Feather your Nest Friday, 15th July, 2022.

We had a very big week!  The big news is a new Grandson born on Monday!  Chloe and Luke had a baby boy and little brother for Thomas.  He is beautiful and his name is Chase.    It is hard waiting for a baby to be born.  It was lucky he arrived just after 3 pm as I had cleaned and polished just about everything in the house by then.  When I am anxious I cook and clean! 

I went to see my youngest daughter and her family.  It was Sidney's second birthday.  He has grown so much.   I break this trip up with a stop at a little op shop on the way and a small supermarket on the way home.   A couple of times a year I pass a tree on the roadside covered in pink Protea's.  This trip is was covered.  I slow up every time to have good look!  I picked a heap that I could reach.   I just happened to have my gardening scissors and baskets in the car.  😊  Further along I stopped at a Rosemary bush that I had my eye on.   It was wild and sprawled across the ground.  I lifted up some of the branches at the bottom and they had root systems into the ground.   I carefully pulled up lots of branches with roots and cut them off.  I filled a basket with them.   At home I planted eight good sized Rosemary plants directly into my garden. Smaller bits I potted up to grow for gifts/trading/the trading table.

My greenhouse is really filling up! 

This trip also took me past the trading tables so I had big bunches of celery with me to trade with.  I didn't get anything at the first table but the second table had boxes of freshly dug up herbs.  There were Thyme bushes with a complete root ball in soil, Comfrey, Oregano and Mint plants.  I selected one of these boxes.   Oh my goodness it contained so many plants!   It took me the best part of the next day to plant everything out, including the Rosemary.   That day was sunny too so it was a beautiful day. 

I had gaps in some of my containers which I filled with herbs.

I planted some things into my kitchen garden and the Mint into a big pot.   This trip added so much to my garden! 

On Monday,  while I was waiting for Chase to be born,  I was working in the kitchen and I could hear a chicken chirping.  Then I thought mmm that chicken is inside!  I went and looked in the incubator and there was a chicken making a lot of noise!   I looked in my diary...  he arrived two whole days early.  I don't know how.   Three more hatched on Wednesday.   I still have eggs incubating that are due next week.  Four seems to be my new magic number.

Recently my Uncle died.  My Aunt and other Uncle had the job of packing up his unit.   They approached charities to offer them furniture and household goods.  No one wanted to take them despite it all being good stuff and beautifully kept.  Mum was telling me about this and I said well I will take it.  

On the property we have a house that is empty and this house is in ok condition.  (Not like the cabin which was a complete wreck.)  Back in the day farms were set up with an owners house,  a workers house and maybe a jackaroos quarters or single mans cottage.   These days most of these buildings are empty.   All along I have known these houses are a huge asset and my plan was to eventually paint this house and furnish it.   So just like that a household of basically everything came my way.    I now have a spare washing machine and drier, lounge and dining suite, beds, wardrobes and everything down to cutlery.   Plus... tools, garden tools, jars, casserole dishes,  (including a Pyrex Lasagne dish!) and even pots and plants.   It has been a big job unpacking it all but amazing.   There is even a bird bath for the garden.   

A couple of the pots are big enough to add to my veggie container garden.  One was full of a huge over grown Aloe Vera.  I divided it up and planted Aloe into my kitchen garden and dotted around the front garden.  The smaller ones I am potting up for more plants for gifting and trading.  MORE plants!   

There were some lovely little succulents as well.  I re potted some of those into a beautiful pot for next to the back door and they look lovely.  

There were blood pressure monitors, medical scales,  industrial size stainless steel mixing bowls. The list goes on.

I think my Aunt felt better that someone wanted my Uncles things and would put them to good use.  So how amazing.   I have been blessed with a furnished house.  

I made some of the Proteas up into bunches.   I knew of someone who would really love the surprise of a bouquet.   With some paper and ribbon they looked very pretty.  Andy is modelling them here...

Each time a baby is born I cook the dinners when they come home.   Patsy encouraged me to share about this.  I told her surely this is just normal but she said I would be surprised what people don't do.  So here goes.   The first week home from hospital I run a hot meal delivery service.  This was possible when we lived in Adelaide as so did Kato and Lucy.  It was only about a five minute drive from our house to theirs.  So I was able to do this when Harper and Scarlett were born.   I would heat the dishes and serve dinner piping hot into them, cover with foil or a lid them wrap in a thick towel.  Like uber haha.  It would be very hot still for them to serve.  

When Sidney was born I stayed at their house and was able to do some meals this way and then made meals and delivered when we would go visit. That was harder as it is a two hour drive. 

When Thomas was born that was easy and Chloe and Luke are a five minute drive from here.  So I went back to the hot deliver system.   And now for baby number five, Chase, here we go again.

Night one was Thursday night.  (They arrived home Thursday afternoon.)   The first meal was Spaghetti and Meatballs... (Tom likes meatballs)   I just plan it and cook enough for us all.  It is no harder to cook a bigger meal than a smaller one. 

Desert was Lemon Butter, whipped cream and meringues in jars.

That was desert because during the week I used eggs and lemons I had on hand to make a big batch of Lemon Butter.

Mum (Great Nana) went to visit and see Chase for the first time today. She made tonight and tomorrow nights dinner for them.   So I am back on duty Sunday night. 

To me the first six weeks home with a new baby are a settling in period and very important.  You are getting into a routine, getting to know your baby,  getting into feeding.  Lacking sleep.   Late afternoon seems to be a time of tiredness,  less milk,  tired kids and the flurry to do baths and dinner.  To me not having to make dinner is a huge help.   Also a good nourishing dinner is good for everyone.  So I guess from my own experience I decided this was a good way to help.  But really the gift of a delicious and nourishing meal is a perfect gift for someone sick, someone overrun or run down,  someone injured, someone struggling.  It combines help, love and nutrition.  Nan used to say an ounce of help is better than a pound of sympathy.  I think that is true.    In a couple of weeks I will change over to some easy to heat up meals but for now I will do the hot ready to eat delivery service.   If this contributes to a good settling in period and things going smoothly then it is a very good investment.  We talk a lot about good foundations.   Good routines.   These things help so much.  That is my thinking.  

 

Here is baby Chase... wrapped in a blanket Mum made. 

He is so tiny and beautiful.  I feel very lucky to have five Grandchildren. 

That all added up to a pretty big week!  A week of increase in so many ways! 

I hope it was a good week for you too.   How did you build up your home, pantry or garden?  How are you managing all the price rises?  I think it is pretty well everywhere... food, fuel, gas, electricity, everything going up at once.   We need to think ahead,  be inventive and be very very busy!  But we can do it!xxx