Planning to live in a small home

I can honestly say that I have over the years not always seen eye to eye with my parents but when they decided to think about their retirement living space I was astounded and pleasantly surprised by their unusual course of action.

At the time they lived in the country in a 4 bedroomed family property with a bit of land near woodland. They had built their dreamhome when I was about 12 and before that had lived in a town. My mother liked her garden and my father liked the idea of playing his music when he wanted without disturbing neighbours. I grew up near the riverbank, planted a small garden and safely went for nature walks in the wood.

At some point something triggered a change of direction. The house was 2.5 miles from the nearest shopping facility and my father's health deteriorated. My mother did not drive and they posed themselves the question how they would manage later on in their lives.

They visited many retirement homes and eventually decided to settle in a university town with plenty going on. They settled for a 2 room apartment ( bedroom and living space) and decided to make the most of the space available by purchasing new furniture. Then they transferred all the things that were precious to them ( very little) and settled in.

But what about the family home?

1. First they invited friends to choose what they wanted and needed a little bit like a freecycle open house.
2. Secondly they invited acquaintances and other villagers to come and choose what they wanted and needed.
3. Then they got a company to clear out the rest of stuff and set about selling the house.

A few months ago, we bought a small cottage where we live in 600 sq feet and the children live above in a similar space. Effectively its a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom downstairs, and we are following some of the same principles with the difference that we are far from retirement.

It is certainly not tidy and a work in progress but we only brought with us what we thought we needed. And even then I have established I have far too many serving dishes and crockery.

Instead of having many rooms each room offers an area set up for different activities, whether it be reading, cooking, recycling etc.

The children did the same and left behind a lot of stuff they had outgrown, games, videos etc We each have our own space and common areas such as the kitchen, shower room and living room. Yes it can get crowded but it is also cosy sitting by the fire, enjoying a hot drink and reading or conversing together.

The running costs are lower and we have managed without much central heating so far by lighting the woodburner and the range in the kitchen.

What about the garden?
There is a small front garden full of wildlife and a paved garden at the back of the house which hopefully will in time have enough produce growing in pots.

Life is simple. the owl lives in the big tree, the birds awaken us at dawn and there is a sense of personal peace and contentment as I go about our new home. So far I have not missed many items left behind.

How to establish your rhythm of life

What rhythm of life is appropriate to you and how to find out what is it?

STAGES OF LIFE

There are a number of stages in our life and to accept and know which one we live in now can help us tweak the energy we have. Children have a need for routine, adolescents need sleep to function properly, young adults, active in the workplace, young parents, the 30 age group, 40, 50, 60, 70 etc.Each stage of life brings challenges with it, You might be following that linear path as it unfolds or like me navigate between them.

Questions relating to each stage :

SLEEP( night)

How many hours of sleep do you need for optimum energy?
Do you sleep the required number of hours and if not what is stopping you?
If you were to sleep the required number of hours what would be the impact on your energy?
If you cannot sleep the required number can you build in a nap in the day?

Our daily rhythms vary and although I know I am at my optimum energy when having had a good 8 hours uninterrupted nighttime sleep  my teenage sons require about 12 hours and are a lot more present if I accept their rhythm. That means that their breakfast time is my lunch time and our main meal in the evening is their lunch time and that at 9 pm they are likely to need a snack. Even if it means we have different daily rhythms they meet at certain points.

ACTIVITIES( Day)

How  many hours does it take you to do your work?
when is the best time for you to use available optimum energy?
Does your commute add time to that?
Do you take time to be present when you eat a nourishing meal?
Are there seasonal changes to this pattern?( Winter and autumn)

WEEK
How do I use the time at weekends? (Could be catching up on sleep)
Is there balance in my work and play?

SEASONS

There can be very little variation on how we currently use our energy during the seasons and every week seems like another but it was not always so.
Spring was a time of planting new seeds, new life, growth after a period of fasting and as the workload increased so did the length of the day. With the convenience of electric light we can modify that but do we use the time to its optimum?
Summer was a time for tending the growing plants, eat fruits in season, socialising and usually a time to work and play at maximum capacity. Summer is the time of plenty, warm, long days.
Autumn is a time of harvest and preparing for colder weather by processing the harvest and ensuring we will have our needs met in the colder days. Autumn offers us ambiguous days that remind us of summer but also of the winter ahead.
Winter offers us the shortest amount of daylight hours and an opportunity to see if the fruits of our labours do indeed carry us through to the next season. Harvests are limited but it can be a time to slow down a little, stay warm, coset ourselves a bit and plan and gain strength for the year ahead.

YEARS

Each year and each period in our life has its own demands and thinking of what is important and what is authentic to us we can live with each 'now' in harmony or discord.

Somehow this century we have challenged these rhythms of life by working day and night, every day of the week, eating everything whenever we wanted, anytime in the name of progress. We rarely notice a change of season or pace getting out in all weathers, to accomplish our life's work paced over the seasons of the year instead of over 365 days.

A step towards change to ponder:

Start by finding out how many hours of sleep are most beneficial for you and make it a habit to get the sleep you need.( it fluctuates with age, health issues, effect of nutrition etc)
Can you give yourself a day of rest each week and plan activities that will nourish you?

Its an ongoing movement towards doing our life's work and staying present in the 'now' noticing the time of day, day of the week, seasons and how we function at our optimum level. It is a challenge but enables us to make our lives meaningful.

Hibernation as reflection

Hibernation is used by many animals to last the winter. They curl up in as safe a place as possible to keep warm surrounded by their possessions and enough food to make it until Spring.

Here at the cottage the snow has been falling lightly sprinkling the garden with what looks like icing sugar and the birds have been strangely quiet. Birdfeeders get filled so we can enjoy the songs and calls of wildlife around us.

The snow makes going out quite difficult but allows us also to go inward and spend some time in quiet contemplation of our inner landscape. It always amazes me that when the weather gets colder we want warming, comforting food,  soups and hot drinks, a warming fire, a good book and great company.

A simple life does afford those comforts but I am also aware of the many people struggling to get to work, congestion on the road, accidents and foremost the stress of  battling the elements in an effort to go to work, to be that teacher or to get to whichever destination we feel compelled to get to.
Many schools close their doors resulting in grandparents being on duty, or else having to take a day off work and the world as we know it slows down. It could be seen as an inconvenience.

Let's turn that around and feel grateful for the opportunity :

to take it slower and breathe deeply while we drink that warm drink
to envelop ourselves and our family with the warmth of a blanket
that we can work from home or not as that case may be
that we do not have to get stuck in traffic
to have a reduced risk of a car accident or a fall
to take stock
to sit and chat a while
to catch ourselves slowing down and breathing deeply
to be grateful we have some time to relax
to bake cookies
to watch that movie
to pick up the book we were meaning to read and escape
to cook a warm spicy dish
to find out what is important to us
to spend time finding out what matters


It might give us an opportunity to tune into our inner intuition and help us realise the level of stress we endure on a daily basis and how we cope with that level of stress.

Snow gives us the opportunity to change our view from external to internal  and revisit the goals we have set this year and how we can best achieve them with the resources we have.

A time for resting

Does your body feel sluggish? Are you lacking in energy?

Winter is a perfect time to build up supplies of internal strength and vitality and maybe when I do not take note of that I feel the sluggishness of a bear woken up from his hibernation. There is a distinct lack of light and a desire to stay hidden under a warm blanket.

In the natural world, there is still a deep stillness as many animals hibernate and plants and trees are dormant, drawing energy via their roots in preparation for spring ' when the sap rises'.

February in particular therefore seems to be an excellent month to rest as well as build up some fresh resources by :

• eating a wholefood diet with plenty of good protein, animal as well as vegetable protein(nuts,seeds, lentils and beans)
• to warm up I stir fry vegetables including a little root ginger
• spend some time outside bathing in natural light, warmly wrapped up  with a hat, mittens and scarf as well as a coat.

Resting now is the best preparation for the energy required in Springtime.

So take a cue from nature : peep out from under the blanket, take a small walk in fresh air and eat warming fresh foods.

10 ways to downshift sugar consumption

Jamie Oliver, winner of the 2010 TED prize gives a compelling argument and visual reminders of how sugar consumption has contributed to the deterioration of health in both children and adults.

Every child should be taught to cook in school, not just talk about nutrition all day. Good food can be made in 15 minutes. This could be the first generation where the kids teach the parents.” – Jamie Oliver

Limiting consumption of fizzy drinks can initially feel like depriving your child  but a gradual reduction and change from artificial sugar to nil sugar via natural sugars can cause gradual change. Taste buds will adjust rapidly.

The following steps work towards a gradual reduction of artificial sugars and an increase of real fruit consumption and knowledge.

1.   Change from high energy drinks to fizzy drink without the added zing

2.   Change the fizzy pop to 50% sparkling water/ 50% fruit juice

3.   Reduce fruit juice element to 25%

4.   Change fizzy water to still water

5.   Introduce fresh fruit smoothie 50% /50% water

6.   Fruit smoothie 25%/ Water 50%

7.   Alternate 100% water when thirsty to mixture of smoothie and water  mid morning and
      mid afternoon.

8.   Provide fresh smoothie ingredients( banana, orange, apples, kiwi) on a plate and offer
      with water to drink.

9.   Provide fresh fruit and water to be taken when needed

10.   Introduce physical exercise such as a walk or a bike ride to balance sugar levels. Pack a drink of
       water and a piece of fruit and stop at a lovely location to savour. ( This last step ties in a need for
       refreshment after exercise with a solution of fresh fruit and water and sets an example for
       everyday.)

Then, you can introduce vegetables into juices starting with a combination of carrots and apples.

Often, our sugar levels drop due to a lack of hydration and when we feel a sugar craving it may simply be that we are thirsty.

Jamie's speech is a good 28 mins long but makes a compelling argument

The rewards of a simple life

To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter….to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring- these are the rewards of the simple life.

John Burroughs

80% of our time is spent on our physical needs :

• Food
• Warmth
• Shelter
• Work
• Education
• Health

20% is spent on our Spiritual,  social and psychological needs :

• community
• love
• friendship
• beauty
• art
• music

When we concentrate all our energies in providing for our physical needs, we lose:

• a sense of belonging
• active and meaningful supportive relationships
• the support of friends
• an appreciation of the beauty that surrounds us
• expressions of creative beauty found in music and the arts.

Non material experiences are needed to feed our imagination and our creativity. We need time to contemplate, to make things with our hands, to express our selves.

Searching for a simpler lifestyle  may be a call from the soul to not forget our social, psychological and spiritual needs.

To create a balance we could :

• write a letter to a friend and make arrangements to meet.
• spend time with our partners and talk a walk in nature
• make time to reflect, meditate and relax
• plan a garden and sit in a nature sanctuary
• visit an art gallery
• make bread
• find ways to express our creativity.

Above all, we could simply be who we are and connect with others.

Personal exploration: leave a comment and share how you express your creativity

Ikegai - the meaning of life

There is no direct translation from Japanese to English but it appears that to live longer a series of daily habits creates a more harmonious being. One of these is Ikegai, a life purpose or a reason to get out of bed. Living in the Bluezones explores the habits some communities have that create longer, healthier, connected lives.

Reconnecting with nature

In Children of a Virtual world, ( Guardian, 3rd January 2010) carried photographs of our youthful generation all attached to technology, seemingly connected to eachother but disconnected from a living environment that nurtures us. Surprisingly easy to turn around according to Satish Kumar from Resurgence.




Nature indeed has the ability to draw us out of ourselves. As the country comes to a standstill because of snow it occurs to me that as adults we run inside our homes and our younger children cannot wait to enjoy and envelop themselves in the beauty, fun and sheer abundance of the beauty of a snow landscape. Lets join them and remember.

Happy 2010

A new decade, a New Year, a new start, new possibilities, new growth.
Often we take the start of a New Year as an opportunity to make new plans, to reflect on what has gone before. The last decade for me has been challenging health wise, but it has also been the most profound learning curve.
The boys have great plans for this year and mine are more centred around the home, family and business as I continue to be the change I want to see in the world. I am hopeful that my muse will inspire me to write often so that I can share our downshifting life with you.
The shortest day has passed and we have partaken in a great culinary feast to guarantee our survival through the winter. What better way to start a sluggish body with some vitamins and minerals to make it zing. Cranberries are plenty in the shops, as are citrus fruits and the above juice smoothie is guaranteed to make your physical body zing. Its tangy but its high content of vitamin C will help guard against the effects of a lowered immune system.

Cranberry Zing

Juice 1 bag of cranberries, 1 orange, 1 lime or lemon and blend with 5 raspberries.

Thunderstorms and the cost of work

How much exactly does your work cost you and how much do you need to earn to live?
If some people in the world subsist on less than a dollar a day, why do we need more? It is of course not that simple and everyone will have a different answer. Balance arrives when we reconsider Maslow's hierarchy of needs and where we are in the process of reaching our own individual potential ( self actualisation).

Thank you Ceridwen for your comment yesterday.

Personally - I have had enjoyable work on the one hand and I have had paid work on the other hand - but the two have never coincided and I have given up hope by now that they ever will.
......

Employers are steadily imposing: health hazards at work (on people who never previously expected it)/antisocial hours working/micro-managing peoples time/cutting salaries in real terms or maybe even physically cutting them - and so a high proportion of extra people have been put in the position that the World of Work has now become unbearable. The "cost" many of us are having to pay to earn that steadily decreasing amount of money is becoming higher and higher - and too high for many of us to "pay" any longer.

So - since you have found "your place" then - enjoy.

The question I ponder over is where exactly are we on Maslow's triangle as a result of the financial crisis? What are the consequences to businesses and people?


The credit crunch effect has been like being hit by an enormous thunderstorm. Its effects are not just felt in business, on balance sheets but have an aftershock effect on each person on the edge of the epicentre and it questions our perception of normality.

So just as your sight can be distorted and vision impaired by sheets of rain, hail and thunder, and the feelings associated with that, there are also opportunities to rise from the ashes.

There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. ( danish proverb)

So far many companies still in the running have done all they could to minimise the effects on staff by cutting bonuses, outings, luxuries yet at the same time ensuring that all the rules and regulations they have to abide by by law are satisfied as a lawsuit would push them over the edge. This increases tension.(So if you are still in the storm, it is gathering dark clouds and more rain is forecast.)
Add to that that assets have reduced on everyones balance sheets, and you can see that the pressure is on for survival of the fittest with opportunities for others. Business costs are still rising and profit margins are still being squeezed and people are feeling that intensely.

Companies are reacting by monitoring and trying to push people and resources as far as they can. If profit is your number one, then you have to squeeze and it hurts somewhere. Other companies have so far managed to restrict cuts to their direct costs as well as assets and not their staff but the next step is to tighten up on costs in the staff department. Problem with that is that people do not feel valued, end up demotivated, stressed, get ill, and feel a mix of emotions that tip into the negative. (Thunder and lightning comes to mind as well as crashing rain. Whatever the weather you are likely to get soaked.)
People on short term contracts do not get their contracts renewed or staff are put on shorter days and if you have targets they are likely to be unforgiving.The result is that people are asked to work harder for less reward and tensions rise.

So what can you do if you are feeling undervalued, working as hard as you can but are facing a tough time. You probably wonder how you will manage if your job is cut from 5 to 3 days,or worse case scenario if you lose your job.In that case it is hard not to take if personal and to panic. From personal experience I would say that panicking is a normal response. (Umbrellas are now useless and you are truly soaked.)

If you are still standing in the rain I urge you to stay on because this is where you are going to need to focus in the madness because you either will find shelter or get soaked to the skin.

There is a balance between time and money and although voluntary simplicity allows us to gradually adapt to more time, less money the above scenario is probably going to floor some people because as where a downshifting path is a gradual process of adaptation the credit crunch is drastic and brutal and more painful.

First of all, it is extremely uncomfortable but if you can,check where you are, what your priorities are and start finding a solution that works for you. My experience with ME/CFS is simply that frustration is energy draining and the planning of slow, persistent actions creates a very slow path to progress.

Being an optimist,it is my personal opinion that there is no such thing as personal failure, just feedback even in a critical situation.

The overall difficulty is compounded because when consumers start reducing their spending, it increases the effects on businesses as lack of consuming reduces orders etc etc etc see above.

Is there a way forward you ask? How long before the situation turns around and sunshine appears?

The point to remember is that there are certain elements in this picture that you can build on and others that are beyond your sphere of influence. Believe me when I say it is hard to see sunshine during a thunderstorm.

“Just as the tumultuous chaos of a thunderstorm brings a nurturing rain that allows life to flourish, so too in human affairs times of advancement are preceded by times of disorder. Success comes to those who can weather the storm.”

-- I Ching No. 3

As ships wrestle in stormy weather the sight of a lighthouse makes you long for home. You could be battling crippling waves to reach that light, but surprisingly the light is incredibly bright. Find your lighthouse and point north.

What sets humans apart from animals is the ability to work together to find a solution and really all hands on deck are needed now.

Personal power : Our fantastic life sustaining energy system.

Personal power : Our fantastic life sustaining energy system.

What the world eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio is a coffee table book with a difference. It identifies 30 average families in 24 countries and creates a photo of the family with a week’s worth of food. The results are worth considering : the family in Bhutan eats meals made up of fruits, vegetables and rice which look barely enough to feed a family of 7 adults and 7 children. The family of 4 people in the USA has a diet almost completely made from processed and packaged foods. And many countries in between. They all have some energy.

If we could compare health statistics in both countries we might find that there really is a correlation between our health and what we eat. The reason we eat is to create a constant energy cycle that enables us to function in the environment we inhabit and make a contribution to the overall well being of the planet.

Everyone does the best with the resources they have , but do we really?
In heating our homes for instance, we use energy to heat the space around us first ( from the outside), instead of looking at ways to create energy from the inside.

Our bodies have a need to process energy just as much as any energetic entity in the world sphere but the way we get our energy and the way we use it has changed over the last century.The most muscle power used in a working day may be to get up and move a computer mouse.

Over the last few years, I have been looking at how my body processes energy and whether it is possible to manage that at all and have come to some startling conclusions. The food we used to eat provided a quick fix of energy followed by a real low and left my body to adjusts its energy supply by slowing down and demanding a fuel that would create boosts of energy from outside. This however slowed down the processing of slow releasing foods, slowed down my metabolism. To start a fire you would find paper, firelighters to boost the flames and then you hopefully would find logs that burn slowly releasing a constant temperature into the room. Different types of trees give out different heat exchanges. The same principle applies to the food we eat and how our bodies process that. Firelighters on their own will give you a spark but nothing else and to get your fire going with big logs is going to take a very long time. When we do not eat sufficient quality calories, our bodies start storing energy in fat cells ( in case the situation continues) and our metabolism slows down to stop us burning so many calories. As you get fatter and your circulation reduces, your body gets colder and you will find a need to seek out heat from the outside.

When our bodies function at peak, we do not feel the cold so much and we want to generally keep moving so that we create our own heat using the resources we have personally. It all changes when we age or when we become ill because energy is required to fight infections and protect our own planet.

Looking after you own physical, mental and spiritual body will go a long way to look after the planet in the same way.

Growing up

The pergola surrounding the garden is a growing space that still merits investigating. The vine was seriously pruned a few weeks ago. I reduced the fruiting shoots to 2 leaves beyond a truss of grapes to create a more open framework. I will most probably take 2 cuttings and replant the old vine in a new spot and see whether we can generate a better growth plan and fruit in the next few years.

The pergola hosts a fantastic rose of which I know not the name but clusters of pink roses as big a posies hang down and shower us with scent and colour.

The two pots hold 2 cucumbers which hopefully will also trail up the posts. I have acquired some boating rope which I intend to coil around the pergola to enable some climbers to hold onto something.

Growing space in the garden can be vertical as well as horizontal.

Boom and bust

Perseverance: Cliffhanger

As I get older I begin to gain an understanding that patterns are an intrinsic part of life. There is the circle of life, with life and death, seasons, days and nights. There is famine and feast in harvesting times as well as in economic times.

Right now we are stranded in a new reality, where the patterns of feast, harvesting plenty and joy of life are not always that apparent. Rudyard Kiplings poem , 'if' has some excellent words to ponder over.

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 of waiting
or be 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 keep your head now, when the economy, job prospects and life seems topsy turvy, then you will make it through to the next cycle. What you will gain is an insight into the downs and use them next time before an up. There is still a certainty that night will follow day, day will follow night, winter will follow autumn, spring follow winter. There is however uncertainty as to how long it takes to change from one to the other. For that reason, people prepared for winter, saved for a rainy day. In a world where everything is to be had at the touch of a button, produce can be bought out of season, there is a danger that skills, and the way things are are brought out of balance.

I am not advocating going back entirely to uncomfortable times, but when there is plenty, we could maybe save a surplus for when we do not have enough. ( And I have to remind myself of that constantly).

The industrial revolution brought a complete change to our fortunes in the West, and I sense that we are tipping into a new era. There are always two options to a challenge; accept it or change it. The difficulty is that we sometimes take a long time to accept before we have the courage to change because we value what we have lost and cannot see beyond that point.

Ah the wisdom of hindsight……. guess I am going around the cycle for the umptied time. Will I get it this time?

We all have cycles of some kind. Mine relates to available energy, and I liken it to the global energy availability. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is manageable only by pacing one’s activities. Without this, the body continues to malfunction in a variety of ways. I often lose sight of that when things go better of how bad it can be and then, the energy supply is stopped and I end up flat on my face. Ah the wisdom of hindsight. The choice is not whether to accept this challenge or how to change it, but how to look beyond it, ride the wave and make the best out of the situation. It is therefore so important to keep pointing North on your compass and take each day as it comes.

Peaceful moments to refresh the soul

Navajo Dawn

In the morning, before the village wakes up, a few quiet moments can be found. Opening the door, looking at the sky gives us an indication of what may lay ahead.

In an often stressful world, we can find little places of quiet where our restless minds can find a haven of peace.

I have not always loved silence but can find pockets of silence that help me focus on the now. Sitting quietly in silence, with maybe a cup of steaming tea, refreshes my soul.

After the children leave for school I go around the house, settling the noises into quiet restful places; turning the TV off when we are not watching it, turning lights off and breathing in the spaces in the house. I am mindful of the spaces in our home and take notice of the house, its people, its animals, its dust and cobwebs......

Refreshing the soul by taking a walk in nature. I notice the changes in the quality of the air, its temperature and the way the light colours the landscape in different hues. I try and read the weather and I follow the dog back home.

Meditation is more difficult to fit in to refresh the soul and takes about 20 mins.It offers many benefits and for me it reduces anxiety, depression, irritability and frustration. It brings me back to the essence of me, that part that does not change even though physically I have changed. It lowers my heart rate, it lowers levels of cortisol and lactate associated with stress and leaves me feeling a little more refreshed and more able to cope. When I spend time in the garden I am mindful in my activity and meditate on my surroundings.

Once a year our community leaves to go on a retreat together and I have found these weekends time to reflect and get to know people on a different level.

Taking care of ourselves is often neglected when the world seems to spin out of control and yet, they only demand your time and attention, strangely, money is not really the prime consideration here.

Looking for the stillness in the eye of the storm allows us to centre, to focus and refresh our whole being for what lies ahead.

Lifting the spirit

Tea Pot with Tea Cup

“May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you and all your heart might desire.” An Irish blessing.

After the hectic holiday season I find a simple pleasure in brewing a herbal tea in a beautiful teapot my young son bought me last year for my birthday. It is made by the local pottery and was saved for by him for many months. It is a precious gift as well as a reminder that I need some time to myself on a regular basis.

Herbal teas have the ability to lift our spirits, calm our souls and aid digestion. Here are my 3 seasonal teas.

Lemongrass tea

Dried lemon grass leaves make a zesty, refreshing drink that is highly satisfying both hot and cold. A native of South East Asia, Lemon Grass was introduced in the West with the growing popularity of Thai cuisine. It has a light lemony taste, with slight hint of ginger. It is known to lift a sagging spirit, as well as aid digestion. Recent studies also show that Lemon Grass has antibacterial and anti fungal properties. Best of all, it tastes great.

Chamomile tea

The finest chamomile flowers in the world come from the Nile River Valley of Egypt. Considered a remedy for all ills by the ancient Egyptians, this golden herb remains a modern favorite to promote calm and relieve anxiety. When steeped, these fragrant blossoms smell of freshly cut apples and produce a rich, golden cup with superior flavor. Delicious served with honey.

Peppermint tea

A herb prized for its medicinal benefits and distinctive flavor, peppermint (Mentha piperata) is a naturally occurring hybrid of spearmint (M. spicata) and water mint (M. aquatica) . Unlike other mints, however, peppermint contains in its healing volatile oil the powerful therapeutic ingredient menthol, as well as menthone, menthyl acetate and some 40 other compounds.

Dried peppermint leaves are used to make a minty, refreshing tea that is highly satisfying both hot and cold.

Make time in this busy world for a moment of reflection with a cup of tea. Take out your best china, your best teapot and sit in the most beautiful spot in your home. Enjoy the moment.

Simple steps with food

Blue Stove


Eating with seasonal ingredients has brought some surprises. The menu is more diverse but has required an investment in time and effort. When time is at a premium, I crave an instant fix with a ready prepared meal and yet I know that this can be achieved with planning.

Seasonal food means being open to trying out new ingredients and to be willing to not have strawberries all year around. It brings with it an appreciation of the ingredient and a realisation that without preserving them you will not taste them again until next time around.

The most useful book I have on my shelf to help cooking from scratch is the More with less cookbook which includes recipes and suggestions by Mennonites on how to eat better and consume less of the world's limited food resources. The recipes are varied and you need to take an attitude about whether the ingredients are going to work but the test recipes have been really well received in this household. This would be a great book for students on a budget too.

In order to increase the intake of vegetables and decrease meat intake I have made the following adaptations to a cottage pie. Usually this is made with minced beef, gravy and onion under a topping of mashed potatoes. If you boil carrots with the potatoes and then mash them, you get more vegetables and a little less starch. Gradually adding a percentage of mushrooms from 0 to 50% adds texture and taste. Even leftover cauliflower can be mashed with potatoes as a different topping.

Food with attitude requires a willingness to experiment and be creative with whatever presents itself and using leftovers in the next dish.Most fruit that is looking past its best from the shop gets transformed into a fruit salad. Wrinkly vegetables make a rather satisfying soup.

Creating convenience meals include casseroles bubbling on the wood burner, soups, and making use of technology. The cooker in my kitchen has the ability to programme a start and finish to its cooking cycle and that enables me to go out for the afternoon and come back to a meal ready to eat.

Living simply and eating seasonally is not about going back 100 years in the way we do things but combining those skills with energy efficient technology available today.

In a nutshell:

1. avoid additives and processed foods
2. reduce consumption of animal products and consider food miles
3. a vegan diet using locally produced organic produce is a a desirable sustainable model.
4. Use wholefoods, farmer markets and local box schemes in preference to supermarket purchases.
5. if you use imported goods, consider fair trade.
6. eat more raw foods, sprout beans, smoothies.
7. simmer on low heat instead of boiling, look at heat generated by woodburner as option.
8. recycle all leftovers, compost and bokashi leftovers.
9. eat seasonally
10. update your cooking skills and try something new.

The sky at night

The skies have been brilliant and inspiring over the last few days. The days are cold and the wind is whipping up from a different direction. The garden is being put to bed and my attention is drawn to the inside of the house.

Now is a time to tidy the tools away, clean and oil them. It is satisfying to see that the garden will still be producing some salads; purslane, parsley and celery still abound and there have been plenty of bulbs planted to bring spring colour.

The canning equipment is being put away, the damson gin is about to be put into bottles as gifts for loved ones and a tipple for me when it gets really cold. From the corner comes the spinning wheel and the many bags of fleece that still need to be spun,the knitting needles can click away, the pile of books is ready to be read. I have started a sweater that is lighter and warm for next year's cold spells. I also check the supplies of essential oils, essences and other supplies.

It’s time to begin making gifts for the December holiday season! First though, a day of Thanksgiving. This year, my thanks are not only for continued health, friends, the shop, the home that feels more like ours and the countryside around me; but more - they are for quiet, serenity, inner peace, and a recognition that the things with which I am blessed become too numerous to list as soon as I begin. May it be so for all of you who share this blog and downshifting journey.

Money saving tip -1 - 10 breakfast ideas

Breakfast under the Big Birch


Breakfast appears to be the most important meal of the day as literally we wake up and break our fast. Our bodies need nourishment that will carry us through the day. Serve in a pretty place, in a special bowl.

Wheat free, sugar free and dairy free offer a challenge so what follows are our top breakfast choices. These have more variety than 12 months ago. We have branched out into uncommon resources, uncommon because we were not familiar with them. Quantities are per person.

1 - Oaty fruit

2 tablespoons oats, soaked in water, add 1 tablespoon of sultanas and a handful of raspberries or choice of berries. In the morning add pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and a few almonds. Mix.

2 - Apple millet cereal

1 cup of millet add 2 cups of water. Cook on the stove for about 30 mins ( check water content).
When cooked stir in 1 chopped apple, a little butter and some maple syrup.

3- Quinoa with bananas

1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water. cook for 20 mins ( check water). Add berries of your choice and a banana. If you want to indulge, some cocoa powder and the banana.

Cereal choices of grain - millet, quinoa, oats,barley

Topping for cereals
apricots, bananas, apples, cherries, raisins, currants, flaked coconut, walnuts, cashews ( unsalted), almonds, , sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts.

Sweet things to add to cooked cereal:
honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, molasses, manuka honey.

4 -Eggs

Boiled, scrambled with tomatoes. On toast or with rice cakes.

If you are not dairy intolerant :
5- Pancakes, waffles etc

6 - Rice pudding

7 - One of a kind granola ( good for travelling )

Preheat the oven to 150 C. Combine in a heavy roasting pan
1 cup wholemeal flour or soya flour
1 1/2 cups dry milk powder ( optional if dairy intolerant)
1 1/2 cup bran
1/2 cup buckwheat ( optional)
1 cup sesame seeds
6 cup oats
1 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1 cup hazelnuts

Combine in a saucepan
1 cup oil, 1/2 cup honey, 2 tablespoons molasses, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Warm over gentle heat to blend. Pour into dry mixture stirring well. Roast for 45 to 60 mins stirring every 15 mins until everything is golden brown.
After it has cooled add - 2 cups of raisins, 1 cup each of chopped prunes, dates, apricots and cocunut, 1 cup of other nuts. Store in a pretty jar or several and serve either with milk or juice poured over it.

Voila, not a single cereal packet to deal with. No cartons to recycle, no shopping to carry in vast quantities. Since 2 out of the 5 of us do not drink milk, we have less plastic bottles to recycle.

Most ingredients can be bought in the wholefood shop for a song. The beauty is that with all the neat jars full of wholefoods each person can add what they like.

8- Smoothie
1 banana, 1 handful of raspberries ( or other fruits), add fruitjuice of your choice ( cranberry, orange, apple, tropical), whizz in the blender and enjoy.

9 - Popcorn



10- Fresh fruit
2 pieces of fresh fruit of your choice with a handful of almonds, cashews or hazelnuts.

changing seasons

The autumn and winter weather here in the UK are comparatively mild in temperature compared with the USA for instance. It gets wet,windy and damp and to go out requires some effort. The dog is an excellent creature of routine and expects at least 2 walks per day. The difference living here is that it gets light after 8 am and quite dark in the afternoon, just after 4 pm when the children get home from school.
Pumpkin carvings by Nathalie Halloween 2008

Light and candles are therefore important during these months and I feel drawn to scented candles and a daily walk in the fresh air. It feels like a time of hibernation, rest and contemplation and this year, I intend to give in to that rhytm a little more than previous years.
Dampness in the air, colder nights and daylight have a mellow feel to it. There is a poignancy about this time of year. Nature is still blooming, ripe with berries, hips and haws and there are still many flowering plants in the garden. Yes we know that it is impermanent and that change is imminent.

At the same time, our bodies change too in anticipation of a different season. The ancient chinese associated this season with the earth element. When you look around at harvesting of crops, gathering fruits of your labour in the garden it can be linked naturally with digestion and nourishment. Autumn and winter bring us back inside, out of the cold, expecting warm nourishment and a time of rest.

I find it fascinating that eating with the seasons brings me into a different way of preparing meals that are suited to a woodstove. Comfort foods; warm stews, soups and hot drinks centre us at this time of the year. Cold food and drinks are thought to deplete the spleen and stomach energy. When cold food enters the stomach it has to be warmed diverting valuable energy from the digestive process.

Some seasonal preparations:

• millet is a gluten free grain which in Chinese medecine is thought to be supportive to the spleen and is cooked in much the same way as porridge : 1 cup of millet flakes to 2 cups of water, simmer for 30 mins.
• Root vegetables can be roasted in the oven ; sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, squashes and yams are high in natural sugars and are a healthy way to indulge a sweet tooth.
• Slow cooked foods; casseroles, stews and soups.
• Add cumin seeds, and coriander to vegetable, bean and lentil dishes- this helps digestion.
• Drink peppermint tea after meals.

Despite the wet weather, I love the colours, the composting scents in the countryside and I look forward to coming home and taking up my knitting, my reading and spinning in the warm room.

The scents of winter

Mandarin Oranges, Dates, Pomegranate and Cinnamon Sticks

As my daughter tells me that all little insects crawl away at the beginning of November and the onset of winter is nigh, I feel the need to create some winter concoctions to keep the air moist with orange and spice and all things nice.

The woodburner is great at producing heat but simultaneously has a habit of drying out the air around us. A simple thing to do is to have a pot with some water on the woodburner where water evaporates and makes the air moist again.

Much more fun is adding some things to the water- it could be a soup bubbling away but today I feel the need to add some ginger, orange, cloves and cinnamon to the water. Tomorrow it might be pine and eucalyptus.

It sure makes cabin fever more pleasurable. As an aside we did spend some money on base layers to wear under woolly jumpers and I am certainly feeling the benefit of that.

More spicy tea now and then a brisk walk with the dog. There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing - a saying I remember from Denmark. It may just be correct....