Feather your Nest Friday, 17th November, 2023.

It has been a really busy but good week and here we are in mid November!  

Usually I am good at writing things down and so when my cows were calving I knew,  roughly, when they were due and that there would be an eight week possible window.   That was when I was out checking them every single day.   Once all the calves were doing well I stopped driving around each day and we see the cows when they come up to the bottom fence.   Boy, have those calves grown!   BUT I forgot to write down a crucial piece of information!  Four of the cows back then were still running around basically wild and our friend Johnnie had a huge Angas bull on the property.  In all likelihood those four cows are pregnant and due soon.  How I forgot this I have no idea but when I remembered  (due to thinking "why is that cow so fat!?)  I realised we are going to have Christmas calves!   I literally feel like all my Christmases have come at once!   So I am back to checking the cows everyday until they calve.  Just as well I realised in time!  

Last time the cows had decided they liked apples much better than biscuits so I went out for my first drive with apples cut into quarters.  I thought they might be far less tame after all this time.    I guess I was wrong about that.

However,  Laffie and Loui aren't pregnant...  the four that are are pregnant are fairly wary and stand back.  I hope me doing the rounds daily will quieten them down further. 

So I am thinking of Christmas names.   If we get a heifer I will call her Holly.  

As we were discussing cows Johnnie offered to lend us a bull again so we would have another round of calves next year.   This would be amazing,  obviously!   He said he had a couple of bulls he could send over but they weren't anything fancy.   I said that's ok my cows aren't fussy and will go with anyone. hahaha!    So we will have 2024 calves lined up as well! 

In the garden we turned three really big buckets into planters and along with one other big pot I planted up potatoes.

I pulled up spent celery plants and these fed the chickens and goats.

Speaking of chickens... I had a gorgeous parcel arrive from a friend.  It has dreamy palest pink lace and a sign... which is just perfect!

Chloe came over and we went through baby clothes as I have saved things from my Great Grandma,  Nana and Mum for each baby.  Also a heap of things I made over the years for my Grandchildren just in case I die,  each one would have things I made.   You already know I like a pantry and back up plan! 

So... we had an afternoon going through baby clothes and linens.  Now I am washing up things that Chloe chose.   Amongst them are things everyone made including something one of Nana's very best friends made.  I think this is so special.  Also this was great fun!   I also ordered wool in the appropriate colour ready to begin new this as well! 

I used up six bananas in muffins and a cake.

As this was for Harper,  Scarlett and Sidney I got out the hundreds and thousands.

I harvested Parsley,  interestingly from the area I harvested weeks ago... it all grew back plus some...

It is all in the freeze drier now.

In the orchard... pears are really growing.   The net on the apple tree is in bad shape with quite a few holes.   As birds are smart I have been down there with safety pins closing up them up.   I think it will work!

I got my Sweet Potatoes planted in huge big tubs.   They had really fantastic root systems so were very ready to be planted out. 

I am thinking a lot about 2024 presents and crafts.   Inspired by Jennifer  here  and here  I decided I want to do a lot more crochet edgings again and I began to watch for really good deals on items to crochet around.  I will sew some items too but I thought I would search for some bargains.    Amongst other things I found the most plush face washers ever....

 I had yarn arrive and items to work on so I  have things lined up everywhere! 😊

My bake up was a big batch of Enchiladas.   We both enjoy chicken enchilada sauce on baked potatoes or rice as well as made up with tortillas.  This fed us for two nights,  I made a tray up for Chloe's household and I froze a large tray in my melas freezer.  I was most happy about this.

Today I even got to some present wrapping.   The spare bed is covered in gifts,  mostly things I have made.   As I sort and wrap I am turning a mountain of chaos into lovely wrapped gifts!   I can see light at the end of the tunnel now and also... starting making things in January with The Tuesday Afternoon Club works really well.  Spreading Christmas and birthdays over the whole year (pretty evenly) and a little each week adds up!   I will post a link and invite everyone to join in a new challenge for 2024.

This week we had something happen in Australia which was quite terrible and enough to make everyone feel less safe and also betrayed.  I will not be specific as I try really hard to be non political or invite arguments.  Certainly we felt shocked, horrified and worried.  Also disappointed.   On top of this the policeman from our local town was gunned down last night along with another officer who was shot and injured.   Our towns are small.  They are the kind of towns where men still (in the main) hold doors open for ladies,  everyone says hello (whether you know them or not)  and people are very friendly.  The police officer was a very respected man and very community minded.   To give you an idea of what I mean by a small town, the town the officer came from (according to the internet) has 288 people.   But then there are surrounding areas like us and it hits everyone and hard.  We are just so sorry. 

The tyre swing was such a hit with the girls when they were here that today Andy put up another one... this time horizontal!   This is hanging from a pretty high limb and involved the tractor.

I will wrap tinsel around it for Christmas Day and the kids will love it!  😊

We were helped with really mild weather.  This really makes a difference. In the heat there is so much more work and it is exhausting keeping up!  Lovely days and cool nights is just perfect! 

I had a day in town and did a stock up shop.  There were parcels to collect and a heap of errands.  The next two days I was unpacking,  filling pantry jars, catching up on lots of odd jobs.  Sometimes when I don't even know where to start I still think of "do the next thing."   And after a couple of days of doing the next thing I feel I have caught up!

How did you feather your nest this week?  I hope you had many ways to build up your family and home.xxx

PS Thank you for all the wonderful responses and tips to the Rations post.  They were fantastic!  It was uplifting to read them all.xxx