Feather Your Nest Friday, 6th November, 2020.

 The day is almost over and I am finally sitting down to review the week.   It was a good one!  

Mum and I travelled to see my daughter and family and it was a beautiful day.  The farm they live on has many old fruit trees.  The girls and I went walking with a basket to see what we could find.  We found a lot of lemons but not ripe yet.   I am teaching them things each time so we talked about when to pick fruit and when to leave it.   We found Mandarines that are going to be ready soon as well...

It was just a good day!  To see how the baby has grown, the country side looks lovely,  catching up with everyone ..  a happy day.

Nearer to home new baby Thomas is going well.  This week I took some meals and baked a big cake so this could be sliced up for work lunches and eaten as a desert. 

I made a big impossible pie...

And a double size banana cake.

I met my friend Wendy and she gave me some lovely big jars for my pantry.   That was also a very nice day!  I also checked the local op shop and found beautiful little boys clothes... farmer style.  My daughter loves the brand Country Road (the Aussie ladies will know) and I found five little pairs of jeans all Country Road and little overalls and pants from Pumpkin Patch brand as well.  The grand total for them all was $6.  I washed them all up ready for distribution.  I taught the girls to keep boxes marked with sizes ahead of what baby is wearing now.  So a box for 00, 1, 18 months,  2 and so on.  And to stash things away in the right group!  When you need to go up a size grab the next box.   So I know when I buy ahead the clothes will appear when needed.   I also found a little remote control John Deere tractor.  Thomas will have to like John Deere whether he wants to or not as his Dad is crazy on tractors.  So I grabbed that too! 

These kind of days are so nice.  I think I appreciate them more now than ever.  Several friends are in the UK and just going back into a months lockdown.  Another friend has just come out of a lockdown and has some freedom to go more than 5 kilometres.   Someone else I know was sick this week and suddenly it seemed that they might need to isolate for 14 days.  Life has changed!  We need to be ready that if this happens we are set up with everything we need to get through it.  I had my own fourteen days quarantine at one stage and this tested me out...   good supplies and meals in the freezer came into their own.  

If tomorrow you are told to stay home for two weeks or a month do you have everything you need?  We have to work on this!

I was able to get back into my sewing room.  After weeks of re arranging cupboards and having some shelves added I have it organised.  I was looking around thinking what to do next when I noticed the cows out the window.   This is the view when I am sewing...

I even love the old shed and the stone chimney.  

This week we had really mild weather.  I carted compost to improve my veggie patch. I did a couple of wheel barrows a day.  I planted strawberries, beans, cucumbers and some rock melons.  This is the weather to get things done!!  Later when it is hot it slows me down on the work outside. 

With beautiful Spring weather we have so many birds.  At dusk the birds are practically deafening. 

If you turn up your sound this is out the front of the house of an evening...

When it actually gets dark they all knock it off so at least we can sleep! 

I have been thinking a lot about peace and contentment.  The world doesn't want us to be content.  SURELY we would rather be somewhere having our photos taken in front of some large thing.  SURELY was must be bored senseless at home?  But I am soo happy to be home or to be out in the garden.   It is beautiful!  There is so much to do.  

Everyone is talking about stress, mental health,  volatility,  anger,  worry...    At times even as I have been in the supermarket there has been a feeling ... a sense that everyone is fed up or anxious.   I think wherever we are this is prevalent. The US the virus and elections, the UK in many lockdowns and here we have also had a lot to deal with.  Everyone is stressed!     So your home, your garden, handiwork, sewing, books., writing, baking, preserving... whatever you are busy with and that you enjoy... if possible do these things.   There is so much madness and many things I think are pure evil.  This is scary and confronting.  There are things that upset me so much!    The media is not necessarily truthful and much of ours is more social engineering than actual news.    We really need to go back to basics.   Jesus is still King. We need to take care of our families and put on the whole armour of God.  I mean, in times of battle you need your armor!   

We need to keep our minds positive.  

Philippians 4:8

... whatever us true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. 

And we need to encourage others to think of these things especially the children. They hear and see so much!  They pick up everything!  

We need to look after our health.  We need to be extra kind and helpful.

There is a lot we can do.  We can make a big difference.  Be watchful, be prudent and look well to the ways of your household!   Be encouraged!

How did you build up your household, pantry, preparedness or garden this week?xxx