Ah yes, I am still here, ‘with child.’ Waiting. Only a few weeks left now. And my nesting has hit an all time height. Literally. We have a new roof. For the last 7 years we have lived with a super 66, asbestos nasty. It was brittle and flaking. Apparently the worst the roofer has seen for awhile!
So I’d had enough when yet again more birds began nesting in the roof and no one would remove them for me. A quick quote and it was all on. I went with a local company who do asbestos removal and re-roofing. Lovely lovely people. The first day they did half the roof, as it looked like rain. They just finished it before a storm passed over. But not before falling through brittle fibro 3 times on the half yet to be done. Thank goodness they weren’t hurt! In the photo below you can see 2 of the tarps on the roof.
So they tarped over the holes and left us for the night. Yep I don’t even need to say what happened. But it poured all night and yep it leaked, directly over hubbys feet in bed. Luckily the next day the sunshine returned and the remainder of the roof was replaced. Along with new down pipes and gutters that drain!
And the finished project, it is bright and silver and very very shiny. Oh and it doesn’t leak! I am now one very very happy gal!
With my belly growing bigger everyday, my energy levels are quickly shrinking. I am sure it an equal ratio: big belly = no energy. Only 8 weeks left now, though I am hoping for 6. More than anything I am looking forward to meeting this little person and being able to get back into the garden. There is nothing more embarrassing than having to crawl on your hands and knees across the yard because your stuck on the ground due to your ample middle. Once completing the crawl of shame to a large pot plant, you have to haul yourself up with much grunting. Only to realise the neighbour is watching you with much amusement. All in the name of harvesting beans.
Check out the green green grass. Seriously it is so green it hurts my eyes. Hubby wants to mow (oh the torture owning a new mower and never getting to use it!) But I want to keep it for the chooks, no longer does the garden look tastier than the grass, no more ample belly followed by me running (ok waddling at a really fast pace) to stop them digging out the tomatoes and basil.
And here is a picture of our ‘baby’ chooks. I have taken many photos of these two and never do they pose and smile for me, so weird freaked out photo it is. At least it is of their heads and not their feathery behinds.
Ginger, is our laying bantam, she is very quiet and has been adopted by our youngest as his baby. Meanwhile the white chick, who doesn’t really have a name - is finally, finally beginning to make grown up noises. It is a Sussex crossed with something and it has the funny extra feathery head bump. I hope it will be a hen, another layer would be nice as the Golden Lace Wyandotte’s seem to spend more time clucky than laying in this crazy summer weather.
Things are going well around here at the moment. Much nesting and decluttering is done. Plans for the next lot of seeds are being made, follow-up tomatoes and cucumbers seem to be essential. Along with a few root crops. A Bassinet and cute bonds suits are being washed. I still have to find where the cloth nappies are stored and possibly attempt to find my feet. They were last seen sometime before christmas sporting festive red toes nails…….
A crop of plastic shiny things have popped up in the garden. Do you think they are edible?
Every afternoon for the last week, two feathery visitors have dropped by to feast in my garden.
A breeding pair of King Parrots.
above – This is the female, she is very quiet and will only move if she really has too.
above - This is the male, he is a bit flighty and acts as the look out.
And this is what they are feasting upon. Sunflowers. I was planning on keeping the seeds for the chooks, but since these two have shown up I have decided to let them have this lot.
This is an all time favourite in our household. The kids are none the wiser about the special ingredient.
- 185g butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 1/2 cups SR Flour
- 1/4 cup cocca
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind
- 3/4 cup of milk
Preheat the oven to 200c and line a tin with baking paper. I have used a ring tin or a 20cm square, both work well. Next cream the butter and sugar together, until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, mixing well.
Add the other ingredients and mix by hand until just combined. Do Not over mix it! Pour the mix into the tin.
Bake for roughly 50mins or until the cake pulls away from the edges of the tin. Cool for 5 minutes in the the tin before turning out.
Ice with a rich chocolate icing.
This cake keeps well, but over summer in the frigde will stop it from turning. It also freezes well. ENJOY!
Why oh why did I plant 5 zucchini plants? 
This is what I was faced with after a few days away over the Christmas and New Year period! It rained most of the time which was lovely, but it has led to these monsters popping out everywhere.
A quick peek under the leaves tells me there is more on the way too!
Check back later in the week for some yummy recipes involving zucchini.
Merry Christmas to you all!
Thankyou to all my reader who stop by and especially those who continue to stop by even though my fingers have been quiet as of late. Where the new year will take us I don’t know but with both my boys at school and a new one on the way I am just going to go with the flow.
But I will continue to write frequently or infrequently.
But for now to you all I hope you had a safe and Merry Christmas. And that you all have a very Happy New Year!
Image 1 – bed One. Full of 4 zucchini plants (what was I thinking putting in 4 plants!) we will be drowning in them soon! 2 button squashes and 1 cucumber.
Image 2 – bed Two. This is a bitsa bed. Self seeded spuds, shallots, sunflowers and lettuces
Image 3 – bed Three. This is a bit empty at the moment. A few beetroot, Bok choy and radishes.
Image 4 – bed Four. The bean bed. These are all dwarf beans.
Image 5 – bed Five. Tomatoes, capsicums, eggplants and obviously basil.
Sometimes being a parent can be hard, oh who am I kidding it is hard. With the pending arrival of number 3 son (13 weeks left) I am wondering how the heck I am going to cope. How I will cope with 3 boys, cope with the school run and an unpredictable newborn, cope with the garden and a family…..
Oh yes I have endless frets, that I know will eventually work out. But for now, I have come up with the answer to one of them. How will I cope with keeping a clean house with 3 grubby boys? I have a plan, a plan that makes me feel so darn clever as it is working – so I just have to share it!
Each day a different room is cleaned. Obviously there is everyday tasks such as washing up, laundry and such but this way the burden is spread out over the week.
MONDAY: Our bedroom. This includes dusting, vacuuming, changing the sheets, sorting out any clutter that has accumulated over the week.
TUESDAY: Kitchen, lounge, front room. Dust, vacuum, sweep and mop. Wipe down benches and cupboards, Declutter, wash cushion and lounge covers.
WEDNESDAY: Bathroom and Laundry. Clean tub, basin and toilet. Mop floors, straighten out cupboard contents, wash towels and mats.
THURSDAY: Backroom. Sweep and mop floor, clean out fridge, straighten freezer and large pantry contents, write meal plan and grocery list. Wipe down cupboards and fridge/ freezer.
FRIDAY: Grocery day or Catch up day: I shop once a fortnight so I have allocated this day as a ‘day off’ or else to catch up on things I have missed.
SATURDAY: Kids room. Change sheets, straighten out clothes in draws, toys in cupboard and underbed. Dust and vacuum. Remake beds.
So this is a rough outline of my plan. It is working well so far and I feel I don’t have to do it all in one day, thank goodness.
Gosh it has been days since I last posted. I have so many half-finished posts and photos in my draft folder I don’t know where to start!
Most recent news, it has been raining on and off all day. We awoke this morning to the sky rumbling and then a heavy down pour, just lovely. Hubby and I stood at the window with our noses pressed against it like kids, just watching the huge drops pelting down. I imagine many of you have been experiencing the same weather as us, hot and very very dry.
How quickly the days are going by, only another week and a bit of school left. The calendar is quickly filling up with school concerts, parties and work functions. Phew must be the silly season. But in the meantime I am spending my days knitting and sewing handmade gifts for a few family and friends. So no pictures yet as I don’t want to spoil the surprise for them.
I have a few afternoon jobs to do but I will be back later tonight to finish off this bunch of half done drafts and share some pictures of the jungle garden I have at the moment……
Post edit – I have dated all the posts with the date they were written. So no your computer is not tricking you. I just never get as far as the publish button……
