Haier Big Hoot

ABOUT THE TRAIL
The Haier Big Hoot is a free public art trail featuring 47 giant Owl sculptures (1.65m tall). Each Owl has been turned into a bespoke piece of art by a Kiwi or International artist, with works by Dick Frizzell, Jeff Thomson, Greer Clayton, Flox, Weilun Ha, Peata Larkin, Grace Wright, Jessica Pearless, and more. Joining the giant owls are 60 owlets (90cm) – many designed by Auckland school students. 
From Saturday 03 March, 2018, the Owls will be displayed for nine weeks in public spaces, parks, malls and libraries across Auckland. At the end of the trail the Owls will be auctioned to fundraise for Child Cancer Foundation.  

In some cultures, the owl is a harbinger of death. http://www.pauldfrost.co.uk/intro_o2.html

An owl came to our house when Mum was pregnant with my younger brother. Grand Ma was visiting us, we asked Dad to catch it. Dad did, but released it, he didn't want Grand Ma to nag about the bad luck..

zinnas

http://floralfridayfoto.blogspot.co.nz/

zinnas in my friends garden.

mjlartermy guest blogger

Raspberries, Equipment and Diets.

Posted on 8 Hours Ago by mjlarter2

To follow on from my post last week, let’s talk more about diets.
We are bombarded by advice all the time. Diets have become a multi million dollar business.
But just what do you follow? Are you hoping to have a body of an eighteen year old, even though you may have had 3 children and have reached the ‘over the hill’ age?
I think it is about time to be realistic – blow raspberries (yes – I know – the real things are good for you) at all those yoyo dieters and gym junkies.
Now – I have nothing against exercise and good, healthy eating. But there is no need to go overboard.
Yes – the gym has a certain appeal, with it’s equipment and weights and bars – and healthy eating has it’s place, too. But …
It’s your friends birthday, and there is a birthday cake covered in luscious chocolate icing and accompanied by whipped cream as well as a very insistent friend smiling at you and begging you to have some. Now that’s exactly my point – have some! You don’t have to demolish the cake all by yourself in one sitting!
The secret, as far as I can see is my mother’s generation’s old adage – everything in moderation.
My mother even went so far as recommending that a dinner plate should have a little bit of as many colours as you can find. White from potatoes or turnip or rice, green from lettuce or broccoli or beans or peas, red from beetroot or tomatoes or capsicum, yellow from pumpkin or corn. You get the idea.
We always had a small dessert after dinner as well. Sugar was never overused in our house, and was not considered a health hazard.
The things we DID NOT have was soft drinks and junk food. Everything was cooked fresh.
Weight was never a problem – and as you grew older, it was understood that your body changed and exercise was not so robust. I have been doing some research into the phenomenon of the ‘middle age and older’ body. It used to be called ‘middle-age spread‘. Women, in particular seem to take on a bigger boob, rotund tummy and larger backside shape.
Why?
It can’t be that we are all bad eaters and not exercisers. Well – I’ve found out that as we age our metabolism slows down – but we can do something about it! Matt Stone has done a lot of research into this particular problem – see his website –  http://180degreehealth.com – very interesting reading. Diet suddenly becomes a dirty word!
Let’s get back to a sensible outlook on our food and daily lives. Stressing constantly about what you eat and what you weigh is counterproductive. Consider that you can eat less, if you are overweight, but don’t starve yourself – it only makes the body confused and can be dangerous in the long run. And remember – getting tangled up in the diet mentality means you are only making someone else rich on your weaknesses and addictions.
That’s all from me about that now – I’ll get off my soapbox. Enjoy your life – let minor irritations go and learn from your mistakes but don’t let them rule your life. After all, to be blunt and scary – in a hundred years time no-one will even remember that you were worried and stressed.
In my next post, I’ll talk about gardens – our Earth seems to have been put on a diet too, and the soil is impoverished and needs food. What are your thoughts?
Till next week.
With Kindness
Maureen
Even dogs can experience stress – and it is no good for them, as well as for you and/or your children. Here is a story about Dorothy Dog who gets lost. The paperback to read to your children is available from me for AU$20 plus postage. Take a look at my facebook page and message me if you are interested. www.facebook.com/AlphabetanimalsofAustralia

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Raving, Electricity and Dehydration

Posted on 14 Days Ago by mjlarter2

I’ve done it! I’ve found a way to get rid of all those humungous zucchinis you miss on the vine! I cut them up in thin slices and dehydrate them!
So? What’s so good about that, you ask?
Well, they can then be preserved – and I can add them to stews, casseroles and other slow-cooked meals in Winter. But, best of all – if I dehydrate them until they are crisp then they can be thrown into a blender with other dehydrated vegetables and blended into a powder! My very own vegetable stock powder to add to just about anything.
I love the dehydration process. I have dried all sorts of things, from making my own jerky that comes from marinated beef strips to Apples dowsed in lemon juice for a healthy snack.
I was given a dehydrator as well as buying my own, so I when I use them, it is a use of electricity that I don’t mind. I will have to make my own dehydrator as well, so that I can make use of our powerful sun here in Australia.  A win/win situation – free power from the sun, and an easier way to preserve the harvest. Can any body tell me an easy way to make one?  I do have to tell you – I am hopeless with tools! Now – which way do you hold a hammer???
Coming back to the zucchini problem (and if you grow your own you know just how many zucchinis you will have!) – I add dried pumpkin, carrot, celery, onion, garlic and a little salt to my vegetable powder, and it can be added as a seasoning as well.
Years ago, I could buy mushroom stock and bacon stock – both of which are no longer available in my country town. Those are the next powders I am going to try. Onion salt, garlic salt and celery salt are other combinations I can try
Sorry to rave on about dehydrating this time, but I got all excited when I thought about the beauty of being able to bring down a huge vegetable into a small jar! I know … I’m strange! The old saying – small things please … well you can finish that saying for yourself!
Last week, I was given a large box of very soft tomatoes – too far gone to eat fresh. I cooked them down to make a passata/paste from them and ended up with 3 small jars of intense flavour. So much you can do without having to spend loads of money. I know my electricity bill will be higher, but with a solar dehydrator, that also will be solved.
All for now. Keep dreaming and acting on your dreams.
With Kindness.
Maureen
Another book that you might like to read to your children ( email me on maureenlarter@gmail.com if you want a ‘real’ book rather than an ebook.)

Written by me and illustrated by Annie Gabriel, this book tells the story of the seasons and the changes in the forest.

Reminders, Emails and Doilies.

Posted on 19 Days Ago by mjlarter2

I really must go through my emails and clean out all the junk mail.
Do you do that? How often have you thought that a particular site looked interesting, only to end up getting content that no longer interests you?
I have loved some blogs, but they are all in the northern hemisphere, and the reminders to plant seedlings, cook lovely warming stews and patterns for thick sweaters that come in your winter while I am sweltering in our summer here in Australia, can be somewhat of a  nuisance. When I want those articles, then winter is with us here, and you are all enjoying the lazy days of summer. Grrrr!!!!
In fact, how often do you read all your emails? Do you get annoyed as well?
What about the people who sell products – from expensive courses on how to make money (that’s a clever little idea if ever there was one!) to people selling every thing imaginable – from doilies to dogs, flowers to fairy gardens, toys to  tanning lotion and more. ‘I find ‘how to do’ articles often helpful. What about you?
But there remains a conundrum. How do you let people know what you have to sell? Can you let me know the secret? In order to let people know what I do, I’m advised to get an extensive email list! I can’t figure out how to win.
So this is my product -: the books I have written. And this is only a sample!

Haha – did you know I was leading to this?
I love writing! I continue to churn out books, whether they be picture books for children, chapter books for middle school kids, garden guides for my semi-tropical area or adult novels (under a pen-name so the children don’t decide to read it!).
I write because I want to keep my brain active.
I write because I love to educate.
I write because I just love it, and I love the challenge of publishing my own work. If it sells – Yay! But if it doesn’t, that’s not a problem either.
Giving away books is a trap I don’t want to fall into – that only demeans me and all the work I do writing, designing and publishing my books. If you want to read a great article on that very topic, I suggest going to Paul Whites blog :- https://wp.me/p5nj7r-1fn
As a reader, though, I love the idea of getting free books – but surely that is what libraries are for? In my opinion, any-one offering free books should first buy the book. But, it doesn’t seem to work that way. We, as authors, always dream of making a living from our writing, but it doesn’t happen often. Giving away books will not help in that regard. Even though others don’t realize it, authors  (as well as artists, and any creative person) put in a lot of work, sweat and their heart to create a book. To pay yourself for the time and effort is just not possible.I guess we have to be in the right place at the right time – more luck than management!
Anyway, while you are sitting at your computer, conjuring up the next ‘Harry Potter’ type franchise, divert yourself with a nice healthy snack. No – I’m not talking lettuce sandwiches on cucumber slices but these delicious little bites of bliss!
(with thanks to Coles Free magazine, January 2018) – these are mouth-watering!)
And while you sit and dream of greatness, remember – the joy of writing has its own rewards – and tomorrow maybe the day you are ‘discovered’!
With kindness.
P.S. Even frogs dream!
‘Frank Frog Feels Foolish’ is one of the picture books for children in my ‘Alphabet Animals of Australia’ series. Feel free to email me ( maureenlarter@gmail.com ) for your copy.

A friend of mine in the USA has a lovely picture book that she has recently launched. I’ll let her tell you about it in her own words:-
Do you have a picky eater in your family? Are mealtimes a battle?
I can completely relate. My daughter was super picky as a child and when she was about to be school-aged, I wanted to figure out something she could take for lunch. She liked peanut butter, she liked jelly, and she liked bread so I thought, naively, that she would like a PB&J sandwich. Oh my goodness, did we have a standoff?
Sound familiar?
Don’t despair. Determine which battles you want to pick and be patient. Here’s my story…
My newest picture book, Franky the Finicky Flamingo, was inspired not only by my child’s pickiness but my own. I know that’s not a very “grown up” kind of thing to admit but alas I am picky. Most of it is due to texture issues but some of it is actually due to taste. Now, don’t get me wrong, I was a much pickier eater when I was a child. So, I’ve outgrown a lot of it. And if you have a picky eater, I believe they’re going to grow out it as well.
When I was in Elementary School, I didn’t eat the school lunches so my Mom packed me exactly what I wanted every single day and that was a cold hot dog. Not the healthiest food, but I was happy. Somewhere around Middle School, I started eating school lunches. I know she was relieved.
I can honestly say that vegetables are just not my thing. I found out as an adult that I actually prefer my vegetables raw. Part of that is definitely texture, I don’t like mushy vegetables but the other more surprising thing is taste. I find vegetables in the raw are much tastier than after they have been cooked. I have even been told they are better for you. So, who’s picky now? Am I right? LOL
The other types of food that I really don’t like are citrus fruits. They have those strings in them. I choke on them. Still to this day! And I don’t like orange juice with pulp in it. Other fruits are all good though. What about you—do you have any foods you don’t like?
One time I heard a story about a set of twins that were separated at birth. One Mom said their child was a difficult eater because they wouldn’t eat anything unless she put ketchup on it. The other Mom said her child was the easiest child to feed because she would eat anything as long as she put ketchup on it. Maybe it’s all in perspective.
I just want to challenge you today as you think about your child’s picky eating–what battle do you want to pick?
And just maybe Franky the Finicky Flamingo might help encourage your picky eater to try new foods. You can check it out today at myBook.to/Franky

Author – Wanda Luthman

Rooms, English and Dodos

Posted on January 21 by mjlarter2

In 1989 I went to China. It was an enlightening experience.
Unfortunately, a world shattering event happened while I was there.
Anyone old enough to remember, can still see the image of a student standing in front of a tank in the demonstrations at Tiananmen Square, Beijing.
When my family and I were finally allowed out of China, I always declared I would go back – it was, and still is, a fascinating country.
In 2006 I got my wish. In a small room of a small apartment in Qiqihar, North China (Heilongjiang province), I lived and breathed my dream for nearly 5 months. While there I taught many students the English language. I worked sixty hour weeks and spent a lot of time in old buses travelling to schools in rural areas. A different China than I had seen as a tourist seventeen years earlier, but wonderful all the same.
I came home and settled back into my Australian life. Suddenly it was 2016 and ten years had magically past. I decided I needed to travel again.
This time I volunteered to teach English in Cambodia, so the journey of life took me into Asia once again.
Now, home again, as I have mentioned before, I am working on a very ambitious project for the Asian market. ‘Learning basic English‘ is now underway, with ‘nouns’ being the first. 

There will be five books in the series, each having a book for the students, and a manual for the teacher. Hopefully with an audio book involved, too.


Australia is still sweltering in a hot summer, but there is still gardening that can be done.  The plants don’t take long to burn and shrivel – soon as dead as a dodo – so … don’t forget to water the plants – they need a good drink either early in the morning, or late in the afternoon so they can make good use of the water during the sunless night.
My Zucchini plants are going great – and have been giving me so many zucchinis (courgettes) that I have to dig out my recipes to use them as much as I can. I often grate them into meat balls, slice them up for stir fries, roast them with cheese topping for dinner, but here’s another thing that can be done:-
Rice and Zucchini Slice.

½ cup brown rice

1 carrot, grated

1 zucchini, grated

1 small can corn kernels, drain, wash

¼ cup chopped chives

1 cup cheese, grated

extra grated cheese for top

¾ cup SR flour

4 eggs

½ cup milk.

¼ cup sweet chilli sauce

1. Preheat oven to 180-200°. Grease and prepare a slice tin
2. Cook rice to instructions on packet. Allow to cool.
3. Combine rice, carrot, zucchini, corn, chives, cheese and flour in a large bowl.
4. Whisk eggs, chilli sauce and milk together in a jug.
5. Add to rice mixture and mix well.
6. Spread in tin, sprinkle with extra cheese, then bake for approx 35mins, until cooked through and lightly browned.
7. Stand in pan for 20mins then slice and serve hot or cold. Serves 8.

To keep this post related to the eat, dream and read theme of my blog – just remember – dreams are there to aim you through life. Some are easily achievable, and some you never manage to gain – but a positive attitude, and sheer hard work makes the journey – whatever the outcome – worth every moment. And the beauty of life? You never know what tomorrow may bring – so live each day with the utmost gratitude and joy.
with kindness
Maureen
P.S. – one of my children’s picture book deals with love and change – something we all hope to experience in our life: ‘Candy Cow and the Caterpillar’ _ part of my ‘Alphabet Animals of Australia’ series. This book is illustrated by Patsy Seager. I hope to be able to tell you more about her next time.
getBook.at/CC
Next week, I have a guest blogger – author Wanda Luthman. She will be introducing one of her picture books for children. See you then.

Roll, Easy and Daisies.

Posted on January 14 by mjlarter2

 This year, summer has been really hot. (I live in Australia) We had 42°C last week – three days in a row. I feel for the other side of the world where the snow was thick and the temperatures extremely cold. Is it global warming, or a wobble in our Earth’s axis that might be to blame? Whatever the reason – everyone – please keep safe.

The promise of more hot weather to come, has meant that cooking is off the menu – if you know what I mean! Salads are the way to go. Cold drinks are important to keep you hydrated. Water is the best option – so make it easy on yourself and have some water always at hand.
Flavouring the water with fresh fruit is always a treat and gives variety and a sweet burst of energy – you don’t need added sugar to achieve it.
Try crushed, fresh strawberries, or slices of lemon, lime or orange – or a combination of all three – with a little passion-fruit added for zing! and of course, add a little ice if you wish.
When it comes time to eat, add a small dash of protein, a nice refreshing salad, and a fresh roll.
To make a salad, good quality ingredients are always the best. They can be anything you like to put together, from potatoes, eggs,capsicum and mayonnaise, to cold pasta or rice with a sprinkle of corn, peas, cooked bread, prawns and cold, crispy bacon with a herb, garlic and olive oil dressing. A green salad can include lettuce, beetroot leaves, baby spinach, diced cucumber, sliced carrots, halved or sliced tomatoes, or any raw vegetable you desire, with a lemon juice, olive oil  red wine vinegar and salt dressing. Play with the combinations!
You can even make home-made rolls that are fresher than bought ones – and much tastier. Knowing the ingredients also means you are not ingesting anything chemical that may or may not be in commercial mixes.
Bread Rolls:-

If you must go out – remember to cover up, use sun screen and wear a hat. Australia has a summer-running promotion with advertisements on the television – Slip, slap, slop (Slip on a shirt, slap on a hat and slop on some sunscreen).
After all – the Australian sun (gosh – that’s the same sun you get, too!) can burn and there is a high incidence of sun cancers in this country. Skin cancer and melanomas are deadly! We don’t want you pushing up daisies anytime in the near future if you can help it!
Remember to be careful in the snow, too. There are people who are suffering there, just as much as in our heat. Be kind, don’t be judgmental – and care for your selves and your fellow man. Go out of your way to help another person. If we all did that, the world would be a better place.
With Kindness
Maureen

Maureen Larter

P.S. – a lovely story about Australia, health and the weather is ‘Cassie Crocodile catches a cold’ – ( getBook.at/CCCCe ) written by me and illustrated by Annie Gabriel. www.facebook.com/AnnieGabrielArt
Annie Gabriel is an illustrator, textile artist and book artist, who comes from a background of art and primary education. From ab early age, she was constantly drawing and painting. One of her first inspirations was a book called ‘The Little Brown Mouse”. The little girl in the story painted her friend, the mouse, and so Annie began painting mice, too. As they say – the rest is history!

Annie Gabriel

These days, Annie makes ‘one-off’ books for her grandchildren, and teaches them about art when they visit. Inspiration can strike at any time, and any place, and the stories from Maureen Larter are always a pleasure to create.

Remarks, Essay and Dogs

Posted on January 7 by mjlarter2

Unless you haven’t noticed yet, every blog post has a title with R, E and D initials – the same as Read, Eat and Dream. Trying to make a cohesive, interesting and educational article with the three words is never easy – but it makes my writing brain really work hard.
So … if you are a writer, that would be called ‘a prompt’ and it is a good way to get your ideas beginning to flow. Whether you just make remarks about your every day life, or sit at the keyboard and compose a serious essay, it makes no difference – once you start it is always easier to keep going.
In my experience, any writing you do should come from a place of passion, and mine is that  every child should have the opportunity to learn. I try to achieve that in all my children’s books, even if they are clothed in a fantasy story. For example, my picture book ‘Dorothy Dog and the Dangerous Dragonfly’ (in the Alphabet Animals of Australia series) is about a dog that gets lost. I have projects in the back of the book (and every picture book I write in this series) that helps young children to understand the dangers of leaving the safety of home, as well as giving them ideas to follow up on insects, dog breeds, traffic rules and more.                                                         ( getBook.at/DDDDE )
However, that isn’t all my blog is about – that’s the ‘READ’ part – but what about the ‘EAT’?
One of my joys, is growing food and then harvesting, cooking and preserving that harvest.
Here is a favourite use of potatoes when you have a glut of them. And that happens often when you grow food. Next time remind me to tell you what you do with zucchinis (courgettes)
Boston Bun:

1 ½ cup mashed potatoes

1 cup SR flour

1 cup wholemeal flour

¾ cup sugar

1 tspn salt

1 ½ cup mixed dried fruit/sultanas

1 cup milk.

Icing:

1 cup icing sugar

1 tspn vanilla essence

1-2 tblspns lemon juice and water

2-3 drops food colouring (optional)

1. Pre heat oven to 180-200°C.
2. Place mashed potatoes in a bowl and add sugar. Mix well.
3. Add fruit.
4. Sift flours and salt together.
5. Add to potato mixture alternately with milk.
6. Place in two greased loaf tins or one large cake tin.
7. Bake for approx 45mins.
8. Remove from pan/s and allow to cool slightly. Ice while still just warm.
9. Icing: mix all ingredients until it is a stiff consistency.
10. Cut into slices to serve. Maybe buttered if you desire. Serves 6-8.

And of course, then we have the DREAM part!
The most important thing about dreams – and I’m not talking about the sleep variety – is to follow them. Make your life a better place, and it will follow through to the world in general. My dreams are huge, but I try to spread knowledge, learning and peace throughout the world. Definitely big dreams – but you’ve got to start somewhere!
With Kindness
Maureen

Re-think, Earn and Digest

Posted on December 31 by mjlarter2

2018!
My goodness, how time flies! A year since I last wrote here, so Happy New Year!
The last year has flown by and I’ve had a break from blogging. Time to re-think and begin my writing life again.
I’ve been lazy!
Well, perhaps that’s an over simplification. 2017 has been a year of obstacles. Not only have I had to re-adjust to a new environment, with my family splitting and re-forming in a new way, but I’ve had to contend with hospital stays and operations. My mind just wasn’t in the right place to write. But I can now digest all my new experiences and begin to return to normal – whatever normal is!
Now, in the years of retirement, what do I really want to do?
I’ve got two chapter books ready to be edited and launched. One is for children (at present the title is ‘Petey” – maybe you can think of a better title – let’s look at that at a  later date) and the other is for adults ( viewAuthor.at/MargueriteWellbourne )(written under my pen-name Marguerite Wellbourne, this is a novel about domestic violence – ‘Ordeal by Innocence). They’ve been sitting languishing in my laptop, waiting for me to polish and buff them into new books.
In 2016 I had written several more picture books in my ‘Alphabet Animals of Australia’ series for youngsters (  https://www.facebook.com/AlphabetanimalsofAustralia) and they’ve been in the hands of my illustrators. Now I can actively put them out into the world. This is the latest – ‘Kathy Koala’s Kerfuffle’ (soon to be available) and there are heaps more!
I’ve also decided to write a series of books for my Chinese and Cambodian students after getting the experience of living and teaching in both countries.
‘Learning Basic English’ is going to be a series of 5 books – maybe I will be able to earn some pocket money to shore up my retirement pension. In all my books I am very conscious that the children should learn something.
One of the things YOU can all help me with, is finding out what my readers actually want.

• Would you like some short stories?
• Would you like recipes for one? Gardening tips?
• Would you like to have some coloring-in pages for your little ones?
• Would you be prepared to pay a small fee for any or all of the above? How much?
• What would you be prepared to give me your email address for if something was free?
• If you could answer these questions, I will see that I can do this for you. I also want to commit to giving you an article here once a week. What information would you like from me?

Answer these questions, and I will be for ever grateful.
See you. Let’s start 2018 as friends, and spread knowledge, learning and peace throughout the world. Big dreams – but you’ve got to start somewhere!
With kindness
Maureen
Want to know more? send me an email at maureenlarter@gmail.com and let me know what you want. I will send you a little something free on your (and my) interest.

Return, Emergency and Diet

Posted on January 4, 2017 by mjlarter2

I’m home!
Back from Cambodia.
My return hasn’t been quite what I expected. Not that I anticipated a ticker-tape parade, or an award for services to humanity. I just wanted to come home, full of exciting tales, my loved ones around me, and settle back into normality.
What I got was a stumble from one emergency to another.
The day after I surfaced from sleep, my son’s knee suddenly went red – painful enough for him not to be able to walk – and so off to hospital he went.
Christmas day was a blur. My son had been allowed out of hospital for the day, but was still incapacitated and lay on the sofa with his leg up, antibiotics at his side. We were all tense and uncomfortable. I had only had a couple of days to ground myself back in Australia and I was still suffering from classic jet lag, and although my body was home, I’m not sure that my brain or spirit had caught up.
I discovered that my car had been involved in an accident (no-one was injured  – thank goodness) while I had been away. The insurance company, in its wisdom had written off the vehicle.
I was without a car!
Boxing day hit – and so did my stomach!
“What!!” It screamed at me. “You decided a diet of rich food as soon as you arrived home was a good idea???”
I went down with a bad case of Bali Belly (even though I wasn’t in Bali!)
Had I only been home a week?
Everyone was aghast that so much had gone wrong in 2016, and then 2017 began. Let’s hope that this year we can re-set the dials of life and the balance of calm will prevail.

Running, Expenses and Dangers

Posted on October 2, 2016 by mjlarter2

OMG! 14 days till I leave the shores of Australia.I am running out of time.
I am wondering, at this point, if this will be the last post for the year. The Education Centre I am going to may not have Internet service. Gosh! It might not have reliable electricity as far as I know. Mind you, the poor people in South Australia and Victoria

The reason South Australia lost power across the state!

(Australia) have had it far worse in the last few weeks. I hope everyone is safe and can re-start their lives with a sense of thankfulness.
So far my expenses have run to the cost of my ticket and my travel insurance. I have never had insurance before, but if there are any dangers that come along at least I am covered.
So far the only thing that is NOT going to plan is my visa – so far I have had no luck getting one. The Cambodian Embassy in Canberra doesn’t seem to want to answer my emails or phone calls. I will try again this week – after all – as I mentioned before – time is running out. Let’s hope that will all work out well.

When I visited China I made the mistake of not getting recipes for some of the great meals I had. Hopefully, this time, I will be able to come home with some recipes to share – some of the food was delicious.

Ice-cream to die for!

I will definitely have plenty of stories to tell. Travel is such a mind-expanding experience and I would recommend it to everyone.
It certainly makes you realize the value of your own home and country.
Looking forward, albeit nervously, to my adventure.
Speak soon.

Rice, Edges and Dumplings

Posted on September 2, 2016 by mjlarter2

I am beginning to get excited. Why, you ask?
Well, I’ve committed myself to eating rice. 
That statement isn’t altogether true! What I really mean is that I will probably be eating more rice in October, November and December than I normally would. And I’m getting excited because, while I’m eating it I will be in Cambodia, not in my safe little haven of home.
I awoke at the beginning of the year and realized it was ten years ago that I had lived in China. It shocked me a little. Where had that ten years gone? Life was rushing headlong towards the inevitable end and if I didn’t do something soon, I knew I would use every excuse in the book to not do anything at all – you know the situation :-
1 – I’m too old to do that. (You’re never too old)
2 – I’ve got too much to do at home. (Home will still be there when you come back)
3 – I’m too scared to go out of my comfort zone. (You’re brave – go for it!)
4 – I can’t speak the language. (You’ll get by – someone will speak English)
5 – I can’t read the language. (Isn’t it weird being illiterate – but you can learn.)
6 – There’s too much violence in the world these days. (The media exaggerates.)
7 – What if I get sick? (You’re healthy – don’t jinx yourself)
8 – What if … what if …
And so it goes – and always that little voice of reason cuts through the hard edges of your emotions, excuses and fears, and makes you feel foolish.
So I made a decision! I’m going to go overseas and teach, just like I did in China back in 2006.
Once that decision was made, everything fell into place.
So now I’m excited – I told you that at the beginning, didn’t I? – even if I am a little afraid.
Cambodia – here I come – swapping rice for the dumplings I loved while I lived in China, and the meat pies and sauce from good old Aussieland. Wish me luck – but remember – I really don’t need it – I’m going to enjoy every moment anyway!

Rubbish, Everything and Doors

Posted on August 8, 2016 by mjlarter2

It’s that time of the month again! BLOG TIME!
I’ve been away looking after my daughter’s dog and house while the family went away and enjoyed a cruise.
I focused in on my writing and managed to get the first draft of my next novel  ‘Ordeal by Innocence’ completed. I had no distractions – so was able to concentrate. It was not an easy book to write, as it deals with domestic violence. I write under the name of Marguerite Wellbourne when I write for adults – wouldn’t want the children to get hold of these books!
The last book was called ‘Tarnished Gems’ and involves four women and their checkered pasts and how they change after an accident.
The only thing I didn’t manage to do for her was put out the rubbish bins on the day. I can remember the noise of a truck in the street, wondering why it was stopping all the time. You’d think I’d have figured it out before it had gone past, wouldn’t you. But my head was on my writing – everything else was not important!
I left the door open for the dog, and just worked!
When I got home, the hens had missed me so much that they were no longer laying eggs – the vegetable garden was smothered in weeds, but the cabbage, cauliflower and silver beat were ready to pick!
One has to have a win occasionally!                                                    
Now that I’m home, the next thing on my agenda is a workshop I will be giving on bread-making. I will be taking 3 classes this coming week.
Here is one of the recipes I will be giving the students:-

Chapatis:–
2 cups plain flour.
1 tspn salt
2 cups SR/Wholemeal flour
3 tblspns melted butter
1 – 13/4 cups warm water.

Mix together the flours and salt. Add the melted butter, then add enough of the warm water to make a soft, but not wet dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Dust with flour and wrap in a damp towel and chill for about an hour or so.
Cut the  dough in 12 equal portions. Shape each piece into a ball, flatten slightly then roll until as thin as possible.
Pre heat a frying pan, grease very lightly, then place each circle in the pan. Cook until slightly brown, then turn and do the other side. Repeat with the other 11 pieces. Brush with butter, and serve warm. Serves 6 (two each)

Well, there you go – wonder what next month will bring?

Rodents, Elevenses and Dates.

Posted on July 4, 2016 by mjlarter2

Now that Winter is upon us, life in the country takes on a new direction. Last Winter, I finally, after 15 years, got a wood heater installed. Oh! Happy days!!
This year I have really enjoyed lighting the fire, and keeping warm. I sit in my cozy chair, blanket over my legs, knitting all sorts of things for my ‘at the farm gate’ stall (SWEETFIELDS), looking like the epitome of a Grandmother.
While sitting there the other day, a movement caught my eye!

Cheeky!

OMG! A MOUSE!
It scampered daringly around the room, stopping every now and again and looked at me, as if to say – what are you doing in MY house!
Yep – time for RODENT control!!
Out came my trusty traps, and I smeared them with peanut butter. BAM! 7 little blighters in one night!!
Down in the chickenfeed shed, rats are living a life of luxury. It became a necessity to buy galvanized metal bins to store the feed – rats ate through my plastic rubbish bins and enjoyed their fill of grain mix! I tried various mixes of flour/bicarb soda/plaster of Paris etc as temptations , but… no luck. Maybe tomorrow I might try the water trap. I’ll let you know if I have success.
In the meantime, I have decided they can live in the shed – as long as they don’t come into my house.
I came into my house – and drowned my sorrows in ELEVENSES – that’s the Australian for ‘morning tea’.
Strong coffee and cake – Aaah  – the bliss!
Here’s the basic muffin recipe I use:-

Basic Muffin Mix:

2 ½ cup wholemeal/SR Flour mix.                                          1 ¼ cup milk
90g melted butter                                                                         ¾ cup caster sugar
1 beaten egg

Additions:

DATES

dried apricots

mashed banana

grated apple

blueberries

sultanas/etc

coffee powder

choc chips – etc

1. Pre-heat oven to 180-200°C.
2. Prepare greased muffin tins.
3. Mix flour and sugar.
4. Add milk, egg and melted butter and mix together until just combined.
5. Mix flour/sugar and milk/egg/butter mixtures together with any of the options you
6. Spoon into muffin tin or patty papers until ¾ full.
7. Cook for approx 25 mins. Put on rack and cool. Ice if desired.

Fortified with cake (DATES this week) I decided to move on with my day.
I turned to doing the next thing on my list. A trip into Taree to get some new chickens.
I picked up ten more hens to add ‘new blood’ for the Spring incubations. Hopefully I will get more hens than roosters this time. Last year, out of two dozen eggs, I got two that didn’t hatch, twelve roosters (five of which are now in the freezer, three more to cull, three that the fox got and the lucky one that is left is ‘The Stud’) and ten hens.
I settled them in their new home, stood and watched their antics for a while, then reluctantly went back inside.

Enjoying a dustbath

Yay! That job’s done – now what’s next?

That will have to wait for next month! Tell you then.

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