Banana Updates

As promised, I'm keeping you informed on the progress of the banana's in my backyard. This bunch is hanging about 9 feet off the ground (hence the difficult angle to get a decent shot of the hand). I'm watching this hand particularly nervously this week as it's pretty windy and I just don't want to loose them to the wind. We had a gorgeous hand last year, but we lost it in the huge Hunter Storms in June 07. So this would be our first fruit if it survives.

What else is happening in the garden this weekend? Well, the Celery is thinking about going to seed, but I'm trying to trick it by cutting off the seed heads. Some of the lettuces have gone to seed, but that's OK because I've been planting on a staggered schedule - so my other lettuces are about ready, with some new ones coming up for later. I have some new spinach almost ready for picking, so I think I'll pull out the old ones which are definitely seeding and can't be tricked any longer. The asparagus is still sprouting, although only enough for the two of us to have on our plates once a week. The trick with the asparagus is to keep feeding it, and pick when the stalks are about 10 cm - they grow about 2 cm a day so watch carefully. I'll spend a bit of time also clearing out the old snow peas and then feeding the whole garden with some 'fish juice' (Yummy).

It's still overcast, although this morning was just sunny enough to enjoy a pot of earl grey tea with my breakfast out on the deck.... Later today or tomorrow, some reading.

Preferring other places

Boat harbour in Naxos, Greece

Friday Night I had a delightful evening with friends, champagne and a sunset by the lake with live music. That was followed by a stunning lightning show and then a spectacular audio storm. Since then it's been a rather grey weekend, overcast today, and not much fun in the garden. So I've been dreaming of other places and looking through my scrapbooks and photo albums. This time last year I was on an extended break from work and travelling OS. I was lucky enough to have friends to spend time with in Greece, and a few weeks with my partner in France. I then travelled to India to teach English at a school for girls who had been rescued from working in factories from as young as 4yrs old. I also had the joy of then travelling to Japan with my 17yr old niece. I just love looking at my photo's and remembering all the highs and lows of discovering more about the world I live in. I have since made ongoing commitments to continuing to learn French as a second language, to learn more about other cultures, and to continue to support ODAM in their work with women and girls in India.

I'm currently reading Sarah Paretsky's 'Fire Sale', but desperately waiting for some other Murakami novels, which I've had to order, to come into the local bookstore. More about books later in the week....(especially if it keeps raining and stays grey!)

Sunset on Naxos

Kreativ Award - merci mon amie!

Merci Beaucoup Karen, Quel honneur!! Well it's certainly been my lucky week. Monday night I discovered that I had won the Murakami Diary from Dolce Bellezza Blogsite. Tuesday I won 2nd prize in the office sweeps for the Melbourne Cup. Now I discover I've been awarded the Kreative Award by Karen at Bookbath blogsite. The first two prizes were almost a matter of luck - as long as I entred the competitions I had a chance. But this award - I didn't even know about it. That's why it's such an honour for me.
Now along with the award, there's a meme. I have to complete this and forward the award to others. Here goes:

7 things I did before
1. Youth Work
2. Read the bible
3. Turn the heater on too much
4. Use new paper in the printer
5. Buy vegetables
6. Watch 'Neighbours'
7. Avoid books

7 things I do now
1. Read
2. Garden
3. J'etudie la langue francaise
4. Recycle, Re-use and Reduce
5. Try to exercise 4 times a week
6. J'ecoute la radio francaise sur le weekend

7.Blog

7 things I want to do
1. Ride 'mon velo' along the route de tour de france
2. Live in France
3. Teach children how to grow food
4. Volunteer with women and children in India (again)
5. Live simply
6. Continue to enjoy reading
7. Love and be loved

7 things that attract me to the opposite sex
1. Strength
2. Company
3. Shared love of food
4. Adventure
5. The 'fix it' skills
6. Conversation (different ways of seeing the world)
7. Massages

7 Favorite Foods
1. Merlot (does that count?)
2. Le Fromage (any sort)
3. Cake
4. Lamb Shanks with mash potato
5. Prawns and Champagne (by the lake)
6. Atlantic Salmon (preferably farmed)
7. Cornflakes

7 things I Say Most Often:
1. It's time to get up.
2. Do you want a cuppa?
3. I'll send it to you (email)
4. Do you have homework to do?
5. Bon Jour!
6. Bon Soir!
7. are there any emails for me?

And now the seven people I would like to tag for this award and meme:

1.Jess at This Delicious Solitude because she does such amazing book reviews and often. And she loves french stuff too.

2. Dolce Belleza because she is an amazing multi skills and many dimensional lady who has creatively engaged me in reading outside my zone.

3.Laura from Reading Reflections who recently completed an awesome read-a-thon that lasted 13.75 hours, where she read 823 pages in a total of 825 minutes. She demonstrates creativity in her approach to reading...

4.A fondness for reading, because she is truly creative in her life - knitting, teaching second grade and blogging. And the photo's she uses are inspiring and provoking.

5.The Kingfisher Scrapbook because she's a clever and amazing person who also keeps the blog a longing for the impossible where she displays more from her Poisoned Pen - her words and poetry are truly creative.

6.Stuff as dreams are made on because I thinks it's really creative to have an obsession with bookmarks, and the book reviews are engaging and provoking.

7. The crafty soul at A readers Journal because I love the hats!

Now they get to pass on the award to some blogs they admire.....

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Sage

Rosemary

Thyme

My garden is looking just beautiful today and I wanted to share it... here are photo's of my Sage, Rosemary and Thyme bushes. Also because I'm especially excited by the prospect of producing m own banana's this year I thought I'd share their developments with you.

Banana Flower

So as the Banana's develop, I'll post new photo's and tell you how they're going. We did have a hand last year growing really nicely, however a major life-changing storm took out our banana and left a hole in our lives. This is the resurrected plant, showing us it really wants to live.

Now, as you're visiting my garden, on this gorgeous Aussie spring day, I'll leave you with this thought.... once I've finished this blog, I'm out to spend some time with my teapot, my journal, and my dogs.

Self seeded Celery & Lettuce surrounded by Fennel, baby cucumber vines, leeks and carrots

My Sisters Keeper

After the reality of the atomic bomb in Nagasaki (my last book), I needed something fictional. I've always enjoyed Jodi's writing, and her books are good for reading on the trains (I do 2x 1 hour trips a day). I wasn't sure if I was ready for this one though. While fictional, the reality of family dynamics cant be overlooked. Yet, once I picked up this book I couldn't put it down.

There is so much in this story I connected with its hard to know where to start to reflect. Sisterhood is an amazing gift is in 1000's of ways, but perhaps the greatest pains in life are those we share with our sisters. Anna and Kate's story is a powerful picture of dependency and interdependency, which is reflected also in Julie and Izzy's relationship, and again in Sara and Zanes. The differences in each of these relationships reminds us of all the important reasons we love our sisters. For me, right now, I will cherish my sisters, and the relationship my mother has with hers, for this is integral in my being.

Bells of Nagasaki

I chose to read this as part of the Japanese Reading Challenge because on my first and only visit to Japan, visiting Nagasaki was an immensely moving and life changing event. Growing up in Australia in the 70-80's was fun and carefree, mostly. If you are of this generation, you were probably not privy to an education about what happened in other countries, and especially not what happened in wars. I knew nothing about the bombs in Japan. In fact I'm rather embarrassed to say, when planning for the trip to Japan last year, I didn't even know about Nagasaki, and didn't realise that Hiroshima was in Japan. I am clearly on a new learning path.

One of my blogging friends has written a great summary of the book, so I dont feel the need to do that here. However, I do need to reflect on my experience of reading this story - a true story.

Nagasaki is now a large, beautiful city. You can see in this picture the mountains and river, as the author refers to in his description of events following the bombing. As I read his memories, I was able to picture so much of what he described - not only beacuse I have been there, but because he draws the picture so vividly. He talks about the unexpectedness of the bombing, his surprise when he discovered the atomic bomb had been invented and used, and his experiences as both victim of the bomb, and carer to other victims.

Nagasaki Peace Park is as an amazing place to visit, as this book is to read. They both describe the horror that occurred to the people of Nagasaki, Japan, and provide an insight into the amazing gracefulness of the Japanese People, who say - let this be a lesson to the world and an eternal request for Global Peace.

Nagai wrote: Men and women of the world, never again plan war! With this atomic bomb, war can only mean suicide for the human race. From this atomic wast the people of Nagasaki confront the world and cry out: Now more war! Let us follow the commandment of love and work together. the people of Nagasaki prostrate themselves before God and pray: Grant that Nagasaki may be the last atomic wilderness in the history of the world.... the Bells continue to ring.

May these prayers be heard.

Peach Party!

Well, it's the glorious weekend again! This morning I strolled around the garden to observe what's been happening while I've been working this week. Lettuce is about to go to seed - time to get some new ones in for summer, snow peas are slowing down - time to feed them, celery is loving the current weather patterns, and the Peaches are starting to fruit. Last year we had two peaches off the tree, this year 100's. Where I live we have to take particular care to control fruit fly - which of course I try to do organically. This year I'm trying a new product that smells like Vegemite. Last year (with only two peaches) I was able to put a bag on each one and watch them grow safely.

Today's activities will include fruit fly spaying, weeding, fresh planting, and cooking up the new batches of gooseberries and rhubarb. But before I get out to the garden, I have coffee with a book-buddy at the local Borders Bookstore. We'll see what hits the reading list for the next month.