a little show and tell ...

Another nice winter's day here in Sydney, been up since very early, the dogs were barking at something most of the night, most likely Remi the pony and the sheep under the tree. I have separated the ewes about to give birth from the rest of the flock. The first of the lambs was born 2 weeks ago and since then nothing, but this weekend 3 ewe's should lamb.



Bella looks huge so maybe we could have twins. Miss Lashes is not as big as previous seasons, so only one expected there. And 1 from the old brown ewe. Unfortunately they will all be mixed breeds this year Suffolk X Marino. Why this weekend we heading to the farm, so that leaves Tanya alias The Blond One in charge. (she's not really blond, only dyes her hair blond ... blonds have more fun???) See that fence destruction caused by Neighbour Ram, we just given up trying to repair it atm, because we don't have a dominate ram atm and his just going to keep coming over. So want to shoot him .......



Really into the crocheting atm, so easy to pick up when you got a spare moment, so much inspiration out there in Blogland. Keep finding projects I would like to make. Must confess I don't like reading the patterns but can copy a picture easily. Saved all the projects in a folder to get to later. This little doily only took a few hours to make, it was a challenge cause of the green stitch connecting to the inner green row (hope that makes sense) Found the pattern at Little Woollie.blogspot.comhttp://littlewoollie.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-05-19T12%3A55%3A00%2B10%3A00&max-results=7 Just highlight the above link for the correct link to the project. What I do love about this blog and so many others is all the bright colour used. There's even a link How to mosaic your photo's. Been wondering how to for ages, no computer nerd here! Just wondering if crochet is on your list of skills. It really is not that hard to do, so give it a try. Sometimes I prefer crochet to knitting but that just me.

Next project is all lined up and ready to go, another really easy one coat hanger covers with crochet roses. or maybe a milk jug doily with some white beads with roses ... told ya lots of projects waiting

See ya soon
Rina

Hi Simpleton, I am having problems leaving comments on your blog, so thought I just say a quick Welcome to my blog, Nice to meet you
Writing is an art, which I keep trying to do lol Maybe one day I get good at it

Glad you found someone that really wanted your loom. Weaving is one of the few things I have never tried.
See ya around
Rina ... Our slice of Heaven

July 27, 2011 10:31 PM

A gift given ...

Don't we all like a little something in the post, from an old friend or a new one for that matter. I got pleasantly reminder ed of a small cross stitch that found it's way into an envelope in ... wait for it ... 1993, to a dear friend. And now after all these years my friend posted a picture of it on Facebook for me. Knew it was just the sort of homemade pressie that Dalene would have loved to receive, no frame, just the little cross stitch.
"Rina, I think of you everyday because I have this little treasure hanging in my kitchen. You sent this to me in California in 93, before you moved to Australia. You embroidered the lemons and I framed it.....I love it!"
I still love sending parcels,
have great weekend
Rina

Hi Everyone
Today was just one of those nice days, got my housework all done this morning, even baked a chocolate cake in the my new little heartshaped cake tin. Another Opshop/Goodwill find, it's so pretty and just big enough for a instant packet cake mix, you know the ones you just add 2 eggs and milk, mix and pop in the oven. Easy as one two three, spread a little frosting on top and your done. I know I know cheating, I should have made it from scratch!

Enjoyed catching up on a few blogs, still having problems commenting on some, but not to worry, Blogger will get themselves organized sometime or the other. Did a little revamp on the my other blog it needed a freshen up.

Ah I did venture out in the wind and cold, ran out of buttermilk to make some rusks, found some at the local IGA supermarket. So that what I will be doing first thing in the morning. I did stop off at the Antique shop just up the road for a browse around and found a few Homespun and Craft Magazines for some inspiration in the craft department, 3 for $2.00 so i took 9 for $6.00 and a tin plaque for Rose Cottage. I am itching to start painting and decorating. Our trip this weekend is postponed because of bad weather moving up the coast. Can't dig a hole for the septic in the rain.

Before I go Today is my eldest Boy Michael's Birthday, he's 35 years old, how time flies. Well that all for today
See ya
Rina

A deal done ...

Well the first lot of meat birds have just left with one very happy customer, she remarked haven't seen birds that big for a while. 6 birds at 3.100kg each monster chooks. After she tastes them I am sure there could be more orders lol.

It's time to start thinking when to order the next chicks, this time I think maybe I will only do 30 birds. 38 Birds was very ambitious, just a little crowded in the chook barn the last 2 weeks. only lost 2 birds so that's not to bad a mortality rate.

Now 2 to a co worker... who will spread the word to his Indian friends ...
and another 15 to a Hungarian customer.

That still leaves 14 birds for my freezer, maybe i should batter with my landlord for those pork sausages they made.

Pansies and potted colour .... and more

They 're everywhere at the moment, bright little faces. This afternoon (Saturday)we went for a drive to get bags of mushroom compost at a farm gate just other side of Penrith about an hrs drive there and back, Only there was non available this time. Really did need to take another 20 bags up to the farm this coming weekend.



So we just drove up the mountains checked out the view. This pic shows how they digging out soil/sandstone/whatever and then turning it into a wetland area, don't really understand what they trying to prove with it all?



Then on to look for a nursery to take a few nice pics of pansies and but found a veggie shop instead with some potted colour, nice bright pollyanthus.



I found this tutorial on making a crochet pansy flower, which was so pretty and thought that a posie of pansies would go nicely on top of a teapot cosy, for Rose Cottage. Really into this crochet flower kick ATM.



Just a little cross stitch I done along time ago, not the best pic cause it's got Matt glass in front of it. I think I might want to make another one but change the colours to a little more brighter shades. Really enjoyed doing cross stitching for a while, then moved onto the next challenge.



Scrap booking was the new best thing, so I got into that too. This page I did for my best friend Rosemary, on their visit to Australia. We spent the weekend up the Blue Mountains, hired a cottage with a cosy wood fire place. Her Hubby had colon cancer and it was his wish to see a little bit of Australia. I so wanted to capture a tender moment and I think I got it when he touch her gently. It's hard to find just the right one. The young man William, was so special to offer his time for a whole 3 months playing driver, bag carrier and wheel chair pusher, making his Mom and Roy's last big holiday special. These pictures were taken at The Everglades Garden



Remember when we went to Tilba Tilba last year, there was all those cute little shops and a nursery, where I took a lovely pic with pansies . Just hop on over to short trips and holidays and refresh your memory with that lovely spot on the South Coast of New South Wales, so worth the visit.

Well another weekend is gone and most people would be getting ready for another week of work, but not me I am still got time off and just loving it.
Sere ya all soon
Rina

Apple Roll for Tea Tomorrow

Ah this sounds a treat, one on Mom's recipes, going to try this tomorrow. Is it apple season atm or maybe I will just use a tin of pie apples. Could use apples and pears.

1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup Cornflour
1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 teasp baking powder
1/2 milk 2 teasp cinnamon
3 Tablesp butter pinch of salt
1 small tin pie apples or 2/3 fresh apples peeled and cut up in diced.

Sift dry ingredients except cinnamon, rub in butter. Add milk to get a rollable dough 1/4 inch thick. Spread apples, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough up careful not to spill apple mix. Rest in the fridge for 10 min to firm up a little, slice into 3 cm slices.
Make a syrup of 3 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar by boiling, when dissolved and a little reduced, pour into a baking dish. Place apple slices in carefully into the syrup and bake at 180 until light golden. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

will updated with a photo soon.

A Tribute to Brothers 29 ...

Just found this Tribute to the Pike River miners ... it's very haunting but beautiful. Have a listen... Story first written in November 2010.

Flat out getting ready ...

Now where she off to this time, where else but to the farm for a few days. Lots of work waiting. Lots and lots of weeding and whipper snipping to do. But no ride on rides this time, don't think that shaking will do me any good at the moment. A new garden section to be designed and built, raised sleepers boxes/bed for retaining soil and mushroom compost to tidy the little new garden by the backdoor. A path laid with concrete pavers. Can't wait to plant a few rosemary bushes, Italian parsley and some chilli plants in that raised bed.
We will be back next week Wensday, just in time for Georges second eye appointment on Next week Friday. He is having laser treatment to stop him from going blind, another problem caused by his Diabetes, untreated he is lucky to have another 2 years. Anyway we just need to deal with the problem as best as we can atm.

So he has taken off for a week and we going to do a little bit of work on Rose Cottage. That kitchen window needs to move a little to the right, so the cabinets will tuck in nicely on the left. And with a little bit of luck we won't get washed out again, no forecasts on the horizon.
Well I see ya all soon and promise to take a few pic to show our progress.
See ya soon
Rina

Another project in the making ...

Come on take a quess what this is? Yeah your right serviette rings for a spring table setting. Don't they just look so cute. I made ten of them because my diningroom table has 10 very solid shabby chic white chairs, A huge white dresser and a kauri pine table that was once used in a workshop. We restored it, replaced a few boards of the top with flooring boards. Still not wide enough to happily sit 2 chairs on the end but when we restored it there were only 6 chairs. Something else on the to do list.

Back to the spring table setting. I have run out of the dark pink bamboo cotton, but will pop in at Spotlight today and get a few more balls of it. Enough to make square place matts to go under the white square dinner plates I bought for Rose cottage. A runner down the middle of the table could work well too, just to stop hot dishes burning my nice table. Have to use a white table cloth under all that.



Ta Da the headband is finished, decided to only sew on 3 flowers cause it was just so busy with the 5 flowers. What ya think?
The ideas have been flying around here lately but all those UFO's need a doing first.

See ya soon
Rina

Lambert reserve on the George's river...

My plan was to spend a few hours over looking the sea yesterday morning, maybe grab a drink at the kiosh but then changed my mind. So instead took in the peace and tranquility of this lovely river.






Charcoals and stetchpad in hand, did a little bit of this scene below, took a photo as time was running a bit short. Now I can finish it on my own time.