SPRING.

Isn't spring lovely?! Doesn't matter what's going on in life - the sun puts a whole new slant on things and a smile on your face.

I've been very busy; too, too busy; but it's just one of those seasons. I've finished my final assignment and sent it on its merry way; just an exam to do and then that's it! WOO HOO.

This week we've put in tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, pickling onions and leeks, carrots, cucumbers, beans, beetroot, more strawberries, sweet potato and in the new herb garden chamomile, lemon balm, sage, basil, as well as those I transplanted from one of the raised beds. The transplanted mandarin tree was looking rough for a few weeks but is now getting new growth so we might have succeeded with that. The fig is getting its spring leaves and the cuttings I took haven't carked it so my sister just might get her fig tree yet. :)
There's new growth on the fruit trees and they've all been fed and mulched  ready for the warmer days.

The chickens are laying an egg a day each, the little troopers, except dear Cackles who I'm pretty sure is past it. She just wanders about by herself when they're let out to free-range and isn't as adventurous as she use to be. She's a sweet little chook, an individual who just does her own thing. I quite like that in a chicken.

This weekend we're going to declutter the container - look out Gumtree! I'm determined to get rid of everything that isn't nailed down. lol. I hate clutter and feel weighed down when there's a lot of stuff hanging about that's not "earning it's keep" so to speak. I like the idea of moving it on so someone else can get use out of it.

And over the weekend we'll take the time to relax and put the feet up. We sometimes forget just how important that is and have to keep reminding ourselves that it's not only a good thing but also an essential thing to do.

LAVENDER DAYS.

LAVENDER OIL.

What you'll need.                                                                

fresh lavender flowers - you can use leaves and young stems but not old woody stems.

carrier oil   ( I use sweet almond which is a good all-purpose oil. You can use most oils but make sure you use one that doesn't have an overpowering smell. Be aware of allergies if you decide to use peanut oil!)

a jar with a tight fitting lid

cheesecloth, muslin or a fine strainer

dark glass bottles for storage of lavender oil.

Method.

collect flower heads/leaves/stems. I'm not making too much so I collected 1.5 cups of mainly flower heads and some soft stems.

 

Pop lavender into a jar, fill with oil, making sure everything is completely covered and put on the lid. Sit in a warm place for at least a couple of days. Give it a shake occasionally to make sure it's mixed. Strain out the lavender,squeezing out all the oil you can. Collect fresh flowers etc, adding to the jar, and do the process over again until the required perfume is reached.

Strain and decant into dark glass bottles. Keep in a cool, dark place and it should last for up to a year.

I won't go into the 1001 uses for lavender oil; there are innumerable books and websites on the subject. Suffice to say it's incredibly easy to make and because I like a very strong lavender smell I'm able to make it how I want it.

HULLO AGAIN.

It's been quite a hectic few weeks; it's so nice to be back.

Mark's mother was extremely ill; we nearly lost her. Physically she is back on her feet but the Altzeimers has progressed at an alarming rate since her illness  - the upshot being she will be moved to a care facility this week. It's been a really rotten time quite frankly; how often do we see other peoples agendas rise to the fore in difficult times and all this does is make a sad situation even more stressful. Amongst all this, my dear husband was first on the scene at a terrible fatal car accident just around the corner from us. A few days later we were told it was the youngest son of people we've known for years. So, so sad.

Anyway there's a lot to be done now, a home of 60 years to be emptied and sold. A lifetime to be fitted into a couple of suitcases.

In her more compos mentis moments Mark's mum is fine about going to the facility - that has made it a little easier on the family.

So life is busy, hectic and perhaps stressful at times but it's also funny, happy, with just a bit of crazy thrown in for good measure. That's life after all.

I'm making some lavender oil this week come hell or high water. I want to use some of the gorgeous stuff I've got growing in a pot outside my kitchen window. I'll tell you about it tomorrow . For now I'm going to sit outside and enjoy the sun.