Gathering

Waiting is always difficult...that last few days of pregnancy always seem like months, as a child Christmas Eve lasts forever. Today is Wednesday, the movers come next Tuesday, Gordon leaves the following Sunday and I will remain, with the cat, in an empty house.

Deciding what goes and when is complex...I want to pack the kitchen up but we need lots of the things, there is no point in packing the lesser used items when it won't take much more time to pack everything...so I wait. We actually packed up a lot of stuff (and filled 3 mini skips) prior to listing the house, so there really isn't that much here, but I like to be ready!

It doesn't help that I have been gathering a few new items to help with our rural lifestyle. I gave away so many things and declared that I would be so careful not to bring new things in and here I am doing just that. I am not doing it carelessly though...a Fowler Vacola water canner is so much safer than trying to lift a giant pan of hot water from the stove, both in terms of the small people who will be around and the fact that in 15-20 years time I will not be as strong as I am now.

A serious dehydrator will save money and help preserve our harvest for use during the year. Jerky and dried fruit and vegetable leathers for healthier snacks. Dried veggies for soups and stews. I am sensitive to sulphites (I experience breathing difficulties after ingestion) so dried fruit has to be sulphite free. This will ensure that it is.

A tapener is an extreme time saver, I was using stretchy rubber ties to tie up my tomatoes, cucumbers and climbers, but they are expensive and won't be suitable in a large garden. I bought the tapener from Hong Kong via Ebay, as I haven't seen them here (I am sure they are available commercially). I have friends who have bought them from the same supplier and swear by them. 

I am sure many more garden tools will make their way into the shed. We will take our time to ensure that they are quality, long lasting and necessary before purchase.

One last indulgence is my kettle. A Le Creuset traditional whistling kettle  (in coastal blue) has long been a symbol of home and hearth for me. A kettle that can boil water using any heat source, a kettle I can place on the wood stove in winter and not rely on electricity. I received a royalties payment from a pattern publisher and I immediately knew where it was going,  getting it at a reduced price was a bonus, so I can buy a couple of packets of my favourite tea to get me through the winter.

I want my grandchildren to fight over this kettle, a rotary whisk that has been on our family for generations and my mixing bowls when I am gone!

Everything I remember from my childhood has been from the kitchen, I remember visiting my best friend from childhood after 10 years, walking into her kitchen and exclaiming "you have your Mum's wooden spoon!" its the simple things that hold the greatest memories.