GETTING READY...........

Things have been a little crazy in the last 2 years getting my business up and going and the last 12months moving it closer to the house.

Because I love what I do it doesn't seem like work at all.

I have noticed though I am not as prepared as I used to be. Prepared for what you ask?

Life and all it throws at you.

In 2011 we had the most devastating floods where people were killed, here stranded at our house was 16 people and we had plenty of food and produce to feed them.

If that same thing happened now and only 3 of us living here we would run out of food in 24 hours.

Yes I got off track for a while but am back on the path of being more sustainable and self sufficient.

Around 3 months ago we invested in 9 geese and 10 ducks...

The reason being was I couldn't keep up with the mowing and the grass in the food forest was knee high. Well they had that grass down within 2 weeks and I have not had to mow since...

We have a acre yard and no mowing...

 They are the quietest geese and will feed from my hand I am totally in love with these beautiful animals. They have the run of the farm but if I'm not on the veranda by 8am they are waiting at the bottom of the steps for their breakfast all 19 of them hahaha.

We now have 7 sheep both Bridget and Brenda had twins this year. We still have a little meat left in the freezer from last year. We will put 3 in the freezer and 1 is going to Cassie.

The piggies are growing and are doing a great job of cleaning the land for us.

They are both bound for the freezer as well. They are electric fence savvy and this way we move them to land we want cleaned up.

The glass house has been great for keeping plants in over winter and I love this room...

Sometimes on cold days I will go out there just to get warm and potter about.

We have bananas all year round now with the 6 different varieties we have.

The fruit trees are also doing well and keeping as in fruit we really only have to buy apples.

I have been a bit slack in the vege garden. Not much going on but herbs, plenty of herbs.

This is mainly because our daughter and hubby have a farm and they keep us in all the veges we need. I am getting ready to plant summer crops. Over winter we had kale, tomatoes and lettuce self seeding every where so were never with the basics.

With all the cabbages we get I have been making sauerkraut lots of it as we love it.

 Also making lots of pickles and relishes with all the gifted produce.

Back into bread making as well, I have started a sour dough and am 

making the first sourdough loaf today. 

We have our wood stove in and Bruce just needs to hook it all up and I will be able to bake my bread in it.....

As you can see we are getting there. I also did a big grocery shop this week and the shelves are full.

My main hindrance is I hate going to the supermarket, so getting self sufficient again will cut down on the times I need to go.

Do you stockpile? What measures do you take for natural disasters or just the fact that you are house bound and can't get out...

Enjoy your week

Mandy

Welcome Friends

I want to say welcome to my new readers today.

Thank you for all the encouraging comments you leave me ,

I read each and every one of them.

I haven't had as much time to answer them or some days to even visit you

at your blog, but I am thankful for all my new and old blogging friends.

So welcome....

Here is Williams corn all cooked and ready to eat. It tasted as good

as it looks. What a proud little boy he was. He even wants to take a piece to school

for show and tell, don't you just love little boys and the way they think.

Yesterday I got into the vege garden and pulled out all the old

tomato bushes. The egg plant is still producing and so are the strawberries.

I was thinking that I might put a row of pine apples in here as well.

I have been juicing so many that I have alot of tops, so why not plant them and see what happens......

I am off to craft for awhile this morning to catch up with all the lovely ladies, I haven't been for awhile as Greg has chemo on Tuesdays.

I have managed to get him in at 1pm though and that gives me a chance to still go to craft.

Crafty of me!!!!

Have a great Tuesday all

Blessings

Mandy

A Sunny Start To The Day.

After I have got the children off to school

my mornings start here on my sunny veranda.

It is a good place to stop and sort out all that needs doing for the day.

Where do you stop to sort out your day ahead?

I think it would be fun to share photos of where our day starts.....

Yesterday I was able to get to town (on my own)

I had bills to pay and all those boring type things, that's not all I did though.

On the way to the bank I HAD to walk past one of my favourite little second hand shop.

Look what I found!!!!

This glorious little phone table already painted white and it was only $25.

Made going to town worth it.

After school the boys went out for a walk and William had to show Dad

his corn. Remember Williams vege garden?

Well he planted corn this time and look how tall it is. It's nearly ready to eat

and he can't wait....

This is my sick looking tomato bushes. I don't know

what is wrong with them. I think I will have to pull them all out

and get some others into the ground.

Today is so much cooler then what the rest of the week has been.

I think I will do some baking as having the oven on won't over heat the house today.

I hope every one has a great week end , no matter

where you are or what you will be doing....

Blessings to all

Mandy

Williams Vege Patch

This is the last of Williams veges....

Today William stayed home from school as he wasn't feeling to well, just an upset tummy. As I was looking after his cousins today I kept him home.

When William turned 5 earlier in the year I asked him what he wanted for his birthday. His reply was "My own vege patch" We converted his sand pit into a vege patch and have been getting fresh beetroot, shallots, carrots and tomatoes ever since.......Well today was the last of it carrots and beetroot.........

Having seven children I know that I have made alot of mistakes (just ask them)

but the one thing I know that I am doing right is planting the seeds in there lives to be more self sufficient.

Having always lived out of town our lives have been pretty low key compared to townies. But there was still many changes to be made. We are slowly making these changes......Baby steps.....I have always grown my lettuce and other salad veges, we had fruit trees until last year. But only in the last year have I got more serious about leading a simple and sustainable life. Making our home a haven from the fast pace of the world...........

When your 5 year old asks for a vege patch of his own I think that may-be I am getting some where...... I am on the right track.

We have so far yet to go and so much to learn, but that's life, learning is a journey, I am happy to be making this journey with my children, and they are enjoying it as well...

Today we will dig over Wills' garden and get it ready for the next planting. Here he is with his cousin pulling up the last of it all.

Tea tonight will be fresh carrots, baby beet, lettuce (all from the garden) and chicken. Not alot of variety, but it will be fresh..

We are so used to eating a variety of fruit and vegetables. Now that we are growing our own this to will change as we will only eat whats in the garden.

Have a great day today...

Mandy

p.s It is so cold here the wind picked up yesterday and it is a cold wind. You can see that Will is wearing a jumper. Last night I was climbing around getting all the blankets back down as we were freezing........crazy weather here.....