Wednesday 31 December 2014

Another Year Older.....

 Happy 2015...Last night we saw out the old year with some friends....just a quiet night spent chatting, sharing nibbles and a few drinks and waiting for midnight....The older I get the less I feel the need for big celebrations to end the year....but I love new beginnings and love starting with a  clean slate and the chance to reinvigorate my life, passions and what I hope to achieve over the next 12 months.



I do make resolutions but whether I can maintain them or not doesn't matter, the fact that I am lucky enough to live where I have the freedom to make these choices is enough for me.  I'm just happy to be able to do my own thing and try not to judge others for what they do, with obvious exceptions.
Is World Peace and abolition of terrorism too much to ask for in 2015?  Probably, but I will put the message out there anyway. 

Tuesday 23 December 2014

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.....

Wow this month has really flown by...not sure where it went .... the media showed us so much sadness and tragedy in the lead up to Christmas ... hard to keep the Christmas cheer going but as they say life goes on.. This evening we will be sharing Christmas Eve once again with the family of my girlfriend who passed away in March....it will be tough but I know she would wish her husband and children the courage to continue on without her. I will definitely be thinking of her as we watch the carols tonight. Christmas day is at my place tomorrow so lots to do this afternoon to get ready for that.    Did manage to make a few home made edible goodies this week.     Made "white Christmas' for very dear friends to go into a hamper of edible goodies....have to say it was delicious...it was part of a hamper I thought they would take with them when they went to visit family in Ballarat....oops they have eaten it all already !! 
Found a "white Christmas" recipe..... delicious
Bikkie mix in a jar..... chocolate, cranberries and pistachio......made these for my husbands two nieces who have both moved out of home...it was in a magazine last year and I resurrected it again this year.  Hope they enjoy ! 
Just need to add melted butter and an egg and you have instant bikkies...

Boy these babies of mine have grown !!...a couple of weeks is a long time in chicken years...still sleep with their mums at night and they protect them from the other two chooks who give them a bit of a battering every now and then...life's like that.
Five chicks are now teenagers.... !!
 Then we have what was in the garden today....first of the zucchinis and snow peas.....dried my garlic crop, now all trimmed up and ready to be stored...and sadly just one little lonely egg....production is way down in the henhouse!
Today in the garden...

It is the time of year to think of others....as we open gifts and share delicious food tomorrow, I will take time to reflect on those less fortunate than I am and hope that I have made conscious Christmas decisions....I look forward to the New Year...hopefully not as difficult a year as this one... wishing everyone peace and joy.


Wednesday 3 December 2014

Slow Living Monthly Nine for November .....


Just joining in with Linda for the November Slow Living monthly nine...can't believe the year has gone so fast and so much has happened...

Nourish: Hadn't had the chance to get to the supplier for bread flour for a few weeks....really missed my homemade bread...raisin loaf was the first thing that went into the bread maker.  I was on a detox from the naturopath due to arthritis pain and inflammation... no gluten, no dairy and no sugar...I only lasted 9 days out of the 4 weeks...it was incredibly difficult and I have to admire those that can follow this regime....Will try to eliminate different foods in the New Year.


Home made raisin loaf...it is delicious and so much nicer than the store bought variety.
 Prepare:  Like everyone else I am trying to get prepared for Christmas...we hosted a family gathering for 28 people which required quite a bit of preparation.  ... Trying to work out how to get Christmas gifts for everyone without buying into the crass commercialism that is the Australian Christmas season...have a few homemade ideas....lip balm, bath fizzies and a delicious "white Christmas" recipe I would like to try...also preparing cookie mix in jars as gifts...did some last year and they turned out okay.

Reduce:  We have the use of a wood chipper...it will be living in the garage on permanent loan...we used it to shred all of the branches we took down along the sidefence from the neighbours hedge...into the chipper and then mulched under the fruit trees...

Green: I created a very small garden pond that I hope to encourage frogs into, to create some biodiversity in the garden..water for bees and insects ...hopefully the frogs will eat any mozzie larvae...I installed a beautiful water Lillie that my dog daisy devoured and left just a few straggly leaves...hopefully it will grow back....if I don't hear any croaks soon I will buy a couple of little guys to go in there.

Little water pond for frogs...hopefully


Grow:  The vegie garden is loving the last of the Spring weather...rain and sunshine in the same day....everything is growing really well...it grows so fast we sometimes don't get the chance to eat it before it goes to seed...need to be a bit more on the ball and use them up.


Newly planted more corn and butternut pumpkin
Tomatoes are going well

Nothing grows quite as quickly as baby chickens....it is amazing to see how much they grow overnight....from checking on the internet I think the white one is a male...they all still sleep under mum...very cute.

These little babies grow like weeds....

Create: My daughter had a lesson on making Candles and Melts...so we had a session and made a few goodies for Christmas...really enjoyed making the soy melts..they are very easy ... popped on some home printed labels and they are good to go....they are in plastic packing but it is reusable..just pop the melts out into a burner and the packaging is good to reuse.


Not a very good photo but you get the general idea.
Discover:  It was a month of discovery for me....I learnt that I can't change things just because I want too....I realised how much I enjoy playing "words with friends" each morning..... all part of brain training and trying to avoid dementia !! ...I have 18 games on the go with 2 very close girlfriends...I was initially much better at it than they were having always loved scrabble, however over the past year they are not so rusty and are winning a few......better lift my game!
"Word's with Friends" on the iPad each morning over breakfast..a great way to start the day.
I also discovered that no matter how much love and attention I give to sick animals nature will take it's course ...this poor old girl didn't get any better and we lost her on Tuesday...I always get a bit sad when I loose a hen..... they are such stoic birds...she died without too much fuss thankfully. She is from my original 4 isa brown hens...Samantha, Miranda, Charlotte and Carrie...yes the Sex in the City girls...what can I say I had just watched the movie...I know, no excuse.....only Carrie left now.
Poor old girl   ....RIP
Enhance:  I managed to get to writing group at the Community House a couple of times this month...it has been a bit hard to get there with doctor and hospital visits with my aging parents...It's great to get to the group when I can...it encourages me to continue on with writing the novel...!!
 Book club for the month was Careless People..a non fiction book based on Scott F Fitgerald and the writing of the Great Gatsby...have to admit it is interesting but very hard going...don't think I will finish this one.  My girlfriend lent me A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar...it's really good and am enjoying this one...would recommend.


























Enjoy:  It's the end of Spring and I have really enjoyed this Month...Lots of catching up with family and friends ....seeing how all the kids have grown...news of my cousins engagement....I try to keep focussed on the positive to help deal with all of the difficulties we all face each day. Enjoy the run up to Christmas and remember things don't have to be perfect.