To Review Or Not To Review

Do I really want to review this past year. I already know that I have done very little craft (certainly haven't finished anything for family or myself); I have spent hours in the yard and garden and cannot see much difference; that I finished a chapter in my life more completely than I had planned (which has eventually been the right thing to do); have taken two 2day trips away (nowhere near long enough) and generally have done much the same day in and day out.

Up side to the gardening is that we are eating a reasonable amount of homegrown.

 The new garden bed is completed and the cactii and succulents are starting to grow. It will look nice in about 6 months.

Swan family on one of our 2 day away trips - this was at Jerilderie - I had seen lots of full grown swans but not a complete brand new family.

UFO's - I have a heap. And they are still UFO's

I am beginning to think I might have to make a couple of new year resolutions - 1 being to finish at least 3 UFO's in 2013!!!

An up to 2012 has been the time I have spent with my grand daughter helping her with he plabt propogation for her market stall - she is only 8yrs old!

 

I also attended a number of shows in the Riverina and judged at 3. I love Ag Shows and what they represent to the towns! Always enjoy these days

 

We attended 2 family wedding which were lovely. I particularly loved the wedding of my cousins daughter. The ceremony and reception were held on their property at Colo vale - a beautiful setting and fun times with my family members!

A wonderful event in March this year was the birth of grand child No 10. Ruben came into the world at 9lb 1oz (don't know the metric). he is a beautiful healthy 9 months old now.

March also saw the floods in the Riverina. This was what part of our property looked like. we were very fortunate to be on high ground. There are still many people in yenda and yoogali who are not back in their home yet.

On the Wee Jasper road from Yass you cross the upper Murrumbidgee. This is on the way to where our son and family live. This was in October and is above Burrinjuck dam. Currently there is no water in this section at all. Such a spectacular area to drive through - the scenery is breathtaking.... as are the roads!!!

I added to my UFO pile ..... I started to make christmas banners for gifts - didn't get them finished iether. Maybe in 2013

I am a Santa collector - These are just 3 of probably about 50 that I have - some are handmade as in the photo and some are shop bought.

rather than make New Year Resolutions for 2013 I am going to have a try to list as follows: I am going to try to finish half of the UFO's I have stockpiled; I am going to try to save enough to have a really good 2 week holiday this year; I am going to keep on my road to improving my health with better eating and more gentle exercise; I am going to try to break the habit of being there constantly for my family and have time for myself to follow through on some of my long buried dreams and goals; I have already started to slow my life down so I will try to do that even more; AND I am going to try to make at least 2 blog posts every week during 2013!!!.

This Sunflower is one of 12 I have in amongst other plants in one of our garden beds - my 20yr old son couldn't resist giving them all faces - this one just called to me.

 

To each and everyone of my family, friends and bolg followers I wish for you a healthy, happy 2013 with many, many, many good things coming your way!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

THE WEEKS GO BY....

How easy is it to get bogged down in something and suddenly a month has passed!! I didn't realise how long it had been since my las post - I have been very busy organising a community event with 3 other people. That event was yesterday and today I am just lazing about.
I did have a wander around our yard and found some beautiful surprises (and not so beautiful - bugs and weeds!!)

 

Above and below are photos of my favourite garden plants - the pelargonium family - they are always green and flower on and off all year

 

 

And the roses have all come out in bloom - I have missed this happening because I have been so focused on other things.

 

 

It seems all of the pastels are in flower - the reds have finished or some are just budding!



 

 

My second favourite bush are the roses - i can treat them hard but they still stay loyal to me!!

 

 

My favourite bush/shrub/tree of all time are the Callistemons - those that have flowered are covered in their striking brushes

 

 

I knew the mulberry tree was loaded and a few minutes this morning was spent moving around underneath having breakfast!!!

 

 

I still manage to get purple stains on my hands and around my mouth - but I do manage to keep my clothes stain free!! But who cares they are so.... nice....

 

Lots of mulberry jam and pies coming up over the next couple of weeks...... we have 3 smaller self seeded trees down the driveway that are loaded with fruit also!!

 

 

Not a good photo but BIG strawberries waiting for me this morning also.

 

 

vegies and seedlings have taken off..

 

my first tomato for the season and found a heap more tiny little tomoato fruit on the cherry tomato plants also

 

 

No idea what variety of rose bush this is but it is tucked away in a spot in the garden that only gets a little water and care but it is covered in blooms every year - I think it is a briar variety - very open blooms with not a lot of petals.

 

So now i am back inside thinking a nice afternoon nap is in order and then I will think about wht I am going to do this week - I am thinking a bit of crafting and gardening is in order - whatever I choose you can be assured it will be at home and relaxing and satisfying!!

THE START OF OUR 3 DAY WEEKEND

After heading of 3 hours late we finally arrived at our eldest sons - on the Wee Jasper Road from Yass. As we had to be there by school bus time we didn't stop on the way up but I am definitely stopping on the way into Canberra this morning to take heaps of photos. The scenery up here is spectacular and the natures landscape is breathtaking!! I did take a few photos when we arrived so here they are...

 

 



The old cottage - the homestead currently being used is probably 80 plus years old. So the age of this cottage is any ones guess. I haven't been inside yet but there are apparently layers of newspaper lining the walls dating back to the WWW1 and before..

 

 

and this is the back of the old cottage.Ii think this vine is dead but time will tell as it is still early spring.

 

 

 

 

And this is the entry to the property. My son hates this tree and wants to cut it out. I told him he had no regard for history, he told me I was a 'greenie'. All of the trees on the property have been neglected for so long and it would be expensive to save them. But the fruit trees in the orchard are probably varieties that are not available to buy anymore; and I find it sad that no one has taken the time or interest to look after and preserve them. It is what happens though when a property is under the care of a line of workers. Fortunately the house has been maintained.

The garden is full of little bulbs that have naturalised and pop up everywhere - ixias, bluebells, hyacinths etc.

 

And to finish off ... some wild ducks playing on the damn banks - unfortunately I was just bit too far away to get a closer shot of them.

 

 

 

That's it for today. Now to pack the car again and head into Canberra (I hate large towns let alone cities but if I have to go to a city Canberra is probably the better one to go to!!). We have a family wedding this afternoon. After a stop/start drive to get some more photos!

 

I Can I Can I Can

Being Tuesday today it was grand son day - 6 months and 4 days old today also!!! So he had something to show ma-ma!!

I can turn over all by myself - and i don't have to stay on my back for anything...nappy changes are an exercise of agility on my behalf now (and let me tell you my agility is not like it was 30 years ago when his daddy was 6 months old). Ruben is also teething - swollen bottom gum, dribbling and runny nose that only a tap can stop.
So looks like the 6th month of our little man's life is going to be a milestone month - he also said 'bub bub' twice today!!

coming from large families has it's good points......and it's bad points. Sometimes you just have to share......especially when it is wet!!

Today was a micold and wet day here. Lady (blue kelpie), Libby(black lab) and Dougal (who knows what breed but we guess lab x kelpie - no relation to Lady and Libby) - would have been inside in front of the fire I think if they could have gotten through the door.

In this box at our front door, sheltered from the rain and wind they remained for duration of the rain!!

Today was a day of relaxation and enjoyment topped by our baby and out pets!!

REWARDS OF EXHIBITING???

For those of us who enter our produce, craftwork, cooking and hobbies in our local ag shows we know that we get satisfaction of some sort from doing so. It could be because we are supporting our show (there is no pavilion to look through if exhibitors don't enter); the satisfaction of seeing our items on display for the public; receiving the compliments and lovely comments (and that is nice) or just having a prizecard or ribbon that says our work was really good.

Food Product sections not only show the talents of the owners but you so often hear the viewers commenting that they could do that or should have made their surplus fruit into jam etc etc.

Exhibiting can also be educational - this section being a weed section - and yes the exhibitors have been known to nurture a 'weed' to win the first prize!!!! - but it does show the variety of weeds in particular areas and both adults and children both learn what is a weed or isn't from these exhibits!!

Cookery is an often hotly contested section - A Champion ribbon in this section is indeed an honour - and yes many of the country's best cooks are members of the CWA!!!

And our menfolk are just as competitive - entering their fleeces, hay and grain. The look of pride when they see a prize card on their exhibit is priceless - and many a thorough inspection and discussion evolves with their own dissection of what they think is a good or bad exhibit.

Craft sections show a divers range of crafts being executed within the communities. The bag below is a junior exhibitors entry and I loved it.

This beautiful hand felted piece is actually a over skirt to wear over legging - it was a stunning piece of work!

crochet and knitting sections are always quite large - these are two all time favourite crafts that have never really died but are currently in strong revival mode (which we see happen with many 'forgotten crafts')

your local Show really is a 'window' on your local community. have you ever entered your local show. Do you get a lot of satisfaction from doing so? Prizemoney really has no bearing as the cost of making our entries and entering them is never recouped.
If you heven't entered anything in your local show... why not?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

DRY AREA PRODUCERS!!!

Today is a glorious spring day here, one that just draws you outside to get your hands dirty in the garden!! But as is normal with our springs the weather can revert to winter with frost overnight. This I am keeping in mind when I look at the produce photos from the Ariah Park Show.
There were eggs and aggs and more eggs - I was gobsmacked at the number of entries. There are generally half a dozen entries, especially at a small town show but the exhibitors outdid themselves on sunday.

 

 

Just a selection of the egg entries .... all colours and all sizes (makes me green with envy and I want to go out and buy a heap of chooks of all different breed - we cannot have poultry because of quarantine rules at the poultry farm my husband works at.

below is a sample of the citrus entries -

 And yes the yellow fingers are a citrus fruit - Buddhas Fingers or fist I bam led to believe!!

The quality of the horticulture entries are usually amazing even though the town is a Dry Area agricultural town

Although probably not as many entries as I have seen previously at this show what was there was outstanding

This arrangement took my eye

And the children's entries as usual were fantastic - the kids just excel with their imaginations and ability!!

An arrangement in an egg cup...

Well that is it for today... thinking I might go outside for an couple of hours - my grand daughter is coming out to pot some more cuttings for her soon to be market stall (we have 5shopping bags of geranium, pelargonium and lavender cuttings .......I am thinking that I might be lucky and get some for my own garden!!!