from the Promises series I began in early July. 

Like the first pattern in this series, I chose another Scripture about God being our light in the darkness. So many of us see the world through an ever darkening lens, and it can sometimes be a trigger to fearfulness and anxiety about what's going to happen in the months and years ahead. 

But God will always shine His Light to dispel those emotions, if we just trust in Him, look to Jesus - the true Light which came in to the world - and rest in His promises. 

As I said in my previous post, I do not know whether I'll continue blogging in 2025..and from today I am taking an extended blogging break for possibly a few months, or even till the end of the year, when I will have an answer for you all. So there will be at least one more blog post later in the year to share what direction the Lord is taking me in...and I am prepared for that to mean the end of the blog, if it be His will. The thing is, until I walk away for a good while, I will not know for sure. 

Use the link below to download the second free Promises pattern - 

DOWNLOAD Promises 18 28 free pattern

(the first pattern is HERE)

In regard to answering the questions which have come through in emails or comments, I have emailed many of them this week with my responses, but there's a few which I was unable to answer that way so here they are...

Q: How do you make the closure on the button bracelets? 

A: As the bracelets are made from felt, I only needed to cut a buttonhole through the felt as felt does not fray.

Q: What Bible do you read? 

A: I read a number of translations, though I do not read paraphrase Bibles. Mostly I read the ESV, NKJV, CSB and the CJB. 

Q: How do you study the Bible?

A: I read it. Every day, slowly, with a concordance to learn the exact meaning of the words. I also read the Bible in context, so I ignore chapters, but read through in the way it was written originally (with no chapter or verse or headings) to discover the full meaning of a passage/message, which can sometimes run for many chapters without a break. 

My husband and I also use the Complete Jewish Study Bible, and the Jewish New Testament Commentary, both which are compiled by Messianic Jewish scholars to teach in depth the meanings behind many of the events in the Bible, especially the New Testament and the teachings and miracles of Jesus as understood by His first century Jewish audience. 

For example - after the feeding of the five thousand the disciples gathered up twelve baskets of bread scraps. Over the years I have heard numerous sermons and teachings on this event, each one spiritualised in one way or another, but the simple purpose for that gathering up is that according to Jewish law in Jesus day, the destructions of food was prohibited. In feeding the 5000, our Messiah honours the edicts of Judaism by stating, "Gather the leftover pieces so that nothing is wasted." 

These are wonderful tools for really opening up the New and Old Testaments. Here's an interesting observation about the woman with an issue of blood...

Q: Am I still using spelt flour for my sour dough? 

A: Not at the moment. Spelt grain is four times the cost of local wheat grain. 

Q: Is your sour dough starter made from Spelt?

A: Not anymore. Just regular milled wheat flour.

So my friends, this is a good bye for a while. Let me pray for you...

Dear Heavenly Father, 

Thank you for every kind and caring heart which has been revealed to me through this blog over the past fifteen years. Thank You for bringing us together, from far and wide across the globe, to share our lives, our crafts, our recipes, our ups and downs, our prayer needs, and most especially our love for YOU.

Lord, in my absence, may you grow each dear woman here, and myself, closer and closer to the truth in Your Word, and to your Son. 

May we shed all those things that hold us back from walking in the bright Light of Your ways, and fill our hearts to overflowing with HOPE, gratitude, repentance, kindness, self-control, courage and selfless love. 

May we have Your purpose for our lives revealed each new morn, that we may know just how unique and lovingly created we are by Your design, no matter how many years have passed behind us. 

Use us to Your glory, Lord, and keep our minds fixed on the promise of Christ's return so that we do not become foolish and let our lamps go out. 

May every heart here know that YOU are God, the God who saves, the God who cares, and the God who sent His precious Son to die for us. 

To Him be all Glory and Honour and Praise forever more...

Amen 

From my heart to yours...

your friend, and sister-in-Christ,

EARLY - blocks 9 and 10 Joy in the Ordinary BOM...

 

Yes, these blocks are very early, but for a good reason. After much prayer, I have decided to take a break from blogging beginning September 1st. Not sure how long yet, but time is needed to wait on the Lord, and prayerfully consider whether to continue the blog in 2025, or to gently close the door instead. After 16 years, I do believe that a blogging break will do me good, regardless of the final outcome. xx

As many of you are working on my free Joy in the Ordinary BOM this year, and as I'm not sure whether it will be a one, two or three months blog break I'll have before sharing my decision moving forward next year, I shall share with you Blocks 9 and 10 today, and then Blocks 11 and 12 in a few days time. 

Block 9 - The Coathangers...such normal, ordinary things to be found in our homes. How reliable they are, and how very needful too - yet they are so ordinary that I rarely give them a thought other than to hang, or remove, items of clothing. I think it may be that way with the people in our lives sometimes - we're so used to them being around that we may forget to stop and take notice as to how they're faring right now, or to encourage them by sharing what we appreciate about their character, and perhaps how they inspire us. A seemingly small thing like this can lift a precious heart from the valley, and fill it with kindness, care and love. Who do you know that needs to be checked on, or may need a boost of loving care?

Block 10 - Reading...this year I have begun to read more from an actual book, and not much from the internet. Our local library has become a regular place to visit and as I browse through subjects which interest me (a mix of herbal medicines, Mediterannean cooking, gardening, healthy living) there's a delightful joy in coming home to brew a cup of herb tea and sit quietly turning the pages of a real book, discovering new things, whilst carefully sifting out what is uneccesary. Learning this way is gentle, and slow, and quite enjoyable. If I find a book that would be valubale to my studies in various areas, I try to find a second hand copy, and if that fails, only then do I purchase a new one. 

My book shelves have slimmed down over the past year, as I have donated and sold many of my sewing/craft books, but now they are slowly being refilled with books on topics which my husband and I find welcome in this season of life. After all, why hold on to what is no longer of interest or required? Having less these days is proving to be 'more' because what we have, is what we will read or reference from. 

One shelf which never slims though, is our collection of Bibles, as we enjoy comparing versions next to our Concordance, and the Jewish commentary we have on the culture and traditions at the time Jesus walked through Israel. It's incredibly eye-opening to understand so much of what He spoke and did through the lens of who He was minstering to (Jews), and how they would have known exactly what He meant. 

Use the links below to download the free blocks 9 and 10

DOWNLOAD the free pattern for Block 9

DOWNLOAD the free pattern for Block 10

I will be back on Tuesday with another blog post, and the patterns for blocks 11 and 12. In that next post I'll answer some of your questions too.

God bless you all!

hugs

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Keeping busy and making time to breathe...

 

This quote by Laura Ingalls Wilder is one that I come back to regularly, as it encourages my choice to live a quiet life, a life unhurried, closed away from the world outside by a tall fence on all sides. Surrounded by the many trees my husband has planted in our six years here, and the gardens we created to provide beauty, food, herbs, restful places to sit and watch the numerous birdlife our quarter acre attracts each day - this is our sanctuary, our quiet place, where we truly do take time to think our own thoughts, talk to God, and separate ourselves (as much as we can) from the chaos of a world that shouts increasingly louder, demanding more attention than we choose to give.

 

(the garden is flourishing right now)

It sounds as though we live somewhere out in the country I suppose, but in reality we live on a very busy main road, and when we first moved here this challenged our heartfelt desire for peace and quiet. For those of you who were reading the blog back in 2017/18 you may remember that we spent almost a year searching for our first ever home, after renting all our married life. We had a list of things that we felt were important, and we offered this list to God each day, trusting that in His perfect timing, He would lead us to the right home - and He did, just weeks before our rental lease expired. 

(winter blueberries ripe for the picking)

It was a sunny end-of-winter August day, exactly six years ago last weekend, when we first came to see the house. The road had traffic, but not so much that we thought about it on that Sunday morning. Going through our list of requirments we were surprised to see that it had everything, plus a swimming pool - the one thing we did not want. Ha ha! The price was a bit more than we could spend, but we went away and sat by the river to pray and wait on God. About a half hour later we went back and made an offer 20K below the asking price, fairly sure this was what we were meant to do, and completely putting our trust in the Lord...and the offer was accepted. The house had been empty for months and the owners just wanted it off their hands.

(the cosmos are self seeding everywhere)

It wasn't until we moved in that the almost constant stream of traffic drew a line through "peace and quiet" on our list of requirements. Fortunately the excitement of setting up a real home of our own subdued that particular disappointment for a couple of months, but eventually reality took hold and we struggled to sleep with the zoom zoom of cars and trucks passing through the night. 

(lemon balm, chives and pentas mixed with morrocan mint)

The neighbours assured us "you'll get used to it" but we found that hard to believe. Our greatest desire in having a home was to live in peace and quiet, to have sanctuary away from the outside world, a place to refresh, renew, and flourish in our later years. It had been a family joke for decades that whenever our children asked their father what he wanted for his birthday/Fathers day/Christmas, his answer never changed from "peace and quiet, please."

(white yarrow, so pretty, and lovely in teas)

God's plans are regularly not the ones we'd choose for ourself - have you found that? The swimming pool we did not want has become an integral part of our health regime, with both of us swimming year-round, regardless of the weather or temperature. It's a blessing we never forsaw, yet we cannot imagine being without it now. 

(another self-seeder, sweet basil)

But that lack of peace and quiet...mmm...?? Well, as the years passed by I learned a very big lesson. Peace and quiet can be found anywhere, if you just focus on what's important within your home, the people within, and the GOD who is the real peacegiver, the One who will meet you in the storm, in the scorching summer days, in the noisy daytime traffic, in the partying of neighbours, in the (eventual) quieting darkness of the night...in your prayers, and in His Word. That changed everything for us.

(more self-seeding, pretty marigolds)

Seeking peace in a loud world is something many of us need more than ever these days, especially since 2020, as that year triggered more rapid changes across the globe than any year in my lifetime, and the changes continue to increase. Life as we know it now, especially for children, is nothing like the life my husband and I grew up in. I won't go into that too much, but I do lament the loss of those carefree years of old which my grandchildren have never experienced. But what I can rejoice in is their visits to our quarter acre, where they roam and play and wonder and explore and discover in complete freedom for hours on end...and that is something I am sure God planned when He led us here. 

(we have so much sage, lovely in teas and cooking)

So where am I going with all this? Well, we may never get all we ask for, and God may lead us in ways we do not understand at the time, but with our very limited view of tomorrow, next month or next year, we can be confident  that when we lay all aside to trust the Lord and follow His lead, we will one day see with fresh eyes all that He was preparing for us, all the goodness of God displayed for we who love and worship Him. 

The past few days have been very busy with not much time to rest up, but oh what a wonderfully productive few days it has been! I go to bed each night aching, but arise happy to start a new day. 

Last post I think I showed you how I am growing and drying calendula again. Our calendula flowers are harvested every day, and left to dry outside on the back table. Once dry they are stored in a glass jar, ready for using in herbal medicines/balms/tinctures. 

Firstly I make a calendula infusion of the dried flowers in extra virgin olive oil, leaving it sit in the dark for a month or more. Then I strain it and bottle the calendula infused oil, or use some to make balms and salves. 

Last Sunday afternoon (after a visit to the farmers market that morning) my kitchen looked more like an apothecary's back room, but I did tidy along the way so that ingredients didn't get mixed up. 

The final result was worth the month long wait for the infusion to be ready, as I ended up with pure calendula oil, calendula & lavender balm, and calendula & lavender salve - all of which I share with my daughters Blossom and Kezzie. 

Of all the many books I have on making herbal treatments, this is my current favourite, The Garden Apothecary. The pure oil is beautiful as skin care and also put away for making more balms and salves. The balm is lovely for dry patches on the skin and on my hands after gardening, and the salve is especially made for Cully May who comes up in the most painful sores when bitten by mosquitoes. It really makes a difference for her, praise God. 

I've run out of the shea butter component, but have ordered more, so when my next infusion is ready at the end of September I can make more salve and balms, plus some lip balms too. 

Sunday morning we had been to the farmer's market and arrived home with a bounty of fresh produce - far more, and much cheaper than the supermarket. Weighed down with overflowing bags of produce, hubby and I both were surprised when our bill was just $23! 

I spent all day Monday in the kitchen, storing, preserving, roasting, pickling...and baking some sweet treats for us and Blossom's family of course! 

Here's just a few things I made for the week ahead (the rest was preserved in other ways, or vacuumed sealed in the refrigerator to use fresh) - pesto made from the green radish tops, pickled radishes, pickled red onions, garlic mayonnaise, fresh tomato salsa, roasted garlic & chive labne (made after hanging Greek yoghurt for 36 hours), and herbal tea to serve over ice. 

Blossom and Cully May LOVE the labne and enjoyed a batch with crackers yesterday. I now need to make more!

On Monday I also made 2 litres of almond milk, trays of roasted capsicums and tomatoes, a tray of peanut butter stuffed medjool dates, and some sweeties were baked - ginger & coconut slice, and a chocolate slice. 

On Tuesday I spent the morning in the garden as I had potted plants that needed to be moved into shaded areas, seedlings planted out, fertilising and a bit of pruning, and planting out the coriander roots from the two huge bunches of coriander (cilantro) we got at the farmers market. I had removed all the coriander leaves and stems for use in salads, curries, and salsa, plus a lot was frozen (for use in future curries), leaving around 4 inches above the root base for planting out. In just 24 hours they were already sprouting new leaves, so we will probably be able to harvest right up to November hopefully. Coriander doesn't like our heat or humidity and when I grow it, it just withers by mid spring, and this winter (when it normally flourishes) it just didn't grow well at all. 

After gardening, I went back to the kitchen and roasted pumpkin for salads, mashed pumpkin for pumpkin bread and muffins later this week, made a huge batch of meatballs and sauce (using some of my roasted tomatoes, garlic and capsicums from the previous day), made a bowl of French chicken salad to have on rolls, sliced up the pineapple and some watermelon, and made a chocolate avocado pudding. 

So you can see that I had three busy days back to back...and then yesterday (Wednesday) I did our regular grocery shop, and popped over to visit Blossom and the children who were excitedly waiting for Ross to return from a work trip away in Brisbane. 

When I arrived back home, and after watering the garden, I decided it was time to stop, to allow the satisfaction of a productive few days to settle in my thoughts, and take some time to breathe...a good reminder from one of my Gentle Domesticity designs. 

A cuppa, some ginger slice, and time with my sketch pad brought the afternoon to an end. I prepared another pattern for my free Promises Project (here), and shall spend the next few afternoons stitching it.

A long blog post, I know, but I hope it encouraged you in some small way to trust the Lord with His plans for your life, be they large or small, and to find delights within the sanctuary of your own home. 

This verse says it all really...

Oh, and I have been working on more UFO projects for this month, another three blocks in the Anni Downs quilt pattern, and more of that cross-stitch a began a few months back. Have you been working on some August finishes too??

There's a number of questions which readers have emailed me or left in comments the past couple of months, so I shall endeavour to do a blog post to answer what I can in the near future. But for right now, I'm taking time to breathe, to rest from my labours, and possibly to give the blog a bit of a holiday very soon. 

God bless, and many prayers, 

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Go on as usual...

 

We had a few days of heavy rain this past week, which curtailed all my gardening plans. But with every cloud, there is indeed a silver lining. We have had no rain since the end of March, apart from one morning when it pretty much evaporated before it hit the ground, so these days and nights of constant downpour from heaven were greatly needed and much rejoicing was made. 

My only complaint was finding the passionfruit vine raided by our local cockatoos. A few were scattered over the backyard and immediately I knew that was because I'd forgotten to fill the bird feeder with sunflower seeds, so I quickly remedied the situation and saved the rest of our passionfruits. 

It was providential that just as the rain set in I read this quote by Louisa May Alcott - "Go on with your work as usual, for work is a blessed solace." 

With that in mind I considered indoor tasks for occuplying my time and hands, tasks separate to my ordinary housework routines. We had run out of strawberry jam, so one morning I made four jars...

And of course, once I got started in the kitchen, it seemed a good idea to keep making and baking. Soon followed small spanakopitas for hubby and I, plus a larger one for my Cypriot/Greek son-in-law Ross who only gets to enjoy the foods of his heritage when I make them for him (this naturally makes me a popular and much loved mother-in-law). I also baked a sour dough loaf (it is still rising in the photo below)...

...and baked later that day. 

We were out of breakfast cereal so I made up a large batch of delicious granola...

...which we have with Greek yoghurt (me), or milk (hubby), fresh blueberries and raspberries. 

I also baked peanut butter cookies and rock cakes, by which time I was ready to enjoy a tall glass of herbal tea whilst waiting to bake the bread. I make a large pot every morning at sunrise, after picking a variety of herbs from the garden.  That first cup is hot, but later in the day and in the evening I have it over ice. 

This tea was made with fresh mint, rosemary, self-heal and tulsi, plus dried ginger, sliced lemon, and dried rosehips. It's absolutely delicious!

Afternoons were mostly to do with sewing, reading, and working on the herbal remedies course I began recently. I'm also continuing to sort out the sewing room, as I have a good deal of fabric in plastic tubs that must be sold soon and they take up precious space. But bit by bit it's coming together nicely...

 These rainy days also gave me more time to complete another couple of UFO projects. One of them is a favourite pattern of mine, as it's very near to my heart! You may have seen it HERE in my shop? Now it has been given a purpose as a notebook cover to keep track of my long list of partially made, ongoing, applique quilt projects...

Once the cover was completed, I listed all the quilt projects on the first page, and then chose one to work on this week. 

I  think if I do a block or two each week these lovely quilts will eventually be made, so I'm using this notebook as a journal now, with a hand written update every Sunday of what I made, and for which quilt, in the previous week. 

For this week I chose Anni Down's "Where We Love is Home" to work on. About half the blocks were already made, and as I do love needleturn applique so very much, rather than one block I ended up making another three. My colours are much brighter than the ones Anni used in her version, though I'm trying to keep a vintage feel to the fabrics I have chosen...and I'm only using what is on hand, not buying any fabrics at all. 

I'm wondering if I'll keep going with this quilt, or switch things up to a different one next week? Mmm...decisions. Maybe stay with this right now and see how far I'll get by the end of the month. 

Reading has been a mix of library books, and books off my shelf, with the focus being on living with a Mediterranean diet for better health. I had a wonderful chat with my doctor recently and though she is Indian, she is a great encourager for using the Mediterranean diet (diet as in a healthier way of eating as we age, not a weight loss diet) and as hubby's ancestry is Italian, and Ross's is Cypriot/Greek, the whole family is happy to know I'll be planning our menus around traditional foods from those regions in future. 

With the books off my shelf the focus is on a few things - herbs, foraging, more food, and a wonderful book set in England during WW2.  

And there's always time, rain or shine, for Bible study...

Finally the sun came out!! 

And I did not need to water the garden, in fact, today I only need to water the potted plants and herbs as the ground is still wet three days later. 

The cockatoos, rainbow lorikeets and red tailed parrots are happy as can be, and I am not forgetting to top up their feeder. I love sitting outside watching them, listening to their chatter and squabbles with each other....

Out the front, we have kookaburras on the power lines every morning laughing up a storm and causing me to stop what I'm doing and just gaze at them with pure delight. They truly are my favourite bird. 

Now that it's sunny and blue skies, I am back to sitting under the large poinciana tree to watch the to-ings and fro-ings of life in and about our quarter acre every afternoon. The late winter garden is bursting with life, and this recent rain is part of the reason. 

I have taken quite a liking to homemade mayo and sliced tomato on sour dough toast, with a sprinking on fresh basil, for lunch - the sunshine and very warm days seem to call for it...

...and a cool snack of watermelon and passionfruit is perfect when sitting in the garden.

Each day I pick a bunch of herbs to serve in meals, or make teas, and there's always a few cherry tomatoes and chillies as well. We decided not to grow tomatoes or cucumbers this season after the infestation of bugs the previous four growing seasons, but hubby ended up planting one cherry tomato up the back beside the pool and though it doesn's supply all our tomato needs, we do very much enjoy just snacking on them.

The herbs below -parlsey, spring onion and dill - were used in the spanakopita.

I really do believe the sentiment in that quote, for no matter what is happening in life, as much as is possible, stick with your usual rhythms and routines. Having a routine is one of the kindest things I do for myself as a homemaker living a gentle domestic life, and there is indeed solace, comfort, and a firm reassurance for our family when they see Mother going about her day in the usual way. 

As a child I found this with Nana, and I believe its why those childhood memories of life with her are so indelibly eteched in my memories. 

I had forgotten some of my childhood, by choice at first when it came to the bad memories of my father, but over time I no longer think of those bad times, but have gathered to my heart the GOOD memories, the patient and self-sacrificing love of my Nana and Pop - and everything else has drifted away like dandelions blown in the wind. 

If I can offer any words of advice today, it would be to let go of the hard memories, and treasure the goods ones. Fill your heart with goodness, and close the door on memories that draw you into a dark place. Pray and ask the Lord to help you do this - He helped me by shining the Light of Christ into every room in my mind, so that over time, the dark rooms no longer came into view. I am so grateful for the gift of Jesus, for the hope and happiness which fill my heart each and every day! I pray that for you too, my sweet friend. 

Another week is passed...I wonder what next week will bring? Let me know how you are this month. Many of you are no-reply commenters, but rest assured I read every comment, I pray for you, and I am also encouraged BY you. 

Till next time, bless you...

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