Spring is not far away

I took these photo's as they really made my heart glad. I don't know if I have ever mentioned this but I hate the cold really hate the cold. So these really made me glad.

Jonquils

Daffodils

Does anything herald spring like these two?

Till next time.

More Gardening

This would not surprise any of you but we did more gardening, this time it was in the flower garden sort of.

Planted some new plants including a beautiful new Camellia.

We also pruned our lemon tree which is in this garden. It now has a nice shape, I  do not know the variety of the lemon as we inherited it when we brought our place but it is full of lemons as well as having new fruit and flowers all at the same time. We pretty much have lemons 11 months a year.

I think that this is enough for know, now it's time to have a rest so that I am ready for work tomorrow.

Till next time.

Catching up on gardening

Saturday was spent working hard on the veggie patch I lost a lot of production time last month due to rain on the weekends. So I am working furiously to catch up.

This is what the strawberry patch looked like before.

I cleaned up the strawberry patch then added mushroom compost and liquid fed them. Michael rotary hoed two of my beds for me.

This is what it looks like now

 In one we sowed spring onions and bock choy as well as winter lettuce.
Weeded the garlic bed and finished mulching some of the more tropical plants.

Last week I tidied up the berries and the Kiwi fruit and finally the garden is starting to look more like it should.

The strawberry patch is under the net on the right.

Under the green shade cloth our new batch of potatoes which need cover until the frost is over. There is still plenty of work to do but it is shaping up nicely. Still more mushroom compost to be spread around the garden. In the background you can see the mandarins that we are still eating now. Still lots of weeding to do but things are progressing and I am pleased.

Till next time.

Dad is in hospital

Not much time to blog at the moment apart from working extra hours my farther is in hospital with pneumonia and his diabetes is way  out of control. My mum does not drive so we all have to take turns at taking her to the hospital so have been coming home and going to bed pretty much as soon as I get home.

Till next time!

Sewing Sunday

Today I made a conscious decision not to do any work outside in the garden as I have been neglecting the housework. So today was a day that I ironed 3 baskets, tidied and cleaned the house. Not bad for someone who would rather garden than do house work.

Later in the day I hit the craft room and did a bit of a tidy up as the place had become so messy and overrun with started projects and items of clothing that needed repairs.

Why do my husbands jeans all have pockets on one side that come off?

Repaired four pairs of my husbands jeans all of them had pockets that needed to be sown back on I don;t get it. They also needed holes darned and hems repaired. But the good thing is that I don't need to buy new jeans now. Unless I find some on sale and buy them for next winter.

I also took up two pairs of new jeans for me to wear to work. Did a few more repairs to items that have been in the craft room for a while. This is so good that I promise to do more of the same next weekend.

While I tidied the craft room Jessica did some sowing of her own,

This is Jessica's first patch work quilt.

The quilt is a for Emily so that she can put her doll to bed. Last time Jessica was at her cousins house she noticed how much Emily enjoys playing with her doll.

I need to work on my photography skills as the photos are not great but you can see how much jJess enjoyed doing this.

Till next time!

HOW TO MAKE A DESKTOP CADDIE

Today Jessica and I decided to make something  using some of the recycled items that we always have stored in boxes. And finally we have put it into a tutorial.

For this project you will need.

3 Different sized tin cans or other containers
 piece of strong cardboard
marker and pencil
ruler and scissors
hot glue gun
piece of pretty paper
and enough Ric rack or ribbon to go around all 3 cans twice

1. Place cans on the cardboard in a way so they look functional and pleasing to the eye.

2. Trace around the cans.

3. Cut out the shape that you ended up with after tracing around your cans.

4.   This will be your caddie base.

5. Next cut your pretty paper to fit your tin cans.

6.Using a hot glue gun adhere the paper to the can, do this with each of the cans.

7. Now glue the Ric rack or ribbon around each of the cans.

8. When you have done this hot glue gun the cans to the cardboard base that you cut out earlier.  

9. When this is done glue some ribbon all around the base of the caddie to tidy up the edges.

That's all there is to it.

The best thing is the look on Jessica's face.

Till next time guys.

Joined Slow Living Essentials Project

It may be half way through the year for this project but for me this is month one. Officially anyway.

For the last 15 years we have changed our lives so that we can do as little damage to Mother Earth as possible. Ever since we had our own place I have grown my own vegetables and tried to make and cook as much of my own food from scratch as possible. 

Six years ago we moved to our five acres and got a little closer to being self sufficient. I grow 90 % of our vegetables and more fruit every year. In the orchard we have six different apples, two pears, four cherry's, two finger limes, five sugar plums, three mandarins, one peach, one apricot ,one quince, three figs, a cherry guava and a fejoa.

So her is my look back at my achievements for the last month.

Nourish: We aim to eat good fresh food and I think mostly we achieved this. We had a chicken vegetable soup the other night  after coming home from work with a headache it was good to just take out a container and let Michael defrost it. The other night we had a nice simple dish made from a small sugar loaf cabbage onion garlic and some bacon and pepper. Simple but delicious. Must bake more.

Prepare:  Made lots of stock that went into the freezer along with a few Slow cooked casseroles.

We also prepared a few beds for the next lot of vegetable planting. Made some strawberry guava jam.

Reduce: We have reduced the amount of cleaning products so that I only buy dish washing liquid and sunlight soap and washing power. Am working on my husband so that we can try our own washing powder.

Upcycled an old jumper into a pillow for our cat to sleep on.    

Green: We are not using our air conditioner at all this winter and are turning off everything we can at the power point.

Grow: At the moment in my garden there are Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brocolli, Peas , Potatoes, Leeks,Lettuce, Garlic and Werrigal greens which I use like spinach.

Create: Crochet a headband for Emily to keep her head warm and to cover the scar from her operation.

Am working on another one for her and some to sell at my stall that I have every few months at our local hall.

Enhance: Jess and I are building a new succulent garden at the back so that we can see it from the back deck. 

Discover: Not so much a discover as a rediscover. I am in the proces of throwing out a lot of my old magazines and decided to make a garden book that list month by month the little things I should be doing 

Like organic sprays.

Enjoy: I really enjoy knitting and crocheting next to my fire at night as it gets colder.

Getting Ready For Spring

Today I spent the best part of the day pruning and weeding the Raspberries  and Blackberries. Michael helped me to raise the bars that hold the net so that this season it should be easier to pick them and to keep the birds out.

I also planted a couple of rhubarb crowns this time in pots as the last ones rotted away. I think that where they were planted was just too wet for them.

Took some photos but for some reason I can't download them from my phone today.
Only managed to crochet a little today don't know if I will turn this into a ruffle on a top or a flower still to make up my mind hopefully will have a photo for you tomorrow.

 Till next time.

Craft At Last

Finally some time for me. Do you like the head band that I made for Emily? It should cover both the scar and help keep her head warm. It was quite easy to make.

 Last night I finished a few of my crochet projects. A bunch of crochet flowers made from reclaimed wool, do you like them?

Emily's headband

let me know what you think and I can always post the instructions for it.

Crochet flowers



Nicole made this one by mistake while trying to make a rose.

 Till next time
 

A Day Spent Pruning My Fruit Trees

My dad came over today to help me to prune my fruit trees. Last year he criticised the way I did it so was told this year he can help me and I will follow directions. I do admit that he has a better eye for shaping them then I do.

Its been  long day and I am tired have been making Emily a nice head band that should help hide her scar and keep her head warm at the same time. Will post a photo tomorrow to show you what it turned out like.

That's all for today.

Visits to the Hospital

Had to go to work today then to the hospital to see Harper again and to Pick up Jessica.
Today's visit was a little nicer as there were only a few of us so more time with Harper. Still tired so an early night for all of us.

Emily came home today so all is a lot better. She still needs time to recuperate but things should be good now.

Till next time

Introducing Harper Vesper Lukic-Davis

My beautiful grandughter has arrived. It took a long time and mum had to work hard but finally she is her and both mum and baby are well.
Got home around 1 am and am tired now.

Jessica was excited to see her new sister, just look at her face!

                                         Do you think she loves her?

On another note Emily had her operation today and all seems well even though she doesent look flash.

                                               Poor Emily but this will make her better.


Thats it  for today.

No Operation

No time for blogging but just an update. Emily didn't have her operation after all it has been postponed to wednesday as they had a few emergencys over the weekend so no beds for her.

Tommorow I will be at the hospital at 7 am as Natalie is getting induced so I will be a grandma to one more little girl.
Will keep you updated.

More family

Today we  had  our other Daughter and her family for a visit and a nice meal. I am feeling under the weather and did not take any photos. All the kids had a good time. We wanted to spend time with them as Emily  is going into hospital tomorrow afternoon for her follow up operation.

To help Nicole and Brook Koby will stay the night and hopefully have a good time with his cousin jess.
Will let you know how things go tomorrow.