Recipe Book

This afternoon I had a few recipes I wanted to have in one place.

I cast around for an empty notebook, and for once, I DIDN'T HAVE ONE!

What's a girl to do!?

MAKE ONE!

SO, a few magazines, some paper, and a pizza box became this!

Perrymort

I came across this on Facebook and felt the need to share. I just think it captures my feelings about things too well.

Panini

Delicious panini I made the other day for me and my dad after a morning hauling Christmas trees over here at Braintree Balsams:

Neighborly Farms Garlic Cheddar

Hummus

Spinach

Oatmeal bread from Manghi's Bread

Words cannot describe this deliciousness!

Video: "The High Price of Materialism"

By a Knox professor!

Homemade Hankie!

In the interest of a sustainably-minded but oft-runny nose,

today I whipped up this little handkerchief!

I found this little bit in a scrap pack I had picked up from Nido last year.

A few pressed seams and a short stint on the sewing machine, and voila!

Goaty The Travelling Goat Part 11: Home

After a long journey over thousands of miles/kilometers,

Goaty is home with his family

And so am I!

The end is near!

Sorry for my general silence on the blogwaves of late, but I only have a few precious days left in Australia! I'm in beautiful Lennox Head for the last few days, reunited with my program-mates after we each had an adventurous independent study period! We had all our presentations on Saturday and Sunday, and I am SO impressed with everyone's work. We had people hiking, painting, writing, photographing, researching, and interning all over Australia. Really inspiring to hear (and see) all the results.

Of course it was really tragic to leave Melbourne. Will miss all the amazing people I met there, especially Tegan, Lara, and everyone over at Ink & Spindle who gave so much time and effort into my experience there!

Overall, feeling the love. Sad to leave, but no regrets, and starting to positively anticipate a return to the snowy mountains of Vermont and then to the prairies of good ole Illinois, where a Republican representative has proposed Chicago become the 51st state. More on that later, I'm off to enjoy myself :)

Quilt Top

Complete!

Check out my post on Ink & Spindle's blog!

Goaty The Travelling Goat Part 10: Stiching

So, Goaty couldn't really work the sewing machine, so I helped him out

More to come!

Markit

Markit!

Fabric!

Designing based off my lino cuts

Stencils!

Printed!

(ooooohaaaaaah)

FABRIC!

Linos!

Inspired by Melbourne!

Design Beginnings

Goaty The Travelling Goat Part 9: In the Studio

Today Goaty hung out at the Ink & Spindle studio!

Goaty and Teegs became fast friends

Bella gave him a sniff

And Lara had a Goaty goatee!

Goaty The Travelling Goat Part 8: St. Kilda

Yesterday Goaty and I went on the most wonderful of adventures! Two of my new hostel friends and I took the tram down to St. Kilda and enjoyed the 31 degree (C) weather! That's friggin' warm! It was so sunny and beautiful. We wandered into a community garden with amazing mosaics and a pirate ship shaped garden bed. Then we wandered in Luna Park, a crazy old amusement park where the rides were WAY too expensive. Instead we bought fairy floss (cotton candy) and watched people scream their heads off on the rickety rides. Here's Goaty with the famous entrance:

Then we wandered the beach, which was PACKED with people after a rainy overcast week. We walked down the pier and spied some fairy penguins and sea stars, and splashed our feet in the water. Here's Goaty with a view of the city:
After my return to the hostel, a bunch of us BBQed and had a lil jam session. I played some uke and someone found a guitar. It was a lovely day! Goaty and I REALLY LIKE Melbourne.

(More pics and such to come soon from my amazing internship with Ink & Spindle!)

Goaty The Travelling Goat Part 7: Goaty on the Gold Coast

Goaty and I took a pit stop at the Gold Coast on the way to Melbourne. The city was modeled after Miami, and it shows.

I felt like I had been transported to Florida! Full of beaches, tourists, and theme parks. Little did I know I was staying right next to Sea World...

Luckily, we got to see this lovely sunset!

Safe and sound

...in Melbourne! Will be here for the next 4-5 weeks. Settling in, getting to know the area better, trying to get sleep in a hostel on a weekend.

News Media

I've been inspired to change the way I get news! Take the challenge with me!

Nation of Change

Al Jazeera

Grist

Avaaz

I'm tired of hearing the same old crapola! I want news that actually tells me what's going on, and isn't run by the investors in the status quo.

Bounty!

Apples, blueberries (a fortune but worth it!), potatoes, green beans, beets, broccoli, lettuce, rice, and bread... all local, all ethical. Good eats!

Good words

Found in internet wanderings

Occupy

It's really been great to see a movement that I can be proud of as an American abroad. Today we started our Social Change workshop, and our lecturer showed us this video. A pretty cool look into the workings of a movement that seeks to unite, not divide.

Right Here All Over (Occupy Wall St.) from Alex Mallis on Vimeo.

No Fracking Way!

Here's what I did with my Sunday! I went to Byron Bay's anti-Coal Seam Gas (CSG) rally. We marched at the same time as several other Australian cities. Coal Seam Gas is pretty silly really- it poisons water, messes with soil, and the companies can come onto your land to put in wells. Here's what's been happening in the US, and here's what's been happening in Australia.

Enjoy the video, I couldn't spot myself but the whole group was there!

Occupy Byron Bay

Today I went to Byron Bay's solidarity rally for Occupy Wall Street. It was really nice to be able to be a part of the amazing movement that started not far from home and be able to feel it's ripples thousands of miles away!

Aboriginal Camping Trip

We flew back to Byron Bay early last week and almost immediately set of to Mynumai, an Indigenous Protected Area. We met up with Doug (the traditional owner), Russell (an elder from Queensland), Pete (who is a Bunjalung member because he married an indigenous woman), and Ian, another elder from Queensland. We camped there for 4 days, 3 nights. It was SO AMAZING. I learned to throw a spear and boomerang, learned about the area and wild edibles, and learned about the culture and history of Aboriginal peoples in Australia. The only downside was that yesterday a GIANT brown snake came into camp. Doug tried to scare it off and yelled at it in his language but it kept coming, so Pete ended up killing it with a stick. It was about 5 and half ft long! Everyone said it was the biggest brown snake they’ve ever seen. It creeped us all out! But luckily no one got bitten and it was dealt with. The leaders were great people and really funny. Pete and Ian especially say hi, Lindsey! We were each given an Aboriginal name by Russell, and mine is Gubara, which means songbird. It was so sweet. I brought my ukulele and Laura had brought various instruments, and everyone on my trip always tries to get me to sing, which of course I enjoy doing. I was the first to get my name, the very first night. So then every night partway into the camp fire, Russell would say “Where’s our songbird?” and pass me the guitar for a few songs. It was such an amazing experience and really difficult to describe but suffice it to say we all got teary on both sides when it was time to get on the bus and leave. Peter emailed us later this afternoon and said that both Russell and Ian (who have been with SIT Australia for 18 and 23 years respectively) said that this was their favorite group to work with of all time. Really touching stuff! (no pictures were allowed, so imagine it in your minds!)

Away

Gone til friday camping!

Tonight I was thinking a lot of about things. Carrying your life around on your back definitely makes you think about the importance and unimportance of possessions. I think it'd be great if we cared less about things, but I know that there are plenty of possessions I wouldn't want to part with. I've definitely been trying to follow these guidelines when buying new things. But what about all the stuff I already own? Tonight I made a list of things I enjoy owning and why. I figure if I can't remember it after not being home the last 6 weeks and from several thousand miles away, then it probably doesn't matter and can go upon my return. Here are some of the things that made the list of keepers:

-My college quilt that my mom made for me, because it reminds me of her and keeps me warm during freezing prairie winters

-Several other Marmie creations (she's so crafty!) including a pencil roll, bags I use constantly, and the passport pouch I've been using on this trip

-My collection of silver jewelry given to me from various family members from their global travels because it reminds me of them and is just plain pretty

-All my assorted crafting supplies including paper, fabric, beads, and all sort of other goodies. I enjoy owning these because I can make my own products and use them myself or give to others- I have control over what is being used to make things I use on a daily basis

-My various sweaters and plaid flannels, for keeping me warm and in the rural spirit

-Books! Especially my collection of garden/farm/food books.

-My bike because it gets me where I'm going in style

-My ukulele and guitars because I can make sweet music with those I love and it's way cheaper than therapy

-My West Wing DVD collection, because we all need some relief from real life politics once in a while.

-My collection of various art friends have made, as simple as drawings on an envelope.

So here's for cherishing the treasures, and getting rid of the excess.

(I daily realize how I am becoming my parents. I suppose there are worse things that could happen. They are pretty great.)

Thoughts

Here are some quotes that have gotten me thinking a bit....

"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your existence is an act of rebellion." -Albert Camus

"Facts do no cease to exist because they are ignored" -Aldus Huxley

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple" -Dr. Seuss

"People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason why the world is in chaos is because things are being loved and people are being used."

Goaty The Travelling Goat Part 6: City Living

Goaty at Government House in the Sydney Botanic Gardens

Goaty in Sydney Harbor

Goaty had a good time in Sydney and Melbourne, but like me, enjoyed Melbourne far more and is looking forward to going back for my internship!

In Sydney

Interesting cross-section... botanic gardens, construction, and skyscrapers.

Sydney Opera House

Hyde Park

Overall, I'm kinda underwhelmed with Sydney. It just doesn't have an apparent personality and it's big! I've never been much of a city girl. When I stumbled into Hyde Park and it's many Eucalypt trees after my visit to the Australian Museum today, I let out an audible sigh of relief. I really just feel so much better when I'm around green things!

Melbourne: Take One!

Yesterday we arrived in this beautiful city! I already like it. I was surprised by this because usually I am not a city girl (surprise, surprise, I go to school in the middle of corn fields!). Somehow Melbourne just has a good vibe, or maybe it's just the area we're staying in, which is full of a spectrum of hipsters and interesting shops. Today I tackled public transportation and met up with the ladies at Ink & Spindle to talk about my upcoming internship. I am so excited and can't wait to share all the shenanigans as they unfold. Then I cruised around Brunswick Street in Fitzroy and then went to the Melbourne Museum, which was not that great but was fun, despite it being filled with children who are currently on school holidays. Mostly it's just nice to be clean after a week in the mountains, although that was fun too. I'm looking forward to being here in Melbourne for the whole month of November! Tomorrow we are having some class discussion and going to some sustainable houses, and then off to Sydney on Wednesday.

Some things are just plain sucky

Like walking from this beautiful forest...

...out to this logged section.

Tasmania has a long history of logging. Luckily they are making progress and moving away from cutting down old growth, but it's still so frustrating to see this!

Beautiful views in Tasmania! (Warning: May cause severe jealousy)

Lake Pedder

From atop Mt. Field

Strahan

Macquarie Harbor

Cradle Mountain

Goaty The Travelling Goat Part 5: Tasmania!

Goaty on some giant glacial boulders at the bottom of Mt. Field

Goaty on the TOP of Mt. Field with a beautiful view

Goaty at Nelson Falls

Goaty didn't come on the Gordon River Cruise in Macquarie Harbor, I was afraid he would get seasick. And there's nothing worse than a seasick goat when you're trying to learn about ecotourism...