In the kitchen

It would take me all day to catch you up with what's been going on here in the garden, at the sewing table and with life so I'm not even going to try. The focus of my life has changed a bit lately, I don't feel I can be as open with my thoughts here anymore. Some of my friends know my partner of 17 years and I separated earlier in the year, it has been a horrific time involving alot of grieving and of putting all my energy into my children to help them get through as best we can. We all have a long way to go.

They were very excited about Fathers Day this year. PJ said she wanted to make cup cakes for her Dad, so despite the chooks wrecking havoc in my garden and the boysenberries still desperately needing to be pruned, we spent some quality time in the kitchen.

The red head likes the beater,
And PJ looked the part with her Grandmas apron as they teetered on the stool without fighting to watch the mixer going round.

Thank goodness someone in the family is showing some interest in cooking. Hopefully she'll be cooking dinner for me someday.

How blogging helps

This post inspired me today.
This one as well.

Music of my Youth

36, 20 years since I was 16, 1989.
My teen is alot better behaved than I was 20 years ago. My goodness 20 years seems such a long time. Music takes me back. We were doing " Annie get your Gun" at High School. I loved Art, U2 rocked, I loved Led Zep, The Volent Femmes, Joe Satriani, Marianne Faithful, and I was going out with the postman's son ( naughty, naughty) about to go totally off the rails with a bad boy from Oamaru. I hitch hiked to parties and spent weekends with friends. I quit violin and began to wear leather. If I was my mother I'd have been totally insane with worry. I also quite fancied a red head for a bit. If I could go back to 16 I wouldn't change a thing! Except I'd be confident that I was awesome as me and I'd love myself a bit more. On the eve of 36 I adore my kids and move forward with no regrets! I treasure these kids for their gifts, how lucky am I to know them.

My school report read " Gillian is a walking jewelery display and likes to be involved in activities. Can be distracted by others.",

"Gillian is an expressive worker but demands a high standard of herself. This can inhibit work at times but over all effect is good."

Mrs Bolt told me I wasn't going to pass my school cert music exam, so when I did I rang her to gloat.

She is still there at the teen's school, my school councillor is now the acting principal. The crusty old History teacher now teaches my son computer studies and my third form English teacher who I quite liked for debates about anti vivisection now teaches my son 5th form English and he is totally uninspired. Go Figure!

I'd quite like to teach textiles. My younger cousin teaches PE. J*** said to the teen, "hey Teen have you seen the hot new PE teacher? Teen said Dude she's my Mums cousin"

Man I loved High school. Skatey boy is off there next year and i finally fit in with a few mums my age.

Skatey loves Art and music and is sensitive.

Watch out Gilly!

Late winter Sunday

Drizzly Sunday morning.

My big boys went off to play paintball, so I popped over to the "fabulous fibre and fabric fair", nestled in the centre of Nelson city in the historic building Melrose house, which reminded me of my Grandma's home where I spent many of my childhood holidays, big rooms with high ceilings and coloured glass. Dark wood and a tranquil air. Grandma's house was packed to the brim with family treasures though and memories of games like hide and seek, books and comics collected by 8 children, dress ups she made from Enid Gilcrist patterns and Christmas morning with 15 cousins from all over the country.

I came home with a gorgeous green toned pear pincushion from Sally Ann, some fabric for bags and some balls of sock wool.

Not wanting to spend my grocery money I left the lovely felted wool brooches behind.

I must put my head down and do some sewing and work in the glasshouse this week!

Pink collection

Last week I received a lovely parcel in the post from my "Heart in the country" friend Kim. A necklace she had made with matching pink earrings. Thanks again Kim it looks lovely on but I couldn't get a good shot of myself wearing it. I haven't yet mastered one arm self portraits.

It inspired me to collect up some pink items today as it was far too wet outside for gardening.
Actually I was surprised how hard I had to look to put together a pink collection.

My Remote Treechanger friend Linda tagged me a few days ago too, I thought I'd better say I really appreciate the gesture but I'm so hopeless at following those things up. It wouldn't be the first time I've failed to respond. SORRY :)

Garden notes August

The good old girls are laying pretty well. I only had to buy two dozen eggs this year to get me through their "going off the lay " or moulting period. I check the hen house about three times a day when I'm at home as the chooks get muddy feet at this time of the year and their eggs get dirty if left in the nest.The porous eggshell can absorb the dirt and muck so I like to collect them quickly. While I'm at it I walk around the garden checking out the early spring movement with warm eggs in my coat pocket, I can't wait to see some movement in the asparagus patch.
The red head likes helping with seed sowing
so we planted another lot of cress to put on the windowsill.

I'm doing quite a few sprouts as the garden only has leeks, lettuce, silver beet, hardy herbs and brassicas at the moment. My seed catalogue arrived though making me feel a little excited about the change of season.
There are still a flock of roosters in the glasshouse getting fat. My Dad has agreed to help me kill and pluck them within the next few weeks. I saw an idea in the New Zealand gardener magazine which sounds good for spring. That is to build a hot compost in the glasshouse to keep the spring seedlings warm. It sound worth a try I think as the seedlings in the sunroom are now threatening to take over.

Alot of pruning still to finish here, waiting for some clear weather. Must get out to the beach for some seaweed and past the horse paddock for a few bags of poo.

Roll on spring!

Nearly 16

The kids know how to make me smile, it makes my day.

My first question when the kids ask for a new friend over is "Is he/she a good eater?"

They know I'm not going to cook special dinners which cater to a fusspot who doesn't eat veges. I know, a bit selfish on my part but I've raised my kids to be quite independent, eat what's in front of them and to pick up after themselves, most of the time the family works like a well oiled machine. I get a bit of hassle from them but I think they feel secure with the routine. They do all think it's disgusting how one of the teens regular overnight guests leaves plates, cups and tissues everywhere and is never ready to go on time. Grrrr. So anyway we've got a sports billet coming from Christchurch in the weekend which will mean a shuffle round of bedrooms and a bit of a de- clutter to fit another teen in the house for a few days.

This morning I made cheese on toast for the kids to take in their school lunches. My teen is notoriously lazy about making food so I try not to do it for him in the hope that he will be driven to prepare his own delicious snacks. (Not a particularly effective strategy I might add.) anyway he spied the cheese on toast for the younger children and gave me a sad face to take some in his lunch. He thought it was terribly unfair that I only gave him one and his sister got two. I must mention he excels in drama and spent the next 15 minutes before school trying to make me feel like the most heinous mother in the universe. Which of course made me laugh, but he went in for the kill as he walked out the door , teasing "HEY MUM, I hope the billet is reeaally neeedy!"

Little rotter!!

Totally unrelated but making me smile as well, some of the book fair girls are finished

I might even give them an outing at the indoor market this weekend.

Some Sewing

Hard frost but warm winter days here.

I haven't been working in the garden though, I received a bag full of fabric to inspire me, with a request for a soft doll.

That was enough motivation to spend the day cutting, sewing and ironing, all with a bent neck from talking to a friend on the phone in Aussie for most of the day as well. (must multi task of course)

I cut out half a dozen because our school is fundraising for a new pool. They are collecting pre -loved books, homemade produce and items for a craft stall. The latter being right up my alley I think this batch of softies will fit the bill perfectly.

I hope we'll still be here to enjoy the pool for a few summers to come, but regardless this awesome little country school has encouraged our children to their full potential over the past 5 years. I admire the parents who home school or unschool their children but feel blessed to have found a school which looks at the child as an individual and encourages creativity and confidence especially in art and music so well.

BROOKLYN SCHOOL BOOK AND COUNTRY FAIR 31st OCTOBER.

As well, a smock for me, a tad too big, but not as hideous as usually results when sewing for myself. A trio of bags nearly finished for "Potters Patch".

And some lanky looking lettuces and other seeds in the sun room. Some are covered with vermiculite available from Egmont seeds It was given to me by a friend and I find it works well to aid seedlings when germinating.

I notice lots of visitors from the Northern Hemisphere are stopping by my blog for garlic plaiting instructions which means they're heading for Autumn/Fall and we're heading for SPRING!!!! Wicked, I can't wait!

An orange study

I like orange.

I'm kicking myself for not getting the orange glass candlesticks I saw at the recycling centre yesterday.

Cold wet garden

July in our cold, wet, frosty garden is not yielding much to eat. A lot of the brassicas I planted are getting frosted, which means I should concentrate on getting a bit more shelter established. If I forage around I can find: coriander, calendula, leeks, lettuce, brussel sprouts, spring onions, mizuna, mustard, fennel seeds, silver beet, beetroot, celery, corn salad, nettle, pumpkins and carrots. Though many of the greens have been nibbled by a chook or burnt by the frost . Lucky the bach has a good mandarin tree and I have some good stores saved.

After months of little enthusiasm I got motivated to plant more garlic and shallots this week. I also felt sorry for the roosters I am fattening, because the weather is so cold I've given them the glasshouse to scratch around in. They will fertilise and clear it for me since I didn't manage to get a crop in there. I'm spoilt to also have the small tunnel house which has mesculen mix, peas and brassicas growing slowly but surely for spring. Not sure why I'm getting a ground moss in there this year though.

It's too wet for pruning, and too cold for planting seeds here at the moment. The snow is down quite low on the mountain, we've got the fire roaring but I think we should take up the Government's offer of subsidising some under floor insulation.