Section by section

​on todays agenda I was the clearing of the two small metal garden beds. 

They have been there for oh so long. I can’t remember at all what year I put them in. 

The metal has rusted and the weeds were so enshrined in them. That even using a pitchfork and shovel 

You couldn’t get it all apart. 

No wonder the poor plants weren’t growing. Let alone thriving 

So I started with this 

moving the frame was easy. It just pulled up. 

Digging through the dirt was a tad harder.  It only were the weeds packed tight 

But I had put a layer of red Scoria at the bottom to help with drainage 

The shovel kept hitting stone and it wouldn’t go forward without a gigantic push 

I used the fork to help break it up and that made the job a tad easier.

I had to carefully move the dirt as I had bulbs planted.

I did find quite a few, I also found some that had been strangled 

Bythe Kikuyu grass that has been the bane of my existence since moving here almost four decades ago. 

By this stage I was done. I had to ring hubby and see if he could come over and just help me move them.

I shovelled three large wheelbarrow loads out of that small garden  

I had two that were full I needed him to unload those, so I could finish filling the first empty wheelbarrow again 

I then asked him to bring me some potting mix me got in bulk, so I could replant the bulbs 

I purchased these over a few weeks.  Every time I went into the reject shop  got a couple more  

They were $10 each. I ended up with seven 

I used five for the bulbs, one bulb going into the green pot, and one little rosemary that had rooted when the branch touched the ground.  I put it into the cute chicken pot  I might give it to Ana to have and look after at home.

But first I’ll make sure it survives.

One bed gone  

You can see the blue half barrel planter.  On the other side of that is another 

Metal garden bed. I’ll tackle that one in a few days  

I need to have a rest day in between.  

It will be clean and the area opened up once I’m done. That wicking bed with the pitchfork leaning 

Onto it needs a lot of attention too.  It will get to it, as I slowly clear the area and make it pretty and  functional 

Not to mention, it will have  nowhere for spiders, or slithering things to hide.

With the dogs it’s been years since a snake has appeared in our backyard, 

But as Trixie is mostly inside and teddy is just old now  I don’t want to take any chances 

I’ve showered and dressed, I hung a load of washing on one of the clothes horses, and a second 

Load is currently being washed.

I’ll do three loads of washing today and be all caught up .

Thankfully we have leftovers for dinner, I don’t think I’ll be in any mood to cook tonight at all  

The rains are here

Warning  a long post 

​this morning we woke to the sound of rain. Since I’ve not been sleeping lately, 

Due to the inability to breath,I didn’t hear it rain during the night, but it had rained quite a bit.

Because we had prepped for it, the fire lighting as easy as lighting a match, and the logs are all dry.

When I received the new iPad I successfully transferred all the information from the old to the new 

It was a little different to the process most people use. Because it was so old  the two versions didn’t “ talk” to

Each other. I had to do it all on from the cloud  

The only thing I couldn’t do is transfer the SIM card account 

There was a section to do it, but again  they didn’t talk to each other  

So I had to go into the shop  

The lovely young people were very nice said that they could do it in a second 

They went into the iPad and found the same section.  They asked me what version iPad did I have 

I don’t know  it’s ten years old  

At that point they looked at me  closed down the old tablet and got onto their computer 

Unfortunately, they had just had a whole new system put into their computers and it was being glitchy

Of course it was.  

Three young people tried to log on but were unable too 

The fourth person got in. Success 

After getting into our carriers app, the second problem happened 

We have more than just my iPad on a phone network  

Which one of the numbers was mine  

There is nothing saying who it belongs to, as the whole thing is under one umbrella 

Named both hubby and me together 

More searching 

More troubles getting into the different area of the website 

But finally, success 

They found which number belonged to me 

We then wrote it down and I was told that it might be a good idea to 

Add that number into my phone   

I did that the second I got home  

I waited an hour before trying to activate the new sim

And success  I did it  

It was a tad anxious for me, mainly because I felt like I was 

Being a huge pain to the people at the shop,  but they were all so very nice and assured me 

That it was actually a great learning experience. That made me feel better,  bless them 

The lovely thing was, that every person who got ropped into helping 

Made a comment about the cover I made. Each and every one loved it  

That really made me feel better.  I might be old and not so tech savvy, but I can sew 

When I finally had it all sorted, and  nice cup of tea after.  I sat down to work on the EPP.

I finished sewing along the row I had started and then placed it on the floor to see how I can 

Turn it into a square 

I laid it flat and turned round to straighten the other side.  When I turned around 

Quality control had parked herself right on the corner 

She kept a close eye on what I was doing  

I marked the corners on the long sides of the quilt top,

Then counted how many hexies I had to sew to make the shorter side the same 

Length, 

I then marked the hexi at the end so that I know how many rows I have sewn quickly without having to 

Count from the start again 

Both sides need sixteen more rows to bring it all into the equal rectangle 

That’s pretty much what I’ll be doing the rest of the day  

Hubby is inside watching the football, the fire is going, and all is well in our little world  

I’m betting it’s going to be many, many years, before I purchase another iPad or phone

It’s just too stressful for this old crone 

Feeling better

​after three days of not doing much at all I woke this morning feeling a whole lot better. I needed to go to the pharmacy to pick up meds and deliver another encyclopaedia of prescriptions to them. 

They keep it all there so I don’t have to remember anything. They even send a notification saying my meds are due. 

From there I went to art you can walk from art to the pharmacy in two minutes. Bonus 

I got home thinking I’ll clean the fireplace and get it ready to light tonight 

Rains are coming and a drop of temperature. We will see. 

But I didn’t need too hubby had done it and has been outside organising more wood 

He’s using the forklift to move the steel crates from the wood pile to next to the house 

There they are all lined up ready. 

The closest one is the current crate. 

Me I’ve been on a mission 

I’ve been out to check the water trough 

And given Dobby some carrots 

I’ve been in the kitchen cooking everything that needed to be used 

Tuscan meatball in the casserole  pumpkin and potatoes roasting 

The punnets of tomatoes and cucumbers that I cut up for Ana’s grazing platter I’ve cut up into a Greek salad  I’ll add onion and feta just before serving  

The strawberries and a few blueberries I’ve stewed and will be used in a dump cake for dessert 

So easy  

I took the scraps to the chickens 

They were out free ranging but I locked them up when they came in to eat  

Now they’re safe and sound  I don’t fancy going out in the rain to lock them up  

So I’m ready for an evening of staying in and just relaxing  

A person Saturday night I think 

Lonely Friday

​yesterday I had a conversation with my beautiful daughter in law and told her how I was 

Not well. I had caught Georgias germs and felt yuck

I was still happy to take the girls but DIL told me to rest and that she really didn’t want 

The girls catching it again. 

Which is totally understandable and why I told her about how I was. 

So I slept in and Ive pottered around not really doing much at all 

I did finish the iPad cover 

I added some Velcro and it shuts nicely 

I am feeling better than I was yesterday 

And I’ll be totally back to my normal self by next Friday 

I Have missed the girls today, but appreciated the rest. 

Sewing

​iPad finished loading and all is well 

I will go over the weekend and organise the eSIM 

Meanwhile I wanted to sew something a little taxing to see 

How the machine would work. 

I decided I needed a quilted case to keep the new, expensive, toy 

Safe and sound 

I grabbed the bag of too think to use as binding, but too large to throw away 

And some batting and I set to work 

I slowly stitched all the pieces in a haphazard way, quilting as I go 

I kept at it  mixing and matching  trying to make it pretty  

I then sewed a backing fabric and bagged it all out  

I even decided to add a binding  to keep the two sides safely bound together 

Front and back view  

It’s too thick to use the plastic poppers  right now I’ve left it as is 

But I do have a plan  

If it works  I’ll show you 

It is thickly padded and it fits exactly, so the iPad doesn’t move about 

So I now have a very secure case, used more scrap fabric and tested the machine   

Which I am so happy to report worked like it was brand new 

So it really was my tools, not my ability that was causing the problems 

I was starting to doubt myself 

 

On the home front

​I’m pleased to say I have been a good girl and resting. Well as much as I can

Yesterday I went into Cranbourne for coffee and catchup. I had too. If I cancelled again they would be here dragging me out 

After coffee I had to go and get my talons redone. It’s been well over a month and I was starting to look the one of MacBeths witches. Well how I imagine their hands look like 

After that I ran into the reject shop and then headed home. 

As I was getting into the car I got a notification in my phone saying I had a package to collect from the post office 

My faithful, traveled the world with me iPad had finally gone terminal. 

After ten beautiful years I had to admit defeat and purchase a new one. 

I dragged hubby with me and headed off. 

Now the reason I took hubby is this. I always will go the cheaper way which not only means I’ll go for the slightly less memory, or last years model or just take whatever they have in stock. 

I started off true to form. 

I didn’t get the cheapest but I did go for the middle model 

Hubby said that we are spending all that money and since I’m so good about looking after my things I should go for the top model with the most memory. 

So we did. Then the really lovely sales man asked what colour I preferred. 

I answered what ever is in stock. Well they don’t have stock and they will order it in. 

Only one colour could be ordered into the shop. The other colours were online only. The colour available in the shop was blue. And honestly I’d of been quite happy with it. But since it had to be ordered anyway I chose pink. 

Well why wouldn’t you. That was the package at the post office 

I started to move all my apps and information onto it yesterday. But something went wrong. 

This morning I turned it off and back on to try again 

Success. 

Well it says it’s downloading as I type 

Here’s hoping it finishes correct. I then have to take it back to the store so they can change the SIM card over. 

They no longer have physical SIM cards they have eSIM. I have no idea how to move that over. So the lovely salesman said they will do it for me 

So that’s where I’m at with that little adventure 

Meanwhile my little, again faithful, slow cooker has a crack in the ceramic bowl. 

It’s not right through but it definitely will get there in the near future. 

So onto Amazon I go. 

I found quite a few in that size. Brilliant 

Now I could have gone with another plain white one around the $90 to $100 depending on the brand 

But they had a pretty little Laura Ashley one for $125 

Guess which one I purchased 

I fought the impulse to get the cheaper one. They do after all work the same way. But I heard hubbys words in my head. 

You look after thins and they last. 

Lash out and get the one you want 

I’m taking that as personal growth 

By the way I used AI to add the background to that photo. 

Another, can’t fight it any longer moment 

I’m embracing our future. 

I hope John Conner with forgive me 

Rebellion

​not by me. But my body. 

After a full on week I’ve well and truly crashed and burned 

Pain levels high,

Having to go back to using me stick

Sleep gone 

My lip started to swell and has now cracked and is bleeding and painful 

And IBS has literally kicked me in the guts 

But above all that 

I’m feeling cold. Maybe this doesn’t seem like much, but I never feel cold 

This was when hubby knew I wasn’t well

So I’ve been ordered to just rest on pain of death 

He even sent wonderson to come and put wood in the fire 

Keep this hinder your hat. I had just done that before he arrived 

It’s sunny out and I wanted some vitamin D. I just strolled around checking to see if all the nettings had survived the wind and the heavy rains 

Very pleased to announce that they were all intact 

The first lot of seedlings are growing wonderfully. The replanted silverbeet, chard, have all survived and growing nicely 

You can see some in the second photo 

And here. 

The rhubarb as also come back to life 

The strawberries are thriving and have really responded to that TLC

The plastic terra cotter looking pots, all have started to grow. You can now see green seedlings over the mulch 

The seedlings in that first photo are still just popping up. Most are the onion seedlings that were tiny when I got them. 

I was worried they might have been too small and be taken out by the heavy rains. 

They weren’t. The netting actually helped to stop the damage.  So an unforeseen advantage. I’ll remember that and use it again in the future 

So even though I’m a mess in need of a little TLC myself, the garden is bouncing along very nicely indeed. 

Hopefully I’ll be back to normal tomorrow and I can get a little more done out there. 

I’m happy to sit and rest but not for days on end. That isn’t great for my mental health