Tales From The Road

THE TIES THAT BIND

If you’ve been reading my Facebook page whilst I’ve been travelling around Australia with my new book, you will recognise the many times I’ve noted I’m sitting in bed with a cup of tea…it’s generally been early in the morning, and the only time I’ve had to update things. I’m here again (in bed with a cup of tea) on a bitter cold Melbourne morning, and I am determined to get this post up. I started it back in Perth 2 weeks ago (on a week’s break back home) but just have been so full on, have not had a chance – here we go… fingers crossed… (and will do Melbourne in the next post)….

Here I am back in Perth, in the glorious early winter sunshine. It’s my week back home, after 4 weeks away in Brisbane and Sydney, before I set out again. I am finding it hard to know where to start but I’d like to tell you I have realised this. I am absurdly blessed with an embarrassment of riches. Of family, of friends, of the opportunity to do work I adore and believe in (Kahil Gibrans words ‘work is love made visible’ here ringing in my head), of love, of it all. Of flowers and colours and love and beauty and honour.  I’ve met so many truly very special people, as I’ve been in Brisbane and Sydney teaching classes and launching my new book “Wholefood Baking”, and I have found that they are all been woven into this life I am living. It’s an incredibly honoured position and privilege to know that I am a part of your lives, through my books and in your kitchen – a part of your life. I am enriched beyond words. And I met so many people that said ” oh, I read your blog” and was astonished, as I’ve been so slack with my blog over the past 3 months – just trying to keep on top of organising this big trip.

But alas, I haven’t got a recipe for you here – I promise that soon I will come back from travel and organising (really read keeping it all together/juggling) and get back to recipes to help you in your everyday life, or show you what I’m doing in mine. But for now, I just wanted you to know I’m here, and to thank you, and share with you the highlights of the past few weeks:

1. ROAD TRIP WITH JEANIE: Jeanie is my friend who lives in Northern New South Wales, and joined me in Brisbane to help with the launch there. The conversation went something like this ” We have to drive to Ipswich tonight (for me to do a talk)  come back to Brisbane tomorrow, shop for the launch, drive then to Toowoomba (for me to do a talk), stay the night, wake up at the crack of dawn, and drive back to Brisbane and cook our asses off to get it all ready for the launch which starts at 2.30pm.” Because I had not realised how far away Ipswich and particularly Toowoomba was. But I knew we could do it, because I knew Jeanie had my back. We did bake our little asses off, but alas, I still have too much bottom for my jeans right now. As we were driving to Toowoomba, I said to Jeanie ” You know this is a lot like when we drove from Santa Fe to Taos”. ” No, nothing like it ” says Jeanie, ” Yes it is I say, a lot like it”, “No” says Jeanie” really, nothing like it”. But for me it was – a road trip with my friend Jeanie, on open roads and open skies. For all the exhaustion of those few days, it was fabulous. I loved Jeanie.
2. MEETING THE BLOGGING GIRLS:  There are an amazing group of young women doing some great blogging in Australia right now, many on the East Coast. It was wonderful to finally meet them face to face – The Pinkfarm Girls – Amanda and Tanya, Emma Galloway from My Darling Lemon Thyme, Nicola Garcia from The Yogic Housewife, Vanessa Teklenburg from Slow Heart Sing (love that name), Alisha from The Naughty Naturopath Mum, my good friend Jill Brown introduced me to Sneh Roy from Food Republic (which I was already checking out), and foodie Mel Kettle and I’m so looking forward to meeting Meg Thompson from My Wholefood Romance next week in Melbourne.
3. NEARLY FORGOT THE NATURAL FOOD STORE VISIT: The amazing WNCTP graduate Bel Pooley (Belly), knowing I was coming to Brisbane, asked me to do a little talk at her local health/wholefood store. Me thinking it was a little traditional health food store, Belly coming to Brisbane to pick me up, a glorious drive to Forest Glen (Sunshine Coast) and realising it was a HUGE, truly brilliant store – was like being in the U.S. I also got to see another WNCTP graduate – the beautiful Danella Martin, and finally get to snuggle and cuddle Pippy Mae…..They made me so welcome, I met so many wonderful people during that morning tea. But what a store… thank you for making me so welcome…
4. TAKING THERMOMIX ON THE ROAD WITH WHOLEFOOD COOKING: I’ve known Grace Mazur from the moment she bought this amazing machine into Australia and I’m loving the opportunity to talk to a broader audience about what wholesome and healthy food really is, and how they can use their Thermomix to best advantage. I’ve met so, so many lovely, wonderful people. I’ll do a whole separate post on this later as there is so much to talk about !! But can I say to Kylie’s team in Sydney, thank you for my pink Thermomix Apron and bag. Love them.
5. THE FOOD, LOVE AND BREATHE SEMINAR WITH HOLLY DAVIS and DR ROSALBA COURTNEY. Let me start by saying how amazing Rosalba is, and a wealth of knowledge… I could listen to her forever. But I had missed my dear, dear friend and colleague Holly Davis as she has been in London (nursing her mother as she passed) for over a year…Holly and I created a makeshift whole food kitchen, and discussed the basics and what matters in a good kitchen. I adore working with her, we actually kind of adore each other (in a healthy way). The Sydney Meals for Everyday class were very lucky as Holly came and did the class on the Saturday there with me also – we both have a same body of knowledge, believe the same things but express them very differently. I got to stay over a night at Holly’s place by the ocean, and it was wonderful. I love Hols.
6. BEING SUPPORTED BY GOOD FRIENDS: I am absolutely aware of how lucky I am to have such good, good friends – I would always start with my bestie Nene, who helped me do the Perth Launch (I love Nenie),  Helen and Davin in Brisbane who always give me a home (and Helen bought me the best ever teacup mug that brews it own tea), Sonja and Brenda who own Mondo Organics and let me cause mayhem whilst I do classes there, Wray Organics who always support my work and moved me around Brisbane to visit each of their stores talking about Wholefood Baking – Deborah Wray is one gorgeous and amazing woman (Qld, you are very lucky to have Wray Organics),  Karen and Matt from Honest to Goodness in Sydney who move hell and high water to do what I ask of them and more (NSW you are very lucky to have HTG), Essential Ingredient in Sydney who again, allow me to cause mayhem whilst there….WNCTP graduate Angie Cowan (Angie Gluten Free)  who did an amazing, delicious and very capable job doing all the baking for the Sydney launch, and WNCTP graduate Jessica Kenny (Eating Beauty) who styled it. If I’ve missed anyone out, I will catch up in the next post….
7. BEING SUPPORTED BY YOU: One thing I’ve fully realised during this trip is how much you support my work and how generously you take me into your home and kitchen. Please know how rich this makes the fabric of my life and how much it is treasured.

So, here I stop or I will never get this out… in all, I’d love to say – here is my new book,

” look what I made !!” but it wouldn’t be true, because everything in my life and the people I have met have been a part of making this. The weave and thread is organic, dyed in the colours of the earth – it’s been made of friendship, loss, hardship, joy and a life lived truly and a huge number of people that love me and are a part of my life –  I’m a very very blessed woman.

x Jude