Raw & Vegan

In celebration of the new year and 2010, I’ve decided to reflect on the past decade. This is part four in a series of four.  Read the intro, part two, and part three.

I have learned so much about myself in these last few months.

I had always romanticised the open road and living out of a suitcase, but have realised that I am more of a homebody than I knew. I intrinsically NEED my own space with my memories around it.

I learned much about my body. Under extreme stress, I put on weight even if I don’t eat much or I’m eating healthy sized raw / cooked vegan food. I think this is key in moving forward in identifying health issues, having been ‘diagnosed’ with PCOS and potentially having thyroid issues. I also identified that I need to learn relaxation techniques so I can cope better, recover and regain strength from the last few months.

I’ve learned that we need to be together not apart. Being close to your partner physically (and I don’t mean ‘adult’ stuff here) supports emotional closeness, and if they’re separate entities you begin to question your foundations.

With everything in storage, I have a greater understanding of what I need around me and have started cutting back on a lot of things. While this means passing on some memories, I’m okay with that.

I’m blessed in living the life of my choosing, and the support of my beloved in following my passion as a Coach, Editor of Living Raw Magazine and sharing my love of the raw culinary arts. Life Coaching training has been the next pivotal event to going raw. My words, actions and thoughts have greatly shifted as I peel back the layers of events and beliefs past, moving only forward with each learning.

Photo - One of my favourite recipes, Mushroom Pave

What have you learned this year?

It’s the beginning of a new decade, for myself as I grow through my 30’s. As the years ahead bring greater world awareness of our food and environment, we have the opportunity to look with ourselves and start leading a more sustainable life.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be rolling out the new Raw & Vegan blog, with a broader focus on raw food, living passionately, and living sustainably. I’m excited about this new direction for all of us, challenging myself in my writing whist continually growing and adapting.

I look forward to sharing the next decade with you!

In celebration of the new year and 2010, I’ve decided to reflect on the past decade. This is part three in a series of four.  Read the intro, part two, and part four.
I have refrained from blogging this until now, as it’s very difficult to talk about, but thankfully it is now passed.
Having rented out the house we built, when the lease ended in February we found it practically abandoned and completely trashed. Unlike an investment property, we had an emotional stake in the house, and while it was 3 years old when we rented it out it was in a sparkling condition better than we we first got the key. To say the least, we were devastated.

The results of this have been near financial ruin for us, as we put EVERYTHING into fixing the damage (we could only claim so much from the tenant, when we found them) - anything that didn’t go into fixing the house, we put into our business. Essentially we have gutted the place and started from scratch.

For a while we thought we’d need to move back in but in my absolute core, above all the practical reasons, I knew I didn’t want to go back there - in life, we need to move forward and not go back to revisit the past. Moving back would send us back to 2007.

In August we took up a housesitting opportunity in the Perth Hills, and then another in the foothills.

Photo: While housesitting in the hills, we were blessed with fresh produce and jonquils

The second housesit was a friend’s gift to us, to help us out as we had no where to go. Unfortunately it was quite a nightmare, with all our belongings in storage we didn’t even have a bed so slept on separate couches for nearly three months. We rented an office where I could work, but coming home was depressing.

Partly renovated with aging carpet, there were bugs and dust which greatly affected our health, and I couldn’t stand eating in that environment let alone eating high raw. We dropped to about 70% raw, and I’ve since put on some of the weight I’d worked so hard to lose the previous year.

We repaired our house to a pleasant and sellable state, and I am overjoyed to say that it is now sold! Unfortunately at a loss, but given it’s condition we are thrilled. Thank you, Universe!

Three weeks ago, we moved into our fourth house in five months. This time it’s our own place - a beautiful original Mid-Century Modern home, close to the city, river and beside bushland so we can go for walks. We have river views and the fresh ocean breezes - not to mention a very healthy and blooming fig tree out back! YUM!

What significant events happened to you in 2009?
Read Part Four: Learnings from a decade past.

In celebration of the new year and 2010, I’ve decided to reflect on the past decade. This is part two in a series of four.  Read the intro, part three and part four.
A New Millennium - With my new beau Chris, we saw in the new Millennium. Alas, I was on crutches with a broken foot and Chris had glandular fever! I moved into an adorable little apartment shortly after new years.

Still studying our Bachelor’s degrees, we had the luxury of spending time relaxing and socialising. My first day of summer school (January) began on crutches, as I had broken my foot just before Christmas, and I spend next 18 months studying secondary education alongside my full time english / writing degree.

2001 - Much of the year was spent organising a massive IT Expo with our student computing club, which was held on the 10th September 2001.

The following evening, relaxing by watching and video taping “Lock, Stock…” on ABC when it was rudely interrupted by the CNN news just as the second plane hit the WTC. Terrified at what was unfolding, I called Chris at the student club and begged him to come over - but he didn’t believe what I was saying. My neighbour had been working in the remote desert outback with no media access. A single call had told her very vaguely what had happened. When she returned, I lent her the tape. It was very strange watching her freshly relive the horror we had done that night. I still have the tape, though never watched it.

In hindsight, we are all too familiar with this imagery and the consequences of the event. I am certain all of you can remember what you were doing this day.

I graduated from University, just short of my double degree in Education, opting to take my degree in English and Creative Writing, and get working!

Working Hard - In 2002, Chris and I officially moved in together, and into the bigger apartment next door. I started working at the Bell Tower (which, by the way, was incredibly fun despite my fear of heights!) and then moved on to a University as an E-Learning Specialist (combining my tech savvy with my writing and teaching skills).

We joined a gym, and indulged in organic food as members of an organic food co-op. Organic food was still quite underground, and our coop was small group of local people who would visit the commercial produce markets every Thursday to buy from the 2-3 organic sellers there. I just loved the randomness of the boxes, with it’s seasonal food and designing new recipes on the whim of what we got! Isn’t it strange to think that it wasn’t too long ago we couldn’t buy organics at our local store! I really miss the community and fun of being in a small co-op.

We also indulged in pizza and beer on the weekends, which coupled with the inactivity of desk job, had both of us put on weight, me considerably.

A New Home - Building commenced on our first home in 2003. Very close to the beach and on the outskirts of the city, it was to be our getaway, a beachside retreat every day. Finally getting the keys was my birthday present in June 2004. Around the same time, we returned to university supporting each other in studying our Master’s degree (whilst working full time).

Photo - My cousin giving Grandma a bunch of flowers at Christmas

I experienced great loss as my beloved Grandma passes away, and her cat Kimmie comes to live with us.

International Travel - Travelling overseas for the first time, we both attend the Apple World Wide Developers Conference on scholarship in San Francisco!

Photo - Steve Jobs telling us there’s no more Power PC.

Sadly we were only there for 12 days, but were mesmerised by the city! My writing draws inspiration from beat literature, so I was thrilled to visit the infamous City Lights Bookstore and the Haight/Ashbury region.

Photo: You’re know you’re in San Francisco when you’re greeted by nude cyclists and skaters.

At the time we didn’t know about the Raw and Vegan restaurants, and instead had terrible food everywhere - big, greasy, SAD food (except in Haight/Ashbury where I tried my first Tamale (vegan) - OMG, I’ve never seen one here and yet to achieve the same greatness of that first one in my own cooking!).

On coming home, we unknowingly ate raw for about a month, desperate to get fresh alive foods into us!

We’d thought about getting married but as geeks had generally opted for the latest computer upgrade. At Christmas, we finally took the plunge and got engaged (me doing the surprise proposal, because we’d chosen my ring together and Chris was making no secret about what he was going to do!)

Eh, Bro? - Mid-2006 I travel with my Mum to New Zealand, attending a conference organised by the remarkable Lynsey Gedye and Marica Sevelj (link: http://freshnewday.net/). We fall in love with Wellington, the people, culture and city itself. I vow to return there again soon!

Whilst I’m in NZ, Chris is attending a local photography conference where he first learns about Raw Food. As long term vegetarians, this is exactly what we have been looking for and we decide to go raw after our wedding the following year.

Love & Marriage - I marry my sweetheart on April 14, 2007 in a beautiful handfasting ceremony in Fremantle.

Photo: Last kiss…

Living on the outskirts of the city has not working, we’ve been stressed and are living very unhealthy - stressed, lack of sleep, lack of food and nutritious food at that. We move inner-city, go 100% RAW, and after years of just working our asses off, feel our LIFE really begins! As they say, “live food, live bodies” !

Going Raw - So many things led to this point, but going raw is by far the pivotal event of the decade. Starting at the very foundations of life - what we put in our bodies - has expanded out into a lifestyle, community, and my life’s work. The clarity returns me to my roots, my passion for writing and teaching, and I start fitness training - getting an outlet for all the energy I get from being raw.

What events have been pivotal to your life this decade?
Read Part Three: 2009 - A year of blessings and hardships.

Happy New Year!

The “noughties” have been an incredible decade of growth and learning for myself - a ‘coming of age’ if you wish! How has it been for you?

I have always liked that I was born in the 9th year of the decade - for one thing, it makes it easy for me to remember how old I am each year! It’s being on the cusp of something brilliant as each decade holds new promises, emerging cultures and a distinct period of life.

Last night, as Chris and I sat and watched the blue moon cross the southern skies, I thought about generations and decades in a different way - being born in 1979, I’ve just welcomed in a fourth decade whilst Chris, born 1980, has just seen his third.

Generationally, we don’t fit the stereotype of Gen X or Gen Y - I’ve always said we’re the “XY’s”! We settled down into coupled life, yet adept and early adopters of new technologies. We enjoy an inner city late night lifestyle, learning the hard way that the suburban paradise is not for us.

To celebrate this new decade, I’d like to reflect on past years, and the significant things that have made me who I am today.

I’ll be doing this over a series of 4 posts today, they are:

Part 2: Noughty or nice?

Part 3: 2009 - A year of blessings and hardships

Part 4: Learnings from a decade past

I look forward to reading your reflections!

~Kate

The last four weeks have been hectic beyond belief, with Chris doing a major photo job and being up until 3am, 4am even 7am most days of the week, and if he’s awake I just can’t sleep even on the other side of the house with the door shut! Work has been crazy with the shut down of a major system and I had a huge stress out over part of that project last week that I felt like throwing the towel in on life itself. I’m over that feeling now and looking ahead to - Christmas!

With all the crazyness lately, we haven’t been eating well, which makes us feel more horrible, and now the house looks like a bomb hit it. So to find inspiration, I’ve turned to the web. Well, I lie - to find distraction I turned to the web, but I found inspiration instead!

I’ve been avoiding cleaning by catching up with posts on Raw Food Right Now, responding to the post about Christmas, crying my eyes out and wanting to send so many hugs as I caught up with Heidi’s trauma with her teeth (things have been so hectic I’ve barely been ‘really’ online in a month, and hadn’t seen this post), but then finding inspiration with their Extreme Cleanup in 24 hours!

As I said, my house looks like a bomb hit it. Here’s proof - (10 minutes later… things are so messy I couldn’t find the camera transfer cable so had to re-take the photos with my iPhone!)

It’s currently 4:15pm on Tuesday, and Christmas is being celebrated at our place on Thursday –  that is 42 hours to get the house cleaned.  So I have time to relax on Christmas Eve, my cleaning and organising timeframe is just 26 hours!

So inspired by Heidi and JS’s leet organising skillz, I’m going to declare to everyone what I need to do and get back to you in 24 hours to let you know how ready we are for Christmas!

Things I’ve done so far…

- Given away 2 washing baskets full of ‘fat’ clothes that I can’t wear anymore!  These are all my size 24-26 clothes that just don’t fit me anymore.  I’ve given away all my winter clothes too, including some jumpers I love and could still wear, because by the time winter comes around in June I will be needing a whole new ’skinny’ wardrobe!

- Organised clothing into my casual, my work wear, chris clothes, other bits.

- Found the Christmas Tree and started putting it up.  I still can’t find the decorations though! They are still packed from when we moved house 18 months ago. I have wrapped presents too.

- Started soaking seeds and nuts to make our lunch.

- Put up some cute decorations that I’ve been meaning to do for, oh, about a year!  I’m really feeling that 2008 has just flown by…

- Weeded the front path and driveway.

So I’ve already started with some extreme cleaning (making way for new clothes by passing on the old) and I’m getting on with the general psycho-house-cleaning that comes with being the host of the holiday family get-together!

What I intend to achieve by 4pm tomorrow is:

- Bedroom: new organic bedclothes put on, side tables cleaned with items moved to their proper location and not just shoved in drawers! Continue laundry of all dirty clothes.  Put the clothes I am keeping back into the wardrobe.

- Lounge: Tidy coffee table, dust and polish all furniture, organise decorative shelves, finish putting up Christmas cards, tidy the sofas, put up one of Chris’ photographs (this has been put off for months…)

- Kitchen: Ooooh…. this is the most daunting, but the one that feels best when finally done!  Put away the clean dishes, wash the rest of the dirty dishes and put away, super wash the kitchen benches, clean the fridge, clean the pantry (again…), organise the cupboards, clean all surfaces.

- Open plan living / dining area: dust and polish everything. Put away christmas wrapping stuff, throw paper rubbish out, put rubber under dining table to stop it moving on the tiles, put the stuff on the sofa where it’s supposed to go, find the tree decorations and finish doing the christmas tree.

- Laundry/Bathrooms: Clean and tidy any mess, wipe down all chrome fixtures.

- Front of house: Mulch, plant new plants (dwarf lemon, chilis, some pretty flowers), prune existing plants, feed roses, harvest passionfruit, sweep, find a way to keep the wasps at bay (there’s a nest right outside our front door and we don’t have the money to pay for them to be got rid of!).

- Back courtyard (pictured above, as you can see its tiny): clean BBQ, clean table, get rid of cobwebs, weed, make plants happy (it is summer, they’re all burnt out due to water restrictions), put up fairy lights.

- Home office / bedrooms: tidy but unfortunately these will have to wait until next week to get an extreme clean.

- PREPARE FOOD!  As Chris is working we need to go to the shops to buy fresh food, thankfully our favourite conventional produce shop is open 24 hours tonight (in Perth, no proper shops are open 24 hours) so once the fridge is cleaned we’ll get over there and pick up everything we need

Ok it’s now 4:42pm - I’ll breathe slowly and calm down, I will get through it all!  I have a distraction from 7-8pm (dancing class - but that’s another post) and we’ll probably go get food after that, so I should start on the kitchen first.

So now I’ve made a list, checked it twice (yeah, I’m a dag) and feeling a lot more inspired - so I’m off to tackle the kitchen!

Will check back in 24 hours and let you know how I’ve gone!  Is anyone else doing extreme cleaning for Christmas?  What do you need to get done?

~ Kate