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 12 February 2017

Pantries and Preparedness. Encouragement.

I think in everything a little encouragement goes a long way.  That is what this post is about.  Making progress in any area just means sticking to it and even in tiny bits it all adds up!
When I first started on being more prepared there was no encouragement on the subject around me except for what I found online.  I had some basics from my Mum and Nan's. Without them there was nothing!
But now things have changed. Preparedness is suddenly in our media in one way or another everyday. It is not presented positively but it is there in mostly dire warnings and grim scenarios. Still that is a kind of motivation!
Last week I mentioned how even members of parliament were saying we need to go out and buy generators.
Since then there have been widespread heatwaves. In Adelaide we had it pretty hot (about 41, almost 106)  and at night the coolest was about 30 (86) and this is plenty hot enough but still short of what we often get which is 43 and 44 and the odd 45 or 46!  None the less this was all too much for our electricity supply.  This time rather than have the entire state crash "they" (no one knows who they are as there is still argument who is responsible) decided to just turn off the power to 90,000 homes. With no warning.
So the news has been taken up with all of this, the heat, the electricity problems and so on. In a backwards kind of way it is all motivation to be prepared. And another big supplier of electricity is a plant over the border in Victoria. And it is being shut down entirely in March. This means the shortage we have now is nothing to the shortage we have coming. Yet nothing is done. A crucial bit of infrastructure can be sold and then closed and the government do not stop it.   We have such unreliable power that we rely on Victoria and we import it. However a large chunk of their own supply is about to end. So you don't have to be Einstein to know what is ahead.
Yep that's motivation!

We were very lucky. In the heatwave we only lost power for three hours. And Lucy's home with the new baby did not lose power at all. That was my main concern.  But we have a fair bit of summer left and we could get an actual higher temperature heatwave easily. I am confident there would be no power as they didn't manage what we had!

When I started out I found a lot of encouragement online. This was huge! It meant I could learn, research and have some support and truly this helped me so much in that first year and last year the second year.
Then a couple of weeks ago Vicky wrote me the nicest email!
Contained here is a verse I had never considered!  You will see... it is so so true!


I think we all have a person who we maybe tend to give more time and effort than they do, the ones who always have some kind of problem or drama and we have to do the right thing and lend an ear? Well I have one like that! I patiently listen to her problems and offer what advice I can. I have tried to include her or get her involved in many things including joining in the reading of The Blue Birds Are Nesting and the Christmas Challenge. She's like Oh yeah just a blog. 
I thought about that? Just a blog? And it weighed on my mind for a few hours. And I thought about it. 
Then I called her back and told her no some are not just a blog, it's a community, many friends, fellowship, encouragement, sisterhood! 

Luke 15:8. Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?
And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbours together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'

I read her this verse to her and tried to explain to her that although most of us are far apart that like the woman in this verse we call upon each other to rejoice. Rejoice in our savings like the lost coin, putting forth the time and effort into our pantries and preparedness and organization. Rejoicing in new skills learned or old ones shared with others. Sharing prayers for those who need them and lifting each other up. Encouraging one another to be our best no matter what our best might be? Putting a value as we should to our work and ways. And feeling good about it!

It just goes to show that if we but look we can find exactly what we need. Sometimes a little encouragement really can make a difference in our world or finding that common bond that we have lacked before. There is such joy to be had in life especially from the simple things that it helps take some of the bite out things that are not going so well. 
Oh I know there will always be those who thrive on having to have some kind of problem or another, but we can take comfort in knowing that we have our own little retreat from it in the form of "just a blog!" 

XOXO
Vicky

I loved this so much!  I have found so much encouragement from your company and that's what we do! We have a place to share and rejoice our progress and good news!  I have found several places that I can do this including with Patsy, Jes and Wendy (and others) on their blogs. This makes a big difference to me. I have family too that will celebrate with me. 
We can easily know no one in person that thinks we are anything but mad trying to build up our households and pantries etc.
Mind you, I notice, anyone who thought buying a generator was ridiculous doesnt think so anymore they are more likely asking where did we get it, how does it work and so on. (While wishing they had bought one in time.)  haha! 

In life there are people who will support and encourage you and there are those who will tear you down. The effects are dramatic. I think it can take five minutes for someone to suck you dry of happiness and enthusiasm! But also five minutes of building up can make a world of difference!  The beautiful verse Vicky has pointed out shows we are meant to be able to rejoice together!  I also love the one thats says "...encourage one another and build each other up" (1 Thes. 5:11)  We need that.  

It is my hope that by doing this it will help us get much further as the year goes on.  Vicky said not to feel overwhelmed with trying to get ahead and get prepared.  Just try to do something every week. With a bit of encouragement we can have fun doing it too!


Maria made the cake I posted on Friday's post!  


She used sewed nectarines. Also she served it with cream as a desert. It made her husband very happy!


Janine also made it! She had free plums!   I love free fruit! 



How beautiful these look! That is encouragement to me! Seeing my cake pop up in other kitchens! 

Have a good week!  Do you have plans to increase your preparedness?  I am re organising my first aid supplies for one as they have grown and now it is hard to find what we want in a hurry. So a big overhaul is happening! xxx




57 comments:

  1. Thank you Annabel for this encouraging post and for featuring my cake and Inspiring us to make it . Janines looks good mmm and plums yummy .
    Must dash now to collect my grandson from school :-) love Maria xxx
    Ps wonderful you are ahead with preparedness having the generator . I keep mentioning it here haha ...

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    1. Dear Maria, I loved getting the photos but also hearing how the cooking helped and how much your husband liked it! The simple things in life are really good! I hope your week is going well... with love Annabel.xxx

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  2. Thank You! Well Said

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  3. Dear Annabel and Bluebird friends,
    I have been giving alot of thought to the medical supplies this week in our preparedness storage. I ordered some more Quik Clot and compression bandages, plus Iodine pads. I plan on ordering a suture kit and numbing agent, shortly.
    This community of friends is such a blessing. The support and encouragement is so positive and uplifting.
    Love and hugs to all,
    Glenda

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    1. Dear Glenda,
      I am looking into this Quik Clot. Andy is on blood thinners. A minor cut is a disaster with him.
      Thank you and I hope you are feeling better. You are in my prayers Glenda, with love Annabelxxx

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  4. Annabelle I'm not sure I could handle that type of heat coming from our cool Michigan. I can't imagine it without power. I am finding so much encouragement on your blog to get prepared. I'm buying one or two items a week. As much as I can afford. If it can be done by making it myself I'm doing that first before I'm buying. Have a great night.

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    1. Thanks so much Vickie! Slow and steady gets you there! Come the end of the year you will be amazed at what you achieved! xxx

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  5. Dear Annabel and the beautiful bluebirds,
    I love this post Annabel and Vicky, it is so lovely to have your blog to read each week Annabel, it is a part of my routine now and I find so much encouragement and support here. Thank you for such a beautiful blog and thank you all for caring about me and the other bluebirds. I am so fortunate to have you all.
    My plans for this week regarding preparedness are to look for a larger torch than I have and to buy a few first aid items , small steps right?.
    I hope everyone had a good weekend and that you all have a lovely week
    .love Barb W

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    1. Dear Barb, Thank you! Yes a bit every week really makes a lot of progress. A torch and spare batteries is excellent. It has taken me ages to really get a better first aid supply and there are still things to get but gradually I have made it much better. Its progress! Plus recently we have used a fair bit out of there so I need to restock. Andy cut his finger badly and I had that bite. We used heaps of supplies just with those two things!
      Have a good week Barb! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  6. Great post once again Annabel. I have started my stockpile and good advice about the first aid preparedness. A couple of questions please- I saw an older post on cooking with a photo of your delicious looking lasagne. Have you posted a recipe for it? I would love to make it and freeze leftovers. Also re the knitted kitchen cloths, which brand and ply of cotton do you use, and does 1 x 50g ball make one dishcloths? I have seen the 50g Portsea yarn at Spotlight for $3 on sale till tomorrow and haven't seen anything cheaper on ebay. Many thanks for all your helpful advice, lorraine

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    1. Dear Lorraine,
      I don't think I have posted this recipe. I will do next time I make it. I cheat to some extent usually using some jars of spaghetti sauce into my ground meat. I add my herbs to that and make a cheese sauce. I make it in really big amounts and slice and freeze individual portions. It wont be long and I will be making it so I will take photos and make an easy tutorial. I used to sell it by the tray full to a cafe.
      With the cotton we get Bendigo Woollen Mills cotton quite often when they have a sale and usually four ply. However I really like eight ply too. But also I find cotton in op shops (thrift stores) and Spotlight and a few places. Mostly I have big amounts i.e. the Bendigo cotton comes on a big cone so I am terrible at knowing how many grams I am using. I have also had thinner cotton and knitted two strands together to make it thick enough! This is a terrible answer. What it means is I will use anything that comes my way but my very favourite would be eight ply pure cotton in a pale pastel! Some patterns might tell you the amount needed which would help you know how much you will get from 50grams. Mum loves a finer ply as you get so much more for your grams! I hope that helps! With love Annabel.xxx

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  7. Hi Annabel and Bluebird CPW's,

    until I found this blog I felt that I was extremely odd.
    None of my family or my friends can understand my need to make sure there is always plenty of food, toilet paper and general household goods in my various pantries. My parents are particularly amazed(read dumbfounded), that I keep our caravan stocked up(all bar the fridge items). The caravan is our bug out bag and back up pantry. It also doubles as guest accommodation.

    Reading what everyone is doing here, and associated Bloggers posts, I have found to be a real education. I learn something new each week. I also get timely reminders re making sure I have certain things on hand or to add tasks to my to do list.

    Bluey and I have lived through a couple of weather events that saw us without power, phones and physical access to assistance. Add two small children to the mix and I think my 'need', and it is a need, to be prepared. is well founded.

    Thank you Annabel and friends for helping me to develop my skills and understandings for being prepared. Thank you for the encouragement and for allowing me to be an active participant in all of our 'oddness'.
    Life is good.

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    1. Dear Jane,
      Thank you! I think your caravan is a real asset. Spare room, spare supplies and get away plan!
      Good company makes a big difference to me. Friendship even more so. I have dough rising with the covers you made me on them. They are beautiful! Thank you so much!
      We also have mind weather. Life is good as you say! With love Annabel.xxx

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  8. Annaabel our cool temperate region has just broken temperature records over the weekend and it was interesting to hear the pollies say we have so much electricity in Queensland we were helping out NSW during their heatwave at the same time. We were assured our situation is nothing like the one in SA. Surely it could be a bit more streamlined. I am so pleased Lucy didn't lose power as that would make it so hard with a new baby in the house. Lovely post as usual.

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    1. Dear Nanna Chel, Thank you! Its a mess thats for sure. Streamlined is not a word they know!
      I am just looking at your new soap! With love Annabel.xxx

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  9. I absolutely love this post and whole heartedly agree with yours and Vicky's words. I've found so much support and encouragement from these preparedness blogs over the last 2 years. I love this community of like minded sisters. Thank you for all you do and teach to all of us!
    Melody in OR

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    1. Thank you so much Melody. I hope we can all get so much more done just from egging each other on. It helps for sure! Thank you!xxx

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  10. Hi Annabel and beautiful bluebirds!

    Thank you to Annabel and Vicky for a touching post! Vicky, your work is beautifully written! Keep up the great work!! Isn't encouragement wonderfully wonderful?!

    I love sharing the 'oddness' that Jane speaks about!

    We have simply been surviving the heat in Queensland! We've blocked off the dog's access to under the rainwater tank, where it is cool, on account of the fact that he is determined to undermine the stumps with his clever digging! Instead, he monitors the fan throughout the day! I've been boiling our drinking water at night, and putting it in the fridge to chill in the morning. Humble kitchen garden plants are nursed along with waterings in the cooler parts of the day. Windows are covered and/or opened according to where the sunshine and any breezes are! Down time has been invested into craft work!!!! The bath was set up with cold water for paddling in if the temperature should be really hot! The dog had cold water dunks in his own bath tub!!

    Right now, we've had a little rain from passing storms, and it's cooling down!

    Regards,
    Rachel Holt

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    1. Dear Rachel,
      The baths and the fan sound good to me. It does become survival mode and wait it out mode at these times! We have had a cool change and several lovely mild days now which is heavenly!
      I hope the same for you! With love Annabel.xxx

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  11. I too love the encouraging spirit here and appreciate what Vicky shared! It is nice to know there are other homemakers out there that see the importance in their role.

    And I must add, our generator is no laughing matter either... My hubby put in a second switch (breaker) into our home so that when the electricity goes out (which happened twice this month), we switch over the whole house to the generator. He says he went outside to see what caused our electricity to blow last week (turned out a tree fell on the line during a storm) and the whole neighborhood was black but our house was lit up like a bulb :) It was nice being able to move on with life and not scurry around looking for candles and such.

    Have a lovely week!

    P.S. I also wanted to mention to you (as I told Patsy), that in our preparedness series, if we cover a topic that you have touched upon also, drop me a link in the comment box and I will include it in my post. I have been so behind on my blog reading with my relatives visiting the last 3-months and I would love to include any information you shared on the pertaining subjects as well... Encouragement means gleaning other people's ideas too! :)

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    1. Thank you Jes. I will do that. This week is proving to be a time short one but I would love to take you up on that offer. I entirely agree that we help each other as much as we can.
      The automatic switch over to the generator is wonderful! That is on my future wish list!
      Thank you Jes! Love Annabel.xxx

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  12. Dear Annabel,
    I loved reading this entire post. Thank you also for sharing Vicky'words with us.
    Having a pantry, medical supplies, alternate sources of heat and cooling, books, games, cooking devices, water, is a comfort to us, and at some time may allow us to be a comfort to someone else. Right now we're working on building up more first aid supplies.

    Just want to say how yummy everyone's cakes look. Blessings, Cookie









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    1. Dear Vicky,
      I am working on first aid supplies right now. Sorting them out has meant I have gone temporarily backwards as some things are way out of date etc. But I will get on to this!
      Thank you Cookie. Much love Annabel.xxx

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  13. How could I omit to say - all the baking!! Annabel, Maria and Janine, you have a most wonderful way of emphasising a baking point!! Please bake like this again!!
    Regards,
    Rachel Holt

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  14. Hi all prepers (hehehe), thanks Annabel for putting a photo up of my yummy cake. I snap froze the excess so I can make jam next week when I get a moment. I too think of all the Bluebird readers as friends even if we have never met we are all a bit like pen pals with a common interest.
    I have thought about getting so alternate power source but I am more concerned with getting cold in winter. Our gas heating won't work without power and I hate getting cold. I know I can heat water on our camp stove and therefore I can fill my hot water bottle.
    I read that in 1896 there was a heat wave that caused many people to die or go mad due to heatstroke. There were no air conditioners and water was not piped into many homes and the water tanks were almost boiling which meant they didn't have any way of staying cool. Makes me think we should all get root cellars as they are usually cooler (see the underground homes in the Central Australian town of Coober Pedy). The governments were sending people by train to the mountains to try and save them but some died on the way.
    Well what a grisly tale.
    Preparing our homes are great if we have lots of food that will keep without power.
    Keep cool or warm as the case maybe in your neck of the woods.
    Kind thoughts and blessings to all.

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    1. Your cake looks beautiful. I am going to make a plum one now on account of it!
      Yes I heard about the trains taking people into the hills desperately fleeing the heat. Imagine. Terrible. Heat stroke is a terrible thing.
      Yes we are like pen pals with pictures! Its lovely! With love Annabel.xxx

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  15. Oh those desserts looked tasty. Loved what Vicky had to say. None of my friends are into preparedness and hubby only to a point (self defense). However my niece is and we bounce ideas off each other. She even has an herb garden to meet medicinal needs should it become necessary. I cringe for you with the electricity issues. I grew up with no air conditioner-not even a ceiling fan. I did it once and I could do it again-- but prefer not to. I am really focusing on water storage at this time and as always continue to build up my pantry. Love your blog.

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    1. Dear Delorise,
      Well self defence is a really good thing so it is good you have that.It is great having your niece to talk to and you can motivate each other.
      Thank you so much! We are working on water storage and alternatives as well. Needed! With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Delorise
      That is so wonderful that you have that in common with your niece. Sharing ideas is fantastic isn't it? I am happy that you have that!
      XOXO
      Vicky

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  16. Dear Annabel and Vicky,

    What a wonderful post and well said. You are both the queens of encouragement, and have inspired many of us by your actions and words, even though we've never met in person!!! And it is so important to be reminded of how wonderful it is to "build up" others, rather than "tear down"...what a difference that can make not only to others' lives, but also to our own.

    We are in the middle of a full blown blizzard, here...though as you can tell by this comment, we still have cell signal, and I am nursing a cup of hot tea before braving the wind and snow for another bout of shoveling!!! Your words about power outages are just as relevant for us in cold seasons as they are for those in hot spots...!!

    Lots of love, Jen in NS

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    1. Dear Jen, That is a lovely compliment!
      I hope your blizzard passed! I am glad you were in, safe and sound.
      Talk about opposite extremes with our weather! With much love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Jen,
      Thank you so much for the sweet compliment and I hope you are staying nice and warm during the blizzard in between shoveling duties!
      XOXO
      Vicky

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  17. What lovely cakes, ladies!
    Preparedness was a way of life for our grandparents and I'm glad to see prudent preparation making a comeback. My current reading material is a cookbook that features many Amish and Mennonite recipes that use mainly shelf-stable, farm-based ingredients. I'm not a fan of all of the pickled this & that, but many of the other recipes and tips are gold! It's a large volume and taking a long time to go through but I'll share about it when I'm done.
    Blessings, Leigh

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    1. I, for one, am looking forward to what you share about the Amish and Mennonite recipe book. Thanks.

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  18. Those cakes look delicious!
    I am interested in what to look for when buying a generator and what price range it might be in. My main concern if we lost power would be our two freezers and the fridge. I would hate to lose all that food! I've been looking at generators but I have no idea what I am looking for!
    All the best,
    Peach

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    1. Peach,
      I talked to my husband and he said first choose how you want it to run i.e gasoline, diesel, natural gas then will you run an extension cord or back feed it into your fuse box and run your whole house? He said because of the variables a reputable dealer is really the best way to go because they will give you better customer service and faster turn around if you have issues versus a box store and that a real inexpensive one may not be your most value if you go to use it and you have trouble because it's cheap so really do compare and try to get a good one. There are name brands like Honda or Generac that pricey, but good quality. He said to see if they have brushes or are brushless because the brushless are cleaner energy which is a lot cleaner and steadier for your appliances. I hope this helps some.
      XOXO
      Vicky

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    2. You're husband sounds very knowledgeable! I didn't even know generators have brushes (!). I think I will go into a local dealership and have a chat.
      Thanks Vicky and hubby :)
      All the best,
      Peach

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  19. I am so sorry to hear how dire your power situation is there. I just cannot imagine how that feels. We are on a power cooperative and always have our power restored first in our area if there is any sort of disaster so I guess we kind of take it for granted. I am so glad Lucy did not lose power with the new baby. You are wise to prepare!

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    1. Dear Lana, It is very tough on businesses. Some places have had to throw out all their stock several times in the last six months. All wasted. Big costs plus amount of work. Very discouraging. Others just have had to close down entirely multiple times.
      Thanks so much Lana, love Annabel.xxx

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  20. Annabel and Vickey,
    Such a wonderful post! Thank you for the encouragement. I agree it is wonderful to have so many wonderful and like minded people.
    Love,
    Patti

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    1. Thanks Patti! I appreciate you all very much! xxx

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    2. Thanks Patti!
      XOXO
      Vicky

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  21. I would love to have a generator, but it's just not in our budget right now. We have a couple of not quite urgent repair needs to tend to first.

    I would like to offer a tip that a Southern (US) friend gave me that her grandma did when she was little. If there's no power at night and it's too hot to sleep, spray your sheets with some cool water. Sometimes, it's cool long enough for you to fall asleep and at least get some rest. We used this tip last summer when our A/C pooped out and it was nearly 90 inside at night. We were lucky to have power because the same tip with a fan worked great.
    We had 3 days of no A/C. I also soaked my feet in cold water and stood in my neighbor's lawn sprinklers!! We're fortunate that we have a basement here. Of course, it's for tornadoes (not a good thing!), but it is much cooler down there. When we can buy a new bed set, I've already decided that our current one will go down as part of a summer bedroom. It'll also be nice to have a place to sleep when we're getting tornado watches. Much closer to the hidey hole.

    Thanks for sharing such important info.

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    1. Dear Debby, I agree with you. A spray bottle of water to mist things is very good. I used to have a fan on the girls when they were little. I would spray water mist into the air and the fan would head it toward them and they loved it. It was very cooling. You can do it in a hot car too and it drops the temperature by quite a few degrees. I keep a heap os spray bottles as emergency supplies. The sheets being cool is a great idea. Always good to have spare sheets!
      Many thanks! Love Annabel.xxx

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  22. Loved this post Annabel, 1 Thes. 5:11 would be up there with one of my favourite verses. Absolutely love to see women encouraging each other rather than competing against each other and inspiring one another to draw on their God given creativity so that we can all give as needed working together in one accord Thanks for the soul food x Frances

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    1. Dear Frances,
      You were always a wonderful encourager to me. And to others I know.
      Thank you so much. Love Annabel.xxx

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  23. Annabel and Vicky, 'just a blog'... this made me smile. If only she knew!!!!

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  24. This post was so encouraging and yes, we do need to build each other up. :) I have found so many like minded women online that I have been blessed to learn from and to bounce ideas back and forth with. It has helped me to grow and learn new skills but the greatest blessing has been the friends that I have made in the process. :)

    My biggest preparedness item that I need to restock on right now is flour. I have been going through a lot lately since I'm doing quite a bit of baking. I'm going to buy another huge bag of it and store it in recycled bakery food grade containers. This has worked out well for me for years doing it this way. :)

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  25. Hi Annabel
    I'm sorry for not commenting for a while, congratulations to you and your family on the safe arrival of Scarlett! What a gorgeous addition to your family. I hope all is going well, I know you will be enjoying her :)

    We have moved to the country now! We have nine chickens, our neighbours are cows, and the 'to do' list is so much smaller. I know life will become busier as our children make friends and joins sports teams etc, but for now I am really enjoying having time in our new home, and catching up on some things I have meant to do for ages. Today I put my son's baby photos in an album, he is four and a half!

    Now that we have found our feet a bit in our new place I have worked out some goals for the year for myself. Like many of your readers I want to use up craft supplies that I have before buying anything new. Which, if I'm being really honest, I suspect means I don't need to buy any for the year! Moving allows you a really good chance to look at what you have, and for me, it helped me realise which projects were never going to be completed. So they were donated so that someone else can finish them.

    Preparedness is something else I want to work on, I've always been prepared to last a few days in case of an earthquake, but more and more I realise that a few days is not even close to enough. Also, though an earthquake is a very real possibility, there are so many other things that can occur that can be navigated more easily with a good backup plan. I think this is even more important for us now that we are living rurally. Thankfully, my quiet but regular suggestions about the need to be prepared are hitting home and we are both committed to this!

    A big goal for me is to make sure I use my time in a way that makes me truly happy. Part of our reason behind moving was to lead a 'slower' life. I am happy staying at home, looking after my kids, cooking for my family etc. I don't enjoy having something on every day, so am determined not to fill my calendar with things I don't want to go to! As so many people have commented, that's the beauty of your blog, there are so many people with similar mind sets.

    Sorry, I haven't commented for so long and now I have written a novel!

    Have a lovely week, I hope your temperatures drop a bit.

    Jen in NZ

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    1. Jen,
      Congratulations on your move to the country! 9 chickens now that is just wonderful fresh eggs everyday nothing could be better than that!
      XOXO
      Vicky

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    2. Congratulations on life in the country! It sounds like a great move for you. I love your goal to use your time with things that make you truly happy and keep things you don't want to go to off the calendar. I need to think about that as a goal for me. :) Thanks for the suggestion.

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    3. Dear Jen, I am so glad to here you have moved and settled in! I love that you have chooks!
      I totally understand about staying home and not running around everywhere. There is often a lot of pressure to do that.
      I am glad now you can work on your preparedness too. From what I have seen yes earthquakes are a big issue there and possible road blockages. Of course with road closures comes food shortages etc. Also water is important. In a new place getting to know your neighbours, local services and new emergency numbers etc are all good things to establish.
      You have had a busy time but I hope this will be wonderful for your family Jen! With lots of love, Annabel.xxx

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    4. Hi Jen lovely to hear from you in your new rural home. Just wanted to wish you the best, from another kiwi 😊 Love Maria x

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  26. Happy Valentines Day !!!
    Sue

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  27. Dear Annabel and Vicky, Thank you for another great post. This is a very nice place to come and "visit" and encourage one another! I love the scriptures shared also. I learn so much from everyone.

    Everyones cakes look so yummy! Have a wonderful week! Love, Teri

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  28. Dear Annabel thankyou for your reply. I will look forward to your lasagne post. It sounds delicious if a café sold your cooking! I visited Spotlight today and purchased a ball of 4 Seasons flinders 8 ply cotton, 50g ball for $4.
    I also bought, at a locally owned "cheap shop" an unnamed brand of 50g, 4 ply for $3. Also a pair of size 5mm bamboo knitting needles for $4. The same ones in Spotty were $8!!
    I haven't bought needles for years as I threw all my old ones out- silly lady!- I would have looked in the op shops but we only have one car and hubby was waiting for me in the heat. I heard that the bamboo needles are very comfortable to use especially with hands perspiring in summer. I'll be sure to visit my op shops with my eyes open for cotton yarn now. I'll send a photo when I have finished my dishcloth. I also made three burp cloths and would love to show you. How do I send pictures to you Annabel? Thanks again for all your encouragement and help. I truly love your blog, you and our fellow Nesters are true online friends. Have a wonderful week, Lorraine.

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  29. Annabel, I am so thankful for this community and the things I learn hear. I am thankful for the support at least as much as the lessons, because I find that the number of like minded people locally are few and far apart. It helps to come back here and be re-grounded in my goals.

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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.