long-toothed hinterland dweller

Keeping out of mischief

What haven't I been blogging?  Too many other interesting things to do! 

Am taking some classes this year, hoping to keep my aging body well-tuned and limber.  So it's off to Feldenkrais and Reflexology on different days of the week. Had been thinking about starting yoga again, but it can be so depressing when you find you can no longer manage getting into positions that were once so simple.  When you start something new it's OK not to be good at it (that's my theory). These two classes are on top of my usual Croquet game, which has been my long-time weekly sporting fixture.

Watering, weeding and checking the garden for pests and diseases takes up a bit of time each day.  As does picking the fruit - oranges, lemons, limes, lemonades, kumquats and pawpaws at present - and the odd pepino, cape gooseberry, passion-fruit and dragon-fruit some days.  But the picking is the easy part.  It's using or getting rid of our produce that takes the time.  And the cost of the fuel to take them to someone as a gift is worth more that the fruit itself.

The limes are all falling and have to be raked up from under the tree.  I took some bags to Vinnies and I made a batch of marmalade but that didn't use up many. 

I like the limes cut very finely, so it's a fiddly job. I made only 5 jars this time, as there is still some left from last year ... and the year before!  I am the only person who eats it. 

Kids don't like it, of course, but have you noticed that men rarely eat marmalade? The man at Vinnies made the comment when I dropped in the fruit.  He said he liked making it but never eats it.  Too bitter.

Nor does my husband like it.  In fact the day after I made the marmalade, he did some preserving of his own - Sweet Chilli Sauce.

Sauce is a good way of using up all our excess chillies.  The chillies did well again this year - all different kinds - so he mixed the red, green and yellow ones together and made a good big batch.

We have no trouble pressing jars of chilli onto family and friends. 

My marmalde isn't nearly so popular.

Essential reading for oldies

Ever wondered what members of the younger generation think about their elders - the Baby Boomers who hold most of the power and control within our society? 

I've just been reading this book, written in 2006 by Ryan Heath, a young Australian ex-pat and former student activist, who has plenty to say on the topic.  He also tells us what's on the minds of some of his Generation X and Y compatriots ...  (my kids and yours, maybe?)

Sample quote - from one of the writer's colleagues -

• Boomers are sucking the blood out of X-ers.  We work like dogs, pay hideous rents, have no job secuirity, and are so exhausted we have no time any more to think, let alone raise questions about the status quo and take action.  Boomers aren't interested in us, except as a source of tax revenue for their pensions and looming health-care costs.  That's why they're freaked that we're not having babies.

There's plenty to think about in this book and I found little that I would disagree with. 

If what he says is a fair indication, when the Boomers finally move aside I reckon our country will be in pretty responsible hands.