weekending

The weekending…? Has it been that long since I have been online to update our little blog here and catch up with you all?

It may even feel a little longer for me. Those razor sharp blades that invaded the little space in my throat last week turned into a full blown flu virus. I was
manwoman down for most of last week and only seemed to re-surface from my zombie like existence somewhere through Saturday. With our medical mostly depleted, I turned to a more natural form of self medicated remedy - Kali Mur – do you use tissue salts? Before all the nonsense of hospitals and doctors and pharmaceuticals prescribed over the past however many months before, they were my go to for all things health wise. And, although there is still a tickling cough every now and then, I feel much better for it. Almost as if my immune system may be a little stronger and thanking me for it.

There was also a little too much of the freakish weather – a few days where the temps teetered around 40 degrees Celsius and others were the sky circled in shades of grey and there may have been a dusting or sprinkling of a pathetic attempt at rain. This week looks like it may just be heading in the same direction.

Poor ol’ Blair has been bouncing around with a cone-thingie-magigie around her head. It’s the funniest thing to watch. Initially the poor gal went into a state of absolute terrror, but we have just had to persevere with it for the sake of her poor eye. Thankfully she is healing up nicely and not too perturbed (that much) by it anymore.

Saturday Rob switched over to watch the Rugby. I have no idea how long its been since we have watched any form of sporting on t.v. In the past I probably would have cringed at the thought of having to endure a game where I have no choice but to openly admit I have no clue as to what is happening. But, this time, I pulled out all my older knit projects and added finishing touches to them while pretending to watch. At least I was there in body right? Sadly, from all the hullabaloo, shrieks and moans from all the boys – we lost to the All Blacks, but in all fairness – Rob did says we played like idiots. I say, well done to the Boks for getting thus far. *insert sly chuckle here*

This week I will be keeping a close eye on our post box. I am patiently (well trying to be) waiting on the new supplies for my soap making obsession. I have quite a big order to get through before the end of November, for a very special customer that will be visiting us from England in December.
The boys have less than 2 months of school to go before the end of the year. So the week days have become pretty darn quiet around here while Joshua swots for his exams for next month. Keeping Garren busy during these quiet days has become easier as he gets older. We have now added a work table in his new bedroom and he spends his time drawing in his little journal and rebuilding his Lego pirate ship he got for his birthday this year.

I HOPE to share a few blogger sites a week (weather permitting) for you all to hop on over and show some love to. There are days when a little comment from someone out there makes all the difference in the world. Stop by when you have a chance – peruse their site and if you like what you see add them to your feed link.

This week head on over and say hi to Jeanette from The Farm and Wendy from Crickleberry Cottage
Thank you all so much for all your comments on my last post. I love your comments. Every single one of them make me smile.

Have a blessed week ahead.

Love Angie xx

big fish

Remember that heat wave I carried on about last week? Well the very next day it broke. Spring is back and I couldn’t feel gladder.

Between you and me I truly rely on our seasons being in sync. I feel together. I need that balance after the imbalance we have experienced this year. I need the sun to rise in the morning all sparkling and bright and set leaving the darkness and magic of the moon in the evening. I need to be one with the phases of the moon. And I need the seasons to be what they are…. I need to witness the awakening of Summer before Summer is here. All this makes me feel secure and in harmony, not only within myself but with the world around me. So, dearest Mother Earth - I thank you for bringing back Spring. 

I am ever so grateful that I have seen the end of last week’s tummy bugs, restless nights and seasonal coughs. The boys are on the mend but, with that, I seem to have caught that hideous virus from them. A grumpy throat and a tightness of the chest – really?!? Please can someone remove the razor blades from my throat. 

There was a reshuffle of the boys bedrooms and I think they are happier for it. It makes more sense, although for me, it means that I have to accept that our eldest may be in the process of not only leaving home but moving to another town and our youngest is growing and maturing enough to have his very own room. (insert heavy-hearted sigh here). 

The girls have settled nicely into their coop and we are back to getting an egg from each one daily. The old side of the coop is getting a little green growing make over. We have added more soil to even out where their scratchings left holes and I planted snippings of mint and marjoram while Rob sowed some coriander seeds and planted cuttings from our grass. The veg garden is flourishing and before we know it we will be harvesting again. The ol’ folk have planted well this year. 

There was much excitement when our budding fisherman caught his very first fish. He dreams of a future of doing nothing else but that… fishing. When I went through to check that he was getting ready for school and not being distracted by all the newness of his very own bedroom. I found him half-dressed, one sock on and the other lying limply over his unmade bed, imaginary rod in one hand and the other very busy reeling in yet another bass. I feel the exhilaration for Christmas coming on, Santa’s list of every kind of angler paraphernalia out there is growing. 

I am nearing the end of my grey beanie and I think it’s going to be just perfect for when the colder months embrace our little home next year. I have already started looking for a new knit project. I have never knitted socks, the bed-type variety yes, but never socks. I need to get out to the store and buy sock yard and just do it. What is your go to pattern for your socks? 

I’ve spent the last few days realigning and readjusting and I think I may just be back on track. I won’t claim to be healed completely but I will say this. I am eternally blessed to have my family and the understanding and strength from a man who supports me whichever way the wheel for today may be turning. 

I am going HOPE to share a few blogger sites a week (weather permitting) for you all to hop on over and show some love to. There are days when a little comment from someone out there makes all the difference in the world. Stop by when you have a chance – peruse their site and if you like what you see add them to your feed link.
This week head on over and say hi to Rachel from Chronicles of Just a Mom and Karen from Pumpkin Sunrise. 

Thank you all so much for all your comments on my last post. I love your comments. Every single one of them make me smile. 

Have a blessed week ahead!
Love Angie

homespun chicks

I have woken to a morning of blissfully cooler skies and a more comfortable 23 degrees. I cant believe how sweltering it has been over the last few days. Yesterday, midday, saw us reaching temps of over 40 degrees Celsius! How are we expected to cope with this kind of heat? (only Mother Nature dearest must know). I feel a little frightened for when our Summer does eventually arrive. Garren said that when they weren't in PE lessons, yesterday, the teachers let the boys take breaks through the day and run through the sprinklers at school. And when the boys got home from school they all jumped in the pool again. 

 
But, with that being said, yesterday afternoon the heat wave finally broke and dirty grey clouds circled the sky for a slightly cooler afternoon and milder evening. Not quite the weather and natural light I needed for picture taking for this post today though. It seemed, at the time, that there may not be a post today at all - Zeus had a hand in it too - when he saw me trying to take photos outside for a little more natural light, he kept on playfully pouncing at me and truly thought the eggs here were a treat just for him. Contending with a puppy his size can sometimes be overwhelming. He of course has no clue that his puppy bounding can almost knock me right off my feet. Oh well, its just one of those things - right? I will have to try again through the week.

The inspiration for our Homespun Chicks came from the lovely Nalle's House, they are so very easy to whip up with simple stitching. I just love that! I am busy with other knit projects, that take a little longer to finish off, so I find that knitting up something like this is fun and I could see the results within a few minutes. I haven't quite finished loading all the blaah blaah on my Ravelry account just yet - I will get to that a little later in the day. And as soon as I capture the right picture I will load them up on our little store too. 

 
Of course, today I will be joining the lovely Ginny for Yarn Along. It has been far too long since I linked up! 

 
Will I be connecting with you there? 

 
love angie xxx

gone fishin'

 

We are in the swing of all things that include anything outside and throwing out the lines. With beautiful blue skies above and a soft breeze rippling off the dam, there is no better way to spend our morning. Well, that is, according to Rob and Garren.

Rob and I have been deep in conversation, for awhile now, about how we can bring a few more out door activities (on a frugal budget) into our daily lives. Camping was one, fishing another and more beach time. I also added that I would love to add a few trips to the night craft markets.

We meandered through Baynesfield Estate and found this lovely dam aptly named “Big Dam”. The water level was very low due to the dry spell we are having at the moment but that made for easy fish spying. The policy is catch and release which is perfect for this “big” little dam. Sadly no fish were caught but they were there teasing on the end of the lures which brought on great excitement. It was perfect for a little man to practice his casting. This was Garren’s third fishing trip. The previous times he loved the outing but I felt that all that time spent on the boat made for a very impatient and tired little lad. This trip we could not get him to reel in his line – Rob, as we all know, is a true fisherman at heart and to have a son who is showing signs of sharing this same passion made him ever so proud.

And me, myself and I…. well, this time I did not cast out my line. I found a beautiful Plain tree with umbrella branches filled with lush green leaves for shade and caught up on my favourite magazine.
I truly believe that, that Plain tree will be seeing me again in the not so distant future, maybe with our family tent, some camping chairs, a few more fishing rods and my knit projects.

love angie xxx

changing rooms

I have no clue as to where spring has  gone to. We seem to have stepped right in to the toasty days of mid summer around here. The boys have already had their first swim for the season and I keep watching and waiting for the last of that winter cold front that always sneaks up on us around the end of September into the beginning of October. But nothing….. just clear skies and that fiery hot sun shining all its vitamin sun rays down on  us. With thoughts of summer racing through our minds we know that inevitably there will soon be our summer rains. They are a blessing and a reprieve in the afternoons after a long blistering day.

Which bring us to our hen house. It’s time to move the gals and their roo to the other side of the coop. We spent the weekend doing just that. The hen house is divided into two. In the past we had the bunnies on the one side and the chooks on the other. Then the bunnies moved to a new home on a farm where there were many other bunnies. So when Mama Mavis had our first chick, dearest Fluffy-Butt she had the whole one side  to raise her safely away from the others. Now that Fluffy -Butt has grown and is part of the flock they all live happily together. I don’t see us having any more peeplings in the future so its time to move them all onto the left side. It is half covered with a thatch roof for shelter from the summer storms and gets beautiful sunshine through the mornings for them to go about their scratchings while soaking up the glorious vitamin sunshine. The right side.. well, we are working on filling up all the holes that the flock have scratched away at and then giving it a little make over for a new family member.

I’d say the gals are impressed and of  course got to scratching about as soon as we opened the inter-leading gate to start on the move. I do know that we may be short of an egg or two while they are nesting and settling into their new home. But, that’s ok, it will be worth the wait.

I may have in, conversation with the family, stated that I would like to add a little prettiness to our very rustic hen house by adding a few curtains to the nesting boxes. But, alas — the boys are dead against it! Should I just go ahead and do it – what do you all think? Do you think if I get enough raised hands in favour of new prettiness that I could stand trial and win?

Love

Angie xxx