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Tuesday, December 31, 2019

So long 2019

2019. I think a lot of people are more than happy to see the end of this year. I know turning the page and opening up a new calendar is really just symbolic but it does always feel like a fresh start when a new year rolls around. 

There have been some troubling times with the drought and with fires and the like but I am still here and still enjoying life on my little property. It is where I want to be and how I want to live and I am happy. We have not been left out by the drought or the bushfires but I try not to dwell on the negative. The nearby fire (a different one to October) is being controlled which is a good thing as resources on the fire fighting front are stretched so far at the moment. 

I have neglected this space but always have good intentions of writing but then I get busy or I get in a writing funk or whatever. Maybe 2020 will be the year to write again. Anyway, a few of the highlights for this year.


 I wrote in my journal at the beginning of 2019 that I would like to travel more. Well that happened. Tim and I had a trip to parts of the Northern Territory and Adelaide. What an interesting part of our country.

And more recently Tim, Hope and I met up with Grace in the UK. She had been on a scholarship study tour of universities in the UK and US so a perfect opportunity for us to have a pre-Christmas holiday together. Two weeks in the UK followed by a two-week bus tour of Europe.


Revisited some of our favourite places in England. A Christmas meal at River Cottage which was wonderful.

West Bay is lovely and early winter was a great time to visit England. It wasn't too cold nor wet and certainly noticeably less busy than the summer holiday time. I liked the quiet.

 Lyme Regis didn't disappoint.

Then off to Europe. I liked not having to drive or think about the logistics of travelling but I have to say the fast pace of an organised tour was too much for me. So much so that I came home tired and not feeling too well. The result of all that stress, shingles which I am still recovering from. Almost there.

If I didn't realise I was a homebody before (I did) then I know for sure now.

 Thanks to Hope for this picture of the Eiffel Tower. It was great to see it but I doubt I will return.
The girls will I am sure.


Switzerland was lovely. Expensive as was Europe but lovely to visit and get out in the natural beauty.

I wish all of my friends near and far a happy 2020. I hope the year ahead is kind and gentle and I look forward to being more present here as time permits.

Happy New Year,
Tracy xo

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Fires

 It has been a waiting game here this week. The police knocked on the door at 1:30am on Monday night to let us know that the nearby bushfires would be a threat to us when an expected weather change came through. So preparations were made for leaving home with the pets and for protecting what we could with our fire fighting equipment and the precious water in our tanks. I'm glad to say it did not have to come to that. The weather was kind and the expected gusty winds were only gentle breezes. I hope there will be some rain very soon for all who need it.


The eerie light and sunshine through the smoke haze is awe inspiring and so difficult to capture on camera.

Smoke in the distance. All the poor animals and trees in the fires. So sad to think of them.


We had plenty of burnt leaves blow in. Nothing to cause alarm but it is amazing (and frightening) how far they travel.

That's what has been the news this week. Sorry for being quiet here.

Tracy xo

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Drought

This drought seems like it will never end. It is dry as can be here. Rain clouds build up some days and empty in parts unknown, certainly not here. I have never seen it so dry and our creek has dried up. our cows and sheep are having daily feeding and watering and thankfully don't seem to be suffering for the dry conditions. 



What is suffering is the garden and orchard. The fruit trees are hanging in there (though the citrus look iffy on hot and windy days) with water coming from the washing machine grey water. It is that or nothing. I made the decision to not plant any summer vegetables because I can't water them. Hopefully we will have a break in the weather and it will be in time to get some tomatoes and such in the ground. We shall see.


There is of course hope. There are a lot of baby birds around. The resident magpies have a fledgling this year whereas last year their two attempts failed. There are quite a few  baby noisy miners this year and they are very noisy 😄. Plenty of birds to count in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count next week.


We've had a few echinda visitors lately too. Generally they aren't too friendly but this little one was happy to pose for the camera and wasn't bothered by us at all. He  has been taking care of the ants in the herb garden and under the house too. They are very cute indeed.

Back soon,
Tracy xo

Saturday, October 5, 2019

October Friday Night with Friends

It seems that I can only make it here occasionally. Those occasions for the last while have been for Friday Night with Friends. I'm grateful to Cheryll for hosting the get together. Such a lovely and creative group of crafters.


This month I managed to get a little bit done. I got myself organised to start my new cross stitch projects. I bought these as a birthday gift for myself. I have been waiting quite a while to find a supplier here in Australia and thankfully Deb is now selling them. She has a lot of other patterns available which are very tempting.


I've been trying to be creative with my snail mail too. I used up some card, old magazines, and paint sample cards to make a flip-book. I hope my pal likes it.


Most of my letters are just that, letters. Not much embellishment at all. The words do really mean the most but, it is fun to be creative.

It is so dry here right now. This drought feels like it will never end. It was so nice to take some time to not think about what needs water for a little while.

Bye for now,
Tracy xo

Sunday, August 4, 2019

Friday Night with Friends- August

I did join in with Cheryll and all the other Friday night friends for a little bit of crafting. I really should get started earlier in the afternoon because I struggle to stay awake to get much crafting done in the evenings. My father in-law once told me I keep children's hours and I think he might have been right. My children though have always been able to stay up later then me. I like going to bed early, I wake up early.


Anyway. I did a little crochet. Just finishing off a scarf that I started quite some time ago. I hadn't bothered until now to finish it because the winters have become so mild that a scarf is hardly ever necessary. But... I am going to be travelling to cooler climes in the not too distant future and the added warmth will be necessary.


I found a quick and easy cowl pattern (crochet or knitted) in a library magazine and will make that up in this ball of Icelandic wool. I haven't started that yet but it really shouldn't take too long particularly if I take the crochet option. The Icelandic wool is really nice and chunky but can be a bit scratchy. It will do and it is good to use up what I have here.

Until next time. Hopefully I can get into some sort of regular writing habit again.
Tracy xo

Friday, August 2, 2019

FNwF

Hard to believe that another month of 2019 has passed by. It has though and with that it means it is time for Friday Night with Friends again. I don't know what I will be doing but I do intend to include a little bit of creativity and crafting in my evening. Maybe just some mail art as I try to catch up on my correspondence.



I took part in Cheryll's Christmas in July swap. I was partnered with Illene who was very generous and sent me lovely gifts. And definitely hit the mark with my favourite colour, blue.



My new bag is really pretty and very handy. Thank you Cheryll and Illene.

Now I just have to make sure I take the time to check back in later/ tomorrow with any crafty progress I make. Until then,
Tracy xo

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Sewing

On Friday night I joined in with some other like-minded folk and enjoyed some sewing time. Thanks to Cheryll for hosting our virtual get together. 

I had a few mending jobs to get done before any sewing proper. A T-shirt that needed a few stitches in the side seam and a button to sew on Hope's school uniform (yes, she could do it herself but didn't). Then it was full steam ahead.



I made a few more produce bags. They are just small drawstring bags for buying fruit and vegetables in. This batch I made using a curtain that had was getting tatty.


I also repurposed two chicken feed bags. These are made of some sort of plastic and very much a single use plastic item which is unfortunate and a real waste. They can be recycled through the REDcycle program (have to cut the bags down to A3 size first) but, I kind of like getting a bit more use out of them first as the material is sturdy and reuse or repurposing is better than recycling.


Ideally I could take them back for a refill of chicken feed but that isn't an option. 

This month is Plastic Free July. It's a great initiative and raises awareness about plastic use and the impacts of it. I try to do my bit for the planet as best I can.

Bye for now,
Tracy

Friday, July 5, 2019

Friday Night with Friends- July


The first Friday of the month and it is Friday Night with Friends. I'm not sure how that came around so quickly. June was a whirlwind. I am organised for some crafting and determined to have at least a  little to show here for my efforts this month.

If you would like to join in and have a virtual creative get together  then Cheryll's blog is the place to sign up. Thanks Cheryll for organising.

I will be doing some upcycling/ repurposing. Trying to do my bit for the planet, living lightly with less waste.

Bye for now,
Tracy

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Catching Up

It seems that every time I think I am caught up on things, something else crops up. All kinds of little dramas that make up the minutiae of life. Nothing drastic but enough. It is my excuse reason for being behind in almost everything. But anyway, enough with the excuses. What is happening at the moment?


Frosts. Everyday this week has been frosty. It is winter so no surprise but we don't always get the frost so it's a nice surprise each morning to see the blanket of white. The garden is holding up against the freeze and I can finally cut back all of the dahlias and asparagus which had been hanging onto their leaves while the weather was mild.

Reading. I do spend a bit of time reading each day. Of late I have been reading some great memoir style books. Not so much fiction. My latest finish was Skymeadow by Charlie Hart which was enjoyable. I am on Goodreads if anyone is interested in adding me as a friend there.

Farm. The animals are all in good health. Thank goodness. I would dearly love for there to be more feed in the paddocks for them but relatively speaking, they have plenty. So no complaints from me. There is water in the creeks and in the tanks.

Garden. It is slow at the moment but still something to pick each day. Lettuce, radish, Asian greens, kale, herbs. The aliums are in and growing well. peas too (though the birds have been eating some of these). There was a baby rabbit living in the vegetable garden (I almost jumped out of my skin when he ran out of hiding) but he has left for places unknown.

Bees. The bees are busy even in the winter. The rosemary is abuzz with them and there are some eucalypts in flower so enough to keep them out collecting nectar and pollen. The last two summers have been hard on the bees with the drought wreaking havoc on the trees and flowers.

Life in general. Like I said, playing catch-up. Always chasing my tail. I have a small stack of letters to reply to. Some sewing to finish up. Exercise that I should be doing but have been neglecting. This week though is our wedding anniversary so I am going to enjoy that time.

That is probably more than anyone wants to read in one sitting so I will close for today.

Bye for now,
Tracy


Saturday, June 1, 2019

June 1

A new month seems like as good a time as any to reboot my writing here. I keep meaning to write and just never get to it. Maybe this time.


Life has been running smoothly for the most part with all the usual goings on.

 Winter has arrived with some very cold weather after the long, hot, dry summer. I am glad I gathered in all of the basil and chillies last week before the severe frosts hit. Still there is plenty to do in the garden as always.

I have a little bit of craft to keep me busy. I joined Cheryll's Christmas in July swap and am keen to get stitching for my swap partner. It has been quite a while since I've been in a sewing swap. Fun times. I think I have settled on what I'll make so now to get cracking.

That's all for today,
Tracy xo


Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Potatoes in bags

I've wanted to try growing potatoes in bags for a while. I had a few spare seed potatoes and some hessian sacks from the organic grocer that used to be in town. I use the sacks for the worm farms but some are too thick and the worms don't like them at all.  So I did all the things they say to do and the plants looked lush and green and grew well. But...


These potatoes make my hand look big.

The results were a failure. Six little potatoes. The plants growing in the ground did well but not those in the bag. I watered them and the substrate they were growing in was good and fertile but from what I have been reading, it might be the heat that was working against me. I would not be surprised, it has been desperately hot. So I will probably give the experiment another try when the conditions are not so extreme or find a cooler spot. That is the good thing about growing in the bags, they can be placed anywhere you like.


What the heat and dry weather doesn't affect is the weeds. They can thrive in any conditions it seems. The chooks took good care of this lot and they've also been scratching in the newly weeded patch in the front garden.


The bees are busy. There are eucalypts in flower and they are making the most of the nectar. I hardly see them in the vegetable garden when there are gum trees in bloom but thankfully I did notice a few in the pumpkin flowers this morning. Hopefully that translates to pumpkins down the track a little. Thankfully the blue-banded bees love the vegetable garden and are pollinating the basil, chillies and tomatoes.

ANyway, day 5 of Month of Letters and I have some writing to do.

Bye for now,
Tracy

Sunday, February 3, 2019

FNwF- February

I'm surprised by how quickly February has come around especially with the days on end of extreme heat which at the time seemed to drag on and on. But here we are and another Friday Night with Friends has been and gone. Thanks to Cheryll for hosting.


As promised, I crocheted. My Sweet Pea crochet along is coming along. It should be double this size by now but, it's not. It will be. I'm enjoying the process very much and mostly I get a few strips done each evening, sitting outside when the sun has lost its bite and there are no chores left to do for the day.


Along with the virtual company of the other crafters taking part, I had a real life craft companion this month. Grace has been cross stitching. It's  a good distraction when she needs to take a break from studying for exams which she has been doing this week.


Also as promised, I made some envelopes. This one is from a colouring book. I do not like to colour-in. Never have. So I fold the pages into envelopes and I think they look ok The paper is usually nice and sturdy too which is good. Now I just have to fill all those new envelopes with letters.

Bye for now,
Tracy xo

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Behind


I am a little behind with the Sweet Pea crochet along. The heat has been not conducive to crochet or anything else really but I do a few lines here and there and I;m catching up. As long as I have it finished for when the weather turns cooler and I can actually put the blanket to use. I'll definitely be working on this tomorrow night for Friday Night with Friend,

The Month of Letters starts tomorrow. That's a whole month of writing and mailing each day the mail runs. I try to average out to having one mail item per day for February regardless of the days on which I actually post it. I'm nowhere near a post box so I just send when I go to town. Surprisingly,  I don't have many letters in my reply pile so I will probably post some random mail to friends or family all over.

Time to get outdoors for chores before the heat.
Thanks for visiting.
Tracy xo

Friday, January 25, 2019

So... a brief catch-up

I just got to thinking that since I had been away from blogging for almost a year a catch-up even if it is a brief one might be a good idea. I feel as if there is not much to say and so much at the same time. 

Unfortunately the defining feature of the past year has been the drought. It really has been dry but it is what it is. My animals have enough to eat and drink and now I have another tank with water just for the garden so no complaining. I'm grateful for having enough. I did give up on the vegetable garden in early 2018 as at that time there simply was not enough water but good to go now.


Chooky

There is some sadness from last year. My precious little pet hen passed away in March. I miss her when I am weeding as she was always following me around and chatting. I think 10 years is not a bad  inning for a chicken.

Bellingen street art

There were a few short trips but no big travel (that is for later in the year and next year perhaps). Coffs Harbour for a university trip for Grace (any excuse for a holiday for us), Byron Bay, Sydney and Hervey Bay. So not too far from home but a chance to unwind and see and experience new and/or different places.


We had been chicken-less for a while and decided to rescue a few hens. So now we have five laying hens who are as ungrateful as can be and demand tidbits and are always hungry for whatever you might have. They didn't know how to scratch or were frightened of the greens I gave them when they first arrived but not so now. They know it all. I'm glad.

Snail mail from friends

On the creative front, I honestly did not make much other than a mess (which I am very good at). I kept up with my mail and tried to be creative in that with decorated envelopes and such. I also have my junk journal which I mostly just stick in bits and pieces that I want to keep. It's a bit of  a mish-mash with pages dedicated to the teabag packages from tea that friends send me, postage stamps from my mail,stickers . Anything really.


A routine I did establish in 2018 was bread making. I started my  sourdough  baking in 2017 but it was not our daily bread, rather a treat now and then. These days, I am baking a loaf every two days. It is habit now to feed the starter and to bake. I've just taken today's bread from the oven. I like that every loaf is a little different and it is very much affected by the ambient conditions. I'm not as keen on loaves made when there is humidity in the air for instance. Not much of that at the moment.

Other things. Hope is in her last year of school as I mentioned the other day. She is keen to be done with school of course. Grace will be finished her degree in October but what her next step is up in the air at the moment. Tim is working hard and his new roster gives him more time to work hard here too (even if we don't).

I stop here for now. Don't want to use up all my words in one post.
Tracy xo

Sunday, January 20, 2019

Holidaying

I have been off on a too short weekend trip to Sydney. That was last weekend and I am just catching up here now. Holiday mode and a heat wave are my reasons for not checking in sooner. Tim went back to work today after a month of leave and Hope will be back at school at the end of the month. Then it is back to routine. School has been a backbone of my routine since 1999 so it will be strange next year not to have that as Hope finishes school in October and she is my baby.

Darling Harbour

Anyway, onto the holiday. We had some great family time. Visiting with our son and his love. Got to see their new flat all decked out how they want it. Last time we saw it, it was a work site. Looks good now.

Had a wonderful evening with my sister, brother in law and my two nephews. They visited us last month so our turn this time. Darling Harbour was the backdrop and it didn't disappoint. I would rather it was less crowded but with the draw of fireworks, everyone wants to be there.

Forster


It had been too long since I had been to the beach so I booked an overnight stopover at Forster for the trip home. I'm glad I did. The water was wonderful. With the heatwave we've been having this week, I would love to be back there in the surf.


Before the heat

The hot weather has been draining. Up extra early to get out before the sun is over the hill and before too many flies are about to bother me. Then out of the sun and heat as much as possible until evening. It feels a little nicer out today and there is a cool breeze blowing for now.


I have been crocheting which does sound like a crazy thing to do in the heat but I don't want to get behind with the crochet along. I'm enjoying it immensely and today I will weave in some ends which although I won't enjoy that task at all, I will be glad when I get to the end and don't have loose ends to tuck in. Plenty of letter writing happening too. I took a break from that the first two weeks of the year so I have a few replies to write. Keeps me out of mischief.

Tracy xo

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Gentle Days

It is school and work holidays and it is lovely. The days have a real gentle rhythm. I am really enjoying my time in the morning when it is just me, a cup of tea and some quiet meditation. I would like to sleep in but it is not in my make up, never has been. 


The weekend was hot but there has been a slight reprieve the last two day. Mid-thirties instead of 39℃ which doesn't sound like much at all really. On sunny, hot Sunday I got out the sewing machine and some vintage sheer fabric my great-uncle gave me. I made 8 produce bags of various sizes so when the garden isn't feeding us then I'll be prepared. I'm hoping to give them a trial run soon and then I can take some pictures of them in action. I've also been stitching a few stitches each day on my cross stitch until the evening light outside gets too low. Yarns are sorted for the big crochet project so it can start in earnest now.


 When I did my morning gardening yesterday I disturbed some sort of conversation between these two noisy miners. They were probably plotting how best to steal something from the garden.


I had company while I gardened. Happily said company was on the other side of the fence. The sheep always get a few bits and pieces when I'm working. I have a Chou Moellier kale growing which is a particular favourite along with dahlia flowers/leaves and any tomatoes I can spare. The chickens get the weeds and they are happy for that too.

I had a lovely surprise today. Amy from Love Made my Home popped back up in my reading list. It looks like 2019 might be the year for getting back to blogging across the board. I know I am glad to be back. Amy's blog has always been a friendly place and a good read too. Her Instagram feed is beautiful too.

Well, I have finished my tea and have work to do. Hope you have an interesting day.

Bye for now,
Tracy xo

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Some stitching

I did join in with Cheryll's Friday Night with Friends albeit briefly. Friday was very hot 39℃ and not conducive to crafting or much of anything really. I had to water the vegetable garden late in the day too to avoid the heat after missing my opportunity in the morning.


I did some stitches on my long term work in progress that I will valiantly try to finish this year. It may require a new set of reading glasses but I'm determined. When that got too much, I made some envelopes out of last year's calendars. I use those for my sending penpal letters.

Not much done really but very nice to sit and stitch knowing I'm in the company of friends. It has been too long since I have done that.

I have my pattern now for the Sweet Pea crochet along so I know what I'll be occupied with over the next while craft-wise.

Bye for now,
Tracy xo

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

New Year, new post

Where to start? Just where I am I guess. I have spent almost twelve months in the background  here and am just now feeling that I want to write again. A new year is a good place to restart. I have noticed that there are many blogs missing from my reading list. 

In the vegetable garden today

In the eleven months or so that I have been absent, life has continued on with its ups and downs and the minutiae of day to day life. I'm sure I'll get to sharing bits and pieces as I continue here.
The herb garden is a jungle at the moment.
 At the moment I can happily say we have enough water for people, animals and gardens. It was looking dire a month or so ago but a few summer storms and our two creeks that have not stopped running (even if they slowed to a trickle) and things are looking up. The grass is green and the plants including the weeds are growing well.


I am looking forward to getting started on the Attic 24 crochet along starting this week (January 4th). I've never participated in one before and chose the yarn pack as my Christmas gift. It was the most economical way to get all the right yarns. I am definitely aiming to make 2019 a more creative one for me. Cross stitching, sewing, crochet, writing... whatever feels right.

So, just a brief post today to check back in and try to get the hang using blogger again.

Tracy xo