Border Living Magazine - look out for me!

HEY!

This is the Summer Edition cover.

BORDER LIVING MAGAZINE's Autumn Edition is out on shelves next week!

This edition will feature a special new page called 'Sitting On The Fence', which will be a 'he said/she said' section. Yours truly will be the 'she said' half of the feature (The Farmer's Wife), and regular readers of my blog will recognise my first column. (It's a personal favourite of mine).

How excited am I???!!!

Border Living Magazine is a stylish rural magazine

capturing the innovative and inspirational people and places within the Border Region!

The magazine is dedicated to showcasing a positive way of life for this part of the world with stories, profiles and businesses from all over the western regions of Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales. I love it because there is always someone or somewhere you recognise, and even if there isn't, it's always nice to look and learn.

Make sure you head out and get yourself a copy! You won't regret it. I'll be getting a copy or ten myself. You know... just because I'm a bit excited!

ENJOY!

My Book - Updated

I have been keeping busy this week writing more of 'The Book'. I've decided to get off my backside and finally start telling the story of how I ended up in the bush, met CP and then married him, with all the trials and tribulations in between.

I'm writing it in instalments - the only way I know how - but I'm loving it so much I've just about finished the eleventh chapter already!

So just in case you were wondering why I've been a bit quiet... I'm still posting, only I'm doing it over here for a bit. It's all linked into the tabs at the top of my page.

Check it out. It's a bit of light entertainment, though not completely different to my usual blogging style.

I'm loving the feedback so far!

Thanks for all the support and encouragement!

Enjoy!


Click here to start (or keep) reading!

Anywhere But Here...

As a result of localised flooding, I have been isolated on our property for almost a week already. We can expect to remain here for at least another ten days and possibly even up to three weeks. I have been homeschooling two of my children, and I've even taken on one of my neighbours children (the only neighbours we can access without driving through flood water). It's not horrible, but I keep bringing myself back to this blog I wrote early last year.... (I have adapted it).

I am dreaming of this... a holiday I took to Hayman Island early last year.

How on Earth did I ever survive this island paradise? Hayman Island, The Queen of all island resorts. I was there with my mother, sister and my sister's partner, to celebrate my sister's 'very important' birthday.

And now I am back, elbow deep in washing, cleaning, cooking and managing three small children, rationing bread and milk, and already out of fresh fruit, and living on the canned variety. But I am dreaming about this (dreaming about boosting my Vitamin B levels that is)...

Getting my fix of Vitamin B... ahhh... lovely Vitamin B.

And this...

Not Vitamin B, but an important element in the rejuvenation process.

And this...

There might be banana in that drink - more vitamin B maybe?

And this...

Definitely no vitamin B in this drink, but soaking up the glorious Queensland sunshine.

And this...

Does it get any better than this?

*sigh*

I am a glutton for punishment though. Before I left, CP went into such a meltdown about having to look after the children, that I ended up preparing a months worth of food (which I left in the freezer, so that all he had to do was reheat and serve), I stocked the fridges, freezers and pantry, I left all uniforms ironed and ready to wear, I even arranged for a girl to come in and help with child care and baths and lunches etc, AS WELL as leaving this...

Seven pages of 'notes' (including, meal planners, rosters, routines etc.) so that everything would function as per normal whilst I was away. Compulsive and controlling, I know. But as much as it was for CP, it was also for my own guilt-ridden piece of mind.

At the start of CP's meltdown he asked, "What would you do if I just packed up and went away for a week and left YOU at home with the kids?" To which I replied, "Probably just go on as per usual. Except that I would have one less child, so the stress might be less, and I would have one less person to cook for and pick up after. In fact, if you were planning on going, perhaps you should make it TWO weeks to give me a REAL break, and try not to call too much, because I might be having too much fun! I might not even notice you are gone." Perhaps a little harsh. But my point was that I DESERVE a break from the hum drum of my every day life. It stopped CP in his tracks anyway.

I loved being away, but I was racked with guilt for much of it. Needlessly, I might add. The kids were all happy and healthy upon my return. I am loving being home with my family again. I missed them terribly, and I'm pleased everything is still running smoothly. The question is, would it all still be running smoothly had I not left my 'freezer full of notes'?!

In any event, getting away is good for the soul. I am a firm believer in the family motto 'happy wife, happy life.'

And boy am I happy. Happy and relaxed. I'm feeling energised and content.

At least I WAS, a year ago. But thankfully Queensland Tourism are offering a $5000 dream Queensland holiday, and by golly, I am certainly going to be in it to win it!!!  

So pop on over to the link above if you think you see yourself enjoying some Vitamin B on a fantastic Queensland holiday. (Thanks to Queensland Tourism and Nuffnang!)

Cabin Fever

It's been raining since mid-November, pretty much on and off. We've hade a whole lot more than our annual rainfall in 3 months. And even though things are looking beautiful and green at the moment, we aren't exactly having celebration drinks. We have been incredibly blessed, in that the rain has stopped for long enough for us to get the sheep work done, and cattle work done. So we aren't panicking about crops, or shearing or drenching etc. And more importantly, we aren't on or near a river. We are exactly half way between two major river systems that are currently experiencing the worst recorded flooding in history. So even though there is an inland flow that meanders through our 'place', it never does any major damage. We reap the benefits of water without all the negative side effects.

The ground is drenched.

My heart goes out to those affected; people who have lost everything, crops and income that are lost, livestock losses. Whatever the loss is, I feel deeply for people who are suffering, or who are yet to suffer.

This is three years in a row now. Three 'once in a lifetime' floods. Enough is enough. People in the country all love a bit of rain as much as the next person, but the floods, like everything, need to be in moderation. As far as our own experience goes, the first flood, in 2010, was a result of flooding from north of us. The water came downstream very quickly and caused untold devastation. I made a video of it, which you can watch HERE. It was a big deal at the time because it was supposed to be the largest flood in recorded history... and it was. We were cut off for about 2 or 3 weeks. We could drive about 1/2 an hour in any direction, and were lucky in that we could still socialise with our neighbours. It was quite an enjoyable time for us, albeit a little tiring.

The second flood, in 2011, was a result of widespread flooding. Queensland was largely affected, and many lives were lost. The flood here was not as severe, and many people were ready for it. Levee banks had been raised and people were prepared and well stocked. We certainly were, after having done the mother of all grocery shops at the coast before dashing home after New Years before we got stuck out. This time we were stranded for about two weeks, and it wasn't anywhere near as frustrating as the floods the year before.

This time is different again. We are already flooding as a result of some of the most concentrated local rain we have on record. And we haven't even been affected by the water heading south in the river system from the flooding up north. This time we are struggling to even get out of our property - not that it matters, because roads have been closed around us, effectively locking us in, anyway. Here are some pictures I took yesterday.

You exit my driveway and turn right, and this is what you see.





Once you drive through the water above, you are faced with this just ahead.  

We have no idea how long we will be stuck at home for this time. Every flood has been different.

But being at home is getting harder and harder this time around. CP hasn't been able to busy himself with 'farm jobs' and is starting to go a little crazy. He is suffering a bad case of cabin fever.





Not my hubby, but also losing his marbles.

So even worse than trying to keep a house tidy with 3 small children at home in wet weather; even worse than homeschooling your own children; even worse than mould growing on everything; and even worse than running out of bread and milk, is CP being inside the house with us! CP is not indoorsy at all! Anyone married to a farmer will testify to the fact that they are only happy when they are doing something. And by 'doing something', I don't mean playing on an ipad or playing on the Wii. CP is only content when he's outside having a HANDS ON Mr Fixit moment. And so I have been trying desperately to come up with more and more jobs for him as the floods wear on. I suggested marking out and starting plans for a tennis court. But it's too wet. Kristy from over at AnK Bowtique (who is flooded in at the moment - thinking of you!) suggested he make a bike rack, like her hubby did in earlier floods. I'm pushing that one at the moment... But he could also do a new hat rack, boot rack or any other rack... or he could work on my car, which is in dire need of tender loving care. He mows the lawn - every day - and then comes in and whinges and moans that I could be doing more.

So more than the floods themselves drive me crazy, it's my husband suffering a bad case of cabin fever that's really doing my head in. If only I could keep him busy and out of the house... I might actually make it through this bout of being stranded with my sanity still in tact.

Any other suggestions for husbands suffering cabin fever?

The Book

I have been keeping busy this week writing 'The Book'. I've decided to get off my backside and finally start telling the story of how I ended up in the bush, met CP and then married him, with all the trials and tribulations in between.

I'm writing it in instalments - the only way I know how - but I'm loving it so much I've just about finished the fourth chapter already.

So just in case you were wondering why I've been a bit quiet... I'm still posting, only I'm doing it over here for a bit. It's all linked into the tabs at the top of my page.

Check it out. It's a bit of light entertainment, though not completely different to my usual blogging style.

I'm loving the feedback so far!

Thanks for all the support and encouragement!

Enjoy!


Click here to start reading!

You Don't Wanna Know What I Freeze...

A friend of mine recently asked Stay At Home Mum - Secret To Living On One Wage about 'freezing lamingtons'. Being the fantastic site that it is, loads of women offered advice ranging from 'sure, we do it' to 'no, if the label says 'has already been frozen and defrosted for your convenience', I wouldn't do it.'  So I piped up with 'you don't even want to know what I freeze!' And now I need to blog about it to justify myself.

Basically, if it fits in my freezer, consider it able to be frozen.

I know I'm probably going to cop a lot of flack about this, so I would like to preface this blog with the fact that we live in a fairly remote part of Australia. Not TOO remote, but then again, I don't know too many people who would be happy doing an 80km round trip for a lonely bottle of milk or loaf of bread. Obviously this method of existing isn't going to suit everyone, and I'm not advocating it as the best way of living either. I learned pretty early on that if you don't freeze anything, you spend a lot of money on fuel. So here's how it works FOR ME. If it makes you angry, please bite your tongue. I do what I do. It hasn't killed any of us yet, and I'm actually pretty careful about all this. It doesn't suit everyone, but then again, neither does life in the bush. Before you walk in my shoes, please don't judge me too harshly.

In our freezer you will find:

1. Milk and bread.

The  dates on the labels frighten some people, but I have learned that the success of this process is all in the defrosting. Take your time, be organised, and whatever you do, DON'T leave it on the kitchen sink in the summer overnight. Never had an issue with it. Ever.

2. Meat.

We live on a farm. I see the whole 'circle of life', and I'm responsible for clearing out space in the freezers to make room for it all. We have 3 freezers primarily for this reason. The key is to label and date all packages, and be aware of safe storage lengths. Never had an issue with this either. Again, the key is to defrost slowly in a refrigerator. I never refreeze ANYTHING that has been defrosted at home. I am VERY cautious of chicken, and I have a whole set of rules alone for this product.

3. Baked goods.

I have an entire shelf in one of our freezers dedicated to baked goods, and another one for the products involved in the making of baked goods. Flour, sugar, cocoa, chocolate, bread crumbs etc. They all get infested with weevils and god knows what other creepy crawlies in our summer heat out here. But they are perfectly safe inside the freezer. Sometimes brown sugar has a tendency to go hard, but it's nothing a bit of defrosting can't fix (or a slice of lemon in the container can't fix). I've also learned that defrosting items in small amounts is handy too.

4. Pre-cooked meals.

Because my husband is 'kitchen-ly challenged', whenever I am going away, or just wanting to be organised, I cook meals in bulk and label and freeze them. This comes down to the type of food you cook of course. Stew - yes, no problems. Quiche - no. Completely awful if frozen. There are cookbooks dedicated to this point.

5. Dairy.

Milk aside, here's where it gets tricky. I have frozen almost every dairy you can imagine. Here's a few no-no's. Sour cream, cream, soft cheeses, dips etc. can't be defrosted quickly. If you have the patience, cream and sour cream will defrost in a refrigerator, but I refuse to freeze cheeses I want to serve when friends come over for nibblies. They are never quite the same. Also, some sandwich cheeses don't freeze well either, and become crumbly after defrosting. It depends on the brand, but as a general rule, I only freeze block cheese at a pinch. Grated cheese LOVES the freezer. No issues at all.

7. Vodka.

I need it there. It's a safe place. It will never freeze. But will make you feel warm and happy when you take it out to consume. Do not confuse vodka with beer or Coke. Bad, bad, bad...

What else have you frozen?

Everybody's Wearing Blue Jeans

I moved from Brisbane to St George ten years ago. I packed up all my city clobber, and naively assumed it would all be useful and appropriate in the country. I'm ashamed to admit I only owned two pairs of jeans in the year 2000. One was a faded blue colour, and the other was possibly creamy in colour. Both of them were usually stored in the far recesses of my wardrobe; only ever utilised on the coldest of cold days. I found them uncomfortable and bulky, and preferred the flexibility of black pants. I offer no apology for this. I was a city girl, and black pants were the height of fashion. They probably still are. I wouldn't know. I can't even tell you what movies are showing at the cinemas anymore.

I had been living in 'the bush' for a few weeks, when across the road from my house (at the showgrounds) was an event called a 'campdraft'. Anyone who knows anything about horses and cattle would be able to tell you about a campdraft, (hubby corrected my spelling by telling me it is only one word - not two) but I only knew that it was something about horses and cattle. (For more information, click here.) I thought this would be a great opportunity to 'socialise', meet a few locals and do something different. So I ran off to get dressed, and emerged minutes later in black pants, some synthetic shirt and possibly black heels. I'd thrown my hair back and put on minimal makeup.

I scaled the first fence, and made it to the outer perimeter of the bar area. I scanned the crowd; a blur of blues, checks, buttons, collars... and jeans. I froze, mid-step, and started my retreat. I was back home faster than you could count to ten.

Even at the local 'watering holes', the standard dress code involved jeans and varying 'dress code levels' of tops and shirts. By the end of the next week, (out of sheer necessity) I think I owned two new pairs of jeans.

Today, my wardrobe consists of this many pairs of jeans. (I was also wearing a pair, and another pair was in the wash). I just showed this picture to CP, who sees nothing wrong with it. He possibly owns more jeans than I do, and apparently he thinks this is 'normal'.

Jeans are the unofficial uniform of the bush. No wardrobe is complete without them. And they are SUPREMELY comfortable, despite my initial reservations.

Today it is my black pants that are pushed all the way to the back of my wardrobe. There is no practical use for them at all these days. Jeans are functional and I can't imagine existing without them. Jeans are especially good for scaling fences. (Including fences into campdrafts). But I don't need to worry about that anymore.

Thank goodness.