Hey everyone,
Just letting you know that I have moved this blog over to wordpress so update your linkies - you can now find me at http://trilycottage.wordpress.com/ :)
Em
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
More Photos
Time sure flies by when you are busy! The past month has seen me spending FAR too much time at work and not nearly enough in the garden. Damn our reliance on money! :P
Everything in the garden (mostly) is coming along well provided we dont miss a day of watering. It has been so hot and dry here that the plants are all regularly wilting and the spring garden which should have had at least another month to grow and produce is already finishing up with the ruby chard and coriander bolting to seed and the snow peas producing despite being all of about 20cm high! I have thus changed my plans for the garden and will dedicate the whole front area to a cottage garden where flowering early is a good thing, and turn the back area where it is more shaded into the main vegetable patch.
This is the spot which will become to next vegie patch. As you can see there is a fair bit of work to do on it! The branches need to be moved/disposed of (anyone wanna buy me a mulcher for xmas?) and the compost is being used to fill up the raised bed, after which the compost pile will be relocated so we can make the most of the shady green patch under the tree. The old bbq is currently being used as a potting bench but hopefully we will have it fixed and working eventually (it needs a new bbq plate and such)
To the top left of that pic you can see a patch of green which is the apple tree (with a bunch of young trees underneath it). It is covered in fruit so I think we will be eating a lot of apple pie this winter!!!
That tree is one of the only patches of green in the side paddock. This is looking towards the front from a bit further up, near the plum tree. The grass/weeds are so dry it hurts to walk around barefoot now because they are so hard and crispy.
Now for the side and front where we actually have some green stuff!
These are the recently transplanted beans, starting to work their way up the bean tepee.
Behind them you can see the lettuce and silverbeets I planted 3 weeks ago - they are coming along quite nicely and only one died. They are surrounded by tiny lucerne seedlings which will hopefully create a nice green cover in a while to shade the soil and keep it cooler.
The front garden is starting to look pretty good now with the left side mostly mulched and the number of weeds slowly being reduced.
Out of the picture, bottom left, is what remains of the corn after the frost a month ago knocked them back. I have a few more seedlings out the back in the greenhouse which are big enough to join these older ones now as well. It wont be a big harvest but hopefully we will get something!
As you can see the snow peas are producing but with the plants being so small I am not expecting a feast!
I am however looking forwards to a glut of tomatoes, with a tonne of seedlings coming along nicely in the green house and this single mystery tomato out the front. This has come up from seed that was scattered in the pots many months ago in Sydney so it will be either reisentraube, tiny tim or grosse lisse.
And as our final pic, a little bit of pretty! This is one of the lovely old roses in front of the porch. Isnt it lovely? There is also a smaller one of what I think is the same rose on the other side of the stairs.
Until next time, take care and stay cool!
Everything in the garden (mostly) is coming along well provided we dont miss a day of watering. It has been so hot and dry here that the plants are all regularly wilting and the spring garden which should have had at least another month to grow and produce is already finishing up with the ruby chard and coriander bolting to seed and the snow peas producing despite being all of about 20cm high! I have thus changed my plans for the garden and will dedicate the whole front area to a cottage garden where flowering early is a good thing, and turn the back area where it is more shaded into the main vegetable patch.
This is the spot which will become to next vegie patch. As you can see there is a fair bit of work to do on it! The branches need to be moved/disposed of (anyone wanna buy me a mulcher for xmas?) and the compost is being used to fill up the raised bed, after which the compost pile will be relocated so we can make the most of the shady green patch under the tree. The old bbq is currently being used as a potting bench but hopefully we will have it fixed and working eventually (it needs a new bbq plate and such)
To the top left of that pic you can see a patch of green which is the apple tree (with a bunch of young trees underneath it). It is covered in fruit so I think we will be eating a lot of apple pie this winter!!!
That tree is one of the only patches of green in the side paddock. This is looking towards the front from a bit further up, near the plum tree. The grass/weeds are so dry it hurts to walk around barefoot now because they are so hard and crispy.
Now for the side and front where we actually have some green stuff!
These are the recently transplanted beans, starting to work their way up the bean tepee.
Behind them you can see the lettuce and silverbeets I planted 3 weeks ago - they are coming along quite nicely and only one died. They are surrounded by tiny lucerne seedlings which will hopefully create a nice green cover in a while to shade the soil and keep it cooler.
The front garden is starting to look pretty good now with the left side mostly mulched and the number of weeds slowly being reduced.
Out of the picture, bottom left, is what remains of the corn after the frost a month ago knocked them back. I have a few more seedlings out the back in the greenhouse which are big enough to join these older ones now as well. It wont be a big harvest but hopefully we will get something!
As you can see the snow peas are producing but with the plants being so small I am not expecting a feast!
I am however looking forwards to a glut of tomatoes, with a tonne of seedlings coming along nicely in the green house and this single mystery tomato out the front. This has come up from seed that was scattered in the pots many months ago in Sydney so it will be either reisentraube, tiny tim or grosse lisse.
And as our final pic, a little bit of pretty! This is one of the lovely old roses in front of the porch. Isnt it lovely? There is also a smaller one of what I think is the same rose on the other side of the stairs.
Until next time, take care and stay cool!
Monday, October 26, 2009
The Growing Garden
Just a quick picture update today...
Here are all my babies in their cozy new home. Dont they look happy? Some are waiting to go out, I just need the weather to improve and to build some climbing structures for the peas... oh yeah, and work out WHERE I am going to put them.
This is the progress on the side garden - first path dug out with the topsoil going onto the beds. Once I have finished the other paths I will try and get my hands on some saw dust to line them all.
I have already planted out some spinach and lettuce I brought home from the swap and the strawberry plants in their pots here were planted out this morning.
And this is last nights dinner - the most freakishly yellow pasta I have ever seen! This was made using the free range eggs I bought from one of the ladies at work. The yolks are just amazing!
Till next time,
Em
Here are all my babies in their cozy new home. Dont they look happy? Some are waiting to go out, I just need the weather to improve and to build some climbing structures for the peas... oh yeah, and work out WHERE I am going to put them.
This is the progress on the side garden - first path dug out with the topsoil going onto the beds. Once I have finished the other paths I will try and get my hands on some saw dust to line them all.
I have already planted out some spinach and lettuce I brought home from the swap and the strawberry plants in their pots here were planted out this morning.
And this is last nights dinner - the most freakishly yellow pasta I have ever seen! This was made using the free range eggs I bought from one of the ladies at work. The yolks are just amazing!
Till next time,
Em
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Just Like Christmas...But BETTER!!!
Well it has been a busy couple of weeks here at the Itty Bitty Homestead. Well, not so much here, as up the road where I work. 4 days last week and 5 this week (all 7 am starts) makes for a very sleep Em. I have however survived and am getting used to the hours and routine. Of course just to keep things interesting, all my shifts for next week are 3-11pm. Oh well, at least I get to sleep in.
Except for the early starts, the new job is going really well. The clients are lovely and (most of) the ladies I work with are too. Plus, how is this for an awesome day at work - on Wednesday myself and another carer took two of our clients down the coast for lunch. Fish and chips by the beach in the sun, lovely spring air AND to top it all off, we saw a whale! Very cool but of course, no one had cameras. It was showing off and having a good splash around....I love my job :D
Continuing with the theme of the busy week, Wednesday arvo we had a visit from Troys mother and step dad who were passing through town on the way back to Sydney. They stayed in town overnight and Thursday we went out to dinner to one of the nicer places here. It was a pleasant evening although I felt the ache from the tiny bit of wine the next morning. Oh and they got us a lovely housewarming gift - a mini greenhouse! So now I can have my kitchen bench and windowsill and dining table and mantle back.
The house is being somewhat overtaken by seedlings at the moment but some are about ready to go outside. Also, we had the seedling swap today so I got rid of a heap of the peas and beans I was raising (and I gotta say, they looked to be the healthiest seedlings there - go me!). In return I bought home 2 raspberries, 2 strawberries, a loganberry, a tiny plum 'tree', a bunch of rosemary cuttings, some basil, broccoli, a few different flowers, lettuces, chards and maybe a few other things, plus some red wiggler worms to start our worm farm! Yay! I have them all set up in their new home and ready to start doing their thing.
Tomorrow I will be digging out spots for the berries and planting them out and more pottering in the side garden. It has taken a lot of work but I am getting there. Pictures to come of the progress of course. For now, here are some I prepared earlier!
This shows the weeding in progress - the entire patch was foot high grass and weeds. You can see the pile on the right which I had already ripped out at this point.
Here we have some baby plums, I think, on one of the fruit trees.
Kitten practicing being a tiger amongst the weeds up the back.
One of the many 'weeds' around here - a pretty little Poppy
This is what I brought home from the seedlings swap today. Arent my new babies so cute?
And these are most of the seedlings I am raising at the moment, sitting in the sunniest and warmest spot in the house. Good thing I have been too tired to make pasta all week!
So there we have it, another week, another plant or hundred added to our little 'stead. Stay tuned for more updates!!!
Except for the early starts, the new job is going really well. The clients are lovely and (most of) the ladies I work with are too. Plus, how is this for an awesome day at work - on Wednesday myself and another carer took two of our clients down the coast for lunch. Fish and chips by the beach in the sun, lovely spring air AND to top it all off, we saw a whale! Very cool but of course, no one had cameras. It was showing off and having a good splash around....I love my job :D
Continuing with the theme of the busy week, Wednesday arvo we had a visit from Troys mother and step dad who were passing through town on the way back to Sydney. They stayed in town overnight and Thursday we went out to dinner to one of the nicer places here. It was a pleasant evening although I felt the ache from the tiny bit of wine the next morning. Oh and they got us a lovely housewarming gift - a mini greenhouse! So now I can have my kitchen bench and windowsill and dining table and mantle back.
The house is being somewhat overtaken by seedlings at the moment but some are about ready to go outside. Also, we had the seedling swap today so I got rid of a heap of the peas and beans I was raising (and I gotta say, they looked to be the healthiest seedlings there - go me!). In return I bought home 2 raspberries, 2 strawberries, a loganberry, a tiny plum 'tree', a bunch of rosemary cuttings, some basil, broccoli, a few different flowers, lettuces, chards and maybe a few other things, plus some red wiggler worms to start our worm farm! Yay! I have them all set up in their new home and ready to start doing their thing.
Tomorrow I will be digging out spots for the berries and planting them out and more pottering in the side garden. It has taken a lot of work but I am getting there. Pictures to come of the progress of course. For now, here are some I prepared earlier!
This shows the weeding in progress - the entire patch was foot high grass and weeds. You can see the pile on the right which I had already ripped out at this point.
Here we have some baby plums, I think, on one of the fruit trees.
Kitten practicing being a tiger amongst the weeds up the back.
One of the many 'weeds' around here - a pretty little Poppy
This is what I brought home from the seedlings swap today. Arent my new babies so cute?
And these are most of the seedlings I am raising at the moment, sitting in the sunniest and warmest spot in the house. Good thing I have been too tired to make pasta all week!
So there we have it, another week, another plant or hundred added to our little 'stead. Stay tuned for more updates!!!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Seed Raising Frenzy
Despite the fact that it is still FREEZING here, it is apparently a great time to be starting seeds - inside at least - so I have been busy cutting up milk cartons and so on in order to get enough containers to start all my seeds in. I now have beans, peas, corn, tomatoes, eggplant, kale, sunflowers, rockmelons, squash, luffas and maybe a few others I have forgotten, plus a bunch of flowers, all happily sitting on the mantle above the fireplace. Hopefully the heat rising up will keep them warm enough to germinate and grow happily until they are ready to go outside.
These ones are near the fire - the mantle isnt big enough for all my babies!
All lined up, nice and cozy :) The ones down the far end are the seeds I am raising for the seedling swap in a couple of weeks.
This is why they are INSIDE! Check out the pictures Troy got the other day while I was at work.
Looking left from the front of the house.
Looking right...
My vegie patch...
Looking out the back at the neighbours wood pile...
It was very pretty and I felt like such a kid getting so excited over the snow but it is only the second time I have seen snow actually falling. It was all gone by lunchtime but was a real treat while it was here. I was very happy to see when I got home that the seedlings already outside weren't bothered in the least by the cold white stuff falling on their heads.
On the work front, I had two full shifts this week, one morning, one evening, and have met some great ladies and some lovely clients. Next week I have been given four shifts which is great in regards of the money I will be getting, but I have a feeling I will be very tired by the end of the week - they are all 7am starts! I picked up my first pay check yesterday and of course it was burning a hole in my pocket so I toddled off to the hardware store to pick up some more seed raising mix and of course a few seeds. I tried to resist! I really did!
I got a call while I was there from the lady I met at the gardening workshops so ducked in to say hi to her as she is just around the corner. We had a great chat and I got to see her garden set up and get some local advice from her. It has given me a few ideas for this place. She has just gotten a few chooks too so hopefully I will be able to learn from her beginners mistakes hehe. One of the things they have done is build raised beds to plant their fruit trees in, which can be unscrewed and taken with them when they move out to their property. I thought this would be a good idea for us as well - by taking the structure apart the dirt will fall away and you will essentially have a bare root fruit tree which can be moved easily, instead of having to dig a big hole to get it out of the ground. So brilliantly simple! And it will make the trees much happier than being in pots. Now to beg or borrow a trailer and head up to the tip recycling centre one weekend for materials :) And of course a visit to Mr BVVF to see what manure we can scrounge! Whoever woulda thunk I could get so excited about the prospect of getting my hands on some free sh!t!!!
These ones are near the fire - the mantle isnt big enough for all my babies!
All lined up, nice and cozy :) The ones down the far end are the seeds I am raising for the seedling swap in a couple of weeks.
This is why they are INSIDE! Check out the pictures Troy got the other day while I was at work.
Looking left from the front of the house.
Looking right...
My vegie patch...
Looking out the back at the neighbours wood pile...
It was very pretty and I felt like such a kid getting so excited over the snow but it is only the second time I have seen snow actually falling. It was all gone by lunchtime but was a real treat while it was here. I was very happy to see when I got home that the seedlings already outside weren't bothered in the least by the cold white stuff falling on their heads.
On the work front, I had two full shifts this week, one morning, one evening, and have met some great ladies and some lovely clients. Next week I have been given four shifts which is great in regards of the money I will be getting, but I have a feeling I will be very tired by the end of the week - they are all 7am starts! I picked up my first pay check yesterday and of course it was burning a hole in my pocket so I toddled off to the hardware store to pick up some more seed raising mix and of course a few seeds. I tried to resist! I really did!
I got a call while I was there from the lady I met at the gardening workshops so ducked in to say hi to her as she is just around the corner. We had a great chat and I got to see her garden set up and get some local advice from her. It has given me a few ideas for this place. She has just gotten a few chooks too so hopefully I will be able to learn from her beginners mistakes hehe. One of the things they have done is build raised beds to plant their fruit trees in, which can be unscrewed and taken with them when they move out to their property. I thought this would be a good idea for us as well - by taking the structure apart the dirt will fall away and you will essentially have a bare root fruit tree which can be moved easily, instead of having to dig a big hole to get it out of the ground. So brilliantly simple! And it will make the trees much happier than being in pots. Now to beg or borrow a trailer and head up to the tip recycling centre one weekend for materials :) And of course a visit to Mr BVVF to see what manure we can scrounge! Whoever woulda thunk I could get so excited about the prospect of getting my hands on some free sh!t!!!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Spring...for now
I think it is finally spring proper here now - perhaps. The other week we had some lovely warm weather which had me feeling very optimistic however a cold snap and a bit of rain put a bit of a dampener on that (bad pun intended). Yesterday was a bit warmer and today is warmer still with lovely clear blue skies although a bit of wind blowing still. The flowers are continuing to bloom although my little apple tree is still totally bare. It IS alive though - I scratched the top of one of the buds and there is green underneath. Perhaps I need to knit it a little jumper, poor sooky plant. The other dwarf fruit trees are mostly coming along ok. The two citrus arent growing, but they arent dying either. The mango is looking very unwell with no leaves on it and the main stem is looking slightly...wrinkly...instead of firm and green. I have given it a good dose of seasol which will hopefully perk it up a little.
The seeds I have planted in punnets are coming along nicely as are the seedlings planted into the garden. There are also a lot of seedlings popping up in the garden although at least half of those are weeds I am sure. I will have a lot of work to do once they get their adults leaves and I can actually identify them! I have also planted out a number of seed potatoes which were just starting to put out shoots so hopefully in a week or two they will start popping up through the mulch. The lucerne seeds I scattered have also sprouted so with luck soon they will be nice and big and shading out the weeds!!!
The broccoli and cabbage seedlings.
Other than the garden, I have been spending some time working on my crafts - sewing (and a lot of unpicking stitches), patchwork/applique, and a cross stitch for my nieces christmas present. I originally bought it a little before she was born. She recently turned two so I figure it is about time I get stuck in and actually finish it!!! It is amazing what one can do when there is no pesky work to get in the way!
I admit though that I have been missing the social intereaction and satisfaction that comes with the job, as well as having some structure and something to DO so I very happily toddled off to my induction yesterday and have my first shift today starting at noon. It will also be great to have some money coming in so I can pay off the credit card and then buy the materials for the chook pen :D I had a call the other day and was given a few phone numbers for locals who might have RIR's or Australorps available. YAY! Hopefully by the end of the month I will have some cash spare to get them.
Well, not much else to report so I shall end this post with a couple of photos of the lovely spring flowers, and a big Happy Anniversary to my darling love. 3 years he has been putting up with me...what an angel :)
Blossoms of some sort. Perhaps purely decorative, but certainly very pretty!
The lilac bush just outside the kitchen window.
The seeds I have planted in punnets are coming along nicely as are the seedlings planted into the garden. There are also a lot of seedlings popping up in the garden although at least half of those are weeds I am sure. I will have a lot of work to do once they get their adults leaves and I can actually identify them! I have also planted out a number of seed potatoes which were just starting to put out shoots so hopefully in a week or two they will start popping up through the mulch. The lucerne seeds I scattered have also sprouted so with luck soon they will be nice and big and shading out the weeds!!!
The broccoli and cabbage seedlings.
Other than the garden, I have been spending some time working on my crafts - sewing (and a lot of unpicking stitches), patchwork/applique, and a cross stitch for my nieces christmas present. I originally bought it a little before she was born. She recently turned two so I figure it is about time I get stuck in and actually finish it!!! It is amazing what one can do when there is no pesky work to get in the way!
I admit though that I have been missing the social intereaction and satisfaction that comes with the job, as well as having some structure and something to DO so I very happily toddled off to my induction yesterday and have my first shift today starting at noon. It will also be great to have some money coming in so I can pay off the credit card and then buy the materials for the chook pen :D I had a call the other day and was given a few phone numbers for locals who might have RIR's or Australorps available. YAY! Hopefully by the end of the month I will have some cash spare to get them.
Well, not much else to report so I shall end this post with a couple of photos of the lovely spring flowers, and a big Happy Anniversary to my darling love. 3 years he has been putting up with me...what an angel :)
Blossoms of some sort. Perhaps purely decorative, but certainly very pretty!
The lilac bush just outside the kitchen window.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Remembering the Good Ol' Days
Today Troy and I took a drive down to Jindabyne to visit the father of my best friend from high school and for me to show Troy around the farm. From year 9 onwards I spent most of my school holidays down there with Kate and I have a million fantastic memories so I was really looking forward to going back and being able to show my sweetheart around.
We headed off a bit before 11, taking some bread rolls with us and timing it to be in Jindy for lunch. It was a pleasantly short drive through some gorgeous country before we got to my favourite part - coming around the bend in the road and seeing the lake spread out below. VERY pretty. We drove down and I attempted to park down near the lake. Attempt being the operative word. Unfortunately I underestimated the depth of a rut in the dirt and managed to get the car somewhat..ah.. stuck. Oops. The front wheels were so low that I couldn't even get the jack under to lift the car and stuff sticks or something underneath the tyre. Thankfully with Troy driving and me pushing from the back we managed to get the front wheels up out of the ditch.
THEN we had lunch. We had to shelter behind a row of bushes to escape the wind which was whipping across the lake. The entire surface was covered in white foam from the chop. I see what Mr BVVF said about the 'September Winds'. After lunch we spent a few minutes collecting sticks and small branches and managed to fill in the rut enough to get the car back over it, then off we headed out to the farm. Thankfully both the road and the driveway (all 3 km of it) were it pretty good nick and we got the car up to the house without incident...just a few bumps and jolts.
It was very strange being back out there, 10 years after I visited for the first time. I have so many memories, it's somewhat bittersweet to return and see how it is now. Kates parents have since split up and are both living in Sydney (as is she) with her dad only visiting the farm every few weeks or so, so all the animals are gone. The horses, the sheep, the chooks, the dogs... Only the cat and one goat are left. Rather sad when I remember how we used to be followed by a train of animals wherever we wandered and around our 'cubby' - now collapsed and covered in debris from the surrounding bush. The whole place has a rather sad, abandoned feel to it, not helped by the sound of the gusting wind and the way it played the metal pipes hanging in one of the trees like a far off flute. Sad, but beautiful.
The scenery is still just as gorgeous as ever although the trees across the valley are looking a bit more sparse after the '02 fires burnt through there. Troy got some photos looking out across the valley which I will post when I get them onto my computer.
We spent the rest of the afternoon there just enjoying the peace and quiet and walking around the property a bit, chatting to Kates dad. We headed off about 4 and once again enjoyed gorgeous views driving back in to town. The country is so overwhelmingly beautiful around here although it looked a little eerie as we hit Berridale - there was a very strange misty fog in the air which gave the landscape an interesting glow. It was so nice seeing the lights of Cooma as we got close to town - it already feels like home. Have I mentioned that I love this town? :)
So, back home with the heater on, us and the cats fed and a whole lot of memories revived. I am sure I will sleep and dream well tonight. And maybe shed a tear or two for good times past.
We headed off a bit before 11, taking some bread rolls with us and timing it to be in Jindy for lunch. It was a pleasantly short drive through some gorgeous country before we got to my favourite part - coming around the bend in the road and seeing the lake spread out below. VERY pretty. We drove down and I attempted to park down near the lake. Attempt being the operative word. Unfortunately I underestimated the depth of a rut in the dirt and managed to get the car somewhat..ah.. stuck. Oops. The front wheels were so low that I couldn't even get the jack under to lift the car and stuff sticks or something underneath the tyre. Thankfully with Troy driving and me pushing from the back we managed to get the front wheels up out of the ditch.
THEN we had lunch. We had to shelter behind a row of bushes to escape the wind which was whipping across the lake. The entire surface was covered in white foam from the chop. I see what Mr BVVF said about the 'September Winds'. After lunch we spent a few minutes collecting sticks and small branches and managed to fill in the rut enough to get the car back over it, then off we headed out to the farm. Thankfully both the road and the driveway (all 3 km of it) were it pretty good nick and we got the car up to the house without incident...just a few bumps and jolts.
It was very strange being back out there, 10 years after I visited for the first time. I have so many memories, it's somewhat bittersweet to return and see how it is now. Kates parents have since split up and are both living in Sydney (as is she) with her dad only visiting the farm every few weeks or so, so all the animals are gone. The horses, the sheep, the chooks, the dogs... Only the cat and one goat are left. Rather sad when I remember how we used to be followed by a train of animals wherever we wandered and around our 'cubby' - now collapsed and covered in debris from the surrounding bush. The whole place has a rather sad, abandoned feel to it, not helped by the sound of the gusting wind and the way it played the metal pipes hanging in one of the trees like a far off flute. Sad, but beautiful.
The scenery is still just as gorgeous as ever although the trees across the valley are looking a bit more sparse after the '02 fires burnt through there. Troy got some photos looking out across the valley which I will post when I get them onto my computer.
We spent the rest of the afternoon there just enjoying the peace and quiet and walking around the property a bit, chatting to Kates dad. We headed off about 4 and once again enjoyed gorgeous views driving back in to town. The country is so overwhelmingly beautiful around here although it looked a little eerie as we hit Berridale - there was a very strange misty fog in the air which gave the landscape an interesting glow. It was so nice seeing the lights of Cooma as we got close to town - it already feels like home. Have I mentioned that I love this town? :)
So, back home with the heater on, us and the cats fed and a whole lot of memories revived. I am sure I will sleep and dream well tonight. And maybe shed a tear or two for good times past.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Pictures of Our New Home
Here they are, what you have all been holding your breath for... ok, well, what you have thought about for a split second the last time you were reading my blog before you got distracted by something more interesting :P
PICTURES!!!
Let us start the tour at the front gate. This is our pretty new garden arch (all of $10) with the Hardenbergia potted next to it. Hopefully this will grow quickly and cover it with lovely green foliage and pretty white flowers :) I also want to get a purple flowered variety to climb up the other side. The Hardenbergia, also know as Native Wisteria is a tough climber/rambler with pretty sprays of flowers in spring similar in look to a regular wisteria but these are much faster growing and a real hit with the bees. Oh yeah and it is leguminous as well, always a bonus :)
If you look to your right as you walk down the path you will see this lovely open view - this is the front of our 'side paddock' and our rather potholed driveway. Must fix that some time...
Now group, look back to your left where you will see our lovely little vegie plot. The path in the middle is still a work in progress thanks to the old fence palings I am using being alllll the way down the back. And we dont own a wheelbarrow yet! The middle bed is surrounded by a cement barrier - down the left between the plot and the fence is an old rose bush, recently pruned, an itty bitty rosemary and two small half dead comfrey plants I got from the el cheapo table at the nursery. The black pot at the end in the middle is the passionfruit which I am HOPING will recover and grow well over summer. The strip of weeds at the end and right side have this afternoon been dug, scattered with lucerne seed and mulched. I am hoping the lucerne will outgrow all the weeds and I can slash it as mulch for the herbs and flowers which I will grow in that strip later.
The whole plot has been planted with various seeds as well as these seedlings along the edge in one corner - ruby chard, coriander, red bunching onions and some wombok.
Ok, enough of the plot, lets keep moving people!
Ahead of you as we walk up the front steps is the prettiest plant. I love the delicate little flowers and will definitely be encouraging this one to keep on growing!
Now look to your right and you will see where we have been spending all our mornings. The chairs there are the perfect spot to soak up the early morning sun as we watch the finches playing in the bushes and have our breakfast and coffee. Just perfect!!!
If you walk to the end and look over the railing you will see a few of these little darlings. They are little grape hyacinths. Another existing plant I will be helping along and keeping around for my pleasure.
Right, that is enough of the front for now. Inside the front door and to our left is a pic just for Alyson. As you can see, the cats have settled in rather well! SUCH a hard life being a cat!
Next let us all scootch down the hall past the unpacked boxes and clothes on the floor (hey, we dont have a wardrobe or any shelves yet okay! Sheesh!) and out the back door we go. Looking to the right is the great expanse of weeds and granite dust which is the backyard. Out of site to the left is the junk pile that the owner has no desire to remove so we are working at. Plenty of wood to burn and some nice scrap iron which I am sure I will find a use for. Hmmm I do need a potting table and a green house and ah... ahem.
And of course I saved the best for last. This is our view to the left looking out the back door. Not bad huh? Sure beats apartment blocks and the bright lights of the shopping centre!
And that, ladies and gents, ends our tour for today. My tummy tells me it is dinner time so I am off to get lost in my wonderfully huge kitchen :D
See ya!
PICTURES!!!
Let us start the tour at the front gate. This is our pretty new garden arch (all of $10) with the Hardenbergia potted next to it. Hopefully this will grow quickly and cover it with lovely green foliage and pretty white flowers :) I also want to get a purple flowered variety to climb up the other side. The Hardenbergia, also know as Native Wisteria is a tough climber/rambler with pretty sprays of flowers in spring similar in look to a regular wisteria but these are much faster growing and a real hit with the bees. Oh yeah and it is leguminous as well, always a bonus :)
If you look to your right as you walk down the path you will see this lovely open view - this is the front of our 'side paddock' and our rather potholed driveway. Must fix that some time...
Now group, look back to your left where you will see our lovely little vegie plot. The path in the middle is still a work in progress thanks to the old fence palings I am using being alllll the way down the back. And we dont own a wheelbarrow yet! The middle bed is surrounded by a cement barrier - down the left between the plot and the fence is an old rose bush, recently pruned, an itty bitty rosemary and two small half dead comfrey plants I got from the el cheapo table at the nursery. The black pot at the end in the middle is the passionfruit which I am HOPING will recover and grow well over summer. The strip of weeds at the end and right side have this afternoon been dug, scattered with lucerne seed and mulched. I am hoping the lucerne will outgrow all the weeds and I can slash it as mulch for the herbs and flowers which I will grow in that strip later.
The whole plot has been planted with various seeds as well as these seedlings along the edge in one corner - ruby chard, coriander, red bunching onions and some wombok.
Ok, enough of the plot, lets keep moving people!
Ahead of you as we walk up the front steps is the prettiest plant. I love the delicate little flowers and will definitely be encouraging this one to keep on growing!
Now look to your right and you will see where we have been spending all our mornings. The chairs there are the perfect spot to soak up the early morning sun as we watch the finches playing in the bushes and have our breakfast and coffee. Just perfect!!!
If you walk to the end and look over the railing you will see a few of these little darlings. They are little grape hyacinths. Another existing plant I will be helping along and keeping around for my pleasure.
Right, that is enough of the front for now. Inside the front door and to our left is a pic just for Alyson. As you can see, the cats have settled in rather well! SUCH a hard life being a cat!
Next let us all scootch down the hall past the unpacked boxes and clothes on the floor (hey, we dont have a wardrobe or any shelves yet okay! Sheesh!) and out the back door we go. Looking to the right is the great expanse of weeds and granite dust which is the backyard. Out of site to the left is the junk pile that the owner has no desire to remove so we are working at. Plenty of wood to burn and some nice scrap iron which I am sure I will find a use for. Hmmm I do need a potting table and a green house and ah... ahem.
And of course I saved the best for last. This is our view to the left looking out the back door. Not bad huh? Sure beats apartment blocks and the bright lights of the shopping centre!
And that, ladies and gents, ends our tour for today. My tummy tells me it is dinner time so I am off to get lost in my wonderfully huge kitchen :D
See ya!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Our New Home
Well we survived the move, just. It was a bit stressful but nothing major went wrong so I am very thankful for that. The only hiccups involved the removalists arriving much later than they had originally said both for pick up and delivery which resulted in some inconvenience for us, but mostly for Troys mum who kindly hung around at the apartment to supervise the packing while we headed off early with the cats in order to get to Cooma before the real estate closed for the day so we could get the keys to our new house. While I had previously been advised the truck would arrive between 8 and 11am it didnt turn up until about 5pm!!! It arrived 24 hours later - thankfully there is a street light directly out front because we were helping unload the truck long after the sun had set.
The first night we were here we had a kettle and some blankets and not a whole lot else. Our bed was a pile of doonas on the floor, so we were determined to at least get the bed together after the removalists left on our second night before we passed out. The first priority the next morning of course was getting the kitchen set up and the books unpacked. I'm afraid to say we havent gotten much further than that... we got distracted.
The gardens here are hardly worthy of being called gardens at all. It is nothing but weeds everywhere with a few overgrown roses in the front and some shrubs and cherry-blossom type trees down the side between the house and the side paddock.
We have done quite a bit of work so far which I will prove with photos, ah..sometime. I have given the roses a hard pruning and cut the dead wood out of one of the bushes at the side as well as a lot of trimming and tidying. We have constructed a nice big compost heap to collect all the garden waste which hopefully I will be able to get the recipe right for, and create some nice sweet compost for the garden. We also have spent a lot of time clearing out a rectangular bed in the front, loosening the soil and removing all the weeds and digging in some mushroom compost and chook poo to get it ready for immediate planting - which I did today. The rest of the front we will sheet mulch and I will probably put in a green manure crop to build up the o.m. in the soil and get it ready for autumn plantings.
I have already sheet mulched down one side of the veggie plot between it and the fence to suppress the weeds but there is still a lot to go - think I might need to ask the neighbours and the newsagent for any newspapers they dont need!
I have so many plans for this place so I really hope we will be able to continue renting it until we buy our own land, but if not we will have gotten fit and tanned and learnt a lot in the process :)
Well, I am falling asleep at the desk now so I think it is time to curl up with a good book and refresh myself, ready for a busy weekend...details to come ;)
Em
The first night we were here we had a kettle and some blankets and not a whole lot else. Our bed was a pile of doonas on the floor, so we were determined to at least get the bed together after the removalists left on our second night before we passed out. The first priority the next morning of course was getting the kitchen set up and the books unpacked. I'm afraid to say we havent gotten much further than that... we got distracted.
The gardens here are hardly worthy of being called gardens at all. It is nothing but weeds everywhere with a few overgrown roses in the front and some shrubs and cherry-blossom type trees down the side between the house and the side paddock.
We have done quite a bit of work so far which I will prove with photos, ah..sometime. I have given the roses a hard pruning and cut the dead wood out of one of the bushes at the side as well as a lot of trimming and tidying. We have constructed a nice big compost heap to collect all the garden waste which hopefully I will be able to get the recipe right for, and create some nice sweet compost for the garden. We also have spent a lot of time clearing out a rectangular bed in the front, loosening the soil and removing all the weeds and digging in some mushroom compost and chook poo to get it ready for immediate planting - which I did today. The rest of the front we will sheet mulch and I will probably put in a green manure crop to build up the o.m. in the soil and get it ready for autumn plantings.
I have already sheet mulched down one side of the veggie plot between it and the fence to suppress the weeds but there is still a lot to go - think I might need to ask the neighbours and the newsagent for any newspapers they dont need!
I have so many plans for this place so I really hope we will be able to continue renting it until we buy our own land, but if not we will have gotten fit and tanned and learnt a lot in the process :)
Well, I am falling asleep at the desk now so I think it is time to curl up with a good book and refresh myself, ready for a busy weekend...details to come ;)
Em
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Time flies by when you're having fun...
Well here we are a month and a bit later and it is all happening. We have found a house, removalists etc are booked, packing is almost complete. Moving day is next Tuesday, 1st of September. I am still excited and nervous and getting a bit fidgety. I just want to be in our new home already!!! The unit doesnt really feel like our home anymore with everything packed away, just the furniture and a lot of boxes! I think the cats are a bit over it too as each weekend we have had to pack them down into the garage while complete strangers walk through our house and look at all our stuff (open house inspections). One of the upsides to this is that they should be used to the car by the time we are heading off - I really hope so anyway. I dont particularly like the idea of two cats freaking out and whining for 5 or so hours!
Not a lot else has been happening, just working although not a whole lot. Bad because it means I have no money, but good because I have had plenty of time to prepare for the move!
The garden is coming along nicely with the mulberry covered in new growth and fruit, the lemon has little flower buds and the peach, fig, cherry and plum are all either bursting into leaf already, or showing signs of activity in the tiny green tips of the buds :) I do have some sad news to report though - there have been two fatalities in the garden - the new lavender plant from Diggers which I accidently let dry out too much and never recovered, and the grape which I thought was just dormant but when I pruned it back, discovered it was in fact dead. I still think I am not going too badly though, with those two, plus a Tinkerbelle apple and a rosemary bush being my only fatalities out of the perennials/trees. Oh yeah and the blueberry. Woops. That one was definately my fault though, for planting it in potting mix which was far too alkaline for its liking. At least I learnt something from that!
Now my only concern is getting all my green babies to Cooma safely and keeping them protected from the weather for the first few weeks until they adapt to the new climate.
Wish me luck :)
Em
Not a lot else has been happening, just working although not a whole lot. Bad because it means I have no money, but good because I have had plenty of time to prepare for the move!
The garden is coming along nicely with the mulberry covered in new growth and fruit, the lemon has little flower buds and the peach, fig, cherry and plum are all either bursting into leaf already, or showing signs of activity in the tiny green tips of the buds :) I do have some sad news to report though - there have been two fatalities in the garden - the new lavender plant from Diggers which I accidently let dry out too much and never recovered, and the grape which I thought was just dormant but when I pruned it back, discovered it was in fact dead. I still think I am not going too badly though, with those two, plus a Tinkerbelle apple and a rosemary bush being my only fatalities out of the perennials/trees. Oh yeah and the blueberry. Woops. That one was definately my fault though, for planting it in potting mix which was far too alkaline for its liking. At least I learnt something from that!
Now my only concern is getting all my green babies to Cooma safely and keeping them protected from the weather for the first few weeks until they adapt to the new climate.
Wish me luck :)
Em
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Movin to the Country...
The other day I got a wonderful surprise call from my mother with unexpected news. Because the value of our unit is right up at the moment she has decided it is a good time to sell and so as that we are not homeless she is lending us enough money to cover costs for the move to Cooma. WoooOOOoooOOOOooo hooooo!
I am so excited that the move is finally happening, but a little nervous and anxious as well about all there will be to do. We have to do some painting and general cleaning and maintenance to the unit as well as all the usual packing stuff, organising removalists etc... and finding a place to live. Once we have the timeline a bit better sorted I will contact a couple of the real estate agents and tell them what we are after and get them to send us pics of anything appropriate. We probably wont bother driving down to inspect anything because it is a bit of a drive and being a rental it doesn't matter THAT much. As long as we can have the cats there and the roof doesn't fall in on top of us...We also have to find work which is the harder part but I think that will have to wait until after the move, or we at least have a set date. People don't seem keen to hire someone with a start date of 'oh, you know, sometime in the next month or two...'
I now have a to do list as long as my arm but am getting through it bit by bit. Today was a break day though - we went up to my MIL to be's 10 acre block in Kurrajong and had a lovely time. The views to the west are amazing as they are right on top of the ridge. It was also very nice and warm, a pleasant change from the cool air down here in the Sydney Basin! We didn't JUST relax though, we also had some fun playing with the chainsaw hehe. I haven't used one since I did my training 6 years ago but it all came back pretty quickly. It was wonderful being up there in the quiet and fresh air doing a bit of real work. I am so much more 'me' in that environment. I am really looking forward to being me constantly once we are out of this crowded noisy city!!!
I am so excited that the move is finally happening, but a little nervous and anxious as well about all there will be to do. We have to do some painting and general cleaning and maintenance to the unit as well as all the usual packing stuff, organising removalists etc... and finding a place to live. Once we have the timeline a bit better sorted I will contact a couple of the real estate agents and tell them what we are after and get them to send us pics of anything appropriate. We probably wont bother driving down to inspect anything because it is a bit of a drive and being a rental it doesn't matter THAT much. As long as we can have the cats there and the roof doesn't fall in on top of us...We also have to find work which is the harder part but I think that will have to wait until after the move, or we at least have a set date. People don't seem keen to hire someone with a start date of 'oh, you know, sometime in the next month or two...'
I now have a to do list as long as my arm but am getting through it bit by bit. Today was a break day though - we went up to my MIL to be's 10 acre block in Kurrajong and had a lovely time. The views to the west are amazing as they are right on top of the ridge. It was also very nice and warm, a pleasant change from the cool air down here in the Sydney Basin! We didn't JUST relax though, we also had some fun playing with the chainsaw hehe. I haven't used one since I did my training 6 years ago but it all came back pretty quickly. It was wonderful being up there in the quiet and fresh air doing a bit of real work. I am so much more 'me' in that environment. I am really looking forward to being me constantly once we are out of this crowded noisy city!!!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Nervous
So, today as I was browsing jobs in Cooma as I do regularly to keep an eye on what is available, I saw a position I would be perfect for. So I applied for it! We havent been planning to move for some months yet, in order to save up in case we dont find work straight away but If I got this job we could move asap as we would have an income - enough to cover all expenses while my darling looks for work.
I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed and hoping that if I DO get it they dont want me to start for say, a month, so we can get organised and you know...find somewhere to live! But hey, details, details ;)
In other news, not a lot has been happening around here lately. We are housemate free again and loving having our home back. The cats are both good and ratty. Loki is almost done teething so is settling down a bit again thankfully although I am ready to throttle him because his latest favourite game seems to be 'Getting Past Mums Garden Defenses'. No matter what I do he still manages to get in to the plants and dig around in the pots. Grrr! So tonight I will be cutting out squares of green plastic mesh type stuff to put over every pot so he can jump on top but not dig and harm the roots at least. Hopefully they will do the trick!
Hope everyone is well and making the most of this lovely autumn weather :)
Em
I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed and hoping that if I DO get it they dont want me to start for say, a month, so we can get organised and you know...find somewhere to live! But hey, details, details ;)
In other news, not a lot has been happening around here lately. We are housemate free again and loving having our home back. The cats are both good and ratty. Loki is almost done teething so is settling down a bit again thankfully although I am ready to throttle him because his latest favourite game seems to be 'Getting Past Mums Garden Defenses'. No matter what I do he still manages to get in to the plants and dig around in the pots. Grrr! So tonight I will be cutting out squares of green plastic mesh type stuff to put over every pot so he can jump on top but not dig and harm the roots at least. Hopefully they will do the trick!
Hope everyone is well and making the most of this lovely autumn weather :)
Em
Monday, April 6, 2009
Hippo Birdy to Me!!!
Its my birthday today :D 24 years old - I reckon I am still young enough that I am allowed to get excited about birthdays haha. Dont have anything special planned except maybe a yummy dinner. We were meant to have dinner with the family on Saturday but my poor little niece was terribly sick so that has been put off till this coming weekend. As a consolation I made myself a delicious (if not so healthy) Tiramisu
(YUM)
...using my very favourite appliance in the whole house - my 60-ish year old Sunbeam MixMaster!
This beauty belonged to my grandmas mother in law. She used it to make cakes for my mum when she was little, mum used it to make mine and my sisters birthday cakes when we were kids and it is only a few years now until I will be using it to make OUR childrens cakes. I love having something still in use with some history and a lifetime of memories attached.
When we ducked into mums on the weekend I had fun going through her old purple plastic sewing box I remember from when I was little and pulling out a few things to keep. I got a bag of assorted buttons, permanent loan of mums solid metal pinking shears (not sure how old but they are SOLID and sharp as anything) and my absolute favourite, this little old pin tin. Isnt it gorgeous!!!
The awesome shears, still in their original box :)
oh oh oh..and I got myself a birthday pressie today :D
Meet the newest addition to the balcony. Peggy, the Bowen Mango. Yes I have named it :P after my favourite client who gave me a little present for my birthday and told me to put it towards my dream :) Here she is posing between the grape and passionfruit.
Aaaand speaking of wonderful clients, look what another one made for me - she knows I am learning to sew and thought I could use a pin cushion. (I am the one who arranged the pins to look like flowers. Yes I am a dork. Deal with it.)
Ok, you are probably all bored out of your minds by now, so here is a cute pic of Loki just for fun. I love that he looks kinda stoned. He had just woken up from a nap draped over the arm of the chair. Poor little munchkin, always waking up to the flash of the camera as I try to sneak yet another cutie-sleeping-kitty pic!
Take care all :)
Em
(YUM)
...using my very favourite appliance in the whole house - my 60-ish year old Sunbeam MixMaster!
This beauty belonged to my grandmas mother in law. She used it to make cakes for my mum when she was little, mum used it to make mine and my sisters birthday cakes when we were kids and it is only a few years now until I will be using it to make OUR childrens cakes. I love having something still in use with some history and a lifetime of memories attached.
When we ducked into mums on the weekend I had fun going through her old purple plastic sewing box I remember from when I was little and pulling out a few things to keep. I got a bag of assorted buttons, permanent loan of mums solid metal pinking shears (not sure how old but they are SOLID and sharp as anything) and my absolute favourite, this little old pin tin. Isnt it gorgeous!!!
The awesome shears, still in their original box :)
oh oh oh..and I got myself a birthday pressie today :D
Meet the newest addition to the balcony. Peggy, the Bowen Mango. Yes I have named it :P after my favourite client who gave me a little present for my birthday and told me to put it towards my dream :) Here she is posing between the grape and passionfruit.
Aaaand speaking of wonderful clients, look what another one made for me - she knows I am learning to sew and thought I could use a pin cushion. (I am the one who arranged the pins to look like flowers. Yes I am a dork. Deal with it.)
Ok, you are probably all bored out of your minds by now, so here is a cute pic of Loki just for fun. I love that he looks kinda stoned. He had just woken up from a nap draped over the arm of the chair. Poor little munchkin, always waking up to the flash of the camera as I try to sneak yet another cutie-sleeping-kitty pic!
Take care all :)
Em
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Slacker
Things have been a little quiet around the blog lately. Since having a hissy fit and pulling everything out of the garden I kind of lost my blog-mojo. I have been keeping very busy though, with work and study and all the other usual day to day things. I was on a real roll for a few weeks with the PDC but after my computer shat itself and was out of action for a week I lost my momentum. Long hours at work havent really helped either. But now it is time to get back on track!!!
I have at least been slightly productive and continued to de clutter the place and reorganise a bit. Four adults and two cats in a two bedroom apartment...those of you with HOUSES be grateful for how much space you have :P I really cant wait until we are in Cooma and have some more room to move and keep things.
In garden news, for my birthday next week my darling is paying for an order from the latest Diggers catalogue - the early summer fruit collection (self pollinating: 2 peaches, plum, apricot, cherry) plus a fig and lavender. Cant wait till they turn up. I have decided to stick with the trees and bushes for now instead of battling with bugs for the annuals. Also this way I can give our orchard a head start of a couple of years. By the time the trees are too big for their pots we will hopefully have some land to plant them out into. Along with the 2 apples, mulberry, lemon and mandarin I already have (plus grape, passionfruit and coffee bushes) I am getting quite a nice little collection. Not bad for a 6m balcony!!!
So, what else to update about? Well, little Loki is going well and growing up. When he isnt being a little monster-monkey he is an absolute sweety. At the moment it is about a 70/30 ratio of monster vs sweety but hopefully once he finishes teething and he gets the *snip* it will go back to mostly sweety! Just for the awww factor, here is a recent pic:
Now THIS is why I never get any work done!
As you can see he loves hanging around my computer when I am sitting here. Apparently the Wacom tablet is very comfy :P
Oh and I dont recall if I mentioned it or not, but we adopted a 6yo girl from one of my clients who had to go into a nursing home and couldn't take her. Petal (hey, they named her, not me ok?) and Loki are not exactly best friends yet but they tolerate each other although Loki does get the occasional well deserved smack across the face when he is annoying Petal haha. This is one of the rare moments of getting on.
And for more awww-ness, look what my sweety bought me the other day 'just because'. Aren't I a lucky girl?
Well, the boy is up at the rifle range for the afternoon so time to make the most of the peace and quiet and get some study done!
Em
I have at least been slightly productive and continued to de clutter the place and reorganise a bit. Four adults and two cats in a two bedroom apartment...those of you with HOUSES be grateful for how much space you have :P I really cant wait until we are in Cooma and have some more room to move and keep things.
In garden news, for my birthday next week my darling is paying for an order from the latest Diggers catalogue - the early summer fruit collection (self pollinating: 2 peaches, plum, apricot, cherry) plus a fig and lavender. Cant wait till they turn up. I have decided to stick with the trees and bushes for now instead of battling with bugs for the annuals. Also this way I can give our orchard a head start of a couple of years. By the time the trees are too big for their pots we will hopefully have some land to plant them out into. Along with the 2 apples, mulberry, lemon and mandarin I already have (plus grape, passionfruit and coffee bushes) I am getting quite a nice little collection. Not bad for a 6m balcony!!!
So, what else to update about? Well, little Loki is going well and growing up. When he isnt being a little monster-monkey he is an absolute sweety. At the moment it is about a 70/30 ratio of monster vs sweety but hopefully once he finishes teething and he gets the *snip* it will go back to mostly sweety! Just for the awww factor, here is a recent pic:
Now THIS is why I never get any work done!
As you can see he loves hanging around my computer when I am sitting here. Apparently the Wacom tablet is very comfy :P
Oh and I dont recall if I mentioned it or not, but we adopted a 6yo girl from one of my clients who had to go into a nursing home and couldn't take her. Petal (hey, they named her, not me ok?) and Loki are not exactly best friends yet but they tolerate each other although Loki does get the occasional well deserved smack across the face when he is annoying Petal haha. This is one of the rare moments of getting on.
And for more awww-ness, look what my sweety bought me the other day 'just because'. Aren't I a lucky girl?
Well, the boy is up at the rifle range for the afternoon so time to make the most of the peace and quiet and get some study done!
Em
Monday, February 16, 2009
Queen of Procrastination.. and a meme
If there were a crown and scepter, they would be mine. Today, the day my license expires, I FINALLY got around to doing my green P's test. I have been driving on my reds for ah...4 1/2 years (just kept renewing instead of going onto greens). If I hadn't kept putting it off I would have been on my FULL license a year or more ago. Heh, woops. Well I figure as long as I can drive at all, who cares what colour the licence is? So yes, that is my proud news for today. I can now legally drive at 100km/h :P
Now for some entertainment (debatable!) here is a meme from Alyson over at Laugh in the Sun
List 10 honest facts about yourself and make it interesting...hmmm I think I can do that.
1 I have never travelled overseas and have no great desire to. When I was 17 mum gave me a choice of two options - I could join her and my grandparents on a trip to Italy or when they got back mum and I would do a trip to QLD and the NT. I chose the latter and have never regretted it. I mean c'mon, history and architecture with your GRANDPARENTS or snorkelling the Barrier Reef, soaking in hot springs in Mataranka and climbing the escarpment to look out over Arnhem Land? Yeah, still not a hard choice ;)
2 When I was little myself, sister and cousins made a 'band' called the Violet Unicorns - we mostly sang tunes from great musicals such as *ahem* The Little Mermaid and similar but we did make up some of our own and I still remember one of them.
3 I am a recorded artist. At about age 11 or so, I was in the Australian Youth Choir for a year (mum wouldnt let me continue because the uniform was too expensive and I had a habit of giving things up rather quickly). At the end of the year we did a concert in Town Hall and recorded a Christmas Carols CD (in a Uni lecture hall maybe?) which was sold in Sanity and probably a few other music stores.
4 A few years earlier, in year 3 I quit ballet because of an impending concert. I also didnt like it because the lovely teacher called me Banana Back and teased me becaause my butt stuck out. If I ever have anyone say ANYTHING like that to my children they will be immediately bitch slapped. I doubt that teacher had the slightest clue what damage she did to my self esteem and body image with that single comment.
5 I despise organised religion (of all denominations) yet I worked for the 3rd largest church in Australia for 3 years. I started working there casually in my mums department just to help out while I didnt have a job elsewhere. The hours got longer then I was offered a position in the national office (down the hall haha) and ended up there full time working as a personal assistant.
6 I have never been fired from a job, but I have walked off two jobs in a rage. The first was when I worked at the horse riding ranch. I was back from 2 months off after having torn a ligament in a bad fall from a new horse whom I had been instructed to ride by the manager (against my better judgement). I was being careful not to strain it but she had a go at me for not 'pulling my weight', I got pissed at her because the fall had been partially her fault, told her where to stick it and left. I missed the horses but not the dogs ;)
The second time was my last job. I had handed in my resignation a week previously, my manager was being a jerk trying to make me do something which was not ever in my job description and I was not comfortable doing, he told me to F* Off if I wasnt going to do the work...so I did. It was very satisfying standing up to that arrogant so and so :) and it meant I got an extra weeks holiday before starting the new job haha.
7 I used to have my tongue pierced. When I was 18 and living away from home for the first time, I decided to be a bit of a rebel hehe. It was done at the tattoo parlour in Dubbo on the way home from Tafe - spur of the moment decicion. I spent the next week or so living off liquid panadol and 2 minute noodles. I took it out after 5 years because now that I am old enough to pay my own dental bills, I finally took notice of all the warnings mum had given me about it damaging my teeth!!!
8 I have voluntarily stuck my hand up a cows butt...repeatedly. I went to an agricultural high school and part of year 9 Ag was doing preg testing on some of the schools dairy herd. Most of the girls and not a few of the guys refused to do it but as with all things gross and animal related I was more than happy to have a go. After the thrill of discovering the first cow was pregnant, I was eager to try on the next in line. Oh and btw, yes we were wearing giant shoulder length gloves.
9 Still on the topic of birth, I was with my sister for the birth of her first child, my now almost 5 year old nephew. She was in a birthing ward with a big bed, courtyard and everything. My mother and sisters partner were both also present. I will never forget the experience and am so grateful to her for letting me be there for such a joyous moment. Watching my nephews first movement outside the womb was amazing and I am sure the only thing that will ever top it is when I have my own children :)
10 I have had an acoustic guitar for about 6 years but never learnt to play it. It was given to me by someone I used to know who was going to teach me how to play it, but when he moved interstate I lost my teacher and got frustrated with trying to self teach. I have never gotten rid of it though because I am determined to learn to play it ONE DAY!
And here ends the facinating tale of me ;)
Just for giggles this is L-R my sister, cousin, me, cousin. The four that were the Violet Unicorns hehe. And no, we didnt all go to the same school. Apparently we considered dressing up in uniform fun!
Now for some entertainment (debatable!) here is a meme from Alyson over at Laugh in the Sun
List 10 honest facts about yourself and make it interesting...hmmm I think I can do that.
1 I have never travelled overseas and have no great desire to. When I was 17 mum gave me a choice of two options - I could join her and my grandparents on a trip to Italy or when they got back mum and I would do a trip to QLD and the NT. I chose the latter and have never regretted it. I mean c'mon, history and architecture with your GRANDPARENTS or snorkelling the Barrier Reef, soaking in hot springs in Mataranka and climbing the escarpment to look out over Arnhem Land? Yeah, still not a hard choice ;)
2 When I was little myself, sister and cousins made a 'band' called the Violet Unicorns - we mostly sang tunes from great musicals such as *ahem* The Little Mermaid and similar but we did make up some of our own and I still remember one of them.
3 I am a recorded artist. At about age 11 or so, I was in the Australian Youth Choir for a year (mum wouldnt let me continue because the uniform was too expensive and I had a habit of giving things up rather quickly). At the end of the year we did a concert in Town Hall and recorded a Christmas Carols CD (in a Uni lecture hall maybe?) which was sold in Sanity and probably a few other music stores.
4 A few years earlier, in year 3 I quit ballet because of an impending concert. I also didnt like it because the lovely teacher called me Banana Back and teased me becaause my butt stuck out. If I ever have anyone say ANYTHING like that to my children they will be immediately bitch slapped. I doubt that teacher had the slightest clue what damage she did to my self esteem and body image with that single comment.
5 I despise organised religion (of all denominations) yet I worked for the 3rd largest church in Australia for 3 years. I started working there casually in my mums department just to help out while I didnt have a job elsewhere. The hours got longer then I was offered a position in the national office (down the hall haha) and ended up there full time working as a personal assistant.
6 I have never been fired from a job, but I have walked off two jobs in a rage. The first was when I worked at the horse riding ranch. I was back from 2 months off after having torn a ligament in a bad fall from a new horse whom I had been instructed to ride by the manager (against my better judgement). I was being careful not to strain it but she had a go at me for not 'pulling my weight', I got pissed at her because the fall had been partially her fault, told her where to stick it and left. I missed the horses but not the dogs ;)
The second time was my last job. I had handed in my resignation a week previously, my manager was being a jerk trying to make me do something which was not ever in my job description and I was not comfortable doing, he told me to F* Off if I wasnt going to do the work...so I did. It was very satisfying standing up to that arrogant so and so :) and it meant I got an extra weeks holiday before starting the new job haha.
7 I used to have my tongue pierced. When I was 18 and living away from home for the first time, I decided to be a bit of a rebel hehe. It was done at the tattoo parlour in Dubbo on the way home from Tafe - spur of the moment decicion. I spent the next week or so living off liquid panadol and 2 minute noodles. I took it out after 5 years because now that I am old enough to pay my own dental bills, I finally took notice of all the warnings mum had given me about it damaging my teeth!!!
8 I have voluntarily stuck my hand up a cows butt...repeatedly. I went to an agricultural high school and part of year 9 Ag was doing preg testing on some of the schools dairy herd. Most of the girls and not a few of the guys refused to do it but as with all things gross and animal related I was more than happy to have a go. After the thrill of discovering the first cow was pregnant, I was eager to try on the next in line. Oh and btw, yes we were wearing giant shoulder length gloves.
9 Still on the topic of birth, I was with my sister for the birth of her first child, my now almost 5 year old nephew. She was in a birthing ward with a big bed, courtyard and everything. My mother and sisters partner were both also present. I will never forget the experience and am so grateful to her for letting me be there for such a joyous moment. Watching my nephews first movement outside the womb was amazing and I am sure the only thing that will ever top it is when I have my own children :)
10 I have had an acoustic guitar for about 6 years but never learnt to play it. It was given to me by someone I used to know who was going to teach me how to play it, but when he moved interstate I lost my teacher and got frustrated with trying to self teach. I have never gotten rid of it though because I am determined to learn to play it ONE DAY!
And here ends the facinating tale of me ;)
Just for giggles this is L-R my sister, cousin, me, cousin. The four that were the Violet Unicorns hehe. And no, we didnt all go to the same school. Apparently we considered dressing up in uniform fun!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
I QUIT!
Yes, I am giving up...sort of...and for now. Previously I have suffered from aphid and whitefly infestations. That left me with one tomato plant - see pic below of harvest - and my perennials. In the last week, I have discovered mealybugs, powdery mildew and thrips and/or red spider mite. The thrips destroyed my young basil plants and have even got into the seedraising greenhouse and are damaging the next lot of basil seedlings as well as all the other seedlings I had in there. So, my action plan is thus: rip out ALL the annuals. Dispose. Over autumn and winter I will get some compost and re fill the pots with decent potting mix as I think a big part of my problem was getting in cheap crappy potting mix which no amount of seasol or rooster booster was able to improve, thus creating weak plants which were susceptible to every possible problem.
For now, things here at the homestead will be focusing more on inside jobs - sewing, mending, creating, learning.
At least I had a little harvest from my plants. Two whole tomatoes, Grosse Lisse. Blurry, but yum :)
In other news, The Monster aka Loki is going well. He is growing fast, being a typically curious kitten and keeping us awake half the night with his playing (and destroying). Here he is in one of his rare moments of calm.
Well, off to tear up the garden now. Hope everyone else is well and bug-free.
Em
For now, things here at the homestead will be focusing more on inside jobs - sewing, mending, creating, learning.
At least I had a little harvest from my plants. Two whole tomatoes, Grosse Lisse. Blurry, but yum :)
In other news, The Monster aka Loki is going well. He is growing fast, being a typically curious kitten and keeping us awake half the night with his playing (and destroying). Here he is in one of his rare moments of calm.
Well, off to tear up the garden now. Hope everyone else is well and bug-free.
Em
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Life Goes On
It has been a very emotional time here at the Itty Bitty Homestead lately with the loss of our darling Zoe however as the universe tends to do, we were reminded the very day after she passed that life continues and joy and pain are always coming and going, neither one endures. Zoe was put down on Wednesday last week. The next day one of my clients mentioned her neighbor had been feeding a small stray kitten but was distressed because she couldn't keep it and didnt want to have to send him to the pound. After chatting with the neighbour and checking with my OH, I returned in the afternoon to bring our new baby home.
Meet Loki (named after the god of fire and MISCHIEF!)
Little Loki is settling in amazingly well considering he was a stray and had never been handled or inside. He is a smart little boy and only had to be shown how to use the litter tray once and has learnt what packets the kibble and milk come from ;)
I think he is about 8 weeks old so only a young one still and fairly thin although in the 5 days we have had him he has filled out nicely. It is amazing what plenty of good quality kitten food can do! Loki has also gone from shy and scared to bratty and hyper in those few days. He is learning new abilities every day - like that he can jump the gap from one lounge to another - and is starting to smooch up to us instead of hiding in fear. This is going to be one spoilt little kitten!!! It helps that there is almost always someone home with him thanks to our (other) new housemates, friends A & Y who moved in um..a month or so ago? (Yeah I know I am a bit slow on the updates).
Speaking of which, garden update photos below :)
The tomato from the last post has grown and is starting to ripen. YAY my first home grown tomato! This is the only tomato plant that survived the white fly infestation. Oh yes, I will be saving seeds from this baby.
These are the other two tomatoes on the same plant coming along nicely.
The grape and passionfruit have been growing like crazy and are spreading out more and more. It makes my desk (just inside that window) a lovely place to sit.
The tomatoes and basil which were tiny in my last post are growing well so with luck we will get some fruit from them in a little while.
And of course I have started even more tomatoes plus eggplant, water and rockmelon and some herbs and flowers so with luck we will get a continuing supply for a while. I know it is late in the season to be starting these but our position is very warm so I am not worried about it getting to cool.
And lastly the whole view - see how the vines have grown!!! I am going to try and get the passionfruit across the 'ceiling' and down the front to make a nice shady private area and to stop some of the harsh sun which burns my plants.
Meet Loki (named after the god of fire and MISCHIEF!)
Little Loki is settling in amazingly well considering he was a stray and had never been handled or inside. He is a smart little boy and only had to be shown how to use the litter tray once and has learnt what packets the kibble and milk come from ;)
I think he is about 8 weeks old so only a young one still and fairly thin although in the 5 days we have had him he has filled out nicely. It is amazing what plenty of good quality kitten food can do! Loki has also gone from shy and scared to bratty and hyper in those few days. He is learning new abilities every day - like that he can jump the gap from one lounge to another - and is starting to smooch up to us instead of hiding in fear. This is going to be one spoilt little kitten!!! It helps that there is almost always someone home with him thanks to our (other) new housemates, friends A & Y who moved in um..a month or so ago? (Yeah I know I am a bit slow on the updates).
Speaking of which, garden update photos below :)
The tomato from the last post has grown and is starting to ripen. YAY my first home grown tomato! This is the only tomato plant that survived the white fly infestation. Oh yes, I will be saving seeds from this baby.
These are the other two tomatoes on the same plant coming along nicely.
The grape and passionfruit have been growing like crazy and are spreading out more and more. It makes my desk (just inside that window) a lovely place to sit.
The tomatoes and basil which were tiny in my last post are growing well so with luck we will get some fruit from them in a little while.
And of course I have started even more tomatoes plus eggplant, water and rockmelon and some herbs and flowers so with luck we will get a continuing supply for a while. I know it is late in the season to be starting these but our position is very warm so I am not worried about it getting to cool.
And lastly the whole view - see how the vines have grown!!! I am going to try and get the passionfruit across the 'ceiling' and down the front to make a nice shady private area and to stop some of the harsh sun which burns my plants.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Saying Goodbye
About a month ago, we noticed a lump on the side of Zoe's jaw. Thinking it was just an infection or blocked saliva gland or similar we ignored it for a couple of weeks hoping it would heal itself but then it grew so she was having trouble eating. Last weekend I took her to the local vet and was devastated to learn that it is cancer and she wouldn't have long to live. Even if we could have afforded surgery, because of her age and its location they wouldn't have been able to do anything for her. Since then we have been feeding her mushed mince and cat milk but she cant even get that down now because the tumor has grown under her jaw as well. So tomorrow is the day we say goodbye. I am absolutely heartbroken and this decision, deciding when to put an end to her life is one of the hardest I have ever had to make. Zoe has been my companion for 15 years. We got her as a little grey kitten in August 1993 when I was all of 8 years old so she has been by my side for 2/3 of my entire life.
So goodbye Zoe, goodbye my friend. May you rest in peace. You will always be in my heart.
So goodbye Zoe, goodbye my friend. May you rest in peace. You will always be in my heart.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
A Whitefly Christmas
I always though it would be a lovely thing to experience a white christmas but this was NOT what I had in mind. The past few weeks has seen an invasion of whiteflies in the garden which have decimated the tomatoes and zucchinis. I tried spraying with white oil at first but when it wasn't making the tiniest bit of difference I resorted to squashing the little buggers and all their eggs and larvae by hand. Every day for a week combing over each and every (remaining) leaf on the tomato plants finally did the trick and the plants seem to be recovering. I did however lose all but one zucchinis and a lot of the foliage on the tomatoes died off. On the upside (?) , I am learning more and more about garden pests! While I was battling the invasion outside I started raising some more tomato seedlings so although it will be even later hopefully we will still get a decent amount of tomatoes. So far I have counted less than a dozen developing on the remaining plants and most of those are only a couple of mm in diameter but growing fast now the plants are recovering.
These are the previously massive and lush tomato bushes, now climbing up the hot north facing wall with the help on some twine.
The two biggest of the baby tomatoes. I think this is the Grosse Lisse plant. I thought it was the Roma but obviously not by the shape of the developing fruit.
The one remaining zucchini with some of the new tomato seedlings.
More tomato seedlings with the baby sweet basil.
The lemons are slowly getting bigger and it has just finished a second round of flowering resulting in more baby fruit. YAY! I will have to pick some off if they all survive and keep growing but I will wait a while for that.
And just have a look at this passionfruit :D We need to put the next piece of lattice up around the corner so it has something to grow up! It is sending shoots out both sides now. The ones against the house I will train with string but I think we need something more solid for the front!
And lastly here is the whole garden shot. Less in the way of bushy tomatoes but still going fairly well especially the mulberry which is almost as tall as me.
Oh and the last bit of news... I have started my Permaculture Design Certificate :D I am doing it via correspondence through Permaculture Visions. I finally decided to go ahead and do it, using money from the savings account. Now I just need to get through the xmas/new years period so I can hunker down and get to work!
Step lightly and take care :)
Em
These are the previously massive and lush tomato bushes, now climbing up the hot north facing wall with the help on some twine.
The two biggest of the baby tomatoes. I think this is the Grosse Lisse plant. I thought it was the Roma but obviously not by the shape of the developing fruit.
The one remaining zucchini with some of the new tomato seedlings.
More tomato seedlings with the baby sweet basil.
The lemons are slowly getting bigger and it has just finished a second round of flowering resulting in more baby fruit. YAY! I will have to pick some off if they all survive and keep growing but I will wait a while for that.
And just have a look at this passionfruit :D We need to put the next piece of lattice up around the corner so it has something to grow up! It is sending shoots out both sides now. The ones against the house I will train with string but I think we need something more solid for the front!
And lastly here is the whole garden shot. Less in the way of bushy tomatoes but still going fairly well especially the mulberry which is almost as tall as me.
Oh and the last bit of news... I have started my Permaculture Design Certificate :D I am doing it via correspondence through Permaculture Visions. I finally decided to go ahead and do it, using money from the savings account. Now I just need to get through the xmas/new years period so I can hunker down and get to work!
Step lightly and take care :)
Em
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sewing, Growing and Really Old Tomatoes
The garden is pretty much taking care of itself at the moment so I have been spending a bit more time on being crafty. I was thrilled to get this dressmakers dummy the other week for...NOTHING. It was going to be given to a thrift store unless I took it so of course I gave it a new home :D Check out the funky 70's? fabric on it. 
As you can see from one of my tops hanging off it, it will need a little padding out to make it my size. I am hoping to get some thick batting in the next few weeks to start padding it out. I want to be able to make all my own clothes and have started with something fairly simple - this top:
And this is the fabric I am using - blue for the main part and red for the trim. Isn't that blue fabric so sweet! Hopefully it will turn out well. I have the fabric all cut out and am ready to start sewing. Wish me luck :P
I also had another little find this week - these three fowlers jars, two no.27 and one no. 31. One of the 27's still had tomatoes in it...
Let's have a look at that jar from a different angle! 15th February 1969! Despite its age and the rust on the lid, it was still perfectly sealed and smelled normal when I opened it. Yay for preservation! The contents and lid made their way to the bin and after a good clean to get off the rubber ring, all three jaars have been added to the collection in the cupboard :)
I have also considered doing some more scrapbooking this week, but a certain small furry resident has decided my craft mat is far better for sleeping on (especially when I am at the computer trying to type)!
And now onto the garden:
The rosemary is looking VERY unhealthy and I am not sure what the problem is - can anyone help? Its i going grey and powdery looking, working its way from the tips down.
We do have at least one type of good bug hanging around at the moment. I have counted half a dozen or so of these little guys who I am 99% sure are assassin bugs. They are more than welcome to stay if they are going to help eat some of the things trying to eat my plants!
The lemons are growing well and there are more flowers getting ready to bloom so hopefully we may get a few more growing.
The zucchinis are all flowering but still no sign of any actually growing.
And the strawberry plants I recently bought are busy flowering and sending out runners which I will let grow so I can get a few more plants.
The grape is still growing well and the passionfruit is growing about 1cm a day. It has also finally started developing side shoots instead of being one long single stem.
And here is a cute pic just for the hell of it of Zoe hunting while I was out there taking photos.
Last but not least, the full view :) Mmmm green...
Step lightly,
Em
As you can see from one of my tops hanging off it, it will need a little padding out to make it my size. I am hoping to get some thick batting in the next few weeks to start padding it out. I want to be able to make all my own clothes and have started with something fairly simple - this top:
And this is the fabric I am using - blue for the main part and red for the trim. Isn't that blue fabric so sweet! Hopefully it will turn out well. I have the fabric all cut out and am ready to start sewing. Wish me luck :P
I also had another little find this week - these three fowlers jars, two no.27 and one no. 31. One of the 27's still had tomatoes in it...
Let's have a look at that jar from a different angle! 15th February 1969! Despite its age and the rust on the lid, it was still perfectly sealed and smelled normal when I opened it. Yay for preservation! The contents and lid made their way to the bin and after a good clean to get off the rubber ring, all three jaars have been added to the collection in the cupboard :)
I have also considered doing some more scrapbooking this week, but a certain small furry resident has decided my craft mat is far better for sleeping on (especially when I am at the computer trying to type)!
And now onto the garden:
The rosemary is looking VERY unhealthy and I am not sure what the problem is - can anyone help? Its i going grey and powdery looking, working its way from the tips down.
We do have at least one type of good bug hanging around at the moment. I have counted half a dozen or so of these little guys who I am 99% sure are assassin bugs. They are more than welcome to stay if they are going to help eat some of the things trying to eat my plants!
The lemons are growing well and there are more flowers getting ready to bloom so hopefully we may get a few more growing.
The zucchinis are all flowering but still no sign of any actually growing.
And the strawberry plants I recently bought are busy flowering and sending out runners which I will let grow so I can get a few more plants.
The grape is still growing well and the passionfruit is growing about 1cm a day. It has also finally started developing side shoots instead of being one long single stem.
And here is a cute pic just for the hell of it of Zoe hunting while I was out there taking photos.
Last but not least, the full view :) Mmmm green...
Step lightly,
Em
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