Cecilia Macaulay

16/04/2025

Between industialized South Korea and who-knows-what in North Korea, there is a 4k strip of land belonging to nobody. It’s called the Demilitarized Zone, and was created for the 1953 armistice, after a 3-year unwinnable war. Today, to my amazement, I got to visit.

12/04/2025

Between industialized South Korea and who-knows-what in North Korea, there is a 4k strip of land belonging to nobody. It’s called the Demilitarized Zone, and was created for the 1953 armistice, after a 3-year unwinnable war. Today, to my amazement, I got to visit.
The North Korean army dug a series of secret tunnels heading for Seoul, one large enough to carry 30,000 troups per hour. The first one was discovered in 1974, and today I got to put on a helmet and wander down to Visit .
These soldiers waiting patiently with me are wax.
The old ladies digging aren’t scared of the land mine warming signs. They are harvesting wild vegetation. Maybe something delicious for dinner, maybe something rare to propegate. The DMZ is now an accidental wildlife sanctuary, free of industry, commerce and chemicals for over 70 years. If you are an elk, crane, or even ocelot, it’s a pretty good place to raise a family.
This ambushed South Korean train was found in the forest in the 70’s, and was somehow allowed to be brought here. It had a mulberry tree growing in it, which was carefully taken out and planted right beside this big guy, in DMZ soil. ‘They are family’ said our guide, of this machine and this mulberry tree.
The picture of the wooden bridge is very special. One day, thousands of prisoners of war walked over this bridge and one step later were free.

12/04/2025

My first day in Korea, since 1995. Today was peak cherry blossom day for sure, with the office workers still in their dark winter clothes, and almost every petal still on its tree: in a few days the avenues will be in snowglobe-mode, swishing with petals.

The Korean language is lilting, with lovely fades of sound sprinkled through, and this gave a kind of soft-focus hush to the whole city. That was my first surprise.

A gorgonzola cheesecake with a little pond of truffle oil on top: another surprise.
I walked the city all day, the surprises kept on happening, and here are some pictures.

26/01/2025

Jubilee years come once every 25 years, and it turns out 2025 is one of them. Traditionally it’s a year for breaking burdensome cycles: time to forgive debts, complete projects, and a whole lot more. So all the things young Cecilia said she’d like to do ‘one day’, well, this year is the year, to either do it, or give up on it. The dreams, delusions, the lot, big and small.

For some reason, I’ve always wanted to wear a floaty Gina dress, from the Japanese Gibili animation, Porco Rosso.
Well, I got close enough today to put that dream to rest: white dress, seaplane, and a remote cliff side hotel, beautiful and calm.

Of course, the Gina dream isn’t just about a dress. In the movie, Madam Gina has a realm she cares for and makes beautiful, the Hotel Adriatica. She is self-directed and in her element. That’s a dream that became real for me once, with my Annandale Permaculture guesthouse. It’s a dream that’s not going away.

Let’s see if I give up on this realm, or make it real again, this jubilee year.

24/01/2025

Learning new things, that makes holidays fun. We converged at Beautiful gardenfarm Gippsland to celebrate the new year, and enjoy each other.

19/01/2025

What problems does this woman's community theory solve for us, to set ourselves up well over the next three years?

I’ve long believed that as primates, having one caring leader everyone trusts is the way to go. That’s what I’ve seen in happy share houses, and local economy projects such as 753 Village in Japan.
How much of the future is uncharted territory, and how much will we be running on predictable patterns, from traditions and art passed down, as our life guides? I wish I knew, but its interesting to guess.

"The power of a theory is exactly proportional to the diversity of situations it can explain."

When Elinor Ostrom applied for a PhD in economics she was turned away - her subsequent doctorate is actually in political sciences.

Despite this, in 2009, Ostrom became the first woman to be awarded the prize in economic sciences in its forty-year history. She was awarded the prize for her work on human cooperation and shared resources. Ostrom showed how natural resources can be shared sustainably by a community without central authorities or privatisation.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/39bnDhG

12/01/2025

🧹Did you know that people used to sweep their yards?

This fascinating tradition was once a common practice across the South and is believed to have originated with enslaved African populations who brought it to America, where it was widely adopted across the South. Sweeping yards not only created a neat, tidy appearance but also served several practical purposes.

Using brooms made of broom straw or branches from nearby trees, grass would swept away, preventing it from growing near the house. This helped keep insects at bay and made it easier to spot snakes. Over time, the swept earth became so compact it resembled stone, transforming the yard into a durable outdoor living space where cooking was often done. Without grass to catch fire, the practice also reduced the risk of accidental blazes from stray embers. Additionally, by keeping the ground bare, pigs and cows were discouraged from grazing too close to the home.

Maintaining a swept yard was no small task—it often required sweeping multiple times a day to keep it pristine.

Sweeping was also an act of hospitality. When expecting guests, you swept the yard, and when they left, you swept it again.

According to the image caption, this image was taken in 1899 on Latimer's Farm in Belton, South Carolina.

02/01/2025

They have huge smiles, a massive work ethic, and one very cute little gardening book. And they are coming to a book party concert near you. Maybe even to your house!
Costa the Gardener, Brenna Quinlan the permaculture Illustrator, and Formidable Vegetable’s vocalist Charlie Mgee are on tour, and here is what Brenna told me:

“Being billeted by friends and other permies on this tour has been such a highlight - to be nourished in body and soul by others who are working to make the world a better place is such an inspiring thing. “

You can’t do a miraculous thing like wander the country selling a book without a network of love-filled people to give you a bed and some dinner.

I know this by experience: I get called to Japan every year, and people take me in. They put on my ‘Permaculture your home’ workshops, and someone in the workshop often says ‘I love it, I’ll put on your workshop next year’.

Hey, maybe I could give myself over to such a network in Australia, do my work here for a change.

The Costa Crew will be in Brisbane on the 3rd, Mullumbimby on Saturday the 4th, and a heap of other very nice towns all through January.
To see the show and maybe even buy the book, I’ve put a link in the comments for you, and here too:
https://www.growdoit.org/work-1/costas-garden-flowers-book-launch-tour

Their effervescence is catchy, and that’s why you go : )

Photo by , at their Warburton event

27/12/2024

I got lucky, and get to spend Summer days as ‘resident Permaculturist’ at beautiful Gardenfarm, south Gippsland.

24/11/2024

I’m spending few weeks on a country interlude at Gardenfarm. Yesterday was the day you put on a nice frock and go thrill at the domestic arts of the Yarram Agricultiral show. It was adoreable.

17/10/2024

The ferry to Chiba took me to a land of saints and devils and very, very big Buddhas.
There was a skyrope, which means dizzy flying with the falcons, on the way down.

17/10/2024

06/10/2024

How can I have a valuable life without leaving a legacy such as raising children, composing an album or other creative works?

My sister and guru Katie surprised me a few months ago saying 'When I die, I don't want any evidence of my life hanging around. I'm happy to be gone'. Or something like that.

She happens to be living an exemplary life of love.

These days I'm doing home harmonizing projects for creative people who are in the sunset of their lives, some in their 80s They dream of spending time in clear, heavenly rooms, with yoga, dinner parties, mindfulness and love. But what are they surrounded with? Selves groaning with dusty books, unopened for 20 years. Artworks they've looked at a thousand times, but wouldn't notice if it was missing.

How can I make my life valuable, separate from what I leave behind?

05/10/2024

I’m back in Japan, and these adoreable people are the 15 year olds who are being trained to protect the country. I just met them while waiting for the train. ‘What’s you dream?’ I asked, as you do.
‘Pilot!’ said the girl.
I’ll never know the boys dreams, because then my train came.

15/09/2024

‘Plant sweet peas! That’s what I was reminded to do, when I ordered this lychee cocktail at Reign, in Sydney’s Queen Victoria center.
I’m on a mission to find out what blue takes like. It’s not lychee, I can now confirm.
The drink turned out purple, not blue anyway.
So when I get back from Melboune, blue sweet pea seeds go in the ground, and I wait for them to flower, to see if they taste as I always imagined the sky to taste.
In the meanwhile, Ilif you want to be a lady who lunches, I recommend this very central, very pretty place.