A day in Murrurundi

 On Tuesday Tim worked six hours overtime in Murrurundi so we decided to have a day out. If he works away from home during the school holidays we will often go with him if the hours are right. Tuesday's hours were a respectable 7am to 1pm. That meant leaving home at about 5:15am which at this time of year is quite nice (when the clocks have to be changed on the weekend it will be a different story). We dropped him off at work and had a nice day in Murrurundi.

We know the town fairly well now and usually like to head off to the local park which is like a little hideaway and aptly named Paradise Park. However Tuesday was so windy that it was scary (for me) so we stuck to safer indoor pursuits.

Browsing the charity shop which always has something to offer. We didn't spend much, $1 on a mixed bag of greeting cards, $1 on some books for Hope, a little plate for me and a sweet Holly Hobbie plate which I might give to my sister... maybe.

We also kicked back at the library. It is a tiny library but the selection of books is quite good. I usually just stick to the magazines or browse the cookbooks for interesting recipes. I can't borrow from this library because it is out of my area so I just make the most of the latest copies of Country Style and Better Homes and Gardens. Hope can usually get through a short book in the while we spend there.

 Grace checks out the jigsaw puzzles. My guess is she is probably the oldest 'kid' to open those jigsaw boxes and complete the puzzles. She could also very well be the only person to have opened them up in quite a while. Happily every puzzle she has done there has been complete without a piece missing which is quite surprising.

I also took advantage of the sitting time to do some crochet. I joined a swap quite some time back and I haven't been motivated to get it finished. But  Christmas apparently being only 12 weeks away  is motivation aplenty to get this job done. I just have to bring all of the squares up to equal size (they were supposed to be 4" squares) which I am doing in black and then join them up. Easier said than done just like most things. It was a black, grey and white swap so the colour palette is not the most exciting but hopefully it will look good or at least presentable when I finish. We'll see.

Are you thinking about Christmas gifts? I still have a few birthdays to organise first.

Tracy

Highlights

It's a long story that doesn't need telling (no disasters involved) but the high tea I had planned for last Saturday had to be postponed. In its place last weekend was a trip to Sydney. Once Hope recovered from the horror that Central railway station is on the site of what was one of the old Sydney burial grounds (I really must not tell her these things) and from the shock of her surprise trip to the Doctor Who exhibit which is being held at the ABC centre in Ultimo.

 

It was enough for Hope to even feel better from her cold at least temporarily (she did visit the Doctor after all). Naturally the cold has worsened since we arrived home which is usually how these things work. I'm sure the cold will be history by next week as it is school holidays which does seem to be a great cure for all but serious illness.

A trip to the Lindt Café didn't hurt too much either. It is fair to say that apart from a late trip home on Sunday evening Hope had a weekend full of highlights best described as "fantastic" and "brilliant" as her two favourite Doctors would say.

The highlight for me apart from a  visit with my sister and niece, was as always, HOME. I didn't sleep in on Monday morning even though we had a very late night (I think I'm still tired now on Tuesday), I did the rounds of the garden. A few days away feels like months.

There are flowers that weren't there on Thursday, fruits too and the asparagus needed picking whether we wanted it or not (we wanted it).

Coming home to a decent soaking of rain was a highlight too.
Tracy

Proud Parent

"Proud Parent" that's what our name tags said at the scholarship presentation on Thursday evening. Of course they were right, we are proud parents. We were also quite tired parents too after the six hour drive down and then dealing with Sydney traffic which we are not used to. 

 

Of over 1000 applicants, there were 49 scholarships awarded. All of the scholars who spoke on Thursday were so eloquent and appreciative and from what I could tell, deserving too. It was great.

And just because it isn't fair of me to post pictures of Tim here when he doesn't like having his picture taken, here is one of us together. Apart from the professional photograph taken at the beginning of the night, I think this might be the only one of me, talking to the girls on a borrowed phone.

The presentation was at the lovely Clydesdale Room at the Sydney Showground. The horses weren't there of course but there was still plenty to look at with all of the keepsakes and horse paraphernalia on display. A fitting place in the city for a presentation of rural scholarships for sure.

As a bonus, the food was delicious too.

This proud parent is now off to take Grace to her piano exam and her nerves are a mess.
Tracy

Keeping Warm

A trip to town today to take the scholar to catch the train back to Sydney for university. The fire went out while I was out and the house was a chilly 9 degrees C (48 deg F) when I returned home (I didn't even check the outside temperature because I don't want to know). Silly me, I have been trying to warm up since.

 

The best way to warm up, a cuddle from my baby.

A piece of caramel cake, a hot chocolate and spicy chicken curry for dinner doesn't hurt the efforts either.
Tracy

In the school holidays

In the school holidays I appear to go missing from this space. I haven't been too far from home at all just not online much. That's just how it is for me when the kids are at home and I'm not saying that is a bad thing. In fact it is probably how it should be.

 

We have been doing some 'renovating' in the poultry pens. My sister gave me some metal panels which are ideal for walls and they are on their way to being put up. The first step though was to remove a rather rampant vine that was not only shading the old pen but destroying it too. It's nice to have an extra pair of hands at home to help out with tasks which aren't high on the fun factor.

 Puss is very much an indoor cat even though when she arrived as a teeny-tiny kitten I vowed she was not going to be a spoilt, pampered pet. Her favourite thing to do besides sleeping is going outside on her leash for a walk and to nibble grass. Grace is a soft touch when it comes to leading the cat so it is usually her on the other end of the leash. Today they spent a fair bit of time with me in the vegetable garden.

frosty broccoli

And I know I recently blabbed on about spring-like weather but as predicted, winter has returned. The mornings have been frosty with all of our water troughs frozen until mid-morning. That's a good thing in school holidays too because apparently little dolls like to ice skate when their owners have time to take them.
Tracy

Tomorrow is our big day. What I like best about our anniversary, is that it is a celebration that we truly share. I mean my birthday is mine and Tim's is his and Christmas is for everybody but this is OURS. To make things easier (or maybe more difficult) we put a spending limit of $50 on gifts for each other and I haven't even snooped once. I really hope Tim likes the gaudy garden gnome I included in his gifts. If he doesn't then I do anyway.

So for the next couple of days we will be away from home bushwalking (most likely in the rain) and relaxing and dining out and doing a bit of treasure hunting too. Then again we may just do nothing much at all though I doubt that.

And for anyone interested, tomorrow is exactly six months until Christmas. Time does fly.
Tracy

Eisteddfods and Soup Night

No, Eisteddfods and soup really don't have anything in common well nothing  I know of at least. But we did spend the better part of Saturday enjoying the voices at a 'local' eisteddfod (local being 125km from home) and we did have our Sunday soup night last night. The girls were part of their school choirs so it was a bit of a must to attend. And although I really do like listening to music, I will admit here and now that I am prone to getting fidgety when the program starts at 2pm and doesn't finish until almost 6pm.

Post Eisteddfod.

 We had a nice time anyway and got to spend a bit of time visiting a different town before the event. I also called into the organic market which I could see a few gaps in which might provide an opportunity next season. I just have to learn to become more confident and proactive in promoting the goods I have for sale. That will certainly be a test because I am not that type of personality at all.

 Our soup night was a real simple affair. Pumpkin soup made with a gifted Queensland Blue pumpkin. Hope had to have her own batch of French Onion Soup because my pumpkin soup doesn't appeal to her. In her own words, "it is too pumpkin-y". There are plenty of pumpkin soup recipes out there with all sorts of variations and adaptations so I won't bother sharing how I make it here.

The accompanying bread however was another matter. I think it is one of the nicest breads I have made.

I can't claim the recipe but I can share a link so you can make these delicious baguettes. And as is often the case, it is the simple and humble that is so impressive. A combination of water, flour, yeast and salt and voila... yum.

Music lessons, drama club and grocery shopping are on the list for this afternoon so I am off.
Tracy

Mother's Day weekend

From "The Sydney Morning Herald" 5/5/2103

 

We spent a nice few days in Sydney over the Mother's Day weekend. It was a treat to have us all together under one roof even if it was only for a couple of days. I got to visit my vet in training and part-time Stormtrooper son (he's the middle trooper above), one of my sisters and her children and get very tired in the process. I'm not sure why a weekend of doing not very much (well not as much as usual) makes me so weary.

 

A homemade card with self-portraits. Grace and Hope did a fair job but Tim and Tom thankfully hardly resemble their efforts at all.

We squeezed in a session of roller skating too. If we lived near a rink, Grace would want to skate every week but at $60 for a two hour skate for four of us, I'm not sure I could afford it. Once in a while is quite enough for me. I must say though roller skating is still great even after quite a few years of being off my wheels and it really makes me smile.

I'm still waiting for rain here with increasing levels of impatience. In my area it is nowhere near as bad as other places but very much needed nonetheless. Clouds are building a little today but we shall see.
Tracy

Caught up

Well, I am happy to say that I am caught up with my gardening work. School holidays give you that little bit of extra time to catch up on things. Well they do for me anyway. School is back on Monday though and I will be a little sad to see the girls hop on the bus on Monday morning. They are my bosom friends and kindred spirits and I miss them. 

 

 This week, I removed the last of the tomatoes. The poultry benefited from any fruit which wasn't fit for the kitchen. The flurry of activity and weeding and pruning has exposed a few bare spots in the herb garden. Which reminds me I must take a few pictures.

Planted this week: carrots, turnips and cavolo nero (Tuscan kale). Not a lot in the ground but I did spend a day out of town with Tim whilst he was working (that's my excuse). Unfortunately we still have had no rain and although the temperatures are low overnight, I'm still having to water quite often.

 I know that leaving things to flower and set seed can drain a plant and sometimes it is even the end stage for a plant but I usually let things go their full cycle. I am rapt with these garlic chive seed heads right now. They were stunning a while ago, all white and covered in bees and now they are equally pretty, dried with their shiny black seeds.

And because it is the end of the school holidays (and  because I promised myself at the beginning of the year), we 'did' lunch today at a local restaurant. If I'm dining out, lunch would be my choice over dinner. It is usually more economical and just like today, I don't usually need an evening meal afterwards. Hope opted for a dessert instead of lunch and was very impressed with her meringue roulade. I was equally impressed with my choice of French onion soup, Grace with her pumpkin salad and Tim with his choice of croque monsieur. Yum. It has inspired me to be a little more creative in the kitchen too which can only be a good thing.

I'm off now to do a little stitching on some sweet little Matryoshka dolls that I have been working on for far too long.
tracy

School holidays = fun

We have been making the most of these autumn school holidays. Three whole weeks without a strict schedule to keep makes for lots of fun.

 

The birthday party with the "olden days" theme on Sunday was great according to Hope. I am with Lisa regarding the connection of "olden days" and tie-dyeing but I guess maybe to the 11 year old whose party it was, the era of tie-dyeing is probably considered olden. The tie-dyed fabric Hope made has just finished drying and it is bright but certainly not over the top but I'm not sure what we will make with it yet.

We went on a sojourn to Murrurundi on Monday. Tim was working there for the day and the girls and I had a great time looking around the town. The local war memorial gardens are gorgeous right now. I only wish my roses looked so vibrant.

We picnicked and did  a spot of reading, stitching and sketching in the local park. Not a vacation proper but a nice day out just the same.

 Closer to home, just a few minutes up the street, there is a pine forest. It's serene and cool and the place to go for a few pine nedles for the smoker we use when inspecting the bee hives.

And what's a holiday without some fishing. No fish on this trip. And no gold in our pans from our fossicking attempts. Next time maybe.

Tracy

Busy but not like a bee

A busy bee on my mint

Today has been one of those days actually the last two days have been those days. The kind when you are busy chasing your own tail. I have been to the hospital, to the doctor  and we will be back at the doctor tomorrow too . Tim was bitten by a red back spider on Sunday afternoon and although he didn't think too much of it at first, he is reeling a little now. All of the typical symptoms but it his blood pressure which is of greatest concern to the medical fraternity. He has only slept for about an hour since Sunday night and it is terrible seeing him so out of sorts. It is both amazing and alarming what harm such a small being can do. He will be all right and keeps assuring me he will be btter tomorrow but I think it might take a bit longer than that.

On to happier things. I just found Amber's great blog and she is having a giveaway . And although I would really like to win the book myself, I think it is nice to share the chance with my blogging friends. That's what friends do. Even if I'm not the lucky winner, I am glad I have found a new blog to read.

Take care,
Tracy

43 today and the winner

 

We celebrated Tim's 43rd without too much style here today. A trip to town for a pink slip, grocery shopping and some exorbitant school uniform purchases. I prefer to spend special days (actually any day) at home and make more of an effort but unfortunately this year, I was a slacker and bought a cake for the birthday boy. Tasted good anyway and it's the company that counts... right.

 

 

 

When we got home, Tim drew the giveaway winner and ...

 

 

the winner is Liz. I will package up your parcel and have it in the post in the next week Liz.

 

Thanks to everyone who actually reads my blog and a special thank you to those who leave comments from time to time. I know sometimes when I read a blog I am in two minds as to whether or not to comment because it does take a few minutes but I am going to be a more active commenter from here on in.

 

 

Tracy

Keeping Cool

Thanks for all the warm wishes to keep cool (?). As we are low on water, we haven't been able to have our evaporative cooler on so the only chance today was a trip to the swimming pool. I did a little grocery shopping in air conditioned comfort while Tim and the girls had a swim. Tom stayed at home and sweltered but that was his choice. It has cooled down a little now that the sun is behind the hills to our west so I have squeezed in a trip to the vegetable garden before a later than usual dinner.

 

 I was given some old plastic Christmas bells which had seen better days but they are good on the garden gate. Well I like them anyway.

 The zucchini Ronde de nice are coming along nicely. The other zucchini plants I have in are just starting to produce properly so these little ones will be in full swing when the older ones are waning.

 The hot weather has been good for the pumpkins. They are putting on a lot of growth just as long as I keep the water up to them.

 I checked back and I hadn't posted any pictures of our newest babies. The chickens hatched by mother turkey (the ones the snake tried to make a meal of). They aren't turkeys. They are in fact bantam chickens but she doesn't know and doesn't care for that matter.

And just because I loaded this picture on the computer today (I'm posting Christmas pictures on my Facebook page) I thought I would share it here too. It is from Christmas 1997 when Grace was just 2 months old . Time surely does fly by.
Tracy

Not about the farm or the garden

Yesterday was Grace's 15th birthday so it is all about her. She is easy to please and was really taken with her birthday cake this year. I have to say it was one of the easiest I have had to make. I saw the idea on Pinterest and it really requires no instructions, what you see is what you get, a chocolate cakes iced and surrounded in Kit Kat wafers and topped with Snarties. I chose the smallest cake tin I have because I knew it was going to be a big ask for the four of us to get through that much decoration. As it happen, only three of us have tried, I really do not like cake overly unless it is a cheesecake so I passed (so far).

 

Kit Kat and Smarties cake

5months

 The fifteen years since she was born have flown by which I am sure is what any mother would say about their children. This is the girl who at three thought that headstones in a cemetery were to tell you the name of the flowers there and that because of photos she had seen, that I was alive when the world didn't have any colour.

5 years

 This is my very favourite picture of her. Five years old and truly a sweetie.

15 years

And now almost grown up but still there is quite a bit of the little girl in her personality. She loves her family, her violin and piano and just about any creature you can name.  And I love her.
Tracy

Whilst offline

Karmen

 There has been plenty to do while the computer has been out of action. Lambs are being born including a set of triplets. So that is enough to keep me busy even if it is just time spent watching their antics.

Bee on sage flowers

 The bees are in a flurry of both nectar and pollen gathering. Nectar from the sage is just becoming popular as the lemon-scented geraniums flowers start to wain.

Tim weeding

 The vegetable garden is the place to be. The summertime weed onslaught isn't here yet so the work is pleasant, the weather is good and there are plenty of good things to snack on along the way.



High Tea for Habitat

 

Last week I also had my High Tea for Habitat.Plenty of goodies were made and shared in the name of a good cause. Besides that I love any opportunity to use my old china that I have collected and to try new recipes. I would have liked to have our tea party outdoors but the wind was too gusty. So it was tea iside then ooutside for a garden and farm tour.

Charlotte picking snowpeas

 

So therer in a nutshell is what I have been up to. Of course there was the usual mundane things of every day life. These are just the highlights here.

 

Tracy