The times that I've felt like cake decorating.....

I enjoy it, but I need to devote SO much more time to learning the skill....

It's time that I got back into this.....

Sio, been ages since I've last written in my blogspot.....seems life has been extremely busy and every changing.  Since January, we had 1 month on holidays, and since then constant house renovations.  The renovations are nearly complete....just some wardrobe doors and the vinyl to go in.  Oh, and two timber mantel pieces on the top of our wood channels.  Brielle turned 3 in August....and she now says Ï'm 3, I'll soon be 5 and go to big school".  Seems that is the next stage of life in her eyes and she questions us every day at least twice, Can I go to big school now?

Anyway, so here is a few pictures of the house now.  I'll probably post a few other blogs with different craft projects too.  So, here's to the blogging habit.....sooooo much better than wasting time on facebook!

Actually.....I won't post any pics until its all completed and the house is ACTUALLY how its meant to be (instead of things everywhere). 

Tassie's Try at Flooding...January 2011

I'm positive that QLD knows the feeling a lot better than we do, but during the start of the clean up of QLD floods, we received about 185ml's of rain over two days which in already wet soil was enough to cause some flooding.  Denzil (our neighbour) who has been on this farm (or his family have) for about 150 yrs have NEVER seen the creek like it.  A little creek which is normally perhaps 3m wide became about 50m wide.  They'd never seen it over the road.  He'd never had 100 bales of silage washed away and just disappear somewhere out to the middle of the Bass Strait.  Nor did he realise the cows could swim!  He had 4 cows, which had been watching the waters rise and we safely on dry ground who decided they would go for a swim into the rapids for about 10 minutes before turning around and going back!  Why not??  Humans do!!!
Anyway, here are some pics.  The creek would have to rise a good 5m more before it would come anywhere near the house, and there'd be house under on the other side of the creek before that happened!  So, no damage for us, just a few fences and a bit of a clean up.  And the water went as quickly as it came!  Up and down within a day!

Addictions....Gotta have em!

Well, I guess it's true!  If you're not addicted to one thing, then you're addicted to another!

Mine....well....they are varied....and I guess I've got four.  But these four are better to have than drugs, booze, and other common ones :)

#1

Chooks!  Notice the rooster in the back of the pic (see prev blogs).  He's moved in well and WE"RE YET TO HEAR A CROW!  Talk about lucky (me that is).  I can imagine I wouldn'tve heard the end of his addition if he was good .. or bad??... at crowing.  You see, mum liked chooks.  She always wanted to have her own poultry farm!  I must've got a bit of that...I have them sit on my lap, lay eggs in my hand (and no i don't follow them round with my hand under their backside either) but I must confess, I have tried to fix a chook with haemorrhoids!  Anyway, I MUST like chooks!

#2 Addiction....

I Gotta have it!  The caffeine fix every morning.  Well, twice!  I have one here, then I get another on my way to work @ Playfish.  This cute little coffee shop in the back streets of Devonport.  With mismatched tables and chairs, retro canvas' on the walls, jazz music playing.  He remembers your name and your coffee....makes it JUST how you like it!  The same people in there every morning and we all join in conversation together.  They're just like family now!  If you've been here to visit us, I would've taken you on a coffee run there!  MMM coffee!
#3 & #4

Okay, Clints addiction is mowing....but him and that little curly top on his lap are mine!  From the scars on his belly and arms, to his (can i say this) monobrow, his crooked grin, right down to the wedding band on his finger!  He's #3.  And that little wee body....those little "mumma's" that are called from her bed each morning, to the grotty fingerprints she leaves on the windows from pointing out to the cows.....the scar under her little nose to being greeted (this afternoon) with a "bottle, snuggle, and cuddles on couch with mumma" instead of a hello.....well she's my #4! 

I could be addicted to anything in the world....but I think Í'll stick with these ones.  There's really only one that could get me in trouble....thats coffee....I'd drink it until my heart popped.....but then again, I love until my heart bursts....

As for the haemorrhoidal (if thats a word) chook......apparently, i'm not a vet! :)  I'm sure you can guess the rest without me painting the WHOLE picture!

Till next time....

xx

"Fresh" ideas from the kitchen....

Hawaiian Slushy

In a saucepan, dissolve 1 cup of castor sugar with 1 cup of water.  Bring to boil, and simmer for 5-10 minutes until a little bit "syrupy".  Allow to cool.

Pulverize 1 whole pineapple.  Mix in 1 cup of passionfruit pulp (can also use tinned) and 1 x 245g tin of cocunut milk.   Add in syrup.  Pour into a shallow dish with lid, and freeze.  When nearly frozen, using a fork, scrape up the slushy.  Refreeze.  Leave sit on bench for about 10 minutes before serving.  MMM!!

The results of an afternoon in the kitchen with a crate of apricots, and 10 granny smith apples.  Stewed some apricots for a apricot crumble (and froze some for through the year), madeabout 20 bottles apricot jam, and 4 large bottles of stewed apple for Brielle's breakfast.  Oh, and 1 days picking of strawberries made a pot of strawberry jam too....They're pretty good too!


Oh, and by the way - I needn'tve worried about clints reaction for the arrival of a rooster to our chookpen...but lets just say - I better not try it again too soon.....(see prev blog).

Well....Lifes Journey so far...

Our humble abode....we bought this place when we moved back to tassie (second time around) in 2007.  It was just Clint and I, Rusty, Rambo & Topaz (my three dogs), GT (cat) and Zac (bird).  It's changed a bit since then.  Brielle came along.  GT, Rusty and Zac have died.  We've had 5 lambs since then, and 4 cows (two which we bred).  And we have also got another cat Patch.  Along with a bunch of chooks....and a rooster which only arrived today (which clint doesn't know about just yet - i'll wait till her hears him crow).  So that's it - the pic was taken last week just as the water started to subside.  It would've had to rise another 5 metres at least before it really affected us - but i've still got some fencing to replace and lots of debris to pull off the fence. 

Workwise, I'm currently working at Purple House Natural Therapies (http://www.purplehousenaturaltherapies.com.au/) so check it out and let me know if you want some help on some health issues (physical or emotional) and i'll see what info/advice I can track down.  Well, i'm there 4 days a week, so the other day is a "me day".  Be it - usually filled with housework, grocery shopping, gardening, washing etc but occasionally I get to do some craft.  Leading on to....

My latest projects - some of you may've seen the "pass it forward" that was making its way around on facebook.  The first 5 people to comment on the status were to receive something handmade from that person during 2011.  So, my first off the hook was my sister Ains.  This is what I made her....

I'm still yet to post it yet.  My project prior to this was a chair and footstool for clint for christmas, reupholstered in recycled denim.  Pretty happy with how that turned out too.  My last sewing episodes were really a skirt for both me and brielle, then altered a few old ones of mine which were no longer a good fit, so I added some embellishments etc to them too.  Scrapbooking, well, really the last i've done with scrapbooking was prior to brielle coming along so quite out of touch there.  Once our house extensions are complete, I plan on starting our monthly craft evenings again.  (Fingers crossed).  Anyway, I better attach this chair pic, and then be off and organise my scrapbooking desk (it got moved when the sewing was full on).  Got the new CD player for my craft room (1/8 of clints shed) so now that'll keep me entertained while I get busy....trying to think of a story for clint on how this rooster ever found his way here.....HELP!!! :)  (the things I do for babies)

Enjoy it....next time i'll post with a picture of my craft room....where it all happens....oh - and something "fresh" for Leigh (champion)....

Till next time.....keep ya chin up
Lissa