Feather your Nest Friday, 28th June, 2024.

I have much more to report this week!   I didn't need to go to town which gave me a whole extra day to get stuff done and sew!   Also the weather is mainly really cold and wet (yay!) so it is indoor time except for the animal work. 

This week I moved up to a much larger size bib for Lily to put away for when she grows.  I went through my pretty cottons and used two layers of flannelette for the backs.   Over the years I have built up a huge collection of cotton thread.  They are sorted into boxes ie pinks/blues/yellow and orange/greens and so on.   Most of them have come from thrift stores.   If I see cotton for 50c a reel or under I get it.  Once on  Ebay I saw a man selling a box of over 400 reels of cotton for $80.   Then there was $20 postage.  That was still 25c each... and a lot of them were on old wooden spools.   That was such an exciting parcel!   In my mind cotton is like soap... it is small to store, very valuable in hard times...     Now with my scallop stitch addiction I can find a thread to work with just about any print.   It is actually really good fun picking them out!

I found some gorgeous cotton lawn so after bibs I am going to make hankies.  (Handkerchiefs.)

Today my helper worked on fixing the fence so that the cows stop getting onto the lawn.   Also because they think the sound of a tractor means they are getting hay.  If they hear a tractor (that is not even mine) they jump the fence if it doesn't arrive!  

The days work has made the worst part of the fence into the best part of the fence. 

There was also another spot, where a tree has grown on the fence line so that basically anyone could walk over.

So this is all fixed and the rain held off until now... and it is set to rain all night!   If this happens it would be the perfect end to the week.

During the week it was one of my son in laws birthdays.   I made a double chocolate brownie slice.

Chloe made her husband a cake.  Then she had a "moment" and asked Mum and me if we thought it was too juvenile?

We both said "No, he will love it!"   And he did!  😊

In the shed Andrew built steps which lead to power plugs and controls for the cold room.

This was timber milled from our own fallen tree.

Also I have several trees covered in gorgeous pink flowers about the size of golf balls.   They are so lovely!

My cook up was spaghetti sauce and lasagne.

The large one in the front would serve eight.   That went into the ready meals freezer.

I finished working on the lemons.   A few have been saved for other uses but most needed dealing with fast.   So in one day I juiced over 60.    I froze these in 9 lemons in a jar batches as if I make Lemon Butter/Curd that is the right amount.

The whole house smelled so nice!  

This was all timely as I have three lemon trees almost ripe!  AND it will be my first good harvest from trees we planted.

Today I filled the slow cooker with apples.   I did not get a basics post finished this week but on Monday I will post Baked Apples.   They are soo delicious hot or cold. 

My incubator chicks are now pretty big.   Soon they will be moved in with the other hens.

Last night I almost completed this blanket.  It is the right size to top a single bed.    I got to about a meter from the finish line and couldn't stay awake!   It was like running a marathon and giving up a few metres from the end.    But oh well!  Tonight it will be complete!   

The car load of Agave succulents (I came home with last week) are planted and rained in. They made a huge impact being so big!   I pretty much stuck one in every gap or hole and voila!  

So that was my week!  I am settled in with crochet,  listening to rain and completely content!   

How did you build up your home, pantry or garden?   We love to hear.  Some of you are in summer with amazing gardens and produce... others like me are close to the fire keeping warm!   But it doesn't matter.... we are doing the best we can, with what we have, where we are!xxx