Feather your Nest Friday, 14th February, 2025. Valentine's Day.
I had a much better week! Looking through my photos I have a lot to report! As usual it is lucky I do look back on the week because it does make me appreciate that I DID get stuff done and it included many beautiful things!
I don't know if you remember my Valentines Day chick from last year as Andy had just died. I prayed for SOMETHING for Valentines Day and a lone, newly hatched chick, came and stood next to my foot. It was amazing! Well, this year Chloe and the boys threw a Valentines Day afternoon tea for Nana Pat (Mum) and me.
When I arrived the boys flew out the door to say" Happy Valentines Day!" and "we have a heart shaped cake and roses!" They were so excited.
We had cups of tea, glasses of Moscato and cake. As you can see it was gorgeous. Chloe went to a lot of trouble to make it so!
Lily had her special dress on.
Seeing her in this dress I am so glad the pattern I bought (to make her winter dresses) has the same sleeves!
The boys made us both cards and special things to take home. 💕
I have to report...
With most of the zucchini I still had I made cakes. First of all GF cakes.
One of these is for Mum.
Then regular flour and frosting. This one was a thank you present for my neighbour who helped me last week.
This cake weighed a ton!
My friend gave me beautiful beans. I got busy on them and blanched and froze them in single servings.
My friend and I decided to head off to the new op shop that I mentioned last week. The one that has the table and chairs and you get a cup of tea! Well, it was so much fun! We both used the trip to take donations as well.
I found gorgeous soft fine cord fabric for a dress for Lily. Buttons, old tins, a beautiful glass jug, craft items for the girls, a winter vest for Tom, old fashioned stationary, kids books, books for Mum and more.
Plus getting to sit down to have a chat and a cup of tea was just lovely.
My cook up was trays of Enchiladas. I froze some, gave a tray to Chloe and one to one of my helpers... plus got two dinners for myself.
We had a couple of really hot days. I put the sprinklers on the hen houses. And a lot of watering plus a soaker hose on the fruit trees.
Lily's dress is beautiful and I am now going to look up how to cook enchiladas. What a great blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks Trish! If you look up thebluebirdsarenestingonthefarm- enchiladas I have the recipe there for you and its super easy.xxx
DeleteHello Annabel,
ReplyDeleteI’m glad you had a better week. The Valentine’s Day spread that Chloe and the boys hosted was absolutely beautiful. Chloe went above and beyond ❤️
You had some great op-shop finds! I can’t get over the cuppa at the tea table in the shop! How quaint! That’s my kind of shop!!
Those pears look incredible. You are going to be one very busy lady soon preserving them all!
I visited my mum and dad this past week. Three of us family members share a birthday in the same week! So this year I made a plan to have ‘birthday week’ at home. It was wonderful and fun, but exhausting as they are 12 hours away. Next year I have plans to go down for Mother’s Day.
So on that note I really didn’t do anything to get ahead or build the home this week. But I was creating memories and renewing friendships and that’s important too 🙏❤️
Have a lovely week
From Cheryl
PS Glad it wasn’t Laffie or Loui or Justice 🤗
Dear Cheryl, Happy Birthday! In our family we have birthdays in groups like that too. 12 hours is a long way! Yes you have to call a week like that a week of family and friendships as there is only so many hours in a day and days in a week! This shop with the table, tablecloth and cup of tea.... it has really taught me something. People dont need fancy they need welcoming and a cup of tea. I always overthought "entertaining" I think! I just love it! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteYour grandchildren are just so precious. The valentines cake and macarons look so delicious, did Chloe make the macarons? It wouldn't surprise me, she is so clever. Your zucchini cakes also look delicious. I've only had few zucchinis, but still some coming on, so maybe enough for a cake soon. Blessings to all xx Deb
ReplyDeleteThank you Deb! Chloe made the cake and it was huge... but not the macarons... we took cake home as well. I have some success this year with zucchinis but was also given some. I still have two pretty large ones to go. That might be it for this season but Im going to have to move on to pears anyway! Many thanks love Annabel.xxx
DeleteWhat a beautiful, caring daughter you have and she is bringing her children to be so caring too. I wonder where she got that from - her Mum Annabel I think.
ReplyDeleteLike you, winter can’t come soon enough. The heat gets so oppressive after a few months and it takes a lot to get the energy up to do our daily chores.
Almost time for you to get to work on your pear harvest. It looks to be a good one.
Cheers.
Thanks so much for your kind comment! Yes... heat is wearing/tiring... doing the usual jobs is harder and all the watering is a lot of extra work. We are all ready to be over it! Everyone is saying to me how tired they are, I think this is why!xxx
DeleteOh, what a lovely Valentine's Day Tea!! The cake and treats were lovely, and the handmade cards and gifts were so cute. Tom and his chicks are adorable, as was Lily in her sweet dress. And your pear trees look wonderful. I'm so glad you had a better week with lots of shopping and cooking successes, Annabel. We're supposed to get more snow and really cold temps the next couple of days, but we have all we need to stay warm, dry, and fed. Life is good! Have a wonderful weekend, ladies!
ReplyDeleteDear Jill, Being warm inside, comfy and well fed is beautiful to weather out the storm. I find in winter to be near the fire and some crochet or sewing, cooking... I really like it. However not so much the dangers of ice etc outside! Have a good weekend to you too and new week ahead! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, I want to go to one of Chloe*s party! Happy Valentine to all of you!
ReplyDeleteLily is adorable and Tom*s big serious farmer position made my day!
I am glad you had a nicer and cooler week, and you did so many things. The story of your Valentine chicken is one I will remember all my life. I always look for signals from the loved ones gone to Heaven.
My weeks are still quite busy, although I quit on the first of Feb. my second job I still help in 3-4 days a week untill the new employee can manage. Doing that for seven years I did not realize there is so much know how and things to teach and how tired I was. But I start to see the flowers, friends, laughter and new recipes. The weekends are for trying new dishes in the kitchen, while using up items from the pantry, cellar and fridge. Nothing-nothing goes to waste here, being food, yarn, paper, clothes, jars or time, love and smiles.
The weather is very cold, we have minus temperatures even during the days but the chickens are laying every other day. The new coop that my boys are building is almost finished (this Saturday we will install it in their run and move them in.) It is so big and cute I don*t refer to it as a coop but as a Chicken Chalet. Next to build will be a house for ducks, as we intend to get some more ducks and chicks in Spring.
Extra chicken news - I managed to pay the home and land taxes for the year with the eggs money, as I planned and mentioned here. I already have started the egg money envelope for next year. (Not just from selling eggs, mind you, but for every egg I put one dollar (lei in RO) in the envelope for the whole year, as a funny game)
In the evenings I crocheted a big fluffy blanket for my son and yesterday I started a knitted vest for my husband. These are so special to me, as they never ask for anything and I make them with great joy and love.
Long post today, finally I feel I am breathing. But - Have you noticed? - Nothing about politics, even if today is The Munich Security Conference. I would have to use too many words. Strong words.
I have missed you all, sending my love from far away, Laura_s_world from Romania.
Dear Laura,
DeleteI was so glad to read about how you are doing - and I want to go to one of Chloe's parties, too! It is amazing you were able to pay taxes with your egg money. I love the Chicken Chalet, and you are such a shining light for me with how you care for your loved ones. Prayers and sending you a hug from afar.
<3
Kathy
Dear Laura, The chicken chalet and duck home also sound fantastic. I am happy knowing you will have new stock in Spring too. When you first got chickens I remember your first ones and now look at how they pay you enough to pay bills! This is a little economy of its own! It has to have been a lot to have two jobs. I know it as you have worked long hours... I hope the new pace will be much better for you as I know you will use it well for all kinds of good projects. But maybe first really you need some rest and nice plans ie planning the spring garden! A blanket for your son and vest for your husband are beautiful projects. I have found keeping up with world events hard this week as it has been so much going on. I loved your report! With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteThank you, Dear Kathy! I am thinking often of you, too. I found my strentgh from all of you, Bluebird friends, that show so much resilience, kindness and faith in God. Thank you. Laura
DeleteWhat a lovely week Annabel. Tom is becoming quite the responsible little fellow and it's so cute. I love to see kids go about their tasks. I think it fosters good character and determination. And you always find the best things! To sit and have tea in an op shop would be so fun!
ReplyDeleteWe are getting ready for more winter weather with snow and rain both. I'm very thankful that I can be home many don't have that option. I like to hibernate. We have been using a lot of wood this year so daily we have to bring some in.
I sent out some happy mail and decorated the packages inside in a pretty fashion. I love to embellish things! It's been a rough year and happy hands make a happy heart.
XOXO
Vicky
Dear Vicky, It would be beautiful sit and have a cup of tea at the op shop with you and shop together!
DeleteI am glad you have plenty of wood. It wont be long and I will be bringing in wood too and lining it up ready. Bring it on I say!
Ohh happy mail! Pretty mail is just beautiful. I need to do some writing this week. The vintage stationary I got last week will help. Yes... keeping on making things helps keep us calm and happier for sure. With much love Annabel.xxx
Annabel,
ReplyDeleteI always love to hear what you have been up to each week, and it's amazing how much you get done. Love the Valentine's tea party! Your grandbabies are growing up so fast! We are freezing in our area Central north Arkansas a few miles for the Missouri border with more snow on the way next week. It has been a hard winter for everyone in the US. Take care. Belinda
Dear Belinda, We had a guy here who wrote books etc and everyone was mad on... he said there would be no snow in the UK, Europe or US by 2010. My Dad had this book. I asked him why did he have it? He said because the longer he keeps it the funnier it gets. So yeh another prediction that was just nonsense. The ice and snow you are all living through its hard for me to imagine. We will get to freezing point and a frost in our coldest winter but by mid morning everything is "normal" so thats about it. Thank you so much! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteChloe's cake and decorations are beautiful! Congratulations on your op shop finds. And Lily's dress is amazing! Thanks for sharing your week.
My week was a good one. I was able to clean out my pantry. Such torture to have a big job and not have the time to get to it! Now I am washing and ironing linens that a mouse was investigating. 🥴
The rest of my time was devoted to schooling, haircuts, cooking, and baking. I had to take my daughter to the doctor, yesterday. It was nice to combine many other errands while we were out.
It is very icy, here in Ohio, but we are staying safe. So many people ended up in the ER due to falls and slick roads Wednesday night.
Love to all, Leslie (Ohio)
Dear Leslie, I was talking to Mum today about your weather and I said I dont understand why most people dont end up with broken bones! But it sounds like a fair few do! I would for sure. A week of schooling and baking etc sounds very nice to me! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel and beautiful blue birds,
ReplyDeleteOh Annabel i love that chloe gave you a valentines afternoon tea and i can see that Tom wrote in your card , so lovely .
Lily is absolutely gorgeous and her dress is so pretty .
I had a fairly quiet nest feargwring week but I also visited a lovely op shop and found some craft supplies and some bread ! The bread was a gold coin donation ( which for those of you overseas a gold coin is either $2 or $1 ) . I gave them $3 for 6 damper rolls and a big load of bread .
I bought a scrapbooking kit which included a scrapbooking album , stickers etc that was $2.50 and I also got some embellishments that were $1.75 for three little tubs .
I earn $10 rewards $ from Woolworths / big w this week and used my 10 percent off that I get for being a Woolworth everyday extras member ( I got a yearly membership half price in November ) .
It’s been fairly quiet otherwise , oh I did make some cards and I’ve made quite a few meals the last week or two .
I hope you all have a lovely weekend and week .
Barb Woodford
Dear Barb, I am glad you had the fun outing of op showing and some lovely finds! I love the ones who sell the bread/bakery items! I love it when I get my $10 off too! I saved up points and had $30 off in my last shop before Christmas which was nice. Thank you for your kind comments! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHello Annabel and everyone,
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous cake and table! And Lily is so beautiful with those big blue eyes. Your cooking looks so good and I love your finds, too.
This week I did a little knitting, a little cooking, some stocking up for the pantry, cut some more rosemary to root as I'm dreaming of a hedge of rosemary out in the garden, and a little thrifting (a nice cookbook and a crystal rose bowl for $1!). I had lunch with my Dad Saturday and brought him some goodies. Tuesday brought an ice storm with "thundersleet," which I did not know was a thing! Emergency dentist visit Thursday and regular doctor visit today and picked up my new glasses. These things make me appreciate how much good health insurance makes a difference. More winter weather is coming this weekend! We never get this much snowy icy weather. But, it will be a good chance to stay cozy and do some baking and crafting.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Happy Valentine's Day.
<3
Kathy
Dear Kathy, I didnt know thunder sleet was a thing either! Wow! A rosemary hedge would be gorgeous. I love rosemary, the blue flowers, the many uses and the scent. I am sure your dinner and goodies are the highlight of your Dads week! I love to get new glasses and to have a few pairs stashed for if I forget my glasses and emergency glasses! It sounds like you will be crafting and cooking a lot through this freezing weather! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHi Annabel
ReplyDeleteYour photos are glorious, Chloe put on a wonderful tea party for you and your Mum, I love the cake and table setting and the cute little teddy bear in pink! Lily looks gorgeous sitting on your Mum's lap and I love your grandson so grown up in his boots tending his birds. And the buttons!
It was a week of cooking, two different batches of soup some to freeze and some to eat fresh and I made a big red currant crumble cake to take to a family lunch, also a big blackcurrant crumble for my husband and I for several days.
I redeemed some supermarket loyalty points to stock up on new underwear for myself. When Lidl have big packs of pork schnitzel I buy several for the freezer for the days when I'm really busy or too tired to do much meal prep. The vast majority of our meals are cooked from scratch so the odd easy meal doesn't hurt.I visited a couple of supermarkets and used coupons etc to get the best buys I could but I said to my husband I feel I must have a degree now in bargain hunting. Food prices are getting crazy, I don't know how families are managing.
The best news of the week was my dental practice tipping me off that a new dental practice was opening in town and they were accepting patients on the NHS. My husband's dentist retired some years ago and we had no choice but to pay for private dental treatment for him at great expense. He has been accepted at the new practice and this is a HUGE benefit! We are so very grateful.
I hope all Bluebirds are holding steady in the face of the unnerving political times and the challenges of weather events. Hugs to all.
Penny in the UK
Dear Penny, Red currant crumble cake sounds incredible to me! Your soup and meals sound beautiful. I think the same thing here re food prices. I dont know how families are managing. And we are hearing this from many countries. Finding the new dentist that will be covered for your husbands treatment will be a big saver so that is fantastic. Penny I dont think I have your mailing address. If you would be prepared to give it to me email me at brinkzi21@hotmail.com :) xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, there are so many beautiful photos. Wow! Your daughters are amazing. Chloe has made the most beautiful afternoon tea for Valentines Day and I love how the boys made presents. That’s so sweet. This makes my heart sing! It’s lovely to see such good in the world. I love Lily with your Mum, and they are both matching. Lily is adorable. I’m glad your week was better. Sending lots of love, Bridget
ReplyDeleteDear Bridget, Thank you! Chloe also was wearing a blue dress and it all made for a great photo opportunity! Yes we got very special presents and they were so proud, it was so sweet. Have a good new week Bridge! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHow fortunate you are to have a loving family. No one in my family even mentioned that it was Valentine's Day. I guess I could have but when you only get a blank stare back it doesn't seem worth it. Envy your heat (sort of).! We Are in a deep freeze in the north. Spring can't come soon enough.
ReplyDeleteOh a deep freeze, a dont even know really what that would be like other than it must be really hard! For next year think of friends and family who might be like yourself that get no sweetness on Valentines Day and make them pretty cards or cakes. Instantly it will be a day of joy for you! xxx
DeleteDear Annabel and bluebirds, what a lovely party. I totally agree…. What a lovely family you have influenced Annabel! And wouldnt we all like a Chloe (or Annabel for that matter!!) party!! This week has been a bit of a plodding week. I priced up replacing ur wood heater with a more efficient unit hoping to get that installed before winter. Planning for that now. Will do the run around and see if anyone else in the area needs a chimney sweep to clean things out and see if we cant share travel costs between us. I had hoped for a slight discount on the stove but they didnt seem inclined. Lol. I did groceries this week hoping not to go for another 3 weeks given commitments we have coming. What a disaster! I need to be much more intentional about my garden! For the second major trip in a row the load hadnt come in for the supermarket due to a “computer glitch” and it was like north qld the day before a cyclone! No chicken, almost no bread, no eggs, very little fruit and vege, and lots of areas in the supermarket were just bare. A few bottles of milk, but only a few. Thankfully i have enough i think to get me through. The staff told me id have to come back tomorrow! Yeah. I’ll just pop out for like a 3 or 4 hour round trip.not. Have wormed my chickens and am hoping to set a batch of eggs under the next broody. Not getting many as they are moulting. Keep building your reserves and skills ladies. It isnt i proving here in NSW at least! Missy.
ReplyDeleteDear Missy, Oh wow on the supermarket!! We all expect the store to be empty before a cyclone hits and such... but it is a good point to remember it takes a power outage, bank outage, computer glitch and you can have an empty store. Or closed store. My round trip is two hours so much less than yours... so yes a very good pantry is absolutely necessary. But I hope that everyone no matter where they live have at least a few weeks of supplies for everything. I hope you get some chicks from your next broody hen! Chickens and eggs are worth gold now! It's a good plan to share the cost of the chimney sweep. If you have anyone young and fit enough... we bought a chimney cleaning brush... it has a long flexible handle... and our family share it. One of the young ones does the job. This was a pretty good investment and not really expensive. We do all the chimneys every year before lighting. I agree please bring on Autumn! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, your blog made me smile 😊 just love that cake and all things pink ! What a gorgeous afternoon with the grandkids and your daughter and lovely food. My Nana was like that. They had a very small fibro house with a double lot garden and didn't have much but they loved each other and were married 72 years after meeting in WW2 Army as kids ! They were just 17 when they met ! My Nana always had her finest China and cups and saucers out and her finest tablecloth freshly ironed and a flower on the table. We would sit and have the freshest simple salad and rolls. But it was the happiest times of my life being with them. I adored my grandparents ! Time at their house was so precious ! I wish I could find local women like myself who embraced the old fashioned ways of baking at my age 47 I get laughed at and mocked. Well when you fail to plan, you plan to fail I think ! Some friends aren't believers and I've seriously considered if I want them in my life. As the word says "only a fool in his heart says there is no god !" I'm reading through proverbs now. Such wisdom ! I've put my name down this week to help Legacy who support war widows etc to prepare the rosemary we wear on ANZAC day can you believe that's only a month away ?
ReplyDeleteAnnabel or other ladies, do you know of any books that could help me learn skills ? Love Sonia
Sydney, Australia 🦘
sonja, many books written by maryjane butters are filled with old time skills and crafts and recipes. i love her books. check out amazon, you may find them there. bonnie
DeleteDear Annabel, I read your posts every week. Thanks to you I am usually prepared for many "surprises." Take this past week's snow and ice storm. With your encouraging posts we were prepared for any power outages. Fortunately, we did not experience any power outage. My son and his family, on the other hand, did. They moved in with us Wednesday morning after a night without power. The temperature in their house dropped to 53F. It was no problem for my son, his wife, and my granddaughter, plus their dog to come stay with us. We have plenty of room and because I keep a stocked pantry, meals were not a problem. Because school was canceled from Wednesday through Friday, I was able to spend the days with my granddaughter while everyone else went to work. I teach third grade, by the way. The power was restored yesterday so they stayed for dinner then returned to their house. Now my house is too quiet. Another storm is due on Tuesday night. I feel we are prepared with our 2 solar generators and our gas powered generator just in case we lose power. This weekend we are dealing with high winds and flooding. Thanks to all the encouragement and suggestions on this blog my family is ready for many things. In other areas, I was able to find some beef and pork on mark downs so I bought a bunch, came home, cooked up some hamburger (mince?) and repackaged some and froze everything. It is so hard to find a good deal on anything here in the US these days, so when I see something I grab all I can use and try to leave something for others. Now I have quite a few meals in the freezer for those busy, long school days. Annabel, this blog always lifts my spirits. I love your photos, especially of your beautiful grandchildren and animals. Thank you for sharing your days with us. From, Marley in the Mountains
ReplyDeleteDear Marley, Oh I am so glad you were prepared! Thank you for telling me how this went! I wish everyone could see how being prepared we can help others especially our family. And you had this lovely time with your Grand daughter... I bet she loved it! She is probably hoping for the next power outage haha!
DeleteIt sounds like you are being hit by continuous storms. Yes grab those good deals! It is harder to find a good food deal here also. Teaching third grade... I think kids this age are just gorgeous! Thank you for your kind words Markey and well done on managing what could have been a crisis for your family but instead everyone was warm, fed and happy! With love Annabel.xxx
What a difference a week makes!! How thoughtful for your daughter to host such a special Valentines party! What a blessing! Love the beautiful cake and the darling cards made by your grandsons! Little Lily is So Adorable in her pretty dress! It looks vintage! You have the Cutest grandkids!
ReplyDeleteI would Love to shop at a thrift store that serves tea! And what treasures you found! Absolutely Love those buttons!
I felt a cold coming on early last week, so I made a pot of chicken barley soup that lasted several days, and was so glad I did, as I felt wiped out. So I didn’t do much of anything else all week. It was a cold one, so I mostly sat by the fire and read! At least now the temps are more normal for us this week. I know other parts of the U S will be getting sub zero temps! Winter isn’t over yet! We are looking forward to spring!
Thank-you for sharing all the wonderful photos!
Take care and God Bless!
Laura C. (aka Nana C)
Dear Laura, A good pot of homemade chicken soup is about the best thing ever for a cold. Garlic and onion and all that goodness really work. As you are looking forward to Spring I am so keen for Autumn!! Thank you so much for your kind comments! I hope you are feeling better now! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteOut of the blue question, have you heard from anyone in Laine's family? How are they coping?
ReplyDeleteHope all is well with you and your family. Your grandchildren are adorable. Take care.
Bun