Hungarian Meat Soup - Husleves

Husleves - pronounced 'hoosh lehvesh'

This time last year we both caught a cold this week so I am making this hearty, fullsome soup. Trying to avoid that side-aching, hacking cough that comes with a cold and lingers. This recipe is on the list with the others, accessible here.  I always make Nokedli to go with it.

and, as always, there is a bag of goodies, from all this soup making, for #Snowcone - catch up with her (our dairy cow in retirement) here on our you-tube channel.

                                                                                                                                        STUDIO WORK - did you see the 'pocket finds' i have been doing over the last few weeks. There is one post here and the other is here. It is something i have always done but really happy to find the perfect name    for the activity (thanks to Tara Axford).   See THIS POST of a few #pocketfinds and    some are going onto instagram.                                                                                                                                                                         i would love to hear your thoughts.                                              

When Endangered is right in front of you

 

This beauty was found on my office bench one morning this week. So intact, so beautiful. A bit of googling established it is a Bogong Moth.

My studio and office is a giant shed so i find critters around from time to time and watch a spider in her webs, around my window overlooking the paddock, catch and wrap flies.

In googling i discovered the Bogong Moth is endangered and recorded my sighting on a website dedicated to tracking these amazing creatures. They aim to support Bogong Moth research, and promote Moth Tracker.

Common name: Bogong moth

Aboriginal name: The name Bogong is apparently derived from the language of the Dhudhuroa Nation of North Eastern Victoria.

Scientific name: Agrotis infusa

Population: Declining

Conservation status: Endangered 

• Bogong moths also provide critical food for the critically endangered Mountain pygmy possum, lizards, antechinus (broad-toothed rat) and spiders across the Snowy Mountain region. 

• Each spring, Bogong moths emerge from beneath the soil in Darling river plains of Queensland, New South Wales and Western Victoria and navigate their way to the Alpine region. This journey can be more than 1,000 kilometres. 

• After spending the summer in the cooler mountain caves, they return to their birthplace to reproduce over winter: new larvae again growing under the soil from plant roots and other plant matter. 

The Bogong moth is missing in the wild

Just 20 years ago, hundreds of thousands of Bogong moths disrupted the Sydney Olympics when they were attracted to stadium floodlights. And in Canberra, many residents remember how the night air could be thick with Bogong moths getting lost in the city lights on the way to the mountains. 

Yet the Bogong moth was just added to an international red list of threatened species as endangered — it was assessed along with 123 other Australian species, 56 of which are now listed as threatened with extinction.

Australia is already ranked 4th in the world for extinction so this is dire news.

Read more here about the stories of the Bogong Moth

                                     Three days ago out of my peripheral vision right in the centre of the studio, this lil fellow was running around, face covered in spider webs from crawling around under the benches. You see him here in this image after i 'swept' him (with a broom) into a plastic tub and then proceeded to 'sweep' away the cobwebs which was blinding him.

Mum's Hungarian Recipes (and other favourites)

I had the idea to post my mum's recipes here on the blog - a record that is not lost of recipes i  wrote down in my 20s when i learned to cook each dish. A record to pass on to friends and family.  My sister and i took turns, under mum's guidance, to learn and cook each weekend. Dad always said 'not enough salt'.    

You can find them ALL here - a list of individual dishes linked to the full recipe for each. A single place to find them all.  The list will be regularly updated - keep an eye out and do let me know if you try any and what you think.

and always, when cooking, there is a bag of goodies for #snowcone.

Looking back at looking back (cute overload spoiler)

On this same day last year these two posts went up heralding our coming into our 3rd year in this place, #countryliving #Tasmania.  And here we are again. So, we are on our 3rd anniversay here (going into our 4th year) and also the anniversary (April) of these little guys coming into our lives - 4. years ago. 

Kimba and Archie .... and George just fell in love too ... 

the garden is growing exponentially with a few intros over summer 

and i walk to the creek every day a few times a day in the hope of catching sight of the platypus, the eel or what fish are around (trout or blackfish)

the trumpet flower came out first time in 3 years and it is established the tree is 

a radermachera sinica (China Doll) 

and again this year with the rains, the little brown tree frog visited - sticking to our patio glass door in the middle of the night

looking back over art activities in the studio this past summer here

2025 started with a bang and the year is getting away

I am excited to be a finalist in the 2025 Burnie Print Prize which is exhibiting right now in Burnie, Tasmania. more images and Blog post here.  The little book OISTRE made it as one of 75 finalists from over 230 entries. 

and winding into April, with a poem titled 'Beached' accepted for publication in Abstractaphy. 

and another poem held over for the next issue.  Updating my poetry site regularly.

Regular posts here ABOUT MY WORK - art and artworks in progress, ideas and process, research driven projects.  Covering all the media i work in including prints, experimental works, assemblage, collage, painting and textiles.

visit and like our youtube channel - many playlists to choose from such as LIFESTYLE, ART, #Snowcone (our dairy cow living in retirement)

In Simplifying it becomes so Complex

In an effort to try and simplify ALL the things i do and enjoy i have taken my website and broken it up into areas - i thought this might make it easier for my readers so each area retains its own thread. An artist living in #countrytasmania also writes poetry, makes videos and maintains a variety of interests was making the website 'all over the place'

i hope this new system of mine works. it goes like this :

blackfishartstasmania - a front page info about the artist and many links to the artworks and lifestyle blog and you tube channel

artist working daily - its all about the works, how, when, why - studio work about my art

Just began putting down all my poetry at Emerald13

listing the works that are completed and available for sale - blackfisharts art gallery

artist newly moved to #countrytasmania - all the discoveries and enjoyment of place - Regent Park

Our youtube channel.

DO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK

Perhaps now the title of this post is making sense ?
i put the (title) question to Gemini (Ai) and got the info below.

The statement "in simplifying it becomes so complex" highlights the paradoxical nature of simplification. While simplification aims to make things easier to understand or manage, the process itself can sometimes involve intricate details and careful consideration, potentially leading to a feeling of increased complexity.

Here's why this paradox might exist:

Unraveling existing complexity:

Simplification often involves identifying and eliminating unnecessary elements within a complex system, which can be a challenging process.

Introducing new layers of understanding:

• To truly simplify something, you might need to delve deeper into the underlying principles and mechanisms, which can temporarily increase your understanding but also make it seem more complex.
• The need for precision:
• True simplification requires careful attention to detail to ensure that you're not oversimplifying or sacrificing important information, which can make the process itself seem complex.
• Complexity in understanding the process:
• The process of simplifying is a skill in itself, requiring critical thinking, creativity, and a willingness to question established norms.

Complexity as a natural state:
In many systems, complexity can arise from natural evolution and the need to adapt to changing circumstances, making simplification a constant effort to maintain clarity.
In essence, simplification is not simply a matter of removing complexity; it's a strategic process that can require a thorough understanding of the underlying system and the ability to make informed decisions about what can be eliminated while preserving essential elements.

For example, the author of "The Complexity of Simplicity" says on LinkedIn, "Simplification is not just about removing complexity; it's about revealing the underlying simplicity. It's about finding the essential elements and presenting them in a clear and concise way, even if that process seems complex at times."

Remembering Today 26th June

 Bela Kacso  Born 26 June1936-2003 (21March) My Dad would be 87 years of age today and i know he would have loved Tasmania. I miss him.  The full article here - i placed him into my art blog as he was my biggest support and fan during his lifetime.

Straight into Winter and WELCOME to our new subscribers

After a pretty warm season Autumn arrived on its last day. And day 1 of Winter she arrived with a vengance. Such morning frosts every morning since and such freezing nights. Freezing being the operative word - all water bowls are frozen right through the day and i am breaking up the top of the fish tank which is totally frozen over each morning. a walk into the frosty morning here.

Speaking of artist books i completed a few over the last few months - small sneak peek below - i shall be uploading the full images of the books once they are clear of future exhibitions. ALSO in relation to books, the lovely ladies who attended my earlier collage workshop have requested i run a contemporary book making workshop - so stay tuned if

Mum's Hungarian Recipes

 I will post here from time to time my mum's recipes - Hungarian - rich with cream and paprika, comfort foods and fabulous cakes and sweets. 

in my 20's i wrote down recipes as i learned to cook them and i still have the hand-written cards and sheets of paper.

A place for friends and family to find some ideas and different flavours to try.

occasionally i post some of my own favourites.

xxx

LOOKING BACK on 7 Days (2)

 i knew it ! ... it comes around so quickly ! It is hard to believe we have been here for 2 years already and now into our third year. I have a small notebook into which i have been jotting down the plants that grow here (if i can identify them), the birds that visit and when as well as the fish, reptiles etc.

The photo i took of the little brown tree frog was when he was stuck to our glass sliding door - so beautiful, really tiny. The (second) slide show below is a collection of the birds i could find online that have visited here with one or two of my own photos included where i could capture them including the little red-breasted robin and a wasp!  I have added a list of the names under the images. where there is a (g) following the name that is my own photo.

                   yellow wattle bird                                   little brown tree frog (g)

                                turbo chooks (Tasmanian Native Hens) in the front yard (g) 

             bottom row :  forest raven.             crimson rosella                              grey fantail

top row:  bassian thrush                           common blackbird.                   ? not sure (a cicada?)

                house Sparrow                        turbo chooks  (g)                                visiting goshawk (g)

                                               male redbreast robin (g)

                              no idea (?) (g)

bottom row:  goshawk (g)                     news holland honeyeater              my outdoor goldfish (g)

top row:      little wattle bird                  goshawk visiting (g)

    bottom row:   spotted pardalote                                          female superb fairy wren

         top row:  grey (?) heron visiting (g)

                                         welcome swallows (bottom).       spotted dove (top)

LOOKINGBACK on 7 Days

 An idle thought but i will give it a go - so many projects on the go its difficult to know when to post anything about any particular one especially since 'we' tend to wait until its done and perfect. You should see my reject pile !

So i am going to attempt to post each Sunday a look back on the previous 7 days - just images of things mostly in progress. Hopefully this will capture more (in a kinda diary way) my activities and provide the discipline i lack in posting regularly. Let's see how we go !

(I am already a day late on the very first "Looking Back"). The images reflect my week - birds visiting, creek walks and printmaking (of the creek and) flora in the garden, George on a coffee morning catchup, exploring photographs without using a camera, stitching (this piece is finally completed), monoprinting, painting, books and cooking. A middle of the night dash to the emergency as V had a terrible reaction to a virus. It was an all-nighter but a week later he is doing well having been given antibiotics.

so ... .till the next 'looking back' .... of course the weeks come around very quickly.

Abundance into a New Year

 I do think that Spring 2023 suggested an abundance everywhere. The wattles lined the creek back to font and were in full flower .... quite lovely. The seeds of these wattles have covered the blocks and the waratah and bottlebrush were heavy with flora. The turbo chooks have so far had 2 clutches of babies as have the swallows. I have counted 17 turbo chooks on the block with 6 being new seasons babies that survived - we lost 6 to hawks and kookaburras plus a couple of unknown. The wallabies are overrun with babies (joeys) as can be seen from my nightly torchlight check from the deck. So cute - quite the nursery.

I spotted a white goshawk, for the first time since moving here, feeding on a dead wallaby one day and we have a resident eel and platypus in the creek. Meanting #Snowcone is living the life having retired from the dairy many years ago.

FUN FACT : did you know more people are killed by cows than by snake bite and shark attack combined !

Our abundance continues for which i am grateful - we continue to plant and water in the veggie patch with a few epic fails. But potatoes this year are rife and we have enjoyed lettuce, cabbage and so many lemons. Pumpkins have taken off so that should be good when winter arrives and i think i have revived the apple tree. (we shall see).

I discovered a (giant) moth Pupae and some weird insect that was large and seems its a weevil ? A beautiful purple poppy that i planted from seeds collected when we moved 18 months ago from Ports (East Devonport). It popped up so much healthier and was a ball of fluffy purple ... beautiful.

A few images here of abundance and my wish is the same for you and yours in this coming New Year. 

the Glory of the Wattles this year and a surprise visitor to the creek

These are just magnificent this year. last year, there were no yellow flowers - i did notice a couple had small bits of yellow 'trying' to come on but it never happened. at the time i thought perhaps it was a variety that didnt flower ... but nope, happily i was wrong. We are surrounded by them ... thankfully i am more allergic to grasses than pollen

see more about the wattles here and join our youtube channel

Lovely to find these visitors yesterday - went down with a cup of coffee to see if i can see playtpus ... he hasn't been around for weeks ... i am thinking because the creek is running high and fast.