Can I Be The Housekeeper

Heather and I have worked together and since I retired we have maintained a friendship. She has convinced me that I must join her here in Lemuria. I am not so sure that this is a good idea but she has assured me that I will fit in and enjoy the tranquillity and serenity of this sanctuary. Knowing Heather I cannot quite imagine her being an Abbess or presiding over an order but she is full of surprises and I do know from personal experience that she is totally committed to writing on a daily basis.

Unlike Heather I am no longer a member of the mainstream workforce. I retired early after working as a teacher in a school where Heather used to work and I am now living in the country with my husband. We bought some land in the country and apart from my involvement in the local community I have been working hard to create a garden that will be open to the public.

I have a large house that can house a number of guests and I enjoy cooking. I am not a gourmet cook preferring to cook hearty Australian country meals for a crowd. There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of sitting at the table, knowing that my guests have savoured one of my meals.

Please excuse me as I feel my way here. Perhaps I could be one of the cooks and whip up some nourishing meals for you all. I am a plantswoman but I plant intuitively rather than by name. I see things in nurseries, read magazines and experiment. My friends tell me that my garden has spirit. Dad still manages to come and help me but these days he mainly gives advice and is happy to just potter in the orchard, content to prune my roses.

If you go down to the kitchen during one of your breaks you will find that I have made some fresh scones for morning tea. In Australia, in the country, we are big on morning and afternoon tea. It is sometimes called smoko. My scones are made simply. I sieve three cups of self raising flour, add an egg and then use a mixture of cream and milk to make the dough. I usually cut them with a large glass tumbler and put them in a very hot oven for ten minutes. Enjoy with lashings of Raspberry jam and cream but have one or two with butter and Vegemite.

Will any one get upset if I take on a housekeeper role and busy myself in the garden? Perhaps I could work in the walled garden and plant some lovely old English favourites. Dad will have a few suggestions about what to plant.