Much better

Progress picture of “that” jumper

It’s looking so much better and I’ve used much less yarn 

It’s slow going as it’s getting heavy and I can only do a dozen rows before I need to rest. 

It doesn’t matter. The cold has hit and it looks like it will stay for a while 

Slow cooker is on with lamb shanks from off our paddock 

Veggies included are all home grown 

Dishwasher is going

Washing machine going

Dry clothes have been folded and put away 

Clothes horses empty waiting for fresh laundry 

I’m very productive today 

Winter food

Time for potatoes to go in. I’m planting in the other large garden this year. Hopefully we will have another good crop 

I’m calling these my bridgeton potatoes. I have red lady for pen’s  red hair 

And Nicola for the actress that plays here 




All planted and mulched 



I also planted mor cabbage, cauliflower and broccolini 



You can see hubby planting beetroot 

We also planted sweet peas and sugar snap peas 



The first planting is growing nicely. We only lost the first plantings of broccolini. 



The Swede is coming along. Once they’re a decent size bulb I’ll add them to stews and roasted 



Finally my lime. It will be planted out back in the little orchard. 

We were going along nicely but hubby had a mate drop in. 

I’m thinking the planting of the lime will be sometime this afternoon lol

The sun is shining and it’s not too cold now. It was perfect planting weather 

Blessed Yule

And to our brothers and sisters in the north happy summer solstice 

Garden day

The sun is shining although it is chilly. A perfect day to get outside 

I had this  pot that desperately needed a plant   Over the weekend I visited next door and purchased one. Among other things lol 

Today it got planted and placed here. It gets lots of sunshine here. Hopefully it likes its new home 

The pot that was here is now that first pot along the posts it didn’t like that other spot.   I hope it starts to be happy now 





After giving all the pots a drink I ventured out back 

I assembled my weapons and attacked 



The mulberry trees have no sooner lost their leaves, and have started to bud 

I decided to not go overboard with the pruning   Just cutting the really tall branches and cleaning up the middle to open them up. Little 



This is the before. They really are too tall 



The clippings it’s not a huge amount for   three mulberries 



I chopped them into smaller pieces and will be used in this fire 



With the winter solstice approaching I might light this fire and give thanks for our abundance, and ask for a good harvest in the coming summer 

I’ve been good and I’ve stopped before I over do 

It will be lunchtime shortly so I might have some chicken soup with the boys 

I’m going slow. But I am going 

The day after

This morning I woke up feeling like I’d gone a round or two with a boxing kangaroo. I even have bruises 

It was a slow start to the day   I got a packet of chicken wings out of the freezer before Bed last night for tonight’s dinner. 

There were enough for two different meals 

Firstly chicken and rice in the oven   You might be able to see I had already sampled some for my dinner 

And here we have Greek chicken soup  made with egg and lemon. Perfect for when you’re not feeling the best. 

It’s made a big pot full so I’ll send some to the workshop for hubby and wonderson to enjoy for their lunch 




Hubbys jumper #2 

I’ve started on the first  sleeve

It’s looking more like a jumper and less like a tent 



You can see my note pad where I cross off the rows as I do them 

A slow but productive day, even if I didn’t get everything I wanted done 

I’m embracing the new me. Including the limitations 

Can’t fight it any more.  

Monday report

This morning I had  an ouchie massage. It was very ouchie and I was stiff and sore when I got home. 

I decided I didn’t want to just sit and feel the pain.  I got into the kitchen and started cooking up a storm 

The nice neighbour who gives us his home brew also makes his own sausages 

He gave us some of the sausage mince he made 

I added some silverbeet, cheese and eggs to make home made sausage rolls 

Fresh out of the oven. They smell really good 



I also made the jam 

Three jars. That should do us for a while 

It will be yummy on hot buttered toast. 



I’ll have a little rest and finish cleaning the kitchen 

Then I’ll continue to work on hubbys jumper. I’ve just started the band. I’ve used half the yarn of the first jumper.  Definitely smaller. 



I now have enough of the blue to also make the sleeves 

I hope hubby will like it. I’m sure he will. He was prepared to wear the tent I made lol

Another sunny but cold winters day. 

You don’t mind the cold when the sky is blue and the sun is out  

Simple life

It’s grappa season. Our lovely neighbour has given me some so I’m turning it into rhubarb liquor 

I had lots of rhubarb so 

I got another bag of frozen apricots so I can make jam 

Although the morning was cold the day turned out nice so bedding was hung out to dry 



The frozen apricots actually have some rhubarb in the bag. I  added more and froze the leftover for another time 




Baby girl and family dropped off the community caravan   The sun was shining in the big window in the toy room it was lovely in there 





Trixie was relaxing watching the girls getting some sun 



Someone commented that they couldn’t imagine weeds in my garden so here is proof 

We will soon start the pruning of the roses. That will make weeding much easier 

Well that’s my excuse anyway 

Tomorrow is the start of another week 

Before we know it. It will be Christmas again 

Time flies

I can’t believe it’s the weekend again. Time truly has sped up 

Life in the nest  just keeps ticking away 

Hubby and I had our flu and Covid shots this week. Finally. We were both not well enough for ages 

Today we are having roast lamb from off the paddock. Not ours, a customer shared from his recent processed lambs 

I’ll also cook the last of the pumpkin our neighbour gave us from his garden and a couple of potatoes from the supermarket 

The weather has turned really cold, with us having the coldest June day in a long time 

So I’m inside knitting away keeping an eye on our fire 

Between the fire  and the oven it’s lovely and warm in here 

Hope your all having nice weather, or if not, your safe and snug in your homes 

King’s birthday

Today we have a day off in honour of His Majesty’s Birthday 

It’s not his real birthday but just a day in the middle of winter that was chosen for a holiday 

My whole life it’s been the Queens birthday so it feels a tad strange to call it anything else. 

We didn’t go away as we decided to finish jobs at home 

Hubby is outside doing what needs to be done and I’m inside doing stuff in here 

Our football team plays today and the game is one where money is being raised for a charity. Motor neuron disease. 

We will settle down this afternoon to watch it 

And here are the pictures of the apricot and rhubarb dump cake 

Served hot with vanilla ice cream 

It was soooooo good 

If you make one post a picture and let us all know how it turned out 

Rainy Sunday

Today the weather is very wintery dull grey and showery 

A perfect day for being in the garden. 

As our autumn was unusually warm and sunny things just didn’t want to go dormant or die down.  So  all the autumn jobs were behind 

I was waiting for the rhubarb to die back so I could clean it all up. 

Now it’s gone from this 

To this 



Most of the veg seedlings I planted are growing nicely but the broccolini went straight to seed. I’ll have to replant 



The daffodils are  flowering they’re just as confused as we all are 




I think these are sugar beets 



Kale, rainbow chard. Or as we call it silver beet 

And I think the other bed is either normal broccoli or cauliflower 



Tomatoes have self seeded  I might cover them and let them grow 



The last of the summer crops have been cleared these beds will be topped up ready for spring 



The chickens have got all the garden waste to eat, play, and compost 

With all the bird flu going round and  being shown on the telly, we are keeping them in their run to minimise contact with wild birds 



Have finally planted the fig trees along the northern side of their run. They’ll grow big and leafy and provide shade from the hot summer sun 




I’ve harvested some rhubarb and pulled out some frozen apricots from our tree to make dump cake 

YouTube or Pinterest dump cakes. They’re so easy and are delicious hot with ice cream 

If I remember I’ll take some pics to show you 

Winter wash days

I don’t have a dryer, by choice. They use so much power and increase your bills by hundreds a year. Not to mention the ruin your clothes. 

So during winter I have washing drying all over 

Hubbys clothes were on the line under the back veranda. But it’s been so foggy and the air full of moisture that they’re not drying completely 

I’ve brought them in to finish drying in the warm house

My clothes always are hung inside as the whole bending and stretching palaver you have to do to hang washing is very bad for my back pain 

Also once dry most things just get put straight into the wardrobe. 

Nice and easy 





Now the back line is empty I’ve hung the sheets 

Once the clothes are dry inside. Which should be by the end of the day as they were almost dry, I’ll bring the sheets inside to finish drying over night 



I know it’s extra work. And I know it’s not the hight of home beautiful having washing all over the place.  

But I don’t really care. 

This was just one way I kept my bills down while struggling to pay off mortgages and raise kids 

Besides. It makes my step counter look much healthier