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 27 December 2019

Feather your Nest Friday. 27 December, 2019.

I am so late posting as I have had no internet all day.   So first of all I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.   We were really blessed with a beautiful family day and I loved it.  I appreciated every moment.  It was a lovely day with time spent with family and all the work on gifts during the year paid off!

It seems a long time since last Friday!  It is very hard to know where to start because right now we have a fire north of us.   The whole week has had the worry of fires.  There has been a distant one in a national park all week and today it escaped and is causing a lot of worry.  I can see there are bombers there and fire units... Luke is there fighting it ( and so is Dad I just found out.) We can see and smell smoke.  So I feel unsettled...
On Thursday morning we woke up to see the whole landscape was smoke.  It was like being in a thick blanket of fog... but it was smoke.  This was from the same fire but then it was contained...

I will try to concentrate on the ways I managed to build up my home this week:

The first was I had a ten kilo box of Apricots. They were just beautiful.  Many were soft and needed to be used right away.  I made those into jam.  As I handled each apricot I sat aside the best ones.  Some went into the fridge to eat fresh and the rest went into jars for my very first canning attempt.

I had purchased a Ball starter kit which was only about $30.  This is just to use your own stock pot and it is an easy way to start and cheap!  I studied all the directions and decided to make a light syrup for my apricots.  Well, I just followed the steps and ta dah!  It worked!


At the end of the day this was just like soap making.  I wasted years thinking it was difficult when it is easy.   So thank you everyone who encouraged me!  Now I can save sooo much freezer space!  


So I am excited and ready for the fruit to come in over January and February!


On Monday evening we had a Christmas dinner on the deck and invited out neighbour,  Chloe and Luke.  It was so nice.   I kept it very simple and it was relaxed and happy.


My neighbour walked through the kitchen and commented on the canned apricots.  She admired them and said how she used to can and has so many bottles and supplies, perhaps I would like them?
This would be an understatement, obviously!

On Boxing Day I went outside to water the veggie garden in the morning and this is what I found near the back door..



The canner has a full instruction book and recipes...  
Beautiful tall and wide mouth jars... 
I was just so thrilled.  But it didn't stop there.  It turned out this was just the beginning and my neighbour has been back twice since with boxes and boxes of jars in different shapes and sizes.  
The dish washer is on as we speak with another load going through. 
Since I felt the prompted to begin canning I have found that letting everyone know has seen so many jars come my way.  Now I believe the fruit will come my way too!

I recently bought a little cabinet for $15 from my local Buy, Swap and Sell on Facebook.   While it was hot I painted it up as an indoor project. 

It is a nice little solid wood cabinet.


I used a decal and knobs I had left over from other projects and paint left over from the house...


The drawer is going to be for storing seeds and the shelves for other gardening things.   It fits the space I had wanted it for just nicely.
I have a little table to do next and as it is hot over the weekend that might be another job I can do inside quietly.

It is getting late now.  Dad is home and ok and Luke is on his way home.  The fire is sort of contained they say.   This is the first fire that I have really felt seriously worried about.  If everyone is safe and sound I might have some hope of sleeping tonight.
So much of Australia is burning.  We have lived through some shocking fires but I don't remember fires going on and on for weeks as they have this year.   

I hope you had a beautiful Christmas.  How did you build up your home and family?  

The next few days are my absolute favourite time of year.  I always feel very reflective and think over the year that we have had.  It was a really big year!   Actually it was massive!   Over the weekend I  am getting out my brand new planner and the financial planner from The Cheapskates Club.   I do well with goals, lists and plans!   The thought of the opportunity to start a fresh new year is very exciting to me!  And we are starting a fresh new decade too!   But first lets count all our blessings and how far we came this year.  

So this week there are two questions... how was your Christmas and week?
And what were your achievements this year that helped build up your home?   We always look week by week.  But looking over the year as a whole is really another thing!  It is hard to do as we forget so much!   But goodness a lot can happen in one year!  I hope there are many ways that you were able to get ahead and many things you learned along the way! xxx









37 comments:

  1. Congrats on your first canning session!!!! How wonderful to get all those supplies for FREE. What a nice neighbor.
    Glad you had a nice Christmas.
    Prayers for yours and your families safety. Praying the fires end and rain comes.
    Blessings

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    1. Dear Cheryl,
      Thank you. We had a good nights sleep but the fires go on today. We are watching and waiting. I am washing jars every day! They are beautiful jars so thick and I feel so blessed! With love Annabel.xxx

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  2. Annabelle, I am praying for Australia and for you and your family in particular! I heard your country is in for a terrible heat wave and that is surely not what you need. How do you prepare for the possibility of a fire??? On another note, this is also my favorite time of the year. New beginnings! I'm working on all my lists and trying to get better organized. You have been such an inspiration to many of us and I thank you for your dedication and hard work. I think we don't realize our accomplishments over a year's time until we take time to look back at what we did. The Tuesday Afternoon Club has been a big help with that. Just looking forward to sharing in the future and wishing everyone a BLESSED NEW YEAR!

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    1. Dear Pam,
      Thanks Pam. Australia is in a pretty bad way just now. (Trough and fires) We spent a whole year preparing for fires. This involved extending our lawn area, extensive clearing of trees and undergrowth ... we had almost 100 bon fires along the way. Removed two giant trees near us. Installed overhead sprinkler system on our room... I could go on and on. We have a generator and back up generator. All this is just necessary but in extreme conditions you never know if it is enough. Pam I totally agree with you that we dont realise our accomplishments over a year until we sit back and look over it. To see how far we came is a great feeling!
      Thank you for your kind words! I love the possibility of new beginnings and turning over a fresh new page in a new diary. I am really looking forward to 2020! You have a very Happy new Year too! With love Annabel.xxx

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  3. Having that fire so close would be very worrisome, Annabel. I hope you and your home will remain safe in days to come.Xx Such lovely generosity from your neighbour. I'm sure you'll put all those jars to good use! I love what you have done with the little cabinet you bought, it looks lovely!

    Our Christmas was wonderful. We had a big and happy family lunch at our place with lots of homemade food and goodies. We are still eating the leftovers! It's so nice when everyone is together.

    Looking back over the year, I am most pleased with how I have built up my stockpile and that I actually did an inventory of it so I know exactly what we have and how much of each item we have. I'll keep adding to it next year.

    I wish you a very happy beginning to the new year and new decade. MegXx


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    1. Dear Meg, Your Christmas sounds lovely and I love the left overs and no cooking for a few days!
      Building up your stockpile and having an inventory is a real achievement! Well done. I need to do the inventory. I really built up the stockpile plus in different areas i.e. I now have animal supplies. I also want to continue on this.
      Have a very Happy New Year. With love, Annabel.xxx

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  4. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year (soon)! I have been striving to keep the holiday week calm and relaxing. What a spectacular gift of your neighbor! Glad you are enjoying the canning. I used to can, but after a few seasons of needing to empty the jars and clean them as we didn't use up the food, I gave it up for other interests. But there is something about canning that gives one such a feeling of accomplishment! I am so glad I have that skill in my wheelhouse. Your cabinet turned out wonderful!! I am on the lookout for a taller cabinet to use as a bedside table.

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    1. Thank you and Happy New Year to you too. I will be sharing my produce with family and just asking for the jars back afterwards. One of my missions is food security for my daughters and their families apart from us of course. Food is becoming very expensive here. You are right, these things are very good skills to have. I am having luck with social media buy swap and sell sites. So many bargains so I hope you find your bedside cabinet.
      With love, Annabel.xxx

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  5. I am praying for safety and rain to put out the fires. I asked God to put a firebreak around your family property. I am so thankful to hear that the men are safe! That big canner is gorgeous! I love that you have been supplied and can put up your fruit now. It is so lovely to just be able to open a jar of wonderful fruit for meals not to mention all those beautiful filled jars.

    We had a lovely time with the ones of our kids who could be here but especially our two year old grandson. He is talking so well and is so, so sweet. Others in on our family who are far away had a lovely Christmas too for what is likely Dad's last one.

    We packed leftovers away into the freezer for other days. I still have ham to freeze but will finish that today. I found a great deal on an electric shaver for my husband, as in regular $129 and I paid $25, to add to the pantry for when it is needed. Deals are never available on items like this when you need them.

    You know that for over 4 years we have looked for a house and tried to move and the door has remained closed. We finally know why. God has work for us to do here in the neighborhood and He has shown us what so now we can have peace and also have great new friends. We look forward to 2020 and what it holds for us. Indeed we have been blessed beyond measure in 2019.

    Happy New Year! Much love, Lana

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    1. Dear Lana,
      Thank you so much for the prayer. The fire is still going today and bad but still some distance from us.
      I am glad you had a lovely Christmas!
      Since reading Laines Letters years ago I also keep a spare, put away a replacement when you find one at a great deal. Like you say there is never a good deal when you are needing to replace something.
      I am looking forward to 2020 also... have a very Happy New year. I am glad you feel it is right to stay where you are. With love, Annabel.xxx

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  6. So glad your menfolk are home from the fires. It must be such a worry to have them there. Your peaches look lovely Annabelle. I hope you get a lot of success from your canning. My husband does ours -and enjoys it too!

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    1. Dear Earthmotherwithin,
      It is great your husband does the canning! I am ready now for whatever fruit comes my way. The fires are bad again today. I wish Dad would not go her is 83 for Petes sake but there is no stopping him. A very Happy New Year to you both! With love Annabel.xxx


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  7. Hello Annabel,yes the fires have been very concerning, particularly if family are involved in the fire fighting side of things. Your canned produce looks fabulous. I have canned for the past few years. This week I'm only eating it fresh and stewing for the freezer! I usually pack mine with one more layer, so the jar is full.When we go to Adelaide (800kms away) I buy up on flour in bulk, and nuts for baking and oil for cooking. Also got some cheap things from a Japanese store named Daiso. Your transformation of the little cupboard is just lovely Annabel! Where do you buy the ornamental pieces from? We enjoyed our Christmas and caught up with lots of family I haven't seen for over a year, so very nice. Love being back home and sleeping in my own bed!Wishing you the very best for your planning and the year ahead. Love your blog, kind regards Robyne Ceduna S.A

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    1. Dear Robyne,
      I love Daiso! I have only been a couple times but they are amazing! Ok the ornamental carvings you can get in plastic, latex/rubber type stuff, wood... usually I find them on Etsy. Search decorative wooden mouldings and decals. You can make them if you have a mould and I have seen them done with plastic of paris and a icing tool. They are so effective and simple. You can get the right shape, size and design for anything like scrolls and bows and even do up simple frames.
      I am glad you had a lovely Christmas! Happy New Year and I hope 2020 sees a lot of fresh produce come your way to can! With love Annabel.xxx

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  8. Dear Annabel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    You are making your pantry even more beautiful! Your bottled apricots, and seed cupboard, are adding real value to your industrious home!

    The value of my calendar year has been in the building of a life of trusting our Great Shepherd. He has been my help in so many ways, and in ways deeper than I could have imagined.

    I continue all in His hands,
    Rachel

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    1. Dear Rachel, Thank you! I like the thought of having an industrious home!
      This year we will all need to draw closer to God and to listen well I think. I hope 2020 is a good year for you. With much love, Annabel.xxx

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  9. I'm so sorry for the worry and fears that these fires are causing. I hope that they soon end! Congratulations on the newly canned apricots and on the supplies that poured in for future use. That is just awesome!

    Our Christmas was okay. It ended being just John and I after all and most of the family was out of sorts one way and another so I think it's best we were alone, lol. This is not typical of my family but seemed to be the order of that day.

    This past year my goals were not all met by any means. We did a LOT though with the money I'd meant to save. For one thing we had a new foundation put on our mobile home and redid our front porch. The foundation has saved us loads in heating and air conditioning costs, far more than I'd realized and we've almost saved the cost of getting the work done in 7 months time. I managed one new flower bed build last summer despite being super busy. I started breaking up that soil today and will add some homemade compost to it when I get done with that task. I made English muffins, bagels and fruitcake this year for the first time ever. They all have come out just fine and it fills me with confidence to try the next new thing. This coming year will see us in retirement and that will be a whole new adventure.
    Merry Christmas Annabel and a very happy New Year full of blessings and good things ahead!

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    1. Dear Terri,
      Getting the new foundation done sounds like a really good investment. You did a lot for 2019. It is wonderful you feel confident now to go on and try new things. I hope you have a very Happy New Year and 2020 holds many good things, with much love Annabel.xxx

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  10. What a blessing you received from your neighbor!!! A man who used to work for my husband grew tomatillas one year, I made relish with it and gave him a few jars of it as a thank you - he loved that and kept growing them for me so he could have more relish! Worked out well! I am looking forward to seeing every canning jar employed, filled with the fruits of your labor, and glowing like a stained glass window on your shelves!!

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    1. Dear Farm Quilter, If anyone gives me fruit or if I ask to pick from a tree that is clearly being wasted, I always return with a pie or jam or something. Most of the time this means I get invited back next year! I have made many friends this way too!
      I love your description! I often just admire the colour in the jars and the beauty! Nothing is more beautiful than a line of canned goods lined up on a shelf! Thank you so much! With love Annabel.xxx

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  11. I'm loving the little cabinet for your seeds. What a wonderful way to turn an ugly cabinet into something beautiful. Your lovely cabinet has reminded me I need to sort my seeds out.
    We had a lovely Christmas lunch with Katie and Jared. the afternoon was spent in the wading pool and having a nap in the recliner. I have put my gift from Bluey, an electric water bathing kit, to use this week and have added a few bottle fruits to my preserves cupboard.
    Last January I made enough soap to last us the whole year. I have been making a few batches of soap and hope to have a years worth of soap made in the next few days.
    A gift has been made for the DIL for her Birthday early in the New Year. I will get this posted on Monday.
    It's been a busy week. I need to let my body and mind know that it is OK to slow down and sleep is healthy. One day it will happen.
    Life is busy good.

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    1. Dear Jane,
      Your Christmas Day sounds lovely and your gift from Bluey just perfect!
      You didnt waste anytime getting back to work after Christmas! Yes it is ok to take a break... but sometimes when we are in the mood it is good to create. Maybe you will have a rest now it is the new year almost! Happy New Year to you both! With love Annabel.xxx

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  12. Wow how wonderful are your canned apricots and well done on succeeding on your very first attempt :) . I have started by buying a Ball preserving book and will work on the other equipment next year. Glad you are currently safe from the fires and your cabinet looks adorable with the decal and new paint job.

    What a great ride it has been for both of us moving into new homes in about the last year :) and so much accomplished.

    Our Vicky challenge added up to $571.80 in savings last week :).

    Finances and listings -
    - Listed 15 items on an eBay free listing promotion saving $24.75 on usual prices.

    Purchases -
    - Ordered a Wish e-gift card for groceries saving 5% or $10.53 on usual prices.
    - Purchased a 1.802kg leg of premium pork on markdown for $5.99 kg saving $10.81 on usual prices.
    - From Woolworths on reduced prices we picked up a 2.66kg whole Steggles chicken for $6.16, 400 g packet of chicken schnitzel for $3.30 & a 700g packet of stuffed pizza chicken breasts for $5.79 saving in total $14.41 on usual prices.
    - Got a free 450g packet of garlic bread for being a supermarket tester saving $1.90 over buying it.
    - From 1GA we purchased a 1.9kg lamb leg roast, and a leg of ham for $6.99 kg saving in total $14.90 on usual prices.
    - From IGA we purchased a 4lt Peters ice- cream on half price special saving $5 on usual prices.
    - Bought from Betta Home Living 1 x 3.5KW and 1 x 8KW air conditioners for the home and as they had a price match guarantee I wrangled the price down saving $188.
    - Bought Betta Home Living e-gift cards from RACQ and saved a further 5% or $273.50 on the air conditioners price and electricians installation prices.

    In the kitchen -
    - Cooked meals and bread from scratch.

    In the gardens -
    - Picked 4 bunches of silverbeet and 1.5 kg of turnips from the gardens saving $28 over purchasing them. We blanched and froze them for advanced meals for the freezer.
    - Weeded one garden bed and transplanted lettuce seedlings growing too close together.

    Water preservation-
    - Used all shower warm up water to fill up drink bottles for cleaning or washing hands.
    - Poured bucket hand washing water on shrubs around the outside of the home.
    - Saved cleanish dish rinsing water to water potted plants or herbs.
    - Watered ornamental flower gardens and potted fruit trees with saved grey water from the washing machine.
    - Used grey water pumped from the grey water tank to water fruit and berry trees.
    - Used saved rainwater that dripped off our tank stand shed to water potted fruit trees and fill up kangaroo/wallaby drinking water.

    Have a fantastic week ahead and happy New Year to everyone and hope it is a great one for everyone :).

    Sewingcreations15 (Lorna).

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    1. Dear Lorna,
      The Ball preserving book is meant to be the Bible of canning from what I am hearing. So a good investment. The Ball website is really good too.
      So it sounds like you will share this journey in 2020! It will be wonderful for you with all your produce! Put the word out as I did too as so many people have a canner and jars in the shed. They are just looking for a good home! :)
      I am happy about the air conditioner. It will make life so much easier in the heat. And less exhausting. And better sleep.
      This is the weather for ice cream. Now I feel like some reading this!
      You had massive savings this week.
      Lorna yes we both have been setting up new homesteads. We both came so far. It has been amazing. I have been thinking over and listing all we did. I am so grateful. Now for 2020! I am sure you have many new goals as we do! Have a very Happy New Year! With love Annabel.xxx

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  13. Hi Annabelle! Greetings from Tennessee, USA! It is always a blessing to read about your accomplishments and the animals. But the fires!! What a worry! I am praying for your and your family's safety, well, everyone in Australia really. I can only imagine how much you must worry about your Dad. But I understand his need to participate.

    Someday if you have time would you explain the canning you have done with the saran wrap tops? I'm a bit fascinated with that and have no idea how you do it and how it lasts!

    I'm sure we are all saying prayers for your safety and well being!

    janet

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    1. Dear Janet, Thank you so much. Well we had a fire right near us and had to evacuate! So thank you for praying as we still have a house!
      It is really funny how we all grow up doing things certain ways and just think this is what everyone else does. It wasnt until I made US friends that I discovered in the US it is usual to can jam. In UK I think largely no one cans it and certainly that would be more unusual here. I do jam as my Nans and most people around here do. So the jars are sterilised. They are hot in the oven. The jam is brought to set point and poured it the hot jars. They are sealed with just cellophane tops and rubber bands. Now some people used to use a liquid beeswax top but I have never done this. They then go in the pantry. Usually they last years. And that is it! That is our normal. Same usually with relish and pickles. Only those probably usually go into the fridge. So now I am learning to actually can I still wont bother with jam since it keeps perfectly anyway but I will with fresh fruit in syrup and I wish to do things like apple jelly, mint jelly...
      Thank you again for your prayers as I think we had a miracle here. Have a very Happy New Year! With love Annabel.xxx

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  14. Dear Annabel, I am praying for you and everyone effected by the fires at this time. It is scary. We visited my parents before Christmas, my Dad had all his fire fighting equipment ready. We had a lovely Christmas Day and have spent the week catching up with family in between normal duties such as laundry. Congratulations on your first preserves. I have been picking apricots too and will be making jam out of most of these ones. As the year and Decade turns over I wish you and your family and also fellow Bluebirds a safe, happy, industrious 2020. Love Clare

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    1. Dear Clare, Thank you for your prayers. We got through some very bad days.
      I am so glad you had such a nice Christmas!
      How fantastic to have apricots! I made jam last week and it is beautiful. I hope you have a very Happy New Year! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  15. 2019 was good to us. Unlike Australia, our fire season was far below the usual-we were Blessed by this!

    Although our garden started very late and frost was 5 weeks early, we successfully put up: 36 pints of salsa, 9 half pints of tomato paste (my first try), 48 quarts of ratatouille into the freezer, 19 half pints of blackberry jam, 3 gallons of blackberries in the freezer, and a smattering of greens were blanched/frozen. We have 3 dozen winter squash that we are slowly baking/eating.

    I've been preparing meals based on what is oldest in the freezer so our food costs are remaining fairly low. Leftovers are gone at this point and it's time to start on the winter storage foods.

    A belated Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!

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    1. Dear Elle,
      I am so glad 2019 was good for you. Also you did so well with your garden. I know some ladies who are very god gardeners struggled to get anything like a normal harvest. So you did wonderfully.
      I love that you are menu planing this way. It makes total sense. But many menu plan according to what everyone feels like. Very expensive.
      Have a wonderful New Year! With love Annabel.xxx

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  16. Enjoying reading everyones posts. My Dad and yours would be good buddies. Mine had his 81st Birthday Christmas Day. He still works with the volunteer fire department. He’s the mechanic in charge of the trucks too. This time of year he is in charge of the snowmobile trail repair and maintenance and keeps the trail groomer repaired.
    Wishing for rain in your future to alleviate your fire risk. You certainly have made great efforts to keep your property safe. Merry Christmas/ Happy New Year.
    Sheila - Michigan USA

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    1. Dear Sheila, Your Dad sounds just wonderful! Good for him too. Still helping the community!
      Our efforts to keep the property safe were surely tested. A big fire broke out right near us. But we are still here! Have a very Happy New Year! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  17. Annabel, the apricot jam looks divine and I'm so excited for you that you also canned apricots! Well done! More freezer space and pretty new rows of glass jars filled with delicious fruit! And what a blessing from your neighbor. Now you have plenty of jars! Ohh, and I love the pretty white cabinet you painted and prettied up. Very resourceful! What a good week you had. Bravo!!

    My week was filled with family and friends (I hosted Christmas again), lots of cooking, lots of gifts, more card making, and baking and sharing a giant fruitcake with cream cheese frosting. It's a recipe I've made for decades (my late Dad's favorite cake) and I make it healthy (with extra fiber, plenty of fruit, walnuts, eggs, some almond flour, milk--among other ingredients) so I had a piece of cake for breakfast the morning after Christmas. Yum!

    This year I maintained my home, cooked, baked, worked outside the home for income, saved some towards retirement, shopped my closet to stretch my clothing budget (it was so fun taking "selfies" in front of a full length mirror of some of my outfits; it was my own fashion show and saved me so much time and money in the clothes shopping I didn't have to do...I did have to buy some things, but not near as much as in previous years) made dozens of cards, shopped carefully for gifts, took care of various family members during their ill health, and sewed a few baby quilts for new little ones among family and friends. I totally lost track of my Vicky challenge totals as the year went along, but I still know I saved my family a TON of money by the work I did. Hope all Bluebirds have a blessed 2020!

    Annabel, I hope you post some more about goals, your planner (sadly I can't order a Cheapskates one as I do not live in Australia), etc. as I always enjoy your posts! Take care! With love, Teresa

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  18. Your fires are now a part of nearly every newscast here now. I saw a map on the news on TV and realized that I have no idea where you are in Australia. I would love to have you give me a general idea of where you are on the map if you feel comfortable posting that here.

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  19. I read your post on IG! So scary!! Praying the fires ease up, and that you get the needed rain!!!

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  20. Dear Annabel,

    You made a plain looking cupboard look absolutely stunning! I need to try this!

    So sorry to hear about the fires near you and your family. I had been wondering as I listened to the updates on the radio today. So glad that your home and animals are all okay. I cant imagine how scary it must have been for you. So many others have not been so lucky all around our beautiful country. Praying for the ones whose homes and lives were lost and also for some rain to put out those fires!

    You have had a great start with your preserving! Well done you! What a beautiful gift from your neighbour. We had a Fowler's unit and heaps of jars given to us a while back, but we didn't need it so paid it forward to a friend. She is having a great time using it! We mostly use the size 31 jars (hope I have that right) with the wide brim mouth, so much easier to clean as your hand fits in them.

    Wishing you a wonderful New Year filled with happiness and many blessings.

    Lots of love,
    Tania xxx

    ps I have given my One Contented Homebody blog a makeover and I hope to post there regularly this coming year :)

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  21. Happy 2020 dear Annabel, I'm relieved to hear your dad and Luke are ok. Two hours south of Sydney it's like a war zone. Praise God I didn't take a holiday there as planned. The Navy has been called in, people are stuck without water, power, or basic tinned food. Petrol lines at the fuel station hours long. Tourists are being told to get out and get out now, residents are being told to also get out and relocate to show grounds to tents. How do you prepare ? Bottled water for several weeks, tinned foods, and cash as most of the petrol stations are only taking that as power had been cut. I would say emergency medications , nappies for those with babies, formula also if you have a child. All these basics is what people are spending up to five hours for at Woolies Batemans bay. I would highly suggest p92 masks with a filter (which even I have got since we have worse air quality in Sydney even worse than China and my asthma is very bad) . You get those at the hardware store. It's all very in nerving. I believe we are living in end times. Pray for rain which as a nation we do desperately need !! The worst drought in 50 years as you know. People here in the city think it won't affect them, but with my sister in the country meat prices are through the roof, and only time before wheat, milk, and eggs will go up too. All we can do is prepare prepare prepare.
    I'm so thankful we live in a nation where all come together to help each other out at such a dreadful time.
    Now, as far as your canning goes, how wonderful ,,! Just like Nana used to make. Beautiful and creative. Can you please add a area to your website about recipes ? You are a wonderful home maker don't let anyone tell you otherwise. With love from Sydney, Sonia.
    P.s please all keep safe, I will be praying for you.

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