Where Does the Time Go?...........

We had a really busy weekend moving my daughter into her new home......Sunday night locking up the chooks my man found one had died and its neck broken and the feathers picked off, no other damage.....the other girls were looking very subdued and nervous...next morning silence from the henhouse and I thought the worst.....but they were ok just too scared to come out and kept looking skyward....I think that a large bird has attacked them and tried to carry one of them off and has only managed to kill it .....I hastily erected the bird netting over their enclosure and they came straight out and have been happy since.....I've had the chickens for over 2 years and this is the first one I've lost to a predator....have managed to keep them safe from Mr Fox, but didn't think of attacks from above.

Wedding anniversary and bouquet .....so lovely....I feel very lucky to be sharing my life with

such a terrific man.....he really is a special person.

An anniversary bouquet.....lovely to celebrate every milestone.

Am racing to finish of a crochet project for my daughter's new house....haven't crocheted in a long time, but it's like riding a bike.....you just get back on.....hopefully this cushion cover will be finished soon.....

Progress on the cushion cover is quick when I have time to get onto it....12 ply works up fast .

Another project is renovating the ensuite.......so far all we have managed to do is start to pull our the shower......fingers crossed we can arrange reliable tradesmen and things will so along smoothly....does it ever???......renovating anything is problematic at times....see how we go !!

Yikes, I hate renovating but our ensuite needs fixing....including leaky broken shower.

I can't believe that we are heading into September next week....where does the year go....it flies past and before you know it another year is gone.....I took the time today to sit in the sun with a cup off tea and just enjoyed doing nothing for 20 minutes...just being thankful for my life and all that it entails...the good and the not so good....it really is what you make it....so make the most of it.

Surely They Can't be Serious.......

I received an email from a solar company today with this link to an article in the media outlining the government's intention to scrap the RET (renewable energy target).....

They think we should continue with masses of this !!!..........................

Instead of aiming for this where possible.........................

Or this...........

Is this logical???....I am so mad that money drives every decision that this current government makes......what is wrong with people !

Wonderful Weekend Away.......

My man and I were long overdue for a weekend away so for his birthday and our anniversary we took a trip away to country Victoria....headed off on Friday..stopping in at Trentham on our way to Castlemaine....a trip to Daylesford on Saturday and then Hanging Rock on the way back home on Sunday....if you've never taken a trip around Victoria's historic gold field towns...it's a beautiful way to spend a sunny, if not a bit chilly, weekend.

First stop was Lunch in Trenthan at the Red Beard Bakery....all products sourced locally...my man's sausage roll .

Local goodies line the wall of the Café...I love shops that sell regional produce

Relaxed style of the café....it was a great spot for our first stop



Lots of recycled items in the brick fence ....it was amazing and so creative. ..loads of clever people in rural Victoria



Next stop Trentham falls....the highest single drop waterfall in Victoria...another little gem hidden away.

One of my absolute favourite parts of the Australian Countryside....I adore the rows of quirky letterboxes that are dotted around the place....impossible for me not to stop and snap a quick pic..

I'm sure the letterboxes are as individual and quirky as their owners....so much to see when you take the time to look.

Our accommodation at Castlemaine was the Coach House a lovely conversion that sits in amongst a beautifully restored Victorian homestead on 5 acres...only spent 2 nights but we think we could live in Castlemaine .... would love to restore one of the many old houses that are dotted around the town....it's nice to dream about.

Our accommodation...1900's coach house conversion...lovely and very rustic inside.

 A visit to Buda House in Castlemaine was a great insight to life in the late 1800's...the house appears as it would have been in the early 1900's and is of significant historical value to the local area....information about the Leviny family can be found here ...the daughters helped to inspire the art and craft movement in rural Victoria.

Buda House and gardens....unchanged since the early 1900's .... maintained by the local community.

Art and handicraft fill the home.. including this amazing stitchery created by one of the Leviny daughters.



Saturday saw us in Daylesford for lunch...have been lots of times as I love Daylesford...our usual trip to the Convent Gallery and as always lit a candle for our sister-in-law and now also for our friend Heather who we lost earlier this year....it's a lovely place

We lit two candles in the convent chapel....... it's a sentimental reminder we do each visit.

The Convent Gallery Daylesford...lovely place to pop in and check out the artwork

 Friday night dinner was at the Railway Café and Saturday night was a slap up 3 courses at the NewNorthern..very fancy...lots of locally sourced foods, and things we had never eaten before...quite an experience.....Sunday morning saw us taking brunch in the Run Rabbit Run café in Castlemaine ...it was our favourite café...my man's meal was called Cowboy Scrapple...and I had Grandma's Toastie.....before heading off to the hauntingly beautiful Hanging Rock..

Ed's brunch...Cowboy Scrapple...chorizo, chilli cornbread, eggs and special chutney...he loved it

The walk up Hanging Rock ....we didn't get to what they charmingly call the summit...we only went as far as the Hanging Rock...that was far enough for me ...very steep and it was very cold. 

The start of the walk up the mysterious Hanging Rock....the visit to the display and information room is really interesting.

This is the actual hanging rock...didn't know that was how they got the name. it's the small suspended rock 2nd from the left.

 What would a trip to Hanging Rock be without a lunch of bread, pate, cheese and our favourite Oyster Bay....it was a quick lunch as it was only 6 degrees while we were there....sun was shining .....but still pretty chilly.

Lunch in the chilly car park....joined by two very friendly magpies...they enjoyed the sourdough.

 We had a great trip.  It was so good to spend time away together just the two of us....eating out, sightseeing, looking through shops....enjoying good food and great experiences ... we really should do it more often....We all need a break at some time.. Will have to think about planning our next getaway....so many great spots only a few hours away.

 

Monthly 9 linkup for July....

Many thanks to Linda for taking this on.  I love joining in on this linkup and reflecting on what I have been doing for the month...and also seeing what others have been up to.

Nourish:  Tried my hand at making roast pumpkin hummus.... it was nice but I think I could have tweaked the recipe maybe and added a bit more roasted garlic. Will definitely make my own dips from now on ...it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.


All the ingredients straight into the food processor.




Instant hummus.....it was lovely and creamy initially but set a little after refrigeration...

Prepare: My daughter and grandson have been staying with us and now big preparations are underway to get them into their next home...preparing for a beautiful fresh start....there is a lot to do.

Reduce:  I failed miserably at the no plastic in July...not too proud of that I have to say...certainly an eye opener....did manage to continue to recycle the office files and my man installed a small water tank in the chook pen ..which I blog about Here

Green:  Finally tried to make the face cream I had been going to make for some time...the recipe called for coconut oil, beeswax, almond oil & macadamia oil (any quality oil really), Palmarosa essential oil & vitamin E...however I don't think I did it quite correctly because it didn't go as creamy as I was expecting...in the fridge it set beautifully, but at room temperature it is a little runny...still using it though as it is a great moisturiser. 



Home made moisturiser....need to work on the recipe again.

 Grow:  Not getting much out of the vegie garden at the moment just waiting patiently for the seedlings to do their thing....but a lot of flowers are already appearing a bit early.....I love the fragrance of Daphne and am madly picking the flowers and filling the house with their beautiful aroma...  Spring must be just around the corner.




My favourite flower....or maybe it's a tie between Daphne and Hyacinths....I can't split them.



Create: While I haven't had the time to spend on my own creative projects, I have been teaching my eldest daughter how to knit...I found this simple throw pattern which is knitted with 3 strands of 12 ply on big needles and knits up in no time...she is very chuffed to have created her own blanket in such a short time...I think she has finally found the joy of knitting......

 

My daughters rug is this pattern but in Teal, Grey and Cream...her new home colours

 Discover:    This month the crisis facing many countries overseas was overshadowed by the tragedy of flight M17... This horrific event deservedly received world wide attention for weeks with many Australians being victims of this atrocity....yet wars, death, destruction, starvation and man's inhumanity to man continue daily and hardly a tear is shed here for their suffering...it appears if it doesn't involve Australian's we don't appear to care so much ....a discovery I wish I had the power to change.

 

Enhance:  My husband turned 60 this month as we celebrated with a big party at his Golf Club....the evening would not have been the same without the appearance of Batman !!!  He certainly enhanced our enjoyment.....just as he enhances our lives ..he is quite the character.   

What would a party be without the guest appearance of Batman.

 Enjoy:  The July luncheon was hosted by the big K and Robyn....the theme was comfort food.... entrée was Cauliflower soup from J&M...have to say I am not a fan of cauliflower but this was one of the most delicious soups I have ever had....tracking down the recipe which I will put up as it is so tasty and a great way to eat cauliflower...Main was Maple Glazed Lamb shanks ..once again the big K excelled himself, it was scrumptious...desert from Jan & Al was sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce and toffee thingy...YUM...I got the easy bit, I just had to make bread and I also made the roast pumpkin hummus and crackers... very comfortable afternoon all up !!


Worlds best cauliflower soup...flavours of mustard and pancetta...wow

Beautiful sticky Maple Glazed Shanks, onion, potatoes and fresh green beans!!



Goes without saying....delicious sticky date PUD !!!

The diners all looking very comfortable I have to say...

 So that's the month as it was.....lots to look forward to in August....stay warm, enjoy what's left of Winter.  Hug someone close to you and spare a thought for those less fortunate.

Thursday Thoughts....

It's been hard to find the time to blog lately...there's quite a bit happening on the home front. I was going to try and link in with NO PLASTIC JULY....we had my man's 60th birthday celebrations .... unfortunately with over 90 people,food, balloons, lollies,  etc.  everything came wrapped in plastic .....all of it left at the Golf Club to dispose of .. Yikes...after such a disastrous start where there was so much single use plastic I gave up...huge awareness now of the terrible amount of unnecessary plastic we generate.  Totally need to rethink large celebrations and their impact. 

The end of the financial year means setting up all the office information for the new year.  I have recycled the same two sets of office files for the past 5 years...I just white out the previous years and update with the new...I have around 20 files so while it's not huge it does save a bit...

We have installed a small water tank in the chicken run using the water run off from the shed roof....much easier than trudging up to the tap all the time and also captures the rainwater.



Tank stores the rainwater and bottom tap into the water dish

recycled pieces of pipe shaped to fit around the wall....

Daphne checking out the some of the girls from behind the fence.....

 Spending lots of time with the G Boy....can't call him baby anymore ....a wildlife display with a small crocodile, wombat, snake and frog....yes he was more scared of the frog than the crocodile...go figure !!

My beautiful G Boy a bit shy of the frog....

Almost two thirds of the way through winter now...the garden is very slow...after checking out Celia's garden here I am thinking of planting all my seedlings much closer together....  Whenever I feel I need a laugh I visit John here... he has an hilarious blog....he is quite the character....So much trouble around the world at the moment.....I wish the whole world could see the bigger picture...work to save the planet and humanity ...not spend millions blowing it up and killing each other.....Lastly good luck to the Aussie athletes as they start the Commonwealth Games...ironic that sport continues while war goes on in other parts of the world.....we are so removed from the terror that others face daily.

Get Involved....

Oxfam need your help to assist with the worsening situation in Syria.  Please go HERE to sign their petition to the Australian Government.

"OXFAM -  The crisis in Syria is one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of our generation. More than 9 million people need humanitarian aid inside Syria and there are nearly 3 million refugees, half of them children.  We all have a role to play to address this shocking emergency, including the Australian Government. The United Nations has asked wealthy governments to contribute urgently-needed funds to a humanitarian crisis appeal. Based on the size of our economy, Australia’s fair share would be $106 million. The government has contributed just $30 million so far in 2014 – less than a third of Australia’s fair share. "

Now is your chance to speak out about an unfolding human tragedy. 

Money, Money,Money.........

 I'm going to open a great big can of worms here because there is so much information out there about saving money and being frugal...I watched a you tube from a Current Affair about a family who have a grocery bill of $270 per month and they have paid off their mortgage in 5 years on $40k total income per year.....I can appreciate their commitment and dedication to their lifestyle but for me the issue is LIFESTYLE.  I don't know how they have managed to do this...firstly I admit saving money is not my strong point.....but for me being reduced to budget meals that have travelled who knows how far with ingredients that contain  who knows what doesn't seem worth what appeared to be this manic need to avoid spending money.  I don't want to eat 2 minute noodles or have 50 cans of soup from Aldi in my pantry...I understand low income families have to make cost effective choices and low priced items become a necessity ...but this family appear to have chosen to work 3 days a week between them and have adjusted their spending accordingly I guess....  Along with many others I've made a conscious commitment to reduce my carbon footprint....eat organic food and ethically raised and treated animals...support local and community traders...avoid waste... we compost...we recycle...don't use chemicals in the home or on our bodies or in the garden........I don't want to waste money and have made a commitment to pay off our mortgage as soon as possible.....but not at the expense of our health and the planet..We live a fairly simple life but if we want to celebrate with friends by eating out occasionally we will, local businesses need our support....I am prepared to pay more for food that has been sourced ethically (fair trade) ...when I buy clothes or gifts I avoid items produced in sweatshops....I totally understand that low income families may not be able to make these choices but I would encourage even the most frugal out there to make decisions with their health and the environment at the base of their spending choices.


Poor Daisy was sick after her visit to the groomers....I think she reacts badly to the worming tablets.

Yesterday the girls had to be clipped and wormed and Daphne had to have her yearly heartworm and vaccination...all up cost $260 ....Yikes....but I have made a commitment to take care of my pets and it costs money... Keeping pets is not a frugal option , but I wouldn't be without them.


Daphne as always looks very nervous when I get the camera out....go figure



We've added 3 new garden beds to the vegie gardens ...garden boxes, soil and seedlings over $120...It still costs to grow your own.....could be done much cheaper I guess, but the boxes were on sale.

I certainly mean no offence to anyone out there who is struggling to make ends meet....I just think there is a lot to consider with regard to money....for me it is the root of all evil but unfortunately almost impossible to live without.....I want to enjoy the time I have on this earth while ensuring I take better care of it for the generations to come...My ramblings probably sound very naïve and may irritate those who have tight budgets...while every individual has the right to choose the path that best suits their finances and lifestyle.

Back from the Brink....

I've left the despair of the last few weeks behind me and am hopefully getting life back to normal...as normal as possible anyway.  Sunday saw us attending our monthly luncheon...a Sunday Solstice & Curry Munch !!  Hosts Jan and Al surprised us with a sumptuous range of dishes using curry sauces made from scratch...Beef Rendang , Chicken curry, curry Potato, lentil and eggplant dal....loads of goodies with rice and homemade pappadams...and raita !!  She excelled herself...also accompanied by a lovely shredded salad timbale with an amazing dressing supplied by the big K.   My offering was a Hummingbird cake to help celebrate a recent birthday....was asked to bring "The Sponge" but once again that was a dismal failure....go figure.

Smiles all round as we tucked into a Super Solstice Celebratory Curry Munch.

A variety of goodies on offer...all on my plate.

Forgot to take a photo of my cake until we had almost consumed it...it tasted pretty good if I do say so.

Monday saw me back to my usual routine...taking the G baby off to his sports morning...my Monday's with this little guy are so precious....he is our little ray of sunshine....the sport to learn this week was T Ball....he loved it...you can't see all of the other kids but there are about 8 of them in this class.


My G Baby all set for a big swing...he loves running around and always has a smile for the camera !!

Getting his achievement certificate for the end of term from teachers Jane and Helen.

Life is a bit upside down and turned around at the moment....but I've helped where I can ...done my best and will continue to support whenever and wherever I can.  I've sourced outside help for my dad to help him with his difficult journey ahead....fingers crossed he will be receptive to their efforts.  For now I will just keep smiling and getting on with my life....My man turns 60 next week and we have a large party booked at his Golf Club...need to turn my attention to that now.  Happy days ahead.

Lesson's from Life.......

Was it really only three weeks ago I was thinking how perfect my simple life had become....I should have known better than let the universe see my contentment....life since then has thrown some huge challenges my way...one of which was flying to Qld when my elderly father was hospitalised after driving himself and mum all the way from Melbourne towing a caravan....getting very sick along the way. ....Hospital advising him he was not fit to drive and I had to fly up and drive them both back home....Hervey Bay to Melbourne (2000km)  in 3 days....exhausting....poor dad is perhaps suffering some early dementia as well as poor health...it's heartbreaking to realise he isn't quite the same person he used to be.

Then one of those nearest and dearest to me experienced breakup, heartache and life changing decisions have been made...The lesson for me from all of this is I don't have the power to fix everything....I have to be a bystander as those around me suffer...I can only offer my heart and support...at the end of the day I am powerless, and just hope my love wraps its strength around them.

The sun still came up today....it's bright and crisp outside....I've cleaned up the chicken coop...the poor feathered girls have not had their usual attention, so spent some time with them this morning.  The vegies are growing...there is the beautiful smell of open fires permeating the breeze....it's so good to feel the magic that this lifestyle gives me is still here.

Farewell to Autumn......

It's wet, bleak and miserable in the hills today......Autumn is certainly on the way out as Winter lets us all know she is just around the corner....no complaints, we've had loads of beautiful sunny days and mild temperatures this Autumn....I've planted out plenty of seedlings and am currently looking around for a greenhouse....nothing to  big, just enough to propagate my own seeds...hopefully save money by not buying costly seedlings to feed to the snails !!....Growing  vegies certainly makes you very aware of the change in seasons....The chickens also react to the seasonal changes....yes they were moulting...lots of lovely new feathers now...but not many eggs....its gone from feast to famine...only one or two a day...makes them all the more precious don't you think.

The beautiful birdlife around here ..... they love the bird feeder in my garden

Autumn's carpet....I love it .. unfortunately my husband doesn't and they eventually succumb to the leaf blower....

The neighbouring Golden Beech sheds into our yard....it's so beautiful, wish it was on our side.

Precious goodies from the girls....the fewer fresh eggs it seems, the greater the enjoyment...go figure

Next week we welcome winter .... the season of lazy days in front of the log fire....loads of pumpkin soup and freshly baked bread.....knitting ...umbrellas .....new gumboots...big puddles... and loads of warm cuddles.....