Creating with Wisdom

Rambling Wonderings of a Fledgling Naturist

2013-07-12T13:35:00.000+10:00

I had a thought about death.

About the endless cycle of death and renewal.

And, I wondered how nature could endure it and still radiate such beauty.

I thought of how God reaches down from Heaven to touch us with the splendour of His Creation...

... and how each new life proclaims the glory of God throughout the Earth...

... while death proclaims the glory of God in Heaven.

I thought about the hope that makes us persevere with the journey, though the climb may be rocky...

...and how the light of Heaven shines brighter with each upward step.

Then, I pondered how life seems but one season...

... though the seasons have many lives.

I wondered how do the seasons find purpose in their endless cycle of beginnings and endings?

And, don't we live a season in a day?

I thought of how each sunset marks the death of another day, while each new sunrise brings hope and renewal in the birth of new beginnings.

I mused on the new beginnings that find their fabric in old traditions...

... and the familiar patterns that bring comfort and strength to growth and fulfilment.

I turned to nature to find a pillow for my soul...

... and I found a mentor for my thoughts.

Then, the beauty of Creation stilled the rambling wonderings of my mind.

And I saw God.

Linking up today with Wholehearted Home and Deep Roots at Home.

I'm sorry I've been rather a pest...

2013-07-03T05:20:00.000+10:00

Well, it's like this:

I was having a touch of bother with my Feedly app on my iPad. Google Reader has just bit the dust and I thought, 'That's okay. I'm prepared - I've got the fantastic new Feedly app!"

The trouble was that Feedly was denying all knowledge of me. This sort of thing happens from time to time but usually only when I've offended someone...

So, I decided to see if Digg might like me better. And, it seemed like it might.

Only, this reader refused all knowledge of some of my blogging friends. Seems that Digg didn't dig them like I do.

So, after a couple of hours of messing around, I gave up with only half my favourite blogs in my reader.

I thought nothing else of it, until I discovered this morning that I'd filled every feed with all my old posts from all of my blogs!

Sorry!

Luckily, I've found a solution to this very annoying problem but it does involve a bit of effort and a certain community spirit.

After investigating all technical considerations and software implications, it appears that the only solution to this problem is for everyone on my blogging network to write 5 posts each in immediate succession.

That way, my old, antiquated posts will move way down the reading list and stop polluting the blogosphere with their mindless noise and commotion.

And, we can all go back to reading the really interesting stuff!

Problem solved!!

And, moving on....

I've been suffering from a bout of blogger's block, lately, but now that I'm here, I may as well share some piccies.

A sunset.

Some flowers.

More flowers.

Some more flowers.

Isn't it great when the blogging drought ends and the words start to flow, again? :-D

The Golden Age of Womanhood

2013-06-05T15:36:00.000+10:00

In this age of materialism and rationalism, our society seems to have lost sight of that which is most precious and beautiful in life.

Many people are desensitised to the Truth and no longer recognise brutality and delinquency when they see it. To uphold morality and the sacredness of life is often seen as the extreme, rather than the norm, and superficial freedoms and opportunities seem to have disguised the real imprisonment of our souls.

Faced with the meaningless stress and excesses of life, it seems natural to look back with nostalgic yearning to a time when life was simpler, genuinely freer and intrinsically more honest.

But, when I start to ponder, I wonder if we really would want to go back to the 'good old days'?

Those old days can seem quite idyllic - a time when families would gather around a piano at night, when people would work hard and take satisfaction in their many skills and accomplishments. A time when food was natural and everything naturally moved much more slowly. A time when people chatted face to face, instead of digitally, through a tiny piece of impersonal technology. And, a time when life was more active and obesity was a lot less common.

But, I wonder if this harking back to the olden days might be the romanticising of an unrealistic ideal.

Reading from the pages of a 1920s newspaper, it seems that women were often very much oppressed by their male 'superiors', in those days, and a look into a woman's diary of the same period shows that her workload could be even more oppressive.

Even in the 1950s, when women had the benefit of shiny, modern appliances, it seems that their lot in life was often anything but a bunch of roses.

Some were forced to work in miserable jobs for miserable, inequitable wages. Others were confined to a life within the home at a time of such confusing social and technological change that they were equally miserable and lacking in hope.

I think we sometimes look back to the immaculate and capable fifties' housewives and feel either intimidated or tempted to imitate them. But, even if the appearance of contentment and domestic bliss were real, I think the values of the fifties' stereotypes might seem just a little superficial.

Looking at some of the educational films of the decade, it appears that traditional social snobbery was fuelled by the new materialism which would soon displace it. Moral standards seem to have been valued, still - at least, by the older generations - but, as in the Garden of Eden, I wonder if ambition and competitiveness appeared too tempting, once the onset of good times had ignited a taste for pleasure and the opportunity to achieve it.

After the trauma and poverty of two world wars and the Depression, it's not surprising that people revelled in their new prosperity but, looking at the decline in morals and traditional values which followed during the sixties, it seems that this new life of ease might have lacked the depth of experience which teaches real values and wisdom.

I began to wonder if there ever was a golden era, at all.

Hard times are definitely character building but they're also....well, hard!

Good times look like fun but are they ultimately soul destroying?

Perhaps, in the end, it doesn't matter what era we live in.

We can all make the best of the opportunities that we have and, with faith, we can live a contented life regardless of circumstances.

I guess one of the keys is that we learn how to serve. When we can joyfully serve God and our fellow man in any circumstance, then, our peace can survive the hardships of life.

For those of us who still have God in our lives, I think that we have a pretty good opportunity to make our own golden era.

Our rights have been fought for by the first wave of feminism, our work has been eased by technology, our children are more likely to reach adulthood and our potential to grow as creative, thinking people is heightened by new freedoms of opportunity.

Though we often suffer financial hardships, few of us are under-nourished or homeless. Our society may be spiritually impoverished but, compared to our ancestors and our Third World neighbours, most of us are living like princes.

As long as we keep our hearts on the Lord and refuse to be hardened by our sufferings or distracted by worldly temptations which lure us away from our beautiful and godly vocations, it seems that we can live creatively, in peace and contentment, as a beacon of light to those who have been deceived by false hopes and vain lies.

Today, I'm linking up with Deep Roots at Home and Wholehearted Home and Raising Homemakers and Faith, Grace and Crafts.

Please visit for more homemaking ideas!

Vocational Beauty

2013-05-27T08:05:00.000+10:00

I really think that women are ambassadors of beauty.

Men may appreciate beauty but they don't really embody beauty in quite the same way as a woman, do they?

I mean, what man would flutter an eyelash in response to a flattering compliment and when did a man ever want a bunch of flowers for his birthday?

Women understand beauty and know how to channel beauty into the lives of those they are nurturing.

A Google search on 'Beautiful Womanhood' will result in an inspiring display of pure and Godly homemakers, modestly dressed with serene countenances. Like women of old, they nurture their families in peace and contentment - their hearts full of faith and a selfless, life-giving love.

By contrast, if you were to Google 'Beautiful Woman', you would find yourself bombarded with raunchy images of boldly painted women exposing their naked flesh in the most provocative poses. Not beautiful, at all:-(

I wondered about this, for a while, and it occurred to me that our idea of beauty depends upon our feminine ideals.

'Woman' in the singular is very individualistic. It can appear superficial, skin-deep and egotistical.

'Womanhood' is collective - suggestive of vocation and the Body of Christ. Rather than confining itself to visual impact and sensuality, it encompasses the purpose, goals, skills, gifts and soul of the feminine being.

The self-empowering feminism, of the 60s and 70s, seems to fit the individualist perspective of the feminine ideal. It extolled self-fulfilment and personal rewards.

But, could the superficial gains and self-satisfaction of worldly ambition ever compare to the deeply fulfilling rewards of a heavenly vocation? Where career success is valued more than 'womanhood' it would appear to be the result of self-interest and self-will, a response to feminist ideals which focus on serving one's own personal needs, rather than serving God and neighbour.

There appears to be something very transient about the self-fulfilment and collegial approval of worldly ambition.

The pursuit of self-will seems quite likely to result in immediate self-gratification and long-term discontent. For women, this can be exacerbated by the sacrifice of natural trust and familial intimacy in favour of fragile, peer relationships that exist on the feeble thread of commercial prosperity or professional commendation.

How often does a colleague or employer value a woman for who she is? As long as she presents well and performs to expectations, she survives and receives a material reward for her effort. But, for womanhood, the most valuable and enduring achievement is to be found in a vocation where, ironically, appreciation has nothing to do with performance. It is a role which manifests unconditional love and treasures the unique and special nature of the complete woman.

Despite my lack of style and tragic fashion sense(!), it seems that femininity is so much more empowering than gender charged feminism.

To be an instrument of God's beauty to our families and those we encounter in our days is not only a privilege but a huge source of grace for our own souls.

But, this doesn't mean beauty as the world sees it.

It has nothing to do with perfect features or a waif-like figure.

It seems to me that perfect beauty is achieved as a channeling of grace through the living out of our God-given vocations.

The beauty of God's creation is revealed in so many ways - in relationships and nature and music and art and all of our diverse and unique creative enterprises.

And, also, in our person. In the way we dress, talk, move, interact and respond to all we encounter. Who we are and how we reflect the world around us is an invitation to beauty which unites us with our Creator and allows us a glimpse of Heaven in our everyday lives.

The gift of womanhood is that sensitivity to beauty in all its diverse forms and a uniquely feminine ability to convey it to our families and all those we meet with in our day.

Today, I'm sharing with Deep Roots at Home and Wholehearted Home and Raising Homemakers and Faith, Grace and Crafts and Hope in Every Season.

Please visit for more homemaking ideas!

Pantry Sacks, Pretty Gifts and Op Shop Buys

2013-05-14T21:45:00.000+10:00

Homemaking can be a real dull and boring grind...

...or, as I'm learning, it can be a fun and creative way of adding beauty and comfort to our home:-D

I love the way that pretty china and beautiful flowers can practically transform the look of a room, without the need for an expensive makeover.

Even in the pantry, I'm seeing how storage solutions can be attractive, as well as practical.

These pantry sacks were sewn from tea towels and twine was threaded in the top to tie them closed.

These could be made from charity shop tea towels or vintage fabric so that used cloth may be recycled and repurposed. My sacks hold dried goods such as sugar, flour and pasta. They're lighter than large glass jars and can be a way to store bulk buys.

These spice jars are another charity shop buy. No matter how often I sorted out my pantry, I was always searching for odd spice bottles that had been pushed into hiding by larger items. Now, they're efficiently arranged and cooking is less frustrating:-)

Here's my Mother's Day flowers, again. Aren't they beautiful? I really love having flowers in the house:-)

More flowers! The vase is yet another charity shop buy - I guess it was extravagant but I do feel it's important to support our local charities:-) These ones are on my bedside table. Does it look a bit oriental, do you think? Maybe, it's a Ming. It did say 'Made in China' on the bottom.

More of my flowers:-} The pinks and purples are so feminine.

This vase is...you guessed it...another charity shop buy! And, another bargain:-D

I love the pretty flower details on this one. It stands on a lamp table, next to a comfy armchair, and I soak up the gorgeous scent of my Mr. Lincoln roses whenever I sit there to read or sew.

I snuck the fern leaves from our little forest when my hubby wasn't looking. Ferns can be quite fragile where we live, so ours have been lovingly nurtured and protected from the burning sun. I would have chosen cuttings from the weedy privet, instead, but that looks...well....weedy!

A Mother's Day present, again. Like me, my eldest daughter loves pretty things and this is what she sent me, this year, in the post. It arrived beautifully packaged and the pens match the journal. It's so cute! This is going to be my favouritest journal:-)

More roses from the garden - in my milk urn, this time. Remember that recent charity shop buy? I have a frequent shoppers card for our Salvos store, now - yes, really!

Oh look, here's those Mother's Day flowers, again:-}

I also got a cute candle with a candle snuffer from one of my children.

These photos were taken before I lit the candle and set the flowers on fire. I was actually looking forward to using my new candle snuffer for the first time but, when there's a long flame shooting up towards the ceiling, the situation calls for something rather more substantial than a wee, little candle snuffer. A delicate glass cup, dangling daintily from a pretty, white ribbon just ain't going to snuff it:-}

Today, I'm sharing with Raising Homemakers and Deep Roots at Home and Faith, Grace and Crafts and Wholehearted Home and Wednesday's Make, Bake, Create.

Words with no meaning

2013-05-11T09:28:00.000+10:00

Don't you just hate it when you go to write a post and the only words that come out are the wrong ones?

I've been browsing the Christian blogosphere, these past few days, and the amount of talent out there leaves me speechless.

I wish I could say that I too have a mission and the beautiful, inspired words to go with it.

But, all I have is the pictures:-)

The pictures show how my heart is being drawn back to the more simple and traditional pleasures of life.

Journaling is drawing me back, away from the computer, and I'm finding satisfaction in writing with a real ink pen on real paper!

I'm enjoying decorating the house and re-stocking my pantry with snazzy glass pots and homemade pantry sacks.

I'm planning to learn flower arranging.

And, I'm writing sensible routines that are simplifying our lifestyle and leaving room for prayer and all those traditional homemaking skills that are in danger of being lost in our crazy, Western society.

In all this, words seem superfluous.

Which is my way of saying that I started this post with good intentions but....I've got nothing!:-)

Could it be time to take a blogging break, do you think?

My Tasteful Fashion Sense

2013-05-05T21:05:00.000+10:00

Leanne at Roses, Tea and Our Lady has tagged me for a fashion meme which is really great because normally I'm very lazy when it comes to fashion but, recently, I've felt inspired to put more effort into looking a bit more stylish.

I haven't got very far, yet, so I'm afraid I can't post any gorgeous piccies of me;-) But, I did dig out some before shots and a few artist's impressions of the new me in my designer gear.

This first one is of me in my brand new evening attire. I don't know how Fred got into the picture but we do look quite stylish together, don't you think?

Now, onto the questions:

1) How would you describe your style?
Well, I think the picture with Fred says it all.

Elegant, classy and timelessly sophisticated.

Oops, I seem to have got my piccies muddled up. That's the future me.

Here's the current version:

Obviously, I'm no stunner but I am thinking that I might scrub up to something quite reasonable with a long, flowing skirt, pretty top and sensible, but elegant, heels. Of course, the hair will be tastefully styled and the look will be finished off with a scented, lacy hanky:-)

This is what I'm expecting to look like:

Source

2) What are you wardrobe staples?

Fluffy slippers, grungy cardigans and wrinkly jeans, at the moment. But, that's because it's nearly winter and I haven't metamorphosised into the new me, yet.

It hasn't always been this way, though. In summer, I actually wear skirts and dresses.

And, for special occasions, I've even been known to dress up.

Here's a piccie of me, at a recent wedding. Notice how all eyes were on me. I really turned heads!

3) Most expensive clothing item you own?

That would have to be one of the items that my eldest daughter bought me.

Unlike me, she has a fashion sense and knows all the 'in' places to shop. From time to time, she tries to update my image by bringing home a new jacket or cardigan or some other new item for me and, if it wasn't for her, I'd look a bit like a bag lady.

I really don't know what is the most expensive item that she's bought because, if I ask her how much money she's spent, I'd feel obligated to tell her off for wasting money and that would mean no more prezzies:-D

4) Most wanted item?

A jumper (or sweater) that doesn't have fluffy little knobbly bits on it or a pair of jeans that doesn't start the day tight and end the day sagging like a pair of bloomers or a cardigan that has buttons that don't always end up in the wrong buttonholes.

5) Favourite designer?

Meilleur et Moins, Grand W and La Boutique Rejeter.

6)How much do you spend on clothing?

As little as possible.

I always have good intentions to buy myself some smart classics and my husband even wishes I would but I get weary of clothes shopping really quickly. If I don't find something fast, I find myself distracted by the art, sewing and book shops and I justify my continued shabbiness with the knowledge that I'll get more value out of new pencils or haberdashery or anything that I can use.

Sometimes, though, I do find something and, if it looks like a bargain, I might even buy it. Often, it's either end of season stock and the weather's too hot or cold to actually wear it. Or, else, it's hiding a hideous fault like a stain on the bottom or a split from the armpit to the waist. I usually fail to discover the reason for the discount until I'm sitting in Sunday Mass, straining to hear the homily over the stifled laughter from the seats behind.

7) Favourite places to shop?

Eckersleys, Dymocks, Spotlight - oh hang on a minute, I think that's supposed to mean clothes shops.

Hmm, let's see....Paris, London and Milan.

Of course, I haven't frequented there a lot, lately, but, when I can, they are definitely my favourite places:-)

8) Favourite fragrance?

Anything by Christian Dion or Eve St. Laurence or Channel No.5.

9) What is your go to outfit when you don't have anything to wear?

In the summer, this would have been my stripey dress.

The one in this old collage:

I loved it because it didn't need ironing:-D

Sadly, it recently met with a rather unfortunate accident involving a brand new pair of cerise pyjama pants. No longer is it a black and white dress of tasteful simplicity. Nowadays, it is black and white with random pink splodges, and even I have enough fashion sense to know it's not acceptable attire for public appearances.

10) Most prized possession?
My fluffy slippers, fluffy dressing gown and fluffy jim-jams. But, I do like to vary the look, occasionally. In summer, I ditch the fluffy and go for cool.

Thank you, Leanne, for tagging me for this meme! Hopefully, I'll be able to do a follow-up with some serious, new me answers, after I go and check out those boutiques my daughter shops at. It'll be easy to find them because my cupboard is full of the trendy, tote bags that she brings this stuff home in:-)

Today, I'm linking up with Wholehearted Home and Deep Roots at Home and Raising Homemakers and Faith, Grace and Crafts and Hope in Every Season.

Please visit for more homemaking ideas!

The Etiquette of Afternoon Tea

2013-04-30T23:24:00.000+10:00

Have you ever hosted an afternoon tea?

Did you know there are some important rules of etiquette that still apply, even today?

Apparently, the rules are simple and few, compared to the standards of yesteryear but, to be a successful host or an elegant guest, one must comply or stick out like sore, uncultured thumb.

Because flowers are considered to be an essential element of high tea perfection, this is where I made my start on the road to culture, charm and sophistication.

Apparently, tea roses or orchids are regarded as the perfect choice for a genteel and feminine high society experience. They are the epitome of class and good taste.

I knew that.

Of course.

But, well, orchids aren't cheap and I actually find that tea roses look amazingly like...

...pink carnations:-D

These'll do.

I discovered that rules apply to food, too. And, that's not so silly as it sounds. No gracious lady wants to be seen with tomato sauce dribbling down her powdered chin. And, chewing madly on a tough piece of rump with wide open chompers, whilst attempting to converse politely in well-bred society, is going to present rather a difficult challenge.

So, you can see there is a reason for those crustless, little triangles of cucumber sandwiches...and, the bite-sized hors d'oeuvres, designed to be daintily nibbled and consumed without mishap before courtesy claims the aristocratic tonsils for the next round of congenial pleasantries.

Afternoon tea is, apparently, the ideal occasion to get out the pretty floral tea set and the heirloom silver.

Fortunately for me, pre-loved finds of chinaware, from op shops and jumble sales, are perfectly acceptable. Cardboard cups and plastic plates from Woolies are not.

As for the family silver - well, I searched the sandpit and hubby's toolkit but all I found were some oil-covered knives and a couple of twisted tea spoons. I briefly considered indulging in some rather pretty tea spoons at the local Samaritans store but the pictures on the handles were all of different beaches and, inexperienced though I may be, I do know for a fact that matching silverware is an essential in genteel society circles.

While silverware should, as I say, be matching, rule number 37531 allows for some variation of chinaware. As long as there is not a half-pint mug of classlessness or any cups bearing such slogans as 'I'm a Perfect Guzzler', cups may be of any combination of colour and design.

But, they must be feminine.

As should the dress and decor. No jeans, sloppy joes or sneakers. Floral skirts, frilly blouses and coiffured buns are the go - with a light spray of Dior J'Adore and the barest of Lancôme blush or glossy sophistication.

Of course, there are more rules concerning the actual practice of transporting delicate porcelain and tasty morsels from the luxuriously arranged table setting to the perfectly glossed lips, without the embarrassment of involuntary slurping or accidental spillage.

Some of these rules go without saying.

We all know that one must remove the spoon from the drinking vessel prior to taking that first dainty sip. Otherwise, we are asking for a black eye or, at the very least, a blinky waterfall which could result in a ghoulish stream of black mascara trailing down one's cheek and mixing rather unfortunately into the delicate brew of Twinings.

Other rules of etiquette are not quite so obvious.

Such as entertaining the other guests with a tuneful rendition of 'A Pub with No Beer' as one's silver spoon gracefully circles one's gold-rimmed cup of lemon herbal. Equally unacceptable is the triumphant slurping of one's beverage from said spoon after one has succeeded in the difficult task of conveying a full load of the exquisite brew to one's lips without even the slightest overflow.

As you can see, I have lots to learn. But, I'm a willing learner and, despite the funny, little rules that traditionally accompany a sophisticated afternoon tea, it all does seem rather charming and so very cultured!

If I ever succeed in this quaint endeavour, I'll post the evidence of my ladylike achievement as proof of my unexpected triumph:-D

Today, I'm sharing with Deep Roots at Home and Raising Homemakers and Wholehearted Home and Faith, Grace, Craft.

Please visit for more homemaking ideas!

Afternoon Tea with Style

2013-04-26T16:35:00.000+10:00

I think there might be a cork missing on this, somehow. Otherwise, I reckon the milkmaid would be sloshing milk all over the place. But, it doesn't matter - I fell in love with the old-fashioned look of this urn and all our milk comes in plastic bottles, anyway. Oh, what a stylish age we live in!;-)

I'm still wandering what to use this for.

Flowers?

Stationery? No, that would spoil it, I think.

Maybe, I could find a cork and use it for something homely like baking stuff:-D

Here's the table runner that I was making in my last post. It was really easy - just squares and a border - whipped up in a jiffy on my old treadle machine. There's something ethereal and rhythmic about sewing on a treadle. It's so relaxing.

This is a tea cup and some canisters.

(Yes, really!)

The tea set is another op shop find. I was almost tempted by some beautiful rose patterned tea cups, as well, but they were a bit pricey.

And, I'm rather in love with this simple flowered cup, anyway. It's become my new bestest cup.

Now, when you compare drinking a scalding coffee out of a cardboard takeaway bucket to sipping tea delicately from an ornate porcelain setting, that has history and culture, which would you choose?

If I said that my afternoon tea comes with hot, freshly baked scones, strawberry jam and dollops of whipped cream, while the other one comes with a box of dry, stale biscuits, would the choice be easier?

Yep, I reckon that what I save on takeaway coffee will pay for the tea set and the milk urn, in no time.

Well, about two years, actually. We only go out for coffee when dd1 is home and she normally pays. Hmm...maybe, five years will pay it off.

Still, it is pretty...

Sewing Pretty Things

2013-04-21T19:04:00.000+10:00

If you've been reading my posts, lately, you'll know I'm in domestic mode, right now.

I'm cleaning, decorating, making over and doing all things homemaking.

But...I'm beginning to think my blog might be getting a tad dull.

You see, sewing's all well and good.

It's fun to do and neat to have new things or to wear the end result but...

...how do you write an interesting post about sewing?

I could write about my wonderful sewing machine.

It's so pretty and ornate - and I love that I understand this machine.

I can fix anything that goes wrong with it and it's practically indestructible.

Or, I could write about my sewing basket.

Before I kept my sewing handy in a basket, I used to have real trouble getting started on a project.

I seem to have to have my sewing and knitting within eyeshot or I get lazy and forgetful.

For ages now, I've had a patchwork table runner in the planning.

And it stayed in the planning, until I put it in a pretty, charity shop basket and plonked it down, right next to my comfy, reading spot.

I have this plan to fill our home with sentimental, handmade treasures that tell a story or remind us of special people.

And patchwork is my absolute favourite. We all have quilts made by my mother-in-law and I have a beautiful tablecloth that was also made by her.

So now, I'm hoping to add to our collection of pretty, patchwork cloths and quilts to create more family heirlooms.

More treasures to make our home beautiful and more props for my little, photography hobby:-D

***If anyone knows how to write interesting posts about sewing, please give me some hints!!!***

I'm linking up with Deep Roots at Home and Raising Homemakers and Hope in Every Season, today.

Please visit for more homemaking ideas!

The Intuition of Domesticity

2013-04-19T19:12:00.000+10:00

Whenever I think of intuition, I think of New Age phenomena - tarot cards, seances and fortune telling - probably, because modern psychology often exaggerates its significance. By stressing the importance of personal insight, subjective reasoning and relative truths, secular thinking can take the source of all light away from God, the Supreme Truth, and diminish human reality to mere perception.

However, there is a place for intuition in Christian philosophy and it has its roots in faith, rational thinking and spiritual inspiration.

Where a secular philosopher would see intuition as a means of acquiring knowledge, a Christian's reality is based upon human reasoning and Divine revelation.

As an example of this, I was recently reading of a case where a hunting man intuitively made an unusual decision which turned out to be life-saving. He related an occasion when loading his rifle prior to a hunting trip, he at once felt compelled to load just four bullets, instead of the usual five. Later, during the vacation, a family member grabbed the gun in a rage and shot at his wife. The hunter threw himself between the couple and would have been killed at point blank range had the gun been loaded with its normal load. He attributed his lucky escape to intuition.

As Christians, we could reach the same conclusion but we would usually explain the intuition in supernatural, rather than human, terms. The protection of Our Lady, our guardian angels and the communion of saints, along with the power of prayer, have more worth in our eyes than any psychological abilities of our own.

All of this has implications for the home because our spiritual beliefs influence our goals, priorities and, even, our choice of decor.

Religious art is usually quite distinctive between different denominations and spiritual movements. New Age amulets and talismans would have no place in our home. Neither would a statue of Buddha, despite the Buddhist teachings regarding love and peace.

Instead, we have pictures and statues of Our Lord and Our Lady, and some of our favourite saints and angels. We also have pots of Rosary beads, Christian reading, candles and several crucifixes.

Being surrounded by these religious artefacts helps us to keep our eyes on Jesus, throughout the day, turning our thoughts of God when the material world threatens to dim our view of the spiritual reality.

Just as pictures of our loved ones bring us comfort and joy, these decorations warm our hearts and lift our spirits. They add to the feeling of peace and hope in the home while, at the same time, creating a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing home environment.

In our home, flowers remind me of God's creation and make me want to praise God. I think that surrounding our prayer areas with ornaments from nature helps to create a peaceful atmosphere for praise and quiet reflection. God is present in His Creation and, when we bring the fruits of creation into our homes, our souls turn towards Him.

In our Catholic faith, flowers are also used to honour Our Lord and Our Lady, along with the communion of saints. It seems right, then, to place vases and little posies of flowers on our small altars and next to our religious pictures and statues, as a sign of love, faithfulness and thanksgiving.

Religious ornaments are often so beautiful that they could be seen to be meaningless symbols or tokens, rather than having any spiritual influence. I don't really agree with this as I find that all beauty leads me to think of God and marvel in His wonder. Just as grace is unseen, so too I think are the spiritual benefits of surrounding our home with a beauty which is pure and intentional.

This extends, I think, to the practical and non-religious items that we make and create for our families and friends. As time goes by, I become more and more aware of the fact that God is the source of all our creative endeavours. I notice that my efforts fail when I try to go it alone. It seems, therefore, that our union with God is strengthened by decorating our home with our creations and our creativity is inspired by making our unfinished projects a visible and accessible part of our living areas.

Prayer books, holy water and holy oil also find a place in our home. They form a part of our routine that is so habitual that it becomes a part of us, but, rather than use them without thought, we view them with the eyes of faith and human reasoning. And, by making these acts of faith a part of our physical as well as our supernatural life, our faith is nurtured and allowed to mature.

As I've been thinking about spiritual intuition and the home, I've felt drawn towards areas where we could increase our awareness of Jesus' presence and our gratitude for the graces we receive.

Decorating quiet corners with objects that help and inspire prayer is one idea. In one of my recent posts, I mentioned that we decorate with books. These are normally spiritual books which are often beautifully bound and treasured as an aid to closer intimacy with God. They need to be accessible if they are to be used frequently, so making them a decorous part of a prayer corner seems helpful.

Other ways of increasing our spiritual awareness include the observation of liturgical feasts in a visual sense. We do this at Christmas with our nativity scenes, advent calendar and various other seasonal ornaments. We also use our other senses, such as our hearing and taste, as part of our seasonal traditions. Our family could do more of this, throughout the year, to inspire thoughts of God and celebrate His presence in our home life.

I normally pray to Our Lady for guidance before writing these posts but, ironically, I was halfway through writing this post on spiritual intuition before I remembered to pray for spiritual enlightenment! I'm sure there's heaps more that could be said so I'm hoping to share more ideas in the comments box. How do you inspire spiritual awareness and praise God in your home?

The Balance of Domesticity

2013-04-18T06:38:00.000+10:00

As a physical sense, the loss of balance can not only be disorienting but also dangerous and alarming, leading to falls and possibly serious injury.

In the sphere of domesticity, I thought I would apply this concept to the emotional and practical choices that homemakers encounter within the home and which contribute to the stability and well-being of the family.

When our bodies detect a loss of balance, brain signals trigger a compensatory, contrary reaction so that equilibrium is restored. In some ways, I think the same thing happens when our domestic order threatens to fall out of balance. We naturally tweak and modify to maintain harmony and, to avoid swinging wildly from one extreme to another, we apply moderation and variety.

When I searched on the Internet for information about balance in the home, almost every result related to the balance between work outside the house and family life. As a stay-at-home mother, this doesn't exactly apply to me but I think that a homemaker applies the same principles.

Like a career mother, I feel a need to maintain a balance between work and leisure in order to maintain peace and harmony within the home.

Before the advent of modern conveniences, at a time when most women were homemakers, domestic chores took a lot more time and physical effort than they do, today. If anything, the pendulum swung too far on the side of work, with little time for the sort of leisure we enjoy, now.

Though I'm grateful not to live with the harsh conditions of a hundred years ago, I still feel drawn to the busy domestic occupation of those times, balancing traditional skills against modern needs. Mornings spent going from task to task, attending to chores and duties and, afternoons in quiet and peaceful creative pursuits or active leisure. Because we homeschool, this means mornings of planned learning and essential chores, normally followed by crafts and hobbies, in the afternoon.

This balance between work versus leisure, and physical versus mental activity seems to create a healthy equilibrium for us. It works so well that I notice disharmony when the work outweighs rest or exercise is sacrificed for study time and vice versa. For me, there have been times when I've worked at the expense of my own rest time and there have been other times when a lack of discipline has meant too much leisure time. One causes burnout and fatigue. The other causes restlessness, dissatisfaction and, in my case, feelings of guilt. When we tweak to keep life in balance, the home seems more peaceful and the family seems motivated and content.

While I have been making over our home, I've noticed the necessity of balance in many of the little details that we get to choose between as homemakers.

To create a beautiful environment, I've naturally been choosing pretty ornaments and trinkets to decorate and adorn our living areas, with an eye on balance between our secular and spiritual needs. Some choices have been decided out of practicality and some are purely aesthetic.

The coffee table above is a mixture of both practical and decorative. The religious ornaments, clock and fruit dish were carefully chosen to be both. They were arranged with beauty in mind but they were selected partly for their practical qualities.

Again, the letter rack and the canister were chosen for looks and function. Usually, I like to buy fewer items of higher quality than a quantity of cheaper items. That way we're able to create a beautiful environment that is practical and enduring.

Though my ideal is quality spending, I think that balance is again a necessary goal.

I love to have vases of colourful, fresh flowers in the house but they're expensive to buy and they don't last long. To keep the budget in balance, I've started looking for ideas from our own garden. We don't have a lot of flowers, right now, but I'm experimenting with the greenery that we do have. A balance between the occasional bunch of shop-bought flowers and natural, native sprigs from the garden might just harmonise to add some living beauty to our living areas without breaking the budget.

Thinking about how we balance and moderate our eating patterns, to ensure variety and a healthy stability, led me to consider the other areas of our home life that work better in equilibrium.

Many of our choices are based on practical compromises based on complimentary or opposing forces. One example that comes to mind is our choice of lounge suite. In two rooms, we have leather sofas because they are durable and attractive. I find that leather is not as comfortable as fabric but, with so many children around, the balance between comfort and appearance was maintained by opting for durability.

Our leather lounges were our first major furniture purchase and I was very proud and protective of them, at first. It didn't do much for the relaxed atmosphere that I was trying to create! Being house proud is useful to a point, I think, but it needs to be balanced by opportunities for rest and relaxation - not just for myself as the homemaker but also for the rest of the family. They need to be allowed to make a mess, play and create - and break the odd piece of china:-/ - in order to learn, relax and enjoy being at home. The pendulum will eventually swing back towards work, and beauty will hopefully be restored, along with a balance of peace and contentment.

There's so much more that we subconsciously balance within our lives and I think that equilibrium is usually reached at a different point for each family, depending upon personality, taste and the season of life.

In terms of personality, it seems that both extroverts and introverts balance their duty to be present and attentive, whilst also looking after their own health and well-being.

We also maintain a balance between quiet and noisy times to allow everyone to have fun and also to rest in between. Because everyone has a different idea of equilibrium - even within the same home - we need to balance our personal needs and desires with duty and charity to create a loving harmony. It doesn't always work but, with a bit of tweaking, we compromise, restore order and avoid toppling over altogether!

I think that, of all the domestic choices we make, the most important is that we create a secure and loving home for our families. That doesn't mean that there won't ever be frayed tempers or risks taken. A balance between security and adventure, and trust and guidance is possible, I think, because love and respect enable us to allow for exploration in the knowledge that our faith will help us to keep the pendulum from swaying too far.

It seems to me that maintaining faith, so that we can follow God's will with courage and commitment, means upholding a spiritual balance within the home. The balance of prayers and deeds, quiet times and times of action, vigilance and trustful abandonment all influence the peace and harmony of our home.

Changing needs and abilities mean that balance may occur at a different point along the spectrum, during different seasons. But, with moderation, faithful obedience and prayerfulness, the pendulum always seems to swing back towards an harmonious equilibrium if we keep our eyes on The Lord.

The Sound of Domesticity

2013-04-14T15:10:00.000+10:00

Did you know that a baby is sensitive to sound at nine weeks gestation? There have been many reports to suggest that soothing sounds, classical music and a peaceful environment can have a significant impact upon a young child's healthy development.

Even before knowing this, a peaceful environment was one of my priorities - partly, because I personally don't like loud hostility and unrest, but also because the witness of older relatives has shown that noisy confrontations in the home can have lifelong consequences.

Because we have a large family, our home fluctuates between quiet and noisy. I think it's important that the children are allowed to be boisterous and express their emotions but, when it gets too loud, I must admit that I retreat in search of a quiet corner!

With so many relationships bouncing around and competing for attention, the silent early mornings and late evenings seem like gold. These are the times for silent prayer, reading and hobbies.

I think the need for silence is partly cultural or environmental and partly a personality trait. It seems that many cultures express grief by excessive wailing and weeping, including the Chinese and the Mediterranean peoples. Our own Western culture is usually more reserved, but I wonder if honest displays of noisy, noble emotions balanced by quiet times of repose might be more healthy for us. Inhibited communication and suppressed feelings might result if peace and quiet were the unbending rule.

Because communication in families is so important, I think that the most significant sound in the home is that of voices talking - lively discussion, soft conversation, animated recounts, happy singing, uncontrolled mirth and spoken prayer.

Being a bit of a thinker, this is sometimes a challenge for me. The children and I laugh and talk a lot, together. And, discussion, read alouds and debates are a huge part of their learning. But, when my mind is full and busy, I have to force myself to come out of my head to be present for them, in the moment. I don't always succeed, by any means, but this is my very real goal for our family.

There are other times when communication is not the goal - times when the priority is to calm the atmosphere, settle emotions, concentrate or simply just relax. There are occasions when we need to cheer and encourage or when we want to enjoy happy leisure time together. Sometimes, we just want to raise our souls to Heaven and praise God. This is where I think we can be really creative in choosing the type of sounds which will add to the comfort and joy in our home, and, at the same time, promote the sort of peace that alternately motivates and relaxes both mind and body.

I could write heaps about the happiness and joy that music brings me and still it wouldn't quite express the way that music can touch the soul, affect our moods and brighten our days. Like the other senses, it seems that the gift of hearing brings a quality to life that is so much greater than the merely functional.

In our family, we have a variety of different music tastes but we all enjoy classical. A while back, I wrote out a list of some of our very favourite classical compositions.

Since our children were all very young, we have listened to a lot of classical and spiritual music, in the car, but, in the home, we could be more proactive about our choices.

Our 'at home' music usually comes from playing the guitar and piano or by allowing the digital piano to play itself. It has some lovely classical music on it but, somehow, I think we are missing the opportunity to explore and expand our music experiences. We have some lovely music, on CDs, that would create a heavenly background to the peaceful hum of domestic chores or hobby and reading times.

When our children were babies, I would sing to them, throughout the day. At change times, bath times or as I rocked them to sleep in their baby carriers, it very often soothed them or lulled them into a peaceful slumber. With the older children, I adapted the words of famous songs to include their names and it would become our special song. But, by time the younger ones were born, we had a houseful of critics who cringed with embarrassment at my lame musical efforts so I restrained myself and sang normal nursery rhymes, instead!

All of us, bar the youngest two, can play the piano at least a little, but three of the girls and I really love playing. None of us will ever be accomplished musicians but we play for the joy of it, and the music brings peace and a sense of satisfaction to us, at the same time.

During different seasons, the piano has become a dumping ground for toys, books and tissue boxes. This is something I've been trying to improve, since I began to 'makeover' the house. It just felt to me that, in order to produce relaxed and enjoyable music, the environment around the piano should be beautiful and uncluttered. So, I cleared away the junk and the biscuit crumbs(!), and I added some more inspiring decor. It seemed that, as all our creativity comes from God and should glorify Him, then spiritual pictures and statues might be more appropriate.

The pretty jug is purely aesthetic - I love looking at it!

Some of my favourite piano pieces are traditional hymns and spiritual music. During Advent, we practice our Christmas carols and they add to the atmosphere and traditions which make up our family Christmas seasons. Our eldest daughter plays some beautiful classical pieces, as well, and we all enjoy a range of modern music from Andrew Lloyd Webber to folk music and movie soundtracks.

Closely related to spiritual songs of praise are our family prayer times. The Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and bedtime prayers are often repetitive, softly spoken and soothing. Other prayers, spiritual read alouds, the catechism and bible readings are also part of the routine which uplifts and promotes a feeling of peace in our home. Our main area of improvement here would be more consistency. We have seasons of discipline and seasons where our family prayer life is full of disruption and chaos. During these times, we continue to talk about our faith and refer our thoughts and actions to Our Lord. The sounds of faith continue through times of spiritual oases and the desert.

When joyous, bouncy music fills the house, the younger children instinctively begin to dance. They don't mind if it's modern or classical, sung or instrumental - as long as it has a happy beat, they'll kick up their little heels!

Personally, I like both instrumental music and songs. A beautiful voice is like listening to angels sing and a powerful composition can be equally uplifting, I think.

Though not technically in the house, I don't think I could finish a post about sound in the home without mentioning the sounds of nature. Birds in the springtime, frogs at night, cicadas in summer, rustling leaves in autumn and, in our garden, the cool, fresh sound of a flowing creek. After the rain, this can ascend to a huge, tumultuous roar.

In domestic terms, we've had a rooster and budgies, canaries and, also, cockatiels singing through the house. Sometimes, they have been so noisy as to drown out conversation or wake us up at the crack of dawn. But, it was a happy sound and, when the little birds died and the cockatiel learnt to open the door of his own cage, we missed having them around. Sometimes, I felt sad that such beautiful birds were caged up, so most of them were allowed to fly free, in the evenings. Thinking, now, about their 'imprisonment' makes me reluctant to keep another bird as a pet, but we are lucky to have a large garden with an abundance of nature and, with the climate we live in and the design of our home, the sounds of God's garden naturally fill our home with peace, joy and, at times, spiritual exhilaration.

The Taste of Domesticity

2013-04-10T14:20:00.000+10:00

There's so much that could be written about taste. Our individual preferences seem to depend on differences like culture, health and lifestyle but, I think there are some choices that most homemakers wish for their families and that's what I want to think about here - enduring habits and routines that survive different seasons and needs in life.

To me, freshness seems to be the most important aspect of taste. The colour, texture and flavour of fresh fruit is something that is impossible to reproduce in a frozen package. Our family eats quite a lot of fruit but we could do better - more variety and consistency. I used to find it too easy to pick up a packet of biscuits for morning tea than to cut up a plate of fruit. But, then, a couple of cavities in our youngest child changed our eating habits quite a lot.

When we changed our diet, I learnt quite a bit about the chemical effects of sugar and I recognised how addictive it had become for us. Nowadays, I'm more careful about how much fruit the children eat and how often we bake sweet treats. I avoid sugar myself because I found it made a difference to my natural appetite control but, gradually, I've allowed the children to have sugar in moderation because I want them to enjoy home baking and celebrations. It's a part of life and I think it's important to our liturgical celebrations. Cooking special dishes to celebrate feast days is something that we haven't done a lot but, as far as we are able, I'd like to incorporate this more into our children's spiritual lives.

One way that I've found to protect the children's teeth and limit the effects of sugar is to make better choices. If we bake a cake, we might add a few chocolate chips but we avoid icing and sticky fillings. We also avoid sweets and sugary snacks but, sometimes, the older children buy chocolate that they share with the younger ones.

Watermelon is such a favourite in our house. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I realise that all fruit is like a treat to them. I wonder if that is because we stand in the fruit shop choosing fruit like I used to stand in the lollie shop choosing lollies as a child. We're lucky to have a big variety to choose between.

A couple of years ago, I read 'French Women Don't Get Fat' and was inspired to make some changes. The most important one was that I began to think in terms of eating seasonally. This way, we eat a greater variety of the natural food that God provides for us.

I also began to think more about quality food and preparation. It seemed important not to save money, buying cheap food, when feeding my family and keeping them healthy is my duty as their nurturer. Smaller quantities of quality food made more sense to me the more I thought about our Western excesses and unhealthy lifestyles. The Southern European countries seem to have a great healthy, attitude towards food - it's part of their culture, I guess.

Part of my nurturing role, I feel, is to make the effort to add to the family's quality of life in general and I think that trying new tastes and experimenting with creative recipes is part of that. Presenting meals nicely is, as well. I discovered that small, colourful meals look so much more appetising than a huge plate of artificially coloured, packaged food. I'd like to make every night a restaurant experience but we just do the best we can. We don't eat takeaway (take-in in America?) but the odd frozen schnitzel goes down well on a busy night!

When I was taking these photos, the little ones were hovering around, waiting for permission to eat. I felt mean to make them wait so long when it all looked so colourful and delicious!

At last, I gave the okay and a little hand shot in front of the camera!

There's nothing like the smell of homemade bread wafting through the house! The children like it so much better than shop baked loaves. I use the food processor to knead it and the recipe I use is very easy. But, I'm thinking that experimenting with different recipes would add more taste experiences and a healthy variety.

It's so satisfying to take a home baked loaf out of the oven and watch the children devour it:-D

In our busiest seasons, lunch was very haphazard. The little children were taken care of and the older ones helped themselves. Now, we've gone back to family lunchtimes and it's a highlight of our days, again. All of the children really like salad sandwiches. It's a nice, healthy lunch and it's easy because it's one of the few meals I can make that everyone will enjoy.

Breakfasts are also haphazard in our house. For a while, we used to have big family breakfasts but, with more babies and homeschooling to think of, different priorities took over. It's still nice to have a simple family breakfast, though, so I guess we could improve a lot there.

The older children and I like to share a coffee together and these times have become a family habit. I also love curling up on my own with a pretty cup and some good reading. This is a special cup - a birthday present from my sister. I think of her every single time that I use it.

Our children have learnt to like the taste of water. We completely cut out juice, three years ago, and now, they drink either milk or water. With meals, we always have a jug of water on the table. Since we made the changes, the younger children's teeth have hardened and some, but not all, of the cavities have shrunk. I wish we had eaten this way before the damage was done but I'm glad to have been able to learn how to protect their teeth before their adult teeth have come through.

Fizzy drinks are another thing we avoid - even on special occasions. They seem too addictive to risk. Because I know the children copy my tastes, I don't drink alcohol. Know that wine has health benefits and is pleasant with a meal but, for our family, it doesn't work. I want to have the freedom to drive at any moment I may need to and I want to show the children that it's possible to have fun without drinking. I was so pleased, recently, when my eldest daughter told me that my abstinence was something she valued greatly.

As I was taking these photos, I realised how photogenic fruit and vegetables are. The colours, shapes and textures are a photographic dream! It's funny how manufacturers choose colourful marketing and sugary additives to make their processed foods alluring but God has already given us the real thing and it's so much better!

We eat a lot of fresh vegetables. The younger children can be picky and don't always want to make the right choices. It seems that their taste buds aren't ready for brussel sprouts and onions, yet! When they have a dislike, I try to cook them something else but I keep serving the vegetables because the older children have proven that healthy tastes do eventually develop when we persevere.

These are our children's favourites vegetables - potatoes baked in olive oil and chicken salt, skins on. We're lucky not to have to worry about eating oils and fats in our family. By eating fresh, natural food in moderation, I've found that everyone has a healthy attitude towards food. I used to diet and worry about weight but, since I gave up sugar and concentrated on simple food, my appetite seems to take care of itself naturally.

Laying the table nicely makes such a difference to the taste of a meal, don't you think? So does eating outside. Our children love having picnics and they make the cleaning up so easy!

I love to have flowers, candles and a few ornaments on the table. We rarely have a complete dinner set for more than a week so I keep these plates in a special dresser. A new dinner set is something that I'm going to work on, next. I'll be scouring the charity shops for something that will make mealtimes more special.

Table cloths are another of my loves. I have a treasured one that was made by my mother-in-law - it's a very homely patchwork design and it always inspires me to be a better homemaker. I use little table clothes on our coffee tables, too. Besides covering up the wear and tear, I think they add a pretty softness to the home.

We don't entertain very often but, when we do have friends over, food is part of being welcome and charitable. Laying the table and serving nice food and drinks seems to be important. This is something that I'm learning gradually as I learn more about my role as a homemaker and as I gather new ideas.

I keep finishing these posts with flowers! We don't actually eat them, as some people do, but they are a big part of our table decor. Words can't describe the beauty I find in flowers - it's something so pure and Godly. I took so many different photos of this simple bunch and, still, I could have taken a whole heap more. Each angle showed a variation of composition and each shot caught the light differently.

I guess when we eat, it's so much more creative than a simple taste experience. Smell, appearance and, even, music affect our enjoyment of a meal. Having flowers on the table is something that makes a difference, I think. Beautiful music is, too, but that's something we haven't actually explored, yet. I'll think about that when I write my post about sound in the home:-)

Today, I'm linking up with Deep Roots at Home and Growing Home and Hope in Every Season and Raising Homemakers.

Please visit for more homemaking ideas!

The Smell of Domesticity

2013-04-07T17:23:00.000+10:00

Over the years, I've noticed that certain smells bring back happy memories, feelings of contentment and a sense of vitality. It appears that our smell receptors are directly linked to the part of the brain involved with mood, memory and motivation so it's not surprising that our feelings of well-being and security are affected by the scents we detect in our environment.

From the moment of birth, a baby is attuned to the scent of his mother and the associated smell of milk. The right smell indicates safety and comfort. The opposite is also true. The smell of smoke, gas or putrid food can alert us to danger. Apparently, the sense of smell overpowers other senses, even that of sight - an example being that we generally avoid eating bad-smelling food, even if it still looks quite appetising.

In addition to influencing our psychological well-being and physical security, it seems that the sense of smell is linked to our long-term health and fitness. Many studies show a direct relationship between olfactory impairment and the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Intuition had already alerted me to the fact that a sweet smelling home was important to our family's peace and happiness but, after learning the physiology of the senses, I realised that smell was more important to our health than I had thought. So, I began to think about the different odours which fill our home and what I could do, in my nurturing role, to balance these in favour of the positive, life-enhancing scents.

It seems that the one of the most obvious signs of domestic bliss is the delicious aroma of home baking and culinary feasts. During our busy seasons, there's been little time to make my own bread or preserves but past experience has shown me the huge difference in the atmosphere of a home that is filled with basic, labour-intensive meals compared to one where the food comes pre-packaged and mass-produced. I think that a balance needs to be maintained here between realism and idealism. We don't always have the time or energy to live the perfect life so we do the best we can - and that is good enough for the season.

Less than a hundred years ago, women used to take a lot more care of the laundry than we do, today. White clothes were kept white with blue chemicals (I actually have some in my cupboard that I've been meaning to use, for a long time:-/). Clothes were crisply starched and kept fresh in drawers with scented drawer liners. I guess our modern detergents have all sorts of fragrances added and our washing is a lot more frequent than in the past but I've still noticed the benefits of slipping potpourri sachets in between clothes in drawers and on hangers. The scent lingers in a refreshing way that is personal to us and pleasant to live with.

For a lot of people, I think the personal touch extends to perfumes and other fragrant products. Whether you make them chemical-free or use shop-bought products, beautiful soaps and fragrances seem to relax us and give us pleasure. And the pleasure spreads. Our bathroom always smells lovely after someone has had a bath and it really does affect everyone's mood. Maybe, it's another of those signs by association. We associate nice kitchen and bathroom smells with home and home ideally makes us feel safe and peaceful.

Over the years, I've experimented with natural alternatives to chemical cleaners. We've had success with laundry detergents, bathroom cleaners, floor cleaners, furniture polish and soap. My latest experiment is with natural air fresheners. This one is made of sliced oranges, lemons, cinnamon sticks and 2 cups of water. To release the fragrance, the mixture should be simmered on the cooktop or in a slow cooker. Then, it may be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

There's lot of variations to this recipe. Some can be found here.

Sometimes, it's more important to eliminate bad odours than introduce new ones - we're still going through toilet training so trust me on this! Baking soda and white vinegar are two ingredients that I've found really useful here. A little baking soda works well in the fridge or mixed with corn flour and essential oils as a carpet deodoriser. It can also be used, with essential fragrances, in starch sprays and air freshening sprays for a simple and chemical free alternative to shop-bought products. Something as simple as a bunch of herbs (such as mint), drying on a hook, can be enough to eliminate any unpleasant bathroom odours.

Scented candles are used in our home for both the soft, calming light and the sweet perfume. There's so many fragrances to choose from, these days, that we often have trouble deciding between them! Some favourites, so far, have been vanilla, citrus, raspberry and, even, coffee. For people who are allergic to these candles, we have also found that beeswax candles create a beautiful mood. These are fun to make with the children and the smell is very natural - even more soothing than the scented candles.

When I think of how the Church makes use of incense in the liturgy, as well as the visual and oral components of the Mass, it makes sense (or scents - sorry, couldn't resist that!) to make use of the sense of smell in our own family rituals.

When we sold our last home, the real estate agent knew all about the power of smell. He advised us to put the coffee maker on, every time someone walked through the house. It worked and, even now, I often use it to fill the house with a warm, cosy aroma. The children love it, even though they don't all drink or like the taste of coffee.

The coffee maker is the first thing I think of, these days, when we have guests. In addition to the best china and table cloths, the coffee is usually started a little early so that a welcoming fragrance greets our guests when they arrive.

Evenings are times when we most want to relax and it is then that we are most likely to light the candles and try to slow the pace of life a little. In winter, especially, the mood is heightened with homemade soup simmering on the cooktop, freshly baked bread and the coffee brewing in the kitchen. These are the moments of family togetherness, when memories are made, and I hope the smells they encounter, now, will trigger pleasant memories for our children for many years to come.

And, lastly, there's flowers!

Not really lastly because flowers are God's own natural scent-makers. I really love having fresh flowers in the home. For me, the beauty and fragrance of little posies and vases of flowers can transform a scruffy, worn home into a place of joy and pleasure.

Flowers were another detail that our real estate agent advised us not to overlook and, sure enough, our house sold very quickly. At the time, the agent commented that the presentation of the house had made it an easy sell, but I didn't actually do a lot. Clean floors, fresh flowers and a simmering coffee pot were the essentials. Everything else was thrown into cupboards or quickly wiped over - and the place sparkled. An initial decluttering had helped but the priority was smell and the results, I think, proved the agent's point.

The Touch of Domesticity

2013-04-04T20:24:00.000+11:00

After working on the look and decor of our living areas, I concentrated, today, on the influence of touch on our feelings of peace and happiness. Throughout our lives, I imagine it's human touch and contact which we most thrive upon but I think that our sensory relationship with the material world also impacts our sense of well-being and fulfilment.

For instance, the feel of nice glassware, rather than cheap plastic and throwaway cups may help us to slow down and savour special moments. Instead of quickly, gulping down a drink before moving on to the next mundane occupation, a little more effort might help us to appreciate and give thanks for small blessings. In the past, I have saved our good china in a little used dresser and I've avoided the extra work involved to set a table for something as trivial as a coffee break or morning tea. Now, I am beginning to see that the extra effort needn't be excessive and it could just be worth going that little bit further to make our days noticeably more beautiful and rewarding.

As I'm thinking about the senses, I'm seeing a lot of overlap between them which, when combined, add up to the greatest pleasure and contentment. Sight, touch, smell and taste combined, in a thoughtful manner, can make a small act very special.

Remembering that my motto for the moment is 'small and simple', I recently turned my thoughts to a plain mug of coffee. Cheap coffee in a chipped mug is sad and forgettable. A beautifully aromatic beverage in a treasured piece of china is a luxury.

My favourite mug is nothing special in terms of value or aesthetic beauty but it has all the elements that make for a perfect drinking vessel, in my eyes:-D Now, I'm sounding pretentious and slightly ridiculous, I know, but really, when I bought this mug, I raved about it until my daughters threatened to turn it into a mosaic:-( For some reason, they couldn't understand the sheer joy of drinking a delicious, hot coffee out of a perfect mug that is just the right size with a flat, untippable bottom, pleasing contours and a subtle texture which is soothing to the touch for restless fingers. Okay, even I can see how that might sound slightly daft...

After yesterday's post, Faith mentioned how clutter can disturb our sense of peace. I've found this, too, so, every three months, we have a declutter. I'm quite ruthless about what I throw out because I find too many possessions claustrophobic and an extra burden to my housework. But, I think that some clutter is actually important. Without useful items on hand, it's much harder to be creative or to relax undisturbed in peace and quiet.

In our house, we don't have enough storage so it would be easy to build up piles of books, papers and craft materials if we're not careful. To stop this happening, I rotate books and supplies from their storage shelves in the garage and my walk-in wardrobe. Spiritual books, library books and handicrafts are mostly kept in a couple of baskets and some, like these, I use as decor with a couple of mother and child bookends.

My handicraft basket is important to my sense of touch because I need to have busy hands when I'm relaxing in order to feel fulfilled. This has a two-fold benefit in that the homemade things that I make are pleasurable to use and feel more natural and beautiful to the touch than mass-produced synthetic substitutes.

One of my dreams has been to fill our home with handmade artefacts but, until recently, my time has always been occupied with the demands of very young children and we've settled for convenience. Now, I hope to relax with some satisfying hobbies and enjoy creating beautiful things to use and to decorate our home with.

In my mind, I have a set of country-style tea towels, each embroidered with the day of the week! Until they become a reality, we'll use the shop-bought versions - but, I'll choose pretty ones. After all, when they're hanging up, they're part of the decor so they ought to be beautiful - not an eyesore.

I find that personalised items are pleasant to touch and give a sense of pampering in a way that's not possible with purely functional possessions. Towels are something that need replacing in our house, right now. Hard, worn towels aren't pleasing to the touch and don't add to the benefits of a warm, relaxing bath or shower. When I think in terms of penance, I guess there's good reason not to over-pamper ourselves in this way but, as a mother with a duty to nurture her family, I see it as a joy to spoil my family with these little touches - so, new, beautiful and fluffy towels are on the shopping list:-)

This is the homemade quilt that I made, last Spring. Having a future family heirloom on our bed has been priceless. I love making the bed and I love climbing into it for some beautiful rest, at night. Words can't describe the satisfaction of being able to enjoy a useful item that you've worked long and hard to create - especially, when you've been able to make it exactly to suit your tastes and needs in life.

Filling the home with cheap, disposable items such as plastic soap bottles is not helpful to my efforts at beautifying our house. Smooth chrome and porcelain is not only prettier to look at, it is also more pleasant to the touch. I expect the family will take a lot of these little luxuries for granted but, on a subconscious level, I really think that their quality of life is improved when their little needs are seen to with an eye for beauty.

Clean floors are something that I really appreciate. I love the touch of smooth wooden floorboards and soft carpet under bare feet, so the floors are something I like to make a priority. I also think that the whole house feels more serene and peaceful when the floors are clear of clutter and mopped or vacuumed. Somehow, there's a greater sense of space after this job is done.

My favourite shops would have to be art shops, craft shops and book shops. I love to browse and touch anything related to my favourite hobbies and I love to have my materials and equipment on hand. They add to the look of my living areas and they also add to my sense of touch. When it comes to writing, a beautiful ink pen and pretty paper makes the process more pleasurable - much more pleasurable. There's a joy and personal satisfaction that comes from forming beautiful letters with a free-flowing fountain pen that can't be found in scrawling on a Post-it with a Biro!

It seems that I've got a bit carried away with this post (apologies!). I might be sounding just a wee bit superficial but, seriously, I think there is joy and peace to be found through the beauty of touch in the home. It only needs to be small and simple to add beauty to our lives and, if we see God in that beauty and humbly thank Him for our blessings, then it may be fruitful for our souls, at the same time.

The Sight of Domesticity

2013-04-03T20:40:00.000+11:00

After writing, last week, about how I am trying to simplify and beautify our home life, I have been thinking about routines and hobbies which add pleasure, rather than extra burdens, to our duties.

At the moment, housework is one area which needs to run smoothly and efficiently for us. I need to feel motivated to get things done and I figure that the prettier and more welcoming the home feels, the more inspired I will feel about doing what's necessary and the less exhausting it will seem.

As I've been thinking about how to improve our living space, I have found it helpful to divide the task into sensory influences. Today, I concentrated on sight. In my next posts (if anyone is still with me!), I'll tackle the enticing smells, sounds, tastes and feel of a cosy home. And, if I'm still with me, at that stage, I'll think about the two non-tactile senses - balance and intuition, in the spiritual, rather than material, sense.

I started with sight because it seemed to me that the most important aspect of a comfortable living area is how it looks. A pleasant view from our sitting areas affects our peace and happiness.

These flowers are artificial but, when I get to think about smells, I hope to swap them for real flowers.

This clock was an inexpensive purchase from the discount shop that I visited, this morning. I find the vintage look quite soothing and it's also functional in that it'll save us having to go into the next room to check the time when we're doing our schoolwork.

Having a crucifix and religious statues and pictures is a big part of our home - as much as the photos of our growing children on the walls. I also have a couple of baskets with spiritual books, art supplies and library books close to where I normally sit. Oh, and a knitting bag - but that's been sadly neglected, lately:-( I'll get to that when I deal with touch:-)

I love decorating with pretty cups and ornaments. There's something very quaint and domesticated about them.

I like that that the clock says 'Family' and the teapot says 'Love.' Maybe, it's a bit cutesy but I can live with that!

One of my jobs, today, was to remedy the unsightly effects of our old, worn sofa. When we moved into our newly-built house, we splurged on new furniture to go with the new floors and appliances. Unfortunately, seven years of eight active children and one active handyman - only I am perfect;-) - has meant that everything is wearing out at the same time and the house is in need of some renovating. The poor old sofa isn't anywhere close to being a priority so I've masked the wear and tear with a throw rug. I was lucky to find one in a coordinating colour so that's another eyesore taken care of!

It's surprising how such little touches can make a home look more inviting. Our home is quite streamlined and even small messes can make it seem very untidy but, today, after the very simplest of makeovers, I noticed that the children looked relaxed and comfortable. Simple and little seems to make a difference.

I'm linking up with Raising Homemakers and Growing Home and Hope in Every Season and Deep Roots at Home today. Please visit for more ideas and thoughts about homemaking!

Words to my sons

2013-04-02T21:08:00.000+11:00

If By Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

The Face of Jesus

2013-03-29T14:11:00.000+11:00

A quick sketch of Our Lord which I drew after the Stations of the Cross, this morning.

Photographic Poetry

2013-03-27T19:38:00.000+11:00

I'm on a quest. A quest to make life smaller, simpler and poetically beautiful.

I have a sweet image of serenity in my mind.

Little dreams, personal touches and savouring of time, place and memories.

I'm sighing with anticipation at the thought of cosy winter days snuggled indoors with dreamy hobbies, great books and lots of delicious home baking. I want to photograph every beautiful moment so we can savour our memories when time moves on - as it always does.

But, sad to say, my indoor photography skills are pretty minimal...

...so, I'm having a little practice, hoping to learn a thing or two before the last of the summer heat has me retreating from the outside in, again.

And, for my first indoor subject - teapots. Why teapots? Well, it's quite simple, really... - those cosy winter visions had me yearning for steaming hot cups of coffee and scrumptious afternoon teas with lashings of ginger beer:-} Besides, it seems that every great blogging photographer knows how to make a simple mug and a novel look fantastic. I wanted to learn how it's done.

But, I found that it's harder than it looks. Just how do you compose such an odd shaped object as a teapot? Lots more practice needed here, I think.

Pretty soon, I gave up and turned to the piano, instead. Such an interesting object to photograph! Truly, the options seem endless - even for a modern digital piano like this.

I love the angles and the contrast in tones. I didn't quite get this right but, hey, I'm still learning:-D

Just three photos into my shoot and I was out of inspiration - and, also, out of tidy spaces to set up my objects:-/

So, I headed outdoors and took aim at the shed. It still is an indoor area, after all - though I took this shot from outside the window:-D

Suddenly, the roses seemed a whole lot more interesting than teapots! In the heat of an Indian summer, those snugly winter days look such a long way off.

And, there'll be plenty of time to practice the indoor shots before the cooler weather arrives.

In my quest for holy simplicity, I figured that little dreams mean little efforts. Just lots of them.

And, while I'm learning, I'll soak up the autumn sunshine and make memories of the poetic beauty of the great outdoors.

Marriage Counselling Session 1 - Making the Effort

2013-03-25T21:48:00.000+11:00

Trying to Emphasise the Beauty in Photos

2013-03-23T12:47:00.000+11:00

Finally, our garden has more flowers to photograph! For so long, we only had roses and grevilleas. Now, we have flowers out the front and around the pool, too! It has been lovely and peaceful to stroll around the garden, admiring the beauty and taking pictures - only, don't ask me what any of these flowers are called...I do like gardening but my knowledge usually extends to just the following distinctions: 'flower - good', 'weed - bad.' :-D

During the editing of this photo, the contrast was increased and the colours deepened to create a darker background and a glow effect. A texture filter was also applied to add contrasting detail to the petals which had become less distinct under the bright conditions. The flowers were looking a bit flat as a result.

The more subtle colours of this rose seem to suggest less contrast and a more dreamy, less dramatic type of editing. So, I used one filter which subdued the colours and another to fade the background. The camera setting had already blurred the background (they call it 'bokeh') but the fading filter blurred it some more to accentuate the flower. Before doing this, the pale rose seemed a little lost against the busy foliage.

Usually cropping is a big part of the editing that I do but experience is leading me to crop less as I learn how to compose a shot better at the camera stage. In these photos, this flower was the only one to be cropped. This was done to create a better balance between the subject and background. I seem to crop flowers and portraits more than landscapes. I think this is because a scene is easier to compose in the viewfinder and it is already in harmony with its surroundings. With a flower, the subject needs to be separated from its background and accentuated in relation to the mood suggested by the colour combinations.

A portrait is different, again. I often crop and recrop to reveal the feelings and character that I'm trying to portray. It may mean coming in very close to create intimacy or narrowing a shot to create strength through height. Often, I don't see all the possibilities at the camera stage. It is the finished picture that inspires the ideas. A more experienced photographer would, I imagine, have a store of ideas to draw upon at the time of the photo shoot and would probably see this as part of his essential preparation.

I love the way dull day photos can be transformed by a little colour change. This is what I would do with an artwork. Sometimes, I actually find it easier to render a colour portrait from a black and white photo because the contrasts are more pronounced and there's less confusion caused by poor colour combinations. Maybe, this is why I like to manipulate the colours of my photos, too.

In this picture, I added a moody 'sunset' to an otherwise bland photo.

This is a more natural photo from the same day. I missed the splash of the wave with this one and I also thought the colours were a little insipid so I tweaked the contrast and exposure, and, then, deepened the blues and yellows.

This photo is another from that same day - I only managed to get a few shots because this was the day that immodest gentleman scared us off the beach. Do you remember our terrifying ordeal from last week? Yes, we're quite recovered, now, thank you:-D

With this picture, I thought I might accentuate the actual mood of the day. It was threatening to rain so I used a low colour filter and added a skin texture to emphasise the darks. This gave it more contrast and, I think, a bit of a painterly feel. I find that I really like painterly or arty photos - is it the artist side coming out or do they have a general appeal, do you think?

This is a beautiful billabong in our garden which is really difficult for me to photograph. The mass of twigs and branches obscures the water and shades the whole area. Photos usually end up looking messy with the beauty of the main subject hidden behind the busy foreground.

To overcome this a little, I used a brown, monochrome filter. This simplified the scene by reducing the colour differentiations and it also lessened the contrast to create a more peaceful and harmonic mood. But, the water was still lost and, overall, the picture looked dull and boring. So, I added a filter with a single blue strip across it. The iPad apps are quite limited in their flexibility but I was lucky with this app in that the blue hit the water at just the right spot! Now, the main subject can be seen in all its God-given beauty.

This is another example of a pretty, natural scene that didn't transfer to a photograph with its beauty intact. There was too much green, without any contrast to liven the scene. I guess, in real life, the green is punctuated by splashes and rays of light and sunshine. This creates a beauty which is often hard to replicate in a still photo, if the conditions aren't ideal. To remedy this a little, I added a filter with splashes of colour in it and I brightened the exposure to create more light.

This photo just needed a slight increase in contrast and an even slighter colour tweak. I thought the deeper contrast accentuated the chicken coop in the background and created a more definite point of focus. It also heightened the mood to the point where the children thought it looked spooky! I think it's actually more romantic, but, maybe, it's just a matter of taste...

This is a rustic shot. I love how the rustic look can change an unsightly, scrappy mess into a piece of art! This is a corner of our shed where an old piece of wood has been discarded amongst some weeds and overgrown grass. The original photo looked like council pickup day!

To achieve the rustic effect, I simply added a linen textured filter and a darker, smoky-red filter. These created deeper colours, shadows and contrasting textures to add interest and create more visual impact. I try not to overdo the rustic thing because, tempting as it is, it can result in a muddy look, devoid of clear detail. The pale flowers in this photo helped to create a bright focus which survived the darkening of the filters and contrasted well against the background.

Here is a collage of all the photos in their original state. Unless I'm taking birthday or Christmas snapshots, I always use the manual mode on the camera and the results are usually clear and brightly coloured. But, these photos were all edited further. Some of the changes were less dramatic than others but, overall, I think editing has visually lifted the colours and heightened some of the lost beauty. What do you think?

The Finished Portrait

2013-03-20T18:40:00.000+11:00

I sort of hurried the end of this portrait so that I could move on. The background and the hand are pretty rough and the face could be improved with a deeper contrast, but this ground is soaking up the pigment more than usual.

The soft paper probably needs a heavier technique to stop the colour from fading but I was trying not to spoil the delicate skin texture. So, I put it all down to experience and called it finished!

I'm thinking of a picture of Jesus, next. I've drawn Our Lady many times but I've never had the confidence to draw Jesus. I wonder if it could turn out as I imagine Him...

How to be Mean - Part 3

2013-03-19T17:55:00.000+11:00

"Guys! The water's getting HIGHER!!!"
"Thanks for the warning, Shermy."

7 Quick Takes - Random Thoughts

2013-03-15T13:42:00.000+11:00

"I'm Buzz Lightyear! I come in peaces!"

Lots of itsy-bitsy random thoughts floating around my brain, right now and nothing exactly post-worthy. So, I'm linking up with Conversion Diary for 7 Quick Takes.

I hope that didn't sound offensive...:-D

1. We're in recovery mode, today, because yesterday we all got up at a most unholy hour to see our most Holy Father make his first appearance as pope. Very exciting! Of course, it wasn't our George, after all, but, still...Francis is good. Real good:-)

Now, after all that excitement, it's back to picking up soggy sandwiches and fixing and mending which happens a lot around here because J1 is a bit of a gadget man.

We're actually quite proud of him:-) He can take just about anything apart.

(Which is why Buzz is in peaces. Pieces - get it? :-D)

2. Anyway, he generally leaves these things for me to put back together, again, which is unfortunate because I'm not at all the practical sort:-(

But, this time - surprise, surprise! I actually managed to fix it!!

All in one piece, again...except for the 4 leftover screws and the missing hand.

Oh, and the wings don't work.

Um...neither do the buttons.

And, the helmet doesn't close.

(Okay, it's pretty rubbish, really.)

3. Luckily, J2 is an ideas man.

This is his new invention - Buzz Mark II:-D

The ruler, taped to his back, is actually his wings. Is my 3-year-old a genius or are we just stingy parents??

4. I've been playing around with more photo effects, this week.

This is that same photo I showed you, last weekend. Isn't it neat how you can turn day into night?

Actually, you can do anything with a computer.

This is the view of our house from the street:

5. Amazing how a little photo-editing can completely transform a place...

6. Okay, this portrait is going really sloooooowly. It must be 3 weeks since I showed you the first sketch.

I was hoping to post the finished picture, by now, but I've been distracted:-/

This weekend, I'm going to finish it for sure. I had an idea for a children's picture book, when I was in the shower the other day, and I'm itching to make a start.

Does anyone else get their best ideas in the shower? I know Sue does because she wrote 3 replies to one comment after her shower, the other morning:-)

7. This hair shirt is the latest addition to my wardrobe:-}

It's super itchy and quite penitential.

Apparently, it works by transforming the tears of inappropriate laughter into tears of crazed agony. I'm ordering one for all my blogging friends:-D

Please join Jen at Conversion Diary for more 7 Quick Takes!