And as this time is limited, I am not going to spend it whinging. Instead, I am going to focus on all the beautiful moments I captured this week, and I am going to be oh so thankful for what I have (blah blah blah).
I learnt a lesson this week; not to underestimate the power of family and friends. Pretty cliche, I know, but it's important nonetheless!
Most of last week I hid from my roommates, some of my closest friends, ashamed and embarrassed. I was afraid of the responses that I thought I would get, I didn't want to have to face their disappointment, sympathy, mockery...or anything reaction that may fit inbetween.
So I hid myself away from them, finally escaping to my hometown for the weekend. This in itself was daunting, as I was also afraid to face my family for fear of seeing even a flicker of revulsion and disappointment in their faces. But I needn't have feared. They gave me more support and love, and courage, then I knew what to do with. They talked things through with me. They cried with me. They held me, and understood me, and distracted me. They renewed my confidence. So much so that I came home and straight away told my roommates of my troubles of the previous week. Again, I needn't have feared.
One of these lovely people was my Grandmother, who we call 'Ma'. Ma has been a huge inspiration to me. I hold her pretty much accountable for why I am like I am - and lets just say fanatical passion runs in the family! With my course, and in such a day and age, it is so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of new sciences and technologies. Ma grounds me. She reminds me, with her simplistic views on cooking and gardening, why I am doing dietetics. Why I want to be a dietitian, and what it is I truly believe in.
Ma has an encycolpedia-worthy wealth of knowledge about foods; what they are good for, how they are grown, how you should prepare them, what products are currently on the market, and sustainability. I often go to her for advice, or to rant. Oh yeah we have our different views, and she can get too trivial (as can I), but I am so lucky to have her there to confide in, to know that I am not alone.
She is also the only person I know who can wear triple denim (jeans, jacket and hat) and get away with it.
Over the weekend I took some photos of her lovingly cultivated garden, for a little inspiration.
Ma's frontyard. Spot the red spinach!
The pipe you see sticking out of the ground with a little pot-hat on it, is uniquely called a 'tower'. I'm not quite sure what it does - something to do with decreasing the pH balance of the soil maybe? Maybe I should ask...haha
Ma's side yard. Quite a range of herbs are grown here, along with carrots and some 'compost' plants (they improve the compost environment but are not so good for human insides).
This is a Stevia plant. This plant is overwhelmingly, sickenly, sweet. This is the little guy that some artificial sweeteners are produced from. I bought my own little fella today at the markets. I can't wait to use him in some recipes!
Finally Ma's veggie patch. At the moment it is actually quite bare. The makeshift fence is to keep my sister's doberman (dopeyman) puppy out.
Although Ma has been living with countless numbers of allergies to a wide range of different things, mostly foods, for many years, this has not stopped her from living out a healthy, balanced life. This morning Cody and I had breakfast with her. After making us quinoa porridge and supplying us with truckloads of her scone damper and jam, she started to prepare her own breakfast. First went in half an avocado, then some chia seeds, some nut butter (which she grinds herself from walnuts, macadamias, and brazil nuts), some more walnuts, some coconut oil (which I noticed she also ate a teaspoonful after, obviously enjoying it as a kid does a candy bar), flaxseed oil, an egg, psyllium husk...and then I lost it. However, she then blends all the ingredients in together until it resembles a thick shake, a green, wholesome, thick shake. Cody at one stage said to me, 'look at all that!'. I think he was surprised that my five foot three, fifty kilo grandmother could eat so much at one sitting.
Haha, she is amazing.
The following are some pictures of other high points of the week:
This was a meal from a raw food, vegan, cafe here on the coast. Amazing food! Just wish I had more of an appetite when we were there so I could have enjoyed it more. On the plate, starting from 12 o'clock and going clockwise, is hummus with sesame crackers, a little side salad, felafels, olives and some weird green dip, a tahini dip and sauerkraut. The sauerkraut was soo good, really fresh and spicy! The only other sauerkraut I have ever liked was Ma's.
These next photos are of two vintage umbrellas I got while at the markets in my hometown today. This first one is from the 70's and came free with a bottle of Gloria Vanderbilt perfume! It is still in perfect condition, and I just love the swan handle!
This umbrella we got for cheap as it is not quite in working order anymore. Cody said I could have it because apparently I looked really adorable when I held it open over my head and pleadingly asked for it. I really just think he like the handle too.
Aagh, it's good to be back.
I made a really yummy dinner tonight, so hopefully I will have time soon to post about that! Have fun everyone!
That's great that you were able to spend time with your grandmother - and I've heard of double denim, but triple? With a hat? Your Ma sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of, those two umbrellas are incredible - if they were in a vintage shop here in Wellington there'd be a fight for them, for sure :)
Haha thankyou, yes she is pretty damn amazing...I wanted to take a photo of her, but she is so stubborn (unlike her G.daughter) and wouldn't have a bar of it! Thanks for dropping by Laura!
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