There is a lot less to report this week. I had appointments to attend and these things all take time.
I did achieve some things. I worked on lemons and oranges. Some were freeze dried, many juiced and frozen and some oranges juiced and delivered for my Grandsons to drink.
I had the chance to shop at Aldi. It was fantastic (I do not usually get these choices of stores) but I stopped and took a photo of the lemons...
Yes $1.09 each! This made me wonder how many lemons I had juiced/preserved so far? When I got home I counted how many I still need to work on which turned out to be 66! I need to move on these fast too over the next few days.
I came home with a car boot full of succulents. My Mums garden grows these so fast.
It had rained here a little it which was great... these will be planted tomorrow!
It is only thanks to my helpers that I can get away to an appointment. As you know there are dogs, cows, goats, chickens, parrots and more and they cannot be left alone. Because I am blessed with these guys and I can trust them I was able to get all this done.
Also I followed my own advice.... I tell so many people to have ANYONE you can lay your hands on save food scraps for your chickens. Yet I did not have my helpers on the job. They both agreed and are very happy to get eggs. So now they both have a bucket with a lid to bring out each week!
(One is a married man and the other is a single man... hence the different sized buckets!)
When I am away I collect all food scraps to bring home and Mum's garden had some great lovely thistles which I pulled up to bring home too! These were all devoured by the chooks already.
I got a couple more bibs made and I sewed on velcro dots as closures. They have been delivered to Chloe now. She is set for bibs for Lily for a while.
I try to not be a complainer. So usually I do not mention feelings which (if you have followed along for six months or longer) I know you will realise I must go through. Andy took care of so many things in advance and God sent me help in areas I could not do myself. So I am very blessed. This appointment though resulted in me being scheduled for an oral surgery in about a month. Well, I am very anxious even going to a check up and keeping my anxiety under control is interesting. I see and agree that this must happen or I am going to soon be in a huge amount of pain with an infection... Sometimes choice A is better than choice B but not as good never having to have either! This was the first time since Andy died where I needed to fill out forms and answer questions ie who is my next of kin? Who will accompany me and take me home? Who can be with me for 24 hours? Andy was very faithful on driving me anywhere if I needed and looking after me if I was sick. This was really the first time I was confronted with not even knowing how to answer so I started crying instead.
So you could say I am happy to be home. The city seemed a bit grimy and run down. The places that are meant to be "flash" aren't anymore. However I made the most of it as a stock up opportunity.
As I drove in the driveway bounding dogs and grazing cows greeted me. The grass looked greener!
I hope you had a good week. How did you build up your home or pantry? Keep going! xxx
Hello Annabel,
ReplyDeleteIt must be the week for not much to report, for I find myself in a similar boat!
I made and preserved some apple purée and some apple butter BBQ sauce and I froze several one cup portions of pumpkin purée, and I worked an extra shift at my job, and pretty much that was my week of doing anything extra done!
The days are flying by!
I remember when every other house seemed to have a lemon tree in the backyard, now we are charged a small fortune for them! And what really makes me cringe is that most people will only use them for juice! They won’t even think to try using or preserving the skin! $1.09 for some juice! Not this little duck LOL
Lovely bibs and scalloped edges 😍
Have a lovely week Annabel and Bluebirds
🐦🪹
My Aunt had said to me how sometime people are going to regret tearing out all their fruit trees and just having lawn. This is coming true. You added to your shelves and freezer and the extra shift is for sure a way of getting ahead! I think that is a pretty good week! xxx
DeleteI got word that Meijers had fresh blueberries on a 2 day sale for 99 cents/pint so I bought 2 flats (24 pints). I used $2 store credit and water bath canned them in boiling water in pint jars. They only take 15 minutes to process pints and by using my steam canner, the heating time to get it up to for processing is only a couple minutes! Using 16 pints of blueberries, they filled 23 pint jars to put on my shelf! https://pin.it/Cn4z0AU29 . I kept 1 pint of fresh blueberries to eat from fridge and gave the other 5 pints to my friend with 6 kids.
ReplyDeleteWe were ready to move our upright freezer back into laundry room from dining room, so we borrowed 6 big coolers from friends + our 4 coolers to empty and carefully sort freezer contents according to category (beef, chicken, pork, veg, fruit, grab and go/convenience) . We were then able to move the empty freezer without helpers. After putting in in place, I throughly defrosted and cleaned it while Hubs went to buy storage bins/ baskets from Dollar Tree for inside freezer.. https://pin.it/2HEqTJ8Nv. We are pleased with the result.
Quilted and bound a client’s vintage quilt : https://pin.it/6UrvA1ol6. She was thrilled with results and I was thrilled to add some money to our savings! 😉
We are really trying to hunker down these days with the economy so volatile. It may seem like I’m spending often on things like FF, but in reality, including those purchases, our food budget is under $200/month and that includes stocking up.
Dear GardenPat, I am amazed at the Blueberries they are a true luxury item here. You added a lot to your shelves! What a mammoth task to empty and organise the freezers. I need to do this. The coolers were a good idea. I have one freezer that needs defrosting so I might do that one first. Your quilts have been stunning. Your home industry has grown and grown. The habits you've had over the years have prepared you to still do well in spite of the economy. There are still opportunities. Most of them take work which you are prepared to do! You had an amazing week! With love Annabel.xxxx
DeleteAnnabel: About 3 months after my husband died, I went to buy tiles for the bathroom I was remodeling. The selection was impressive, but for my broken heart it was overwhelming. I started to cry as the store employee was trying to help me. I explained to him, that I was a recent widow, and that this was something my husband and I would have done together. The kindness he showed me still lives in my heart.
ReplyDeleteGrief is personal to each of us, and has no timeline. I am holding you close, my friend. You and several other bloggers gave me a lifeline after my husband died. You provided friendship and encouragement. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing that. Yes it hit like a train, completely taking me by surprise. I am so glad you were met with such kindness in that shop. Thank you for telling me that several bloggers including Bluebirds helped you. That is encouraging to me! xxx
DeleteOh dear one, I am so sorry you had to go through that for your surgery. Our kids told me a few months ago that I had t make a plan of what to do if my husband ended up in the hospital. A close friend has agreed to come and stay with me in that event and that is peace. I pray you can work out a plan that will be there for you whenever you need.
ReplyDeleteNow a funny story-our chiropractor is Australian and he told us about having his wisdom teeth out. He had to drive two hours in from the bush to have it done but he told his wife he would be fine. He said he like to died on the way home. Two hours with gauge packed on his mouth and all he wanted to do was go to sleep. He was a riot when he was telling it but we could well imagine.
Dear Lana, That sounds about right with the chiropractor, Aussie men and distances! It is wise to have a plan and a blessing to have a friend who will come and stay. My niece Allie is coming with me she didnt hesitate in responding. This makes me feel a lot better. I hope your week is going well Lana, with love Annabel.xxx
DeleteMay God continue to help you during these difficult appointments. Hard to believe it is $1.09 for just one lemon. Our animals sure do bring comfort and companionship.......Nancy
ReplyDeleteDear Nancy, Thank you! Yes our animals are soo much joy and show Gods goodness everyday. I am surrounded by wild, farm and pet animals! I actually cant imagine not having animals! I hope your week is going well! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteMy heart goes out to you. I am so sorry for your experience at the oral surgeon. Thank you for trusting us! I'm so glad you can share your sorrow hear in this safe place.
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing all those lemons were! I showed both my husband and my 2nd eldest daughter the Aldi's price . Wow!
My week was full. I made yogurt, baked bread, and dried herbs. I plan to slice and dry apples tonight. With the yogurt, I have been making peanut butter and chocolate pops. Delish! And so refreshing on these hot days.
I also was able to get some mending done for my bartering friend. So mending her husband's jeans and eggs for canned food and 25 lbs. of shredded pork. What a blessing!
Blessings to you all,
Leslie in Ohio
Dear Leslie, I am glad I thought to take a photo in Aldi. Sometimes I see things and think "no one is ever going to believe this!" I love that you have a bartering friend and your trade was fantastic! That is a huge amount of pork! Yoghurt is so useful in cooking, smoothies etc. I also like it a lot in place of sour cream which is many uses too. You had a great week! I hope this week will be more of the same! With much love, Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, sending you virtual hugs and prayers. This week gone and next week are more than peppered with medical appointments for my daughter. I feel like I am only getting the very basics done but I know at times like this that is OK and enough. Love Clare
ReplyDeleteClare, I just wanted to offer you some encouragement. I'm glad you are showing yourself grace during this season. Remember you are ministering to your daughter as you seek medical care for her. Praying you find some answers and she finds healing. -Leslie
DeleteDear Clare, I hope your daughter is ok. You’re doing the most important work. Lots of love, Bridget
DeleteDear Clare, wish you and your daughter strength and good health, I will pray for you. Laura_s_world
DeleteDear Clare, Yes these times the basics are more than enough. Your attention and listening to the medical advice and your support and company for your daughter is huge. No doubt with added travel and stress it is also very tiring. I will be praying you M and you too. With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteAnnabel big friend hugs to you and it is okay to feel down sometimes and I can understand that would have been a difficult situation to face. You are certainly blessed with a close family and good friends to help you so hopefully someone can drive you there and back after your oral surgery.
ReplyDeleteYou still got lots done in the week and your baby bibs are just divine.
We didn't have a lot to report either with lots of medical appointments so we plugged away at our to do list bit by bit.
In the gardens we got some more kindling cut up in the firewood shed and DH sprayed roundup around the fence lines.
In the home we kept up with the usual housekeeping duties and DH sorted through his clothing to see if there is anything that doesn't fit to take to the op shops and he is 3/4's of the way through sorting his clothing out. He also did a fair bit of ironing which he is really good at.
In the kitchen we cooked all meals from scratch as well as bread.
On the financial front we are saving for a new garage to be put in as DH parking his car in the shed is rather a nuisance so we are getting a taller shed put in to store his car near the back door. This will also fit my new car when we buy it after the garage is installed and we save that money back up again. On a positive financial note we have saved just over $31 000 since September last year to replace some of the money spent from my inheritance on DH's new car, a ride on lawn mower and spare filters and other household items we needed to buy.
We got a lot of bargains in our grocery shopping this past week some prices were just far better in other stores than the big supermarkets and some were items that were on markdown too.
We did a mini grocery shop at WW and with items on half price sales and using our 4% off e-gift card we saved $37.84 on usual prices and earned 1136 reward points and have another $10 off our shop.
At IGA we bought Kabana on sale for $15kg, 4 packs of cheese and bacon rolls on sale for $3 ea, 2 others on markdown for $1.80 ea, 3 x beef roasts on sale for $9.99kg, 2 x 6pk of jumbo bread rolls on markdown, a packet of 6 cream buns on markdown for $3.30 a pack saving in total $77.38 if we bought them in other stores.
Have a great week ahead everyone.
Lorna.
Dear Lorna, You savings are going so well! Also you had spent that inheritance money on very wise things.
DeleteI am noticing this about the supermarkets. For years we were lulled into thinking the big stores were the cheapest and most convenient etc. But not any more! We have to cast our net widely now. Also funny things in funny places... like some chemists have a specials section out the front and toothpaste might be so much cheaper than the supermarket. We have Cheap as Chips... (probably same as many of the cheap stores) and toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, so many things are a fraction of the price. I keep running lists of things to watch for when in random places!
Sorry to hear you had medical appointments too, they sure do take a chunk out of the week especially if travel is involved as well. You still did very well! With love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel, congratulations on achieving what you have. I used to work as a nurse in oral surgery. Please take my advice and get it done as day surgery vs in the chair instead. Much easier pain wise too. They can put you asleep and just wake up like a normal surgery. I also suffer severe anxiety with anything medical and find a general or sedation is best. Being a anxious dental patient during oral surgery just makes your life harder. So maybe you can discuss this with the surgery ? Hope it goes well. Sonia in Sydney
ReplyDeleteDear Sonia, Thank you so much, you are very kind. It is all planned. Because Im having a bone graft at the same time we planned this. It has made it a lot less stressful for sure. Thank you! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel ! I am so pleased you are prepared as usual !! Take good care of yourself in this healing process. Love Sonia
DeleteHugs Annabel...This will continue to come in waves for a long while dear, but you will find God provides all the things you will require, even someone to help with such a thing as this. About 8 years ago my husband had flown to Texas to visit his brother. I was home alone and got terribly ill the day he was meant to return. I had to drive to pick him up at a transportation courier office 35 minutes away. I had to pull over several times as I'd nearly pass out. I was so sick and all I could think was that he'd have no way to get home. It never occurred to me he might call a taxi or uber...I made it but it made us both very conscious of the fact that we had no nearby family we might call upon, nor local friends. Since then family has once again moved near by and we know more than we did then, too because we understood quickly that it would pay us both to know how to handle future situations such as that.
ReplyDeleteDear Terri, Thank you. I am so pleased you have family nearby now and yes as we live and learn we find out back up/support systems are so needed. And to mentally keep in mind plan A, B, and C.! With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel and beautiful bluebirds ,
ReplyDeleteOh Annabel I really feel for you regarding the oral surgery and next of kin etc .
It's not easy and you are so early in your grief too.I am sending you hugs and have been thinking of you .
This week has been a fairly uneventful one for me .
A friend gave me about ten meals she had made for me which is lovely ,but apart from that nothing much else had happened that's noteworthy!..
I hope you all have a great week .
Love Barb
Dear Barb, Thank you for your kind words. What a beautiful friend you have to give you so many meals! That is just lovely! What a help! I hope you are having a good week too! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, you are brave and courageous and strong to talk openly about your feelings. I can only imagine how that form and the surgery triggered you. We are here all the way with you. Please know that we are here. I pray for you.
ReplyDeleteI love those bibs, they are the sweetest. And look at that juice! Delicious! I love how you make use of things. I worked some extra hours this week, but all meals were made at home so I all that a win. A lovely couple are giving me some rocks for our garden. I’m excited. I’m trying to think what I can give them in return. I’m thinking a basket of things.
Thank you so much! Well done on the extra hours worked. The rocks will look great in the garden. I have a rock garden and love it. My good to thank you gift is baking something, knowing what people like is a big help. Also rocks that are sold in garden centres are hugely expensive! This week has flown by but I will have more to report! xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, I am sending virtual hugs from far away. I pray you will be ok after dentist and know we are all there for you. I like the story with the buckets for the chicken food, (I do the same with some of my coleagues) and the dogs waiting you. And, if it is possible, I think Lilly will be even more beautiful with those bibs! I had a busy week at work but my back is fine, now, so I did a bit of gardening, too. We had very hot weather but a good rain last night. I have finished the crocheted border for the dress I have sewn and it is nice looking so one of the nurses at my second job (the medical center) gave me and I gracefully received a new to me summer dress with a destroyed hem at the neck line, so I did crochet little green silk clovers and sew them on by hand. Voila, a new dress, repaired on one evening. My son got his drivers licence and drove me to work one morning (otherwise I use my bike everyday now, that the weather is perfect for that). Today is Sunday, we had a peaceful day, got some rest, painted and read under the grape wines, where the shade is so sweet on a hot day.. Next week I am on a well deserved vacation, no work, no knitting orders, just rest and enjoy the days Sending lots of love from far away, Laura_s_world from Romania
ReplyDeleteDear Laura, Thank you! I am so glad your back is better! I am loving the sound of the crochet edging on the dress and the crochet clovers... I am going to check instagram to see if you showed these! What a beautiful idea.
DeleteCongratulations to your son! It is a big thing to get the drivers licence. I hope you have been enjoying your week off! A proper rest and relax is a very good thing! With much love Annabel.xxx