WELCOME to my BLOG

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, September 9, 2011

On my mind...Knee's & Medicals

Many thanks to Rhonda at Down to Earth for this concept.

This is a Friday photo feature that anyone with a blog can join. To take part, post a photo on your own blog, write a short caption explaining it, and link it back to here from your blog by saying you're part of "On my mind". Please write a new post, don't link to an older one. When you've done that, come back here and add a comment below, with  a link to your blog.  

I have another busy day ahead today....While driving DS19 to the train station (it's too far to ride his bike, and he doesn't have a licence atm)....I noticed the drops of rain falling on the windscreen of the car.....light enough that it will be good for all my newly planted seeds and cuttings. Upon returning home, I moved the three newest members of my garden out from beneath the porch, to catch the rain. They are a Black Currant, a White Currant and a dwarf Avocado. That reminds me, I need to protect the Currants, and the dwarf Shahtoot Mulberry....I don't want the birds picking off my first fruits....It gives me great joy to watch the Mulberry....truly a wise choice for my small garden..the mulberries grow up to be 10cm long...and they are already longer than a standard mulberry.


Here's a great hint...totally off topic, I know...but you'll see why.....
When buying tomato plants, choose your punnets wisely....I found this six pack of tomatoes....with  different varieties.....but instead of 6 plants....it has 16....all repotted now into the next sized pots...and all growing healthy.....
16 tomato plants for the price of 6
Brilliant!
On the agenda today, along with the daily tasks; is to check Mum into the hospital this morning, she is finally having her torn cartilage in her knee repaired....I'm sure once she recovers from the operation she will be able to move around a little better, and she won't need assistance in getting up out of a chair....Mum didn't cope well with physio on her back and sciatica yesterday, and she had a hard time getting back in the car....We got there in the end, and I took her for a drive to see some cows which she loves...(I had to pick up fat from my butcher friend, Colin)


Then its off to Bulli to support hubby while he goes for a Coal Board Medical. This will help improve his chances of getting a mining job...It's proving very hard to get into the mines, as it seems it's "not what you know, but who you know"....Yesterday hubby was told that a man he works with has just gotten employment at a local mine.....and this man has no qualifications, no underground mining certificate, no heavy machinery experience, no First Aid Certificate.... Nothing! But this man DOES have, a brother-in-law in the mining industry, who got him a job within two weeks of him asking for one.


It's sooooo frustrating!! I know that hubby will pass with flying colours today in his medical.....and I am proud of him for taking all the necessary steps to get closer into the mining industry. 


I'm not bothering with housework today, I'm not even putting it on my list..If I get to it, I get to it.....I have a list of things I need to make or bake over the weekend.....and that's what I will concentrate on for now...I know I will have my hands full again, once I pick mum up from day surgery this afternoon..........


Here's my weekend list of things I would like to make.....

  • Make washing powder
  • Make yoghurt
  • Make a baked fruit swirl using the two ingredient dough recipe...Brilliant!
  • Make sour cream
  • Make pancakes for lunch on Saturday.
Here's a picture of the yoghurt maker I recently found at a second-hand store...for $5.00....It makes the best yoghurt and sets in the jar...It comes with little jars, which I used once, but now I use the larger recycled jars that I have on hand.
It certainly takes the guess work out of it all.

Because of the larger jars, the lid doesn't fit correctly
But easily rectified ....after putting the ill-fitting lid on
Wrap a foil 'cummerbund' around the whole machine.
then cover with a towel, turn it on and leave to set overnight. 

Here's wishing that everyone has a lovely weekend, or a productive one if you want it to be....

What's on your list of things to make or bake this weekend?


UPDATE: Mum's knee operation has been cancelled by the hospital.








9 comments:

  1. Glad your yogurt maker works. I had the exact same one & it never worked for me. I took it back for a refund.

    ReplyDelete
  2. No slowing down for you, Narelle! What a shame about your Mum's operation...all that stress and preparing for nothing :( Hope it gets done soon.
    Have a great weekend,
    xxx
    On my mind is tomatoes,
    http://coffeee2001.blogspot.com/2011/09/friday-on-my-mind_09.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hope all goes well with your mom. I'm sure your son appreciates you driving him. You are a good mom. Good luck to your husband! My grandfather came over to the U.S. from croatia in 1913 and was a coal miner in western Pennsylvania. In fact, my whole childhood town was coal miners! love,andrea

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ohhh pot set yoghurt! yummy. Hope your mum doesn't have to wait too long Narelle.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lots of mining happening over where we live Narelle. They are opening up everywhere...but that is no help to you. I do hope your hubby gets in. I think that is the same everywhere when it comes to employment, its not what you know, its who you know, which is so wrong!

    You sound like you need a holiday girl! You seem to be always on the go...don't you burn yourself out.

    Hopefully your mum gets her knee done soon, that is so annoying when they cancel...

    Your yogurt maker looks good. I haven't tried the one I got from the op shop yet, might try it out this weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Narelle, enjoy a day where you don't have a to do list :) Do what you feel like, when you feel like it. It's so important to give ourselves a break now and then, but most especially for you as you are dealing with chronic pain :(

    So unfortunate about your dear Mum... that seems to happen more often than not of late... hope she gets in very soon. Is it a far drive to get her there and back? You've done so much driving lately and I know EXACTLY how wearing that is physically and emotionally (not to mention draining the budget with fuel prices so high).

    Have a RESTFUL weekend and nurture yourself! :) Wish I could come and make you a cuppa and sit for a nice long chat :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am glad that venting helped. All in good time! Much love, Melissa

    ReplyDelete
  8. Jeanette: That's a shame that your yoghurt maker didn't work, Have you tried another one yet?

    Sue: Thanks for your link, I too have tomatoes on my mind...I planted out 9 plants yesterday. No, no slowing down for me yet Sue, I usually work till I drop.

    Andrea: We still don't have another date for her yet, and now she has developed a nasty coughy wheezy chest infection.

    Tammy: Thanks, I hope so too. It's hard enough for her to get around with all her back troubles and bad diabetic legs...not to mention the torn cartilage now.

    Tania: Yes, there is mining popping up everywhere....It's not through lack of trying, that he hasn't gained employment either..as he just applied for another 15 over the weekend....He has just completed a CoalBoard Medical and a National Police Check to try to bump up his resume too.....so that should bring more interest...He has been down to the last 5 applicants...so he is close.

    Little Home in the Country: Hi there Sherri, I did exactly that on Sunday, I had no list to go by...except the 4am start for DS19 to train station for overtime....Yep 4am this time...but that doesn't happen very often....
    Then we had a working bee in the back yard...Myself, Hubby and DS16...Hubby pulled weeds for me and cut pavers for the edges of my paved area...and DS16 helped with mowing the lawn then helped me fill a few garden beds...overall, it was a very productive day...and I'm so grateful for the help I had.
    Mum's op is just down the road, so not far to travel....and I think she will only be a day patient too..Oh luvvy that would be awesome for you to come over for a cuppa and a nice long chat.....Thanks so much, Hey! I loved your blog post about being flexible...You really have a gift for writing.

    Kids and Canning Jars: Thanks Melissa, I did vent but now regret it a little....I am so grateful for the help I do receive around the house...I guess I just got overwhelmed with all the extra hours and the extra driving.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have being on blog Sites for a while now and today I felt like I should share my story because I was a victim too. I had HIV for 6 years and i never thought I would ever get a cure I had and this made it impossible for me to get married to the man I was supposed to get married to even after 2 years of relationship he broke up with me when he finds out I was HIV positive. So I got to know about Dr. Itua on Blog Site who treated someone and the person shared a story of how she got a cured and let her contact details, I contacted Dr. Itua and he actually confirmed it and I decided to give a try too and use his herbal medicine that was how my burden ended completely. My son will be 2 soon and I am grateful to God and thankful to his medicine too.Dr Itua Can As Well Cure The Following Disease… Cancer, HIV, Herpes, Hepatitis B, Liver Inflammatory,Diabetes,Fibroid, Get Your Ex Back, If you have (A just reach him on drituaherbalcenter@gmail.com Or Whatsapp Number.+2348149277967)He can also advise you on how to handle some marital's issues. He's a good man.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...