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Jackie's June message continued . . . It's damp as I write this...not wet...I think the sky has forgotten how to rain. We really need about three weeks of good steady wet stuff. But the mist is sagging over the ridges and there's a soggy wallaby looking longingly through the fence at the rose bushes (I suspect it's about to jump over it) and a lyrebird is bellowing from the thornbush over the creek. It's a thoughtful sort of day, for sitting round the fire in the kitchen and drinking long cups of something sweet and hot and discussing the fate of the world.... I am not going ANYWHERE this month. No conferences. No workshops. Just home...and about time too. The last month I have found myself longing for something to pick, plant and cook, not necessarily in that order. Too much time away from home.... Though I will be dashing up to Canberra two or three times..once for the inaugural (hope I've spelt that correctly) 'Cool Reviews'...Alex Sloane of ABC Canberra radio will be interviewing Club Cool kids (It's an ACT library based club for kids who love to read- I'm the patron) about their favourite book. Also one or two Canberra school visits..but brief ones, sort of dash in say 'hi' and dash out again visits (Well, not quite that bad)...but not the sort that need travel and baggage and nights away. (Actually it's the mornings that are the worst..I miss the lyrebirds and the cuckoos and the thousand other noises of early morning here. Traffic and distant dogs do not replace them. This is not to disparage the wonderful hospitality of the b and b's this last month..but they are not home!). The only book coming out this month is The Fascinating History of Your Lunch, which IS fascinating- it's the history of food from 65,000BC, with recipes..and the history of food is actually the history of the human race..gathering wild seeds led to camps which led to villages..which led to private property, wars and disease. How did the world get chocolate? How did potatoes lead to the industrial revolution? Who invented butter and why curry isn't Indian and pizza isn't Italian.... I've had enormous fun with this book. It combines three of my passions, food, history and food. (Pity there are no wombats in it too...though come to think of it, there is... the recipe How Not to Roast a Wombat.) Ps. ate the first navel orange of the season this morning. Absolutely wonderful. Tart and sweet and you could smell it at arm's length and not the faintest hint of that mustiness that every commercial orange has...also had lime delicious pudding for dinner last night, also lamb with lemon and oregano, plus made blueberry and lime cordial. I do like winter food.
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