rain lovely rain

Ok, I understand that cyclones are bad, but i have to thank Cyclone Hamish. The perceived temperature here has dropped, there is a cool fresh breeze that smells of wet earth and soft misty gusts of rain. sigh.
Brisbane weather satellite image

"You really should clean that, it's a disgrace!"

I want a backyard oven

I want a backyard oven. I want fresh bread, but it's too hot to bake, and it hurts to pay $3.50 for a loaf of bread. especially when i know flour costs them less than it costs me!

Ages ago I bought Earth garden's Backyard Ovens and i've taken to casually leaving it in conspicuous places. Unfortunately, HH just sings under his breath, "put it back, put it back, put it back where it goes" and shoves it back in the bookshelf. He has to shove, because my poor bookshelf is about to burst. I say the sagging shelves add character to the decor (what decor? would that be hand-me-down chic? or dumpster diving deco?).

Maybe if i just go on strike, not buying or baking bread, or muffins, or pizza, until i get my oven? Huh, that would hurt me more than him, I'm a carb addict. it might take him months before he realises.

I'm researching making bread in a camp oven, but i think we aren't allowed fires in our yards. Something about getting smoke on peoples sheets hanging on the line. I've tried googling it, but i can't find out from BCC. It's not like anyone in my neighbourhood uses their clotheslines any way, even in summer when there is free solar power to power the hills hoist.

I'm eagerly awaiting NSCF's next diy cob oven workshop, i'll drag him kicking and screaming. He might even have fun(?). Somewhere deep (very deep) inside him, there is a green hippy just waiting to get out, i know it, lol.

phew

Its so hot, still, at 9pm.
Its only 26 degrees or so, but the humidity makes it feel worse. Trying to get comfy is hard when you are irritable and sticky.

I'll stop whinging now. Here is a recipe for my lime cordial:

1 cup lime juice
1 cup raw sugar
1 cup water

Go next door and "borrow" about 10 limes. To juice the limes, sit them in hot water, or zap them in the microwave for 10 seconds. Roll the limes on the bench to loosen the juice, then use your citrus juicer. You should get more juice this way. (Save the rinds, the zest freezes well. You can rub the spent half limes all over your kitchen sink/bathroom sink/bathtub/toilet to freshen them.)

Heat the sugar and water until the sugar is all dissolved, do it in the microwave if you can't stand the thought of turning on the stove in this weather.

Add the juice to the syrup. Pour it into a bottle. Store it in the fridge, labelled, or someone, possibly your husband, will take a swig from the bottle and decide it tastes terrible and never touch it again. No matter how many times you tell him he should try it diluted.

To drink the cordial, you can add just a dash to cold water, soda water, or lemonade. Top up the glass with lots of ice and stick a few mint leaves in it.
Lie outside on the verandah, in the dark and tell the kids you are on strike.

Budgie, the Cockatiel

I am sitting here at the pc, at nearly midnight, enjoying the quiet and solitude that can only happen late at night or early in the morning.

Then my cockatiel, [whose name is Budgie :)] starts whistling. It seemed like her whole repertoire was stuck on loop and she was being very loud. She can wolf whistle, whistle a cockatiel version of reveille and say "here buttabutt". I kept saying "night-night budgie" which is her cue to be quiet, even in the day time, but after awhile, I was saying "shut up budgie!"

Finally, I got up and took the cover off the cage to talk to her about indoor voices and not waking up grumpy heads of households. And I found two disgusting, big cockroaches, the flying kind, in the poor bird's food dish. I felt really mean, and guilty and I said sorry to Budgie. After i shooed them away (I don't stomp or spray), she started preening her feathers, and has now gone back to sleep.

I shouldn't have ignored her "noise". She was just calling out for help from her mum :(
So to make it up to her I'm posting this picture. Isn't she beautiful? She could give us all hair and make-up tips. (yes, that's my overflowing bookshelf in the background. what's the emoticon for embarrassed?)

And I have to tell you how smart she is. She has a special hello shriek, just for family members. She never shrieks at our neighbours, just us. She can tell when HH pulls into the driveway, and she lets everyone know he's home. She shrieks at me when she hears the keys in the door. Such a warm greeting, it makes you feel loved. (Actually, it kind of makes me think I'm getting yelled at before I've stepped in the door. "Shriek, here she is! Where have you been young lady?")

She also has a cute 'arck' sound she makes when she gets woken up before dawn, by HH on his way to work. It kind of sounds like f---, I wonder where she picked that up?

Food Connect

"Food Connect is leading the way towards responsible food production and distribution in Australia. Unlike most national food distributors, major supermarket chains and produce box schemes, Food Connect sources its predominantly organic produce from local and regional family farms. We provide our family farmers a fair price for their produce, which encourages them to continue growing our food. This, in turn, helps our region to be more food secure. Furthermore, the environmental benefits of eating Food Connect produce go beyond just eating organic. Our local food distribution system ensures a significant reduction in the carbon emissions that are associated with transporting food long distances.

Your food choices matter! As a Food Connect subscriber, your choice contributes in very tangible ways to building an ecologically and socially sustainable world."

If like me, you wonder how you can possibly wade through the supermarket, figuring out where everything is from, then don't. Subscribe to Food Connect and they will deliver you fresh food from local growers. Too easy!

p.s. I haven't received anything for this plug and i am not affiliated with this company, I just think they do a great thing and more people should know about it :)

Brisbane Transition Town

On Sunday, I went to Brisbane Transition Hub Induction Workshop.
The workshop was wonderful. The room was full of diverse, enthusiastic and intelligent people, who are working towards making their home town sustainable.

I was overwhelmed by the caring atmosphere and by the flowing exchange of ideas.

There was also a bring a plate lunch, focussing on local food, which was delicious. Breads, curries, fruit, salads, cous cous, and so on.... sigh.

I made some contacts with people in my local area, which felt great. I have been trying without much success, to interest friends and family in the idea of transition towns.
It has been a bit frustrating, to feel like the only person who cares about climate change and energy descent. Most people seem unable to accept that their lifestyle has any impact on the environment, or that they are in a position to change things for the better. Some people even say, although they know that over consuming is affecting the planet, they don't see why they have to stop if their neighbours don't.... a bit of round about logic.....

Anyway, some really constructive, and positive ideas were formed at the workshop.
Hopefully, at a later date, I will be able to post some more about the specific objectives the group decided on and some projects that are in the works.