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Hi there!

I’m slowly working towards some simplicity within the home, but hey! It’s a lot of hard work!

I love having a go at growing my own veges and always use herbs fresh from my garden. I try to plant from seed whenever I can and have learnt to save and share my own seed for the following year. I make Award Winning preserves and pickles; and my husband brews Award Winning boutique beers as well. I love to stockpile and try to limit quick trips to the shops. I dabble in bread making and enjoy making my own stocks too.

I enjoy feeding my family good hearty meals, nothing like those tiny restaurant stacks you have to look for on the plate. My husband maintains our vehicles and machinery and we both enjoy fabricating on a small scale mostly relying on metal & timber recyclers for any materials needed.


While I don’t always have time to reply to comments, I love reading them. I hope you enjoy your stay and I hope you learn something new because I love sharing what I learn, and I'm always looking for another new skill myself.

Cheers!

Friday, July 1, 2011

On my mind... connecting to the grid

This is a Friday photo feature that anyone with a blog can join. It opens the door to us sharing our lives through these photos and gives us all a new way to discover each other, and maybe form new friendships. Your photo should show something at home that you're thinking about TODAY. If you're in another country you should join in when you read this, even if it's still Thursday.

To take part, all you have to do is post a photo on your own blog, write a short caption explaining it, and link it back to here. Please write a new post, don't link to an older one. When your photo is published, come back and add a comment below, with a link to your blog photo so we can all find you. Please visit all the blogs that appeal to you and leave a comment. Slow down, take the time to cruise around and enjoy your cyber visits.

On my mind today, is the solar panels on my roof....I had them installed on the roof back in January.. Until a few weeks ago, I had been waiting patiently for the next stage of having the meter installed and being connected to the grid.....

I thought today when the tradesmen came and connected the meter....which they have done.....I would finally be on the grid.....
Nope...there is an error reading showing on the solar box....so now I need to wait again....for the original installer to come back and reset the box......

I have had nothing but trouble when I decided to connect to the grid and use Solar energy for my home.....I don't wish to label companies....as there are many involved ...I don't want to give anyone a bad name, as I am sure they are all doing the best they can...Unfortunately; I'm wrapped up in the whole 'supply and demand' delay....
I'm sure it will be well worth it, once it all gets going though....so it's just another set-back which will soon be resolved......
I do hope sooner rather than later though....



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Also on my mind today; is the first stage of my Christmas Cake, that I will be making for this Christmas.....Today is the day that I join in on the 'Christmas Cake Bake Along'...at the Down to Earth Forum......The recipe is on the forum in 3 steps....




This is the first time I will be baking a Christmas Cake....Until my Nan passed away, family members were all given a steamed Christmas Pudding from her....I can remember her having them hanging everywhere...even in the old laundry...If you know Nan, you will know where I mean...

As this is the first time I have baked a Christmas Cake; I really have no expectations, but looking at the recipe, I'm sure it will be lovely and moist.....

Until now, I only really have experiences of Christmas Cakes being dry.....

So next year I will be starting a new tradition within the family....I will either be making a Christmas Cake or I will be making Steamed Puddings.....the way Nan used to make them....hanging in the cloth for a few weeks leading up to Christmas......Either way, I wan't to be able to make individual ones to share out to family members...It's what I do!

So.........What's on your mind today?

7 comments:

  1. Hi Nellymary I can understand your frustration about your solar panels, it took us a little while to get things all sorted out and connected to the grid. When we first got our 6 panels the 1.5kw system we had no problems everything worked great. but then last year we decided to purchase 24 more panels so a total of 30 panels. But the system kept cutting off as we discovered the cable from our metre box to our house wasn't big enough to support the system, so we had to get a bigger cable which cost us nearly $5,000 extra we didn't plan on spending as our metre box is about 175 metres from the house.Christmas eve last year it was all connected and working like clock work, which is wonderful, we receive checks now and no bills which is fabulous.
    So I hope you get it sorted out very soon. How many solar panels do you have ? or what size system is it? here is the link to our solar panel update if you or any one would like to take a look. http://simplelivingsherrie.blogspot.com/2011/01/our-solar-panel-update.html
    Sherrie from Simpleliving :)

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  2. It's good to have made a start on the solar panels anyway:) You're doing a great thing

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  3. Hi Nelly Mary. I've been a bit slack this week, keeping up with your posts. First, problems with our computer so had to buy a new one, then problems with downloading antivirus software and now Internet connection. Hopefully all fixed tomorrow.

    I can remember my Nanna making the Christmas pud in cloth and have them hanging in her laundry. She even put the penny in them. It would be a waste of fruit for me to make a Christmas cake. I'm the only one who'd eat it (and probably my little boy) and that's the last thing I need is extra calories! LOL I was given a store bought Christmas cake from my Mum just recently (someone had given it to her) and am thinking of a few ways to use it up so everyone can eat it. Have a few ideas. Great time of year for a steamed pudding right now, isn't it?

    Have a great weekend Nelly Mary!

    Anne @ Domesblissity

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  4. Sherrie: I think it is 8 panels...and 1.2KW, but not really sure without dragging out the paperwork, and I'm not allowed up ladders anymore, but I am planning on getting DS16 to take a few photo's up there for me....Once it is all sorted out, I just need to work out the best times to be using electricity..like doing my washing at night etc....

    Hear Mum Roar: Thanks, it is a good thing, but it would be even better if it was up and running.

    Anne: Hope you get your computer troubles all worked out shortly...It's amazing how we come to depend on them now...sure they are fantastic, but when trouble strikes...it's such an inconvenience to us....Times certainly are a changing. Yes! my Nan and my mother used to put threepence and sixpence in them, and we would have to go to Dad to have them exchanged...I think we used to get 2 bob for a threepence...and ten cents for a sixpence....big money back then...lol....I think I will need to do this with my boys...so they have that memory too...
    I have a lemon cake that I forgot to add baking powder to...and I am planning on crumbling it in the whizzer and making some lemon balls, kind of like rum balls....I'll be doing it over the weekend.....but your Christmas Cake from the store...I am told that they don't come close to home baked...so I am looking forward to trying it.....Maybe you could add some choc chips and make Fruit balls...like my lemon balls to be...

    Hope you all have a great weekend too....My DS19 is off on his first road trip on his own tomorrow..He will be gone for a whole week. I will need to keep busy so I don't miss him to much.

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  5. What a bummer re the panels! I hope it gets sorted soon, you probably need to say an incarnation rather than use technicians. ;)

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  6. 3 years ago we had 24 solar panels installed and are getting more soon. Ours is a 2kw system with back up batteries that run the lights.

    We have had a few problems with some of the panels not working, but have had that fixed. I am still not happy with our return but hopefully have figured that out, just have to wait for the next few bills to come in.

    Good luck with yours...

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  7. Rose: it is a bummer....I think I might keep ringing them,and annoying them until I get results.

    Tania: Wow, sounds like you might be getting a great return soon...At the moment, I'm just hoping for a reduction in the bills.

    ReplyDelete

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