65 Roses

I plop myself down after the day of running around.  Between kids, school drop off and pick up, work, sports and not to mention dinner and house work, I am feeling exhausted.  TV and a glass a wine are screaming my name and I sigh deeply.  Life is busy.  

Two streets away from me Kristie is probably going through a similar routine.  There is one main difference however.  Kristie suffers with the genetic disorder Cystic Fibrosis (CF).  Aside from the regular demands that having three active children places on her, she as well as her sister Nikki who also has Cystic Fibrosis (and has one child) have spent most of their lives in and out of hospitals now having IV antibiotics every month.  They each have to do daily treatments to help manage the thick sticky mucus which clogs a number of the organs in their bodies (especially the lungs and pancreas). This causes a shortness of breath, chronic coughs and repeated chest infections. 

Cystic Fibrosis of NZ says that at present there is no cure for CF but the affected gene has been identified and researchers are working to find ways to repair or replace it, and medications to treat CF complications.   Currently  Nikki is now on the active list for a double lung transplant.

To help raise awareness, last year Kristie and her sister started 65 days of good deeds for Cystic Fibrosis.  This was inspired by '65 Roses' which is what some children with CF call their condition because the words are much easier for them to say.  Each day from the month of June Kristie and her sister come up with random acts of kindness.  This has included dropping flower pots off to strangers houses, paid parking tickets taped to parking meters, giving out trampoline park passes to kids and most recently handing out two bikes at a school assembly.  

These ladies commitment to carry out their deeds for 65 days even when they find themselves laid up in the hospital or struggle to leave the house is inspiring.  So often after a busy day I struggle to think of anyone other than myself.  Last week I found myself rushing past a man struggling with his wheelchair.  I later wondered how much would my offering to push him and have a conversation with him affect his day?  This has challenged me as well as the work that Kristie and Nikki are doing, to look beyond my own circle and identify strangers who would benefit from a simple act of kindness. Just imagine what our world would look like if each day we committed to one random act of kindness for a stranger?  

To help with Kristie and Nikki's deeds, I made 65 cake pop roses which they walked around downtown handing out to strangers. Their biggest shock was that each person expected them to be selling something.  Its sad that so few people can expect a simple act of kindness now without expecting there to be some sort of strings attached.

To learn more about what Kristie and Nikki are doing, visit and follow their facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/cysticsisters/?fref=nf

Baseball Fever

"I will not be a Saturday Sport mum", I proclaimed to my husband, completely confident in the fact that parents were insane to give up their Saturday sleeps ins to stand on the sidelines cheering their little rugrats on.  (Its fair to say I was completely Naive to the fact that those Saturday sleep ins stopped as soon as that baby popped out).

Fast forward 8 years and so far I have helped my husband to coach one season of soccer and three season of t-ball, all on a SATURDAY.  OH, and did I fail to mention, I also decided it would be a great idea to start a baseball club from the ground up? All you non-parents out there - let those confident proclamations of yours be a lesson to you - They may just turn around and bite ya in the behind.  

Eighteen months ago, I had an "IDEA".  It was one of those amazing light bulb popping moments where the possibilities were endless and Angels could probably be heard singing somewhere and light shone down illuminating my face as I proclaimed this glorious idea from my mouth.  (I get these ideas on a fairly regular basis - this occurrence probably happens to me at least once a day).  The difference with this idea was that my husband happened to be sitting next to me at the time when I announced this idea and LOVED it.  From that moment, the birth of Tauranga City Baseball began.  

The difference between my husband and I is that I may have A LOT of ideas but practically zero follow through on any of them.  My husband on the other hand is like a badger who when he gets his teeth sunk into something there is no letting go. Starting a club from the ground up is hard work and there is no way that we would have been able to do it without the help of a dedicated team.  There were many times I certainly wanted to give up, overwhelmed by the task at hand but there was always one thing that stopped me: We were part of something big: We were bringing baseball to a region in New Zealand that has never had it before.  

To me, baseball is one of the greatest sports ever invented.  I can still picture sights, sounds and smells of the great American Ball Parks from my childhood.  The beautiful grounds laid out before you, the fans cheering as their favourite player smashed a home run out of the park and the smell of hotdogs, beer and nachos.  My greatest memory of baseball was in 1991 when the Minnesota Twins played the Atlanta Braves in game 6 of the World Series where Kirby Puckett made an amazing catch in the outfield and had two home runs.  The Twins then went on to win game 7, winning the World Series for that year.  My mum was overseas at the time and dad would let me stay up late to watch the games while the other kids slept.  This time of my life was one of my best ever memories as a kid, where I felt connected to my dad (a little girls hero) through this amazing sport.  

Now, my kids are growing older and the great movies like The Sandlot and playing catch in the back yard with dad, have instilled in them the same sort of love that I have for the game.  Each time my child stands up at the bat and has their chance against a batter is a teachable moment.  They may strike out, they may get out at base after hitting the ball or they may hit that one ball that gets them from base to base where they experience that exhilarating moment of a home-run.  With every game, that kid gets their moment to shine and with every game they are still part of a team, working together to bring home a win.  

I now get why parents stand on the sidelines every Saturday, sometimes in the rain and the cold and why they put their hand up to volunteer to coach or to manage their kids team or to even be crazy enough to start a sport that has never been there. Sports create in kids confidence, team work and help them to understand the bigger mysteries of life.

Small Spaces

"This place is driving me crazy!" I fumed to my husband, wanting to pull my hair out.  Everywhere I looked there was stuff.  My two growing kids mixed with their years of toys and clothes suddenly closed in on me and our small three bedroom house felt too small. It was clear to us that we needed a bigger house so we did what most rational people would do  in this situation: We got a border.

Suddenly our house that fit four of us very snugly was housing six. (Did I mention there was only one bathroom and we happened to purchase a dog in the same weekend??)  At the time, I was nervous about having my cousin live with us.  My kids were pretty demanding after all and she was a young and free 23 year old - Goodness knows I vaguely remember those days and kids were the last thing I wanted to be around at that time of my life!  If you had told me that she would live with us for seven months and that no one would kill each other in that time I might not have believed you.  Instead, Jill brought to our house a sense of order and left us realising that space was not the problem - we were.

Having an outsider come into your family for an extended period of time can make you feel naked and suddenly aware of all the bad habits that you as a family have developed.  Because of this reason I think everyone should at one stage of life have someone come and live with them - it may help expose things for you.   In saying that, not everyone's live in house guests may be accommodating.  It is important the person is the right fit for your family.

For us, Jill was just that.  From the moment she arrived, she was a great help. My husband works long hours and Jill would often be that extra set of hands when I really needed it.  Not to mention she loves our kids and they adore her.  She was never annoyed by their many questions, their poor manners or their lack of boundaries.  She understood that that they are kids and she accepted them for who they are.  She would stay in the background as I would do my mother thing and only really step in when she could see I was desperate.  When she did step in, she didn't try to replace me or try to discipline my kids.  Never once did I feel as though she was looking at me like a crazy person when I would start to LOSE MY SHIT (because lets face it mums, you all know what I mean).

The other thing Jill brought to our house was order.  I will admit that I am not the most organised person.  In fact, that could be an understatement.  In the first few weeks she was here, Jill was putting laundry away for me and shouted out to me from the linen cupboard. "Lisa, I am confused about the organisation of your linens?"

"What's to be confused Jill? There is no organisation." I said laughing.  I am pretty sure I drove her insane.  I came home the next day to find my linen cupboard organised.  Amazingly, for the most part it remains that way!  Each night after dinner, Jill would quickly get up and help do the dishes.  Often my husband and I would let the dishes sit until right before bed (OR maybe until morning if we were really unmotivated).  Not wanting to take advantage of her good nature, we knew we had better get onto the dishes right away.

Over the seven months that Jill lived with us, I slowly began to observe that Jill had an ability to be aware of her surroundings and act on what a situation needed.  For myself, I am often oblivious to this and I began to realise that the disorder in my house was what made my house feel small - NOT the space.  Bit by bit I started to organise and rid the house of what it didn't need and I started to keep on top of our space.  The outcome, was a bigger house.  In my head, I now think to myself "What would Jill do?" Somehow this pulls me out of my creative daze and pulls me into the present - something I am terrible at.

More than anything, Jill brought with her company.  On the nights that my husband worked late we would bond over a glass of wine, watching Nashville or How to Get Away with Murder.  Having that extra person around, made the house feel a little bit warmer.  Now, Jill is gone and we all miss her terribly but we are grateful to her for what she brought to our family and love that we got the chance to get to know her a little bit better.

Good Neighbour

 Jan is a single mum who works hard to provide her family the very best.  She works two jobs just to make ends meet and each night when she finally hops into bed, she is exhausted from her long day. Without little support from friends or family she finds it difficult to tackle the gardens and for months they have fallen behind. The lawns are well overgrown and the gardens resemble that of a jungle.

Kerri and Rick are excited because they finally were able to find a house rental after months of filling in rental applications. Unfortunately their bond was so high for the rental, they are unable to afford any groceries for the next week.  The house they found is an old drafty house but they were relieved to know that they would have a warm fireplace to help take the chill off. After some investigating they realise they have left firewood too late and cannot afford to buy wood. Winter is fast approaching and their youngest son has asthma - not having a warm house could seriously impact his health. 

Kylie and John, after years of hard work have finally been able to retire!  Unfortunately due to the increase in the housing market and their low paying pension, they were only able to afford a small house with virtually no yard.  Kylie is so disappointed because she loves gardening and had counted on a veggie garden to help keep down the grocery expenses each week. 

Each day across New Zealand there are people like Jan, Kerri and Rick and Kylie and John.  Many people have struggles that we take for granted or don't even think about.  In 2011 a few mates went to Fiji and were inspired to see how the power of community could cause change in such a limited time. Realising the power of this community, they sought to bring this vision back to New Zealand and from this Good Neighbour was formed.  The goal was to make positive change in the Neighbourhoods in New Zealand.  Every day, Good Neighbour is helping people like the stories mentioned above and is making a positive, growing influence in our communities.  

From the time that Good Neighbour has started, I have been blown away at the response I have seen by people all over, wanting to make a difference in their communities and help out a neighbour in need.  I think deep down, people want to help those who are struggling but really don't know how or where to start. Good Neighbour provides just that avenue.  

Good Neighbour have 3 main focuses: Neighbourhood Projects, Food Rescue and Community Gardens. This past weekend, Welcome Bay opened its first Community Garden to the public and I had the honour of making a cake for this event.  

To learn more about what they do and how you can help, you can go to their website: http://www.goodneighbour.co.nz/

To My Grandpa

He was born on a farm in Climax Minnesota on October 1, 1928.  Born a "blue baby" he was placed in the warming drawer of a big old wooden stove to keep warm.  They named him Wallace Gronberg, a fine name for a descendant of the great Vikings that set sail from Norway many years earlier.   

  

Wally fondly recalls his memories of his life on the farm, living with his 3 older sisters, older brother, mother, father and his two grandmothers.  Life was simpler then and it was a happy time for him.

At the age of 16 he developed Rheumatic Fever which damaged two valves in his heart.  This illness forced him to miss a year of school and he had to graduate a year behind the rest of his classmates.    The damage to his heart would later prevent him from fighting in World War II.  No one really ever knew how he felt about not being able to fight in the War but sometimes I wonder if it was a blessing for this man who has such a gentle, loving spirit.

My first memory of my Grandpa was fishing with him out on the dock at the cabin on the lake in Northern Minnesota.  I must have been a pretty good fisher girl because I caught a "big one!" So big, it pulled me in.  Grandpa (who I am told can't swim!) had to jump in and save me.  He was my hero that day.  Not because he saved me, but because he saved my fish too!  I was the proudest little girl at dinner that night, sharing what me and Grandpa caught.  

Grandpa had the greatest greeting of anyone I have ever known.  We would all anticipate our meeting with him with great excitement. When we finally got to see him after months of being apart, he would bend his legs slightly, open his arms as wide as he could and in a loud voice say "Lisa, HONEY!" In that moment, you felt more welcomed and loved then you have ever felt with anyone.  It wasn't just me though that he greeted this way.  Everyone was welcomed and loved in his presence.  He had a way about him that made people laugh, feel at ease and comfortable with who they were.

My Grandma was his queen and it was his joy to serve her every day of his life.  One of the last true gentlemen.  Even well into his Alzheimer's, he still always let Grandma walk in front of him, holding the doors open for her.    

Grandpa was not afraid of hard work and found enjoyment in even the most menial of tasks.  When he would visit us as kids, he would instantly go to spring cleaning our house, whistling and singing hymns while he worked. He owned a cleaning business for 30 years and took pride in every spot and window that he ever cleaned.  

Every morning Grandpa would rise at 5am and spend his hours before dawn talking with God.  My Grandpa loves Jesus and shows everyone he meets simply through who he is.  I've learned alot about what it means to love from him.

When I saw my Grandpa a year ago, I was prepared that he would not know who I was.  What I wasn't prepared for was that the man I loved so dearly would still be so recognizable.  I had expected to see someone I didn't know and instead I saw someone who I knew so well that had no idea who I was.  Alzheimers is a cruel disease.

I'm told now that he is in his last days.  Even in his last days, he is still gentle, loving and still has the occasional joke with the nurses.  Everyone adores him.  His memories are few now and most are of his early days on the farm, where he remembers driving a tractor, singing hymns while he worked.

Tonight, I will share this cake with my kids and I will tell them about their Great Grandpa.  I will tell them about a man who made people feel welcomed.  I will tell my son about a man that treated women with great respect and I will tell my daughter that she should expect nothing less.  I will tell them about a man who learned how to find joy in every job he ever did and I will tell them about a man who dedicated his life to the Lord. 

Seasons of Change

I sat quietly on the grass watching kids run around, shouting with whoops of laughter, enjoying every minute of their school lunch break.  Longingly I looked at two girls chasing each other, wishing I could join in.  It had been six months since we had moved and mum had said that I would make friends.  It just takes time she said while I sat there with tears running down my face. Couldn't they see my pain?  Didn't anyone like me? 

Recently my dear friend Jaimee moved down South and probably felt vulnerable like I did as a child on that playground.  Having 3 young kids and pregnant with uncertainty around even the day to day stuff like "What kindy to choose?", Jaimee's cousin Emily came to her rescue. Emily helped her feel welcome in a new place immediately by connecting her with people and helping her to find her place.  What a gift Emily must have been to Jaimee!  She saw Jaimees need and knew exactly what she needed to feel part of something.  

Fast forward a few months and Emily has now found herself in the same position as Jaimee. Suddenly she is the one who has to face the daunting task of starting a new life, knowing very few people.   Things like deciding on schools for children, doctors and even hairdressers can suddenly feel overwhelming.  Its in these times of change that having someone to connect with can make all of the difference.

Over the years I have found myself haunted by those same playground feelings of loneliness, isolation and rejection.  It's in these times that in my own humanness I push away the chance of relationships and find myself further isolated then before, with the risk of getting stuck in this place.  I am learning slowly that there are things that I lack that rob me of experiencing JOY in these new seasons of change.

Confidence - I consider myself a fairly confident person.  I am happy with my abilities and I am not afraid to try new things.  When it comes to relationships though, I immediately lose all confidence.  Upon meeting someone, my initial assumption is "They don't like me".  I only became aware that I even had this mindset a few years ago and it was one of those AHA moments. Slowly I am learning to see that I have value to offer those around me and I try to recognize those lies I tell myself. If I am not confident in who I am as a friend, then how on earth can I ever have meaningful relationships?  

Courage - With confidence comes courage.  So often I think to myself, "I should really call that person".  Instantly I become the Queen of excuses.  "Its Dinner Time, its a really bad time", "They may have people over, I would hate to interrupt that."  Deep down though, I am just chicken shit scared and that fear of rejection is at the core of my excuses.  Who cares if they are busy! That doesn't mean they don't like you!! How old am I?? 17?

Time - The number one thing that currently steals my ability to connect with others is TIME.  OR I should say the lack thereof.  I have never felt this to be more true especially as a working mum.  With the busyness of work, kids, house and sports my capacity to give to people is next to nothing (Did I forget to Mention my husband? YES, he fits in there too!)  Over the years a few of my closest friends have moved and the idea of investing time into new people seems exhausting.  It's not that I don't want to, I really do!  I just don't know how to fit it in or even where to start.

Sacrifice - With the battle of time, comes my battle to sacrifice.  To make time to invest in others sometimes requires me to make sacrifices.  Rather then sit on the couch after the kids are asleep, coma'd out, watching Nashville with a glass of  wine, I have to remind myself to sacrifice that time to get some Courage and reach out to others.  I'll admit that I am pretty useless at this.  Without sacrificing though, I will never find that time that I want to invest in those relationships that I desperately long for.

Perspective - My intuition often runs at a high. I am like  a radar that inspects everyone around me, looking for even the slightest of discomforts.  The problem with this has and always will be that my perspective on a situation can often be wrong. I make assumptions that someones discomfort obviously has to do with ME and  they must find me very annoying or uninteresting.  More often then not, their toddler has spilled a whole bottle of milk that morning and woke a dozen times in the night and they are just not having a good day.  My instinct has been to walk away from that person before they can reject me.  I am slowly coming to see that a bad  mood most often has nothing to do with ME and to give it time.

Understanding - Sometimes my intuition that someone is brushing me off or does not want to invest in a friendship with me is right but my understanding on the situation is completely wrong. Remember that little thing called TIME?  Sometimes understanding that a person does not have the capacity for me right now does not mean that I am not worthy of their friendship.  It just means that its just not the right time.  I can't tell you the amount of times I have felt rejected by this, but again I am learning it has nothing to do with ME. As woman we have so many demands placed on us.  A true friend understands those demands and removes their expectations.


I suspect that most woman at one time or another finds themselves in these new seasons of change, and struggle with intense feelings of loneliness.  Like Emily, to notice someone in that season and connect with them can be a little piece of joy for them.

As I look back in the times where I have been lonely I can see the blessings.  It was in one of these seasons that I got to know Joy.

White Chocolate Cranberry Almond Cookies

"Eat me!" the cookie would whisper every time I passed it.
"You made me, I'm yours." it would say, enticing me closer to it.
OK, so maybe my cookies don't talk to me, but if they did I'm pretty sure that is what they would say.  I don't have the biggest sweet tooth, but what I do have a weakness for is cookies.  I think it has something more to do with the quantity of butter in them than the sugar (only the best, most amazing food on earth - life without butter would be a sad existence).

After 30 cookies disappeared in a couple of days (It wasn't only me, I swear! I only probably ate 3/4 of them) I was feeling slightly guilty.  I'll have to lay off my wine quota for a week to make this up, I thought to myself.

I didn't stay in that land of guilt for too long and the next night, I reached for my glass.  I'm not one for watching what I eat, or agonizing over my calorie intake.  Would I like to weigh less? Yes that would be amazing but I'm yet to find the balance of not having my Joy robbed from me over agonizing over every little bite that I take.  For now, I'm happy to eat my cookies when they whisper to me and drink my glass of wine.  If you want a little piece of Joy, try these big fat, chewy, almost cake like cookies.  They won't disappoint.

White Chocolate, Cranberry Almond Cookies

Ingredients

2 Cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170 g) butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yoke
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1 Preheat over to 325 F (165 C).
2 Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3 In a medium bowl, cream together the buter and sugars until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg and egg yoke until light and creamy.  Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.  Stir in the white chocolate chips, cranberries and almonds with a wooden spoon.  Drop cookie dough a spoonful at a time on the prepared cookie sheets.
4 Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until the edges are golden.  Cool on racks.

Every Day Valentines Day

"You'll have to put your daughter away in the cupboard for my son" Joy said to Jan as she admired spunky 11 year old Karena.  Grant scowled at his mum when she wasn't looking. Karena was just a kid and he was practically a man.  At fifteen he was far too mature to be hanging around kids and had a lot of better things to do with his time. "I need to have a talk to mum later about not saying things like that out loud to people" he thought to himself.  They may get the wrong idea and that was all he needed with moving to a small town.

Four year later Grant went for a ride on his motorbike.  Out of the corner of his eye he spotted now 15 year old Karena.  He had to do a double take.  No longer did she look like that 11 year old kid he was once introduced to.  Taking a deep breath he pulled to the side and nervously offered her a lift home. The rest you would say was history...........

For most of us on Valentines Day, love is the storybook fairy tale. The happy ever after.  We think about the falling in love and that "love story" is what everyone wants to hear about when you meet someone for the first time. "How did you meet?" they eagerly ask?  Lets face it, most of us whether we admit it or not are love junkies.  What about the after "How did you meet?" story? What happened then? Having been married myself for 13 years, I have a fair idea of loves bumpy road. When I look at couples who have been together for over 30 years, I am looking for a glimpse of love in their relationship that often I see missing and I am disheartened. "Is this what we have to look forward to?" I wonder?  Surely we can do better.

For Grant and Karena, their story takes a different turn from most.  They have been married for 34 years and I am sure that life has not been all chocolate and roses.  However, when I look at them, I see a beautiful couple who consciously make a choice to make every day "Valentines Day". Not in the romantic way that you may think.  Grant and Karena wake up every morning choosing to love the other person.  They put the other persons needs ahead of their own, compromising at times. They pray together daily, they respect one another and they communicate openly with one another.

This couple have been a huge inspiration to myself and my relationship with my husband and to many that know them, including their own children. When I first had children, Karena said something to me that will always stick with me: "Your children are on loan to you.  It is your job to raise them the best that you can but there will come a point when your job will be done and they will leave.  The relationship with your husband will be what will remain."  In the midst of the crazy child rearing years I see the wisdom in Karena's words  now more then ever.  Its so easy for life to revolve around kids and our responsibilities and what often comes last is the one person that I have built this life up with.  Grant and Karena have chosen to make their relationship a priority and because they have done so their children have stood up and applauded: They haven't gone without, seeing mum and dad put each other first. Instead they have received a legacy that will be passed down generations to come.

*Grant and Karena married in 1981 when Karena was 18 and Grant was 22 and by the time the were 24 and 28 they had three kids. Grant was a qualified builder and spent a few years managing his Dad's orchard. A few years later they felt called by God to move to Nelson...no idea why and no house or job to go to, they packed up their young family (3, 5 &7) and left everything they knew. They sent the furniture van to Nelson with no address to deliver it to, but by the time it arrived two days later God had provided them with a house to move into. After 5 1/2 years working as Camp Directors and realising their passion for reaching unsaved kids they heard the call of God again and packed up their family once more and moved to Tauranga to go to Faith Bible College. A few years later they joined with another couple who were working in a couple of schools teaching Christian values to kids...called Cool Bananas. Twenty years later Cool Bananas is in most of the schools in Tauranga and they teach thousands of kids Christian values every week.
Right from the beginning they committed themselves and their marriage to God and they have trusted him every step of the way. He has led them into an amazing ministry and they have worked together everyday for the last 25 years. They are passionate about God, about their family, about their ministry and about each other. They spend their free time walking, kayaking, cafe-ing and being with their 6 grandkids. 34 years married and they are still Best Friends and passionately in love. An amazing example of marriage and commitment and my inspiration everyday.

For more information on Cool Bananas and the ministry that Grant and Karena run, you can visit  
http://www.coolbananas.org.nz/

*Provided lovingly by Grant and Karenas oldest daughter Micaela.

Sweet and Fluffy Courgette Pancakes with Stewed Plums

When my friend reminded me it was Pancake Day today, I jumped on that bandwagon!  Not just because I love pancakes for dinner (I mean really, who does not love pancakes for dinner!) but merely because there was very little food in my house.  The idea of having to tell my children that we will be going to the supermarket after school, preceded by very long and loud whines, dragging feet around the supermarket, touching everything they shouldn't (including other peoples bottoms) and staring rudely or making inappropriate comments to others was nowhere near as appealing as the numerous "Yumms" and "I just love this dinner!" (Said no child ever - except on pancake day).

Yes, Pancake Day may just be my favorite day of the year.  Now that I think about it, maybe I should make it a day of the week?  Just imagine for one day every week, kids everywhere giving countless praise over what an amazing dinner they had!  Mums maybe would not have to write so many blogs about parenting just to get through their week because they would be so loved up on praise from just that one day!

This mum was particularly sneaky and it wasn't all sugar in this house.  Although I was serving up pancakes with maple syrup, I did manage to sneak zucchini (courgette) into the batter, with whole wheat flour and topped it off with a yummy plum sauce. Although somewhat healthy, these pancakes are still praise worthy from any child and well worth a try.


Stewed Plums

Ingredients:
2 Cups of diced plums (I used 5)
2 T white sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon flour

Directions:

1. Place all incredients into a small saucepan and stir.  
2. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer.  
3. Simmer until sauce thickens and plums soften. (about 10 minutes)

Sweet Courgette (Zucchini) Pancakes
Serves 4 (although I tend to triple it! Leftovers are great for freezing)

Ingredients:
3/4 c milk
2 T white Vinegar
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 T butter
1 cup shredded courgette (zucchini)

Directions:
1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Whisk in the shredded courgette. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone. (Don't over mix as this will prevent "Fluffy pancakes")
3. Heat a large fry pan or skillet over medium heat, and grease pan. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.
4. Serve with dollops of butter, Stewed Plums and maple syrup.

A Little Piece of Joy

She was a farm girl. If you saw a photo of her you would have said she was plain or perhaps you may not even glance at her photo. If you saw her in person though you would have said she was the most beautiful girl you had ever met. Her eyes sparkled when she smiled and she had a giggle that made you feel as though you were the funniest person she had ever met. In her older age her skin developed deep lines from years of exposure to the harsh New Zealand sun. She didn't care too much about style and it wasn't uncommon for her to wear socks with sandals. Something her grandchildren would laugh about together years after her death.

She wasn't afraid to try new things. At the age of 77 she was taking Ukulele lessons and had learned to text with a mobile phone. Some would say she had a hard life. Some would say she had a great life. Most would say she had a simple life.

When she died at the age of 78, five hundred people came to her funeral. For a simple life, she impacted a lot of people.

Her name was Joy.

When she died, for a moment my life was impacted. Maybe that moment lasted a little longer. Her simple life that impacted many people inspired me and I was going to change the world simply through loving people the way she did in her everyday life.

Fast forward three years and the pressures of the world and life have crept back in and I find myself looking for success in places that don't really matter. I am restless and bored and waiting for life to drop something in my lap that says “Lisa, if you do this your life will matter!” When did I stop thinking that living a simple, everyday life mattered?

This restless heart has longed to write something that matters but for so long I have lacked the motivation so my pen has stayed silent. Writing about everyday musings is just not inspiring. The routine and mundane of life drags along and lets face it, countless blogs – especially parenting ones have been way overdone. What do I have to say that is any different from anyone else?

And yet this desire stays and still I search for something to write about. I think back to a time where I was fulfilled making my cakes and writing my Mrs Woolleys Cake blog. That season has passed and now I am working and helping to support my growing family. I won't go into the difficulties right now that I would face to start a cake business and it's a decision I know is the right one and I am reasonably content with that. That's enough isn't it? When you are a creative person though you realise that it is not enough. The need to create is deep within my core and it's part of what makes me me.

And then I heard it. That small seed of inspiration crept in and unlocked the floodgates of creativity that had been sitting and waiting, dormant for some time.

“Write about cakes and simple every day life.”

“But I've done that!” I cried “I can't run a business and I really just do not have the time!”

“Bless others and write about them”

And then the idea formed. An idea that has been locked away since my dear Grandma passed away three years ago. A Little Piece of Joy. Allowing me to create the cakes that I long to and to write about them without the pressures of having to run a business.

Everyone has a story. A life that matters. Most of us do not do anything great according to the worlds standards and yet life is not about that one great thing you do. At the end of your life, all the little pieces of your life add up to create a whole and hopefully inspiring simple life. I want to honor those lives and I want to tell those stories. Because those are the lives that really matter. More than just tell their stories, I want to create them with cake.