Another year of drought

During our second year of drought this year, reality has hit harder and life has been lived on new levels. However, my husband and I are resilient, and drought has taught us some valuable lessons.

The usual view from the front of our house

The view at present

We learn to live with dust

It is impossible to keep interiors clean, so I have more relaxed standards of house-keeping, reflecting that time may well be better spend on other pursuits anyway. Outside, our horizon has often been closed in by dust and/ or smoke haze, reminding us that we are not alone on this journey, and that some people are worse off than we are. 

Water becomes precious

Water is no longer taken for granted and we have needed to stop and value this resource, becoming more frugal with its use, and finding ways to share it with fellow creatures.

We are grateful for every small shower of rain

Throughout the year we have been blessed with intermittent showers of about 10 ml (or less) – not enough to really help when sub-soil moisture has disappeared, but enough to remind us that it can still occur (and the garden is thankful).

We care more for our resources

Drought puts things in perspective—we value our top soil and the material and other things that we already have. We have needed to protect our gardens from kangaroos -- last year they loved the roses.

We learn to endure loss

Plants die in drought, despite many prior years of careful nurturing. Strong winds cause damage and life becomes more of a challenge. This is our 20 year old Bay Tree, which I neglected to water last year, thinking that it was well established.

We find beauty in dire circumstances

Some days, the smoke from the bush fires drifts in, even although they are hundreds of kilometres away from us. This is the sun coming up on one particular morning.

We find new layers of gratitude and appreciation

On smoke filled days we are grateful that we are at least not in the bush fire areas, and when we have driven through countryside that is barer than ours, we have been thankful that we are not so badly off. We are very grateful that we are linked into a water pipeline that goes from bores in the Lachlan River to small towns north of us (usually taken for granted).

We find new ways to give

Every evening the kangaroos come in to empty the bird baths, but during the day the bird baths provide much needed moisture for the birds, wasps and bees. Providing a listening ear to those who are doing it tough is also a way of giving.

We hang onto hope

Despite the challenges and losses, we still hang onto hope that one day the drought will break, as previous experience has shown us. This is a new shoot on the Bay Tree since I began to hand water it, reminding us that nature is resilient and a bountiful giver if we care for it.

Remember: Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. Leo Buscaglia

The pathways of our life journeys

When we were walking in the Warrumbungles National Park a couple of months ago, I began to muse on the various states of the tracks and how they resembled the "tracks" we walk on our life journeys, where the road is never smooth all of the way.

We may start along smooth paths, where things are going well for us, and we may tread these kinds of paths at different times in our lives.

But then we come across rocky times, where the going gets rough and we need to tread carefully. We may have been traumatised by life experiences and the way becomes painful.

At other times the walking becomes easier again, but we need to be careful of things in life that can trip us up.

There are times when the going is uphill and we need extra effort, and there may be steps to follow to help us ....

... or the steps may be rockier and require more effort ...

... or we may even be left with a rough path with no formed steps ...

... or no path or guidance at all and the need to scramble along the best way we can for a while.

There may be bridges to cross in order to adjust to changes ...

... or at these times there may be no bridges and we will need to stumble over rough creek beds.

From time to time there will be cross-roads and choices to make, often with little guidance as to what we will find along each path.

We may be tempted to follow little enticing goat tracks that lead us no-where, and to possibly becoming lost for a while.

We may tread paths that others have trodden, and have their footsteps and experiences to guide us.

Or we may be left with the debris of their journeys to navigate through.

However, if we keep walking along each section of pathway that life gives us, we will always come to a new section, and may even walk through shadows to a more promising future.

Remember: If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path. Buddha

Making a courage jar

A beautiful lady, who used to attend a Women’s Support Group that I facilitated, once commented that it would be good to have a jar of courage on the shelf, which could be dipped into in times of need. Thus we had a session on making a Courage Jar. This post is dedicated to Kathy (now in heaven), who faced multiple life challenges with grace and courage, and I still have the lovely notes of support that she would regularly send me.

What does courage feel like?

We set the scene by pondering on what it feels like to have courage, and concluded that it often meant standing up for ourselves and/ or being able to keep going despite the sense of isolation and the challenges. Sometimes it also means tapping into the energy of anger.

What takes our courage away?

Our courage can be diminished by the law, by dominant, bullying or arrogant people, by systems that don’t support us, by depression, by life becoming too difficult and by feeling that our hands are “tied”, amongst other things.

What helps to give us courage and increase our courage?

Some of the things that can do this include: being independent/ self-reliant, having support from others, knowing that we are not alone (there are others going through similar challenges), taking actions to keep ourselves safe, refusing to give in, laughter and humour, telling ourselves that we can do it/ do it our way, and knowing and using our strengths  (like wisdom, cleverness, love, honesty, patience, reflection, independence, hope, maturity, purpose, carefulness, insight, assertiveness, encouragement, resilience and confidence).

Assembling the courage jars

We used coloured paper “lolly” shapes to write down personal sources of courage, with one source on each “lolly”. The ideas already shared were used as a starting point, and any others could be added, so that each jar became unique for each person. Re-purposed glass jars were used to store the “lollies”, and these jars were decorated with stickers, ribbons etc.

Template for "lollies"

Using the courage jars

The jars need to be kept in an easily seen and accessible place (e.g. on a bedside table to use first thing each morning, or near the phone if we are receiving difficult phone calls), or they can be moved around to places they might be needed during the day. When we are feeling down, depressed or anxious, or needing a boost, we can dip into the jar and choose one, or a number, of “lollies” to remind us to use courage, remembering that we have to have the courage to use courage.

Remember: Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings and emotions. Will Smith

Saving our planet: making a reusable bread bag

Instead of buying loaves of bread wrapped in plastic from the supermarket, it is possible to go to a Bakery and buy loose loaves of bread which can be placed directly into a fabric bread bag. I used a plastic bread bag as a basis for the pattern for this bag. It can also be used to store homemade bread.

First cut two pieces of fabric, each being 20" (52 cms) long and 11" (28 cms) wide. This includes seam allowances.

Then prepare applique letters spelling "bread" the same way as was done for the Rolls Bag, but iron them on with the edge of the "b" letter 4" (10 cms) from the base of the bag, and the bottom of the letters 4.5 " (11.5 cms) from the side of the bag.

The directions for putting letters onto the Rolls Bag can be found here:
Rolls Bag

Using a half inch (1.5 cm) seam, sew across the bottom of the bag, right sides together, and then neaten with an over-locker or zig-zag stitch.

Mark 4" (10 cms) up from bottom of bag on each side and sew a half inch (1.5 cms) seam, from the top of each side, to the marker. Don't neaten these seams at this stage.

Align the base/ bottom edge seam with the end of the sew side seam (at the marker).

Then fold down so that the base seam is caught between the side seams:

Sew the end of the seam from the marker to the base of the bag, then neaten the whole of the side seam by over-locking or zig-zagging. Repeat this whole process for the other side of the bag.

Turn the bag right side out. There will now be a flap on each seam at the base of the bag.

To make the casing, cut two pieces of fabric 2" (5 cms) wide and 1" (2.5 cms) longer than the width of the bread bag. Fold each end in about half an inch (1 cm) and iron down. Then fold each piece of casing in half along the long edges, open out and then fold each side into the centre and iron down. Now sew these 3" (8 cms) down from the top of the bag, with one on each side and with ends meeting at the seam lines. 

Turn a double hem over at the top of the bag and sew.

Cut two pieces of cord about 31" (80 cms) long and thread through the casing as for the Rolls Bag.

Have fun with different colour combinations for the letters and casings. This is a good way to use up fabric scraps!

Remember: The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. Socrates.