Our Summer Harvesting

Well it's Autumn and we have been harvesting all the produce we have grown from the veggie garden over the past few weeks and I have to say this has been the best little veggie crop we have ever had!

We had more rain this year that we have ever had, in fact in Victoria more rain than ever on record apart from 1 other time!

Still not quiet enough to grow my celery too well although I am using the leaves for the rabbits to eat. The carrots have grown well, the kids frequently pluck them from the bed, corn was delish! It was kind of chewy but really tasty and looked perfect. Potato's did well and we have been eating them for many weeks now, and zucchini, well it's not yet at the back door but it's pretty darn close! No not really but we have a good 5 zucchini's per week for a long time now! Ive made zucchini chocolate cake and soup, I found the key to the soup was not to use 2-3 medium ones but a good 5-6 couple of potato's a carrot 2 onions, stock and blend so it's really thick, that was the best soup I made with them this year.

Lettuce did ok, but went to seed before I could eat it all and with all that rain there were a lot of slugs and they all seemed to be over the lettuce!

Had good success with the cucumbers this year, planted them too late last year unfortunately. The squash did well but it's isn't a huge hit here and it is climbing over 3 other veggie beds suffocating the other plants! So will give that a miss for next year. Bok choy was nice but grew very fast pretty much within 3 weeks it needed to be quickly eaten I imagine because of all the rain.

Its been wonderful having the water tanks full and being able to keep the grass for the boys to play on, first time in a very long time that's happened.

I also planted a very large sunflower patch and it's huge!! This is helpful in attracting the bees to the garden to pollinate the other plants. I have included 2 pictures the initial planting and 2 weeks later then all up 3 month s later they are over 7 feet and flowering, how quickly thing will grow once they in fertile soil! We got an excellent crop of nectarines and also plums but not one apricot this year my son tells me this is because it fruited last year, I knew that but its nice to know he remembers me telling him this very fact.

We have a wire farming fence to the paddock next door and there are blackberries thickly covering it for about 10 metres. We picked a good 4 bowls for a month or so and I ate them on cereal, in yogurt and make muffins with them, they were delicious!

I can't wait to rip everything out to plant the Winter crop, I know I will be putting lots more Broccoli in as we really eat a lot of that in Winter, some more carrots and bok choy, and some Winter lettuce.

The Weather Station

A few weeks ago we purchased a weather station for Kens business to trial for their Kestral weather meter online business.

Its a fancy piece and took a good couple of hours to set up and install and for the following 2 days while Ken was at work I disconnected it as it kept bipping every 30 minutes! Not very pleasant to be receiving a massage with a constant bip in the distance, I fixed this by putting the screen under the towels in the linen press, which worked well until a male client needed to use the facilities and wondered what on earth I was keeping in the cupboard!

Anyway here are some pictures of it, the trial also included a tablet PC and the idea was to mount that on the wall for easier reading. In fact the whole thing works well on a normal computer and the software was not able to be loaded onto the tablet so we now have a spare tablet PC and a lovely weather station.

The station tells us the internal temperature/external, time and date, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and the barometric pressure, there's a little picture part to say whether it's raining or not and a rain gauge.

You can also load software to your computer and attach the screen of the station and it will chart the weather patterns.

Anyway not sure they will go ahead and sell the product or not the entire concept they had, but for now we have a lovely addition to the roof and know exactly what's happening with the weather at any given moment!

Todays bounty and re-using materials

I just love every day going out to collect the eggs and wondering what we will have for dinner and finding a bounty of food in the garden to add to the meal! Tonight we are having lamb and fetta rissoles, corn and salad and I was able to collect some eggs, a daily thing but eventually they will get used as last night we had an omelette and ate 22 eggs in one meal! Some lettuce and my first although small very tasty cucumber an onion still left over form the huge crop I had in Spring and a zucchini to grate for the rissoles. I am loving that it's all organic I find my home grown food so tasty and it's a wonderful cycle, what we don't eat is fed to the chooks, the chook manure is added to the compost which is then used back on the veggie garden! Bliss!!!

Also a project we start and finished just prior to Christmas day was to hire a large shredder and attempt to regain some usable land from the overhanging trees next door and prune many of our own trees. It took us the entire day and we ended up with a massive pile of mulch to use back on the garden, I used this one one garden bed that was pretty much not used anymore, added some solar lights that by all accounts is amazing they are still there usually the dogs have "remodelled" and moved them by now, we also used wood for the boundaries that were once parts of the old patio that needed to be orn down we made 2 new garden beds near the patio and I had 2 Camellias that were dying in pots from lack of nutrition, they really needed to be re potted and I though last attempt at life I shall plant them in the ground and pray to the Gods the dogs don't chew them!! I am so happy with the look of the beds they good fantastic!

We also re-found a path that we had put in way back 14 years ago, we laid this path from old, old bricks we found out the front, it had been an original path and we stored the bricks and then used out the back , and eventually they all became covered in soil. After sweeping them back - my eldest son's job and he did do this brilliantly I might add we added more mulch to the 4 quadrants, and in one picture you will see there some bushy shrubs I ended up removing all that after Christmas giving us more room and will add more of the mulch to that as we still have quiet a large pile of it.

I really wish I had taken before and after pics, some were taken mid working bee, but we were madly trying to get it to a state of neatness prior to Christmas day and I was a bit time short.

In the middle of all the work I suddenly decided I had a use for my old I believe it was a bullock ring? Anyone who knows different please tell me as I could be incorrect but I found this on a friends farm and they really did think it was rubbish!! I saved it much to Kens disgust and it's now a sculpture in my front garden. I have since added a bird bath behind it so it looks a little different now, but I just love re-using rusty pieces of metal, I wish I was more artistic and could really make things look beautiful but I am rather happy with this piece and where I have placed it.

School holidays and the kids!

Well it certainly does seem to be a remarkable long batch of school holidays we are having this year! It's only mid January and were all stir crazy already! Ken has taken the boys on an overnight trip to the bush for camping, there was a lake there so they were able to take the kayaks. We have 2 aduly kayaks and a kids one, Rylan at 8 is finally ready to be able to use the kids one, and Jordan is perfectly capable of using the adult one.

Today I was especially challenged as yesterday we hired a small digger to improve the drainage outside and unfortunelty it rained all day! this resulted in pretty much half the backyard being turned into a slushy mudpit and the entire driveway is no longer granite sand for that quaint cottage look but rather looked like a mud wrestling ring. A really large one!

Anyway 3 young boys stuck in the house today after days of non stop rain and now even when it does stop whilst they would be happy to play in the mud and trust me it was the first place they headed yesterday I am however not as keen!

So today we decided to find some indoor activities and this is what we came up with making crystals, constructing a volcano, painting wrapping paper, painting some small canvases and cooking.

The boys had these volcano and crystal kits from a few Christmas past! We had never gotten around to it, they definately took my time toowhich was fine although I was hoping for a little more time to get stuck into my tax it did give me enough time to do some Centrelink paperwork while they came in asking me various questions. I found the Crystals kit was particularly useful for teaching Jordan a few things about fractions and measurements.
Unfortunely I had some involement with the volcano making and set the vault par in the middle incorrectly which means no pouring bi carb and vinegar wo get the lava, however Rylan took it in his stride and said "no problem we shall still paint it and call it a sculpture" I could possibly drill a hole through the top bit and make it work but I am pleased he took it so well!

Some other activities that have kept us busy over the holidays have been;

Visiting the Library - they always like re-newing their books plus the libary has a gameboy - we don't!
A trip to the Botanical Gardens - we also went and had a look at the Robert Clark Centre which has a different arranged flower theme each season;

http://www.ballarat.com/botanicgardens/gardens/thecon.htm

A play at the Lake, they have an awesome playground and fantastic seats to sit at and catch up on reading!

We also had a picnic at the garens and the boys took their cricket set.

Lego that rocks!!

A ride on the Mountain bikes - we all have Mountain bikes and finally this year at pretty much the same age as the other boys Kyan has removed his training wheels! So he is totally free as to where he can ride and is a brilliant little rider! Keeps up and never complains that the trips is too far. We often go to the Eureka play group which is an all off road trip along the old railway line track or along Nerinna Wetlands.

http://www.melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/melbourneplaygrounds-info.php?id=22476

http://www.wendoureebreakfast.org.au/index.php/projects/nerrina-wetlands

Sometimes we just have days in the garden, I potter and they play but goodness that has been a challenge of late with all this rain. I have to say I have enjoyed the sleep ins on these holidays but the 3 boys are a hugely energetic and noisy and full on so my best tactic is to keep them as busy as possible!!! We have also been to the movies but this really is a rare event i
t's costly although we sneak our own food in as a family it's still a good $60 to even get into the movie!

Ken will soon be on holidays and we are looking foward to a small trip to Maldon and some camping at Beaufort!

2011 Resolutions

OK after the last morbid post I have some positive thinking to do!

This year I plan to lose 15 kgs and go from 73 kgs to 58 kgs by October 2011

I was thinking in going in the BAD ride Ballarat Autumn day ride I may but now I have seen it's 60 km I may rethink that little goal!!

I will run in 3 fun runs this Spring.

Start Kayaking again.

Go on dates with my husband again during school hours and possibly look into a babysitter for the odd evening movie too!

I will dedicate more time to doing one on one things with my children.

I will play with my children more and exercise with them we had a treasure hunt the other day it was awesome!

I am going to re start up Fernwood membership and Yoga.

I will spiritually read as many BK books as possible and try and implement what they teach me. Also try and complete the Brahma Kumaris Foundation Course.

I will regularly go to Linda - my BK friends meditation groups.

Meditate twice a day every single day!

I will have moments where I just sit on a banana lounge and doze after Ive looked at the sky for a bit, god I enjoyed that pre kids!

February I will start the marketing process for my Massage business again and commit to 3 days a week working part time.

We will camp 4 times a year.

I will turn 39+2!!! and this time I shall celebrate it!!

I shall possibly sign the documents needed with Ken having the snip so I never need worry about pregnancy again. That might not happen until December though!

I will garden a little more often and complete a garden bed where I have just removed all half dead bushes and weeds. It will be planted with Pittosporum for privacy and screening and a big standard Robinia (Mop Top) as eventually this area will be my meditation place once the boys stop using my meditation outdoor room (their fort)lol.

I will stop being so angry and start to accept.

I will slowly resume friendships that suffered during the past 12 months and hopefully they will still be there and I will make new friends too.

Have a great new year everyone!

The end of 2010

I sit here typing this in confusion as to why I feel so sad as 2010 was a terrible year for me really I should be so happy on this December 31 that it is all over!. I realise that this time last year about to see 2009 to an end I was also pregnant and by NYD I had well and truely started to miscarry I lost 3 of the babies on public holidays and 1 very close to cup day.

I feel like my whole life will be over next year as I enter a time for the first time in 12 years that I no longer have any children at home. I gave up a entire era breastfeeding for a baby that didn't want to stay and ended a beautiful breastfeeding relationship with Kyan abruptly because of it.

I know that I am not a good person because surely a good person wouldn't have to endure bouts of severe deppression so often and lose babies so frequently? Or probably yell at her kids as much as I am prone to lately.

I was so settled after loss no 4 we would have no more I would have all kids at school 2011 and I would try so many new things we would get a part of our old life back. The last pregnancy unexpected No 5 came at a time I was going through a severe depression, I was suicidal and the baby saved me really, and I truely believe that, but oh I was so anxious and a part of me didn't want to have another baby,I was 40 that had been my cut off date! I felt so awful at feeling sick, my husband dreaded trying to provide for 4 children and eventually around the 7 week mark we finally came to some sort of peace and accepted this baby only to be told 2 weeks later at 9 weeks it's little heart that had been beating had stopped.

From this miscarriage I will lost friends I cannot relate to so many people on so many levels now. After breastfeeding for a total of over 9 years it all ailien to me now, it hurts too much to see people feeding. I can't be around pregnant ladies or listen to people tales of their babies anymore and it's cut off entire circles of friends.

I really thought going through all this my baby came and died to tell me I can do this and live life without medication I can be "normal" but I unsure that I can. I spend 80% angry at the world and when not angry I am so sad I cry. I have no idea what is grief and what is depression.

Last time I grieved this badly was for my mother when she died, I denied the feeling by refusing to eat and lost a massive amount of weight this time I stuff those feeling in with as much food as I can as fast as possible so now have big battle to get to a normal weight again too.

I don't know who I am anymore or how I find out who I really was, it all just feels like a terrible grief and saddness. i don't know how to move on from this at all.

So in brief 2010 I lost 2 babies
I had a severe bout of depression
I ran a mini marathon
I joined a Fernwood and almost felt accepted as a normal person
I gave up breastfeeing
I bonded with Jordan my eldest son for the second time.
I let go of Kyan and accept that he will be ok at school next year

Now I think I will start another thread for my 2011 plans.

Summer in the garden.

I have been busy in the veggie garden harvesting all the silverbeet which was starting to go to seed, I gave most of it to the rabbits and chooks we had eaten all the good stuff, also removed all the onions and got a beautiful crop of large red onions and a smaller not so successful lot of white onions.

I have usually just give the beds a turn and add a few buckets of compost for the next lot of crops. Am putting celery, some more lettuce and coriander in the two vacated beds.

Also brought a Rosella plant which I had not heard of but apparently its very high in Vit C, I will plant it near my Jostaberry, really hoping all these unusual plants don't need another plant to bear fruit as Ive only brought 1 of each!! My Elderberry is doing really well and I can either see the beginning of berries or its flowering.

My kiwi fruit plants of which I know I do need male and female have grown a good 2 metres in height since Spring, amazing can't wait to get some fruit!

The potatoes which Rylan planted this year have really grown well above ground I can't wait to see how many potatoes are growing under ground.

I was given free a ton of sunflower seeds and pretty much planted the lot in the sunhouse and everyone has sprouted so I need a ton of space to plant a big lot of sunflower plants! I am thinking of just putting them all along the front fence just to get rid of them rather than making a new bed for them although I suppose I could just use one of the beds in the veggie garden. Will see what I decide and update you later.

The other week I added some fish emulsion to the veggies and the lettuce is now pretty much ready to eat and looking so healthy and the corn has shot up! My cucumbers are really slow again I am beginning to think I have a black thumb with cucumber, perhaps its just not getting quiet enough sun.

With the animals I have a Hamburg chicken sitting on 3 eggs, there were 8 but upon candling the eggs only 3 were viable so the others got removed. They should hatch within the next 2 weeks I imagine. I wasn't really wanting anymore chickens this year as the limit of 20 per property in Ballarat had changed during the time I have owned property here and its now 6 per block and I am sitting on 15 chickens! I did have one death of one of the old girls and a Barnevelder over the past 8 weeks, but I didn't really wish to replace at this stage so will probably advertise and sell the babies.

Sian and her babies are doing fantastically well, the babies are just gorgeous, I have new homes for nearly all of them now which is lovely, still have not decided which one I will be keeping though, such a hard decision.