Feather your Nest Friday, 8th March, 2024.

 Get a cup of tea,  that is my advice.  It was a big week but I am happy to report wonderful things. 🩷

I will try to be somewhat chronological and restrain myself to include the little things... 

Some apples are ready.   The side of the tree that gets the most sun is ready and they are just beautiful.   This is good as it will spread out the work over a few weeks,  at least.

The first thing I made was Outback Tania's Apple cake.  

I made it with gluten free flour for Mum and me.  It was lovely.   

Since Andy died something Mum has done is make me sandwiches.  She brings me a bag of ham sandwiches to which go into the freezer.  For the first few days I lived on those.  On Saturday she still arrived with more.  I get one out,  add cheese or pineapple or tomato (whatever I have) and put them in the sandwich press.   What a saviour this has been at times.   

Last week I mentioned I have a cutting out mat and table now.  Setting this up started a domino style series of cleaning and re arranging.  Firstly,  having the cutting out table meant I got to some sewing.  Just a little.   I finished up the kitchen towel panels.

I finished the waffle weave... it made two bath sheets and three kitchen towels.

All of the above went into the gift cupboard.

Back to the cleaning and organising.   My second fridge is mainly for drinks but it gets used for a little of everything.  It was a really bad mess inside.   Something had spilled and I tried to ignore it for the time being but finally I emptied it and washed the whole thing out.  There is something surprisingly uplifting about a pristine fridge. Like sparkling windows... they both affect how we feel about life more than you can ever believe!

Oh a high from success I decided to tackle my bras and undies drawer.  Because I basically have everything black this drawer is hard to find anything in.  I pulled it all out and started again.   I ended up with plenty of good and well fitting items but I got rid of a huge pile of things that don't fit/don't feel right/are torture or worn out.

Then I started on dresses.   Living on a farm for five years my need for cocktail dresses,  formal wear...  all a waste of space.  I kept the dresses I wore to the girls weddings (which are gorgeous!) and my wedding dress and all the rest is hopefully going to help the new op shop in town. 

Then I went through shoes.  Same as above more or less.  And I found I am well ahead on leather boots which is what I actually wear day to day on the farm.

My hallway still has all these bags of stuff lined up to go next week.   I can't believe how much!

In town the swap table gave me a small bucket of Garlic Chive plants.  I potted these up in two pots that needed something.

Also in town I found a set of brand new Sheridan cotton single bed sheets plus a separate package of matching Quilt cover and pillowcases for $15 each.  Both of these had been over $200.   Beautiful quality pure cotton set... this will give me the linen for the boys room I am setting up.

For $1 I found this beautiful jug...

It was my lucky day!

I visited my friend who also lost her husband last year.   Her husband was a Pastor and he played an important part in our lives and faith. He married Chloe and Luke.  He died suddenly,  next to the ride on lawn mower,  while she had her Grandchildren staying... plus a long list of other similarities to what happened here.    I thought I would be ok but I cried the whole time.   Dean led a lot of people to God and helped hundreds.  I came away with a book to buy,  a movie to watch and something to look up online.

When I got home I ordered the book,  downloaded the video and looked up the story of an eight year old girl who painted what she said was her vision of Jesus. I had seen this and heard about it before somewhere along the way.   The movie is called Heaven is Real.  It is based on a true story and this is linked to the painting of Jesus by the little girl.  Like two testimonies that overlap.   Since watching the movie I followed up with watching the father and son depicted in the movie.  The Dad is still a Pastor and the son (who is a little boy in the movie)  is a young man now.  Apart from fellowship with a friend it was like having homework that was good for me.

I made myself a meal with my garden tomatoes...

My cactus is not meant to be flowering (according to the man I bought it from) but it is anyway...

I made two meals for the freezer.   Really, I just assembled them.  Meatballs, cherry tomatoes, some pasta sauce and some cheese.   These just go into the oven then are served over pasta.  Easy!  

I made some little gift cards using what was left of the calendar.  

And some swing tags...  

I packaged these up into sets for the gift cupboard.

I have continued to have beautiful cards and gifts arrive in the mail.   Thank you so much.   All of your prayers and encouragement have really been continuous and improved every single day.

Now I have to tell a short story before I tell the next one.   Background...

Years ago when I was a single Mum to Chloe and Lucy it was my dream to adopt a little girl from India.  I put the dream into a true full effort and went through approval, family studies and over twenty thousand in fees and legal fees.   If I lived 200 kilometres east of where I did it would not have been a problem but I didn't want to move away from my family.  Our state would not allow me.  With help I managed to change two small parts of the legislation but I never succeeded.  It was a decade before I gave it up.  It became too heart breaking to keep going.   In that time I had a vision of a green field with one solitude Lily.  So I had picked the name Lily and had many dreams of my little Lily. 

Now to the next bit...   As you know Chloe was due to have her baby this week!   Wednesday morning Chloe was in early labor.  I felt quite anxious and had for days.  Normally I don't feel quite as anxious but the year hasn't exactly been stellar and my nerves are not great.    So at lunch time when I got a text from Chloe I was thinking it was an update and quickly looked at my phone...  but the baby had been born!    

She is Lily May!   

Chloe sent a text that said when she was pregnant she had a vision of a Lily in a sea of long grass... and knew the baby (which she knew was a girl) had to be Lily.  

This is a photo at only a few minutes old.

So I am blessed with my Lily,  we all are.  💗

Chase is a little bit small to really understand but Tom took over.

Tomorrow they are coming home!  Yesterday and today I worked at Chloe's refreshing the fridge,  adding Mum's touch and today Mum came and she polished and did Nana things until everything sparkled.   It is hot so I watered her garden also.   My schedule tomorrow is to make a lovely first night home meal and deliver it hot at 5 45.   (It takes me about 5 minutes to drive to Chloe's.)  Then I get to see Lily and them all!  

For hanging on this long you get to see Lily's nursery. 😊

The little cardigan on top Mum made for my girls and they both wore it.   The linen underneath is embroidery I did years ago...  that is a tiny pram cover.

Her shelf has a photo of Mummy and Chloe in my garden when they were about five and three.  A tiny photo of me when I was four (I hated having short hair) and a bear I embroidered.

The cot has an embroidered blanket I made.

The china and teddy are all things from Chloe and Lucy's nurseries.

It is all full of memories and loveliness.  And Lily looks just like Chloe did and looks straight into your eyes.  

There is a man working on the new fence.

Andrew and his friend have been working on the house on the hill.  This week it got a new laundry floor.  Over the year this will add up to a very good house that I could rent out/have a part time care taker type deal ... I am not sure.  I just know it needs to be brought into good order and the rest will follow. 

Thank you all for your support and encouragement to keep going. 

Tomorrow is going to be hot.  So much for Autumn!   I have had a lesson and know how to turn on the overhead fire sprinkler system with or without electricity.   It turns out it is easy.   Andy had it all set up. He did a wonderful job on this system.  Everyone who comes here is impressed.   Andy loved when I mentioned him or what he had been doing on the blog.  On hot days like tomorrow this sprinkler system is so reassuring.   You see, this proves,  the things we are doing now will count later.  Maybe for one person or maybe for generations. 

How did you build up your home, pantry or garden this week?   Keep going.  Don't give up.xxx