Summer Jam & Produce

This is my second year of making jam and we had a bumper crop of Apricots and plums, I made a really yummy apricot jam with these. Not enough though as we ate so many of the tree.

Overall I collected about 3 baskets this size of plums.

I made about 4 kilos of jam and the first batch was small and came out well.

The second batch a disaster I made too much at once and I ran out of jars so I had to go to shops reboil jam and sterilise new jars and then add jamsetta more lemon and sugar and hope for the best and it was great really firm now.

The aroma of jam is so nice!  I added Apple to it as well for added pectin.

They are very large jars so there is quiet a lot there. It's delicious now too.

I harvested about 3 times this picture of red onions and have them all over the place on drying racks.

I always have a helper in my garden....

These were so tasty of course we made kilos of jam but ate kilos too!

I am loving the Kale smoothies each day.

It's that time of year when I get thousands of Zucchini's.

The cooler weather has the chooks laying again too.

This week my lovely friend Heidi brought me a gift and it was so unexpected! I am just delighted, it made me want to get straight out into the garden so I could write something in it!

Holiday renovations

I rarely take large blocks of time off work, I work part time so have never had the need too and we don't really go on long holidays so just take the odd week off here and there.  Of course working for myself there is no holiday pay so that is another reason to be frugal with the time off! This year I took a whole 4 weeks off at once.

I spent one week relaxing and then bang we renovated and these are the changes to my massage clinic which used to be painted in a apricot colour.

This is a before - note the terrible bricks on old gas heater.  The heater started to set the carbon monitor off which was alarming me as the kids sleep near that area.

So in the middle of painting I decided the heater must go.  It was an added $3,600 to our budget but that's ok, need to safe and warm.

A new colour, all done.

The heater is removed, the plasterers have been...

I ponder how long ago it was this fireplace was used as an open fire and why on earth they didn't clean it prior to adding the gas heater.  It is exciting to wonder these things, but not for long as the following day this is installed.

Another days painting and it's finished. 

My beautiful massage clinic is done.

There used to be a screen for people to change behind but as I leave the room always and needed to move the take further away from the much more effective read really, really hot heater the screen had to go.

We also painting the boys bedrooms, the hallway, the spare room and had a reverse cycle air conditioner put in in case Summer decides to show it's face.  So now it's back to work to pay for it all!

My regulars love the changes and so do I! I have only used the heater once, I nearly roasted, the window may have to be open when I use the brilliant heater!

Daylesford Trip

Wednesday I decided to go for a trip alone.  I found a studio that would accommodate me and had a ensure and kitchenette for $100.  It was literally 100 metres from all the shops.  I did some firsts.  I wore a beautiful dress (I never wear dresses).  I walked the streets and window shopped.  Went to a chalet and had a drink listening to live music.

I bushwalked for hours and cooked my solitary and welcome meal back at the studio to save money. I read for HOURS.   I love to be alone, it makes me very happy.

During my time there I came across this wonderful community garden next to the Library, which I also spent some time in.

All the plants looked super healthy.

It wasn't a huge block just maybe 1/8th of an acre.

That is enough though for many like minded people to come together.

To create a peaceful place for out of towners to smile at.

Not individual plots as such.

More a mismatch of everything together.  I even saw the health shop next door pop their coffee grounds into the compost.  I wish we had something like this in Ballarat.  We do have a Community garden.  But plots are rented, there is a large fence around it.  No one is welcome if your not one of the renters.  Here in Daylesford anyone is welcome.  There is even a seat.  I meditated on it at how blessed I was to escape for a night.

Hubby did give me some money to treat myself to dinner but I did another first on the last day.  I had enough from home to eat so I saved and brought a book, some earrings and a facial. Never had a facial it was BLISS!  2015 is a year for firsts!

Small trip and renovations.

This year for the first time ever we went away for a few days for Christmas.  We went to a cottage at Freshwater creek for 4 days and loved it, I barely saw my kids as they were always on the farm or riding the bikes around.  We had my Dad over and his partner.  I learn something new and surprising about him that I never knew.

We went into Geelong to checkout the Christmas tree on the water.

Then had a go on the very large Ferris wheel it was tons of fun and although 2 of the kids were pretty boisterous on the whole it was just Christmas Eve excitement and so bearable. 

We stayed up until 12.30 to see Santa had come.

Marissa our host had left a beautiful Christmas tree for us to enjoy with a pressie under it and candy canes all over it.  A few less candy canes when we left though.

We took the dogs but poor Monty spend a few days in the cattery, one I hadn't used before and he HATED it.  I didn't love it either he is used to so much space, he was very clingy when we got home.

But now, back home and unpacked it's back to work and oh what a job ahead of us.  We are painting the entire front of the house indoors in what hubby feels can be achieved in 4 days.

It was this bright apricot colour.

Now everything is off white cream type colour.  I really hope it goes ok with my boys! This room is my massage clinic so clearly no clients for a few weeks!

I decided I no longer could cope with the 1960's bricks and this heater.

So if I can find a decent plasterer soon I will be covering the bricks with plaster facade and replacing the heater with this.

We are also getting a new reverse cycle air con for that part of the house, so lucky I am back at work on the 19th as I will need to earn some money to pay for it all! 

Stuff in December

I have been really slack posting but this blog is my record really so I know that it won't be hugely noticed, still it's good to note what's been happening in my garden.

The flowering Marigolds have self seeded from last year the others I grew in the hot house, the are going to be the huge puffy ones I think so maybe won't match too well!

Lots of bee action happening here with the Poppies.  Thanks Annie. 

Foxies are starting to come out.

Beautiful colour, thanks worms for your healthy tea.

My meditation chair right in the middle of my gorgeous fruit trees.

A new addition, I want the kids to use the paddock more and be around me while I am pottering in the veggie garden.

Sometime so keen to use it they can't be bothered getting dressed!

I don't usually use a net.  Or have many Strawberries....this is the way to go, I love that I was able to use the old gate and wire from the Snowpeas, then as my eldest took so long to band stakes in for me, I stumbled across his old dis-used soccer goal.  I took it apart and used as ends for my frame here.

Yum!

The beginnings of Pumpkin soup.

Zucchini's and Capsicums.

Kale for my healthy morning smoothies.

Gazillions of Peaches.

And Apricots.

I have been busing sealing, priming, painting, potting, planting pressies!

I am sad my middle boy is leaving Primary school, he is sad too, it's been a tough and rewarding journey though. This year has been up and down for us but primary school have given him many wonderful opportunities.  My little boy's best friend is leaving him, and for the first time he will be alone no brothers at school.  He is worried about what his life will be next year.  That breaks my heart a bit. This year has been a write off for him and grade 4 he needs to start taking school seriously.

Monty doesn't care of these life issues.

Too busy sleeping.