Mother’s Day in Memoriam

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For all mothers: Happy Mother’s Day – May 10, 2015

Mother’s Day Remembrance

This Sunday will be Mother’s Day here in Australia, and it is the time when all the memories of my belated mother are coming back into my mind.

My mother was quite strict when we were children. Endlessly, she told us all about the right and proper things to do in this life. This tough love continued until we reached young adulthood.  BUT…soon after we were getting married, she only gave advice when she was asked to. I love and thank you for being so wise, mama.

A Mother’s Love is Patient and Forgiving,

When all others are forsaking.

It never fails nor falters,

Even though the heart is breaking…….

– Helen Rice

For all mothers who will celebrate their special day:

Chrysanthemum – Remembrance

Mother’s Day in Australia is celebrated every second Sunday of May, and around this time in Autumn, Chrysanthemums are blooming. Many use the flowers as a gift for their mothers on the special day. In China, Chrysanthemum is one of the four honourable plants next to Plum, Orchid and Bamboo. If you have a pot of Chrysanthemum, when it has finished flowering, plant it in the  garden to have more flowers every year. Looking and thinking about our blooming Chrysanthemums at the moment, I know why these flowers are perfect for mothers. The beauty of the prolific blooms remind me once again of my belated mother. All the good qualities of Chrysanthemums match those of my mother’s and all good mothers everywhere. Just look at Chrysanthemums in my garden. They are not fussy to grow and faithfully they always bloom year after year when the chill of Autum days make many other plants ready for their winter sleep. Chrysanthemum flowers are always abundant and long lasting and though many different colours, shapes and sizes; all of them are beautiful in their own way. Just the same as all good mothers, though they have many differrent shapes, sizes and colours, all of them are beautiful on their own way. As Chrysanthemums, good mothers are never fussy and easy to please. Good mothers are faithful, just like the Chrysanthemums that never forget to bloom every Autumn. Once flowering, Chrysanthemums are plentiful and generous, so are all good mothers of the world, they generously give all what they have. Chrysanthemums are long lasting flowers and it tells the dedication and love that a good mother gives to her children. Yes, the Chrysanthemums in my garden remind me of you, my beloved mother. I wished that I could pick a big bunch and presented them to you on the ground where you were laid to rest. Happy Mother’s Day, Mama…. You were the best.

To All Other Mothers:

Happy Mother’s Day!!

Other writings on Chrysanthemums: https://kiyanti2008.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/chrysantemum-the-mother%e2%80%99s-day-flower/ https://kiyanti2008.wordpress.com/2011/05/09/chrysanthemum-the-queen-of-autumn/

Mother’s Day 2012 – Renungan

Dibanyak negara hari minggu ini tanggal 13 Mei (hari minggu kedua dibulan Mei) adalah Mother’s Day atau di Indonesia disebut Hari Ibu. Buat kaum ibu pada umumnya adalah hari yang bahagia. Dihari ini, disini di Australia para ibu akan dimanjakan oleh anak anaknya. Ada yang diberi hadiah seperti misalnya bunga indah, sekotak permen coklat, parfum yang begitu harum dsb…. Ada anak anak yang membawa ibu mereka makan dirumah makan dengan hidangan khusus, ada yang menghidangkan makan pagi istimewa, piknik ditempat yang indah dsb….

Beberapa waktu sebelum Mother’s Day tiba, banyak sekali iklan iklan yang menawarkan hadiah khusus untuk diberikan kepada para ibu tercinta. Seperti juga disaat sebelum Hari Natal dan Tahun Baru, Hari Ibu disini di Australia sudah menjadi alat untuk menarik para konsumen. Konsumerisme sudah berakar daging dan dengan amat berlebihan ditayangkan di pusat media ataupun pertokoan. Semakin hebatnya konsumerisme ini sudah begitu dalamnya sehingga mampu membuat golongan tertentu sedih dan tertekan.

Di hari Natal dan Tahun Baru, dimana semua keluarga berkumpul dan merayakan hari besar itu, mereka yang tak punya sanak keluarga akan merasa lebih sendiri dan sedih. Begitu juga di hari ibu, banyak wanita yang tak mempunyai anak akan merasakan kesedihan yang begitu mendalam. Memang bagi wanita modern, tak punya anak bisa dikarenakan oleh banyak hal. Ada yang tak punya anak karena memang tak menikah dan yang lainnya tak punya anak karena tak mampu misalnya karena tak bisa hamil atau mengalami keguguran. Bagi banyak wanita yang bukan ibu, setiap tahun disaat orang merayakan hari ibu, akan semakin merasakan kekosongan dalam hidup mereka. Semakin dalam mereka merasa tak berguna sebagai wanita karena tak bisa mempunyai anak. Semakin pedih rasa kesepian dan merasa terkucil sendiri.

Bagaimana caranya untuk mengurangi rasa sedih disaat mother’s day tiba?

• Rayakan hari itu bersama ibu anda. Buatlah hari ini seistimewa mungkin. Kalau misalnya ibu anda sudah tiada lagi, ziarah kekuburan ibu dan kenanglah semua kebaikan beliau selama hidupnya.
• Rayakan hari itu bersama wanita lainnya yang senasib. Pasti anda juga punya saudara, teman, kenalan, tetangga dsb yang juga tak punya anak. Ajaklah mereka untuk bersenang senang hari itu. Makan bersama, berpiknik bersama dsb.
• Rencanakan hari istimewa berdua bersama suami tercinta.
• Tahukah anda bahwa tidak semua ibu menyukai hari ibu? Banyak kaum ibu yang merasa tradisi merayakan hari ibu yang dari tahun ketahun semakin bersifat konsumerisme adalah tak perlu dan berlebihan.
• Wanita tak akan kurang harganya karena mereka tak punya anak. Anna Jarvis sendiri yang dikenal sebagai pendiri Hari Ibu bukanlah seorang ibu. Anna Jarvis tidak punya anak sama sekali, dia mendirikan hari ibu adalah untuk menghargai ibunya yang amat disayangi dan juga kaum ibu lainnya yang patut mendapat penghargaan.

Other Blogs on Mother’s Day:

https://kiyanti2008.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/mothers-day/

https://kiyanti2008.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/mother%e2%80%99s-day-lunch-in-marysville/

https://kiyanti2008.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/chrysantemum-the-mother%e2%80%99s-day-flower/

Chrysanthemum, the Queen of Autumn

How true it is that the rose is the queen of all flowers in summer time. But when the weather is cool and the wind is getting stronger and chillier in the autumn, it is when Chrysanthemums are blooming.  It is the time when leaves are falling and all summer blooms have disappeared and the sky is less cheerful, the queen of the autumn is showing its glory.

Chrysanthemum is one of my many favourite flowers. I love the bright colours that come in many different shades. They are long lasting and have nice strong herbal fragrance.

Both in China and Japan, Chrysanthemums signify a comfortable life and good fortune. People use the flowers as gifts and offering on altars. It is believed that Chrysanthemums have powerful Yang energy so they attract good luck inside homes and in the garden. The beauty of these flowers can be seen in many traditional paintings.

In Western culture, white Chrysanthemums signify the truth and sincerity, while the yellow ones are the symbol of tender affection and the red ones are for the expression of passionate love. As Chrysanthemums are abundant around Mother’s day, here in Australia they are regarded as Mother’s Day Flowers.

Link to previous blog on Chrysanthemums:

https://kiyanti2008.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/chrysantemum-the-mother%e2%80%99s-day-flower/

 

Daylesford and Mt. Macedon

The promise of a nice sunny Mother’s Day was replaced by  a sombre cloudy day. At least it was dry and the sun that hardly managed to poke through the clouds made the weather cool and crisp.

This year, for Mother’s Day we went to Daylesford and Mt. Macedon. It was a day outing to enjoy the beauty of autumn colours and to explore the area.

Daylesford is around 115 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. Together with the adjacent town of Hepburn Spring, the place is wellknown for their natural springs. People can have a dip in a refreshing spa bath and sample the crystal clear spring water. The town is also wellknown for the art galleries and  it’s Sunday market near the railway station. We had a quick and light lunch at the local pub and restaurant.

From Daylesford we drove about 40 km to Mt. Macedon. The bright yellow, orange and red colours of autumn along the street in the town of Macedon was really breath taking. We went to the War Memorial Cross Reserve which is located 4 kilometers from the summit of Mt. Macedon. Before walking to the Memorial Cross, we warmed ourselves by having a nice cup of cuppuccino, home made scones and sweet muffins at the licenced tearoom and cafe in the reseve.

The traffic way back home was  absolutely crowded along the Tullamarine Freeway to go to the Burnly Tunnel on the South Eastern Freeway,  so we decided to turn left towards Brunswick rd to go via Eastern Freeway.

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day Wishes

The two men in my life say that I don’t have to do anything on mother’s day. Just to sit around, enjoy TV shows or some movies from the video rentals. They say that breakfast, lunch and dinner will be their treats. The house and the garden will be neat and tidy, spic and span. Well I guess, many mothers will be happy to be pampered like this, but not for me, I hate to have only ‘one day’ with no chores. And this will make me feel lazy the next day. So I say to my hubby and son that I want something else.

Well then, we are going to get you presents from the shop…..maybe something new to wear, or something new to use around the kitchen. New perfume or jewelleries… or a huge bunch of red roses. Or perhaps the most expensive chocolate or cake. But I say that I  have presents for Christmases and birthdays. I have everything that I can use to clean or to cook. If you buy me perfume or jewelleries, I’m afraid that I may not like them. I hate flowers that soon will wilt and be thrown away. Chocolate and cakes will make me fatter!

They start to get a bit upset and say that I am very hard to please. So what do you want then? They ask the question loudly. My answer is:

“Nothing, just take me out of the house. I want to have a long drive. We will have a nice picnic in the park. I want to see those tall gum trees, the galahs and the cockatoos, the koalas and the kangaroos. I want to walk in the bush and to hear the rustling water down the rivers and waterfalls.  I want to feel the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze. I want to smell the fragrance of the eucalypt trees and the sweet smell of the wild flowers…..  But the most important thing is for us to have fun together and for me to have a good company.”

Once again, for those who celebrate it, I wish all of you:

  The Happiest  Mother’s Day.

 https://kiyanti2008.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/mother%e2%80%99s-day-lunch-in-marysville/

Mother’s Day Lunch in Marysville.

For celebrating Mother’s Day, my son M took us to Marysville. Since they had re-opened the roads around the area after the Black Saturday Fire in February, there was a Café Bakery in Marysville remained standing untouched by the fire. It was now open its business again. We heard it on the radio that we should visit Marysville and had a nice lunch there so that we could helped them with the business. Part of the profit from this Café would be donated for helping the area.

The travel along Maroondah Hwy was quite busy. How fortunate that the area around Healsville was not touched by the fire at all. The cool and leafy garden at the Maroondah Reservoir remained beautiful. Some varieties of old pine trees that grew there add the charm of the garden that was perfect for a picnic.

When we were getting closer to Marysville Rd, my heart was saddened to see many tall gum trees along the highway were black and charred. It was surprised that the area around Black Spur remained cool and green. The Black Spur Motel and Pub was still standing there and it was open like usual.

Soon after our Nissan Patrol turned right into Marysville Rd, from far away we saw many of the gum trees were covered by green colour similar to moss on their burnt trunks. Soon as I caught the glimpse of them closer, I realized that the process of regeneration had started to happen. How amazing, after exposed to the extreme heat and completely engulfed by fire, in a matter of few weeks, these trees had started to re-grow soon after the rains fell. Other fierce survivors were those tree ferns. Though the trunks were burnt black, the fresh green leaves were still proudly growing to tell us that there was still life remained.

Here and there we saw the remains of the burnt houses scattered in many properties along the road. There were stacks of corrugated iron-sheets twisted and turned by the extreme heat of the fire. Almost all buildings in Marysville perished. The petrol station and the police station were not there anymore. But there in the corner we saw this local Café Bakery was still standing and it was very busy with customers. Before eating at the café, we decided to drive to Stephenson Fall, but the water fall park was still closed. I could imagine that beautiful place was all destroyed.

Lunch at that local Café Bakery in Marysville was very appetizing. The queue was very long but everyone was happily waiting for their turn. There were various pies, sausage rolls, pasties, chips, sandwiches etc on the menu, but the display of various sweet pastries and pies attracted me the most. I had an apple slice and it was delicious. The apple crumble pie and granny slice were also very yummy. They were cooked just like in the olden days. A cup of fragrant and frothy cappuccino completed our lunch.

Chrysanthemum, The Mother’s Day Flower

I’m not sure about anywhere else, but in Australia Chrysanthemums are Mother’s day Flower (Mother’s day in Australia in the 2nd Sunday of May). My husband and son always give me potted Chrysanthemum flowers for Mother’s Day. I prefer the living chrysanthemums. This way I can stick them somewhere in the garden when they have finished flowering. I have a patch chrysanthemums plants that always flower every year.

Traditionally, white chrysanthemums are used for Mother’s Day presents. But for me I love the colourful ones. I’m not sure why they use chrysanthemums as Mother’s Day flowers, but I think because Mother’s Day is in May and during this month Chrysanthemums are in season, they are abundant and cheap. Maybe it is also because Chrysanthemums are long last thing flowers both in the garden and in flower arrangements.

Plant Details:

The botanic name is Dendranthema x grandiflora. There are about 40 species of chrysanthemums, mostly are from China, Japan and East Asia. Some are single petals, some double and the rare ones are so exotic and large they resemble a pompom, and some are spider shaped. To day many hybrids have been produced with magnificent brilliant shades of red, pink, salmon, yellow, orange, bronze and green. The sheer beauty and versatility of these flowers are the reason why the Chinese people have been growing them for 2,500 year. Chrysanthemums are also known as the national flower of Japan.

Planting guide:

The easiest and cheap way is to buy Chrysanthemums in pot and make sure when you buy them they have roots. You can check underneath the pot to see of there are some roots poking out through the drainage holes.

When the potted chrysanthemum has finish flowering, pick a sunny spot in the garden with reasonably rich and well drain soil. The best is you add compost into the soil. Take the plant out of the pot and plunge it into a hole that is slightly larger than the size of the pot. Cover it with soil and add more compost on the top. It will die down, but if alive, it will promise you more flowers each year when they are in season. They are hardy, even during the draught. What they need when they started to grow is a little bit of complete fertilizer. If you prefer short compact bush, then pinch the top when they start to grow leaves in December (in Australia). After few years, you can dig up the plants and divide them. They are very easy to grow and practically disease free.

 

Usage:

• Flower arrangement: long lasting and provide many different sizes, shapes and colour. Today, the flowers are available all year around as they are hybridized and cultivated in green houses. Naturally they flower in late summer through autumn.
• Chrysanthemum tea. It is made from the species called Chrysanthemum morifolium or indicum. It is a popular beverage in East Asia. The tea is available in dry form or in powder. The dried flowers are brewed in a teapot or in a cup with a bit of rock sugar, normal sugar or honey. The hot water is perfect around 90 degrees C or slightly cooled after boiling. It is believed that Chrysanthemum tea has a cooling effect in a hot day.
• Medicinal purposes: It helps to relieve symptoms of influenza. Also used for sore throat and to reduce fever. Some believe the tea is good for alertness to keep you from falling asleep. In western herbal medicine it is used to treat circulatory disorders like varicose veins and atherosclerosis. The tea is also good to keep healthy eyes with sharp vision and treat dry eyes. 
• Natural Insect Repellent: White Chrysanthemum Tanacetum cinerarriaefolium flowers produce a natural insecticide called pyrethrum. It provides safe fast acting insecticide to kill most insect pests. Non toxic to human and warm blooded animals and easy to break down in sunlight to prevent build up in environment.

Note: It has been very dry here in Melbourne this summer, so I’m not really confident that the chrysanthemums in my garden will have good flowers this year, and currently we are under 3A water restrictions here. There was a good rain last night after almost 3 months without any rain. Hopefully there will be much more rains so that they will bear reaonably good flowers this year.