Daffodowndilly

She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;

She turned to the south wind

And curtsied up and down.

She turned to the sunlight

And shook her yellow head,

And whispered to her neighbour:

"Winter is dead."

This is a little poem that kinda summed up today for me...... The sun was out, the flowers are starting to bloom, the little green leaves on my grapevine are starting to unravel, and the jasmine outside my front door smelled so sweet and delicious and I thought to myself - winter is over- spring has begun.

People were outdoors with their children, running around with their hats on, in their pretty little floral dresses with their shoes off and dirt caked on their faces..... These children seemed so happy to be in the sunlight, their parents lolling around in the grass chattering away to other people.

Sometimes I think sunlight and sociability go together. Warm days are always conducive to meeting up with people and doing things. Invitations start to trickle in, for all sorts of occasions and happy times. Even yesterday, for the first time in ages, a group of my friends and I sat happily in a local beer garden, sharing a beer and some food and catching up.

I am happy it is spring........ it is a time of warmth, renewal, a time of possibility and a time for our urban landscape here in Melbourne to become awash with colorful flowers. However, may the rain continue to fall well into summer (but maybe just at night :)!!

Poem by A.A.Milne

Painting by Usha-N

By Briony

Some Tasty Hot Drink Recipes for Cool Winter Nights!

Here’s a thought for a cool winters night- a hot yummy drink to sip on….mmmmmm. I reckon it might be nice to make one of these and sit down on the verandah with a warm coat and rug and read a book. I might even try one of these myself. Warning I hope that these recipes actually work out but they sound awesome!!

Mulled Wine

Combine 1 ½ cups water, 2 ½ cups sugar, 4 dozen whole cloves, 6 sticks of cinnamon,3 crushed nutmeg, and the peel of 3 lemons and 2 oranges. Boil for 5 minutes. Strain the syrup into a large pot, and add 4 cups of hot lemon or lime juice. Heat well. Add the 4 bottles of red wine. Keep covered on lowest heat. Serve with lemon slice and/or cinnamon stick.

Mulled wine for small numbers
Apparently a “quickie” is to boil a teapot of chai (eg. T-2 brand chai) add water to a small pot and add half a litre of red wine. Simmer and serve like tea and add 1 teaspoon of honey per cup/mug (courtesy of Deb at CERES- thanks mate)

Hot Buttered Rum
To make one drink, rinse a mug in hot water and shake it dry. Put in one and a quarter teaspoons of caster sugar, one inch of cinnamon stick (or a pinch of ground cinnamon), a measure of rum and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour in hot milk, add half an ounce of butter, stir well and top off with a sprinkle of ground nutmeg.

Hot Toddy
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup freshly brewed Darjeeling tea, 1/4 cup whiskey, 1/4 cup ginger wine, 4 cloves, and a pinch of freshly grated cinnamon (a stick will do, too). Warm gently over a low heat; be careful not to boil. Allow to infuse for about 3-5 minutes. Strain into mugs and serve straight away.

Spicy Cardamon drink
Try this hot infusion of cardamom pods. Apparently this drink also aids digestion. To make this drink, put about 12 whole crushed pods into 6 cups boiling water. Add a strip of orange peel and brew for about 10 minutes. Add 2 tbsp black tea leaves, leave for 5 minutes more, and strain. Serve straight away with hot milk and honey.

Fluffy Hot Chocolate
In a saucepan, combine 8 teaspoons raw sugar, 4 teaspoons baking cocoa, 4 cups milk and 1-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows. Cook and stir over medium heat until the marshmallows are melted (about 8 minutes). Remove from the heat, stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ladle into some big mugs.

Mulled Wine for a Celebration (again courtesy of Deb at CERES). This recipe was used at the Winter Solstice Festival this year and was delicious!!
To make the "bouquet garni" (like a big tea-bag); boil a 20cm-squared piece of unbleached calico. To the cloth add 9 star anise, 9 tsp of ground nutmeg, 9 tsp of ground cinnamon, 9 tsp of ground cloves: Tie the "bag" with unbleached "cooking" string.

Place the garni into 1L of water in an (approx) 10L pot. Then add 5L of red wine (Swords - Cabernet Sauvignon), 1L of white wine (Swords - Chardonnay), 125ml (half a cup) of (Stones) Ginger Wine and 100ml (approx) of your local honey. To top it off add half a sliced lemon sliced and half a sliced orange to float on top. Simmer and ready to serve in around 5 minutes.

Enjoy and may your hands, heart and stomach keep warm this winter!!

Briony

The North Wind and The Sun- An Aesop Fable

Here is an age old fable from Aesop, that I recently stumbled upon. With all the wind around yesterday and the sun shining brightly today- it got me a thinkin' about the elements and us mere mortals :)

The North Wind boasted of great strength. The Sun argued that there was great power in gentleness.

"We shall have a contest," said the Sun.

Far below, a man traveled a winding road. He was wearing a warm winter coat.

"As a test of strength," said the Sun, "Let us see which of us can take the coat off of that man."

"It will be quite simple for me to force him to remove his coat," bragged the Wind.

The Wind blew so hard, the birds clung to the trees. The world was filled with dust and leaves.

But the harder the wind blew down the road, the tighter the shivering man clung to his coat.

Then, the Sun came out from behind a cloud. Sun warmed the air and the frosty ground. The man on the road unbuttoned his coat.

The sun grew slowly brighter and brighter.

Soon the man felt so hot, he took off his coat and sat down in a shady spot.

"How did you do that?" said the Wind.

"It was easy," said the Sun, "I lit the day. Through gentleness I got my way."

Initially when I first read this fable I thought, well now that is "wise". However, somehow I think it is a little more complicated than using gentleness to get your own way rather than brute strength!!

I don't mean to give poor old Aesop a hard time- but where is the moral. I mean both the north wind and the sun were exacting their "power" on a mere mortal for their own amusement. In the end both made the man feel uncomfortable- too cold and then too hot. Like the wind, the sun had exactly the same plan- to "force" the man to remove his coat.

Isn't getting your own way by gentleness, somehow more manipulative when ultimately the person you are trying to convince to change is negatively affected? Now the poor man is hot and sweaty, and has to carry his heavy winter coat around for the rest of the day!

I guess it just proves that no matter how gentle or how brute, us mortals here on earth are really at the whim of the elements. We have no control over them, and they constantly alter the environment in which we live in- we just endessly adapt to their power!!

Anyway I hope you enjoyed this little tale and my little verbal vomit of an analysis - enjoy the weather :)

Briony

An amazing artist - Andy Goldsworthy

The other day, a friend of mine introduced me to the world of artist/naturalist Andy Goldsworthy. He is a British artist, working directly with nature to make his creations. Often he works with whatever comes to hand- be it twigs, stones, leaves, snow, icicles, pinceones, reeds or even mud. He produces site specific sculptures, some permanent, some transient in both natural and urban settings.

Some of his creations are transient, which I find particularly interesting. In these instances, he is working with nature, and nature like the seasons, inevitably change. He photographs these transient or momentary artsworks as soon as they are created to capture the moment when the work is "most alive". These artworks don't have any permanency- they reflect on the passage of time and the imminent decay of his work by the forces of nature.

One interesting project was when he placed 13 giant snowballs made in Scotland, through the streets of London on Midsummers Day 2000. As they melted, they left behind all sorts of natural and not so natural wonders- like elderberries, barley, pine cones, barbed wire, chalk, pebbles and even highland cow hair. The melting process was all documented through a series of photographs.

Look him up on the net. He is amazing!! Please note I have really only placed his winter related pieces here to view. However I think some of his most beautiful work is that done with Spring flowers and other found objects throughout the seasons. I think I might just revisit his work in months to come!!

Written by Briony

Art by Andy Goldsworthy

Some Quick Winter Gardening

Well it's July, and the garden can always do with a few extra things planted. I have my very first winter vegetable patch and feel quite proud. Bumbling around in wet socks and the rain is somehow pretty therapeutic. I've planted broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and snow peas that are busy twining themselves up some sticks I've put in the ground near the fence. My silverbeat is also doing really well!

Below is a quick list of what is apparently good to plant in July in temperate zones of Australia- that is warm summer, cool in winter! This includes inland Queensland, New South Wales tablelands and coastal region south of Sydney, and much of southern coastal Australia from Melbourne, Adelaide through to Perth.

Beetroot
Direct in rows.
Harvesting from August - September

Broad beans
Direct in rows.
Harvesting from October - December

Cabbage
Bring on in seed trays, then plant out seedlings.
Harvesting from September - October

Lettuce
Bring on in seed trays, then plant out seedlings.
Harvest from September.

Mustard greens
Sow direct.
Harvesting from August - September

Onion
Bring on in seed trays, then plant out seedlings.
Harvesting from December - March

Parsnip
Sow direct.
Harvest from November.

Peas
Sow direct.
Harvest from September.

Radish
Sow direct.
Harvest from August.

Shallots (also Eschalots)
Bring on in seed trays, then plant out seedlings.
Harvesting from September - October

Snow Peas (also Sugar Peas, Mangetout, Chinese Peas)
Direct.
Harvest from October.
Preparing for August

Please go to http://www.gardenate.com.au/ - quite a good site to plan when to plant your vegetables and herbs all year around.

By Briony

The Blood Red Sea

Seagulls twirl against the blue cloudless sky

Black silhouettes, basking in the light

Of that bright white solar circle

That we call the sun

Below sails softly billow with the breeze

White calico wings, made by a mans hands

Flutter and ripple loosely with each

Slow warm breath of god

A sailor of the sea, sits with a wide brimmed hat

His fingernails are nothing short of black

“Oh, oh, oh” he mutters sadly

Words tumbling to the deck

For today he sees his fate, mirrored in the sea

Where fish and beauty swirl, upon the deep

Blue which now fills red, and reflects

A huge wooden mast shattered upon his neck

Hopefully this sends some wintery chills down your back!

Poem written by Briony

Etching from "uknown" source

Wonderous Rain

There can be something wonderous about the rain...
Just thought I would share some pictures with you!

Hope you enjoyed....

Briony

A whacky winter idea to keep your bum warm!!

Just wanted to share this weird and wonderful winter idea from "Momentum Magazine- The magazine for self propelled people"- http://www.momentumplanet.com/blog/ronrich/winter-butt-warmer

The Iron Saddle

Who hasn't suffered from 'cold butt' while riding in winter, at least in the northern parts of the continent? A clever Brit came up with one solution - although perhaps a bit unforgiving for regular riding - as shown in the photo above. A battery, a 12 volt iron (without steam option) and voila! Toasty Buns!

And of course if you are truly nimble you can iron your clothes while you ride.

Cheers everyone- hope you enjoyed this little piece of wintery humour!!

Briony

Winter Solstice - Two Celebrations

Well Sunday is winter solstice in Melbourne meaning we are right in midwinter and approaching the shortest day of the year. The winter solstice is often celebrated as a time of rebirth and marks a time from whence the sun starts to gain strength and arise earlier and go to sleep later as we head into spring. So it really is a celebration of the end of darkness and a return of the light!!!

Last year I went to the CERES Winter Solstice Festival in East Brunswick. It was thoroughly enjoyable, candle lighting, delicious spicy mulled wine, good music, plenty of people and family friendly too……Rug up and enjoy!

Two celebrations that I can highly recommend:







CERES Yule Celebration - Winter Solstice Sunday 21st June 3 - 9pm – www.ceres.org.au

Brighten up your winter’s night and discover the beauty of darkness and light with shadow puppetry, a traditional Yule ritual, fire sculpture, poetry and a stellar musical line up.

$15 full $10 members /concession
$ 5 kids
$20 passionate - $5 of ticket price is donated to CERES
Tickets at the Gate







Collingwood Children’s Farm – Winter Solstice Bonfire at the Farm – Saturday 20th June (sorry for late notice)- www.farm.org.au

Beautiful Darkness celebrating the longest night of the Year with a Family Bonfire.

Collingwood Childrens Farm Stable Paddock Gates Open 4pm Bonfire Lit 6pm.


Prices Family Ticket $16.00
Children $4.00
Concession Family $10.00
Concession Adult $5.0
Adults $8.00

HAVE FUN......

Written by Briony
Images courtesy of CERES and the Collingwood Children's Farm

Miniature Knitting

Tiny Woollen Clothing

It's cold outdoors- obviously a time for woollen jumpers, jackets, gloves, mittens, hats, socks!! Most people own at least some knitted items in their cupboard. Personally I haven't even attempted knitting in over 20 years but to some it is an obsession and a wonderful winters past-time. But have you ever thought of miniature knitting or crochet?

Well, this seems to be the art of knitting incy, wincy, teeny, weeny, tiny little items of clothing using miniscule knitting needles (needles as small or smaller than .75mm in diameter) and extremely fine wool or crochet thread. AMAZING STUFF!!

Miniature knitting for the movie "Coraline" - an animated stop motion 3D fantasy!

Here's a video made by Althea Crome of "Bugknits" who is dedicated to miniature/nano-knitting.

This shows her teeny, weeny contributions to the movie "Coraline" written and directed by Henry Selick (Director of The Nightmare before Christmas).

I might even upload the movie trailer tommorrow.....

Written by Briony

Miniature Knitting Video- courtesy of Althea Crome (Bugknits)

"Coraline"- A film written and directed by Henry Selick (2009)

Dreadful Wind and Rain- A Traditional Murder Ballad

(Note: Please check out the music video at the bottom of this post as it is rather good in a random type way!)

The Dreadful Wind and Rain

There were two sisters came walkin' down the stream
Oh the wind and rain

The one behind pushed the other one in

Cryin' oh the dreadful wind and rain

The Millers son gave the youngest a gay gold ring

Oh the wind and rain

Didn't give the oldest one anything

Cryin' oh the dreadful wind and rain

They pushed her into the river to drown

Oh the wind and rain

And watched her as she floated down

Cryin' oh the dreadful wind and rain

Floated 'till she came to a miller's pond

Oh the wind and rain

Mama oh father there swims a swan

Cryin' oh the dreadful wind and rain

The miller pulled her out with a fishing hook

Oh the wind and rain

Pulled that fair maid from the brook

Cryin' oh the dreadful wind and rain

He left her on the banks to dry

Cryin' oh the wind and rain

And a fiddlin' fool come passing by

Cryin' oh the dreadful wind and rain

Out of the woods came a fidder fair

Oh the wind and rain

Took thirty strands of her long yellow hair

Cryin' oh the dreadful wind and rain

And he made a fiddle bow of her long yellow hair

Oh the wind and rain

He made a fiddle bow of her long yellow hair

Cryin' oh the dreadful wind and rain

He made fiddle pegs of her long finger bones

Oh the wind and rain

He made fiddle pegs of her long finger bones

Cryin' oh the dreadful wind and rain

And he made a little fiddle of her breast bone

Oh the wind and rain

The sound could melt a heart of stone

Cryin' oh the dreadful wind and rain

And the only tune that the fiddle would play

Was oh the wind and rain

The only tune that the fiddle would play

Was oh the dreadful wind and rain

Lyrics: Traditional

Music: Traditional - Played by Garcia/Grisman

Photo: Meg

Some Wintery Flora & Fauna Facts

Yesterday, I went for a late afternoon, winters walk, with my dad and my little boy. We just meandered slowly around the streets near my house in Northcote. Northcote is a quite type of suburb and my house is pretty near the railway line but it is an area where people seem to take a certain pride in their gardens. Not in a manicured way, but more as a creative expression. People have couches on their verandahs where cats curl up to keep warm, attempts at native gardens and vegetable patches and even the occasional wind chime!

As we walked home, the setting sun suddenly came out from behind the clouds in one of those special moments when you actually notice it.... and amazingly at this exact point in time a flock of Gang-gangs (or black cockatoos) flew overhead in a formation of about 8 or so. Not only are these quite rare birds, but I have never seen them in Melbourne before. I felt privileged to have seen them and was inspired to give our native fauna and flora some thought.

Some things I found:

• Gang-gang cockatoos and Australian King Parrots are apparently seen in the suburbs during autumn and winter!
• Many of Melbourne’s grey-headed flying foxes migrate in winter lowering the population from approx 20,000 to 5000. Colder weather increasing amounts that migrate.
• Echidnas search for their mates in June but breed later.
• It’s the only time of the year wombats feed in broad daylight.
• The pygmy possum in the Alpine regions of Victoria survives the winter under a protective layer of snow- it is the only Australian marsupial to hibernate
• There’s a higher winter mortality rate of red wattlebirds in Melbourne during winter due to Thiamine deficiency as a result of diet.
• In Melbourne, tree pollen, predominantly elm and cypress, occurs abundantly in late winter and spring, with grass pollen predominantly in spring and early summer.
• The Tree- Violet (indigenous) is found in many places of Melbourne and along the Yarra and releases it’s beautiful smell in late Winter/early Spring.
• If you plant garlic on the Winter Solstice it will be ready for harvest at the Summer Solstice
• The best herbs to grow through Melbourne’s winter are rosemary, oregano, parsley, bay, coriander, thyme, sage, lemon myrtle (frost-sensitive), Vietnamese Mint, scented geraniums and perennial chillies (frost-sensitive).
• It’s a pretty good time to plant your winter vegetables, things like broccoli, peas, cauliflowers and carrots.
• Winter is apparently also a pretty good time to plant fruit trees (of the dormant and bare rooted variety if possible).
• Woolly bear caterpillars may appear on the grass.
• With the onset of winter mice like the look of inside rather than outside and can enter a crack or hole as small as 6mm.
• Rat populations are at their lowest, as food is harder too find, many die and breeding is comparatively low.

I hope you enjoyed this little snapshot of our winter flora and fauna and a big thanks to the Gang-gang who provided the inspiration.....

Written by Briony

Colorful Felted Cat Balls - A Little Crafty Idea

Last winter I had the novel idea of making little colorful felted balls for cats or even for young children, but with a rattle inside. I have seen lots of beautiful felted balls in markets before, but none that seemed to rattle. So, I made these out of old ping pong balls, filled them with some recycled buttons and then carefully felted them using naturally dyed wool rovings with natural soap.

I personally think they look fabulous and fun and sound great when you roll them around. They are also light and soft and can't damage anything when thrown! Unfortunately my cat wasn't really the type to play with this type of thing- but I have no doubt many would enjoy it- particulary if you added a little catnip inside.

I re-discovered these today, and thought what a perfect opportunity to share this idea with you. They are not only made out of all natural or recyled products, but are easy to make, colorful and a lot of fun to play around with...... May you enjoy!!

Note: These may not be safe for babies, as small amounts of wool can fluff off from the surface and babies have a tendency to chew things...... However, you could string these up as a mobile somewhere in your babies room and rattle them for your baby to hear!

Written by Briony
Felt Balls and Photo by Briony

Wood or Woodn't

I have recently moved into a rental property in Northcote and as the evenings are becoming cooler, I have been sitting looking at my Coonara wood heater and wondering whether I should use it. At the moment I am using a shonky old wall gas heater which seems very efficient, but it has got me thinking – which has a greater negative impact on the environment?

The main argument that comes to mind is that wood can be a renewable resource, when we chop a tree down we can replant it- whereas fossil fuels are irreplaceable. In addition, it has been estimated by the Australian Dept of Climate Change that wood produces between 3 and 10 times fewer green house emissions per unit of heat compared to other energy sources. It is also considered by many as carbon neutral- that is burning it releases no more CO2 than when it biodegrades or rots.

However, the smoke from wood can pollute the air we breathe and reduce our local air quality. According to the EPA, the burning of wood in Melbourne is said to account for as much as 60% of our air pollutants in Winter. These pollutants can cause health problems for not only our families but for those who live around us.

It seems on chilly nights, we are particularly inclined to fill up our wood heater/fire with wood overnight leaving it to smolder. This smoldering just intensifies the problem as even more pollutants are released. In addition, approx 90% of heat from an open fire place is said to go up the chimney. However, that being said, I don’t have an open fire place; I have a slow combustion-wood heater which I believe can operate at 70% efficiency compared to 10% for an open fire.

So, it’s obviously a very personal choice, whether you “wood or woodn’t” in winter. Personally, for me, I think it’s time to see where I can purchase some “good wood” from a sustainable source- such as a local firewood plantation and start up my Coonara. As long as I use it correctly and minimally, I hope to reduce my impact on the environment- particularly by reducing my carbon emissions.

I plan to do this on a trial basis and only when it’s particularly chilly and never overnight. Maybe I will make it a time to sit in a beautifully warm room, with a nice ambient feel and reflect and give thanks to nature for making this warmth possible. If I feel it is creating too much smoke, or is inefficient or too expensive I guess I’ll either just have to wear more jumpers or occasionally light my shonky old gas heater…..

Important Note: When using a wood fire or wood heater, there are some things that are important things the EPA recommends:

· burn only dry, seasoned, untreated wood;
· use smaller logs instead of only one large log;
· do not pack the fire box too full as this will starve the fire of oxygen and cause it to smolder;
· keep the fire burning brightly for the first 20 minutes after lighting and reloading – the faster you can get the fire going the les smoke there will be;
· Always have a visible flame if you plan to keep the fire going overnight.

I would also suggest you never burn household trash or cardboard. Plastics and colored inks on magazines, boxes, and wrappers give off toxic chemicals when burned. Also keep your pile of wood at home dry so as not to get wet or mouldy.

Please take the time to consider your heating options for coming winters. If you own your own house or are building one, take the time to consider building design and heating options. Your decisions do make a difference. Us renters- well, I guess we will just have to work with what we've got!!

Written by Briony
Photo by Rachael Voorhees (flickr.)

Woodend Winter Arts Festival 5th-8th June

I just stumbled across this festival today and if you felt inclined to make the trip it looks like a great way to spend a weekend!! Woodend may be chilly in winter but it seems they are warming it up with a wonderful series of exhibitions, concerts, recitals, dancing, workshops and stories....

In it's 5th year, the Woodend Winter Arts Festival is quickly becoming one of Australia's premier literary, chamber music and visual arts festivals. It is held over 4 days in the wonderful town of Woodend- tucked amongst the Mount Macedon foothills and nearby to Hanging Rock- making it only about a 45-60 minute drive from Melbourne.

Artists and musicians from around the world are attending this event, and with plenty of wine, and food what a wonderful way to spend the Queens Birthday weekend....

Visit http://www.woodendwinterartsfestival.org.au/ for venue details and program times. I would suggest you look carefully at the program and where to buy tickets, as some shows have sold out and tickets are no longer available online.

For those of you who attend this event, I hope you have a glorious time and manage to keep your toes warm.....:)

Written by Briony

PostSecret- Worldwide Arts Project

In winter do you think of secrets? Do lie warm and snuggly and think of those delicious secrets from your past? Do you sometimes think of painful memories that no one else has shared? Well I highly recommend you check out the blog www.postsecret.blogspot.com/ .

Post Secret is a longstanding and continuing community mail project. It invites people from all over the world to mail in their hidden secrets on one side of a postcard in an artistic manner. Each Sunday, a chosen 20 of these are posted on this site. Interestingly this site is really only meant to give a weekly glimpse, as old posts are discarded fairly quickly and are virtually impossible to access.

This started as an experiment and entries have continued to roll in revealing secrets about everything from sexual misconduct to embarassing habits to secret desires!! This site is extremely popular and over the years has displayed over 2500 pieces of artwork from across the globe.

So if you wanted to create your own postcard and send it in with one of YOUR secrets, send it to the following address:

Post Secret 13345

Copper Ridge Rd

Germantown, Maryland 20874

Welcome to the world of global secrets !!

Written by Briony

Postcard by "anonymous"

From postsecret.blogspot.com

Some Simple Earthwise Remedies for Winter

It is interesting that cultures across the world continue to use a myriad of herbal remedies for many, many different types of ailments. Some of these are simple and some extremely complex, and many use age-old folk recipes.

Here are some simple earth-wise remedies that may help you fight some common winter ailments this chilly season! :) Considering the ingredients involved, I would assume these remedies are derived from an English/European heritage.

Note: As someone who is remains largely in the dark about herbal medicine, I have kept these to the basics and you should be able to find most ingredients around the house.

• To help a sore throat gargle a teaspoon of salt dissolved in warm water, four times daily. Alternatively add 5 drops of tea-tree oil to 1 glass of water and gargle. Warning: Do not swallow this gargle- as tea tree oil is toxic.

• To reduce the tickle in your throat, try a gargle with honey, popular in folk medicine. Steep 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in two cups of hot water and mix with one tablespoon of honey. Cool before gargling.

• To clear a stuffy nose and help yourself to a good night sleep add 1 tablespoon whisky, the juice of ½ a lemon and a little honey to hot chamomile tea.

• To warm your chilly feet mix 1 tablespoon olive oil and 3 drops each of rosemary and black pepper essential oils. Firmly sweep your hand up towards your ankle and then lightly sweep down towards your toes.

• To unclog sinuses mix 3 drops peppermint oil to a bowl of hot water and place your tent your head over the bowl and gently inhale in. Be careful not to go too close- steam can be very hot!

• Use oatmeal as a soap substitute to soothe flaky, dry skin. Oatmeal is recommended by dermatologists and is safe and inexpensive. Tie some oatmeal in a handkerchief, dunk it in water, then squeeze out the excess and use it as you would a normal face washer.

• Ginger has a great botanical ability to warm up a chilled body. Cut 1.5cms of fresh, peeled ginger and grate finely into boiling water, to make a yummy ginger tea. Allow ginger/water infusion stand and steep for 5 minutes before straining and drinking. It is very good with honey and lemon, but may be taken straight.

May you all stay warm and well this beautiful winter season!! :)

Written by Briony
Photo by "Lavonne Rice-Gordon"

First Day Of Winter

For the first day of winter I thought I would post a great poem for you to enjoy! How wonderful that it has been raining today. I have been happily listening to the rhythm of the rain pattering out in my garden all day :)

Oh, Gray And Tender Is The Rain

by Lizette Woodworth Reese

Oh, gray and tender is the rain,

That drips, drips on the pane!

A hundred things come in the door,

The scent of herbs, the thought of yore.

I see the pool out in the grass,

A bit of broken glass;

The red flags running wet and straight,

Down to the little flapping gate.

Lombardy poplars tall and three,

Across the road I see;

There is no loveliness so plain

As a tall poplar in the rain.

But oh, the hundred things and more,

That come in at the door! -

The smack of mint, old joy, old pain,

Caught in the gray and tender rain.

May this poem help you think of all the lovely things that a rainy day can bring, and remind you of the important things in your life......

By Briony
Photo "Rain" By Bartek (aka. Bartoz) found at http://www.bartoz.deviantart.com/)

Ice Hotels

It is rare in winter that I feel inspired to go away. If I were to consider a trip to the country or beach, the images in my mind would be a mosaic of warm fires, sweet little B&B’s with a hot breakfast, warm coats and mittens and perhaps a trip to the snow! However to some, the ultimate in a winter retreat is to hole up and hibernate in one of the many ice hotels that have sprung up over the past couple of decades from Europe to Canada and even in Romania.

So what is an ice hotel? Well an ice hotel is a hotel made up entirely from sculpted blocks of ice and snow. Simply put, it is an oversized and extravagant type iof igloo! These hotels are recreated every year, year after year. They are novelty type destination and are often built by artists to varying themes with artist inspired architecture and laden with ice sculptures, ice furnishings and even ice glasses for the bar. Not surprisingly, these structures are entirely reliant on sub-zero temperatures. So when spring is almost sprung, they inevitably start to melt!

The first ice hotel was built in 1989 and is the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden. It started as an exhibition of ice art, but one year when some visitors asked to stay, they officially became the first ever ice hotel guests and slept happily in sleeping bags on reindeer skins. The entire hotel is made of snow and ice blocks borrowed from the Torne River. Each year it is recreated with approx. 10,000 tons of ice and 30,000 tonnes of snow and the hotel itself spans about 6000m2 when completed. Really it is the ultimate in recycling, as each spring/summer the entire creation once again becomes part if the Torne River's rushing rapids and courses towards the sea. To read more about this fascinating place, visit the Ice Hotel website at http://www.icehotel.com/.

An Ice Bar In Melbourne

In October last year the Funk Bar recreated itself to become the first and only ice lounge in Melbourne, “Chill On Ice Lounge Bar”, http://www.chillon.com.au/. Needless to say everything in it from the walls, to the chairs are made from roughly 30 tonnes of ice- even the drink glasses are ice. Interestingly only 22% proof alcohol is available as anything less would freeze. With this little detail-I wonder if this is why Russians drink Vodka so much!?

However, unlike the Ice Hotel of Jukkasjarvi, this Ice Bar is not maintained in its frozen state by natural means and with 2 freezers and 4 fans to keep all this ice frozen, one must seriously consider the useage of energy to maintain this false environment for the short enjoyment and amusement of a few. It may be fantasy to some, but I must admit, at $30 a pop for a 30 minute session to freeze my ass off in a bar that completely ignores the fragility of our real world, I don't think I will be headed there anytime soon!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little blog on ice hotels and may you lie in bed tonight, and think of how nice and warm and snug it is under your winter blankets:)

Written by Briony

Mandalas

I was speaking to my brother-in-law about starting a new blog called the "Wheel of Seasons", or what I guess would be more commonly referred to as the Wheel of the Year. Interestingly he raised the idea of mandalas as a symbol he immediately thought of. These are fascinating pieces of art found all over the world in many different cultures. I guess the best way to describe them , are as a sacred space which usually takes the form of a circle. Through expressing yourself within this space, it is hoped that you will find some kind of truth about you and the world around you. It really is a form of self expression and can be used as a tool for spiritual transformation. Some cultures also use them for ritual and meditation.

For many of us living in the urban/suburban environment it is hard for us to really remember what the seasons mean. Although, we may take note that the leaves are turning yellow and falling to the ground, or that the winter frost has arrived in the early morning darkness, we can easily forget how treating the seasons with respect can be vital to our lives. I quite like the idea of the Wheel of the Year celebrated in many pagan religions. It marks the year with Sabbats and Solstices- times to reflect on the changes within our environment and the changes within ourselves. I believe the the mandala is the perfect place to express this reflection.

My experience with Mandalas

Many years ago my closest friend took me to the Theosophical Society in Melbourne CBD. We sat around with a group of people from all ages, listening to calming music and drawing mandalas on paper. As the hour progressed, we were supposed to release negative energy through noise- which was supposed to be exerted gutterly! It was an eye opening experience and one that I did in fact find quite therapeutic :)

I also have the most beautiful Tongan painting in the shape of a mandala on my living room wall. It has been painted on some type of bark in natural brown, and black ink. It begins with a central wheel enclosed within a star and leads to 24 pointed arrows pointing outwards.

May you find or create some mandalas in your own world and take the time to have a look in nature. Mandalas exist in many things, from orange halves to snowflakes to the the intricately woven spiderweb (also a well known symbol of creation)!! I would also suggest looking at the following interesting website: www.mandalaproject.org/

Written by Briony

"Mandala Seasons" Gouache 13" diameter

by Marnie Miller (Victorian Artist & Educator)

Winter Wine Warmers

What a wonderful way to keep your red wine warm and your white wine chilly! :)

I had a wondeful time making these and really haven't seen much around like them. They are created from the arms of two old woollen jumpers felted in the washing machine. I have adorned the black holder with colourful little felt blobs and circles, and the grey on with the caption "WINO" which is of course tongue in cheek humour.

Recycling old woollen jumpers into felt craft was a bit of a past time last winter and I am looking forward to making more crafty things this winter. To me felt and wool epitomise winter. There is something special about rugging up all cosy and warm in your woolly gloves on a cold, misty morning......

Personally the thought of rocking up to someones house for dinner with a bottle of red wine in it's own little cosy is kinda cool!! It could sit on the middle of the table as a kind of decoration in its own right. If it was chilly white wine - well your hands wouldn't get cold picking the bottle up to pour...... The fact that wool is a fabulous insulator just tops of how useful these little wonders could be :)

Photo and Wine Warmers by Briony