24 Nov 2015
by Debra Manskey
in Baking, Biography, Cooking, Creative Writing, Inspiration, Produce, Rabbits, Urban Farming, Writing
Tags: baby rabbits, creative writing, Griffith University, home made feta cheese, NaBloPoMo 2015, Pork brawn, sourdough bread, Tasmania, writing poetry
I’ve had a great day – bustling and busy – but great nonetheless. This morning I fed and watered the hungry hoards and said hello to the baby bunnies, who are all growing at a phenomenal rate! Their eyes are open and they are getting quite inquisitive about the world.
I picked raspberries (a daily job now) and I’m hoping to have enough to make a spectacular birthday cake for myself next week đ When I went to give Boudica her daily raspberry leaf treat, I discovered someone had come out to see mummy and see what she eats â¤
There were six eggs from six chickens this morning, so after watering the greenhouse, I pickled another dozen eggs using the recipe I shared  here recently and started another loaf of sourdough bread. This weather Wee Beastie is very active and needs more attention (and feeding!)
My son came over and hung out, he’s in the process of moving out of his old place and in with a friend who lives just up the road from here. I think he was just sick of sorting out the junk from the stuff he wants to keep and needed some chill out time. So we kicked back, drank lots of tea and watched cooking shows on television. We’ve agreed to have a birthday dinner at home for me next week – Roast Pork with all the trimmings, maybe some new potatoes from the garden – which will be perfect!
I’m gradually getting my head around this final assignment, which is due Friday afternoon. I’ve opted to write three poems for plus a 500 word exegesis. Although I’m a professional songwriter (and prolific blogger) I don’t have much experience with poetry and it’s a form I find quite fascinating. Interestingly, I’ve found the easiest way to start is take and idea and just write. Stream of consciousness seems to be the key way into it for me. Then I edit and arrange the words on the page so they make sense to me – and hopefully my tutor! So my poems are largely about the strange weather we get in Tasmania, the changing seasons, growing things, musicians and music.
The sourdough went in the oven late this afternoon and, as a light dinner I took fresh sourdough slices, slabs of Pork Brawn I made on Sunday and crumbled over feta cheese I made a few weeks ago. We put the slices under a hot grill for about 10 minutes – until the feta started to melt – and it was so delicious! The sharp saltiness of the feta worked so well with the rich, meaty Brawn on the fresh sourdough.
I was also reminded by HeWhoMustNotBeListenedTo that everything on our plates was made by me. It was a very satisfying moment……
So, tomorrow will be even busier – sand and pine bark chips are arriving for a project in the back end of the garden. I’ll have pics to show you all tomorrow night đ
10 Nov 2015
by Debra Manskey
in Biography, Inspiration, Music, Performance, Rabbits, Urban Farming, Writing
Tags: Australian music, baby rabbits, Cassie O'Keefe, Griffith University, NaBloPoMo 2015, online learning, original music, professional musician, Tasmania, Tasmanian original music, The Homestead Tasmania
Wow, it’s Day 10 already – one third of the way through the month of blogging! It’s a little scary how fast the time has flown but I still haven’t run out of things to write about đ
As many of you will be aware, there was much excitement on the weekend when the beautiful Boudica Bunny gave birth on Saturday morning.
I’m very pleased to say that all seven of them are very healthy, plump little bunnies, obviously being fed and already showing a light sheen of (mostly) white fur. There’s a couple with speckles of black skin like their mother but I think most of them are going to be like their father Beelzebun, who’s a crossbred Californian/New Zealand White. Newborns are more or less hairless and look like little pink peanuts but within the first week they grow an awful lot of fur! By this time next week they’ll be starting to open their eyes and get curious about the world.
For the next fortnight or more I’ve got loads of work coming my way, mostly with regard to my final assignment for my current online unit at Griffith University. I have to complete a creative piece (short story, short screenplay or three poems) and a 500 word exegesis about my process. I’ve decided to go with the poems as it’s closer to lyric writing which I feel comfortable with but different enough to be of value to my learning. Interestingly, I’ve been reading far more prose lately but it’s flavouring my work in an interesting way. I hope my tutor agrees!
And next Thursday I’m playing a gig at The Homestead in Hobart, supporting my good friend, Cassie O’Keefe. I’m really looking forward to it and hoping we can find the time to rehearse some material together between now and then. If you’re in southern Tasmania, Cassie’s playing a set this Friday the 13th at the Worlds End in Sandy Bay, which I’m hoping to get to.
So, posts will still be daily – I don’t want to stop now I’m a third of the way through – they’ll still contain bunny and gardening updates but they might be a little shorter…….
To finish, here’s a photo of Boudica and my other doe Bella, when they were little girls – about four or five months old. Note the overturned bowl, something Boudica still does when she’s finished her daily kibble ration â¤
Bella & Boudica
02 Nov 2015
by Debra Manskey
in Biography, Inspiration, Music, Performance, Urban Farming, Writing
Tags: friendship, Griffith University, joy, NaBloPoMo 2015, Oak Tasmania, Tasmanian stories, work
I’m a professional musician, writer and educator. My working week is made up of private students plus contract music and teaching roles. In between I have gigs and time to pursue and improve my own arts practice. Add to that, maintaining what amounts to an urban farm in the backyard plus part-time online study through Griffith University, and every week is pretty full.
I consider myself very, very lucky. The garden produces fresh vegetables year round, a good deal of fruit and some meat from our breeding rabbits, plus fresh eggs for approximately ten months of the year. Study enriches me in completely different ways and has provided me with different ways of looking at the world and my place in it, and then there’s music.
Music is my therapy and a major source of fun in my life – it always has been. And I’m lucky enough to be able to make money out of it.
My main work contracts are currently with Oak Tasmania, an organisation that provides support and services to people with disabilities. Every Monday I get paid to be a human jukebox and play all different kinds of music for a truly beautiful and diverse group of people. I enjoy it so much that I usually turn up an hour early and eat lunch with them before we start. In fact, I sometimes feel like I’m taking money under false pretenses – the clients have become friends and we enjoy each others’ company immensely.
Today I arrived as usual and started preparing my lunch, when one of my dear friends presented me with this beautiful little bouquet of home-grown roses because she appreciates me and what I do for her. I was so touched by the gesture I nearly cried.
My work is also my joy.
The roses are now in a vase, taking pride of place in my lounge room đ
What are your work stories? Do you find joy in what you do? Please leave your story in the comments!Â
28 Oct 2015
by Debra Manskey
in Baking, Biography, Brewing, Business, Chickens, Composition, Inspiration, Inspiration, Inspiration, Lyrics, Music, Performance, Produce, Singing, Urban Farming, Vegetable Gardening, Writing
Tags: Australian music, Australian original music, baking, brewing, Cassie O'Keefe, creative writing, Debra Manskey, egg glut, Griffith University, Inspiration, Kevin Gleeson, live music, Matt Dean, mentoring, performance, professional musician, singer/songwriter, spring, Tasmania, Tasmanian music, Tasmanian original music, Tasmanian songwriters, The Brunswick Hotel, The Globe Hotel, The Homestead Tasmania, The Yard, urban farming, Writing
Hello friends,
I love spring. The cycle of the seasons visibly turns and every day brings new things in the garden, the chickens are laying more eggs than we can keep up with, and here in Hobart we’re coming out of the hibernation of winter and starting to go out again.
Rhubarb Fool
Vanilla Ice Cream
Wee Beastie Sourdough
And I’ve been busy! In the kitchen I’ve been making Vanilla Ice Cream and Baked Coffee Cheesecake with the excess eggs, brewing and bottling cider, making Rhubarb Fool from the mass of spring rhubarb and my weekly “Wee Beastie” Sourdough. It’s been absolutely wonderful to eat so well, with so much produce coming directly out of the garden.
The garden is always a work in progress but I’ve started planting out climbing beans this week, there’s basil in the 
greenhouse and too many vegetable seedlings coming on to mention.
And there’s music happening too! I’m in the middle of a unit in Creative Writing for my second major through Griffith University. For my final assessment I’m planning to write a portfolio of new pieces that will become new songs. Depending how it goes, perhaps the core of another album.
Meanwhile, there’s gigs coming up too.
This Sunday at The Brunswick Hotel in Hobart, I’m playing a short set out in The Yard (the beer garden) with a bunch of other local musicians, including the incredibly talented Cassie O’Keefe and my friend Matt Dean. Very pleased also that this is a family friendly show, so feel free to bring your young music-lovers đ
Thursday 19th November, I’m sharing a night with Cassie at The Homestead in Elizabeth Street, one of my favourite places to go and hang out with friends. No idea what’s going to happen that one – we might even work out some songs to play together!
Friday 20th November, I’ll be doing the early spot at The Globe Hotel in Davey Street. If you haven’t caught this weekly event yet, I really recommend it. It’s organised by Kevin Gleeson who basically loves all kinds of music and is good friends with so many of us. It’s a great excuse to hang out and have a good time with mates.
And there’s more on the horizon! If you want to keep up to date with my shenanigans, hook up with me on Facebook here.
Yep, it’s spring and it’s busy – just how I like it.
Wherever you are, be well friends â¤
02 Jun 2015
by Debra Manskey
in Biography, Chickens, Inspiration, Inspiration, Inspiration, Music, Rabbits, Urban Farming, Vegetable Gardening, Writing
Tags: Australia, chickens, creative writing, gardening, Griffith University, online learning, rabbits, Tasmania, urban farming, winter in Australia, Writing
Wow, it’s June already! Who stole my year and can I have it back please? I don’t know about the rest of you but life’s been a blur the past six months.
Yesterday was the first day of winter here in the southern hemisphere and it was a reminder that the year is marching on. Firstly, there was snow on the mountain, our second reasonable fall in a couple of weeks. Yes, we had heavy snow in March this year, very unusual for this part of the world (see the pic above, snow to approx. 200m/220 yards!) The garden is looking a little shabby as it always does this time of year, with fallen leaves that need raking and using as mulch, fruit trees that need attention and weeds competing with winter vegetables. Nevertheless, I love winter gardening in Hobart on those crisp, sunny days that we generally see so many of through June and July.
The chickens are looking equally tatty, all five of the old girls are in various stages of molting, and because of the shorter day length, no eggs at present. On the up side, the rabbits are thriving. They much prefer the cooler weather and all three have very luxurious winter coats, plenty of food, bedding straw and shelter.
Out of view in this photo is a heavy duty enclosure that I’ve fitted with a tarp, where each of the bunnies gets a chance to run around, feast on grass and get plenty of exercise. I have been known to go and have a break in there with them, which usually means rabbit cuddles. Life’s hard â¤
And June heralds a new study period at online university, this time my first unit for a Creative Writing major. It’s really interesting as a much-lauded songwriter and lyricist that I’m going back to basics but my mantra throughout life is that you can never know it all – there’s always new things to learn.
As I’ve mentioned here before, I’m studying online through Griffith University and even a few days in, I’m really enjoying the course material, meeting new people on the discussion board who have a similar passion for words and the prospect of learning new things, new ways of doing what I love.
Hopefully, this will mean more regular blog posts!
Take care everyone and see you soon
Debra â¤
10 Mar 2015
by Debra Manskey
in Biography, Business, Festivals, Inspiration, Recording, Touring
Tags: All at Sea, Australian original music, Butterscotch Pony, CD, Griffith University, GRRL Fest 2015, Productions of Troy, recording, Straddlepuss, Tasmanian music, Tasmanian original music, The Lucky Six, The Woman on the Edge of the World
Sometimes, things fall in your lap that are wonderful. And throughout my life, I’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of these treasures come my way.
Meeting Kirsty, then Sara and playing in Straddlepuss with them has certainly been a treasure. Not only are these two great emerging musicians and songwriters but also amazing young women, who I’m really proud to call my friends. Saturday 21st March, we are incredibly pleased to be playing at GRRL Fest 2015 in Melbourne.
So, It’s more than a little bittersweet to announce that I’ve decided to leave Straddlepuss – but other exciting projects are starting to get very pressing!
I’m really pleased to announce that The Woman on the Edge of the World will be going ahead as a CD release later this year. Remastering is scheduled for mid-late April, artwork is in the final stages, and it will be limited to only 100 signed and numbered copies. Also, it will only be available through me. I’m happy to take pre-orders but holding off a little until I find out the retail price. Trying my best to keep this little collectable affordable! Plus, The Lucky Six covers EP which was first mooted as a recording project in 2013, looks like it will happen as (at least) a digital download later this year. At present, we’re considering mastering, release options and licensing, all the important – but often tedious – stuff that makes the music industry go round.
Meanwhile, the All At Sea project with documentary maker, Josh Troy and the inimitable Matt Sertori from Butterscotch Pony is still forging on. Lots of footage for me to look at now apparently! And we still have to look at recording options for this beastie too……. so much work to do!
And amongst all of this, my university studies continue. I’m doing second year Screen Studies units now through Griffith University and it’s really making me work. Nevertheless, I’m really enjoying the challenge. It’s so different to anything else in my life.
Honestly, I’ll really miss playing in Straddlepuss but I look forward to my other projects and new challenges. I’ll still be going to their gigs in the future and cheering on these truly fabulous women â¤
17 Jul 2014
by Debra Manskey
in Biography, Writing
Tags: ashamed of my government, Australian carbon price repeal, environmental vandalism, Griffith University, Oak Industries, online study, Straddlepuss, The Guardian AU, University of Tasmania
I’m feeling quite gutted about the shenanigans in the Senate today, where Australia became the first country in the world to repeal measures to put a price on carbon. In my opinion, this is akin to environmental vandalism and I feel like I need to apologise to my son and any children he may have in the future for the stupidity and short-sightedness of Tony Abbott and co. There’s a great piece by Lenore Taylor in the Guardian Australia. Frankly, I feel ashamed to be an Australian today.
Good news however, is multiple đ
I just shared a glorious roast dinner with my adult son (and it didn’t cost $100 Barnaby Joyce/Tony Abbott) and we celebrate the fact that we can do this. It’s so nice to have him living close by. He’s halfway through a History/Sociology degree at University of Tasmania and just got mid-year exam results back. Credits across the board and HeWhoMustNotBeListenedTo had a Distinctions and High D’s. I had confirmation of a HD on my last unit a couple of weeks ago, so a lot to celebrate at my house tonight!
Meanwhile, I’m up to date (kinda) with my uni work. I’m doing a fully online Communications degree with (hopefully) double majors in Screen Studies and Creative Writing through Griffith University. This study period I’ve taken on two units instead of just one at a time, and the workload’s been pretty fierce. I watch at a minimum three movies a week, mostly westerns, and I’ve been learning a new language – semiotics. I have to say, while I can see the benefits of semiotic analysis of cultural texts, I’m not convinced it’s the best approach. But I’m grateful that I live in a country where (as a mature age woman) I have the opportunity to study at all, let alone again!
Tomorrow, I go out to Oak Industries and my job is to create music with awesome people, and Saturday I’ve got Straddlepuss rehearsal
So, despite the horror show that is the current Australian government, there are so many good things to celebrate.
Life is good – we make it so â¤
03 Apr 2014
by Debra Manskey
in Biography, Business, Composition, Downloads, Inspiration, Inspiration, Inspiration, Merchandise, Music, Performance, Recording, Singing, Teaching, Writing
Tags: ASA, Australian music, Debra Manskey, feminist music, Griffith University, live music, online music lessons, original music, Straddlepuss, Tasmanian original music, Tasmanian songwriters, The Night Owl Music Bar
After six months with just my trusty mobile phone, I’m extremely happy to announce that I’ve got a home broadband connection again. Despite having the WordPress app on my phone, it’s just not the same as this interface on my laptop.
It’s good to be back – but now the big job of catching up begins! So much has been happening this southern summer, and as always, some of it’s been good and some of it’s been really bad.
On the “utterly brilliant” end of the spectrum, I’ve finished my first fully online unit through Griffith University. Despite only having my mobile for connection, I managed a surprising high distinction and I have to thank some beautiful friends in Hobart for letting me leach their net regularly to stay on top of things. Thank you Lauren and Patsi ⤠you two are wonderful! I’m well into my second unit now and starting to really enjoy the challenge of study again.
In the next few weeks, I’ll be finalising digital stuff for my most recent recording and playing catch up with getting cd’s out and about. And for those of you in southern Tasmania, I’m playing at the next ASA show on Wednesday, 9th April. Once again, we’re at The Night Owl in Liverpool Street, Hobart.
I’ll also have details to reveal soon about a new songwriting/recording/documentary project, plus a live, all-girl punk band I’m playing with called Straddlepuss.
And finally, being back online with a fibre connection means I can at long last offer Skype music lessons to you all. I can’t believe it was October last year when I first wrote about this and it’s taken until now to get it off the ground! If you’re interested, fill out the contact form – and the first lesson is free đ
There’s been sadness too but I’m not dwelling on that today.
Today is a day for cheering!
Take care friends,
Debra â¤
25 Nov 2013
by Debra Manskey
in Biography, Composition, Festivals, Inspiration, Inspiration, Lyrics, Music, Performance, Recording, Singing, Teaching, Writing
Tags: Australian music, Griffith University, Inspiration, live music, Malcolm Battersby, mature age study, mentoring, NaBloPoMo, online learning, original music, performance, Tasmanian music, Tasmanian original music, Tasmanian songwriters, The Fringe Dwellers, Writing
Well, today is momentous. I am now officially back at University! I’m a little scared still but very excited about getting back into scan reading mountains of papers and books for references, making coherent arguments in essays and referencing it all correctly – oh dear, what have I done??!!! No, seriously – it’ll be fun once I get back into the swing đ
Thanks to my beautiful friends Lauren and Patsi, I’ve been able to log on and join in the discussion board and download extra material that Griffith University didn’t post to me. Yes, I still don’t have a dedicated internet connection at home and sadly, I haven’t been able to keep up with my NaBloPoMo committments, but I’m doing my best.
Over the weekend, I also had some great times with other beautiful friends, namely Jax and Malcolm Battersby. Mal and I played a really nice gig at the Richmond Festival. It was the inaugural Songwriters Concert at the festival and we got to work with some great local artists and the organiser – champion of original music, Roger Joseph.
The other truly beautiful thing is I heard a new song Jax’s written (as yet untitled) and it’s just gorgeous. I understand she’s going to debut it live at the ASA December 11th gig and I can’t wait to hear it again! I heard a rough from Belfry Studio but once the mix is finalised, it’ll be up on Jax’s Triple J Unearthed page. It’s so satisfying to see someone with so much raw talent start to blossom into a confident and accomplished writer and recording artist – it’s really inspirational!
All in all, a very satisfying time in my life – despite the lack of home internet.
Take care everyone and have a wonderful day too, wherever you are
Debra đ
19 Nov 2013
by Debra Manskey
in Biography, Inspiration, Music, Writing
Tags: Griffith University, Inspiration, NaBloPoMo, online study, Open University Australia, reinventing yourself, Tasmania
Seems like there’s no end to the things I discover through life. One of the major problems I have is never enough time to do everything. This is not just a day-to-day thing but has a much broader context. As I get older I discover there’s so much I don’t know that I want to know! And the other major issue I have is a short attention span. Call it a character flaw but if I’m not fully engaged with something, or don’t have a solid deadline, I tend to put it aside for a rainy day. On the upside, I seem to have developed a flair over the years for reinventing myself. It seems like I find a comfortable place to be in the grand scheme of things and then start rearranging the furniture. This is very true of my musical career as well as my personal life – and I like it! I find it inspires me creatively and musically, I am never bored, and (I sincerely hope) never boring!
So, I made the decision earlier this year to return to study. I’ve enrolled in a Bachelor of Communication at Griffith University, studying fully online via Open University Australia. This is going to be a bit hairy considering I have no Internet at home until January – all my recent blog posts have been done on my mobile phone (god bless the WordPress mobile app!) but I’ve got some contingencies in place to stay up to date.
I’m taking just one unit at a time so I can still fit in all the other things I want and need in my life
And today, my first unit arrived in the post. I’m feeling scared and excited all at once – a fabulous way to be! So, I’m off to a quiet spot in the garden to start my first week’s reading and discuss it with the bunnies.Â
Let the reinvention commence!
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
Debra Manskey 