Liri's poop

Suburban gardener and the deathly stinkbugs

2010-11-08T23:17:00.000-08:00

After a couple of years of neglect, I have resurrected the veggie garden. So far that’s going okay although I need to buy some bird netting because the birds have already harvested our blueberries and no doubt will go after the strawberries and tomatoes once they are ripe.

Our orange tree is in a separate part of the garden so doesn’t get much attention. On the weekend I noticed several orange coloured bugs on it. I looked them up on the internet and discovered they were bronze orange bugs, also known as stink bugs because of the smelly substance they secrete. These bugs can do a lot of damage to a citrus tree and needed to be dealt with swiftly. As you can see from the picture below, the orange tree has already copped a fair bit of damage.

There are a number of ways to get rid of bronze orange bugs, the most organic apparently being to knock them with a stick into a bucket of methylated spirits or hot water. Hubby was keen to try the vacuum cleaner method but I didn’t fancy having smelly bugs stuck in the Electrolux. So this morning, after heavy rain last night, I donned my PPE (Personal Protective Gear – apparently the stuff they spray out can stain clothes and cause a burning sensation on skin, especially in the eye) and went out to do battle.

I didn’t have any metho and I didn’t want to mess around with hot water (especially as I had a leaky bucket) so I put half a litre of cleaning vinegar in my bucket. I put on an old top, rubber gloves, wrapped an old towel round my hair (to stop insects getting in it), put sunglasses over the top of my spectacles and armed myself with a bit of plastic curtain rail. Fortunately there was no one around to take a photo.

The ‘knock them into a bucket’ method didn’t work. Bronze orange bugs cling on and although they aren’t fast, they move around the branches and hide under leaves. So I gave up on that idea and went in search of the best gardening tool ever – the grabber. The grabber is actually a kids toy like this one but it’s perfect for plucking bugs off plants. Works well for snails too, especially if you’re squeamish like me and don’t want to use fingers (have also discovered that snails don’t last long in vinegar either).

So with my grabber and using my wand (stick) – 11 inches, Eucalypt and dog hair – to manoeuvre small branches out of the way, I managed to get about 20 bugs and half a dozen snails. I don’t know why they are called stink bugs though, I couldn’t smell anything. I did see one squirt something when I went to grab it but it only sprayed a few inches. Most of the orange bronze bugs were at the middle stage (orange) but I also got a fewer immature nymphs (green).

Afterbirth

2010-10-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

So the NSW government has decided to implement a Karitane Residential Family Care Unit at Camden Hospital. While this is no doubt undeniably good news for families in south-western Sydney battling PND and unsettled babies, it means that the post-natal ward has been moved to Campbelltown Hospital. For all ante-natal and post-natal services, women in Camden, Elderslie, Narellan, Picton and surrounding areas must now travel to Campbelltown.

I had my first child at Campbelltown in 1999. It was a far from pleasant experience - two hours waiting for ante-natal appointments (meaning I had to take an entire day away from work in the city), a different doctor or midwife every visit, a traumatic birth experience and general lack of continuity of care. The experience was so awful I travelled to Wollongong to have my second child. While the ante-natal care there was much more personable - and the birth closer to what I imagined childbirth should be - the post-natal care in such a busy hospital left much to be desired. I discharged myself after twenty-four hours simply so I could go home and get some sleep.

For my third child I was delighted to be accepted into the midwifery care program at Camden Hospital. I had all my visits with the same midwife at Camden and after a trouble-free midwife-led delivery at Campbelltown Hospital (the birthing unit at Camden was closed at the beginning of 2005 after operating for only two years), travelled to Camden for a restful post-natal three-night stay with wonderfully supportive staff.

My fourth child was delivered by the excellent midwifery care program at Campbelltown Hospital and the birth was smooth but as before with Wollongong, the post-natal ward was overcrowded and impersonal. Even the staff admitted to having 'forgotten I existed because I was so quiet'. Unfortunately the ward was not and again I was discharged after twenty-four hours.

Woman delivering baby

I understand that the closure of birthing units and maternity services in regional hospitals is mostly due to lack of being able to attract qualified personnel to relevant positions (such as anaesthetists). However, I can only imagine the increasing numbers of deliveries - due both to the closure of Camden services and new housing developments - is going to impact on post-natal care. Campbelltown Hospital is already over-stretched and under-staffed. Over-worked, tired, frustrated staff are little better than no staff at all.

It is my experience that the few days after birth are the most critical when it comes to establishing a bond with baby and avoiding post-natal depression. In an environment where nurses are rushed off their feet and encouraging new mothers to leave as quickly as possible in order to make way for new 'deliveries', how is a supportive, nurturing atmosphere possible?

Neither here nor there

2010-08-26T03:37:00.000-07:00

I'm currently reading 'Neither here nor there - travels in Europe' by Bill Bryson. It was first published in 1991 and although the Internet was around then, it wasn't as widely accessible as it is today. As I'm reading the book I think of all the things that are made simpler for travellers as a result of having access to the Internet, hotel bookings for one. But also all the things that are lost, like a sense of awe and adventure. As I'm following Bill's journey, I find myself looking up images on the iPod or PC so that I can see what he is seeing. But it's not possible to have the same experiences, to get a real sense of the culture and I feel almost that the 2D image on the screen is a poor substitute for the 3D image in my head. Much like how fictional novels are often disappointing when turned into blockbusters.

What about you? Do you look up images and info as you read a book or wait 'til you're done or just leave it all to the imagination?

Powow at the PO

2010-03-11T21:44:00.000-08:00

Had to go to the PO this arvo for work. Had to take a sick, tired and helicopter obsessed 3yo in with me. He saw a toy helicopter and chucked the mother of all tantrums when I wouldn't buy it so I copped a load of verbal abuse from onlookers over my 'naughty' child. I actually thought one bloke was going to hit him, or me. So I'm a bad parent but no blame apportioned to the store that uses aggressive marketing tactics by placing cheap toys at toddler eye level? Interesting how many people will berate a mother of young children but won't make eye contact with a raving drunk. Perhaps they're the same people that will abuse and tailgate an elderly woman doing 5kph under the speed limit but won't look in the direction of a p-plater doing 100kph in a school zone. Is Australia a nation of cowards and bullies? There's a lot of talk about bullying in schools at the moment. But look at the message we're sending our kids. Our nation's leaders slag each other off on television but won't make a firm stance against real issues like homelessness. I wonder how many kids witness that sort of bullying behaviour from the next aisle / back seat / on TV / in the living room (domestic violence) and then re-enact it at school? If we want to stem bullying in schools, we adults need to start leading by example.

Walking the dog

2009-12-04T17:36:00.000-08:00

The RSPCA does great work of course, and I'm all for making dog owners more responsible but I'm not sure about their latest proposal to make dog-walking mandatory. As a human that lives with a dog (I don't consider that I own him, he's his own man, er, dog), I understand that daily exercise is important and necessary. Perhaps more so for people that are frequently annoyed by the barking of dogs in the neighbourhood due to boredom. Jack is a much-loved member of the family, the eldest 'child', but I must admit that he doesn't get walked every day. As a WAHM with four kids - one a young baby - finding the time is sometimes a challenge. Not to mention the logistics of navigating unpaved pathways with a double stroller and a Border Collie.

I have to wonder, how will it be policed? Will dog-owners be forced to keep a log book, to be signed by a Justice of the Peace? Will there be circumstances in which owners can legitimately skip a day? Childbirth for example. And will they be forced to provide medical certificates to cover any missed exercise? Perhaps pet owners could kill two birds with one stone and walk the dog to the medical centre. Where the dog will have to be tied up outside because they aren't allowed in. What about dogs that are at the end of their days? Will dog-owners be required to drag their arthritic, blind companions around the streets for a mandatory period or distance? What will the mandatory exercise consist of exactly? I'm sure there are some dog owners who will claim that a trip to the post box and back constitutes a daily walk unless specifications are given.

And who's job will it be to police it? I can't get either the local council or the RSPCA to take any action on my neighbour's dogs who bark all day, have no shelter and are kicked by their owners. I can't imagine any party is going to be interested that they most certainly don't ever get walked... unless, of course, there's a fine involved. I suspect that's what this latest proposal is, just another revenue-raising exercise. I also suspect that if the proposal is accepted and made law in each state, it will simply encourage people NOT to register their dogs as required so that irresponsible dog owners continue to get away with mis-treatment of animals while those doing the right thing continue to feel the lead tightening around our necks.

Learning to walk

2008-11-22T20:50:00.000-08:00

The NSW government, in it's ongoing attempts to bail itself out of self-inflicted financial woes, has decided to slash the School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) which provides children with free travel to and from school.

We live in suburbia, 800m from our local public school as the crow flies. To take a direct route means playing chicken with cars doing 80km an hour on a busy highway. Not something I'm game to do with small children and a stroller. The most direct walking route using a pedestrian crossing pushes the route to 2.5km and is not something I'd entertain for primary schoolchildren.

Currently my elder two only take the bus - a 10 minute journey - home from school, not to. Our main reason for choosing this option is to reduce our carbon footprint. The bus will be travelling regardless so why not put the kids on it and take our car off the road.

I'm a WAHM, it's convenient for me not to have to suddenly drop everything and wake the baby to race out the door at 2:55. Mostly I meet them at the bus stop anyway - it's a good opportunity to take the dog for his daily walk - but if I'm sick, or the baby is sick, they can walk the five minutes home.

So for us, opting to use the SSTS has been a matter of convenience and conscience. Now that this 40 year old scheme has been axed, can I justify buying bus passes for both children for a 10 minute journey? The answer is no, it's not financially viable.

I wonder how many more cars will be going back on the roads as a result of this decision? I wonder how many children will be forced to walk along potentially dangerous routes because their parents can't afford the cost of bus passes in an already challenging financial climate? I wonder how many families will be inconvenienced and have to make adjustments to their daily routines to accommodate? I wonder how many services will be cut as a result of being utilised? And I wonder how the NSW Government can justify this latest cut of short-term gains and long-term losses.

Cat therapy

2008-11-11T01:46:00.001-08:00

Our cat (age unknown) has been looking pretty manky since winter. Some home remedies and a bit of TLC doesn't seem to have made much difference so today I took him to the vet. I should probably mention here that he's a very odd cats with lots of little quirks and 'normal' doesn't apply.

Vet asked lots of questions. I was on a deadline so rushed through the answers and rudely interrupted her. She probably thought I was on speed. Anyway, the outcome was that the vet agreed cat looked a bit manky and wanted me to spend $267 on blood tests to find out why. I wasn't keen on the idea of working 10 hours to get an answer and suggested we explore some other possibilities.

Vet said cat could be stressed. We discussed some scenarios and decided to treat the condition as if anxiety was the cause and if there was no improvement, we'd go ahead with the blood tests. Vet then said that if the blood test were negative for anything, her best guess would be stress and there's an injection she can give cat but she can't give it unless the blood tests are negative.

Fair enough. But what I want to know is, if there's an injection for cats that will apparently chill them out and also encourage soft, shiny fur growth, why in the name of modern miracles isn't it being developed for humans? We know that stress is a major cause of modern health issues - this sounds like answer. And who wouldn't want soft, shiny fur, erm, hair?
If there are any drug companies reading this, I put my hand up to be guinea pig. Or cat, as the case may be.

Bye Bye Beijing

2008-08-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

So the Olympics is over for another four years. No suprises as far as the US and China and their medal tally go but Australia had some suprising new talents. I really think Steve Hooker was more deserving of carrying the flag at the closing ceremony than Stephanie Rice. Yes, Stephanie Rice got three gold medals but we already know Aussies are good in the pool. Steve Hooker managed to achieve something that hasn't been done by Australians in 60 years; a gold medal in a field event.

The other suprising medal tally was that of Great Britain. In Athens they got 9 gold and were ranked tenth. In Sydney they got 11 gold and ranked tenth. In Atlanta they got just 1 gold and were ranked 18th. In Beijing, they achieved 19 gold and ranked fourth. The Beijing Olympics have been their best result since 1908. When I was growing up there in the 70s and 80s, there wasn't a great deal of money put into sport, certainly no where near the support that Australia gives it's athletes. I can't help but wonder if this most recent spectacular effort is because the British government is putting more funding into sports so that Great Britain gets a decent result when it hosts the Olympics in 1912. Which just goes to show the difference that funding and support makes, which in turn goes to show how hard-earned are those medals that go to less developed countries like Kenya and Ethiopia.

One of my favourite moments from these Olympics was watching the oar-smashing reaction of the Men's K1 kayaking bronze medal winner - Benjamin Thomas - when he won Togo's only medal. I'd never even heard of Togo before but thanks to his efforts, it's now firmly on the map and no doubt Benjamin Thomas will return as a national hero.

I lost my wok and other stories

2008-08-13T02:17:00.000-07:00

Of course I got caught up in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, it was hard not to when living in the same city. I spent quite a bit of time watching events and checking up on the medal tally.

The Athens Olympics passed with barely a murmer, possibly because the time difference meant that all the action was happening in the wee hours of the morning for us Aussies. This time around, with China being a close neighbour (two hours behind Sydney time), the Olympics are once again a big deal. And despite my general lack of interest in anything sporty, I've already been sucked in. On the eve of the opening ceremony I even watched a preliminary football (soccer) match between Serbia and Australia.

For dinner on the 8th of the 8th 08, I made sweet and sour chicken (after hunting down my wok) and we ate it with chopsticks. Or rather we attempted to and made a big mess in the process.

I was impressed by the opening ceremony. A spectacular combination of ancient culture and modern high-tech. I can just imagine the committee for the 2012 (London) Olympics were watching it and thinking, "Crap, how are we going to top that?" England certainly won't be able to use their most well-known soprano, Sarah Brightman, after her appearance in Beijing (I still can't work out what she's got to do with China). Sarah seems to have been around most of my life (she was born in 1960). I can only hope I look half as good when I'm pushing 50.

There have been a lot of good moments so far. I thought the men's cycling (torture?) race had a thrilling finish with six of them going for gold at the end and I enjoyed the soccer game between Australia and Argentina even if it did have me shouting at the TV. But as yet I haven't seen anything truly spectacular. There was a moment during the Sydney Olympics when I happened to be at the arrivals lounge at the airport to meet my sister, flying in from the UK, at the same time as the men's swimming relay were trying to take the 400m gold. Everyone in the arrivals area watched it on a huge screen put up for the ocassion and when the Aussies won there was a huge cheer which sent tingles up my spine.

But even so, that wasn't the most memorable moment. The event that most touched me is a swimmer way way behind everyone else. In fact I think all the other swimmers had already got out out of the pool and this guy still had a lap to go but the crowd were clapping and cheering him on. That gave me goosebumps and after all, even though he came very very last, he's still a better swimmer than most of us. That's what this site is dedicated to: http://www.mcwetboy.net/dfl/index.html

Cake in a mug

2008-08-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

I've never been a fan of microwave cooking but when I came across this recipe for choc mug-cake, I had to try it. I grabbed gluten free self-raising flour for the cake flour and as I didn't have any cocoa in the house, I used drinking chocolate powder. As you can see from the picture, my first attempt ended up looking like an unleashed monster from a b-grade movie.

I'm assuming this is because I used gluten free SR flour but possibly it's because I let my 9yo measure out the ingredients unspervised and mix them with a fork.

For the second attempt I used organic SR flour and I still didn't have any cocoa, I again used drinking chocolate powder. I also used a bigger mug and mixed the ingredients with a Bamix (electric wand mixer). As you can see, the result this time was much more satisfactory. It was quite moist so possibly next time I'd reduce the oil. I've also read that the cake can be cooked in a small bowl for a more aesthetically pleasing shape. Feeds two. Delicious with whipped cream!

The Dancing Man

2008-08-01T02:30:00.000-07:00

If you're on Facebook or you're a fan of YouTube, you've probably seen the video of the guy dancing all over the world. But have you read his blog? As expected it answers all the what, when, where, why, who and how questions but it also gives a bit of an insight into an ordinary guy who came up with an extraordinary idea: http://www.wherethehellismatt.typepad.com/blog/

For art's sake

2008-07-25T02:33:00.000-07:00

I've long struggled with the definition of art. What is art? Any dictionary will have an extended definition which can be interpreted in a number of ways. In it's simplest form, art can be the production or expression of something appealing or significant. A starving dog can apparently be considered art - presumably that comes under the significant rather than appealing category.

While card-making recently, I was reminded of an incident a few years ago when there was outcry over a public exhibition of paint-by-number paintings. Critics claimed that paint-by-numbers was simply 'colouring in' and that there was nothing artistic about it.

The reason that I was reminded of this event was due to my using rubber stamps and watercolour pencils. I stamped an image onto a piece of card and then coloured it in. I get a lot of joy from card-making and using pencil paints in particular but can the resulting creations be called art?

What about other crafts? Scrappers often use pre-cut shapes and patterned paper on their page designs. Knitters follow set patterns and folk artists use transfer designs. Can the end product be considered artwork?

I don't scrapbook but I do like to view scrapbooks, and in indeed all handcraft. Whether or not tools have been used to make the process easier, there's often something unique about the colours or layout used, or other little embellishments added for a personal touch. That exhibits a sense of creation and for me, art is that which brings joy or provokes though. Therefore, if you created it (with a certain amount of premediation), it's art.

Crafty options

2008-07-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

In addition to knitting I also paint, cross-stitch, card-making and the occasional bit of sewing. My sewing craft ideas are somewhat restricted by the fact that I own an ancient Brother sewing machine that will now only sew in a straight line. I don't do enough sewing to justify buying a new one but I read about a new product recently that is seriously tempting me to do so.

The product is printable fabric. All you need is a computer, ink jet printer (laser printers can't be used because they get too hot and the fabric sheet can melt) and a regular iron and then you can make photo fabric objects such as pillows, blankets, throws, t-shirts, bags etc. The printable fabric works similar to a transfer except you print the images yourself. What a great idea for a personalised gift with minumum fuss.

Want to know more? Printable fabric sheets can be purchased from craft shops and other places that sell Avery products. The HP website has a great overview on how to get the best results from using printable fabric. The only thing you need is imagination!

Cool pics

2008-07-09T02:18:00.001-07:00

I like to browse other blogs when I get a chance, there are so many talented and clever people out there, especially photographers. I don't know the language on this blog but the images are universal: http://negah-e-man.blogspot.com/2008/07/blog-post_8886.html

Scarves

2008-07-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous post, I like quick to knit projects so scarves are popular. I'll often buy yarn because I like the texture or colour rather than with any particular project in mind and sometimes I'll try something just to see if I can do it or what it will turn out like.

Here are a couple of scarves I made recently based on the above modus operandi. The pale pink yarn on the right was originally purchased to knit a jumper but as I began to work with it I found it a little itchy and it had a tendency to moult. I can't remember what the yarn was now, I think it was one of Lincraft's own. Anyway, I resold most of it on eBay and kept a couple of balls to make this scarf. It is itchy to wear but it adds a pretty feminine touch to outfits. I think it would have looked better knit wider to offset the chunky yarn.

The scarf on the left was a 'try it' project. It's a little hard to see in the picture but it's been knit sideways. One of the yarns used was Paton's Zhivago which is a beautiful yarn to work with and wear but tends to show mistakes. The other yarn was giving to me by a friend. Both were leftover from other projects. In hindsight I should have made this wider and shorter - it's about 10 feet long! I guess that's one of the downsides of knitting lengthways rather than widthways, once you've cast all those stitches on, you're kind of committed.

Safe surfing

2008-07-06T04:13:00.000-07:00

I attended a webinar (a seminar held online) and the presenter used scamming as the topic for a brainstorm. Submissions from respondents included 'waste of time', 'loss of dreams', 'annoying', 'parasitic' - you get the picture. The term I came up with was, 'innovative'. It is not meant to be flattering but some online scams really are very clever.

The most popular ones are the so called Nigerian scams whereby you are sent an e-mail out of the blue by someone claiming to want to deposit obscene amounts of money into your bank account for a short time and then giving you a cut for your goodwill. Now these ones I do have a hard time understanding why people fall for them. Does nobody stop to think, why me? Where did they get my details from? Anything that sounds too good to be true usually is and should be deleted immediately.

Another popular scam is the e-mail requesting you to verify eBay / bank account / Paypal details. Again, these should be deleted immediately. Never click on a link in an e-mail. If you do feel compelled to follow on a link, copy and type it into the address bar instead. Or log in directly using your usual address and check if there are any message for you. Here is another tip: if you hover over the link with your mouse, verify that the hypertext which appears is the same as shown in the link. Often it isn't and that's your first clue it's not legit. Official e-mails will contain your name and some other pertinent identifying details but if in doubt, ring your financial institution and talk to a real person.

eBay spoofs - ever had an e-mail from someone threatening to sue you because you never posted them a laptop or paid for one? It's a scam. The clue? You never sold or bought a laptop on eBay. So here's the thing I don't understand, if you never traded a laptop on eBay, why click on the link? Delete it!

On-line scams don't just come via e-mail, there are also plenty of web-sites promising money, jobs and fulfilled dreams. Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't. If you are considering doing business with a company you've found on-line, verify the contact details. Legitimate organisations will have a postal address and a telephone number. Phone that telephone number and confirm the details are correct.

Downloads - downloads are tricky. It's not enough to say don't download anything because there are plenty of worthy legitimate offers, e-books and free trials. But there are just as many downloads disguised as a promise which turn out to be spyware or a virus that infects your computer so choose your downloads very carefully.

Finally, trust your instincts. If at any time alarm bells start ringing and you get that gut feeling that something isn't right, pull out. Whatever it is, it's probably not worth it anyway.

Starting with a smile

2008-06-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

Meditation - who's got the time? If you're a working mum, a work-at-home mum or a stay-at-home mum to young children, you'll know how hard it is to make time for yourself. But you probably also know that it's essential and that when you do, you're a better mum as a result. Exercise, yoga, pilates and meditation are all great ways of de-stressing and taking time out but it can be hard to find an hour or even half-an-hour to do so. In our house, it can sometimes take that long just to find the remote for the DVD player.

Recently I've discovered Priestess Meditations. These are short - approximately 10 minutes - meditations based on the chakra system, one for each day linked to each of the 7 chakras. They include a brief relaxation exercise and can easily be performed daily when sitting at your PC (headphones recommended). They are a great way to start the day and can be found here: http://priestessentrepreneur.com/meditations.html

Knitpicking

2008-06-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

I'm a part-time knitter; I only knit in Winter. In Summer I prefer to cross-stitch. I suppose it's an aversion to handling yarn in the heat and humidity. Long, cold nights lend themselves better to knitting whereas cross-stitch is more suited to the lazy sunny afternoons. Unfortunately this means that more than one item has been started and then left to hibernate so I tend to stick to simple projects that can be knit quickly. I'm also not very good at concentrating on patterns so I often make things up as I go along. My most recent creation is this baby blanket in a basketweave pattern with a seed stitch edge. Very straightforward and easy enough to just pick up and carry on with no matter what distractions I'm faced with. It was knitted on size 6 needles (I think) using Lincraft's Cosy Wool.

Apart from summer, the other time I don't like to knit is in early pregnancy. The feel of yarn on my fingers makes me feel nauseas. Does this happen to anyone else?

Frustration at the mall

2008-06-15T01:03:00.000-07:00

Yet another frustrating shopping trip. The object of today's exhibition was a fitted sheet for a baby cot. Could I find one? No. I could, however, find lots and lots of three-piece sets consisting of a fitted sheet, a flat sheet and a pillowcase in a huge and dazzling variety of prints and materials. But I did not want a sheet set. I do not use flat sheets. I already have an entire shelf full of unused flat sheets. And expert advice cautions against the use of pillows in cots so I have never needed pillowcases either.

Eventually a ticking parking meter overruled my frustrations and I ended up buying a couple of sheet sets but I'm left wondering why manufacturers insist on packaging them up together. Why is it so difficult to buy fitted sheets on their own? Surely there must be other busy mothers out there who can't be bothered with constantly making cots and beds? I find it hard to believe there is no demand for individual items. I have no doubt that there are people who have the time and the inclination to make up a cot with matching linen - whether or not the items actually get used - but a quick squiz on eBay shows there are a number of people selling handmade fitted sheets. Therefore I have to assume that the big manufacturers package them up into sets as a marketing ploy to persuade us to buy little pillows and other unecessary accessories. After all, if you've already got the set, why not buy the matching blanket, curtains and nappy stacker?

For the rest of us, there's always eBay.

Popeye the Sailorman

2008-06-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

We're always being encouraged to eat more vegetables and I must say we don't do too bad with peas, carrots and beans but we do go short on the green leafy ones. Spinach is a good source of iron as those who remember Popeye will attest. It is also a good source of calcium, beta carotene, vitamin C and other goodies. I haven't yet mastered the art of keeping fresh spinach for longer than a few days so recently I started using frozen spinach.

Logan Farm make frozen spinach in handy sized blocks, perfect for adding to spaghetti bolognese, tuna morney and other dishes. Not only is this is a great way of serving greens to fussy kids, it also makes the food look more appetizing. Spinach goes great with bacon, feta, eggs and mushrooms so it's a fantastic addition to quiche's and savoury muffins. Just remember to check your teeth after eating!

Where to draw the line?

2008-05-24T03:10:00.000-07:00

This week, the NSW police took steps to shut down an art display by Bill Henson featuring nude images of pre-teen girls. Consequently there has been a lot of debate about whether or not the images were art or pornographic. Unfortunately there's no clear line between what constitutes child pornography and what doesn't. Family photos of children in a suburban backyard running naked through a sprinkler on a hot day most likely would not be considered pornographic. It comes down to whether or not the images are considered 'sexualised' and that's where the difficulty is. Where one person may view an image of a naked child sleeping as sexualised, most will not.

Another issue here is the fact that these images have been put on public display. Do the children involved have the maturity to comprehend this?

As someone who believes art should be enjoyable, and while I see value in his nocturnal landscapes, these images do not appeal to me. They are dark and disturbing and often attributed with words like 'underworld' and 'desire'. Many of Bill Henson's photographs of adolescents do have a sexual theme so by definition they could be considered pornography.

At the very least I believe exhibitions should have ratings just like movies or video games. A few years ago we took our kids to our local art gallery and I was shocked to discover video images of drug addicts and 3D sculptures covered in fake blood. This to me does not constitute art. We've all seen the e-mail about the artist Guillermo Vargas and his 'starving dog' exhibition. To the general public, this is a blatant act of animal cruelty yet others welcome it as 'art'. Are artists then above the law in pursuit of their particular talent? If I slice up my husband and display him on the kitchen table and call myself an 'artist' will I be arrested for murder or given a spot in the National Gallery? Apparently it would depend on my country of residence.

In Australia we have laws about child pornography and while I understand that artists use art as a way of making people think, I'm not sure I grasp Bill Henson's motiviation for this series of pictures unless as a way of gaining notoriety in which case he has certainly achieved that.

Super supers

2008-05-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

I’ve been in the market for a new super fund lately, not related to finances per se but rather a change in circumstances and wanting to have more control. With so many to choose from, I based my choice on an ethical fund because I couldn’t in all conscience have my money invested in companies that produce guns or cigarettes or are involved in deforestation and mass pollution. Once I’d made that decision, I obtained the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of several companies offering ethical super funds. I was disappointed to discover that most brochures were printed on glossy or expensive parchment paper. They all touted ethical behaviour and talked the talk but only one super fund walked the walk by printing its PDS on 100% recycled paper. And that was enough to have me sold. It may not be the most financially savvy way of making an investment choice but I’ll sleep better at night.

2008-05-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

Stew was a popular dish in our house when I was child. Popular in that it appeared on the table often; it wasn't necessarily a favourite with us kids. Mum perservered, probably because it was easy to make and over the years I grew to love it. What really made it special was the dumplings. Big fluffy dumplings to soak up the juices and counter the hard to chew stew (it wasn’t actually tough, I was just lazy). After becoming a mother myself I soon discovered the ease and convenience of one-pot-cooking and stew is now a favourite family meal in the cooler months. Longing to recreate that favourite recipe from my child-hood, I kept promising to one day make dumplings when I found the necessary recipe ingredients. Finally I stumbled across some suet mix. I made stew and the dumplings to complement it. There was a lot of anticipation after my many years of describing just how great dumplings and stew are together; like Brad and Ange, like boys and ball sports. The dumplings looked great, they tasted pretty close to how Mum used to make them but alas, only one out of four boys liked them. And unfortunately when it comes to family meals, democracy rules so it doesn’t look as if we’ll be having dumplings again anytime soon.

Blondes in White Cars

2008-05-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

What is it with blondes in white cars? They pull up behind me, tailgating and gesturing for me to drive faster or veer on to the hard shoulder presumably just so they can make their manicure appointment on time. Dark-haired men in white vans usually drive in a similar manner so I'm guessing it's something to do with the colour of the vehicle rather than the colour of the hair (unless, of course, the blonde comes out of a bottle).

I do not drive slowly but I don't take risks and I do stick to the speed limit. That's what they're there for and contrary to popular belief, the speed limit is not the speed at which one must drive, it's the maximum speed one is allowed to drive at. I am not going to break the law, compromise my fuel economy and risk the safety of my passenger(s) just so the driver behind me can get to her or his destination a few minutes earlier. If they're late, they should deal with it in a more responsible manner. All the gesturing and tooting only serves to make me aware there is a maniac behind me and encourages me to drive SLOWER.

I'm aware I'm generalising but it does always seem to be white vans or cars that are the culprit. Too much sun glare perhaps?

2008-05-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

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