Summer salad days

It is summer over here down-under in Australia. Australian's love the beach, though I don't frequent the beach in summer so much these days, except when I am on holidays. I tend to stay indoors in the summer out of the burning rays of the sun.

 And when the hot days of summer hit the last thing I feel like doing is cooking. So that's when the salads come out. I have a particular favourite which I often make when we are invited to a BBQ and are asked to "bring a salad" to share. It is common here in Australia to "bring a salad to share". Is that something that happens where you live? 

June capers

There has been much tragic news around the world lately. It seems every morning when I turn on the radio to the news there is news of another tragedy somewhere in the world. There have been numerous terrorist attacks, particularly in Europe, where innocent people have been killed or badly injured, and also lives and homes lost in a terrible apartment fire in London.  I am sometimes afraid for the madness that seems to be going on in the world, where it is leading to, and what the future holds for our children and grand children. Long gone is the innocence of our own childhood.

These world events make me pause and remember that I have much to be thankful for.  Not to make light of these events, but, perhaps because of them, today I give my blog over to some of the things that I have been able to enjoy in the last couple of weeks. Indeed I am very grateful for living in a relatively safe country where we are free to do as we wish, within reason. 

I am enjoying in sun in my June garden, although rain is desperately needed. It's winter but we have had no more rain since the one evening of rain of over a week ago which I wrote about in my last blog post.  

Top centre is Lilly Pilly - an Australian native fruit. I wrote about them last year here - Lilly Pilly jam
And bottom left hand corner is one of the Australian Native Hibiscuses which has just started flowering in my garden - isn't it a gorgeous colour!   

I am enjoying reading the memoir, Rabbits and Rosaries, written by my friend and former Catholic Nun, Glenys Yeoman. I am enjoying playing my old Carpenters record on my new record player, and Dami Im's tribute to the Carpenters. I am enjoying watching Series 3 of Poldark (I've been a fan ever since reading the books years ago), and last week I enjoyed watching my Grandson sing in his school choir at the Eisteddfod.

 A couple of weeks ago I enjoyed dancing with my Flamenco dance group, Sol y Sombra Spanish Dance Company, at the Eisteddfod. We won the "Dance Production" section with our "Cafe Flamenco". This is the view before the show. Unfortunately no photos during the performance as photography of the show is only allowed to be taken by the hired professional photography company.

 I celebrated with my two friends  who were both awarded an Order of Australia in the Queen's birthday honours list - historian Phyllis Barnes for her ongoing community and historic work including a number of published historical books (she is a member of my writer's group and truly inspiring), and Eileen Wenn for her services to the the floral arts through a variety of roles including former Australian Floral Art Association president (I know Eileen through Sol y Sombra and she has always been an encouraging supporter of my flower photography). These pictures have been copied from the Bunbury Herald newspaper.

I enjoyed attending the exhibition opening of the collaborative exhibition, "On the Same Page", and the artist talk by two of my friends, printmaker and mixed media artists, Denise Gillies and Lynne Mitchell.  It was a joy to see their beautiful multilayered work, both together and separately, and it was fascinating to hear about how they went about their collaborative work for this exhibition.
Denise and Lynne agreed when working on a collaborative piece it is important to loose any preciousness, to make decisions together, to be open to negotiation, and to TRUST.

"Their multilayered compositions explore texture, shape, colour and the environment. Their collaborative works display openness, trust and comfortable friendship while respecting the artistic creativity of each other". (Graeme Pages-Oliver)

This morning my dear husband has been busy painting the second bathroom and toilet, (thank you! x), whilst I made ginger biscuits and did some pruning in the garden.
And I felt privileged that I have not one but two bathrooms, when I know that there are many people all over the world who don't even have the luxury of clean running water.

 Last weekend we drove up to the beautiful Ferguson Valley and picked olives on the property of a friend of ours, and then enjoyed coffee and cake in the sun on the patio at Ferguson Hart Estate (thankyou Jan!) You can find Ferguson Hart here - Ferguson Hart Estate

We also visited the Wellington Mills community walk trail where the recently erected interpretive signage features a photo of mine of the old Bunbury jetty pylons along the bottom edge of the panels. So wonderful to see my photography out like this.

Last week I did a photo shoot for my beautiful friend and pro-blogger, Jo Castro, from Lifestyle Fifty. You can go to her fabulous blog by clicking here - Lifestyle Fifty
and my grandson helped me with a photography group project, the theme of "fragile".

And finally some opportunities to go walking out in nature - food for the soul. How blessed I feel to be able to do this. 

Did you want the recipe for the Ginger Nut biscuits (cookies) ? Here is is! 

2 cups Self Raising flour
3/4 cup sugar
4oz (113gm butter or margarine)
2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg
4 dessertspoons golden syrup (you could substitute with corn syrup)

Beat butter and sugar together well. Add egg, syrup and then the dry ingredients (sifted together). Mix together well. You might need to add a little more flour if it is a bit sticky. 
Form into small balls and flatten a little onto baking paper on the tray. Bake in a moderate oven (190 C) for 15 minutes. 
Makes about 27. 
You can also roll this mixture out, and cut into shapes. My grandsons have enjoyed making gingerbread men with this recipe. 


Thank you so much for stopping by and for your indulgence while I look back over the last couple of weeks. I have much to be grateful for. Do you find there are times where you take stock and be grateful? Perhaps you would like to share with us in the comments.
I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
 

Mosaic Monday
Our World Tuesday
Through My Lens 
Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Travel Photo Thursday 
The Lovin' Life Team over at Lifestyle Fifty
Sky Watch Friday

April Randoms

Hi everyone, it has been a few weeks since I last posted and it seems like life has been speeding up for me during April, and doesn't look like slowing down over the next three or four weeks. There has been beautiful sunny days but with a slight chill in the early morning and late afternoon air as Autumn comes on us in the south west of Western Australia. Perfect for getting out and about.

Before the busyness descended on us we went camping and bush walking for a couple of days at Potter's Gorge at Wellington Dam near Collie. It is a WA Department of Parks and Wildlife campsite. So peaceful, especially if you go early in the week (not school holidays or public holidays). Autumn and spring are the best time for bush walking. More about Potter's Gorge in a future post.

A couple of weekends ago visited my sister and her family in the wheatbelt, where they have started seeding their grain crops.

 And visited the resting places of my mother and father, and a quiet country church

On our last night we enjoyed the yabbie catch fresh from their farm dam.

On a gorgeous Sunday afternoon the first weekend in April we enjoyed the Ferguson Valley Music Trail presented by Philharmonic South West. We watched their performance at Green Door Winery along with lunch and wine tasting. Nicole and Susie from Sol y Sombra Spanish Dance Company joined in their piece Boccherini's Fandanco for Guitar, Strings and Castanets. 
A perfect way to spend a sunny autumn afternoon.

Over the last month or so I've been experimenting with eco-dyeing with Australian eucalypt leaves inspired by my friend Jane Flower from Folios and Fibre. I am starting to get some good results. So exciting when you unwrap the bundle after a couple of weeks "curing" and see this!  I'm sure there will be more of this as time goes by.  These are printed on silk scarves.

Six things you should know about eucalypts

 We also were invited out to a friend's vineyard in the Ferguson Valley to pick olives last weekend. This is a first for us. So now the long processing begins. Wish us luck! Does anyone have a good recipe with the "preserving" after the salt and water process?

 In between all this I am reading Stories from a Suburban Road by T.A.G. Hungerford. Stories from his childhood in the 1920s-1930s in semi-rural South Perth. I am really enjoying the read, as my parents lived in South Perth for about 40 years and it certainly wasn't semi-rural with bush, gravel roads, and cows and horses in suburban blocks!

 He mentions buying vegetables from the Chinese Gardens and here is a pic I found on the net at Picture South Perth collection

 That is Perth city you can see dimly in the background on the other side of the Swan River.












Especially I am grateful for precious time spent this Easter weekend with family, and the welcoming of my sister's first grand-daughter. After three sons and three grandsons for her and two sons and two grandsons for me, it's a girl! 
 

How is your April shaping up? Perhaps you'd like to tell us about it in your comments. 
I hope those of you who celebrate have had a very happy Easter. And for all I wish for peace in the world. 

Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
 

Mosaic Monday  
Our World Tuesday
Through My Lens 
Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Travel Photo Thursday 
The Lovin' Life Team over at Lifestyle Fifty
The Weekly Postcard