Well, surprise, surprise a new post, been a long time coming like alot of other things too!!
The year is almost over and a new one is waiting just over the horizon, a year full of promise and surprises, no doubt.
I hope 2009 has been a good year for you and your family and those that you love.
My year has taken me on a different route to what I would have thought possible. Family activities have seen my husband and son head to New York for a month for work. I decided to stay home and "hold the fort", someone had to feed the animals and keep the garden alive on 40+ deg days and while I sweltered they froze!!
I had a month to do whatever, which basically meant I could set up my sewing machine, spread out all my fabrics and play to my hearts conten! When people asked me why I didn't go with them I had trouble thinking of which reason I would give them there were just sooo many.
I admit I did miss them terribly at times, but with emails we kept in daily contact and quite a few times at that. It was as if they were here in all but body.
What does the new year bring, well the first 6 months seem to be quite busy with my son and his music, which will take him down to Tassie in January and that's the beginning of no doubt many frequent trips around the countryside. When you child finds a passion at which they do well, you do what you can to encourage and help them, it's a labour of love and my husband does it very well and doesn't complain (well, not too often) Someone asked me why I don't go away with them, my reply was - sitting in the back of the van and eating cold spaghetti from a tin for dinner wasn't really my idea of fun. Driving for two days squashed 3 across in the van, didn't excite me either, I think they got the idea, BUT when he plays near to home I am there with bells on and helping out where I can.
My plan this year is to get my blog up and running regularly, WITH PHOTOS, so watch out and stay posted. As soon as Mr G. is home and I can procure 30 mins of his time and computer expertise I will get him to show me how to upload photos onto the computer and my blog and then we will be 'cooking with gas' as they say.
So please come back and visit, don't give up on me yet, a new year and new adventures are just around the corner .
Wishing you all a safe, happy and creative 2010.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Spring is well and truly here. The weeds are growing as I type, amazing how after a little rain the place is overrun with the pesky things. Problem is I feel I have to dig or pull them out rather than mow over them or whipper snip them.
The poor chooks needed a GPS to find their way back to the chook house. For a few minutes I thought they had been abducted by aliens but then they came charging out of the undergrowth!!
That was the deciding factor I got in and spent a couple of hours weeding and whipper snipping the chook run. Looks alot better now.
So what's happening in the garden? the Port Wine magnolia is in bloom and the scent is deliciou, is it Juicy Fruit chewing gum or banana custard I can never quite make up my mind. the Philadelphus (Mock Orange) is about ot burst into bloom and fill the air with it's wonderful scent, as is the Chinese Star Jasmine in the entry to the front door. On moonlit nights I love to go outside and breathe lungfulls of it's amazing scent as I gaze at the heavens and enjoy the peace and quiet of the surrounding countryside.
Some irises i rescued from my mums garden after she passed away are putting on a lovely display, it's called Designer Gown and she loved it having spent quite a bit of money (for my mum!) on some rhizomes. It's like a dsuty pink ball gown and is so delicate, as you can imagine it's very special. Also a rose mum gave to me and each of my sisters is putting on a good display, it's called Mothers Love and I was quite touched when she presented me with it.
The blue wrens are busy in the garden flitting here and there and twittering away when someone unexpected enters their territory.
I like to let the chooks out during the day and they head towards the shrubbery where they scratch about and have a jolly old time. You can see the depressions in the ground where they take a dust bath, our rooster usually fires off a few crows just to let all and sundry know he is enjoying himself and still in charge!
New leaves on the Maples are unfurling, fresh and green. The Lilac is stunning as ever, dark purple petals with a white border as if someone has been out there with a paint brush delicately painting each flower. You can't help but cut bunches of flowers and bring them indoors to enjoy.
So glad I don't suffer from hayfever!
The days are warming up and watering is beginning a big job and one I don't enjoy during the warmer months but a garden provides such pleasure.
Vegies have been planted and mulched with the promise of fresh homegrown produce to come.
Mowing and edging continue on a weekly basis during Spring but the enjoyment far outweighs the effort and once the hot weather starts there will be no need to mow for some months.
Even during the hot summer months we have here there is still beauty to be found outside, as they say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" ain't that the truth.
The poor chooks needed a GPS to find their way back to the chook house. For a few minutes I thought they had been abducted by aliens but then they came charging out of the undergrowth!!
That was the deciding factor I got in and spent a couple of hours weeding and whipper snipping the chook run. Looks alot better now.
So what's happening in the garden? the Port Wine magnolia is in bloom and the scent is deliciou, is it Juicy Fruit chewing gum or banana custard I can never quite make up my mind. the Philadelphus (Mock Orange) is about ot burst into bloom and fill the air with it's wonderful scent, as is the Chinese Star Jasmine in the entry to the front door. On moonlit nights I love to go outside and breathe lungfulls of it's amazing scent as I gaze at the heavens and enjoy the peace and quiet of the surrounding countryside.
Some irises i rescued from my mums garden after she passed away are putting on a lovely display, it's called Designer Gown and she loved it having spent quite a bit of money (for my mum!) on some rhizomes. It's like a dsuty pink ball gown and is so delicate, as you can imagine it's very special. Also a rose mum gave to me and each of my sisters is putting on a good display, it's called Mothers Love and I was quite touched when she presented me with it.
The blue wrens are busy in the garden flitting here and there and twittering away when someone unexpected enters their territory.
I like to let the chooks out during the day and they head towards the shrubbery where they scratch about and have a jolly old time. You can see the depressions in the ground where they take a dust bath, our rooster usually fires off a few crows just to let all and sundry know he is enjoying himself and still in charge!
New leaves on the Maples are unfurling, fresh and green. The Lilac is stunning as ever, dark purple petals with a white border as if someone has been out there with a paint brush delicately painting each flower. You can't help but cut bunches of flowers and bring them indoors to enjoy.
So glad I don't suffer from hayfever!
The days are warming up and watering is beginning a big job and one I don't enjoy during the warmer months but a garden provides such pleasure.
Vegies have been planted and mulched with the promise of fresh homegrown produce to come.
Mowing and edging continue on a weekly basis during Spring but the enjoyment far outweighs the effort and once the hot weather starts there will be no need to mow for some months.
Even during the hot summer months we have here there is still beauty to be found outside, as they say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" ain't that the truth.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Scents/Aromas/Smells
10 Scents/Aromas/Smells I love
1 Washing still warm from drying in the sun and wind, it has a certain scent about that says "fresh"
2 New mown grass
3 Rain on a warm day as it hits the ground gives off a wonderful smell
4 Bales of hay smells so good sometimes you wish you were a cow!
5 Old books, you open them open and the smell of the paper almost takes you back in time. You just don't get it with books printed these days.
6 Oil pastels - when you open a brand new box and lift off the cover paper. It takes me back to Grade 3, the girl who sat behind me had a wonderful set of oil pastels that had gold and silver in it. She was an only child and I guess a little bit spoilt and I was one of four girls and a little bit jealous, but Rosa was nice and shared them with me.
7 I love the smell around dairys, that lovely "cowy" smell that can sometimes assault your nostrils, but lets you know well and truly you are in the country.
8 Food cooking, who doesn't love the smell of something yummy cooking away. Whether it is savoury or sweet it's a nourishing, tantalizing smell that gets the taste buds going and the mouth watering.
9 Smoke from burning Autumn leaves, like it's heralding the cold weather and letting you know the warm summer months are behind us.
10 Another food related smell, opening a packet of ground coffee, once the vacuum seal is broken and the pack opens up you can smell the freshness and if the kettle isn't on it soon will be.
Lots more scents aromas and smells I love but there are 10 that I love. Anyone want to leave a comment and let me know if we agree on any or leave your very own list, please feel free.
I am gearing up for a market this Saturday, it will be running from 10am to 4pm I have never done an all day market before, so it will be interesting. As most of my items are have small price tags I need to sell a few to make it worthwhile, so the sewing machine has been whirring away madly. The ideas are flowing freely and the clock keeps ticking away too fast for my liking, but I am looking forward to a good day Saturday.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
First Day of Spring
As if on cue the wether has turned on a bumper day for the first day of Spring. As I sit here typing fluffy, cottonwool type clouds fill the sky, admittedly they look a little grey underneath but the rain seems to have disappeared for today at least. The sun is shining, it took a while to come out and stay out, but everything looks so vibrant and fresh.
Yesterday, was quite the opposite, cold, windy and wet a beautiful finish to winter. I say beautiful because I was cocooned inside by the wood heater playing at the sewing machine, what better way to spend a wet wintery day. Not all was as planned I did get a call after lunch to go and do a shift at work, that threw a spanner in the works for a few minutes!!
The magpies seem to gather here in the mornings and it's quite amusing watching their antics. On wet days they come right into the courtyard looking for an easy meal of worms that have been marooned on the pavers. This morning I noticed one on the door mat right outside the door. I thought it must've found a tasty morsel but on watching closely I realized it was pulling the fibre out of the mat, filling it's beak and then flying off, presumably to build a nest. I thought perhaps I should leave a small pile
of fabric scraps and thread lying around to see if it would be interested, hmm!!
They are quite interesting characters to watch, the other morning there were two of them having a tussle in the grass with a group of onlookers warbling encouragement. I could just imagine what they were saying "Go on get the beak into im", 'wing him wing him" Like a bunch of footballers having a brawl!
Creativity must be in the air today, whilst I have been sitting at the sewing machine have some success with my latest project, No1 son has been busy writing songs and come up with 2. Sitting outside in the sun with all this beauty surrounding him has certainly got the creative juices flowing. Sometimes I wonder where he gets it from, my mother was very good at putting together funny little verses, limericks and poems. I like to think that's something I have inherited from her and passed it onto my son. He amazes me sometimes, the sensitivityin the lyrics he writes makes me realize that he can be a deep thinker and look past the obvious and see what many his age don't. For all his faults many of which came from me, he has turned out to be a caring, snesitive and quite thoughtful young man. Of course there is still alot of room for growth and that not just for young people. Hopefully, we all keep growing and learning as we get older.
As if on cue the wether has turned on a bumper day for the first day of Spring. As I sit here typing fluffy, cottonwool type clouds fill the sky, admittedly they look a little grey underneath but the rain seems to have disappeared for today at least. The sun is shining, it took a while to come out and stay out, but everything looks so vibrant and fresh.
Yesterday, was quite the opposite, cold, windy and wet a beautiful finish to winter. I say beautiful because I was cocooned inside by the wood heater playing at the sewing machine, what better way to spend a wet wintery day. Not all was as planned I did get a call after lunch to go and do a shift at work, that threw a spanner in the works for a few minutes!!
The magpies seem to gather here in the mornings and it's quite amusing watching their antics. On wet days they come right into the courtyard looking for an easy meal of worms that have been marooned on the pavers. This morning I noticed one on the door mat right outside the door. I thought it must've found a tasty morsel but on watching closely I realized it was pulling the fibre out of the mat, filling it's beak and then flying off, presumably to build a nest. I thought perhaps I should leave a small pile
of fabric scraps and thread lying around to see if it would be interested, hmm!!
They are quite interesting characters to watch, the other morning there were two of them having a tussle in the grass with a group of onlookers warbling encouragement. I could just imagine what they were saying "Go on get the beak into im", 'wing him wing him" Like a bunch of footballers having a brawl!
Creativity must be in the air today, whilst I have been sitting at the sewing machine have some success with my latest project, No1 son has been busy writing songs and come up with 2. Sitting outside in the sun with all this beauty surrounding him has certainly got the creative juices flowing. Sometimes I wonder where he gets it from, my mother was very good at putting together funny little verses, limericks and poems. I like to think that's something I have inherited from her and passed it onto my son. He amazes me sometimes, the sensitivityin the lyrics he writes makes me realize that he can be a deep thinker and look past the obvious and see what many his age don't. For all his faults many of which came from me, he has turned out to be a caring, snesitive and quite thoughtful young man. Of course there is still alot of room for growth and that not just for young people. Hopefully, we all keep growing and learning as we get older.
Secretly, I am hoping for some more cold weather, I am not ready yet to pack away the electric blanket and doona, we can always do with more rain as well. But for now I shall enjoy the day we've been given and make the most of it.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Officially last day of Winter
Well, here it is the last day of Winter. I treated myself to breakfast in bed, I made up a lovely tray with 2 fresh, free range eggs courtesy of my "girls", some lovely grain toast a pot of tea and a lovely china cup and saucer which needs to be used on a regualr basis, it's so pretty. I sat in bed and gazed out at the mist covered hills and enjoyed watching the rain falling as it came through the valley.
Winter is one of my favourite months, you can always get warmer by adding another layer of clothing unlike summer, when you have stripped off there's nowhere else to go!!
Spring is in the air well and truly the daffodils are on their last legs they have put on a lovely display but some wee nasty has been munching on the emerging flowers leaving some of the misshapen, but still pretty from a distance.
The Manchurian Pear has been showing off her Spring dress for a couple of weeks now it puts on a long lasting display as long as the weather behaves! The Grape Hyacinth which are sitting neglected in pots by the shed keep coming up year after year and the purple haze is so appealing, the roots would be such a tangled, matted mess, I look at them and think next year I shall sort them out!!
The "girls" are starting to lay a little more regularly not that we eat many eggs but it's nice to have a few in the fridge in case the urge to cook something should suddenly strike me, even if it is only scrambled eggs with parsley sprinkled over them.
It has been raining quite a bit over the weekend which has been just lovely, in the past week we have had almost an inch and a half, the tanks are full to overflowing and the dam has risen a little. The garden has had a good drink and the grass is growing like topsy and we won't be able to mow it until we get a couple of fine days by which time we will most likely have to bale it11
I would love to let the cows in to have a munch but they are not particularly discerning at times so I imagine there would be more than just grass to turn their heads.
Well, it's so long to Winter officially and hello to Spring but the rainy cool weather is set to continue for a while longer and I will enjoy each and every day.
Winter is one of my favourite months, you can always get warmer by adding another layer of clothing unlike summer, when you have stripped off there's nowhere else to go!!
Spring is in the air well and truly the daffodils are on their last legs they have put on a lovely display but some wee nasty has been munching on the emerging flowers leaving some of the misshapen, but still pretty from a distance.
The Manchurian Pear has been showing off her Spring dress for a couple of weeks now it puts on a long lasting display as long as the weather behaves! The Grape Hyacinth which are sitting neglected in pots by the shed keep coming up year after year and the purple haze is so appealing, the roots would be such a tangled, matted mess, I look at them and think next year I shall sort them out!!
The "girls" are starting to lay a little more regularly not that we eat many eggs but it's nice to have a few in the fridge in case the urge to cook something should suddenly strike me, even if it is only scrambled eggs with parsley sprinkled over them.
It has been raining quite a bit over the weekend which has been just lovely, in the past week we have had almost an inch and a half, the tanks are full to overflowing and the dam has risen a little. The garden has had a good drink and the grass is growing like topsy and we won't be able to mow it until we get a couple of fine days by which time we will most likely have to bale it11
I would love to let the cows in to have a munch but they are not particularly discerning at times so I imagine there would be more than just grass to turn their heads.
Well, it's so long to Winter officially and hello to Spring but the rainy cool weather is set to continue for a while longer and I will enjoy each and every day.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Last of the WIntery Days
Well, this is the last week of Winter and today is certainly cold, windy and somewhat rainy, much to my delight. I am not yet ready to pack away the jackets, scarves and gloves and think about warmer weather, particularly after last summer's scorching temperatures. The people in Greece certainly have my sympathy, according to the news reports it sounds as if they are having a terrible time with the fires. Mind you at the other end of this country, there are 100 fires burning in Queensland due to the wild , windy weather, quite bizarre considering it's still winter.
On the crafting front things have been bubbling along nicely, I am finishing off some lovely stripey red white and blue bunting to hang around my stall at the craft market held once a month. I have decided to use a gazebo (once I learn how to erect it!) which is blue and the bunting should really jazz it up. I also found a lovely supper cloth (not a full scale table cloth) at one of my favourite Op shops. It cost me $1.00 and is a lovely rosy floral on a bright blue and white background, Everynow and then I drag it out of the kitchen drawer just to have look at it and enjoy those lovely colours.
Tafe is going well although my visual diary is more an invisible diary, I am not one for doing my homework as the sewing machine is always beckoning me!! Over the past few months I have gotten to know the ladies in my class reasonably well and they are a very talented bunch. It's always inspiring and alot of laughs are had in class, just the same as when I was at school!
My next project is to learn how to upload photos on the computer myself and not have to ask Mr GP or No 1 son. Hopefully, this will be a painless and quick procedure, so please come back and visit me soon and hopefully there will be something interesting to look at next time.
On the crafting front things have been bubbling along nicely, I am finishing off some lovely stripey red white and blue bunting to hang around my stall at the craft market held once a month. I have decided to use a gazebo (once I learn how to erect it!) which is blue and the bunting should really jazz it up. I also found a lovely supper cloth (not a full scale table cloth) at one of my favourite Op shops. It cost me $1.00 and is a lovely rosy floral on a bright blue and white background, Everynow and then I drag it out of the kitchen drawer just to have look at it and enjoy those lovely colours.
Tafe is going well although my visual diary is more an invisible diary, I am not one for doing my homework as the sewing machine is always beckoning me!! Over the past few months I have gotten to know the ladies in my class reasonably well and they are a very talented bunch. It's always inspiring and alot of laughs are had in class, just the same as when I was at school!
My next project is to learn how to upload photos on the computer myself and not have to ask Mr GP or No 1 son. Hopefully, this will be a painless and quick procedure, so please come back and visit me soon and hopefully there will be something interesting to look at next time.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Friday Again !!
Friday comes around soooo quickly but it's great because it's back to Tafe to have some fun
playing, creating and learning.
Some days I go "yay" I've learnt something useful and have something to show for all that time spent and some days I go" well I learnt something, but not soooo much to show " Getting to know the other ladies a bit better and feeling more comfortable around them. I certainly appreciate their creative talents and they are happy to share what they know.
I have to give a short talk next week on a technique I use in my crafting, so that will be interesting. Today we learnt about wet felting and there are lots of people out there who do it, but as yet I had not dipped my toe into the soapy water, but it certainly was fun. Bought home some wool to have a go at my leisure.
The Autumn colour is absolutely glorious this year despite the drought and our maples are putting on a glorious display. In years gone by they have usually been blown off in a storm after only a couple of weeks, but this year they started changing in February and still haven't peaked. Absolutely stunning, I have gone out to pick up a basketful which I will press and then arrange onto a cardboard shape, usually an oval and that will hang on the chimney above the heater for the duration of the winter or until I have the heart to take it down and dispose of it.
The 'girls' have slowed down with the egg production as the weather grows cooler and the last of the summer vegies are being used, namely the zucchini.
Looking for ward to a weekend with a bit of crafting a bit of housework and a bit of relaxing.
Hope your weekend is enjoyable, take care and don't forget to slow down and smell the roses, or should that be admire the Autumn leaves at this time of the year.
Regards
Claire
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