Ahhhh home is bliss!

Thankyou for your support, comments and prayers in respect to the last post they are very appreciated by us both.Oh it is so great to be home, just a little up date we have been travelling to Hobart for radiation treatment and now have no more appointments in Hobart YIPEEEE!   This will be our first weekend and week with no visitors, no appointments just my DH and me, well Toby, the cat and four chooks as well..lol
So the garden has really suffered this summer so far.The hope chest seedlings well most have fallen along the hard season due to weather and absences.   Being away so much and dealing with such emotional situation has seen not much action in the vegie garden, nor the garden in general.  Daisies giving up, salvia's so much and the rabbits have been breeding so lots of things nibbled.
I have discovered we have a couple of wallabies living in the bush that is part of our land just out the front door(well it is really back of the house) Every morning I hear them hop away when I go out side and often when no one has been out that way for a few hours you hear them.  It is a great place as they have the dam and protection. Toby does not chase them. 

It has been unconditionally hot here.  We have had 8 days in the last two weeks over 30d Celcius which is very weird.  So many of the plants I had put in have not survived as I have not been home to water them often enough.  Fortunately the chooks survived, the heat two days were over 38  clost on 100 degrees farenheit. 
We had no rain for the whole month of January.   Nights have been very warm for us too.  22d C at 7am yesterday!   YUK!      

Toby watching the formation of the storm, he was so hot that we put wet towels over him and I had to spray the chooks with water to keep them going yesterday.  Such a distressing thing to see your girls panting I kept checking on them to make sure they were drinking and almost bought them to the house to put them in the bathroom to cool off.
 The storm clouds get darker and darker, day becomes night...


 The storm broke and the sound of heavy rain filled not only the rain water tanks, but my heart.  I had watered the garden in the morning and knew that the ground would absorb the moisture and not just let it run off.

 The raspberry canes just may survive to give me some Autumn raspberries. 
 The grass was so long and so very dry that it made the place look such a mess, when combined with the two wattle (acacia) trees we had to have removed and all the debri that was lying around, it was just too much for me to tackle.  We have some lovely kids as neighbours and the 3 boys worked solidly for a couple of hours moving all the heavy timber and branches.  What a difference.  I paid them as I would have a man.  One of the boys was hoping to have enough money to buy an ice cream, his delight on his face when he realised that he could now buy a new game for his Wii?  was reward enough..lol. 
We came home on Wednesday to find one of our lovely neighbours had been over and mown this extra long grass, where the felled trees had been lying, and around the berry bed and near the house.  Such a genorous and unexpected gift. 

Basil I just do not seem to have any luck growing it. The planter I had started actually looks smaller than when it was first put in.  I can not work out what I do wrong!
In the picture on the right there is a pink label and just under it is a tomato plant that is not growing.
Anyone have any ideas what it is I am doing wrong?














Fortunately my French tarragon is growing really well this season.  I transplanted the dormant plant during winter out of the garden into a polystyrene box and it sits on the deck in full sun(as does the basil).My little watering gnomes help to keep the roots moist.

     

Look past the sweet pea flowers and you will see the freshly mown straw, it sure is not grass..lol.

  Many of my flowers also have suffered and our beautiful Happy Wander which climbs over the front fence of the deck is dying.  Wether this is due to too much winter spring rain or what.  There is one part of it that is greenish so I hope some of it will survive as it looks so lovely in flower in winter.  It will be interesting to see what grows back after this summer rain.  It has revived my need to get into the garden and sow some winter seeds. 

 

A momement in time

 Life has been very busy here, as my DH is not great he has been diagnosed with cancer, and it has spread to his bones.  We only found out as he had a cough which lasted for a few weeks, with a viral infection, so he was on antibiotics.  The course of antibiotics finished and he had pain in his side, GP thought strained ribs or fracture so off for Xray, only to find a growth in his lungs. This was discovered to be Cancer three days before Christmas.  So we have been up and down to Hobart all over the Christmas New Year period for numerous tests, scans, and biopsies, now we know that it can not be operated on, which was an option but having it in his bones makes this null and void.  Chemotherapy is not an option either, for which he is grateful.  So on Tuesday we go back to Hobart and begin talking with a Radiologist oncologist?  He will be having radiation therapy to minimise pain.  We know that this is about managing the symptoms and not a cure.  It has all happened so quickly that it has really taken my breath away.  My DH is my best friend, we have been together for nine years this month.  We have a wonderful lifestyle, our relationship is almost beyond description.  We share many things in common, we talk about everything, we do fight...(I have a temper),  we love each other and tell each other often throughout the day we laugh a lot have fun and enjoy silences too That may be hard for people who know me to believe..lol.  If I am away from home we speak on the phone, every day sometimes more than once.  We have been fortunate that we have been able to be together so much.  I work generally one or two shifts a week.  Which compared to most married couples working 5 days a week means we have spent 3 times as long together so we have actually been together almost 20 years in time.  We are content and feel so rich with all we have especially each other.
He  loves me just as I am, not wanting to change me, well he loves red lipstick, long hair and fringes, me I don't like beards so a good compromise, and red lipstick looks okay on me.lol   There is something so amazing about being accepted totally for you, as you are.

I count myself so fortunate to have met him, we are both philosophical about this journey we are taking together now, and with his daughters.  The roller coaster of emotions overwhelm me on a daily sometimes hourly basis. We hide nothing from each other and have said the same to his girls.  That we don't want anyone to feel they have to be strong for us, or for us to be strong for anyone else.  When he holds me in his arms as I sob I feel it is the safest place in all the world.  When I am kissing him, or just hugging him because it is such a lovely thing, it feels so good and safe.  When we sit in our chairs reading or watching TV and his hand reaches out to take mine.  Such great feelings of love togetherness, these have always been part of our relationship because touch and warmth are so important. Communicating is so important, listening to each other is so important.  When I go up to him and just kiss him as he reads or has his cup of tea, ahh what bliss.
We go for a walk everyday, we sit out on our deck watching the eagles, the water, the chooks, have a wonder about the garden and feel so content and appreciative for what we have had, what we have now and our deep abiding love for each other.  We both have a great sense of humour

 If I knew what I know now when we met I would still choose to take this path, with him , as my life has been enriched as he says his has with our relationship.  We continue to experience new things with each other, ie I took him through his first ever automatic car wash a little while ago..now that is an exciting date..lol

Do I share this with people this very personal journey, or just keep it to ourselves,  a decision not easy.  I feel that some of you have got a feel for my DH through my writing.  It is funny when life is challenging you, and the person you love most in the world.  I guess you can either close down and bear it all alone.  You can wallow in the misery, and fear, or you can take it one day at a time, accepting the emotions that come charging out with no control, knowing that in one day you may sob your heart out, but also laugh heartedly, that you will sit watching the beauty about you sharing it together.  See the love in both of your eyes.  Am I fearful of the road ahead, off course, I am.  However I am also so aware that I have so much more with this wonderful man than many many people ever have.  I am so grateful and appreciative.  There is another way to look at this journey.  We have time and knowledge that so many do not get to share.  My Dh is a lot older than I am, and he has had a life of amazing experiences, and will have more.  It seems to me that sharing having time to share must make this journey easier than if one day he was here and then he was gone.   Have we given up hope, no, we are realistic, grounded and far more aware of how things are than many people.   The radiation may stop the pain, but it will not be aimed at the primary cancer.  We have time, how much is unknown but believe me we have never taken our time together for granted and will not be now.  We are so blessed. 

I will continue to write my blog, and attempt to keep my garden, with some help.  It has got away from me over the last month, amazing how weeds grow without any water! 

Lifes journey....complete

As I was sitting here this morning, my phone rang and as we are on dial up, I kind of said a few comments as I was booted off the computer and answered the phone.

It was one of our neighbours (our road is a lovely community of caring, loving people), to let us know that her mother, who used to live over the road from us and is in a nursing home, had died contentedly on New Years Eve.  This amazing lady Jean, was 92 she had been an educator, a writer, and a warm and supportive friend to my DH and than to me.  She had spent many years in a wheel chair but was independent as much as possible and she carried a strength about her and knew her mind.  I respected and cared for her greatly.
When I think of all that Jean has seen in her lifetime it takes your breath away. The world has really changed rapidly in the last 92 years.

The night Jean died was New Years Eve,A full moon night a Blue Moon and here in the southern parts of Tasmania we had a lightening storm with both sheet and fork lightening that went on for several hours surpassing the man made New Years Fireworks.  The brightness of the sky from the light  of the moon when the clouds and storm passed was as bright as early morning as she left her earthly body.   We are sad that she is not with us any longer but she is young again, and her spirit, her love and words remain with us. 
We will have her funeral and then have been invited to a celebration of her life.  There is always an edge of saddness for a person who dies, but for such a lady, who lived such an amazing life, we can not mourn but be joyous for all she was!

Happy 2010

It is kind of weird being one of the first countries in the world to celebrate New Years Eve.  We are having a very quite New Year at home.  It is so hot here today, my thermometre is registering 38C it is under the front porch which is east facing(southern hemisphere sun rises) so coolest side of the house.  Very windy and we are all flaked out.  I have been spraying the chooks with water and ensuring they are okay.  Though at one point thought I may have to bring them into the house..lol but the temp has dropped ever so slightly and they are out chasing bugs.  Lots of water. 
Dog and cat are both hot poor Toby has a double coat, so very cold bones, and ice blocks.  for hiim. The cat was not too keen. 

Off the track there such a hot end to 2009, and with the wind, I do wonder if the New Years eve fireworks in Hobart will go ahead.  It is a busy culmination down here as we have the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race finish and a large food festival called The Taste (taste of Tasmania)  there is also a large concert on called the Falls Festival over the weekend.  camping and partying.  So I hope those attending have kept fluids and coolish. 

Our year here has been an interesting one.  I read Mona's blog Wsprsweetly of Cottages
http://wsprsweetlyofcottages.blogspot.com/2009/12/fresh-new-yearand-joy.html, and her words describe how I find blogging. She puts it into such great words I can not add to it.

I have been blogging for a bit over a year now, and have found so many people out there with similar interests, but whoose lives are so different.  I appreciate all who share parts of their stories.
Around the world we have had major fires, floods, and life has been harder for many around the world due to financial crisis, poverty, famine, war, increases in AIDs, abduction, and the increasing numbers of people forced to work as slaves, weather to make some money or because they have been forced too.

I am so thankful for the lifestyle I have and am creating, that I have the choice, and freedom.  That I am rich beyond measure.  Life is throwing some curly bits at us recently but we will take it one day at a time.

My resolution for the year is to stop worrying about the small stuff.  To do what I can to aid others. 
To continue working in my gardening creating a supply of vegetables, fruit and eggs, maybe some meat, and nuts.  To support local businesses and buy seasonally. 

Thankyou for following my journey and sharing yours. 

A little bit of everything.

Mince pies as I mentioned in the previous post, this is just to show that I do not actually make them as pies, no more pasties style for me..lol much easier when making so many.  

Now onto the vegetable garden.  I have finally put all my seed chest seedlings into the vegetable garden.  There were some that did not make it.  The melons all seemed not to have survived my being away and I have not had the chance to resow them.  May just put some seeds in and see, has anyone ever succeeded with this? 

The tomatoes are my self seeded ones I think that theymay be Tommy Toes, which would be terrific.  I

This is the bed that I have been putting zucchini's and cucumbers.I am letting the beetroot and carrot that are in it go to seed.  There is a bean that has grown must have dropped a seed. You can see just see the terracotta pots that I have sunk into the ground for watering, like a water well.  Covered with mulch. 




This is my last attempt at basil.  I sowed seeds, I put in seedlings into the vegetable garden, and none.  So on the deck in a polystyrene box.  Fingers crossed.  I planted some sage, my sage from last year has died? Thyme and a lemon thyme have gone in.  Pumpkins Turkish Turban, and a butternut pumpkin, chili, cucumber.  One tomato unknown variety in the box with the basil. 

The beans are doing well flowering with lovely scarlet flowers.  This is my first bed I planted with tomatoes, and they have romped ahead.  I have flowers and the aubergine is flowering as well.  Things are going well.
The girls are out free ranging amongst the hazel nuts.  They are growing so well and seem to be happy.  Toby is not going in as much as we have resorted to putting him on a long lead so he can move around but not go into the chook run.

Christmas from Down Under's Down under..

Season Greetings Everyone.
It is Boxing day here in Australia, after a delightful Christmas spent with family and friends in Hobart, not too hot, but beautiful azure blue skies, and a breeze blowing over the Derwent River.  Saddly it was not clear but very hazy.
I awoke having had family issue need for mince pies, 5 dozen made, and 2.5 dozen eaten!  OMG.  My DH loves them and told the kids that they were only for decoration.  That he knew how many were there and well of course no one took any notice.  My brandy butter was almost too intoxicating.  Mind you it went pretty fast onto plum puddings.lol  Little Grand daughter loved the Toblerone mousse. 
I also made a lovely mango, rockmelon, cucumber, salad with spring onion greens, garlic and balsamic vinegar Yummo  went brilliantly with ham and turkey. 

I was so busy having such a lovely time eating trout,  home cooked ham, turkey, salads with mango, rockmelon, mushrooms and rice, new potatoes (pinkeyes) and enjoying the company of those we love.  Saddly not with my side of the family but knowing they were having a very pleasant time in their homes.

For my northern friends, Austraila kind of closes for the rest of December to early -mid January now. Hope you do not need a solicitor, a specialist doctor, accountant, many other businesses take the time from Now through to at least 4 th january off.
No photos today.  Just wishes for you all to have a safe, happy, and contented holiday season.

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat...

Summer Garden the fox gloves are finishing, Calfornian Poppies are looking great with the white daisies.  The holly hock is flowering again, but everything will need a drink tonight when it cools off.  I have mulched most beds and that has been a huge help with moisture retaining, I succombed and used sugar cane mulch.

 There is something wonderful about getting my camera back.  I feel a greater sense of being able to truly share what is happening in my world.

Garlic is harvested and some is plaited, others still require drying. Some was at risk of going mouldy so has been separated into cloves and will be put into olive oil and also I think I will try my hand at pickled garlic.  It would be such a waste to loose any.

I have harvested 173 bulbs of garlic whole, and 10 or more that I have had to separate into cloves to be used now and to go into oil and or pickled garlic. This is 100% return on the single cloves I planted way back in March. Perhaps a bit too early.  The mounding of them helped immensely, especially with all the winter rain and more recent rain we have had.  I am thrilled with the success of my garlic!

I made strawberry jam yesterday.  Sadly not from my own strawberries.  I was fortunate to buy 2kg for $5 so purchased 4kg.  So strawberry jam that can be made into chili and strawberry, strawberry sauce. I love it!

When you look at the amazing colour of the strawberry jam,(which I had to take a photo in the sunlight to show its beautiful colour). I am a strange kind of a woman, as I prefer these to Rubies..I told you it was strange..lol
 


The following are photos of my vegie patch where I have put my terracotta pots with lids as watering devices.  They seem to be working really well.  The lettuces have thrived near one.  Tomatoes are doing well.  It is quite strange I grew some of them from seeds and succumbed to buying a couple of seedlings from Diggers heritage Seed company at the local hardware shop nursery.  They were more established than my seedlings.  Interestingly enough one of my seeds has caught up.  The others are doing okay.  The pot in the foreground is meant to have some dill in it but looks like the birds or slugs have devoured them.  Oh and can anyone tell me how you can have a potato grow in a space where you have not had potatoes for three/four years, and suddenly you have some?  That is the large plant in the background.

My beans in the garden are hanging on so far with the really bizzare temperature extremes we have been experiencing.  Last Wednesday it was 36C than Thursday was 11C, with a forecast of snow on the highlands for Friday..  Ahhh Tasmania. 

The chooks are growing and looking so beautiful, three of them are developing their combs, one is obviously younger she still is just getting her  comb.

Two of the girls have wattles starting and going red.  In these photos you can see how beautiful their markings are becoming.


Toby is a bit too much for the girls, he works them, trying to round them up.  Some of them ignore him eventually but one and I think it is the younger one is harassed and flies and flurries about.  So Toby chases her.

  My DH believes we will not get any eggs.   sigh.  He is being kept out of the hens run as much as we can.  He does worry about the girls if he does not see them. 
The others do not seem to be perturbed most of the time, just scratch and lie in the sunshine.  How I love seeing them with their wings up getting sun under them.  I am falling for my chooky girls.  They are delightful to watch and listen too.


I have been perusing many of my northern blogs friends blogs.  My breath has been taken away with the lovely snow scapes that they have. (not so keen on the driving conditions) and who knows we in the south of Tasmania may still have some snow for Christmas.  Not normal though, so I always feel kind of strange singing Christmas Carols about snow and cold etc.  I am including here the words of a wonderful Australian Christmas Carol that I love to hear and sing.

Six White Boomers   (a boomer is a Kangaroo)

By Rolf Harris & John D. Brown 

(Introduction)
Early on one Christmas Day, a Joey Kanga-roo,
Was far from home and lost in a great big zoo.
Mummy, where's my mummy, they've taken her a-way,
We'll help you find your mummy son, hop on the sleigh.

Chorus:
Six white boomers, snow white boomers,
Racing Santa Claus through the blazing sun.
Six white boomers, snow white boomers,
.. On his Aus-tra-lian run.

Verse: Up beside the bag of toys, little Joey hopped ,
But they had'nt gone far when Santa stopped.
Un-harnessed all the reindeer and Joey wondered why,
Then he heard a far off booming in the sky.

Chorus: Six white boomers ...

Pretty soon old Santa began to feel the heat,
Took his fur-lined boots off to cool his feet.
Into one popped Joey, feeling quite OK,
While those old man kangaroos kept pulling on the sleigh.

Chorus: Six white boomers ...

Joey said to Santa, Santa, what about the toys,
Aren't you giving some to these girls and boys.
They've all got their presents son, we were here last night,
This trip is an extra trip, Joey's special flight.

Chorus: Six white boomers ...

Soon the sleigh was flashing past, right over Marble Bar,
Slow down there, cried Santa, it can't be far.
Come up on my lap son, and have a look around,
There she is, that's mummy, bounding up and down.

Chorus: Six white boomers ...

Well that's the bestest Christmas treat that Joey ever had,
Curled up in mother's pouch all snug and glad.
The last they saw was Santa headed northward from the sun,
The only year the boomers worked a double run.

Chorus: Six white boomers ...

A Joey is a baby Kangaroo
Marble Bar is one of the hottest and most isolated towns in Australia

Our neighbours had a road Christmas BBQ yesterday, and what a wonderful afternoon evening it was.  We ate chatted, drank, the weather was warm and skies blue, a cardigan or sloppy jo was necessary as the sun set, but we adjourned inside and watched the native animals come and eat the grass, bettongs, wallabies, bandicoots, and paddymelons.  Just outside where we were sitting with the doors open.  Our neighbour hood which is about 8homes all up over 1.5km distance is a lovely caring and sharing community.  It is one of the great joys of living in a rural setting for me.  So warm and helpful.  I ask someone do they know someone who is electrician or plumber, and usually someone comes up trumps for me.