Tiniest Thai Talks To // Ruth Ridgeway

TT: Hey Ruth - let's just  dive straight in!

You're someone who does a lot of different things - writing, designing, photography, coaching and mentoring, and of course created The Lifestyle Designers Club (which I love being a part of) but it seems to me there's  a common thread of simplicity and mindfulness and creating moments and things of beauty.

I've noticed that your food photos  are also very beautiful and have a lovely simplicity to the look of them.

Would you agree? Can you tell us a bit more about your philosophy of life?

And is that also your philosophy when it comes to food too?

RR: I'd totally agree with you, although I didn't notice at first.

Seeing the simplicity in the food I enjoy only came when I started sharing some of the meals I ate, and how simple they always looked on the plate.

But you're right, I'm definitely a LESS IS MORE kinda person.

If it's on my plate - or for design, if it's on my website, or tee, or stationery -  it's going to be put and placed there for a reason.

I like everything to have SPACE to be fully enjoyed and appreciated, and when it comes to food, every flavour enjoyed fully.

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Has how you eat changed over your life, and if so, can you share how? 

YES, big time! 

I was the fussiest (and slowest) eater as a kid. I mainly ate processed foods and sweets, I'd turn my nose up at most fruit and veggies. 

Now, totally different story.

Sure I'll have a take out from time to time, but I prefer most of my foods now REAL and as fresh as can be, for example I love going to the farmers market on a Sunday where there's not a single processed food in sight!

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What are your food memories growing up? What did you really love? 

“Honestly, I don’t really have any. My food memories and habits aren’t good or productive ones.

Enjoying food has become a learned thing through life, mainly starting when I was twenty or so...”

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Is food an important part of your life now?

Yeah it is. I see it so differently now and definitely believe you are what you eat.

I only have one body so I want to take care of it as best I can, and give it the best most nutritious foods I can.

Do that mean I'm 'perfect' and just eat avocados and kale?

No way, but I do try and east mostly fresh, real and organic food (and enjoy the other bits on occasion).

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What do you choose to eat when it's just you - when you're cooking for yourself? 

Something on toast!

But again, with 'real' fresh from the bakers bread. Top it with scrambled eggs, some mushroom, bacon, homemade guacamole...

Well, that's a happy me.

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What are some of your favourite foods?

I LOVE smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, served with a generous grind of fresh black pepper and squeeze of lemon juice.

I also love having a great big bowl of veggies, my fave being a bowlful of sweet potato fries served with green beans and tender broccoli cooked on a grill pan with nothing more than a little olive oil and some salt and pepper.

Simple, but so good. If I'm feeling indulgent I'll top it with some blue cheese or feta. 

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Do you enjoy cooking? 

“I do it it’s simple and quick and I get a tasty meal at the end.

It’s not my thing to spend HOURS in the kitchen.”

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What's the best meal you've ever had? 

I have two.

One in New Zealand, I think it was the day after I arrived. I was tired and jet lagged and found some sweet bread (similar to Chelsea buns) from one of the supermarkets and devoured it in one of the parks on the way back to the hostel, too tired to wait - and it was something just about being there, and feeling free, with the whole trip ahead of me and adventures still to come...

It felt good and exciting (and delicious) despite how tired I was. 

Another with my guy the first time we went to our favourite restaurant - Bully's in Cardiff. The food was good but was just laughed and laughed and laughed the whole night. 

To be fair, a tonne of my best meal memories are about the good food, but also about the company and laughter shared over it.

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Have you a favourite food writer, blog or cookbook you'd recommend?

I LOVE Lorraine Pascale's book Fast, Fresh and Easy.

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And is there somewhere local to you that's a real insider find you'd recommend anyone visiting the area just has to try? 

Bully's in Cardiff!

Also, in one of the arcade's there's an Indian Street Food place called 3B's, that's REALLY good too!

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And now I just want to ask .. .you do such a variety of things - is there such a thing as a typical day for you and what does that look like?

Hmmmn, I'm not sure I have a totally 'typical' day.

I try and time block certain things as much as possible (my head goes crazy crazy if I'm darting all over the place switching from task to task), but it depends what project I'm working on at the time.

Right now I'm creating a new week long workshop which is taking place in December, so today went like this:

- Register for two new Trademarks over breakfast

- After getting dressed and ready, head down to the sea (which I'm fortunate to have at the bottom of my garden) to record the workshop videos

- Once recorded, drive to the local coffee shop for a couple hours of work

- Come home, have lunch with my guy

- Host a live call with the members of The Lifestyle Designers Club

- Dinner of pasta before unwinding for the night. 

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Just for fun - what are a few of your favourite things?

Hugs with my guy

Good food and/or cocktails with friends, with plenty of laughter and conversation

Time to myself

Thai massages

Wandering bookstores

Going to the Farmers' Market on Sundays

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Finally ... what are you most excited about right now?

Can I pick two? (I'm allowing myself two).

A break away with my guy over Xmas...

Nothing but food, wine, me, him, and... blissfully nothing else. 

And second, my upcoming Unapologetic Living workshop! It's a word I embraced in 2016 and totally changed my life, so I can't wait to pass it on to others and see what it brings for them :)

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Oh, and of course - what recipe are you sharing with us?

I think we got the drift about I love things on a good slice of wholemeal toast. THIS is one of them, preferably with a crispy fried egg.

My chunky homemade guacamole.

I REALLY love this! I've made it three times in the last week or so alone (yep, these ones are my pics).

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Ruth's Unapologetic Living 2018 free workshop starts tomorrow - so there's still time to join me there if you'd like to! 

And of course I know you know I only recommend things I personally truly love - and I love being a member of both the free workshops and a paid-up member of the Lifestyle Designers Club.

It's an incredible program and wonderful community and I'd recommend it anyway - but I do want you to know that if you also sign up to it that I may receive a bonus for recommending it.

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The journey between here and you

Here I am, scanning the huge beach, searching, looking for the house.  For her. 

It’s late summer, coming to the end of summer and the sun is just about to start descending, going down behind the big sea, so calm out on the horizon, but big waves still out front, white foam on top of the grey blue, surfers in the water, dogs running on the beach.

I can see a couple of barbecues happening in the dunes.  There’s a chill just in the air now, after a hot day. That smell of autumn approaching. 

Then I see it – up to the left, on top of the cliffs. A chalet style house and – as if I have binoculars - I now see the detail.

The full glass doors that surround the first floor of the building, all pulled back, so the house is completely open. 

The wooden verandah that circles it – and all the little outdoor candles that flicker upon that. 

I can see the table outside set for dinner, glasses of wine, and I’m sure … I’m certain I can smell cooking and I catch a waft of kaffir lime. 

THERE you are. 

Of course.

You did it. I did it. WE did it. 

And then I see you, coming outside, hair tied up, jeans and a grey jumper. 

Again, of course. My whole life I’ve worn blue jeans and grey tops – why would I change just because I’m nearing 80 years old? I like that I look kind of the same.

Ohhhhh we did do it.

You are fitter looking than I am now, and somehow a bit smaller, but also sure, confident, happy. Calm looking.

I’m coming, hold on.  Wait.

I just need to run across the big beach and climb the cliff steps and then I’ll be there, actually with you.

I want to see you. 

Your hair is silver now and your face lined and you look content. I walk around your house with its sides open to the sea, just as you’ve always wanted.

I see your big table in the warm kitchen that looks right over the beach and all your cooking things. 

Look! You still have my favourite pan. 

And I’m in your bedroom with its skylight, your white cat sleeping on the bed in a pile of soft grey and cream cashmere blankets.

And look again! All my pictures are on the walls. That print I bought that a friend made. That cross stitch my niece made for me. That card I had framed as I loved it so much.

All here with you.

I peek into your office where you write your best-selling books and create your work and talk to people. That wall full of photos of people and your travels, and of your little house on stilts, a little house on stilts by the sea in Thailand, where some years ago you used to spend several months a year.

You still travel, although you have to take it a little easier these days. 

You have met so many people, talked to so many, helped so many with finding their own passions and through your passion for Thai food and living a healthy, happy, fulfilled life. 

I am SO PROUD. 

I know it wasn’t easy to get here.  Of course, I know my own history to the point where I am now - and I’m so new to having realised what I want to create in my life.   

I sometimes wonder what I learnt in these forty odd years before now, but I know inside me somewhere deep why they were needed - and I know what I’ve learnt and that’s how I know we will do this.

I don’t know what happens next on this journey between here and you, where the twists and turns will take me, what will fill me with joy and excitement - and what heartache there will be and what more lessons I learn.

But as the sun goes down and your candles flicker and the sea quietens, and the cat stretches and I hear soft laughing and talking and the chink of glasses … I see you are happy and full of peace.

Still with new goals to achieve and things to create and people to love … I see you.  

I am committed to you having this, being this, being you.

I commit to you that I WILL keep putting one foot in front of the other in the years yet to travel for you to be here, like this - and not living some other life.  I will get you here.

I promise.

We will.  We did it.

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This letter to my future self was originally written for and published during summer 2016 as part of the 100 Letters of Love project created by Ruth Ridgeway.

I was so inspired by her idea and these letters that my own came to me straight away and is one of my favourite things I've written.

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