Feedback Frenzy

Stay on the designated walkway

 

As I've been mulling over what to share about the garden, on Friday night, we received a downpour. Perhaps the biggest rainfall we've seen since January 2011, when the infamous Queensland floods destroyed the Lockyer Valley. That's nine years of increasingly, smaller amounts of rainfall, and my garden had to cope all that time. Much to my surprise, there are successes when plants survive. However, the soil takes a beating when fast water is on the move again. Especially after drought conditions. This latest event has revealed problems I still need to address. 

Ambiguity is the hardest word

The garden, today
 

Hello blogging friends! I thought I would return to this space much sooner than now, but the last six months have seen some exceptional times. Not just because of the various shutdowns, as the world decides how to deal with a pandemic, - but other things have emerged in our lives, which required some decision making of our own. I'm still in the throws of that process, but will do my best to explain.

The potter planner

Making words with lego

Hello again, friends. Where have I been for the past two months? Like most parents during lock-down, our kids started learning from home with study packs. Getting creative with lego and playdough, made it a little more interesting - but all things come to an end. They returned to school, a few weeks ago. I'd like to say, that's when I caught-up with my property projects. They've been heckling from the sidelines, to come finish them. But I needed some unstructured time to myself, first.

Sweden's controversial COVID-19 approach

Someone is finally saying, what I have been thinking all along. Trust Sweden to make rational decisions. Not the political hot-potato, countries try to juggle, so no-one gets burned. We have to face the reality that deaths WILL come of this pandemic, but what is the long-term cost of trying to hold off facing the toll? Dr Bjorn Lomborg, Danish Political Scientist, is starting the discussion, no-one wants to hear - but inevitably, society will have to face. 

Patterns in nature

Aloe vera, currently in flower

While contemplating my recent series on developing healthy immunity, the pandemic was not far from my mind. Just as I had to learn what diabetes was, and why it effected me, I would cast the same discernment over the current strain of coronavirus. It's the only way to understand what exactly, we're dealing with. What I have learned, isn't really discussed in the mainstream.

'Miracle' tree

Just above net, when first planted

Happy Easter! And what an apt time to write about the Miracle tree. Or Moringa oleifera. I've been on the hunt for this tree, for a while. As I'd often heard it referred to, as the "Miracle" tree. Why would it be called that? Well, first I had to track one down! It proved to be difficult to find in my area, although many backyard nurseries were selling it on the Sunshine Coast. I eventually found a seed supplier, and was excited when several of them germinated. Unfortunately the two-year drought hit, and all died in my shade-house, except one! The tree you see above.

Rest & reset

Feet up in the lounge room

I've come to the final piece of the puzzle, to amend a compromised immune system. I've discussed food, mood and movement already. It all connects to the gut microbiota, to the brain and finally to the immune system response. It's a very basic overview. The ecosystem of our body, has a lot more layers of complexity. Yet it's enough to grasp the interaction, required for the most efficient biological systems. And how we can play our part developing them. Now all there is left to address, is rest.