Sunday 30 October 2016

So much time to do so little!

Now that is what I call I life style.  Last weekend was a long one, with Monday being a  public holiday.  Three days of lovely weather gave me three days outside in my happy place.

Glorious weather meant setting up the garden swing.

TOF had been out early to get plants for the sacred Vegetable garden,  then I decided I needed to go to Bunnings to look at plants.  I was after Carnations as I have fallen in love with their fragrance.  I came home with Dianthus which all smell pretty good and a selection of other things. He came with me and after getting plants we looked at 'Tools' yeah I was so excited I tell you.
 

My selection up close.


All got planted over the course of the weekend but when the girls were all tucked up in their area, otherwise they tend to try to help with planting.


With a line full of washing flapping about in the breeze I set myself up outside on the swing seat for some guilt free reading.  Not that I suffer much from guilt!!

I have been trying to finish this book I started a while back and just haven't got around to sticking my nose in it for some time.

Problem with that is you can forget the story line, but luckily for me, the story is good, out there, but good.

Another problem is that when out on the garden swing, I tend to swing, which sort of lulls me into a sleepy feeling.

Let's just say that with sunshine, a gentle breeze, the sound of nature all around me and the swinging, reading fell by the by and some noddy time took over. 

Let's just say, I haven't finished the book!

Then there were all my visitors.  One by one and thankfully at different times, this lot joined me.  But the swing is a three seater so plenty of room for them all.
 

With the price of honey and the amount of bees that live in our garden, TOF and I are tossing up the idea of getting a beehive.  Thinking some solid research will need to be done first tho.



I even did some baking on the weekend.  Not that it was really baking as I made a 'No Bake Muesli Bar'.  Does that still count as baking if it is called no bake?


So you put butter, honey, peanut butter and brown sugar all carefully measured into a saucepan and you melt it. 


It pays to stir this while it melts otherwise you end up burning the bottom of the pot, I know this from previous experiences.  I am after all the mother that burned boiled peas much to the joy of the lads.


Once all of this is caramel in colour and thickened it is ready to be added to the dry ingredients.


The dry ingredients you ask??



The dry ingredients are things like, crushed Weetbix, other cereals, coconut, rolled oats, basically what you have in your pantry.


Other things that get added are things like sultanas, or other dried fruit, seeds like sunflower and or pumpkin, nuts, and stuff like that.


Pour the wet stuff, what I like to call the glue into the dry stuff.


Then mix slowly together to make sure all will be sticking together once it goes into a slice tray.


Which by the way has been greased and all ready to have the muesli mix poured into it, flattened and put in the fridge to set.

Trust me, this is super tasty and there is a real recipe so if you want it just send me your email so I can flick it on to you.  As I was on a roll in the kitchen, a room I try not to spend too much time in, I made what I call 'Ma Rennie's Sultana Buns'.  Mini sultana and almond flavoured buns that lasted one evening, I joke not!!

With kitchen time done and dusted I ventured back outside and have made a start on clearing and tidying up a corner of the garden/back yard that looked neglected and slightly over grown.  We have some pavers to lay in this area so everything needs to be cleared out then we can make a start on this corner's MAKEOVER!!


On Monday I ended up going with the Spare out to the Warehouse (shop).  He was looking for man stuff so I went into the gardening section.  I found CARNATIONS!!!  2 for $10, but which two to  choose??  Then I found a clearance shelf where I grabbed 4 Gerberas that were only 50 cents each and in dire need of a large drink of something.  They looked half dead but I knew that all they needed was some water. SCORE!!!
 

During the week I went to pick up a small cabinet I had bought of a lady.  I was admiring her garden when she pulled out an entire Granny Bonnet plant and said take this one home with you.  As per her instructions it has been having a good soak in a bucket and still looking good so maybe tonight I will pot it up.  The flowers are huge two toned yummyness!!


There was some treasure found this week and all at one op shop, the SPCA shop in Dinsdale.  Sue and I caught up on Friday and had lunch out then went to a few op shops near by.  The shops seem to be full of the same old stuff or the prices have gone up.  Or I have become fussy?  I found a nice dress for summer but it and the orange pants I also found are currently in the wash.


We had rain during the week and then the sun returned on Friday, all of this certainly helps the garden continue to flourish.  So this weekend arrived and we have been bathed in sunshine.  Mind you the wind has been fresh!


We visited TOFs sister this weekend and of course her darling little dog Ginny took centre stage with me.  She is all feet and ears at this stage of her life, super adorable even with her sharp baby teeth.
 

My SILs garden is lovely and colourful.  We share so many things in common, gardening is only one of them.  My SIL and BIL  have moved back to the Waikato after 30 years in Auckland so it has been nice re connecting with them again.  Nice for TOF to have his sister near by not that he would admit to that.

 Another glorious day turned up this morning.

  Perfect day for picking a spot outdoors to have yourself a cuppa!


 



Big joined me.









Then Oscar pushed his way onto my lap.







He left so Big took the vacant position.



 

We moved around the other seating spots in the garden,
test driving them all for Summer.
All PASSED!!



My Potato Vine refuses to die no matter how hard TOF prunes it, 
GOOD FOR YOU vine!!



The Birds are busy in the garden gathering materials for their nests that they seem to be all in the throws of constructing.  That and enjoying eating berries still hanging on in the Idesia Tree.


Can you see Sheba and Big hiding in the garden?



TOF was busy outside today and happy to see
Plums and Peaches 
on his trees.


 All the pets made the very most of the good weather in their own way today.


For someone that didn't remember to prune I am super happy to see these lovely White Roses turn up.

These are the seed pods from the Red Kaka Beak trees I have.  I am hoping I can grow some more trees from these eventually.


Daylight savings means more time outside, later dinners and longer evenings.  So much time to do as little as you want if that is how you feel.

 True story!

Saturday 22 October 2016

Spring has so Sprung!

I love what I call the in between seasons, Autumn and Spring.  But I forgot how changeable the weather is in Spring.  It has been all over the place.  This makes for difficulties when deciding what to wear when I'm getting dressed!!  Layers are definitely being used daily. 

On the sunny days the top layers get removed and the hair gets tied up.  The sunny days have been accompanied with the Equinox winds.  So warm if you get a sheltered spot.  But look at the sky, BLUENESS reigns!!  Everything is on turbo growth in the garden, I LOVE IT!!


All the colour makes for one very happy gardener!!

The girls are enjoying Spring so much that we are back on hide and seek with their eggs.  I have found a few of the favourite spots but I am sure there are others I have yet to find.

On a dull Sunday TOF dug the garden arches into the ground and I got busy moving plants and putting in edging I had scored off trade me at bargain prices.

Stepping stones have been placed, Big supervised from an elevated position and I now only need some bark to complete these areas.

I placed an old gate near the Lavender so it has something to contain it. All seating is ready for those long hot summer days that are getting closer all the time.

On a day that was dull and slowly disintegrated into rain, the furies followed me outside in the afternoon. 
 

Some Lavender got caught up with someone mowing the lawn so it ended up inside. Such a beautiful perfume was the bonus!
 

I threw on an old coat so I could continue to be outdoors.

My Sweet Peas are already starting to flower, so a couple of them made their way indoors with some other fragrant things.


I drove through to Cambridge to see my SIL and BIL and of course their baby Ginny.  OMG she has needle sharp teeth!!  I was sniffed from top to toe when I got home.


Now for my op shopped treasures of late.  Colourful drinking glasses that hopefully will survive the dishwasher.  I swooped on the old bottles, they are getting harder to find these days.
 
Old Medicine bottles are equally scarce, I love the old labeling!
 
Of course there were CLOTHES!!  An op shop that was closing down had everything at 20 cents!!  I found the two things in the middle from that shop but gave them $2 because I didn't want change, and at a $1 each that was still super cheap.  The oil burner on the left is the one I scored at Waihi that I mentioned in my last post.  The Red slip dress is TCD and ridiculously cheap and perfect for my layering.


TOF and I clocked up 24 years of Wedded Bliss (hahahaha) last weekend!! So we had fish and chips out at Raglan all with a lovely sunset!!


I don't buy Dog Toys for the dogs, I get bags of second hand soft toys for $2 per bag from Save Mart.  This is the only time you get to see Oscar with all the toys.  Sheba claims them all within minutes of their arrival and is not up for sharing! Cheaper way to have pet toys, and we all know that the destuffing of them will take place very soon.

The very adorable Ms Gaia has flown back to Australia, but yesterday she came round with her parents for her farewell cuddles.  The most laid back little bub I have meet for such a long time, probably because she has such cruisey parents.

My afternoon was spent out at Sues in the Country.  Ava on the left has grown so much.  Max is looking so old now compared to the new  chic in the  house.


The weather was perfect for a wander about the 'Estate'!!


Old Max was showing off his jumping skills
while we laughed at Avas attempts!!

It was because of our sons that we got to meet,
and become such good friends,
much to their regret at times.


I bet he got squashed after I headed home!!



How amazing does this look in close up,
Mother Nature I thank you again for your wonders.


This weekend is a long weekend in NZ but with only loose change in my purse I am thinking my time will be spent at home in the garden.  Not that that is a bad thing!!  We have sunshine today so fingers and toes are firmly crossed that it continues for the other two days.