I have to keep myself busy during storms because high winds really freak me out, the wind blew over my sunflower house and 3 out of 4 plots of corn but every thing else survived and is looking much better having had a good drink. I was very relieved when it stopped blowing that all our old sheds still had their roofs. I finished sewing up a woolly vest for the "red head" pity it won't fit him till he's four. That will teach me, I'm always too impatient to do a tension square.
We found a lovely spot in the shade and relaxed for the afternoon. The red head took the photos. I gave him the camera in desperation after he kept running off to the huge water slide. He is going to be a metal head I think, he rocked with his one fingered air guitar when young local mettlers were on. I just like people watching, can't help giggling at some peoples dancing but admit I'm too chicken to get up any more. Love seeing what people are wearing, came home with some ideas!
Life in the backyard on the other hand carries on as it always has. Beautiful poppy seed heads ripening, promising delightful little black seeds for topping bread and baking.
Garlic drying well in the hot weather. Enough here for the family, pets, seed for winter and some to barter or sell.
This plant is new to me a friend gave it to me for Christmas she calls it "lambs quarters". Apparently the pink powdery leaves rub on as a pretty eye shadow or lipstick. I love new plants and this one is fun.
One more thing we had a killer hedgehog! One morning I went out to feed the chicks and found one with it's head eaten off. My thoughts were cats or stoats, but my neighbour popped her head over the fence later and told me her husband had heared the chooks making a commotion in the night and shone the torch over the fence, where he saw a hedgehog in our chook run chasing after the chickens. The next night he caught it after his chooks and did something very not Buddhist with a nine iron!
This made my day though! A present from an extremely crafty cleaver friend.
Friend, what you don't know is that the skirt which you used for the spotty stockings use to belong to my Grandmother who was spot mad. I wanted to wear the skirt but it didn't suit me and I wanted to make something but wasn't inspired, so I let it go. This softy is especially special because with your busy life you made it for me and it has those spotty stockings which remind me of my very special Grandma. Thanks, it's just wonderful.X
In relation to my problem at work I can see that sometimes letting go can be the most rewarding thing to do.
A few weeks ago my " skatey boy" went to the West coast with his Dad, the weekend just gone he got down the East Coast to Kaikoura. None of the other kids have that adventurous spirit like their Dad so R gets to see alot of the country side. The purpose of their trip was to purchase a caravan for L to live in while he works in Reefton about 3-4 hours drive from here. Houses are too expensive to rent or buy so that seemed like the best option for now. I will stay up here where the children are settled and have a lot of opportunities. R likes to take photos on his journeys and his Dad is happy to make a few stops along the way. The salt lakes above and seals near the main highway.
I've been at home making a little progress on my cleaning and sewing. I saw the little dancing tutu over on Melissa's blog and decided that it would make a good rainy day activity. I think mine would have looked better with more tulle but it's pretty expensive in our local sewing shop. This one will probably be for my niece visiting over summer.
It did serve to inspire me though, so I ferreted through my fairy fabrics and settled on some shiny stuff for a skirt for PJ. Engrossed in sewing, I didn't notice she was due home from school so didn't get it put away before she spied it, so it won't be for Christmas. She can wear it for her school prize giving tomorrow night which I will miss as I will be fare welling the teen off to Adelaide. I may make her a bag for Christmas with the leftovers.
Red currant jelly
Succulent fresh peas are on the menu every second night. I just wish I'd planted them every two weeks for a continuous supply! They're one thing that grows very easily in my soil, not needing any special attention, just water. It's great to grow things that don't need too much attention. Carrots on the other hand do not grow well for me at all. If by some strike of luck they germinate they usually get taken over by weeds or bugs, carrot fly ,grass grubs, aphids you name it and it will find my carrots.I need to arrange a friendly swap with someone who can grow them because for five seasons they've been pathetic.
She might also eat the juvenile lady bug on the fennel flowers though, which would be a shame because they love to eat aphids. I feel so much better about letting mother nature sort out the pest control. If only she'd give us a bit of rain as well.
I'm letting alot of plants go to seed, the predatory insects are especially attracted to the umbelliferae family including parsnip,dill, fennel etc. They get really tall making the garden much more interesting and colourful too.
