Waste not, Want not

 Hi everyone,

I'm sticking to my promise to write more and wanted to share my thoughts about waste not, want not. I heard this saying a lot while growing up here in New Zealand. I don't know if it's said in other countries as well? 

HO M E   I M P R O V E M E N T:

Anyway my husband and I have decided/purposed to not spend any unnecessary money this year eg. other than food costs, petrol, electricity bills etc and not to put anything extra on hire purchase. The upside of this is it causes me to have to be very creative and look through what I already have before becoming smitten with something new (shiny), that I might think I need (smile). So to stick with that plan and because I wanted to give my very small kitchen a wee makeover I knew I would need to do it on a shoestring. I found a small sideboard for sale on face book local marketplace and offered the lady $80 and she accepted it. My idea was to make a hutch dresser sort of set up. I already had a small bookcase which was once on a wall and we added a plate rail to that. So my husband and I got to work sanding and painting the sideboard and put it in our wee kitchen on the weekend. I used to use a large bookcase to store my plates, but it gathered dust so easily and looked quite dark, and that's why I wanted a change. We had excess paint in the shed, and chose a soft Dutch White cream colour. We also painted the book case that had been in the kitchen to put in the spare room. I had some pale mauve paint, and just mixed in some more white to the can. We sanded the bookcase, primed and painted many coats-of the pale mauve/pink. We are both very happy with it all. Here's the pics:

We oiled the top and it came up so lovely !!

The painted bookcase installed in the spare bedroom :) 

*I hope this might encourage someone else to realise they can improve a situation without needing to spend much money at all :) I still haven't finished in the kitchen. I want to paint the walls, and the window sills, maybe even the cupboard doors and the French door that comes into the kitchen area. It would be wonderful if we got it all done this summer :) as it's been a long time in coming and will really freshen it up. Apart from the wall colour we have enough leftover paint in the shed !!! yeh

I N  T H E  G A R D E N:

This year we've put in a smaller vegetable garden than other years...and I'm not stressing about it. I know many people are planting huge victory gardens around the world (which is wonderful), but I decided to have a little rest from placing too much stress on myself for a change and I don't intend to do much canning either :). Next year it may be different. 

This summer we have: Tomatoes (x6 plants only), Courgettes, Spring Onions, Masses of self seeded Italian Parsley - my favourite), Green Beans, Lettuces, Herbs of course, and still to plant - Silver beet and some Cos lettuce.

..and of course our ever faithful fruit trees continue to bless us abundantly. Pretty Feijoa flowers below, Figs, Little green oranges starting to form, Figs, not many Apricots - the birds got them..grrr, but masses of plums as per usual. We did a lot of pruning last seasons end, so the trees have put their energy into new growth, which is good, because some of them had got too leggy and the fruit was getting too hard to reach, which meant our feathered friends were getting most of it.

Garden flowers to bless our table :)

                                                           I N  T H E  K I T C H E N :

'Sugar Free Stewed Rhubarb'

2 Cups chopped Rhubarb

1/3 - 1/2 Cup sugar free sweetener (I mixed 1/2 Cup Erythritol with 1/2 teaspoon Stevia)

1 extra 'doonk' of stevia

1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

1/2 - 3/4 Cup water.

Method:

Place everything in a small saucepan with the lid on. Bring to the boil and then turn

the heat down to a simmer and cook until the fruit is almost soft. Then remove the lid

and reduce the liquid a little until it thickens a little bit.

Leave it all to cool and then put in a covered container and store in the fridge.

*I enjoyed a few spoonful's of this with some unsweetened Greek Yoghurt, I also added a teaspoon of LSA (ground equal amounts of Linseeds, Sunflower seeds and Almonds), and a wee drizzle of sugar

free blueberry syrup. Oh my was it good :)

~ ~ ~ ~

W H A T  I'M  R E A D I NG:

 I've been reading only Christmas books through December and into early January. I'll re-read these books probably every Christmas :) I got this book for only $5 second hand!!

 'An Amish Christmas - by Cynthia Keller ( I really enjoyed this simple story).

 As it was such a busy month, I just wanted to read something light. Here's the synopsis:

 Meg Hobart has everything: a happy marriage to a handsome, successful husband, a beautiful home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and three wonderful children. But it all comes crashing down around her the day she learns that her husband, James, has been living a lie—and has brought the family to financial ruin. Penniless and homeless, the Hobarts pack up what little they still possess and leave behind their golden life for good. But it’s not the material things Meg finds herself mourning. Instead, she misses the certainty that she should remain married to James, who has betrayed her trust so thoughtlessly. Worse, she is suddenly very aware of just how spoiled her children have become. Meg wonders what her family has really sacrificed in their pursuit of the American dream.

 A frightening twist of fate forces the Hobarts to take refuge with a kind Amish family in Pennsylvania, where they find themselves in a home with no computers, no cell phones, nothing the children consider fashionable or fun. Her uncooperative brood confined to the Amish world of hard work and tradition, their futures entirely uncertain, Meg fears she can never make her family whole again. Celebrating life’s simplest but most essential values, packed with laughter and tears, this is a story of forgiveness and the power of love.

 ~ ~ ~

...and prior to this book I read: Christmas at Harmony Hill  by Ann H. Gabhart  (I love Shaker novels) ! I have the whole collection of her Shaker books. Ann is a very good descriptive writer. If you like reading historical novels and books about unusual religious people, like the Shakers then you'll enjoy the Shaker novels.

O N L I N E:

 *I also follow various people on YouTube and find a real kinship/fellowship with people of a like mind there. One of my favourite ones is 'The Oldsteaders Homestead: Living Life Simply'. They are a family of Mum/Dad and 2 grown sons and two young sons. They built their home in the woods themselves. They work very hard and Leah considers herself a modern day peasant by choice :) They post a lot of devotional videos which I enhoy listening too as well. I was watching one of her videos last night and she shared that before they were homesteading, when they had a VCR player she loved to watch 'The Waltons' and 'Little House on the Prairie" and she felt like when she watched those shows she was having fellowship, because she didn't find people in her world who thought the way she did about living a simple old fashioned life. By old fashioned I mean, they have no electricity, she gets her water from a well and creek, they garden, have chickens, cook on a wood stove, wash laundry by hand etc. Pretty hard work !!!

Disclaimer: When I share a link to anything online, or show books I read, don't assume I agree 100% with what that person/book/channel etc may support or believe. It's always just aspects that I appreciate from these things/people/books. As I grow older I realise I don't easily fit into any particular slot when it comes to my faith (eg. denominationalism). I am simply a follower of the Way as it's written in the bible. I try to stay faithful to God and Him alone by adhering to the scriptures and using my own common sense.

* Regarding kinship with earlier times in history I know just how she feels. I often feel like I was born in the wrong time. When I was younger I tried to do things the modern way, but the older I get I am veering towards things I love which don't necessarily fit into the modern world. To me it's wonderful and fulfilling.

(Just wanted to share this :)

~ and finally...

A  LITTLE SPIRITUAL NOTE:  In closing I just wanted to add that living a simple life at home brings me tremendous peace and joy. I'm not interested at all in the direction this modern 'world' is going in because I don't agree with most of it. I find wisdom and truth in the bible and it's a solid foundation to build ones whole life upon. I knew it the day I gave my heart to the Lord (over 30 years ago now) and it still remains true and sure to this day. Whenever I've had upheavals in life it's because I veered off the path, the straight path and way of the Lord and not because of anything lacking in my Christian faith. If your not a believer I would encourage you to 'try Jesus' - I can promise you, you will never look back and He will never leave you or let you down.

Blessings to anyone who stops by. I hope something I have shared is a blessing to you ~ Linda :)

Art by Robert Reid - 'Tending the Flowers' (I think)

 ~

 Psalm 146

(NIV Bible)

 Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord O my soul,

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

 Do not put your trust in princes,

in mortal men who cannot save.

When the spirit departs they

return to the ground;

on that very day their plans come to nothing.

 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

the Maker of heaven and earth,

the sea, and everything in them,

the Lord who remains faithful forever.

 He upholds the cause of the oppressed

and gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets prisoners free,

The Lord gives sight to the blind,

the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,

the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the alien

and sustains the fatherless and the widow,

but he frustrates the way of the wicked.

The Lord reigns forever,

Your God, O Zion for all generations.

Praise the Lord. 

~