Feather your Nest Friday, 20th May, 2022.
I remember Tuesday was a beautiful day and as I drove into town I felt fantastic. I thought how a week with no injuries, no hospitalisations, surgeries or deaths was just beautiful. It was blissful and the sun was shining.
This was a mistake. 😞 Wednesday morning my son in law went to the hospital as he had bad pain in his leg (the one he had surgery on.) He was looking after the children along with his Mum while Lucy has been in hospital. It turned out he has blood clots in his leg again. Oh no. To top this off Scarlett got really sick with a stomach bug and was upset without her Mum.
But the day wasn't over yet. Lucy had her appointment with the surgeon before she was coming home. While in the surgeons office she collapsed with internal bleeding. She was rushed into surgery and we had several very bad hours waiting.
She is ok. If she had been coming home on the plane when this happened the outcome would have been different. So if it had to happen it happened in the right place and at the right moment. I am so grateful.
Next Kato's Mum also got this dreadful stomach virus. I could go on but I think you get the idea. We have arrived at the end of the week and normally I truly enjoy looking over the week but not this one.
I still have some stuff to report. And I want to. I saw so many things happening this week and now some main stream media is actually reporting about shortages and prices. Example "Bank of England warns of apocalyptic global food shortages." An Australia article... " Big red flag...power bills to double amid rising cost of living." Again I could give 100 examples but these will do. We are all seeing... There just seems to be a perfect storm and its not good! But this is why we prepare. We keep wood stacked for the winter. Fuel for our vehicles. The pantry well stocked. We have been for years now... because a deep down knowledge we would be going to need it. And now we are beginning to see why.
So even in my rubbish week I am determined. I still have the opportunity to look out for the needs of my family and I still have breath in me.
Some of the ways I built up our nest and pantry included:
My evenings were spent crocheting. I copied my Mums idea with coat hangers. I first used old pantyhose to cover wooden hangers to give them some padding.
Oh my gosh Annabel what a week you had. Hugs to Lucy and family for a good recovery, certainly a very scary time. I was reading the article about the UK and talking about global food shortages. We have more or less stopped watching the 6pm news. I hate the way they sensationalize and trivialize in equal measure items
ReplyDeleteThere is no real in-depth or thorough reporting
If I want to know then I prefer print media as I have more control over what I pay attention to
All your meals sound delicious and Thomas wool blanket looks fantastic, as do your stunning coat hangers. Each week when we shop I add something extra t the pantry.
Was it about 2016 when you started preparing your cellar at your city home? I remember then how you had a strong sense to stock up and prepare. You weren't sure why but you went with it and did it anyway. Who could have guessed what we would go through over these past few years. If I'd had to I would probably have thought of things like issues with climate change and political instability in parts of the world but certainly not a pandemic.
We are in for a cold and wet weekend so it will be inside jobs here.
I hope the coming week brings improved health and circumstances for all your family and you get the opportunity to rest and recover from a difficult week.
I do love the photo of the expectant dogs at the door, they are simply gorgeous.
Have a happy and well week.
Mandy(NZ)
I d
Dear Mandy,
DeleteYou are exactly right. 2016 was when the nagging feeling began. I think I had it at the end of 2015 as I remember it being Christmas time and I thought how if I kept feeling this way I might put in some action in the new year. Well I did keep feeling it. Now on you tune and blogs I follow it is funny how I see so many people have felt the same in the last years some much longer like maybe from around 2000. I felt it MUCH stronger New Year 2000. Several of us talked about it. Glenda and Vicky both were like !!! in early Jan. 2000. So I feel kind of better that Im not just crazy or if I am at least I have good company! Also as you say... in my mind I felt maybe an economic collapse was coming, something like that (which I now think is the case) but I didnt imagine a pandemic. I did buy masks etc but I really did not imagine this would be it. When no one could get masks though I had 200!
It is Monday, sunny and lovely. Meant to rain for the rest of the week and we need it. I am praying this week goes better. My nervous system felt completely shot. Have a good week to you! With love Annabel.xxx
Hang in there Annabel. As you have said there have been things in your week that you can be grateful for. What a blessing those readymade meals where. You continue to inspire me, even after having such a rough week you still make the time to write to us.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you and yours
Gail.
Dear Gail, Thank you. It is a beautiful day and the sun is shining so I am hoping for a better week! Thank you for your kindness, love Annabel.xxx
DeleteI am so sorry to hear of your week but I can see that God had you all on the palm of His hand and protected your family. Praying for complete recovery for them all. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lana.xxx
DeletePrayers for the health and healing for all your family.
ReplyDeletePatricia
Thank you Patricia.xxx
DeleteSending so much hugs and love to you Annabel.
ReplyDeleteHeidi xxx
Thanks Heidi.xxx
DeleteWhat a terrible week that was! I pray for you all to have the strength to go through it all with God help. Thank you for Scout's and the other fur babies pictures. I missed seeing Scout and the little puppy, too. We, too, have enormous prices and this week all the news was about the food crisis coming. Take care and, if posible, have some rest. Big hugs from Romania, Laura_s_world
ReplyDeleteDear Laura,
DeleteI knew you would be happy seeing Scout! The prices are just going crazy. Also the news as you say is continuous about a crisis. My friends are telling me how the stores are packed full of people loading up. Thank you and I hope your new week goes well. With love Annabel.xxx
Oh Annabel
ReplyDeleteWhat a tough week for all of you! Wishing a complete and speedy recovery for everyone 💕
All this talk about hard times ahead has to add to our determination not to be caught out by lack of awareness. If it’s in the news we will be seeing it on the faces of other shoppers etc. That will cause another set of issues now many more people are getting concerned. Despite this, I have so many family and friends itching to travel overseas again regardless. Can’t say I’m planning to do anything like that for year or two at least!
Love Kate
Dear Kate, Thank you. Right now I could sell tickets for a cruise on the Black Sea. Thats how asleep some are. But you are right... when enough people become concerned about shortages and more price rises this will affect the shelves also. There will be a panic point. We need to be well out of it by then. I do feel as if crisis fatigue can take their toll on our situational awareness but I am trying to take stock of what I need to be doing weekly. So I have some little goals for this week! Have a good week to you! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteAs I read this, I was thinking how God works in ways we don't understand. Lucy did collapse but in the doctor's office! I will keep all of you in prayer this week. I have decided that the area I need to work on next is to prepare meals for the deep freeze. I just took out five bags of flour I was "debugging" so there is room. The price of my favorite all purpose flour has gone up a lot but I noticed last week that the organic version of the same flour has gone up $4.00 in just a couple months!
ReplyDeleteDear Brenda, Yes, if this had to happen it happened at the right place and in the right moment which saved Lucy. Just unbelievable. Ready meals are just so good. A complete roast dinner is one of my favourite complete meals. I am working on some more this week. I am thinking trays of enchiladas as they freeze so well and all my family love them. I will see what the best deals are when I go to the store. Flour I think is set to go crazy in price. That is something I need to put away more especially bread flour. I dont eat much bread but the Grandkids do so for this reason I want to be able to make bread. Thank you Brenda, love Annabel.xxx
Deletethis week I'am getting caught up on planting the garden and keeping ahead on the yard work. I planted tomatoes, collards blackeyed peas cucumbers and more spinach. right now I'am canning baked beans and blackeye peas. we have been having a fair amount of rain so everything is growing well. thank you for your wonderful insights and hoping your family recovers from all the traumas that were around at the beginning of the week. we are in southern pennsylvania, usa. take care. Bonnie
ReplyDeleteDear Bonnie,
DeleteThank you! It sounds like it is raining just when you need it for the garden. You have a lot planted it sounds great! Good work on the canning too! You had a good week with a lot done! I hope the new week is good for you too! With love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteI pray that you get some rest this weekend. You have had a lot of stress this past week.
I love hand work, also, as it is a quiet work and comforting. You do such beautiful work. The blanket that you made Thomas is an heirloom.
We have spent the past two weeks rearranging and organizing the food storage room, creating a second food storage area and ordering more and more supplies. I use the LDS calculator as a guide and combine it with a second food storage calculator online that is more specific, plus adds vegetables and fruits.
What I have realized is the fact that many people think buying a few extra cans of something is stocking up. Many, many people don't realize that, if there is no food available, it takes a huge amount of food to feed a family of four for a year. The calculators come in handy as a guide. People should only store what their family eats, however.
I am the only member of the family that has to be gluten free, so we store buckets of wheat for everyone else. I was low on sorghum and teff, which are the two primary grains I use to mix up my gluten free flour mix. I sourced more of those two grains and ordered them, as the sorghum is almost impossible to find now.
We are, also, expanding our garden considerably. I am so glad we have been gardening and living a deep pantry lifestyle for the past 40 years. Eight years ago, when we moved, we cut back some on the gardening, but still did quite a lot for being in town. This year it will be full on again. It is much harder in our mid 70's, but as our ancestors said, " needs must."
We are in for some very hard times upcoming. I pray all of our Bluebirds are safe and ready.
With love,
Glenda
Dear Glenda,
DeleteWhile extras here and there are better than nothing it is quite a shock at what is used over a wee/month/year. I work through one item at a time... I know I can reduce use of somethings to a bit less so I can say get by on two cartons of milk per week. Simple... 2 x 52 = 104 cartons a year for milk. Slowly I have got a years worth of more and more things. Then as Patera and Monkeywerx said what are you going to do on day 366? We need renewables. So I am working on those. I do want people to think of this.... how many meals are put away? How many weeks, months can they get by? Then there is family... the more we can get them to stock up in their won households the better but I think of family and stock all kinds of things incase they are needed from pads and tampons to kids paracetamol.
Your garden was really wonderful last year. I hope this year is a great success. Yes needs must is a good one! I agree. Things are coming at us like a freight train now. We need to be really smart with out time and plans. With much love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteMy prayers are with you all...what a horrible week! I pray everyone is well on the road to recovery and all manner of things will be well in the end. It's wonderful that you are able to help out during crazy times with family members. Poor little Scarlett.
Your coat hangers are absolutely beautiful. I have been putting in an hour or two each day outside prepping up flower beds and I got some seeds planted in one of the raised beds. Hopefully tomorrow hubby can try tilling one row to see how the soil moisture level is doing...and see if we can't get some serious main garden planting done soon! We're still having frost warnings, so we're not entirely out of the woods, yet.
Prayers for all of you! Lots of love, Jen in NS
Dear Jen,
DeleteThank you. You are probably itching to get your rows in! Having seen your garden I am excited thinking about it. Hopefully the last frost will come and go so you can start. The prep work you are doing will add up heaps too. Every day is progress. Have a very good new week. With love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteWhat a week you and your family had! I am so thankful that Lucy was in the doctor's office and praying that everyone else has a speedy recovery. I often wonder what people who don't know the Lord do when they are going through tough times.
Wishing you and the Beautiful Bluebirds a wonderful weekend!
Love from Arizona,
Elaine
Dear Elaine,
DeleteWithout God and His Presence it would be a bleak outlook and terrifying. It is literally the difference between darkness and light.
Have a good new week to you too! With love Annabel.xxx
Oh Annabel, I'm so sorry for the week you've had! Please know my thoughts and prayers for speedy recoveries and peace are with you and your family.
ReplyDeleteYet amidst these events you still manage to keep your homestead going and nurture your family. Your crocheted blanket is lovely, and your baked goods look delicious. Love the pics of your dogs, too.
It's been an interesting week with my Mother In Law visiting...but things are going well with her move, and she and my hubby will be heading over to Michigan and the new house sometime late next week, I think. I've been doing lots of cooking, which I know she enjoys greatly since she doesn't cook anymore, and her daughter and her husband are vegans, and she rarely eat their food. (She mostly eats lots of frozen dinners or the occasional take-out burger. ) We've kept the political and religious discussions to a minimum, so our time together has been very pleasant. LOLOL
I wish all of the Bluebirds a happy and peaceful weekend!
Dear Jill,
DeleteThank you so much. I honestly appreciate prayer so much.
I love your comment about MIL. Good food and nutrition and not much about politics! You are doing well! Hopefully she will settle into her new home very well. Have a good week! Love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteWhat a horrible week. I hope Lucy's family is doing much better. Prayers for a fast recovery.
Everything has gone up in price or just isn't there. Even "cheap" foods like canned beans are much higher. We've been working on expanding the garden beyond last years'. Love seeing the dogs waiting to play. Wow, Molly has grown.
The crocheted hangers are truly beautiful. Blessings, Laura
Dear Laura,
DeleteI am so glad you can expand the garden. We all need to do this as much as we can. Today I planted some more beans and garlic. I figure we just keep at it and use space well. Im so glad of my container gardens though they are making the biggest difference! Many thanks! Love Annabel.xxx
Hoping all family members are on the mend and doing well. The world is crazy, but our ancestors made it through some worse things and we will too. Faith, hope, prayers and persistence.
ReplyDeletePrayers for your family
Dear Cheryl,
DeleteWhen I think of what my Grandparents lived through, and their parents... it is MIND BOGGLING. Nan was born in 1919. What a time to be born. They were so strong in their faith and worked so hard. Wars, pandemics, Great Depression and it just kept coming. It is beyond imagining. I think of this often. We had it very easy and such good years growing up, how lucky we were. Thanks Cheryl, love Annabel.xxx
What a horrible week for you and your family, but everyone got through it and let's hope that it's the start of better times.
ReplyDeleteInflation is now 9% here in the UK and expected to hit double figures soon, my pay increase and that of hundreds of thousands of others was 1%, it doesn't take a genius to see that there are problems ahead. All I can do is keep on quietly building up my supplies and trying to think of different ways of doing things.
I love your coat hangers, I started to use up my Sweet Pea blanket leftovers to make knitted covers for coat hangers, unfortunately I couldn't find the coat hangers anywhere!
Spring seems to have arrived and we're having both warm, sunny spells and rain, so for the moment at least the weather is good.
Wishing everyone the best week possible, Su.
Dear Su, I agree... the gap between pay and costs... it is obviously getting harder and harder. And also we are told a lot of baloney ie how much things have gone up... we know many thing shave gone up 50 to 100% not what they are saying at all. It is not hard when you know your prices to see they are covering over the true numbers. They must think we are idiots!
DeleteSweet Pea colours are just so lovely that the left overs will make so many nice things. I got my hangers from Ebay if that helps. Your weather sounds just beautiful! Hope you have a good new week, with love Annabel.xxx
Sending prayers for recovery and many comforting hugs..
ReplyDeleteHelen
Thanks so much Helen.xxx
DeleteI hope things are getting better for you by now, Annabel!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you could find some happiness in making the crocheted hangers! They are wonderful! Any chance you could guide me to a pattern for this kind? I never saw any quite like it before. Love the style and color combos.
Thanks for sharing.
~Sue
Dear Sue, Thank you! My Mum made up her hangers... and I basically copied. Simply stitch a script strip wide enough to cover a padded hanger. I just do single crochet. Then make a flower. I have a flower tutorial on my old blog... look for The Bluebirds are Nesting Crochet flower tutorial. Neither Mum or I read patterns. So I guess this is why they are original. I am really having fun and have made some more this week. With love Annabelxxx
DeleteDear Annabel, I am so touched by your courage and industry despite your rough week. This sounds dramatic but I gasped when I saw your coat hangers. They are so beautiful! I love the colours and details.
ReplyDeleteThis week I made egg pasta for the first time in ages. It looked very rustic but it felt good to refresh an old skill. I added it to a simple chicken soup and it was delicious.
Annabel, thank you for your kind encouragement over the years. Your writing is like sunshine—it brightens my day and keeps me going for the whole week.
With love from,
Kelly (Mrs. Kiwi)
Dear Mrs. Kiwi, Thank you so much. The egg pasta sounds just lovely. So does chicken soup! Goodness and comfort. It is a sunny and lovely Monday here. I have been out in the sun as we have rain coming. I hope we both can have a good week! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteI am glad to hear that your terrible week turned out okay and hope it continues to be okay. The hangers you make are adorable with the flower in the middle. That adds that little bit of extra touch. I want to try gluten free biscuits and add an egg like you said and wondered if I can use any biscuit recipe. I think it is so neat that you spend an hour every night playing with the dogs. Rosie still takes up more of our time taking care of her than an hour but has gotten better. I will have to keep my eyes open for food covers as there were a lot of tiny eggs on my cabbage today. I scraped and sprayed them off and put some netting over them. Thomas blanket is so pretty and I don't see a single mistake. I have a hard time correcting my knitting mistakes. I need to spend more time working on my knitting and crocheting! Have a good week ahead! Nancy
ReplyDeleteDear Nancy,
DeleteMy recipe is about 4 cups or 1 kilo or self raising GF flour, 2 cups milk, one egg and a stick of butter or just a large blob of butter... which I melt first. I do it in mixer to get a soft smooth dough then onto a floured board. Yes the dogs know we will be coming out to play and start collecting their toys ready and waiting near the door. It is really cute. Next to dinner time its their favourite time of day!
Nancy crochet seems to be much more forgiving than knitting, I cant hide my knitting mistakes either! Have a lovely new week, love Annabel.xxx
You and yours have had an incredibly difficult week. So very scary about Lucy and her husband. Bless you for keeping the home fires burning!
ReplyDeleteThank you Maxine.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, I have said it before but I will say again - you are such a blessing to your family. In what sounds like a horrendous week, all your prior work with food preparation would have helped out so much. I hope everyone is recovering quickly. You would have been forgiven for no replies or post this week. I love your crocheted hangers. I have not been able to work on my rug as much as I would like with the pain in my hands. I have had a better week but still a frustrating one. For example normally I could do all five windows on the front of my house in one day. I could only manage one. So I plan to do one a day until they are done and that is how I have to go at the moment. I had a slight panic sometime this week feeling like I am not prepared as much as I would like and feeling frustrated that I cannot push myself harder to prepare faster. Then I took a deep breath and was thankful for what I have already done. Your inspiration and encouragement over the last at least five years has changed even the way I think and I am much further along than I give myself credit for sometimes. My parents in law put in a wood heater this season, I had fun creating a Kindling box for my MILs birthday. I covered a matchbox with rose paper, found a pink gas firelighter, I filled brown paper bags with dry eucalyptus leaves, I picked up loads of very dry eucalyptus sticks and cut them all the same size and filled the holes in the container with pine cones and finished it off with a pink ribbon (Annabel's influence in every bit of it). Love Clare
ReplyDeleteDear Clare,
DeleteThank you. So are you! You have a lot of skills and your garden and chickens... these alone are just wonderful and I know you have been working on your pantry. I know you take hold of every opportunity. You are doing really well. Thank you for your kind words they are a big encouragement to me and it is great news about your Mother in law getting a wood stove! I love your gift to her as well! Each member of the family the we can encourage to prepare more... this will help enormously. I hope your hands get better. Arnica cream can be very good. I also tried compression gloves when I had pain in my fingers... it was early arthritis I think but now I eat tinned black cherries every day and I dont get it. Try different things as something will help. I hope your week is going well. I am going to have a lot to report this week! With love, Annabel.xxx
Oh Annabel! What a week you have had. Sending all good wishes to you and the family, hope things are improving for everyone. Please take good care of yourself, I'm sure you know the saying to put on your own oxygen mask first and then you can help others. Easy to say, much harder to do! Love to all.
ReplyDeleteDear Penny,
DeleteI am trying. There is a lot of sickness around so I am trying to do everything to stay well. You are right as if we dont we cant help anyone! Thanks Penny. With love Annabel.xxx
Annabel I do agree we need to keep our home fires burning and you have done a wonderful job with having ready made meals for not only yourself but other family members also. Your crocheted coat hanger covers and the blanket you made for Thomas are so pretty and baking as usual beautiful.
ReplyDeletePraying for Lucy and family that everything settles down for them and things get back to normal. Lucy could not have been in a better place for such a medical episode so she would get immediate help and God was certainly looking after her. Hopefully Kato will improve and the children and Kato's mum get over that horrible stomach bug.
We have been working hard to get our house in order and finished sorting out the tool shed after buying some storage containers and can now find things easily and quickly in labeled containers. When shopping we are topping up on items that have been out of stock when we see them. We have made it a priority to up our emergency fund a lot and have been spending far less to do so so if there is any money left in any budget category it is banked. Our variable mortgage interest rate went up by .25% after we had got another interest rate reduction of .10% through ringing up the bank and are bracing for more to come but are still averaging over double mortgage payments.
In the kitchen -
- We cooked all meals and bread from scratch.
- Baked 4 loaves of wholemeal white bread in the bread making machine saving $13.96 on prices to buy them locally.
Finances -
- We upped our mortgage payment to reflect the .25% interest rate increase to keep us at paying double mortgage payments.
- We banked a substantial amount into our 3 month emergency fund.
Purchases-
- We bought a set of fleece lined leather going out gloves for DH on clearance for $10 saving $24.99 on usual prices.
- Topped up fuel we had used using our 4% off RACQ e-gift card and taking advantage of our 4c per litre off rewards bringing e10 fuel down from $1.859 to $1.744 per litre for a total saving of $9.73 on usual prices.
- Found chicken drumsticks on special for $3 kg reduced from $4.50kg at WW and purchased 4.37kg to top up the freezer with saving $6.55 on usual prices.
House maintenance and renovations-
- I cleaned out all the house gutters saving on average $165 over hiring someone to do it for us.
- DH cleaned the fireplace flu with our brush with extension poles we can attach to our drill saving another average of $170 to get a chimney sweep in to do it for us.
- We were given a large table that was quite grungy looking some time ago and decided to do a renovation on it as it was a perfect size large table at 2.1m L x .9 W in the narrowest spot and 1.17m W in the biggest curved area for my sewing room. We painted the top with two coats of sealer undercoat and 2 coats of semi gloss acrylic for a cost of $86.82 including rollers and paint trays we have washed out to use again. I priced a new sewing table that was 1.85m L x 1.030m W that was $1499 so with a few hours work we have saved a massive $1412.80 on new prices. Admittedly it does not have a drop down sewing machine section on the table but still a jolly good saving none the less.
Hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead :) .
Lorna.
Dear Lorna,
DeleteThank you so much I really appreciate prayer.
I am loving the work you are doing in the shed. Andy has been setting up a new and bigger work shed in a big shed that was already on the property. It was a heck of a mess to begin with. Now it is all cleaned out and set up as a workshop. Each week he keeps working on it. I can see it makes being able to fix anything, tackle any job much easier. Plus we are stocking all the fittings etc we can have on hand.
At this time finding meat at $3 a kilo is a bargain. There is a lot you can do with drumsticks too. Good deal.
It is really good to have the gutters done. Ours get just terrible because of gum trees even though none are right next to the house. Getting the flue done is so important... we are strict about never lighting the fire unless it is all cleaned out.
I love your new table to sew on! How fantastic! What a great size! You are set. A good set up. That is just fantastic Lorna. Very good week! I hope this new week is good for us all... it is sunny here now with rain coming for rest of the week (which we do need.). With love Annabel.xxx
I'm so glad Lucy is okay, what a hard week you've all had. But what a blessing to have a freezer full of ready meals to share. The blanket is absolutely gorgeous, a true heirloom for Thomas. Having successfully kept four houseplants alive for more than a year, I am venturing once again outdoors with a newly planted herb garden, with some in pots and some in the small raised bed we have. There are some volunteer pumpkins in there, we think, and I hope to grow spaghetti squash from seed - we'll see if it works. My repeated failure to pay proper attention to the garden has resulted in many failures, but I am determined to figure it out. You just can't beat home grown produce. I've been ordering a bunch of craft supplies to be able to finish all my unfinished projects, and am finding it really satisfying to complete things that have been sitting around for ages. Creative work is one of my daily joys, along with cooking and baking & spending time with my family and friends. My partner currently has Covid and we've been keeping as separate as we can in our small house; I haven't got it yet thankfully. Chemo continues and I find it really helpful to have things to keep my hands busy with, and also things to look forward to. We have tickets to see a musical in a few weeks and this month is full of family birthdays. I'm going to be making some cards and small gifts. Your blog continues to be an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. With the garden I think the key is to make sure everything is ok daily. A plant can do well but be left one day in hot weather and die if not watered. It is like animals... they need daily attention. A daily routine. To me that is the key. It is worth it too. With shortages and prices this year it could be very important. Finishing off projects is fantastic! And it is like you produce a lot very quickly! I really hope your partner is feeling better and you dont have Covid. I like your plan of getting through this time with things to look forward to and things to keep your hands busy. Very important! I pray your treatment is successful and you re having a good week. Thank you for your kind words! xxx
DeleteOh, dear Annabel, you poor thing! My best friend had a similar experience two weeks ago and she's just coming off the edge from that. She doesn't do any creative stuff so I expect she sat and read more bad news on her social media pages. It's so much easier to have busy work to do. I hope everything has calmed a bit and healthy is the word for the week. I tend to accomplish more when I worry, do you?
ReplyDeleteI love your hangers! I have some simple crocheted wire ones that are old old. My husband's grandmother made them. Greatest hangers as nothing falls off! I think Thomas is going to be a cozy guy in that blanket! I love it! I'm a green girl so I like it extra good.
Thanks for a good pic of your doggies! They look very excited for a good romp!
While you're nesting up for winter, our yard is alive with action. Lots of flowers and I watched Mama Mourning dove with her two babies yesterday. Looks like it's time to leave the nest. I have a craving for fresh fruits and veggies and am hoping to get a couple of early growers at the Farmers market this week. I can take one of my best scores from the 2021 garage sale season. It's a green wire handled basket that only cost $1!! It's just a tad smaller than a picnic basket, but the same shape and handles!
It's PERFECT for an outdoor market and it's GREEN!!
Happy week to you!
Dear Debby,
DeleteI hope thins are going better for your friend. I think of all the times my Mum had to wait in hospitals when my Dad was very sick... she used to knit up a storm. Now I do the same thing only for me its crochet.
Yes when Im worried I actually need to keep extra busy and I look for ways to help... cook, clean etc.
Your garden sounds beautiful! Today it is pretty cold here. I dont mind as Im ready for the season but your sunshine and fresh produce sound great. I love farmers markets! I like the sound of your basket! You never know what you might find at a market either, even ideas. Thank you I loved your beautiful comment! Love Annabel.xxx
I'm so sorry for your terrible week! Thank you for posting and sharing your wins with us!
ReplyDeleteMy week has been all about the spring cleaning and hand quilting. My quilt is about a third of the way finished! Wishing you a good week ahead!
Stacy
Dear Stacy, Spring cleaning and quilting sounds like a very good week to me. Many thanks! Love Annabel.xxx
DeleteSo sorry for such a difficult week for your Lucy, Kato and their family! You are such a blessing with all your hard work to be prepared for everything to help your family! Sending hugs, love and blessings for full recovery for everyone. You are a very special woman, Annabel! Shirley Kelly PNW USA
ReplyDeleteDear Shirley, Thank you so much for such a kind comment! Love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabelle,
ReplyDeleteWhat a week you have had! When I first read your post on Friday, it broke my heart for you. So many loved ones at risk. Terrifying.
I am back today to say “Well done”.
You prayed, you served, you persevered and you were an example to us all, as usual.
I am praying for you and yours.
Much love. Patti from California
Dear Patti,
DeleteThank you for your prayers, I am really appreciative. And for your kind words! With love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel, I am sorry for my late post. I want you to now that Lucy, Kato and Scarlett, plus Kato's Mum have all been in my prayers. What a terrifying week. I will also keep you in my prayers because I think week's like these take time to recover from. They certainly pull the mat from under you. It is really impressive with how much you could help everyone. I hope I can be a Mum just like you. Your coat hangers are something else- they are magnificent. Sending love and prayers. Lily XX
ReplyDeleteDear Lily,
DeleteThank you very much for praying. Thank you for such a beautiful compliment too! With love, Annabel.xxx
FIrst, a hug after that horrible week. I am praying for all to recover 100% and praising God for protecting Lucy & your son-in-law.
ReplyDeleteThis week was very stressful at work, so it was a blessing to come home several days and plant green beans, tomatoes, greens and more potatoes.
We picked up our new bull on Thursday and he is settling in with the ladies.
We enjoyed the grandkids one evening here on the farm.
Saturday we went to some garage sales and got the grandkids some new-to-them toys, books, puzzles & clothes. I got some canning jars.
I found potatoes at the store for .44 a pound. I will be dry canning those this week.
I took 3 quarts of pasta sauce from the freezer and will be making some freezer meals.
Made bread three times and gifted one loaf to a neighbor who is growing meat birds for us.
Planted some sprouted store-bought potatoes that someone gifted me. They were leaving on vacation and I think she thought we would eat them. I could have but I have non-sprouted potatoes in the pantry and had room in the garden for 13 more hills.
Returned 2 blackberry bushes and a hose to the farmstore for credit and got 2 more tomato plants and more seeds. (We don't like blackberries and I thought I had gotten blueberries. The hose was returned because when I used the first one I bought, it kinked immediately and I don't have time for that foolishness!
Keeping busy and praying that God continues to give us wisdom & discernment in these difficult days.
Dear Kay,
DeleteI am sorry it was such a stressful week. I think the garden is a real place of peace to come home to.
It was great to find canning jars as well as thins for the kids at the garage sales. You had a really very productive and industrious week! It was fantastic! I love your last sentence... this is just right we need wisdom and discernment more than ever just now. I keep thinking of using time and opportunities well. With many thanks, Annabel.xxx
Many have report to have clots, strokes, and heart attack after CV19 VAC. Who took it should be monitoring the blood with tests to see the Inflamatory Markers. Tests like Dimero D and other, as well there Treatment to whom was vaccinated using Ivermectin.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I agree with the info on clots and strokes... however in this instance my SIL had these issues for a long time with his leg. So it has been a battle to overcome. xxx
DeleteMy friend, prayers for all your loved ones to heal, and prayers for a season of rest for all of you. xxxx
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Jenny I really appreciate your prayersxxx
DeleteDear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteOur prayers join with yours for the complete healing of Lucy and her family. The blanket for Thomas is beautiful and sure to be an heirloom. I really like the hangers and was wondering if you could share the link for the pattern?
We have been busy planting the garden on good days and when the weather turns to much needed rain cooking and baking are the activities. I'm working on stocking the freezer with more ready to eat meals, as well as muffins, breads, cakes and cookies,which will all come in handy as preserving gets underway. It will be busier than usual as we have expanded our garden with more containers as additions to the raised beds. Wishing all the Bluebirds a safe and productive week. Cookir
Dear Cookie,
DeleteThank you so much for praying. I dont have a pattern for the hangers. I just crochet a strip wide enough to cover the padded hanger. I just use single crochet. The flower could be any flower but I have a flower tutorial over on the old blog.
Your garden sounds fantastic! You always grow a lot but if you have expanded that is even better! Your ready meals and baking sound wonderful too. My ready meal supply is taking a hit but I will get back to building it up soon. Many thanks Cookie, with love Annabel.xxx
Hi Annabel,
ReplyDeleteWhat a week! I am thankful your family is getting the care they need, and that Lucy was in the doctor's office when this happened. Much love to you and yours. I will light a candle for all of you.
I hope everyone has a good week.
<3
Kathy
Dear Kathy,
DeleteThank you so much. We are going along steadily this week. With love Annabel.xxx
I know I am late in commenting ( my internet was down), but I have been praying for you and your family. Thanks for sharing all your highs and lows. Your crochet is so lovely! And your accomplishments so inspiring.
ReplyDeleteLord bless you, Annabel!
Blessings to all you Bluebirds, Leslie