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Thursday, January 26, 2017

Commenting Issue resolved

It's all about the cookies apparently.

Third party cookies needed to be allowed for me to comment on some blogs. Of course it took a good few minutes to work out how to actually do that but I'm back in business.

Tracy

Sowing day

I probably should have a sewing day (maybe a little bit of sewing later). The weather is absolutely delightful today. Gone is the heat ... for now. 





It's steady rain now. I know because I was caught out in it. I actually love walking in the rain.

On to sowing. I really wanted to get out in the garden today while the sun is hiding but I'm happy enough to get some seeds going for the autumn. A whole heap of brassicas- cauliflowers, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli. Makes my mouth water thinking about them.


I also started a new batch of sprouts. I'm not really a fan of gadgets but I really like this sprouting container. I bought it with a gift card a couple of years ago. It certainly makes sprouting less messy. Today's sprouts on the go- alfalfa, broccoli and mung beans (my favourite).

As for sewing. I think I will do a little when I go offline. I love bunting and have a few scraps that I think would make perfect bunting.

Anything that takes my mind off things that have been troubling me of late. The big things that little old me in the middle of nowhere can do little about. Just keep calm and continue to do the right thing.

Tracy

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Sun and rain

Mixed bag as far as the weather goes but predominantly hot. The garden here is loving and the grass is growing faster than Tim or I can keep up. It's great to not be worrying about water for one summer at least. The rain is quite hit and miss though and we are lucky this time.
The rain is mostly coming in storms. Quite nasty storms actually. The cat hides under the bed, the chooks take cover and the ducks just think it's fabulous. We had 24mm of rain on Wednesday afternoon and 49mm on Friday. Lots of wind and thunder and lightning and tree limbs down all over the place. 

Buddleia 

As I said, it is doing wonders for the gardens. Flowers galore.


Roses still have blooms here and there but they are fading now. I think my roses are a bit wimpy and things have to be just right.


It's a small window of opportunity when moisture, sunshine and temperature are in perfect balance and they say ok, we'll put on a show... today only. 😕🌹


It's not all gardening and working. It never is. It's the last throes of the school holidays so that means we have the country music festival. Surprisingly it wasn't too busy yesterday. I'm glad.

Tracy

Thursday, January 19, 2017

A Month of Letters.


Once again I will be taking part in the Month of Letters in February. It coincides with InCoWriMo-2017 so I can play along there at the same time. Fun times.

Letter writing is not for everyone but it is something that works for me. I enjoy taking my time writing a personal letter and trying to add a few bits and pieces that the recipient might enjoy and sometimes a bit of mail art too. Though my version of mail art can only be very loosely described as such.

And of course if anyone reading wishes to have a missive from me in their letter box next month (and I don't have your address already), please feel free to let me know in the comments (I won't publish comments containing addresses of course) or in an email.

And what am I doing right now? Writing letters while the temperatures are too hot outside.

Tracy

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Commenting Issues

In my what seems like never ending issues with the internet, I am having problems leaving comments on blogs. Not all blogs just some. I've looked at the Blogger help pages and forums but can't make any sense of it. I am logged in but when I visit some blogs it comes up for me as not signed in. If I try to sign in again it just takes me to my Blogger homepage. Aargh! The approach I am taking at the moment is to wait and see if it sorts itself out.

Anyway. I am still here and still reading but can't leave any comments.

Tracy

Monday, January 16, 2017

This week

To be honest, I feel like I am behind already this year. How can that be when the year is so young. I'll blame the heat, it's good for things like that. I did spend the loveliest hour in the garden this morning, planting a few bits and pieces that needed to be planted probably a month ago. Better now than not at all though.

This week we have a birthday in the house. Tomorrow actually. I love birthdays. Mine and anyone else's especially my loved ones. 



We had a tea party here on Saturday for a Grace and a couple of her school friends. Funnily enough not much tea was consumed because it was simply too hot for them to bother with anything besides iced water.


I did enjoy baking for the tea. I haven't been baking much at all of late. No one seems too interested in eating much when it is so warm. Still can't seem to lose any kilograms or even grams though 😒


Lots going on in the garden most of it involves watering. I am enjoying this pineapple lily(?). I don't know where I got it from or even when I planted it but there are two in the garden but only this one is gracing us with a flower spike. Nice.

Cooler yesterday and today(so far) which is a treat.

Tracy

Thursday, January 12, 2017

It is still so very hot here but it isn't troubling me too much. I can handle dry heat just fine as long as I do my outside things in the mornings or late afternoons/ evenings. I've spent a good part of today deep cleaning the dining room and consequently wondering how wise it is to have a collection of teacups and saucers. They do collect the dust. Anyway, I am having a tea party on Saturday so it was a good time to make them all sparkly.


Once again the blue-banded bees are back ( they are late this summer just like the summer itself). There's a new batch of them each year and they choose the same chain of hearts 'branch' to sleep on each year. It is lovely to have native bees choosing to sleep on my veranda. And very interesting from a scientific viewpoint.


The weather is perfect for letter writing. I do a little every day. I do love all the wonderful and creative mail art out there travelling to and fro across the globe but truly I am not so good with it. I try to write some words of meaning and make a nice envelope but I am trying to be more creative in my presentation. Flip books, pocket letters and the like. Practice makes perfect.

This afternoon I am dealing with the zucchini glut of this week. Zucchini slice in the oven and some fritters ready to cook.

Tracy




Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Hot days


Early starts to the day are my favourite kind no matter what time of year. I get some time to myself, listen to the birds waking up and enjoy a cup of tea. At the moment my quiet time is a bit rushed because I have to get outside before the sun is shining too brightly. It's hot. Around the 39degC mark yesterday but actually tolerable because the humidity is so low. Tolerable for me at any rate.


The plants are actually loving it. There is enough soil moisture here for now so they just grow and grow while the sun shines.


The leafy plants aren't as keen but I love the look of this lettuce setting seed. And new lettuce seeds how good is that?


Chillies are putting on fruit. This one actually looks a little scary and the tag warns that it is extremely hot. I hope so.


Ronde de nice zucchini are growing faster than I can keep up. There are a few here of a size suitable for the table but the gigantic ones are destined for relish, slice and cake. maybe even some soup. I love zucchini soup no matter how ugly it looks.

Ok. Off for a walk before the heat.
Tracy

Sunday, January 8, 2017

So far so good


Not too much creativity for 2017 to report on as yet. By the end of the day there should at least be a few letters with some mail art. it's a letter-writing day. I'm tired and can't get myself into gear to do much else. I'll have to catch up my walking for #walk1000miles. 

Walking 1000 miles sounds a bit daunting but broken down into a daily stroll over the whole year, it's only 2.7miles per day. Doable. Truly I'm not aiming for the full 1000 miles, I just want to walk a bit and be inspired and encouraged by others. And perhaps encourage and inspire along the way too. At the moment here it really is only pleasant to walk in the early morning or evening after the sun is behind the hills to the west.

Anyway, my letters await.

Tracy

Friday, January 6, 2017

The beach briefly


We decided to have a quick, overnight, trip to the beach on Wednesday. The weather was inclement for some of the trip but who cares. The beach  and lake are fun no matter. You get wet anyway.


The weather did fine up and lots of sunscreen was on order because boy is the sun powerful. Burns in minutes. I think I prefer the summer sun in the UK than here at home. Much kinder.


I'm tired today. Getting too old to have such lightning trips.We need a day or two to relax and recover from the driving.


 I've always been a fan of shells and rock pools and nature in general really. I haven't always been a fan of sand under my feet but I like it now.


And what a bonus. A rescue plant came home with me. Of course my son knows me well enough (probably anyone could guess though) that if there is a plant that needs a good home rather than a trip to the landfill, then it has my name on it. A lovely Norfolk Island Pine past its Christmas tree prime so here it is ready for a trim and a new home in the ground where it can stretch out some. Fingers crossed it likes it here.

Tracy

Monday, January 2, 2017

Hello 2017

What a lovely way to welcome a new year. 87mm of rain in our rain gauge overnight. I think most of it fell in about an hour yesterday afternoon. Very welcome was the rain too, the past few days have been awfully hot and humid. I'm used to the dry heat so the humidity is a little hard to handle. 






Towards the end of 2016 I was contemplating taking a month or so away from being online but I have decided that I just don't want to. I have a fairly good balance between being online and off and the friendships that I have here are real and valuable and I don't particularly want to be away from those friendships for a month.

Anyway!
It's that time of year when I update my notebooks. address books and make plans and goals for the year ahead. No resolutions for me, just goals and aims. Except of course my usual resolution to give up chocolate. So far so good 😜. In the past I have managed to last until Easter.

In 2017 I aim to be more kind to myself and others, write more, be more creative and do more of what I love.

On the home and gardening front. I'm aiming to get a few things crossed off my list like install a new kitchen. A new kitchen has been on my wishlist for more years than I care to remember.
Keep up to date with my gardening and grow good things to eat.

Creativity was sorely lacking in my life last year. I have a pretty dishcloth on my knitting pins and some mail art and journalling on the go too. Just easing my way back in to making and creating.

Happy 2017.
Tracy