We have a buyer and I think our little C cottage is about to become a reality

Things have been brewing for over a week now but I can finally say with great exhilaration that a contract will be signed tomorrow for the sale of our house. Even better our purchasers are the most wonderful couple who will add so much to the community that has been our home.  It will be a pleasure to pass our home onto them. I can't begin to explain the sense of anticipation and excitement we are feeling at our potential move.

Bizarrely our purchasers found our home and the info about Cascade Cohousing on this Blog site.  Move over Real estate.com, Domain and the like Blogger yields sales results.

So we now await our purchasers sale of their own home. Given they are in a highly sought after area it is unlikely that we shall have to wait to long for all the dominos to fall into place and we will soon be on our way.

So with some licence now I can now allow myself to dream of the veggies we shall grow, the chooks that shall roam our land and the gardens we shall plant.  I'm so looking forward to that amazing sense of serenity that overcomes me when I am in the country and breathing the sigh that comes with it everyday.  It will contrast the crisis situation in which I work and provide respite from such a challenging yet rewarding work environment.

I do realise though that we are so incredibly 'green.'  Green in the environmental sense of course but 'green' in terms of our naive knowledge and experience of living on the land.  I'm almost laughing now in anticipation of the mistakes we will make and the mirth we will elicit as our landed neighbours look on at us in despair.  I remember our agent saying that when you live in the country if something needs doing an you can't then you will be shown.  If you need something then it will be provided and in turn you will do the same. I was a bit dubious at first recognising that she was in the middle of her pitch.  However since reading so many of your blogs, it is apparent that there is a culture of support and pitching in that eludes a large majority of those residing in the city.

Two weekends ago I travelled to my future region to stay at a B&B http://www.huonvalleybedandbreakfast.com.au/ with my friend from the North West so that I could show her why I had chosen the area as my future home.  The first night we ate at Huon Manor Restaurant and enjoyed superb food and some wonderful wines.  The following day was spent checking out the galleries of Cygnet and lunch at the Lotus Eater.  From there I took her to see my new home.  I must admit it was with a great degree of trepidation that I entered in case I found I still did not feel as I had the first time but instead I found I love the house even more and as the owners were so generous with their time I learnt so much about our home to be.  That night we ate at Petty Sessions before returning to the luxury of our room.  The following day we set off to explore more of the region, take a scenic walk to Lymington and then partake in a traditional burger at the RVL.

As we wandered around I found myself just watching people and observing how the community in which I will live connects, and all I can say is that in this neck of the woods they have got it all going on.

I look forward to being able to finally reveal our future home...something I should not disclose until its a done deal for all parties.  In the meantime I'm counting the days to Xmas and New Year in the knowledge that we shall soon be heading South.

A moment of Madness

Our home at Cascade Cohousing is For Sale...check it out and please share with anyone who may be interested!

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-tas-south+hobart-108405471

We are leaving our much loved home and a fabulous community for new beginnings and adventures in the Huon Valley.  It's a tad scary but incredibly exciting!  If you know of anyone who may be interested in being a part of an intentional community please let them know about this opportunity.  Thankyou!

Four Seasons with a Grumpy Goat

http://peaseexchange.com/2011/09/four-seasons-with-a-grumpy-goat-by-carol-altmann/

I can't wait to read this book...my partner and I have since we first met, shared books by reading aloud to each other before we go to sleep. Some might say a habit that is quaint and romantic, others might argue, well what might they argue?...that we are pair of dags really.

Regardless, since reading our first novel Oscar and Lucinda, it has been something we love to share.  So Four Seasons with a Grumpy goat has an obvious appeal given the lifestyle change we are hoping to embark on.  I shall do my own mini review once we've read through it and more than happy to pass the book on should anyone else want to read it.

Winter Coat...a beautiful song from Paul

Does anyone have recipes for home made fluffy bread?

With an imminent move to the country (hopefully), I've been thinking more about resurrecting my bread maker as part of a move towards a greater level of our own food production.

I have a bread maker and have had numerous unsuccessful forays into the art of producing a good loaf, but have been disappointed by the dense and shrunken house bricks that have emerged from the maker.  Whilst I have considered they might be useful as an alternative building product, I'm still yearning for a fluffy, high, and traditional loaf of bread that harks back to the days of old.

So if anyone has favourite recipes that can be mixed in the bread maker and as a friend of mine suggests finished in a tin, I'd love to hear from you.  I'll have a go at all types, wholemeal, grain, sourdough, pumpkin, rye, olive etc.

Thanks in advance for any contributions...

The weekend that was...with a contract signed!

What an amazing weekend it has been.  Friday afternoon I set off from work early to head to Launceston for my son's 23rd birthday party at Mee Wah.  On the way I thought I'd stop off to grab his partner some flowers as her birthday is next week.  I stopped off at the Flower Bud florists next to the gluten free cafe in Newtown Road.  What a wee trove of treasures in this tiny little cottage, where you are met by the exquisite aroma of beautiful cottage garden flowers   I left with an exquisite bouquet of flowers that included aromatic stock, delphiniums and ranunculus and all for a song. I'd recommend this little floral gem to anyone who has a passion for old fashioned plants.

Whilst working our way through Mee Wah's tasting menu I received a phone message from our real estate agent to say the VENDORS HAVE ACCEPTED OUR CONRACT albeit with conditions including the mere fact of needing to sell our house and sell it quickly.  So it's all happening and I'm unbelievably excited. I'm straddling between absolute conviction we shall sell ours quickly and soon be on our way to C and feeling so overwhelmed with all that needs to be done to achieve the dream and fear that somehow we won't successfully pull it off.   Still I'm trying to steer myself back to the positive and assuring myself we shall be in our cottage soon and sipping on a PIMS (Some romantic notion that it should be a PIMS brimming with fresh strawberries and cucumber and topped with mint) and taking in our view of the river.

So the following day pumped up with the excitement of an impending move I set off to catch up with friends, but on the way call in at Newstead to purchase more flowers and head off to the Elphin Bakery for some bienenstitch (German yeast bread fill with custard cream and topped with honeyed almonds) divine!
It was fantastic to catch up with much missed Launceston friends and over a seafood pasta chat of recent travels, life changes and our efforts to lead our lives with much more of an emphasis on sustainability.  After lunch we headed to bush at the back of Trevallyn and burned off some of the excesses of lunch.

I woke to the most gloriously sunny Sunday and was keen to get on the road back to Hobart.  On my return I stopped off at UT SI cafe or translation AS IF from the latin....  I hadn't been before but the quaint white church with the old bike parked out front is irresistible.  I only had time to grab a take away coffee, but delighted while waiting in the fabulous art work adorning the walls (not sure of the artist) and the menu looked mouth watering and totally organic...I'll back and must say the coffee was great.

I also called in at Ross and lost time in Church street Antiques and pictured a couple of lovely pieces in my new home to be yet resisted the temptation to buy.  After leaving Ross, I spotted the Arch to the boys school that Nat had mentioned and photographed so beautifully in one of her posts.  It was great to know the full history of the school but sad to think of the loss of such a historical building.  Thanks Nat!

So a mammoth weekend and I remember at one point on the drive home just being so overwhelmed with the beauty, history and all that make Tassie the unique place that it is.  I love living here and I love the Midlands Highway.  It's been a beautiful weekend and now I look forward to starting the new week just another step closer to the Huon.

A Whimsical song for a whimsical mood

The Cs of the Huon are Calling

Two Saturdays ago, we headed from Hobart to the Huon to view a house for sale.  I'd eyed it off for some time on a website and finally decided it was time to have a look.  Whilst I thought SOLD had been imprinted on my heart from the web site viewing alone, seeing the property for real cemented it, and in my mind I had found a new home. An existing contract and some other issues meant that this was a dream to be worked hard for but I am hoping that they will be overcome and the house will eventually be ours.

So begins what I hope will be a journey from the city to the country and what for us will be the beginning of a new life.  If I reflect on what life in the country means to me it's about the peace and serenity of being connected to the land, opportunities to live more organically and sustainably with growing our own food and produce and sharing the same with others. The sense of community that comes with living in rural regions, along with the creativity and innovation that is the hallmark of country living and the lure of a more rewarding life. The time feels right, and I desperately long to make the move and challenge myself to new ways of being and living.

Shortly after, I hit the web looking for local community diaries in search of what our intended new community would have to offer culturally, artistically and for opportunities to connect with others living nearby.  What I stumbled across is something I have never really explored before and that was blogging.  My first read of a 'local' blog took me back with its wit, insights and commitments to ethical living.  I read of cooks, food producers, artisans and people just generally reflecting on the wonders and rewards of being immersed in the beauty of the Huon.    Inspired, I decided to chronicle my journey towards hopefully the same end.  I apologise in advance for the crudeness of the writing and my lack of expertise with this medium but with time I hope there will be moments of inspiration and even a glimmer of entertainment in my writing.

Thanks to all who inspired me with their blogs and if you see that you are being followed then you will know that your words will have in some way inspired me.  I hope that I will be down your way soon and permanently!  And...when oh when will the next pork, cider and trivia night be??