Natural Fibre Fashion Awards at the Henty Machinery Field Days

The Natural Fibre Fashion Awards at the Henty Machinery Field Days this year on 17^th, 18^th & 19^th September, with the judging on the 19^th September. 

The Natural Fibre Fashion Awards are open to all, there is no entry fee. The prize money totals $3500, and a Brother Sewing Machine as an Encouragement Award.

 

This year is a big year for Henty – it’s Henty’s 50^th year of Field Days, and  the 10^th Natural Fibre Fashion Awards. 

  If you are interested in entering or for any other information about the Natural Fibre Fashion Awards please contact on 0428690222 or email lyn.jacobsen@bigpond.com.

Domestic and Family Violence App Available to Download Now

The Aurora domestic and family violence app is available now for free download for people experiencing domestic and family violence or for those worried about their relationship. It is also a valuable resource for those worried that a friend or family member is experiencing domestic and family violence.

The app was developed by Women NSW and contains useful and potentially life-saving information including emergency contacts, information on the sorts of behaviour considered to be domestic and family violence, as well as vital information and links to support services available in NSW.

Importantly, the app also allows the user to message their trusted friends and family members or call emergency services immediately – with the touch of a button.

The Aurora app has been built with numerous safety features that allow women to use it discreetly and seek assistance without risk of “tipping off” a perpetrator and endangering themselves. It was developed in consultation with NSW Police and experts from the domestic violence sector, including the Women’s Refuge Movement.

Aurora is available now and free to download from the iPhone App Store and the Android Google Play Store.

Alternatively, if you have a QR Reader on your phone (e.g. the ScanLife free app) scan the QR code below to download the app straight to your phone.

Mama Mia Clickable Women - Vote for Jane Cay from Birdsnest

Why?

Read her interview here and vote

Paris to Monaro

31 May - 11 August 2013

Paris to Monaro tells the story of one of the many 20th century settlers of the Australian Capital Territory and surrounding region, the cosmopolitan Australian painter Hilda Rix Nicholas, who came here with a rich personal history and wide experience of the world.

Hilda Rix Nicholas was in London when she cut out a newspaper clipping about the establishment of Canberra in 1913. After travelling widely overseas between 1907 and 1926, she came home with her paintings and exotic mementos, and in 1927 came to Canberra to paint on Red Hill and Mount Pleasant. The following year she married Edgar Wright, whose grandfather had owned Lanyon. They moved to his property, Knockalong, near Delegate, and together established a flourishing homestead.

Hilda Rix Nicholas's large, high‑coloured paintings and drawings of her family and friends in the Monaro landscape will be shown for the first time at the National Portrait Gallery. Paris to Monaro will also include artefacts, furniture, garments, souvenirs and ephemera brought directly from the studio she designed and created for herself at Knockalong. Part of this magical studio will be recreated in the exhibition.

For more information visit www.npg.gov.au 

A must see for Delegate girls, especially those who grew up next door to Knockalong, like me.

Baking Day Laughs

Looking for recipes today as its a baking day for me.  Loving the Chicken Leek and Mushroom Pie from the FiFi Report 

Made me laugh and its my way of cooking - easy.

(Of course I don't swan around in designer labels but we can dream)

It’s getting cold. It’s getting wintry. Time for making pies. Don’t be afraid. It’s easy. Buy the pastry. Cook chicken, leek and mushroom. Cut pastry. Put chicken in. Pop on lid. Cook. Eat.

You need for 4 pies ( enough for 30 models, 2 men, 4 hungry gourmands):

1 tablespoon olive oil
50g butter
1 leek, sliced
200g button mushrooms, chopped
2 x 200g chicken breast fillets, trimmed and chopped
sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
6 sheets store-bought butter puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten

• Preheat oven to 200ºC.
• Find a baking tray and moisterise with butter and oil
• Climb into fur coat
• Pull on ugg boots
• Tuck Hermes scarf into Cashmere sweater (stops it dipping into cooking)
• Pour a wine
• Take off long Burberry gloves
• Take out the frozen pastry. Think of your feet. Frozen
• Chop the leek up into the size of the credit left on the Amex. Not much
• Chop up the mushrooms into the size of Gucci buckle (big)
• Chop up chicken into the size of Marni bauble (bitesize)
• Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over high heat. You want it hot,baby, hot
• Toss in the naughty delicious butter, the leek and mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. Smells divine
• Throw in the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes until sealed and lightly browned as an Hermes bag. Don’t cook through; it will do that in the oven.
• Taste, lick fingers, and then add lots of salt, pepper and mustard and do it again (taste/lick fingers)
• Give it a little mix.
• You are now going to make the pie and play with pastry
• You may need another wine for that. Just one.
• Pull out the pastry and find a cookie cutter for 14cm. You won’t have that so find a bowl or a glass about 14cm to use to cut out the rounds (the base of the pie)
• Cut out about 4.
• Now you are going to cut out the pastry tops for pies ; they should be about 16cm round  note top is bigger than the bottoms. Think big top small bottom. Pamela Anderson)
• Pop the smaller rounds as the base of the pies on the baking tray
• Plop the chicken mix in the middle of each one and then put the pastry lid on.
• Hint: not too much in each pie or it will spill and leak out when it’s cooking.
• This means cover it with the bigger rounds and press edges together to make it a real live pie. (yes; use your fingers).
• If you are feeling very snazzy and Nigella like then you can brush the pastry with egg.
• If you are feeling too pissed brush your hair.
• Throw in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until as golden as Gwyneth.
• Serve with a green salad and a crusty bread and a glass of wine …Then light the fire..

Applications Open for JB Fairfax Award for Rural Journalism

If you are a student who is passionate about pursuing a career in rural 

journalism applications are now open for the Royal Agricultural Society 

of NSW (RAS) Foundation JB Fairfax Award for Rural Journalism.

 

The JB Fairfax Award for Rural Journalism aims to unearth an aspiring 

young writer who is dedicated to sharing the stories of rural and regional 

Australia. The successful recipient will receive a scholarship of $10,000 

and practical work experience at Rural Press and the Sydney Royal Easter 

Show.

Each JB Fairfax Award for Rural Journalism scholarship applicant is 

required to submit a feature article of up to 1,200 words which explores a 

contemporary issue, trend or activity of interest to rural and regional 

communities, as well as a 600 word news item on a set topic.

 

Interested applicants are encouraged to visit www.rasnsw.com.au/programs

  to find out more about the JB Fairfax Award for Rural Journalism and to 

complete the online application form.

 

Applications close 30 September and the scholarship recipients will be 

announced in early 2014.

 

The RAS Foundation is a philanthropic foundation which seeks to encourage 

educational opportunity and foster vibrant and sustainable rural and 

regional communities by supporting quality youth and community programs.

 

Visit www.rasf.org.au for more information on the RAS Foundation.

Applications Open For Sydney Royal Dairy Produce Scholarship

Are you a student who is passionate about forging a career in the NSW dairy industry? Applications are now open for the annual Sydney Royal Dairy Produce Scholarship.  

 

The Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Produce Show has partnered with the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) Foundation, with a vision to assist the development of Australia’s next generation of dairy industry leaders. 

Now in its second year, the Sydney Royal Dairy Produce Scholarship was made possible by a donation from long-time Sydney Royal award-winning producer, Country Valley.

  

Interested applicants are encouraged to visit www.rasnsw.com.au/programs  to find out more about the Sydney Royal Dairy Produce Scholarship and to complete the online application form. 

 

Applications close 30 September, 2013 and the Scholarship will be awarded in February 2014.

Time is Running Out in the Search for Hidden Treasures in Rural NSW

Nominating a rural woman for the Hidden Treasures Honour Roll is a great way to celebrate rural women from across NSW who give so much of their time to improving our communities and neighbourhoods. You can nominate a friend, family member, colleague, community worker – any rural woman who you believe makes your community a better place to live.

The theme for 2013 National Volunteers Week is ‘Thanks A Million.’

All women nominated will be included in the 2013 Hidden Treasures Honour Roll, which will be launched at the annual NSW Rural Women’s Gathering at Scone, on October 25 – 27.

 

To nominate a rural woman, complete your nomination online at: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/rwn or you can request a nomination form by emailingrural.women@dpi.nsw.gov.au or contacting the Centre for Volunteering on 02 9261 3600 or the Rural Women’s Network on 02 6391 3620.

 

Nominations close Friday 16 August 2013.

Domestic and Family Violence Reforms

It Stops Here: reforms aim to end domestic and family violence

Over the next four weeks, the general public will have the chance to read and comment on proposed reforms aimed at stopping domestic and family violence in NSW on the Have Your Say website www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au

The new It Stops Here: Standing together to end domestic and family violence reforms were developed in close consultation with more than 300 representatives from more than 50 organisations in the domestic and family violence sector, including the NSW Women’s Refuge Movement, the Women Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service, the Department of Family and Community Services, the NSW Police Force, the NSW Ministry of Health, and special service providers that support Aboriginal communities and, people with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) communities.

The reforms introduce a unified and consistent level of support based around individual needs. This will be achieved through:

• a policy framework that promotes a common understanding and response to domestic and family violence, including shared outcomes, overarching principles and a single definition of domestic and family violence
• on-the-ground initiatives such as minimum practice standards, a risk identification tool,  central referral points to guide people between services and safety action meetings where information about high-risk cases is shared to enable service providers to respond in a cohesive manner
• research to determine activities designed to support men, women, children and young people across all communities in NSW to understand and develop healthy, respectful relationships.

For a person facing domestic and family violence these initiatives will allow them to move between support agencies without having to repeat their story. They will also ensure they are always dealt with in a way that is respectful of their cultural beliefs or relationship choices.

The reforms were developed in parallel to the Domestic Violence Justice Strategy, which aims to hold perpetrators accountable and prevent re-offending.

For more information about the Reforms please contact vpcu@facs.nsw.gov.au 

Rhubarb Boutique With Benefits

Have you visited the Rhubarb Boutique with Benefits website yet?

Rhubarb is Caitlyn Hewitt's pride and joy.

Caitlyn is a gorgeous girl from Theodore, QLD with great sense of style.

Rhubarb provides country ladies everywhere a sweet taste of retail sensation.  "Rhubarb on the Run" also provides clients with a Rhubarb experience in their own homes or sports clubs to playgroups to schools to professional groups. You can add a chic twist to your fundraiser with Rhubarb Boutique attending.

If you follow Rhubarb on facebook there are loads competitions or giveaways as well.

Caitlyn has also just branched out doing facebook communications for any other business that would like to get their facebook page booming.   She also creates any promotional photographs and flyers as well.

Theodore is a town that suffered a massive blow due to the floods in 2011/2012 which resulted in loss of farming income in a farming supported town.

Follow Rhubarb and help Caitlyn build her online store

Check out the Rhubarb website here

Follow on facebook here

email Caitlyn here caitlyn@rhubarbboutique.com.au

Heureux Jour de Bastille

Because who doesn't love Paris

Watch John Denver sing A Country Girl in Paris here

Keep Calm and Let Go

So talking about forgiveness (you weren't?  Hmm maybe that was me).  We all have times when traumatic and difficult (crazy, bizarre) things happen to us (or our children).

Its a process (believe me), but here are some great ways to hopefully, eventually, when enough time has passed to forgive and move on.

 via

Stop trying for a while

If you’re trying hard and haplessly making zero progress, stop trying.  Stop trying and start being.  Instead of believing that you are not there yet, be grateful that you are right where you are meant to be at this moment.

Yes, by all means set goals and take steps in the right direction, but don’t disregard the steps as you take them – these steps are your life’s story.  Let go of all the needless trying and let yourself take these steps peacefully and mindfully.  Let go of the judgements, forgive the past, and let this moment be as incredible as it is.  

Be the watcher of your thoughts and emotions

Instead of trying to change our thoughts – via gratitude or deliberate forgiveness, for example – we need to simply notice our thoughts without getting caught up in them.
Knowing that your thoughts and emotions are just fleeting feelings that are independent of YOU will help ease your tension and increase your positive presence, allowing you to forgive and let go.

Love

Feeling sorry for yourself and sabotaging the present moment with resentful thoughts of the past won’t make anything better.  Hurting someone else will never ease your own inner angst.
If you’re disappointed with yourself or frustrated with someone else, the answer is not to take it out on the world around you.  Retribution, whether it’s focused on yourself or others, brings zero value into your life.
The way beyond the pain from the past is not with vengeance, mockery, bullying or retaliation, but with present love.
Forgive the past, forgive yourself, forgive others, and love the present moment for what it’s worth.  There are plenty of beautiful things to love right now; you just have to want to see them.  Loving is never easy, especially when times are tough, yet it is easily the most powerful and positively enduring action possible.
If you’re feeling pain, don’t take action that creates even more pain.  Don’t try to cover darkness with darkness.  Find the light.  Act out of love.  Do something that will enable you to move forward toward a more fulfilling reality.  There is always something good you can do.  There is always love to give.  Fill your heart with it and act in everyone’s best interest, especially your own.

 Seek positive revenge by living well (I love this one)

Are you contemplating revenge?  You know that’s a negative thinking getting the best of you.  However, there is a way to seek revenge positively.
How?  Forget about them.  Remember you.  Working on a better you is more fulfilling than hanging on to contempt of others.  Let it all go and hold on to your growth and kindness instead.  If you train yourself to consistently be more loving in thoughts and actions, your positive energy will attract more positive results into your current reality.
Be unlike the person or situation that hurt you.  Let go and grow past your pain.  Carry on living well in a way that creates peace in your heart.  The energy you would spend trying to get real revenge can be better spent creating an amazing future for yourself.
The bottom line is that the best revenge is happiness, because nothing drives your adversaries more insane than seeing a fresh smile on your face.

Find more ways here

What helps you move on?

I laughed while writing this because an add for Birdsnest came up on my screen.
I guess if all else fails - go shopping!!

Farmer of the Year Awards - Open for Nominations

Love this

Watch and nominate

The Australian Farmer of the Year Awards celebrate the highly professional, innovative and sustainable approach of our farmers and farming families, showcasing their passion and raising the profile of the important role they play in Australia.

The Awards are designed to promote a positive image of Australian farmers and farming families, inspire and encourage career choices and investment interest in Australian agriculture.

Read more here

Feedback Invited on the Glove Box Guide to Mental Health

The 2012 Glove Box Guide provided vital information about simple and effective strategies to promote and maintain mental health, sourced from significant mental health organisations and support services.  It also featured a number of personal stories of those who experience symptoms of mental illness and their pathway to recovery.  

 

To view go to: http://www.theland.com.au/theland/magazines/mentalhealth/

 

The Glove Box Guide was produced through a key partnership with The Land newspaper. The Land was created more than 100 years ago to discuss the problems of countrymen with knowledge and understanding. It is still The Land’s guiding premise today. 

 

The Glove Box Guide will again be produced by RAMHP and The Land in 2013. They need your feedback on the Guide to ensure we are we are providing timely and relevant mental health information to those who need it, and that it is meeting the needs of individuals and communities of rural and remote NSW. 

 

By providing your feedback you have the opportunity to influence the content of the next Guide. 

 

Please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FBHBZVJ to complete the online survey or alternatively, print and complete the attached pdf version and post to Lauren Dunkley, Locked Bag 6005, Orange 2800, before the 13^th July

Suicide Prevention in Rural Areas Survey

The Connected Communities Project is conducting community research to ascertain public opinion about what is required to reduce rural suicide rates?

You can complete the short survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3R87D9D

Your opinions are valued and may assist in getting services off the ground to help those in crisis or those who support others in crisis.

If you would like to be added to the mailing list or be involved in the Connected Communities Project please contact Ann-Maree Harlty atahartley@hartleypsych.com 

Meet Nel Hunter

Pop on over and visit Nel at her blog Nel Hunter

The motto she lives by is  "The ultimate aim of any success is to be happy at home." 

Nel didn't plan on being a farmer... "It just so happened she fell in love with this kind man who happened to work on his family farm."

Nel has been busy raising their 4 daughters, looking after their home and juggling off farm income but this year the farm is her 'creative project' focus, as she endeavours to learn more about how the farm is managed outside of the office.

Nel is intrigued with how little time we spend in the present moment and has lots of hobbies that inspire her to enjoy the incredible detail in each day. (Macro photography, writing, yoga teacher training study and meditation practice)

I love Nel's photos and the way she lives in the present moment.

Follow Nel on twitter here

Loving Nest of Pambula

Nest of Pambula was created in 2012 by sisters Kate, Rebecca, and Jen, on the far south coast of NSW.

Motivated by a passion for creating, and inspired by each other’s enthusiasm for making something unique and special.  Having small children, they appreciate their creative time together, and love making jewellery for others to wear and enjoy as much as they do!

Their website launched today so check out their site and enjoy 15% off all stock until 10pm tonight, (don't forget to enter 'nest' in the coupon code at checkout)

www.nestofpambula.com.au

Follow them on facebook here