FRAMED.

This is the frame I did for the hall. It's such an easy thing to do but it looks so effective. You just need a nice frame (mine was from Big W as I searched high and low and couldn't find  a vintage one) and paint the backing. The backing on this one is painted a very pale grey which is my wall colour but a bit hard to see on this photo. The word is just an MDF one from the craft shop painted white like the frame then glued with wood glue to the backing.On Pinterest the frame was attached to the wall and the word just attached to the wall inside the frame. Sounded like it could be a bit of a pain made like that, this way there's just the one hole where the frame is hanging.

As luck would have it a few days after I'd finished it I found a frame at the fair I mentioned. It's grotty and needs a really good clean but it's lovely so I'll find something to do with it.

DAYS OFF.

We've had a lovely few days. We had a weekend to ourselves so instead of working around here we decided to do only what we felt like doing. We went to a small local market on Saturday morning and then for a long drive up the valley and lunch at a little club in a village I can't remember the name of. It was so relaxing.

When we got home we sat on the deck with a nice drink, watched the "afternoon shift" (the lorikeets etc that come in the afternoon for feed) and planned what veges are going in for spring. I spent a few hours the other day clearing out the gardens to get them ready for replanting. We have a mandarin tree planted (by the previous owner) on the boundary fence that needs to be moved so we'll be tackling that this week. I've read up on it but never done it so we'll see how it goes. My fruit trees have really struggled in the wet.
On Sunday we went to the Vietnam Veterans Markets; this one is huge and in lovely leafy surroundings so it's a nice one to go to. We had a lovely time wandering about though it was awfully cold initially. I got some oranges and made some more marmalade today as a few people have asked for some and I'd only made a tiny amount last week. I also got a great old picture frame for a song so I'll sort something out for that. A book on self-sufficiency and a set of boulles! Yes boulles! I first saw it played and played myself in outback QLD with some French tourists who couldn't speak a word of English. It was huge fun!!!! Can't wait to toss them about the back yard. lol.
 I've finished my other little project; I'll post photos tomorrow.

                                                        A quiet corner of the market.

Well out for lunch tomorrow as it's Mark's mother's birthday and then into the work - I've been slack enough. :)))

PROJECTS.

Another sunny morning - I hate that the weather man says there's more rain on the way. There can't be that much moisture in the universe!!

The smell wafting from the kitchen this morning is lovely. I've popped on a big pot of ham hock and vege soup for the weekend and the slow cooker is dealing with our dinner - beef bourguignon - that will not only feed us tonight but will fill a couple of containers for the freezer for Mark to take to work.

I took a photo of the board I made for my office. I think I've mentioned before my enthusiasm far exceeds my expertise when it comes to craft but I'm happy with how it turned out and how it looks in the room. The board was one I had, the red ribbon was in my scrap box and the material was 1/2 price at Spotlight. I had in my mind this exact print and was bowled over when I saw it in the shop. Score!!! 

I have another little project on the boil, something I saw on Pinterest, another favourite site. Will post the finished product in a day or too.

I tend to fossick about with craft in the winter months; usually a new one each season. I'm nothing if not adventurous. :) I've been inspired to get my painting supplies out again after seeing an advert for a show by my evidently quite well -known cousin in America. I've checked out his work on the Internet - wow it's beautiful - I so wish I had inherited his talent. The creative gene seems to be alive and well in a lot of our family. It's funny isn't though; we don't always appreciate the ones we ourselves have been given. I'm in awe of talented artists of all kinds and though am absolutely not in the league of said cousin, I will continue to splodge my offerings because I simply enjoy every minute of it. :) 

Sneak preview of Spring.

Maybe a snooze here later. :)

SUCCESS!

Well it's official. I'll be making marmalade in the slow cooker from now on! It was BEAUTIFUL!!!
As I said yesterday I'm the only one who eats it here but Mark wanted to try it this morning. So I made us a nice hot coffee and a couple of slices of toast each. I loved it but didn't think Mark would think much of it as he's never been a fan; but he raved about it. Now I did check his expression whilst he was chewing just to be sure, but no - he really did look like he was enjoying it. :)

It's just the basic recipe but for anyone who wants to try it .............. I used 5 oranges and one lemon, 4 cups of sugar (yes I know its scary but its just standard for jams; lashings of the sweet stuff!). I washed the fruit well then quartered it, got rid of the seeds and put it through the food processor until it was well and truly whizzed up. Tossed it into the slow cooker with the sugar and cooked on low for an hour then high for approx.3 hours. I also added 25gms of Jamsetta but only because I like a firmer marmalade - you can leave it out and it should jelly up quite nicely. This made around 1.7 kg and fitted into 5 sort of medium jars nicely.

I was talking on the phone to my sister and she was saying how much she likes marmalade so I'll take some for her to try when we go on our trip. We both love ginger marmalade too so I might give that a go before we head up her way. She lives on the north coast near the ocean; a beautiful area.

I'm going to look into buying stevia in bulk as it's a little dear in supermarkets and a bit of a pain that the largest container I've seen is 200gms. For those who don't know its a natural alternative to sugar. We use a brand called Natvia which we both like but I haven't been able to source it in large quantities. I use it already to cook with but really do need to have a lot more on hand than I have at the moment. If anyone has bought it in bulk could you leave the details in the comments?

I read this quote in the book I mentioned a few days back..............
"In bread making, as in baseball, there is nothing like a good batter in the hour of knead."


................."groan" ...............good grief there were some bad jokes way back then too!

Marmalade and Stuff.

Today is shaping up to be a little busy so the marmalade I was going to make will be be done the shortcut way, in the slow cooker. I know some people do it in the bread maker, I must try. The slow cooker is perfect for small batches.

Since no-one here eats the stuff except me occasionally, the jars I keep will last for ever. :)
 I don't eat jams as a rule but I do like the odd bit of the old marmalade and like to use it in cooking as well. The amount of sugar in jams is deadly but given how rarely I indulge I'm not going to fret over it..

I'm just about brain-dead from this assignment I'm doing at the moment. I finished it yesterday but on reading it through for about the 10th time I've decided to make a few changes. :) I could weep from boredom!!!!
I can't wait to be finished quite frankly; the whole process has been incredibly slow; it really could be done in a year instead of two.

The chickens were quite naughty today! I let them free-range with never a problem - until now! Four of them were down the hill in next door. I got three of them to come when I called but Violet can be a very independent chicken and do you think she'd come back home? I was in a bit of a hurry to get them back in their coop as there was a heck of a storm brewing, it was sooooo black over the mountains. The neighbours can be a little funny so I'm calling this crazy chook in a stage whisper trying to get her attention. Occasionally she'd glance around at my voice but couldn't see where I was so back to pecking she'd go. It finally got the better of me so I got her attention by banging the side of the mash bucket - scared five years growth out of her. She got a solid talking to from me and a peck from one of the other girls. lol.
Mark had started to make them a run but I think he's going to have to finish it if they are going to start roaming far and wide.

OLD KNOWLEDGE.

What a brilliant sunny day here in God's own country! It's the third day of lovely weather; it must be at least 20c out there, not bad for a winters day. (Dare I say it - about time!!!)

I've been browsing through a wonderful old book that belonged to Mark's father's family. It's called the Peoples Home Library, a library of three practical books. It was first copyrighted in 1910 and was published by the Oceanic Publishing Company in 1920!

        The first book is the Home Medical Book which includes not only descriptions and nursing care for just about every disease known to man but also home remedies for each ailment. Some of them are amazing and some are just down right scary! Mexican Mustang Liniment is just one -  2 ounces of petroleum, 1 ounce of ammonia water, 1/2 ounce of naptha, 1/2 ounce crude oleic acid and 1 dram brandy. I'm surmising as a liniment it may have been for arthritis or perhaps sprains; don't know and not likely to make that one. :)

       The second is the Home Recipe Book and I look forward to trying some of these old recipes. Mrs. Kirk, the author, has quite a C.V. having been a teacher and lecturer in Domestic Science in both public and private sectors including the Chicago University! She has a quote at the beginning of her book that stands the test of time well ..............

"Good cooking means the knowledge of all fruits, herbs, balms and spices, and all that is healing and sweet in fields and groves and savoury in meats. It means carefulness, inventiveness, watchfulness, willingness and readiness of appliances. It means the economy of your great-grandmothers and the science of modern chemists. .....John Ruskin..... 1819-1900

This second book not only has housekeeping tips but recipes beginning with bread-making; preserving and jelly making (jam for us Aussies) selecting meats and poultry, candy making (lollies) puddings and sauces, pickling., even how to preserve eggs! Under a heading "What to do and how to do it" there are "various recipes of all kinds." lol. (for cleaning etc) "To polish patent leather - orange juice will be found to be a good polish for patent leather."

The third and final book is the Home Stock Book which covers horses, sheep, pigs, cattle, poultry, even cats and dogs. That should be quite a read as well. :)

I've had a heap of fun browsing through it and will post anything I try; though Mark has just said he wants to read the recipe through before he volunteers to be the guinea pig. Bah - chicken!!!! :)

PERFECT, PERFECT,PERFECT.

Well the title says it all. The day was magical from beginning to end. The sun shone, the violinists were amazing, the vows the kids wrote were tear-jerking and the reception was the most fun we've all had in ages. Food was YUM and the cocktail waiter was very talented. What can I say???

                                   

It was just brilliant hanging out with family; we don't do it often enough. The whole sibling thing is something I miss as mine live a good distance from us but we had lots of laughs while we re-connected. It was great to catch up with two of my nephews, one of whom is married. I met the others fiancée for the first time and was thrilled she was so lovely. We had a couple there who had had a lot of input into my kids lives and we wanted them to share in the day. It seems almost surreal how perfect the whole day turned out. And as much as we are overjoyed to welcome our new daughter-in-law into our family, it's lovely for Mark and I to know that our son is as welcome and loved by his new wife's family. I love Rae's mum and the rest of her family seem just as nice. I know everyone will be there to support the kids as they embark on this new adventure. That's what it's all about isn't it - just being there for each other. :)

                                   

                                                 

It's a few days of rest and then back to normal here.  Chooks, leeks and cheesemaking here I come. :)

Almost there.

Well it's only two days to go and my first born will be a married man!!
They have been so busy getting organised, I'm sure they'll be glad when the day gets here. The weather has been a worry but a sunny weekend is expected so it should all go off beautifully. We've been fussing about doing bits and pieces; the last few things will be finished tomorrow. Bonnie goes to the pet motel for the weekend, Kim and I are getting our nails done and Mark and I will pack our overnight bags for Saturday. :)

It'll be great to see my rels and meet our new daughter-in-laws extended family; they sound lovely. I remember my own wedding and some of the mad things that happened that made it such a fun day. Everyone left for the church but they forgot to take Mark. He managed to get there just as we were pulling up outside; so he had to bolt in the side entrance, but he needn't have worried - the main door was locked! I thought this was scream so pushed my nose up against the glass and waved to get the priests attention. Dad was annoyed, I couldn't stop laughing and the priest waved back. lol what a hoot! At one stage Mark and I had to sit beside the alter and as the priest was talking Mark leaned in close and said; " Sit back and relax, he might be a while." I said "I'd like to but I've sat on my veil and every time I lean back it starts to fall off my head." Needless to say we both lost it and started to giggle - which resulted in some very stern looks from the priest and Mark's parents. :)

That's the thing I remember about my wedding; not that some things didn't quite go to plan; but that we had huge fun!

Saturday is going to be wonderful. I'm guessing we'll shed a few tears - what parent doesn't - but this is as it should be. Our amazing son is beginning a new chapter in his life with his wonderful partner - and we feel very privileged to be part of their special day. :)

Good morning.

Today I lazed in bed a later than I should have but that's the joy of winter isn't it; snuggled up in - between flanny sheets and a cosy doona. And then - the piece de resistance - porridge! :) YUM.

The forecast is for rain for the next month (!) so I've washed everything in sight to take advantage of the beautiful sun. It's a lovely day; lets hope the forecast is wrong.

Mark finished painting my office and we're just waiting for the trim to harden then everything can go back in. It's a lovely shade of pale dove grey with white trim. I'm looking forward to decorating it; looking for new curtains tomorrow. The grey is a very peaceful colour and I need the room to be uncluttered and relaxing to work well. I can't think in clutter. I tend to like mono-chromic or French provincial so there'll be dashes of black, white and maybe a little red.

Not sure about the red though because I have the most beautiful piece of fabric that I've had for literally years in a sort of pastel floral. It's very floaty and soft I'm thinking it might make a gorgeous cushion cover and maybe a tassel for the cupboard door. I'd love a big old wooden desk but the one I have is the perfect size and shape for my work and the room so I'll work around it.

I'm going to a morning tea on Friday of local ladies who do craft and are into the same things I am such as cooking from scratch, gardening etc. It should be huge fun, meeting new people and learning new things. I have to say though, when it comes to crafts, my enthusiasm far exceeds my expertise!

I seem to have a to - do list as long as my arm today, better get to it. Am about to go down to the bush and get some wood to start the fire later on and to stock up before it starts to rain. The fire was blazing last night so when Mark came home the house was toasty. We had a pork stir-fry and home-made custard with stewed pears and then curled up in front of the fire - doesn't get much better. The ducted is a huge blessing but I really do prefer the heat from a fire.

                                                       Don't the leeks look lovely?!

Feast / Famine.

Today I was reminded of that old saying "it's either a feast or a famine." The chickens are going overboard now after taking a little while for the new ones to settle in and begin to lay. A month ago I had to buy eggs now I have them coming out of my ears and have given away dozens. It is nice being able to share. Such good little chooks!!!

  I have a big pot of lavender outside the kitchen window and it's overflowing at the moment. I love anything lavender and I think a little bit of greenery inside always looks cheerful in winter, so I brought a few sprigs in yesterday. I made that little blue jug 27 years ago! I was pregnant with my first child and he gets married in less than two weeks.

I also had three phone calls from friends, two of whom wanted to come for a visit. How lovely! I can sometimes go a few days and not hear from a friend and now three in one day! And these are the sort of people you WANT to hear from too which is even better. :)  We all have the kind where our heart sinks a little when we hear their voice. lol - you know the conversation that goes . . . .  . . .
Other person " hi how are you "
ME " great how are you?"
Other person - (hesitates and then gives an almost imperceptible sigh), " oh .........not bad."
After the obligatory "round-the-mountain" small- talk the real reason for the call comes out - it's all so predictable! I finally got smart, now I check the number before I answer. lol.

I got lucky today though, such enjoyable, laughter-filled calls - like I said it's either a feast or a famine! :)