A mother's wisdom

And so Bloom skulks sheepishly back to her blog, with the meagre excuse that 'life got a bit busy'; hoping that her friendships will withstand such neglect, and that they may be resumed forthwith and with forgiveness!

Heading off to the coast for a few days with the family, I couldn't pass up the chance to visit the Mount Tomah Botanic Garden. This prospect was greeted with howls of protest from the back seat. "No Mum, no! Not another Botanic Garden. Don't do it"!

Oh yes indeedy! This is always how it goes. Children emerge begrudgingly from the car and trudge, slump-shouldered and moaning 

... for the first few steps.

And then there is a glimpse of a view, a promise of things to be explored.

They turn a corner, and the sight of a water feature begins to soften their resolve to be miserable.

With each step, there are new pleasures to take in, and slowly they are brought around. "Mum, this is quite impressive". Ummm, yes ...

Before long, they are running ahead of me, eager to see what awaits at their next turn, leaving me way behind as I meander peacefully with my camera.

The gardens were stunning, even in mid-winter, largely due to the well-planned contrast in form and colour of the plantings. I had not visited Mount Tomah since a friend's wedding 20 years ago, so it was wonderful to see how it had changed.

The proteas were in spectacular bloom.

How I would love to have gathered up an enormous bunch of them!

And the leucodendrons provided cheery bursts of colour, often set against the rugged local basalt, or contrasting grey-foliaged plants.

With over 6000 species planted in the Garden, I haven't a chance of giving you botanic names.

Occasionally, aforementioned children drop back to meet me with excited tales of where they have been and what they have found ahead. 

There are photos with and without newly enthusiastic 14-year-old.

"Hey Mum, this would be an awesome place for freerunning", he shouts as he disappears from view again.

After a half-hour exploration for them, and a meander for me, I am greeted with: "That wasn't so bad, Mum". Or even, "Mum, that was actually quite fun"! And so I remind them of the favour I do them every time I make them suffer a garden, and we all traipse back to the car, happy for the experience.

What is your work anyway Bloom?

My 'real' job has taken me away from blogging lately. I thought I'd tell you about it as I've precious little else to show you! Prepare yourself - it is a little weird. My youngest daughter said to me the other day, "Mum, why can't you get a normal job? My friends ask me what you do and I don't know what to say!" 

My University training, many moons ago, was in Plant Biochemistry. I completed a PhD in Agricultural Chemistry at the University of Sydney. The next choice for me professionally was to travel overseas to pursue post doctoral studies. However, being in my late twenties at the time, I forewent this opportunity and chose to stay in Australia, move to the country and start a family. Bang went the career! But I would make the same decision again for my precious kids.

These days, I do some casual laboratory work with the Department of Primary Industries, a State Government department. There have been significant job cuts in the Department this year, so I am lucky to have any work at all.

A thousand points to anyone who knows what these are! I am working in Entomology at the moment. Our section monitors populations of fruit fly in New South Wales. And these are fruit fly pupae (not poopies as my daughter would have you think)!

For the last few weeks, we have been busy running a small research project. This is an unusual opportunity for us, and my inner science geek has come to the fore again, getting excited about setting up trials and measuring stuff! Love it!

 

Fruit fly is a major pest to fruit and vegetable production worldwide. There are many different varieties and it is important from a quarantine perspective, and for export markets, to monitor distributions, and control numbers where possible. 

One of the ways fruit flies are controlled on a large scale is by sterile fly release. This is a biological control where sterile flies are released into the wild population. The sterile flies mate with wild flies, and the eggs produced are infertile.

OK Bloom, that's all very well, but how on earth do you sterilise a fruit fly? With a very small scalpel?! Ah no. Unleash your inner geek for this bit.

Source

Fruit flies are bred in enormous numbers in a dedicated fruit fly factory (I kid you not)! The factory supplies up to 20 million sterile Queensland fruit flies per week for release. When the flies are at pupal stage in their life cycle, just before emergence as adult flies, they are sent to ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) at Lucas Heights where they are exposed to a cobalt-60 gamma radiation source. It's true! The level of radiation is sufficient to sterilise the flies. The irradiated flies are not radioactive, and pose no threat to humans.

Our research project has been investigating the level of radiation required to sufficiently sterilise Queensland fruit flies, while ensuring they can still fly and mate.

 

Most of the action happens in this room, which is kept at constant temperature (25 degrees Celsius) and humidity. Fruit fly pupae that have been irradiated at different levels are reared to adults in here.

We have been measuring emergence (how many reach adulthood), longevity (how long they live for), and flightability (how well they fly). 

Much of this work is done under a microscope. Yep, that's me in all my geekiness :)

 

We are also breeding successive generations of flies in these tubs. We sort flies by sex, rear them to maturity and then mix the guys and gals back together to breed. It's just one big party in there!

Hang on a minute there Bloom? You sex fruit flies?! A little tricky perhaps keeping them still while you scrutinise their privates? Awkward!

So glad you asked! The first step is to slow the little creatures down. This is done by putting them in a refrigerated cold room for 15 minutes. Closely followed by putting us in the cold room, clad in snow gear if possible. The flies are immobilised by the cold, just slightly more that we are. Using featherlight tweezers, we gently pick them up and scrutinise. 

Source

For the females, we are looking for an ovipositor, which is a pointy egg laying structure, at the end of the abdomen. It is usually quite obvious.

The men are a little more coy. They are distinguished by sets of cute little 'eyelash-like' hairs on their abdomen.

So that is a little glimpse of how I've been spending my days. You can see why my daughter might have trouble telling her friends! 

This is just one of my paid jobs, the one closest to my original training, although still far removed. I moonlight as a designer (my favourite job!) and manage our small farm too. But of course, all of these things come second to the most important job, the one I'm least qualified for, pays the least and I worry about the most - I am mother to my three children!

Have a great weekend everyone, a nice long one for the Australians! 

Birthday roses

One of my daughter's best friends celebrated her 18th birthday yesterday. Daughter decided last week that she'd like to make her friend a quilt ... as you do! 

I directed her to Want It, Need It, Quilt where she promptly chose a 'Padstow' layer cake by Cabbages and Roses for Moda. Her choice took me by surprise a little - very 'English Roses', sophisticated and grown up.

 

The time frame demanded something simple, so she used my raw edge quilt tutorial. We argued debated enthusiastically about whether to use the two dominant red prints. I lost :) But  we compromised by including a few extra dark pink fabrics.

For a girl who has not shown much interest in sewing, I was very impressed with how quickly and perfectly she put this quilt together. She was decisive and focussed, dismissing any procrastinating on my part. "No Mum, no time for worrying about that. I have to finish this for Thursday"!

Admittedly, she ran out of time to hand stitch the bind. That was my job, into the wee hours of Thursday morning! And so, daughter arrived at school yesterday, a cold, bleak Thursday, with her birthday parcel tucked proudly under her arm. She even tolerated my request to take my point-and-shoot camera to school to snap some shots to show you! Her friend is a beautiful young girl, sincere and loyal. She was quietly overwhelmed with her gift, and I'm guessing the quilt will be used to snuggle under as she studies for her HSC later in the year. 

A mother's work

A very happy day to all mothers today. I hope you have been made to feel special for all that you do for your families.

I have put my hand up this term to teach Sunday School, and as coincidence would have it, a portion of today's lesson was about original sin and how God's disappointment manifested itself, in part, by decreeing that women would have pain in childbirth!

My group of young innocents (aged 9-12) were wide-eyed with the apparently new thought that their mothers may have endured pain in bringing them into the world. I suspect I sent them home with a newfound appreciation for their mothers, especially the boy who was one of seven :)

It is not new news that mothers are often asked to fulfil unusual requests for their children. My youngest fancies herself as a song writer and, as a writing task for school, has decided to produce her first album (!) 

She has written some songs with an anti-bullying theme, and centred on the concept of never having to walk alone through life. She asked me to take some thoughtful shots of her walking alone through the Botanic Gardens, hoping that she might use the photos for her album cover. Ha, my first official photo shoot :)

She spent a lot of time gazing pensively and meaningfully in a manner worthy of any sultry songstress!

 

The gardens are looking particularly beautiful right now and it was entirely pleasure on my part to wander about taking artistic shots of my lovely girl in the late afternoon light.

This is the same girl who was so ill last year, and whose sickness has had a profound and lasting effect upon her. It has left her with a compassion for others and their sufferings that she may well not have otherwise had.

As you might guess, I also took the opportunity to sneak an occasional shot of the Autumn loveliness of the gardens.

There is every hue of red, orange and gold strewn gloriously across the lawns and paths.

And the sasanqua camellias are stunning right now.

Since a child, I have been intrigued by the delicate, golden stamens that form ethereally from the centre of many blooms ...

... with their perfectly formed anthers floating atop, loaded richly with pollen. So beautiful!

I spotted this tiny curiosity as we left the gardens. It looks as if it may be related to the arums, but I really have no idea what it is. Equally beautiful in its own way!

Finally, as we approached the garden gate late in the afternoon, the sun was blazing gloriously on these three magnificent maples, standing sentry for all to admire. A breathtaking sight. And so ended one of the less arduous tasks asked of me as a mother!

Ice-cream slice

I'm guessing that in your part of the world, as in mine, there are recipes that 'go viral', being passed quickly from one person to the next. They are usually quick and easy, and as a consequence, often use processed ingredients. Chang's Crispy Noodle Chinese Cabbage Salad springs to mind! If there's an Australian who hasn't had this salad at a BBQ, I'd be surprised.

Now while I am not a big fan of using processed foods in recipes, this one tastes too good not to share :) Recipe courtesy of my mother. Who knows where it originated!

Ice-Cream Slice

600mL thickened cream 

1 tin condensed milk 

2 chocolate honeycomb bars, such as Violet Crumble or Crunchie 

1 packet Arnott's Malt 'O' Milk biscuits

Roughly chop the honeycomb bars. Combine cream and condensed milk in a bowl and whip until thick. Fold the chopped honeycomb bars through the mixture.

In a lined slice tray, place a layer of Malt 'O' Milk biscuits. Spoon the cream mixture over the top of the biscuits. Top with the remaining biscuits. Freeze until set. Cut into bars and watch it disappear!

May we be worthy of their sacrifice

Pictorial snippets of our Anzac Day 2013, a perfectly sunny Autumn day which drew large crowds for the parade and service.

Medals, carefully polished and pinned to proud chests.

Young and old, world's apart in experience, but one at heart today.

 School cadet corps, honouring the fallen.

So many young lives atrociously sacrificed 
for freedom for today's Australians.

Lest we forget.

Little hexagon purse

Today I put the final stitches in my version of Brigitte Giblin's Little Hexagon Purse, made at the request of my eldest daughter. That a seventeen-year-old would want to wear anything made by their mother is special enough, but that she still loves it (and me!) many months after it was requested is remarkable!

Self imposed deadlines to have this little purse finished came and went with monotonous regularity.

But today it is done! The colours and fabrics were chosen by my daughter to coordinate with her wardrobe, as described previously.

The hexagons are 1/2 inch, and hand pieced. I very much enjoyed my first hand piecing project and have a small insight into the addictive and therapeutic nature of this technique. I detailed some tips and tricks that I learned in this post.

And now there is nothing to wait for but a lift to town to christen the new wardrobe addition :)