January tea towel post and book study...

 

I've kept this year's free tea towel design quite simple, because I'd like to think it reflects the gentle simplicity of our domestic lives throughout 2023. 

As the theme on the blog this year is 'a new year of gentle domesticity', it seems prudent that I should be encouraging both myself and all of you, to seek after gentler expressions of homemaking, amidst the regular rhythms and routines of keeping house. 

There's a number of words I could have chosen to embellish this year's tea towel, but memories of sitting at nana's table enjoying the very simple and delicious meals she would bake each day brought joy to my heart, so 'baking' was what I decided on.

Memories of relaxed evenings watching The Waltons, where every scene of Grandma and Olivia working side by side preparing food, or the family gathered around the table laughing and sharing the fruits of their labour, always gave me cause to sigh and smile, because the love of eating a meal together, of simply "being" together, was another reminder of sitting at our own small kitchen table when I was young, and the love and laughter and gratitude which filled the air.

Gingham and redwork compliment each other beautifully, and genuinely do remind me of the old days, so when I found this turquoise checked tea towel tucked away in my linen cupboard, the idea for this year's free pattern came quickly to mind. I hope you make this for yourself, and maybe a few others as gifts throughout the year - they'd be so easy and inexpensive to post. 

Or, imagine wrapping your newly stitched tea towel around a batch of freshly baked scones or muffins, or maybe even a loaf of bread, to gift a neighbour? That would be lovely (and delicious) indeed. I find the simplest gifts quite often mean the most. 

Use the link below to download the pattern

DOWNLOAD the 'Baking' tea towel pattern

As promised last week, today we shall continue the Emilie Barnes book study with chapter five of Simple Secrets to a Beautiful Home. 

This chapter is titled 'The Secret of the Kitchen' and it seems that Emilie's love for this productive and aromatic room began early in life through the inspiration of her father, a chef who was raised in the kitchen of a Viennese palace. After moving to America he opened many top restaurants, receiving standing ovations from movie stars of the era. 

Unlike Emilie, most of us were not raised by chefs, so our culinary skills are more attuned to the simple home kitchen, and creating day by day family pleasing menus - but fortunately for us, we are the women Emilie is writing to in this book. Let's begin...

Emilie asks, "What makes a memorable meal? The recipe for such a time involves four simple ingredients."

The Setting (ideas):

Fold napkins inside the water glasses or tuck them into napkin rings / garnish the dinner plate with a sprig of parsley / place a lemon wedge in each glass of water / use a floral sheet as your tablecloth / make napkins from an old sheet / add a jar of fresh flowers to the table centre or for seasonal displays use apples, grapes, pine cones, candles, twinkling lights - whatever is on hand.

The Food (ideas):

Use in-season fruits and vegetables / think about the aroma of food cooking as guests gather at the table - curries, garlic, fresh bread, coffee, chili, spices, roasts, fruit pies / make family favourites regularly to create memories.

The Fellowship (ideas):

Turn off the television / put phones away / be prepared to share about your day and be prepared to listen to what others want to share / use this time for family and friendships to grow.

A Peaceful Ambience (ideas):

"Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife." Proverbs 17:1 / plan dinner times thoughtfully so that all the components of the meal are ready to serve at the same time / avoid weighty or emotional conversations over meals / invite God to be present at each meal and give thanks.

The Year Round Kitchen

Not just a seasonal cook, Emilie also embraces seasonal decor in her kitchen and surrounds, using windowsills, countertops and the dining area to infuse elements of spring, summer, autumn and winter to her home. 

"...tuning in to the turning of the seasons will help make your kitchen more warming and fulfilling." (page 79)

Flowers in season are displayed growing in window boxes and pretty pots in the warmer months, or cut and placed in a vase or jar all through the year. Bowls are filled with pumpkins, squash and gourds in autumn, and through summer they overflow with fruits and vegetables. 

With regards to meals, Emilie chooses fresh ingredients in their season, delighting (for example) in serving the first spring produce on a white lace tablecloth beside fresh blooms - a celebration of taste and colour. 

"Setting a pretty breakfast table or food bar with placemats sends out good signals." (page 79)

Many summer meals are served outdoors, especially those cooked on the barbecue. Lots of big green salads with assorted vegetables and garlic dressing gave Emilie great delight and a desire to pray for long hot summers. She suggests shopping at a Farmer's Market in spring and summer for home-sourced goods such as jam, breads, honey and nuts if you don't make or have your own.

In the cooler months keep your kitchen warm and smelling wonderful with simmering soups, slow cooker meals and casseroles. 

Hope you enjoyed the overview on chapter five. Next month we will glean from the next chapter, The Secret of Stillness. 

If you're new here, last year we read through the first four chapters (there are nine in all) and I gave some highlights here for those who did not have a copy of the book. You can read through those first four chapter studies HERE

Love to hear your own thoughts and ideas on creating a welcoming kitchen. I'm still slowly working on mine, and find that some of her ideas won't work in such a small space with minimal countertop area, but that doesn't mean I can't take the seeds of what Emilie did in her home and bring to life some beauty of my own with what means I have on hand. Creativity is such a unique thing for every women, and that's fairly obvious when you spend time in someone else's home. 

I wonder how we'd arrange or decorate our kitchen and dining areas if we took some time to really ponder the things we like, the style which best suits our taste and budget, and considered what matters and what doesn't? Lately I'm thinking more and more about what I don't like, which is very helpful with decluttering, because when I know that, it's much easier to imagine a room/s makeover for the future.

For now, it's small inexpensive steps for my home, and I don't mind at all because in most things these days I enjoy taking my time before making decisions (what a change from a few years back). 

Have a lovely end of week, dear ones, and just for fun, why don't we all set the table tonight, light some candles, play some favourite music in the background, and 'welcome' home our loved ones. If you've got some flowers pop them in a jug or vase, or ask your neighbour for a few blooms if she has them. Bring out your napkins, best glasses and dinner plates, and bake a lovely dessert if you have time. Turn off the telly and don't answer texts or scroll social media - in fact put your mobile devices in another room. Give your loved ones some undivided attention...who knows, you may find this becomes a delightful new weekly rhythm to home life. 

I'm going to bake a lemon delicious pudding, but not sure what will be the main course as yet - have to check the fridge first and see what needs using up. Even the simplest of meals become special when served with beauty. Emilie taught me that. 

Oh, and if you're after a very simple way to make cloth napkins from old sheets, visit Jes at her blog Strangers and Pilgrims HERE where she gives some very easy instructions. Jes has so many wonderful homemaking ideas and examples that you might find yourself trying a few different things. 

hugs

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Appreciating the garden...

 If there's one thing which resounded through my reading of chapter four in Emilie Barnes' book "Simple Secrets to a Beautiful Home" it was the many simple ways we can add beauty and function through gardening - whether you have a large acreage, an allotment, a small backyard, an apartment, a room at a nursing home, a van at the caravan park, or even a bedsit. 

"You don't have to have acres of land or an emerald thumb in order for gardening to be part of your life. Your garden can flourish in whatever space and time you have to give it." (page 53)

Emilie recounts her early days of marriage, living in a tiny apartment which needed much imagination and creativity to bring about an atmosphere of 'home'. The shelf below her kitchen window soon became a garden of potted herbs and bright cheery geraniums, sparking within her a love for gardening as a source of beauty, and also as a way to add flavour to their simple meals. 

There are  many books on the market which offer ideas for balcony gardening, and some of the sites I have visited and the photos seen, show abundant greenery and a variety of edible plants almost within arms reach of the living room door. 

We live in the hot humid tropics of Northern Queensland, and as you drive by the populated shoreline of our town, there are hundreds of balconied apartments to see...but the ones which stand out are those filled with miniature fruit trees, climbing vegetables, herbs and flowers. If the balcony is large enough there may be a swing seat, but most balconies are smaller, yet spaces of real beauty and productivity. 

Emilie reminds us that God created the earth out of nothing, and with that in mind, she encourages us to look with creative eyes at our own blank space of dirt, imagining what we can do to add life and bring abundant growth. 

Even though many of us do not have a green thumb, and neither did she (though her husband was blessed that way) she advises all who are starting out to research what will grow well in your individual climate and area - because she planted a number of things that failed.

These are her tips for garden planning, gained from her own experience...

1. Some plants do better in the shade than in the sun.

2. Not all plants will grow in your region.

3. When planting trees, the hole needs to be twice as big as the ball of the tree, and use a very good quality soil mix.

4. Weed regularly to avoid them taking over your gardens.

5. Apply a good balanced fertiliser regularly.

6. A well thought out watering schedule is important for good growth.

7. I love this one..."With a garden, God always gives you a second chance. With time, patience, and fertiliser, even major mistakes can be corrected and beauty will be the result."

With regards to the poem (above) which Emilie includes in this chapter, I'll be quite honest and tell you I never really liked it. I thought how wrong to imagine you'd be nearer to God's heart if you were in the garden...and that belief still holds true for me.

However, when we moved to this home, our very first purchased residence, four years ago, the garden was pretty much a blank slate and we had no idea where to begin, but we both loved trees and greenery, and we both wanted to grow our own food. Hubby was less fussed on flowers, but when I explained we needed them for the bees he came on board with my floral plans. 

As we began the long process of planting (both successful and unsuccessful) and almost lost the lot in the floods of 2019, a deep delight began to take root within my heart, and you know, I can tell you today that even though I can feel close to God anywhere, it is when I am tending my garden and chatting away to Him that I seem to have my most profoundly gentle and inspiring moments - so I look upon Dorothy Gurney's poem with delight now. 

The rest of the chapter is filled with different areas to display plants, such as the front entrance (inside and out), hanging pots around windows, or growing herbs on windowsills. Emilie also encourages her readers to involve our children and grandchildren in the hands on work of planting, caring, weeding, and harvesting. 

Lastly, when setting up your garden be it large or small, work with the seasons, visit open garden days in your town for ideas, buy or borrow books which are relevant to your climate and region, and most importantly, make a start. Just jump in and get your hands in the dirt...so much delight awaits you. 

Here's some pics from around our garden this week - some planting, some harvesting, some simply beautiful for bringing in the house. 

Radishes sprouting, which we eat in salads, but also use the leaves for delicious radish pesto...

More radishes and mizuna greens...

The final crop of baby beets pulled and ready to be washed and pickled. We use the beetroot greens in salads...

New beetroot seedling planted in hopes of more baby beets, but if not, the greens will do nicely...

A volunteer tomato popped up in the front garden, and though our tomato season is over (once it gets too hot and humid the pests destroy them) this one is doing well. Of course, being the only tomato we have growing now we can check it multiple times a day to remove bugs. 

The birdhouse hubby built three years back became home to a family of Myna birds this spring, so he was really chuffed! I can hear the babies, but can't see them yet and don't want to disturb them.

Beauty...tending my roses is a joy I cannot express well enough. They do much better in partial shade as their petals burn in our fierce tropical sun, so our large Poinciana tree has become for them a spring/summer shelter.

They make the most beautiful vase display on my desk. Cutting a few blooms every couple of days means a heady rose scent surrounds me as I answer emails, type and work on other computer things. 

The pink rose is my hardest, and the one with a fragrance that lingers and assails your senses. It's called Perfume Passion, and apart from this one we bought two seasons back I have never seen another. 

These two were picked at dawn...

That's all for today. Hope you're doing well and finding delightful tasks to do around home and the garden. If you have any gardening ideas, experiences, or know of interesting books on gardening, please let us know in the comments below. I found a wonderful book for growing fruits and vegetables in the Australian tropics that has proved invaluable for understanding this particular climate and its challenges (HERE) but as you, my lovely readers, are wide spread across the globe, please share titles you have found helpful because it may be just what someone else is looking for. 

Before I sign off, my darling friend Fee has begun blogging again, and her focus is on the garden, living simply and food preservation. Pop over HERE and say hi - she'd love to catch up with you. We've had some wonderful phone chats lately, about the life changes we've made to nourish and bless our souls, changes that show you're never too old, or too unwell, to make small or large positive steps towards a fuller and more productive life. 

I have always believed that as long as I have breath, God has work for me to do, to His glory...and if you're reading this today, dear one, He still has a plan for you too.

hugs

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Chapter 3 - femininity...

Continuing our study of Emilie Barnes book (Simple Secrets to a Beautiful Home), chapter three's topic is The Secret of Femininity and in it we read of the many ways she found for nurturing femininity in her own life, and the lives of other women.

As before, I will write Emilie's words/thoughts in italics and my own thoughts in normal text. :-)

Emilie poses a few questions in the opening page of chapter three...

What better antidote for an impersonal and violent society than warm, gentle, feminine strength? What better cure for urban sprawl and trashed-out countrysides than a love of beauty and a confidence in one's ability to make things lovely? What better hope for the future than a nurturing mother's heart that is more concerned for the next generation than for it's own selfish desires? All these qualities - gentle strength, love of beauty, care and nurturing - are part of femininity.

The questions she wrote for us to consider, were in response to her own concern that this type of femininity had lost its value in the world of today. She wrote this book thirty years ago, and from my own observations today, I'd say yes, in many ways the world of 2022 almost shows disdain for true femininity. 

She adds her belief that in the heart of us is a little girl who longs to be a lady.

This made me think of my own little ladies, granddaughters 4yo Rafaella and 6yo Cully May, who love nothing more than to dress up as princesses, or to walk around in Mummy's shoes with a bag and scarf and lovely long beads. They set their 'table' and have pretend tea parties using the best of their manners...all the while pretending they are Mummy and me. 

Emilie expounds on the privilege of being a woman, a gift from God, and how we can use our femininity to transform an environment to make it comfortable and inviting. She goes on to remind us that there is no cookie-cutter woman, for we each of us express our femininity in unique ways, even in how we dress. For some it's tailored attire, whilst others will wear more relaxed and casual clothing...but both can express an air of gentleness and sensitivity. 

Personally, I love to wear dresses and do so at all times of the year, whether it be going out to the store for groceries, visiting a friend, scrubbing the bathroom or tending the garden. Dresses make me feel feminine, and though I have some casual linen pants and tops in my wardrobe, they are rarely worn, and in fact last year I wore dresses every day. 

And that's the key here, I think...when you consider what makes *you* feel good as a woman, and then make it part of your everyday life (if possible), it seems to naturally feed into how you behave and respond in day to day living. When I discovered during the early days of the pandemic that I was most comfortable at home in my pretty and rarely worn dresses, even though we were in lockdown and no-one would see me (before that I only wore them if going out for something special) it was as though a whole new world opened up and I 're-discovered' something I'd loved but forgotten over time. It gives me such delight each morning to choose a dress to wear! Some days I even use my perfume. 

For you, femininity (with regards to clothing) may be something completely different, so I highly recommend you discover (or re-assess) how you can delightfully elevate your own expression of personal femininity in what you wear. 

Emilie goes on to talk about other ways we can add femininity to our lives - such as perfume, bath oils, flowers in a vase, a hanky instead of tissues..."whatever awakens a calm and gentle spirit within you will nurture beauty in your life." Then she encourages things such as bringing our senses alive throughout the home with lavender sachets in drawers, adding a spray of cologne to notepaper or a card before posting, burning oils or simmering spices on the stove to fill the house with inviting fragrance. She encourages us to have music in the background - lively tunes for doing housework, and make sure you dance before the Lord too. Change cushions around, freshen dull spaces, and experiment with recipes...there's nothing self-indulgent about such small pleasures when we approach them with a spirit of gratitude because God's gifts help us to go about our tasks.

Self care, with regards to a healthy lifestyle also feature in Emilie's approach to inviting femininity into her life. 

But above all else, Emilie draws our attention to the most important way we can express femininity - from the inside. 

"True femininity comes from the heart, and I nurture it when I pay attention to what is really important in life." No interior decorating scheme (and no dress) can give it to me. (1 Peter 3:3-5)

Femininity is so much more than lace and flowers. A feminine woman is a woman with a teachable heart - a heart that can forgive, protect and respect...a heart of praise. 

Highlighting strong feminine women of the Bible, world history, and her own life - Queen Esther, the Proverbs 31 woman, the evangelist Jonathon Edwards' wife Sarah, and Emilie's own mother, she writes that beautiful women of all ages have shaped the world with the power of their femininity.

It seems fitting for me today to write about our beloved Queen Elizabeth 11. During her 96 years of life, 70 of them as Monarch, and in a position which required more strength of character and fortitude than we will ever need or know, was always, without a doubt, feminine. Not one to don a power suit and wield her authority over man...she was taught by her parents to be humble, to bow before the true King, Jesus, and to have a servant heart. She kept her word, she gave more than I can imagine to the Commonwealth, and every night (until too feeble) knelt at her bedside to pray. 

There are many women we can name who had strength, courage and faith, and still carried the genuine and gentle air of femininity with them for others to see. Women such as Elisabeth Elliot, Susannah Wesley, Ruth, Mary the mother of Jesus, my Nana...and probably yours. 

Emilie ends this chapter with an encouragement for all women to pass the feminine spirit on to our daughters, and all young women in our lives. 

"We do it when we teach girls the secrets of caring for themselves and others. We do it when we share our pride and skills in such classic "domestic arts" as cooking, sewing, knitting, crochet and embroidery...passing on the heritage of femininity is most of all a process of teaching values - caring for ourselves and others, shaping a godly and welcoming atmosphere in our homes and our lives, and working hard to affirm life, making the spirit of loveliness a priority."

This inspiring chapter ends with a prayer from Emilie...

For my part, being a woman, having that gift so freely given by the Lord, is something to be treasured. 

I rejoice in my femininity and never cease to be surprised as whilst my many years have passed, new lessons are still being learned, deeper refinements continue to be made, and gratitude - oh yes, gratitude - overflows more abundantly with each new dawn.

I pray something in this chapter has blessed you...it certainly blessed me.

Back soon, hugs...

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This week, a book study and a finish...

 This was a warmer week than we've had of late, perfect days of winter sunshine with temperatures that are what we experience in a 'normal' tropical winter - nights around 15c and days of 26c (60f - 79f).

I love the cooler months because it's easy to make sourdough. In our very hot and humid mid-spring to mid-autumn weather the yeasts in the sour dough starter simply die. So for now, I'm definitely enjoying a few months of real home-baked sour dough!

I usually make the sour dough loaves from white unbleached flour on the weekends when hubby is home...

...and gather fresh greens from the garden, make some quick pickled onions, boil some eggs, and bring it all together for a lovely open sandwich lunch eaten out in the garden.

On weekdays I grind my own grain for flour, and bake a regular loaf of bread with added flax seeds and sunflower kernels.

Since buying the grain mill a few months ago, I have noticed a big change in our digestive issues. No longer do we suffer from IBS, because our bodies are thriving on bread made from freshly ground whole grains. It's been such a game changer in our home and we praise God for discovering a better way to make bread.

It's definitely getting harder to source the whole wheat grains, but I have found a place that sells local grain from the Atherton Tablelands (about 3 hours north of us) and we're using that now.

On Tuesday I had Cully May and Rafaella for the day. The girls wanted to grow some flowers in their own back yard so we began our morning browsing the seedlings at Bunnings. They chose the Strawberry Blonde Marigolds and a ceramic pot each. They only have a small backyard in a rental home so all plants must be in pots.

The girls took turns filling their pots, then added the marigolds, and after I carried the heavy pots out into the sunshine they watered them (along with my own plants) ready to take home later that day.

They had also chosen a miniature rose and a green ceramic pot for mummy (Blossom) so I helped pot it for them as even though they wore garden gloves the little thorns made the girls hesitant to do it alone. 

My granddaughters LOVE fresh cucumbers, so I grow a lot of them! They chose one each to cut from the vine, to serve with lunch...

Lunchtime.

I had made pizza dough early in the morning after hubby left for work, so when lunchtime rolled around the girls were excited to roll out their own pizza bases and top them. 

Children add a lot of excitement to simple meal making, don't you think? If you ever get bored with cooking, invite a child or two to help. My girls have the best time creating on the kitchen benchtop.

Once baked, I chopped some cucumber and placed them beside the hot pizzas. Both girls devoured the cucumbers first, and then enjoyed the 'fruit of their labour' - the pizzas.

Our homeschool nature and cooking lessons for the day were done, and now it was time for language arts, with a touch of music. Blossom teaches this subject using a curriculum I had used with her and older brother during our own homeschooling years. 

The book for this lesson was Lentil, and what a wonderful book it was! The boy in the book is named Lentil and he has the worst singing voice, but his harmonica skills save the day during a huge welcome home parade for the town's leading citizen.

 I bought two harmonicas at the beginning of the year knowing at some point we'd be using this story as a launch pad for many lessons. The girls asked me to film them playing their harmonicas, so I did, and if you'd like to watch (and listen) for 15 seconds just click on the YouTube video below...

Our next lesson was arithmetic and we focused on addition using a floor puzzle I'd found at the op shop recently. To finish the day I went through some spelling with Cully May while Rafaella played nearby. 

This Nana was pretty tired after her wonderful day with the children so after packing up and dropping the girls back home with their flower pots and Blossom's rose, I sat and finished my second crochet blanket this winter (using the Cosy Stripe pattern from Attic 24)

I have since given it to Charlie, who loves it, and now all three of Blossom's children have their own crochet blankets from Nana. 

Naturally with a bit of winter still remaining I went hunting through the remainder of my yarn stash and began a new blanket, using the Sweet Pea pattern from Attic 24 (I had previously made this blanket for Rafaella)...

....but then decided I did not like the pattern as much as the Hydrangea pattern I'd used for Cully May's blanket earlier this winter. So I unravelled it, and started over to make another Hydrangea Stripe blanket (also by Attic 24).

The same colours will be used in this new blanket as in the one I unravelled, just in different order. I realised how much I liked beginning a blanket in green, and the Pistachio DK yarn is one of my favourite colours. The second colour is Boysenberry, another favourite. 

What have you done this week? 

When I asked you to share about your day a couple of weeks ago, you each inspired me so much! Those glimpses into your life, as I suppose the glimpses into mine, create for us a virtual kitchen table where we learn about each other. I sat with my cuppa and read all your comments, twice! I feel very privileged that you would take the time to share a peek into your life with me and those many thousands who read each blog post. 

In this Covid era, when many of us don't go out unless we need to, there's a chance that lonely days will come along every now and then. I know this because I have felt it myself at times (even though I'm an introvert who happily stays home), so for those of you who are naturally more social than I it must be very difficult to be bound to home day after day when you want to step out with friends. 

This is why I ask "how's your day?" I genuinely wonder how you are managing, what you're doing around home or in the garden, whether you're well or in need of prayer, what simple things are bringing you joy?

NEXT WEEK...

I shall begin the book study of Emilie Barnes "Simple Secrets to a Beautiful Home" next week, and hope you'll enjoy the journey. There's no need to buy the book (unless you want it) as I'll be focusing on the theme of each chapter and how it can inspire us today within our homes. 

I'll also have a free pattern to share with you, something which ties in to chapter one and which you can stitch as you ponder what we're studying. I pray it blesses you. 

May the Lord surround you with His presence in the days ahead and draw you hearts to all that is good, holy, kind, and joyful. 

bless you heaps,

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