Feather your Nest Friday, 18th July, 2025.
I almost forgot it is Friday! I have Grand daughters here because it is school holidays and we are BUSY! Today things were happening in so many directions! But in a good way!
Over summer, and through the drought, I knew I was going to have to make some changes well before next summer. I need some easier ways and to focus on things that are fruitful and do some pruning on things that are not.
My container garden is fruitful, even in mid winter. I am going to continue to build this up. It is protected from rabbits, deer, even the wind. I've had more and more successes. Even now I have pots of celery, parsley, spinach and beans.
I have heads of Broccoli, this one is ready and another dozen or so coming on.
As part of making things easier I moved all chickens together so it takes a lot less time and I am getting all the eggs as before many were hidden. I do still have a few chickens to catch to complete this job. But the eggs! And some of them are huge and so many are double yolks!
The goats fell into the non productive and costly category. Through the drought feed was a big problem/stress and cost. I am not worried as they have gone to a good home with family.
They weren't worried either. After the trailer backed up to the gate they jumped straight into it. There was not any "catching the goats" they were self loading. 🐐 We all had a good laugh about that one!
My cook up for the week was Pasties. I made a lot. It ended up taking me three days to cook them all! It filled everyone and I also filled my ready meals freezer.
They are undercooked here so that when they are re heated they don't end up too brown.
I finished last weeks quilt block...
And this weeks...
I am LOVING this!
With the girls here we have gone through fabrics and they are both planning a quilt. It is really interesting as they both knew exactly what they liked and their selections really looked beautiful. Next we begin ironing and cutting. They both want to do squares.
Sparky has loved having the girls here!
Tuesday is back to school. On the way home we are shopping for little fruits, mini cucumbers, mini carrots etc. for lunch boxes. Meanwhile we made up a tray of dried fruits and treats. Mummy can decide how many a day they can choose to pack. 😊
Also tomorrow... we are visiting Nana Pat and decorating biscuits with smiley faces for the little kids. It turns out you can buy edible eye balls. Just so you know!
We made cute little pots of lip balm today. They are so nice! So the girls have gifts for their friends to take home. All these things make going back to school a little bit special. (I hope.)
I am tired, the dog is tired, and the girls are tired tonight!
How was your week? Many of you are in peak harvest season! Oh, I hope you have so much to put up and eat fresh! Have a lovely weekend!xxx
Dear Annabel, I was sitting here on Friday night around this time, looking for your blog, and here it is! Looks like you and your girls have had a wonderful time. They are growing up and making so many memories at nanna’s along the way......we have had some huge eggs as well and made a couple Lemon Delicious! I also picked a home grown cauliflower and made a delicious veggie bake. Sparky is so lovely and enjoying the girl’s company. I’ve also been making decisions to remove trees that aren’t doing well and put in more natives in the garden. So glad you have enjoyed the school holidays. God’s blessings to you all, Robyn S.A.
ReplyDeleteDear Robyn, Thank you! I am guessing you are in the wild weather too and hoping it involves some rain to use wind. Oh boy the wind has been extreme. It is hard to decide to remove trees or really any plants not doing well but there comes a time! Good job on the cauliflower! And eggs and lemons.. so good! I have the eggs... I think I have some lemons coming all things working out! With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteI knew there was something missing from my diet, edible eye balls. LOL. Too funny. Have a lovely weekend. Bun
ReplyDeleteYes who knew? Then I found noses and ears, lips etc. Things have come along way since hundreds and thousands!
DeleteYou were super productive this week. Way to go! Too bad the goats didn't work out, but that is OK. I've said we could use some goats here to eat our overgrown lawn. LOL
ReplyDeleteThank you! I enjoyed the goats for five years but I have to be a little more practical now. Before summer there are a fair fe things I need to do so I can manage better in the heat and if feed is in short supply. Goats do a great job eating an area down for sure!xxx
DeleteDear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteLovely girls all of them!!! Sparky was so happy!
It looks like your week was a wonderful one - that is a good life. I can*t wait for the girls quilts, so many memories you build for them/with them. The pasties with the names on them, what a brilliant ideea!!!!!
I can understand you are tired after these full days but I understand also the tiredness after such a hot and hard summer. These days I balance between going on with my small homestead or just reduce some of it, although I will keep going as I like everything I do or I have there. The questions appeared when some of my coleagues asked how come I am not going this year either somewhere abroad for the holiday, why I work so much in the garden, etc. I have three reasons for that:
1. I like staying at home and we have our close spots we like to visit, a short driving distance and quite frugal, like the Old Lake between the green hills, where you can swim and relax. (twenty minutes from home by car)
2. My budget does not include one week trips by plane, over seas. Every penny is deisgned to do something and, although we have a vacation budget, it is not the most consistent or important.
3. I love spending time with my dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, orchard, pots and gardens.
None of my coleagues or friends are involved in their gardens and they do not have animals, except cats or dogs, so they do not realy understand the every day pleasure. But I do recognize some days I feel tired and possible problems may increase that feeling - like not having eggs or chickens eating eggs, or two kitten that need some medical treatment for 5 days (they are ok now), a neighbour finding her chicken killed one morning by a predator, extra care and the big dog patroling all over the big garden and orchard, etc.. Homestead everyday problems, my husband says.
Regarding my flock, I havent found another yolk, I have never found eggshells before, just the whites and the yolk and two chickens picking the content in the coop but no eggshels. I have separated the two new Australorps and since then I had an egg every other day. I still don*t know for sure, but no eggs The heat wave is over now, we have heavy rain, big winds and storms. Excuses, excuses .
I am harvesting some tomatoes, snow peas, hot pepper, lovage, cellery, basil and mint. I re-planted some new volunteer cherry tomatoes, so I will have a long season
out of it. From a green house business my husband swaped for a drive to the market with their merchandise some cucumbers and carrots leaves for the chickens that they were throwing away anyway (I posted on Insta some pictures with the local market): He is always on the look out - also from a thrift store he bought six blue and white big plates. elegant porcelain at a really good price. I love them, they remind me of Chateau de Lalande. I also named the plates like that. (!)
For the weekend I will make some summer pickled cucumbers - I like putting the big 3 litre jars filled with all the goodies out in the sun - it is ready for eating in 2-5 days, depending on the warm temperature.
Can you tell I missed talking to you? It is a long letter above... Sending all my love from far away, Laura_s_world from Romania
Dear Laura, I am the same. I much prefer to holiday closer to home and I much prefer putting the money towards things around the house. I think some people really don’t enjoy being at home. I love the sound of how you live. Lots of love, Bridget
DeleteDear Laura, I think you have a hen or two who are laying shell less eggs. Because if a hen breaks an egg they usually eat the yolk and not so much the shell. And shell less eggs are a thing. In which case you do not have an egg eater, I hope and they might just be off the lay. Normally there might be six weeks a year hens go on strike. I hope that is all it is.
DeleteYes I know the tiredness of the heat. It is wearing. And uncomfortable!
With animals you do have the worries sometimes but overall life is just much more full and enjoyable! I love the sound of the simmer pickles! I am glad for your lovely report! With love Annabel.xxx
Grand Daughters are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThanks Amy, yes they are!
DeleteAnnabel, What a week you have had so far. I love how you have such great things for the Granddaughters to do while there. They are growing up so fast.
ReplyDeleteHappy you were able to find a good home for your goats. Times change and needs change.
We had a full week here. We had a delayed birthday celebration for my Son, most all the food came from my pantry, except the new blueberries that went into his pie. All went home with lots of food and extra items out of our pantry.
We were able to do a run to Sam's and restock a few items, which was a good trip, we went early in the morning so it wasn't busy.
On Wednesday we celebrated my birthday, husband took me to a seafood buffet, before we went I found a coupon to use for a free lobster tail and filet mignon.
I have been using free yarn to make an afghan, I have messed up every time I get to the fifth row, so I decided to undo the ones I did crochet back to the 4th row and just add another row of just single crochet, they will be smaller squares but at least still have a design.
To use up some leftover I made a batch of baked custard and a batch of carrot muffins. Husband took the potatoes out of his Italian Potato Salad and made home fries with them, the lettuce in the salad had wilted way to far to eat.
Husband and I also installed fencing on front of house to deter the deer from eating all the plantings.
So all in all I call it a good week.
Dear Rosanne, A very nice week of birthdays! And the food all sounds great! Nice to be progressing o the blanket. Deer are hard to keep out if they re hungry. Hopefully they are not hungry and will move on! Italia Potato Salad sounds good to me! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteAnnabel the girls look so happy! It sounds like a lovely week. I bet there will be excitement wondering which treat they get in their lunches each day. I’m so impressed with your quilt blocks, can’t wait to see them come together.
ReplyDeleteWe had a great first week back at school. It is 100% worth having a meal plan that uses the slow cooker. It was so nice to come home and smell dinner ready.
Everyone is tired so it will be a fairly relaxed weekend I hope! Definitely with more baking to fill the tins.
Have a lovely weekend!
Jen (NZ)
Dear Jen, Im sure your kids were also excited with good lunch boxes! I agree how the slow cooker is so nice to come home to. Even if you've forgotten it was on and you walk in the door you suddenly remember when you smell the cooking! It's a relief! Even for part of a meal... something is done.
DeleteI am imagining with some bigger kids now the lunch boxes and meals are getting bigger and bigger! This has been a week of catching up here. With love Annabel.xxx
How fun to have the girls and so nice to make up lunch box treats and choose material for their Quilts. Sparky is so sweet. What a blessing he must be. I have celery like that in my Greenstalk. Have a wonderful week.......Nancy
ReplyDeleteThank you Nancy! I love Greenstalks! Come Spring mine are getting re planted. Fresh celery is just so nice! I just pick a bit and let it keep growing. It seems to go on and on for months.xxx
DeleteIt has been a frustrating week here, at times. I tried to do my taxes online and found that I couldn't as I don't have photo ID to prove who I am. I am a bit bewildered as to why anyone would impersonate anyone else in order to generate their tax bill! I resorted to writing them a letter - much more my style.
ReplyDeleteI wanted some new bras and went to several shops in our nearest city, but couldn't find what I wanted in my size and a nice colour. My husband, however, managed to track down a small local firm, much closer to home, who seem to have what I want, so I plan on paying them a visit next week.
Then my best friend has ended up in hospital with a mystery infection, which has got me very worried.
My big win of the week was repairing my favourite summer skirt, which I managed to rip a large hole in. It took 3 afternoons to do it, but I got there in the end. We had some very hot days, so it was nice to sit inside quietly hand-sewing.
Enjoy your weekend. x
I hate that kind of thing. If someone wants to pay our bills let them I say! haha! Digit al id is coming sadly. Getting bras that are comfy and nice is hard unless yo have some that you can just re order. A mystery infection does not sound good. I hope whatever it is can be totally cleared up.
DeleteGood job on saving your skirt! Being your favourite that was totally worth it! Staying out of the heat is the best idea! With love Annabel.xxx
Hello Annabel,
ReplyDeleteI think you are very wise to take stock of your situation and ‘trim the fat’ as the saying goes. It is good stewardship of the home economy. Time and effort are precious and valuable and need to be funnelled into what works best.
My garden is growing so well. I always find Autumn and Winter best for growing produce. Your broccoli looks amazing! Have you noticed that freshly picked, and then cooked brocolli and cabbage etc doesn’t have that smell that brassicas can sometimes have. I think it is a sign that it should only be eaten fresh!
My snow peas are coming in thick and fast! They are so super crunchy and sweet! Nothing compares, and this is why I love to grow food!
Oranges are also in abundance, they too are sweet and so juicy they need to be eaten over the sink!! I eat an orange off my tree almost every day. I try to pick only 2-3 at a time to keep them as fresh as possible for eating. I have not had a cold or flu this winter yet 🤞 I think it’s because of my daily dose of vitamin C!
I can see you had a wonderful time with your granddaughters, they are so blessed to have your influence in their life.
As usual have a lovely week. Thank you for posting each and every week. I always find encouragement in your work and words.
Love from Cheryl 🪺
Dear Cheryl, Your garden is sounding wonderful! All the work you've put in is paying off. Snow peas! They are beautiful. I LOVE citrus in winter. It is so bright ad cheerful and extra vitamin C when we could use it, its working for you! An orange cake is good too. I THINK/HOPE I get lemons and oranges tomorrow in which case I will be taking full advantage of them! With much love Annabel.xxxx
DeleteSuch beautiful little girls! Now I see how tiny your sweet little dog is!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Sparkie has grown so much but she is still a shrimp! xxx
DeleteSelf loading goats! I’ll have to recommend those to a friend of mine. I made the risotto for dinner tonight and it was a hit. Two bites in my husband said, “This is good!”. Two bites left he said, “ You can make this again.”. I consider that two thumbs up. Thanks so much. Mel in Co.
ReplyDeleteDear Mel, Yes I probably could market self loading goats. Im glad the risotto was a hit. I know now from making it a lot of veggies can go in and you cant have too much parmesan. I threw in some chunks of parmesan which melted... that was really good! Peas are good in it too... With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteI’m not a granny yet…but gee whiz, I want to be just like you, when I am !
ReplyDeleteThank you that is the nicest thing to say ever!xxx
DeleteSuch a productive week you've had! The quilt squares are beautiful! I'm still harvesting lettuce from my deck rail planters. I keep cutting them back to prevent them from going to seed, and then they reproduce rather quickly -- even in the heat we've had. I'm also getting an occasional tomato or two, especially Roma/plums. The Early Girl plant has produced 2 ripe ones, and both had blossom end rot. I don't know what it is about that variety and container gardening. Every year I plant them, they get end rot. I have one plant with 3 large red peppers that are not yet red, and and another with one medium-sized green pepper I'm letting grow a little more, and a host of yellow banana peppers. Another green pepper plant has produced nothing at all, not even a tiny tiny pepper on the plant. It produced a ton of blossoms, but no fruit. Carrots and small onions (in deck rail planters) look like they're about ready for harvest. I cut back my oregano and basil a few weeks back and both plants have been slow to grow back. My chives continue to grow gangbusters -- more than I can harvest and use in a year. Due to our HOA, all of my produce has to be grown in containers. So I've utilized my 6 ft X 20 ft 2nd floor townhome deck, which also houses an outdoor bistro table for 2, casual seating for 2, and my BBQ grill. I have 5 planters that sit over the deck rail, with flowers on the front side and veg on the inside (HOA says flowers only in deck railing planters; so it's flowers in front to comply with the rules, and small veggies and herbs on the inside to provide for me) + 7 large pots for the larger vegetables. Every little bit helps! [For those unfamiliar with HOAs, the area where I live is a townhome community and legally I only own from the walls in; the land is owned and maintained by the Homeowners Association (HOA). Since I don't own the land, I am prohibited from planting anything other than annual flowers, which the landscapers may pull or cut when doing our weekly yard maintenance. They only maintain what they plant. Hence, my use of containers on the deck.]
ReplyDeleteDear Lori, I love tomatoes in containers... but I have most success with the cherry ones... and some problems as you describe with the bigger ones. So now I grow a few cherry varieties. A HOA and me would not get on. But doing what you can is very good! I love your second floor deck! We can use all out spaces! The way you are growing lettuces I think it is the best they keep on going for ages! Your oregano and basil sound beautiful they are both favourites of mine! With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHi Annabel
ReplyDeleteThe girls look so happy and your box of treats for lunch boxes is a great idea. Lovely photos of the girls with Sparky too.
Your quilt blocks are beautiful. I'm sure the girls enjoyed picking some fabrics for their quilts.
Rejigging priorities and letting some things go is very sensible for your time, energy and money, sometimes it's hard to do these things but the self loading goats seem to have been a success!
We have had more guests to stay and enjoyed trips to the beach with picnics, barbecues etc. The garden provided lots of goodies for all of us( 10 people for some meals) including beetroot, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, potatoes, carrots, broad beans, courgettes and plums.
The children who stayed really enjoyed country walks with our dogs too. Simple pleasures.
I have cut and hung bunches of bay leaves in the cool back kitchen to dry for the winter.
I have several projects I want to get on with but I'm very tired from cooking and hosting so a few days of rest are in order this week. I'll potter round stripping beds, washing towels etc and not too much else will be done I don't think.
Have a lovely week Annabel and Bluebirds.
What a great and busy week! Feeding so many from the garden and country walks... so lovely and enjoyed by all Im sure. Catching up with washing and the things that get behind with guests might have taken the week! Kind of this is how my week has been too! With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteSorry that comment was from Penny in the UK
ReplyDeleteThanks Penny!
DeleteDear Annabel, Your granddaughters look so happy and healthy, they would have loved their time with you. I have had a good week. I even managed to make 10 dishcloths. I have not had my overlocker out for the last year and it felt good to make something.
ReplyDeleteYesterday we met my husbands youngest brother's new baby boy. I got a great photo of my husband holding him and in his other arm a different brother's new baby girl who was born 18 days ago. It is a great photo. My husband's family has tripled in size in the last four years. We have five little people under four at the moment it is very busy at family get togethers.
One of my favorite shows to watch is Escape to the Chateau with Dick and Angel Strawbridge. I watched them last Sunday night. After which I had an impulse to look up their website and was amazed to see they were currently in Australia on a speaking tour. Then excited to see they were speaking on Friday night just gone in Bendigo which is only one and a half hours from where I live. However they were booked out. I put my name down incase of cancellations and was really excited when I got a call back because one person was wanting to relinquish their ticket. Dick and Angel are very inspiring people. The heart of their message was family. They talked about doing up the Chateau as their forever home and when asked what they are most proud of, of all of their achievements they both answered their children. I loved their talk and even got to meet them briefly and get a photo with them.
It was a huge day because my sister in laws Mother had passed away and the funeral was scheduled for Friday morning at a town 2 1/2 hours in the opposite direction. I am so lucky that I am blessed with a real doer/goer of a husband who drove us to the funeral then all the way to the show. We arrived home at midnight. I was completely exhausted but happy. Love Clare
Dear Clare, That as a beautiful week! I would love to see this photo of your husband with the babies! Well done on the dish cloths! You would have loved to be sewing again. And the talk and meeting the people you like so much was very special. You were really lucky there! I am so glad it was a great week for you! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, your time with the girls sounds so precious. Your family is very lucky. I love the sound of them making quilts. I also love how you have made back to school so special. School can be hard and it’s so nice to know that these girls are loved and cherished. I think your quilting is looking beautiful. Sparky is such a sweetie. I need to think on this pruning. I haven’t been out in the garden as much as I would have hoped. I am going for some outside changes ie better fencing for privacy and this may help give me motivation. I picked up a free camp chair today. And have been eating loads of cucumbers, papaya and passionfruit from the garden. I’m crocheting a Christmas tea towel. I think for the children’s swim teachers I will put this with some treats for their staff room. Lots of love, Bridget
ReplyDeleteDear Bridge, Thank you! I Avery happy that the girls and Sidney go to a Christian school and are very happy but still I think the days back to school can be a little bit special. Your garden is producing some beautiful things! Fencing for privacy is good. I think it creates more of an outdoor family space. My Grandkids have swimming teachers too... this year we are doing candles in crystal containers... (saved from op shops) for all the teachers. Im hoping they look quite flash! It is really nice for the kids to give their teachers something you have made! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteYour blog posts are so beautiful and encouraging! As a quilter, I'm so excited to see your lovely quilt take shape! And teaching your granddaughters to quilt will be such a fun! It looks like they had an amazing week with you!
ReplyDeleteThis week has been a busy one in my household. Things are all helter skelter around the house because we're painting walls and trim in another area. It lightens and brightens the room so well! I'm excited to see this one finished up soon, as it was a lot of hand painting!
I'm taking stock of my pantry. Although it's still very hot here, it won't be long before it gets cooler and the pantry will need to be stocked up! I'm very grateful to you for the concept of having a pantry in the first place. I had kept my extras in a stockpile but that's different than a pantry!
I hope you have an awesome week!
Stacy in Virginia
Technically speaking, it's late for planting, but fortunately I live in the Southern US and in a zone that allows me to grow something all but a few weeks of each year. Frankly, I can grow more most winters than I do in summer because of the heat. However, now that my stint as babysitting Gramma (six weeks of it) is over and because I supposedly have a week free this week (we'll see) I have ordered a few veg seed I mean to go ahead and plant, as well as more flower seeds. I've had little luck this year but, I recall, that often enough come autumn, my garden would suddenly explode with flowers so I'm planting now for autumn flowers. Fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteI have one week to get the seeds in the containers and do some light housework then I plan to hit August by putting up or making something that I can store long term and stock my pantry/freezer following Jessica at Three Rivers Farm plan of Every bit Counts. My efforts in the past have been haphazard and halfhearted but this year I want to be serious about it. While I might not have produce, I do have things that I can put up to store, whether it's vacuum sealing rice into quart jars for longer term storage or making my own cranberry juice from the berries in the freezer, cleaning vinegars, canning dried beans, making my own taco seasoning, etc.
My son has kept us supplied with courgette, blueberries, and cucumbers with a bit of cantaloupe, tomato, green beans tossed in here and there. I've been using courgette in multiples of things, but I've also been shredding and packing in 1 cup measures for the freezer. We are in full on peach season and I've yet to make it to a peach shed this year. I hope to do that next week and put a few bags of peaches in the freezer for the coming year.
But first, I plan to start my week at home by taking a full inventory of what I have on hand so that I can know just what I can use up. Also doing a pantry/freezer challenge. Lots of plans!
Terri you for sure might as well use every bit of growing season and I also am finding the hottest part of summer basically impossible to keep things going. So we have to do what we can and when we can.
DeleteYour sons garden sounds beautiful and how lovely to have all these fresh things! I know you put everything to good use! I love peaches! They are the best of summer!
An inventory is a big job. I need to do this also! Making your own cranberry juice sounds so good, that is something I really enjoy. A very good week! With love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel,.your grandaughters are such lovely girls so well behaved and appreciating time with you ! Gorgeous quilting and such lovely things like making pasties together, and the back to school box is a very good idea ! I am so pleased you got lots of rain. Very cold here in Sydney. I am struggling being on govt benefits unable to work right now and struggling affording food and cooking on low income. I feel I am the only one struggling at times ! Meat has become a luxury. This week I think I'll try your risotto ! Yum ! Winter comfort food ! habr a blessed week. Love Sonia
ReplyDeleteDear Sonia, I am really sorry you are struggling. No you are not the only one. I hear everyday this and also from some other countries too. Sonia I think you could half the risotto recipe and still have heaps... lots of veggies can go in. I hope you are keeping warm enough. Do you have any food pantries through the church that can help you? Thank you for your kind words! With love Annabel.xxx
Delete