THE THIRD MONTH COMES TO A CLOSE

Word for the Day   Caring and sharing

a chapter in my life has closed

During the past month, I packed my survival bag. My bag is very big and it weighs probably 13 kg!! Perhaps I need to cull it. 

Our worldly possessions headed off  in a Removal Truck
for Queensland's Darling Downs

Hubby and I also packed our worldly possessions and are off to live in Queensland's Darling Downs, where there is some of the best soil for agriculture in Australia.  

'Fifi' was hitched to Mr Tow to go to her new home,
as she is not yet registered to be driving on the road. 

Weeding in the Garden 

Last week I was out in our garden early, doing a spot of weeding before the mossies got up for their breakfast. This was to be my last tidy-up of the garden before our exit to a new home four hours drive away. The mossies chased me inside at 8 am - it was now their turn to enjoy our garden!

While I was weeding I got to thinking about this blog - three months have now passed since I began writing daily posts, and I am thrilled to welcome readers from Australia, USA, Germany, South Korea, UK, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Canada. Thank you for sharing with me my passion to live and learn.    

So, what is it specifically that I am so passionate about that I am willing to research, experiment and write about?  The passion comes from the fact that I am a Christian with an awareness that the last book in our New Testament is the only prophetic book in the bible which comes from the LORD himself.  God spoke to John, telling him to write down the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ... with an announcement that anyone who reads these words or who hears these words from God, recorded by John, and takes them to heart, will be blessed!

The prophetic words in the book of Revelation, interpreted differently by different scholars at different times, is quite clear in letting us know that a disastrous time will come to the earth. Since I became aware of a time that would one day arrive when the people on this abundant earth would not be able to trade without receiving an evil "mark of the beast" as the prophesy calls it, I have wanted to learn to be more self-sufficient. And now, I have a passion for others also to learn along with me - together learning how to live happily in our homes, in our families and in our communities, knowing that God's story has a final "good" ending with a glorious triumph over evil.  

How do we trust in God, and not trust in our job, our money or Woolworths for our essentials. Recently I attended a Lutheran Church in Dalby with Daughter-Number 2, and heard just the best sermon on the Last Days. The sermon was so very un-adorned - the minister simply instructed the people to trust in God. God knows our needs, and ultimately He knows how to meet our needs as we trust in Him to do this. 

And so, I carry on, learning to grow food and hopefully being responsible within my family and community. For me, this includes home-making and food-provision, as well as working out my own salvation with fear and trembling. 

Indeed we have an awesome God who is all-powerful and majestic. He is the One who covers the sky with clouds, sending rain to the earth to make the grass grow on the hills, supplying the cattle with food. He reveals Himself to us, and together we know our living God as our provider.  

I look forward to next month, when I will take one of God's names each day, so that we become more aware of who this amazing God is -our God who wants us to meet with Him and know Him! 
I will also show my Blog Readers the singing birds who live in and around our new home. 

  

Our Guest of the Month is Col

Have you ever experienced a situation where you felt  that physically you had reached the end of your strength and that there was nothing left in the tank?

Let me take you back to May 1958.  I had been off work for 2 weeks with a bad bout of flu. But the Australian army said I had to get out of bed to participate in a training camp on jungle warfare in the Atherton Tableland.

We began by marching the couple of miles from the depot in Gladstone to the railway station, laden down with all our gear. I had a 303, my kit bag, my great coat and a motor gun.  Halfway to the station I was at the point of collapse.  In my despair of falling in a heap, Mal Jacobson came alongside, “Here Col, let me take some of your gear.”  I believe that when I was in great need, God saw my plight.  

God does intervene in human affairs,  and often He comes to our aid when we are at a point of great physical or spiritual need or distress.  I can recite with confidence, “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”.  Psalm 73:26

My emergency "kit bag" is heavy for me, but indeed it would not have been as heavy as Col's army gear, equipping him for jungle warfare. His recollection reminds us that others are there to help us in times of need, and indeed, we are here to help others! May we never become independent to the extent that we forget that we are all brothers and sisters, each one of us on the same 'life journey'.

History: 16 years prior to Col's story  

Australian Army in the Atherton Tableland 

In late November 1942 General Blamey ordered a survey of the Atherton Tableland with the intention of developing facilities for a rehabilitation and training area for Australian troops recently returned from the Middle East. Known as the ‘Atherton Project’, the scheme had three key purposes–recuperate troops in a cooler climate while engaged in jungle warfare training; provide suitable hospitalisation for malaria and tropical disease cases; and locate personnel and maintenance installations close to the New Guinea frontline with access to railway and port facilities. From December 1942 the headquarters of the Australian Army in north Queensland transferred from Townsville to the Atherton Tableland with the main administrative base established around the town of Atherton and the nearby settlement of Tolga. A huge schedule of construction work commenced in January 1943 involving the building of tent encampments, hutments, stores, bakeries, mess kitchens, entertainment halls, hospitals, sewage plants, army farms and a war cemetery.

Units of the Australian 6th and 7th Divisions arrived on the Tableland in January 1943 and began establishing tent encampments around the settlements of Wongabel, Wondecla and Ravenshoe. The 9th Division returned to Australia from the Middle East during February and the following month moved into camps around Kairi, Tinaroo and Danbulla. Jungle warfare training took place in rainforest country near Tully Falls, Longland Gap, Mount Bartle Frere and on Rainy Mountain in the Kuranda Range.

Following the capture of Buna and the end of the Kokoda campaign, Australian operations on the north coast of New Guinea continued with the advance towards Salamaua, the capture of Lae, the subsequent advance up the Markham and Ramu River valleys, the landing at Finschhafen, and the taking of Sattelberg. Cairns replaced Townsville during 1943 as the main port of embarkation for Australian troops engaged in the New Guinea campaigns. Amphibious landing exercises were carried out in Trinity Inlet and on the northern beaches. With the departures for Borneo in March and May 1945 of the 7th Division for the capture of Balikpapan, and the 9th Division for landings at Brunei and Tarakan, army activity on the Atherton Tableland scaled down until the war’s end in August. Even before the Japanese surrender many units had begun returning to their home states. However, in some cases it was several years before the last units were finally sent south and disbanded.

http://www.publicworks.qld.gov.au/sites/qldwwiiplaces/theServices/Pages/TheAustralianArmy.aspx

He ain't heavy, He's my brother!

Please pause and click on the following Youtube
to know that he ain't heavy; 
to know that no-one is too heavy a burden
when love is there to help us carry our load. 

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svOX9dy0hyw

May we each share our brothers' burdens

from Robyn

painting of robin by Brenda, my mum.

SEA PARSLEY extras & sentimental things

Word for the Day  The face of the sea

The face of the sea

changes with the mood of the wind

Just as our faces respond

To our environment.

Robyn 

Home March's challenge is to pack one item each day in a Survival Bag, in order to be prepared for an emergency.  

In my Survival Bag, I have already packed 

1. my emergency foil blanket, plus silk sheet-bag and a sleeping bag. 

2. a mosquito head net and a tube aloe vera
3. my clothing
4. my food and my drink bottles
5. my first aid kit
6. eating and cooking utensils
7. my Tommy Cooker Hexi Stove and fuel tablets
8. Windproof and Waterproof Matches (or a fire flint or cigarette lighter)

9. my torches
10. my washbag 
11. soap for washing dishes and clothes
12. whistle & glowstick 
13. camera, MP3player and mobile phone
14. printed Important Information

15. money and bankcard
16. comfrey cream, sunscreen and essential oils
17. watercrystal neck scarf

Today I will pack those "extras" still wanting to go into the survival bag, along with a few "sentimental items". 

extras

*my name and phone number on my Survival Bag

*a note reminding me that I will need to fill the 

 water bottles and get any medications/vitamins

*pocket-size New Testament 

*screw-driver set 

*pocket knife 

*vegetable peeler 

*extra bootlaces (with many uses) 

*3 large safety pins 

sentimental items

Here are the few "sentimental items" which I would like in my survival bag -

a teddy from hubby, pictures of my immediate family, along with pictures of my mum and sisters, a tiny robin painting from my mum, a locket from Stephanie with photos of our boys whom we both pray for, a pink jade stone reminding me of Trisha, and a card from Mandy - all because I am a "tactile" person who likes to be frequently grateful for those who have blessed me greatly in my life!

What about extra items for that 7 month European adventure?

Hubby and I will be off to Europe in September, so I look forward to taking my readers on that journey later in the year. 

For Europe, I would also want some extra clothes including water-proof trousers,  a "good" dress, a handbag and pair of high heeled shoes, & a warm cardigan, my rainproof parker,  a sewing kit, a small pillow, passport, some British and Swiss money, pen & pencil plus important information on a sheet of paper inside the passport, a travel belt, tent, tentpegs, groundsheet, blow-up mattress, pot-scrubber and an extra cooking pot. 

My Survival Bag is very full!  But then, I wasn't a Girl Guide for nothing, with our motto "Be Prepared"!  

And anyway, I have now pretty much packed my bag for an August one month trip to visit my mum in South Australia, to be followed by a  7 month adventure in Europe.  So I can fill the next 4 months with exploring the new locality that hubby and I are moving to, plus setting up our new home, and saying hello to my readers far and wide.   Thank you to my readers for sharing these days and months with me!

Garden Sea Parsley Australian Bush Tucker

Sea Parsley, or Sea Celery, grows all along the southern coastline of Australia. Its leaf form and plant dimensions vary quite considerably from place to place, but most commonly it has an appearance of shiny dark green parsley, and is in fact closely related to European parsley.The significant difference is that it grows right on the coastline, often submerged by the incoming storm tides. It is the connection to the seafront, where it grows in composted sea weed and sand, that gives it its special flavour. Sea Parsley/Celery grows in a prostrate manner over rocky ledges and sandy ridges, and its small white flower clusters give rise to large amounts of seed in the summer months.

Although an annual, Sea Parsley has a resilient tap root like a carrot, which gives it a semi-perennial capacity. It was identified by early Europeans as far back as Captain Cook in 1788, and provided a welcome flavour boost to soup and stews at the time.

Captain Cook made use of this plant to prevent scurvy when “The Endeavour” visited the east coast of Australia in 1770 and it was subsequently used by early settlers as a source of greens.

This herb is useful in soups, dressings, flavoured butter, with seafood and in white sauceshttp://tasteaustralia.biz/bushfood/sea-parsley/

Shiny dark-green parsley of the sea,

You're not a marvel new, 

For you were used by Captain Cook

In his soup and in his stew.

Let's make some interesting soup with some ingredients we've not used before!

from Robyn

painting of robin by Brenda, my mum.

LILLY PILLY + making a watercrystal neck scarf

Word for the Day  The song of the wind

When the wind sings its song

In tall branches of an evergreen tree,

We need to be peaceful and still

To hear the purity of its melody.  

Home March's challenge is to pack one item each day in a Survival Bag, in order to be prepared for an emergency.  

In my Survival Bag, I have already packed 

1. my emergency foil blanket, plus silk sheet-bag and a sleeping bag. 

2. a mosquito head net and a tube aloe vera
3. my clothing
4. my food and my drink bottles
5. my first aid kit
6. eating and cooking utensils
7. my Tommy Cooker Hexi Stove and fuel tablets
8. Windproof and Waterproof Matches (or a fire flint or cigarette lighter)

9. my torches
10. my washbag 
11. soap for washing dishes and clothes
12. whistle & glowstick 
13. camera, MP3player and mobile phone
14. printed Important Information

15. money and bankcard
16. comfrey cream, sunscreen and essential oils

Today I will sew a watercrystal neck scarf 

The first time I saw a watercrystal neck scarf was when we were hiking across England. On a few occasions, we spoke with fellow hikers who wore such scarves which they had made themselves, using a square cotton scarf folded in a triangle and sewn at the top of the triangle, inserting crystals in the sewn section.  

Nontoxic polyacrylamide granules, often called crystals, are concealed in the casing of a cotton neck scarf. When the scarf is soaked in water, the granules absorb the water, expand, and turn into a crystalline gel. The cotton fabric absorbs water from the gel, then the water evaporates for a cooling effect. Scarves stay cool and moist for hours due to the polyacrylamide's water-retaining properties.


     Choose tightly woven 100% cotton fabric for its water-absorbing and cooling properties. Avoid loosely woven fabrics--the gel could seep through a loose weave. Scarves are worn wet, so select colorfast fabrics so the dyes won't bleed onto clothing or skin. Look for prints in popular motifs, such as red, white and blue for summer holidays, or sport themes for wearing to outdoor events.
     Choose medium-size crystals for best results. Granule size and water quality can impact how well the crystals absorb water. Water with a high mineral content can impede water absorption. Experiment to determine the optimal amount of crystals per scarf by making a sample casing.

MATERIALS 

Use a teaspoon of medium-size polyacrylamide crystals for an average scarf, or a heaped teaspoons for a large scarf. Polyacrylamide crystals are nontoxic, but they can create a fine dust. If you are sensitive to dust particles, you could wear a dust mask, gloves, safety glasses, remove contact lenses and wash hands after use. Water Crystals at WaterCrystals.com do not require that special precaution, having removed the polyacrylamide dust. 

Soak the casing or the entire scarf in cold or ice water for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the crystals turn to gel; avoid over-soaking. Distribute the gel along the casing with your fingers. Lay the scarf on a hand towel to absorb any dripping water, then tie the scarf loosely around your neck. To keep the casing cool while wearing, roll it to redistribute the gel or dip it in cold water for a few minutes.

Refrigerate extra cooling scarves for breezeless humid days. When one scarf reaches body temperature, swap it for a cool one.

Store wet scarves in an open plastic bag, hang them to dry, or store them in the refrigerator. After several days of drying, the crystals will return to solid form.

Hand-wash crystal-filled scarves using a few drops of liquid detergent. Rinse well and hang to dry. Don't machine-wash or dry. Press the casing only after the gel is completely crystalized. Shake the crystals to one end of the casing to press the opposite end. Then flip and repeat. Don't iron the crystals or expose them to iron temperatures.

---

Polyacrylamide is a super-absorbent, nontoxic polymer that was developed in the 1960s to retain water in arid soil. It holds up to 400 times its weight in water! Different forms of polymer are widely used in products such as disposable diapers, hot and cold compresses, toothpaste, cosmetics and flower arrangements. Polyacrylamide crystals are available under many brand names. They can be fount in garden section of home-improvement centers, discount department stores, nurseries, or in the candle, fragrance or flower areas in craft stores. Check packaging for granule size and to verify there are no additives.  http://www.watercrystals.com/nscarf0704.ht

Garden Lilly Pilly Australian Bush Tucker

Lilly Pilly is an evergreen rainforest plant. It is one of the most popular plants in Australia today. Our Sunshine Coast council has planted many of these trees in public areas. Also we have many tall lilly pillies in our garden. When we move to our new home next month, I will look out for the lilly pilly - Syzygium 'Tiny Trev' - which will only grow to 75 cm! 

The fruit matures from December to February, being a pear shaped red berry, known as a Riberry, growing to 13 mm long, covering a single seed, 4 mm in diameter. I often eat them raw and made some jam earlier this year.  

The berry has a tart, cranberry-like flavor, with a hint of cloves. It has been popular as a gourmet bushfood since the early 1980’s. The berries are used to make a distinctively flavoured jam, and are also used in sauces, syrups and confectionery.

CANDIED LILLY PILLIES

500gm ripe red lillypillies (riberries)    4 ½  cups white sugar    ½  cup of corn syrup

Wash and dry the lillypillies.

Place the fruit in a heavy based saucepan and just cover with water. Simmer very gently till they start to look transparent.

Drain, keeping back 1 cup of liquid.  Put the lillypillies into a baking dish in a single layer.

Add the liquid to the saucepan again with ½ cup of the sugar and all the corn syrup.

Turn up heat and bring to the boil. Boil gently for 1 minute.

Pour over the lillypillies on the baking dish and leave in the fridge overnight.

The next day, pour the syrup back into a saucepan and add a further half-cup of the sugar. Heat it once again to dissolve the sugar heat to dissolve, bring to the boil, then pour over the fruit and leave overnight.

Repeat daily using ½ cup of the sugar each day until there is no sugar left and the syrup is really thick and syrupy.

On the last day, put the lillypillies into sterilised jars and pour the syrup over. Seal and store for at least 3 weeks before using.http://tasteaustralia.biz/bushfood/lilly-pilly/

Taste a riberry!

Try it fresh, 

Try it as a jam, 

Or try it in a pie.

May we not walk past all of those lilly pilly trees growing in surburbia, 

without pausing to pick and eat a few of the riberries.  

from Robyn

painting of robin by Brenda, my mum.

ILLAWARRA PLUM + comfrey cream, sunscreen & essential oils

Word for the Day Grapes, plums and man!

Grapes were made to grow on the vine,

Plums were made to grow on the tree,

But man was made with a will to rove

In spirit, determined;  destiny's choice being free.

Robyn

Home March's challenge is to pack one item each day in a Survival Bag, in order to be prepared for an emergency.  

In my Survival Bag, I have already packed 

1. my emergency foil blanket, plus silk sheet-bag and a sleeping bag. 

2. a mosquito head net and a tube aloe vera
3. my clothing
4. my food and my drink bottles
5. my first aid kit
6. eating and cooking utensils
7. my Tommy Cooker Hexi Stove and fuel tablets
8. Windproof and Waterproof Matches (or a fire flint or cigarette lighter)

9. my torches
10. my washbag 
11. soap for washing dishes and clothes
12. whistle & glowstick 
13. camera, MP3player and mobile phone
14. money and bankcard

Today I will pack oils, creams and sunscreen.
I made the decision to pack my small bottles of eucalyptus essential oil and lavender oil. I will also pack a small glass jar of coconut oil, for either cooking, putting straight on my face as a beauty treatment, of for using as a "carrier" oil for the essential oils which can be used for perfume or as insect repellents. 

I have packed an expensive tube of Baby Sunscreen (preservative free and fragrance free) which does not affect my eyes as other sunscreens do. It is worth me paying the extra money for my eye comfort. 

And I have packed a jar of comfrey cream, for its medical benefits. 

Information about Comfrey Cream 

t

Origin and Distribution of Comfrey

Comfrey herb grows naturally in wetlands. Comfrey is native to western Asia and Europe, but now it is also cultivated in North America.

Roots and leaves of comfrey herb are extracted and used in making different types of sports creams and pain balms and gels.

Comfrey oi is also famous worldwide due to its beneficial properties.

Benefits of Miracle Herb - Comfrey

Comfrey is a hemostatic, healer, and an astringent. It also works as an emollient and contains miracle powers of detoxifying and revitalizing the injured bones and joints. Just like horse chestnut discussed in my previous hub, comfrey herb is also rich in allantoin and mucilage. Both allantoin and mucilage are the main components that promote healing to any wound. Comfrey is widely used in naturopathy gels for treating sprains, dislocations, and bruises by its really powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions. Comfrey also prevents and reduces bruising.

Medical Benefits of Comfrey

• Comfrey is good for fracture healing and bone lesions.
• Comfrey is beneficial for treatment of muscle tears, sprains, strains, and dislocations.
• Comfrey helps in arthritic conditions of bursitis, tendinitis, and torticollis.
• Comfrey treats arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
• Comfrey is good for treating bunions and deformities of extremities.
• Comfrey helps in treating intervertebral disc lesions and herniated discs.
• Comfrey is good for circulatory system and improves poor circulation and varices.
• Comfrey treats skin deformities like minor wounds, minor burns, fistulas, and psoriasis.
• There are millions of comfrey natural products available in the market, the most prominent of which is comfrey gel which helps in treatment of some types of eczema, cracks in breasts, and varicose ulcers.

http://soni2006.hubpages.com/hub/benefits-of-comfrey-the-miracle-herb

Garden Illawarra Plum  Australian Bush Tucker

The vivid purple fruit with its plum/pine flavour is primarily harvested in the wild.

The fruit contains sticky sugars which are hugely beneficial to the gastrointestinal tract.  The antioxidant level is seven times that of blueberries.

Illawarra plum is used in jams, beverages and sauces.

Cook Illawarra plums in a sugar syrup, soak them in liqueur for a minimum of 6 months, then drain and roll in dark chocolate.  YUM!

Kangaroo Fillet encrusted with Macadamia Nut Dukkah (recipe here) served with Illawarra Plum Sauce, steamed vegetables and sebago mash.

Illawarra Plum Sauce (ideal with kangaroo fillet)

200g Illawarra plums
100g sugar
200ml water
1 red chilli, sliced
1 Tsp crushed garlic
1/2 onion, diced
1 Tsp brown sugar
3 Tbs macadamia nut oil
1/4 cup Bush Tomato Infused Vinegar  (I added a Tbspn whole bush tomato to a bottle of white wine vinegar and left it for a month)

In a small saucepan, add plums, sugar and water. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Pour into a blender and puree.

For the sauce, heat macadamia oil in a pan, add diced onion, garlic and chilli. Saute until transparent, add plum puree and vinegar and allow mixture to simmer for 15 minutes.  Cool.  Press through sieve for a smooth sauce.

Great with steak and salad! http://tasteaustralia.biz/bushfood/illawarra-plum/

Plum sauce or plum jam

Is very nice on a slice of ham.   

Robyn

May we look out for these sweet fruits in our sub-tropical bushland 

from Robyn

 painti, ng of robin by Brenda, my mum.