Around my place

I was walking around my place and decided to take some pics to share 

The newest garden is starting to grown and fill out 

The second vegetable garden is being weeded and will soon be ready for planting out. 

This one is now done although I might sprinkle some carrot seeds in there as well 

Bee from veggie gardens back towards the house 

In the afternoon it’s shaded here and a nice spot to admire your hard work with a glass of wine or two 


The two trees we planted yesterday hopefully they grow big and provide shade from the hot western sun for the livestock 


Looking westwards from the trees towards the road   The lawn is looking really green after recent rains 

 

Looking south from the same spot. You can see our sheep and alpacas sitting having a rest 

Out back to the east of our place is the wood pile and a cow photo bombing lol 

So that a small tour of out place 

I’ll show you more in the coming days 

Why not take us on a tour of your place   Tell us in the comments and we will come over and visit with you, while staying safe 

See ya xxx

Sunday iso

Today was a good day here in the nest 

I got a text from my semi buddy who lives in the next road over from me. 

We had decided that we could walk together but we’ll apart. As we live in a rural area with dirt roads they are very quite 

So one was on the side of the road the other in the middle and if a car came we went to opposite sides of the road until it passed 

She is an avid gardener and asked if I wanted a couple of  trees she had propagated 

Who doesn’t want free plants 

So the plan was, when she got home she would leave them out the front and text me and I’d go get them simple 

While she was organising that I came home showered and made an apple slice 

So when the text came I got hubby to drive me to her house, picked up the trees and left some slice for her and her hubby to have 

Hubby then got his special hole digger and the trees have been safely planted and watered in with some liquid fertiliser 

Here is one of them. It’s botanical name is Brachychiton populneus 

After we planted them both the wind picked up and we got lots of rain so they are now well watered in 

And here is the slice with a nice cuppa 

So I’ve had my exercise, some safe social contact and some nice healthy fresh air 

All in all. It’s been a good day 

Hope your staying safe and healthy 

See ya xxx

Vegetable dramas

About two weeks ago. We went and bought some vegetable seedlings 

I wanted to do a staggered planting so didn’t buy a whole lot 

We planted and mulched half the garden bed and we were going to wait about a month before planting again 

Well yesterday I decided I better go and get more incase we are shut down 

Oh my. What a surprise to find the shelves empty 

Not a vegetable seedlings in sight 

The same with the seeds. 

Looks like everyone has jumped on the grow your own bandwagon 

Luckily I know a couple in the industry and I contacted them 

They too said that where they work they are all out but they did get some for themselves and were happy to share 

So I’ve been able to plant the rest of this bed at least 

I’ll get some mulch and liquid fertiliser and some seed raising mix 

I have seeds, a tad old, but I’ll plant out twice as much and then transplant 

Whatever sprouts 

I’ve never ever seen it like this before 

It’s autumn here so most people don’t bother with a winter crop 

Looks like the crazy modern homesteaders knew something after all 

Yup. They’re not laughing at us anymore 

Stay safe, stay healthy 

See ya xxx

What’s on your hook

I’ve been working on these squares for a while now. Just doing one or two at a time 

But I was running out of yarn. So a pen order was placed with bendigo wool mills for more of their Stella range 

The package came a week later so now I can continue 

I’ve got sixty squares done and I need thirty more. 

While I was waiting I started another blanket with a different yarn 

I did start a waffle stitch but it was using up way too much of the yarn so I changed to this diamond pattern 

So I finished it today 

It’s a nice size and it’s beautiful and soft 

The silver lining to being stuck at home 

Is getting lots of craft work done 

Once we are out of isolation I hope to have lots for the charity pile 

Show us all what your current project is. 

It doesn’t have to be crochet. It can be anything 

Stay safe, stay well 

See ya 

Corona update

Well finally our government has shut down schools here in our state and non essential businesses have to close 

This means our local pool is now a no go 

Coffee with the girls is not going to happen and unfortunately 

Our long looked forward to trip into Melbourne to see shriek the musical has been cancelled for now 

Here at the empty nest we have put a chain across the driveway to the shed and no customer contact 

We can still keep working while we can still get parts but keel contact to an absolutely minimum. Our workers need to be able to go home and be safe 

To see their families 

Me. Well. I’ve got a few things recorded that I haven’t been able to watch 

I’ve got my crochet, and patchwork

Audiobooks and dvds as well as shelves full of actual books 

I have my fur babies and I’ll be fine 

Just have to not binge eat and undo all the hard work 

Good thing I live an acreage. I might have to go out and chase the livestock to keep fit lol 

Stay well everyone. We are all in this together 

See ya xxx

Social distancing

If your like me and have a compromised immune system then social distancing is a must 

I only go out for more supplies and then back home as quick as possible 

So the weekend has been kinda slow. 

We did get a quick visit  from  our friends but we sat outside 

And I stayed away sitting slightly on my own 

No one  was upset or offended and there were no hugs and kisses. 

So tonight I decided to watch lord of the rings and all there talk of second breakfast made me hungry 

So I made a passion fruit butter cake.  It was yummy although slightly overdone on the outside 

I shudder to think what will happen if we were put in lockdown. Pretty sure I’m come out two weeks later ten ton tessie lol 

Hope your all staying sane

Stay well 

See ya xxx

Disappearing nine patch

Since it’s all doom and gloom out there. I thought I’d show you a pic tutorial on how to make a disappearing nine patch 

It’s very simple and fun to do 

You need two different patterned material 

It’s best if one is a pattern and one a plain but I was working with limited resources and after all that’s what patchwork is 

Using up what you have. 

Cut your material into squares. Doesn’t matter really how big. I just used my square ruler and cut it to that size 

I think they are around six in he squares 

Lay them out in three rows of three alternating all the blocks 

Sew the first row and iron your seams to one side. Very important. 

The sew your next row of three and sew your seams, again to one side. But this time make it go the other way to the first set of seams. 

Now place the two rows together right sides face it. 

See the seams. The go the opposite ways. They will snuggle in together and you will get a better lining up of your seams 

Pin and sew 

Iron your stitches and your seams.  See looks good doesn’t it 

So the same with the last row 

Once your nine squares are sewn together. Lay it down and make two cuts through the middle. 

Now play around with your squares until your happy with the pattern.  

This is what I settled on. 

Sew all seams, making sure the ones meeting are spot on. Using the method above 

And viola! Your first disappearing nine patch is done 

Make one and turn it into a cushion cover. Make lots and make any size quilt too you want 

Easy peasy 

Now if you get locked in. You have something to do 

Go and get some material from your local quilting shop

A few tools your going to need.  The nice ladies, or gents, in the shop will give you a hand 

And if your stuck at home. At least you will be able to keep busy 

If you do. Show us what you have made 

Stay well 

See ya xxx

This one is for peppy lady

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/swede

Here is a Swede. It might be called something else 

Read all about it by clicking the link 

So far we are all good here. 

But the madness continues in the shopping centres 

There were security guards there this morning 

Stay safe everyone. The zombie apocalypse is happening 

Mindless folk looking for consumables 

See ya  

This week in the nest

This week my swim friends and I went off to the big city to see Billy Elliot the musical. 

It was very nicely done. 

It stayed close to the movie, but delved more into the miners strike and the mood of the day 

So you really got a sense of exactly what billy had to overcome to fulfil  his dreams 

We had a great day eating drinking and laughing as we usually do 

Today hubby and I planted the first of our winter crop

Chard, beetroot, mixed salad greens and Swede. I’ve never grown Swede so I’m 

Hoping it’s not a failure 

Cooked up a huge batch of ratatouille using tomatoes from our garden, onions, a lone green Pepper in my refrigerator,

An eggplant I bought and some courgettes that were given to us from a local farmer 

We had some for lunch and there is more for dinner. 

Two portions went into the freezer for later use 

I’ve been cutting squares for a disappearing nine patch. But the off cuts were too big to just throw out 

So today I have been making flying geese. 

I’ll incorporate them into the patchwork somehow   

You know me. Waste not lol  

And finally we come to the issue on everyone’s minds right now 

Covid-19 or the corona virus 

Oh my goodness people have lost their minds 

It started off with panic stockpiling of the toilet paper. But now it’s long life milk, pasta, rice,canned beans and flour 

So I thought I’d remind everyone to laugh 

Laughter is the best medicine 

I hope you all have enough toilet paper to last the crisis 

Wash your hands and stay safe 

See ya xxx

Life my analogy

Life, I think, is like making a quilt 

You start with all the raw materials you need. So many choices 

You choose the the ones you want from the many, and keep those. 

You discard the others. Sometimes you can go and get them back. But mostly they go

And you never see them again 

So if you need to. You take the bits and bobs of what you have and you “stitch” them together to make them fit your needs 

Compromise and accept what you get and make it better 

Making something new from the beginnings of what you had 

Then there is the hard,  long,  boring pinning it all together years .

The history, and the foundation 

This takes many years, years where nothing special happens, but everyday memories are being forged to be looked later. 

When their true value is discovered 

As the years go. Your left to slowly consolidate on your own. 

Not forgotten, but only needed to lend the occasional hand 

The years when finally you are your priority, the slowing down years. 

Still active to an extent. But the fast boil of those past years has gone 

Until your finally left with the finished quilt. 

To look back on. And to admire. For good or bad. 

It’s all your work and it’s time to rest under those warm memories and relax 

Do you agree? 

See ya xxx

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday roll call

Happy first day of Autumn. My favourite time of year 

Reading this blog recently, you might think Trixie is our only fur baby. 

Not true. 

So here are the others 

There is teddy. Teddy is our loyal beautiful boy who was supposed to be an indoor doggie but he doesn’t like it 

I even spent $500 sending him away for training but he got home and ran to the back door straight away. 

He only comes in if it’s thundering outside. But we love him even if he is a tad stinky at the moment lol 

Here is our steer. His name is Sir Loin. So you can guess what his future is all about. 

Please no hate.   

Our budgies. They don’t have names. They are just collectively known as the birds lol 

They sing all day and make me happy. 

Our alpacas. We are down to two now. The littlest one was gandalf the grey. He was not a well boy as a baby so we knew we wouldn’t have him for long. But he lived a happy life here for the almost two years we had him 

The other two are Albus and belgarian. Both names of wizards from my favourite books. 

Agatha and bella. I had to find an old pic as both are MIA right now. Probably snoozing somewhere after their breakfast 

We have had many cats over the years. But now they all lay buried under the big trees. Playing and waiting over the rainbow bridge 

And another old pic. This time of our sheep. They were way out the other side of the paddock so I couldn’t get a good shot. 

They were supposed to be for food as well. But somehow they all end up living their lies and then dying of old age 

There’s a big sheep cemetery out in our paddock as well. 

So there you go. A roll call of the current fur, wool, feather inhabitants of our family home 

I hope you enjoyed meeting them 

See ya xxx