Your page: readers’ emails and letters

WE ALL NEED REMINDERS TO GET BACK TO BASICS AND APPRECIATE THE SMALL THINGS. PICKING DAHLIAS IN A COUNTRY GARDEN BRINGS DELIGHT TO MANY.

THE TOWN TIME FORGOT

Over Easter we were fortunate to visit the lovely town of Carcoar, NSW. Why did we go there? Thanks to you, Country Style. Prior to the October issue last year, featuring Belinda Satterthwaite of Carcoar, her beautiful homewares shop, Tomolly, and her own lovely home, we had not heard of Carcoar. My husband and I fell in love with this unique, special country town. We stayed at the local hotel and appreciated its warm hospitality. We enjoyed visiting the local courthouse, where we learnt about its history, including the bushrangers. We stepped back in time when we walked through the door of the Toy Museum: so many childhood memories returned. We strolled along the streets admiring the old homes and kept muttering, “One day… one of these may be ours.” The timing is not right for us to move to the country yet, but I am happy to add Carcoar to my ‘where to retire’ list. We are grateful to Country Style magazine for introducing us to Carcoar. A local road sign declares Carcoar as The Town Time Forgot. We will never forget our time there, we look forward to another and you never know... maybe one day we might become ‘locals’. Paula Squires, Glenorie, NSW

WELCOME DISTRACTION

In a time when we are constantly bombarded with disturbing images from around the world, Country Style can always be relied on to provide a welcome distraction. Mark Roper’s photograph of little Gigi Paquinbowden picking dahlias on her parents’ flower farm in Budding Ambition (May 2019) is a heartwarming example. Mark continues to capture the beauty in moments which might otherwise pass unnoticed, but which he finds all around us. Your creative photographers and stylists can extract equal beauty from a basket of fresh vegetables or an old farm gate. They can evoke a sense of welcome from both an open front door or a plate of Anzac biscuits. Thank you for inspiring me to pause, adjust my inner focus, and look for the hidden beauty in the small things. Corrina Dyer, Karrinyup, Western Australia

PART OF MY HEART

My little slice of relaxation, therapy and inspiration arrives in my mailbox every month and gosh, does it make me happy! As soon as I pull your magazine out of my letterbox, I begin my little Country Style routine. First I rip off the packaging, admire the front cover and carefully flick through every page, before making a cuppa and settling in to read it from cover to cover. Rural Australia takes up a large part of my heart: I grew up in the mid-north of South Australia and am now lucky enough to live in the beautiful Clare Valley. The country is my happy place and it gives me this indescribable heart-filling feeling — like at golden hour when the sun is setting and the birds are settling in for the night, or in spring when that beautiful scent of the crops drifts through the warm air. Your magazine so accurately captures and replicates this feeling on each and every page. So I just wanted to say thank you for creating such a seamless, thought-provoking magazine. Every page is beautifully sewn together with gorgeous photographs and carefully written words, which paint a wonderful picture of country Australia and the >

sensational gifts that it has to offer. Thank you for finding such wonderful people with stunning homes and gardens, and interesting life stories, which fill me with inspiration, hope and joy every single month when I pull your magazine out of my letterbox. Emily Casey, Clare, South Australia

WINNER WITH GRATITUDE

I was blown away by your magazine this month (May 2019), starting with the cover, which got my undivided attention straight away with those beautiful dahlias, which I have just started growing myself in the last two years. They are my new gardening love affair! But I especially must applaud Annabelle Hickson’s column, Real Feeling. It is refreshing, humbling and soothing all at once to read such an article. Life isn’t always rainbows and fireworks and that is okay. It’s also okay to not be okay all the time. That’s life. But to see someone recognise that life has its downs, and look for ways and inspiration to turn those mundane moments into moments of joy, finding “humour, resilience and gratitude” is nothing short of beautiful and full of grace. Thank you, Annabelle. I have found myself in a similar frame of mind over the past couple of years. Country Style has helped me find my passion again for what I love — my beautiful (work in progress) home, my garden, my family and our beautiful country. Your magazine always inspires me and has brought me great joy. Jaimie Wilkins, Parkerville, Western Australia