The everyday life and contentment...

LATE AUTUMN...

It's late autumn here in the far north of Australia, and though the early mornings are refreshingly cool at around 20-21C these days, the noonday sun has been climbing to 32C at my place every day this past week. Though I would love for the days themselves to be cooler, and they should do in the weeks ahead, I am very grateful that the daylight hours are much shorter now, and you know, the evenings are already rather lovely.

In the garden I need to cover many of the fragile seedlings before the sun climbs over the nearby mountain and bears down on them a few hours after sunrise, or I hide some pots under the elder tree, where they benefit from the sun's warmth whilst sheltering under the long thin, leaf-laden limbs above. My carrots especially love that spot. 

When the sun sets I remove the covers, allowing the cooler night air freedom to circulate easily. Next morning I usually discover more seeds have sprouted, whilst those having already made their way through the soil a few days earlier, have grown taller. I never grow tired of the miracles displayed in a simple garden! Seeing the wonders of God at work, still creating, stirs my desire to plant, grow, harvest...even if its only in our small backyard garden and not a field. 

REFLECTIONS IN LIFE FROM BREADMAKING...

Over the past few weeks, the steady ritual of making a sourdough loaf every three days has also brought much joy to my soul. It took a couple of months to 'perfect' a loaf which comes together easily in our climate and without many steps, because climate matters a great deal when dealing with sourdough. I am so glad to have figured out those things because now I need no recipe as its in my head, I can work with whatever the weather does that day (and the next), and though there were a few mistakes along the way because I'd forget the simplest things - like scoring the loaf before it went in the oven, or forgetting to lower the oven temp after the first 20 minutes - it's all working fine now, and we are loving our rye/wheat loaf. In fact, we don't toast it because we enjoy it 'as is' even on day three, and we're even getting to the stage of not needing to butter it. We just really love this bread. Praise God. 

I was thinking about bread one morning last week as I waited for the dutch oven to heat before I placed the risen bread dough inside. There was a time, in the not too distant past, when I spent far too much time, and far too much money, trying all different ways to make a meal. Whether that be stews, soups, cakes, biscuits (cookies), international dishes, doughs, breads...it was as though I needed to find the next best thing, or a more perfect way of cooking something I'd made for years. I had way more cookbooks than I'd ever use, and a multitude of failed meals under my apron and still, I would scroll online recipes, borrow even more cookbooks from the library, watch homecooks and chefs make amazing meals on Youtube, and spend $ on ingredients we could ill afford, did not like, or never used again. 

Apart from when my husband takes us on a Sunday drive through the countryside, I've been predominantly housebound for the past five months, only venturing out on my own three times this year, so I've had to rely on grocery deliveries as I cannot go to a supermarket. What a blessing in disguise! Our income had decreased towards the end of 2025 due to changes at my husband's work, so I was already being extra mindful of expenditure, but as the months rolled on in 2026, and we needed to help family members for a while, I challenged myself to not just lower the grocery (and other) expenditure, but to eat even better at the same time, even though we already had a healthy diet. 

One way I achieved this goal was to stop looking for new recipes, donating most of my cookbooks, shopping from the pantry and freezer first, planting the garden with a wider variety of vegetables and fruits, and cooking simpler meals that we already enjoyed. 

Which brings me back to pondering that loaf of bread last week. The recipe I'm using is the only one I'll use. It makes a lovely healthy loaf, very tasty, and a perfect size for the two of us to enjoy over three days, so none is wasted. There is no need to try another recipe, or play around with this one. Nothing is wasted and we're very content to have this as our daily loaf. 

No longer am I searching for new ideas. I wrote up a list of the simple meals we have enjoyed regularly over the years, and that's what I make. My roasted pumpkin and garlic soup is delicious, so why try a different recipe? The chicken curry I've made every month for the past six years is a Family favourite so why try another? My husband enjoys the same breakfast every morning (Sultana Bran and fresh fruit, with a banana smoothie) and does not want a change. I enjoy coconut yoghurt, nuts and fresh fruit for breakfast, and do not want a change. Can you see where I'm going with this?

I have two different biscuit (cookie) recipes we always return to, one basic scone recipe we've loved for thirty plus years, and then there's rissoles (my husband's favourite!), porcupine meatballs (grandkids favourite), spaghetti bolognese, noodles, roast chicken or lamb with veggies, or corned beef with coleslaw and chips. These are the meals my man will enjoy and say "that was yummy!" as he carries our dishes to the sink. 

I make our jams, relishes and pickles from in season produce, and bake our own bread. Herbal tea is made from whatever is growing in the garden that season, and we use honey and maple syrup as our sweeteners (or sugar for biscuits-cookies). 

There's about eight or ten more meals/bakes in my list of regulars, but what I have found this year is that this is all we needed. I restock groceries or buy meat that will be used in those everyday meals and snacks, and its delivered to my door so I'm not wandering the supermarket being tempted anymore. I am so content with this new ordinary, this simpler way of living...and if I did not have this knee injury, and become housebound and unable to drive, I do not believe this lesson would have been so quickly or easily learned, and this beautiful simplicity of days be lived out as it now is.

So, this is my story, and I know it's not something you might draw inspiration from, but one thing about blogging these past eighteen years, is that I share life as it is being lived here in my home, and this today is me taking you along as I write what will be a journal of Jennifer's life for my children and grandchildren, because I wish I'd had something like this from Nana. Oh the wealth of old-ways commonsense, and how she was able to live a rich and contented life on very little, that she could teach me!

Share your life with your family, dear friends, because there are gems in there which may be lost before the little ones grow up and need them. 

"Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations. Ask your father and he will show you, your elders and they will tell you." Deuteronomy 32:7

"Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths where the good way is, and walk in it." Jeremiah 6:16

I'll be back next week with some tutorials, useful things you can make for your home. Until then, God bless dear ones...

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Contentment, simplicity and acceptance...

 

I have lately been pondering the physical changes which have come to pass these past few years, or perhaps across the past decade. For a long while it was a frustrating struggle to accept the increasing number of limitations my body enforced upon me, and too much time was spent lamenting the days of yore when my man and I were off exploring every weekend, driving to rugged places, hiking mountains to see a waterfall, trekking through the rainforest, all with a large picnic hamper, a thermos of tea, water bottles, ground blanket and cameras in hand, and no time restraints on ending our day. 

And then in September 2018 we bought our quarter acre and set up this home as our 'landing space' for however long the Lord keeps us here, or until Jesus returns. It was the first time we'd had a home of our own, after decades of renting, and was an old home in need of many repairs, but all we saw at the time was a blank slate and the opportunity to build gardens, to grow food, to do to it whatever we wanted in order to create a home which truly reflected us - a home which would be our very own sanctuary now and into the future. 

(harvesting young radishes, basil, and garlic chives)

We were in our late 50's at the time, and had no concept of what this new and exciting change would require of us - but after the first few years, we realised the change was in fact an enormous challenge, one that would weary us commensurate with natural physical aging. But after a few more years, and with a good number of modules in various God-designed reality lessons, all we feel now is gratitude and acceptance for what has become for us, a simpler style of life. It's an honest hardworking life, without excess and living within our means, and much richer in reward than we could have imagined, even with bodies that continue to age.

Throughout these years the seeds of contenment grew as well, and to be honest, I believe that may be the very root of how acceptance sprouts in the heart. Once that happened for us, it became clear the Lord had been using a number of trials and challenges to show how 'our' perceived dreams often do not match up with reality. 

(pesto made from fresh radish tops and basil - delicous!)

I was recently thinking of the old saying  - "If only I knew then what I know now" - and I asked myself even if that were possible, would I have changed anything about this journey? I asked my husband as well. Both of us had the same answer. No. How can we regret learning what we did not know, with the Lord right by our side all the way, gently imparting His wisdom when our own had failed. 

(this morning's sourdough loaf, baked at 6am in a dutch oven after proving overnight, and made from two flours - rye and wheat)

There are many 'dreams' we have in life, or perhaps some were more like wishful thinking or hoping for the best outcome?  I'll be honest with you, apart from home ownership, motherhood was not what I imagined, neither was marriage or homeschooling. These 'dreams' ended up having a very loose resemblance to how they truly were. But looking back, the realities held far more wonders and were much richer than the dreams ever promised to be!

(baby beet tops for adding to salads)

So now when I have my hands in the soil, preparing more area for planting food crops, I get so excited about the process of building a garden, planting seeds, growing food, and later enjoying an abundant harvest. Its a slow thing, a time consuming act working with the climate here so that we plant things which will grow and not waste time or money on plants which are known to fail (often that knowledge came from our own mistakes)...but oh how marvellous it is to the heart being in the garden, and acknowledging that here in our 8th autumn, we can see the result of those years before and give thanks to the Lord for the abundance we have today. 

(my April UFO finish, fingerless mittens with embroidered motifs)

The truth is, no experience in life is wasted. In God's economy, all we have done before, and all we are doing now, can be looked at as a kind of investment in our character if we simply allow Him to correct, refresh and guide us forward. My husband and I are not the same people we were the day we moved into this home back in 2018. God has whittled away a number of sharp edges in our character, built our faith even higher through various trials and outcomes (some not at all what we'd hoped for), shown us over and over that disappointments will come but He is still walking with us and He will see us through them. It is one thing to hope God is with you, but quite another to have no doubt whatsoever...and that's us. We believe, we accept, we have no doubt, we love Him so much, and we worship Him alone. 

No regrets. Even now with a very painful physical condition that restricts many activities, we hope for my healing, but we also accept the situation as it is right now - after all, there are a number of spiritual insights which have come from this, such as a deeper compassion for others who experience chronic pain, debilitating conditions, isolation, or enforced slowing for example. 

(hand quilting my Bird in Pot block - I shared the free pattern HERE)

I do not know where you are on this journey of gentle homemaking (see HERE for that blog post), or in your walk with the Lord, but as a woman who is still learning new life skills and spiritual insights at 67 years of age, let me encourage you to seek the good things around you, and not focus on the valley you may be walking through. God will walk with you through the valleys, and if you trust that is true, just allow acceptance to bring you peace. Then lift your eyes to notice the joys which nest around your life, joys which you may have overlooked or not searched for. 

 Between homemaking and garden tasks I need to rest my leg for a few hours, and during that time I may have a play with my photos using the Midjourney membership Blossom and Ross gifted me. The photo above is one I took last week in our kitchen, and then transformed it into a watercolour painting. I had recently cleaned out the walk-in pantry shelving and made this kitchen entrance area of repurposed book cases more functional by adding the everyday pantry items. Previously they have held jars of various food items, but this time I chose only items which are cooking staples. It's lovely to stand at the kitchen counter and look over at this area! It inspires me every day to create in the kitchen. These two watercolour pictures will be printed up and framed in the kitchen and pantry as soon as I can drive again and visit the op-shops for good frames. :-)

(the watercolour version of this photo above, using the AI feature in Midjourney, added a little drawer beneath the two top shelves, rather than the almond milks which sit on the shelf below, but I love it and thought how lovely it would be to have real drawers there)

Well, its time for a herbal tea and some freshly baked sourdough with hummus, pesto and avocado. One of my favourite lunches! Later on I may roast a pumpkin, one of the many still growing in our front yard, for soup tonight. But first, lunch and a rest with the leg up. 

God bless, I will write again soon, and in the meantime I'd love to read your own stories in the comments...

You will find loads of patterns for instant download HERE in my Etsy Shop 

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Old becomes new...

 

I have taken to the habit, after baking a fresh batch of delicious scones, of freezing a few for those afternoons when I'm a tad tired and longing for something to enjoy with my cup of tea. Such was an afternoon this week. After defrosting one such scone, and brewing a large cup of tea in my very special Royal Albert "rose blush" mug, I opted to open a jar of mango jam, one of many I made before Christmas, and smear it generously across the butter. In our family scones are served at room temperature, and never warm. I truly cannot bear to have the butter melted away, for butter is a delight to my tastebuds. Sometimes I wonder if it's the butter, more than the scone and jam, that I enjoy most of all? How do you enjoy your scones?

Before writing any further, I must clear up a misunderstanding from my previous post. As you can see above, I've once again taken one of my own photos and changed it into a watercolour painting scene. This has not been done with any skill of my own, but through the use of a membership my dear Blossom gifted me as an early Mothers Day present. I tried a 5-image free trial with Midjourney earlier in the month, and loved how the recent photo of the front of our home was transformed in watercolours. I showed my Blossom-girl, and she was most impressed too. Then she told me how Ross uses professional Midjourney for his business (in a completely different way to the watercolour style I love) and that they had decided to gift me a one-year membership. So you are going to see more of these gorgeous pics in the coming year. 

With only eight days left in April, I decided that a pair of fingerless mittens which have been awaiting completion since they were stowed away on a shelf in February, would be my April UFO project. I had made three pairs previously, all of which went to the grandchildren. The blue pair I initially made for myself were claimed by Cully May and that just made me so happy. Now all three will have warm hands this coming winter. 

Once the children had them, I started another pair for myself, but this time in a solid cream merino wool, because the lure of knitting a pair with embroidered motifs was hard to resist. I'd used the plain pattern for the kids mittens, though the wool in theirs was variegated in lovely colours...but now I can have a play with something more mature for my own. 

Couldn't resist another watercolour version of a photo, and thought you'd enjoy seeing how artfully it is done. I shall be choosing some to frame at home throughout this year, and perhaps create calendars for Christmas gifts at year's end.

Are you wondering about the heading of this blog post? "Old becomes new" is an idea, or more of a desire really, that I have had for a few years now. I began designing in early 2009, just as I turned 50. Over the past seventeen years, my design portfolio has grown to more than a thousand patterns, and when I look back on them, there's at least fifty I'd really like to give a makeover - you know, in a style more 'me' of today. Naturally one can dream, but the reality is that I won't be able to follow through on that scale of project...but I can pick a few here and there as time allows, simpler ones, and a few that I could share with you as a thank you gift for being here, reading along, praying, encouraging, and sharing your own stories in the comments. 

Today I'll start with a cute design, "Bird in Pot", which was first shared back in 2016 as a tea towel project. Today I have that same design in a PDF for you as a free download, and you can make it up any way you  like...

At the time I first made the Bird in Pot tea towel design, my applique style was fusible raw edge blanket stitch. You'll notice this in the majority of  Elefantz designs during those first 14-15 years...but then I tried my hand at needle-turn applique and a new love developed! :-)

So in sharing this simple pattern with you once again, ten years on from it's first debut, I am re-working it with needle-turn and a different colour palette.

The background fabric is cut from an old linen sheet, and apart from an old Minki Kim brown floral print, the remaining prints are from a 2017 charm pack by Bunny Hill Designs. I love shopping from my old stash! 

I chose to make a few changes from the pattern sheet. Instead of keeping the stems and leaves in one piece as I did with the original applique, this time I have used my nifty bias maker to create needleturn stems, and made some cardboard templates for the needleturn leaves (because I find the points of leaves fiddly without preparing around a template first) ....

Instead of a tea towel, this will become the centre of an autumnal cushion for our bedroom, and I'll hopefully have it completed next week to show you. 

How would/will you make Bird in Pot, and how would/will you display it? Use the link below to download the pattern templates.

DOWNLOAD Bird in Pot

I was reading Lin's blog the other day and she recommended this book (below) so I checked my library and yay, they had it, so reserved a copy. Our driveway is under construction from tomorrow (part of the new upgraded road and water pipes they've been installing for the past two years) and we shall not be able to enter or exit our property with a car for seven days, and fortunately the library is at the end of our long road so I was able to collect the book today, along with a DVD. The movie is one I watched last year and loved, so now I can enjoy it again while I knit and stitch. 

Hubby has just arrived home so I'll sign off now and pray each of you have a restful day/evening, assured of God's hand on your life, and His love displayed through the blessed gift of our dear Jesus, the coming King and Lion of Judah! 

Chat again soon,

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You will find loads of patterns for instant download HERE in my Etsy Shop 

Flowing with your season...

(my original photo of the front of our home, remade as a watercolour print, April 2026)

Home is where I am happiest. Home is where I get to live out the familiar rhythms and habits, through all seasons, which keep me grounded and calm and confident. 

Occasionally there are new challenges to face within those familar seasons, mostly the kind which are quickly (or simply) resolved, but every so often there's one which will take more from you than first imagined. 

Days after my last post, it became evident that time would be needed for me to try something new, wait for a result, and finally, to make my peace with what would eventuate. During these past five weeks there's been no desire in my heart to write here, nor even correspond with the many kind and caring emails, messages and comments you have sent to check up on me - but I did cherish each one, and have been so very grateful for your prayers, especially when I am sure you all have challenges of your own to contend with. How incredibly lovely are your hearts! xxx

I did want to clarify something - many messages/emails about my knee assumed that it was arthritis and that I'd need a knee replacement, but that is incorrect. The damage is primarily a cartilage injury (the meniscus) as well as a couple of bone marrow oedemas, the main one in my tibia. These cause swelling and chronic pain, but the problem I mostly have is re-injuring (three times) where the medial meniscus detached nine months ago. Anyhow, whilst I was absent from the blog, I saw the orthopeadic specialist who suggested an injection of hyaluronic acid, hoping that would give some extra cushioning inside my knee while the meniscus continued to heal. The success rate is 50% and it was very expensive, but after such a long time of chronic pain it seemed worth trying at least. Unfortunately, it has not worked. 

But I have had time to consider all my options, and examine every bit of advice given me by the medical professionals. Some of the things I was told to do by physiotherapists made my knee worse, and the more I investigated those exercises, the more I learned how outdated they were. So, I have been doing things a bit differently the past three weeks, and can actually feel some improvement at long last - which has allowed me to return to the garden, and work in it, carefully and mindfully, for a couple of hours most days. As of this week I was able to drive the car 2 kilometres to the shop, but no further due to pain, but two weeks ago I could not drive at all. I relish every blessings, large or small!

The front and back gardens were horribly overgrown and ugly after our monsoonal wet season. I was not sure where to begin, but decided to start slowly, and begin clearing away and pruning. Just doing that over a few days allowed me to envision what was needed at this mid-autumn season, and how I could best return to growing vegetables again. You see, mid-autumn to mid-spring is our growing season in the tropics, and I had thought for many months that I'd miss it this year. 

The grandkids came over one Sunday and 5yo Charlie David spent hours helping Poppy in the garden. Poppy pruned the large trees and bushes, and afterwards Charlie David helped carry the branches to Poppy for shredding. By the end of the morning we had a good deal of mulch for the front and back garden! 

Something my husband and Charlie's dad Ross do a lot of with him, is "men stuff". Teaching young boys how to do things they'll need to know one day with their own families to care for is very important to them. 

And meanwhile Rafaella was in the kitchen with me making a chicken pasta salad. It was her first time using a very sharp knife (one of my Japanese kitchen knives), and she was marvellous cutting all the vegetables while I cooked the pasta and made mayonnaise.

I haven't done any sewing or knitting for three weeks, because the garden has been my focus, but I did complete my March UFO on time...

The backing fabric and binding are favourite prints I have had since 2007!! In fact every fabric used in this project is at least ten years old. People often ask me where they can purchase the fabrics used in my designs and I have to disappoint them because most of the fabric I own is between 8-20 years old. 

I truly love how the table runner finished up, and decided that once the garden is a bit further along I shall make more of those orange peel blocks from my old fabrics and use them as cushion covers for the lounge room - so bright and cheery!

So shall I complete a UFO for April?? I do not know, but tonight I'll have a look through the ones I put aside for this year and see if there's a small project that can be completed easily. I'm rather tired at night... :-)

Anyhow I'll leave you with photos of where I'm up to in the garden as of yesterday. So that you know what's been planted thus far...

Seeds still sprouting and yet to be planted out - daikon radish, red cherry tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes, lebanese cucumbers, coriander, lemon basil, zinnia and cosmos.

Already potted - bok choy, spring onions, calendula, chives, red tomato, sweet potato, rocket (arugula), snow peas and various herbs. 

Ready to harvest - We also have another huge bunch of bananas growing, the lime tree almost finished producing (we got around 200 limes this year), the lemon grass needing to be thinned and the stalks frozen, plus five huge pumpkins almost ready to harvest.

Seeds to be planted over the weekend - carrots, beetroot, rockmelon and parsley. 

There's still a lot more to do in the front and back gardens, and we're a bit late with the winter planting, but one thing I have come to realise is that doing something is far better than doing nothing. In fact, planting a little is better than not planting at all. An hour a day adds up to seven by week's end if that's all you can manage in a day. If you don't have wonderfully large high garden beds, use pots. I mostly use pots. Just do something that brings your senses alive - and for me that is in the garden. 

For you it may be sitting with your watercolours and painting a scene, or any number of activities which breathe life into your actions and protect your mental health. 

I know that the garden is integral to my mental health. The birds visit each day, and wait for me to feed them. They do not fly away when I come near because they know they're safe around me, and that is such a blessing. Sitting outside watching the birds, enjoying a cup of tea and perusing the fruits of my garden labour - all this is a gift from the Lord, and I do not take those gifts lightly.

I know many of the smaller birds will be building nests soon, so I have hung a mug of yarn scraps from the elder tree for them, after seeing the idea on Niamh's vlog a few years back. 

I hope to be back writing again next week, as I had not intended being absent for so long - but seasons come and go, and rather than be frustrated when a particular season is upended with various challenges, it's important to flow along with them and carry the peace of God with you until that season has passed and a fresh one begins. 

Whatever season you are in right now, whether it be hard or exciting or joyous or confusing, lean on the Lord. Rest in His arms and let His constant and unfailing reassurance carry you through the laughter or tears. I have found there is no other Who can see me through every season of life, as carefully or as faithfully, as my Jesus. 

Chat again soon,

My free newsletter is back. Just sign up HERE and you'll receive it every couple of weeks.

You will find loads of patterns for instant download HERE in my Etsy Shop