Queen's Birthday Monday

Another day alternating between rain and sun.
Spent it so far baking nut bread, peach&white chocolate muffins and prepping dinner, Duck with Spaetzle.
And really looking forward to getting properly into the garden.
I've always believed that I just don't have a green thumb, but I'm not going to believe it any longer. I reckon if I follow the "instructions" for each plant properly I will be able to grow what I want to.
This morning I walked through our covered garden and saw that the Pineapple Sage plant, which was just plucked out of the ground by a very friendly and knowledgeable lady, had starting sprouting new leaves at all the tops of the branches.
It gives me hope, that the rest of the greenery will flourish as well.

Having a wee rest before staring dinner, I feel weirdly connected to earth, maybe the glass of bubbles might have something to do with it, or having read a nice article on Worm- and Southernwood.Or knowing that in a fortnight I will pick up more plants from the lovely Heather, and gather more useful tips and friendly chat.

Learning curve

Three and a half years ago I decided to try raising my own chickens and the first, of dozens, were about to hatch.
Since then we've acquired bunnies and a couple of goats. Yesterday I had a controlled mating of our NZ White cross with a Flemish Giant cross. And I'm looking for a Billy goat to get at least one of the girls pregnant, so that in Spring I can start milking them.
Tonight I was sitting on the couch in the dark and wondering why my head feels as if it's going to blow up pretty soon. And I realized the enormous learning curve I have been having in the past years.
On top of parenting!
Since we started with the animals I have learned to raise, grow, kill and butcher chickens and rabbits. And despite everyone telling me that I wouldn't be able to do so, I have!
Also, I have learnt to make my own Quark and Camembert, and will start on a new cheese next week.
Not to mention that I'm preparing myself to get into larger farm animals, the goats. Their needs are quite different, and to a point more substantial, especially regarding housing and containment. And I kid myself, excuse the pun, to be able to handle a goat in kid, and giving birth and then looking after it. Hopefully, if and when it happens, Mama doe will instinctively know what to do.

Not only am I learning about animal husbandry, I'm also trying to improve my gardening hand: so far I've managed for a second season to successfully grow tomatoes. I'd like to expand that, and start growing herbs and veges for family and animal use. To achieve that I'm also improving my building skills, well kind of, I suppose I'm a sloppy builder, but at least so far none of my constructions have fallen over and they're doing their job. Keeping the rabbits and goats in their enclosures! And bracing the roof on the goat barn. Next up are raised beds for next seasons veges and herbs.  And another fenced garden within the goat paddock to grow medicinal herbs for them.

My husband is constantly discussing with people what a beneficial medium the Internet can be. And I'm his prime example: without the Internet, and various lifestyle forums with enthusiasts and specialists lending an ear and advice I would NEVER have dared to go where I've gone. I could have gone to classes, wasting a lot of petrol and time for theoretical knowledge, instead I contacted people through the net, borrowed books from the library and just got my hands dirty.

Not only is my head popping with all the new information, but I'm also dealing with the difference of RL and virtual life, as I'm trying to teach my children the farm ways through plain exposure to everything.  As well as letting them use the computer and discover a totally different world there.

And they are learning, what I don't know precisely, but as long as they are interested to watch, observe and help, I'm happy.

Who knows what will grow out of the knowledge that caused the following remark: "That's pretty hardcore for such a sweet mama".  While observing me skinning and gutting a chicken!

Take heart, and if you don't succeed the first time, keep trying til you do!
And while doing it, whatever IT may be, make sure to wear the right safety gear!!!!

Life, again!

It all started two weekends ago:
hubby and I finally put the roof on the goat barn. Great, they loved it, and on Monday I had to get it braced as we were expecting strong Northerlies for Wednesday and Thursday.Not a problem?!  Yeah, right. My building expertise is limited, hubby had told me what needed doing, so I JUST had to get out there and do it! Talk about sweating blood and tears! So I did it, and the storm gales turned out to be just normal strong winds.
Next up, baking for school and family, and the usual house cleaning and animal husbandry.
Then Saturday arrived. We had an invitation to our neighbour's house warming party, and I was supposed to be filming a gig in Wellington that night. Hubby wasn't quite comfortable going there by himself with the kids, so we agreed we'd all go, for a little while, and then we'd all go back home together and I'd race off to town.
Well, 5pm came and the party just started going. The kids were racing around outside with other kids and hubby getting into socializing mode. No one wanted to leave, so I left them to it. Not feeling particularly happy, but that was what happened.
Then, race over the hill, meet a lady whose hand made rug we had bought, and into town to the club.Had a lovely chat with the owner's wife and got myself all set up. Raced home, had dinner, "refreshed" myself and put on my face and raced back. I had a couple of minutes to spare before the boys actually went on and had a great chat with the drummer. Then the show, Paper Scissors btw, was pretty good, and their first release single sounded live 1000 times better than on the CD. I hadn't intended on filming the main act, The Checks, but once they were on stage, in their different stage gear ( you'll have to go to my music blog later in the week to catch a glimpse) I just had to grab my camera and do some hand held clips.  Fantastic night, packed up my gear and looked forward to a drink and a chat with the boys afterwards.
Getting to the car I saw though that some drunken idiot had punched in my rear window, the rear rear, you know the door at the back of a station wagon. I was stunned. Speechless, numb. I couldn't even vent my feelings in swearing or anything. Just completely taken aback and stunned.
All throughout the night I kept raking my brain, to find if I might have offended someone. But even if, that wouldn't give him the right to do this.
And I was worried how to tell Ross. He's at the end of the term at Uni and already stressed out enough. And this was not exactly the kind of thing you could go and say, "Gosh, I wonder when that happened. Didn't notice it".  NOT!
Waking early on Sunday I got in the car and went back. And just as me he was stunned, and I could see the pressure of having to sort this one out on top of his regular workload starting to build up in his mind. But we talked through it, and when I got started on cleaning the car up he sat down to sort it out.
I nearly fainted, it was close to a $1000. By that stage I was getting close to losing the plot, but then we rang our insurance company and found out it was actually covered by our policy, and we didn't even have to pay our excess. Of course our premiums will go up now, but compared to the threat of a $1000 bill hanging over our heads this will be nothing.
And then I started to cry. It still makes me want to weep, but at least it is getting sorted and we won't have to live on bread and water for the next six months. Well, more like rabbit stew, and bunny burgers, and chicken mince, which after all doesn't sound too bad.
It makes me soo angry. I was brought up to totally and utterly respect other people's property, and I just expect others to do the same. But more and more people, young unfortunately, seem to think it doesn't apply to them. It worries me to have children, bringing them up with same sentiments, and how they will cope in the world once they're all grown up. Will they cope, and take things like this in their stride, will they become less respectful if surrounded by "bad" people? There is only so much we as parents can do.
And it still utterly FUCKS me off that some prick thought he could do that! And somehow is getting away with it.
And to moderate my bad feeling I keep reminding myself of all the nice things that happened, the nice people I have met and spoken to since then, and that life is as beautiful as I let it be.
And so today, in the hope of a quiet week with just some baking and cheese making planned, I went to Martinborough to meet a lady with a Billy goat, who might have been able to get my girls pregnant. And it was the most beautiful morning I have spent in ages. We talked pretty much for the whole of the 3 hours I was there, and it was congenial and uplifting.
And guess how we met? On the internet! Through a forum for lifestyle blockers, who exchange advice, opinions and news. And offer little services. Whoever said that the internet is a cold, shallow, non-personal and dangerous place just hasn't met anyone nice through it yet!
And then to top it off, as the poor boy was very keen , but just a bit to short in his legs, I called another lady, through a contact from a local shop, and had a wonderful chat with her.
Like minded people make all the difference to how we perceive our lives, so, if you're unhappy, go and find some people or things to do that put a smile on your face. Life is way too short to spend it grizzlying about it.

I know, a huge amount of And's starting the sentences, but frankly speaking, I don't give a rat's a** about style right now. Maybe some day I'll re write and will have a different word starting each sentence. 

That's for today, enough of a rant I suppose, but, as Shrek puts it: "Better out than in"!
Good night, and tomorrow is going to be another  great day.

Nothing much...

...just a sunny Sunday.

After having fed the animals, coupled with a genteel walk with my lovely daughter, we had a nice quiet soak in the spa pool!

With all that's happening in the world I feel blessed to be able to enjoy the quiet solitude with my children. And try to make the most of it as teenagehood, puberty and who knows what are approaching faster and faster.

Carpe Diem, and love your loved ones!

Frugality...

is that a word??!

Certainly a state of mind slowly acquired!

Today is shopping day, and I'm getting a weird sense of satisfaction looking into the empty fridge. I've just taken the scrap container to the chickens, weekly occurrence, and the regular compost container is not even a 1/3 full. Which all implies that I'm managing my food very well. Which is good in times of economic uncertainty.

Hopefully the trend will continue, so when the cash flow looks better I can happily spend it on luxuries, like records, CD's and maybe a regular hair cut from the fancy hairdresser in town!  [insert cheeky smile emoticon]

This weekend I'll be taking the second cheese to a birthday party and get it assessed by a bunch of girls high on food, booze and game time spirit! Verdict will be published next week.


TTFN

Cheese update

One week later, the second half has been tested and found to be "just like the store bought one"!
One more to go, in weekly intervals, and I will kind of know what the best time frame for my home made cheese is.That is assuming that my process will always be the same.

Anyway, spent a gloriously sunny day moving our roofing iron. Cleaning each side and moving it about 10 ms to another site, and then wrapping it in heavy polythene to keep it clean and dry. 31 lengths, and yes , it was as  boring than it sounds!!! This should have gone on the roof of our new wing, but as not needed we will now use it for the car port.

Next project, while the weather stays fine: roof on the goat barn! In the next fortnight I'll be making the first move to getting our own goats milk by sending my girls on a date with a local billy goat. But til then I need to have the barn ready to house and protect them from the coming winter weather. The fence is a bit on the back burner, now that the electric fence is working reliably, and the goats are out grazing during the day, they don't seem have the need to escape. Which is fantastic, as it will give us some more time to find some nice wood to finish the fence with.

One of the rabbits, the Big White one, is looking kind of odd: more than his usual dopey, with a funny puffed-up nose and totally emaciated. I picked him up, and nearly dropped him when I could feel the texture of his spine. That fluffy fur might be keeping him warm, but doesn't really show his weight. So, now he's in isolation, I've got a sneaking suspicion that daddy Silver is proving his alpha male role by not letting him eat much. As he looks so much different to the others, size and colour, he's an easy target to pick. Now he's getting all he can eat, and if he behaves (and puts weight on) he might even get visits from the girls. Even though he doesn't seem to be that interested!!!!

Another success

A couple of days ago I transferred the furry cheeses into the fridge, and today I decided to check if they were any good. Especially as one of them, at one stage was smelling quite... peculiar. Well, cut it in half, and it looks like a shop bought brie, smells like one, and after letting it get warm, tastes like one. I'd call that a success, considering that I had contemplated throwing it to the chickens!

The day before yesterday I had baked a Hefezopf, one plain and one with raisins, for Easter. And they have been very nice too.

I definitely will have to start back on my exercise regime next week. Not much chance while the kids are on holiday, but that also gives my body more of a chance to recuperate from this dreadful flu!

Stay safe during the holidays, especially if driving.