Home made

Since I last posted we've wandered through a miasma of tummy bugs. We were all okay enough to attend a very special commitment ceremony/baby welcome on Saturday and I think I've sent Fionn to school once this week. As for the rest of the time...

Although I didn't get my party skirt made for the wedding, I did finish my knitted vest and wore that. I did make my last layby payment on my beautiful new winter boots and wore them. I did sit up the night before and make a wee red bag with buttons and sequins as a present for baby Lilly. I do seem to be getting into the stream of using my sewing machine to make special presents.

I need to get to the wool shop to buy some more double pointed needles and make some hats, but until then, it seems I have that knitting bug where I feel a bit lost if I haven't something to knit as I surf the net. So using some bright yellow wool leftovers from Fionn's sleeveless hoodie, I am making a doll's dress. It's getting a little serious, this home made lark. I'm even contemplating making a quilt or something similar for our bed. Which given I never even achieve a clean kitchen bench and a clear lounge floor at the same time, is proof of my domestic insanity.

For much of today and yesterday, I read aloud to Fionn (6). We laughed our way through the antics of Pippi Longstocking and then read Heidi. I think I enjoyed Heidi more than Fionn but he did keep asking for the next chapter. Back when I read Heidi for the first time, from the green covered book which was once my mother's (Missjoestar do you have it now?), I wasn't thinking about the Nourishing Traditions book and considering how they cured the meat and the benefits of the raw milk and cultured cheeses. This time I interrogated every reference to food!

I have ordered five point of lay pullets and will collect them within the fortnight, by which time we will have made the most crucial changes to the fence line and the repairs to the poultry palace. One neighbour told me yesterday that he thinks the dogs have gone permanently - perhaps we have less to worry about then.

I have rocket seedlings peeping through from last week's sowing. Favourite Handyman has made a beautiful raised bed for our lemon tree out of one shortish railway sleeper which was given to us and from driftwood which we have collected on the other three sides. Our three chooks are buried underneath this new garden bed. I see we have some miner's lettuce in the herb garden and quite a few self sown pansies. Out the front we have purple and white crocuses in bloom. On Monday my neighbour who is the rose club enthusiast gave me 23 cuttings from her many beautiful rose plants and I have made another rose nursery in an area which I weeded last month with the intention of putting more flowers in it. I am almost certain there has been coal ash dumped there in the past, so no veges or herbs in that spot. If even a fraction of them thrive, then our garden is going to be beautiful indeed.

I contemplated the plum tree option. But the cost of two trees is $70. That was a biggie but also I thought perhaps I must invest in the future as early as possible. Then I looked up my books and looked out and had to admit that there is really no room unless I rob the children of their playspace. I tell you, there are only a small number of actions which show more how much I love those two monkeys than that they get to keep their sandpit (in the best spot for a tunnel house) and their trampoline (best spot for some more fruit trees) and some running around space (hmm, well they are keeping some of that). So no plum trees this year.

Next year I shall have crocuses all around the base of our biggest tree. This is our third spring here and it has now occurred to me that if the lawn is not mowed over the onion weed, then neither would it be mowed in late winter at such a time as to ruin the crocuses.

Comments

Sharonnz said…
Hope you guys are all coming right now. Love Heidi and Pippi around here;-)
Nik said…
Heidi was a hit here too (I loved all the food talk, too and yep we read the old green cloth type covered version of my mums), need to try Pippi again though.

I've caught your bulb love I think - I bought a packet (can't recall what type) today to add to the daffs from last year. I'm loving the idea of easy flowers lol.

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