Spirited Woman Blogger Team

Guest Blogger - Julia Ibbotson - Food, An Offering of Love

An English grandmother with a long academic career behind her, Dr Julia Ibbotson decided to return to her creative roots, both mentally and physically. When her husband retired they bought a Victorian rectory in the middle of the moors in central England, and without any previous experience set about renovating it. To be truthful they did not undertake the physical work themselves but closely project-managed it. As a result, Julia created two new careers for herself: as a writer when she determined to write about this period of her life, and as a “home cooking with love” advocate.

This is the final post in Julia's delightful three-part weekly series exclusively for Spirited Woman.

I was devastated by the news of my dear daughter’s cancer and we had no idea then what the prognosis would be. But I had to be strong for her and try to focus on all the practical things that needed to be done. At that time, I didn’t know whether we would be caring for her at home during treatment, or to the end, or whether, God willing, she would survive. But I needed to have her near me and to look after her. And to me part of that was to ensure that she had a good healthy diet. For myself, I needed to be able to cook for her, as an offering of love.

Finally I had a functional country kitchen in our old renovated rectory and on my new cooking range, I re-found a certain contentment in feeding my daughter, family and friends with their favourite dishes. I created a small area of the garden to grow fresh produce for my cooking.

Gradually my daughter regained her strength. Friends and family from around the world offered up their thoughts and prayers for her. I am convinced that her spirit was raised up by these prayers and thoughts. It was almost tangible.

Finally, now, thank God, she has survived and, although somewhat scarred and still hobbling on crutches, she is in remission.

Our world had tilted but we had a glimpse of what was really important, what mattered most in our lives. Our family, our friends, the simple things of life. Not racing about chasing success, material things, but just feeling great to be alive and for our loved ones to be healthy. How nearly we had lost that.

I found a new joy in cultivating the soil and in the creation of dishes using my own fresh and healthy produce, making time for talk and laughter with loved ones round the table.

My step-daughter bought me an apron for my little grandchildren to give me, on which was written: “Grandma’s kitchen: tasters welcome, everything made with a spoonful of love."  How true this was. I guess I feel that the “love” bit is like a secret ingredient, perhaps passed down from generation to generation, and from all those women before me who baked in my kitchen. 

I find joy in the changing seasons and in nature’s growth, as I am sure many generations of women did in this house across the years. They lived and loved through war and disaster, joy and triumph. Their strength raised up those around them. They cultivated the land and cooked for their families and friends. The rectory feels blessed by their quiet persistence. I think that their spirit is with me now today, urging me onwards.

- Dr Julia Ibbotson, www.juliaibbotson.com
Click here to read more of Julia's posts.

My book will be out by August 2011and is called The Old Rectory: Escape to a Country Kitchen. I do hope you read it and enjoy the stories and the recipes!

Guest Blogger - Julia Ibbotson - Disasters and Triumphs as we Renovate the Country Rectory

An English grandmother with a long academic career behind her, Dr Julia Ibbotson decided to return to her creative roots, both mentally and physically. When her husband retired they bought a Victorian rectory in the middle of the moors in central England, and without any previous experience set about renovating it. To be truthful they did not undertake the physical work themselves but closely project-managed it. As a result, Julia created two new careers for herself: as a writer when she determined to write about this period of her life, and as a “home cooking with love” advocate.

This is the second post in Julia's delightful three-part weekly series exclusively for Spirited Woman.

Right from the start, we seemed to swing from one disaster to another. I was trying to be positive; my husband muttered darkly about the money-pit that was our new home.

We knew from the building survey that there was damp in the walls, but not the extent of it…oh dear, walls had to be stripped; there was plaster dust everywhere, and underneath was revealed a jumble of stone and brick as though the original builders had thrown together any available material to make up the walls. I had visions of my house crumbling to the ground. “Well, it’s stayed up 150 years or more!” said our builder. Yes, I thought, that’s true. Why am I worried!

At the same time, we raised the floorboards to investigate the wiring and found that the previous occupants had fixed the jumble of electric cables together with tape. “Oh dear,” muttered the electrician, “I’m surprised the house hasn’t burnt down!” OK, I thought, could have been a disaster, but it hasn’t been! We spent three weeks in a caravan in the grounds until the house was completely rewired and a host of new cables fitted. Good as new!

Every new job seemed to inevitably give rise to another job. Raising the floor boards in the little cottagey guest bedroom upstairs necessitated the dismantling of the old Victorian bedroom fireplace. My husband huffed and puffed about the work. But then we made a wonderful discovery! Stuffed into the fireplace, but not burned, were photographs of the rectors who had lived in the house and documents about the rectory as it had been in the nineteenth century. It made me determined to investigate further into the lives of the long-ago residents in the house, and to use my discoveries in my writing. 

Guest Blogger - Julia Ibbotson - It May Be Mid-Life But It's a New Beginning!

An English grandmother with a long academic career behind her, Dr Julia Ibbotson decided to return to her creative roots, both mentally and physically. When her husband retired they bought a Victorian rectory in the middle of the moors in central England, and without any previous experience set about renovating it. To be truthful they did not undertake the physical work themselves but closely project-managed it. As a result, Julia created two new careers for herself: as a writer when she determined to write about this period of her life, and as a “home cooking with love” advocate.

This is the first post in Julia's delightful three-part weekly series exclusively for Spirited Woman.

Hot flushes came and disappeared. Retirement beckoned. I was a grandmother, for goodness sake (although I still felt 30!). My long academic career was losing its excitement as the new young blood was no longer mine, but that of others needing to be mentored. Could I find a fresh impetus in my life before I took to my stair-lift and zimmer frame?

To me one of the essences of a Spirited Woman, of whatever age, is to be creative, to be proactive, and to be persistent against all odds. I needed to find a focus for my own creativity: to ground myself in place, history, the cycle of nature and human lives.

And so it was that in the cold English winter of 2008, my husband and I found a rather dilapidated Victorian rectory, dating from 1860, in the middle of the moors, with a couple of acres of land. We bought it! This stark statement perhaps reveals the amazement I felt at possibly the first ever spontaneous decision, entirely emotional, that my husband had made. He is normally a cautious man, so it was a surprise to me that he was as swept away as I was by this very unpromising building. Maybe later he came to regret his quick decision when he discovered how much renovation would be entailed, but I was delighted. To me, this would be not only a project to get my teeth into, but also a new style of life. 

We moved to the rectory and thus began three long years of renovation work. I became immersed in the history of the house and of the village a mile away. I imagined the previous occupants over the years since it was first built. I researched into the lives of those who inhabited these rooms during times of despair, danger, war, industrial change, exciting inventions and “progress." I made notes on my discoveries.