A Mess of Recipes

It's been a bit rainy and hot this week cancelling my gardening plans.  I've been tired too but wanting to achieve things, to still move forward, make progress, have control over SOMETHING in my life! :)  So, I dove into my recipe collection and went a bit nuts.  I decided that I wanted to ensure that I always had a copy of 'that recipe', you know the absolute favourite one Aunty Jan scribbled on a piece of notepaper and you stuffed in a box, and my absolute must have's from different books, friends, magazines and online.  I wanted to save them all in one place on the computer and my dear friend May inspired me to save them onto Dropbox so that not only were they securely backed up but I could access them from wherever I am on the planet. 

I have started with my absolute must have recipes.  My basics. The things I turn to time and again even if infrequently. The things I am asked to make for others. No knead bread, microwave polenta, pecan spice cake, curry pastes, cinnamon buns, a variety of salads, sides and mains.  You get my drift. I also started with the recipes written on scraps of paper, torn from magazines (and used and loved - not the torn from magazines and we are now a pile of clutter recipes).  Then I moved onto Jamie Oliver, the great Maggie Beer, Nigella Lawson and Sophie Gray. 

I'm slowly saving recipes into files and of course all of that recipe gazing and food porn has inspired me to start a list of new things to try.  This weekend I'm doing Jamie Oliver's Roast Chicken in milk. Yep, you read that right.  Milk. Moo. Will let you know how it goes.

Midsomer Murders plays and keeps me company in the background.  Well loved and sometimes forgotten recipes and the memories that go with them keep unfolding before me and a deep sense of satisfaction is arising from organising these precious things so that I will have them always.  I feel like I'm having a declutter and making life easier somehow.  I'm rediscovering my love of cooking.  Feels good. 

Studio tour. Part 1

Hello!  Here I am in a publicity shot for our Open Studio's.  I thought you might like a peep at my studio, how I set it up and use the space etc.  My studio is in the living area of the granny flat that we have at one end of our house.  The flat is open to the house and adjoins the formal living area or 'play room' which I use for my main gallery. 

Here I am working at a folding table covered in oil cloth.  Depending on what sort of painting I am doing I either stand here at an easel or sit as I am in the photograph to work on pieces.  After far too much scrubbing of the floor Cinderella style, I have finally taped a huge drop cloth down under all of my work areas.

A different view of my painting table.  You can see my newly acquired Ektorp shelving unit from IKEA which I am having a total romance with. Previously I had a lovely but dark old Narnia style wardrobe and a cane hutch here.  This shelving unit is narrower, makes better use of space and has really opened up the studio as well as lightening things up.  As it is still relatively new, I am still having fun working out how to arrange my bibs and bobs in it and how to most effectively use the space available to me.

When I work here I can look straight out the sliding door into the gardens of my back yard.  The whip bid is my most frequent avian visitor which is such a treat.  When I sit in my knitting and crochet corner by the door he is often not more than two feet from me.

From this angle you are better able to see my little desk where I do my graphite and charcoal drawings and any administrative work, journal writing, planning and the like.  The left side of the shelving unit houses mainly art books, paperwork and some fabric.  Art materials tend to be towards the right of the unit.  You can see through the arch into the play room and gallery.  These windows look into my front garden so whichever way I look I see gardens full of birds and butterflies, the odd possum, goanna or other visiting wildlife.  Lucky girl.

I'll share my other work spaces and some close ups in upcoming posts.

Sandy xxx

Progress

A couple of days ago I posted about how disorganised and behind I felt so I thought I'd give you a bit of an update.  I received a lovely comment from Sandie providing me with some reassurance and as Sandie comments, it doesn't matter if everything doesn't get done. I totally agree. I think some of the anxiety I'm feeling can be attributed to my final art piece looming over my head.  The rest of the anxiety stems from the fact that in order for me to have a 'normal life' I have learned that I need to be super organised.  If I don't organise myself it becomes extremely challenged to have the energy to participate in things like Christmas festivities, shopping for gifts etc.  Although I am much improved I still struggle and the requirements of my art course have really pushed me to my limits and sometimes beyond.  For example I've been pretty unwell again this week and that's after a week in Fiji relaxing!  The flights, which weren't long, a visit to friends in Sydney with time spent at the beach (always difficult for me but enjoyed) and just the change in routine, have seen me really quite fatigued, on an ECG at the doctors twice because  my heart electrics went crazy and struggling big time with day to day tasks like making the bed, preparing food etc.  The simple task of doing the groceries sent me to bed for a deep exhausted sleep for two hours and unpacking the groceries took me two days.

By being organised I use my energy more efficiently and this means the difference between being able to catch  up with friends or not, being able to be impulsive e.g. going to visit a friend or attending a local event.  Although Christmas is and always has been a relaxed affair with everyone contributing food etc, I still need to start storing up my energy so I can enjoy the day and I'm also starting to conserve energy so that I will be able to enjoy time with our visitors in January.  I'm sure this all seems odd and difficult to understand for most of you. Those who live with me everyday probably have a better picture of what I'm talking about.  Basically if I don't organise my time I get really tired, ill, sore and life becomes a real struggle.  I've learned over these past 12 years or so that by being super organised I can live a far more normal life and that's brilliant.

So, with that in mind.....

• I dug out an old Christmas plan (who brings what food, recipes and grocery lists) and so all I have to do is pass it on and shop for what's on my list. No thinking or effort other than that. Whew! 
• I got started on my art homework and put some thought in to my final piece and what I'll write to support my decisions regarding colour choices and compostition
• Thanks to Flylady I've done little bits each day to start catching up on undone housework as I've fallen way behind here. I had piles of dog hair floating around the floor, baskets full of ironing and washing etc. Am slowly making progress here.
• Menu plan is done so I minimise waste, use what's I've got on hand and don't have to think at night if I'm tired.
• For the first time in 4 years I have done our Christmas newpaper and just need to pop these in cards and post (this is the only contact we have with some people as they are not online).  I rather enjoy looking back over the year or in this case years and seeing what we've done too. Don't have many cards to write so this won't take long.
• I raided the gift cupboard and found a few gifts that have been gathered throughout the year and now just need to work out what to do for the remaining gifts.  Perhaps a big cook up. I did that one year when both my sister and sister-in-law had newborns. I made a heap of meals and froze them ready for them to reheat.  Very well received gift.  Easy to do with slow cookers and rice cooker.  Mmmm. Might be on to something there.  Just close your eyes when reading this Susan!

So even though I'm tired and feel a bit gross I've made some progress and feel better for it.  I am doing a bit of art today but won't get all of my homework done. I'll rest this afternoon so I can go to art class tomorrow and have rests planned all week so I can deal with 'Tree day' on the weekend.  My niece and nephews come over every year, first weekend in December, and help me put the Christmas tree up and decorate the house. It is CHAOTIC.  We usually do some Christmas cooking, dancing etc too.  Each year since their birth I've bought them a new decoration for the tree and they get to open this little present on 'Tree Day'.  Looking forward to it.

If I get any art completed I'll post it tonight.  The post seems a bit rambling and jumbled but I'm tired and that's where my brain is today.  Hope you can get some sense out of it.  I think  a sleep before lunch is on the cards today.

Falling behind

At present I feel as though I'm running in circles and getting nowhere. I'm not DOING much but my mind is going crazy. It's as though I've just woken up and realised that impending deadlines - final art piece, a couple of birthdays and Christmas are looming large in my face.  How did Christmas suddenly get so close and more importantly how did I reach the end of November in such a disorganised state?  My Christmas shopping and gift making is usually completed by the end of October. I usually have a nice little stockpile of groceries and Christmas extras in the cupboard by now, purchased bit by bit each week to keep expenses down.  I usually have an idea about WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON with Christmas, birthdays etc but I have NO CLUE.  Not only have I not done any Christmas shopping, I don't even know what to get for anyone.  I don't even know if Christmas is going to be at our place or what the plans of the rest of the family are. 

I think I'll spend this stinking hot Saturday

• going through the present cupboard to see if I have presents I've forgotten about
• making a list of who I exchange gifts with and work out what on earth I am going to give people
• make plans to purchase/make any gifts
• TALK to the family and work out who is doing what for Christmas so I know whether or not we are having our usual Christmas here by the pool and in the air-conditioning or if other plans need to be made.
• plan my time for the next few weeks to get me efficiently through 'Tree Day' (where the kids come and help me decorate my house and put up the tree), birthdays, final art assessment, Christmas, a visit from friends and their kids in January.
• Menu plan so I don't have to think about meals each night
• Oh God - write my Christmas newspaper and send out cards (have been too sick to do this the past 2 or 3 years so really feel I should make an effort this year).
• Oh crap - post gifts to UK. I'm late, I'm late......
• I also need to buy/make a calendar for next year as I already have medical appointments booked through until November 2012 and they are floating around the kitchen on appointment cards and post it notes.  NEED TO GET ORGANISED.

Being a somewhat organised person I know that those of you our there who know me will be wondering how I managed to find myself in the state I'm in (which all things considered isn't tragic).  It is starting to cause me  some anxiety and I know that if I put some time into organising my time and my thinking I'll get everything done and done easily.  I think my art course, trip to UK (which drained my spirit and my brain), and then a trip to Fiji at such a busy time of year combined with me not being fantastically well again of late have all combined to see me as disorganised and behind as I am.

Does this happen to anyone else?  How do you deal with life when you get behind or feel as though you are behind? How do you cope with being busy?  I'm off to sort myself out.  Will keep you up to date on how I'm going.  Stay well and if you're feeling stressed and overwhelmed, make a cuppa, sit down with me and take half an hour or so to sort out your life on paper, then roll up your sleeves and get to it.