My Summer in photos

Hi again, it must be some sort of miracle, here I sit writing yet another post for February (I am doing well, 2 blogs in 1 week :) I don't think I've written about our latest wee blessing, new grandbaby .. 'Laura Joy'. Born to Katie & John in November. She is warmly welcomed by 3 loving sisters :) who delight in smothering her in kisses..a little too energetically at times. It's always so exciting to me to watch as their little personalities slowly unfold, each one so unique and so different.

..taking a nap at the beach..

~ & so sweet in her wee bonnet ~

I decided to mostly just post a whole lot of photos of different things we've been doing, cooking, planting, harvesting,planning and making over the last couple of months. It's been a joy filled, busy, and very hot season :). I'm very weary of the heat and so is Bruce, so we're planning on getting air conditioning, so next year won't be so unbearable. It will also mean Bruce won't need to spend hours and hours chopping firewood to keep this old house warm in Winter. We feel like it's a worthy investment that will make our lives a lot more comfortable.

O U R   S U M M E R

Growing in the garden...

 We've been picking plenty of small tomatoes for sandwiches and theirs lots of fat ones on vines yet to ripen, which will later be turned into Tomato Relish, Salsa and some will for the freezer. I planted about 2 dozen plant this year (different varieties - yellow, beefsteak, cherry and acid free ones)

Our Fruit Trees: The Cox's Orange Pippins are outdoing themselves this year. My neighbour was amazed and wondered what in the world I would do with so many apples :) We have a Granny Smith, and Sturmer tree as well with lots of apples. We'll give some away, but many people today prefer sweeter apples, where I like the tart ones. They are great in pies and lovely bottled.

Plums..plums..and more plums..we have 4 trees !!! This variety grows as big as small

apples. I bottled a dozen jars from another of the trees..even though I said I wasn't going to :)

Just this week I planted another dozen lettuce plants. I try to be vigilant with the watering, even though we have restrictions (every second day, and hand held hoses is all that's allowed). 

I cut the Lemon Verbena tree back very hard this year and was actually worried I may have been a bit too enthusiastic, but lo and behold it has come back huge !!! The leaves are a lot bigger and the branches longer, so a good pruning has truly done this herb a world of good. I pop a couple of leaves into my bedtime tea every night. Its delicious :)

 Once again we have masses of courgettes/zucchini. A friend shared a recipe for zucchini taco boats, which is wonderful. It's basically a thick-ish beef or chicken chilli, with paprika and kidney beans, stuffed into scooped out zucchini shells. I top them with cheese and olives, cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook about 15 - 20 minutes more until browned. I serve them with a salad.

The recipe and pic are from Skinnytaste.com

Our Meyer Lemons growing.

H O M E F R O N T   P R O J E C T S: 

Project No.1
I sewed a curtain to provide a wee bit of privacy by our back door (since it's glass) and not the prettiest of doors. I drew up a little template for some curtain rod brackets and hubby cut them out of wood, sanded and painted them white, and also a piece of dowel to hang the curtain on. I had some vintage brass curtain rings, that I've been carting around for years in an old sewing box, so I was pleased to finally put them to good use. The material isn't truly curtain fabric, it's just a pretty cotton Kath Kidston style of fabric  that was on sale. I lined the curtain with calico. The end result is very sweet and cottagey, which we're very pleased with. It gives us privacy and makes the house feel cozy when its cold.

 Project No.2
We painted 2 wooden benches in pale blue, well my husband painted most of it. I also painted a little round cane table in the same colour. It suits our old period house and provides a burst of colour for the outdoors. Notice how well that basil plant is doing !! in the pot. I've already made a large batch of Pesto from it and froze about 3 jars.

S U M M E R  O U T I N G S:
We had a lovely day at the beach with our grown children and their children, our grandies. The weather was perfect, not too hot and not windy. I didn't go swimming, just sat with Laura Joy and chatted. It was glorious. The sand looks awfully bleak and dark grey in the pictures. We don't have a lot of white sandy beaches in my area.

I N  T H E  K I T C H E N:

I've been tweaking my sourdough English Muffin recipe, to make it into sandwich buns. I just flatten them and make them larger than average muffin sizes. When they are cold, I split, stack and freeze them. I use these for burger buns too. Their not perfect to look at, but they sure are tasty !

Craft projects and Green Living:

No.1

I love to follow GDonna's blog (Grandma Donna), thanks to a fellow blogger friend sharing it with me (thanks Laura Lane). In a few of her posts she talked about how she washes her dishes, using natural unscented handmade soap and a soap shaker. The gadget is swished in hot water to produce suds. 

So of course (being a soap maker) I knew this was something I was keen to try. I made a batch of unscented 100% coconut soap to test this out for myself and purchased a soap saver/shaker. 

I searched online and was amazed to find someone in New Zealand was actually making these. Metal soap shakers or Savers - maybe they have different names in other countries. I was a little surprised at the cost - $50, but agree, as the caption said, that it would indeed last a life time and I would not need to buy another one I did a little online checking before my purchase to see if I could find a cheaper one, or even something second hand, to no avail. I've never seen one of these in any second hand stores here in N Z, so knew it was pointless to even go looking. 

My Method: I have a plastic basin I set into my sink, and while it's filling hold the shaker under the water, swishing the shaker around. It makes quite a lot of suds, and gets the dishes clean. I then rinse them in a separate bowl and either dry to a squeaky clean straight away or leave them to air dry. 

So far so good. It's a lovely waste free, non toxic way to wash dishes and economical too.

Craft project no.2

I plan to make some homemade Beeswax wraps. New Zealand is Big Time anti-plastic. Supermarkets and large stores no longer put groceries in plastic bags. Supermarkets either use paper bags (like the old days) or one can purchase cloth bags from the store, which are quite inexpensive, about $1 - $2.00. String bags are also sold to use  for vegetables and fruit. 

As I'm trying to eliminate single use plastic in our home too and create an alternative to Gladwrap, I've been researching the making of Beeswax wraps. The best most effective ones seem to be made with a mixture of Beeswax, Jojoba Oil and Pine Rosin. So far I've gathered all the things needed to make them and also purchased Pinking Shears (not cheap) and some 100% cotton fabric. I'll do a little post when I make them. All I need now is some time :)

photographer: Lia Griffith

W H A T  I'M   R E A D I N G:

I've read a lot of books over summer, but can't off hand remember them all. One I've just finished is:

Beneath the Summer Sun ~ by Kelly Irvin. I love her writing. All her Amish stories are my favourites. She has a very descriptive style of writing and truly weaves a wonderful picture of each of her characters, making them very memorable. Some of them I miss greatly after finishing one of her  book, as I'm sure other readers would agree with. I also loved her Bee County Amish books series.

..and next...a very quirky little book, which is delightful. 'The Hen who wanted to fly ~ by Sun - Mi  Hwang The illustrations are also wonderful. I got the book out of the library, Apparently in Korea where the author is from, this book was a huge success. It was even made into a movie.

O T H E R  T H I N G S:

After Christmas, I always find it a bit sad to take down the decorations, and the house feels a bit plain. So I set about doing a lot of cleaning, clearing and rearranging. I went with a navy and white theme for much of the house and removed a lot of excess clutter.

 I love these Ceramic t-lite houses Katie gave me for Christmas xox

 ~ My Amish corner ~

I then went through kitchen drawers and shelves and donated a whole ton of things we didn't need, such as excess coffee mugs, plates and glasses. Next I cleaned out my spices drawer and my pantry. 

There's nothing more satisfying for me than having a good clean out. I purchased some new glassware and a few coffee mugs, but only what we needed. I have my 'good' dinner set for when we have company and a few plates for every day use, and that's enough. 

~ o ~

Well friends, this post has taken me about 3 evenings to complete, and I've enjoyed every bit of it. I know I get so much pleasure out of reading and seeing what other blogger friends are doing, so I hope whoever stops by here will also be inspired or encouraged in some way.

Blessings to you all, whatever season your in. ~ Linda

Time is Precious

Hi friends and quiet visitors :)
Lately I have become very tired of the internet (but not this blog), and especially social media (but not my dear friends there), just a weariness of endless scrolling and some of the sort of things that are shared there).

 I found I was becoming stressed each time I would go to check my emails. Why? Because I had hit subscribe to too many sites and stores. The result: I was bombarded not just weekly, but often daily with sales and promotions. While some of them were good and I was able to snag a bargain, more often than not, it was really just enticing me to spend when I didn't really need to. So I unsubscribed.

Lately I've started wondering about the point of Pinterest. While I do love my boards,  how often do I ever go back and look at something or follow the link to something I pinned? In reality not very often and many times not at all. Yet I spend, or have spent in the past, many hours in the evenings 'pinning' things. I'm starting to think it's just another time waster. (yikes).

 I remember back to when my children were young, in those simple days before internet and cell phones. When I had a chance to sit after my chores were done I would pick up my cross-stitch, read the children a story or continue with something I was sewing. For a time I even had a small wood-working business where I hand painted small items, which I sold. This contributed a little bit of income towards our family budget and enabled us as a family to have a few outings or the money went towards purchasing birthday or Christmas gifts. I have always had an interest in some sort of craft. If it brought in extra income for the family, then that was an added bonus :)

I suppose I just don't want the time God gives me to be wasted in anyway. Time is precious, and I want to make sure that I am using mine well.

Some scripture:

Psalm 90:12
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom

1 John 2: 17
The world and it's desires pass away; but whoever does the will of God lives forever

I Just Want To Be In His Will..each and every day...and not fritter away time on needless things.

Maybe what I have written here will speak to someone else? Maybe you too need to curb the time you spend online. Is your time spent online fruitful? Are you learning how to do things in a better way as a wife or mother, in the meals you cook, learning a new craft, how to budget better? encourage a friend? or are you just endlessly scrolling. Could the time be spent in the garden, cleaning the house, preserving food? writing an encouragement note? phoning a friend or parent?

These are some of the things on my heart. My daughter told me she desires to become better at hospitality in her home. I thought that was so worthy !! and is an area I too have become quite slack in. There are always areas in our lives that can be tweaked. Personally I am a hard worker...and sometimes find it hard to stop working. But even my down time I feel can be better spent.
This little piece of writing is meant to encourage, inspire and maybe even rebuke if you feel your truly wasting away your days.

Blessings to anyone who stops by ~ Linda

*As a side note, all these pictures were from Pinterest, ones I've saved over the years. I don't even know who the original source was. I hope no one minds that I have used them here.

His Promises

This morning as I sat with the Lord for my quiet time, I opened a small book of verses a friend gave me and one truly spoke to my heart. I think I'll print it out and pin it by my bed or in the kitchen so I can continue to be encouraged by it throughout this year. I know there will be times I'll repeat this over and over. To even memorise it would be a good idea...a timely reminder. I thought you might enjoy it too:

THERE IS NO PLACE WHERE GOD IS NOT,

WHEREVER I GO, THERE GOD IS.

NOW AND ALWAYS HE UPHOLDS ME

WITH HIS POWER

AND KEEPS ME SAFE IN HIS LOVE.

(Author Unknown)

B L E S S I N G S   T O   Y O U

~  L I N D A

WONDER

Lord purge our eyes to see

Within the seed a tree,

Within the glowing egg a bird,

Within the shroud a butterfly,

Till, taught by such we see

Beyond all creatures thee

And harken to thy tender word

And hear its 'Fear not; it is I'

~ Christina Rossetti (1830 - 94) ~

Hello friends, I just wanted to share something wonderful with you. 

On Christmas morning, my husband led me by the hand and said "Come with me I want to show you something". There just outside our bedroom window, was a birds nest, so beautifully crafted nestled amongst the branches of our old Wisteria vine. And wonder of wonders, mother bird sitting their so valiantly on her eggs. I don't know in my whole life that I have ever seen a bird on her nest so close up before.

I didn't take a photo as the glass on our old windows has a funny warp to it, and the image would be blurry, plus those particular windows need a clean. But just again this morning I took a peek, and she is still sitting there doing what she's designed to do. This brings me joy. Always whether it be things growing in the garden, or anything to do with nature, I am drawn ever closer to the heart of God. His word tells us that He reveals himself to us through creation and I have witnessed this time and time again. I feel so close to Him in these moments. I need more of these moments ! 

Oh God, enlarge within us the sense of fellowship

with all living things, our brothers the animals

to whom thou gavest the earth as their home in

common with us.

~ Basil the Great (c.330 - 70 ) ~

For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the Love from which our birth

Over and around us lies;

Christ, our God, to Thee we raise

This our Sacrifice of Praise.

(Folliot S. Pierpoint 1835 - 1917)

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

As this year is about to bow out, I pray blessings and peace over 

anyone who stops by my little corner of the world wide web. 

I pray you will draw near to God and see His face in and through His creation. 

I pray that you too like I, will strive to tread carefully

 on this earth designed and created for us,

That we'll be conscious of others that walk it with us, 

be they small & furry or two legged. 

I pray for a greater awareness of what is consumed and discarded, 

knowing we are caretakers on this earth.

And lastly I pray we'll make every effort to be kind, in our words, 

thoughts and deeds, serving one another in love ~ through the strength of our Lord.

Amen  ~ Linda

Merry Christmas one and all

~The reason for the season ~

~ Christmas Lillies from our garden scenting our home ~ oh joy ~

~ It wouldn't really be Christmas without homemade Shortbread

and a rich fruity Christmas Cake :) ~

Merry Christmas friends :)
Sorry I've been absent from my blog the last couple of months. Running a small indie business where I make everything, package, stocktake, run a website etc etc is a lot of work and it takes it's toll. Normally by late December I am feeling pretty worn out..and it's the same this year. I still wanted to pop by though and post a couple of pictures and write about the last couple of months.
My husband went through a time of being unwell, a stress related pain situation where he was off work for a couple of weeks. At the time we were unsure what was wrong and had a very stressful time with a lot of doctors/hospital visits etc. It was a time of much prayer for us both. Because of all this, I got behind with my business. However my first priority is to my husband and family, so other things must take a back seat. Once my husband was well, I knuckled down and worked night and day to build up stock levels and fulfill orders. I am so thankful to the Lord that we still did well and He blessed us despite the time I was away from everything. He is so faithful :) !!!
At the start of 2018 I purposed in my heart to spend more time with my dear Mum, so every now and then I like to treat her in some way. This week I took  her out for morning tea and also included one of my grandies little 'Kora'. We had a lovely time.

   Mum ordered an old fashioned chocolate milkshake in a tall glass - so vintage :)

 

  ~ My sweet mum with Kora and Poppy ~ 

I've also been trying to spend more time in the garden, so I purchased a few new plants and planned to tidy up the front garden. Lo and behold we had a crisis. First, a pipe burst out by the front garden (would you believe it)..sigh, and we had to get the plumber in. The cheapest option was to connect up a new piece of pipe and do away with the front tap, which I connect the hose too. Thankfully we have another outside tap, which I can connect another hose too, run it under the house and use that out the front. We get very dry weather normally in the summer months, and often have water restrictions, due to drought. Our area is farming country and water for livestock and farms is a priority..even though I think my fruit trees and garden need their fair share too !! :) So we got the plumbing problem fixed, cleaned up the huge mess and prepared to plant those waiting plants. Then we had at least two weeks of non stop rain and high humidity !!! would you believe it??? So the poor plants waited and waited and waited. This week after about 3-4 weeks I was finally able to get it done, but a few of them really suffered, got eaten by snails, and faded. Anyway I am grateful just to have it all planted.

A couple of weeks ago I had a fun morning at my daughters making spiced salt dough Christmas ornaments, it was so much fun !!! (from Rocky Hegde Farm blog recipe) and those girls did good. Lots of creativity was flowing :) They made a couple of them into necklaces and wore them..funny !

~ Lily and Kora ~

~Baked for two hours and threaded with bakers twine. I modge podged 

mine to make them last a little longer ~

~ Little Bear ornament ~

Well that's about all for now. I pray everyone is well and having a joyful Christmas season. Thank you for all the joy your bogs/writing and friendship has brought to me. I look ahead to 2019 and am hoping to have more opportunities to write and get to know some of you better. Blessings and peace through our precious Lord  over you all ~ Linda 2018

xoxoxo