Not so good at finishing things

I have changed alot in the past few years, my house is never spotless and I always have alot of projects on the go. I use to finish one thing before I started another, now when I get an idea I run with it incase I forget it. Sometimes they come to me at odd times and I do a sketch. Here's what I've been working on in the weekend. I must admit Mum had two of the kids for me so there were alot less arguments to sort out.

Just need to sew in the linings on these bags. I kind of did them on auto pilot while talking to a friend in Australia, she spent the best part of a 2 hour phone call trying to convince me life's better over there. We're both pretty different and I think we're both where we belong. The bags are destined for the Mapua Easter Fair.The mint ballet jersey just needs sewing up, it's been in my sewing bag for a week, PJ will LOVE it when I give it to her. She's a shoe girl though and will want a pair to match. Mum bought her THREE pairs in the weekend, one was the most girly pair of soccor boots for the upcoming season. The blue and gray on needles are my nephew's booties, they're a "must do" tonight. I'm quite liking that colour combo and might do a jersey to match.
I made the red head a xbones sweater and it didn't fit so I made another, then PJ wanted one so I made another now I have three which need their neckbands added and a few more cut out because I quite like the way they are turning out. The tweedy wool hat half finished was for me but it was getting too fiddly for me at 10pm so I abandoned it for now. PJ has a lovely pink and paisley pair of pants waiting for elastic. So you can see I had a productive weekend even if I didn't finish a thing! We also spent Saturday evening at the skate park with the "skatey boy" and it was just lovely doing something especially for him. It was good to get out too and get some fresh inspiration. The local youth were awesome on their bikes and boards and I was pleased to note none of them were smoking even though most were unaccompanied at 6pm.

op shop goodies

The other day after a long day in Nelson visiting people and an appointment with the chiropractor I decided to call into my favorite op shop on the way home. I just wanted to stretch my legs really. Imagine my delight when I found this bag of quilting " fat quarters" and a few bigger bits too, it was just what I needed to inspire me to do some sewing. I don't quilt yet but love flowery fabric and will use for applique. The browny bits are very inspiring for autumn. I'm half way through alot of projects but instead of working on them I'm full of excitement waiting for my brother to send me photos from Adelaide of my new baby nephew. I'm a first time Aunty so it's pretty exciting. I'll have to settle with photos for now as I visited them last year for their wedding, I'd so love to be cuddling a new baby today though.
I'm off to make booties for my nephew now. He's a darling.

Lemon Honey Tea

We got a bit of Autumn rain last week, even a bit of snow on Mt Arthur. Unfortunatley the small kids and I got colds to go with the change of season. So we've been drinking lots of lemon and honey tea. I make it with a few extra goodies to fight the germs. The kids don't really notice the garlic if you put in plenty of honey.

LEMON AND HONEY TEA FOR COLDS.

To make 4 or 5 cups of tea:

Juice of 2 to 5 lemons,

as much honey as you need to taste, (manuka honey has healing properties)

Add any of the following for extra healing and soothing.

Fresh garlic 2 to 10 cloves chopped depending on your taste,

Fresh thyme 2 to 4 teaspoons chopped, (lemon thyme is nice)

Fresh Echinacea root 1 or 2 teaspoons,

Cover with about 4 cups of boiling water and drink hot or cold. Experiment with your favorite herbs to create your own recipie. Sage or ginger would be quite good too. My music teacher swore by black tea for sore throats. When we all got sore throats before our musical of "Annie get your gun" she had us drinking pots and pots of it, so you can add a teabag too.

Look what popped up in the garden. Usually I drive in the country looking for mushrooms when the Autumn rains come. Couldn't find any last week I don't think it was wet enough, but last year I spread some spores on the lawn and yay ONE mushroom. Will leave it to spread it's spores.
Long awaited rain, Neudorf Road near Motueka. ( No mushrooms though)

Retro Jam

You know how when you have something you have to do you'll do all sorts of other things just to avoid doing it. I've had that kind of weekend. A playcentre assignment is due and I've done everything but. Still the results are very satisfying anyway. I made "Retro jam" for presents and the market, blackberry flavour is supreme and will be in very limited supply I think. I'm also being tempted back into the garden as my back improves. With rain forcasted, I did some harvesting of herbs for teas and sunflower seeds for planting next year before the birds get them all. I've raked the lawn in preparation for planting some fresh grass seed and cleared a few small weedy patches to plant some more brassicas. I dug one patch over and then realised it had brassicas in spring so I'll put peas in there instead. Peas are good to sow after rain. But I'm hoping to get those brassicas in before. I like to lime the garden at this time of year as it sweetens the soil up, lawns like it too. I'll be desperate if we don't get rain as I've noticed the water pressure has dropped right off which means we havn't got much. I've been saving water from the bath and washing machine and bucketing it onto everything. I wish my good Kiwi bloke would jack up a hose so it goes straight from the washing machine to the garden. I've been threatening to "get a man in" to do it 'cos usually that gets some action but it's not working. The plumber doesn't even need directions to our place any more he's been out so many times since we bought it, I think the pipes got such a shock changing from one old lady to a family of six. I'm too scared to put in a dishwasher incase the system can't cope. The 13 year old asks for a dishwasher every birthday and Christmas!

Blogs for beginners

It's great to hear from so many friends that they've tried my tomato soup recipe, it really is yummy isn't it? Someone asked me today how to make a blog. I'm still making mine but I can tell you how to get one started and introduce you to some of the best ones I visit. Most of them have links down the side of the page which direct you to other good blogs or highlighted words that you can click to look at other things, I havn't quite sussed out how to do that yet. So to make one for free go to http://www.blogger.com/start and just follow the directions. You should be able to click that address to get there. Ask a teenager for help if you get stumped. I know there are other places where you can make blogs too, I think you have to pay for some. If you like you could google blogs or blogging to find out more.

The blog I visit every time I'm online is Melissa at tinyhappy. I don't know how to highlight a word to get you there but click this address and check it out. http://www.tinyhappy.typepad.com/ Melissa is a brilliant, creative young mum and blogs almost every day. Through her blog I've found some other real beauties, I like the nz blogs but she has some fantastic international connections too. Here is a great list discribing some good nz blogs. http://stripysockstudio.com/index.php/site/entry/new_zealand_blog_posse_wahoooo/ my apologies for not knowing how to make a proper link. I hope I didn't have to get permission to link, I have a feeling there is blogging etiquette but I havn't really sussed all that out yet either.You can comment on peoples blogs by clicking the comment button at the bottom of each post where you can also read other peoples comments and click their names to see if they have blogs too. I have noticed alot of craft bloggers put on photos of their beautiful children which kind of worries me cos you don't know if you've got creeps looking at your blog, but each to their own you'll never find a picture of my kids on my blog. Happy blogging/blog reading. Here's a picture of my craft corner today, a few projects on the go and a few ideas cooking.

Huts and Pups

When I asked my son who's 10 to stack some wood in the wood shed his creativity got the better of him. It happens alot, he's the dreamy creative type who get side tracked by a better idea. Often they are marvelous like this, but sometimes when he's supposed to be getting ready for school and is building a city for his cars I get a little bit snotty. Just as well we live close to school as he often doesn't get there till 5 to 9. He rushed in to get the camera after about an hour "just in case it falls down" then when it was finished called us all out to have a look. He suggested to me that it was big enough for him to sleep in!I guess it will remain in the garden as a sculpture until the wood is required. The nights are definatley getting colder and I'm waiting for the Autumn rains so I can collect mushrooms in the country and plant bulbs and do some weeding again. The ground is as hard as rock and although my back is getting better I daren't attempt any digging yet. You can see Willow's puppies have grown, they are very amusing to watch play now and the whole family watches them after tea instead of the TV which is nice. They know my voice, my walk and all come running out of their box when they hear me coming. It's been a great experience but I look foward to them going to their new homes now.

Super surprise

Last winter I was given access to a huge load of horse poo, I eagerly took up the offer even though I was aware of the risk of introducing alot of new weed seed. Early in spring I noticed a wee seedling I didn't recognise so elected to let it grow. Well it grew into this. It's an Amamaranth I think, perhaps some of my gardening friends can help me identify it properly. Whatever it is I'm really impressed with it even though it's grown really huge and probably taking quite a few nutrients from the blueberries underneath it.

Aubergine and green

This colour combination has influenced me alot
in the last couple of days.

It's very striking in the garden and I reckon it's worked

beautifully in the entrance way
In a spur of the moment decision yesterday I decided that aubergine would be much nicer on the doors than the dull earthy colour I'd already chosen. I couldn't wait to try it out and am thrilled with the result. Now I better finish the walls. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to extend this colour scheme into the kitchen without it getting too much. I've got all winter to mull it over cos that will be next summer's painting project.

Seasonal work

Our year follows a pretty similar seasonal pattern. We've just finished gathering firewood for winter. The focus now is on making some money out of apple picking to pay insurance,car rego, rates etc. So while L is out picking from dawn to dusk I have the four kids to organise day in day out. Where previously I had someone to share the work, now I'm it. It's only been two days and I'm having to sort out a whole new routine. Yesterday as I had my shower the little red head (18mths) wrecked the CD player. L was quite pleased because he didn't have to listen to Ben Harper as I got tea ready, but if we don't repair it I might go insane cos it's the best method of drowning out the noise of the middle two bickering. Speaking of going insane I've hurt my back, probably as a result of helping with the firewood, so I can only watch as the weeds get higher and higher in the garden. Being told to take it easy is kind of like a foriegn language to me. Usually if it is not suitable to garden I sew or bake or vacume but I'm having some time on the couch as a grumpy old misery guts. In an effort to count my blessings at least I can handle a bit of knitting and the puppy's are not pooping all over the floor, YET! Also the wee runt is still alive and should make it now as long as she doesn't have anything seriously wrong with her, she is the only one that still needs a home. We'll be very picky about where she goes.I will endeavour to show some pictures of my friends gardens 'cos there are only so many ways I can photograph weeds. The blackberries are mine though. The kids are making frozen smoothie iceblocks with them for when they get home from school.

Plant leafy producers this week, chuck in a few extra lettuces for me, I don't think I'll get any in.

Tomato Soup

As harvest time quickly approaches I've been busy planning and preparing things for storage. The tomatoes have been pretty good this season and I've managed two pots of this soup, it's the best recipie I've ever tried for tom soup. I took some today when I visited my friend's beautiful new baby boy. After my last baby I promised myself to make an effort towards any new mums I knew as the support I got was the difference between coping and not.

TOMATO SOUP.
14 lb tomatoes
7 large onions
3 Tbsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 Tsp thyme ( I use more)
1 Tsp mint ( I use more)
7 cloves
14 sprigs parsley

Boil together for 1 hour then mouli or pass through sieve. In a bowl mix 8 Tbsp flour and 1/2 pound melted butter to a smooth paste, add to soup and boil for futher 10 minutes. Serve with cheese scones, or freeze some for later.