Crazy, but Good

Crazy, but Good

It’s dark and quiet this winter morning. Roosters just started crowing, heralding the imminent arrival of the sun. Soon sheep and goats will gather at their gates to be let out to the fields to eat, Fergus and Merida will start bleating for their first bottle of the morning, and Fezzik will be galloping around the farm yard, getting the wiggles out after a good night’s sleep.

Quiet moments have been precious and rare lately, stolen between meetings and classes, projects and feeding, gardening and writing. I treasure every one, for they are the moments that nourish me for the next thing, whatever that happens to be.

Growing up in Canada and the northern US, winter was always down time. Gardens slept under the snow, people hunkered indoors around roaring fires for long evenings of games and reading and movies, heading outside only to skate, sled, or go to work or school.

Things are different here.

sunlight through wild grasses

Summer is now my down time, when it’s too blazing hot to be outside save for early mornings and late afternoons, and winter is the busiest time of my year. I practically live outside, loving the absence of flies and mosquitoes, using these cold but beautiful days to tackle all the farm projects that get set aside when outside feels like an oven.

We had an extra long growing season this year, so I just finished harvesting the last of the capsicums and leeks, and there are still mountains of chillies waiting to be picked. Bear and I fried up the capsicums and turned them into luscious pasta sauce, and yesterday the leeks joined a pile of onions in the frying pan and became a huge batch of French Onion Soup that freezes beautifully.

The kitchen is covered with jars and bottles filled with all manner of concoctions we’ve been making: honey from our bees, multiple batches of apple cider vinegar, port wine steeping with cherries and sherry steeping with peaches, plum wine vinegar, date wine vinegar, demijohns of apple wine, rosella syrup, mulberry liqueur. The list of deliciousness goes on and on.

There are also jars of medieval and herbal medicines that look like something out of a mad scientist’s laboratory. Tinctures of hawthorn and yarrow, pastilles of rose leaf, rosehip, and mint, and bottles of oxymel, an ancient Greek preparation of vinegar, honey, and herb of choice. At the moment I have thyme oxymel and rosemary oxymel brewing, thyme for sore throats and coughs, rosemary as a lovely tonic for strengthening the immune system and protecting from bacterial infections. These and others will be in my display and demonstrations on medieval folk medicine at Abbey Medieval Festival. I love making these things, using them, and experiencing their positive effects on our health and well-being.

sunlight through grasses

Last week the sheep broke into one of my gardens and devoured nearly all my carrots, beets, radishes, silverbeet, calendula, and lemon balm. Sigh. So I salvaged what I could, then decided it was a good time to redesign all the gardens.

I wrote a list of the veggies, flowers, and herbs I love most, then started digging. And digging. And digging. I created borders with hardwood planks and the innumerable rocks I unearth in my digging, and started filling each section in. Elderflower hedges, a massive asparagus bed, and plenty of room for huge artichokes. I planted sugar snap peas, shelling peas, and sweet peas, golden beetroot and striped beetroot, black radishes, and nasturtiums. I divided and transplanted all sorts of things: spearmint and peppermint, feverfew and sorrel, borage and fennel and coriander and hollyhocks.

Bit by bit, everything is coming together, and I love it. I’ve left several garden beds open to fill with tomatoes, capsicum, cucumbers, beans, and other things this spring, but for now, the gardens are done.

sunlit grasses

This week is all about medieval preparation and finishing up work projects so we can turn our farm over to our caretakers and spend a week of pure fun at the Abbey Medieval Festival. There are articles to write and garb to sew, food to make and pictures to edit, animal feed to stockpile and the house to clean. There is wood-burning to finish and book orders to ship, laundry to do and wine to bottle, and it makes me laugh just to look at my to-do list, let alone imagine completing it, but we’ll get there, we always do.

And in the meantime, we’ll take these quiet moments and sip our cuppas while watching the sunrise, or sneak in a nap mid-afternoon, or have lunch on the veranda and watch the birds.

It’s a crazy life sometimes, but a good one. xo

Resting and Creating

Resting and Creating

Winter is in the air this morning. With the sunrise came frosty winds hurtling around corners and through open windows we didn’t need to close yesterday, numbing our fingers and the tips of our noses. I hauled the heater out and am opening boxes of winter clothing to find cozy sweaters and flannel shirts and woolen socks. Winter is definitely on its way.

It’s been a rough month health-wise around here, with trips to hospitals and doctor’s offices, surgical procedures and innumerable tests. We’re both better now, the bad stuff has been fixed and is healing, but we’re tired. So instead of throwing ourselves back into the normal swing of things, we’re taking things slow and steady, making sure our bodies have the rest and nutrition they need to recover well.

This recovery time has been quite lovely, especially with the arrival of the cold weather. Snuggling under the covers for naps is even better when the wind is howling around the eaves. Nourishing soups and hot cups of tea are just the ticket for restoring our spirits and keeping us warm. And it’s been so good to have time to watch beloved movies, read books, and just sit quietly in a puddle of sunshine with a cuddly puppy in my lap.

We were able to take our first medieval camping trip of the season, thanks to the efforts of our Blackwolf crew who did the heavy lifting and made sure our roles were mostly supervisory. I’ve never had such a relaxing time at an event, and cherished every bit of it.

I loved getting up early and starting the fire, putting a pot of water on to boil for those oh-so-vital cuppas first thing in the morning. Fezzik sat beside me as the flames crackled and snapped, and wagged his tail happily as one friend after another wandered in, pulled up a chair, made a brew, and stayed to visit until well after the sun came up.

Evenings were the best when the work of the day was done and old friends and new gathered round bearing bottles of smooth whiskey and homemade mead. I haven’t laughed so hard in ages as I did those nights, wiping the tears from my eyes as those lovely people told outrageous stories and groan-worthy jokes. Sometimes I’d leave the fire just so I could look in at that circle of faces that are so dear to me, watching them throw their heads back in laughter or reach over to pat a shoulder as talk turned to the nitty-gritty stuff of life. Friendship can be such a hard thing to find as an adult, and I’m so grateful for these moments that fill my heart and keep me going.

medieval breakfast idea

We got home on Monday, and settled in just in time for much-needed rain to fall. It perked up our gardens and orchards and made the air smell so fresh and clean.

After some good rest I got back to work, interviewing inspiring people and writing their stories for Highlife magazine, a wonderful Australian publication that shares real stories of the people who live and work in Southern Queensland. It is such a delight to me to meet so many different people and write about their lives and passions and quirks and hopes.

I also did a photoshoot for a client and friend who makes fabulous reusable beeswax wraps that can be used in place of plastic wrap, plastic baggies, that sort of thing. It’s always fun to work with people whose work I love, and these wraps are wonderful. She’s perfected her recipe so the wraps stick well and mold beautifully around any container. Click here if you’d like to get a few of your own.

beeswax wraps

I’m doing wood-working and wood-burning this week and I love that so much. A client hired me to design and make a sign for her shop, and I’m so excited about it. I’ve picked out the wood and marked out the shape, and soon I’ll be surrounded by sawdust as I cut and sand and get it ready for burning.

I’m working on some new designs for my Etsy shop as well, including some medieval-style implements that make me happy just looking at them. Can’t wait to share them with you.

wood-burned wooden spoons

Now I’m heading down to the granny flat to get cozy under a blanket and do some personal writing and drawing. These are the things that calm and settle me and help me heal and focus. There’s nothing like a bit of solitude and silence to get rid of the clutter in my thoughts and help me figure out what to let go of, what to work through, and what to embrace with courage and resolve. xo

Do you have a place you go to for sorting through things? I’d love to hear about it.

 

A Good Recovery

A Good Recovery

It’s a quiet day at home as Bear and I prepare for our first medieval event of the season. It’s lovely to just potter peacefully along, polishing knives and oiling wooden implements, hanging linen sheets out to dry in the sunshine and collecting dishes and cutlery.

The kitchen smells rather wonderful as sausages fry with onions, carrots dusted with cumin roast in the oven, and lime beer cools on the kitchen table.

In between projects I rest, recovering from a medical situation that resulted in a trip to hospital and a surgical procedure that we hope will resolve an issue that made me ill for the past 5 weeks. I’m thankful for savvy doctors and clear test results and cancellations that allowed me to get the treatment I needed in record time. I’m especially thankful for kind souls who have loved me and helped me through this, and I’m hopeful that rest, and Bear’s continued good care, will have me back in good form soon.

medieval plate and cutlery

It has been a scary time for me, so I’m really grateful I had good things to look forward to, like our enactors-only medieval weekend where we get to just enjoy medieval life with our medieval mates.

Our Blackwolf members have been lovely, stepping in when I wasn’t well, doing an amazing job getting our trailer loaded and menu planned and wood chopped. I’m so looking forward to four days with them, comfy around the campfire, while our lovely caretakers keep a good watch on our farm and animals.

Today I took time from packing to wood-burn a few things just for me, and each piece makes me so happy. From the short-handled ladle and Scandinavian butter knife to the splendid dagger Bear gave me. It’s nice to make my personal medieval gear extra special.

medieval wood-burning

Soon it will be time to pack up the food, bottle the lime beer, and get the last of our gear loaded into the car, but first, a nap, and pain-killers, then a strong cup of tea.

medieval knife and antler

Wishing you a beautiful and restful weekend with people you love. xo

Quiet Time at Medieval Camp

Quiet Time at Medieval Camp

Medieval camping is one of the great happinesses of my life. Building a little world of canvas tents and wooden furniture held together with dowels instead of nails, dishes of clay, wood, and silver, food made in traditional ways with smoke and fermentation, and the unique array of spices, vegetables, and fruits that were available during those days – I love it so much.

There’s something grounding about such a life where nearly everything is made by hand, and everything you touch is natural – wood, linen, cotton, wool, fur.

I love lighting candles and heating up water over the fire for dishes and laundry and making our 12th century bed with linen sheets, wool blankets, and a quilt modeled after a 10th century design. I like spreading hand-woven Bedouin rugs on the ground, smoking homemade cheeses, and sitting down at night with a pewter cup of homemade strawberry liqueur. Such rituals calm and settle me.

Such experiences do not come easy, however. It takes a massive amount of work to create a small medieval village for our group, Blackwolf. We erect three large tents with wooden tent poles, steel pegs, and hemp ropes, then fill them with beds, chairs, tables, shelving, storage boxes, rugs, lights, and all the bits and pieces needed for everyday life. Then we sent up two market tents where we demonstrate medieval processes for making linen, coffee, ale, medicine, and tribal food, and, last but not least, a covering for our campfire to keep us protected from sun and rain while we cook over the fire.

Phew. Needless to say, it would be easy to get run down if we weren’t careful. So we make sure to arrive early to events and pace ourselves with plenty of breaks in between pounding in pegs and putting furniture together.

I like to find a shady spot in our tent and settle into my comfy chair with my feet up on a stool, a blanket in my lap, and a good book and cup of tea. It’s so nice to sit quietly surrounded by medieval things with a book that takes me into the past and teaches me more about how things were. I always have so many questions: How did they harvest things? What did they use spices for? If they got a burn or arrow wound, what did they do? How did they store things so bugs and mice didn’t ruin them? So many questions.

the lore of spices

Other times I step away from medieval life entirely, and lose myself in gorgeous images of France with its stunning castles, gardens, and restaurants. Europe holds so many precious memories for me, and looking at pictures of places that inspired me years ago renews those feelings of peace and utter joy. Sipping red wine at the same time is always a good idea, and does wonders for soothing muscles that are aching from shifting boxes and tent poles. With my soul restored and filled up to the brim with inspiration, I’m ready to get back to work.

Victoria Magazine

Today I’m home again, emptying boxes of medieval gear and getting everything put back where it belongs. There are spices to pack away, cheesecloth to sterilize, mountains of laundry to wash, and so many dishes to dry and tuck away into boxes for next time. So I’m making sure to take breaks again – a leisurely breakfast, time in bed with the next chapter of a book, walking up to check on pigs and goats.

When you’re working on a big project, what do you like to do on breaks to refresh your spirits? xo

Medieval Life: Mixing, Brewing, and Writing

Medieval Life: Mixing, Brewing, and Writing

The farm is dark and quiet this afternoon with thick clouds overhead like a muffling blanket. It’s a day to stay warm inside with hot mugs of tea, cups of smoky ham soup, and writing projects to keep me busy.

I’m home again from Abbey Medieval Festival where we spent 8 amazing days living in our medieval tents, cooking over the fire, and visiting with dear friends by lamplight. These events are always a lot of work, but those moments with loved ones are precious indeed, and make every late night and early morning well worth it.

One of my favorite parts was having the time to make medieval medicines and medieval nomad food over our camp fire, feeling like a proper witch as I stirred big pots of healing concoctions with long handled wooden spoons.

medieval remedies

I simmered elderberries with cinnamon, clove, and star anise to make an immune-boosting cordial, and boiled hawthorne berries into a strong syrup sweetened with raw honey from our own hives. I made Bedouin wheat stew with slow-cooked meat and wild onions, smoked cheeses, and brewed yarrow tea to soothe aching heads. I foraged plantain leaves from the Abbeystowe grounds and mashed them with a mortar and pestle for a poultice and steeped jasmine flowers to calm rattled nerves.

herbal remedies

I sipped and sniffed and tasted, adding a bit more honey here, an extra spoonful of dried herbs there, until everything was just right. Then I decanted and bottled and poured into bowls, getting it all on display for my demonstrations on medieval folk medicine and medieval Bedouin food and cheese-making.

It was so much fun and I loved every bit of it.

medieval herbal remedies

My newly printed books arrived in time to sell, and I loved sharing them with so many people eager to learn about the past and experiment at home making things to feed and nourish their families.

Desert Fire by Krista Bjorn

It was especially great meeting people from all over the world – Iran, Romania, Egypt, Germany – and hearing their stories of the foods and remedies their ancestors passed down through generations. One lady even brought me a bottle of one of her healing drams – ginger, calendula, and other herbs steeped in port wine. So delicious and soothing to my throat that was downright weary from two days of talking.

Herb and Spice by Krista Bjorn

Now I’m home and ready to share my books with you luvs, too. You can order online directly from me through my Etsy shoppe here (worldwide shipping available). If you would like a signed copy, let me know in the note who you would like me to address the signing to, and I’ll be sure to personalize before I ship it.

Wishing you a beautiful weekend with your loves. xo