Sunday, April 25, 2010

An update on ANZAC Day.

Hi, what happened to all those weeks?


Internet is now finally sorted, it seems to have been an aerial issue, not all the things every "expert" said it was!!


School market is the main item on the agenda at present,






So far there are about 160 jars done for it. The big new one this year is preserved figs...you preserve the fig whole and have it on your cheese platters...beautiful with camembert.


As of tonight I have about 30 foot of apple strudel in the freezer. Mixed a few apples with some figs too ripe for preserving tonight and ended up with this strudel version....and yes, it's a winner! There will be a few more of these going in the freezer I think.




I put the word out for apples and ended up with boxes.... and boxes.... and boxes...mostly ones people weren't even going to worry about picking that would have ended up wasted. One of the things I love the most about the strudels and all the fig things is turning something that would go to waste into something really useful...just like with scrap quilting (!!) but also the fun of getting rid of the real waste bits. I get a bucket full of ends, cores, and peels for about every 7 strudels and I just love taking it out to my chooks, they honestly think housescraps are Christmas....





I have also been doing a little bit of gardening...don't fall over! Again, it's for the school market. I saw a blurry picture of a round succulent hanging basket in a magazine and have had a bit of a go at coming up with a nice cheap version. (Rather than wiring 2 wire hanging baskets together.) These are the latest attempts...(made out of chicken wire ..amazingly!!) I have done nearly 15, I'm going to put a nice cheap price on for this year and if they don't sell I'll bring them home and add a year's growth, think that will look good. My only problem with them is the same as with my quilts...I want to keep them all! They are planted with little succulents at fairly regular intervals and the idea is that they will eventually be a hanging mass if succulents.



Today is ANZAC Day in Australia. We went to the parade and ceremony in town this morning, as School captain my girl had to march, it was a big day for her and she did well.-polishes up well when she is out of her farm clothes I think!!

At the ceremony this soldier was entertaining his horse behind me and I couldn't help but snap a shot...doesn't he look the real deal!

Reminds me of every Australian war movie and minseries I have ever seen...'Gallipoli' is my favourite, can't go past Mark lee and Mel Gibson... who's with me?

Anyway, it was a moving ceremony, and very well done...

Have a great day, Tracey

Thursday, April 01, 2010

Birthdays and retail therapy.

Almost Easter here, so much going on! The Australian Football league season has started, sitting enjoying that with a few friends after Church tonight, go Brisbane!. I have to be the narrator for the Church passion play tomorrow so have run throught that...and my brother has written a movie and is now producing it...very low budget, all the actors are camped at mum and Dad's old farmhouse for Easter location shots...so I had to drive 100 kms yesterday to fill the fridge and freezer as the catering isn't available Good Friday...and it is very low budget!
Went to Melbourne for a long weekend this past weekend. I visited my oldest friend who turned 40, changed my mind on the hexagons and got this finished by midnight the night before we left.Posted by Picasa
It's from the fig and plum range, a bit over a metre square.
She seemed very happy with it. After a night with her my girl and I headed off for the rest of her birthday treat, we went to a theatre performance of CATS. We both thought it was great, stayed in the city...listening to the sounds of the Melbourne formula one grand prix and shopped the next day before coming home. A great girls weekend.
Hancocks had free post last week. With the dollar so high the exchange rate is great...between that and free post i couldn't help doing a little more retail therapy. I got a few things on sale, but invested in the new frolic range as well.
I love the colours, which are nicer than this flash shot.
I am hoping to sew tomorrow, figure that's not work on Good Friday...pure fun! Would be nice to get 2 minutes to drop around my net friends as well!
Look after yourself, And Happy Easter, love Tracey