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.

Friday 8 November 2019

Feather your Nest Friday, 8 November, 2019.

It is so nice to sit down for a minute and consider the week!  I am spring cleaning and as you know once you get started you create a big mess. Things get way worse before they get better!  I never seem to be able to work on one area and finish it... no, I have to go from one area to another.  But in the last three days I have done a lot!

Some of the ways I feathered my nest this week included:

I pulled up some parsley and cut silverbeet each day.  This fed the chickens.  When all the spent parsley was pulled up I replanted the whole border with seed I saved from the last house.  I still had enough to replant the whole area.   I have left some parsley to go to seed properly and dry off.  I will then save all that seed and package it up.   Seeds make great gifts that post well so I put it into pretty little packets.

Because of all the greens the chickens are laying such bright yellow eggs. Every second egg is a double yolker too!   And the little Bantam is sitting on those eggs!  
One day I went in to feed the chooks and a different Bantam was on the nest!   Clearly there had been a dispute ...  I am guessing the Bantam went to get a drink and this other hen hopped on and thought yippee!   In the process one egg came out of the nest and I felt it.  It was stone cold.   I corrected the whole situation,  got the original hen back on the eggs and enclosed her now so this can't happen again.  
I brought that cold egg home and curiosity got me. I cracked it and inside was a chicken about the size of the top half of my thumb!   So the eggs are at least fertile and developing!   Now to hope no others got cold in the hen swap episode!

I weaned the two older calves Loui and Georgie.  Together.  This time I made bottles and they followed me down to the big paddock.   I could not for the life of me seperate them from the other calf, lamb and goat.  So they all came.   At the other end I managed to get the right two calves into the paddock and come back with the others.  This time there was no crying or hunger strikes.  They have both been perfectly happy.

We also have had rain!   It is raining again right now.  Between not having to water the garden and having two less animals to bottle feed this gave me so much more time.  It has been wonderful and I have used that time for other projects...  like Christmas present wrapping,  getting parcels ready to post,  Spring Cleaning...

I used up 10 eggs in lemon butter.  Then I bought two plain sponge cakes and filled them.  This gave me an easy cake to take to Lucy's and one for Chloe and Luke.


Eggs are my currency these days.  I gave six dozen to Wendy, 2 dozen to Lucy,  3 dozen to Mum... I still have plenty of eggs!

My pumpkins are starting to grow.  The rain is helping.  No amount of watering does what rain does!



We updated our emergency phone numbers and contacts, fire plan and so on.  We have an emergency cupboard and all phone numbers etc are on the inside of the cupboard door.

I am baby sitting Chloe and Luke's animals.  They have everything!   This means looking after four dogs, two puppies...


Then there is Paddy the Alpaca and Blossom who is so pleased to see me. (and I take biscuits!)



Ok what else?  One cat and one kitten...


One budgie (small blue parrot) and I think that is it! 
Oh no... forgot chooks.  A heap of chooks!  

I have to add a picture... my friend Di is bottle feeding a wombat.  She rescued her when she was so tiny.  Look at her now!


This is turning into the random animal gazette!

Ok back to savings etc...

I planted silver beet, spinach, capsicum and cucumbers.   The old spinach is going to seed.  I am feeding it to the animals then in the end I will pull it up so I already planted my new rows.

Inside I have tomato plants growing in the window.  I have been working on a new small section of garden that I am turning over to a veggie and herb patch also.  I hope to get this garden all planted over the weekend.  And I hope to keep going on my spring cleaning! 
I had a realisation.  Even though it is obvious I just really took notice of the fact that the year is not only drawing to a close but the DECADE is!    I feel extra inclined to whip things into shape.  We have now been here just over a year.  I know we did a lot in that time.   It is amazing really what you can achieve in a week.   I always say little bits add up.  They truly do.  

I did some more Christmas sorting and wrapping.  Then I went through everything I have set aside that can be posted in a regular card.  The idea being to beat postage costs.  I have trays filled with small light gifts.  This is one tray of them...


Postage is just terrible now.  We can beat that! 

I hope you had a good week.  How did you get ahead, build up your pantry or save?

Have a lovely weekend.  I am late to post as once again my internet has been terrible! xxx

























40 comments:

  1. I am so happy you are getting rain. I know how much that must mean.
    I love, love, love the animal pictures. Each and everyone is so sweet. You sure have had a lot of eggs. My goodness.
    Have a lovely weekend.

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    1. Dear Cheryl, Thank you! I am able to give and trade about 6 dozen eggs a week. I could sell them but I am happy to trade or help someone out. Plus I am cooking with a lot!
      We were very lucky with the rain. It is very overcast now so I am hoping we might get a little bit more!
      Have a lovely weekend! With love Annabel.xxx

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  2. All those cute animals make me want to get a pet but since we are away from home about 12 weeks out of the year it would be difficult to care for it. All those eggs are a real blessing to you and the others. I can't think of a better gift!

    We are expecting a hard freeze tonight so this week has been a lot of work out side getting ready for winter. I put 6 meals of soups in the freezer this week and I cooked and froze two pounds of Italian sausage so it is ready to add to pizzas and pasta dishes. Grocery deals are finally picking up so we are doing some restocking along with picking up items for holiday meals.

    Our 7 year old missionary kid grandson in Germany is really going through a tough time of persecution at school because he is a Christian. He has also been sick this week. It is so hard to know that our sweet boy who is so kind to others is going through this.

    Our youngest son will be thirty tomorrow and they are coming to visit for the weekend. It is always a blessing to see the kids when they all live so far away! This will make our weekend special.

    Have a lovely weekend!

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    1. Dear Lana!

      The Almighty loves justice, not oppression. His faithfulness is there for your family in this awfully difficult situation. May the God of Jacob be your grandson’s rescue!!
      Rachel

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    2. Dear Lana,
      I am very sorry your Grandson is having such a hard time.It is hard enough as an adult let alone for a child.
      Because of the essential oils I know you are passionate about health and well being. So you probably know about the health and long life factors of pets. One of the best things you can do for your health is having pets. They seem to have proven that like a strong social network and family etc pets add to your health. I think it is so interesting!
      Enjoy your visit from your son! That will be wonderful!
      It sounds like winter is coming on suddenly there. I am glad you have some meals made up and some good deals at the store. As we dont have thanksgiving we miss that but after the big celebrations like Christmas, Easter, Mothers Day etc the stores often have big reductions in items that were aimed at the celebration. After New Years Day is my time to get hams and sometimes turkeys. I love this!
      I am going to pray for your Grandson! With much love, Annabel.xxx

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  3. You are so right about the rain Annabelle..it makes every thing grow much better. Love all the animal pictures -you are also an grandma to the animals. I bet they love you! Have a wonderful day!

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    1. Thanks Vickie! If you count animals we have a big extended family! They like me as they know I feed them and shower them with affection!
      Have a really good weekend! With love Annabel.xxx

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  4. Oh, those baby animals are just adorable! Luckily, with so many animals, you seem to be a person filled with lots of energy for looking after them all, spring cleaning and making lemon-butter-filled sponge cakes all in one week!! In my week here: I worked one relief teaching day, did lots of home cooking, finished sewing up a top, added tinned pears to my stockpile and cleared, nourished and mulched the top of my veg patch. I picked little handfuls of cherry toms, a few Lebanese cucumbers and lots of herbs from our garden.
    Have a lovely weekend! Meg:)

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  5. Oh, I forgot! I used my completed loyalty card at the little local organic/chemical free market and butchery for $20 off. I bought sausages for the freezer with that! Meg:)

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    1. Dear Meg,
      Work in the veggie patch is always good! Like an investment!
      I am still on the spring cleaning and the weather isn't very spring like... we have gone back to winter for a few days I think! But the cool is good as is the rain.
      Well done on your week and your $20 discount. We can do a lot with that! With love Annabel.xxx

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  6. Hello Annabel,
    I was glad to hear you had rain! We haven't had rain lately, but have been enjoying cooler weather, which makes less water needed, days with out the air-conditioning and being outside pleasant.
    Some of the seeds I planted are growing. Plants that were stressed by summer's heat are thriving.
    We like to shop the reduced plant area at the nursery. We found 3 pots of plants for $1 each. Their regular prices were $5, $12 and $17. Although they don't always thrive, we have had pretty good luck after giving them care, re-potting, etc.
    The animals are so cute and what a variety! I enjoy seeing the photos and reading the stories.
    There have been two different offers to get sets of 6 photo greeting cards, valued at about $20 per set, for free. I now have 12 photo Christmas cards.
    Wishing you a wonderful week!
    Love from Arizona
    Elaine

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    1. Dear Elaine,
      I count cool days as a blessing too. We dont have to water today as it is cool and still damp. Big help!
      The greeting cards sound great! It is good to watch for offers like this!
      Plants are expensive! I think it is worth having a go at rejuvenating some and also things like growing from cuttings. I need a nurse area for the ones I am trying to fix up! Plus I am doing better with seeds. This can be a big savings!
      Have a lovely weekend! With love Annabel.xxx

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  7. Dear Annabel & Bluebirds!!

    This post is all beautiful! It warms my heart - all the animals & their stories (that make me chuckle!!); the double yolker eggs (another blessing!!); the wombat (my auntie loves wombats!); the lemon butter & cream cake (about the right size for my eyes!!); & the general sense of faithful home industry!! Thank you, Annabel!

    Here is a special ‘hello’ to Barb W, Melissa K and Maria. May the God of Jacob be our help! It’s nice to see a photo of Jane on her road trip with Bluey!!

    Smiling,
    Rachel

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    1. Dear Rachel,
      I love what you said about "the general sense f faithful home industry!" That is lovely!
      I know you appreciate the love and beautiful of the animals. They do our hearts good!
      This afternoon I will get on with my general faithful home industry! This will be working on my pantry which needs a good dust and clean and organise. And chicken feeding and egg collecting and so on!
      With much love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Ha ha!! I love your sense of humour!!

      Rachel

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  8. Annabel,
    My goodness the animals are so cute! I love reading about your week. Your herbs and veggies are going to do so well, rain really makes things flourish. Such good things for the table. And your gifts are always lovely. Such a good week you've had.
    You are Spring cleaning and I'm Fall cleaning and in the same spot I make a mess to get things good and done. It's getting cold so we took care of the coop adding extra straw and turned on the lights and heat lamps. Isn't it wonderful that things like eggs, veggies and canned goods are currency? I love to trade and barter. I hope all of those eggs hatch. We have a rooster now Rudy, but he still doesn't know his job so no babies here.
    This week I got a turkey for .59 a pound and intend on getting at least another one. We were gifted another bag of beef bones so I'll make more broth and I got a small batch of bone broth from a chicken carcass. I have been cutting the herbs I grew in a big pot on the deck and using them. I got some great samples in the mail and I crocheted a few dish cloths to add to the gift stash. I did a little baking and made noodles for dinner one night. My son's fiance has requested I make her dumplings for her birthday as a gift. I can do that!
    I can't believe it's the end of another decade. I wonder what the next will bring? My plan is to continue getting ahead as much as possible.
    I hope everyone has a great week!
    XOXO
    Vicky

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    1. Dear Vicky!

      I’ve just been giving my muscles an afternoon rest, so that means I can write to you here! Ha ha!

      I agree with you that Annabel’s show of animals & rain are uplifting to read, & I agree, too, that eggs, veggies & canned goods are a wonderful currency!

      So you have a rooster!! I love the sound of a rooster crowing! My top rooster will welcome me home with his crowing!!

      I hadn’t thought of there being a new decade just around the corner, but I would love for you to email me some of your dumplings!! I should try them!

      Keep up your good spirits!

      Rachel

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  9. What pretty pictures you've shared this week Annabel! The idea to post things that will fit in a regular envelope is such a good idea. Postage here is very expensive as well. But I still think there is nothing nicer than receiving proper mail! The cake looks absolutely beautiful, and your animal shots and stories always make me smile. The eggs are just amazing, everyone must be thrilled when you show up!

    I spent last weekend getting our old house in the city ready for sale. We have rented it out since we moved but have decided we want to sell it now. So I spent the weekend cleaning and clearing under the house etc, with the help of some family and friends as well which I appreciated so much. I managed to also visit some people I haven't seen in far too long so that was lovely. Hopefully it will sell soon!

    When I came home I was in the mood to keep clearing! So there are several areas that have been sorted out this week. It makes such a difference to have that type of lingering job done. There was one box that I'm sure we haven't looked in since we moved almost three years ago. 🤦‍♀️ Well that box is now gone!

    We were amazed to be given three shopping bags of meat this week, including chicken breast, roast beef, sausages, bacon and salami. This was completely unexpected, and we are so grateful. There are so many meals to be made!

    I too need to make some lemon curd, a friend's mum gave me two huge bags of lemons and asked if she thought I would mind making her some lemon curd. Of course I said yes!

    We have several visitors planned before Christmas as well, so I'm trying to make as much progress with baking and meals as possible.

    I hope Andy has continued to improve, and is back to his normal self again.

    Have a lovely weekend
    Jen in NZ



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    1. Dear Jen,
      I know getting a house ready for sale is a lot of work. But it will be wonderful when you sell! I felt a big load off my shoulders when the old house sold.
      I am also amazed you were given the meat! That is amazing. I am guessing meat is a hell of a piece there like it is here. This is fantastic for your family! I know you will make the most of it all!
      Lemon curd is pretty fast, I do the microwave way so not standing there stirring. Lemons are great so that is a good deal!
      You have my Spring cleaning bug! I am still at it but today I had to got to town so it was a break. Windows tomorrow and boy they need doing!
      I hope the week has started well for you. You really had a good week. With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Dear Jen!

      What a nice comment! Since old-fashioned letter writing is so wonderful, I am practising implementing it in my little life!

      I think it is wonderful that you moved so many mountains in preparing your previous home for sale, & then continued the work at home! Ha ha!

      A gift of meat is an amazing thing, & certainly helps the meal production!

      That’s generous of you to make the lemon curd to share! Well done!

      Someone I know is moving to New Zealand! I have high regard for you New Zealanders, & your dairy products, but it sure gets cold over there!! Brrrr!! Ha ha!!

      Good on you!
      Rachel

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  10. Annabel,
    I just want to tell you that I made your fruitcake recipe this week and it is absolutely brilliant! It's the best fruitcake I have ever eaten. An extra bonus is that I had all the ingredients on hand and didn't have to purchase anything. I made two large loaves, four miniature loaves, and a small round cake from one recipe. They are wrapped and put away in tins for the holidays (except for the one I kept out to have with a cuppa) Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Oh thank you for telling me! It will also improve over time so you will really love the ones you wrapped and saved! I am glad you love it. Tins are the best way to store them too. I keep one on hand all the time. If I have visitors I always have this cake or even if there are tradesmen or workers here... the cake comes out with the coffee! Have a wonderful new week! xxx

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  11. Hello Annabel,

    I always love hearing about your week and the antics on the farm!

    I had a bit of time off from renovating this week, and it felt oh so good to be at home!!!

    I bought a couple of pumpkins for $1 each recently, and I ended up steaming them, mashing them and freezing them in 1 cup portion sizes, I’ll use them in pumpkin pies, pumpkin cake and pumpkin scones. I’ve already made one pumpkin cake, on the day I steamed it all up!

    I haven’t planted a veggie garden this spring, it is just so dry here!!! This is the Northern Rivers, we always get rain, but not this year. The only thing I’ve been keeping alive is my Orchard and my pot plants, and I keep my pot plants alive by saving the warm up water from the shower, and bucketing outside. Anyway, I had some bazil which self seeded in a pot, and I harvested a huge bunch of it during the week and made macadamia bazil pesto, we ate that on homemade Turkish bread and then mixed with pasta for an easy dinner one night.

    Have a lovely week Annabel, and as usual I look forward to your adventures next week 😁

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    1. Dear Cheryl,
      Catching up at home would have been lovely!
      You can do so much with pumpkin and $1 is a great deal. I love pumpkin. Scones and soup are high on my list!
      I am sorry you are also so low on rain. This must now be so much of Australia. And now fires...
      I adore pesto. I keep planting basil... I find mine does best after Christmas but I am planting in stages. All things going well I will freeze a lot of pesto. With macadamia nuts that sounds delicious.
      Thanks so much Cheryl, you have a good Sunday and new week. With love Annabel.xxx

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  12. Hello Annabel and your gifts drawers look beautiful and that is a clever way of reducing your postage costs by sending smaller packages as letters. You are so right postage costs a fortune nowadays. Glad to see your garden is growing and all the animals are thriving and you are animal sitting as well :) .

    Our Vicky challenge added up to $119.32 in savings last week :) .

    Purchases -
    - Purchased 3 pizza trays, 2 dvd's DH wanted and plastic cups for our traveling in the car using a 10 % off online sale in BigW and coupled that with another 5% off with our Racq e-gift card saving $11.55 on usual prices.
    - Saved $10.20 on tic tacs by combining specials and using our Racq e-gift card at Woolworths on usual prices.
    - Got a free 100g packet of sesame seeds for being a taste tester for a supermarket saving $1.60 over buying them.

    Finances -
    - Listed 10 items on eBay on a free listing promotion saving $16.50 on usual listing fees.
    - Banked extra money from being under budget in other budget categories into our 3 month living expenses account bringing us to 52.46 % of the way there.

    In the kitchen -
    - Made a quadruple batch of granola and choc chip and coconut biscuits saving $61.47 over purchasing them premade in the shops.
    - Blanched and froze silverbeet from the gardens for 4 more meals for the freezer.

    In the gardens -
    - Picked 4 bunches of silverbeet from the gardens saving $18 over purchasing them.
    - We used grey water pumped from our tank to water fruit and berry trees and some lawns.
    - Used saved cleanish dish rinsing water to water potted herbs with.
    - Used saved shower warm up water to fill up some hand washing bottles, water some plants and clean the bathroom and toilets with.

    Have a fantastic week ahead everyone :).

    Sewingcreations15 (Lorna).

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    1. Dear Lorna, Your three month fund is going very well! It is such a wise thing to do that.
      The savings on the granola and biscuits are huge! Probably healthier too!
      Your garden must have come so far to be harvesting silver beet already! That is fantastic! I guess you are around the one year mark or almost? We have gone past the one year since we moved now. Neither of us let the grass grow under our feet when we moved!
      I hope you have a good new week too. Also I hope you are not near fires... I am horrified what I am seeing and hearing. With love Annabel.xxx


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    2. Dear Lorna!

      It is good to see that the famous Vicky Challenge is alive & well, & that you have a methodical approach to it all!!

      This week’s question is, “How does one become a taste tester for a supermarket?”

      Your home grown silverbeet sounds wonderful, & excellent for high blood pressure!

      Enjoy your country living!

      Rachel

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    3. Hi Annabel I do agree that neither of us let the grass grown beneath our feet and move too quickly :).

      It is 11 months almost to the day we moved into our new home. Cooking at home is a huge saving for all of us :).

      Very happy we have some produce that we are harvesting considering the shocking soil (aka concrete river silt) we started with. It has taken a while to amend the soil and get it up to scratch to grown anything in.

      Have a great week :).

      Sewingcreations15 (Lorna).

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    4. Hi Rachel and supermarkets like Aldi and Woolworths advertise on their websites usually when they want taste testers and then you apply.

      I hope this helps and been busy and only seen your reply today :).

      Sewingcreations15 (Lorna).

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  13. Dear Annabel,
    I love reading about all that is going on at the farm. The pictures of all of the animals warm my heart. The antics of the chickens made me laugh.
    We were supposed to be getting a new roof on the house and outbuilding this week, but weather didn't permit it. We are now scheduled for this coming up Monday, weather permitting. We've had very heavy rains and high winds, and now a real cold snap has hit our area in the US and its now below freezing this morning. A good day to make soup or chili.

    This week I worked on our first aid/medicinal using gift cards, pantry adding white willow bark, a precursor of aspirin, to it as aspirin and Tylenol are not gluten free but white willow bark is, and arnica, a homeopathic analgesic for sore joints and muscles, as well as something called ProCure, which is an Epsom salts rub for muscular pain. I also added more bandaids and topical antibiotic cream. My craft pantry needs absolutely nothing. Last year whenever there was a 40 percent sale off on melt and pour soaps I bought one and then used the 15 percent military discount so it was 65 percent off. I accumulated a good stash and with lavender from the garden and rose petals, I will create some easy soaps for gifts to go along with the crocheted spa clothes. I'm also glad that I had started last January to work on this years gifts. I will be making more boxes this year and gift bags for presentation. I have been making "food from food", such as mayonnaise, ketchup, barbecue sauce, salad dressings, as well as creatively using leftovers to make different meals. The final bits of leftovers went into your Impossible Pie, which we had for dinner with a salad one night and then for brunch on another day. Visits from good friends capped off our week. I had baked a pumpkin cobbler to serve them. Wishing everyone a good weekend. Blessings, Cookie




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    1. Dear Cookie,
      I have seen reports how extra cold it was there... Australia has fires and you in the US have cold!
      Oh my goodness.... I have to check aspirin!? I didnt know it was not gf!? What next!? Seriously I am having trouble as soy is in EVERYTHING... soy is in HAM if you can figure that out. Well ham streaks anyway I found the other day.
      Good work on your medical pantry. This is an area I think is really important. I have good supplies but they need a re organise plus labelling etc to be easier to find in a hurry. Its on "the list"
      Starting in January also helped me a lot. During the years glitches (which I know you had too!!) I went off the boil but overall the crafts all year added up to a lot!
      I like your concept of food from food... I have a recipe to try for mayonnaise. This is a good summer thing. Also as I have eggs they are something I can make other things from then use as gifts i.e. lemon butter or pavlova! I need to make an impossible pie again this week too, now you mention it. I have everything on hand also!
      You are sounding great and I am so glad. Have a good new week Cookie, With love Annabel.xxx

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  14. Oh how I enjoy your random animal photos ;). And especially the wombat! Never seen a photo before, thank you ;)
    Hilogene in Az

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    1. Dear Hilogene, Thank you! Wombats are surprisingly adorable! My brother and family had one. It slept in my sister in laws wardrobe with her shoes. It was kind of like a dog. They had rescued it and bottle fed it and it loved them! These are things I love about country life! With love Annabel.xxx

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  15. Dear Annabel, Your cake looks delicious. You had a very busy and productive week. Our best achievement for this week was harvesting our potato patch. We got 2, 10 litre buckets worth. These potatoes are essentially totally free as we planted potatoes that had sprouted in the cupboard. My gosh they are so so yummy. We have been eating them everyday. And my other highlight is that my husband has been working in his shed all morning and just presented me with a steel sunflower he made by welding old horse shoes and scrap metal together, for our 12th wedding Anniversary today. I'm one lucky lady. Love Clare

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    1. Dear Clare,
      Well done on the potatoes! Two buckets is great! I really need to do this as I often have sprouted potatoes!
      I want to see your sunflower! That is a beautiful present! I love it! Speaking of... I have maybe a hundred of your sunflowers up now... looking good! Thank you!
      Have a good new week! With love Annabel.xxx

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  16. Dear Annabel,
    I have been so worried about you and Andy. For two weeks there were no posts. Was a family member seriously ill? Did you have terrible bush fires to contend with? As it turns out, none of these, thankfully. I had saved the page at the end of October without realising. Of course each time I went on it, I got that same date. Just worked it out tonight, phew!! I really miss my weekly place of serenity and well-being, but beyond that I was getting worried if all was well in your part of the world.
    I am so sorry to read of what happened to Lucy's chickens. I am afraid this would be a part of farm life I would not manage very well. When I was young I had a pet rabbit killed in her hutch by a dog who lived down the street. The cage was built by may dad who was a builder, so good, solid and strong. The dog just kept at it, tearing the lining until he got in. Thankfully at 10 years old I never saw it as my older brother found her and he and my dad cleaned everything up and took care of bunny. I was not going to get another rabbit but the following weekend my Aunt and Uncle arrived with a little brown baby bunny and of course I fell in love with him. He was called Rusty and we had him from when I was aged ten until I was twenty three. He lived twice as long as your average bunny. He was a real character and lived a happy, well loved life. No more since then however.
    I am on holiday for this week. It is show week here in Christchurch which includes the Canterbury A&P show, Cup day at Addington Race Course, Cup day at Riccarton Race Course, with Friday being our Anniversary Holiday. I had plans for my outdoor jobs for this week but it looks like tomorrow is to be the one day without rain. Usually we anticipate a warm and sunny show week but it can go rogue on us. The South Island has had a lot of rain over the weekend and into this week. What we wouldn't give to be able to send it to our friends in NSW. Laddies these scenes are terrifying to see, just on the tv, and I shed tears seeing the trauma in peoples faces. Please, please to all affected Bluebirds, run as far away as you can, buildings can be replaced, your lives cannot. I do understand it's not always that simple to up and go but these fires are TERRIFYING from a distance with the Tasman Sea between us. MY heart and love goes out to all affected. Fire crews, families, the elderly, children pets, livestock, native animals. With extreme weather becoming more frequent some brave and very possibly unpopular choices and decisions are going to have to made within each of our worlds countries. But that is for another day and other people.
    Annabel more and more I want to visit Adelaide and South Australia. After all you have written and shared it sounds a lovely part of the world. Plus I want to have one ENTIRE suitcase dedicated to op shop purchases.
    Well I shall be back on board with the new posts now I have realised my mistake.
    Love Mandy(NZ)

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    1. Dear Mandy,
      Oh we have had some adventures but we are still here and ok! I am glad you figured it out!
      Wow ... your pet bunny did live a long time!
      I am so glad you get to enjoy a weeks holiday! So many nice things to attend too!
      The fires are terrible and scare the life out of me. And there seems no end in sight.
      I think we both live in the most wonderful places. So lucky. Yes you would need a spare suitcase!
      Thanks so much Mandy I am glad you could catch up. I wish I was posting more... but I am working on my Grandma posts. With much love Annabel.xxx

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  17. Dear Annabel,

    All those animals are soooooo cute!!!! Your cake is to die for.

    I have been running around like a madwoman clearing up the garden for the season...buckets of rain forecast and then down to minus 7 or 8 degrees C, which is a little too cold even for the turnips and beets (besides them not loving being in a mire!), so they are all pulled, ready for me to clip off tops and put them away, today. Chicken coop cleaned out and on the garden. Have been canning all sorts of stuff...carrots and pea soup (to use the carrots), salsa, etc., etc.. Am planning on canning some vegetable soup (you guessed it...to use up carrots!) and some quince/cranberry preserves. This weekend is also our parish's annual ham supper, so I am busy baking and organizing some crafts for the bake/craft table, as well as baking gingerbread/spice cake for some of the dessert for the supper itself. My daughter and I have decided we can go ahead and indulge ourselves in just a couple of hours' worth of Christmas music, since I am baking Christmas-type goodies for the bake table. (Then we'll take a break on that music until much closer to the season. :))

    I hope there aren't any bushfires around your place so far....we've been seeing all about them on the news over here!

    Lots of love,

    Jen in NS

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    1. Dear Jen, I have been hearing and reading about a cold snap (and early) in the US and now realise of course this affects you too. Well done on racing against time and weather to harvest! I am picturing you running around like a crazy woman haha!
      Your churches ham supper sounds like a great event!
      Jen tonight Rachel is very near a fire so if you see this please pray. We are fine here at this time. However it is terrifying. This could easily be us too. There is no end in sight either at this point.
      I hope you have a great new week! And less exhausting! With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. I will pray for Rachel! Love, Jen.

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