Nourishing Ways

Everywhere I turn just now I bump into this wonderful word: NOURISH.

I came across a whole pile of these magazines sitting on a table in Banco Cafe, Te Aroha..best of all they were free.

I love this magazine. Pop in here if you want to find out more about it.

I have come to the strangest conclusion...I am actually so grateful that I got sick back in October. Really ill...full attention, oh help what's going to happen from here...sort of thing. Since that time, I have been slowly establishing new health & I have learnt such an amazing amount of new stuff, ideas that I just never knew about before or had forgotten about. Thank God for the opportunity to learn, & grow & make loving changes.. a blessing that came to my door through dis-ease!
On a chilly wet night last week I made Osso Bucco (what a lovely name) slowly cooking beef & bone..with marrow in the middle until it became the most luscious, fragrant nourishing meal.

I have been making cultured foods of all kinds...it's so much fun. This is my apple sauce this week with strawberries & peaches added. Such an amazing colour!

My apple cider vinegar is coming along nicely.

It's even got a Mother now! Apparently that's what we're after.

We'll just have to see how we go with the cider..pink bucket should do it nicely.

My sad little harvest of pumpkins that grew down the back. Oh well, at least they're a bright & cheerful.

I happened to arrive at St Vinny's just as a lady staggered in with a huge box full of quinces..good timing.

I just adore the shape & fragrance of them even.

I have been fascinated to find camelia seed pods all over the place.

These ones look like some kind of weird crabapple.

 The dogwood leaves are just starting to turn...they make hips too, a bit like roses.

They say that we are a generation overfed & undernourished. I wonder if we are overfed in more ways than one? Do you think that may be that's why so many of us are being drawn back to the simple, anchoring nourishing traditions. The ways of the past that nourish the body, the soul & nurture the whole community.

A lot of women struggle with nourishing themselves.
Do you have trouble with that?
 Feeling guilty when you take time for you..always putting yourself at the end of the list?
Nourishing ways are usually simple ways.
It doesn't take much to begin new habits of nourishment.
Nourish means: first of all "a nurse"...
and to cherish & comfort & increase & support & nurture & supply to & to educate & instruct.
Yes, that's what I am doing learning the nourishing ways that foster life.
Nourishment isn't just food.
I happily nurture my soul with beauty..
these I found in two lots in the past weeks.
Something about mother-of-pearl buttons especially delights my soul.

Knowing ourselves well & liking that person is a nurturing & lovely way to live.
Other people don't have to like the same things but they are likely to understand us better when we are able to nurture & accept ourselves in healthy, robust ways.
I smiled when Judith at St Vinny's dragged out a huge bag of linen that had just been donated & allowed me to sift through it all before it went out to the shop. So sweet of her. I sorted it as I went to help out a little...I made quite a big "ugly" pile! Something about this doilie I just love. Judith said.."Yes that looks like you".

Washing had to dry inside last week. It was so wet..again!

I need colour to nourish my soul & fragrance too (not man made perfumes though!)

This lovely lady grows all this lavender. 

I bought a bottle of her oil..really cheaply because the label was skew-whiff.

The best part of nourishing ways is that they are daily which means we can see them as chores or blessings (sometimes it's hard to tip on the right side I know)..but after all life is made up of the moments & the days & the next meal, the next hug, the next kind word...really.

When I looked up the meaning of nourish I found the video below. Have a wee look if you have time. It is presented by nourishlife.org 

An educational initiative designed to open up a meaningful conversation about food & sustainability particularly in schools & communities.

That sounds like a great initiative to me.

 Thanks so much for dropping in.

Wishing you a wonderfully nourishing week.

I'd love to hear about your nourishing ways...

 ♥♥♥♥♥

Grace Notes and Gracey

Gracey and Katie...we are to our grandchildren.
We're also very best friends.
Once-upon-a- time Gracey lived in a lovely little house just around the corner, but life moves us on sometimes and now she finds herself living in Taupo.
Most people would show you a picture of the lake, because that's what Taupo is all about, but I love the river there...the aquarmarine colours & the power of it are just so remarkable.

 On this journey we passed on through Taupo though & navigated our way further up the road braving lumpy, obstructive road works all the way to Hamilton. It is a city divided in two by the Waikato river so after a wander through this reserve & along the river side,

 and of course passed bridges & giant's homes..

we discovered, some people even have their own private carousels!

 But really, we had come all this way to see Tony, Gracey's husband. It's been 6 weeks since, alone out in the forest in the dark, the boom of the crane he was using malfunctioned, swung around & came crashing through to pin the poor man to his seat; crushing him there some 7 long agonizing hours before dawn & help finally arrived..paramedics & helicopters & you know the drill. A fistful of operations later, he is alive & still has two legs & is tenderly & hugely grateful to still be around.

 It was so good to see them both...dear hearts. Never mind that in our rush to get up to the hospital before closing of visiting hours we forgot to take note...well, of anything really. Um, which parking building old or new? Which floor of the parking building? Which level did we come in? Did we follow the red corridor? Did we bring the parking ticket so that we could pay before leaving? Luckily the car was still there some time later & the return journey next day was a lot more straight forward. There are many months to go yet, but the skill of the surgeons' hand is most evident in the care Tony has received & the breadth of prayer & concern astonishing. He even has a whole cloister of Nuns praying for him!

 After reluctantly leaving these two to the on-going daily challenges of recovery, with Tony still "nil by mouth" for the 3rd consecutive day awaiting further surgery, we headed on to Te Aroha (funnily enough where Gracey's mother lives).
 Oh we love this place!
 A tiny delightful town with great cafes, fabulous Indian food,

 antique shops (well one)

 & best of all Aroha Mountain Lodge.

 Greg & Linda are the most hospitable open-hearted hosts you could ever imagine.
Here's Greg with a son..hosting the "Day in the Domain" on Sunday.

 The unofficial Mayor of the place he's always on the job, his passion & creativity know no bounds.
There's lots of fine history in Te Aroha (apart from the fact that I lived there for the whole first year of my little life)

& lots of lovely vistas

& rural glimpses.

The mountain is imposing & grand & there are wonderful places to walk in beautiful bush.
 Some, even hike to the summit.

But not us.

 We found a dodgy looking bridge way though

 (it's actually to stop boulders crashing through the town in a flood).

You never know what you might spy when peering through bushes!

I love these old band rotundas don't you?

It's all so nice & cosy.
 We found ourselves serenaded by church bells & fire sirens, birdsong

and a few other odd bods!!

We missed the Lenten studies

but instead sat on the wide verandah with some cold apple cider,

some pretty magazines & books

and watched the day draw to a close...deeply grateful.

A little later we walked all of 50 metres to the most amazing hot soda mineral pools.

 The only ones of their kind in New Zealand.

Even the leaving is a delight,

as the narrow road undulates for miles & miles until one last corner & we career back into the bustle of

the fast lane home.
But before we could arrive, there was one last adventure most astonishing.
But I will have to save that story for another day.
Lovely to see you dear ones..thank you for stopping in.
MUCH

 ♥♥♥♥♥