The Freaky Moment

I live by myself and I have found it neither to be financially viable nor healthy for my mental stability to live by myself for any further long length of time... and pretty soon I will get a flatmate. There are times I worry my habits are becoming detrimental to my own mental health.

Sure, there are all the quirky habits everyone has.

1.  Making and drinking your morning coffee in your underwear in the kitchen
2. Being completely absorbed in your own routine in whatever order you want to do it
3.  Not closing the bathroom door
4.  Shamefully leaving your place in a messy state just because you can…

But then there are the weird ones.

You know when you’re in that freaky zone of disarray. For me it’s laid back on the couch, leg over the backrest, coffee cup on the ground, toast crumbs on the plate balancing on my tummy, legs spread in stubby shorts with the undie/ groin exposed for all the world not to see.

I think to myself … What would I now do if a flatmate walked in from their day at work?  “Ahh.. excuse me for a moment. Nothing to see here… Go on, walk around me.. carry onto your bedroom...I will holler out when I have straightened myself out and I’m decent again. Sorry about all this “. *points to her ‘situation’ *

Do I need reprogramming?  I am becoming increasingly aware that I may have developed some antisocial habits and have become obsessed with To-Do Lists.  But they keep me balanced, I stay in-check, self-motivated and they give me something to do. Recently my friends chuckled when I told them I even have a list of things to do when I have nothing do. “It’s my ‘What to Do When I Have Nothing to Do’ list .. What’s wrong with that?” I asked as they snorted .. “Oh yeah, I see your point.. that is weird…” suddenly self-aware of her madness.

However, I am not alone in writing lists of things that make me happy. Along with Oprah Winfrey’s ‘Gratitude Journal’ (which I truthfully find both simultaneously nauseating and fascinating), there has been Gretchen Rubin’s  ‘The Happiness Project ‘ to keep me sane. Gretchen pursued happiness in her year-long journey by starting to write down things that make her happy. And that is exactly what I did.

Please tell me that you have your own freaky zone.

Budgie xo

Apricot Square

Returning from Christchurch, I now know why New Zealand has the nickname the Shaky Isles. Two earthquakes woke me last night, the cupboards rattled and the china shook.

To calm my own and my great aunt's nerves, I made a nice slice for our cups of tea. This square is another family favourite and appropriately enough, given to me from my great aunt a long time ago. She assures me that I did it justice, so here it is..

Apricot Square

A page from my recipe book....

I am so impressed with the perserverance, fortitude and comradeship of the people in Canterbury. Christchurch is such a beautiful city and it is pleasing to see hundreds of contractors rebuilding the 900 currently condemned buildings after the September 2010 and February 2011 quakes. In total 181 people were killed in the second quake.

Walking around the city today, there are signs everywhere of the horrific destructive forces that the quakes have also tolled on the buildings. The inner city's new 'Restart' area is an indication of the true Canterburian spirit. The army has kindly donated countless cargo containers for the shops to set up their business in again. The main street developers have brightly painted and refurbed each container with glass frontage and garden/paved entrances. It is worth a visit just to see such great innovation and despite the constant shakes, I would not be put off visiting again.

Budgie xo

Gardening

I am no gardener. My gardening experience consists of a 2x4m plot at the bottom of my stairwell, a few balcony planters and a brief past affair with compost, clay soil and fertiliser. However, the small amount of tips and tidbits I have picked up have been invaluable.

From the ambitious (growing tomatoes from last summer's seed) to the monotonous task of watering (rain showers do not cut it water-wise), I am sharing my experiences with you...

Mint needs to be potted. Too many times, I see a garden over run with mint. The problem with mint you see, it is a root- so it is extremely hard to dig out if you are over run with it. This pot was planted with another herb. I completely forgot about planting mint in here last summer, and it started to regrow an entire year later.  Leave mint in pots.

(L-R) Parsley, Lavender, Broccoli, Gardenia (bottom),Rose Bush (centre), Daisy, White Kale

Kale - plant in April, ready for winter. Purely decorative, sweet and pretty but also really hardy through the winter. The bright white contrast on dark, rich winter soil is strikingly beautiful.

Lavender - plant in Spring. Fairly sturdy through winter. Mine has successfully been repotted onto my drier balcony for summer.

Tomatoes - a small miracle has occured. Despite many of my own thoughts of abandonment and those visitors who viewed my dismal looking week seedlings and their suggestions to abort this endeavour,  my tomatoes have finally started to flower and flourish... Yay! 

Was I too ambitious to grow tomatoes from seed? Yes. But there will be a huge feeling of accomplishment once they are finally fruiting. I am hopeful. Small yellow flowers are a good sign that your plant will fruit.

Broccoli - winter. Not recommended for planter boxes. I would suggest you plant these into rich, dark soil in the depths of your garden.

Yuccas - Soo easy to repot and replant. Just take a cutting from the baby sprouting at the base of any yucca. Keep the trim moist wrapped in cloth/newspaper for up to three weeks, then bang it into rich, moist soil in a pot. Be careful of stem rot, this will look like yellow leaves in the centre of the cutting and leaves will easily be tug out. There really is no cure for this, so instead I suggest you take three/four cuttings to ensure that at least one is viable.

As for my tomatoes- the fruits of my arduous labour...I will keep you posted.


Budgie xo

Festival Chic

I have attended enough outdoor music festivals in the UK, Belgium and New Zealand for them to be put on despite terrible weather. Without becoming one of the countless wee girls stranded, with no friends, muddy, soaking wet in a dress and jandals on supposedly on 'one of the best nights of the year', make sure you prepare yourself.

Festival Tips:- 

1. Go with the rain, don't fight it, have fun

2. Gumboots and ponchos are a must

3. Sunscreen, water and a hat- if you are lucky with warm weather

4. Drink through it, alcohol can help!

5. Go with like-minded people

Get to know where the toilets are and any other amenities you might need like a clean bathroom, good food stalls and a meeting place for your friends.

Unfortunately a lot of concerts especially festivals, aren't held in big cities but in smaller residential areas or in the middle of the country. Cell phone towers are often jammed with the sudden large quantity of people, so don't count on the fact the you can text / ring to meet up with people. Organise meeting spots prior to going. 

Likewise, take enough cash with you and purchase gumboots and ponchos before leaving home- they often sellout and you don't want to be queuing either. If you are tenting, take loads of rubbish sacks for wet/muddy clothes or these can be even used as ponchos if you're stuck.

Have fun!

Look forward to getting clean. I love this sweet orange and tangerine soap at Lush. All profits are donated to the Sea Shepherd, anti-whaling cause in Antarctica.

Sea Shepherd Australian Director, Jeff Hansen says “During its past seven campaigns, Sea Shepherd has saved the lives of over 2,781 whales and has exposed illegal whaling activities in the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary to the entire world. Last season, 863 Whales were saved from the brutal harpoons of the whaling fleet.

“During the 1900s, the majority of soap was made from whale blubber, making the launch of Lush’s  Divine Whale soap even more significant. Lush’s strict no animal testing policy and its dedication to creating ethical, sustainable cosmetics makes us proud to stand alongside them.”                          - Lush.   




Budgie xo