About the Convent – Page 8 – CONVENT AND CHAPEL

Kandos Centenary Celebrations

Published on June 3, 2014June 3, 2014 by conventandchapelLeave a comment

100 years ago, Kandos was born. Kandos has a different history to most Australian towns as it was basically founded as a “private” town. A number of entrepreneurs decided it was the ideal location for a cement works and bought parcels of land which they used for their cement works, as well as subdividing blocks to sell off to workers. Before then Kandos did not exist – basically, they named and built their own town centred around what is known locally as “The Works”.

This makes Kandos unique as both a twentieth century town and having a basis more as an industrial and private town, unlike so many towns that were based on pastoral activities. Anyway, this year marks Kandos’ centenary – somewhat ironic as the cement works that so defined the town have now closed down and the main buildings for the works will also be demolished this year.

It is an exciting but also somewhat daunting time for the town as it now finds its feet independently – somewhat like an adolescent leaving parents. The town has so much going for it in terms of natural beauty, closeness to Sydney (3 hours), a wonderful welcoming community with so may activities to be involved in and very reasonable real estate prices that are yet to catch up with some of the other more trendy regions.

Over the long weekend in October, many activities have been planned to help celebrate 100 years of Kandos and many Kandos expats are expected to return for the celebrations. The Convent is also participating by opening the garden and doors for Sunday and Monday, which means no slacking off with the gardening! I’m hoping locals and ex’s will bring along copies of photos of their family at the Convent – weddings, Christenings, school photos … to help build a social history of the Convent.

The Convent has now had a few “opens” to the community and it is always so rewarding to have people come along and tell their stories. For now, it’s making sure I have the garden at its best for October.

A Day at the Auctions – well, Online

Published on May 2, 2014 by conventandchapelLeave a comment

An unexpected bargain - an old iron kerosine stand makes a wonderful stand for a candle in the Cloisters. — An unexpected bargain – an old iron kerosine lamp stand makes a wonderful stand for a candle in the Cloisters.

Over the weekend, one of the major quality auction houses, Vickers and Hoad, held a massive auction of the contents from an historic old homestead in Maitland in the Hunter Valley.

It was obviously sad for the family to see their old home go as well as all the contents and I believe the family had been there for many generations. This also meant that quality old items would be on sale with the downside being that the sale would attract heaps of buyers (which also usually means inflated prices).

A rather splendid bird's eye maple frame for a large engraving of Mary of Scotland Mourning, complete with a priest and Bishop. — A rather splendid bird’s eye maple frame for a large engraving of Mary of Scotland Mourning, complete with a priest and Bishop now at home in the dining room.

The auction houses are well organised for online bidders, with the catalogues going online a few days before, complete with photos, descriptions and usually a price guide. Since being in the country, I’ve been using absentee bid forms and often felt I’ve just missed out on many items, so am now venturing into the world of live online bidding, which is a great system, watching the auction live and having screen facilities tracking the bids and letting you enter your own bid and confirming if it’s the highest. But it also can be dangerous if you don’t hold to a strong discipline.

Armed with my list of “interesting” lots, I spent a long day (yes, it takes up a lot of the day if you sit through the whole auction) for a slow paced auction (only slow because of the number of bidders – in the room, absentee and online). It was a bumper day in terms of high sales for the owners and auctioneers, but also a rewarding one for me as I managed to gain some gems.

A very rustic French provincial antique walnut side table.

I limited myself to smaller items that would fit in the car as courier costs are prohibitive. That being said, I missed out on many but ended up with a successful day. One of the aspects of antique auctions I enjoy is learning more. I’m not too bad on styles, periods, some of the manufacturers but there are always more levels of detail. This auction I learnt about bird’s eye maple, that provides a rather splendid frame surrounding a large engraving now hanging in the dining room. I also discovered reverse glass painting which happens to be the style used in a small painting featuring nuns.

Other purchases included:

an small antique oak hall table
a small rustic French provincial walnut side table
a very rustic painted timber bird cage
two gorgeous old copper pots for outside
a character-filled iron kerosine lamp stand which looks right at home on the back verandah

A small brass spark screen for the fireplace under restoration.

All in all, a great day which meant a very long day following as I made my way to Maitland and back to collect my items. The exercise was badly marred by my first kangaroo kill. So far I must have avoided 20 or 30 roos on the road and prided myself of taking care. Unfortunately I was not so lucky this time and didn’t have a chance to miss the poor kangaroo. No damage to the car, but lots of tears and guilt which took some of the shine off the auction results.

A very rustic old painted bird cage which has taken up residence in the garden.

Preserving a Few Things

Published on April 26, 2014 by conventandchapelLeave a comment

Picking the basil before the frosts hit. Lots of frozen pesto getting put away.

The veg patch is a bit quiet at the moment as the Summer veg has finished and I replenish the beds for Winter. That being said, there are a few gems that are worthy of extended use.

The chillies are abundant at the moment, particularly the orange Siam, the tiny bird’s eye Thai and the Jalapeño, so some bottled chilli stuff seems like a good idea. I already have chilli oil in bottles so am trying Chilli Jam for the first time. Some Sweet Chilli Sauce is also going into the pantry.

The tarragon has gone into white wine vinegar for future cooking escapades and the basil is contributing to pesto.

Tarragon Vinegar should be a good addition to the pantry.

Blessed are the Cheesemakers – Part II

Published on April 14, 2014 by conventandchapel2 Comments

Turning the whey - after gently heating milk and mixing in rennet and bacteria or starter. Then letting it set a little and cutting it. — Turning the whey – after gently heating milk and mixing in rennet and bacteria or starter. Then letting it set a little and cutting it.

Last year my friend and I attended introductory cheese making classes at High Valley Wine and Cheese at Mudgee run by The Cheesemaking Workshop and had a wonderful time making soft cheeses, including camembert, fetta, ricotta, quark, marscapone and yogurt. Over the weekend we ventured into advanced cheese making with hard cheese such as cheddar, havarti, haloumi as well as mozzarella and blue vein.

I think this was the mozzarella. Note how this has thickened into a single "blob" rather than the creamy curds. — I think this was the mozzarella. Note how this has thickened into a single “blob” rather than the creamy curds.

Draining the whey so we can set the cheese in hoops.

Lots of fun and lots to learn. It’s continually surprising to see the different varieties you can produce with the same base ingredients but different temperatures, techniques, timing and, of course, bugs. Anyway, at a fast pace we worked on five cheeses in teams of five and had the opportunity to mix, cut, turn, heat, wash and drain whey to come home with multiple cheeses to mature before eating. Some of the cheeses such as haloumi and mozzarella can be made and eaten the same day.

Draining cheese in hoops. I believe this is the haloumi.

I already usually have yogurt and ricotta in the fridge and churn any spare cream into butter rather than throw it out, but now plan to expand the efforts considerably. The mozzarella an haloumi will be great additions for the fridge.

I’d encourage anyone to give it a go. Whilst it’s much easier after attending classes and buying a kit, it’s also something that can be picked up after a bit of research and practice.

A sample plate of the cheeses we learnt at the workshop.

Dogs and Gardens

Published on April 9, 2014 by conventandchapel4 Comments

Probably about half a garden bed, including seedlings that were just taking hold.

Not sure I can say a lot more. Popcorn likes to help garden. Dogs who garden are not a great asset, particularly with veg beds. And he’s a big dog. But I love him.

Coming Home – The Return of the Statues

Published on April 9, 2014April 9, 2014 by conventandchapelLeave a comment

At one point early in the purchase of the Convent, the local priest offered me the return of the cross as a housewarming present. Today, not only the cross, but also Mary and St Joseph made a welcome return to the Convent.

Mary and Joseph have been rehoused in their niches and Jesus needs brackets installed to place him back in the Chapel. A great day for the Convent and I hope the statues are happy to be back.

Autumn Garden Preparations

Published on April 7, 2014 by conventandchapel2 Comments

A beautiful iceberg rose just after rain

The refreshed raised garden beds. This one has turnip and betroot seedlings however one of the residents has been doing some gardening in the beetroots overnight.

The garden clearly has required attention post Summer as veg like tomatoes and zucchini have died down after their premium fruiting period. Some of the other veg have limped along with the hazards faced over a difficult Kandos Summer with hail, followed by a massive dry period and strange bugs. Anyway, over the last month I have cleared out the old veg, extended the colorbond fence bed and replanted with vigour.

Hundreds of freesia bulbs are planted under the old cottoneaster - they are now peeking through. — Hundreds of freesia bulbs are planted under the old cottoneaster – they are now peeking through.

In regards to the non-edible but beautiful beds, I have gone to town with bulbs. Last year I invested in daffodils around trees (small and new as the trees are), snowdrops, grape hyacinths, as well as some normal hyacinths. The old cottoneaster had a healthy planting of grape hyacinths and many freesias. This year I have added to the beautiful deep Delft Blue Hyacinths, probably more than doubled the freesias under the cottoneaster with another 180 plus bulbs, added 100 bluebells to the garden (no idea why I didn’t plant any last year!), planted ranunculus and anenomes in the front circular garden bed, whilst adding Autumn crocuses to completely fill out the edges, given the success of the incumbents and supplemented another 100 plus of the hard-working grape hyacinths. The high profile bulbs are the 40 saffron crocuses I’ve added, which I hope will at least provide some saffron to the kitchen larder.

The never-ending garden bed down the colorbond fence - it just keeps being extended. Later it will also be home to potatoes. — The never-ending garden bed down the colorbond fence – it just keeps being extended. Later it will also be home to potatoes.

The veg beds are mostly cleared (some I don’t quite have the heart to pull out yet) and I’ve taken advantage of the significantly extended colorbond fence bed, to plant: lots of beetroot (I tend to hedge my bets with seedlings and seeds, which I can claim to be staggering planting but is more due to lack of confidence- and dogs), carrots – several varieties, mini cauliflower, broccoli, onions (red, brown and white), garlic, celery, celeriac, turnip, swede, parsnip, radishes … and probably more. Anyway, I’ve done my best in preparation for Winter veg. Beds are cleared, weeded, topped up and planted.

The flowering beds have been weeded, mulched and fed. A little more mulch is required to finish off, but otherwise I’m pretty happy with the garden.

The next garden challenges are to finish off the front garden bed along the wall. It looks great now but that’s because the salvias are at their best. These will soon die down and currently make up the middle layer of the bed. The roses and shrubs near the wall will hold their own but the smaller front layer of ground covers and smaller plants is non-existent. I need to put some thought into what will go here and how it needs to look good during the different seasons. I also still have the privet hedge to continue restoring and a small tree grove to establish. I’m not even thinking of the vacant block next door at this stage!

The garden is always a challenge but always fascinating and rewarding in how it changes and the opportunities it presents each season.

I'm liking the white flowers against the Convent with cosmos and icebergs. Two white Pope John Paul roses flank the front entry as well. The spade and bucket are marking where I will be planting two standard wisteria under the arched windows. — I’m liking the white flowers against the Convent with Cosmos and Icebergs. Two white Pope John Paul roses flank the front entry as well. The spade and bucket are marking where I will be planting two standard wisteria under the arched windows.

The Next Wave of Renovation

Published on March 31, 2014 by conventandchapel3 Comments

The original bathroom. Drummy and cracked tiles are removed. Hope the ones on order match!

After the flurry of activity last year, I’ve just sat back and enjoyed the Convent with it’s freshly painted interior, polished floors, carpeted bedrooms, curtains and some furniture. It’s been nice having the place to myself and not having to make decisions and co-ordinate the tradies for a while.

The fibre sheeting partially removed from the fireplace in the dining room. Looks in good condition. The original tiles are intact. — The fibro sheeting partially removed from the fireplace in the dining room. Looks in good condition. The original tiles are intact.

However, there is still much to be done at the Convent and I’m moving into the next phase, which is a bit scary. The main things are:

the two separate toilets, one of which needs a handbasin added
fixing the tiling in the original bathroom, which is still in condition with its tiles
opening two fireplaces and making them functional
building a large eat-in kitchen in a new room
lighting throughout the building – there are few light fittings worth keeping and a good share of fluorescent tubing

Some of the preparation has started and I’m keen to get done what I can this year. The aim is to retain original features where they still remain.

I’m also starting to add to the furniture, given this is a pretty big place to furnish. One of the challenges is that although there are lots of rooms, none of them are particularly large. Quite a bit of the period furniture I like has been made for much larger houses so I need to choose smaller pieces when they come up. I’m finding the auction houses particularly useful and good value however given my distance I’m limited to absentee bids with all viewing done over the internet, so it can be a little hit and miss at times. I’m just very careful to bid conservatively in case it’s not quite up to expectations. So far there have been few disappointments with purchases (although many disappointments with pieces I’ve missed out on for want of another $10 or $20 but wasn’t there for the live bidding).

All in all, the Convent is coming along nicely and is looking very much like a comfortable home with its own character.

The fireplace in the lounge room has been bricked in for many years but will soon be reopened.

Home Cooking

Published on March 24, 2014 by conventandchapelLeave a comment

Baked ricotta with Convent salad dressed with apricot vinaigrette

A good friend came up for the weekend, providing an opportunity to prepare some rustic meals. Being on my own means I’m sometimes a little lazy cooking for myself and look forward to taking an extra step when I have visitors. I should entertain more here and also be a little more adventurous with my meals.

Anyway, it’s just starting to chill a little here in the mornings and nights so warming food is welcome. Pumpkin soup and homemade bread always goes down well and is easy to get on the table with minimum fuss. Making a big batch means I can have my own portions from the freezer any night (especially if I’m out in the garden until dark falls).

I haven’t made apple pie for ages so this was a good chance. Maybe next time I’ll scale down the pie dish from enormous size to something more practical for two.

I like to have yoghurt and homemade bread here for guests and this time I also extended to ricotta, all of which are super easy. The ricotta turned itself into baked ricotta after adding eggs, parmesan, semidried tomatoes (homemade, of course), olives and fresh garden basil. A salad of garden veg rounded off the meal.

We finished with more apple pie and ice-cream, topped with homemade strawberry syrup (again using Convent strawberries).

All in all, a satisfying culinary weekend. I’m keen to extend my cheese repertoire in practice for our next cheese making class.

Apple pie with homemade strawberry syrup - because the apple pie wasn't sewwt enough?!? — Apple pie with homemade strawberry syrup – because the apple pie wasn’t sweet enough?!?

Flowers

Published on March 14, 2014 by conventandchapelLeave a comment

Dahlias - a box of bulbs was anonymously left at my bad gate — Dahlias – a box of bulbs was anonymously left at my back gate

One of the great pleasures of having a flourishing garden is being able to regularly pick bunches of flowers for inside. It means I can enjoy aspects of the garden just as much when I am in the Convent – but without the guilt of feeling I’ve stripped the garden of its beauty.

Fresh flowers are such a treat and every few days I freshen up a few vases. I’m not quite at the picking baskets of flowers stage, and some of my vases are small, but it still seems a luxury and pleasure.

There are always some roses to pick. These are my signature Good Samaritans

Once the roses are established, they should contribute generously, although I haven’t planted specific cut rose varieties. The dahlia’s are a delight and picking them just encourages more flowers.

The Lisianthas have been a surprise and delight as a change

It also highlights the garden changes during the seasons as I’ve moved from the agapanthas to the Tansy in one bed, now roses and dahlias, with the bulbs providing a totally different opportunity.

One of the side benefits is the excuse to collect some lovely vases for displaying the arrangements (not that I can “arrange”)!