Seasons of the heart...

 

Even though the sun is still fierce outside and the humidity last night was thick in the air, just knowing that we are in autumn, knowing that in the weeks ahead, little by little, an easing will come, my heart is preparing for the slowing of cooler months. I am so ready for this, and amidst the heat of early autumn in the tropics, I am seeking out those things which stir my mind to enter the rest of winter when it arrives.

Today as I waved my husband off to work with a packed lunchbox and two flasks of cool juice, my thoughts drifted to the house, and what chores needed to be done, and I got excited. 

There was a time when mopping floors was number one on my list of dreaded chores, but after prayer and seeking a better way to approach this task, the Father changed my attitude and it has now become a task I enjoy, even look forward to.

Our home is all tiles, apart from the bedroom and hubby's study, which are still bare concrete after having the carpets ripped out after the floods two years ago. We bought rugs to throw over them and to be honest they have served us well so we have tended to forget that one day permanent floor coverings should be attended to. In the meantime, I begin my Monday floor routine by scattering a mix of bi-carb soda and lavender oil over all the rugs in the house, then walk over them, rubbing the mix into the pile with my feet. Aaah, the fragrance is beautiful.

If you've never made your own carpet deodoriser, I highly recommend you try this very simple mix.

I usually use half a jar at a time and as I emptied it after this morning's vacuuming it was time to make more in preparation for next week. I fill a jar to 3/4 full with bi-carb soda and add about ten drops of pure lavender oil, then screw the lid on and give it all a good shake. Once that's done top the jar to the brim with more bi-carb soda and give another shake. 

After I'd made up my next jar it occurred to me how simple a gift this would make, and as I'm off to Blossom's tomorrow I thought what a good gift to take along for her!

I have a lot of those lovely red gingham lidded Bonne Maman jars (our favourite jam if we've run out of homemade) so after writing on a pretty label and filling the jar with lavender bi-carb, I tied the label around the neck of the jar with string. So very ordinary, so very simple, and yet I know Blossom will truly appreciate it. If it were gifted to me I'd be rather happy too.

While the carpet mix was left to infuse deep inside the pile, I vacuumed all the tiled and bare floors, and only then did I vacuum up the lavender bi-carb. 

The fragrance had drifted all through the house and it was then that I decided to scatter some of my newly refreshed jar over the couches, something I used to do when we had dogs inside but hadn't done for ages. Anyhow, while I hung washing and cleaned the bathroom those couches were infused as well. Once vacuumed off it was time to mop. 

Now as I said earlier, mopping was a genuinely hated task up until around July or August last year, because pushing a mop around always made my hips and shoulders ache for days, so I was very lax in keeping up with shiny floors, choosing to spot clean every few days with a cloth and miracle spray. 

Then, on impulse, a totally spur of the moment decision, I purchased a cheap steam mop on sale at our local Woolworths supermarket. Ladies, that $59 purchase changed my cleaning life. 

Today I get such joy mopping the floors that I'm often seen just before hubby arrives home from work giving the kitchen another going over as dinner simmers away.  And this made me think about all the other chores which don't exactly come easily, and whether there are other ways to do them that will lift my heart the way this cheap steam mop has. I'm praying over this and know in my heart that the Lord shall indeed answer.

On the subject of cleaning , I shall admit that I've only recently (since Covid) began watching YouTube and the things I look for there are simple living, Godly living, natural cleaning, healthy recipes, small homesteading and the love of homemaking. Like all homemakers I also need inspiration to slow down, care for and appreciate this dwelling the Father led us to purchase. You see, for the longest time I would rush through things because I also needed to work on new designs and manage the internet side of the business. I would often spend hours each afternoon hand embroidering patterns for one of my clubs or creating a new free design - and none of that was wrong, but over time I found my time increasingly given over to the "habit" of stitching the afternoons away. I look back now and realise this was one of the reasons for that feeling of 'overwhelm' at day's end when half the things I should have done around home were now on tomorrow's to-do list and that list was already long enough. 

Before about 2014 homemaking was my first and most enjoyed priority and the business balanced nicely alongside it. Then the business took off in a big way and I had offers to write books, design fabrics, be sponsored by thread companies and even to become an ambassador for Lecien Fabrics. It was thrilling to be noticed, to be asked. But around that time I was also in the midst of delving deeper into what it means to live a "gentle domestic" life, so I declined all offers except the Lecien ambassador program, though after 16 months I decided that wasn't for me either.

Once again home and business balanced nicely, until we moved here in September 2018. Our first home, and here were were in our late 50's, starting over and having no idea what we'd gotten ourselves into. Close friends had tried to prepare us for the work needed in bringing this dream of home, garden and some self-sufficiency to fruition because they had already walked those hard yards at a much younger age than we now were. So, over time, especially last year, we were burned out physically and things began to slide. My afternoons were spent 'resting' with stitcheries and watching old British mysteries. The yard chores could not be ignored but the inside ones weren't given the attention they required...and then the overwhelm, the guilt, the stress of needing to catch up. 

This is when I really looked for inspiration to be the homemaker my heart longed to be again. So much of it was there inside me, but I was tired, weary, the balance of business was far greater than home, and I needed to bring things back to where they needed to be. I needed to start fresh and to stoke the flames of love which still simmered for a gentle domestic life. 

Things are different now. A refreshed love has bloomed for cleaning, cooking, organising, preparing our home to be a welcome sanctuary when my husband walks through the door each evening. My homemaker heart is restored and with each new day I am excited about what is ahead and how I can tend this precious little home to the glory of God.

When I take a lunch break now, it feels very deserved, and the food is delicious whether it's a simple sandwich or a bowl of leftover curry and rice, because I'm truly hungry and in need of a half hour with my feet up and a nice cup of Earl Grey. 

Loving our homes, enjoying them, being excited about tending to daily tasks and creating a place of warmth and welcome for others to enjoy and feel safe and loved - this is where the weight of balance needs to lean. 

Removing part of my business last week was like opening a window to autumn; saying farewell to one season and welcoming the next with joyous anticipation. 

I am so very blessed to have two homemaker friends who inspire and encourage me in that role - Rosie and Fee. I'm also extra blessed to have Blossom as my loving daughter, a woman of faith and courage in adversity, a constant prayer partner and Bible study buddy who teaches me as much as I teach her. 

But there are things which I also need as a homemaker, and that's where I use YouTube to glean from, and be inspired by, a handful of wonderful homemakers.

Right now my lunch times are spent watching Lea's videos on preparing practically and spiritually for Autumn around home and in the kitchen, as well as Niamh's videos on natural cleaning (we don't share the same spiritual beliefs but she has wonderful advice for slow, natural living).

Today I have Lea's autumn inspired apple/cinnamon/ginger/lemon tea simmering in a pot on the stove to enjoy over ice tonight (because it's still hot and humid here, sigh). Just watching autumn in cooler countries gives me joy and hope for what is ahead soon.

Maybe you're struggling with balance too?

Have you lost a bit of that love for the gentle domestic life, has it been pushed down because demands call you elsewhere? Friend, pray and ask the Lord to bring balance back into your life. He is faithful and will show you how. 

Now I have a bowl of passionfruit to play with and I've promised Blossom a sweet Passionfruit Slice will accompany me tomorrow, so I shall sign off and offer my hugs and a prayer over all of you tonight.

hugs

Tending, preparing and a little something you can stitch...

Yesterday was Friday, my preparation day.

Preparing for the slower weekend days, preparing my heart for the Sabbath rest, preparing food and snacks to assist in slowing the rhythms of Saturday and Sunday so that those days are very different to the weekday flow; preparing for extra time to let the nourishment of God's Word sink deeper into my mind and heart.

Yesterday much time was spent in the kitchen.

Blueberry Compote is what I serve alongside muesli and coconut yoghurt for breakfast most days. Fresh blueberries are very expensive here so I buy frozen 500g bags at a fraction of the cost. I empty the bag into a saucepan and let the blueberries thaw, then add a squeeze of lemon juice and one tablespoon of honey (or sugar) before simmering on the stove until the liquid is almost gone and a lovely syrup surrounds the berries. 

This amount will last us through the week and if there's any left next Friday I'll stir them through an oat and apple muffin mix. 

My husband is not a fan of cake but he does love biscuits (cookies to my US friends) so I made up an old favourite recipe which never fails.

I discovered last year than a major migraine trigger for me was mandarins and oranges so I swapped out the orange rind and juice in this recipe with lemons instead - still delicious.

Then it was a Coconut Slice to bake as I have so many eggs which need to be used, and though I'd normally use raspberry jam it was my leftover boysenberry jam that filled the centre of this sweet after-dinner treat.

The slice is cut into 18 pieces and together, the biscuits and the slice, will last us through next week. 

We both love noodle salads and enjoy at least one each week on the menu. A really delicious dressing I make is a raw satay one, which doubles as a tasty dipping sauce for rice paper rolls - and both those meals will be served this coming week so I made a double quantity of the satay sauce. 

Here's the recipe for Raw Satay Sauce -

1/2 cup tamari (or soy sauce)

2 tablespoons peanut butter (for USA use 3 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon onion powder (for USA use four teaspoons)

2" piece of peeled fresh ginger, cut into small chunks

1 clove peeled garlic

1/4 cup water

4 pitted fresh (medjool) dates

juice of 1 lemon

chilli (optional)

The sauce is so easy to make, you just throw everything in a high speed blender and that's it.

A big pot of Moroccan vegetable and chick pea stew (above) will serve us two meals; firstly served over cous cous, and secondly topped with puff pastry and baked near the end of the week. I love making meals like this which can be served in many ways, and they are so inexpensive as well. I never serve this stew on the day I make it because it's one of those meals which gets better as the days go by. 

I'm already planning next Friday's baking by turning the pages of a few vintage cook books with a cup of tea and some of those biscuits. A prerequisite is that they use a lot of eggs and these tangy lemon Squares (recipe below - if you click on the photo it will expand) might just be top of my dessert plan.

For those in Australia, did you know that many of these vintage inspired Women's Weekly cookbooks can be purchased again? Pop over HERE for a look. I love the three I have and always find something to bake!

Friday is also when I water all the indoor plants. We have 34 of them at the moment but I've just popped some more ivy cuttings from Blossom into a glass and once they sprout roots that will be another two.

The last time she gave me an ivy cutting (sorry, can't remember the actual name of the plant) it took about six weeks to grow roots but once planted in a pot it has thrived and is growing wonderfully.

If the new ones take well I'll plant them with a trellis in the pot so they can climb upwards.

I spent Thursday at Rosie's and she blessed my socks off with the birthday gift she'd made me! Last year she made me a gorgeous macrame hanger for my front entrance...

 

...and now I have two more! This means a trip to Bunnings next week for more indoor plants. I shall hang one in the living room and one in our bedroom. Rosie is so clever, she puts her hand to many crafts and leaves me in awe. 

On the way home from Rosie's I dropped in on Blossom and as Charlie was a bit under the weather I was able to occupy the girls a bit and make them lunch. He's still not well, yet there's nothing obviously wrong according to the doctor but he's dribbling a lot and munching on his fists so we're a bit concerned he's going to be an early teether. Time will tell. Apart from that he's the most placid and easy baby a mumma could ask for.

After Blossom's I went to Spotlight for a thread, just one DMC thread, which I discovered is discontinued so I had to choose a colour very close to it. Fortunately there was such a colour and off I went to the checkout BUT then I saw on the reduced shelf these beautiful teacup and saucer sets for $5. So I bought two sets and as soon as I left the store wished I'd bought 4 or 6.

Do you do that? Blossom and I often say that if you can't get something out of your mind the next day then it might be an idea to go back and get it because then it's not an impulse buy. In my case I wanted to get more for tea parties and guests...and for Rafaella and Cully May when they visit. But Friday was preparation day and I don't go out on Saturday so I shall have to wait till Monday. 

Still, I did enjoy some Earl Grey with lunch yesterday and christened one of the teacups. The tea tasted much nicer in blue china. LOL!

We're almost through the meat supplies from the freezer and then we can slip back into a full ovo-vegan diet again. It's taken a while to finish off what we had stored and prepared in the freezers because we eat so little meat, but we're also conscious of the outlay of expense and did not want to waste anything.

Something else that came home with me on Thursday (I did my weekly grocery shop after Spotlight instead of my usual Friday morning trip) were two Kalanchoe plants which were on the reduced rack where I normally buy my flowers. Bargain! They are perfect and as I love Kalanchoe I didn't think twice about putting them in my trolley. 

Aren't they pretty?

I've really enjoyed the days since deciding to semi-retire from Elefantz. A weight has lifted from my shoulders and with the added decision to leave Facebook, which I did yesterday, and Instagram after the weekend, I realised a big part of making these social media exits was to no longer need to answer all the messages every day. 

There's such a lot of facets to running your own business, being the sole employee/worker, and one of them is having people message you every day through email, Facebook, Instagram and Etsy. Of course some of these are important but only a very small percentage, and the rest are questions which I've already answered on the blog. Sadly, there are those who do not bother to read a full blog post but message me to ask something they'd know if they read all the way through. 

Then there are all the questions about fabrics, threads, techniques etc. Just in case you're new here and wonder about these things go HERE and HERE because I have a list of links to tutorials and post which explain so much. 

I think the hardest part about answering messages was jumping from one social platform to another each day, but now I'm just here on the blog and over at Etsy. Lovely. 

It's so very important to recognise what weighs you down and then consider exactly why. Perhaps your shoulders are burdened in some way? For me it wasn't so much that it was bad, not at all, but it was too much for one person to balance in a single life. And this life is precious. Too precious to be unbalanced by unnecessary extras. Too precious that I should feel weak from the overload of online time managing more than I should. 

If this resonates with you, dear heart, pray about what needs to go, what should be pulled back, what can be held onto and what you need help with. Take back your life...live it in peace and with satisfaction at the end of the day. 

This little message sits near our entrance way, which leads to the bedroom. I bought it for a few dollars at the op shop months ago because if you've read my blog long enough you'll remember this is what my beloved whispers to me often, "Breathe, Jennifer, breathe."

Since a heart problem was diagnosed last year I have indeed treasured every breath. When I wake in the morning my thoughts go directly to the Lord and thanking Him for a new day, another breath, a fresh chance to honour and praise Him with my life. 

Dear heart, breathe.

Dear heart, treasure every breath.

May our days be filled with peace and hope; our thoughts overflowing with praise for the Almighty; our actions expressed with love and kindness; our words sprinkled with truth and encouragement.

Blessings and hugs

Need something to stitch this weekend? 

Download my free gift pattern, "So We Do Not Lose Heart" HERE.

 

Domestic days and a postcard for you...

 

I changed my desk flowers from yellow chrysanthemums to deep red asters last Friday. Asters have never been displayed in my home because I've never bought any; in fact I can't remember ever seeing any for sale at the supermarket before. They were $8 a bunch so I couldn't resist, and split the bunch between two vases - one for my desk and the other on our dining table. Five days along and they are still as fresh as when I got them...its simply lovely to have happy vibrant blooms around the living and work area.

A while back my Friday routine was always to gather groceries and essentials early that morning, and spend the afternoon storing everything away and preparing food for the weekend - but during the Covid lockdown last year that habit slipped away. Recently it was revived and I rediscovered the 'why' of my old habit - because it works very well for my weekly rhythm and that sense of being organised by Friday evening means I welcome the weekend in a state of peaceful satisfaction. 

Rhonda shared an inspiring link last month that had me clearing out the freezers and organising everything into my old plastic storage containers. Since I swapped to glass jars in the pantry there has been a large shelf of previously used plastic containers taking up space in the linen cupboard, but now I had a use for them and this has also made 'shopping from the freezer' much easier!

I forgot to take before photos, but I assure you my freezers were a mess of bags that needed to be pulled out and sorted through to find anything. Now it's right before my eyes. The photos here are of one freezer section in our main fridge. We have a second fridge/freezer in the process of being organised, and there's also an upright freezer that's all in order now.

If you'd like to see the video Rhonda linked to it's HERE

I think one of things that happens after a fridge/freezer/pantry declutter, clean and reordering, is a desire to cook. At least that's what happened to me! 

It wasn't long before a zucchini slice, almond butter cookies, sweet impossible tart and cous cous salad appeared. 

I used Lea's cookie recipe HERE and they are delicious - gluten free too.

The sweet impossible tart is a favourite when we have an overabundance of eggs, which seems to be all the time lately so Blossom, our neighbour, and a work colleague of my husband's are all benefitting.

I'll have this recipe in the next issue of The Homemakers Heart at the end of April.

Our hens all weathered the endless rain of the wet season rather well, laying every day without fail. I'm careful with their diet, especially when the coop is muddy and even free ranging in the garden is a soggy adventure. 

Every second day I give them a large bowl of porridge with natural Greek yoghurt, which they gobble up in seconds, because it's great for protein and also good gut enzymes. On the in-between days they get whole corn cobs (very cheap at the moment) and as many green and kitchen vegetable scraps as I can pull together. Apple cider vinegar is added to their water each day too, again for gut health and as an immune system boost.

The hens free range around the garden every afternoon and surprisingly have not been destructive. They love grass and bugs and that's about it.

Another new addition to their diet is chicken's herbal tea (above). They love it! Different herbs have so many healing and preventative properties, and as the one thing we can still grow in the intense tropical summer is herbs, they can enjoy an abundance of variety. 

Yesterday's herbal tea contained mint, garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme.

If you'd like to know more about making a quick herb tea for your chickens watch this video of Lea's. She explains the herbs and how they benefit your hens. (by the way, I absolutely love her channel and her genuine love for Christ)...

Growing over one side of the chicken enclosure our passionfruit vine is loaded with fruit, soon to ripen, and after each rainy week more flowers appear...

The vine also serves as extra shade for the girls this summer.

Though we're now ten days into autumn here in Australia it will be at least 6-8 weeks before we feel a cooling in my area of the tropics. Most years its begins right after Anzac Day (April 25th) but last year it was late and a very mild winter followed. With all the rain we've had over summer the ground is cooler so I'm hoping for the usual fresh cool change to arrive at the end of next month - but how lovely if it came sooner.

Hubby covered the garden where we grow tomatoes with cardboard the other day, after weeding it. All the rain, and his long six days at work every week, have made weeding and gardening time scarce, but we still need to prepare ground for the late autumn planting. We do the cardboard thing each year and when left for a couple of months the soil beneath is much nicer for planting new crops.

But as you can see there's still a lot of backyard still to tame.

He's got the day off today (worked extra hard at the car yard through February to get it) and is outside as I write this, taming and subduing all greenery in his path. There'll be a few loaded trailer trips to the local tip today, but a great deal of satisfaction to his mind afterwards.

Charlie David is three months old now, can you believe it? Last year I knitted cardigans for Cully May and Rafaella, and though this craft is not kind to my hands I wanted to knit a wrap cardie for Charlie this autumn before storing away my knitting needles and returning to gentler-on-my-hands crochet projects (another blanket to be sure).

It makes a nice afternoon break each day, with a cuppa, some cake and my latest Agatha Christie audio book.

I knitted one of these wrap style cardigans for all my babies and it will be nice that it becomes my final knitted handwork for a grandchild. If you're interested, the pattern is Sirdar 1559, and is made from 8-ply or DK yarn. As we have very mild winters I'm using a 100% cotton yarn.

Last week was Rafaella's 3rd birthday and because Ross and hubby had to work, Blossom and the children came here for the day. Our birthday girl requested a chocolate cake with strawberry jam in the middle and strawberries on top. When I heard this I thought "children really are happy with simple things" and promptly made what she'd asked.

Out of curiosity I did a little internet research on what bakeries charge for a birthday cake and was taken aback at the amount parents are willing to pay for a novelty cake that means more to them than the child in question. One local bakery charges $35 for a consultation before any mention of the cake is discussed, and I saw that the cake can run into hundreds of dollars. For a cake? A small child's birthday cake? 

Well, Rafaella, dressed in her birthday ballerina costume, was thrilled with her simple nana-bake, as was Cully May, and served with pots of earl grey tea we had the most marvellous celebration!

When we truly observe children, the things they like to eat and drink, their favourite clothes - we can usually see that everything is simple. It's adults who tend to add all the bells and whistles and I wonder why? For outward appearance, or keeping up with the other families? 

Children can teach us a lot about being content with a few simple things if we let them.

In my sewing time I've begun a new design which will become a cover for my Homemakers Heart planning folder. I'll pop the pattern in the next issue so you'll need to be patient, but it would make a lovely cover for a magazine folder if you're printing them up as I share them.

Every year I re-read the gospel of Matthew and this year is no different. 

I'm reading from my new King James Easy Reader bible, which is wonderful! It's the complete KJV text but instead of "Thou" it says "You"; instead of "saith" it reads "says"...and I think you get the point. This is the kind of bible I have longed for and now Blossom has one too. Highly recommend it.

As I read Matthew I'm cross referencing all the prophecies about Jesus, not just the relevant verse from the Old Testament but the chapters around it to get a deeper understanding of the circumstances which surrounded the giving of each prophetic word. It's quite a powerful study!

CHANGES

Now, some news about changes to my Elefantz Designs social media. 

I'm leaving Instagram and Facebook at the end of the week. 

Lately I find myself avoiding them more and more because time is precious, and I'd much rather DO something, or read something, or watch something that matters, than scroll a screen. What a time taker that became, especially Instagram. Yes, there are some good things there, and there's the common argument "that's how I keep in touch with family and friends", but I grew up and lived most of my life in a world without internet or social media...and I found relationships to be fewer, yet deeper and more fulfilling than they have become in this social media era.

In simplifying my home life, and reducing my design business commitments, time - real time - has shown itself to be far more precious than I imagined even a year ago. 

I'm not telling you to walk away from your personal online pursuits, but sharing the path my own life is taking. Blogging to me, is far lovelier than a 'like' or thumbs-up on social media. I prefer to read blogs because of the authenticity of getting to know the person in wider scope than a photo or caption. Choosing which blogs to read is also important because I genuinely do not like the ones with ads scattered throughout, and the character and fruit of the blog author matters a great deal. 

Listed below are some blogs I truly enjoy, those which speak to my homemaker heart -

JES at Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth

LEA and JAMES at Our Little House on the Mountain

(also Lea's YouTube channel)

Rosie at At Home with Rosie (have a look at her completed Simple Days blocks 1 and 2)

Julie at My Threadbear Life

Annabel at The Bluebirds are Nesting on the Farm

Amalia and Laurie at A Housewife Writes

Donna at g.donna

If you want to stay up to date with me after I delete my social media accounts, receive the free block of the month and other things I like to share, follow my blog by -

1. popping your email address in the little box in the blog sidebar where it says "never miss an email" OR

2. Following the blog (here) at Bloglovin' OR

3. Sign up for my free newsletter (here) which is sent out via email twice a month

POSTCARDS

I get so many emails and messages about the Postcards series I shared in 2016, and asking if they are available to purchase - and the answer is no. However I am happy to share them again as free gifts. 

My dear friend Allie (who is no longer blogging) and I designed six each through the course of that year, and over the next six Wednesdays I'm going to share my six once more.

The inspiration behind these postcards was not to use the actual scripture, but to write the sentiment behind it as if my Father were writing me a loving note on a postcard.

This week we'll begin with Jeremiah 31:3

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying, "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you." (Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV)

The postcards are partially hand embroidered and partially hand written with a brown pigma pen. 

You can stitch the whole design, draw it, or do a mix of both as I have done.

However you make your postcard, be blessed. They are the perfect size for posting in a card or envelope, and make heartfelt gifts.

Use the link below to download the week 1 postcard...

DOWNLOAD POSTCARD ONE

Well, dear friends, I'll sign off as it's been quite a long blog post today, but that may be the way Wednesday blog posts run in future as I aim to make writing and sharing on this day each week part of my weekly rhythm. Occasionally there'll be the odd post here and there on other days, but I shall keep Wednesday as my cuppa catch-up with you.

God bless each of you, may He keep you safe, healthy, strengthened, provided for, and in full knowledge of how deeply He loves you.

Bless you heaps,