"Behold...."

Another piece of my Christmas planning arrived today.

My Christmas cards!

I have used Moo previously for post cards and business cards and all things compared with other "DIY" print companies, I decided they were best value for money and quality. 

I chose a few of my favourite photos from last Christmas and decided these three worked best with the print proportions etc. They are a flatish matt type finish rather than a glossy photo finish.

You can have the card blank, customise a greeting or choose one from their list. You can even customise the back. This lets our family and friends know where to go to for our day to day doings and photos during the year.

I'm halfway through gift #1 but as predicted I keep wandering off outside to work in the garden but who could blame me, the sap is rising and the soil is warm. We are expecting several days of storms and flooding rains over the next 4-5 days so I should be able to finish by the end of the weekend.

Thanks for sharing your plans and project comments in the last post. Its good to know we are beavering away together. How are your plans going?

Gift Planning

I know there is three months till Christmas (don't groan) but I am starting my planning now.

Handmade takes time so I have to line my projects up and have some sort of time frame in place.

This year we are excited to have our travellers returned after three years roaming so it will be a special time having all the family home.

I'm planning to do the knit projects now rather than later as I notoriously loose interest in knitting when the weather warms and I have a couple of sewing projects in mind for later.

This is something I'm working on for Ted and we'll have to keep it a secret. I spotted the yarn some months ago and knew straight away that they were her colours. It pays to have a vague plan for your gift box all through the year so when you spot things you can ferret them away for the right moment, saving anxiety, time and usually always money.

Now is also a good time to plan cuttings or sow seeds for garden gifts.  

Do share your ideas and plans here to inspire us.

A Corner Is Turned

We have turned many corners this month, weather-wise and house-wise. 

It's been just over twelve months since we actually moved in and a LOT of the work has been done and we are living comfortably and joyfully.

We are creating a garden now rather than just the emergency food growing area. Everyday I try to spend even just 10 minutes weeding and transplanting self sown seedlings around the place. The garden is still low on the budget stakes as we continue to repair the house and using what nature gives you is a fine and frugal way to create abundance.

We are blessed with beautiful flood plain silt and humus of many ages and are putting down stronger roots and sending them into the soil of our community too. We are bringing in the spring blossoms and welcoming the change and new friends into our life.

The pressure to get things done has relaxed and we are enjoying the journey and getting back to some normal activities.

I bit the bullet and ordered a pressure canner from America. And yes! You can use your Fowlers jars so need for extra jar purchases.

I've been canning the dried beans from last summer along with some chickpeas, giving us a ready to use product from the shelf instead of having to plan ahead 24-48 hours with soaking and cooking times of dried legumes. 

We've been scoping out potential country hanger and runway sites close to home for the shearer's plane. He is getting close to finishing it now that he has less house reno demads upon him. I'll post some photos soon.

We've been scoping houses too looking at trim colour options and fencing and landscaping....

The Heritage specialist builders are still at work in the front room putting layer upon layer of traditional lime render on the walls and paint stripping continues also. Our next big and hopefully final piss-problem to deal with will be the front threshold. It will need to be replaced and these guys will be in charge of that as well.

After 12 months I have finally been able to clear out all the furniture and building materials out of the children's' cubby house and restore it back to it's original intended use. I can't wait till Julien visits and discovers it for the first time.

All in all, there is a positive change in the air and we feel like we are home and blessed.

"Where'er You Walk"

See what delights in sylvan scenes appear!

Descending Gods have found Elisium here.

Come, lovely nymph, and bless the silent hours,

When swains from shearing seek their nightly bowers

This harmless grove no lurking vapour hides,

But in my breast the serpent love abides.

Here bees from blossoms sip the rosy dew,

O deign to visit our forsaken seats,

The mossy fountains and the green retreats!

Where'er you tread, the blushing flowers shall rise,

And all things flourish where you turn your eyes.

extracts from "Where'er You Walk"

by Alexander Pope