Feather your Nest Friday, 22nd May, 2026.

 This week has gone very fast and so has the month of May.  Too fast.  

The first thing I worked on was the last of the pears I was given.  I lost a couple because I was too slow, so that was it,  I cooked and pureed all of the rest for baby food.

The next thing to attend to were quinces.  They don't keep that well past a point they begin to get spots inside them, even in the fridge.  

I used a new to me recipe where you have equal amounts of  (by weight) quinces and sugar,  cover with water and cook for four hours.   No cutting up,  just giving them a good wash first.

After four hours (on a gentle boil) they looked ruby like this...

Then this all was strained and with the joule of two lemons I boiled it again.  It turned into a beautiful jelly.   

I cut a few quinces in half and baked them.  This tray went to Chloe.  They are really delicious.  

So after all this I only have one or two quinces left, which I will cook for myself.

While at Mum's I picked some Bay Leaves and added them to my produce stand. 😊

My cook up was sausage rolls.  I froze a lot.

Also I cooked a lot of pork chops and stewed apples....   this dish was delicious.   The one pictured went to Chloe's.   Another dozen apples were used up.

We are coming into colder and wetter weather.  It is time to clean up all the boots.    I made up this recipe.

It is one part beeswax,  one part cocoa butter and three parts oil.   My oil was some macadamia, some castor and some avocado as these oil bottles all had a bit in them so I used those.   By happy accident the avocado oil made the mix green which I think looks nice!   This mix is just gently heated, stirred and poured into tins. 

Once set it is like a balm.   

I made up several sets of polishing cloths (flannelette) and tied them up.

When Tom came we sat out the front and I asked him to take one boot off.   His boots look like they have been around the block a few times.  😊

I showed him how (and explained why)  you have to condition leather.  

Over time (from the thrift store) I've accumulated old shoe brushes.  I chose the smallest one for him and after the boot was conditioned we added a blob of vaseline to get a shinier finish.   He thought this was great.

We were fussy, getting into the stitching as this is where water leaks into your socks!

Then I asked him to take the other boot off and let's see how they compare.  

Well, the difference was huge!  He was impressed.  So we got the next one sorted out. 

Over the weekend I will do the same to all of my boots. They come up looking like new. 

After this I said let's go light a fire.  Currently this was my biggest burn heap... you can see Tom standing there so you have a size guide.

I chose yesterday as there was no wind at all.

During the year I save boxes of paper and lint etc and I lit a fire at each end then we sat in the ute and watched it take off and the fires meet in the middle.

That was about mid afternoon yesterday.  Now, tonight,  more than 30 hours later it is still going.

In the thrift store I picked up some beautiful shirts for the boys, all brand new.

And two cotton sheets covered in ballerinas! 

In the supermarket I got two free cookware items which went into my gift cupboard.

Ike is overjoyed since he realised he can drive.  He seriously looks a lot like my youngest brother.

Now I have caught up, to about level, with produce I have been able to slow down slightly.   I have plans....  apple strudel and and lemon butter will be next.

Rain is meant to be on the way.  We need a downpour.   So hoping for that!   The fire is going and I am nested in for the night!   

Thank you for all of the blog and you tube suggestions.  Thanks to you all I have found some new ones to follow.   Now I will mention...  some I have on my home page as blogs I follow and have mentioned many times.   Different times you feel like different things.   For crochet and a happy small family, simple living I like Home Tea Knits.  She would be very helpful if you live in England as she gets so much free stuff and shows you how.   Frugal Queen in France is good especially for budgeting and also how to quilt and sew very inexpensively through recycling fabrics.  If you want to know what the heck is going on with the world Neil McCoy Ward is good and over the years he has been extremely accurate.   For a sweet family and little kids and babies Living the life you love is lovely. Farmhouse on Boone and Our Oily house... for big families and cooking.  For mass cooking and preserving Acre Homestead.  Especially when she cooks with her Mum! For baking -Mary Berry. For encouragement and money saving Frugal Money Saver.   That will do for this week!  I am watching every episode now of Farmers Wife Homestead and Urban QLD Homestead and learning sooo much from them!  They are just great.  

Today I had some good finds...  but I need to wash things up and sort it all out tomorrow! 

How did you build up your nest this week?  I hope opportunities came your way. I hope you found ways to bless others too. xxx