frugal abundance and beauty amidst the challenges

Our garden has been producing quite well though things are coming to an end after a hot and humid spell. The cucumbers have been attacked by downy mildew but were abundant this year. They have fed us, our friends and Grants wood roaches generously. I've got cherry tomatoes popping up everywhere, pumpkins are ripening and the capsicum, chilli, herbs and eggplant are in abundance. I've not timed the planting of lettuce well and we are currently waiting for seedlings to mature.

Making moussaka, packed with homegrown veggies and herbs. 

In truth, though there is goodness to be found in the garden, it is looking a bit beaten by the heat. A little like me. The past few weeks my heart has been playing up for the first time in many years. It has been throwing long runs of dicky beats which are not ideal. I have had various investigations and the results were concerning enough that a trip to the cardiologist is on the cards. However with rest, good nourishing meals, prayer from dear friends and working harder to escape the heat and not push myself, it seems to be righting itself. For the remainder of summer, however, the garden is on the back burner. Will and Grant have taken over the heavy lifting and Henry and Angus have been helping with the smaller tasks. 

It has become clear over the past couple of summers, that my body cannot cope with the intense humidity and heat we experience here, to the point this year it is putting excess strain on my heart. The yurt is a hot building which only exacerbates the problem. Grant is finally starting on the deck extension and hopefully by next summer there will be a large, well-insulated master bedroom/office to escape into during the hottest part of the day, or we will have to work out plan B. Perhaps installing a large solar-powered air conditioner in the yurt, even if it requires borrowing money to do so. 

The garden has grown alot though many of my flowers have come to an end. It all needs a good prune, feed and freshening up before Autumn. 

On a more positive front, the wood roaches are finally doing well and breeding up and Grant recently doubled the number of boxes they have to give them the space they need to grow out. Their shed is now a fully insulated building and they have three forms of heating to ensure their temperature is steady 24/7. They have heat pads under their tubs powered by solar, a slow-combustion wood fire for freezing winter nights and a fancy thermostat-controlled gas heater on a timer.  Hopefully, they breed like crazy to repay us so we can afford the growing number of things we need to improve/mend/build in the not-so-distant future. 

Due to the ever-increasing cost of living, I have been pondering how I can bring in a little income. I am hoping to submit more articles to Grass Roots magazine and have recently sent in my first for the year. Hopefully, it passes muster! Grass Roots is an excellent Australian magazine all about sustainable living, gardening, keeping livestock, preserving, seasonal cooking, DIY and more. I highly recommend checking it out. It's packed with interesting and practical information which is rare in today's world where advertising seems to overtake content in most magazines. If you are curious but your budget is tight, pop over to your local library. Most libraries stock it and if they don't, they can probably order it in for you. 

For Christmas, my parents gave me some money and with it, I bought this sweet little vintage desk for $60. It's wonderful to once again, have a dedicated work space for writing and study. This is also where I set up my sewing machine. I am hoping having a quiet-ish dedicated space to write will help me once again get into a steady writing groove. So far so good.  

As it’s a new year, I have been tackling our budget and working out where I can save money, I was reminded that it is more important than ever that we normalise living more simply. One for the good of the planet, but also on a personal level. Many people are struggling financially and are under enormous pressure. Mental health issues are on the rise and people are lost on how to move forward in these challenging times. 

But there are many small things we can do that will help put us in a better place. 

A dollar saved is often more valuable than a dollar earned because when we save a dollar, we get to keep the entire thing. Whereas if we earn a dollar we need to pay tax on it and we only get to keep part of it. Living simply doesn't mean life needs to be grim. In fact, it can help us to create a life that is the very opposite of grim. Though it might require tweaking the lens we are looking through. There is beauty in knowing how to cook budget-friendly, nourishing meals from scratch for those we love. Learning new skills, facing challenges and looking for creative solutions all help us feel good and are empowering. When we feel empowered and confident in ourselves, we have hope that we can get through the hard times. We can be proactive and courageous in making decisions that will help put us in the best situation possible, even when things are really hard.  

If you are struggling in these challenging times, please know you are not alone. Seek knowledge, don't be too proud to accept help and look to those who have the skills you think might help you transition to a more frugal and sustainable life. Don't be scared to change or try new things, what's the worst that could happen? I find great comfort that many generations before us have faced difficult times and got through them. 

If they can do it, so can we. 

Much love,

Emma

xx