Blocks and Worms!

Last Wednesday we had a great find. There was a notice on the local Facebook BSS (buy, swap and sell) that a paving company had pallets of blocks/pavers for free as they were old display stock. Well we acted immediately, with a phone call to the number provided, but even though only 5 minutes had passed we were one of 3 takers for the offer!

We were stunned at how much they gave us and decided to use the blocks for the beginnings of a 3 bay compost bin.          

There are still 2 smaller stacks of paving blocks and flat pavers that are not used yet but are earmarked for part of a BBQ and outdoor eating area in the future.

I collected a parcel of worms sent by mail today. 2000 red, blue and tiger compost worms for my worm farm. It is a pre-loved worm farm that we received from a relative. Thanks Steph J 

I waited until it cooled down this afternoon to place my little composting friends in their new home.

Above - Box of worms, bucket of organic compost, worm farm lined with wet newspaper, worm blanket.

 PPE gear. Did you know you can contract respiratory problems from breathing compost because of the bacteria it contains?

                                             My workers in their new home.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Dinner Time

Tucked into bed

Set up for the future

Cheers,

RobynLouise XO.

  

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Cooking, cleaning and chickens

On the weekend, I tried my hand at baking in this. The second-hand oven should be installed soon but I needed a dose of home baking.

These are caramelised onion and cheese rolls. They need tweaking as there is too much butter in the recipe but I always make new recipes, as written, and adjust them when I make them again.

Here is the custard slice. A problem here was cooking this a shelf position too high.

I have noted both corrections and neither problem prevented each of these being edible J.

The last week or so has been decluttering and cleaning, both inside and out.

PC made me another shelf so I would have more storage space.

The box of crockery/glassware to be taken to the op-shop (charity store).

PC also cleared a rock or two from the peach tree garden so we can begin readying it for Autumn planting. Haha…I must research the removal of the rocks the previous owners left here, preferably to our profit! Anyone want some nice sandstone rocks, some come with attached moss and those with fairly level topsides are pre-tested by the resident moggy as resting areas?

The one with the red "hat" here is Biddy. The word "Biddy" has more than one meaning in Australia and it's not complimentary...

Yesterday the hens’ egg production dropped to 4 eggs again. Saturday was when I returned Biddy to the chook yard after ascertaining that she was laying eggs, however, in the week she was absent from the yard production rose from 4 to 6 eggs a day. Therefore, production was down by a third for the first month we owned them. So, from today, Biddy will be confined to the small chook pen and be company for the young rooster, as her overbearing attitude is preventing the two youngest hens from laying. We will need to sort out another housing alternative for them soon. As she lays 3 x 60g (avg) eggs a week she's not going to be chicken soup yet! :P

Cheers,

RobynLouise xo

Third time lucky…..

….I think so!

Lol, we had such a fun day! Due to a few miscalculations and not having my craftroom properly set up the dress wouldn’t have been finished in time so we went shopping this morning and I bought myself a gorgeous dress for practically nothing.

I changed my surname again yesterday afternoon, (9^th January 2017) at 5pm when I married PC at the local courthouse, with our adult children in attendance.

We had written our own marriage affirmations for the ceremony and the registrar said the statements, before and after our affirmations, which made it official. All of us then had dinner at a local restaurant and we had a lovely evening.

Cheers!

RobynLouise

Tick, tock, Tick tock……….

Roflol…..I knew I’d leave something to the last minute! I can’t find anything nice to wear, that fits properly, in the stores.  I would have had to unpack, I don’t know how many, boxes to find the fabric I knew was there somewhere and all 3 fabric shops were closed in my local town on Friday.

Fortunately, a lovely woman in a dress shop I was looking in, in despair, pointed me towards Young and a fabric store called Robynettes! I made it there by 4.30pm. Haha, it must have been fate as the two ladies there were helpful with fabric advice and pattern layout, and even though it was a 45 min drive each way, I will be returning there in the future.

Now I’ve drafted the pattern, pinned the pieces together and tried the paper version on - and made adjustments, and ONLY have to cut the fabric out and sew it up.

I only need it by tomorrow afternoon :O

Wish me luck :P. More details and photos later in the week. Stay tuned :D.

Cheers,

RobynLouise.

Decluttering, cleaning and the Home Journal

This week has been setting up for the beginning of my our life here. PC has gifted me his woodwork room for my craftroom as he said he can enclose the bays behind the garage and place all of his machines and tools for woodwork in there as it's outgrown the space available.

There is still some tidying and cleaning to do and lots of unpacking as most of these boxes contain craftroom items.

We've also begun our DTE Home Journal but it's been interesting settling into a routine while needing to be away all day for a couple of days this week.

There are still items like the freezer inventory, completing the Christmas wish list, the master to-do list (that is a WIP here!) and a few other pages but we've made a start. 

One step at a time, hey :) . We are trying to be organised before the end of January 2017 so the remainder of the year will be scripted and we can just flow along with the story we've written.

Cheers,

RobynLouise

So long 2016, Hello 2017

It's been a quiet few days since last post and the end of 2016. Partially because my camera lead to the computer developed a problem and I couldn't download photos. There were some hot days in which flowers glorified in the sun....

.....some one decided this was the coolest place in the yard, complete with cold beverages.

I noticed the cherry tomatoes had set fruit after the first rainfall...

and  the end of the thunderstorms gave us a lovely light display!

2017 came in with mid to high 20 Celcius temperatures and a lovely partially cloudy morning that developed into some nice rain and cleared to a beautiful sunset in the evening as evidenced by my new blog header photo and the photos below.

Wishing everyone a New Year that is enjoyable, peaceful, filled with family and friends and is everything you make it become.

Cheers,

RobynLouise xo