January all but gone

January goings on

despite the photo mosaic (l just had to try this one out) not a great deal has been going on, well actually not a great deal of variety anyway. Except when it comes to food. We have been spoilt with Sri Lankan curries and rice thanks to our dear friend R. The photos show a seriously spicy beef curry (B's mouth was on fire, but I like it hot), potato curry, and the most delicious yellow rice I have ever had. Cooking classes have been requested because it was just too good.

We have gardened, stripping out the vegepatch and topping it up with cow manure which Macc has delighted rolling in, Harvested passionfruit daily, from which we have made icecream and more icecream. It is icecream weather here. Sanded and painted the wooden columns for the back verandah, Visited officeworks and discovered the eco bags with the cute designs, and the bag tag.

B and I have also had a few doctors appointments, in between which I did a bit of footpath loving, grazing and bruising my toes, ankle, knee, and elbow. But you would have already known about this, as the howling and sobbing was almost as spectacular as the fall itself.

We have also had quite a few trips to the hospital to visit a friend who could really do with our prayers, A (not of 'A and D' the one who just had a baby) but our other friend, has been paralysed down her right side (kinda like a stroke) for the last three weeks and has a six week rehabilitation program ahead of her. Unexplained and all very mysterious, and also kinda scary, that this sort of thing could be a pinched nerve one day and well paralysed the next. She needs our prayers.

And if you can spare a positive thought I have joined all the other fatty boombahs at Weight Watchers, cause we have big things planned for sure in 2007.

fabric express

fabric for 'Sophie's Quilt' from Patchwork on Central Park

thank goodness, this arrived in the post, if only to save me from having to see the chook (in the previous post) one minute longer. I was seriously on the verge of going vegetarian.

The fabric in the pile includes the front and binding, and the white dot on green that the pile is displayed on is the backing for Sophie's Quilt (see Jan 12 post). I can't wait to get started although I am trying to finish a x-stitch that has been a work in progress for too long now.

Not much crafting will get done at the moment either it is too hot, and is only to get hotter with temperatures of 38 degrees C on the weekend apparently.

The warm weather was much appreciated though on Monday night when B and I enjoyed The Queen at the Open Air Cinema at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney with the littlest sister and her friend from Broken Hill. The two times, in previous years, it has rained during the movies we have been at, so this was a pleasant suprise. It was also nice to share the experience with the littlest sister, who congratulations is 11 weeks pregnant. It was a little disconcerting though as she is terribly sick with it, and spent a good deal of the time with her face in a towel she carries with her to deal with the acid.

ethically eating

With words like ‘bum’ banned our newest culinary success is no longer being referred to as ‘chicken with beer up its bum’ but ‘drunken chicken’.

I like the new name it’s less confronting for the eater. After all we buy free range eggs round here, we care about the chickens.

Drunken Chicken was a great hit for dinner, when my parents, the favourite brother, SIL and kiddo’s visited on Sunday night.

Drunken Chicken
Put an opened can of beer up the cavity of a chicken and BBQ till cooked.

Drunken Chicken

We also tested our newest (sort of homemade) Banana and Passionfruit icecream on them. It too was a success. The Passionfruit Vine continues to drop more fruit than we can keep up with, so I guess more passionfruit icecream is on the way.

Proof Positive Dinner was goood!

It was a great evening, and isn’t that a happy face.

waterlily cups and saucers

And I had a happy face when mum gave me these waterlily cups & saucers from a Salvation Army Store. Too cute.

And just because I don't like the photo of the chicken on the beer can I end my post with a photo I do like.

"I'll remove those excessive neck hairs"

best wishes

just a really quick one (as I am at work) - best wishes to A and D who are about to be wheeled into theatres for the cesearean delivery of their first baby. Our thoughts are with you.

***Stoppress 1.34pm***

born 9.53am at 36 weeks, 50cm, 6.4 pounds or 2.8kg, a precious little boy Brody John, Mother and baby doing well.

Congratulations!

And carried away with the celebratory feelings I have ordered me 'Sophie's Quilt' from Patchwork on Central Park, as seen on the cover of the February BH&G. It has been eating away at me since our copy BH&G arrived in the mail earlier this week and as I was viewing this blog and her quilt when I got the news of A & D's arrival, I just couldn't help myself.

Sophie's Quilt

work (not) in progress

craft buddies

is this not a picture of tranquility? I managed to work on my L'ete cross-stitch most evenings last week however, this week is not off to a good start. My craft buddies have been present for most sessions. Today, however, we have a forced stop work as the site foreman was tired and felt it necessary to sleep where the principal worker was set up.

work in progress

my craft pursuits have taken a back seat to home improvement pursuits. For the last month a good part of my 'spare' daylight time has been spent stripping back a pair of cast iron columns that are intended for our back verandah. The columns are 100 years old or thereabouts and had countless layers of paint.

tin 1

Three tins of paint stripper, the first an environmentally friendly one (as far as paintstrippers go) although it killed the grass underneath, and two standard tins which did surprisingly little to the grass underneath and were as effective as the first tin in removing paint and half the price, metal brushes including an attachment for the drill (which I managed to burn out the motor this weekend, I guess 3 hours straight use will do that), and I think I am almost ready to paint them. There are still some stubborn bits which I have contemplated sourcing a blow torch, to burn that stubborn paint away. Although me and fire, are not always the best of companions, and I could end up causing not only myself some damage but my precious columns, so I can live with a few imperfections that I am sure will add to the character. Regardless, next weekend I shall paint. Due to the rain on Sunday, B took some time out from the thesis (which he submitted Sunday afternoon, Yay) and we made a trip to Bunnings and purchased the paint, and a cheap paint sprayer - for the fun of it, ahm that professional finish.

stripped

good read

The Master Pearler's Daughter

I have finished my first book for 2007. An enjoyable read, Rosemary Hemphill's memories of childhood, growing up in Broome with time also spent in England. Broome is one of those places I would love to holiday, and my fascination has been further fueled by 'The Master Pearler's Daughter', I also have a passion for pearls, and as the title reflects, this book explores , aspects of this industry. Recently B, gave me a set of south sea pearl earrings for finishing my MBA, he had bought them in 2006 as incentive for me to finish my last subject, and I was not able to have them until I had finished.

A friend from the past once referred to pearls as tears of the ocean, and this somehow seemed fitting as a graduation token, as many tears were shed over the last couple of years in obtaining this qualification. Rosemary, refers to her childhood in Broome as teaching her to be strong, independent and resourceful, I believe there may be some parallels to be made in doing my MBA. This was a lovely book to read, for me it celebrated the special and unique Australian environment, and that I have so much to be grateful for; family, self determination, and a garden.

meet the neighbours (part three)

meet the neighbour (part III)

(and farewell) our newest neighbour, Cooper. Visiting for 3 weeks, staying with the neighbours to the left, it has been somewhat eventful, with:

• lots of conversation* that investigated by Macc was quickly dismissed. An SMS or two from us, being neighbourly, asking if everything was OK with the little fella, and would the neighbours like us to check? Thinking the neighbours were out, but no they just needed some time to themselves, and Cooper whilst adorable is a little high maintenance in the attention department.
• a search party instigated when he had slipped his noose and gone walkabout. The one occasion we were pleased to hear his barking, as it meant we knew he was near, even if we couldn't find him, and he returned to homebase of his own doing, and
• a play day, in which he stopped with us for 1/2 a day and ran Macc ragged (Greyhounds are not known for their endurance).

till next time.

*translation - barking

sunbathing

sunbathing

I arrived home early this afternoon, B was busy working to a deadline to finish his thesis and Jas was stretched out soaking up the last of the days rays with sunscreen on her nose. I grabbed this photo whilst bringing her an iced drink.

edible garden

passionfruit harvest

behold our first ready to eat passionfruit. By todays standards we have a large yard, and have tried to make the most of it. When we first moved in we had a lemon tree (it fruits all year round), persimmon, locut, mulberry, and the biggest monsterio delicio I have ever seen, and that no one will ever see again, as it got removed with the privet. These fruit trees gave us the idea for an edible garden, we now have another mulberry (a weeping one), a mango tree, lychee tree, blood orange, kaffir lime, and bush tucker inspired lillypilly's, lemon myrtle, and finger lime. We also have as many varieties of scented geraniums as I could find including, lemon, ginger, tutti fruiti, nutmeg, rose, lime, and peppermint. Apparently, the geraniums can be used to infuse flavour into all sorts of dishes, and although I have not tried any yet, I have a few recipes to try out.

And herbs, thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley, basil, chilli, chives, and coriander. A globe artichoke.

And newly planted strawberries.