Home Again

I had a lovely four days in Roma with my eldest daughter Jessica, here she is with her baby Barny.........

We did the tourist thing while we were there, not a real lot to see in Roma though.

We went to The Big Rig, which is a monument to the oil rigs out that way.

There was a train ride that I took the children on yes a toy train but they had fun, It went around the park and we got to see the sights. Can you see how green it is, they have bore water out there and no water restrictions..Unreal...

This slab hut had been moved here and rebuilt,the photo above right is of a baby cot that was in the bed room. At first I thought it was a meat safe........But it is a baby safe.The sides opened upwards and folded on top to get baby in and out.........I have seen a lot of cots but none like this though.

Here is a photo of Jessica's house it is a lovely little place.. All newly painted outside, and new kitchen inside.She is very happy out there and loves her job, that's the main thing isn't it for your children to be happy....

I have just had the young couple that have moved in across the road come over and I invited them for tea. All I have out is sausages so I'm going to have to make some thing flash with them........I don't know what though.......

Well must go and get the floors vacuumed and washed,

Have a great day....

Mandy

Be Back Monday

I have been up in the Dairy scrap booking and came down to find this........
Some one left the gate open and the cows were just starting to come out to the green grass, but it was all good as Guss the cow goose was making sure that they were behaving.
Glad I came out when I did as they were all on there way to the gate, how they new it was open I don't know..





The gardens are looking so lovely out the front with the mulch on and a good water they have just taken of.
We never got any rain yesterday, just false hopes. We will need some soon as the grass in the paddocks is starting to dry off.


I am of to Roma tomorrow with the 4 youngest children, we are going to see Jessica our eldest daughter. Jess moved out to Roma in July and we haven't been out to see her place yet.
She has been home a few times though.. Hubby isn't coming as we have 2 fellows away on holidays so he is having to work weekends as well. Chloe will be home to look after him though so they will have a good time together just the 2 of them.

I will be back on Monday after-noon. It takes about 4 hours to drive to Roma, but we will take our time as Jess doesn't finish work till 4 o'clock.






The dry creek bed is coming along nicely, I am really excited about this project as we have taken an ugly part of the garden and are making a real feature out of it. I have plenty of plants potted up waiting to go into this area.

We have had a great first week of the school holidays, haven't done much, every-one has been happy just to be home relaxing and doing their own thing, all looking forward to seeing big sister though......

Be back after the week-end. hope you all have a great week-end....

Mandy

Rain!!!!!!

These clouds look promising!!!!!!!!!!!

We didn't get any storms or rain last night at all.........

Today though the frogs are croking and the clouds are building up so you never know.

Today has been a day of stripping the beds and washing all the flanalet sheets. Each child was in charge of there own beds to strip and hang out blankets on the veranda to air........

The beds are all made up with clean cotton sheets and the others are on the line drying. All the bedrooms are clean, dusted and vacuumed....The smell of spring is all around.

Here are my tiny little veges poking there heads up through the newly laid mulch. Every-thing is coming along nicely and next week I will plant more up so I have a continuous supply..

This is not a very good photo but it gives you an idea of the new garden area I have. I am going to plant a mixture of flowers and veges, I have decided. I have got paths going through, so there are 4 garden beds. I'm not to sure what I am going to put on the paths as I will have to put something on them as they get very muddy in the wet. May be sand? has to be cheap any way.

I will leave the gardens for awhile for the mulch to settle. Won't be easy waiting as I want to get in there and plant.

When the sun is shinning I will take a better photo.

Time to get back to the house work, then I will get out into the garden again, if my poor arms will work that is.....

Mandy

A Quick Hello!!!!!!!

Hi all, just a quick post today to say Hello......


My arms are so sore I can hardly lift them, but it is a good sore. 6 bales of mulch put into the gardens and only 4 o go.

No pictures today as I have been to busy mulching. The forecast is for storms tonight so I had better make sure every-thing is away and nothing loose laying around.......

I hope every one is having a good day.......be back tomorrow

Mandy

It's Time To Mulch........

What a lovely week-end we had. I sat in Scallywags most of Saturday morning with William as we had a birthday party there. As it was hot on Sat I didn't mind sitting in the air conditioning at all.........


The girls decided not to go to the "Carnival of Flowers" as they were both exhausted from there week. Cassie has not stopped talking about her trip to Canberra and the snow, mind you being a 12 yr old girl she never stops talking any way........

My mulch arrived on Saturday, 10 round bales. Lots of work ahead. Our summers get very hot here and we need lots of mulch. At $25 a bale I think that this is good value. It goes on nice and thick to keep the moisture in and the weeds can't grow through it. Wonderful stuff mulch I love it......

These 4 bales are to go up near the dairy. You can see by the photo how dry it is up here in this part. We had stinging nettles by the 100s in here so we got the tractor in and dug them out. I am going to turn all this area into a garden as I don't want grass, as it will only die. Not sure what I'll plant here yet probably more veges as the others are just beside here.

When we cleaned the old yards up around the Dairy we found this old claw foot bath tub. We hummed and arrrrred about getting it fixed up but at $1000 I just couldn't justify it. Also our shower is over the bath and my Mother in law wouldn't be able to get over the deep sides into the bath. So then I didn't know if I wanted to fill it with flowers or turn it into a water feature, the water feature won. $20 for a pump a pot of plants and bingo.........Looks a bit bare but as the hydrangeas grow it will look better.......

Sunday after church I went up and looked at the geranium show. There were some stunning plants there, I did buy these two. The red flowered one is called "Scarlet Pet' and has the most delicate flower on it. The other is a new one that was only released yesterday called "T.C. Jestaroo" it is a climber and I have planted it on the front fence to climb up it.

I then went and had a look at all the open gardens....all by my self a nice peace full time just me and 100's of other people........Wasn't that bad really. I got some good ideas but mostly they were just townie gardens and didn't do alot for me. Very pretty but I only saw 2 with vege patches and I looked at 6 gardens so not very practical.

Well it is the first day of the school holidays today so I,m going to crack the whip and get children cleaning there b/rooms.

MANDY

End Of Term

This was tea last night my version of take away. Only I didn't make the curry sausages . I found this packet in the pantry. Soooooo easy,

Fry the sausages and onion add a tin of apricot nectar a spoonful off tomato sauce, 1 cup off water left over veges. Put on stove to cook. Walk away and spend time with family....As my children say TO EASY.

This is my favorite saucepan it is called "Bessemer ware" and made in Australia. I had never heard of Bessemer ware until earlier this year, it is by party plan and I'm not one for those. Any way went along because we needed a new fry pan as I hated the electric one I have and it was on it's last leg. Well this cook ware is my new love affair. It cooks on the stove top on the lowest setting you can get it on. And fast........ I can cook a 4k.g. roast in 2 1/2 hours in this baby. This is the biggest one at 6 litres, it has a lid with it as well..... O.K. now I'm rambling about cook ware truly time for more adult company around here ha. ha. ha..........

I have to go up to town 5 times today..........agh......... Took my Mother in law to hairdressers this morning and grocery shopping.

Pick up youngest from school as he is the only one on the bus this arvo and I think 5 is way to young to be on the bus on his own.....

Then down the range to M.I.L for after noon tea. Back to town to pick Robbie up from youth group at 5 p.m

Home..... get tea ready, back to town at 8 p.m to pick Cassie up from the bus as she gets home from her Canberra trip to night.

Then around midnight, yes... midnight Alanah gets home from Brisbane and I have to go up to the school to get her. Her drama class are going to Brisbane to see a play.........

Thank goodness it is the last day of school for 2 weeks..........

This is my "Panama Red Passion fruit" vine I bought to grow up the chook pen. I will plant it soon. I also got this Chilli bush "Birdseye Thai" as we all love Thai food and chillies so I thought it would be a goer...........

I hope you all have great planes for the week end, we are going to the Carnival of Flowers here in Toowoomba on Saturday. We haven't been for about 15 years, so that means the younger children have never been. Needless to say they put me on the old guilt trip about that so we're going.

Have a great week-end...

MANDY

School Day

The last week before school gets out for the Spring break is always busy for us, lots of school activities..
Today was International Day at school, this is a great day where the children get to dress up in the country they have been learning about. Robbie was Mexico and will could go as any country.

I stayed at school today and helped out with the activities in the prep class room. A great day to be had by teachers, students and parents. I know I had fun.
I can't wait for the school holidays.......




When I got home I remembered I had to cut up my soap and stamp it. This is the basket I put the soap in to cure. I cover it up with a towel and keep it on top of the cup board in my Mother in laws bed rooms as she doesn't reach up there.

I am having a quick and easy tea to night "curried sausages" my idea off take out quicker too......

.


My dry creek bed is coming along and looks soooooo good, the veges are doing well also. I still couldn't get a loofah bush any where, so I got a passion fruit vine to plant on the chook pen. Tomorrows job after I have taken my M.I.L to get her hair cut.

MANDY

Lots ToDo

This morning I woke up remembering muscles that I for got were there. My goodness I don't remember the walk yesterday being that difficult. There was a lot of climbing up and down rocks................
I do a lot of walking but on the flat so may be I should go up the mountain once a week to use different muscles..sounds good in theory any way.





Now to you this may be just a picture of a bed room!!!!!!!!!I see a clean bed room and look a floor! been a while since we saw that. Boys are to busy to worry about taking time to clean there rooms, but every now and then I have a spak attack at them and they listen..Then Mummy is happy again.......

I had to get some soap made today I should have done it a week ago. I want to get a good supply made to use as Christmas presents this year, as well as having plenty for us to use. I put some eucalyptus and ceder wood essential oil in this batch. It is the first time I have scented my soap so we'll see how it goes.

If you go to Rhonda Jeans blog at down-to-earth she has an excellent tutorial. Her blog is in the side bar...

One thing about having a big family is there is always plenty of washing to do. There is a good breeze blowing today so the washing will be dry in no time. Got all the folding done and put away makes the laundry so much cleaner when the clothes are all away.

While I was out hanging the washing on the line a noticed the pool needed a good clean.....School holidays start next week and the children will want to be swimming. Even though it will be to cold but I have found that it is easier to let them get in and find this out for themselves, cause really, what do I know lol.

After giving the pool a good vacuum I found the filter was not working that well. I think it needs new sand in it, I rang around for the best price. $ 15 for a 20k.g bag and I need 60 k.g, I was pleased with that as I got $ 40 for doing some child minding on Monday so I only need to put $5 towards it.....

After finishing the pool I went down to see how the handy man was getting along with the new project........This is the back fence line and we have to keep a drain around the shed so that it doesn't flood. Well I had a great idea!!!!!!1

To turn the drain into a dry creek.....It is a real eye sore as is. So my handy man has been bringing these rocks down from the paddocks and building me a creek. Once it is all lined with smaller stones (a good job for the boys through the school holidays) it is going to look just like a creek

The above photo is the back of the choock pen. This is where I want to plant my loofah vine when I find one. This is the last area to clean up and plant. It is a hot area as it gets the sun most of the day, I'm yet to work out what I'm going to plant here. Any ideas...............

I'm of to get the mowing done now , well at least make a start on it, as it takes me 4 hours to mow my weeds I mean lawn, good exercise though and no one annoys me so I find mowing very peace full..............

MANDY

Bush Walking

I have been bush walking this morning.......





Our craft ladies decided that we would go for a walk today in one of our ladies property. They set this rain forest area up about 10 years ago as a walking track.......WOW........ I never realized how wonderful this place is. There are LARGE king orchids every where, I have never seen them so big.

Here are some of us standing in a 'Morton bay fig' the root system on this tree goes for about 150 meters along the creek bank. We counted about 10 of these monster trees on our walk which took as about 2 1/2 hours.

This one would have made a good home for us if we got lost.........

We found these snail shells every where on the track. I put one on this mossy rock it looks fake it is so perfect, there where 100s of these.

The stag horns and elk horns are so big. It is amazing that this walk is only a 10 minute drive from my house and I have never been there. I some times think think that we go away on holidays and don't take the time to look around the community where we live.

The birds nest ferns were growing on rocks, trees and in the ground.
Neville has had a botanist out to this rain forest and he identified 150 different types off plants. I wonder what a bird watcher would find? As there was many different birds.

here is a king orchid growing on a rock...

This pretty little flower was growing all through the creek bed no one new the name of it. I saw three different types of salvias in the creek as well. They may have been washed down in the water or birds dropping seeds.

The vines were every where it was a great walk and i will being going again and taking others with me. This is the only original rain forest left in this area. Their has never been a fire through there, so it was easy to see what our land would have looked like 200 hundred years ago.

May be there is some thing in the area where you live that you have never seen? I encourage you to go and have a look it is a part of your community..........

MANDY

The New Vege Garden

One boy and his dog went to collect some cow poo.

Here is my working boy, see that trailer on the back off the old mower? well Robbie collected 9 trailer loads of wonderful poo for his Mum.

Hubby has been giving the cows a round bale of hay a week in the cattle yards, and this is the result. We were going out to collect dry poo to put through the mulcher when I saw all that hay in the yards, so a little bribery and I had a willing worker.





As quick as Robbie was bringing it round to me I dug it into the garden beds. After a couple of hours of digging Robbie was standing around waiting for me, I was starting to slow down I can tell you.
So sad when your 10 year old can run you into the ground.............






These garden beds aren't the permanent vege patch but they will do nicely until hubby gets the fence up for the real one, but the hours he works it my be a long term project. Having the logs are great as I am able to walk on them and not the gardens.

Doesn't even look like there is anything in there they are so tiny, but the tomatoes and capsicum are in there.

I have planted...

Lettuce--butter head and some mixed mignonette

Spinach--Iron man

Tomatoes--gross Lissie and beefsteak

Chinese cabbage

Egg plants

Capsicum--mixed

Cucumber--burp less

Snow peas

Strawberries---sweetheart

I planted the strawberries on the top garden so that they will fall over the edge..

And Robbie has been collecting potatoes as they go to seed so he planted up some. Never grown potatoes before so this will be fun.

I want to grow a loofah bush but can't find any here in Toowoomba so if any-one knows where I can get some from could you let me know..Thanks..

The rain last night was welcome. I haven't even had a chance to check the rain gage yet..

Today I am looking after my niece and nephew so there won't be much house work or gardening done today just lots of cuddles.....

Mandy

A day In My Life

We had a early start today, up at 4.30 this morning to get Cassie off on her school trip. Her grade 7 class are going to Sydney then to the snow and on to Canberra to go to Parliament House. What an exciting time for a young girl. The bus left from school at 5.30a.m She should be in Sydney now..........



Hubby was able to take her up as he had to go to finish working on a truck. He doesn't normally work on Sundays except for trucks and taxis, there are no days off for them.
I went back to bed for another sleep until 8a.m I love sleep in on Sundays.

Then it was time to get the rest of the gang up.
Breakfast was just fruit and cereal this morning quick and easy...Then time to get dressed for Church. As we worship in Toowoomba we leave at 9.30 for a 10.00 service.
All in the car and time to go!!!!!!!!! Flat battery and guess what the auto electrician husband was not here aghhhhhhhhhhhh. Not to panic! as there is only 4 of us we can fit in the other car. Got to church in time, had a guest speaker from England Adrian and Bridget Plass this morning and we really enjoyed them. Have read many of their books so I enjoyed putting faces to them.


12.30 And home for lunch. Just 3 children and my-self the table seems quiet. Clean up lunch dishes and out to the garden to check on veges that were planted yesterday. All looking well.



William has a garden expo at prep tomorrow so we had to make vege men. Now I would have made potato men but when you are a 5 year old with your own vege patch and the only thing growing are shallots and beet root well......... Meet beetroot boy and shallot Sam not bad for a little boy.

I love Sundays I tend to potter around. I cleaned down the veranda and watered the plants out there. Then I remembered that I had bought some pansy seedlings for some pots on the veranda so I got them all planted up.

3p.m Hubby is finally home two little boys and one wife was very happy to see him. Sat and had a cuppa on the nice clean veranda, then told him about the flat battery.

Hubby went to put the battery on charge and I sat down and had a nice catch up on some blogs.

5p.m Looks like rain but I'm not taking any chances went and watered the new seedlings and clivas. Did some weeding and general pottering around.

6.30p.m Tea time we had fettuccine with mushrooms and bacon Alanahs favorite tonight. Cleaned up tea things and got boys through bath.

All school clothes ready for tomorrow.

7.45 Boys to bed............

8p.m Time to do my blog.

This is the second time I have joined in littlejennywren.blogspot.com A Day in my life. Go to her blog and check out the others that have joined in.

I wish I could work out how to link to other sites total computer clutz.......

It's raining!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!A nice steady rain my veges will enjoy it...

Well I'm going to sit down and watch a movie then off to bed ready for another week.

Thanks for joining me today.

MANDY

I love Saturdays

I have been in the garden since 8.30 this morning, no more soccer once again Saturday belongs to the garden.

I have got most of my new vege patch planted up I'll show photos latter in the week.

I also went to a neighbors that sells clivas at the markets. I thought there was only orange and cream but there so many more.

I hope every-one are enjoying there week-end as I am. I'm off now for a LARGE glass of wine, then I think it will be early to bed....

MANDY

BUSY DAY

Just a quick post today as it is a busy day..

My dear Mother In-law is going home to day and we needed to get lots in town. Now when I go to town I'm in and out. But as MIL doesn't get there often she was out for a look..........

This is how I did my weekly menu plan this week. I asked every family member what they wanted for tea this week and presto.............a week full of meals. See big families are good. O.K O.K this my be cheating but i did say I 'm busy today....

All the grocery shopping is done MIL is safe at home and now I have to go back to Toowoomba to do my bits and pieces as MIL was getting tired.

I hope you all have great planes for the week-end, I'll be getting that vege patch up and going on Saturday.

Have a good one

Mandy