Janurary slipping away

I have taken the photos for my garlic plait tutorial, problem is the teenager has gone and decided to get a social life and the technology has gone and done something unexpected so I can't upload my photos. What were we thinking when we bought him a scooter?
It's alright really, he's with his cousins and one of my" fabulous Aunts". She has her granddaughter staying and her own later in life baby is around the (terrible/fabulous) teens age. They play tennis and go off to the beach all day while eating copious amounts of corn chips and junk. Extended families are so awesome, make sure you utilise them if you have them. We've also done our fair share of overnight stays during the holidays, not much family but friends bringing the total of kids on some nights up to 7. Dinner is made in a soup pot or roasting pan on those occasions and I'm getting quite good at massive bacon and egg pies with herbs and zucchini. L is home on annual leave for a month, so at least I'm getting some reprieve.
I'm celebrating a whole year as a part time solo Mum of four and am doing a wicked job if I do say so myself. Goodness knows how four kids survived infancy actually as last year I killed two Kefir bugs, a passion fruit vine, a tree tomato and two old rabbits. Thankfully for me the wonderful wet coast Sandra has sent me some more Kefir which is thriving and I am on the "Gillybean lazy diet" consisting of Kefir/blueberry/raspberry/banana smoothies,no coffee, less red meat and cheese, more sushi and no exercise (yet), diet.

The Pokororo fair was great! A chance to catch up on many of my old valley friends while selling a bit of garlic and sewing, I also came home with some lovely culinary lavender, 6lb of blueberries and some award winning essential oil. The cover has been on my sewing machine since then while I do my annual school holiday declutter and painting which I LOATHE! This year it's the bathroom and it's just going to be WHITE. As long as it gets rid of the peeling paint and mould I'll be happy.
L is off on holiday to his family next week with two of the kids so I hope I can get it finished, a bit of a summer social life in the evenings to top off the painting would be nice too.

I've updated my "Self sufficiency project" list and would like to introduce my good friend Melissa who is joining the awesome list of Kiwi bloggers.

Teen will be home soon to help with computer and babysitting.

Scraping horrible paint tomorrow!!

Come visiting and give me an excuse to stop work and make coffee!!!

Midsummer Holidays

When we were little it was haymaking and shearing the sheep that kept us at home during the Christmas holidays, now it's the garlic and fruit. I don't mind really, our holiday town is full to the brim so I haven't been anywhere near town or to the beach for at least a week. Another reason I don't have to go far is that much of our extended family head back here for Christmas and New Year so I don't need to go far to catch up with my cousins and their growing broods. My kids are loving the time with family, they went water skiing at Kina beach the other day and have played paintball today. The red head is at a bit of a loss though when the big kids head off he's usually left at home and I'm pretty boring to spend time with. See what I mean below:

All that garlic needs cleaning and plaiting, while the fruit is being chucked in the freezer so I can get myself sorted for the markets. Say Hi if you are out at the Pokororo Fair next weekend. Hopefully I'll be the one smiling behind loads of garlic plaits and beautiful bags. (Faking that I'm not about to topple over in the heat or from sleep deprivation) :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR