Stories and Presents

A few weeks back I was passing the Cougar (aka Pa Kettle, Mountain Man etc) an apple muffin and without thinking proceeded to tell him about how the apples were from Robin in Bungendore's ancient old apple tree and how the flour was biodynamic spelt flour from wherever, and how the fig jam, if you would like some, is from Carolyn across the road and she has the most lovely tree and this and that until the Cougar laughed and said "that's the thing with you duckie, everything you eat has got a story" and you know, he's RIGHT and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Mr Duck Herder teases me sometimes saying "It is just food" when I present him with some home grown gift from the gods bounty lovingly prepared with an assortment of other carefully chosen or lovingly gifted ingredients. And you know, he's WRONG.

Food that is grown with love and prepared with love IS love.

And when you think about it, living a more elegantly frugal life creates a million opportunities to slow down and be more fully present, and when you are fully present, your life is unimaginably full of PRESENTS!

Now if you will excuse me, I am off to have another cup of tea and some more freshly baked bread with some of Arthur's amazing grapefruit marmalade.

that is all