*the old world

I think I’ve taken at least three pictures of this old mill over the past few years. Last time, it was surrounded by flowers, and I could see the owner’s little vegetable garden. It really is such a special place.

I’m back from a trip to the sea! I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make it. I had fever attacks every day before we left, and I still wasn’t feeling the way I had hoped I would by September. But we made it! And it was wonderful in so many ways. It wasn’t all easy, but I feel endlessly grateful to have had those days by the sea, breathing in the fresh sea air, just sitting there watching the waves and looking for little treasures along the shore. It was warm enough for me to swim almost every day. And on our last day, we found a secluded, untouched beach with a wild, untamed sea. Nature, seemingly forgotten by humanity, is one of the most beautiful things there is to me. Sadly, such places have become very rare. It felt unbelievably good to be there, as if invisible hands were gently wrapping themselves around us, embracing us in love and comforting us.

Over the last few days, my autonomic nervous system has been struggling again and my body is having a hard time regulating its temperature. Periods of being unable to maintain a healthy body temperature alternate with feverish episodes, and I feel very weak, shaky and dizzy, with my heart often racing. I have to stay in bed a lot again, but I’m trying to be patient and distract myself by going through old autumn photos. Maybe there’s something else going on as well. So many people are sick right now, and perhaps my body is fighting off some kind of bug too. It’s hard to tell. Let’s see what the next few days will bring, and I hope you’ve had a good start to October and are able to enjoy the fall!

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*my heart

My heart belongs to the wild meadows,

the deep forests,

and the untamed sea.

To the winds,

the birds,

and the stillness of the trees.

{Claudia Voglhuber}

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*A gentle end of summer

{Music: Bonsai – Gideon Matthew + Blood Moon – Gideon Matther + Subtle Moves – Dmitry Evgrafov}

Here's a little collection of gentle late summer moments I gathered for you.

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*plum season

The past few days I have been busy preserving plums. Despite the drought, it turned out to be a fabulous plum year! I have been making jam, and I made plum butter for the first time. The plum butter took so long to make that I don't think I will be making it again anytime soon. Finally, my long-awaited summer asters have started to bloom, along with another variety of dahlia. Our days are still hot and very dry. Only last night did it rain a little, so I am still busy watering the garden. Slowly but surely, though, I am looking forward to taking a break from gardening and being able to enjoy nature in other ways, like crocheting in the garden or going on more nature walks again. I am especially looking forward to collecting walnuts and looking for mushrooms, if the rain ever comes back to help them grow.

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*ceramics 25 | part 4

The last part of my little online ceramic show for now.

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*The first mist, myriads of starlings, late summer kitchen moments & finishing my ceramics

{Music: Nocturne II – Steven Gutheinz + No 10 Right as Rain – Andreas Hauschild + Go not against the wind – Goldmund + Bonsai – Gideon Matthew + Gentle Rivers – Gideon Matthew}

The end of summer feels like a mix of everything. We had our first misty morning, but also more hot and dry days. I focused on finishing my ceramics and had some calm moments in the kitchen, making vinegar from windfall apples, more tomato sauce, and finally trying the Italian almond cookies I had wanted to make for such a long time. All in all, I’m really enjoying the transition into fall and hope you are too!

Italian almond cookies

• 300g almond flour

(I used peeled almonds and ground them fresh)

• 90g powdered sugar

(I used raw cane sugar and half the amount)

• 1 large egg white

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 orange for grated zest

(I skipped the orange zest, because I did not have one at home)

Mix almond flour, powdered sugar, egg white, honey and the orange zest in a bowl. Stir with a spoon, then use your hands to gently squeeze and pinch the mixture together. Sprinkle 3 teaspoons of powdered sugar onto a plate and break off pieces of dough and roll them into small balls. Roll each ball in the powdered sugar and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Then gently press your thumb into the center of each ball, so the edges crack a little. Bake at 170ºC (340ºF) for 12 minutes.

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*ceramics 25 | part 3

A few more pieces from last year, made with black clay. 

This morning I unloaded the kiln and was very pleased with the results, especially with how the new blue clay turned out. It was my first time trying it, so I was really curious to see how it would look after firing. Looking forward to sharing some pictures with you, but I’ll need a little more time.

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*ceramics 25 | part 2

While I’m patiently waiting for the kiln to cool down, I’m sharing my ceramic angel series that I made last year. I can’t believe how quickly the days are getting shorter already. Soon it will be time for candlelight again!

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*the small details

When I opened the window in the morning, a pleasant breeze came into the room. Right now, the temperature is just perfect, and the wind feels so refreshing. It makes me really look forward to the fall days ahead of us. Almost all the apples have been rotting on the tree because of the intense weather, but I tried to cut off the parts that still looked good to start making some vinegar. Yesterday, I glazed my new ceramic pieces, and just a moment ago, I turned on the kiln. It took longer than expected to glaze all the pieces because of the many imprints I made, but now I’m really glad that everything is done and hopefully, the day after tomorrow, I’ll be able to hold the finished pieces in my hands.

When looking at the first black-and-white picture, the knothole in the wood of the barn, I was once again reminded of how much I prefer the little joys to the grand ones. Love lives in the smallest details. What do you think?

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*ceramics 25 | part 1

When I filled the kiln with all the new ceramic pieces I’ve made over the past few months, I realized that I never showed you the ceramics I made last year. So I decided to share at least some of them with you over the coming days. Some pieces you may have seen in previous videos or in my analogue photos, but it’s still nice to have some close-ups here before I finish my new pieces. I’ll unload the kiln today and hopefully be able to glaze them soon!

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*August & A cry of nature

 {Music: Evelyn – Goldmund + Ouendake – Goldmund + No 5 Simple dreams of us living one day at a time – Andreas Hauschild}

We are experiencing the driest and hottest summer on record. Wells are drying up, wildlife and nature are suffering immensely, and it leaves my heart heavy and concerned. The earth is either on fire or, at the other extreme, drowning. It is hard to stay positive. Nevertheless, I collected some calm moments around the house and garden while I’m patiently waiting for a bit of rain.

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*Akardy the elephant #3

As they say, all good things come in threes! I crocheted this little elephant in July and it will once again be a surprise gift for someone special.

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*shadows of the cosmos

Some more black-and-white photos from my latest roll of film.

Yesterday I was lying in the shade under the butterfly lilac with a good book, and I could finally feel that particular calm that usually settles in during August, when the light begins to change and the air suddenly feels slightly different, as if autumn were just around the corner. It felt like a deep sigh of relief in my soul, and I hope my body will follow soon, too, and that everything will start to be a little easier. I found another bat today in the early morning hours. It was lying flat on the concrete, and I thought it was dead, but when I gently touched it with a piece of cloth, it opened its mouth and seemed overall more lively than the last one. I placed it in a warm cloth inside a box to keep it safe, and soon we will bring it to the kind man who helped me last time. I really hope it will have a better chance to survive!

Addendum:

This time, the new bat is a juvenile male. He was severely dehydrated and malnourished, but otherwise had no injuries. He responded well to care and has now been released back into the wild. The animals are suffering from the extreme heat and are therefore more likely to put themselves in danger, as the heat drives them out of their hiding places and forces them to search for water more frequently. I'm so happy the little guy made it!

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