Feather your Nest Friday, 7th August, 2026.
The first week of August was a good one. Lots of random housekeeping type things got done. Big rodent proof bins for outside animals feeds, some brand new hens to top up the flock, the big freezer clean out is finished and they are organised too. I am setting up a new lap top also which is over due and if this publishes well its a miracle.
I am participating in Jessica's #everybitcountschallenge Jessica from Three Rivers Homestead runs this every year and in case you are not familiar it is a challenge to put up something every day no matter how small as it all adds up. We are joining in on Instagram and in The Tuesday Afternoon Club here.
I LOVE challenges as they make me do so much more! And you get amazing and brilliant ideas from others that make you think "WHY didn't I think of that!?"
At the swap table I got this lovely little box of succulents. I was thrilled with them. When I went to plant them I found that underneath each had a heap of tiny babies! I carefully removed them and planted the bigger ones.
Yesterday the boys were here. I made it a project to pot each one up.
We got 54! So we will grow them up a bit and come December pot up the biggest ones into cute little containers as Christmas presents.
I explained to Tom that when these are bigger the are $10 each and that would equal $540. And that propagating plants is a really good way to make money. His head nearly exploded. He already is planning to hatch and sell chickens….
While the boys were here Chase was very keen to make Honey Crackles again. This was basically his main aim.
Five new hens arrived to top up my flock.
They are brow/red but this one is a light one and I was glad of a variation. They seem good and healthy and I think they will start laying in a month or so.
My Aunt wanted me to tell Laura and others…. If a chook is dying of heat exhaustion put their feet into cold water. This saved many of her hens and my uncles on his chicken farm.
I juiced lemons and two oranges for my next lot of Lemon Butter.
Most of this batch was frozen.
I have eggs so I will make more to add to the freezer next week.
My big cook up was two trays of chicken schnitzel's and veggies. With lemon of course!
This lot went to Chloe’s family. I heard it was demolished!
I made Mum a tray of gf scones.
They smell amazing!
We had some beautiful sunshine and I love the kids being out to enjoy it. Tomorrow rain is coming… and we want it too, a week of good rain would be just perfect.
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These Grandchildren have a lot of Nanas. The oldest is Nana Daphne. When Tom was little he understood her name must be Nana Daffodil. So this stuck and they all caller her Nana Daffodil. For her Birthday they all made very fancy Gingerbread today. (This name is loving not disrespectful and she fully approved and adopted it.)
They are so proud of giving something they made her especially.
I am up to the border on Lily’s blanket! I am pleased about this. My patchwork blanket is still not quite sewn up. I am getting there though!
As with the everybitcountschallenge everything truly adds up. Even with big jobs we put off doing, a few minutes a day still gets it done!
I had some beautiful thrift store finds today with books for Mum, pure wool yard and kids clothing. You just never know what you might find!
The rainy day tomorrow I hope means a sleep in and then I want to juice a heap of citrus and make concentrate cordial to freeze for summer. We are all drinking orange and lemon juice daily too. Everyone in town was coughing and spluttering so I might go for an extra dose.
How did you build up your nest this week? We really love to hear!xxx
Annabel and Dear Bluebirds, Prayers all are doing well.
ReplyDeleteAnnabel, what a lovely and productive week you have had. I am always amazed at how Tom is, so beyond his years and now Chase following right behind. I love how helpful the boys are.
The week went by way to fast here, i can't believe it is already Friday. We are to the point where progress on the basement will take more time as I am now into my library/craft room and so much has been tossed in there from the storage room as it is craft supplies.
I was able to turn the gallon of milk we purchased into ricotta cheese and whey, what a savings over purchasing the cheese. I was also able to turn 3 soft lemons into Key Lime Pie. We have been eating out of the freezer and pantry this week, amazing how we can stretch things. Husband made sweet potato fries from 3 potatoes, we had 3 meals from those alone. We are trying our best to use every little bit.
I am using up cotton yarn I have making dishcloths, coasters and pot holders, I am trying not to buy any yarn till I work down my stash, well unless I find a great deal at a thrift store. We have been shopping only sale items and reduced items at the store, prices keep going up and we are seeing holes on the shelves. Trying to keep our pantries stocked is getting to be more work than before.
We have been trimming bushes again around the house, with all the rain we have received everything has grown amazingly. We are still trying to get the basement room dried out from the flood. It's getting there, though we have more storms coming.
Prayers for all Bluebirds.
Dear Rosanne, That was a very productive week! I hope no more water gets into your basement. That is terrible. What a job. The Key Lime pie sounds delicious! Cotton yarn is so useful for so many things, I love wash cloths. They feel better than anything else. Have a very good new week! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel, another beautiful post. Those kids are amazing - they look so happy while learning things and building up great memories of a Golden Era. I have wonderful memories of time spent with my Wonderful Grandmother.
ReplyDeleteThe weather is still hot. We are officially in a national state of emergency, watering is restricted and electricity, resulting from a drop in electricity production caused by drought and low water levels—both in rivers and, most notably, in the Danube, call to reduce consumption and the possibility of local outages if the deficit persists. The Danube, the second-longest river in Europe, has dropped to its lowest level in history and that means all over Europe there is the same problem.
I gave up watering the garden and some plants that were not producing well or looked spent went to the chickens. These days were 98,6 F. At nights we have slept with all the windows and the doors open, even the front door - we live in a quiet and safe little town with a big white dog that looks scary and a little nice looking dog who is the most ferocious.
Thanks to your Aunt about the hot weather tip for the chickens. I gave them frozen peas or kitchen scraps, home mad electrolites in the water, plenty of shadow from the trees, dust baths in their run and cold water. The ducks are smarter that way, I always find them with feet or the whole body, in the water.
We had a nice weekend - on Sunday we went to our close by emerald lake for a few hours in the morning, after that it is too hot to stay and on Saturday I went by myself to a museum to see some pictures of a local painter from the last century, exhibited there for the first time. I was, literally, all alone in the whole museum. Sometimes I do that, stroll around our little town with a tourist eye. It does reveal many new and exciting places, history, architecture and art.
I did manage the everybitcountschallenge: 1. zuchinies in the fridge; 2. parsley; 3. pickled cucumbers for winter; 4. basil and rosemary; 5. green beans blanched in the fridge; 6. I have several vegetables (carrots, green beans, parsley, kohlrabi) in the dehydrator to put away in jars, ready for soups and stews for winter.
In the afternoons, while the light was good, I did some stitches in my Christmas embroidery. Very, very slowly....
Sending lots of smiles and good wishes from far away, Laura_s_world from Romania
Dear Laura, Thank you for your kind words! I hope this eek will be cooler! Frozen peas are a brilliant idea! I will do that. To be on reduced water and electricity this is very severe. No where has enough electricity anymore I note. And also the threat of not enough heating oil at the opposite end of the weather spectrum. Well done on the challenge! You did a lot! Things added to your shelves and lovely fresh produce! It is true each of these small things we do add up greatly! It is encouraging to go along with others doing the same!
DeleteNow I hope this weather is milder for you all! With love Annabel.xxx
hi annabel, you are one busy lady. i have been dealing with eye lid surgery for the past 6 weeks, hopefully things correct themselves soon. here in pa. corn season is upon us and we did up 100 ears for the freezer. tomatoes are comming in slowly so tomorrow i will do up a canner full to use for sauce. also been working on some baby and christmas gifts for later. wall hangings , quilts and such. your granny square blanket inspired me to learn this pattern too, as i have blue, pink, cream and grey yarn and i believe those colors would work up a nice baby blanket.. guess i'll go for now, the lawn mower is calling my name. bonnie in southern pa.
ReplyDeleteDear Bonnie, Oh anything with the eyes is difficult. Wow on the corn! Well done! And now tomatoes! Granny squares are such good fun and use up scraps very well! A hand made blanket is a beautiful gift! Have a very good new week! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteDear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteI had to smile at Tom when you explained what those 54 little succulents could eventually be worth. I can just imagine the ideas going through his head, especially now he is planning to hatch and sell chickens too!
I’m really enjoying the Every Bit Counts Challenge again this year. It is such a good reminder that the little things really do add up, and I always pick up so many ideas from seeing what everyone else is doing.
Your garlic butter bombs are such a great idea too. I can almost imagine how good they must smell, and how handy they will be to have tucked away in the freezer.
Have a lovely weekend xox
Thank you Stephanie! I couple of steaks cooked in a garlic butter bomb would not go astray. lol
DeleteThis week I have things lined up to tackle but the weekend was a fail. I will get going tomorrow and make up for it. I have the produce and a man is coming Thursday to use the cabin! So I better get on with it! Hav a very good new week! With love Annabel.xxx
Another lovely post thank you Annabelle. I love to see photos of your grandchildren - they always look so happy with what they are doing. I think the potted up succulents will make wonderful christmas gifts. Your garlic bombs look amazing.
ReplyDeleteI have spent a couple of days unloading firewood - we have burnt through so much this winter as its been so cold here but I am always thankful for the fire & a warm house. We have a week of rain coming also so that will be good & a good incentive to get the wood unloaded & under cover. Thank you for all that you share here Annabelle. xx
Dear Julie, I have been going through the firewood too. Even today I am so thankful the fire is chugging along well! Truly having a woodpile is such a good thing. We have a week of rain coming also... you sound near me maybe SA or Vic? Keep warm and have a good week! With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteSo much yummy food was made this week! Your grands are adorable! I'm always telling my husband how much you accomplish in a week! You're amazing!
ReplyDeleteI'm recovering from an illness this week, so I have to keep that in mind! I managed to keep my home good and clean, which is a feat with two boys and a husband at home! I read several good books that have been encouraging to me. I put supper on the table each night, and made a double batch of scones for the freezer. Now our breakfasts are lovely! I look forward to full recovery when I can work on my home and kitchen!
Warm wishes to you and the Bluebirds!
Stacy in Virginia
Dear Stacy, I hope you are feeling better! Thank you for your kind words!
DeleteAnother reader was telling her husband about me over a long period of time. And she was telling me of him. In the end I sounded familiar to him and he to me. Well it turned out he used to be my neighbour haha!
Scones in the freezer are very handy! You did well. Over the weekend I have accomplished nothing in the house or garden. But with the list I will make tonight I will get things done through the week. It is only my daily list that keeps me on track... and ticking things off that list. So speaking of that my list this week is very important. I am ordering a new oven! Have a good week, I do hope you are all better, with love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful week you had. I continue to work through my list and this week got a good way through sorting paperwork in the house, getting to burn a lot of not needed paperwork was satisfying. My husband helped me spray paint a filing cabinet and wood box black, which look so much better and so good. (They were both a bit scratched and tired). When I get little things like that done I feel really good. Little things do matter. Love Clare
Dear Clare, Paint is the greatest. I painted a fridge once and it was wonderful... and looked new again! It is great you are getting so much done. Paperwork takes a long time to go through but this is the time of the year to burn it! I agree about this being satisfying.
DeleteThis week has already gone very fast. We have had more rain so I am hoping you have too! With much love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel, goodness Chase is so cute with his honey crackles. The succulents will make fantastic gifts. I love garlic butter. Your cook ups make the best gifts ever. I love how the grandchildren made their own gifts for their Nana. That’s beautiful. It’s sport practice season, so very busy. Putting up enough food is my challenge! Lol lots of love, Bridget
ReplyDeleteDear Bridge, Oh I can imagine how hungry the boys probably get! It is very good they are in sports though. Chase is coming tomorrow and will probably Mae the same request again but I have there plans... I thought up a new way to try to grow pumpkins this year. We are going to get that in place ready to go. It will involve the tractor so they will be keen. This week has flown by already and we are almost the middle of the month! I hope its a good week for you, With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteAnnabel, I find it so relaxing to read about your week. I love the personalised gingerbread biscuits! What a great idea. The succulents are great, I’m going to do the same for Christmas gifts, thank you for the inspiration! They’d be really cute teacher gifts.
ReplyDeleteI followed along with Cath’s Christmas in July series, and have made some purchases of chocolate and stocking stuffers. My girls love bed socks and I found a cute pair for each of them for $2. My best find was Toblerone, the one that has three in a packet, for $6.97 each. That’s 600g of chocolate! I bought 6. The only issue I have when buying chocolate in advance is that I know where it’s hidden 😬. It needs to stay untouched until December!!!
I took a big box of donations to the op shop, it’s been sitting here for ages so was good to get rid of it.
Have a lovely week everyone
Jen(NZ)
Dear Jen, Well done on hiding things for Christmas. You got great buys and are well ahead already. Chocolate is getting more and more expensive... as long as we dont eat it lol it's a great thing to stock up ahead. I am not sure I can be trusted. I can be trusted if I get something I dont actually like ie dark chocolate or ginger or something I really cant stand. Otherwise it's fair game.
DeleteI am collecting little containers and tiny pebbles for the succulent gifts. I hope my helpers can show the boys how they drill little holes in the bottom.... I think this is possible with a small drill bit. I will have enough for the ladies at church I am hoping.
Thank you for your kind and encouraging words, with much love Annabel.xxx
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteYour grandchildren are all so happy! Thank you for sharing them with us.
Lovely succulents! So nice you got baby plants. Funny how Tom thought long & hard about that one.
I was inspired by your snitzel and made some myself. This used up some freshly made bread crumbs.
I'm cleaning out kitchen cupboards and reorganizing them. So helpful!
We continue to eat primarily out of the pantry. I hope to get back to yogurt making.
I'm going to be transparent here. I asked my husband for a separation.
This is week 2. We are on a waiting list for christian counseling. This was not an easy decision, especially after 29 years of marriage. I would appreciate prayers for my husband as he is exploding or ignoring us.
Love, Leslie (Ohio)
Prayers,of course, for you as you make the best decisions for you and your family and for your husband. I hope he will see God's will for his life and the life of his family. Be patient. God has this ! (Easy to say, hard to do.)
DeleteThinking and praying for you, Leslie.
Delete--Maxine
Dear Leslie, I have had you in my prayers. I know this would be very difficult and you would not do this unless you were without much choice. I am so sorry. It may be what is needed though if your husband is open to counselling... change is possible. Meanwhile may God give you strength and help. I said last week but I will say again please feel free to email me. With much love Annabel.xxx
DeleteWhat another wonderful and productive week! I love reading about all the adventures of the granchildren - they are having a wonderful time while building skills and making so many wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteThis month is a bit tight financially so I have mostly stayed out of the shops and used up items from the pantry and freezer and it hasn't been difficult. I did buy a few containers of peaches as the fruitbelt in the Niagara region is now producing and their peaches are always amazing. I peeled, sliced and open froze trays full and then bagged them up for future use. I have a fairly full container in the freezer containing strawberries, peaches, blueberries, rhubarb and over ripe bananas. They will be used in smoothies or in baking come the Winter. I have some peppers in the fridge that I plan to slice and freeze later this week.
I cooked a batch of porkchops and froze a couple of servings for later. I also baked a quiche and froze half of that in slices for future breakfasts. I had emptied a jar of pickles so sliced up a cucumber and added it to the brine - it is in the fridge and it should be good to use in a week or so. I don't drink much juice but keep some containers in the pantry. I had opened one of peach nectar (just fancied something tasty) but didn't really want more after a couple of glasses so froze the rest in an ice cube tray and will add them to sparkling water (or perhaps a small glass of white wine).
Had a couple of longer than normal days at the office last week so made sure to take in a lunch and snacks as needed. We can make tea or coffee at the office. That alone saves around $15 to $20 per day!
I will continue to try and use things up - and I am also making up my list to backfill items for the Fall pantry over the next couple of months. I hope you get some rain and that rain falls for those dealing with these horrendous wildfires all around the world.
Goodness, peaches and all the fruits sound so good. I love peaches. You ere really busy! I also love pork chops! Making your coffee or tea at the office is really fantastic... some people spend that money per day and if you consider that as a yearly sum it is staggering! We have had some rain and Im so happy about that. I hope too the wildfires and heat are over as so many places are having a terrible time. Thank you for your beautiful comment. With love Annabel.xxx
DeleteHi Annabel! The pink flowers in the vase are just beautiful. Are they from your garden?
ReplyDeleteThank you! No... I wish! But a man brought a whole bucket of them to church and several of us share them! I was thrilled! xxx
DeleteI did not know you could freeze lemon butter! I haven't made any yet, but it's good to know I can freeze it if I make too much. I learn something new every time I read your blog :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Just leave a little room at the top as freezing expands things. But otherwise it's perfect! xxx
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