Hope

 Hello!  Spring is on its way, the blossom is appearing on the cherry and plums trees!  To me blossom always lifts my heart after the winter blues, and what a winter has it been.  I have to admit that I have been down not quite depressed but pretty close to it.  Outside of the world situation with covid and political unrest rearing its ugly head everywhere, my family have had some losses and though expected it hits you hard.  But all you can do is pick yourself up and carry on, life is for living. 

 

I have been playing about with my watercolours a lot lately and the above was done from a branch of plum blossom.  I was not happy with it and decided to play around with it in photoshop, can you see the photo of my great grandparents? I am very pleased with it.  I am thinking of printing it out and sending it to my brothers and sister.

 

Spring doesn't start officially till September, so I know that we still will get frosts for a bit yet, but it was so nice not to have the heating on and have the washing dry in one day! This past week I have been out in the garden tidying and preparing some ground for the sowing of broad beans and peas.

 

Like many of us I struggle with my weight and today I broke my self imposed ban on baked goods,  I made pumpkin scones!  So delish.  Had them with pumpkin soup for lunch.

 

 

 Pumpkin Scones

• 50g softened butter
• 1 cup mashed pumpkin
• 1 tsp. dried coriander and1 tsp. cumin or ½ tsp. curry powder
• 2 tbsp. chopped coriander or parsley
• 1 ½ tsps. Salt
• 2 tsps. Baking Powder
• 2 ½ - 3 cups s/r flour (depends on the water content of your pumpkin) 

Cream butter and spices together. Whisk in all other ingredients except the flour. Fold in flour with a knife.  You may need to add more flour or a little milk depending on how watery the pumpkin is. Turn out on to a floured surface and lightly knead, just until the ingredients come together. Make a roundish shape circle with the dough, and roughly divide or use round cutters to cut out rounds.  Place on a floured baking tray and bake at 210C for about 10 - 15 minutes.  They last longer than ordinary scones and in fact taste better the next day.  For keeping longer than 2 days I would freeze.

( I have used mashed sweet potato and even parsnip!  All delicious) If you don’t like spice leave it out however they do need the herbs).

 

Have a blessed week everyone and see you soon.

Technology, argh!

I have been trying to  post all week!  Its either my computer or the internet connection, I keep getting cut off, very frustrating, so if I haven't commented on your blog I apologize.  Sometimes when I try to leave a comment a box comes up saying that Firebox would not allow me to do the comment. but when I go to another blog there is no problem?!  Perhaps I should switch to Chrome?  What platform do you use?  I realized last night what the problem with my internet could be, the last two weeks have been school holidays and we have continual rain, so think of all those video games..... I got up at 3 am this morning and tried  the internet then and no problem....overload. They are back to school next week I will see how it is then, fingers crossed.

Any hows, all of this has made me think how reliant we are on  technology and in particular the internet - our banking, shopping, appointments are made online.  We use to have a choice, post  or telephone or physical visits, but that is changing and made more rapid with covid-19. For a lot of utilities you get a surcharge if the bill is posted out to you and another if you pay in person or by cheque. Soon you wont be able to that as local banks are phasing out cheques. Is this process being carried out in other countries besides NZ and Australia?

It is kind of scary in a way, as we can be held hostage in all manners of ways.  There was a story this week where a real estate rental company that operates both in NZ and Australia had data hijacked, they tended to use drivers licenses as ID and copies were stored online and this hacker was able to access them so thousands were vulnerable to identity theft.  Then there was the cyber attack by a certain country on Australian governmental agencies because they didn't like the Australian government challenging them.  Then there's the thought what if the internet fails completely all that stuff saved in the cloud!  I know people who have all their precious baby photos stored in the cloud and when I mention that they should have some hard copies they look at me as if I come from the ark, lol! I am just as bad, as I have all of my crochet patterns and recipes stored  either on my computer or online.  So I am going to make hard copies, am I crazy? I don't think so, its better to be save than sorry.

Its hard to believe that the internet has only been around about 30 years or so, while there are many advantages that are awesome, there is a dark side and I think we should be mindful of that.  Sometimes I long for time when we didn't have it, life was simpler then.  BUT it has intertwined with our psyche so much we would have severe withdrawal symptoms!  Its a bit like being between a rock and a hard place.

 I might not be able to crochet or knit very comfortably but I can sort my cottons and wool out.  I have bought some large plastic bins and will store them in these instead of being stuffed behind an armchair!  Lucy wont be happy as she likes to make a nest amongst the bags.

Lucy will have to revert to napping in any box that comes her way.

 That is Peggy Sue getting interested in the box too, No room for her! I had bought some baby houseplants and the nursery put them in the box and as you can see she was in it before my back was turned.  Also you can  see that I have a paint tester and colour cards, I guess I am going to paint my lounge and bedroom, probably in the spring.  They look yellow there but actually are more of a lime green.  This photo was taken in February so you can see it a long term project.LOL!

It is raining again today, so its a stay indoors day, think I will do some baking and make a casserole for dinner.

 
 

Counting my Blessings

last autumn

Hello all, back again!  I have had a trying few months since I posted last, it started with an accident where I tripped over a dog, luckily I didn't hurt her (a gorgeous pure white German Shepherd), but unfortunately or fortunately (?) the dogs owner tried to save me hitting the ground and grabbed hold of my arm, I dislocated my shoulder and my elbow was twisted thereby damaging the ulnar nerve which put my whole arm out of action. The silver lining or blessing is I didn't land on my dud shoulder which is being threatened with replacement (which I am resisting).  So with two dud shoulders  I have been held to hostage to laziness.  The good news is that there is healing and I can now almost use my arm normally.  The blessing here is that the weather has been so foul that there is no desire to get into my poor overgrown garden so I am safe from overdoing it and undoing all the physio I have had. Oh, and I have had home help to do my housework! That finished last week so now I have to do it, sigh....... ( the girl was lovely and I didn't feel too awkward, so that was a blessing!)

However, I have been down and have had to give myself a many a good talking to!  But what got me out of my pity party was reading a blog post by Jane of Hope and Thrift.  Jane had posted on the story of her home and showed wonderful photos, but what inspired me the most was the fact she did it in 10 years from scratch.  It made me think, and I realized that I have done the same here, more or less!  I have been here 11 years and had no trees, or flower beds, let alone a vegetable patch, now I have all three! So Jane you are a blessing.

I was brought to mind of Ecc 3:1 - 8 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal;  A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep. A time to throw away; And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.  Now doesn't that say it all for the crazy world we are in!

Edit Just found this version of Turn Turn Turn which is based on above by Judy Collins recorded in 1966, she sings like an angel, totally awesome.

It made me remember that it is July and in August we start to sow our garden!  I will have to get cracking to order any seeds I might need, but I am well stocked up I think, so that needs checking.  I was looking through my files to see what photos I could put in this post as light relief from my reflections and I came across this photo of a small part of my vegetable plot from the summer, just what I need to inspire me and not dwell on the straggly kale and swiss chard that is adorning my veg patch! Another blessing!

Last Christmas I treated myself to a new camera, a fancy SLR, I had to join the local camera club to learn how to use it, lol, it is still hit and miss, but when I get it right the photos are lovely even  if I say so myself, lol. This is a photo I took couple of weeks ago before the rain, it was the last rose (the rose is Sally Holmes and she is so abundant, flowers all summer and grows so big.  This reminds me we prune roses in July!

I have also been practicing taking photos of sunsets and sunrises.  The sunsets are more successful, mainly because they are taken from the back garden and there are no obstructions, the front garden has power lines and posts to navigate!

These two are from the back garden a month or so. Isn't that sky something!

This photo was last night, the sun came out at 4 and this was taken about 5.30, I think.  I was hopeful that it would be fine today, but, no its pouring down and I am flooding  out the back again. But the short spell of blue sky was a blessing because it reminded me that the sun is behind all those clouds.  This has reminded me of what my mum used to say to kids when  it was raining, "Oh God is watering his garden" and when there was thunder she would say, " God is moving his furniture around!" and lightening "God has got his torch and is looking for something he has lost!" I don't ever remember if she had a saying for the sun or clouds.

So I think I have more blessings than I thought and no doubt I could find many more.  So despite the dull grey,  cold  and wet day, the state of the world, my injuries I realized I am blessed and all is right in my world.

Week 3

It has been a surreal week for me. the loss of G hit me hard, but life goes on and we tuck our grief away, as many thousands of people are having to do all over the world.  It was only today, that I realized that we have already completed 3 weeks of lockdown, there is talk of of coming out of it after week 4 as over the last week new cases have been in their teens.  But there is a fear that the virus is lurking and will hit hard when we come out of isolation.  Fear is paralyzing the world, we  are looking sideways at people wondering whether they will infect us.  I think the psychological effect of this pandemic is going to be more damaging than the physical in the long run.   And I don't even want to think about the world economy.  Anyways on to brighter things, I really believe we have to take pleasure little things of life - cooking, cleaning, the garden, family connections, the birds singing, the antics of our pets and  of course U Tube, lol!

Over the last week I have been in preserving mode, I picked most of the grapes, leaving the rest for the birds and made 4 jars of grape jelly and 2 large bottles of grape cordial.

grape harvest

I have started on the apples, freezing them  an I think I will make some apple jelly from the Golden Delicious variety as it comes out a beautiful peach colour, the biggest apple tree is the Fuji , they store really well and so do the Grannie Smiths.  I am toying idea of making some mint jelly to have with lamb. The mint needs cutting back as it is getting out of hand, especially under the fig tree.

loaded fuji apple tree

 End of last year a new was fence erected in place of an old ivy covered fence that was falling down.  I making  a rock garden  along part of it as the soil is very stony, these stones I found on the property, I need some bigger ones and perhaps when we can move about again I will get some from the river.

 I am also thinking of growing some star jasmine around the posts and perhaps a clematis of some kind.

With three weeks completed in the lockdown I have been able to see how my stores are going.  I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I organized my groceries into 2 week lots, Well, I overestimated and each lot will last 3 weeks, so that is another 5 weeks of stores, I will be good to end of June.  The thing I am thinking of now is whether to continue using them when the lockdown ends or keep my level of stores at its current rate or even to increase the amount that I have stored away.  I would love to know what you consider an acceptable amount of stores without becoming a hoarder!  I know that they say for financial security to have 3 months out outgoings saved up is ideal.  I am thinking that in future there will be food shortages.  On a side note, my neighbour is an essential worker in the local bread factory, and he told me that the flour shortage here wasn't the lack of flour but that the manufacturers ran out of retail bags, so they had to get them printed.  I am thinking why bother, flour is flour!  Nobody is going to worry whether it is Champion or Pams etc., they just want flour!

On Sunday, I treated myself to some waffles, I had a craving for chocolate, and debated cook, muffins, biscuits and so on, I procrastinated all afternoon and fin ally after supper, I decided to make waffles but with chocolate bits in. I just used my usual waffle mix which is really a thick pancake mix and added chocolate chips,  Absolutely divine!

 I used butter to grease the waffle pan and it made them so crispy and crunchy. I will definitely be making them again.

I have been having a break from crochet, and have made this tunic for a little girl I know, Just need to go through my stash of buttons for the yoke.

Well that's it for today you all have a blessed day. 

Sharon and the kitties

 

Its Real!

Hi sorry to be absent for the lat week or so.  I have had a reminder how real and deadly this virus is, a very close lifelong friend in France passed away from Covid-19  last week, it has hit me hard.  Because we have had so few cases here (1300 approx and 5 deaths) it didn't seem real, being at the bottom of the world tends to make us rather insular!  My friend was a  type 1 diabetic, late 60's but otherwise healthy.  This post is for him, thanks for the good times we had.

I hope to get back to normal blogging later today or tomorrow and also to catch up on your posts as well.

Interesting things

I thought that on Saturdays I will list some interesting blogs  and videos and articles that I have come across during the week.

1. Gardening
 First two videos are from two channels that I follow on U Tube. They have totally  opposite methods of gardening, the  first is by Charles Dowding the no-dig guru from Great Britain.

The second is from Bealtaine Cottage, a Permaculture woodland garden.  Her channel also documents her life, while I do not subscribe to all her views, she talks a lot of sense and lives a life style I would like to emulate, and she did it all by herself on a shoestring budget.

 2.  Some blogs that have good resources on living the simple life - 

Down to Earth Blog Australian Rhonda  Hetzel has plenty of resources for making your own laundry powder, recipes, you name it. 

In similar vein, is American Jane of Hope and Thrift Blog, who also has good advice for people wanting make themselves self sufficient. Plus recipes etc.  

With both you need to look at past post, just click on the topic you are interested in in the Label section on the side bar.

3.  An interesting article

Guardian  UK Starting a daily routine advice from 4 people - a polar scientist, a monk, a solo sailor and and a Scottish Islander 

4.  Something to bring a smile

A covid version  of Doh Re Mi, very cleverly done.
Also I have just discovered that she has done a version of My Favourite Things. Look out for it.

 Enjoy.

Day 8 and Day 9

Hello, I am rather late with Day 8 as it is midday of Day 9!  So this post will cover both days.

Yesterday, I practically spent in the garden, tidied the herb bed and then gravitated to the vegetable beds as is my wont.  I am more of a vegetable growing person by nature, but I have to say I enjoyed my flower garden this year.

I mostly cleared the pumpkin patch - 5 pumpkins and 6 squashes.  I was growing to pull up the zucchini plants but noticed that they each had some fruit, the recent rain must have quick started them, so they got an stay of execution.
Then on to the sweet corn patch, I needed a bit of elbow grease to dig those up, the roots went way down.  By then I was hungry, but too tired to cook a meal from scratch so here was the opportunity to do a convenience meal, my version.

 A real quickie, Barbecue Bean cottage pie.  The basis is the mash potatoes and the beans. I added some sweetcorn that needed to be used,  simply put the beans and any vegetable you desire into a baking dish, top with mash potato and if desired sprinkle some grated cheese on  top.  Bake for 1/2 hour or so in a moderate oven. And voila.....

 I used instant mash as I am trying to conserve my potatoes as I am not wanting to go out during the lockdown.  I had half for lunch and the other half I froze.  In the afternoon I cleared the tomatoes and the cauliflowers and the broccoli that were manky looking.  By then I was really tired and came inside and did some reading during which I fell asleep. After a supper of soup and bread I watched TV but my eyes kept closing so I went to bed rather early.

Today I woke up a 5am!  All  that sleep yesterday.  After a cup of tea I decided to do the house work - laundry, vacuum cleaning and cleaning out the bathroom.   By then it was time for breakfast,  I was quite hungry so had scrambled eggs on toast.  Then another nap!  I see I am going to have to have some kind of schedule as I can see my daily pattern will disintegrate.  I can easily fall into a pattern of insomnia and that when my RA  flares.  So I will that tonight. 

For the rest of the afternoon I played around in PAINTER ESSENTIALS   and made this little meme for you all, you are welcome to copy and paste it to your files and send it to others or use on your blogs.

Day 7

 It was a beautiful sunny day and my, does the sun take all your worries away.  I was able to do a bit of gardening, this time of the year is real busy as the garden needs tidying up for the winter and the winter vegetable crops need planting and sowing.  I tidied up two flower beds at the back and planted some lettuce in the herb garden near the back door.

Here are some photos of the garden at the back in all its glory earlier in the summer, I was very proud of it. 

For lunch I finished off the risotto from yesterday  and for supper I had soup and a slice of bread.  

The afternoon was spent reading, a granny nap and watering my many indoor plants and starting to put them in their winter quarters. I have to move many of them as I don't want them near the heat pump. will finish that off tomorrow.
 

Some of my baby houseplants I've put into an old fruit bowl, looks rather nice I think and they will enjoy each others company

 In the evening I watched TV, played a few games of mahjong on the computer and  worked out my budget for the next fortnight as it was pay day.  I am going to be able to save while the lockdown is on, as I am not out and about and having temptations to spend money! Also from next pay, the government has increased our pensions by $25 a week, and from May there is for 12 weeks a winter heating supplement of $40 a week. We are very blessed with our government, they are also giving employers grants so that they can continue to pay their workers and so not have to make them redundant.

So, all in all a wonderful day to finish off the first week of lockdown.

Bye for now, take care and be safe

Sharon

 

Day 6

Cant believe it is nearly a week since we went into Lockdown.  I am coping well with the isolation, but I know some people are struggling. It seems to be the people with family close by and who have been in the habit of seeing them regularly.  I have always liked my own company and often have thought I could easily be a hermit.  But even I have struggled, I guess its because we have to and being a contrary sort of person, I dont like being told, lol.  I guess thats why I restarted blogging again, it makes be feel that I am connected to the world.  I have noticed that a lot of the people I followed in the past are either posting more or like me started to blog again.

 I got out some crochet today, I havent crocheted for months, I think in the summer the garden replaces it.  The above was a crochet along I was doing last spring, but fell by the wayside as the weather warmed up and I got stuck into the garden.  The pattern has it turning into a square, but I seriously like it in the round as it makes it ideal for the armchair in the alcove from the lounge.  So I think I will do a few more rounds and call it a day.

Its been raining again today, isnt it funny how we can go on about wanting rain when  we are in a drought and then after a few days of constant rain we are wishing for sunny skies again! 

I have  decided to pick the grapes as the birds are starting to make inroads on then and the rain might lead to that moldy thing they get.  I think I will make some grape cordial and some grape jelly.

For lunch today, I made chicken risotto, using the packet stuff, there will be enough for lunch tomorrow or the next day too.  For supper I had tuna pita pockets, of course the cats had some tuna as well, they have been curled up on my bed nearly all day. 

 Here is something that made me chuckle but is so true!

Well thats it for today, be safe and be kind 

Sharon and the girls.

Days 2,3,4,and 5

Well so much for blogging every day!  I have been feeling a bit sick and eventually fronted up to the doc's, what a performance.  I never got to see the doctor but had to go through a triage procedure and the practice nurse diagnosed bronchitis, which I knew anyway.  (I am a chronic bronchitis sufferer,) and as I didn't have a temp, no sore throat, etc, they decided not to test me for covid-19, especially as I have had this cough for a month or more.  Anyway they prescribed antibiotics.  Well the antibiotics made me feel sick but they have improved my chest and I am back to normal for me, with only a coughing fit first thing in the morning which I find my asthma sprays helps.

We have had welcome rain for the last three days, so I guess the drought has ended, it was playing havoc with my garden. But this afternoon it is green again and everything looks lush.

Cant wait to get into it!  My appetite has been lacking, but today I feel like a good meal, so I am planning lamb chops, mash and peas, yum.  I need to get the bread machine out as I am out of bread, I was lucky, as because I stocked up before the panic buying I have flour and yeast.

I have been reading a lot in my lounge with the kitties lolling about here and there.

 
Thats it for now, I will do better at posting I promise!

So from me and the fur babies Bye bye

Day 1

Another attempt to resurrect my blog!  New Zealand has gone into lockdown for 4 weeks initially due to the grow of cases of covid19. I have been wanting to start blogging again as I find that Instagram  doesn't quite cut it with me. So, I decided that the lockdown and self isolation would be a great chance to create the habit of blogging.  My intention is to post daily for the duration.

The first thing I noticed is the quiet, no cars! I live in a quiet street but we have a bit of traffic as many use our small street as a shortcut.  It was strange to see cars parked in the driveways on a weekday.Watching the news it seems that NZers on the whole are following the rules, but then its only day 1. I am not sure what will happen when people start to get stir-crazy, as I am a solitary sort of person I think I will be okay, but 4 weeks?  

As I have severe asthma I have been advised that I have to self isolate and so even trips to the supermarket are out.  But I am okay as when it started to get bad in Italy I decided that it would eventually hit NZ and I gradually built up my supplies every week, so I have enough supplies for 6 weeks.  I will be a low on the fresh food, but as I have 2 apples trees, a fig tree and the grape vine producing fruit at the moment and feijoas will be ready soon.  as for veges I have silverbeet (chard), kale, the last of the tomatoes, pumpkins and butternut squash, beetroot, cabbage and celery.  So I will be good.

Today I did household chores - laundry, cleaned the oven and went through one of my food cupboards and threw out out of date food.  I am ashamed to say I had some dried fruit with a best before date of 2017!  I guess I don't eat a lot of dried fruit,lol. For lunch (which is my main meal) I had crumbed fish (hoki) potato and peas with tin peaches for desert.  In the afternoon I made some scones and treated myself to one with strawberry jam and cream. I finished reading a book on my kindle - Book 3 of  The Survivor Chronicles by Erica Stevens. There is the final book, but I am not sure that I want to read it in this present scary world. A bit too close to home! I quite like the Cozy mysteries books as pure escapism, I have several on my kindle that I haven't read yet. They will do when I want to escape the news.

For supper I had a sachet of Thai chicken soup with some bread and a nectarine, then I sat in front of the TV and a couple of programmes. That is more or less it, the first day of lockdowm done and dusted.

 

I couldn't find Lucy but eventually discovered her hiding in my stash behind the sofa!

Landscape and stormy weather

Stormy weather - Acrylic

I just love those sunny days when the sky suddenly darkens and then the downpour starts! Often the sun still shines and half a kilometer away they are saying "what rain?"

A Change

I have decided to use this blog to feature my art from now.  So this post will feature some of my past work.

Red Flowers - oil

The Edge - Oil

 

3 Sisters -pencil on back of cereal packet

girl - mixed media

Cliff - watercolour

Still Life - watercolour

A Conversation - mixed media