Feather your Nest Friday, 15th May, 2026.

Goodness, literally, all week. 

Despite being under a mountain of fruit I could not resist a bag of Bananas for $2.  They were cheap because they were ripe.   I made them up into a double batch of banana and walnut muffins.  I got 33 large muffins and froze most of them.

 

Then I thought I better get back to the fruit I already had.  My new (yet old) Bessemer pot came out.  These green apples are really big.  I fit 43 apples in there!  With my old fashioned peeler/corer I ran them through fast and  cooked them down to a chunky apple sauce.... suitable for with roast pork/pork chops etc.

So this used one bag of apples.  I got eight good sized containers.  I gave Chloe three for her freezer and froze the rest. 

The next lot of apples will probably be baby puree for Ike.

This week the cows grazed the driveway and around the house.  There was really high grass and they had a great time.

Whatever you were doing, they were watching.  Humans are very interesting.

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It was a week of opening and closing gates and cows wanting to know what you were doing and did you by chance have an apple?

Yesterday I decided they had pretty well mowed the grass down nicely and Tom helped me drive them back into their own paddock and go get a steer that was in the wrong paddock....  which we sorted out.   So this was very good and we hope rain is coming over the weekend to keep the grass growing. 

I hope you had a very happy Mothers Day!   We did.  We had a picnic under a big gum tree in the sunshine.   Four Grandmas and friends.

I gave Mum a Laura Ashley lasagne dish with the prettiest lid and it has a carry case that keeps your dish either hot or cold.   Mum loved it.  She is always lugging cooking to someone and this is perfect.

I like it so much I think I will get one for myself!  

The kids were swinging under the tree and had to tell us about a wombat hole and other adventures.

Lily wore a dress that her Mother and Aunty wore.   A friend of mine knitted it.  It was worn over and over.  Almost 40 years later it is beautiful on Lily and looks brand new.  It also brought back memories.  It brought back memories for Mum too.

It is warm, soft pure wool.  So I do not subscribe to throwing everything out.  Many things Lily has worn have been worn by her Mother.   Especially smocked dresses.  I kept all the smocked Liberty dresses and knitwear by Mum and my Nana.

Chloe also keeps all the heirloom things.  

I have a box for each Grandchild with their name on it.  After Dad died I began to fill these with special items, newspaper articles etc and I label everything ie this was Grandpa Tom's family photo/compass/book/hat etc.   When Andy died I added belts, pocket knives and other cool stuff that was his and labelled those.  Also I kept hats, guitars, all sorts of things.  But each child had THIER box of stuff that are especially theirs.  To me this helps give kids a sense of history and the generations and what went before that led to their own lives.   My Nana wrote a book, each have a copy of that.  My Aunt is a writer and they each have a book of hers (both contain a lot of family history.)  As the collections grow I've thought to put the boys things in some of Andy's leather cases. 

On Mothers Day we were all given blessing jars... the jar had a pocket full of special blessings...

My friend gave me an op shop find of this tapestry... and some gorgeous rose material.  Oh so lovely! 

Starting with the smallest one first I had my first of the season bon fires.  I hope to have many more next week.

Recently the ducks got a pond upgrade.  It is super sweet how happy they are.  I thought frozen peas into the water, they love that!

Today was my going to town day.   Before I left I was given more of the beautiful red apples.    In town I was given Quinces.   At the swap table I got tomatoes.  On the way home I was given Feijoas.  I have never used Feijoas before but The Tuesday Afternoon Club ladies have educated me.  They smell beautiful! 

Tomorrow though I need to work on pears... they are the most urgent as some are going soft.  So the influx continues and I can hardly believe it!

Happily in town I got lots of beautiful smaller jams suitable for jams and jellies.  When I first looked they were $1 each.  So I was going to leave them.  Then the lady said "oh you can have as many as you like for free we need the space."    I also got two huge pantry sized jars.  I have no idea how many I got as like nearly everything else they are still in the car.  I brought in everything for the fridge and freezer... everything else will have to wait until tomorrow.  I've run out of daylight and energy!  BUT I have one of the best hauls in years of things like brand new boys work shirts and quilts, underlays... pure wool, brand new...   I simply cannot believe my blessings today.   Very very exiting!  I even found perfect things for gifts.   And our supermarket had a promotion... you get points as you shop and can turn the points into cookware.   I noticed I had a lot of points so this trip I wrote down how many I have and looked at the display.  This is really nice quality stuff!   I got a free stock pot and a free mid sized saucepan.   These go straight into the resent cupboard.   Also... I have more points and can pick something else next week!  

I made up essential oil germ killing/immunity winter rollers and sprays.  I like to keep something in my hand bag, in the car, next to the bed.  I used to get the worst sore throats.  Since I've used oregano oil asap at first sign of anything I have been able to stop them all in their tracks.   But it's a matter of making up supplies and USING them!

To a lady called Cynthia.  I didn't publish your comment but I understood it.  And I am already deep in the trenches as to some of the things you mentioned.  However this blog is to encourage and uplift and help where possible.  There are an absolute ton of blogs and channels to keep people informed on geo political things ie Neil McCoy Ward is very good.  So overall the one I trust is Jesus and I keep fairly quiet on politics. I believe there is good and evil.  For sure.  I am committed to doing good and not getting tired of it.  All I want to hear at the end is "well done good and faithful servant."  

I hope you had many opportunities to build up your nest, family and community.  And we are now a community and I hope you find encouragement and friendship here too.xxx