I have left hot and dry Melbourne and have arrived in cold snowy Illinois.
And I am tired and hungry. The difference is marked.
The trip was long. I don’t usually drag my body across the work with such speed. But I don’t have time to waste now. There is a sense of urgency in everything. It might take me a few days to catch up.
While I was gone, John bought a new wood-stove. I look forward to cooking on it.
I will be here almost two months then we change hemispheres again. The game is afoot.
Here is my newsletter from Sunday, in which we have the second to last chapter of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and I explore my next mission as doula for my daughter in Australia.
All up I will spend more time in Australia than on the farm for the next couple of years. It feels very old fashioned and valuable to be able to work with her on growing and raising her baby. And I won’t leave people to struggle on alone in my family. I know how that is. I did that and barely got away with it. My children would have benefited greatly by having a grandparent full time in our lives. It would have been a game-changer to me as a solo parent. But I had no help from my family. It was hard. Living on different continents won’t stop me. I am going to make this happen.
I feel like I have purpose.
Here is the new wood stove. Isn’t it lovely.
After I have visited the animals I am going to get in a load of wood and crank up the heat then cook lunch. Then make a grocery list and maybe even start some bread. I really am very hungry. And looking forward to putting this stove through its paces!
The house is cold. It might take a moment to acclimatize to that. My body still feels warm from the sunny days gardening and walking in Melbourne.
No walking here.
Too cold.
Take care and Talk soon.
Celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
45 responses to “back on the farm”
Welcome home!
The wood stove is marvelous! For years, when we lived in the log cabin, I had a wood cook stove and I adored it! I still miss it like crazy, but alas, it took up a lot of room.
aren’t they grand! I had one when I was a very young mother. I remember pulling my chair close, listening to the kettle sing while breastfeeding in the middle of the night.
Lovely memories!
Welcome back to the frozen tundra. The new wood stove is a work of art. I hope you’ll love it. You will be such a busy lady. Make sure you take a sit and wine from time to time.
just as soon as I get out to buy some wine I will be drinking it! 😂
Welcome back! That wood stove is a beauty! I am sitting working next to a woodstove today. I filled the wood box in the house after several trips from the woodshed yesterday. I took my dad to the hospital this morning for knee replacement and after a foggy drive I am back home and working until his surgery is done then I will take my mom and drive back across the foggy barrens again to spend some of the afternoon and early evening with him. The night drive is white knuckled because it is usually thick fog and there are moose. The barrens is a large desolate wilderness area similar to the moors in the UK. Driving through there in heavy fog you can only see a few feet ahead of the car and always on the look out for moose.
We have had quite a sea on, being a child of the water you may enjoy this video
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DgM656y7b/?mibextid=wwXIfr
the barrens. What an apt name for such a landscape. Your description of driving in the fog watching out for moose / is so evocative! Now I will pop in and watch your video. Thank you!
I bet the dogs are loving the new stove! It is good to see the view of the field, even in the snow. I miss those familiar views Welcome back!
when I got in last night they were very slow to get up from their beds in front of the fire. They have both got lazy while I was away!
what a switch and I love the stove. it may take a bit to adjust and then I have no doubt you’ll be up and at’em in no time. I understand the wanting to be a present grandparent. I so longed for that as a very young mother and then a single mother and it was not to be had. I have made it a point to help my 3 daughters and be present as much as possible in my grandchildren’s lives. one lived in Australia for a few years but was more challenging than now where they are all close by. new challenge is the babies have all grown into pre-teens and teens and that has its own set of challenges
I swear teenagers are harder to watch than babies! At least babies stay where we leave them!
Yes!!!
Welcome back to the cold! Super cold here too, but at least 5* warmer than the Farmy. Take care of yourself through jet lag and body adjustment, as it’s easy to get sick coming back to the cold.
not getting sick!
The new stove is beautiful. A thing that actually does what it’s supposed to do and looks fantastic as well. It looks particularly nice against that dark orange wall——it looks soooooo warm and cozy.
except to visit the animals I have not moved from the stove. Happily cooking and keeping warm at the same time!!
Welcome back. I like the stove – I bet it’s good for bread!
it has a big firebox too!
How exciting!
I too am a support to one married daughter with two boys and my younger daughter, a single parent. Although we live much closer to each other, it can still be hard to juggle my life, care for my mom and the littles. Family support got me through a lot with my own two and smoothed out the rough edges so I could be a better (less stressed) parent. That wood stove is beautiful!
having support from family is gold. No matter how much you love your friends, it is much easier to accept help from family. If that makes any sense.
but you do sound like a busy lady!
Yes, that’s true about family. My older daughter doesn’t hesitate to ask me for help although the younger single parent daughter doesn’t like to; it could be something about having to prove she can handle things because of her situation. I have framed it as wanting to spend time with my beloved grandson and not so much as helping her.
yes. Maybe that’s a woman thing – we try so hard to make sure no one notices any chinks in our armour. My daughter is similar. Though bringing mum in to help is proving to her friends that she does have help and does have her shit together. I think it will work.
Welcome home. I hope it doesn’t take too long to acclimatise. The animals will be so pleased to have you back. Gorgeous stove, you’ll be banging out delicious bread l’m sure. Keep well and warm.
I will start a loaf tonight and have it ready to bake by morning. I just pulled roast potatoes out and they are super crunchy! Such a different kind of heat to gas.
Welcome back Cecilia……..Oh my you are going to be one busy lady. I helped raise my grandson as well when he was a little one. Did it up until he entered middle school. It was such a rewarding experience AND OH THOSE MEMORIES! We still see him often although he is now 21….but still my little darling.
I can’t imagine cooking on a wood stove…..I can barely manage cooking a decent meal on my induction range….I think it has more to do with the concept of “use it or lose it” as I’m just cooking for the two of us now and don’t make those big meals like I used to
Try to stay warm and get some rest.
Jo
I wistfully remember the days I cooked routinely for 8 plus. Noe I think I still do! 😂👨🍳cook for 8 – and eat left overs for days!
I love your new wood stove. I remember one in the summer kitchen in the basement of the big old house when I was little. It hadn’t been used in decades and was no longer attached to the chimney. I’ve never cooked on a wood stove, but would be game to give it a try. My maternal grandmother said she’d open the oven and stick her hand in quickly to see if it was the right temperature and that it was also the only real heat in her first home as a young bride. It’s a great improvement over cooking on an open hearth, (Check out “A Taste of HIstory” on PBS where Chef Walter Staib cooks on some open hearths in historic homes – https://www.pbs.org/show/taste-history/)
There is a gardener I’ve been following (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtmZl_sCPqWZb-syB2SuU5g/videos and https://substack.com/@craigschaaf) you might be interested in checking out. I’ve also seen several DIY planters that would be great for a small yard. One was an “A” frame with 6-inch wide gutter attached for the plants, double sided. Also a PVC pipe frame with a way to hang pots on it near a fence.
I looks like you’re going to have a great adventure with your daughter and grandchild, the travel and the farmy. Do take care of yourself too.
What a gorgeous woodstove. That will throw out some heat to keep you warm in the chilly Illinois winter. I miss living in a house with a woodstove. They are so comforting!
Your daughter is very lucky. What a wonderful thing to be able to do.
I am totally enamored with the wood-stove. Just cooked dinner effortlessly and used no gas or electricity!
A new stove is quite the thing to welcome you back to cold weather
yes! I am having fun with it!’ Bern cooking all day! I can’t bear the thought of that heat going to waste!
Yes! It called to me to stay inside with it- this fire did.
Welcome back. I like the stove. I hope it does a good job and makes you happy.
to be fair – it is pretty easy for me to be happy.
It seems like it.