THE SECOND MONTH COMES TO A CLOSE

Word for the Day      going out in joy

BEING ME   February's recap 

February’s blog, with its theme “Who am I?” comes to a close. 

I looked at both myself and the person of Moses -
in birth, in childhood, as a spouse, a parent and grand-parent, a friend and neighbour, a home-maker and member of society, a restorer, teacher, listener and writer. I looked at some of the things that both myself and Moses drank, ate, wore and did, and also at the fact that life does not come our way without the reality of death.  

Did I, and did my readers, become more comfortable with our identities, appreciating our natural gifts, our learned talents, our abilities and capabilities, and our personalities? I hope so!

And I hope that a better knowledge of who we are makes us more able to express ourselves with confidence and energy in our homes and in our communities.

The plant in the above photograph is one of our garden  paw-paws. I think of the raindrops clinging to the branches as representing the tears that are just now clinging to my soul. The reason for my sadness is that by the end of next month, hubby and I will be out of our home, having just sold it.  But, in reality we do "go out with joy" because we will live closer to some of our family  in Toowoomba with its warm summers and cool winters, and with four distinct seasons. The city hosts the Australian Carnival of Flowers each September, and it has more than 150 public parks and gardens.

We have an adventure in front of us, with new people to meet and new things to do. And I am very excited to be taking my readers along with me as hubby and I make our exodus from our much loved home and garden. 


I will have to make the name I carry, the name "Robyn", 
become a constant reality for me, 
as I sing my song in the new life that is before me.  

Guest of the month  Pamela Diane

15 years ago, my husband and I made the decision to move from South Australia to Western Australia…a journey of over 2,700 kms.  Just as Moses and the Israelites looked forward to a wonderful life in the Promised Land, we looked forward to a new life in a new state.  Western Australia offered my husband much better job prospects, while the beautiful beaches, coastlines, rivers and laid-back lifestyle were extremely attractive to me. But first, we needed to convince our girls of this! 

After our enthusiastic discussion with them, we had one excited 18 year old, while the other two (16 and 17) were devastated and refused to go.  Good friendships had been forged over many years, and leaving these friends would not be easy for an adult, let alone hormonal teenagers!  After many, many weeks of tears, pleadings, negotiations and demandings, the result was that the 17 year old would stay (she had just left school) and the other two would come with us…the youngest, about to do her final year of high school, was not allowed to make her own decision on this, despite her desperately ‘arranging’ all sorts of accommodation alternatives that would have enabled her to stay. 

After firstly securing at least one job for us to go to, we went through the normal, busy preparations of moving: getting the house ready to sell, culling 25 years of ‘stuff’ we had accumulated with dump runs and garage sales, open inspections, nail biting decisions on offers less than we wanted, trying to find a rental property from another state….until at last we said a sad goodbye to our friends and our 17 year old, and found ourselves on the plane…three excited but weary travellers, one young one resigned to the cruel fate inflicted by her uncaring parents, and two sedated dogs in the luggage hold. Our journey had begun!

On landing, not all went to plan.  We arrived at the rental property we had secured to find there were no keys to get in as promised. The furniture van arrived (we had gone to such pains to have it arrive the same time we did), and they had to deposit all our boxes and furniture on the driveway for us to physically move (ie lift, haul, lug, sweat…all those things you pay the removalists to do!) into the house when the keys finally arrived later.

When we eventually got into the house, we weren’t greeted by a clean, pristine house like the one we’d all worked so hard to leave spotless, but a dirty, cobwebby house.  So the tired travellers had to take to cleaning before preparing to move those heavy boxes into the house.  The final straw for my poor 16 year old was when I opened the oven and literally hundreds of cockroaches escaped their dark hideaway and invaded my new (but not so clean) kitchen.  With that, my poor young one slid to the floor sobbing, her shoulders heaving, totally inconsolable.  What had I done, upheaving and dividing my family, making them leave their friends and their lives, to follow their parents’ dream?

Fast forward 15 years.  One very happy and contented family.  The then 17 year old still lives in South Australia, and she has forged a wonderful life for herself and is following a promising career.  The then 18 year old who happily came on our adventure with us, says it’s the best thing we ever did!  My dear young one completed her final year of schooling, got on a plane back to South Australia supposedly for a holiday, and couldn’t bear to return to Western Australia!  However, she has since returned to the fold, and is now very happily settled in her Western Australia life…along with her husband and new baby.  My husband and I just love our life here!

Journeys don’t always go the way we planned.  Moses’ journey certainly didn’t!  Ours certainly had some hiccups.  But heading for destinations is part of life – whether those destinations are a physical place, an  emotional place or a spiritual place.  I’m sure the struggles we have in getting to our destinations are all part of our growth, and are well worth the benefits of reaching our personal ‘Promised Land.’

Thank you, Pamela Diane, for sharing with us part of your family's journey.

I look forward to starting a new 'Blog Theme' for March -
packing a Survival Bag and hopefully learning some survival techniques.

from Robyn 

painting of robin by Brenda, my mum. 

DRUMSTICK TREE

Word for the Day     dying from having lived

BEING ME   About death 

 I hear that there are more dead people than living, and that their numbers are increasing! And I know that it is a reality that I will one day join them! How am I prepared?

I try to be healthy in body, mind and spirit. I try to have finances and family paperwork in order. I have a current will signed by myself and two witnesses. But I have not yet written an advance health directive, and I have not yet donated body parts for research or to save another person's life (I am still considering this!)

The following link will send you to free Queensland Government forms including Enduring Power of Attourney, Advance Health Directive, Guardianship etc.

http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/justice-services/guardianship/forms-and-publications-list

If you are saving your pennies and so decide to write your own will, the following link will give enough info to get you started, providing  free layout. But remember to date it, and to sign it yourself, plus have your will signed by 2 witnesses. A beneficiary cannot be a witness. I like to choose someone official who can state their title such as a doctor or  JP.  

http://www.lawdepot.com/contracts/last-will-and-testament-au/preview.aspx?loc=AU&

Moses' death  

I would like to quote Deuteronomy chapter 34, Old Testament, which tells of Moses' death.

Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land - from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it."

And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not 

weak nor his strength gone.

  The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.

Now Joshua son of Num was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses.

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt - to Pharoah and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of Israel. 

   http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+34&version=NIV    

Garden   Drumstick Tree

Horseradish Tree, Marango Tree, Murunga, Kelor, Shobhanjan, Ben Tree, Moringa Tree, Miracle Tree  

Constituents:deic, sterols, tocopherols, alkaloids, linolenic and oleic acid, pterygospermin, palmitic and stearic acid, saponins, glycoside, gum, flavinoids, fibre, protein 38%

Vitamins: A (8855 Iu per 100g) B1 B2 B3 B5 B6 B15 B17 C D E H K choline, folic acid, inositol, PABA

Minerals:calcium (297mg per 100 mg leaves), iron, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, zinc, potassium

Actions:tonic, digestive, vermifuge, diuretic, aphrodisiac,

anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antibiotic

Description

*Small legume tree 3-8 metres tall, drought hardy.

*Small waxy creamy-white flowers look like miniature orchids; followed by 20-30 cm long round pods.

*Propagation by seed (consider freshness for good germination). Mice and lizards like to eat the nutty seeds! Or by stem cuttings 10 – 60 cm struck in spring & summer.

*Likes a well drained sunny spot. Can be planted closely as a living fence or as living stakes for climbing vegetables. 

Medicinal Uses

*Folk remedy: leaf tea for stomach, catarrh, cancer, gastric ulcers, skin diseases, lowering blood sugar, increasing bone density, diabetes, fatigue, increase lactation, hay fever, impotence, edema, cramps, asthma, fungal skin & nervous complaints, diarrhea, anemia, fevers, bronchitis, eye & ear infections, inflammation of the mucus membrane, hemorrhoids, headaches, sore gums, regulates bowel movements, strengthens eyes & brain, liver, gall, digestive, respiratory & immune system, a blood cleanser and blood builder.

*Folk remedy: leaf poultice on the abdomen expels intestinal worms.

*Leaf infusion for washing the eye with conjunctivitis.

*Oil from the seed (Oil of Ben) for earache; in skin ointments; heals wounds speedily, rubbed on skin for mosquito repellent.

*Infuse flowers in honey for cough and cold remedy.

*The flavonoid quercetin has a strong antioxidant action (inhibits growth of prostate cancer & breast cancer. Its anti-inflammatory action relieves arthritis, gout and other conditions of pain.)

Culinary Uses
*Exceptionally nutritious (Leaves: 38% protein with the 8 essential amino acids – good for vegetarians) In Africa, dried crushed leaves were used to help overcome malnutrition.

*An extremely rich source of the sulphur-bearing amino acids methionine and cystine, in comparison to other greens and vegetables.

*Eat leaves fresh, steamed, pickled, in salads, stir-fries, curries, soups.
*An infusion of fresh, very young leaves produce an effective plant growth hormone, increasing yields by 25-30% for nearly any crop e.g. veges, legumes, maize, melons, sorghum. Use leaves as a pulp for paper making.  

*Use sliced young green pods in savory and meat dishes.

*Fry, roast or sprout seeds. Crush seeds to a powder to clarify turbid, dirty water – carrying to the bottom over 90% of bacteria and viruses – can potentially treat sewerage water.

*Peel and grate roots of young seedlings (taste like horseradish).
*Use flowers as an edible garnish.

Drumstick Tree

Using roots and flowers and pods,

Using seeds and leaves,

To help our bodies without exception

As medicine and nutrition.

May we learn to use all edible parts of our garden plants

from Robyn 

painting of robin by Brenda, my mum. 

AN ORGANIC GARDEN

Word for the Day  The fruit of our lives
                                                                                                                               

BEING ME   Being close to God One of the stanzas of Dorothy Frances Gurney's poem titled God's Garden says:

The kiss of the sun for pardon,

The song of the birds for mirth,

One is nearer God's heart in a garden

Than anywhere else on earth.

Perhaps I am close to God in our garden, but really, I don't think about it. I just vege-out in the garden, and it is very relaxing not thinking about anything! However, what I am aware of in the garden is the plants shining in the sunlight or gleaming with deposited dewdrops; the little lizards scurrying away from me to hide where I can't see them; a beautiful butterfly cleverly evading my camera; birds singing from the branches or perched on the back fence - and so the list could go on.  I am certainly near to God's creation out there in the garden, and I feel the beauty of nature wrapping its folds around me.  

But rather than looking for God-out-there,  I am confident in my awareness of the indwelling Holy Spirit whose presence is within me.  

Moses  Was Moses close to God?

The relationship between God and Moses was a unique one. Moses could walk up the holy mountain and he and YWEY could talk face to face. 

With the Hebrew people, after the tabernacle was constructed in the wilderness, it was only one priest from the tribe of Levi who could enter the inner room where God had come to dwell, and even then, it was only once a year, and only after a sacrifice for sin had been offered.  

But Moses, well, he was specially chosen for the unique God-given task of leading a group of people who were destined from slavery to freedom, to be something very special on the earth, as God's chosen people to love the LORD their God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength, and to fear the LORD their God, and serve him only, not following other gods. reference Deuteronomy chapter 6 However, the commission was not fulfilled in Moses' lifetime with the Hebrew people in the wilderness not unanimously loving, worshiping or obeying YWEY.  But, yes, Moses was close to God. 



 Garden    An organic garden  
Why grow an organic vegetable garden? Well, it is better for the veges, for the fruit, for the ecosystem and for us!

It's only since the Industrial Revolution that society turned to harsh chemicals and poisons to boost yields. Non organic methods seem to work for a while, but in the long term more and more people believe it's fraught with disaster.

So what exactly is organic growing? It's all about growing vegetables, fruit and other plants in natural ways.

This also means protecting them naturally from disease and pests. Organic growing uses the tried and tested methods. The Chinese have successfully done this for thousands of years. It's only now that scientists (and fortunately more and more farmers) are getting a better understanding about why it works so well. Now lets look at the ways organic growing is better.

Think about the last lot of fruit and vegetables you bought from the store. They probably looked perfect to the eye and tasted avergae. But what about the chemical and poison residues left on them? Sure enough they can be cleaned (by you and before they get to you), but wouldn't it be better to eat fruit and vegetables that you were 100% certain were totally safe for you and your family?

Wouldn't it also be good to know that the fruit and vegetables you ate were packed with healthy nutrients and vitamins? Chances are the fruit and vegetables you buy from the shop came from hundreds, if not thousands of miles (or kilometres) away. Scientists and geneticists develop varieties which can be transported these vast distances without being blemished. Think about it. When you buy some tomatoes from a shop don't you always look for the best looking ones? How can you guarantee that vitamins and nutrients won't be traded off with cosmetic perfection?

And while the fruit and vegetables you buy at the shop look perfect, how do they taste? Once again, an essential quality of fruit and vegetables, taste, is traded off for cosmetic perfection and transportation. When was the last time you bought corn whose taste really knocked your socks off?

Organic fruit and vegetables are not sprayed with harsh chemicals or poisons. Organic gardeners use natural, biological ways of protecting and growing their crops. To achieve this you just need to think a little bit ahead. You should plan where you place your vegetable patch, what you dig into the soil, what beds you plant your vegetables in, what vegetables and herbs you grow together and what preventative and proactive measures you take. Organic gardening is more about preventing disease and insects then reacting to disease and insects. And for organic growers any sprays used are natural sprays, without harsh chemicals. By growing your own fruit and vegetables organically you are guaranteed not to consume chemical and poison residues.

Growing your own also means growing healthy fruit and vegetables. The seeds you sow will grow into fresh fruit and vegetable varieties which have been grown in some cases for hundreds of years. They have not been genetically engineered or had their genes spliced to look perfect and only need to travel from your vegetable patch to your kitchen. In short, the vitamins and nutrients haven't been tampered with. They're natural.

Once you've tasted your own organically grown produce you won't go back. The taste and satisfaction you get from organic fruit and vegetables is astounding. I hate it when I've harvested all my lettuces and tomatoes, or run out of potatoes and have to begrudgingly buy their tasteless poor cousins from the store. I really mean this, your own home grown organic vegetables taste the best.

Your plants will also be better off with organic gardening. Insects and diseases are fighting back against chemical sprays. Chemicals and poisons might work in the short term but as insects and diseases mutate and become resistant to particular sprays, chemicals and poisons become increasingly ineffective. Poisons also kill indiscriminantly. They kill just as many beneficial insects as pests, upsetting the natural balance of life. By following organic principles your plants will be healthier. Don't expect your fruit and vegetables to look 100% perfect. You will occassionally get some slight problems, and you might lose the odd one or two vegies or fruit, but you need to be pragmatic about these things. In the long run your plants will thank you for it.

Unlike chemical growers, organic growers don't feed their plants, they feed the soil. Healthy soil creates healthy plants and healthy people. The American organic pioneer J.I.Rodale coined this phrase 50 years ago. And it means just as much today as it did back then. Healthy soil should be seen as a living, balanced whole, rich in humus and micro-organisms including fungi, moulds, yeasts, bacteria and larger creatures like earthworms. When chemicals and poisons are used they upset the soil's natural balance. You can't have healthy soil if it's indiscriminantly or carelessly treated with unnatural chemical fertilizers. Many of the living things maintaining the balance are destroyed. Over time the soil will lose its life and structure. The sensible method of maintaining the soil's balance is by organic gardening. By digging in aged manures, green manure, compost and other natural items and following the principles of crop rotation you can help build up the quality of your soil. And with healthy soil you'll have healthy fruit and vegetables.

 http://www.thevegetablepatch.com/whygrow.htm

Creating living soil
For the seeds we like to sow,
Watching as sun shines on,
We wait for healthy plants to grow.
Robyn

May our plants flourish in a healthy ecosystem
from Robyn                                                                                         

 Robin in a flowering gum

Painted by Brenda, Robyn’s mum

NASTURTIUM

Word for the Day  Conveying what we want to say 

Do we need to say
what we want to convey
with words only,
or is there a fuller way?
Robyn

BEING ME  What do I write?
When I was 13 years old, I wrote a 2 line poem about a snail during an English lesson at school. My poem was sent along with other students' poems, to the editing committee of our school magazine. A few months later, I saw my two-liner published in the magazine! I can't recall writing any more poems for another 40 years, when I started to write lots of two-liners.  

What did Moses write?

Traditionally, Moses is thought to have written the first five books of the Old Testament, although in these books, Moses himself makes no claim to authorship. 

As the adopted son of the Pharoah, Moses would most certainly have been provided with an excellent education enabling him to write well. 

Garden   Nasturtium

This easy to grow plant makes a great ornament in a hanging basket, or it can grow as a hardy groundcover. 

The edible flower can be used as a garnish. 

The unripe buds and seeds can be preserved in vinegar and used as a substitute for capers.
  
Fresh leaves can be used to treat all kinds of injuries, particularly inflamed wounds. The benzyl mustard oil in the leaves has an antibiotic action effective against viruses, bacteria and yeasts, and it also strengthens the body's own defensive powers.  Hence, nasturtium can treat infections of the kidneys, the lower urinary tract and the airways along with stimulating the immune system.  

http://www.dr.hauschka-med.de/english/quality/plant-library/nasturtium/

May our lives write a worthy story

from Robyn                                                                                            

 Robin in a flowering gum

Painted by Brenda, Robyn’s mum

LEAF GINSENG

Word for the Day     talking too much

BEING ME   Being a listener

Listening is different to "hearing", taking effort and practice unless one is born a good listener!  I hope that I am learning to be a better listener.



TIPS FOR GOOD LISTENING

1. Place yourself in the other person’s shoes.
2. Create a conductive and physical mental space.
3. Stop talking and try to be silent.
4. Follow and encourage the speaker with body language.
5. Practise the emphatic sounding-back technique – repeat and encourage, summarise and restate,
6. Do not interrupt with what you feel or think about the topic being discussed.
7. Ask meaningful and empowering questions.
8. Wait for the person to open up.
9. Use body language to express your interest.
10. Try to reassure the speaker that all is well.
11. Be attentive.
12. Use encouraging words to show you are listening.
13. Use non-verbal actions (head nodding, facial expressions) to show you are paying attention.
14. Use encouraging words to invite them to continue (Tell me more).    http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Good-Listener

Was Moses a listener?

The Hebrew people, during the exodus, would come to Moses to seek God’s will. They brought their disputes to him, and he would decide between the parties, and inform them of the decrees and laws given by God, which they were to follow. With so many people bringing disputes to him, this must have taken a good deal of listening!

However, Moses' father-in-law, when he saw Moses serving as judge for the people, with them standing around him from morning till evening on the days that he took his seat as their judge, said that what he was doing was not good! He told Moses that he would wear himself out handling the work alone. So he suggested that Moses continue to teach the decrees and laws and show the Hebrew people the way to live, but to delegate officials to serve as judges - listening and making wise decisions.
This story is in Exodus chapter 18. 

 Garden  Leaf Ginseng

Leaf ginseng (Talinum triangulare), also known as Water leaf, is in the Portulacaceae family. It is a cooling plant from SE Asia, and is eaten in salads, stir-fries, soups etc 

Several leaf ginseng are growing around my garden as they have been very easy to propogate with cuttings. This hardy herb with its tidy appearance, delightful pink flowers, and shiny green leaves which catch the sunlight, always looks clean and tidy. 

Leaf Ginseng  reduces body heat and increases energy levels.  

Once leaves are added to a dish, do not overcook as the leaves are mucilaginous. The edible flowers can be used as a garnish. 

This lovely, bright green foliaged plant with the pretty pink flowers is a gardener's delight.

In most warm climates, Leaf Ginseng, which grows to about 60 cm tall and 60 cm wide,  is perennial but in cooler areas it can easily be treated as an annual.

It is neat and tidy in the garden, especially if it is regularly harvested. It requires little care and is tolerant of some neglect.
In full sun it produces more abundant growth but will grow in more shaded areas when the leaves do become larger and a little darker.
The leaves can be harvested while the plant is still quite young and having a few plants, dotted around the yard can supply highly nutritous steaming greens for any family.

It will self seed, though not always where you thought it would as the tiny pods explode and scatter seed in mid-summer. 
http://www.australiangardener.com.au/viewitem.php?productid=300
Leaf ginseng plants can be obtained from the link above  $6 per plant

Hoping that your garden plants give you energy and vitality. 

from Robyn                                                                                         

 Robin in a flowering gum

Painted by Brenda, Robyn’s mum

PUMPKIN

Word for the Day  Trying out something unique

BEING ME  What do I wear?
I live in the sub-tropics near the beach, so I don't need too many fancy clothes or shoes. But the fact remains that I actually do have a lot of clothes and more pairs of shoes than I need!  

What did Moses wear?

I imagine that when Moses spent the 40 years on the exodus in the Sinai desert, that he dressed much as he would have when he was a shepherd rather than in the clothes he would have worn when he was a younger man growing up as the adopted son of the Pharoah, in the Pharoah's court.  The amazing thing about his clothes, and the clothes and shoes of all of the Hebrew people was that they did not wear out in all of those 40 years of travelling through the wilderness.  God was most certainly an amazing God of Miracles, and today, He is still the same God, for He does not change!

During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet...I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God. Deuteronomy 29:5.

So, the Hebrews were never obliged to wear tattered worn garments, and their feet that walked the hot, stony desert sands for 40 years were not injured through lack of sandals. The Hebrew people probably brought extra clothing with them when they left Egypt as slaves; and they may have manufactured clothing from the fleeces of their sheep when in the wilderness; and also, neighbouring nations or travelling Arabs may have traded with them. 

But the fact remains, that God was their provider. 

Garden   Pumpkin
Pumpkin do not readily set in our tropical garden, so I settle for the shop pumpkins which I steam, roast, barbecue, grate in salads, and  puree for using in soups, breads, muffins, pies and sweet or savoury dishes. 

I have also started using

the tip growth of the pumpkin plants, both raw and cooked;

the thick stems (after stringing them like one strings beans)  finely sliced in stir fries, lightly steamed, or raw when they give a sweet and tasty crunch! 

the larger leaves cut up finely and added to stir-fry or soup. 

the nutty seeds eaten raw or dried. I have sun-dried some seeds to grind in my electric mill, but they can be boiled, toasted and sun-dried;

 *and my favourite: the flowers, rich in protein and iron, eaten raw in salads, or fried in sesame oil or vegetable oil after dipping in  tempura batter. 
The flowers in the above photo have long stems and are therefore male flowers. Hence, if they are picked to eat, one has not prevented a potential pumpkin fruit from growing.  
If your female flowers are not being readily pollinated by insects, click on the link below for some useful information. 
http://www.pumpkinnook.com/howto/pollen.htm

Tonight's absolutely delicious entre was: 
pumpkin flowers (picked at nightfall, when the flowers were curled up) 
and the tendrils with young leaves attached!  
They were dipped in tempura batter and fried -  amazingly tasty and crunchy! 

Tempura batter is made just before using, with 1 egg, 1 cup ice-cold water and 1 cup plain flour,  mixed (but not over-mixed) in a bowl.  

Dip flowers and leaves in the batter, shake off excess, and fry in a small amount of oil (I like sesami oil), turning once, and serving immediately seasoned with sea-salt.

Flavours sweet and colours gold
in pumpkin scones, risotto, soup. 
 But I've been told
that I can eat
the seeds and leaves, tendrils  and skin.
 I don't need to throw them in the bin! 

May we be willing to try eating our veges in unique ways

from Robyn                                                                                         

 Robin in a flowering gum

painted by Brenda, Robyn’s mum