Happy to do the honours…where has the year gone?

Dinetta said:

Happy to do the honours…where has the year gone?

Blowed if I know. It snuck past me. I’m over the cold already. I don’t know when I started disliking the cold, but I really suffer from it nowadays.

Been baking all day, again :) Boiled pineapple and walnut fruit cake, choc mud cake, a rice and pork stuffed capsicum paprika dish we all adore, dried out several home made day old ciabatta (not mine) loaves for breadcrumbs, making use of the oven heat ups and cool downs, a giant boiler of pea and ham soup and another of pumpkin soup. I could live on soup :) The last pot of the day is chicken stock. Stuffed it full of chicken frames and veges and seasoning, now strained and boiling it down. I’ll fridge it overnight then tomorrow after my course, skim and freeze it in lots.

I’m stuffed and ready for bed at 7pm..

been to Melbourne for the weekend. My son flies off to Seattle tomorrow and it was my last opportunity to see him before he left. Spent the time at eldest daughter’s and family. Poor Alex had gastro so was not feeling very sociable but I got lots of cuddles and smiles from Zoë. Had more rain while I was away.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Happy to do the honours…where has the year gone?

Blowed if I know. It snuck past me. I’m over the cold already. I don’t know when I started disliking the cold, but I really suffer from it nowadays.

Wouldn’t mind some cold. Good time of year for it.

Ragamuffin says the Chileans are staring at her…she is 5’11” apparently, I’m pretty sure she grew the last 12 months…I have cousins 6’1” and 6’2” but Ragamuffin has more “presence” (flat chested like her Mum so it’s not that)…

Apricot tree has gone nuts – too many apricots and not enough time :/ Spring hit us early before we had a chance to prune the monster tree down. The birds are in seventh heaven and so are the neighbours, work mates and us….apricot jam is cooking as is apricot butter (using slow cookers).

kii said:

Apricot tree has gone nuts – too many apricots and not enough time :/ Spring hit us early before we had a chance to prune the monster tree down. The birds are in seventh heaven and so are the neighbours, work mates and us….apricot jam is cooking as is apricot butter (using slow cookers).

Think I’d better have lunch before re-reading that post…

Dinetta said:

kii said:

Apricot tree has gone nuts – too many apricots and not enough time :/ Spring hit us early before we had a chance to prune the monster tree down. The birds are in seventh heaven and so are the neighbours, work mates and us….apricot jam is cooking as is apricot butter (using slow cookers).

Think I’d better have lunch before re-reading that post…

heh, heh! Salivating there Dinetta?

bluegreen said:

Think I’d better have lunch before re-reading that post…

heh, heh! Salivating there Dinetta?

Goodness me yes, BlueGreen…but I had two chili tex mex sausages (local butcher’s apprentices get creative!!) for lunch so that fixed that…

J2 has been given the boot, again (down the back). I think J1 is having to walk everywhere, don’t think her car is roadworthy.

Sonny Jim is coming up tomorrow, we are going to make a chicken coop or two, definitely some nesting boxes and maybe some frames for garden beds. Goldie needs to be buried: I think I will bury her and X marks the spot, then plant a tree later when the weather (is going to) warm(s) up…there is another “beast” coming …I don’t know where it’s going to go as my freezer hasn’t much room left: I use it for cold storage.

With a bit of luck, Sonny Jim and I will construct a basic dog bed frame: Manu steals Shadow’s bed and he’s feeling a bit demoralised by this…

I have finished ripping up about 1/3 of the fake grass on the back deck, I can see where the glue wore away due to traffic and also how it was laid, where there is no traffic e.g. right beside the sliding glass door fixture. Stupid question time: I’ll need to sand away all the little glue bumps won’t I? before I can lay down some protective wood oils or whatever?

Shadow was not happy with my pulling up the fake grass, he use(d) it to scratch his back, so he lay where he rolls, and put a paw down where I was slicing with my handy man scissors, as if to say “No more! This is mine.” Shall have to brush his coat more frequently, wish I knew what itches him…

Lucky I submitted that post just before Nerfititi walked on the keyboard…

Dinetta said:

I have finished ripping up about 1/3 of the fake grass on the back deck, I can see where the glue wore away due to traffic and also how it was laid, where there is no traffic e.g. right beside the sliding glass door fixture. Stupid question time: I’ll need to sand away all the little glue bumps won’t I? before I can lay down some protective wood oils or whatever?

Shadow was not happy with my pulling up the fake grass, he use(d) it to scratch his back, so he lay where he rolls, and put a paw down where I was slicing with my handy man scissors, as if to say “No more! This is mine.” Shall have to brush his coat more frequently, wish I knew what itches him…

Can you create a special scratching patch with a piece of the fake grass? Perhaps you could use a couple of pallets to make a platform for him or something.

Dinetta said:

Lucky I submitted that post just before Nerfititi walked on the keyboard…

lol!

Hello Gardeners. I’ve been scratching around in the garden. Cleaned out the blueberry patch, and planted a Denise to replace the Chinese blueberry that didn’t make it through Summer. I’ve put some horse manure around, and some woodchips. I’m going to pop in some broadbeans behind for a screen for the next few months, then chop up the plants onto the bed for mulch. I think I’ll pop some telephone peas there too.

A green spring coming up for the Buffys…

A patient gave me some potato onions to put in. I’ve not grown them before, never quite got around to it. I reckon they sound good. I grow chives, garlic chives, spring onions, shallots. Sometimes I try growing ordinary whites and browns, but I’ve never really been successful. Oh, and I can grow leeks really well!

buffy said:

A patient gave me some potato onions to put in. I’ve not grown them before, never quite got around to it. I reckon they sound good. I grow chives, garlic chives, spring onions, shallots. Sometimes I try growing ordinary whites and browns, but I’ve never really been successful. Oh, and I can grow leeks really well!

Go on rub it in…you live in an area that is cold enough long enough to grow leeks…

Dinetta said:

buffy said:

A patient gave me some potato onions to put in. I’ve not grown them before, never quite got around to it. I reckon they sound good. I grow chives, garlic chives, spring onions, shallots. Sometimes I try growing ordinary whites and browns, but I’ve never really been successful. Oh, and I can grow leeks really well!

Go on rub it in…you live in an area that is cold enough long enough to grow leeks…

Abundant leeks here too and they are strong, cause tears when cut, like onions. I’m making the most of them. I know it’s best eaten fresh but I made leek risotto and froze it in bags to test how it reheats and if it’s the same, or near to, when fresh. I was surprised, it was really good! I made a heap more for food packs GS.

Happy Potter said:

Abundant leeks here too and they are strong, cause tears when cut, like onions. I’m making the most of them. I know it’s best eaten fresh but I made leek risotto and froze it in bags to test how it reheats and if it’s the same, or near to, when fresh. I was surprised, it was really good! I made a heap more for food packs GS.

The flavour would improve when frozen. I much prefer leeks to onions for some things, the taste is milder and maybe it’s just me but I seem to think leeks hold their fragrance when cooking?

Hello Gardeners. We went to Allansford for Warrnambool butter and jersey milk this morning. Mr buffy hurt his hand yesterday so we are not getting firewood as was originally planned for today. Now I am going to pull some leeks, pick semi-ripe Brown Berry tomatoes and pull out a couple of tomato plants that have had it. I’ll still have a couple continuing in sheltered spots.

Did you get a decent haul of the Brown Berry tomatoes, I don’t recall you saying you were planting them?

Dinetta said:

Did you get a decent haul of the Brown Berry tomatoes, I don’t recall you saying you were planting them?

Very decent haul. They are very reliable here.

Here you go….I’ve been filling this bowl every 5 days or so. Giving some away to friends. They started very late, only about a month ago, but I don’t want them to go to waste. They make a brilliant neapolitan sauce with my home grown garlic. In fact, having some of that sauce tonight on zucchini slice, with pork chippolatas.

buffy said:

Here you go….I’ve been filling this bowl every 5 days or so. Giving some away to friends. They started very late, only about a month ago, but I don’t want them to go to waste. They make a brilliant neapolitan sauce with my home grown garlic. In fact, having some of that sauce tonight on zucchini slice, with pork chippolatas.

drool-worthy

buffy said:

Here you go….I’ve been filling this bowl every 5 days or so. Giving some away to friends. They started very late, only about a month ago, but I don’t want them to go to waste. They make a brilliant neapolitan sauce with my home grown garlic. In fact, having some of that sauce tonight on zucchini slice, with pork chippolatas.

they look good enough to eat :)

Just looking at the Q’s Birthday Honours, there’s a Fairy Sparkle (location) awarded an OAM…

Dinetta said:

Just looking at the Q’s Birthday Honours, there’s a Fairy Sparkle (location) awarded an OAM…

http://www.fairysparkle.com/

Thanks for that, BlueGreen..I did wonder .. great to see this recognised in some way…

Going to have to knock myself out with exercise this afternoon, having trouble sleeping of a night…the half hour walk with the dogs is more of a wake-up than a sedative…

I can’t believe the cars that try to race the train…there’s a level crossing across from me and the trains (cattle) are always hooting at cars to stoooooooooooooooooooooop!! So the train’s not going fast but I’m sure there’s a meterage where the cars have to Stop for the safety of all concerned, including the train driver’s nerves…they’ve changed a rail block or log, by the sound of the clack clack…

Hello Gardeners. I gave up on staying in Casterton this morning when I woke to rain. Not just showers. I did an hour or so of painting of trims and then came home. Now I’ve got some bread proving, some tomato soup simmering on the woodheater and when I put the oven on for the bread I’ll make a tangelo cake. I picked tangelos this morning.

It rained here yesterday and has been a dreary foggy day today.

I have managed to login from my library just to say hi while I was here.

Time is up now so I’ll just say hi and try again another day.

So, tomorrow the last of the tomato plants come out. I’ll pull off the green cherry tomatoes and make a jar of relish. I reckon there will only be enough for one jar, but as we don’t eat a lot of relish, it will be sufficient.

Oh, yes…I meant to say also that when the tomatoes go this late the snails start to rasp on the skins. During the Summer this isn’t a problem because there are hardly any snails.

roughbarked said:

It rained here yesterday and has been a dreary foggy day today.

I have managed to login from my library just to say hi while I was here.

Time is up now so I’ll just say hi and try again another day.

Jolly good to “see” you…

Raining – kinda – today… the racetrack we went to today was slippery…they tried harrowing and stuff, there was about 8 trucks etc travelling behind the harrow … to no avail… ain’t a race day if the neddies aren’t running around…there was some guinea fowl tho’, running the wrong way… a hen’s party was delighted and cheered the gf onwards…

roughbarked said:

It rained here yesterday and has been a dreary foggy day today.

I have managed to login from my library just to say hi while I was here.

Time is up now so I’ll just say hi and try again another day.

hello, it’s good to see your name again.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

It rained here yesterday and has been a dreary foggy day today.

I have managed to login from my library just to say hi while I was here.

Time is up now so I’ll just say hi and try again another day.

hello, it’s good to see your name again.

Ditto.

Morning green ones. I’ve been painting the ‘storeroom’, third bedroom. It’s coming along well. I’m getting help from the painters apprentice Le Le, son in law to be, KK’s bf. Well they better get married seeing as they are buying a house. He and the girl are staying with us full time now. He was living at his parents place, but they’ve sold up and bought a place in the country.

It’s handy having a painter here, but we don’t take up his time, we do all the cleaning and prep work, then ask him to have a look. The wood trims in the room kept showing up stains, even after sanding, having gone from mission bluddy brown to gloss white, so that’s where Le Le can advise and correct. All the stuff on the shelves to fix whatever problem you can possibly encounter means everyone should be an expert. Except us, lol. The young man cleaned it off and used a pre sealer to stop the staining. He repainted it and this morning it looks great.

Soon as it’s finished we will fill it with extra linen closets and a wardrobe for off season clothes, storage for this and that, then when GS comes over, he and gf can sleep on one side on a blow up mattress.

Good morning Gardeners. We are chilly, at around 4 degrees, with a thick fog. We’ve taken the dogs for a walk around some of town, and I’ve eaten some baked beans on toast. Looks like the fog is lifting a bit. I intend to get some firewood splitting done this morning. I also intend to pull out the last half dozen tomato plants. And bury some chook poo and shredded paper in a spot I want to plant lettuces in the next couple of months. Might get to some sewing too. Then again, the annual Buddleia massacre is due also. I don’t understand ‘bored’.

Well, that’s 5 or 6 barrowloads of redgum split and stacked. Just having a drink before getting back to it again.

This is the pile we are working on. It’s about half size now. We did about a quarter three or four weeks ago, another third or so so far today. Don’t think we’ll do the lot. But we will see:

White thing on the square log at the front is a housebrick….for size comparison. There are some big lumps of wood there.

Maybe not bored but I wish I had your energy buffy!

Went to another quality event at Swanpool last night – the 2nd annual (maybe) Environmental Film Festival. Three guest speakers, three environmental feature films plus a number of short films, afternoon tea, dinner and supper – all for just $20.

bluegreen said:

Maybe not bored but I wish I had your energy buffy!

I did mention we use a hydraulic splitter, didn’t I?

;)

buffy said:

bluegreen said:

Maybe not bored but I wish I had your energy buffy!

I did mention we use a hydraulic splitter, didn’t I?

;)

even so, even so :)

Hello Gardeners. I have been spending money….booked flights to Hobart for August this morning, finally decided I had to replace my very old handbag, impulse bought a couple of good suitcases while I was there. Yes, we did need new suitcases, I thought I might as well write just one cheque. Then for this afternoon’s entertainment I watched the plumber put the ‘snake’ through our septic tank effluent pipe. All seems to be working properly for now, anyway.

I also noticed that my Variegated Solomon’s Seal seems to be subletting their pot while they have their winter break:

And it’s quite a forest under there:

Did you know……? Life in a house where the dogs aren’t talking to each other, feels uncomfortable….

Dinetta said:

Did you know……? Life in a house where the dogs aren’t talking to each other, feels uncomfortable….

why aren’t they talking to each other? doesn’t sound like any dogs I know. lol!

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Did you know……? Life in a house where the dogs aren’t talking to each other, feels uncomfortable….

why aren’t they talking to each other? doesn’t sound like any dogs I know. lol!

Preferable to one where there is open warfare. We had a very major dominance battle some years ago. We had to sit in the lounge with the dogs on leads to stop them fighting each other. Ultimately we resorted to drugs. We chilled them both out and then reduced the dose in the (younger) male – who wanted to become dominant and needed to as he was growing larger than the female. So after she got used to him being boss, we took her off medication too.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Did you know……? Life in a house where the dogs aren’t talking to each other, feels uncomfortable….

why aren’t they talking to each other? doesn’t sound like any dogs I know. lol!

I cut up Manu’s blanket, it was 3.7metres square, some heavy synthetic stuff, and too big to fit in the washiing machine. These are in-house dogs except when I am away for the day.

Soooo, Shadow has the Rogz dog bed, it came with him, and I thought to put the most daggy washed square over the pillow….he jumped into his bed and Manu took him on for sleeping on “her” blanket. Never mind that she’s been relegating him to these blankets whilst she hogs his bed, oh dear me no…so Manu’s blanket came out, Shadow’s blanket went back on his bed, tucked around the pillow to keep it clean, and Manu sleeps there if she finds it vacant. Anyway, after this snapping and growling fight, the dogs only sleep in the one room, the rest of the time they choose spots in different rooms where they can’t see each other. It’s quite clear that they’re “not talking”…

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Did you know……? Life in a house where the dogs aren’t talking to each other, feels uncomfortable….

why aren’t they talking to each other? doesn’t sound like any dogs I know. lol!

I cut up Manu’s blanket, it was 3.7metres square, some heavy synthetic stuff, and too big to fit in the washiing machine. These are in-house dogs except when I am away for the day.

Soooo, Shadow has the Rogz dog bed, it came with him, and I thought to put the most daggy washed square over the pillow….he jumped into his bed and Manu took him on for sleeping on “her” blanket. Never mind that she’s been relegating him to these blankets whilst she hogs his bed, oh dear me no…so Manu’s blanket came out, Shadow’s blanket went back on his bed, tucked around the pillow to keep it clean, and Manu sleeps there if she finds it vacant. Anyway, after this snapping and growling fight, the dogs only sleep in the one room, the rest of the time they choose spots in different rooms where they can’t see each other. It’s quite clear that they’re “not talking”…

oh dear!

Ordered a pair of jeans online from Millers on the evening of the 18th, they were delivered by TOLL truck about 1.5 hours ago…

amazed

Good morning Gardeners. I have just planted a hedge of broccoli. I hope they like living close and holding each other up. They are guarding the Nicola row, which looks sadly like a grave for a short person. Always my potato beds remind me of graves. I need to make them an unusual shape or something.

:)

And today the weather was cold, wet and windy. So I finally put together the bag I have been planning for months. It’s a bit more capacious than I originally planned, but not too bad. I lined it with old sheeting, which made it take ages to make, but I think it was worthwhile.

buffy said:

And today the weather was cold, wet and windy. So I finally put together the bag I have been planning for months. It’s a bit more capacious than I originally planned, but not too bad. I lined it with old sheeting, which made it take ages to make, but I think it was worthwhile.

That’s cool! Love the colour combo.

buffy said:

And today the weather was cold, wet and windy. So I finally put together the bag I have been planning for months. It’s a bit more capacious than I originally planned, but not too bad. I lined it with old sheeting, which made it take ages to make, but I think it was worthwhile.

very nice :)

Evening all. I’ve had a very challenging couple days, all quiet and good now though. I even managed to make it for a half day at my pastry course. I only had enough time to make some puff pastry, so made a chicken and mushroom pie and the other half into palmiers. Both delicious. Palmiers are my new favourite morning tea treats. Yum.

My home made pastry now rates up there with my home made pasta. I always thought shop bought frozen pastry sheets were ok, but like with the pasta, I’ve seen the light and I will never ever buy pastry sheets again. Never ever. Eating out has become a thing of the past. Whats in the oven or fridge is always better!

Next Monday we’ll be making feta ricotta and spinach rolls. I’ll be taking local home made feta and ricotta a good friend makes often (I’m not that flaming good!) Nor have I the time to make cheeses. Again, the soft cheeses made fresh are a world apart from the store bought. I’ve seen a few ‘lights’ lately!

Garden wise, not that much growing. Picking fab leeks and the herbs are still going well, little wonders. The silkies are cranking up with the egg production, but the hamburgs are still dragging their tails.
Oh, and six remaining araucanas are being picked up this week. Except the smallest one that I will be keeping for the blue eggs. I bartered for 6 bags of enriched feed crumbles for them. Enriched with vitamins, pro biotics, protein meal and kelp, called ‘eggs for sure’. I’m going to read the label out loud to the hamburgs.

Love the cuties BG :)

Happy Potter said:

Oh, and six remaining araucanas are being picked up this week. Except the smallest one that I will be keeping for the blue eggs. I bartered for 6 bags of enriched feed crumbles for them. Enriched with vitamins, pro biotics, protein meal and kelp, called ‘eggs for sure’. I’m going to read the label out loud to the hamburgs.

Love the cuties BG :)

Hamburg googies might be a ways off yet, there is supposed to be strong winds, rains and cold weathers coming down to you three.. We have had the winter solistice already so longer days to look forward to…

Yep, cold and raining and blustery winds, I’m wrapped in my heated throw blanket, only dipping a finger out to type slowly, lol.

Happy Potter said:

Yep, cold and raining and blustery winds, I’m wrapped in my heated throw blanket, only dipping a finger out to type slowly, lol.

Quite the picture, there…

I found my first Hamburgh egg yesterday. I wish she hadn’t laid it on the ground where I couldn’t reach it, I broke it picking it up with tongs. I used to have one of those things for flinging balls around for dogs, but I can’t find it. They are good for picking up eggs not laid in the nest. Anyway, Babuschka enjoyed eating the egg from the ground.

Cool and gusty here in South West Vic. All my water tanks are full. Just at the moment the wind has dropped. But we haven’t lost power so far.

Well that was a wild and windy show! There’s fences down 2 doors up, tree branches littering the road and while I was at a vets appt with Max, there were lost dogs being brought in for scanning to see if they were microchipped.
.
No real damage at my place. Just a net dome frame blew off the raised lettuce bed. That did not escape the chooks notice and they hopped up into it and cleared the lot, tilling fertilizing and weeding it in the process. The internet cable got torn from the front of the house and they were just out to repair it. That was quick. The power was off for the bulk of the day. Pond full of branches and paths buried in everything. We’ll sweep and tidy up tomorrow.

Max is still on cortisone tabs for the next week. This arvo while sorting the storeroom, he went barking mad at a cookie monster shaped biscuit barrel. I jabbed his bum and went rarrr! and he nearly shot out of his skin, lol.

Happy Potter said:

Max is still on cortisone tabs for the next week. This arvo while sorting the storeroom, he went barking mad at a cookie monster shaped biscuit barrel. I jabbed his bum and went rarrr! and he nearly shot out of his skin, lol.

LMAO!! Poor Max :(

sniggers

Glad there was not too much damage for you with the storm. Lots of snow on the ski fields now.

Happy Potter said:

I even managed to make it for a half day at my pastry course.

May I ask where you’re doing the course?

I was quite into baking bread at home a few years ago, so thought I might brush up on my skills or learn a few more by doing a ‘Basic Breadmaking’ course at William Angliss in the city (Melbourne).

I lost the urge to bake at home after that. I don’t know why. I’ve only started to slowly get back to it now.

Happy Potter said:

Well that was a wild and windy show!

Glad it wasn’t any worse for you…

Happy Potter said:

Max is still on cortisone tabs for the next week. This arvo while sorting the storeroom, he went barking mad at a cookie monster shaped biscuit barrel. I jabbed his bum and went rarrr! and he nearly shot out of his skin, lol.

Poor Maxie, I’d leave home if I was him….nah! tucker’s too good….haha!

Currently planning my raised garden beds, Sonny Jim is going to show me, I mean LET me whilst he’s watching, how to use the hand saw. Am also planning some structures that will have soft bird netting to keep les chookens out…

I’m working on 1m2, about 500mm high. Have lots of pallets to work with and I need to get going on these as the termites are rather determined here…about 4 beds to start with, and I’ll put the first 2 where I plan to plant citrus trees later…

AussieDJ said:

Happy Potter said:

I even managed to make it for a half day at my pastry course.

May I ask where you’re doing the course?

I was quite into baking bread at home a few years ago, so thought I might brush up on my skills or learn a few more by doing a ‘Basic Breadmaking’ course at William Angliss in the city (Melbourne).

I lost the urge to bake at home after that. I don’t know why. I’ve only started to slowly get back to it now.

Hiya AussieDJ, could you please email me on coz5 (at ) Hotmail (.) com, no caps spaces or brackets, and I will tell you about it. Re losing the urge, I’ve known that to happen, with myself too. Too many projects, and you think – ‘aha I know how to do that – therefore I don’t have to.. right now’. It’s just too easy to let it slip.

I’ve taken on making so many thing that I could buy, that it takes much of my time to do it. I am retired because of a bad back, but still don’t get the time to do everything I want to do. Right now I’m about 3 days behind. Gotta fire up the oven, and hoping the power stays on because the 100 k winds are forecast to return, to bake my dogs daily treat bikkies. So much better for fluffys health and about 15 times cheaper.

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Well that was a wild and windy show!

Glad it wasn’t any worse for you…

Happy Potter said:

Max is still on cortisone tabs for the next week. This arvo while sorting the storeroom, he went barking mad at a cookie monster shaped biscuit barrel. I jabbed his bum and went rarrr! and he nearly shot out of his skin, lol.

Poor Maxie, I’d leave home if I was him….nah! tucker’s too good….haha!

Haha, the food, yes, it’s the food, lol. The kids say that too. Max’s treat tub will be refilled today. The poor thing has had to do with bought chew things that he leaves in bits everywhere. He doesn’t leave a scrap of the ones I make puffs out chest

Egg and dried bacon, egg and cheese and dried liver and jerky flavours. Meats bartered with baked goodies with friends who dry/ smoke their own.

Happy Potter said:

Haha, the food, yes, it’s the food, lol. The kids say that too. Max’s treat tub will be refilled today. The poor thing has had to do with bought chew things that he leaves in bits everywhere. He doesn’t leave a scrap of the ones I make puffs out chest

Egg and dried bacon, egg and cheese and dried liver and jerky flavours. Meats bartered with baked goodies with friends who dry/ smoke their own.

Sound too good to waste on the dog! Just kidding, I would share with him, lol!

I found a website I may wish I hadn’t found….

http://morrisandsons.com.au/

The service is exemplary. I bought bamboo knitting needles to try them out.

buffy said:

I found a website I may wish I hadn’t found….

http://morrisandsons.com.au/

The service is exemplary. I bought bamboo knitting needles to try them out.

I did wonder where that site went. It changed names! It’s where I got the wool from to send to Lucky1 to knit my cream aran cardy. Still beautiful and warm :)

Evening. My lecky blankets on, bed sheets changed, pillows fluffed and my book is ready for a good read in bed. I’m stuffed, running about all day, this and that. I was a’ bag lady’ today!

I was out with hubby and we spotted a pizza/ fish n chip shop he wanted to try, it’d got very good reviews, so we went in and ordered.
I noticed a pallet of sacks of potatoes and decided to ask the owner if he had any empty hessian bags he wanted to offload. He told me to open my boot and he would bring some out to my car. A whole boot load!

Another place I visited for iron on printing paper had bundles of calico bags going cheap, a fiver for 40 odd brand newies, about large library bag size. I bought one bundle and then the lady gave me another large bagful of loose ones, as many again, for free. Unreal!

The hessian bags can get shared out to the vege swaps and the calico ones I will print up with the orchard logo for their up and coming grafting day event. They could sell them a dollar a piece for carrying potted and bare rooted trees home.

Then my handbag handle broke. The girl brought a bin bag full of her old ones for me to sort through and pick one I like out. I like the lot! Lol.

Happy Potter said:

Hiya AussieDJ, could you please email me

Check your inbox for an email from a Westnet address.
Take your time with a reply.

:)

Happy Potter said:

Evening. My lecky blankets on, bed sheets changed, pillows fluffed and my book is ready for a good read in bed. I’m stuffed, running about all day, this and that. I was a’ bag lady’ today!

Well done, fantastic scores all round! Hessian bags are so hard to find, potatoes tend to travel in paper bags these days…I like hessian for the top of the worm farm, can wet it and leave the lid off in summer, hey presto! an airconditioned farm…

AussieDJ said:

Happy Potter said:

Hiya AussieDJ, could you please email me

Check your inbox for an email from a Westnet address.
Take your time with a reply.

:)

Have done and thankyou. I will reply soon.. off to a meeting shortly with sons case manager. (he is autistic)

Happy Potter said:

Evening. My lecky blankets on, bed sheets changed, pillows fluffed and my book is ready for a good read in bed. I’m stuffed, running about all day, this and that. I was a’ bag lady’ today!

I was out with hubby and we spotted a pizza/ fish n chip shop he wanted to try, it’d got very good reviews, so we went in and ordered.
I noticed a pallet of sacks of potatoes and decided to ask the owner if he had any empty hessian bags he wanted to offload. He told me to open my boot and he would bring some out to my car. A whole boot load!

Another place I visited for iron on printing paper had bundles of calico bags going cheap, a fiver for 40 odd brand newies, about large library bag size. I bought one bundle and then the lady gave me another large bagful of loose ones, as many again, for free. Unreal!

The hessian bags can get shared out to the vege swaps and the calico ones I will print up with the orchard logo for their up and coming grafting day event. They could sell them a dollar a piece for carrying potted and bare rooted trees home.

Then my handbag handle broke. The girl brought a bin bag full of her old ones for me to sort through and pick one I like out. I like the lot! Lol.

You constantly amaze me HP :)

We’ve just about finished the first frame for the raised gardens. 1 metre square by 12” (300mm) high. I’m wondering if I should add another slab, about 30mm? This is timber from packing pallets. It’s planned to have about 4 of these frames. My late father raised gluts of vegetables on about 6” backfilled with good loam and that area now is the chookens favourite dust bathing area.

I very much want to grow tomatoes and their associated ‘erbs…this is my main aim…also of course the eggplants and cucumbers and watermelons and and and…capsicums…lettuce, I know, doesn’t require a deep bed but these beds are gonna be rotated of course, and after a year or so, they’ll be moved so that I can plant citrus trees in those spots…have got a sprouted sweet potato , potted up as I moved the levels of the worm farm around (the sweet potato sprouted in the worm farm…)

This is getting complicated…

Did you know that not all pallets have the cross-members going the width of the pallet? Some just have blocks at either end and in the middle…bummer…Sonny Jim says this is so the pallets can be fork-lifted front/back and side/side, instead of just side/side, if you know what I mean…

Dinetta said:

Did you know that not all pallets have the cross-members going the width of the pallet? Some just have blocks at either end and in the middle…bummer…Sonny Jim says this is so the pallets can be fork-lifted front/back and side/side, instead of just side/side, if you know what I mean…

makes sense.

So, despite the weather the dogs insisted on a walk. We just went around the park once. And I’ve cut out a blouse. And rehemmed some trackie daks that I took up too short, and drafted a pattern for a sunbonnet, Amish style. Now I’ll do my ironing and make the shirt. It’s a Vogue pattern from the 1980s that I’ve made up quite a few times over the years and is extremely comfortable.

Actually it’s a 1970s pattern….

http://vintagepatterns4sale.ecrater.com/p/10128968/vogue-sewing-pattern-7413-vintage-70s

Originally I wore it tucked in, but I wear shirts over the top of skirts and pants now and this one still works fine. It’s got a pleat let into the back too, which is good for work where I am reaching across patients a lot.

OK all you sewing people here…..the bobbin just ran out. And this must be the first time in sewing history that this did not occur at an Inconvenient Time. Like in the middle of a difficult seam. Or when you are trying to sew in gathers. I ran to the end of the seam and the thing gracefully gave up the end of the thread!

:)

buffy said:

OK all you sewing people here…..the bobbin just ran out. And this must be the first time in sewing history that this did not occur at an Inconvenient Time. Like in the middle of a difficult seam. Or when you are trying to sew in gathers. I ran to the end of the seam and the thing gracefully gave up the end of the thread!

:)

:D

I have a favourite pants pattern that I like to use. I haven’t tried my hand at blouses although I have made plenty of T-shirt based tops. Are they very fiddly? I am still psyching myself up to make up a jacket pattern I bought a while ago. I have some nice fabric for it but am feeling a bit daunted.

I have put the sewing down for a while. I just messed up putting the collar on….serves me right for thinking I could remember how to do it and not rereading the instructions first. But only the final hand sewing of the collar, buttonholes and buttons and the thing is finished.

Some blouses are pretty easy. But it depends on how experienced you are with sewing. I have made a lot of blouses, dresses and slacks over the years. It was just what you did. Buying a dress rarely occurs to me….I make one.

I made this dress for last Christmas. We had a family get-together which was rare, so we dressed up a bit.

The blouse I am making today is the same material as the patterned part of that dress. It has salamanders and frogs on it.

buffy said:

I made this dress for last Christmas. We had a family get-together which was rare, so we dressed up a bit.

The blouse I am making today is the same material as the patterned part of that dress. It has salamanders and frogs on it.

nice :)

bluegreen said:

:D

I have a favourite pants pattern that I like to use. I haven’t tried my hand at blouses although I have made plenty of T-shirt based tops. Are they very fiddly? I am still psyching myself up to make up a jacket pattern I bought a while ago. I have some nice fabric for it but am feeling a bit daunted.

BlueGreen, buy some cheap but servicable material, and make up the jacket from that first. This will show you where you need to “interpret” the pattern and it won’t matter if it’s not quite perfect. A lass who did a LOT of sewing told me this, and I have found it a very useful practice. The extra “expense” of buying the cheaper fabric to work the first garment is more of an investment towards getting it right with the better fabric.

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

:D

I have a favourite pants pattern that I like to use. I haven’t tried my hand at blouses although I have made plenty of T-shirt based tops. Are they very fiddly? I am still psyching myself up to make up a jacket pattern I bought a while ago. I have some nice fabric for it but am feeling a bit daunted.

BlueGreen, buy some cheap but servicable material, and make up the jacket from that first. This will show you where you need to “interpret” the pattern and it won’t matter if it’s not quite perfect. A lass who did a LOT of sewing told me this, and I have found it a very useful practice. The extra “expense” of buying the cheaper fabric to work the first garment is more of an investment towards getting it right with the better fabric.

What she said…

I couldn’t remember what it was called and had to look it up. It’s a toile, and usually done in calico.

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

:D

I have a favourite pants pattern that I like to use. I haven’t tried my hand at blouses although I have made plenty of T-shirt based tops. Are they very fiddly? I am still psyching myself up to make up a jacket pattern I bought a while ago. I have some nice fabric for it but am feeling a bit daunted.

BlueGreen, buy some cheap but servicable material, and make up the jacket from that first. This will show you where you need to “interpret” the pattern and it won’t matter if it’s not quite perfect. A lass who did a LOT of sewing told me this, and I have found it a very useful practice. The extra “expense” of buying the cheaper fabric to work the first garment is more of an investment towards getting it right with the better fabric.

I have some calico I was thinking of trying it with first, when I get around to it.

buffy said:

I couldn’t remember what it was called and had to look it up. It’s a toile, and usually done in calico.

so I am on the right track :)

buffy said:

I couldn’t remember what it was called and had to look it up. It’s a toile, and usually done in calico.

Well there you go! “Toile” is about right, and yes the lass used calico. I recall making tutus for the ballet, I made a “fun” one as it was an Enid Gilchrist pattern (not mine) and then I made the other two, one for my child and one for a child whose mother did not own a sewing machine…and the first one was most instructional…

And it’s been on and off showering this morning. I have been tidying in the sewing area of the library room. And now I’m cutting 2” strips to join up for a sort of weird log cabin type arrangement for a……oh, I don’t know what I’ll end up with. Probably a cover for the bed or something. I’m working in blues at the moment.

AussieDJ said:

Happy Potter said:

Hiya AussieDJ, could you please email me

Check your inbox for an email from a Westnet address.
Take your time with a reply.

:)

I’m so sorry Aussie DJ, I seem to have lost your email. Could you please resend, coz5 (at) Hotmail dot com. I only access my email on my computer, but it showed up on my mobile ph and I deleted it from the ph, and in doing so it also deleted from my pc..wireless and all that.

You know, I look at my knitting needles, 3.25/3.50/3.75/4.00 and think….just as well they have their sizes engraved on them, they all look the same. Those are mm readings. Then I knitted 50 rows of ribbing with the 3.75s and picked up the 4.00 to change over to for the stocking stitch part of the hat. And they feel like bloody crowbars! How can my fingers pick up 0.25mm so readily? Proprioception is fabulous. :)

buffy said:

Proprioception is fabulous. :)

Having looked up the meaning of the word, yes it is…

some waterdrops.

Some fungi.

A spiders eye view.

roughbarked said:

some waterdrops.

Awesome!! Just fantabulous!! Love the little buggy about to drink from the drop…

roughbarked said:

Some fungi.

Well done! Fantastic clarity and the bug gives some perspective…

roughbarked said:

A spiders eye view.

Worthy of a photographic contest…

‘tis true that I used to enter photographic contests back in the day when cameras required film. ;)

So you’ve honed your photographic skills for many a year…photography is all gobbledy-gook to me but I do love to look at them..

EI enjoy taking photographs. It is always good when somebody appreciates them.

Hi roughbarked. Good to see you back. Are you back on line?

Love the photos, with their resident bugs :)

I’ll be back online maybe a month or more until I work out something better than this broken down old computer and the antiquated dialup.

more water drop stuff.

reminds me of the time when I was watering some broccoli and a blue wren flew down and had a bath in the water that was collecting on the leaves :)

bluegreen said:

reminds me of the time when I was watering some broccoli and a blue wren flew down and had a bath in the water that was collecting on the leaves :)

Gardening is such a wonderful activity for such majestic sights. :)

bluegreen said:

reminds me of the time when I was watering some broccoli and a blue wren flew down and had a bath in the water that was collecting on the leaves :)

Warm and fuzzy cute :)

Speedy said:

bluegreen said:

reminds me of the time when I was watering some broccoli and a blue wren flew down and had a bath in the water that was collecting on the leaves :)

Warm and fuzzy cute :)

I felt special :)

bluegreen said:

Speedy said:

bluegreen said:

reminds me of the time when I was watering some broccoli and a blue wren flew down and had a bath in the water that was collecting on the leaves :)

Warm and fuzzy cute :)

I felt special :)

I bet you did!

Sometimes I wonder whether these special little critters that bring a smile are the ones sent to us, or whether they’re blind or just stoopid :)

Speedy said:

bluegreen said:

Speedy said:

Warm and fuzzy cute :)

I felt special :)

I bet you did!

Sometimes I wonder whether these special little critters that bring a smile are the ones sent to us, or whether they’re blind or just stoopid :)

Oh definitely sent! For me, especially, the Fairy Wrens. I grew up with them by my back door as a kid, then in all the places I lived since I first left home saw none until I moved here 3 1/2 years ago. Felt like home straight away.

bluegreen said:

Speedy said:

bluegreen said:

I felt special :)

I bet you did!

Sometimes I wonder whether these special little critters that bring a smile are the ones sent to us, or whether they’re blind or just stoopid :)

Oh definitely sent! For me, especially, the Fairy Wrens. I grew up with them by my back door as a kid, then in all the places I lived since I first left home saw none until I moved here 3 1/2 years ago. Felt like home straight away.

I’d be lost without my wrens.

Happy Potter said:

I’m so sorry Aussie DJ, I seem to have lost your email.

Ooops! I’ve only just seen this. Check your inbox.

AussieDJ said:

Happy Potter said:

I’m so sorry Aussie DJ, I seem to have lost your email.

Ooops! I’ve only just seen this. Check your inbox.

No dramas :) Replied.

Had a fellow here this morning doing a free energy audit on my house as part of the Federal Govt’s Low Income Energy Efficiency Project. I get a few hundred dollars worth of products fitted (draft strips for my doors, insulation cladding for my hot water system, some ceiling insulation where there are some gaps, a special cap for the exhaust fan) and a report on other things that I could do to reduce my energy use. Other things I could do are pelmets and better curtains for the windows. I would like to do some retro fitting of my windows to convert them to a type of double glazing but would need to see if there is anyone in the area that does it. Also need to have my air con serviced. Also quoted me for solar as I am getting quotes atm. Such a wide range of views on what size system to get. I am talking to as many people as I can to make sure I get the best value for money. Would be interested on the size system you got HP, and anyone else that has solar.

Happy Potter said:

AussieDJ said:

Happy Potter said:

I’m so sorry Aussie DJ, I seem to have lost your email.

Ooops! I’ve only just seen this. Check your inbox.

No dramas :) Replied.

Got it, thank you. Some food (groan) for thought … :)

(Next posts in the July Chat thread.)

AussieDJ said:

Happy Potter said:

AussieDJ said:

Ooops! I’ve only just seen this. Check your inbox.

No dramas :) Replied.

Got it, thank you. Some food (groan) for thought … :)

(Next posts in the July Chat thread.)

he he ha ha.

you can’t make us… stop living in the past.
We’ll go where we will and wither the wish.

AussieDJ said:

Happy Potter said:

AussieDJ said:

Ooops! I’ve only just seen this. Check your inbox.

No dramas :) Replied.

Got it, thank you. Some food (groan) for thought … :)

(Next posts in the July Chat thread.)

:D