Feather your Nest Friday, 13th August, 2021.

This week I kept one eye on the mind boggling things going on and the rest of me busy working away.   I made one trip where I left the farm and it was a kind of reality check.  Our towns shops are open now but you must wear a mask everywhere.  I did my shopping and errands and was very glad to get home and stay here.

I have been working through the box of fruit and veggies I was given last week.  It has been beautiful!  Today I used some pears up in a crumble.  It contained one apple and six pears.  Delicious!  So this will re appear a couple of times over the weekend.

We had a lovely mix of rain and sunny days.  This is really making the grass grow.  Now our lawn seems to go on forever out into the paddocks.  It looks beautiful.

Some of the ways I build up the home, got ahead and put things to good use were:

I covered some more boxes with pictures to create storage for all kinds of odds and ends in the craft/sewing room.  

I have written on the side of each one.  I have "Cellophane Bags,"  "Christmas Cards,"  "Glitter,"  "Needles," and about another hundred categories.   Order from chaos!  

I began to load up my extra little shelves.  In the process I found things I had forgotten about including some potential gifts.   Now I also know what I have and how much.   I think I have every kind of needle... upholstery, leather, embroidery, darning...   these have all come from thrift stores.   I can fix anything!

Another box is dedicated to mending.   Iron on patches and invisible tape and so on...

Tomorrow I think I will be finished and I can go back to actually making stuff!

I partially cooked the corn I was given then vac sealed and froze it.  Happy to add to the freezer.

I juiced about thirty lemons and froze the juice in bottles.  The lemons then went into each dishwasher load to make my dishwasher clean and smell good.

I made a gluten free cake and gave Mum half.

Chloe and Thomas are better now but early in the week I made some meals as they were both still unwell.

I have a bunch of meals that I make as I think they re heat well.  This was one of the deliveries..

Annabel's take out delivery service!

One day I did a big roast meal.  I cooked double the veggies and plated up a full roast meat, gravy and veggies for another night as well.   I love a night off.   There was still a heap of roast meat.  The next day I made up rolls for lunch and then as many rolls as I could make up with the remaining meat. 

Into the freezer they went.  I can't tell you how handy these are.  

We only have two weeks of winter left.  So we got busy and lit some bonfires.  I save all boxes and paper rubbish as my fire lighters.   We lit up quite a few and each area looks better for it.

I had a major repurposing/putting things to good use job completed.   This little shed was over a pump that is not used and hasn't been since we lived here.  I only just realised the shed and the pump could both be repurposed.  The pump can be fixed up for a spare.  The little shed we moved to become a shelter for the sheep. We placed it down the bottom of a hill next to their water trough. 

I added hay for extra comfort!   The nosey teenagers did not take long to come for a look.

We have water laying across the low lying paddocks and nearby swans have moved in.  

You know it's wet when you pass turtles on the road.

I made an investment.  The biggest investment I have ever made.  I bought a tractor.   There are many things we cannot do without one.   Every single day would be easier with a tractor.    On Monday I walked into a place in the town and asked what they had.  They told me about a lot of tractors and how they order them and mostly they come from the US.  I said no I only want a tractor if you have one, here, on the ground in South Australia.   The man was perplexed but he said ok and he showed me one right there and it looked ok to me.   I explained to him I could order a tractor today and in six months or a year still not have it and we need it.   I said I want one while there is still one to get.   I think he might have thought I am kooky.  

So... this afternoon he rang me up.  We made a deal.  I said how fast can you get it here? 

Then he told me that since we talked on Monday his tractor dealer let him know the orders he placed and expected to arrive in January are not coming.   So now he doesn't think I am so kooky.  

I added that yesterday shipping containers hit the all time highest price in history.   Now he is concerned but my tractor is on the ground and nearby.   I knew I was needing to do this and it looks like I was just in time.   A bird in the hand! 

I was thinking how much we need every skill we can learn.  If you have someone who can teach you skills like preserving or mending (or any useful thing) then take advantage of the opportunity.  It is humbling to learn something new and be not good at it at first.    But as we learn and get better it is fantastic!  Often we might be the student in one thing and the teacher in another.   The key is to want to learn.  To have a teachable heart.  When you want to learn something you can learn it fast.   Take every opportunity to learn and to add to your pantry! 

How was your week?  How are things in your area?  We are from all around the world and knowing the situation elsewhere helps us to plan.xxx