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.

Tuesday 31 October 2017

Feather your Nest Wednesday!

I am home from my two trips and this is an attempt to catch up like a Feather your Nest Friday but a Wednesday!   It will take a while to catch up on a few things including correspondence and if you looked around the house you would see many other things I need to get to!
But my trips were great and productive in many ways!

Going way back to before I left...   I had roses everywhere and bunches and bunches hanging around the kitchen and lounge room.


Before I left I sat all the ones that are too big to dry as buds in  baskets to dry for petals...


I am planning to use lots in bath products and make up cellophane bags of buds for the next swap party! 

My first trip was to Mum and Dads farm.  As always I called into the country op shops on the way!  I went to three. This breaks up the three hour drive for me and these are much better than the city op shops.   And I had luck!   I found piles of beautiful and mostly brand new cookbooks!  Several were ones I would have liked as gifts myself and several are potential gifts.  The most expensive ones were $1.


I got eleven all up.  When I got to the farm Chloe was there and she and Mum both pounced on these and started reading them!   Chloe lives on the farm but her house is half an hour away from Mum and Dads.  Australian stations are big!  In the US you would say Ranch where we say Station. 

I also got knives.  Some time ago I realised how expensive good kitchen knives are and when I was cutting up the bulk steak I bought that we didn't have enough good ones.  I got these for Andy to sharpen up.  The most expensive one was 50c


Then I got big old preserving jars!  At this point I was pretty happy!



In the background is a cotton hand towel that Mum knitted for me which is gorgeous.  Another thing I got was a yogurt maker for $3. 

It was lovely weather and cool at night. I slept with the window wide open and all you can hear is an orchestra of frogs!  It is lovely.  

Mum had ducklings.  They are hard to get anywhere near so this is the best I could do!


There were several nests as well.  To me this is just beautiful.  Look at the cloud like nest.  This duck has been very busy this week feathering her nest!  😊



There was a lamb that is bottle fed.



And Joeys (baby Kangaroos) 



In the evening I went for walks.  Some kangaroos hopped down the hill near me. I could feel the ground under my feet shake!  It is a real thump thump thump as they go past.

I came home with a new supply of Bayleaves to get more drying,  eggs, lemons and the biggest t bone steak you ever saw for Andy! 

The next day we headed off again to stay with Chloe. 

I took this photo on the trip down.  



The artwork on these grain silos was just stunning. The children depicted go to the local school.

Chloe's house has the most beautiful view and surroundings.  This is her front yard...


Andy made her the swing! 

Chloe gave me more eggs. She has a funny collection of wildly different chooks as she rescued most of them.  


When we were feeding them I noticed the bags of grain had fantastic pictures on the front...



These are really tough thick plastic type fabric.  I asked if she would save them for me. I am going to make grocery shopping bags from them!  I came home with my first two! 

On the way home we stopped to have lunch.  We watched a tractor moving giant bales of hay.  Oh joy! He was literally making hay while the sun shines! 


Yep that is what we need to be doing!  While we have the opportunity make hay and store up!  

It was a busy week but really good.  And the long and short of all of this is we are thinking very seriously about moving back to the farm, back to the country.  There are things to work out but I know God's hand is on it all.  In fact I would really appreciate prayers on this.  My Dad is thinking of the Great Grandchildren, the generations and all our future security.  These decisions are huge ones.

I came home to beautiful parcels and gorgeous notes from the swap party! Oh my goodness! 

Next week I will get back to posting as normal.   I won't post on Friday since it would only be a two day report!  I will be glad to get back to normal as I feel something is missing when I don't write.

How did you save, get ahead and build up your nest this last week and a half?   I hope this week is going well!  xxx













59 comments:

  1. What a beautiful trip and lovely farm pics! So sweet! Especially the lamb. I'll say a prayer for you....moving back to the country would be a great idea. God put everything in play for us to move out to the country so maybe this will happen for you too....in God's time which I hope is soon for you! Andrea

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    1. Dear Andrea, Thank you! How exciting that you moved into the country! Your words are just what I needed to hear! With love Annabel.xxx

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  2. Good to hear from you, Annabel. Yes that is a big decision to make about moving back to the farm. I will keep you in my prayers that you come to the right decision. That bag of feed comes from where I live! How amazing! I did a tutorial on how to make a bag from produce bags if you are interested in taking a look https://goinggreyandslightlygreen.blogspot.com.au/2016/08/from-feed-bag-to-tote-bag.html. They are really sturdy bags. I have a few to make up in the near future featuring pigs, horses and chooks. Great for the market too.

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    1. Dear Nanna Chel, I knew I had seen these somewhere! They are gorgeous! I though also of using the images on my big food grade buckets! Thanks for the link Im coming over...
      Interesting to know where this comes from! Good on them for putting such great images on the bags! And I didnt know they had pig and horse ones! I will put the word out to everyone I know in case they have them! Many thanks! Love Annabel.xxx

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  3. Beautiful pictures! That is just beautiful countryside and it looks peaceful. I have seen where they make aprons and grocery bags out of those feed bags. We usually just used them for trash bags in the garage though. Have a beautiful day.

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    1. Dear Vickie, These ones are beautiful so I cant wait to make things with them. Im using around to see if I can get more buy Chloe will save all hers now. The country side is peaceful. And quiet! I hope your week is going well! With love Annabel.xxx

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  4. Dear Annabel,
    I always love reading your posts after a trip to the farm. You sound like you have such a peaceful time there whenever you write about it. I am definitely praying for God's direction concerning this move and that he will guide all things and make the way.
    Chloe's view is beautiful! If she likes to swing that is one thing we have in common :) Thank you for sharing the photos of your trip. I love the baby animals and you have the most beautiful roses I have ever seen!
    This past week John has been showing signs of teething. That pretty much sums it up! Here and there we have been working on cleaning out the upstairs loft, and I also tackled the mountain of ironing that had built up. Only five shirts to go!
    I hope everyone is doing well and has a lovely week!
    With love, Kelsey

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  5. I loved the photos! I will be praying for your decision. We have just been through a time of prayer about downsizing and moving 2 hours from our hometown and God said to wait. The answer was so very clear and we thankful to know His will. He will answer you as He did us. I myself think it is a wonderful idea for you to move to the country!

    Your op shop finds are wonderful! I think I am a bit envious of your wonderful finds!

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  6. Great to see you back on air Annabel. I think that god will guide you, and as a wise wise friend said to me last night “I think you already know the answer”. The photos are gorgeous and the lamb, well how divine, I bottle fed lambs as a child, alternative gh now I’m sure I just had the fun part and mum did all the actual work. I’m not particularly religious as you know, but when I am immersed in nature I sort of feel I am, and I think it would be the best thing for you all. It’s in your blood, the farm. The roses are sensational! Fi xx

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  7. Looks like you had a nice trip and some wonderful bargains! I love all your roses and the picture of the lamb brings back memories as my parents raised sheep and some of the little lambs we had to bottle feed and I loved doing that. Nancy

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  8. Hello Annabel and beautiful bluebirds :).

    Oh Annabel what beautiful countryside and how peaceful it all looks a truly wonderful relaxing place to contemplate. What beautiful items you picked up from the op shops, those knives look really good for such a low cost :). Yourself and family will be in our prayers.

    Our Vicky challenge added up to $347.75 this extended week.

    Fuel, clothing,pet and grocery savings -
    - Whilst out of town at a church function we picked up 3 jerry cans of fuel for $1.07 a litre and then saved a further $5 using our roadside assist club card and picked up 11 more tins of lychees and a bag of lollies for our trip saving $23.08.
    - Purchased a 2yr supply of cat worming tablets on eBay saving $9.26 over purchasing them at the vet.
    - Bought 4 x vintage style cotton swing and flare dresses and a new swimsuit on special for $115.07 saving $275.74 over purchasing them here.
    - Purchased 15kg of Valencia oranges on special for juicing saving $5.05 over usual prices here.
    - Bought 6 bottles of sarsaparilla on special for $5.40 saving $4.50 over usual prices. We take these when we go on long day trips together for picnics.

    In the kitchen -
    - Made all meals and bread from scratch.
    - Blanched and froze 14 more bags of turnips for the freezer.
    - Made a double batch of honey biscuits saving $10.12 over purchasing them in the shops.

    In the garden -
    - Picked silverbeet, beetroot, carrots and turnips from the gardens and had a nice beetroot and carrot juice with lunch one day. I also took some beetroot juice to a friend in an aged care facility for a bit of a taste sensation and she loved it :) .
    - Planted 5 x 3mt rows of sweet corn seeds saved from our previous crops in the gardens.
    - Mulched around the 1st 3mt patch of growing sweet corn with mulched up lemongrass clippings and spent dried pea plants rather than buying hay.

    Electricity savings -
    - Our power bill came in for the 3 months and with only turning on our electric hot water system on when we needed it for 2 months saved $20 off our latest bill.

    Have a wonderful rest of your week everyone.

    Sewingcreations15


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  9. Welcome home, sounds like you had a wonderful week. Your jars are gorgeous, I know you'll put them to good use. And that handtowel looks stunningly beautiful too. Have a lovely week and enjoy your weekend.

    Love, Cath

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  10. Dear Annabel and beautiful bluebirds.
    Oh Annabel thank you , your photos are just gorgeous . I love that feathered nest , it's just beautiful .Mysavings for the past week and a half have included:
    Subsidised cleaning 4 hours , saving at least $72 compared to a private company.
    I received a family sized meat pie made by mum from my parents and two other meals , saving at least $40 . Ibought some books for $1 each , saving at least $40 on ten books, I got some more free craft items from my local newsagency from craft magazines they don't sell , saving about $20 . I got bulk billed at the doctors twice , saving $120 . I got free medication as I reached my safety net months ago , saving $60 approximately . I received 3 lovely blue birds swap parcels but I don't want to put a price on them . I received two other parcels from other swaps , I won't count those either but they have all saved me a lot and given me beautiful items.
    I was treated to morning tea by my Dad saving me $7 . My mum paid some money towards my lunch when we went to sizzler , saving me $10 . I saved on postage with a free postage coupon code $9 savings . I saved about $25 on some items for Christmas gifts on an online discount site. I saved at least $30 on some items from the chemist warehouse compared to other stores.
    I saved $30 on groceries and will put $30 away in savings so a $30 saving.
    I have saved a total of at least $453 over the extended week.
    Thank you Annabel for a wonderful post today . I love those grain solos and the animal photos are gorgeous. Thank you for cheering me up , the extra pain has been getting me down.
    I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the week . Love Barb W.

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    1. Wow, Barb you had a great week financially, good job! Isn’t it fun to keep track of our savings? I find it also helps me make better choices just so I have some savings to record (like today, I skipped buying a cup of tea like I normally do and made it at home instead, just so I can record something today lol). Sorry to hear about your extra pain this week my dear; healthy and lovely blogs like this one certainly lift the spirits. I think all of us have been waiting excitedly for Annabel’s newst post this past week! Isn’t it fun to be part of this delightful community? Love, Teresa

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  11. I was just reading all the other posts and wondered what the heck got spell checked into mine, doesn't read properly in the middle. Anyway I came back to say that I have made plenty of shopping bags from stock feed bags. They are awesome, if a little noisy. Fi xx

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  12. beautiful views indeed! we do live in a beautiful country! i love the country & wish i could move further out but the kids want me closer (near caboolture) give me mountains any day
    what great op shop finds!
    lovely post
    thanx for sharing

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    1. Selina I am also near Caboolture.

      Lynette
      XXXX

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  13. Dear Annabel,
    His ways are beautiful! Thank you for showing us all the beautiful pictures!
    I chuckled at the very large jars!
    May the Eternal's will be done!
    Regards,
    Rachel

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  14. Dear Annabel,

    Great to hear you have arrived home safely and had a lovely time away at the farm.

    What a wonderful opportunity for you to move back to the farm, I know you would love to live there and I can definitely see why...I know I would love the same offer because you cant take the country out to the girl...ever. I pray for the decisions that you need to make, and may they be good ones.

    Such wonderful finds at the op shops. Country ones are the best :)

    You will need to show another picture of your mum's hand-towel pretty please, as it looks really nice :)

    Your roses are gorgeous as always. I planted some this year and have been picking some blooms already :)

    This week has not been a good one for me. First of all my daughters car broke down (twice) and she lives in Quorn, 30 minutes away. I have had to do some running back and forth because our eldest grandson goes to high school here and involved with scouts and basketball. He has also been sleeping over so we can get him to school. My son in law is away working, so my girl has no one else to call on, and with a young son and new baby, I am happy to help. Needless to say I am so over sitting in my car driving around and getting behind with jobs here. And I don't think it is finished yet as we wait for the car to be fixed. It has come at an awkward time as our second car is also broken down so she cant use that. Oh well it will all work out in the end.

    Secondly my mum had a fall on Monday afternoon and has broken her arm really badly and she has osteoporosis. She has had to wait until tomorrow to have it operated in Whyalla, so I would appreciate some prayers for her recovery please. This will be very frustrating for her as she lives a really active life.

    Wishing you all a lovely rest of the week and weekend,

    xTania







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    1. Oh Tania you have had a difficult time of it lately. I hope the car issues get resolved very soon and life can get back to normal. Your daughter is lucky that she can call on you to help her out. Sending up prayers for your Mum. I know when my Mum broke her are last year, she was a frustrated mess. No golf and no bushwalking. She survived. Hope the operation all goes well and life then settles down.

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    2. Dear Tania, Ok I will get a better photo of the hand towel. She makes tons of them and they are lovely.
      Your poor Mum. I hope the surgery went well and she is ok and comfortable. I hope she will soon be back to her active self. Hearing she is so active I would say she will be in a good position to heal and recover. It was no doubt a shock to you and upsetting too.
      Just as well you could help out your daughter! All the running around does set you back but some weeks just seem like this! In the end I think thank goodness I was here able to help though. Life is busy. How anyone gets bored I have no idea!
      I hope your week goes well and the cooler weather is helpful. With love, Annabel.xxx

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    3. Dear Tania , sorry to hear about your poor mum , sending prayers for her recovery , love Maria xx

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    4. Update on my Mum; she had surgery yesterday so now the recovery begins. She is still in pain because it was a bad break, but my mother being SO independent, says she doesn't require my help with anything lol! I will be visiting with her tomorrow and judge for myself :)

      Have had my grandson sleeping over so I don't have to travel back and forth so much. The car is still not fixed unfortunately so next week may well be the same as this week :)

      Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers, they are very much appreciated.

      Love this little community xxx

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  15. Dear Annabel,

    I was literally floored when you said Chloe's house is half an hour away but still on your parents' farm!!! That is definitely an understatement to say that Australian stations are big!!!

    I read your whole post and somehow managed to miss the short paragraph where you mentioned you are thinking of moving back to the farm until I read the comments. I am thinking of you and know you will be led to make the right decision!

    Love all the photos, as usual. We just had a fun Halloween, and my daughter managed to get her costume sewn in time...this is the third Halloween she's hoped to have this costume ready for!! It's been a long project, but looked great on her, so I think she feels it was worth it! :)

    You got some great bargains at the thrift shops!!! Your Christmas cupboard must be almost full!!

    Lots of love,

    Jen in NS

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  16. Annabel it is lovely to have you back. Your roses are simply divine and I am suffering from rose envy. My sunflowers are just coming into bloom. I will send some photos once they do. These are plants from the same seeds that I sent to you.
    I am currently dealing with a flea infestation both on the old fur baby and throughout the house. We had no fleas a week ago and now they are everywhere. I am a clean freak so this is really getting me unnerved. I am hoping that we are now on top of them and on the way to getting rid of the nasty little bities.
    The fleas have led to the house getting a third Spring Clean. This has to be a positive thing, doesn't it.
    Life is itchy but getting better.

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    1. Dear Jane, I am loving your sunflowers. They are so cheerful and the bonus of later the birds love them!
      Fleas also freak me out. I hope you beat them. A lot of work!
      I hope the week is going good for you! With love Annabel.xxx

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  17. Dear Annabel,
    This is such a lovely post. I have really enjoyed all of the photos of your roses and travels to the farm. Your op shop finds are always extraordinary. Those cookbooks are an incredible find! We will continue our prayers as you seek God's will in the decision making process.

    As for us, it has been a week of nest feathering to be sure. We put the garden to bed as the weather is getting colder here, and that meant a lot of vegetables needed to be processed to add to the stores. Loads of peppers got dehydrated, more tomatoes were made into different sauces, the last of the okra also got dehydrated. 6 quarts of bone broth were made and the chicken that came off the bones was put into enchiladas for the freezer. I had some apple scrap juice in the freezer from and made 9 jars of apple pie jelly with it. Grain free bread was baked and frozen, as was grain free chocolate chip cookies. 2 quarts of creamy cauliflower soup was made for the freezer. I made turkey sausage patties for the freezer with ground turkey and spices. Heaps of bananas got frozen for later use. The usual fluffing and cleaning got done. And I finished another afghan for the gift closet.

    I hope everyone has a good rest of the week and weekend.
    Blessings, Cookie




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    1. Dear Cookie,
      I really appreciate your prayers and support.
      You had a wonderful week! That is a great amount of food put away. Fantastic. I want to see this Afghan too! You really were making hay while the sun shines! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  18. What a glorious week! Sounds heavenly to me. Prayers on your decision to move back to the country. I would think it would be a natural fit!

    the Joeys and lamb or so sweet. Love those bags! I have done the same with pretty feed bags.
    Have a blessed week.

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    1. Dear Cheryl, Thankyou! This is the first time I saw the nice feed bags in person although I had seen them on the internet. It kind of reminds me of the flour bags that they made in nice fabrics in the war years so women could use them to make clothes etc! I thought that was the most wonderful thing! Thank you for your prayers I really appreciate them! With love Annabel.xxx

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  19. Lana is right about praying about a move. When we moved 1500 miles from our hometowns, it was crystal clear we were doing the right thing. Everything fell right into place without issue. And we've never regretted it. Ask God for a sign. You'll get it!

    Those animals would've all had to come home with me!! They're just darling. That's the reason my husband will never allow us to have a farm. He said we'll end up needing a license to run a zoo!! He knows me too well.

    Tania, the same thing happened to my mother in law falling and breaking her arm. She was 95 so it was a long time to heal and the cast/sling made her very cranky. There was a little funny to it, though. She's very much a lady. No cussing at all. When my husband asked her why she wasn't using her walker, she pipes up, "That's why I fell! I tripped over that damned walker!" Admittedly, we all had to squelch our laughter.
    She's good as new now, but it did take some time.

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    1. Dear Debby, Thank you! We know the answer is yes. We are just waiting on any obstacles to be removed. So it is a matter of patiently waiting!
      Your Mother in Law sounds wonderful! I am glad she recovered so well! With love Annabel.xxx

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  20. Dear Annabel,
    So much in one post! I pray that while you are considering your options, that the answer will come to you loud and clear. Nothing more comforting than having an absolute resolve when doing something major, like moving house!

    And I love that picture of the feathered nest!

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    1. Dear Sarah, I also loved the feathered nest I thought how perfect! Then I also saw making hay while the sun shines. I say both these things all the time! The ducks nests were really like a cloud!
      In my heart I know the answer re the country vs the city. Now we are waiting on the rest! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  21. Dearest Annabel...sustaining your familys legacy is a weighty decision. You will know when the time is right...Mimi xxx

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    1. Dear Mimi, Yes it is. I can so clearly see the work Mum and Dad did (and are still doing too) has impacted us all so much and now Harper and Scarlett. Now I am thinking of their Grandchildren! I hope things are going ok there I am thinking exams would be over? I hope so ! With love Annabel.xxx

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  22. Annabel such a beautiful post. I love the roses they are just beautiful. I am glad you had such a wonderful trip. Your OP shop finds are great. We had a nice week. We are great full that the weather has cooled off. It was 105 last week but down to the 60s and 70s this week perfect weather for cooking. I remade 4 dresses last week when it was too hot to do much moving about.Now I have new outfits such fun. We found some great grocery specials this week. Last week we were able to eat out of the premade freezer meals. So no take away. We have started making "over night oats"they are yummy and gluten free. You start with a small canning jar,put dry oatmeal then milk or almond milk then we add yogurt then some fruit or apple sauce or jam put the lid on and refrigerate over night. These are great on the go breakfasts cost just pennies if you make your own yogurt are great for warm mornings and cost about 5 dollars a piece here. Have a blessed week.
    Love,
    Patti

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    1. Dear Patti,
      I also sew and do things indoors when its hot! The dresses were really a great thing to do as having four "new" dresses is lovely!
      The overnight oats are a good idea. I have tried chai puddings and I was doubtful but they are gorgeous! Also I do in little jars as individual serves. I love them! These also are ok for breakfast or desert or a treat. Things like these are great savers and healthy too!
      I hope you have a good week too Patti, with love Annabel.xxx

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    2. We tried making the overnight oats with rolled oats. We were out of the quick oats or instant oats. Not sure what they are called there. We did not like the texture of the rolled oats. We liked the quick oats much better. I am sure it is a personal preference.
      Hugs,
      Patti

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  23. Annabel, what an exciting week you had; thank you for sharing your photos and finds (those op shop books!!). I will be praying for God’s will and timing for your move back to the country. And I just had a thought; what a relief to have all the house painting completed already (assuming you and Andy will sell your house). That’s one big job completed thus one less obstacle for following God’s will and timing! A wise woman certainly builds up her house! I’m so excited for you!!! Love, Teresa

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    1. Dear Teresa, Thank you! Yes I am glad for everything we have done. All along I have felt I am being prepared for something. That this was part of the process. So we will wait and see and yes I feel Gods hand is all on this! And it is exciting! Thank you! With love Annabelxxx

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  24. Dear Annabel , I'm still away visiting family but just quickly popping in to say hi and his beautiful your dried roses are looking . It sounds like things are falling into place re: moving to the country . Sending prayers for the right signs and decisions .
    With love , Maria xxx

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    1. Dear Maria, I hope you are having a lovely time! Thank you so much! With lots of love, Annabel.xxx

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  25. Annabel, I am so glad I found your blog. Even though you are literally half-way around the world, you encourage me so to work diligently and to build up my home. Lovely pictures and something about the way you write is addicting. I can't wait for each new post.

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    1. Dear Wendy, I am glad to have you here! I am sorry for the lack of posts this week. It is unusual for me normally I try to be reliable with them but I had to just manage this week. Next week should be normal!
      What a nice thing to say! Thanks for such kind words! With love Annabel.xxx

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  26. I so enjoyed your post Annabel. Thank you for sharing your experiences, hopes and dreams. Feeling excited for you :)

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    1. Thank you so much Mary! I appreciate the prayer truly I do. xxx

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  27. What wonderful pictures! The little Joey! I hope you enjoyed the trip, and will pray for your family and the decisions you must be making.
    I have not done much- been laid up with some health things. I’m planning as I go, and was able to continue 15 minute routines to tidy, etc.

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    1. Thank you so much Margaret! Fifteen minutes gets you there, there have been times when I do five minute bursts! And also I do just what you do... when I cant be on the go I plan! And write! Sometimes these times are very helpful as planning and thinking are times we come up with new ideas and ways to do things! I hope you feel much better! With love Annabel.xxx

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  28. Oh, Annabel, I am so excited for you! I know we can look forward to more amazing pictures of the country life Australia-style in the future, as the Lord makes the way possible. What a life!! Just imagining the kangas thumping past on your walks was like reading a fantasy book. I am a little jealous, too, of your fab shopping at the country op shops. Your roses are unbelievably gorgeous, as others have said. You could probably sell them at a stand. The 30-minute drive between your folks and Chloe is an amazing example of the size of your parent's property! xxoos from San Diego

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    1. Dear Mary, Thank you! I am excited too! I had such a great time and so much to do and think about and then last night I kind of felt exhausted! But a big sleep has helped! It is a beautiful day so I am going to make the most of it! Have a lovely weekend Mary, with love Annabel.xxx

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  29. That duck nest!!
    You have me wanting to move to the country too. If the houses are half an hour apart there should be room for me to build a little wooden cabin to live there somewhere? ;)
    I also love the artwork on the silos. Thanks for posting and 'chat' to you again soon.

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  30. Annabel, thank you for sharing your “spring” pictures. We are heading into chilly fall and winter where I live, and it has been quite gray and chilly. Your pictures made me smile. Thank you!
    Amy

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  31. Dear Annabel, How wonderful that you know you're going back to the farm to live!! I will indeed say prayers for you that all the obstacles will work out. We are at present happily expectant that our son and dil will be moving here onto this old farm. They are hoping to buy the land my brother owns and is selling. I am over the moon at the idea of having my youngest grandsons so near and only wish my youngest daughter also would be moving here. Perhaps in time. There are no final dates as of yet. He has the job, the land is for sell, the price agreed upon and now we wait for the other things to all fall into place...

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  32. Praying for you as you make the decision that is right for you. I have to say that I was just awestruck at the paintings of the children on the silos...wow!!!

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    1. Thank you Debbie. My focus is on doing what is wisest for the next few generations and the more I consider it the more this seems to be the land. But we will wait and see how it unfolds and then we will know for sure! I adored the silos too, to lovely and before they just were kind of ugly now they are beautiful!xxx

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  33. Annabel, I always love your pictures of the farm. I had in my head it was just a couple of paddocks, I had no idea it was so huge! The pictures of the painted schoolboys are amazing.

    I'm so excited to hear how your decision-making goes. I always have a real sense of calm when I read your posts, even when something hectic like renovations are going on, you always seem to have a calm and ordered approach. It's really lovely to see what you've been up to, and you are so generous to share it. Receiving 'proper' mail muat have been lovely when you returned home!

    Have a lovely weekend
    Jen in NZ

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    1. Dear Jen, I am not sure my reality is always so calm but one things for sure when I sit and look at the week and plan another week etc I can see things much more clearly and appreciate them. Otherwise life could be kind of a blur. So this does me a lot of good!
      Yes my pile of mail was beautiful! Some of these things have been good to get to know everyone more too. It is amazing how much we have in common despite where we live!
      Also... in Aust. farms are generally large as small blocks are ok for hobby farms but not to make money really as it is often dry so you don't get many stock per hectare etc. The further north you go the bigger they get due to this. Some stations are like european countries in size lol!
      Have a lovely weekend! with love Annabel.xxx

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  34. Dear Jane I am praying for both you and Bluey, may the Good Lord's healing love descend upon Bluey and heal him in both body and spirit, and may he also keep you safe as you travel to and from the hospital. I am sending loving hugs to you xxx

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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.