one contented homebody

a vintage inspired life

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Just in time for 2020.

Hello dear friends,

For a long time now, it has been my intention to return to this little space, and so with 2020 beginning tomorrow, I feel it is a good time to come back.


2019 is not a year I want to remember. I wont go into too many details here, lets just say that anxiety and depression have paid me a visit in a big way. It is not one single thing that is causing my sadness, but a multitude of different things, like the extreme heat and drought and my struggle to grow food, the fires and the people suffering loss, family issues, the sad state of the world and so the list goes on...


I am hoping that returning to my homemaking roots will help me deal with the feelings of despair that I have been struggling with. I am well within that "certain" age where I am feeling very emotional, angry, and frustrated with everything in life. Any advice would be very welcome.


I have always loved the vintage way of life, so this year I will be striving to live a more simpler life by implementing the principles of a woman living in the 50's and 60's, with a mix of earlier times and also bit from the retro era...


This little space will be about all things homemaking, vintage loves, and of course my garden.


The above rose was the first one to open on a young bush I planted out in winter last year. I was so excited to watch it form a bud and then open into a magnificent red bloom. This is an old favourite, Mr Lincoln, and the aroma was so beautiful.

And then there was this Dahlia. Mum gave me four bulbs leftover from hers, but only two have come up. This yellow beauty and an apricot coloured one (sorry no pic because the heat fried it!).


Some of the produce I have picked from the vegetable patch.


These are my Lebanese cucumbers.  I have attached string to a piece of rope strung over the top to hold the vines off the ground, because apparently the lizards like love to eat the flowers...


Before our recent heatwaves I was picking a lot of zucchinis. Now not so much, they are suffering stress from the relentless heat, as are many of my other plants.


The sunflowers I planted a while ago have grown so tall. The tallest one is well over six foot! They are protecting the tin now from getting too hot while the young saltbush plants are growing. You can see the seven year beans winding their way up through the lattice.  These are planted on the inside of the vegetable patch, and as their name suggests they can last up to seven years.


The first sunflower popped out happily today, the others are not far behind. I love the way they follow the sun.


We made beeswax from a rescued hive. So looking forward to a regular supply of this!


Another year, another birthday. My dear mum who is now 80 always makes a special cake for me.


Also for my birthday, hubby made a coffee table from left over red gum.


The main piece of red gum he used to make a top for this special table.


I try to fit in regular sourdough baking, because this bread is so good!


From the beginning of my blogging in 2007, I have always enjoyed Rhonda Jeans blog.  She was the one who inspired me on my journey to a simpler way of living and thinking.   Then a few years ago I stumbled across Grandma Donna's blog, and I knew that this was how I wanted to live. So since then, I have slowly incorporated the old days into my everyday life. I absolutely love browsing over gDonna's blog pages, this makes me dream of simpler times, some of which I remember from my younger days. We all know those times weren't simple compared to today's modern conveniences, but still there is a draw back to those times. My parents, in their 80's say that they were lucky to live through the good times of the 50's and 60's, and right now I believe them.

I hope you will join me along my journey, maybe we can inspire each other, and maybe, just maybe it is what is needed in this world.

Wishing everyone a WONDERFUL NEW YEAR!

Love and peace to you all.

xTania


10 comments:

  1. Happy new year Tania. I feel those struggles too. I sometimes get a real sense of hopelessness and it really hit me while I was away in Europe. I worry for our planet and I just felt like there is no chance seeing so many people focused on shopping and instant gratification. Back home now and overcoming a bout of shingles brought on by all the stresses but starting to feel better about it all.
    Wishing you a happy, peaceful and joyful 2020. I look forward to following along. I am going to try to write more in 2020 too. Tracy xo

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  2. Happy New Year Tracy, sending best wishes your way for a lovely 2020. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I am glad that I am not the only one feeling these emotions in this crazy mixed up world. So much greed from those in power, and no concern for the average everyday person, or the planet. At what cost in the end? I guess we will find out.

    Looking forward to reading your writings.
    Lots of love Tania xxx

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  3. Sorry to hear you’ve been feeling this way. I do to from time to time. The only advice I can give is to stop watching the news. Some may say that the Ostrich approach ie burying ones head in the sand, but my anxiety levels react positively to this approach when it all gets too much.

    I look forward to seeing how ‘turning back to home’ and the simple ways helps, I think it truely will be of benefit.

    I think you are doing a remarkable job in the garden under the circumstances.

    Know that there are others ‘out there’ doing their bit, just like you, collectively we do make a difference. I hold that thought dear to my heart when I’ve got a case of the ‘overwhelmeds’ and that also why I love my little virtual community.

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    1. Hi Cheryl,

      Thank you for your comment and advice. And you are right about the news, it is all hyped up and in our face 24/7! This is why I want to go back...back into my little world where I find comfort and peace. The thoughts in my head do me in sometimes.

      My motivation has got up and gone. Watching things die around here when I have put so much effort into it. My issues seem insignificant to those that are suffering losses from the fires. So I need to put on a brave face and just get on with it.

      Thank you for your kind encouragement.

      xTania

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  4. Tania, I hear you about being disappointed with plants dying in the heat etc. i have let most of our garden go and am just keeping the potplants alive. Towns around us have run out of water so it is a scarce resource at the moment in some areas. I am in the Tropics at present and it does look at lot greener than back home in SW Qld even though they need rain too. I pray that 2020 is a more inspiring year for you as you look ahead to it being a happy one for you and your family.

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    1. Hello Nanna Chel, thank you for taking the time to comment :)

      Disappointment is part of life, but it feels like a big kick in the g**ts. My veggie patch was doing really well until the heat hit, and it came earlier this year. We had a week of temperatures over 45C and it got as hot as 53C! I did all I could to protect them, but it has really knocked the veggie plants for six. Even our indigenous plants are dying and it doesn't sound promising for this year to be any better. I am not going to grow anymore for now, just try and keep what I have alive. The herbs are doing okay, so that is one positive.

      My brother lives in Warwick and they have had to buy water in. I do believe they did get some of that rain recently to help out, so that is good.

      Annabel has had fires very close to where she lives. Hoping tomorrow doesn't flare them up again.

      Enjoy your time in the tropics :)

      xTania

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  5. I didnt know that you make sourdough as well. I ma just starting with sourdough - still lots to learn. Yours looks amazing.

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    1. I dabble in a bit of everything lol! I use Sally's @jembella farm recipe. So simple with minimal wastage.

      xTania

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  6. I too love to bake sourdough bread :) Although I am trying to eat a lot less carb, more vegetables at the moment :) In one of your earlier posts/or later you mentioned the heat was 44C..I almost fainted reading that. I think I'm dying here in NZ if it gets to 32 C !!! ....geez no wonder your plants are withering. We get watering restrictions here every summer and because of that some plants do suffer. I hear your pain. Bless you in your health/spirit journey to a simpler life. ~ Linda

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    1. Hello Linda, so happy to have you drop into my little space.

      44C is one of the cooler days lol! We had a week of high 40's and even a 53C on one of those days. So yes, technically I probably shouldn't be trying to grow my own veggies in such a hard climate. Sometimes in summer we don't get those heatwaves and the plants do fine, but we can not guess what the weather will bring each season.

      I really don't know why we aren't on water restrictions, we were put on them in the last drought, but not this time.

      Sweet Blessings,
      xTania

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