Good Bye 2008

Well in a few hours it will be 2009. This year has been a strange one. It was full of changes for me and a little scary, but I have survived.
It could of ended tragically but alls well that ends well.
The year will end as it has been all year, with me being a taxi driver for the children, but thats OK. They will all be home safe and sound by 1.ooam.
So whatever you are doing and were every you are, Have a good one and stay safe.
Be good, and I hope the new year brings you lots of love, laughter and happiness.
see ya next year.

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas and a Happy solstice. Have a great time whatever your beliefs.

Stay safe and well

see ya

The Panic is catchy

Idid not need to shop, but everyone else running around got me into a panic and I went into Aldies. I got some milk that we needed and the baby girl needed some more moisturiser, and the dogs needed more food. But then I bought biscuits, chocolates and some other stuff I didnt need. See getting "off the wagon" is easy staying off is hard when the panic gets you.

At least now it feels like christmas.
see ya

Drunken Goose

Yesterday we had a goose that looked like it was drunk. It could not walk properly and it kept falling over.
When we looked at it we found it acually had a broken neck. We do not know how this happend.
So now its in the fridge and it will be tonights dinner.
This is sad as once killed we found out it was a female.
But if we had left it, it would of died in a lot of pain.
So I will let you know how goose meat tasts like.
see ya

Disturbing Dreams

Dreaming of homeless people. Especially children. All of them in a large shed with a concrete floor. Like an old rollerskating rink. Many of then totally naked.
Me arguing with the powers that be that the reason these children arnt in school is that they have no homes.
No one listening
Very distrubing.

OMG look at the time!

Where has the year gone. Even the seasons have gotton confused. Only 6 more sleeps till christmas and I dont even feel like it is christmas yet. I have done all the shopping. Made easier by the fact the all the adults got hand made pressies. Even the days are going by so fast that I keep forgetting what day it is. Not good when your rostered to work! I have to keep looking at the calender to see if I am working, Im paranoid that I will not turn up for a shift and that will be bad.
Must rush, nearly 10.00 and the chooks have not been let out yet. And boy is the rooster telling me about it.
see ya

Something in the air

I dont know what it is but I feel "a great wrong" I can only describe it as that and it is a very unsettling feeling.
I dont think its all the doom and gloom from the media, because I just dont watch that, but there is something.
If anyone can tell me what it is I would be grateful.
Maybe I just need a bex and a lay down!
Who knows.
see ya

The King of the Castle

This is Sabastian. He is a Himilayan. He is the one that rules the house.
He is soooo cute that he is allowed.
Now that the kids are all grown up he is the one I baby. And no matter where I go in the house he is right behind me.
Every night we sit in bed and watch TV together.
Without him I would be lost.

Unexpected Roadtrip

I have not shown you the unofficial owner of our house because on saturday I had to drive for four hours to pick up dear old hubby from a hospital as he had, had an accident.
He is fine except for a broken bone in his hand.
He was on a three day motorbike ride with about 20 others and had left on friday.
Saturday just after lunch I got the phone call to say he was at Wangaratta Hospital but that he was fine.
UNTIL I GET THERE!
No I didnt kill him.
So tomorrow I will introduce you to the king of our castle.
See ya

Meet Molly

This is molly. She is a 20 month old short hair border collie. I named her after Molly Weasley in the Harry Potter books.

She is so cute she gets away with everything.

So training her is very hard, but we are getting there.

Next time we will meet the acual owner of the house and he just lets us live there.

see ya

Just another family member

This is Zoe. She is a 14 year old maltese/shitsu. She is looking a bit scruffy at the moment as she hasnt seen the doggie hairdresser for a while.
In the next few days I will show you my other babies. They are not farm animals but a part of our family and we would be lost without them.
Hope you and your family are all happy and healthy.
see ya

What do you do?

What do you do when the rose garden needs weeding again?
Easy you send in the geese!



This is mama and three of her babies. Big arnt they.

In about a week the weeds should be almost gone. I HOPE.

see ya

Christmas is comming

this is a really bad photo but its a baby watermellon, it migh be ready for christmas

What about some apples for an apple pie?

The definite way you know christmas is comming, is that its cherry season!

S.O.S

I got this from Scarecrow's Garden. I thought it was great so I have used it here.



S.O.S. Plegde

Path To Freedom Save Our Seeds PledgeThis was started back in July this year...this is a pledge I'll happily make!From the Path To Freedom site here.

I pledge to take back control over the most sacred form of plant life - seeds

I will strive to save my own seeds, encourage self pollination and self seeding “volunteers”

Refrain from purchasing seed varieties controlled by Monsanto

Support local seed banks

Purchase organic, heirloom or open pollinated from independent seed companies who’s mission are to save seed diversity

Share your pledge with the world with this nifty icon - feel free to “save as” and use!Also join other homegrown revolutionaries at our sister site FreedomGardens.org

netting it

One tree netted and the others are ready to go.

This should keep the grapes safe

we have been busy netting our trees. Just in the photo above are the strawberries. We have harvested quite a few since putting up the net. But that bird is there everyday trying to get some more.

Bad luck birdie

see ya

yummy broccoli

This little beauty was a very little plant when I pulled the broccoli out early last month. So I left it in to see what would happen. Not really expecting much. But boy look at it. It will do us for dinner tonight with some home grown carrots and maybe some spuds. Unfortunately not home grown but we are working on that.
The weather is still crazy but the rain is nice.
Off to finish quilting homework.
see ya

OMG its cold!

and wet and we have had hail stones. Its so cold that its taking ages for me to type as my fingers dont work.
Its so cold I have done something I seldom do. I have turned on the ducted heating.
My poor garden doesnt know what to do. Im sure it thinks the 3 days of heat we had was summer and is starting to go back to sleep. I am so glad that I planted the pumkings in the hot house or else I wonder would I have gotton a crop this year.
It hailed pretty heavily this morning so I wonder what the produce in the main garden area will look like when I finally pluck up the courage to go outside.
And my poor little chicken that decided to hatch a batch of eggs under the bush plant, I hope she is alright, even if the eggs dont hatch.
Busy day today, baby girl has her dance concert. Two performances and 11 dances in each. She will be a tuckerd little girl.
Have a great day, stay warm and dry.
see ya

stuff

I am going through alot of stuff at the monment. On tuesday it was 11 years since my brother passed and even though it isnt as fresh and raw as in the begining, the pain is still there. It acually comes as a shock as most people tell me that I should be "over it" by now. So no-one is there for me, like at the start, and I do really need someone to just say that its normal to feel this way.
Mean while my 42nd birthday is rushing towards me and since my children are growing up and away from me I am really having an identidy crisis.
I was married at 21, only 3 years after leaving school.
A mother at 22 and at 24.
I have been someones daughter, sister, wife, mother...etc all my life but I have never been me.
Who am I?
Not knowing is bad enough but finding out is really scary.
What if I dont like me? What if I am exactely the type of person that annoys the crap out of me?
All this is going on in my head and boy is it driving me crazy.
I hope the energy shifts and I get over this.
Real Soon.
see ya

No time!!!!!

I havnt had time to blog recently and I have noticed that others are the same. Just today I had work this morning, and I have quilting class this afternoon. So in between I have had lunch and got dinner cooking in the slow cooker, will pot around and do a few things before I go, and tonight baby girl has dancing . So I will be taxi driver again. I think it will stop about 9.30 tonight when I will have a relaxing bath and hit the sack.
boy am I exhausted.
see ya

The cleansing sound of rain

This morning I was awakened by the sound of thunder, flashes of lightening and the glorious sound of rain. After a very hot two days this was bliss.
Now the gardens look so clean and green and have come back to life. Not to mention that the tanks are all topped up.
Even I feel better, I have been very grumpy as I do not like the heat. The chooks in the back yard are going nuts so even they like it better now its cooler.
Hope you get some rain where you are
see ya

Total confusion

Today I had my first shift at work. Talk about being thrown in the deep end. My boss tried to teach me everything in 4 hours. So, I have remembered nothing. Im sure Ill get it eventually but I feel so stupid at the monment.
At least the ladies are very nice and It was fun.
Hopefully I will "get it" soon and I wont feel like such a dummy.
see ya


Sorry Lisa,
My job is working at the gym that I have been going to for the last 18 months. At least I know how to use the machines. LOL

Missing in action

We normally have 4 people working in our workshop. My dear old hubby, two qualified mechanics, and wonderson is the apprentice.
One mechanic had to have a hernia op so his is missing for about 6 weeks, wonderson is at tafe. He has tafe every Monday and Tuesday. An the second mechanic we sent home as he had a crook tummy and was loosing his breakfast from both ends.
Its very quiet at the shed at the monment.
Meanwhile I had my quilting homework to do as class is next Tuesday, not to mention having to cook dinner early as baby girl had dancing tonight and I will be on the road taking her to two different places for her class and the classes she teaches.
I'll be glad when today is over.
see ya

The hothouse effect

This is a picture of my pumkings growing in the hothouse. These pictures are a week old and they have grown even more.

This is my watermellon. We love watermellons but the trick isnt how to grow them but when are they ripe to pick them. If anyone knows how to tell when that is, please let me know.

And this little one is my cantalope, rockmellon. See the little flower, its very exciting isnt it.

I just love my new hothouse.

see ya

some of the babies

These are our plumbs, I planted two sorts but one tree was eaten by the goats so I dont remember what sort these are. I think they are blood plumbs but we will see.

These are my nashies, my kids love nashies. we have two nashie trees.

This is one of the many apple trees we have planted. I think they are a red apple.

This is our gold mine nectarine. It is its second year of fruiting and its got heaps on it.

This is our star the apricot tree. its so loaded down with fruit I almost feel sorry for it.

We have nets so next job is to net all the trees so we will get to eat all this yummy fruit.

see ya

Its raining, yeah!

Its finally raining. Its been threatening for days but it just wouldnt. Today was treatment number 5 for leanne. Only one more to go.
At least after a day spent at the hospital I dont have water the gardens.
see ya

blooming beautiful

Here are some pictures of my roses. We pruned them hard this year and alot of people thought I had killed them. But here they are blooming marvalous.

Please ignore the weeds. They just keep on coming.

see ya

promised pictures

this is our potatos growing strong

these are our corn popping their heads out of the sugarcane mulch

this is the garden that rested over winter, you cant see the pepper plants or the eggplants but they are there.

You can just see the pepper plants bordered by the carrots we planted over winter.

this is the whole garden you can see the carrots, one broccoli plant and a couliflower plant

A very productive few days

Over the very long weekend we all got stuck in and weeded the vegie gardens, mulched them with sugar cane mulch and finished planting them all out.
We were very tired but the gardens look great. I will post some pictures as soon as I take them. Hopefully later today.
My other productive endeavour was today when I got a job!
At the gym that I go to they needed someone to only do two shifts a week. Perfect for me as I have plenty to do here but also like the idea of doing something outside of the home. This means that my gym membership is now free as an emplyee.
Thats a saving of $600.00 a year!!
Plus the money I earn will go towards paying off the credit card. As christmas is nearly here that will be great. I have made alot of home made gifts this year to keep costs down and so I have nearly fininshed my christmas shopping anyway. Only hubby and two offspring really left to do.
Am I a clever little dickens or what.
Hope your day is blessed too.
see ya!

Just when your give up all hope

Just when you give up all hope that all you have taught your childern has filtered away, they go and prove you wrong. This morning wonderson put all his washing away without me having to say a thing. And when she got up baby girl did the same. They also finished the washing and hung it out to dry.
That puts me in my place.
see ya

out and about in the sun

Today we dug and weeded around the fruit trees in the second orchard. Then we gave them a really good water. We had two olive trees planted a few years ago and they have been growing but not thriving. Or so we thought. Over the winter weeds had grown up around them and we thought that we had lost them. But after removing the weeds and digging an area around them, we saw that they were in fact thriving and they even had small blossoms on them. I will get some horse poo from a friend and put that around them as the soil is very sandy and hopefully we will get some olives soon.
see ya

A timely reminder

Dont drink and fly!
Happy Beltain to all

Why is it?

Why is it that unless I say something or remind people that
No matter how full the bin under the sink is no one thinks to empty it.
Then on bin night the bins dont get taken out, or the next day brought back in.
No one emptys the kitty litter (apparantly only I can smell it).
No one remembers to lock up the chooks at night. Only had them 5 years these things take time!.
Even if the dishwasher is empty plates get left in the sink.
Cloths that are folded in neat piles get left on the billiard table.
When reminded to put away, away means left on the bedroom floor.
That when I do remind, ask, demand or have a hissy fit, I am a nag.
Why is it?
see ya

Just some random shots

Not much to say today. So here are some shots of whats happening around the place.

see ya

Just another day

So far today I have feed the animals, let the chooks and geese out, cleaned the kitchen and done a load of washing. Opened all the curtains and tidied up the living areas. Checked my emails and read the various blogs I visit everyday.
People often ask me what I do as I " dont work".
Boy I wish I had the laid back life they think I have.
Now Im off to the gym, Do a very short shop, get home water the vegies and the fruit trees, organise lunch and clean up after the boys have it, and try to decide what to have for dinner.
At least baby girl doesnt have dancing tonight.
Then I'll collect the eggs and lock up the animals for bed.
I think I'll hit the sack then too.
see ya

A not so nice surprise

Today I was going to take a photo of my first ripe strawberry to post. I approached the garden ready to snap and then eat the said strawberry when low and behold it was gone.
Some dirty lowdown bird had got to it first.
So today I will be going to the op shop and get my self some window netting and I will cover the whole lot so I can get the second strawberry of the season.
see ya

A Nice Surprise

Last night while doing the nightly ritual of bedding down the animals and locking up the chooks and geese, I noticed that the little grey bantam hen was missing. I whent into the rose garden to try to find her, dreading the worst. But I found her safe and sound in the middle of a dense bush sitting on a clutch of eggs. I hope they hatch, wont that be exciting. First the geese, and now the chooks. We still cant get near the geese to sex them but hopefully we will know soon. If I cant sex them I may see if I can swap them with the guy who sold them to us. My four for two girls. That may be a better option. That way they can breed lots and then I can sell the babies or eat them.
see ya

The empty nest

Well I dropped babygirl off at my sisters, and the boys are still away so it was very quiet here last night. It was also very hot and I had to resort to the airconditioner to drop the temp down to 20 so I could get to sleep. It didnt work. I was up listening for the txt message to tell me that baby girl was on her way back to her aunts, safe and sound. By the time this came, early really around 12.00, I was in the middle of watching a really bad vampire movie. It was about a virus that affected nearly the whole planet that turned people into vampires. It was pretty bad but I had to keep watching. So it was about 1.30 when I finally turned out the lights and got some sleep. Way past my bedtime.
Anyway have to pick up the daughter and the boys will be home today sometime and I bet 10 minutes after they all get here I will be wishing I was on my own again, nice and quiet.
see ya

a busy afternoon

Yesterday afternoon I was very tired and all I wanted to do was watch TV and pig out on some popcorn. But alas it was not to be. First I had customers picking up their vehicles after work hours. We have our own mechanical repairs workshop at home and normally this is fine as we are home anyway. But like I said all I wanted to do was to veg out.
Then our neighbour across the road saw stray cattle on the road and assumed I had purchased more stock to add to the family. Not they were not mine but we chased one of them into a neighbours paddock. This was easy as the fences were not that good. Then the owners of the cow found us and said that they had just got delivery of the two calfs and that they had gotton out of the paddock immediately their backs had turned. We asked if they had electric fences and they answered yes, but they had not unpacked it yet!
City folk!!!!!!!!!!
Then they left the cow in the paddock, with the bad fences, and went to dinner with friends.
So all night I have been up regularly watching for the cow to come out of the paddock and making sure it wont eat my fruit trees in the second orchard I planted only 18 months ago. As I type this I can hear it calling its mate and It has gotten out of the paddock it was in last night and into another neighbours paddock. And I havnt seen or heard from the owners since 6.00 yesterday afternoon.
Some people shouldnt think about having animals.
see ya

A very lonely weekend

The boys, both dear old hubby and wonderson, have go away to play golf this weekend. So they will be gone 3 days. Baby girl will be home form school soon but tomorrow night she is going to an 18th birthday party and then to my sisters house. So It will be like that old song
"Its a saturday night, and I an't got nobody'
Feeling sorry for myself, and I even cant go visit any friends because their going away too.
Boy am I the only one staying home.
Whats going on here

wooly sheep

These girls are growning bigger and hopefully the ram will get them pregnate next season. They are just over a year old now.

This little one is about 3 months old now and she is so cute. She loves chasing the ram and is always knee deep in the grass eating. She has a fat little tummy and looks like a rolly polly lamb.

I love going out with the sheep, they are so calming. Unlike the goats that act like dogs and follow you aroung and jumping on you just like the dog.

But they are great value if you feel like a laugh or in need of unconditional love.

see ya

A quick post

Just a quick post today. Got up late,watched morning programs in bed. I was a very spoilt girl today. But the days chores have to be done, dinner cooked as baby girl has to eat before dancing. Dancing classes and her now teaching takes up three nights a week. Great for her but not so great for the mumma, as I spend so much time in the car waiting for her. But this too will pass and I suppose I will miss it when it does.
Quilting class today so hopefully will be able to get a photo of the finished top soon to post.
Have fun were you are
see ya

MIA

I have been missing lately but it because its been so hectic here. Wonderson and I mulched and planted the vegie gardens and he and dear old hubby wippersnippered all the permiculture area. With all the rain and hot weather the grass was going nuts. The poor geese could not keep up. The fruit is growing nicely and so are the goslings and the new baby lamb.

Here are some pictures of the vegie gardens now that they are finished.

Friday was also my friends 4th chemo treatment and we only have 2 to go. I havent really done any big jobs lately but everyday is busy and lots of little things get done. I like it like that because its the little jobs that niggle at the back of your mind and never let you really relaxe. The weather is warming up and its becoming dry so watering is a big job here. We use our tank water so the pressure isnt great but it gives you plenty of time to veg out and enjoy the ride.
keep busy
see ya

cooking bonanza

We the last of the winter crops were harvested today. With the wild weather we have had recently everything was starting to go to seed. So the last of the cabbages, the brocoli and the cauliflower were brought in and cooked up into various dishes to be enjoyed over the next few days. Because I have two very busy teenages dinner has to be cooked and be able to be reheated at various times to feed everyone as they come and go. I find if I have something cooked, like the chow mien I cooked today, they zap it and eat when they are ready and are less likely to eat junk food.
It also helps me stick to my healthy eating plan and hopefully continue to lose weight.
Meanwhile three gardens have been planted out and mulched over the weekend and soon will be enjoying all the summer foods. After a month or so we will plant out the last garden been and ensure a longer harvest period.
Hope the sun shines, and the rain falls where you are.
see ya

The babies are growing

These are the four babies and they are growning very quickly. They are at the edge of the pond but didnt go in so I couldnt take a photo. But they are sooo cute.

see ya

Blooming great

These are some of the blossoms out at the monment in my garden. This little one is an apple

These two are nashies and if you look carfully you will see one of my bees doing what bees do.

This is one of the strawberries my beautiful sister in law gave me.

And this is my cherrie tree. The apple tree and the cherry tree are in the second orchid we planted and are only in there second summer.

Tomorrow I will post the most recent photos of the goslins

see ya