Friday Follies.......

My chickens are laying every day...seven girls, seven eggs....they need to
take some time out....and have a rest.

Moments in the Kitchen.....spring in a vase....avocado in with a banana
to ripen up...delicious organic oranges

No happy with my onions.....haven't produced a bulb...look more like leeks...
looked it up in my gardening book and apparently soil must be too rich...
there's always next year......

The end of the week brings some much needed sunshine to the hills.....a cold blast that felt like winter this week was not what I expected this time of year.....the bushfires in NSW bring a reminder that summer will soon be with us and the associated danger of living in the hills......it is worth the risk to live in beautiful country surroundings.  ..I wouldn't want to be living anywhere else. 
On another note, my chickens laid all throughout winter ....with the exception of the two light sussex who have the good sense to take some time off .....and are still laying every day....this has caused them to loose a bit of condition and they are on the skinny side....have been working very hard to try and fatten them up...they seem happy enough but I would like them to take a break, and gain weight...anyone else have this problem?

Rudimentary Reflections ........

A little bit of sping on my office desk....jonquils from a local farmer..beautiful

I have started to wear these necklaces daily....the amulet is from Nepal and
is to remind me of all things spiritual....the beads were a gift that I hadn't worn..
I read an article that was about the average life expectancy and you deduct the amount
of days that you have been alive from the amount of life expectancy days....and that's about
what you have left....seems grim but the beads are to remind me that our days on earth are
numbered, the individual beads symbolise days................a subtle reminder to enjoy everyday..and be happy!

After the beautiful sunshine yesterday, todays gloomy weather brings a more sombre mood and time for a little reflection on where things are at........so far so good....the lifestyle changes that I started working on so long ago now have become second nature and I love the simplistic way I am now trying to live my life.....I try to surround myself with small reminders of what I am trying to achieve....a few of the more simple ones on the list....Start eating better; be yourself; help others when you can; eat Salads; do something you love everyday; eat less, move more; buy less, make more: eat organic food; try to learn something new each day; try a new recipe at least once a week; grow my own food; avoid processed foods; stop putting your life on hold; create an amazing life...................the list goes on.....I encourage everyone to find their bliss and appreciate every day...life isn't infinite, so enjoy every single sunrise and sunset.

Tuesday "Tidbits"..........

 

Nearly lost these fuschia's over winter....they were gorgeous
when I got them late last year....big full standards.....
they got sick and looked like dead sticks......Spring
has thankfully bought them back to life.....gotta love that.

Planted an early tomato plant....usually
don't plant until Cup Day...an Italian
friend advises that you should wait until
then....see how they go !!

Some early snow pea shoots....growing in pots to see how
they go....hopefully all should be good.....at least the
snails haven't found this pot yet.....

Today at the organic food store getting vegies,
saw these zucchini seeds.....will have a go at
setting these up in the greenhouse.....if the
snails don't eat them as soon as they pop up...!



Spent a beautiful afternoon on Saturday planting out my seedlings.....the
snails have spent the last two days trying to eat them all....because of my girls I can't
use any snail bait....have tried diatomacious earth......egg shells and beer....so far Daisy has eaten
the egg shells and lapped up the beer !!.....read an article that if you leave rolled up paper the
snails will look for shelter and go in there and then I can dispose of them........sounds good ??

Both the girls went to the Clippers today.....they don't seem very impressed....
in fact Daphne looks a little mad at me......!!

Daisy just looks a bit confused....but then she always looks a bit confused....so cute !!

Opening your Heart......

I am a regular contributor to Oxfam and I also buy from their store and give their gift cards at Christmas.....have given chickens, goats, school books and blankets......my friends love them, they don't really need a gift themselves and are happy for a donated gift.......Today I have received a copy of the quarterly brochure which highlights the projects that Oxfam are working on around the world......there were some sobering statistics which I would like to share....2 Billion people lack access to clean water......121 Million children each year are denied the basic human right to an education......39.5 Million people around the world are living with HIV and AIDS......2.2 Million children die each year because they are not immunised.....20% of the population of the developed nations consume 86% of the worlds goods......it certainly makes you take a look at what you can do to help........consider joining the Oxfam global community and work towards ending the cycle of poverty...by signing up as a regular contributor, shopping at their stores and buying Fair Trade tea, coffee etc.....open your heart and do what you can to help.