Feather your Nest Friday, 5th February, 2021.

 It has been a big week!   Actually it seems much longer than a week since last Friday! 

Also we have had summer weather and now it is cold and pouring with rain.  So a few seasons in one week!  We are glad of so much rain, just fantastic for us!  

I can count many things that helped build up the household and economy in all kinds of ways!  

My neighbour let me pick Quinces in her orchard.

She also gave me some succulent cuttings, a big old bird cage and two old garden pots.   It turned out that I just planted the pots up with the cuttings!

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I am working on the birdcage.  Hopefully next week you can see what I did with it!

Chloe had her two Alpaca's shorn.  So I have a black and a caramel Alpaca fleece to put away to spin, trade or gift.

I met up with Wendy (The Nesting Hen) and she gave me beautiful fresh rhubarb which is perfect to go with all the apples I have.   She also gave me old sheet music for card making.  I sent her home with eggs and apples!   And we have fun catching up!   While in town I went to their two thrift stores.   Someone had donated loads of beautiful fabrics!  Oh my goodness I had the best time going through them.    There was an old man running the shop.   He spotted my enthusiasm and told me how there were many more fabrics out in the back room that were not priced yet but I could go have a look.    

Things just got better and better!  Some of what I found were dream fabrics for me such as old thick velvets in floral prints.  

Most of these are velvets!  I also got a stack of plain cottons and ginghams and some smaller bits of pretty florals. 

I asked the man if my friend was to come in shortly would she also be allowed to look at the fabrics still out the back?   He asked her name and agreed.   So I raced back to tell Wendy where the fabrics were all stacked and what to say to the man.   She also did well!   I was just thrilled with my day! 

Oh!  I also found beautiful little boy clothes including some brand name items as new.   And a pure wool underlay for a cot.

Mum gave me some Gluten Free Chicken Schnitzels.

Mum gave Chloe and me are huge ham.   We did a deal that I would cook it and slice it up.   Then we would share it.   We are going to get a few meals and many sandwiches, rolls, quiches and other things from this ham!  

The local supermarket also had some deals.  I got a big bag of bananas marked down so I am making up a heap of banana cakes.

I cooked a lamb bone in the slow cooker.  The next day I removed the fat and cooked two pumpkins in the liquid.  This gave me 16 containers of baby food for Sidney.

I started working on my apples.  First was apple puree and Thomas was the first to try it.   Now he likes apple!   I have a lot of apple puree frozen, this was all for baby food.    Now I am on to stewed and baked apples.

Mum came by and I sent her home with some Gluten Free scones.

Before this cool weather came in I made a large potato and a large rice salad. I shared these with Chloe.

A dear friend gave me a gift of essential oil roller balls, labels for them and Ylang Ylang essential oil.  Over the weekend I am going to make up some blends.   During the Corona virus  I made up many germ killing blends and sprays with alcohol plus hand wipes.  Now I realise my supplies are low.  Time to make up some more. 

All week I picked tomatoes.  I have zucchini coming on but not ready yet.  I had a rush of them then a lull... now more coming.   I cooked up a slow cooker full of tiny tomatoes and made a tomato sauce.  Then this became a sauce of meatballs and spaghetti. I made a big batch! 

All week I kept on crocheting in the evening and making pot holders in my 15 minutes of sewing (which usually blew out to about half an hour.  But this adds up so much!) 

My Aunt sent me the gift of the most beautiful pink towel. I love it.

So with some days better than others the week still added up to some good things!   Most of it was not planned.  More a case of making the most of opportunities and what came my way.  Doing the next thing. 

I hope good things came your way too and you had a chance to add to your pantry or garden.  I think my fabric cupboard was built up the most ever in one day!  So I am happy with that.   

Have a very good weekend! xxx