The Feijoa Tree

I just harvested the fruit from our Feijoa tree... .well mainly collected its abundant offering from all over the ground....a successful garden foraging mission that meant squeals of delight from Ruby two-shoes and her fairy sister..Abbey Sarlat.....I have a gorgeous basket load of fruit! This sentence a few months ago would mean nothing to me....I would think this maybe were a dream?

This opening sentence completely describes why we left our city life in Sydney and headed North to a new existence. Where each day would be an adventure and the world would be brimming with life and unexpected suprises. Where the words.. 'I have never in my life seen that before'...would be a common occurrence and our children would walk to the house with baskets brimming with unknown gastronomic delights that grew from their garden..straight from the earth..... Each moment here can capture so much life and suprise..it's impossible to not be living in the present and be appreciative of the wonder of the world around you and the blessing of each day.

The Feijoa tree adventure began during an alfresco lunch enjoyed with our first visitors from Sydney..Katja & Greg..A beautiful lunch of Figs, Goats Cheese, Grapes, Tomatoes, Olives, Pesto and Sourdough bread all collected from the weekly Eumundi Markets shopping run. We sat outside with our old friends rejoicing reunions and slightly incredulously describing our new life on a hilltop in Noosa...marvelling that we had really done it. That a spontaneous thought six months earlier, dreaming of an idyllic tropical life, had led us here to this house on a countryside hill. We had done it. Really done it. Decided to just do it and live the dream. Destiny, adventure, romantic living..weren’t going to be just dreams or pages in an inspiringly beautiful article in Country Style magazine. We had brought those pages to life...

And so we sat, enjoying the sunshine and our new creative freedom and a glass of Rose, just drinking it all in. Drinking life in. Suddenly, excited exclamations from Native New Zealander Greg -"You have a Feijoa tree! My favourite fruit as a kid! I don't believe it!"

What is a Feijoa? I have a Feijoa tree? Has this gorgeous garden of earthly delights been hiding yet another secret and would I have even know about the world of Feijoa had not Greg and Katja explored my lawns?

The idea there are fruits I have never heard of inspires and excites me. The joy of finding that this new wonder is growing on my lawn astounds me! A fruit native to the highlands of Brazil, Columbia & Uruguay (and luckily also very popular in New Zealand!) prospers and hums with life on my lawn. Now a couple of months since that surprising discovery, it is harvest time and my introduction to the Feijoa has culminated in a basketful of bounty! My education has continued as I read about Feijoa season in the Eumundi Green newspaper and am offered tastings at the local Farmers Markets. I am excited to learn what to do with this new gastronomic visitor to our table. I am learning it can be used deliciously in fruit smoothies or enticingly as a mixer with vodka...sundowner anyone? It can be baked in pies or used as a chutney. Apparently the pulp is even used in some natural cosmetics as an exfoliant-who knew? And who knew I would be sitting here now on a hill in Noosa sharing my thoughts on Feijoa's?

My dream was to write and live a beautiful inspired life and here I am watching the sunrise over the hills on a beautiful new day - writing....and that, like the Feijoa tree is one of life's delicious surprises.