Quilting, Collecting & More

Marking Time

2012-01-01T15:06:00.004+11:00

In the broadest sense, the first of January is just another day to me- the day after December the 31st. No big deal. But as a marker of time, it does signify an end to one block of time and the beginning of another. It seems impossible not to take some kind of review of what's past and contemplate what is yet to come.

From The Homeschool Files

Above- Homeschool get together at Serendip Sanctuary with our new-found friends

In many ways, 2011 was a great year. Family life and homeschooling cruised along quite nicely. The boys continued to grow into likeable young men. Some difficult personal situations seemed to settle into the background, rather than being in constant focus. New friends were made and these friendships will deepen with plans we have for 2012. The garden grew. Sam settled into an almost mature and almost responsible grown-up labrador. :)

From Feathered, Furry or Finned

There is one area of my life though (well, at least one!) that needs some attention. 2011 has been my sickest year since childhood. Since August, I've had one thing after another after another. Hmmm, do you think my body is telling me something? The illnesses have not been overly serious but I'd be silly not to see the signs that my immune system is not what it should be. After the illness chronicled in my last post, I wind up the year with a mystery illness that is causing arthritic pain in most of my joints, fatigue and weakness. So as my family jaunt off to the pool this afternoon and the beach tomorrow, I contemplate sitting out most of the summer. It's very frustrating; this 'down time' was going to be a very busy and productive, yet recreational break from routine. Well, the routine is certainly broken but not in a way I'm happy with.

Still, there are many a lot worse off. I'm not bed-ridden. I can do things in little bursts and DH has a couple of days off work across the public holidays so he is taxiing the boys to their various social activities. I'm glad they're not missing out. Actually, a few days ago, I couldn't have sat here and concentrated this long on writing this post so perhaps I'm improving.

Like a lot of women, I've never been comfortable spending much time on my physical self. I'd rather read a good book than have a manicure; knit a sock than sweat it out at the gym; prune a fruit tree than have my hair done at a salon. The fit, healthy me of 20 years ago was accidental- a fairly frugal diet in our single-parent household and walking everywhere as I didn't have a license until after I married. Putting time into my own health is still something of a foreign concept. So as I mark time until I'm strong enough and well enough to get back into the swing of things, I've got time to think and plan the battle strategy- the battle being a tendency to slip back into old habits once I'm feeling better.

I don't believe in New Years resolutions. That's not to say I never pledge to make changes- I pledge and break pledges to myself on a regular basis. But I think that long term changes are made by waking up each day and making the myriad little decisions that move one in the right direction. This health scare has made me more determined to cut out a lot of the processed food in my diet, especially sugar and white flour. It's not easy. I can't count on my family doing this with me- that's been my excuse for years. I need to do this by myself, if need be. I also need to make exercise a daily part of my life, come what may. I don't want to spend what amounts to the second half of my lifespan in the doctor's waiting room.

From Work in Progress

Gratuitous picture of newest knitting project.

Wishing all of my readers well and that your daily decisions are taking you where you need to be.

December Already!

2011-12-06T08:28:00.001+11:00

We all know that time goes faster the older you get, right? But this is getting ridiculous! December already? In the off chance that anyone has been wondering what happened to me, I'm still here, caught up in the whirl and blur that is life as we know it. Our homeschool year will be finishing this week followed by a few social activities next week and then we'll slide into holiday mode. We're holidaying at home this year which suits me just fine so long as I don't spend it all on housework. Long days in the garden would be good. Long days at the craft table even better. Throw in a few long drives and balmy evenings watching the sun set in some lovely natural setting and all will perfect. Must get the camera out of mothballs. And 'process' or rather, edit and file, the photos on my PC that date back to March!! Okay, so 'holidays' could be just as busy as the rest of the year has been.

It's been something of a sick winter around here. I usually only get the one cold a year, you know the only one mums are allowed. This year I've had a cold, followed by flu, followed by another cold and lots of allergies in between. I guess I'm run down. We've also slipped a little with processed food and I haven't done purposeful exercise since the first time I got sick. Naughty, naughty. Summer should help get me back on track- warmer weather for walks, fresh salads and summer fruit.

I've just put in a big week planning our home ed program for next year. The planning I did last year got us through the whole year so Planning Week has been a resounding success. The boys and I have had a really enjoyable year together. We've tapped into some community resources and made new friends.

Craft is still happening too- that pretty much goes without saying. I love having a craft table- I can leave projects ready to go and spend 10 or 15 minutes on them at a time. That might frustrate some people but it's how I get most things finished. I have reading piles in most rooms of the house. I really have to stop getting interested in new things- I envy you focused types who start and finish one thing at a time. At them moment, I'm pre-reading The Undercover Economist that I'd like my eldest to read for school next year. A bit of light-hearted historical fiction in Simon The Coldheart. A Charlotte Mason-inspired ebook on Habits; can't remember where I got that one so I can't link to it. Pendennis is on my nightstand but Thackeray requires more of my brain and by the time I get to bed I'm past attempting it.

Some recent blogs I've started following:

The Blog of Bruce Bradley A former Big Food executive exposing the tactics they use to get us to eat processed foods.

The Textured Leaf Lovely craft and decorating inspiration.

Hand Embroidery From Sadalas A gorgeous mix of traditional and ethnic (to me) needle work.

And a couple of photographic blogs by people I know in real life:

{artifex} photographic media by John & Tom

Photos 4 Real

National Home Education Week

2011-11-10T08:19:00.002+11:00

November 21st- 25th is National Home Education Week here in Australia.
We are relative newcomers to homeschooling with our boys having spent their primary school years at regular state schools and both beginning home education as they started high school. What started as somewhat of an emergency plan because of health issues has become a lifestyle choice that we are really enjoying and seeing the benefits of.
I'll be hosting a Park Meet at a local playground for past, present and future homeschoolers to get together. Park meets are happening at many locations around Australia on Wednesday 23rd November.
To find out more about homeschooling or to join in any of the activities happening across the country, the following websites will assist:

Home Education Association (HEA)
The HEA's flyer for National Home Ed Week (pdf)
Australian Homeschool Network (AHN)
AHN's week of online info sessions and workshops
Home Education Network (HEN); publishers of Otherways magazine for the homeschool community.

Picture taken at the 2011 AHN CampFest at Lake Wymah.

Spring Cleaning

2011-09-19T08:16:00.001+10:00

Spring is finally here! It is so nice to wake up to blue skies. Apparently our winter was not particularly cold but it was dull- lots of low, grey, depressing cloud. So it's quite wonderful how warm sun on the skin and bright blue skies lift the spirits.

While it might seem the most natural thing in the world to head outside and spend as much time in the garden as possible, instead I have the urge to spring clean. This is motivated in part by the growing stack of 'things' in boxes on my spare table that will be stock for a garage sale soon. I just know there's more in the cupboards that I need to get rid of. Then there are the shadowy corners of the house full of dust and mysterious downy feathers. (How do budgie feathers migrate to the most remote parts of the house, behind the heaviest pieces of furniture?) Yes, it's time to clean under the beds and behind the shelves; empty out the pantry shelves and wash them; sort the kid's wardrobes to eliminate the too-small and worn out items; see what lurks at the back of the linen press.

We're starting school holidays early- no formal lessons this week. The boys can help out, especially when I get to their rooms. They can help me price their own items as we get them ready to sell. I almost couldn't be bothered with the garage sale; the last one I had a few years and a previous house ago. A lot didn't sell and it hardly seemed worth the effort of preparing, getting up early, lugging it all outside and lugging it all back in again to sort it for the op-shops. But I recently attended a convention and twice over the course of the weekend, people were simplifying and mentioned 'having a garage sale' to raise a few dollars and get rid of excess stuff. So I took it as my cue to go ahead and have our own.

I was so eager to start the clean up that I began yesterday with the 'pantry' shelf.

From Inside and Out

When our 1950's weatherboard home was revamped about 20 years ago no-one bothered to add a pantry, despite the fact that they had plenty of room to work with. It's not possible now to add one without pretty much redoing the kitchen which isn't in our budget. So I make do with various cupboards for food storage. This shelf originally held my 'pretties'; china, antiquarian books and the like. Gradually, as I started to cook more from scratch the shelves were taken over by dry goods. Yesterday I took everything out, wiped down the shelves with my citrus cleaner, found jars for as many plastic packets as possible and put it all back in, trying to store like with like. I've even catalogued the dry goods in an exercise book and am planning to prepare a recipe once a week or so using something from the catalogue so that it doesn't get forgotten. Like the juniper berries- now what did I have in mind when I grabbed a packet of those? I know I'd seen them in a recipe somewhere but do you think I can remember now? Red lentil soup is on the menu for tonight...how did I end up with three 500g packs of red lentils?

I did have to throw a few things out that were way past their use by dates. Old, faded herbs; a pack of burghul- I'm sure I intended to make something with that back in 2007!!! Black-eyed beans with evidence of mouse-tampering. Eeeuw! Hence the effort to find jars for as much as possible. It's almost enough to make me want to get a cat. Almost, but not quite! Don't worry, I love cats but they don't love me- I get horrendous puffy eyes from cat allergy.

The pantry shelf is in the dining room so once that was done and dusted (literally!), I moved on to the dining chairs. They got a wipe over with citrus cleaner too. The chair pad covers have gone to the laundry. The kitchen dresser didn't need work as I had cleaned and sorted it fairly recently.

Today I move on to the linen press which is in the area adjacent to the dining room- I never know what to call it as it's all one big room really. Some would use it as a family room or sitting room- that was our original intention but now my sewing table is set up at one end. I won't be tackling the sewing area yet; instead I'll move through the doorway; tidy the entry hall and move on to the bedrooms and bathroom.

Phew, it's exhausting just thinking about it. I think I'll have one more coffee and then get started.

Do you get the urge to spring clean? Have you started? How's it getting on?

Pinterest Garden Inspiration

2011-08-20T08:17:00.003+10:00

I'm showing my age- or my interests, or both. I don't go to pinterest for 30 new ways to do my hair or what to wear this spring or how to apply eyeshadow for that smoky look! I don't even have a shoe fetish.

I've been browsing vegetable garden ideas and thought I'd share the inspiration:

Vertical gardening ideas to make the most of all of your spaces.

Source: ewainthegarden.blogspot.com via Joanne on Pinterest

Source: lifehacker.com via Joanne on Pinterest

Hmm, I'm sure there's a plumber around here somewhere that could look out for spare lengths of guttering for me.

And some gardens that are as pleasant to look at as they are practical and productive:

Source: countryliving.com via Joanne on Pinterest

Source: heidiclaire.blogspot.com via Joanne on Pinterest

I really love the picket fence and chairs set out in the lower picture. Very inviting.

So despite having a rotten headcold, I may just get out in the garden today. I do believe the sun is shining (I should go and open some curtains and let it in.) At the moment, our garden is just a backyard with a vegie patch and a couple of fruit trees. I'd really love to make it a cosy hangout. I'd like to add some whimsical touches to surprise visitors. Pinterest might just give me the little push I need.

ETA- Fickle person that I am, I've quit Pinterest. Yes, I liked it...loved it in fact. But I've also been feeling frustrated by the amount of time and energy I expend in looking at what other people are doing and, spurred on by some motivating public discourses I heard over the weekend, I'm cutting back on some online activities. I want to look less and do more!

Quilt and Craft Show

2011-07-30T07:38:00.003+10:00

I'm so excited- I'm off to the Quilt and Craft Show today. It's been a long time, trust me. Even more exciting- I'm going all by myself. It's also been quite a while since I had a day to myself. I'm taking the camera- hopefully I'll remember to stop and take some pictures.

Where I'm From

2011-05-18T08:10:00.006+10:00

From Flowers

I am from chenille bedspreads, Corn Flakes and a spoonful of sugar.

I am from the brick house in the suburbs, papered with gaudy orange flowers, noisy with children fighting, playing, crying, dreaming, warming cold fingers by an open fire.

I am from the wattle tree and the lavender; making rosewater and pressing leaves; daisy chains, rock and shell collections.

I am from a people I know little about, a people I've known all my life; people who feel very deeply; from Great Grandma Johanna and Irish and Dutch with a hint of French and so many things I would like to know.

I am from the lovers of cheese and chocolate and those who hoard things that may be useful some day.

From never quite measuring up and needing to learn everything the 'hard way'.

I am from a strong faith in God that is my present and my future. A hope for the earth that rests on a sure foundation.

I'm from farmers and sharecroppers from Old Countries who sought new shores, from meat and three veg, from overcooked greens.

From the great grandmother who's aboriginality was not spoken of until the details of her life were lost to the grave; from the other grandparents who must have seen war in Europe and whom I never really knew.

I am from faded photographs, a cheap memento, very little that is tangible, disconnectedness, reluctant independence, many questions. I am grateful that one day I'll meet them and know them when sadness is a thing of the past. I am creating a history of warmth, faith and love for my own children to cherish.

***

Where are you from? Template Here.

Thanks willywagtail for passing this on.

***

Its Going to Be A Cold Winter

2011-05-14T08:21:00.002+10:00

Judging by the cold autumn days we've been having. Our heaters are on whenever we're home now, except if the sun comes out in the late afternoon when it does tend to warm the living areas. I've already broken my Make-Do pledge when I realised I needed warm jackets for going out in. I really don't buy clothes often and what I had was worn and scruffy.

I was hoping to garden today and I may still get out there later this afternoon, weather permitting. We had some heavy showers overnight so on the one hand it will be good for weeding and digging, on the other hand it will be cold and wringing wet. It will probably do me good to get out and get some cool, fresh air though. First things first, one of the lads needs new shoes and I haven't shopped for groceries in over a week and a half.

During the week, we went on a homeschool excursion to the King Tut exhibition at the Melbourne Museum. It was hard to believe that we were looking at artefacts that are thousands of years old. We loved the intricate detail of the smaller pieces. The masks and statues of faces were particularly fascinating. Its hard to believe that people thought of the pharoah as god when he looked so young and so....well, human. The boys and I studied a little Ancient Egypt in first term and we marveled at how much of their lives the people spent preparing for their deaths. Talk about not being in the moment!

By the way, Melbourne traffic is atrocious! google told me the trip would take an hour and two minutes. We allowed one hour and forty five minutes and were ten minutes late! I don't know how commuters do that every single day. I'll take my 'provincial' town anyday over a capital city thank you very much. The only capital city I've seen that I could live in is Hobart. Except for the cold.

Which brings me full circle. Its time to sign off, rug up and head out into it.

Bye for now, have a lovely weekend everyone.

Make Do In May

2011-04-23T09:24:00.004+10:00

As the title suggests, I've decided to "make-do" in May. The aim is to reduce spending and use things I have at home and I will apply it especially to craft- aiming for zero purchases; clothing- likewise; and meat- I defrosted the freezer two days ago and there's a lot in there that needs to be used up.

If I need something new for a craft project and I can't find a work-around from my stash, I will put it aside and work on something that I have materials and equipment for. I'm hoping this will help with my UFO stacks as well.

Will you join me? Add a comment and I'll add a link to your Make Do In May blog post.

From Haberdashery

Confession- while its still April, I am going to get me a 5mm cable needle so I can work on my current project but after that, make do applies.

Caught the Bug

2011-03-02T07:48:00.002+11:00

I've managed to catch a bug. Its very unusual for me to catch one at this time of year. Perhaps it was the unseasonally cool summer. I mean, we had the heater on as many times as the air conditioner for the three months of summer. Or perhaps I was exposed to the bug when I came into contact with someone who had it. Quite likely. The symptoms? Feverishness, lack of concentration on anything much and an overwhelming desire for warm feet, scarves and mittens. The diagnosis? The Knitting Bug, of course!

I almost certainly caught it when I went looking for a dishcloth pattern on Ravelry. It had been a while since I'd signed in over there but ever since, I've been hooked. Pardon the pun. So despite my best efforts not to start any new projects until I'd worked through some UFO's of the sewing/quilting/mending variety, I found myself in yarn shops and printing off scores of free patterns and knitting feverishly into the night.

Meet Sack Boy, made for my 12 year old who likes the game Little Big Planet.

From Made by Me

I made several dishcloths.

From Made by Me

From Work in Progress

First attempt at socks, using dpns (4 double pointed needles).

From Made by Me

And now I'm using the leftover sock yarn to make a scarf. In my 'queue' on Ravelry are tops, skirts, afghans, mittens, more scarves, more dishcloths. I want to learn new techniques, try different yarns, make plarn and tarn (plastic bag yarn; t-shirt yarn) and just generally knit (and perhaps even crochet) until my fingers cramp.

I'm not sure if there is a cure for this bug. My quilting and other sewing piles are looking sad and forgotten in the corner. The garden is overgrown and the weeds are taking over. Harvested tomatoes are shrivelling on the kitchen counter. Meals are hastily thrown together. My family must think I've gone slightly mad. Or perhaps they accepted that long ago.

Grrrr....So Frustrating!

2011-02-18T14:06:00.003+11:00

Excuse me please, but I have to vent.

I've just had a very frustrating door-knock from an electricity provider. Cute as a button, bubbly, confident; I'd like to think she wasn't really lying through her teeth. But seriously!

A long time ago I decided never again to take up an offer of better rates if it was solicited by the company. That goes for phones, electricity, gas, internet, whatever. I've been there, done that. Had rates put up only weeks after joining, had the contract become 'obsolete' 12 months into a 24 month contract so I couldn't even buy more of their product without huge penalties. I even had a young salesman take all my details including credit card and then when I hadn't been changed over to said company 6 weeks later, found that the company had no record of me on their files.

Now I tell them, 'Thanks, but I'll do my own homework.'

Well, they are getting sneaky. Today's salesgirl ("No, I'm not a sales rep, I'm here to help people fix their electricity problems") told so many furphies with such a straight face that she almost had ME apologising for being so difficult.

To begin with, her opening words implied that she was with Powercor and they were fixing something in the area. She even wore navy & safety-orange that could have looked like she was a power worker....if not for the trendy black gladiator sandals she was wearing. (Red flag no.1)

She told me that people in my area had problems with their rates and she could tell if I needed my rate 'fixed' but she needed to see a bill. (Red flag no.2)

"Oh, so you're with another company, wanting me to switch to yours?"
She tried for about 5 minutes to get around answering this.
"I mean, you're an alternative energy provider, right?"
"No, you still get your power from Powercor. I'm here to help you get your power fixed."
On and on, it went.
"You are a sales rep aren't you?"
"No. I'm here to help you get the rate you should be being charged."
After which she somehow did happen to want me to 'register' and of course, show her my last bill.

No way, no how would she admit that she represented another regular old power company and was trying to sign me up. Even though she talked about 10 day cooling off periods and (when I asked) about a 24 month contract.

She told me that their 'head office' was in Burke St, they were completely Australian and service calls would be the cost of a local call if I need it. (Red flag no. 20, I mean red flags were going off all over the paddock by now, a la Tootle*. Melbourne is a long distance call for me; my current company uses a 1300 number anyway.)

She told me they absolutely would not change their plan in the timeframe of the 24 month contract because that would 'just be wrong.'
"So, I just need your details to register you. And your last bill."

Sorry sweetheart. "No thanks, I'll do my own homework."
"Ah, well, you can but you won't get this Special Offer. Its a one-off limited time only."
"Well, that just convinces me that I was right to be suspicious. If you had a good deal, and it was genuine, they wouldn't use tactics like that. Sorry. No thanks."
She was only taken aback for a millisecond and started the spiel about the 10 day cooling-off again.
"No thanks."

Aaarrrgggh!! I jumped straight on the computer and the second link in a Google search was well over 10 pages of overwhelmingly negative reviews of this company. Pushy sales tactics; inaccurate billing; overseas call centres; long waits on hold; call centre workers 'not understanding' when questioned about inaccurate bills; rate rises within the contract period; the company demanding their 'right' to beat a better offer found elsewhere, huge, inexplicable final bills on exit and they are apparently not even an Australian company. Lots of people waving red flags. I wonder how many people she signed in my neighborhood?

Thanks. I'm done now. Deep breathe.

*Tootle the train, from the Little Golden Book.

Watery World

2011-01-12T08:04:00.005+11:00

Right now, I think all of our hearts are going out to those in flood-affected areas of Australia. The scale of the disaster is unimaginable for those of us out of harms way; the news images are bad enough. Knowing that its not over yet is a very sobering realisation.

Its incredible to think that this time last year we were worried about water. Just a year or two ago, the Queensland premier of the time was selling the virtues of reclaimed waste water as drinking water. Now dams are dangerously exceeding capacity.

It makes me feel guilty that I'm feeling the inconvenience of not getting my washing dry and of the boys being unable to do outdoor activities this week. Its raining here too and although our local rivers are on floodwatch, there's no imminent danger. The rain is going to continue for the week. Our house is on a hill and at any rate, the situation here will be nothing like Queensland and New South Wales. The humidity, though is over 90%. I'll have to watch the dodgy spots in my house that are prone to mould.

From Inside and Out

We are going to an indoor playcentre today. Probably along with half of Geelong's population! The boys may have outgrown toys and Lego but they're still happy to have the occasional run around, slide on the very fast drop-slide and hang out with their mates while bouncing on the bouncing pillow. Its a funny inbetween age; toys are out but nothing has come along to replace them, save of course video games. None of the things I did at that age appeal to my kids at all (we didn't even have a Commodore computer or an Atari console- only a very few of my friend's had electronic devices of any kind then!) Last night I made them turn off screens at 7:30pm as they'd been playing all day. First there was a tortuous half hour or so as they dealt with the 'boredom'. Finally they got out the balsa wood and craft knives and started making things on the kitchen table. I really do need to schedule more non-screen time for them. If they never get bored, they'll never discover what else is out there.

I think I'll take some knitting to the playcenter. My kid's friends' mums are my good friends so we'll do the coffee and natter thing but I would also like to be getting something done at the same time. At the moment, I'm knitting a 'tribble' courtesy of Ravelry and at the request of my Star Trek mad eldest son. He'll probably want to keep it for a decoration but they can be used as little bath or kitchen scrubbies.

The garden is thriving on this year's rain but so are the snails and slugs. Ants have moved into my apricot tree and it looks like we won't get a single fruit this year. The ants break into the fruit when it first starts to show colour and the birds finish it off. The tomato plants are taking over and need tidying and re-staking. I hope to get out there later this week, rain or no rain.

If any of my readers are threatened by floods, I hope you can stay dry and stay safe.

20 Questions

2010-11-19T09:52:00.002+11:00

Sweet or Savoury? Do I have to choose? 51:49 in favour of sweet.
Dresses or Jeans? For casual, its jeans by far. I like dressing up in skirts but I haven't worn a dress in years.
House or Apartment? Definitely house. I love space and gardens and not hearing my neighbors.
Shop Online or Offline? Another close one- online for new stuff & handmade; offline for secondhand (like op-shops & garage sales)
DVDs or Downloads? DVD's. Don't have a very big internet plan. I don't watch movies anymore anyway.
Cocktails or Juice? Juice
Chocolate or Strawberry? Chocolate. :-)
Laptop or PC? PC
Magazines or Newspapers? Mags
Facebook or Twitter? Facebook. May lightning strike me if I ever start Tweeting!
CDs or MP3s? CD's. 'Cause there wasn't an LPs option.
Kids or Pets? Kids
Macaron or Cupcakes? Cupcakes
Walk or Run? Walk. What is this thing you call run?
Breakfast in Bed or Breakfast Out? Definitely out. I don't like crumbs in my sheets.
Market or Supermarket? Would prefer market but don't have access to one so supermarket it is.
Sourdough or Grainy? Sourdough
Heels or Flats? Flats
Late nights or Not? Late nights. Only time I get to be alone these days; not even then some nights now the boys are getting older and bucking bedtime.
Coffee or Tea? For taste, tea; for effectiveness (read caffeine kick) coffee

I picked this up at Willy Wagtail.

Keeping in Touch

2010-11-16T10:16:00.003+11:00

At the moment my days are full of me trying to keep hold of all the threads that make up life. Weeks are busy and I flit from one thing to another but don't spend long enough on any one thing.

I've finished a few sewing and mending projects that have been laying around for ages- hemmed some snuggly pieces of flannelet to make baby wraps and fixed hems and buttons on things for the men of the house. The baby wraps will be kept for gifts or may even be listed online for sale, if I get around to it.

Somehow I've managed to fill the veggie patch- 5 or 10 minute sessions of planting and weeding. I really need a good outdoor session to work on the rest of the back yard.

Last week, no it was actually two weeks ago- how time flies; I spent the entire week planning next years homeschooling. By Friday I couldn't look at another textbook! It will be so good starting the year well-prepared. I haven't quite finished all subjects but I'll be able to chip away at the rest of it over the next couple of months. Designating the week to one task worked really well- I'll consider doing that again, say for instance have a garden focus week. It does mean a lot of catching up on housework and other things but I figure there are plenty of mums who work full time who work that way- catching up in the evenings and on weekends.

Tomorrow I'm going to a park 'meet and greet' as the experienced homeschooler to chat with newly interested parents, as part of National Home Education Week. I'm a bit nervous- I don't feel very experienced but I guess while I can't talk about long term outcomes, I can certainly relate to the ins and outs of getting started.

We're about to begin today's schoolwork so I'll have to go in a minute.

Have a lovely week, everyone.

From Flowers

Tassie Trip

2010-10-23T09:57:00.003+11:00

Partly in response to a gentle reminder from a dear friend (Hello Anonymous from Perth, Australia!) and partly because its about time, here are some photos from our recent trip to Tasmania. I'm still editing photos- took quite about 400 so I'm still cropping, fiddling with the brightness and contrast and weeding out duds.

Here we are getting our first good look at The Spirit of Tasmania II. It was a lovely boat but the less said about the trip over the better. Its enough for you to know that it was actually a smooth crossing but that I have a very bad stomach.

From Holiday to Tasmania, September 2010

We arrived very early in the morning and had several hours drive to Hobart. It was sunny but very cold; frost and fog everywhere.

From Holiday to Tasmania, September 2010

Our accomodation in Hobart was the Cascade Retreat on Old Farm Road. We loved it! A quirky house that seemed to be put together with random materials in no particular order. The views were amazing and the wildlife abundant and some of it very tame. (I'll post small pics as there are quite a few. Click on the link under the picture to view them larger in Picasa.)

From Holiday to Tasmania, September 2010

Here's a quick run down of the tourist-y things we did:

Mt. Wellington- brilliant!

From Holiday to Tasmania, September 2010

Port Arthur Historic Site- unexpectedly pretty and peaceful.

From Holiday to Tasmania, September 2010

Salamanca Markets- what can I say? Love a good market and this is a Good market.

From Holiday to Tasmania, September 2010

The Cascade Brewery ('our' house is just up the road behind the Brewery):

From Holiday to Tasmania, September 2010

The last two days were in Launceston. Cataract Gorge and The Basin were absolutely beautiful. Here are the boys on the chair lift:

From Holiday to Tasmania, September 2010

We caught up with newish friends in Devonport and spent the day with them before heading to the ferry terminal for the trip home. As you can see, we had beautiful weather most of the time- perfect for each day of sight seeing. However, Tassie managed to also bestow on us a little snow, a little hail, a little rain and a couple of gusts of wind. These conveniently happened while we were snuggled up by our fireplace at 'home' so they added to the experience. The four of us all felt we weren't ready to go home; would have loved more time especially to visit the more rugged areas and coastline.

Tasmania is definitely on our Must Re-Visit list!

I'm Loving Craftumi!

2010-08-24T19:55:00.003+10:00

Have you heard about Craftumi? Its brand new from the people who brought us Made It. While Made It is for Australian made handcrafts and art, Craftumi sells supplies for craft and sewing. I've been waiting for something like this! Not just to sell my own surplus stock (don't worry, the shameless plug is coming up!) but to be a go-to store for supplies. Its so exciting to be listing a few items each day and see new items appearing from other sellers on the Stores page. Listing a new items takes you to the top of the list again- its good incentive to keep yourself on the front page.

Now for the shameless plug- I'm using "Re-Source" as my banner once again. I'm selling left over stock from my former patchwork mail-order business as well as accumulated crafty items. I had hoped to actually make crafts to sell on Made It but being realistic, I won't have time for the next few years to build up a stock. So I'm de-stashing. As well as fabric, I'll be listing haby items and household linens.

This has even got me dreaming about having a business again- I would love to have a huge online haberdashery...who knows, perhaps one day it will be possible. Until then I'm going to enjoy browsing all of the yummy, crafty goodness. The only downside is the very real temptation of turning over any money I make into 'new' supplies from the other sellers!

From Haberdashery

Hmm....

2010-08-16T18:30:00.001+10:00

Apparently housewives should confine their opinions to things relating to the kitchen....

Winter

2010-07-24T21:11:00.002+10:00

Don't want to rise from the warmth of my bed.
Floor is cold, air is cold, heaters too slow.
Doors shut, windows shut, long for fresh air.
Short days, dull days, barely a sight of the sun.
Wind that bites, wind that chills, blowing straight through,
Bringing ice from unseen Antarctic shores.
Sniffles come, shivers come, flu never too far away.
Grass sodden, garden soggy, plants mossy and rotting.
Frost burns and seedlings won't grow.
Boots caked with mud, hands chapped and red.
What's there to like about winter?

A New Recipes Blog

2010-05-12T09:40:00.003+10:00

I'm excited to have been asked to contribute to a new no-frills, honest-to-goodness recipe blog- Haphazard Cook. That title pretty much describes me in the kitchen.

I've already apologised to the blog admin that my recipes will not be original. I'm not a natural cook- that invention test on Master Chef scares me silly. How do they know how to cook goats meat when they've never done it before? Or which spices to put with duck? I mean you either have it or you don't and I don't. I can mostly follow a recipe though so I may make the occasional contribution linking to the source and letting you know if it was a success or a disaster or so-so in the middle somewhere.

What I'm really looking forward to is recipes from the other Posters because we all need new ideas to add to our repertoire. So that I can sometimes be enthusiastic when the tribe asks (one at a time, one after the other), "What's for dinner?"

From Circles, Square Format (Squircles)

Making chicken stock.

The Problem with Puppies

2010-04-29T12:14:00.002+10:00

The problem with puppies is the constant worry- what is she eating now???!! Everyone that has ever owned a labrador seems to remember them with fondness. They also remember things like : "It chewed up everything in our back yard" and "They are garbage bins on legs". The kids and I have been seeing pictures of labs in magazines and on the telly and nearly every time they have something hanging out of their mouth.

Sam is no exception. I always pictured labs as intelligent but placid. Believe me, they aren't like that in puppy stage. Ours has springs in her legs- she bounces off all fours. Her favourite game is running flat out around the back yard. If she has been scolded, she runs laps and as she runs she goes in and out of bushes, ripping leaves off with her teeth as she passes. I'm sure some of our plants would be toxic- I know tomato leaves are.

The biggest scare was with the rat bait. We have had a few mice around and DH put baits in the garden shed. He was sure he removed them all when the pup came home. Well, she must have found hidden somewhere. On Monday morning I found lots of bright blue-green dog-do in the yard. Sure enough, she'd been in the shed and tell-tale blue crumbs were scattered on the floor in there. I have to tell you, I felt sick all day. But unbelievably, she was active and healthy and has shown no signs of anything. It seems like it all passed straight through. Of course Monday was a public holiday so I couldn't just run her down to the vet to be sure. Instead I kept a close eye on her all day, ready to do an emergency run to an after hours vet if necessary. Maybe some of those leaves she eats acted medicinally to purge her of the toxins? Who knows.

Speaking of scare, this fellow was sunning himself on a lump of concrete in the backyard the other day:

From Feathered, Furry or Finned

No wonder he only has seven legs- he was rather exposed to hungry birds. I felt rather brave getting this close for the photo.

Other than that, life whizzes by. Can you believe its the end of April already? We've had blustery, cold winds the last few days; today looks a little more pleasant. I should get outdoors for a while- it won't last.

Finished the Second Friendship Quilt

2010-04-01T11:03:00.001+11:00

My craft group has been making a quilt each for an elderly father and daughter. I kind of rushed getting the daughter's to her as she had an operation and have only realised now that I don't have a finished photograph of it. Doh!

Here is the father's, just needs a label and its ready to give:

From Friendship Quilts WIP

Stitchers Take Note- Giveaway at Dorothybills!

2010-03-25T18:28:00.000+11:00

For your chance to win one of Eleesa's gorgeous pincushions, head over to dorothybills and leave a comment.

Introducing......Sam!

2010-03-19T21:33:00.002+11:00

Ooh, two posts in one day!

I couldn't keep my anonymous friend in suspense any longer. Today we picked up our new baby girl (there was a baby in there, a fur-baby).

Here is our black labrador, Sam. She's eight weeks old and is, of course, adorable.

From Feathered, Furry or Finned

Sour, but good!

2010-03-19T09:39:00.003+11:00

Yum, I'm eating an apple from our tree. A little tart but still good! Now that's fresh. No cold-store, no bug-spray and no grub either. Just had to share it with the world!!

We're still getting cucumbers, one every few days. They amaze me how fast they grow. Beans are slowing down but still have flowers. Our lemon tree is loaded with green lemons which are already bigger than last year's. I'm kicking myself for thinking a nastursium would be a good idea. It has put down hundreds of seeds and every single one is sprouting. Bad, bad idea that I'll be paying for a while yet.

Something from in the soil is eating my pak choi as I have them under cloches and they're still being nibbled away. Even the red cos are under attack. In previous years nothing went near them. The warm, humid weather seems to have caused a bug explosion. All the more reason to rejoice over my huge, perfect, sour apple.

I don't know about everyone else but this weather is making everyone very tired. Everyone I talk to is feeling it. I always look forward to the start of summer but by this time of year I've had enough. Bring on the chilly mornings, I say!

Well, now that I've shared my apple with you its time to get on with some work. Hope y'all have a lovely weekend.

Oh, BTW, I'll have some news to share real soon. Can't say any more. ;-) (I will, however say that I am not pregnant so get that thought OUT of your minds!)

Just can't think of a title for this post- mental block!!

2010-03-05T07:52:00.004+11:00

Well here's something unexpected- B has come down with a cold so he won't be going to school today. Suddenly I don't need to rush around helping him on his way. I've been catching up on a bit of blog reading instead. The weekend is filling up fast with activities planned so I'm glad that today will be an easy day; I can store up some energy. P and I are trialling a new homeschool schedule- bookwork and other home-based activities Monday to Thursday and leaving Friday free for errands, visiting, the library, picking up supplies from town and so on.

I was just marvelling at the international nature of the craft community, thanks to the internet and particularly blogging. Over at Irish Muses Micki of Dunfanaghy, Ireland (originally from Philadelphia, U.S.A) interviewed quiltmaker and designer Lyn, who apparently lives a hop, skip and jump from me here! I've been admiring Judy's hearts in Spokane, Washington and Rain's beautiful photography on the fabled Prince Edward Island. Wonderful!

Speaking of photograpy, I've been a bit slack lately. Or a bit too busy to bother. But I didn't show you any from our trip to the Royal Melbourne Zoo in January, did I? Many of them are still waiting to be sorted and edited but here are some that I've finished:

Soaking up some sun

From Melbourne Zoo

Just hanging around

From Melbourne Zoo

Do you think you'd feel any safer?

From Melbourne Zoo

Love the Butterfly House!

From Melbourne Zoo

Today if all are well enough, we'll go exchange library books and I have a couple of errands to run. If its not too hot, I may start tidying the vegetable garden later on. Its been neglected, once again. Hopefully I won't be the next to catch this cold!

Poor Little Blog

2010-02-05T09:16:00.003+11:00

Poor little blog, I miss you. I haven't forgotten you. I think about you from time to time. I'll get back to you soon, when life is less demanding.

I haven't read any blogs in ages and I miss that too. There are only so many hours in the day.

Wilting!

2010-01-11T19:06:00.006+11:00

Its 7pm and still searing outside. In fact, I've just checked the Bureau of Meteorology's Observations and at 6:30 pm it was 41.3 degrees Celsius (106.34F) at the Geelong Airport. The peak temperature was 44.5 degrees. Surely this must be the hottest day we've had? I'll be interested to hear the statistics.

We've all been quite comfortable inside, or at least three of us have. DH returned to work today and even though they finished a little earlier, the work was outdoors and he was very, very hot.

This morning I prepared the garden by watering from the tank and putting on the covers. They have done the job of preserving the vegetables remarkably well. That's partly because we haven't had the very strong gusty winds that usually go with such a hot day. I mean, it is a little windy but not too much. Here is what the cucumbers looked like just before I came in:

From Inside and Out

The rest of the garden has had it tougher. On one rosebush the flowers have half-dried on the bush!

From Flowers

Its actually quite effective- I may cut this branch and put them in a vase. My girls in the front yard have just wilted very elegantly:

From Flowers

The other roses along the front fence were budding and the extreme heat has forced the buds open so there are some tiny, sad flowers out there.

I put out extra water for the wild birds today and brought our birds inside.

I haven't heard any news headlines yet; just caught the end of the news on telly. I hope there are no fires anywhere. Its going to be a hot, uncomfortable night with a cool change expected some time tomorrow.

Holiday Diary- Day 7

2010-01-03T21:38:00.002+11:00

Today's entry is written from home as we ended up returning a day early. Things began to go awry last night. The fishermen returned shortly after I'd written the Day 6 diary entry. The tide was very low and there wasn't enough water at the boat ramp to float the boat safely. We did salvage the evening with a nice walk along the beach though.

From Indented Head Stay

We also need to reassess the sleeping arrangements. P is getting too big for his stretcher- he rolls to the middle and wakes with a sore back. He was wanting his own bed and both boys had become a little bored. The place we were staying at is pretty basic with not much to do. Even the beach directly out from us, although it looked pretty, wasn't very nice to swim in. Then this morning there were more dramas with getting the boat out. DH ended up taking it home early and as that meant nothing at all to do for the boys they really had had enough. I agreed to see out the day and then take them home.
Despite the negative stuff, we had a really lovely day. It was the hottest day of our vacation, perfect for swimming so we drove around to the next beach where the paddle-steamer wreck is. The water is deeper without the weed and itchy things that 'our' beach had. Even I went swimming! We went out to the wreck, the boys climbed on it and then they played catch in the water for ages. It was a nice way to finish up.
In the late afternoon we packed my car and came home. DH stayed the night and returned the next morning.
I think we're becoming terrible home-bodies. It was nice to be away but we were happy to get home again.

From Indented Head Stay

(B makes friends)

Holiday Diary- Day 6

2010-01-01T13:11:00.004+11:00

Sunshine, sunshine and more sunshine. Despite hats and sunscreen we now all have red patches here and there- my neck, P's face, B's feet. Its impossible to live virtually outdoors for a week and not get a little burned, no matter how careful we are.

This morning the boys had their first sleep in and the boat had a rest. After a nice, slow start that included pancakes for breakfast we eventually drove around to Portarlington for a look-see. One of the first things we spotted was an op-shop! Isn't it cute?

From Indented Head Stay

There are two op-shops in the town but I was very good and only bought one book, Sara Dane for 50c. After pies and sausage rolls we wandered down to the pier. The water was green and clear- quite inviting but we didn't bring swimming gear.

From Indented Head Stay

In every direction the water was dotted with boats- from little tinnies to yachts of all sizes to pleasure cruisers like this one.

From Indented Head Stay

(If anyone knows what all of that framework is for above the cabins, could they enlighten me?)
I would have loved to go back and do some fishing from the rocks or pier tonight but the boat has spoiled my men for land-based fishing. :-( They are just heading out now to try some early evening fishing. I have my stitching, books, camera, beach and white wine. I think I'll be fine....

Holiday Diary- Day 5

2010-01-01T13:04:00.002+11:00

This morning the bay is so calm and still. Its not yet 8 a.m. but the boys have been gone for an hour or more in the boat. Yesterday they caught more flathead and a gummy shark so we feasted on flake and flattie tails last night.

I've been reading, finishing The Good Earth and now I'm cross-stitching (and diary writing, of course), waiting for visitors to arrive. Yesterday Dad and his friend came to visit and today we are expecting my MIL who is coming with some friends. If we're all feeling up to it we will go for a beach walk.

Hotter days are expected later in the week so we're hoping for some good beach days. I've almost had enough of sitting around the campsite. Its been all I felt like doing until now but I'm getting restless and would like to do some exploring and photography. I'm about to drive into town and top up on biscuits and cakes for our visitors. Then I may have time to run a load of laundry through the machines here. You know what they say about women's work...

Holiday Diary- Day 4

2010-01-01T08:40:00.002+11:00

Caravan parks are very public places. Caravans, tents and annexes have very thin walls. The neighbors are a scant couple of feet away. Children play in the spaces in between and in all but the worst weather the adults park their chairs outside and eat, drink and converse in the open. Before long you find yourself waving and greeting your neighbors. If you like to observe people, as I seem to, it is impossible not to watch what goes on. Perhaps its the frustrated writer in me that is always looking for 'characters'.

We have a little 'character' staying opposite us. She is probably four years old and has a flair for the dramatic. She is a girly-girl, wearing dresses with frills and lots of pink, always spinning and twirling. She sings, she dances, she pulls supermodel poses. The other day she was hailing passers-by with a surprisingly deep "G'day mate, how're ya goin'?" Hysterical!

The flip side to all this out-in-the-openness is that the reverse is probably also true. We are being observed. Somehow I don't like that quite so much. The walk to the amenities block is one I don't enjoy. Now that the boys are older, we choose a campsite a bit further from the toilet block. Now, if for whatever reason I need to 'go' a couple of times in a morning or afternoon I have to walk past the little clusters of people sitting around in front of their vans. Are they thinking "Is she going again??"

The first thing I get homesick for is my own bathroom.

From Feathered, Furry or Finned

Holiday Diary- Day 3

2009-12-31T22:27:00.004+11:00

Today I feel tired. Its as if all of the busy year just gone has caught up with me on this one day, now that I can afford to relax. Its also been a day spent watching. Earlier this morning rays of light pierced the grey clouds.

From Indented Head Stay

Later, B played in the water for a while (the other two were on the boat again). I dragged a chair to the edge of the narrow beach and spent a pleasant hour or so watching yachts, ships, pleasure cruisers, fishing boats and jet skis sailing or motoring past in a fairly continual stream.

From Indented Head Stay

The tide is very low today so the boys and I have wandered between the exposed weed beds finding sand-blasted beach glass, sea stars and empty sea urchin shells.

From Indented Head Stay

Today has been long, slow and restful.

Holiday Diary- Day 2

2009-12-31T22:20:00.003+11:00

Much better! It didn't rain at all today. DH and P rose early and took the boat out, bringing back some nice flathead. After lunch, we took a drive across to meet some friends who were picnicking at Torquay. Despite the cold wind, the young lads braved the waves on their boogie boards. They're a bit disappointed there are no waves at Indented Head where we're staying. When everyone was chilled through, including the parents sitting dry on the beach, we went for coffee at the nearby home of an old friend. It was nice to catch up and I came away with a Pearl Buck book she loaned to me. I'd read Pavilion of Women and she recommended The Good Earth so I'll have some more in my holiday reading pile, in fact I've stayed up late tonight reading it.

Holiday Diary- Day 1

2009-12-31T22:01:00.002+11:00

We live in a drought-stricken country. Water restrictions are ongoing, we lose plants every year to the dry conditions, we anxiously check the water levels in our water tanks and hope it will sustain the vegie patch through the next dry spell. So can somebody please, please tell me why every time we go caravanning IT RAINS?!? Not just drizzle but downpours!
- January 2008, Apollo Bay. 5 days into our stay and we were contemplating going home. It was cold, wet, the annexe leaked and the boys' beds got wet.
- September 2009, Blackwood. The last afternoon and night of our four day stay it rained down on the aluminium roof so loudly that we barely slept a wink all night.
- December 2009, Indented Head. We knew the rain was forecast and fortunately got everything set up before it started.

From Indented Head Stay

We even had a quick beach walk with just a few spots of rain.

From Indented Head Stay

Then down it came. The boys had gone back home to pick up the boat so I was pacing up and down alone, watching the water clearly pool in the ridge between the caravan and annexe and looking for leaks. There was water getting in at one end but it was trickling down the van wall and running harmlessly behind a canvas flap, not wetting anything important. I did move B's bed to the middle just to be sure.
Rain, rain, go away...

Looking Forward to Some Down Time

2009-12-09T13:58:00.004+11:00

Less than two weeks to go until the end of the school year. I'm really looking forward to the holidays. No rushing around in the mornings... taking our time, staying in pyjamas until we feel like getting dressed.
We're still not sure if we'll go away for a week or so. I know we've left it late to book in anywhere. If we don't go away I want to make sure we have an at-home vacation. Day trips, spending time together without worrying about what needs to be done all the time. Of course there will be some things that can't be neglected like the vegetable patch and keeping certain areas of the house hygienic, lol! But a person can't go day in day out, week after week, month after month doing the same thing without running down a bit.
I hope we get lots of weather like today- sunny, a hint of warmth but not too hot. Can I put my order in for some more of this?
Perhaps I'll get time to write in my blogs. Or update my online stores. Or go take photos at some places of interest around town. Catch up with family and friends- definitely! Read aloud with the boys. I've just bought a copy of Hills End. We read it in primary school and I want to read it to the boys. It is the story of 7 children who find themselves stranded in their isolated logging town after it is devastated by a storm. They face their fears, learn about responsibility, truthfulness, conflict and the gulf between the child's world and that of an adult's. I've skimmed it since it arrived in the mail this morning and its even better than I remember. I can't wait to start it with the boys. (I've just been browsing for a link to a good synopsis but Hills End is obviously something of a forgotten classic- just vague references. It seems it was a highly respected and awarded book in its time. )
Ah yes, a little rest and recreation is just what's needed around here.

Ten Things....

2009-11-30T21:31:00.004+11:00

Ten Things that make me smile:

The yellow roses outside my kitchen window
Smiles from my boys
The first little green shoot of a new seedling
Pink-tinged clouds at sunset
Chamomile tea at the end of the day
My favourite tunes on the radio
Finding a button jar at a garage sale
The final stitch in a quilt
Teenage magpies playing on the lawn
Handmade items arriving in the mail

Ten Things that make me cranky:

Supermarket prices
Current affairs programs (the prime time ones)
Christmas creep
Snails and slugs in the lettuce
The phone ringing just as I sit for the first time all day
Falling behind in my work
People who don't/won't listen
Forgetting to bring the camera
Forgetting somebody's name
Forgetting to slow down and 'smell the roses'

Ten Things that keep me sane:

Prayer
Music
The garden
Cuddles from my children
A good book
An unexpected call from a friend
The Rockpool (homeschool forum)
Creative crafts
Looking up at the sky
A little quiet time and space

Ten Things that I want to learn:

Patience
Crochet
Lace making
To make vinegar from pineapples!
To communicate better, especially in conflict
To fit everything in that I want or need to do
Embroidery
More about the dos and don'ts of vegetable gardening
html- I've tried but I can't remember it
To be more confident

Ten Things that I value in others and want to have in myself:

Honesty
Empathy
Compassion
Integrity
Faith
Patience
Hospitality
Humour
Seriousness
Joy

Ten Things that I never want to forget:

Spiritual things come first
My children want their mother, not a spotless house
More is accomplished when I slow down and live purposefully
The only person I can change is me
There's always another sunset
Nobody's perfect
Sometimes near enough is good enough
Living is learning; education doesn't begin and end in the classroom
To bring along my camera, sunglasses and diary
That there was life before mobile phones and the internet!

This is my first meme. Feel free to cut and paste if you wish. Post a link in the comments if you would like to share your Ten Things.

From Flowers

The Fruits (Or Vegetables) of Our Labour

2009-11-06T19:29:00.003+11:00

Gardening wasn't really on the day-planner for today but the sunshine was irresistible. And while pulling a few weeds, I noticed that some things in the Monument to Vegetables (MTV) needed to be harvested. The leeks are sending up flower stems and the slugs are making mincemeat of the celery. The last couple of beetroot weren't very big but the tops were showing signs of bolting. So I came in with a huge armful of greenery that made P's eyes boggle.
Leeks (and two onions to the right. They were just starting to form bulbs but started to flower. I'm not sure if I should have let them go- I'll look it up before harvesting the rest.)

From Inside and Out

Celery blanched for the freezer.

From Inside and Out

Last of the beetroot (they're actually quite small)

From Inside and Out

Alfalfa. A great investment- one packet of seed goes a looooooooong way!

From Inside and Out

Oh, and you may have noticed in my side bar "What's Up" segment that I started up the Craft and Cuppa day again. 4 ladies came and both the boys were home so we made a nice little group around the table. We are motivated to finish off our friendship quilts. One block still needs to be made for J (man) and I have since put together the blocks for N (lady). Here it is with the first border added:

From Friendship Quilts WIP

Cautiously, I will say that I think I'm getting it all together again, adjusting to the new 'routine' with P being home all the time. I'm getting back into the garden, spent a whole day baking the other day, restarted my Craft group and am sewing. Yay!!

Time Flies

2009-10-19T23:01:00.003+11:00

Time flies when your having fun, so they say. It also flies when you're just plain busy. Last post October 6? Where have the weeks gone? I guess I haven't really had a lot to say either. I mean, how often do you want to hear (or read!) washed laundry, hung laundry, folded laundry, put laundry away, cleaned bathroom, cleaned kitchen, cleaned bedrooms, drove B to school, picked up B, did work with P, did more work with P; well, you get the picture!

I haven't been sewing (creatively, that is... I've done alterations for a client); I haven't been knitting or cross stitching. I'm not reading anything other than homeschooling how-to at the moment. I haven't been op-shopping. Oh, but I did have one good morning at garage sales a couple of weeks back- covered the back seat of my car with stuff that I 'need'! Books and craft, all educational or useful, of course!

Thankfully the vegetable garden is doing okay on its own for now as I don't even get out there very often. Slowly some gaps are opening up as I harvest the last of the beetroot, broccoli and spinach. I'm waiting impatiently for my compost to compost so that I can dig some in before planting the next lot. I'm harvesting celery now but something has been having little nibbles- do mice eat celery?

From Inside and Out

Left to right, back:
Nastursium, celery, tomatoes (in pots outside the MTV)
Left to right, front:
Broccoli, leeks, green cos and there are a couple of garlic hiding out amongst the leeks.
The nastursium is crazy- I do get out there about every fortnight and hack it back brutally. I didn't realise how vigorously they grow!

Well, thats about it for this post- I'm out of even vaguely interesting 'stuff' to write about. Time now for some much-needed sleep and it begins again tomorrow.

Bye for now,

Joanne.

The Things I Like About Spring.

2009-10-06T07:21:00.003+11:00

Spring is well underway. For a long-time hayfever sufferer, spring with its wind and its pollen isn't exactly my favourite season. But I don't have to look far to find things to like.
Wisteria:

From Flowers

More flowers (name unknown to me):

From Flowers

And more flowers:

From Flowers

Outings with friends (Mini-Golf at Wallington):

From Out and About

Also rain in the rain barrels, baby magpies calling from the trees, leeks and beetroot from the garden, planning spring plantings, daylight savings (once over the initial shock!), warm breezes, buds on the rose bushes, tiny green apricots lining the branches, green grass in the paddocks and on the hills, jasmine and poppies in other people's gardens, airing the house without freezing and occasionally eating al fresco.
Yes, there are plenty of things to like about spring!

A Sad Post Today

2009-09-27T21:57:00.003+10:00

Today we are grieving the loss of our beautiful family pet and faithful friend Coco.

From Feathered, Furry or Finned

Yesterday evening, she passed away quite suddenly, without illness or warning. We suspect it may be a congenital heart condition SAS, something we weren't even aware of until today.
We are all shattered- she was an amazing dog; so smart, friendly, a real personality in the neighborhood. The boys are heartbroken.
This is the most recent picture of Coco, taken earlier last week when we were camping at Blackwood. She loved the creek and preferred to wade through it rather than keep to the path.

From Blackwood

Coco had only been with us about a week when she first went to Blackwood. She loved being in the bush and that she could be with us constantly, unlike home where she may be ignored in the backyard for a few hours at a time. She would always get excited when we drove within sniffing range of Blackwood! At night she entertained us trying to catch the sparks from the campfire in her mouth- at first I worried she would burn herself but she never did. Later she would climb onto the driver's seat of our four wheel drive and sleep the night through- that was her home-away-from-home. DH had gone back on Saturday to Blackwood to bring our caravan home and Coco died there. She is now buried in her beloved bush.
Coco was just 4 1/2 years old and we are so going to miss her.

Evening By the Campfire

2009-09-22T22:08:00.002+10:00

Written by firelight, 20-09-09

Sparks fly up into the dark night sky, in a hopeless attempt to join the paler, distant stars. Less ambitious, smoke from the campfire puffs upwards, rising in a wobbly column with not so much as a breathe of wind to blow it here or there. The campground is almost deserted and those who remain after the weekend are all inside their caravans. I have the glorious, still night to myself.

The sounds I hear play against a background music of frogs. They have forgotten all the verses and sing the chorus over and over again. The soft 'siish' and tiny snaps of the campfire and the muffled voices of my children as they chatter away in the caravan are the sounds close by. A town dog yaps in the distance and a jet flies high overhead, reminding me that somewhere else is a busy world full of commuters, deadlines, tourists and arrival times.

The creatures of the day have all gone home to roost. We heard the cockatoos return to their trees just before dusk; the kookaburras just afterwards. The pair of ducks that were waddling along the fringe of the park have returned to their river bed. We haven't seen any wallabies or kangaroos yet. We know they pass through the campground some time before the sun comes up. Perhaps the sleepy-eyed dogs in their annexes see them in the wee small hours. A ghostly grey bird- it may be an owl or a tawny frogmouth occasionally flies from one tree to another. Its flight is soundless. It is only betrayed by a glint of its wings or the crackling of a twig upon landing.

The dew is heavy here each night. Everything outside the circle of the fire will be soaked with dew by the morning. Damp, earthy smells rise from the river and although it really isn't too cold, breathe forms vapour that hangs in the air. When the sun reaches down into this little valley in the morning, the grass will glitter with a million diamonds.

My children say this life is more 'real' than the city life. They hope one day to live in a place like this. My heart too is restless, knowing we have to return in a day or so. For now, our life is a suburb with neighbors so close that we hear each other through our walls.

We learn that 'time indefinite' is in our hearts- a yearning to live life without end. Surely "Paradise" is also woven in to our ancestral memory. The earth as a garden- a cultivated garden close by and a wild, fascinating garden further afield. Our Paradise is future. Meanwhile, we tend our little suburban garden and whenever we can, escape to a tantalising taste of Paradise.

From Blackwood

A Life Lesson From the Birds

2009-09-15T21:13:00.004+10:00

You can learn a lot from nature. Careful observation of the way plants grow, watching animals interact, staring into an indigo sky as the stars begin to dot their way across the night. All of these wonders have lessons to teach us, if we look and listen carefully.

Today I learned a lesson from the birds. The lesson- Its okay to ask for help when you need it!
A bird taught me that? Actually, two birds did!

Our across-the-road neighbors have a huge gum tree in their front yard that is the home for a family of magpies. Last spring and summer, they became quite bold and would come over for food. In the picture below, that's a parent on the right and a young one on the left.

From Feathered, Furry or Finned

At some stage, they stopped visiting. The youngsters (there were three) must have found their own territories and the parents were seen but didn't attempt contact.
For the last few days, the magpies have been visiting our yard again. The pair of them are busy all day, pulling worms out of the lawn and stealing dog biscuits if they can get past Coco. When I went to the letterbox this afternoon, one of them came right down to the fence beside me. I came inside and grabbed the camera and some minced beef that was waiting to become hamburgers! In minutes, the two birds were taking turns grabbing some meat and flying it over to the tree.

From Feathered, Furry or Finned

This is how close they were willing to come for it!

From Feathered, Furry or Finned

I only fed them for a few minutes, as I don't want them to become dependent on us. But it got me wondering. The parent birds are there all year round, yet they don't seek us out for most of the year. When it is just the two of them, they are independent. But I could hear the babies in the tree across the road, hungrily demanding more and more food. The parents literally work all day to feed them. It is as if, at this very busy time in their lives, the parent birds come and ask us for help. They push aside their natural fear in the interest of caring for their family. When the time of need is past, they will return to fending for themselves.
Isn't that incredible? It made me think about not being too proud to ask for help when I really need it. It doesn't mean I'll always need someone to prop me up, but in a time of need- take a lesson from the birds.

Bringing you up to speed.

2009-09-11T18:41:00.004+10:00

Time is just whizzing by at the moment. One week blurs into the next. Before you know it its September! A lot of things are still going by the wayside here, including blogging. Every couple of days I do something, or take a picture and its in the back of my mind, "I'd like to blog that!" But the moment passes and life hurtles on at breakneck speed.

So here is a bit of a summary of life in the last few weeks, with the help of some photographs. Chronology may be a bit out of order.

A few weeks ago, I thought my potato experiment had been a total failure. In this post I wrote about growing spuds in mulch in cages. I read that the potatoes would flower, and wilt, and it was after that you harvested them. Well, my plants didn't flower. They did wilt, however and started to disappear back into the mulch. I thought they were rotting from all the wet weather so one day I decided to dig them up and reclaim the space. To my delight, there was a small collection of potatoes that had been growing all the time! This is the sum total of the harvest, the largest being about 7cm long:

From Inside and Out

At the moment, I'm picking a beetroot every 4 or 5 days. They're not huge either, but very sweet and tender. And finally, f-i-n-a-l-l-y! I picked the first leek. It was still a bit slender but I needed a leek for a casserole and didn't have a bought one. Leeks take such a long time. I'll try and be patient and wait for the rest to fatten up a bit. We still have cos lettuce, red and green and spinach. The rocket is going to seed but the continental parsley is just going crazy.

Sewing/ knitting/ quilting and all things crafty are just not happening. I've been too busy to notice, but just today I got a strange, familiar feeling of discontent. I realised its the feeling I have when I'm not being creative. This will get stronger and stronger until I HAVE to do something. Otherwise I feel like part of me is missing.

P is going well with his home education. We had our second field trip. He's been quite interested in studying the condition of a local river. We drove to three different parts of the river, took notes and photographs and now he is preparing a report on Power Point. I'm pleased to see him so 'into it'. Some subjects are not going as well. Maths is a bit stressful- he seems to have an emotional block. I'm quietly working around it, not pushing it. Otherwise, all is going good. Here are some pics from our field trip:

From Moorabool River Field Trip

From Flowers

One more week and I will have my other young man at home for school holidays. We all feel like we need the break. Its been a long winter. Not particularly cold; a little wetter than we are used to but most noticeably dull! If the sun comes out at all, its for a tantalising hour, sometimes less. Even the kids have noticed and they're both waiting for a nice day to soak up some sunshine. Perhaps tomorrow- its supposed to be warm but windy.

Well, its 7pm and we're all looking forward to a relaxing evening. So I should go and do the final round of straightening up. I hope you all have a lovely weekend. Take care.
Jo.

A Quick Hello!

2009-08-31T13:24:00.002+10:00

Just to let everyone know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth! Super-duper busy is all.
After a long weekend away (well not actually 'away', but leaving early each morning and arriving home after dark), I have a lot of catching up to do at home. The weather isn't great for drying piles of laundry either.
When I do get time for the net, I have been spending a bit of it over at Rockpool Homeschool . They have a very active forum of homeschooling mums, many of them here in Victoria as well as a lot of helpful links and information that I am gradually working my way through. It is just what I needed, to be able to tap into a network of people in a similar situation.
Well, I did say this was to be a quick hello. Back to getting my house in order so that we can all find socks, watches, Vicks inhalers and other important bits and pieces.

This week's wrap-up

2009-08-21T20:41:00.002+10:00

Well, that is one week I am glad to see the tail end of! I don't know why, (well, I have a sneaking suspicion)I was unusually tired and lacking in energy this week. This is so frustrating because I know I'm getting further and further behind, which adds to the stress (the reason I was weak in the first place) and it becomes a vicious circle. But I've dealt with this before and I know it will pass.

The weather hasn't helped. Today the wind blew hail in sideways on the back porch, the strongest gusts we've had in the three years we've lived in this house. Wind always makes me edgy. Someone told me once that in traditional Chinese medicine there is a name for a condition of uneasiness caused by windy weather. I've never learned if that is true and more importantly what to do about it!

But, I guess if that's all I have to whinge about, its not so bad. Nevertheless, (is that one word?) I'm glad its Friday night and tomorrow is unscheduled and all of the week's tasks are done. DH, P and B are going out in the boat in the morning if the weather has steadied. Did I mention they bought a boat? So especially while its still a novelty, they will be setting off every chance they get, hoping to bring home a feed of fish. I may go out once, just to please them but with my total lack of sea-legs (and inherited tendency to severe motion-sickness) I won't be making a habit of it. I don't mind fishing, as long as I have a nice beach or jetty to stand on!

Well, someone is hovering about wanting the computer so I'll sign off for now. Have a great weekend and keep safe everyone.

Glorious Winter Days

2009-08-15T14:53:00.002+10:00

Today doesn't feel like winter at all. I was out planting asparagus this morning and got hot! The sun is shining and blossoms are everywhere. I took these pics a week or more ago (on a day that wasn't sunny):

From Inside and Out

The last leaves were still on the branches and the buds were appearing. And yes, we left it a bit late to prune!

From Inside and Out

Apricot buds.
Oh, by the way, did you know that apart from being a tasty green vegetable, broccoli catches raindrops in the most beautiful way?

From Textural

Yesterday, P and I had our first excursion. We drove about half an hour to the town of Anglesea and down to Point Roadknight. We've been learning about rock pool life and erosion and this spot is a good place to see both. It was such a beautiful day- not a breath of wind and the sun shining down. Just what we needed, I think. I offered B the day off school to join us and he was tempted, but he loves Fridays because they get free time at school. He usually swaps computer games and funny pictures with his friends.
Some pics from yesterday, more in the album link below each pic:

From Point Roadknight Excursion

From Textural

Are we Technically Still in Drought?

2009-08-13T10:49:00.004+10:00

I think we are still officially in drought. Last I heard, Melbourne's water storages are still low. According to Barwon Water (Geelong's supplier) we are at 22.3%. That certainly sounds low! Its hard to imagine though. My back yard is sodden and hasn't dried out in weeks. The grass is dying from too much water! Moss is growing between the lettuces and the celery. Every day in the 7 day outlook has showers forecast. I know its not steady downpours for days, but you would think there would be a lot less demand for water. I haven't watered outside from the tap for months. What we catch in the rain barrels is more than enough to do the few small areas that are on the sheltered side and don't get wet when it rains. All of the people who have water tanks must be delighted. (I look at the plasma telly DH really wanted and think to myself, you should have been a water tank!)

Of course, in this land of extremes, I know we could be (and probably will be) dry and scorching in a few months time. Still, it hardly feels like a drought when I go squelching across the 'lawn' to the compost bins. So glad I bought gumboots!

Speaking of damp, we've had a mold incident. When we bought this house, the previous owners had let the shower leak under the floor. We ended up replacing the entire bathroom. Walls, floor, ceiling, the lot. The wall the shower was up against was our bedroom wall and what with the bedroom also being on the south side of the house, there was mold in our bedroom. The carpets and curtains had to be thrown out and after cleaning it all, DH painted with mold killing paint. For three years it hadn't come back. Monday, while dusting, I found mold on the wall under the large front window. We had a chest of drawers there and the pile of Stuff that I have been sorting for a future garage sale. So Monday I had the unexpected and delightful (NOT!) job of taking everything out, checking it over, throwing some out, washing stuff that didn't seem to be affected and rehousing other things. Sadly, DH lost his favourite fishing hat which had grown furry patches all over. (Secretly, I never liked that hat on him!)

While I was being ruthless, I also tackled the dressing table. A long time ago I saw a tell-tale little pile of sawdust underneath so I knew there were wood-eating bugs of some kind in there. I've been assured they're not termites, but they do tunnel into wood so they're not ideal to have in a timber home! So I emptied all of my makeup, jewellery, lotions and potions and hauled the dressing table outside. My room looks bare now. :-( This meant more re-confuffling (otherwise known as stuff-shuffling); making room in the bathroom cabinet for my stuff.

We could fumigate the dresser, but I don't like living with strong insecticides in the house so it will have to go. The chest of drawers had that much mold on it that I don't think it can be salvaged either. I also lost a pretty little framed picture that was up against the wall waiting to be hung.

The things I was saving for the garage sale were mostly okay but I don't want to hold the sale until after winter and I can't risk piling them up in the house any longer. So I will send them off to an op-shop. It might be just as well.

So as the drought continues, water is plaguing me inside and out! Although I must say that as I type this the sun is shining and it looks quite nice outside. Which reminds me, the laundry needs attention. Better go.

Post for Post's Sake

2009-08-09T07:25:00.003+10:00

I don't really have much to say, but I wanted to post something. Weird, huh?

The last week or two have been extremely busy and I am way behind on housework, food prep, school prep and everything else. Situation normal. Add to that a 48 hour virus thingy with a sore throat, head and muscle aches that we all had earlier in the week. Apart from the 48 hours of symptoms, there was a vague feeling of being unwell a couple of days before and washed out feeling for days afterwards. Don't you love winter? Although I can't complain because comparing it to previous winters, we have had very little in the way of illness this year. Should I say that out loud?

Vegie gardening has ground to a complete halt. Thankfully its too cold and damp even for most of the weeds so there isn't much maintenance to be done. But I did buy some first year asparagus that is still sitting in its plastic in the fridge. I have to find a place to build a bed for it and haven't had a chance. I hope they don't die- I like asparagus and all available at the supermarket is from Thailand etc.

Homeschool is chugging along quite well. We are moving on to our second "theme" that we weave into our learning. "Water, water everywhere". We mind mapped the theme and came up with so many different areas that we may need to narrow down our focus. We're starting with Aquatic Life this week. So if you're in the Geelong West library and looking for a book on fish, sorry, we have them all!

From The Homeschool Files

(Pottery was a big hit!)

There, three paragraphs. Now I have a couple of hours to do about twenty-five urgent tasks before we head out this afternoon. So I'm going.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend. Bye for now.

What Crafty Person Couldn't Use One of These?

2009-07-30T20:46:00.003+10:00

Take a look at this:

Imagine the possibilities for craft- downloading patterns to make items out of recycled stuff. We could make decals, boxes, coathangers!, templates for patchwork and applique, custom made buttons, even furniture. Oh, I want one!

My Son's Ex-High School in the News

2009-07-23T08:07:00.004+10:00

If you live in Victoria, you have probably heard the news about the Geelong school where 4 students have taken their own lives. The school is the one that my son started at this year, until we withdrew him to homeschool. I don't believe bullying was a particular problem for P, although there was one small incident with a student which the school dealt with to our satisfaction. Oh, and of course there was the incident where a teacher bullied P- that was also dealt with but unfortunate in its timing. I wouldn't like to say whether or not the school has contributed to the problems that are headlining now as I'm not qualified to make that call.

This is a sickening tradgedy and must make any parent of teenagers somewhat fearful. Even allowing for media beat-ups, the nature of this problem is such a complex one. The Victorian premier referred to the traditional view that talking about youth suicide makes it worse. I remember this from my year 12 English class. We were asked to prepare a page on a youth issue for the local newspaper and submit it for publishing. Our class chose youth suicide. Our articles were positive and upbeat but the paper sent a representative out to explain to us why they couldn't print it.

Now though, most teenagers have easy internet access. I've heard that how-to instructions for suicide are on the net. Teens are talking about it. In fact even primary school kids are talking about it, thanks to the intensive media coverage. Perhaps keeping discussions of suicide taboo is not such a good idea in this day and age. I know I have had to talk about it with my 10 and 13 year olds in the last few days as they are asking questions. My 10 year old asked "Do you know how she did it?" Horrible. I hate that they are exposed to this at all. The fact is that death in all its forms is in front of kids a lot more these days. Murder programs (and their advertising in earlier timeslots), violent video games, graphic news stories.

Of course, this isn't quite like educating kids about drugs or alcohol (and we all know those programs aren't exactly a roaring success). Family beliefs and faith would weigh into any discussions about mortality. Perhaps that's why it may not be the place of schools to discuss this issue with kids. In our family, we have strong faith in a better future and clear views of what happens when we die. We also try to be tuned in to what our kids are feeling and going through emotionally. We will keep the dialogue open and answer all questions as honestly as we can. I think its important to keep future goals in front of your kids, short term and long term so that they have things to look forward to. Also, I don't buy into the modern theory that friends are more important than family. The powerful 20- and 30-something's have indicated this view in surveys. I say powerful, because much of what is presented in popular film and television is centred around these age groups and younger people watch and absorb it all. The fact is friends are fickle, especially teen friends. They can turn on you in the blink of an eye. My kids socialize, but I don't encourage it to the point that there's no time left for being with us.

Pretty serious stuff for an early morning post, but its been on my mind all night.

Keep your kids close, never be too busy to listen, know their friends, get the internet and television out of their bedrooms! They may think they're grown up but they need guidance more than ever!!

Yay! Julie Won!

2009-07-20T09:04:00.003+10:00

Of course I'm talking about Master Chef Australia! Were you one of the estimated 3 million people who tuned in to the grand final last night?

I wasn't sure if Julie would win, but I hoped she would. She is close to my age, the mother of boys, lacks confidence in herself, sometimes loses the plot for a while but manages to drag herself back to the task at hand so I found myself relating to her on a lot of levels. Then there was her humble attitude, her willingness to learn, her determination and her amazing cooking abilities, way beyond anything I could ever do.

Over the last couple of years I have been watching less and less television. 'Reality TV' had no appeal to me at all and how many murders can you watch before you start to feel tainted? And if a program was on channel 10, it almost certainly wasn't worth watching, because of their tendency towards sensational, boundary-pushing, 20-something oriented content. I hope that the networks take note that there are plenty of viewers out there who want to watch good, clean programs with nice people in them!

Although I wouldn't say I have a 'passion' for food, or that 'food is my life', we all have to eat! And enjoying the preparation of meals and seeing your family enjoy the food you have made takes eating from the mundane to a lovely shared experience. Master Chef has sparked a definite interest in food and cooking in my kids.

Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed that series. I never thought I would be discussing weekend television on a Monday morning around the bloggy watercooler!

In other news, another homeschool week begins. We won't say too much about the first official week, only to say that there will definitely need to be some adjustments made! Visitors will be re-educated to the fact that afternoons are better to call as mornings are school-time. Husbands and sons will be gradually made aware that they need to do more of their own cleaning up as mum now has less time during the day for housework. Sadly, I will spend less evenings reading blogs and more preparing and correcting lessons. Sewing, photography craft and even cooking will involve necessities only until I get into a new and more efficient routine.

So if I miss posting for a while, know that we're okay, just super-busy.

Have a great week everyone. Keep warm, keep safe.

Its Raining, its Pouring

2009-07-13T22:30:00.003+10:00

Well, actually, its stopped now. But the back yard is a soggy, boggy swamp. I hope all of my veggies don't mind having wet feet. That corner isn't too bad, probably because the whole vegie garden is raised. But the back lawn, kept beautifully green through the drought with all of our grey water is turning into a brown mudpatch. We had some good rain earlier today, but really haven't had huge amounts over all. I don't think water storage areas are getting enough. Its just that the days have been dull and cool and the air full of moisture so there has been very little evaporation.

School holidays are over and my B has returned to school. P and I are off to a good start with homeschooling. You may notice an extra blog in my profile. (And can probably take a fair guess at P's name!!) That blog will stay private, for P to record his daily journal. I thought it would be a novel way for him to keep records of his learning, as well as a supervised introduction to certain online activities. Our theme at the moment is "Technology in Everyday Life" so it kind of fits with that too.

In other news, I'm now browsing with Firefox. I should have made the move long ago. It takes a bit of getting used to; I downloaded some plug ins and couldn't find them to install them. Eventually did though- they were hiding. I'm also about 5 days behind in blog reading. If I get that far behind, I need to skip a few or I'll never catch up. Funny how we hate to miss out on anything!

Well, I promised myself no late nights for a while. I think its the dull winter weather that is making me feel very tired this last week. And I want to get up early tomorrow to make a good start to the day.

Have a great week, everyone.

Mystery Pic Monday- SOLVED

2009-07-06T08:48:00.002+10:00

Here is today's Mystery Pic:

From The Homeschool Files

From Mystery Pics

Don't be shy!

Congrats to Judy! Here is the uncropped picture:

From Mystery Pics

Star Wars Exhibition

2009-07-05T21:25:00.003+10:00

We all enjoyed the Star Wars Exhibition at Scienceworks. The kids liked the robots, DH was pretty impressed with the Wookie up close and I went straight for the textiles! They had Padme's costume that she wore when she first met Anakin on Tatooine, as well as Anakin's boy costume. Unfortunately they didn't have one of Amidala's royal robes or hairpieces :-( Now that would have made it for me.
Here's a bit of a collage of the not-too-blurry pics.

From Collages

Many are actual costumes and some of the ship models were used in filming.
Scienceworks also had interactive displays for the kids, based on the science of Star Wars.

Sunday Driving on Thursday!

2009-07-02T23:16:00.003+10:00

Today we all agreed that we needed to get out of the house for a while. Wintry cold wind or not. I have been wanting to take the camera for an outing and the boys were happy just to run around and breathe fresh air. Well, it certainly was fresh!

We drove to Barwon Heads. It was grey and pretty cool but the boys did a little beach graffiti, of the intertidal kind, of course!

From Out and About

The same few old boats were anchored. I wonder if they go out to sea?

From Out and About

Further around at Ocean Grove, a few intrepid surfers bobbed like corks in the water. I wasn't expecting to see any surfing with the size of the waves but just look-

From Out and About

You have to take what you can get, I guess!

At the boat ramp at the Ocean Grove edge of Lake Connewarre, it was so windy seagulls were almost flying backwards! B was teasing my by walking out on a pontoon almost at water level. Seriously, I was holding on to the rail while taking photos with one hand. The gusts were so strong I thought it was possible to get blown away. "Were you really worried about me, mum," he said with a big grin.

Further around on our follow-our-noses drive, we went down a road to see the other side of the lake, where I had never been before. The paddocks are all green! Its so nice to see green everywhere.

From Out and About

Last time I was not far from here it looked more like this. (Taken a couple of kilometres away earlier this year.)

Now, its all tranquil.

From Out and About

Somewhere in the middle of all that, we stopped at Ocean Grove for hot chocolate (and tissues- all that cold wind spells runny noses!). And of course I had to check out the little sewing shop just off the parking lot. Which happened to be right next door to a little toy shop. So *Ahem* we may have squeezed in a little bit of unintended shopping.

It was very, very cold and speaking as a person who generally doesn't like wind at all, I surprised myself by enjoying today immensely. Its something we should do more often.

Blogger Friends Photo Club

2009-07-01T22:11:00.004+10:00

I've been having a bit of photographic fun at the Blogger Friends Photo Club.
The Photo Club is hosted by the lovely Rain We are given an assigned theme for the month and each get to submit a photograph. On the last day of the month, Canadian time, Rain posts all the photos. So far, we have explored Reflection and Air. On the 5th of July, we'll get our new challenge.
Rain welcomes new members- all photos are fully credited with links to your personal blog. Why not take up the challenge!

I Discovered How to Heat Your Home for Less!

2009-06-28T10:22:00.003+10:00

Invite 26 people over! Last night's Games Night was a big success. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. But even though it was cold outside, we didn't need heaters. Its incredible the heat generated by lots of human bodies. Our windows are all dripping with condensation this morning.
I didn't take any photos- too much to think of as hostess. The old fashioned games were popular- scrabble, chess and cards. Of course the kids played bowling and tennis on the Wii but most of them also played a board game or two. Then we had a hilarious round of "Write-a-story". I'll have to think of a better name for it than that. Each person starts with a sheet of paper and a pen. Each writes the first line of a story, about whatever. They continue the story onto the next line, by about 3-5 words. Then they fold the paper so only those 3-5 words are visible and everyone passes the papers clockwise. The next person reads those 3-5 words and follows on with their own idea for a line and 3-5 words. Fold and pass. Ideally, you continue until the page is full, with the last line wrapping up the story. Now comes the fun part. Pass the paper once more (because its funnier if you don't read your own ending.) Go around the table, reading out loud. Some very funny literary masterpieces are produced!
Of course there was heaps of yummy food and each family took a plate of leftovers home. And the boys insisted on using the punch-bowl- always a big hit. P made a chocolate cake which we iced and decorated as a snakes and ladders board. Pretty amateurish decoration, I must say but the kids liked it.
This night was a pretty big undertaking and it will take me several days to put all the furniture back in place but it was worth it. B said this morning "We have to do that more often." I may make it an annual event. Its a good winter evening filler. And warm!

Its All Happening at Once Here

2009-06-24T06:18:00.003+10:00

Quick post at 6:20 in the morning. I'm up early as I have to drive to my grandmother's funeral this morning. Its a two and a half hour drive. My dad's mother was 92 years old. I spent a fair bit of time with her as a little child, less after we moved away and got older and busier. She has been in a high care nursing home for years, so although its a sad occasion, she is at rest now. She raised four children, had 13 grandchildren and I've lost count of the great-grandchildren but it has to be at least 18 or 20.

Our attempt to return P to school was unsuccessful. It was always against the odds in this cold winter weather. So we are starting the process of registering him to home school. I'm going to be a home-school mama. Actually, I've been reading Beverley Paine's book and I'm feeling quite confident and excited about what's ahead. That may surprise at least one of you (Hello, my anonymous friend in the West), who knows just how much I have valued my days home alone in the past. I guess I just haven't had regular lone time for such a long time now that I'm getting used to it. Although I do stay up a little later than is wise to get quiet time at night!

Then my car goes in for a service tomorrow and I forgot and have made an appointment with the High School to clean out P's locker. I'm going to have to ask my mother-in-law for a lend of her car tomorrow. She's doing me a favour today by looking after P all day and getting B off to school. Then Saturday night we are having a heap of people over for a Family Games Night which I should be preparing for but won't be able to start until Friday at the earliest.

Oh, and the reason ny DH isn't helping out in all of this is because he officially started his new 'career' on Monday, beginning work with a plumber which will hopefully lead to an adult apprenticeship. He can't exactly ask for time off on his first week of work!

So its all happening here. I'll actually be glad when its next Monday and school holidays are under way. A few lazy mornings and a chance to catch a breathe and think a thought are much needed!

My Little Master Chef

2009-06-16T21:26:00.003+10:00

In the middle of a crazy-busy week (actually, that's a pretty normal week), I decided to grocery shop after dinner tonight, leaving all the boys at home. When I arrived home, my 10 year old had made me this:

From Inside and Out

A kiwi fruit and granny smith apple stack with dried apricots, sultanas and raspberry sauce. He even thought to pour a tiny bit of juice over to stop the apple browning. And yes, he'd just been watching Master Chef! It is the one show on commercial television that we are all really enjoying at the moment.

I'm not biased, but I have the best kids in the world! :-)

My Crochet Book Op-Shop Finds

2009-06-12T20:36:00.004+10:00

As promised.

Book one is The Complete Book of Crochet. It was published in 1973 by Octopus Books.

From Thrifted

This is a great little reference book with a good "how-to" section, some basic patterns and then a stack of patterns in many different crochet styles. From lampshades:

From Thrifted

To runners, trims, doileys, bags, scarfs and even a very long evening skirt, '70's style.

From Thrifted

The second book is Ondori Crochet Mesh With Complete Diagrams. I love this style of crochet and this range of patterns from 1978 has so much to inspire me to master crochet!

From Thrifted

Many classic crochet items, from coasters to bedspreads, with every size doiley, runner and tablecloth in between. Patterns vary from snowflakes to kittens to elegant roses.

From Thrifted

The third is a Coats booklet, Motif Crochet. Its also from the '70's a 1977 reprint of a '71 booklet.

From Thrifted

Inricate motifs are repeated to decorate evening bags, fashion tablecloths and even some garments like this gorgeous black stole.

From Thrifted

These three books are going in to my library. And one day...one day I will put them to good use.

Post Script to Today's Post

2009-06-10T15:50:00.002+10:00

I'm not very good at screening calls! Good thing for me, because I answered the phone to hear that I've won two tickets to the Horseman from Snowy River show this Saturday night. I never enter competitions (well, rarely anyway) but I love horses and I've heard this show is good so I left my details in the entry form on the Geelong Advertiser website. And I won! Woohoo. Now I'll see if I can get tickets for the boys and we'll all go. I hope I'm over this cold by Saturday.

What I Should Be Doing/ What I Am Actually Doing

2009-06-10T10:41:00.003+10:00

What I should be doing are those things in my Whats Up? segment in the side bar. What I am doing is a teeny tiny bit of all that and a lot of sitting around doing not much at all. Actually the groceries are bought but not all packed away.

I have some very good excuses though. At least they work for me.

Excuse No.1: P has gone back to school! Okay, not full time. But we are attempting a part-time scheduled return to school. Monday mornings, Tuesday afternoons and Wednesday mornings. The morning sessions are Numeracy and Literacy (formerly known as Maths and English!). The Tuesday afternoons are Cooking. As Monday was a public holiday, P's first session back at school was making a marbled butter cake! I am cautiously optimistic. I'm fully prepared for the occasional setback but so far so good. Although it is a bit bizzare sending him out into this very cold winter weather. He has permission to stay in at recess.

So its quiet here and I don't have to play school teacher. No one interrupts when I am thinking a thought. I'm even tempted to screen my calls, lol!

Excuse No.2: The shocking allergies I've had for a week are morphing into a proper cold. My nose and head are stuffy and the last thing I feel like doing is adding to the problem with my non-HEPA filtered vacuum which I'm sure sucks the dust in at one end and blows it out the other. And with the cold temps we're now getting outside, I'm really chilly. The heaters are on and I'm wearing extra layers but I still feel very cold.

So I just may not get it all done today, OK!

I've got two hours before picking P up so I think I will make a steamy cup of tea and curl in a chair and browse my 'new' thrifted crochet books and patterns that I found yesterday. You want to see them? I'll take some pics this afternoon and post asap.

To Market, to Market...

2009-06-06T22:17:00.004+10:00

I'm tired, (but mostly happy tired), so I'm not sure how coherent this post will be. I wanted to put it up tonight though, as the next few days are going to be busy.

Today I made it to the Daylesford Makers Market. I fact, we went as a family. Even the one who shall remain nameless who hates shopping in all of its forms. It was cold and the sun was gone by 10:30a.m. but it didn't matter. We still had a great day. Daylesford is about an hours drive from where we live. Its a lovely drive, through hills, bushland and farmland. Daylesford is in spa country- there are natural mineral springs everywhere, although we didn't go to the springs today. There are lovely historic buildings everywhere and antique and curio shops

From Out and About

The Makers Market was in the Town Hall, a lovely historic building. The hall was full of stall-holders and patrons. Even though it was a lovely setting, I can see them outgrowing it before too long. I didn't spend too much- I did buy some lovely handmade cards and some button earrings. There were inspirational ideas too, such as the quirky fabric collages at Little Birdy.

After the craft market, we walked down to the Farmers Market. We tasted yummy relishes, fudge, lavender lollies (yep, a bit weird when one after the other) and warmed up with hot coffee and tea. I was hoping to get some local potatoes, but didn't see any. We should have stopped on the way home at one of the roadside stalls but forgot!

From Out and About

Next was the Book Barn at one of Daylesford's pretty lakes. It was drizzling a little when I took these pictures

From Out and About

Even my non-shopping son was happy as he found some Star Trek and Star Wars novels. Having read everything we have in the house several times over, he is glad of some new material!

On the way home we did stop to photograph a little ruined home on the roadside. Some curious cows came over to see what all the fuss was about.

From Feathered, Furry or Finned

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.

Mystery Pic Monday- SOLVED

2009-06-01T09:46:00.002+10:00

From Mystery Pics

No, its not an explosion in a Rice Bubble factory!
Take a guess, anyone can play.

The solution:

From Mystery Pics

Won by Anonymous in Perth. :-)

Still Vegging About

2009-05-26T09:16:00.004+10:00

And I'm still a little sore in the hamstrings from a garden workout on Saturday morning. I got out early and worked from about 8:30am until midday. That way I had time to clean up before the baby shower, Saturday afternoon.

I've never grown potatoes before, not even accidentally from compost. Reading up on the best way, I learned that you can grow them in dirt and hill it up as the plant grows. Or, you can grow them dirtless, under straw. Not having enough dirt to spare for the hilling, I decided to experiment with a bit of both. I planted my chitted potatoes in a corner of the MTV. The potatoes were bought ones that had sprouted in the kitchen drawer. I know some people only buy seed potatoes for home growing but I thought there's no harm in trying this way. Using some garden stakes and a roll of wire I picked up for $2 at a garage sale, I made a little retaining fence around the area. DH bought a bale of straw mulch. As the potatoes grow, I am layering the mulch firmly around them. Apparently you don't want any light to reach the growing spuds as it turns them green and inedible. The leaves keep heading up towards the light so there are several inches of new growth every second day.

From Inside and Out

The capsicum and leeks are still growing but incredibly slowly. I didn't realise some things took such a long time to grow. I might give them a couple of feeds with Seasol over the next few weeks to try to speed things up a bit.

From Inside and Out

That last pic is me in gumboots! With my straw in my hair, I'm starting to feel like Farmer Jo! Thanks Bellgirl, for helping us all to Veg About.

The boys were busy on Saturday as well. They worked on their billy-cart. Every boy should build at least on billy-cart. The timber was salvaged from a working bee they helped out at. One set of wheels and axle was purchased, the other was saved from a broken compressor their dad was throwing out.
Here it is in progress:

From Inside and Out

And here is the first test-run:

From Inside and Out

This week they are painting it- a black base coat with more colours to come.

A Real Pea-Souper!

2009-05-22T09:21:00.003+10:00

From In My Neighborhood

The fog rolled in about 8pm last night and is so thick this morning! It was eerie driving my son to school, seeing cars come looming out of the mist. Its ridiculous how many people don't think to drive with lights on in this weather. Everything outside is dripping wet. Coco and I went for a little walk along the bike path near my home to take these pictures. Well, I took the pics and Coco did the head-down, tail-up, sniffing-everything thing that dog's do. It's quite bizarre to hear what sounds like rain, but only under the trees. Yes, the trees are so laden with water that they are raining! All of our shoes, bicycles and other things we keep outside under shelter are wringing wet too. We've had a few days like this now, although today is definitely the thickest fog. Evaporation must be close to nothing- washing doesn't dry and the garden beds not drying out at all, which is good I guess.

Yesterday I bought a slow-cooker from Aldi so I will be getting dinner on soon! Now that the weather is much cooler we are all looking forward to hearty, warming stews and casseroles. I'll try some veal today. Its time to revisit A Year of Crockpotting and poach some of Stephanie's tried and true recipes.

Have a good Friday, everyone. One more doctor's appointment for P today (11:45- don't you hate middle of the day appointments?) and then I'm going to officially declare the weekend open early. My vegies desperately need attention and I desperately need fresh air and dirt under my fingernails. Oh, and not forgetting the baby shower tomorrow afternoon!

Oops, I accidentally got some home-alone time!

2009-05-16T13:48:00.003+10:00

I didn't mean it, really I didn't. My DH and the boys have gone 10-pin bowling. I told them I couldn't go as I had an invitation to a baby shower. Well, I am going to a baby shower, only its next week! Its a good thing I double-checked the invitation or I would've turned up a week early. So now I have the house to myself for an hour or two! Bonus!

Its a bit cold and raining on and off so I won't be gardening, although I am very much in a gardening mood.

Things are beginning to return to normal after the bad news we had last week. Miss L is doing as well as can be expected. She is still in hospital and I'm sure her immediate family still feel far from normal. At first it doesn't seem right to be doing all those day to day things but we need to take care of our own families too, and not be stressed-out all the time. So I'm blogging on all of my blogs, sewing, cooking and tuning back into the boys. When they're home, of course.

Guess what my DH found in the garden last week-

From Feathered, Furry or Finned

The boys brought it in for a photo-opportunity and then we let it go again. I don't know what type it is. Those feet look gecko-ish. I didn't even know we had geckos in the area; I've seen skinks and blue-tongues in areas surrounding Geelong but I've never seen this type before and we've never seen any kind of lizard in any of our backyards. Of course, the boys loved it for its little self, but I loved it because it means we have some good bio-diversity here, obviously. It so exciting to find creatures in your yard! With the exception of rats and mice.

Well, I should use this opportunity to do some other things that are best done in peace and quiet. I don't think I'll even put any music on. These opportunities don't come along often anymore.

Hope my readers are all having a lovely, relaxing weekend. Or crazy and exciting if that's your preference. :-)

Its time to get these quilts finished.

2009-05-15T20:22:00.003+10:00

For quite a few months now, (I don't really want to know how long ago we started) my Thursday craft group and other interested parties have been working on two friendship quilts. With our busy, interrupted lives, progress has been slow. But the blocks that have been returning to me have been so beautiful! Some of the ladies had never done applique before.

The quilts are for an elderly man and his daughter from our congregation who moved into a nursing home last year. They are both frail and losing their sight. Until they made the decision to move, they had been very independant. Being a homebody, I always feel intensely for people who have to give up their own home. The two of them have been very kind and generous and this little gesture is the least we could do.

Here's some of what we have so far:
(Click on a link under one of the blocks to see the complete Picasa album.)
Made by Lisa.

From Friendship Quilts WIP

Made by Dorothy.

From Friendship Quilts WIP

Made by Christine.

From Friendship Quilts WIP

Made by Melissa.

From Friendship Quilts WIP

Made by Joanne.

From Friendship Quilts WIP

Each quilt needs another five blocks. Initially I hoped for single bed sized but that was a bit ambitious and they have been scaled down to lap quilts, which may be more practical anyway. Sashing and a couple of borders should set the blocks off nicely. I'll keep you posted.

Foggy mornings.

2009-05-12T20:43:00.004+10:00

The mornings and evenings are getting so cold! This morning and yesterday morning we had fog roll in quite late. Yesterday my son had gone to school in the clear and next time I looked out a window, a thick fog was obscuring the neighbors from our windows. I like fog- its mysterious and somehow peaceful. Afterwards everything glistens and its usually a mild sunny day.
Looking for beauty has become all the more important as our life has taken another very unpleasant twist. Last Friday my 6 year old niece was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. What can you say or do? It is such a frightening, shattering thing to hear. As you can imagine, we are constantly thinking of her and my brother and his wife. They have such a difficult time ahead. My sister-in-law comes from a very close and loving family and together we will all give them as much support as we can, as will many from our respective congregations. Little L is Miss Personality Plus-heaps of sass and a mind of her own. She's got a fighting spirit and is already quizzing every move the nurses make.
You never know what is around the corner. Makes you want to squeeze your kids real tight.

Veg About Update

2009-05-02T15:45:00.003+10:00

From Collages

L to R Lemons almost ready; first capsicum; continental parsley; self seeded red dwarf cos.

Thanks Bellgirl for hosting Veg About!

Rainbow Squared

2009-04-22T07:36:00.001+10:00

One good thing that happened this week!

From Made by Me

P's quilt is done.

I'm Still Here...

2009-04-20T19:51:00.002+10:00

...but my relaxed state of mind (previous post) has departed!

Eldest son is coughing again and it is looking more and more like an anxiety/stress thing, albeit at a subconscious level. A couple more specialists to visit and still no decision about school. Fun.

Housework is mounting, vegies neglected, blogs unread, paperwork of all kinds piling up in the trolley.

I need another vacation. Seriously.

Lovely Warrnambool!

2009-04-13T10:50:00.003+10:00

My family and I have just returned from a brief but relaxing 3 day vacation to my birth-town. My dad has returned to live there so we stayed with him. The weather, which can be cold and blustery at this time of year, was warm and sunny. I was up early on the Saturday morning (never sleep well the first night in a 'strange' bed). So there was no excuse for it but to get out and take some sunrise pictures. Here is a picture diary of our stay:

Sunrise over Warrnambool

From Warrnambool

Surf's Not Up

From Warrnambool

But the Moon is!

From Warrnambool

Feeling Larger than Life

From Warrnambool

Warrnambool's Famous Norfolk Pines

From Warrnambool

Pleasure Boats on Lake Pertobe

From Warrnambool

A Local Puts on a Show

From Warrnambool

She Obligingly Swims Over for a Photograph

From Warrnambool

Treasures From Dad's Garden

From Dad's Garden

All in all, a beautiful weekend. I'm glad to be home though, despite the mountain of unpacking and washing!

Life's Ups and Downs

2009-04-01T14:09:00.003+11:00

I certainly seem to be on the roller coaster ride of life lately! I haven't blogged much, although ideas flow in (and out) of my head. Just haven't had the time and the quiet to put them down. You see, my eldest son has been home for most of term 1. He has a chronic cough. We don't really know what it is- last year it was diagnosed as "Tracheitis", an inflamation of the trachea. He had 4 weeks off school then, recovered and was generally well in the summer holidays. The weather was mild to hot the whole holidays.

The week that school returned this year we had our first cold-wind cool change. The cough returned. This cough is deep, dry and vibrates the floor! Its not like asthma, although we did have the tests and trial asthma medications. We've tried quite a lot of things. He's been tested for whooping cough- its not that. Most medications target the throat or the lungs- P's problem seems to be in between and so far there is literally nothing we can do for him. Cold air is a definite trigger. Cigarette smoke, if it wafts his way, will also set him off. I suspect that it is worse when he is tense or stressed, so he gets worse nearly every time he has to get ready and go anywhere, like school.

I am worried (very) about the amount of school he has already missed, especially as he has just started high school. Last week we had a conference with his teacher and we are now looking at the probability of temporarily schooling him at home. His teacher seems to be a very caring person. She told me she would like a whole class full of kids like P. She also told me that he seems very happy at school and is quite social. Occasionally too social. :-) So she doesn't think its that he doesn't want to be at school. (A previous post described some of the things he had trouble with in the first week or two.)

So I may be a home-schooling mum. It is exciting, but scary too. A huge responsibility. A lot of extra work. And though it may sound selfish, one of my needs is regular time at home alone, to re-balance myself. And just when my husband is moving away from shiftwork to a regular day job! On the other hand, P is great company and I like having him around. And then there is the aspect that he is safely at home, away from things like porn on mobile phones, constant bad language, obsession with "girls, drink and drugs" (according to my 12 year old, this is what occupies the conversation of most boys his age.) But on the other hand, he will have to deal with all kinds of people when he leaves school and I don't want him to grow up too sheltered and unprepared.

So you can imagine the things going through my mind as I weigh it all up. Then again we are seeing a different doctor at another clinic tomorrow, hoping that he will see something our doctor's haven't. Won't hurt to have a second opinion.

Is that more "downs' than "ups"? Maybe. I'm certainly very tired, mentally and emotionally. But there are always precious moments. P is building a marble track out of matchsticks. He is meticulous when he builds little model things- has a patience that he often lacks with other tasks. Every matchstick is painted and glued carefully into a complicated structure. I love to see him work. And B asked to use the sewing machine the other day to make a 'mini cushion'. They are gorgeous when they are creating. It makes me so proud of them.

And the sunrises the last few mornings have been amazing. Yesterday there was a fog still descending. The rising sun was like a huge glowing cherry tomato in the sky! I tried to photograph it but the camera kept insisting on making the sun yellow. I will try to edit the true colour back into it. Vegie seedlings are growing everywhere in my garden and that makes me smile too.

Ups and downs, good days and bad days. Thoughtless words from a stranger that made me cry, then another person, equally a stranger, with kind words to heal the hurt.

I haven't met many of my March goals. I'm not giving up, but I'm not going to account for them this month. I need to allow for circumstances. I know I have accomplished a lot regardless ther is a quiet joy in knowing that.

If I Couldn't See The Sky

2009-03-25T20:41:00.002+11:00

If I couldn’t see the sky I may not think
that anyone can fly if they are brave enough.

From 1000 Moods of Sky

If I couldn’t see the sky I may not believe
that cauldrons of fire burn on cold winter mornings.

From 1000 Moods of Sky

If I couldn’t see the sky I may not find
the silver lining to my every cloud.

From 1000 Moods of Sky

If I couldn’t see the sky I may not remember
the promise that life will go on forever.

From 1000 Moods of Sky

If I couldn’t see the sky I may not see
that I am a small piece of a much bigger picture.

From 1000 Moods of Sky

If I couldn’t see the sky I may not dare
to find the beauty in stormy winds.

From 1000 Moods of Sky

If I couldn’t see the sky I may not reach
for things I never could attain before.

From 1000 Moods of Sky

If I couldn’t see the sky I may not know
the wonders that lie just outside my windows.

From 1000 Moods of Sky

If I couldn’t see the sky I may not be
the person that I am.

A Bit of a Plug :-)

2009-03-18T18:30:00.005+11:00

For some time I've dabbled in online selling. I started when I had my patchwork business, as another avenue for sales. After the business closed, I had excess stock to sell off so I have kept up a store on AussieBid.com.au. Thrifty Quilt and Craft has a range of patchwork fabric, haberdashery and other items. AussieBid is great little site, small admittedly, but friendly and safe from many of the problems that plague some of the bigger, more well known sites. The forums are well moderated and new members are carefully screened to keep overseas scammers out. AussieBid is my heart favourite- I have sold to lovely people and bought many items from talented artists, craftspeople and general sellers. I also keep The Big Garage Sale there, for household items.

From Logos and private things

Today I have begun another venture that I have been working towards in spare minutes for some time. I have branched out to another, bigger Australian site that I will run in conjuction with my AussieBid stores. The new V-Shop, on Oztion is Re-Source. It is a place to source secondhand, overstocked, shop close-out and similar items. Initially most of the stock is shop close-out but I will be moving towards a lot more secondhand. Beads, fabric, embellishments, buckles... anything I can find in the crafty line. As the Oztion site develops, I hope to also work towards offering a similar range on MadeIt, Australia's own home for handmade. I'll keep you posted!

Over the years I have stashed a lot of items that I know I will never use. Its all good stuff, that's why I couldn't resist it. Perfect for the recyle- repurpose- recreate- reuse- in all of us!

Mystery Pic Monday- SOLVED!

2009-03-16T10:06:00.002+11:00

From Mystery Pics

Don't be shy...have a guess!

The Answer:

From Mystery Pics

Thanks Michelle for playing!

Busy, Busy, Busy...Quick Catch-Up including Veg About

2009-03-12T11:05:00.004+11:00

Just one of those busy, busy weeks this week. This afternoon is my Craft & Cuppa day but I'm not sure if anyone will show. A couple of regulars are busy with doctor's appointments and other things. See, everyone is busy this week. I'm even three days behind in blog reading. Three days doesn't seem like much until you consider how many blogs I watch and those author's haven't been too busy to post!

I did want to give you a Veg About update. As I hoped, I spent all last Saturday in the garden. It was wonderful; perfect weather, well behaved kids who came and checked on me every now and then and not too many visitors!

Sown in pots:
Lettuce, green cos
Parsley, "moss curled"
Rocket
Chives
Pink Gerbera (not a vegetable, I know :-) But I did save the seed from an existing plant)

Sown in seed trays:
Nastursium "jewel mixed"
Marigold
Sunflowers
The nastursiums have edible leaves, and I think Marigold petals are edible too but I am mainly growing the flowers to attract pollinators. I will transfer them to various spots in the garden later.

Sown direct in the vegie patch:
Spinach "Viking"
Beetroot "Detroit"
Onion "Creamgold"

There still isn't much room in The Monument to Vegetables as we still have pumpkin, tomatoes, carrots and beans running amok.

As a bonus, we have had water in the rain barrels lately so even if I miss watering hour, as I did this week, there is clean fresh water for the garden.

Well, I guess I'd better get this house in order, just in case someone shows up this afternoon. At least a quick vacuum and clean bathrooms. I'm not sure about baking. Maybe a batch of quick biscuits. The boys will eat them if I don't have guests.

March Goals

2009-03-03T12:29:00.004+11:00

Time for a new set of things to work towards. No pressure, just a framework to work within.

SEWING: Finish the rainbow quilt. (Do I hear an echo?)

KNITTING OR CROCHET: The quest for the perfect pot-scrubber continues.

ORGANISING: I've been wanting to get an emergency evacuation kit ready for a while now.

GARDEN: Start seedlings, continue tending what's there. Have you ever seen a Red Dwarf Cos Lettuce flower? I love the contrast with the dark purple:

From Inside and Out

PARENTING: a)boost their immunity with good healthy foods b)try to get them more involved with household matters, including a few 'chores' and help them to be a bit responsible for their own food choices.

ONLINE: Still thinking about my online store idea. I need to design a logo.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Learn what all the buttons do on the camera!

LEARN TO MAKE FROM SCRATCH: Laundry powder. I've got the ingredients, just need a container and away we go. Then I need to work out if it is cheaper than Aldi's NP powder. Not that price will be the only consideration but it is part of it.

Bit of this, bit of that.

2009-03-01T16:46:00.002+11:00

Firstly, I'd like to thank Just Jenn and Judy for their lovely encouraging comments on a couple of my recent posts! This is for you both:

From Flowers

As expected, I am not well but "This too will pass"! It has not been a bad thing, really. I have taken two naps (me sleeping in the day is unheard of!). Even though I could have continued to put one foot in front of the other and pottered around the house, I find if I do this, the rest of the family don't take the illness very serious. 'Well, if Mum is still on her feet she can't be too bad'. And it really is for the best because I feel much better this afternoon.

So much better, in fact that went for my little harvest walk through the garden. I picked the first four beans. These went in very late and have had heaps of flowers but nothing to show for it until now. I also harvested another large pile of cherry tomatoes, and two large tomatoes (I don't know what kind they are; the seed came from the next-door neighbor). I can also see some carrot tops:

From Inside and Out

I'm a bit scared to pick the carrots, lol! My past recollections of growing carrots involve pale, stunted little things so I want to leave these in a bit longer, I think.

As other things finish, the pumpkin vines are taking over. This one has decided to set fruit way up the makeshift trellis (formerly a front verandah post). I don't know how it will go when it grows. May have to gently shift it now, before it gets too tangled.

From Inside and Out

Oh, and I musn't forget to mention that we got some really nice rain early this morning. The first decent rain in months. The rain barrels are nearly full. I hope the plants all get to soak it up before the expected hot wind arriving tomorrow evening and gale-force winds and 35oC on Tuesday! The Geelong Advertiser yesterday had a very telling article on our recent weather. This summer had the two highest recorded temperatures ever. 45 and 47 degrees. January also had the lowest ever recorded summer temperature- just 4oC one night. On paper we had average summer rainfall, only because there were a couple of massive dumps in December. In fact, January and February had the second lowest ever summer rainfall, just 3mm. The lowest was 1mm in the 1890's sometime. Talk about a rollercoaster ride! No wonder our bodies are succumbing- they can't adjust to these extremes.

I don't have a Sunday Stash for today, nor a Mystery Pic for tomorrow. I'll need to spend the next couple of days catching up on laundry and the like. Oh, and while I was typing my ironing client dropped in a batch of shirts. That's OK, I need the pennies this week!

Hope your weekend went well for you, wherever you are.

February Wrap Up.

2009-02-27T12:57:00.003+11:00

Regular readers will know that I set myself some goals at the beginning of the month. Time to see how I've gone.

SEWING: Complete P's quilt. Not Done. But I did finish the quilting and I'm tying off ends before binding it so I'm quite happy with progress.

KNITTING OR CROCHET: More dishcloths. Finished one more and started another. Yay!

ORGANISING: Sticking to my schedule. The Biggest Failure!! But I didn't expect to have P home from school 2 1/2 weeks out of the first 4. Having a sick child at home wreaks havoc with a schedule.

GARDEN: Planning, buying seed. I bought some seed and have done some mental planning so I would say I've half done this one.

PARENTING: Finish reading "The Garden". Not Done. Its hard to get the boys settled early enough to read to them at the moment. We did read a chapter last night.

ONLINE: Build a new store. NOPE. This is work for when I am home alone, which hasn't happened much yet.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Find manual. YES. Learn from it. NO. Photographic field trip. NO. Put that one down to sick child as well. Poor P, he's getting the blame for everything :-(

LEARN TO MAKE FROM SCRATCH: Tortillas. NO to this too. The nights we ate Mexican I was in too much of a rush. I did grow alfalfa for the first time and make Plum Jam so I'm not going to feel bad about the tortilla situation.

SUMMARY: This month has been hard going with me having to shelve many plans due to my son's ongoing illness. I can feel my own health and energy levels slipping which I now understand happens when I am under stress. Anguish over bushfires and other tragedies in the media upset me quite a bit this month, as they did most people I have spoken too. So even though most of my Feb goals were not reached, I know I was still very busy under trying circumstances and at the moment, getting my gorgeous young man back into health has to take priority. I'm not giving up though; I'll be back in a day or two with my March goals.

Answer to Last Weeks Mystery Pic.

2009-02-26T14:08:00.002+11:00

No guesses? Okay, here it is:

From Mystery Pics

Its an old camera my DH picked up at a garage sale. The surface is peeling off in places.

From Mystery Pics

I'll go easy on you next time. ;-)

High School Is a Whole New Ball Game....

2009-02-25T14:36:00.003+11:00

As a first time mother-of-a-high-school child, I have to admit, I'm not coping too well! I'm trying to keep upbeat for the sake of said child, but its not easy. Here's a sample of what we've had so far:

Week 1. Son starts high school. He is starting from scratch in terms of friends, as his only close friend from last year is at a different school. Son meets some kids he knew at his first primary school, but after two days they decide they don't want him anymore so one piffs a tennis ball at him, and they laugh and walk away. Kid's can be cruel, right? Also there is a muck-up in the class lists and after 2 days in 7B the powers-that-be decide P is in fact in 7F and he has to unpack his locker and move to a new grade. He also confides in me that "kids at high school swear all the time," which he is not used to and makes him uncomfortable.

Week 2 & 3. The weather takes a sharp nosedive from scorching to a chill wind. P has an attack of his tracheitis (sharp, barking cough, non-stop all day) and misses week two and three, except for two mornings when we thought he could try school, but didn't make it to lunch time.

Week 4. Last Friday, he made a rapid recovery and a couple of pleasant days over the weekend see the cough almost completely gone. So on Monday, off he goes again. Monday and Tuesday, pretty good. Although Tuesday (yesterday), he reports that his school jumper was taken off the back of his chair. Great. Those jumpers are expensive and I only bought one to start the year off. Last year, the summer was so warm and autumn so mild that they didn't even look for jumpers until nearly April. Not so this year. Its been hovering around 16 degrees, overcast and with a biting wind the last couple of days. So, this morning I sent a note along to school permitting my son to wear a non-school jumper. While he was out at recess, an obnoxious teacher ordered him to take it off. "But I have a note from my mum". "I don't care... take that jumper off at once." So he did. Got chilled. Returned to class coughing. Can't stop. Got sent to sickbay. School rings parents to come and pick him up. Parents not happy....not happy at all. My husband will be taking it further this afternoon. BTW, when he returned from recess, someone had found his school jumper in the yard.

Now I know what the expression 'hopping mad' means. Grrrr... Sitting here listening to him coughing again. Think I might go google home-schooling.....

Mystery Pic Monday

2009-02-16T21:24:00.001+11:00

From Mystery Pics

Any guesses?

I'm glad its Craft and Cuppa day.

2009-02-12T10:20:00.003+11:00

I always enjoy the day that I have a few friends over for stitching, cakes and coffee. We have it once a month and most of us are working on two friendship quilts for an elderly father and daughter who went into a nursing home last year. I hope we make some progress today. Its taking longer than I thought.

This has been a tough week, the constant images of fire victims and survivors streaming in. Each day I reach the point when I can't deal with any more of it and have to turn the T.V. or internet news channel off. I know the victims can't do that; can't switch it off and get back to 'normal' life. There are some heartening things though, like the images of large rooms stacked with food and clothing that has been donated.

The weather here has been bizarre. We had 46 degrees on Saturday and yesterday the temperature hovered around 16 degrees most of the day, peaking briefly at 19. That's a 25 to 30 degree drop in 4 days. The winds have been cold- even my youngest who usually doesn't feel cold has been wearing his windcheater to school. And the sudden drop has triggered my eldest's respiratory condition, which is a little like asthma, a little like croup but apparently isn't either. Whatever it is, he can't stop coughing and so far both prescription meds and over the counter suppressants have given him no relief. He will miss this entire week of school- his second week at high school. He had this trouble last year and I had hoped it wouldn't come back. Tomorrow he will get his breathing tested and hopefully we will get some answers. But I know for sure this time that cold winds set it off.

Well, I'd better get back to cleaning up before my friends arrive. I think we all need the cheering up that only comes from a group of similarly-minded women around a table with cake and coffee. I'm going to make Julie's Sultana and Carrot Cake.

A Sad, Sobering Day

2009-02-08T18:46:00.003+11:00

By now many of you have heard of the tragic fires that have burned across Victoria and New South Wales. All day on the news, the fatality count has been rising. Over the next week or so, we will hear the terrible stories and mourn. Of course, there will also be amazing stories of survival and courage.

If you live in a danger area, I guess you won't be reading blogs for a while. If you have family and friends there, I wish for their safety.

A handy link to bookmark is the CFA's Incident Updates and Advice. Towards the top of the page is a link to other sites that may be relevant.

From My Town

A thought also for the CFA volunteers. We recently toured the newly built Geelong West station and were impressed by the huge voluntary effort put in by these wonderful people. Today some have fought fires in one area while their own houses burned. As for those deliberately lighting fires....its unspeakable. My children can't believe that people can do such things.

Let's hope its over soon.

Sunday Stash

2009-02-08T18:43:00.001+11:00

From Stash

Thanks Tamara, for hosting our Sunday Stash.

Veg About- Post Heatwave and All's Well

2009-02-05T12:07:00.003+11:00

When we had our three days above 40 degrees, I was a little sick on the inside with worry for our vegie garden. I had a notion that nothing would survive. How wrong I was! I covered the cherry tomatoes with old bedsheets, and loosely draped another over the peas, pumpkin and cucumber, which are all at different heights. This basic preventative medicine prevented scorching of the fruit and there was hardly any shrivelling of leaves either. I resisted the temptation to take water out to them throughout the heat, watering instead in the evenings when there was some temperature relief. (Handwatering with collected overflow and rainwater as the heatwave fell inbetween our alloted watering days of Tuesday and Saturday.)
Here are some progress photos:
CUCUMBER

From Inside and Out

ONE DAY'S HARVEST OF CHERRY TOMATOES

From Inside and Out

And today my seeds arrived from Green Harvest! Yay!
I have cress, beetroot, chocolate capsicum (doesn't that sound exotic!), baby cos (the gardener doesn't grow cos- they really grow themselves) and the big packet is alfalfa sprouting seed. I'm going to try sprouting for the first time.

From Inside and Out

Can't wait to start, in fact I'm off to find a suitable jar now.

P.S. Thanks Bellgirl, where ever you may be for hosting Veg About.
P.P.S. Our heatwave was bad enough, I have been thinking of all the vegie gardens (and of course the vegie gardeners and their families) in poor, hot, South Australia. I'm sure the unrelenting nature of the weather there has done a lot more damage to gardens. Feeling for you, hope the end is in sight and rain not to far away....

February Goals

2009-02-02T20:22:00.004+11:00

I have decided to put some goals into writing at the beginning of each month and review them towards the end. Its really for a bit of added incentive because it would be nice to see some progress in print. I don't know how I will go with it. I haven't done so well with the Monday Mystery Pic which was intended to be weekly! (I've been looking & taken some shots but haven't come up with anything I'm happy with.)

This month, I set myself the following:

SEWING: Complete P's quilt, Rainbow Squared.

KNITTING OR CROCHET: A couple more dishcloths.

ORGANISING: Stick to my schedule (yes, I made up a new one!). Also fine tune my Home Management Folder (See Rhonda Jean's post at down-to-earth).

GARDEN: Plan for spring, purchase seeds and read up a bit about the best way to grow and harvest my selections (as opposed to guessing, which has a 50-50 success rate!)

PARENTING: Finish reading The Garden to the kids and start a new novel.

ONLINE: Work on my new online store idea for (I will post on this when the time comes to launch).

PHOTOGRAPHY: Locate the manual for my new camera and learn and master a new feature. Also take one trip, alone, to a place of interest in my local area for the sole purpose of taking photos. Then edit and blog them.

LEARN TO MAKE FROM SCRATCH: Tortillas.

I think that will do!

School's Back!

2009-02-02T09:20:00.003+11:00

I don't know why, I'm not as ecstatic as I usually am when they return to school! I have really enjoyed having the boys home. They are at an age when they are not so demanding, do many things for themselves and they have had very few fights and not been too bored. So it was with mixed feelings that I delivered them to their teachers this morning.

Eldest was so casual about his first day at high school. Not nervous, not excited, barely interested it seemed. Although he has had a couple of rough nights and bad dreams- perhaps it comes out in his subconscious? Or maybe that was just the warm nights and he really is cool as a cucumber?

Youngest insisted on carrying his own rather heavy bag of books and stationery. He spotted his best friend the minute he walked in the door. They both had huge smiles on their faces and he forgot about Mum and Dad instantly. He has all the kids he wanted to be with in his class with him this year so that makes up a little for not having big brother at the same school for the first time ever!

I must admit, it is nice to be home alone and not have to queue for the computer. Of course, I am behind on all household tasks and will stay home as much as possible this week to catch up. DH isn't working today- he's taken the car to the carwash; is it selfish to hope he finds plenty to do outside so I can play my music and think my own thoughts today? We'll see.

I hope you have an enjoyable day, however you are spending it.

What a Week.... Time for a Rant.

2009-01-31T07:33:00.003+11:00

This has not been my best week. I need to vent. Once its out, I can leave it on the page and move on.

As I reported in WKSBG, we have an ant plague. I think this house must have been built on the Metropolis of antdom. There are several different varieties that take turns invading the house. As I blogged, I was hoping to find a natural deterrent. I have tried many suggestions and more of my own. Nothing worked. Borax does not kill these ants; not in honey, not in peanut butter. Oh, they eat the stuff alright. Then they bring back thirty million siblings for seconds.

So the morning that I awoke to find them invading the cereal boxes was the morning I caved in. I took everything off the benches, removed all food from the area and applied surface spray to the long gap under the window. I hated doing it. And, guess what? This morning they are back in force... coming across the floor from somewhere, swarming up the cupboards and all over the bench where DH didn't clean up his late night toast crumbs. They are also all through the electric jug. I didn't scream out loud, my boys were still sleeping. I'm screamin' on the inside still.

Add to this frustration the fact that the dishwasher switch died. Of course it was fully loaded with almost 2 days of dirty dishes and it was dinner time, meeting night when I discovered this. And the ants were in the dishwasher. So I had to pull everything out and handwash and then dry. I can't drip dry because this perverse type of ant swarm clean dishes for some reason.

What more, I ask? How about 40 degree days and power failures? On the first day it was just an hour of no power. Yesterday it was five hours, until about 11pm. DH hooked up the caravan fridge and while that was cooling he set up the generator to the spare fridge in the carport. Noisy, but you gotta keep beer cold! I managed to put the milk and some defrosted lamb chops in there. Although when the power returned everything in the fridge seemed to be still cold.

Last night was very warm again, I dreamed all night, the kids were restless, hubby got up at 5am to go to work and I couldn't go back to sleep, the ants were all over the floor, my internet connection keeps dropping out. I'm hot, cranky, fragile and tired. I'm going to go and count to ten. A few times.

Have You Heard About QuiltGroup?

2009-01-26T23:15:00.001+11:00

QuiltGroup may be the quilter's Ravelry! Thanks to Rialla-T who gave me the heads-up, I have discovered this newly emerging quilting community. At the moment, it is in Beta and prospective members go on a waiting list. Invitations are sent out 100 at a time, when the admin can handle a new influx. As with all small, growing sites, expect plenty of bugs and limited flexibility. But the site admin are open to suggestions and even have a "Vent" forum! They also keep you up to date with the changes they are working on.

At present you can create a profile, upload pictures to albums, create and/or join groups and chat in forums. Members can contact each other.

I feel quite privileged to be in amongst the first couple of hundred members and look forward to seeing the site grow. Hopefully I wil find plenty of inspiration. I don't need new projects- my UFO pile is shamefully huge as it is. But seeing what other people are accomplishing is good motivation to get off this computer chair and onto the sewing machine :-)

Sunday Stash

2009-01-25T17:33:00.002+11:00

From Stash

Michael Miller design from a few years back. I have a couple of metres of this and I love it but I don't know what to do with it. Maybe a shopping tote? Or a feature panel in a plain linen bag. Not sure, but its not going anywhere!

Thanks Tamara for Sunday Stash!

Model Train Show

2009-01-24T16:08:00.004+11:00

From Model Railways

Well, I never know what I will end up doing! Today with my sons and father, I ended up going to the Model Railway Exhibition put on by the Corio Model Railway Club. It's being held at the Geelong West Town Hall this weekend. I've attended a few of these in my time as my dad has always had an interest in scale model trucks, trains and cars. I don't think my boys will take it up as a hobby but they don't mind a once a year look at it all.

I took a heap of photos today but many didn't turn out because of the low light. Flash lighting casts too many shadows for this kind of thing. As you can see from the ones I have kept, my interest lies more in the fascinating miniature buildings, landscape and figurines, rather than the trains themselves. The work that goes into them is incredible!

(Aside- some of the modellers must be tired of people saying "You must be so patient!" One display had a little sign which said something like 'Patience is something you need to do something you really dislike'. I've had comments about my patience in doing cross stitch and quilting and really, if you enjoy something, patience doesn't enter into it at all. Small, slow, repetitive hobbies can be relaxing, absorbing and very rewarding.)

Anyways, enough waffle, here are some photos, large version so you can see the detail.

From Model Railways

If you are a handcraft fan, you may never have thought of model trains as an area of interest but for attention to detail a model railway exhibition is worth a closer look!

Thanks to the Corio Model Railway Club Inc, and to individual exhibitors for graciously permitting pictures.

Veg About Update- First Colour

2009-01-18T21:53:00.002+11:00

From Inside and Out

Yes, they are a little late. We were late getting the vegie patch underway. Some of you have had tomatoes for weeks, I know. But better late than never!
Spring onions have finished, spinach has gone to seed. Red cos lettuce just keep growing and growing; so few plants, so many salads! The beans are slow but still coming along and the cucumbers have flowers.

Do you Veg About? Go to Bellgirl to see who else is growing vegies. Thanks Bellgirl, for hosting.

Just Look at What I Found This Morning!

2009-01-16T09:08:00.002+11:00

The most beautiful cactus flower!

From Flowers

Summer is Here at Last.

2009-01-14T06:57:00.003+11:00

I know summer is here, finally, because of the warm, stuffy night we just endured. Now I don't want to open any doors or windows and let that hot northerly in but its a bit too early for the air conditioner. It turns our living room into a refrigerator.

Yesterday we did the beach thing. Along with a million other Victorians and holiday makers. We staked our little patch of beach at Torquay and were third row back from the water. Despite the crowds, I did actually go in the water and enjoyed it. It may be the one and only time for the summer. I didn't take the camera; sand gets into everything no matter how careful you are. Also people can be a bit freaked out about cameras on a crowded beach, which is understandable!

The evening before, however, I surprised myself by being quite impulsive! After dinner, instead of the usual scenario (me at the sink and the boys having a run around outside), the boys and I jumped into the car and headed down to the local waterfront. It was a pastel pink sunset, not dramatic, just pretty. I've put a couple of the nicest pics on my Framed blog.

We also saw the hugest water rat! He wouldn't pose for his picture though; this is the closest we got:

From My Town

And how is this for thoughtful:

From My Town

Now strolling pups can have a drink without having to stick their head in the bubbler! And a chain for security.

And no walk along our bay's thoroughfare is complete without a bollard or two. These friendly fellows were hanging around the boats.

From My Town

Just behind them is a boat advertising mussels for sale- we all like shellfish so we are going to go on Sunday and buy some.

Well, my hubby just returned from nightshift with the good news that the cool change is on its way so we are unlikely to reach 39oC today. What a relief! Regardless of the weather I have to grocery-shop today so a cool change is perfect.

Mystery Pic Monday- Who Wants to Play?

2009-01-12T23:23:00.005+11:00

Who wants to play a game? Test your detective skills and try to guess what the picture is. Post you answer as a comment. I'll try to put a pic up each Monday and if the previous one isn't answered I will show you what it is. If you would like to post your own Mystery Pic, just add your name below and put up a pic on a Monday on your own blog. I will list all the players here.

From Mystery Pics

Do you know what it is? Have I made it too easy? We'll see!

SOLUTION:
A spool of variegated sewing thread

From Mystery Pics

Messing About on our Staycation

2009-01-11T11:47:00.003+11:00

I first heard the expression 'staycation' yesterday on a current affair program. Apparently we are far from alone in forgoing our annual migration for a stay-at-home vacation. But it seems the expression is already familiar to many in the U.S. where the most recent summer saw Americans staying home in droves.

The kids have new computer games which they are totally addicted to so boredom hasn't been a problem yet. Its more of a case of me being conscious of how much time they are spending and trying to interest them in other things.

This morning we laid the sheet on the table and got the box of paints out.

From Inside and Out

The three of us completed backgrounds, later this afternoon we will add details. Here are the paints we made in the first week of the holidays:

From Inside and Out

I got the recipe here and blogged about it here.

As for me, I seem to be as busy as ever. A woman's work is never done and all that stuff. But I'm not stressing about it; if anyone looks askance at the mess, I hint that I'm on vacation too. Last week we had a couple of social things with friends which were very enjoyable.

I am very far behind in reading your new blog posts as you all seem to be blogging like crazy. Or I have too many blogs in my reading list. Or both. Hop to it!

Sunday Stash- Strawberries

2009-01-11T11:38:00.002+11:00

This piece of fabric was in a pile I bought from a garage sale a few years ago. Its a cotton with strawberries and printed on imitation eyelets.
I have no idea what I will do with it. I had the thought today when I took it out for the photograph that it would make very cute little covers for jam and preserves.

From Stash

Thanks Tamara. The other Stashers are here.