The little birds...

If you watch little birds you will see they are busy and happy! Using whatever they can find they create the most gorgeous little nest.
I would be the little bird with some glittery thread in her nest!
We can be like this. Happily working away with the things that are available to us to create a beautiful and happy home.
All the while with a little song in our heart.

Banner by Free Pretty Things for You.

Sunday 27 May 2018

The World Within our Walls. Being Productive.

Since I was little I liked people who make things.  This was almost everyone in my world as Mum and both my Nan's were highly productive.   Lately I have been thinking about how Nana L spent so much time spinning wool, dying it with natural things like onion skins and knitting up beautiful things for everyone.  These were very happy days for Nan. She was in her element.  She usually had scones cooking in the wood oven and a lot of other things going on.  She was busy all day.

Nan had friends over once a week and they all would bring their spinning wheels with them!   These friends of Nan's were a happy crowd!  I got to be there quite often and loved it.   Many of thee ladies were very talented.   To me Nan was so happy when she was busy creating and making.
She had other friends who were incredibly productive.   Two of these friends had significant disabilities which I realise now looking back more than I noticed then.   I wrote about them here The Happiness Factor of Creating Something.    You would never have guessed anyway as they were very joyous and generous people.   I have no doubt that they way there were always making something had a lot to do with this.


Small projects I can take with me anywhere help me get lots made!

Over time I have come to realise that it is no coincidence that busy and creative people are happier.  Busy hands do make happy hearts.  You are not usually thinking bad thoughts or worrying about something while you are absorbed in creative work with your hands.   In fact you usually end up feeling wonderful.   Rather than sitting idle and stressing you are pouring your energy into creating and this is good for us!



When we have had a good day and achieved a lot we feel good!  Have you noticed that feeling of great happiness, achievement and satisfaction after completing something or some kind of day of hard work?  It is a beautiful feeling!   Jess wrote the most beautiful series that is very much worth studying here called The Blessings of old fashioned work.   This is glorious!  It explains a lot!
We are designed to work and it blesses others as well as ourselves.


Gardenpat is so productive.  He gardens, preserves, runs a small business. 
Then she added chickens and is even more productive! 

The Proverbs woman has "eager hands," she is making linen garments for the household as well as enough to sell.  She is "strong and industrious" and helps the poor an needy as well as having her own household in such order that they have no fear of the winter.  She is trading and working on her goods into the night.  She can be relied upon.  She is busy and this all is bringing great blessings on her family.   She watches over the affairs of her household.  


Jane and Bluey are so productive.  Sewing, crochet, wood work, gardening, cooking, preserving. Joy! 

 Creating things out of almost fresh air like a meal from random bits and pieces,  a birthday cake from flour and eggs,  a garden from a mess of weeds,  a garment from fabric or yarn.... whatever it is there is a sense of accomplishment and getting ahead.  Using what we have to the best advantage...


Vicky gardens, keeps chickens, preserves, cooks and makes Tutus! 

When I was in my teens a young couple came to our house and they had two little girls.   The wife was Linda and she brought her knitting with her.  She was knitting a striped jumper for one of the girls and I liked her instantly.   She was exactly where I wanted to be in a few years time and we became friends.   I just loved her!   And over the years I have had so many people that I have learned new skills from.   Ethel who made and decorated cakes.  Dawn who embroidered like no one else.  Dorrie who took me under her wing when Chloe was a baby and she taught me stretch knit sewing.  She lived over the road.  I would sew a bit more and run over the road to her to learn how to do the next thing...


Mum makes rugs, jumpers, hats for everyone she knows plus charity. 
She also cooks, preserves, gardens, mends (endlessly) and keeps ducks.

Over the years I learned (at least to some extent) the basic things like baking,  making cleaning products,  knitting, sewing,  embroidery including wool, shadow work, grub roses.... patchwork,
card making,  soap making,  basic painting, mending, slow cooking, yeast cooking,  veggie and herb growing,  jam and relish making...  I have loved learning each new thing!

More recently I learned sour dough cooking,  yoghurt making,  how to make essential oil blends and rollers.


I have LOVED learning how to use essential oils and boy has this blessed our household!   

Now and then it is time to learn a new skill.   We have all seen a child so excited when they learned how to do something.  We are really no different.  Last year with You Tube I learned a heap of new crochet patterns.  It was so much fun!   You know you are loving something when you find yourself counting down to the time of day you can get back to it.  So much fun! 


Kelsey makes cleaning cloths, sews, makes beautiful gifts, gift tags and cooking.

I think in terms of improving skills and learning new ones.   I do not think we have to be good at everything.  If you have one skill that you can get to a good level it gives you something you can also trade and sell.  This can be enormously helpful.   And this is where we will finish up for now as many of us are in fact launching little businesses of our own.    I have followed Patsy's journey in starting up her business this year.   She shared the goal and the steps she took. You can see her shop here Pillowcases by Patsy.


Sewingcreations gardens, cooks and preserves (in abundance!)

I have been accumulating the details of many of your own enterprises and planning a series on selling and trading your homemade or home grown goods.   If you would like to be featured and share some tips on how you did it and how you keep it going please email me at brinkzi21@hotmail.com
We are going to attempt to have a system where by we all share each others shops/businesses with our friends and on social media which could generate a lot of free advertising for each other.   Also ways to help each other build our little businesses.

We are working on becoming more producers than consumers.   The more we can make ourselves the better.   The more we also have to trade and sell as well.  I am dreaming of a giant pumpkin patch, veggie garden and even an orchard.  I have always wanted an orchard!  Fruit trees with chickens running underneath = heavenly!

What do you produce?
What would you like to learn how to grow or make?
Do you trade or sell some of your produce?
What skills could you work on to become better at?
Do you notice that feeling of joy and satisfaction from creating?

This week I am heading off to the farm.  Andy is keeping the home fires burning.  So there will be no post on Wednesday and I will do a big Feather Your Nest post possibly Friday or over the weekend!

Have a wonderful and productive week! xxx





34 comments:

  1. Dear Annabel,
    A wonderful post. Creativity keeps the mind fresh and the heart happy.
    I am much more relaxed when I sew everyday. My goal is to make all of my own clothing, as my grandmother did.
    For years, I canned, dehydrated, dried, and preserved foods. We do less of that now that we are older.
    It is never too late to learn something new. Creativity leads to self sufficiency.
    Have a wonderful trip to the farm and enjoy.
    Love and hugs,
    Glenda

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    1. Dear Glenda,
      I know how well sewing agrees with you and you are wonderful at it too. I also think yes we can adapt what we are producing to times, our age, health etc also. Each time I learn something new I enjoy it so much! I find it so exciting. So now I am thinking ok what will I learn next... although I still am learning on the oils and Homeopathy that will keep me out of trouble for a while! With love Annabel.xxx

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  2. What a wonderful post Annabel. Full of gentle memories, reminiscing and great advice. My Nanna and Mum were much like yours, and there was no time to be down, or anxious or out of sorts. You just got on with things. Always busy, always teaching someone. I'm with you. I try to learn one or two new skills each year, and I urge others to do the same. We just do not know what the future holds, both for our own little world, nor for the wider world. The greater our skills base and the more knowledge we have to nurture, heal and provide for our families, the better off we are, no matter which way you look at it. Lovely post. Just lovely. Mimi xxx

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    1. Dear Mimi, I think our Mums and Nans might have been very similar. Mum comments so often that someones problems might be less if they got on with their work or had less time to sit around thinking up ways to be miserable, or if they have so much time on their hands then why not help someone!? All very no nonsense.
      Skills are probably a far greater commodity than I ever imagined. Im catching on to that. Now to learn and pass them on. So far Harper is the only one old enough (just) but she seems mad keen on anything about MAKING things so I am hopeful! With love and thanks, Annabel.xxx

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  3. Annabel, we learn so much at our simple living group where skills are shared and we always come away learning something new as everyone shares their ideas. My mum was always doing crochet and knitting and when I was growing up almost everyone had clothes made by their mum. It was just the norm back then. Thank goodness a lot of people are going back to the old ways of producing for one's family and being creative.

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    1. Dear Nanna Chel,
      I love the classes you have! I am itching to learn new skills. So I am on the hunt for maybe something similar or a group here somewhere...
      I think everyone is looking now to re use, make, save, so the old ways are coming back in again. I am very happy about this! With love Annabel.xxx

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  4. I always love seeing the creative things you and the other bluebirds have made! And, like you, often it gives me the motivation to learn new skill! With so much technology, knowledge and skills to learn are literally at our fingertips!
    I think I may have told you that our daughter on the West Coast sent me a ticket to fly to their house and stay for a week for the express purpose of teaching her rockery shopping, meal planning and food prep and stocking up! It was exciting (and humbling!) to see her take out a notebook and take notes as I told her about looking at the front page of the grocery sales circular for each of her local stores, including the one that she thought was an expensive grocery!
    We made several breakfast items from scratch and in bulk and froze for future meals after having the family taste test and approve each option. We made some freezer meals and cut up and precooked some chicken into chunks to freeze for later.
    Yesterday, I began to get texts from this daughter and photos and she also posted on Facebook the 15 pounds of ground beef that she bought and premade into patties and also cooked up and packaged for easy use. She bought the ground beef on sale at the “expensive” store rather than the one she had planned on going to. She had followed my advice and checked out the price at all of her stores and discovered that the sale at the pricey store was less than any of the others!
    She also bought 2 flats of strawberries and flash froze them!
    She is getting really excited about the possibilities!
    I am really excited seeing her discover the joy in organizing and preparing her food storage!!

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    1. Dear Gardenpat, I saw those fb posts and I smiled and thought your teaching had made a big impact! It was so nice seeing it in action. This is the thing when we have teachable hearts and want to learn we can learn fast! I love your tip about the front pages. this is the same here. Most of the big deals are on the front page of a flier. With increased competition from Aldi in our state the big supermarkets have had some good specials and they are normally on a front page. I have made many special trips to go get some of those.
      You must feel very happy. Her children and Grandchildren are going to be blessed by this! With love Annabel.xxx

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  5. I absolutely loved this post Annabel! It took me on a lovely trip down memory lane with happy thoughts of my childhood and teen years and the influential people that surrounded me at the time. Back then there were so many different skills to learn, but there were not the distractions like there is today. I think we were very lucky.

    Thanks to my mum and grandma, I learned so many skills that I carry with me today. Things like gardening, knitting, sewing, crocheting, embroidery, mending, baking and preserving etc. All these have served me well through the years. I have also added to that skill list by learning plenty more with the help of bloggers, forums and the internet in general.

    Enjoy your time at the farm,

    Love Tania xxx

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    1. Dear Tania,
      Thank you! You are a very productive person and so is your husband. I am amazed sometimes by what you produce plus the inventiveness too.
      I think your parents sound so wonderful and also Grandparents.
      It is really amazing how we can learn now.. I have used you tube a fair bit now I am just exploring Craftsy. Considering what to work on next. Partly I like the fun of it but also the self sufficiency of adding a skill. Thanks Tania, with love Annabel.xxx

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  6. Hi Annabel and a fantastic post :).

    I too remember my grandmother who lived through the great depression making yoghurt, cooking from scratch, sewing, crocheting and leather working and she was good at it all. She opened up the first ball room dance school in Brisbane many years ago and was a fantastic dancer and light on her feet. That was never a skill I developed nor likely ever will, as I am about as unco-ordinated as an elephant on roller skates when I dance.

    In the gardens we produce all of our own vegetables, herbs and berries each year without buying many and usually only if we have a crop failure. I sew all our own homewares and also sell them online, with the latest product being xlge bread bags for homemade bread. Also I can crochet but not done it in some time.

    I would like to learn to make my own clothing and this is a skill that DH is very good at. I will have to wait until garden harvesting and preserving season is over though. My clothing repairs I do myself though and are getting much better at doing that.

    We both trade and sell produce and homemade items on the internet. We trade our vegetables for manure, other produce such as citrus fruits we don't produce, trade homemade jams with friends who supply me with bottles, vegetables traded for honey and many more things. Most recently we traded homemade beer and friend gave us for a 3kg leg of pork straight from the farm freshly butchered. We also sell some of our homegrown vegetables to friends as well.

    I would like to learn how to dehydrate food but sadly not got the room to do it here but have done a lot of reading on the subject for when I do.

    While I am creating things I can quite often spend hours in the sewing room and not notice how much time I have been there. It gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment when I sew or design something new or even things I have done for a while.

    Have a wonderful week of creating wonderful things in your home.

    Sewingcreations15.

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    1. Dear Sewingcreations, You have a wonderful trading, selling and producing economy going. I love it!
      I think as you can already sew well that actual clothing would not be hard for you, more a time issue as you say.
      I think dehydrating is something I will begin too. We can do it outdoors with low humidity. But to me dehydrated goods take up less room and cant be lost if the electricity goes out... two big advantages.
      I relate to what you say about losing track of time, the enjoyment and accomplishment. Really it is priceless. It is very handy that your DH has so many skills as well. This is another factor if we can team up, combine our skills we ca cover a lot of ground! Good thinking! With love Annabel.xxx

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  7. Lovely post Annabel! I also grew up with creative people around me making things including woodwork items. My girls grew up in a similar environment and enjoyed crafts when younger but have no interest now. I sometimes barter with people who want one of my knitted rugs but I ask them to buy toiletries for a charity I belong to which gives out warm items and hygiene packs filled with toiletries.

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    1. Dear Maria,
      Your rugs are beautiful. They would be a fantastic gift or biter item. It is wonderful you help with the charity. There is so much work to do and not enough time. Mum helps charities so much. Of course this all gives us joy too as it is a god feeling to help. Well done Maria. With love Annabel.xxx

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  8. Dear Annabel,
    This is such a lovely post and a gorgeous showcase of Bluebird creativity.

    As others have said, this post took me down memory lane as I read it. I have fond memories of both my Nana's teaching me their skils. I have fond memories of learning to can, garden, and sew and cook. My mom taught me how to knit when I was 4 years old and I've carried that throughout life as well. You Tube has been fantastic as well for learning new things, such as decorative painting, which I absolutely love and making roses out of ribbons, new crochet stitches. There is great joy in creating something beautiful almost out of thin air.

    Since coming to the Bluebirds, more skills have been added. I've learned to crochet, learned how to embellish with grub roses and other embroidery techniques.

    The vegetable garden is finally in and we're praying that the torrential rains we've been having has not washed it out. Soon it will be canning and dehydrating season. Mostly we dehydrate because it's less labor intense, takes up less room, and is far more portable if need be.

    I hope your visit to the farm is wonderful and productive. Blessings, Cookie


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    1. Dear Cookie, I am so glad you had Nan's like mine! I loved being taught. When we had school holidays the other parents would complain. To me shook holidays were wonderful and a change to to new crafts with the girls and cooking etc. They became good at knitting and crochet from very young. It also taught them contentment.
      I am thrilled you added new skills along with me here! especially as I consider you very talented.
      I hope your garden doesnt get washed out either! I saw some areas of extreme flooding on the news.
      Thank you! I hope I have good things to report when I get back I am heading off in the morning. With love Annabel.xxx

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  9. Hi Annabel, great post and so timely with the days drawing in and cold outside. At the moment I'm knitting squares for rugs which i will then hopefully embellish with buttons, embroidery and maybe sequins 😆. Squares are good as they are not too heavy on arthritic hands lol.
    We have a dehydrater which was well used over summer, we set it up under the pergola and just check it every couple of hours it's been fabulous and at the end of the season it packs up i to a box and goes ip on a shelf in the shed till needed again, it wasn't a commercial high price purchase just 4 plastic trays stacked and motor and fan in the lid but works a treat and has paid for itself many times over with the food we've saved and not have to purchase.
    Enjoy your time away and I look forward to your posts later in the week. Cheers, Bevo.xx

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    1. Dear Bevo,
      The knitted squares sound lovely. I like anything sparkly so I am all for sequins!
      Chloe has a good dehydrator. I will see how she is going with that as in summer I might get one too. Also I am thinking of getting Andy to build me an outdoor one as our summers are a dry heat.
      Thanks so much, I hope to have lots to report when I get home! With love Annabel.xxx

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  10. I've lurked for a while, but I wanted to share how much I enjoyed this post. As others, it helped me walk memories lanes for a while and then inspired me to get moving. There are so many ways to "feather our nests" and each of them brings so much joy. I know for myself, I AM happier when I am creating! I have friends who don't do anything except clean their houses and watch TV and shop. I don't understand why they don't MAKE things... I'd be lost without my "pretties"!

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    1. Dear Matty, Thank you for commenting. Welcome, I am glad to have you here. I am also much happier when creating. In fact if I stop making things it is a bad sign with me... I have done this when I have been depressed. So now I even spot this in myself and think mmm I better take action.
      When we are busy on projects there is no time to wander the mall! And Amen to that! We can build up our homes and bless others... and the contentment factor is huge! I agree with everything you say! With love Annabel.xxx

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  11. Annabel, this is a beautiful post. I too have the rich inheritance of life-long learning, creativity, self-sufficiency, and productivity from my grandmothers and mother who sewed, crocheted, quilted, gardened, preserved, and so on. I love to garden as I was taught by my Dad and my grandmother and every time I'm in my garden I'm thinking of them. I have sewn and quilted off and on my whole adult life, most recently repurposing my wedding dress into items for my own daughter's wedding this past weekend.

    About 25 years or so ago I learned to spin wool, cotton, flax, and silk on a spinning wheel (which I own) or drop spindles. I belonged to a spinning guild which at that time there were only a handful of us, but as knitting became so popular so did he interest in handspinning and the guild grew to a few dozen. We had workshops annually on natural dyes, oh so much fun! I owned a barn full of Angora rabbits and a half dozen Angora goats (mohair) and I also took up weaving. Then my children came along, and the barn full of bunnies had to go as did the goats as well over time. My son had severe disabilities so he needed constant care. We lost him last year at age 18. My daughter is now married and I am without children in the house and looking at what's ahead and wondering what that will be like. It's a huge change for us, like caring for a toddler for nearly two decades and then it suddenly stops.

    I am so grateful that I have so many creative interests and pursuits as the therapeutic effect is enormous, as you say Annabel, as well as the pleasure one receives from making something yourself. We are created by the perfect Creator, and I believe we are created to create too. My favorite ways to utilize my creativity are scrapbooking, art and Bible journaling and photography. Photography is the only thing I do I've really ever been paid for and it has been awhile since I've done that.

    I'm so impressed by how creative all the bluebirds are and I've learned so much from you all! I often watch videos online to learn new skills. I hope to learn more technical skills associated with my photography, and also learn to draw better. I hope your visit to the farm is fantastic Annabel! God bless you- Carla

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    1. Dear Carla, It is very special that you used your wedding dress towards things for your daughters wedding!
      Nan belonged to a spinning guild also. She loved it. I am thinking maybe I will get back to spinning some day. I have access to fleeces! I also did weaving and one time sold weavings in an art gallery!
      I would LOVE to have goats. Especially the miniature ones...
      I am terribly sorry about your son. I cant imagine.
      Carla this new stage is different but it will be good. I hope Grandchildren come along as they are a whole new wonderful chapter in life! I hope you can throw yourself into creativity and maybe take back up some things you didnt have time for anymore.
      I need to learn much more abut photography. I am taking my camera Andy gave me on this trip... bird photography is my dream... I mean being vaguely good at it!
      Thanks so much Carla. You have such a creative background to draw from... enjoy this time now to see what direction you want to go. With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Oh Carla, I'm so sorry you lost your son so young. How heartbreaking. What a lovely idea to have used your wedding dress to make things for your daughters wedding.

      Best wishes
      Jen in NZ

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  12. I have always enjoyed creative people, too. My daughter told me recently that her middle child (third of five kids), Faith, reminds her of me because she is happiest when sewing or crafting. Although all the kids are creative I think and have inherited a love of cooking. My eyesight is not the best due to Diabetes so it limits what I can do now but thankfully, there are plenty of creative options. We are created to be creative like out Creator. Hmmm... that's a mouthful.

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    1. Dear Brenda, It sounds like sewing and craft supplies will be god gifts fro Faith. Also time with you to learn new skills. My Nan taught me to crochet along with Mum and later Nan taught me flower designs I think I was eight or so when I went on to flowers. Crochet is good for low eyesight I think... I have to have good daylight for embroidery.
      With love Annabel.xxx

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  13. I love hands....they do so much for ourselves and others and hold so many memories and create beautiful works of art for daily use. I really like Kelsey's cleaning cloths and wonder if she would share instructions.

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    1. Dear Diana, I love the beautiful cloths too! I notice how many micro brier cloths are expensive and yet we can buy it by the yard! I have made kitchen towels from cutting up table cloths and absorbent fabrics. I will see if Kelsey will let us know what these were made of and how she did it! Thank you! Love Annabel.xxx

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  14. Dear Annabel,
    Everything is so lovely. All the ladies should be so proud of their work.
    I grew up with very productive woman in my family, funny how we look back on it and see how creative they all were. My Great Grandmother was wheelchair bound for all the years I knew her being a double amputee from diabetes, she crocheted the most amazing items. I am blessed to have a tablecloth and runner she made in the pineapple design.

    My one Grandmother ran a corner store, from 7am to 9pm, 7 days a week. She use to have a 10 gallon crock with homemade pickles that she sold. I proudly own that crock now. She used to never let any over ripe produce go to waste, she was always baking and cooking. After her passing the family found her ledger and how she helped neighborhood families by giving them food for free, she never demanded payment on their bills. She has a special place in heaven I know.

    My Mom and her Sisters were all creative, from canning to expert sewing, canning, farming, the list goes on and on. I wish I had learned more from all. My Mother's Mom use to forage, she had an extensive knowledge of mushrooms, that I wish I had learned when I was younger.

    I had no choice but to follow in my family's footsteps. LOL! I spent time in the grocery store, stocking, selling, etc.. Starting at 6yrs old I got to price the cans of food with a stamp. I learned organization.
    I learned foraging from my one Grandmother and Aunt, my one Aunt was spectacular with gardening, I learned from so much from her. My Parents even went to her house during hickory nut season and collect nuts off the ground.

    I didn't get into crocheting till my late teens when my ex-mother-in-law took the time to sit down and teach me.

    My one Aunt was so good at sewing but a horrid teacher, she did give me her dress form though. (She use to be a Marine Sargent in WWII, lets say it stuck with her the remainder of her life.

    My Dad had a rule, if you rode it or drove it you knew how to fix it. So grease or not I learned how to repair bikes, motorcycles and cars. Nothing better than freaking the neighbors out sitting on a car engine replacing valve cover gaskets. But never worry about repairs now.

    To keep busy and productive one has to learn many things, not to master but to have the knowledge. To run a good home we have to be versatile in our talents. We can be master of one but have knowledge in many.

    If we can repair clothing, we save money, if we can preserve food we save buying it at sales. The list goes on and on. I was fortunate to have wise woman in my family.

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    1. Dear Rosanne, You had great teachers! One of Nans friends that I mentioned was disabled... she was so productive and she also was in a wheel chair and an amputee. This taught me a lot. She was always happy. And so generous and made me many things for my girls.
      Knowing how to maintain and fix things is very good, your Dad was wise!
      It is an interesting point that some people are very good with a skill but it is also a skill or willingness to take the time to teach it to someone else as well. We must do that, slow down and sit and teach the little ones!
      Thank you for sharing. We keep on learning! It is lovely! With love Annabel.xxx

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  15. Hi Annabel,
    Thank you for such a nice post with all the great pictures. I make a lot of our presents, as lots of people here do. But I have also traded beef and pork from our beef cows and pigs for piano lessons for five of my children over the last 10 years. Definitely a win/win! My neighbor and I have several times over the years picked out something we want to try to make and planned a time to sit down together and try it out. Some have come out great (pillow cases for Christmas) some have been failures, like the time her husband built us both these looms out of scrap stuff and we tried weaving rugs!
    I hope everyone has a great week!

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  16. Dear Annabel,
    Love, love, love this post. I was also brought up around people "doing" things. Both grandmothers sewed, knitted, crocheted, grew there own produce, preserved and cooked from scratch and were such great role models.

    I would love to be able to grow more produce, however we live on a small suburban block so are very limited space wise - we manage a few tomato plants, lettuce, spinach, chinese greens and a variety of herbs, so better than nothing.

    Sewing is my passion. Just about everything in my wardrobe is homemade, including jeans and jackets. It does take a little time, but I have become faster over time and more importantly, I find the clothes are much better made than RTW and lasts a lot longer. I like baking, but sometimes find cooking meals a bit of a chore (guess it's just not so much fun).

    It's nice to be among like-minded people.
    Janine

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  17. Annabel,
    Such a good post. I love being creative and I am happiest when I'm doing something. You will laugh at this, but my one grandmother was very productive and did many things, but staying home wasn't her thing. My other grandmother was the best cook and was good at drinking beer. LOL she was my favorite because she was always happy haha! From one I learned the value of productivity and from the other the appreciation for simple things, both have served me well at different times in my life. I love learning new things even if it's not something that I would be doing a lot. Just giving something a go is satisfying. I will keep this short or I'll yammer on and get windy LOL.I hope everyone has a great week!

    XOXO
    Vicky

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  18. What a lovely post Annabel! I've enjoyed reading all of the comments too. My mum was always busy making things, and was 'famous' for her chocolate chip cookies and lasagne lol. I inherited her craft stuff (there was a lot - and quite a number of works in progress!)

    I hadn't learnt to knit at that stage, but all of a sudden had bags of wool and every knitting needle size ever sold I think. So I rang one of her friends, and every Thursday night for almost a year I would go and have knitting lessons with her. It was lovely! And such a nice way to stay in touch with her. I think she enjoyed it as well.

    I hope you are enjoying your time at the farm ☺

    Jen in NZ

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  19. Dear Annabel,

    I used to read your blog a few years ago and enjoyed it very much. I don't know how I lost it, but I did?? And I stumbled upon it again a few days ago, and I think I love it more than I did before! I've been reading over all your old posts, I'm trying to find the part where you get the farm LOL What an adventure! I just read this post and you said "I have always wanted an Orchard! Fruit tree's with chickens running underneath = heavenly! and BOOM! There it was, the recognition of another kindred spirit!

    I have had a LONG held dream to have an Orchard, and just this past month, I started one...from scratch!!!!! I'm starting slow, a couple of trees at a time, I need to learn as I go, so there is less chance of mistakes if I take my time. In fact I've already taken a different approach with the next two tree's I've got to plant, so I've already learned something. I can see the finished product in my mind's eye, and it is beautiful...sigh...!

    So glad I've re-found your blog, I promise not to lose you again :)

    Love Cheryl

    ReplyDelete

I really appreciate your comments thank you! The aim of my blog is the be a place of encouragement and happiness. Very rarely is anyone rude. Actually only twice so far! If you post a rude or aggressive comment I will read it but not publish it, thanks for understanding.xxx

Spam is never published... if you are advertising a product or selling website your comment wont be published. I am inundated with stuff about drugs, horses and weird things! I am not going to publish this stuff! Thank you.