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 2 November 2018

Feather your Nest Friday, 2nd November. 2018.

I am sorry I am late posting.  I am sitting up in bed writing as I had left my computer in Adelaide and Andy collected it today for me!  opps!  This means I owe some replies still and I will catch up over the weekend.
So where to even start!?  
First of all can you believe it's NOVEMBER.  We are so close to Christmas and the end of the year.  What a whirlwind.

Mum is out of hospital.  She had eight days there which is quite a while by todays standards.   Now she is home.  She could do with some prayers as she has a lot of pain.  Antibiotics fixed her infection but a bulging disk doesn't get better fast and her leg pain is really endless.  Mum is also used to being super active and this has really hit her hard.

Next bit of news... our house sale was due to settle at the end of the month.  Yesterday we had a call that the buyers would love to bring it forward to next Friday!   We just said yes... but this means a lot to do with paperwork, having the house ready to hand over in one week.  Really there is not much left to bring here... I just like to leave things sparkling!
This is also very exciting.  Things we have been dreaming of doing... like a ride on mower,  fire season sprinklers etc we can do!!!
I have been thinking what a big year this has been.  Soon I will talk about the year from a preparedness point of view.  The things we can do now will really add to this area as well.

Every week we have a day or two in the city to see the girls, upkeep the garden and keep things tidy.
Before I left I made a couple of very healthy banana cakes full of left over homemade yoghurt, double the bananas the recipe said and the last of the eggs I have been using up.


One was for the Lucy and the girls and one for us. 
On the way to the city Lucy called saying Harper was suddenly really ill and they think she might have pneumonia.  I felt sick.   It turned out to be bronchitis and an ear infection.  Thankfully once they worked this out she recovered so quickly... and even ate a heap of cake!

I picked lots of roses from my old garden, thinking they would be wasted.  I have some on my bedside table and some drying for cake and coconut ice decorations.


We achieved clean gutters!  Seriously the gutters had not been done in years.  We also did the smaller houses near us and the big shed.   This all was like compost some of it rich and black.   I thought ok I will use this on the veggie patch!


If this is a nice sight to you then you are obviously a gardener! 😊

The roses we planted just a few weeks ago are flowering!! They look so nice and make such a difference to the strip they are planted in.  Even my Dad said how they are perfect for that spot.


Two things I need to add in... I had a wonderful parcel from Sue.  A beautiful country cookbook that is so good and a book of slow cooker recipes.  I am loving these thank you Sue.

And Jacqui... Jacqui has made quilts for both Harper and Scarlett. They are treasured by Lucy and will be kept forever.   Chloe found a parcel in her post box down the track at the front gate!  It was a wedding quilt! 
This is a totally inadequate picture but all I have just now... it is the soft colours that Chloe loves and includes vintage feed sacks.  I had to explain to Chloe how floral vintage feed sacks came to be.  I nearly cried explaining it....   It has extensive hand embroidery and is just amazing.  We are both so touched by such a gift.


Jacqui your kindness and generosity are beautiful. Thank you.

During the week we had a visitor in the driveway.  


I took a video of him walking along. It is on instagram and FB.  The girls thought he was hilarious when I showed this to them.   I think it is the way they walk like the kind of wobble side to side.

The birds are getting much tamer.  I am starting to get some photos now.... hopefully soon I can take many.  Each week they are less wary of us.


This trip to the city, with the house now sold, we could collect our furniture!  You don't know how excited I am about this.  All this time we had a bed and a plastic table and two plastic chairs!  To sell the house and have it look nice I left all my best things, vases, flowers, plant, linen, furniture... 
So we hired a truck and loaded up!   We only got back Thursday and unloaded.  So since then I have been putting things in place and having a lovely time.
It all looks so nice!  I have plants and flowers, my dining table and chairs...  yay!

I also have my fridge/freezer!!!  Now I can do so much!  Before we turned it off to shift I only had four items left in there.  Two packets of sausages and two packets of pastry.  They went into the eski with the cold groceries. 
When I got home they had started to thaw.  So today guess what I made?  Twenty one sausage rolls! 
Chloe and Luke are extremely busy with shearing.  Overtired I would say.   So I took them a dozen and added a slab of chocolate brownies.   Luke (despite all this) came and helped unload the truck.   I wanted to make him something.


(Cooked sausage rolls, some about to go into the oven, finished brownies...) 



Whenever I use ready made pastry there are always odds and ends left over.  This time I made a jam tart.


I used some strawberry jam I made in summer.   So nothing was wasted!

It is so nice to realise how much we did this week!  And next week is shaping up to be very busy.  This all will help us so much though.  I worried I would have to look after two gardens, three hours apart, for a summer.  It would have been so hard.  In a week I will be able to concentrate on one house and one garden.  We will have the house funds early as well.  I think this is all the result of so much prayer as it is truly amazing to have it all so soon.  We are so grateful.

How did you build up your home this week?  There are so many aspects to feathering your nest.  An extra meal in the freezer,  something to add to the pantry,  something you made that saved you money,  getting things done!  It all adds up.  It is amazing!

With Christmas coming we still have plenty of time.  I get ready for lots of baking in December.  The Christmas cakes are already made and wrapped.  I am glad I started making and collecting gifts in January! I saw I have plenty of wrapping paper that I got on a huge sale after last Christmas and it is gorgeous!  I have a lot of ribbons saved so I am ok there too.

With things settling down I am hoping to do a Show and Tell so we can share gift ideas, baking and packaging ideas with still enough time to do some of them!  So get your photos ready!

Have a wonderful weekend! xxx









51 comments:

  1. I love your roses. I wish I had them growing in my garden.

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    1. Thank you! They are so new but just have burst into flower. Today there are so many after a few really sunny days. I love the colour! xxx

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  2. Dear Annabel and beautiful bluebirds.
    Firstly Annabel I am thinking of your mum. I know all too well what back and leg pain is like and know some of what your mum must be going through and as You mentioned your mum is usually more active so to be laid up in hospital for so many days , that would be so sad and uncomfortable for your mum.

    Secondly congratulations on selling the house and having this happen the way it's happened. Your prayers must have been heard and answered , that's the best part of one of them about the bluebird bunch we all have been praying for your family.
    I hope Harper is improving now, man band cake fixes all!. Of course medication and rest help too.
    Annabel the roses are stunning, just so beautiful.
    My week has been mixed, I had eye surgery on Monday. My second surgery on the same eye in 8months. I will now hopefully be able to recover well and only need smaller (lesser) prescription in my right eye.
    So do I count surgery as a saving?. I say no but I will count the opthamologists visits because my mum sees an eye specialist privately and it costs her $200a visit and she gets $37back from medicare.
    So two specialists visits $400, have saved $$100 cash money in my savings account which I used to pay for 10or so Christmas gifts and many charity donations plus things for me.
    I took advantage of an offer at my local chemist and they gave me a big tote bag worth $230)( full of goodies) .its my first offer like that in a long time. So I say a saving of $230for health and gifts. I am saving $100of this on my shopping day which will go into savings and my emergency fund.
    $100 will go into restocking my pantry and Christmas prep and $30for a self care treat.
    I honestly had the best outing on Thursday, I even received a free pot of tea$4.50saving as I had enough stamps on my coffee rewards loyalty card at our favourite bush pantry cafe.
    I had a lovely meal there on Thursday and it cost $12 for a huge plate of chicken parmigiana and chips and salad for $12 which is $15less than another place we go so $15 saving.
    I had $10discounts / rewards at Priceline so used that to buy 2 gifts for Christmas.
    I bought 10to 12gifts on Thursday plus as I mentioned multiple charity donations and I mean good things and useful items too. As well as self care gifts for me and some treats for family.
    It's been a great two weeks. I apologise for not commenting Annabel. Life has been tough but I am feeling a lot better with regards to my eye at least. I will take awhile to recover. It's a slow road.
    I received two bags full of craft goodies plus another lot a month ago, no two weeks ago. I estimate I have saved $300in craft items some of which church I use as gifts and donations.
    Yes $300, because some if what I received is worth $30each and I have been given 15items at least.
    I saved a lot in the last two to three weeks on transport as usual $150
    Meals $100
    Centacare services $300and gifts and charity $200 extra on top of what I have mentioned.
    So a grand total for two weeksof $1420in services, gifts etc as mentioned. That's conservative and for two weeks as I said.
    Live to your mum and the rest of your family Annabel.
    I am so sorry your mum is not good.
    Hugs to my fellow bluebirds. Love Barb W

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    1. Dear Barb, Thank you! Mum is getting a bit better but it is a very slow process.
      I have had the gift bag with purchase last year... it was a huge number of good products and so useful. Some I used some became gifts. I will watch out to see if one is around again as I would love to get it. Our Chemist did it. Also Priceline had something similar. I am going to Adelaide tomorrow so will look around.
      You had such a fun day on Thursday! That was so nice! A day like that does us the world of good!
      The craft goodies are amazing. You can even use them as craft kits for your nieces! Perfect!
      Well done on such great savings! I hope the new week will be really good. Thank you for sharing your week! With much love Annabel.xxx

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  3. It is good to hear that your Mum is home bit I am sorry she is suffering so much. I will pray for her. Lavender essential oil on the bottoms of her feet may be beneficial. I am so glad Harper did not have pneumonia. That is a lot for a little one to deal with.

    How wonderful to have all your belongings home and to be nearly done with your old house.

    We have enjoyed our second week at the lake. We got all the stocking stuffers bought and sorted into bags with the recipients name on it so it is finished. Somehow that is the hardest thing for me so now that I have it done I can relax just a bit. We had fun shopping together so it was also a fun little outing. Two more days and home we go. On Halloween we were checking out at the grocery store and I asked the employees where their costumes were. The lady bagging our groceries made a face and said she wears her scary Halloween face everyday, meaning I am ugly. I looked her right in the eye and said 'No, you are beautiful'. Honestly, I thought she was going to colapse and tears came to her eyes. How long had it been since anyone had said that to her? It has haunted me ever since. So, I want to tell all you ladies how beautiful you are. You are a kind and loving group and it is wonderful to come here and read your comments every week.

    Have a lovely weekend. :)

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    1. Dear Lana,
      I thought of the verse "pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and HEALING to the bones" how true this is. How kind you are.
      It is great you have organised the Christmas stockings! I am heading to Adelaide tomorrow to fill out forms to complete our sale. Then I am going to do the same... some Christmas shopping and organising. I am looking forward to it!
      I am glad you have had such a lovely time at the Lake house. Truly refreshing! Have a safe trip home and good week! With love and thanks, Annabel.xxx

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  4. Annabel, I'm so happy for you! I'm glad your mom is out of the hospital, but will keep her in my prayers for continued healing!

    Believe it or not, I'm going through the same thing that you just did with your houses! We found an old farm type house a little over an hour north of here where one of my daughter's live and put in an offer on it. Put our house up for sale within a day and a half of putting in the offer on the other house and have been doing all the paperwork, inspections and cleaning and de-cluttering that goes along with all of this. My daughter and son-in-law that live close to us NOW have done the same thing so we can all move close together! To say I'm stressed, sore, emotional is an understatement! IF you and the fellow bluebirds could keep us in your prayers, I would really appreciate it! We are praying constantly and wishing for HIS will to be done!

    God bless you and all our fellow bluebirds!
    Love and hugs, Holley

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    1. Dear Holley, Its an epidemic... there are quite a few of us on the move!
      I am so thrilled for you. Yes I know all the work! Paperwork, getting the house ready, packing, it never seems to end BUT eventually it all comes together. It all does pay off in the end. I have had to use the "do the next thing" policy as I honestly didnt know what to do next so I just did something!
      It is so similar to us... I have moved close to my daughter who just got married. My other daughter and family are moving closer in January! Can you believe that!
      I will pray. I really hope you will share the journey as I would love it! I wonder if God is moving so many of us to the country for a reason...
      It always pays to "listen" and act on it. Every single time.
      So happy for you! With love Annabel.xxx

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  5. I am glad your mum is back home. She'll heal far better there and be more rested too. However necessary hospital is, it is not a place to get rest! I cannot believe it's November. This year has flown by. John said we are busier than we've ever been and I chuckled and told him that is the trouble with being on the downside of the hill. You end having to pick up your pace to keep from tumbling down, lol.

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    1. Dear Terri, You are so right. Hostile has no day or night! Intensive care where Dad has been several times is so noisy! But the general ward is noisy too with action, commotion etc.
      This has been a big year for so many of us. November snuck up on me. We were pre occupied with the wedding!
      Yes finding a pace is key. Breaks are a key. I can do so much more if I stop for a break, cup of tea then off I go again. I have really learned this. I am amazed what can be done with pacing yourself.
      Have a good new week Terri! With love Annabel.xxx

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  6. Hi Annabel and everything looks beautiful your gardens, your baking and oh what beautiful quilts you got from Jacqui they must have taken hours to create :). So happy your home is settling earlier than you thought so you have the necessary funds ready to buy the needed things for your new home.

    Our Vicky challenge added up to $4673.94 - $6673.94 in savings last week :).

    Here is what we accomplished last week -

    Earnings -
    - DH earned $210 doing odd gardening jobs.
    - I earned $64.50 from the sale of dried thyme and English lavender picked from the gardensand a handmade 5 layer cotton eye mask eye mask.

    House purchase savings and finances -
    - Good news is the current owners of the property we are settling on in December have agreed to spray the fence lines, outdoor structures for termites and the outside house stumps and agreed also to spray the inside and outside of the home for pests, fix a leaking pipe under the home and replace a broken window and hire a surveyor to peg the property boundaries saving us between $4500 - $6500 if we had to do it ourselves. Fortunately the house has no termites and the owners agreed to this as we had it as a condition on our offer to purchase that we had to be happy with the building and pest inspection results for the sale to go through.
    - Saved another $20 on our roadside assistance membership by changing our 3rd party over to the same firm and the cost was the same as the previous 3rd party insurer we used to go with.

    Purchases -
    - We changed our third party insurer over to RACQ from our previous 3rd party insurer saving $20 per year on our roadside assist membership. It was the same price but just added extra savings to our budget.
    - Using a RACQ gift card we purchased 4 x 4pt surge protector power boards, some electric cord clips, 2 padlocks, 2 DVD's for a treat, USB to mini USB charging cable and 10 x 20 cm pots with saucers from BigW saving with our 5% off and specials $14 on usual prices.

    Groceries -
    - Did a small top up of dried baking goods using an discount e-voucher and taking advantage of specials saved another $44.94 off usual prices.

    In the kitchen -
    - Cooked all meals and bread from scratch.
    - Blanched and froze broad beans picked from the gardens making 14 more double meals for the freezer.

    Home organisation -
    - We have now packed half the house into labelled boxes and this week concentrated on packing our medical supplies and food storage leaving out what we will use until we move.
    - I damp dusted everything and DH vacuumed the rooms as we finished packing each room.

    In the gardens -
    - Weeded our sweet potato bed and put weeds in the bin.
    - Chopped up half of our dried broad bean plants ready which we trench composted today along with the broad bean shells to save on room in the bin. Our lovely neighbour also allowed us to fill the room up in his bin with weeds from the gardens after all the rain made them grow profusely.

    Hope everyone has had an equally good week :) .

    Sewingcreations15 (Lorna).

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    1. Dear Lorna, I am very pleased to be able to call you Lorna! thank you!
      Well yes the house settling early helps us wrap things up and get on with things we want to do. It is amazing!
      Holy cow! You had a huge Vicky challenge. With moving I had ally lost track of mine. It has been a lot though I know. I better recommence. Ok yours was so good!
      You were very smart with your "subject to" requests and they are important things. What a big saving there!
      You are doing great with your packing. Cleaning as you go also you will be ready to move and be so glad you did this! It ALL pays off later.
      I look forward to hearing about your new place so much! I was not sure the settlement time, if it was the usual 30 days?
      Have a great new week. Last week will be hard to beat though! With much love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Hi Annabel and you are most welcome re name :).

      I shall pop you an email with a sneak peak at the home from the listing that is still up.

      We put a 60 day settlement on the home and we settle on December the 10th as we were tied into a lease here until January 9th. That gave us time to move our belongings from here to the other property and tidy up here as well. Waiting to see if the owners of the rental here will allow us to end our lease early but either way we have the money set aside to pay the rent until then if need be. We have said to the real estate that the house will be ready for them to send people through on December 14th to rerent it.

      Just as well as it turned out we chose a 2 month settlement as the owners are having trouble getting tradespeople out to do the repairs.

      Sewingcreations15 (Lorna).

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  7. Give your mum our love Annabelle. I hope she heals soon. So good to know all has gone well for you with the sale of the house.

    By the way, that quilt is gorgeous!

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    1. Thank you! Mum was doing much better today. So I hope this continues. Jacqui quilts feel silky smooth and gorgeous. Something about the feel.... and the stitching is endless with hearts and things had stitched in embroidery thread... dreamy. Inspiring me... I need to get back to embroidery. Soon I hope I will have time and a routine... the house sale will help enormously! Thank you! xxx

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  8. Hello beautiful Annabel 🌺 What wonderful news your house has settled. It will make such a difference to have the funds to purchase all you need for the farm.
    So sorry to hear of your Mum's pain. A bulging disc is so painful and draining. I do hope she improves quickly. My hubby just had a hernia operation and to stop him lifting more than 5 kg for 6 weeks till healed is proving VERY difficult!! But he is mending well and I'm sure your Mum will improve if she follows instructions!
    Your gardens and roses are stunning. You certainly have a green thumb. That compost from the gutters is black gold. Your cakes as always love yummy. Great idea to add yoghurt instead of sour cream. Do you know if you can make sour cream from thickened cream? With just hubby and I now, the sour cream goes off before I can use it. I always have normal cream in the fridge and hoped I could utilise that.
    I loved the heart shaped enamel cake tin to make jam tart. Mine always have the jam leak out. I see from your pic that you bring the pastry up higher on the sides. I'll try that next time. I learn so much from you Annabel.Thankyou!
    We recently bought a small upright freezer second hand for $100, like new and now I hope to take advantage of food sales and my own baking. My tiny freezer in my fridge was sooooo small.
    The wedding quilt for Chloe is exquisite. Those colours, fabrics and pattern are precious. I'm sure it will be a cherished family heirloom.
    Like you Annabel, my hubby and I have our house on the market. We live on the coast
    in NSW and are moving out west to Coonabarabran, 6 hrs drive away, to live on the land. We want an old farmhouse- just like yours- and some land around us. It is still in terrible drought out there, but it has a beauty all its own. Can you help re packing! I have priced the cardboard moving boxes and they are so expensive. How did you manage this money drain?
    I can't wait for Show and Tell to come back, I'm needing inspiration for Xmas ideas. I will post a pic of two items I sewed for birthday gifts to give our fellow bluebirds ideas.
    Well lovely enjoy your wonderful, happy home and I can't wait to see pics of the inside now you are settling in with your belongings.
    Best and sincere good wishes,
    Lorraine
    PS I went to the pictures (movie theatre) this week for the first time ever on my own and I'm 61! I saw LADIES IN BLACK, an Aussie movie and absolutely loved it. Set in the 1950's and the fashions were so very elegant and beautiful. You would love it Annabel.
    It made me wish I had been born in that era xxx

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    1. Dear Lorraine,
      You are on such a similar path to us! It is so exciting. First of all I hope your house sells fast and you get a wonderful price. The country is amazing. OK we did not pay once cent for boxes. I had everyone save boxes and we asked the hardware store and several local stores and many squash endless boxes per day. Also ask anyone you know who just moved or is moving before you. Tell everyone to save boxes!
      I hope Show and Tell will be in a couple of weeks at the latest!
      With sour cream... I add a little lemon to milk if it is for cooking. If not cooking I use plain yoghurt as I always have that. A little lemon juice in cream with give the flavour but I think will curdle it. So ok in cooking.
      With the jam tarts like quiche etc think of making a swimming pool... no leaks! lol. Good old jam tart is still a treat with cream or ice-cream.
      Thank you re the wedding. I am amazed it is over after all the waiting and getting ready! We were so blessed with the whole day.
      Thank you for telling me about the movie. I would have loved the fifties I think too. I think of my Nans kitchen... I just loved how she had things and although I was born in the 60s her stuff was the same for many years. So I think I got a glimpse.
      I would love to see what you made so have your photos ready to send!
      When are you planning this move? Have you already picked out a place you wish to buy? And have you chosen Coonabarabran for a particular reason i.e. family or something? Sorry so many questions! I am very happy for you and hope you will share the whole journey!
      The freezer is a good investment. When moved this will be even more useful with land you will hopefully end up with garden, chooks etc plus need to stock up.
      I am setting up my furniture etc. I will try to get some photos as I am happy with things... loads to put away! After the week ahead I will have so much more time I think.
      Thanks so much for sharing what is going on in your life. You have such a wonderful adventure ahead! With love Annabel.xxx

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  9. Dearest Annabel
    Your roses are beautiful
    I can imagine that once the house sale goes through there won’t be so much travelling back and forth and hopefully time for you to enjoy your new home
    Thank you for such beautiful comments regarding the quilts, it’s such a pleasure to make and hand quilt these for such deserving friends
    Praying for a pain free recovery for your dear mum
    Love jacqui

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    1. Dear Jacqui, Mum is a constant creator like you. She has always shared so much with others, giving to people she has heard have had a baby and so on. My Nan had friends like this that made me things and I still have them all! Such goodness and kindness. People remember these things forever.
      Also I know Mum (and me too actually) pour ourselves into creating and it kind of alleviates stress and worry and helps you sleep etc. I saw a t shirt the other day that said "I knit so I dont kill people" lol
      I think Mum might agree with this at times haha!
      With much love Annabel.xxx

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  10. Hasn’t it all come together so well for you Annabel. Congratulations on a speedy sale and quick settlement. It must be so nice for you to be able to get all your bits and pieces home with you. Great to hear mum is home, she must have been in such bother to stay so long in hospital. Here’s hoping the pain diminishes daily. We signed our real estate agent on Friday. So about to go through it all - not looking forward to it. Want it all over and done with ASAP. Glad Harper is ok too, the littlies go downhill quickly, but bounce back just as quickly too. Have a great weekend. Fi xx

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    1. Dear Fi, I got a fright with Harper but she recovered so fast. Thankfully. Yes little kids go up and down hill fast!
      Fi I hope you have a quick sale and it is easy. I am excited you have signed! A lot of us are on the move I notice! Your place sounds amazing with location, setting, beautiful pantry etc it is going to be someones dream. then you can get on with yours being close to your Grandson!
      You need this!! I am so pleased for you! With much love Annabel.xxx

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  11. Annabel I am so sorry to hear about your Mum's back pain it can be so draining.

    I have some suggestions that may help a little with the pain she is experiencing which are -
    - A bath with Epsom Salt in it as it has magnesium in it that absorbs through the skin and stops the spasms that cause the muscles to tense up and give radiated pain.
    - Another thing that may help her is arnica cream rubbed on topically which also numbs the area and reduces swelling as well. We use this on DH and it works well.

    Give your Mum hugs from both of us and hugs to you to Annabel as no doubt it is difficult to watch your Mum in so much pain.

    Sewingcreations15.

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    1. Dear Lorna,
      We know about the magnesium and it is just wonderful stuff. I didnt think of Arnica (although I have arnica in homeopathic form too for swelling etc as Lana told me about that...) so I will tell Mum this! Thank you! With love Annabel.xxx

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  12. Your roses are just beautiful Annabel. I'm sure they smell divine. Darren picks a lovely pink rose for my bedside table and I go to sleep at night with it's amazing scent filling the air.

    Here are my frugal tasks for the week -

    * Baked four loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness. I used recycled bread bags to store them in the freezer.

    * Refilled the dishwashing liquid bottle and diluted it by 1/3.

    * Refilled all my herb and spice jars with bulk packets I purchased from Hindustan Imports in Dandenong. By doing this I save a small fortune each year. I also made a list of what I'm running low on so when I'm near the store next, I can buy the items

    * Gratefully received a few department store gift bags from a friend. This weekend I'll be redecorating them so they can be reused. I think it's been a few years since I bought wrapping paper for birthday presents.

    * Gratefully received lots of muffins leftover from Jessica's work. We had so many that I took some to a cleaning client's home for them to enjoy too.

    * Picked silverbeet, rosemary and a couple of bunches of roses to take to Megan's place when we went over for dinner. She really enjoyed the flowers which I arranged in a couple of jam jars.

    * Baked and sold lots of raspberry and white chocolate muffins to a long time cleaning client. She's also put in an order for mini quiches and chocolate muffins for next time.

    * Jessica did another declutter of her bedroom. I was able to take quite a few items to Savers and received a discount stamp. With that stamp I was able to purchase Christmas decorations and baby clothes for Megan at 15% off.

    * Saved the shower warm up water to pour into the washing machine. Saved water from our drink bottles into a bucket in the kitchen. This was used to soak saucepans and rinse out the sink.

    * Jessica and I ate from the freezer ( leftovers ) for dinner when Darren was out at night.

    * Picked a bunch of roses for Jessica's bedside table.

    * Replenished my dishwashing stockpile with bottles on a half price sale in Coles.

    * Picked lettuce from our garden to make a salad for dinner. I also picked silverbeet for three meals.

    There are some photos of the flowers I picked and other things I got up to on my blog https://myabundantlife07.blogspot.com/2018/11/this-weeks-frugal-tasks-saturday-3rd.html

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    1. Dear Wendy, You had a very productive week! It sounds like you appreciate the roses on the bed side table. I love this too. First thing I see in the morning! And I can smell them. It is a lovely thing to do for someone like Jessica, guests, or as a gift.
      We have a similar spice place... ours is called Giganni Bros. The prices are amazing. I can get a whole huge bag of any herb or spice for the price of one of those little supermarket bottles... and they smell incredible. Its really fun to go there too. I would encourage anyone not to buy herbs and spices in supermarkets... find a wholesaler of some kind, an Indian shop maybe and compare. Yes... incredible savings.
      The colour of your roses is dreamy! Thanks Wendy with love Annabel.xxx

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  13. Prayers for your mom. I hope she feels better soon. I am so excited for all you are getting to do. Starting over (in a sense) is always fun! Sausage roll? Can you share the recipe?
    xoxo Bobbi

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    1. Dear Bobbi, Thank you! You can google for a good recipe for sausage rolls and there are many. Try a Jamie Oliver recipe. You can also cheat which I often do and remove the skins from sausages, mix in a little grated carrot and then re form them into sausages... then wrap in puff pastry and bake. They are delicious! And easy!
      I think they are an English thing but big here! Every bakery has them and a best seller.
      With love Annabel.xxx

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  14. I am very, very happy for you. Your excitement is contagious!

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  15. I have a question. My gutter debris is full of asphalt shingle stuff. Ie oil based. Not good for compost. What are your shingles made of? Gail

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    1. Dear Gail, We have an iron roof. Some people have tiles. I have not heard of shingles with asphalt so it must be a locality thing. We also collect and drink rainwater from the roof... well now that it is clean! It is perfectly clear and lovely. Our roof goes across to the garage as well so it is a big area too and catches a huge amount of water. Now we just need new rainwater tanks!
      Hope that explains... with love Annabel.xxx

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  16. Annabel,
    Prayers for your mum as she recovers. I hope her pain is lessening. My mum is doing good, but wow all of the appointments! I know some don't like the hospital, but it is a little like a vacation for me if I have to go and stay. I even sleep through them drawing my blood haha!
    I used a $25 gift card from surveys to stock up on some cat food and had a $1 coupon off of cat food so added a bag of cat litter and only paid .26 for it. I found several marked down cans of soup and some marked down bakery donuts and got $30 worth of items for less than $10. CVS sent me $4 free to use so I stopped there during my one tank trip and got 2 bags of fun size chocolate bars and 2 full size chocolate bars for $1.99. The full size ones are going to be Christmas gifts. I have been using things up from the fridge and freezer and even 2 little pieces of celery haven't been wasted. I am on it! Although the well still isn't fixed I have a routine for collecting extra water when it rains hard enough or hauling in water from the neighbor's hose. The rain has refilled the rain tanks so we have plenty from those and I added more bottled water to add back to the pantry since we are still using it. I am so grateful I have been stocking it over the years. We have saved on heat by burning the free wood we get. I was gifted some pajamas I won't wear so I will be turning them into pretty dust cloths like last time. I love making them for some reason. Rick has saved hundreds on the parts we needed for the well and the few mower repair jobs he has gotten. I am going over the sales ads tomorrow and deciding the direction I will take for another one tank trip. I love coming home with the truck full of bargains.
    Your compost looks so good! I love when the compost is good it makes everything grow so well. And your garden and roses are just beautiful!
    XOXO
    Vicky

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    1. Dear Vicky,
      I love the one tank trip... I do that too and can incorporate many shops all in a loop type order.
      I also have felt hospital a mini vacation... except for being sick I didnt mind it!
      I love to make dusters from soft pretty fabrics! And hankies if really soft which pj material often is. Lovely! Not waste there!
      I hope you have a good week and water is back on this will make life so much easier. It is wonderful your Mum is doing so well! What an ordeal.
      With much love Annabel.xxx

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  17. Love reading your blog and progress. Do hope you have secured your future and block legally. Stops all worry and looks after retirement.

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    1. Dear Margaret, My family are farmers and we dont believe or practice retirement. But yes things are secure and the farm will also go from us to my daughter and her husband eventually so we are trying to keep the future secure as far down the track as we possibly can. I think thats important. I think of my Granddaughters in everything and future Grandchildren. We are long term planners! With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Thank You for allowing me to comment. I am an ex dairy farmer and aware of the struggles of paying bills, no holidays, droughts, floods, low prices and no retirement etc.
      However I am referring to changes in life due to in forseen circumstances such as sibling rivalry, divorce, bad health that needs a nursing home and down sizing closer to amenities. I am not trying to dampen your enthusiasm. Just plan as you have planned this stage in your life. Continue to love the change and inspire all of us to make the most of our change. Please read my blog " Margie In Miami " It is just a bit of trivia and fun for retirees or should I say late bloomers. Love your blog as it reminds me of days gone by when I was young.

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  18. Dear Annabel, I’m so happy for you and your new home 🏡
    That wedding quilt is beautiful and I know it must of been sewn with love.
    Our oldest granddaughter also came down with pneumonia and strep this week. The dr gave her a potent antibiotic and she got better fast and is good as new.
    Your baked good are beautiful as usual. I think if you wanted a job that you could have a very successful bakery.

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    1. Dear Rhonda, I am so glad your Grand daughter is ok. What a fright. How lucky we are with good health care.
      Thank you re the cooking. I am not a fancy cook at all but homey! If that is a word. I used to cook for a cafe when the girls were little. This gave me some extra cash. People will always want good food I guess! It sure is a money saver and stretcher as I know you cook a lot too!
      Many thanks, with love Annabel.xxx

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  19. Annabel, all those little extra touches you do to your baking and presentation of gifts, etc. inspire me so much! You are so talented. And Jacqui! The quilt is a work of art! Inspiration everywhere. This is my happy place.

    Annabel, I'm especially praying for your Mom. And am so glad to hear that Harper is on the mend.

    Looking forward to seeing more pictures of your new home and all your holiday preparations,
    Phyllis

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  20. Ohhhh, I would LOVE to know where you found that enamel heart shaped pan .... !! :) Your new place looks amazing. So happy for you!

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  21. Everything looks great. So happy for you all in your new adventure. My, have you accomplished allot in a short time.

    Blessings,
    Leslie

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  22. Love your new place - and roses - ahhh, so beautiful!
    Do you know where you found that lovely heart shaped dish? I love hearts and am always looking for dishes in that shape. Is it enamel? Please do share. :)

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    1. Hi Gigi... it isn't enamel but it looks it due to the colour scheme but its ceramic. I got two the same in a thrift store for 50c each. I have a large pink one also. I love hearts! I kind of collect them. I just watch for them all the time and they seem to turn up! xxx

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    2. Amazing!! I collect and love hearts, too! Beautiful find!

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  23. Picked up heavy duty removalist boxes via Gumtree for $1-2/box. I am moving and almost all my furniture etc will be in storage for several months. My small pot plant collection are holidaying/'lost' amongst my Mothers 500 or so pots until I settle again. Ruth

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    1. That is excellent! 500 pots! Oh wow! It will be wonderful when you are settled again! xxx

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  24. Dear Annabel,

    Hoping this finds both your Mum and little Harper doing much better! I am so glad for your house sale...timeliness makes the world of difference, and you will be so much cozier with your things about you. It will really and truly feel like home! Those sausage rolls are calling my name! And that quilt is just gorgeous. What an heirloom.

    We are still slowly cleaning out the garden. It has been very wet, so hard to get in there, but I do still have a few things that need to be harvested...more carrots, etc. I've also started my brain cells turning about Christmas gifts, so am making some good progress on that front. I definitely need to get in hand for next year, though!!! Monthly Christmas challenge 2019, here I come!!!

    Best wishes to you all.

    xx Jen in NS

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    1. Dear Jen,
      Both Mum and Harper are heaps better thank you!
      I just posted we will have show and tell... so take some photos. Your gifts are always just gorgeous. I still remember last years! Especially your Mums!
      I am going to fire up some 2019 challenges! This year has been an absolute marathon! With love Annabel.xxx

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  25. Hi Annabel,

    I hope your mother feels some relief soon and is quickly on the mend. It is good to hear that Harper is feeling better! Your roses are beautiful, especially that lavender one. Loved seeing the quilt and also your scrumptious jam tart - what a great idea!

    Hope you have a great day,
    Kathy

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    1. Dear Kathy,
      Thanks... Mum is doing much better. Our lavender roses have just gone mad! I will have to post another pic to show. You would never know they are only a few weeks old!
      When we were little we got the left over pastry to make something. I can remember making a little mouse which Mum baked! lol. So little bits can become something! Sorry I have taken long time to reply I got back from Adelaide yesterday! With love Annabel.xxx

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