I am sorry I am a day late. Mum needed to attend a specialist appointment in the city and so we went together. I went to the dentist at the same time to save a trip. Despite the appointments we still had a pretty good time!
Like last week I am thinking you better get comfortable I have a lot to report! I have more to report and say than I think I can!
Many of you have been with me on my journey for a pretty long time and you know me pretty well. So I am going to share something. Early in the week I was having a bit of a misery. It was a collection of small things and it was silly but the icing on the cake was that all around the wider district lambing season had finished although here lambs were still being born. However I didn't get a lamb this year. With big numbers of ewes lambing there are usually some orphans. Sometimes it can happen with twins where one is left behind. I put word out and asked so that everyone knew I would take lambs! But nothing. On top of this I felt so sad that some people could pick up orphan lambs but don't. Wishing to take on the orphans is truly wishing for the crumbs from the table. And yet still no lambs.
Monday night I prayed. I felt that my Heavenly Father loves me so he might send me a lamb. I have all sorts of feelings praying this way because I don't NEED a lamb. God surely has bigger fish to fry. I also included a clause that I understood maybe there is a reason I should not have a lamb this year. But I prayed.
On Tuesday I got on with my usual day. The man who leases some of our land drives past pretty well every day. This day he drove past very slowly and I heard his ute come into the drive way. I thought "Oh that will be my lamb!" As I thought this I caught myself and thought it was a bit silly. Then I heard "baaaaaaa!" and Johnnie walked up to the front door carrying a tiny lamb. I could see him coming through our big front windows. I opened the door and he was beaming and said "here you go!"
I was just amazed and blessed. I knew. These things have happened to me before, too many to count. But everything about this was beautiful and touching. That God should care about my small and silly request. And this tiny little lamb.
It's a boy. I called him Barney Rubble, except just Barney. As I had everything on hand I made up a bottle and he drank it straight down.
Now for some other parts of my week...
I started the incubator up and put in 20 chicken eggs.
The Quail have grown. They are learning to fly. The fly up in the same way a helicopter takes off. Andy found one running around the lounge room floor. Except it didn't run away he just had to bend down and pick it up. Tomorrow it is high on my list to move them into a deeper box.
I made Scones and took over to Mum (last weekend.)
Andy collected some fallen tree branches and cut them up.
Now he has the tractor I think this all is heaps more fun. He lines up the log and the wood splitter so it is cut, split and brought in for the fire all together.
In the city I had the opportunity to get lots of cuttings. I had Jade, Spider plants, various succulents ...
It had been raining and everything was so fresh and beautiful.
Then I had a chance to dig up baby Pencil Pine trees. They are tiny! At first Mum noticed them and soon we found many.
Most had root systems but some had grown from the pine cones...
I am not sure how many I ended up with but I think about 30. I am thinking to grow them up and plant some as a wind break. Others I will grow and use in my trading and at the swap table. Also I have my greenhouse now. I want it nice and full of things I can grow, gift and trade. Plants are so expensive and sought after. I am watching out for any possibilities.
My old city neighbour gave me fresh lemons...
I am so thrilled as it is ages since I had lemons and I have been using frozen juice that I bottled last time.
Now that I am home I started potting up the trees but I have a long way to go, then the Spider Plants and succulents. My pots are paper cups.
I took the opportunity to go to Aldi. I stocked up on lots of things. Coming home we had the car pretty loaded up!
Andy kept everything running and everyone fed. Barney was feeding well and has a three times a day schedule. It is getting to be a military operation feeding everyone.
Late yesterday Andy messaged me. At first my brain couldn't understand what he was telling me. Finally I figured it out. Johnnie had come by with ANOHER lamb! Andy was in the deep end and had to start another lamb off with bottle drinking. This was a bigger lamb and this is usually a bit trickier. But he got it done! I was practically jumping up and down and couldn't wait to get home today!
So now we have thee two...
Can you believe it?!
I also came home with a big old cement planter. Plus mushrooms I found on special. These are sliced and drying over the fireplace now.
Chloe gave me some beautiful stationary that was left over from her wedding but easy for me to use in other projects.
In a Facebook group I follow a man shared a lot of photos and information on how he gets his seedlings started. His greenhouse and seedlings were fantastic so I was reading everything he wrote. One of his tips was to place mirrors in the wall side/dark side of your green house. He had photos to demonstrate. I went outside and looked in my greenhouse. We had anchored it to the fence securely so it can't blow away. But yes the fence side did not allow light in. Then I remembered.... when Lucy was married we had long mirrors down the centre of the tables. And we kept them. These were also in the city and came home with us too. I have quite a few to work with. I can see how they will add a lot of light into the greenhouse. I hope I can demonstrate this net week.
I used the very last apples. Our own, plus roadside apples, had brought in hundreds and hundreds... and I used every last one.
Tonight I am tired but grateful for a good week.
Thank you to everyone who asked after me because of not posting last night. I am so happy to be home!
I continue to say please build up your pantry. Please think ahead to winter if it is summer where you live.
Please plan ahead as best you can for your families needs. Every area is seemingly under attack... food, fuel, gas, electricity. Civil unrest. I am a very practical person. I have faith and know who wins. God is good enough to send the lamb but he expects me to feed it and look after it. And I will! I planned ahead and had lamb milk, bottles and teats! And this about sums things up! xxx
I was worried about you! :) I was so happy to see you had posted when I awoke this morning. I hurt my knee two weeks ago and have had to slow down considerably, but I seem to be on the mend. That has affected my garden work somewhat, but everything is still growing (including the weeds :)). Our blueberries are ripening so that is a lot of what I will be doing this week, along with regular house and garden chores. This past week I tried to use every last bit of our meals someway-either eating or freezing the leftovers. I am learning a new-to-me preserving technique-dehydrating! My MIL had a very, very, very old dehydrater in her basement. I wasn't sure if it was going to even still work-but it did! I cleaned it up and did my first test run-herbs. It worked! Now I have basil, mint, and thyme preserved. We are still getting eggs daily, although the extreme heat has slowed the hen's production down-yesterday we only got three. I am carefully tending to my pullets as they will replace the older hens who are aging out. :)
ReplyDeleteDear MamaHen, Thank you! I had a bad knee for months and have finally got over it. Knees are famous for being difficult. So give it rest as much as you can. I hope you get a ton of blueberries. They are wonderful, delicious and nutritious. Also I like how you are using up everything and stretching meals. The dehydrator sounds great! The more I have dehydrated the more I love it. It is my favourite way to preserve food now. The heat does knock the hens around. I hope the weather settles so it is not so severe. You are doing well. With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteYou had a wonderful week! God is good all the time. He does win in the end. The battles and waiting might be hard, but the war is won by God. Your two lambs are adorable.
With much love, Glenda
It was a busy week here with
It was a busy week here with garden, cooking,
Thank you Glenda! It is very humbling that God cares about us in such a way. There is sure a battle between good and evil going on. Like a raging war! But I feel secure knowing who wins! xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, I am so glad that you got to go to the city with your Mum. Plus you made the most of the opportunity, which is lovely. I love how you prayed. I always get start off that I know God had bigger fish to fry too… I am so excited that you have your beautiful lambs. They are divine. Barney is so cute. I love how you are potting up lots of plants. I plan on planting ginger tomorrow. I got some great deals at a local shop. A whole pumpkin, lemon, a full bunch of celery and a heap of apples for $9.40. I was very happy! As prices are going up. Apple pie is on the menu this week 😊 I also bought some cottons for $1 at the thrift store. Lots of love, Lily
ReplyDeleteDear Lily,
DeleteThank you! Jane had the most enormous Ginger harvest so I hope you will also get lots of Ginger too. You did great with the veggies. A whole pumpkin is a good deal as you can get a heap of meals from that and it is delicious. Thrift stores are how I have collected most of my fabric and cottons. I also love the older cotton reels and the good quality cotton! I hope you have a lovely weekend! With love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel, Congratulations on your lambs, I love hearing your happiness at getting them. They are so cute. The pencil pines are amazing too. I love that your story demonstrates how God hears our little prays too. I had a very successful stock up day two towns away last Thursday. Because of the distance I had limited time to visit the stores I needed too and to drop into opp shops. When I got home, my daughter was thrilled with two pairs of jeans and camouflage pants I found in different stores, I told her "I shopped with God today". Because I prayed before I went in and things just seemed to pop out at me, I didn't have time to think too much, I quickly walked through each store doing a bit of a scan. I was amazed myself that all three pairs fit her perfectly. My daughter said how did I know she wanted camouflage pants? I didn't - God did though. Love Clare
ReplyDeleteDear Clare, That is amazing! It is just incredible God will care and even down to having you buy the camouflage pants which were just right. Amazing. You did really well! Your trip really paid off. I am hoping the pencil pines all survive this. So far they look good. I am figuring all plants are good for trading and gifts, apart from adding to my own garden. I want to put some Jade plants into my garden beds today. They have a very lovely pink flower. I love having things for the swap table too. Plants seem to get scooped up! Have a lovely restful Sunday! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteI just love how God provided not 1 lamb but two. Those lil precious faces. I would not get a lot done. lol
ReplyDeleteI went to Costco last night and the price hikes were $2 an item and up. Every time I go it is more expensive.
We put a small pool up for my granddaughter and I about fell over at the price of chlorine. $45 for a tiny bucket of tablets.
I can’t wait to see your greenhouse, we are thinking of getting a small one too. In our neck of the woods the cost of food and products is very high. I think the time to stock up is out of reach for many people. I have a side of beef coming in a few weeks that my SIL worked for. All we have to pay is butchering costs. So very thankful for that. Beef is very high and my family is not interested in becoming vegetarians.
The food prices are hitting everyone hard. There are ways and means to get ahead even a little at a time.. your way with your SIL working for the beef is a good one! I heard Chlorine has gone up enormously. These are things we dont even think if until we need them. I have many lovely distractions in my day! xxx
DeleteYour post made me think of the verse, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." And He did! Wondering about Laine and praying for her. Any updates?
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful verse. I have not heard from Laine in two weeks which concerns me. I will try again this week. Keep praying! xxx
DeleteGod heard a little prayer from me 22 years ago and gave me the lake house. I am still amazed so I understand your lamb story so well.
ReplyDeleteI continue to pray and ask what I should do to supply my home. This week we put strawberries and sweet potatoes in the freezer and canned green beans that we grew. Toilet paper is starting to go up in price so we bought two huge packs. Beef round is on sale for 2.99 a pound so I hope to get some and get it in jars, too. Our country is in huge turmoil. We have no idea what may happen from one day to the next.
Dear Lana, I know that lake house has been such a blessing to you!
DeleteThe strawberries and sweet potatoes are great to have plus the canned beans. I have my eye on the news and was aware of the planned "night of rage." I think this week could be very unstable. Keep doing what you are doing! Also I will add we already have protests here as well... With much love Annabel.xxx
Hi Annabel, I am glad you are okay. I kept checking and checking to see if you had posted! This old lady looks forward to your Friday letters! It is so wonderful that God answered your prayers for a lamb, not only one but two! We have an amazing God if I could only learn to trust him more! We are having car problems so I need to do that. In the states they don't give away lambs like that. My Dad raised sheep and when we had an orphan we bottle fed them ourselves. I loved doing that. I was trying to get a tomato limb back into the tomato cage and broke it off. It had three blossoms on it and I was heartbroken and should have known it was too large to do that! I did stick it in a glass of water and took off the blossoms to see if it would root. Hope your next week is just as wonderful. Nancy
ReplyDeleteDear Nancy, Thank you for checking on me! You have good memories of bottle feeding lambs! I hate it when that happens with breaking off a limb or fruit before it is ripe! Have a lovely Sunday and new week! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel. I am glad you are ok and you had a great week. God was with you as He is with each and all of us. You have to have faith and start acting - like you were prepared for the lambs. They are beautiful! Congratulation for what you achieved and forage and bought and brought home - all these shows a practical and determined person. I would have done the same way - ussually I walk with my eyes and heart open and think out of the box. Helps a lot. This week I was on a short five days vacation from work and for the first time I wanted just a staycation. One day at a pool (me and my son adore swimming) after that I deepclean some rooms, washed all the windows, all the beddings and blankets and did gardening every evening. We have a terrible heat wave and water every night everything. Because of the problems ahead of us and in order to be prepared I took my husband and son to the dentist to avoid other complications. Also we picked a lot- a lot of cherries, blackcurrants and strawberries(Thank God - with our crazy prices) and made many jam jars, stored now in the basement for the winter coming. My husband adores them. A sad story - I offered cherries to my cousins family and they said no because it is too much work with them. I sent them a ready made jam jar because they are good people but I was shocked. My son helped me planting some more blackcurrant bushes in the garden that I took and rooted from cutings myself in honour of my grand father and told him his great grand father would be very proud of him. He smiled with a beautiful smile. Take care, wishing you and everyone a nice week ahead. Lots of love from Laura_s_world in Romania
ReplyDeleteDear Laura, I love all you did on your vacation! I also think going to the dentist was a smart thing. Good thinking. You had so many berries! That was fantastic and all you did with them! There are many people who will not do any work to put up food. I know people like it. It makes no sense to me!
DeleteYour son sounds like such a good young man! More blackcurrant bushes will be wonderful to have! You had a really good week! With love Annabel.xxx
Oh Annabel, what a good week! Your plants, little trees, and lemons are so nice, but the lambs! The lambs are so precious, and what a blessing that you received two! Thank you for sharing your story about praying about them, as I feel funny praying about things sometimes, like He does have bigger fish to fry as you say. Yet I believe God knows my heart, and I love hearing how God blesses people in unexpected ways, and in His time. I've been thinking ahead to our upcoming winter, checking over our clothes and stores, and I plan to review your 30-day prepping posts. Thank you for all you do and all you share. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteDear Jill,
DeleteThank you! I see what a week of abundance it was and the lambs are both doing well. I am happy you are thinking ahead to winter. If you have alternative ways to keep warm and cook I think they are the big two in a cold climate. Starting now is really a good idea. Thank you for your kind words! With love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to know that you are fine.How wonderful to be doubly blessed with two precious little lambs.. God truly does answer prayers large or small. One of the outdoor "porch kitties" i care for has been missing for a couple of weeks. this morning she was on the porch as usual right as rain. Remember, not even a sparrow...
Another busy week in the garden and house here. Blessings, Laura
Dear Laura,
DeleteI am glad your little kitten came home! With having lambs I have discovered a lot of the meanings of verses such as references to the good shepherd. If one is missing you search and search! It has certainly made me understand this in a beautiful way! Have a good new week! With love Annabel.xxx
How sweet! God is so good to provide our wants too! Just curious, what do you do with the lambs you raise? Do you spin their wool or sell them eventually?
ReplyDeleteI have a spinning wheel and know how to spin... I need to stop doing something so I can get time to spin. I figure this time will come eventually. The last lambs I raised we still have and the ewes have had babies. They brought their babies up to see me so they are all tame. This was the nicest thing! xxx
DeleteNot sure if this will go through! I thought I already had a Google account, but it didn’t go through last time! Am curious what you do with the lambs you raise? Do you spin their wool and use the yarn? God is so good to provide for our wants as well as our needs!
ReplyDeleteWe are finally warming up here in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. it has been a cold wet spring! The garden should really take off now! It has been slow-going , but the potatoes and onions didn’t seem to mind! You are such an inspiration will all you do and accomplish! I wish I had your energy! I like what Brenda of Coffee Tea Books and Me says she does: a little at a time and it finally gets done! Now that I’m getting close to 70,(Yikes!) that’s what I have to do!
Blessings,
Nana C.
Dear Nana C,
DeleteYes thank you message is here! My Nana was Nana C because her name was Cora. Cora Jean.
Ok so part of your message came through above... see part of my answer there, above. I hope your garden does take off for you now and the weather is good. I agree with Brenda. I do many things a little at a time. I think the things we do daily, weekly really add up. That is how I built my pantry up to where it is. And the garden. Thank you for your kind words! With love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteGod is sooo good! I have to confess, I cried when I read your tale of waiting on God for a lamb. I always feel so blessed when He gives me something just to show He can. I live my life working on being content, but I love coming to the throne and making a small request. I'm always curious to see what God will do.
I have been trying to use my creativity in the kitchen and prepare food without using the oven much. It has been very warm here in northern Ohio. We have been careful to limit driving and run errands all at one time. Thankfully, we live very close to a gas station. And this station has the cheapest gas in the county!
I had a Bantum hen go broody. I put 5 eggs under her. Unfortunately, she didn't hatch a one. But I am giving her a bath today. Then I will have another go at it. :)
Blessings to you, your family, and all the Bluebirds,
Leslie
Oh Leslie, your first paragraph really touched me. I try to be content with all I have, too, but I loved your imagery of approaching the throne and making my small requests, and waiting to see what God will do. After 45 days of no smell or taste, my husband enjoyed his dinner and dessert tonite at about 80%, so we are feeling so blessed. It's the little things, right?
DeleteWell that’s wonderful! I bet he is really glad to have those senses back!
DeleteAnnabel I can see your big smile and hear your delight in your writing, about the lambs. It made me smile when I looked at their gorgeous wee faces.
ReplyDeleteGosh this world we live in is sure in a mess right now. That is why it is always a pleasure and delight to come on here and the Tuesday group and see all the wonderful things you and others are doing and making.
We have a long weekend this weekend and unfortunately I have been sick through it all. Nothing serious just a common, garden variety cough and head cold. I am much better today but still won't be able to get out in my garden, which is frustrating. Three days of gorgeous weather and I can't make use of it. Never mind I will be well rested when I go back to work on Tuesday.
In one of the supermarket flyers this week boxes of cat food sachets that our cat eats were on sale for $8 for 15 sachets. We went to two supermarkets and could only get one box at that price,so it is clear that people are doing everything they can to reduce the impact of increased costs of living. In the past couple of weeks we have been unable to get raisins and whole almonds at our regular place. I think we will re-visit the local Indian supermarket as they are usually good. Of course this will all depend on how their supply chain is being effected.
Some of the changes I am implementing here is to have fibre broadband installed. This will lower our bill by around $30 a month. The phone company is charging us for the new modem but I am going to negotiate this with them as other companies will give it to us free. We are also going to a new fresh water pump for our water which is free and saving us $11.80 a week and finally I have joined a survey rewards site to earn vouchers. I have $25 so far. I will use these to cover birthday and Christmas gifts. It really is all about looking at the many ways we can save money here and there.
Our HRV we had put in three weeks ago is fantastic and the house is much warmer and drier every day.
I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone for all their inspiring contributions and ideas and to you Annabel for giving us such a beautiful place to visit and be part of. It really is a great place to be.
Have a happy and safe week everyone.
Mandy(NZ)
Dear Mandy,
DeleteI hope you are better. At least you had the long weekend to rest. You always do heaps but getting better is the main thing. You found some really good ways to save! That is fantastic! These all will add up!
Thank you for your encouragement. I really want to encourage everyone. The world has changed so much. We could easily be discouraged or depressed. But we can do it and we can make a big difference for our families and to others. We can even have fun doing it! Thank you so much Mandy, with love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel, I was so happy to see that you had posted and that everything was alright with you. I really enjoy seeing what you have got up to during your week. You are such an inspirational woman! I am looking forward to seeing your greenhouse next week, or whenever you are ready to show it. The little lambs are so sweet and finding those pencil pines growing out of pinecones is just so amazing! Love and Blessings to you, Jennie.
ReplyDeleteDear Jennie,
DeleteYou have reminded me to get some photos of the greenhouse. I have put some mirrors in and it works! It is like there is 10x as much light in there. I had left over mirrors too and have placed some on the wall or fence behind some of my big container gardens to add light at the back. I got all the little pine trees potted up too. They are beautiful and already a friend came by and he saw them and said "Pencil pines! I have always wanted a row along my driveway." So he is measuring how many he needs and I will give him enough for his driveway as he is always doing things to help us. I hope your week has been a good one! With love Annabel.xxx
What wonderful pictures this week! And what a great story you've told! I lovelovelove your lambs!
ReplyDeleteI had to buy strawberries this year. I made two batches of freezer jam with .99 lb. berries. This price only comes once a year at one store, and I really didn't expect to see them this year. I rehabbed my strawberry bed last fall and apparently didn't get the plants back in the ground soon enough...very few survived. I'll be planting runners all summer and hope to be back to normal next year.
Thanks to your preparedness series, I try to keep 7 frozen meals in the freezer. I mainly do this by cooking double. Mostly, we eat these meals when I don't feel like cooking (to keep them rotating through), but they were a godsend when I was sick for two weeks. I cooked double twice last week and froze 3 more meals. The recipes were new to me and I'm anxious to see how they thaw and reheat.
I began harvesting outer leaves of butterhead lettuce for salads. I used up a lot of leftovers in cooking our meals.
I read two books from the library and just checked out two more. I only buy a few books a year, mostly for gifts, and always used. If the condition is listed as "very good" by an online seller, it will be in like-new condition.
I installed drip irrigation lines in 6 planters. I've always had to hand-water containers so I am anxious to see how this works. I also repaired several drip lines, with more to go.
I did some heavy-duty stain removal and salvaged a new pair of shorts belonging to my daughter. Stain removal and mending are the two biggest ways I save on clothing.
Mending and simple alterations have saved me a fortune over the years. Not frugal for me but for my friend Heather--I shortened 3 pairs of bell bottoms for her. I also gave her a soaker hose we no longer need. What goes around, comes around.
Dear Maxine,
DeleteI am so glad you found the freezer meals helped you so much when you were sick and you are keeping up the freezer meal supply. I have two cook ups in the next few days that I can add some to the freezer, one is spaghetti sauce and the other is sausage rolls. Both of these freeze really well.
Mending, alterations and stain removal are my specialities too! If someone cant get a stain out they give it to me. I view it as a challenge!! haha! I have rescued many things! These are good skills!
I hope your week is going well! With love Annabel.xxx
Jodi here, Google won't let me comment under my account today, not sure why. I'm having a good Sunday, relaxing with breakfast and coffee and a novel, but I have plans to make some ricotta and attempt English muffins for the first time. I've never baked them before, but I did make lemonade scones this week.. I also want to make progress on some craft projects.. I'm glad that you had a better week after the small miseries. The lambs are adorable!
ReplyDeleteDear Jodi,
DeleteI hope the English muffins worked for you! They would be amazing! Also I just love ricotta. Thank you so much.. the lambs are both doing so well and drink their bottles up. With love Annabel.xxx
A few weeks ago, I stopped by the antique mall just to look around and relax from a busy week. I had a doctor's appointment nearby so it wasn't wasting gas. I had two items I had been looking for in the past few months but honestly, had given up finding them. I found the first in a stack of bowls... the very size and pattern to complete my set of Pyrex bowls.
ReplyDeleteI was going to leave but I felt a nudge to look further back in the store. There was where I found the second "want"... a brown transferware pitcher to hold flowers. What blessed me so much is that I needed neither of these items, they were only a desire. But God knew and led me to them because He cares about even our unneeded desires. I must admit, neither are as cute as those lambs. ;)
I just love Pyrex!! I watch for them everywhere! I feel your joy on this!
DeleteI love your story. Yes, God cares so much. When I came to this farmhouse I knew we would be living in... we walked through and there off the kitchen was a walk in pantry. I wanted a walk in pantry my whole life. I was so blessed. God cares about the desires of our heart.xxx
Annabelle,
ReplyDeleteI was disappointed when you didn’t post on Friday, but with all you had going on, I didn’t worry. I just figured you were taking care of family, and in a way you were. Wonderful!
I’m so grateful you got your lambs. God is so good. I know you will take wonderful care of them.
Once when I was quite young, our church had a date night for the couples. Many of the ladies outfitted a table for 8 with their best finery. But I only had a set of 6 fine water glasses and 6 matching wine glasses that I received as a wedding gift. I grieved over not being able to use them, but they had been out of production for some time. Then in a local TJ Maxx, there they were just the water glasses I wished for. I hadn’t even been smart enough to pray.
I have been busy canning for the last few weekends. (I still work full time). I wanted to refresh my skills and I’m glad I did.
Today, I remembered a trick from when I had a houseful. I went to the restaurant supply store and bought large cuts of roast and sirloin and cut them myself. Saved over half the cost! They had an abundance, so I did not feel bad buying several chunks. The steaks I cut aren’t pretty, but they will be delicious!
Hope to can some stew with some of that meat for my sweet mama.
Much love to you all. May God continue to provide for you abundantly.
Oops I didn’t sign my name in the post from 21:03
DeletePatti from California
Dear Patti,
DeleteThere are a couple of places I can buy meat like that and cut it myself. I am happy to do that. Often also I buy big packages of things then stand and divided it down into portions and re package it. It takes some time but often is very worth it.
Thank you so much for your kind words and understanding my late post! With love Annabel.xxx
Annabel, I just have to ask - what did you name your 2nd little lamb? I love your story of asking God and your little prayers being answered. I always think God is too busy with the big stuff to care about my little petitions, but He never ceases to amaze me when He blesses me with an answered prayer, no matter how small and insignificant it must seem. Thank you for sharing your farm life and wisdom :)
ReplyDeleteDear Kathy, Lamb no 2 still doesn't have a name. She is doing really well though! They both are. And eating grass in the sunshine through the day. I hope your week is going well, good and busy here! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, the story of your lambs brought tears to my eyes. I am so glad they have found their way to you and I hope they have settled in well.
ReplyDeleteLast week I had a week of pizza experiments. For years I have wanted to improve my pizza dough recipe and last week I finally got around to it! It was very satisfying to update the recipe and I hope to use it for years to come.
With love from,
Kelly (Mrs. Kiwi)
Dear Mrs Kiwi, This is funny as I also want to be making a good pizza dough and also a gluten free one. I have my Dads old bread making machine and I tested it out yesterday and successfully made a gluten free dough!
DeleteThe lambs are both doing really well! The week has flown by! With love Annabel.xxx
Hi Annabel and everyone,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful story about your lambs, Annabel, and they are precious! You and Andy have both been so industrious, what a good week.
I am sorry to have missed a few weeks, though I have caught up with reading posts and comments and really appreciate everyone's work and ideas. My husband has been feeling poorly and it has been a challenge finding things he can tolerate to eat. (As of yesterday he seems to be improving a bit and managed three meals and a piece of my fruit cobbler for dessert! but he has an endoscopy on the 13th and any prayers/positive thoughts for a good outcome would be so appreciated. The doctor's guess is an ulcer(s), so I am hoping that is it.)
Mainly I have been trying to keep things very clean and doing a lot of baking/home cooking to find things he can eat and freeze extras. I packed up a big basket with radishes from the garden, baked goods, and homemade soap for a gift for my dad, and he loved it. We did do a big pickup order for the pantry and for some fresh produce - grocery and gas prices continue to rise and it was over $75 to fill the car when it was $63 the previous week. There was a good sale at the builder's supply so I bought a cabinet for our guest bath for more storage, saving $150.
I hope everyone has a good week and has what they need, and things that make them smile.
<3
Kathy
Dear Kathy, I am sorry your husband is having these issues. It does sound like he improved a lot which I hope continued.
DeleteThe gift for your Dad sounds just beautiful. That is the perfect gift I think! Baked goods are always a massive hit.
A cabinet in the extra bathroom will hold a surprising amount. And look nice too!
So far this week has been good, I have lots to report! Thanks Kathy, love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel
ReplyDeleteOh how adorable are those little lambs and they have sure found the right home to go to. They will be so loved and looked after.
This week we started school holiday and on Sunday we went for a drive as there is a strawberry farm about 30 minutes from home and whilst it is not open they had a post on Facebook saying that they were selling on the highway. When we got there we were delighted to see they were around $1 cheaper than the supermarket and I eat so many strawberries. I was really happy with the price we paid and got a few punnets to keep me going. DD12 got some strawberry topping to add a little extra in milkshakes.
Tomorrow her and a friend are going to the movies with friend's mum so I plan on doing some of my own sewing, as DD12 has finished sewing the rows of her quilt and we now need to purchase some material to sew the border on.
DP and I made some meals on the weekend with leftovers for him to take to work and for us to have 2 nights off cooking this week and spend sometime watching some catch up shows, playing board games and doing some crafting. DD12 and I love to have these type of afternoon and evenings when she is on holidays and that makes it easy as there is no expense involved. This afternoon she would like some free time on her iPad to catch up with her friends and she has earn't that as she has helped me this morning by vacuuming the floors and I went through and mopped behind her.
We have been having a pantry clean out and eating all the items in there with little date or dated in the next 3 months to see what ideas we can come up with and so that nothing goes to waste. Love doing this as it turns things over and nothing gets unused.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful week.
Take Care
Aly xxx
Dear Aly, It was a lovely outing to get the strawberries! Syrup in milkshakes sounds beautiful!
DeleteI hope you got a lovely sewing time. It is just wonderful DD is working on her own quilt. Your holiday activities sound perfect to me. These will be very special memories one day! Your DD is also learning so many skills as you spend time doing so much with her. That is beautiful! With love Annabel.xxx