SWEET BEANS AND MORE

We have a new shop in town,probably not popular with the local dentists but it is fun for all the children.....including the adult children. It is run by a mother and daughter originally from England and the mother has remembered the sweet shops of her childhood, luckily for us. It is also somewhere to go for coffee [or tea] and cake, somewhere relaxing and no pressure from all the busy ones who rush into get their lunch before going back to work. As there are many English people living at the local army 'camp' she has had enquiries for particular sweets the remember from home and Jan has tried to get these old favourites as well.

I took our 11 yr and 13 yr old grandsons when they were with us a couple of weeks ago and they fell in love with the place, especially as they are half English! They weren't too keen on sharing with their mother or their pa when they got home but I don't think they minded too much. In one of those lovely syncronicities of life I received a library book I had ordered called WELCOME TO ROSIE HOPKINS' SWEET SHOP OF DREAMS by Jenny Colgan. She mentions so many of the sweets Jan has including the sugar mice, a new addition I saw today. the book is very light, a chick book, easy to read if you like the subject.

Yesterday I played..minded  a wee grandson who is just delightful. He is so funny, knows he is and keeps on, bringing so much joy to every-one. I am fascinated by the way he now lines up all the cars in the same way every grandson, and even a grandaughter has done in the past in our family. It must be a 'stage', the car lining up stage! he plays by himself, all the same imaginative games the others have played, lost in his own world...in a good way!! I love to see imagination being used like this. They know the story they are creating, even when they don't yet have the words with which to tell us.

I lay on the floor to do some exercises this morning and before too long, almost instantly, I had two friends, one lying on my foot and the other literally lying with his face on mine, making smooching noises. He did have the grace to then lie beside me but still had to rest his face on my arm. He does make me laugh. He did settle down to sleep but when he heard the camera click he opened his eyes to see what was happening.

I can't believe it is Friday again, have a lovely weekend, love filled!

MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THESE

I had a lovely wander through the garden a little while ago, the blossom has taken off in all its' glorious delicate beauty. The bees were all there busily buzzing away and although I took a photo of the bee in action, it was too blurry to use. This is the manchurian pear, we have three in a little group and they look positively bridal!

The Cootamundra  Wattle

                                                                            

Almond tree....never any almonds.

The old almond, gnarled and twisted, probably won't be around for much longer but then I have been saying that for 12 years!!

Another very old tree, a dark plum. delicious fruit but we rarely get to eat it as the wretched birds know as soon as the fruit is ripe  and they are ll gone by the time I wake up to the fact it is harvest time!!

                             

One of 'our' currawongs, coming in to feed, very tentatively, from our bird feeder. Any whiff of anything being out of place and he is off.

                          

Can you see the currawong flying off, I just captured him....he was perched on the branch just behind him. I had crouched down and thought I had got him...just not quite. Their song is so melodic, really beautiful and we love listening to them off in the trees below the house.

This log is a perching place, again just below the house. there is a creek flowing past and the only sounds are from the birds...bliss.

 

And now for my socks miracle or the hand of the Universe showing through. Greedy for Colour Kate had sent me the wool to knit a pair of 'comfort' socks for a young friend who had tragically lost her little boy. as some readers may remember I had trouble with the kitchener stitch at the toes and other problems. I must have pulled out more knitting than I actually knitted but finish I did. Now the wriggly worms you see on the table mat are the ONLY pieces of wool left over from the wool Kate sent me. The perfect amount arrived and my weighing the wool and making two exactly the same size balls of the wool worked it out EXACTLY!!!!!

Mrs Stickybeak  popping around the corner of our verandah to see what she could see.

A special boy with a special Mrs Hen

 

Busy busy busy!

Two special friends, a grandpa and his grandson. Charlie loves to hang out with Pa, I wonder what they are discussing!!

A long post this time, trying to make up for all the times I just don't get to the computer. I look forward to next time!! Be happy...and contented!

UPDATING OUR CHOOK STORY AND THE COMFORT SOCKS

 I know you have seen the first photo but thought [?] you needed a reminder of our first eggs. even the tiniest had a yolk ...amazing wee hen!! scrambled egg never tasted so good!

We let the chooks out in the afternoon and it makes me laugh to see them streaking along the verandah to find tasty tidbits on the other side of the house. They now know that when we feed the rosellas that come in a lot of residue falls onto the ground. all in all a real smorgasbord awaits them when they leave their house!

I have been having such trouble grafting the toes together on these socks but now think I am OK. The toes on each have been pulled out so many times so keep your fingers crossed for me this time.

Our baby cootamundra wattle is flowering, such a cheerful sight after the grey and drizzly days we have had along with icy winds straight from the south Pole. We have two very happy shrubs, a real joy. I hope your weekend is as joyful and sunny as these wattles!

FIRST EGGS

When we brought our girls home they were 18 weeks old and we were told to expect eggs when they turned 20 weeks. Well, we must have had at least one precocious chook as the first egg arrived last Sunday and we have had one every day since then. the large egg is a normal supermarket egg, the tiniest egg is the very first...soft shelled. As is the broken one.

The eggs have grown over the days and I am wondering at this stage whether we will have two today, the first having arrived about 8.30 this morning when the big one went out to give them their cracked wheat porridge.

We did have chooks years ago but neither of us can remember  much about them so these are like our first! One of the 'joys' I guess of growing older and having what I like to call an overload of the computer [brain] and forgetting things is that we can enjoy everything as though it were new!! I am not really as bad as that, perhaps a bit dotty but no more!

 

I had a friend to stay for a few days last week after she had a shoulder operation. These lovely roses were a little thankyou, a much deeper red than the photo shows, in the white jug they have looked quite stunning.

I loved being able to help her as she would do anything for me but I didn't bargain on her being such a chatterer.! I value my quiet times as much as she valued having someone to talk to...she has been a widow for 4 years and misses her husband dreadfully. You can imagine that I felt rather guilty being relieved when she could manage at home. Years ago an old lady said to 'never consider a kindness until one considers the end' and maybe this is an example. I love this friend dearly but perhaps in small bites in the future!! Does anyone else feel these pangs of guilt when at last one can breathe a sigh of relief when one's space is one's own. When family stay I can always go off to my bed for a nap or a read or just some PEACE AND QUIET!! They understand as they are all tarred with the same brush!! We need QUIET!!

I truly mean to write once a week but life has taken over. Now I have some arthritis in my back and have been told to quieten down so perhaps with more regular slower days I will write more. so we will see....that is my plan anyway. I have thought I can still do everything, my mind thinks I can but the body isn't quite agreeing and for a while at least I have to be much more careful of what I do. 

I hope you are all having some quiet time today and not filling it with all the jobs which should have been done eerly in the week or those needing to be done so that next week will be easier.