A Path Going Nowhere

A few years ago, we built our second workshop - the "Fabrication" Workshop on our village block, next to our house.  At the time, it was distressing for me, because (sigh...) there was the most amazing view from our back deck; a mountain range, paddocks, sheep, cattle, and a number of dead, but still majestic gum trees, holding their branch arms upward - towards the Heavens.  

Naturally, one's 'living' has to come before all of that, and so - I resigned myself to make the most of the situation.  The building of the workshop has created the most unexpected, yet delightful 'micro-climate' situation-type situation, and has provided a much needed and welcome wind break from the notorious westerly winds. 

It is Autumn now (a favourite of mine!) and this is what we planted on the weekend; a 20m garden bed - filled with perennials which runs alongside part of the workshop path. 

Note the plastic taped to the corrugated iron?  That's the Machinist for you.  "At least it will delay a little rust, Babe.  We won't have to bother about it for a few years..." 

The pieces of corrugated iron which retain the top path-to-be were salvaged from an old corrugated fence which had 'grown' there since - oh - 1950?

Before my time, anyway.

And with all good plants, come some healthy snails.

Confession:  I still CANNOT, to this day - kill a snail.  I cannot squash it.  I cannot bare the sound  of the crunching of it's home.  Instead, I throw them in the creek at the bottom of our property OR, if I'm pressed (is  that a pun?) for time, I will hurl them "elsewhere", without consideration (forced oblivion) to the fact that they will painstakingly slither back.

OR, I get Polly to eat them.

"Sluuurp...woof....thank-you, Mamma.  That was delicious"

Just kidding.  She would if I let her though.  This dog is STARVED.

I don't know why, but I get a pathetic sense of satisfaction and delight seeing these empty coloured pots - strewn haphazardly after planting.  I gently pull the plant from the pot, nestle it into the pre-dug hole and then toss them behind me, in a non-caring fashion (I've tripped on them later, too).

Newly formed steps leading from the garden to the side Exit door of the Fabrication Shop

This is how the plants looked after watering.  Can you see the willow tree branches hanging low, Sweet Chariot?  Can you also see that the path leads straight into a colour bond fence. It goes nowhere.  Unless, of course - one was to leap OFF the path, over the garden bed, and hit a sharp left turn into the barn.

Usually, I plant too many, too close.  I've really had to control myself on this garden project. The plantings are wider apart.

You're welcome, plants!

And again.... We'll cut the plastic when we apply the mulch.

And again... Wait!  What's that?  A wwwweeed.   It is poking through a hole in the old corrugated iron.  This weed sure knows where it's bread is buttered.  The Machinist and I both smiled and agreed that it was kind of nice the way it poked through there.  What tenacity!  (Of course I won't think the same way IF we allow it to live.  And grow.  And spread it's weed seeds.  

I feel faint at the thought of more weeding, so early in the (planting) game. 

Ok, then... I'm off to nip something in the bud....

#nomercyhavei

When Baba Comes To Play

We raised our children in our family business.  We taught them to multi skill in all areas of life - home, work and play.  Nowadays, we are raising our children's children in the same manner.

On many occasion many people have asked if it is hard to live and work with family.  We've never known any other way, so it's just normal to us.

Nowadays, while the younger generation Mommy and Daddy work, another family member steps in to care for the little one.

A day at Mamma's house looks something like this:

"Mamma eat toast?"  (Vegemite Kid)

It's Hammer Time....erm....Puzzle Time

Bathing the ducks in the sink with a lot more foamy handwash  than shown here, while Mamma attempts to discipline her unruly hair with the help of 'Product', stored in the cabinet above.  (Anything for a quiet life...)

Helping Mamma peg out the washing.  (Every second peg was offered to Polly the silky terrier 'cos Baba knew she needed to chew on something.  Just like her own puppy, Dexy does at home)

Preparing the canvas for when we return from the Park.

The apparatus at our local oval.  In other words - the Park.  Every single activity on here has a name.

A young Aussie version of Zola Bud.  With shoes.

Climbing up "The Tube" and seeing Mamma's unruly hair - giving my hiding place away. (She's always onto me).

One of the many gum trees on our way home.

Lunch, a spot of painting, bot-bots and "Mamma Cot" awaiting....

Another day in Paradise....

While We Were Fasting

While my daughter and I have been on a juice fast, I've made sure that there were good wholesome meals available for the Machinist.  Preparation in advance has been such a help.  Mealtimes have been a breeze (not to mention - clean up).

Whatever I've served to the Machinist is exactly what I intend to carry on with now that my juice fast is complete.   And so - these healthy meals that I've prepared have been somewhat of a mini 'experiment'.

I've been making these salads in a jar. I didn't believe it, but they truly do last up to five days in the fridge.  And.... they remain as crisp and fresh as when they first went into those jars!

Firstly, the mis-en-plas:

Then, to assemble the jars.  Firstly, a squirt of the Ranch Dressing, topped with a teaspoon of Basil Pesto.  Then, the layering of the vegetables.

Carrots, corn, onions and peas (the harder vegetables), followed by mixed capsicum, tomatoes, avocados (the softer vegetables [fruits]).  On top of this - cheese (in this photo,-  fetta cheese) and protein (in this photo - boiled eggs).  Finally - the sliced lettuce.

When tipping the jar onto a plate, the contents forms a mound of salad, topped with the dressing(s).

On top of this, I sprinkled sunflower seeds and pepitas.

Somedays, I served it with smoked trout.

Sometimes - with steak or smoked salmon.  Sometimes - with canned tuna and olives.  (I like to wrap the protein in portions, for quick and easy assembly).

Sometimes, I added jalopenos, sundried tomatoes, Sauerkraut and my own home made cultured vegetables.

More on that later....

Juicing Fast

My daughter Emma and I have been on a juice fast for the past 30 days.  We've been juicing raw vegetables (and a few fruits) each day - which has been our only source of nutrition.  Apart from glorious weight loss, this has helped with restful and deeper sleep for longer periods of time.  It has also improved our general well being.

Our regular 'liquid gold' - (actually - green) daily juice has consisted of orange juice mid-morning and a combination of Silverbeet, rainbow chard, kale, parsley, carrot, celery, cucumber, fennel and lemon for subsequent 'meals'.

When we receive the fruit and vegetable delivery, we've separated, portioned it and wrapped it in BPA free Glad Wrap *tm.  The skill is finding appropriate spaces and packing it in the fridge:

At the same time, we've been harvesting abundant fruits and vegetables from our own garden, which we've hardly managed to even give away.

Some years ago, I read a book by Jackie French -"Backyard Self Sufficiency" and remember how she wrote that it wasn't the planting or nurturing of food that was the hard work, but the harvesting and processing of the 'fruits of labour'.  I never thought it would happen in my own yard.  I never thought it would happen to me.

But it did.

After many - MANY - gardening failures, persistence and time itself has given us great rewards.

The Watcher

The rear of our home garden sits between two metal workshops; - the Fabrication shop (or Fab shop) and the Machine shop.  The Machine shop has windows which look out onto the garden.  It also has a side door which leads out into the garden.

While weeding today, the side door opened and the Machinist, fighting through cobwebs hung between Bosc and Comice pear trees, advanced towards me....

"Babe, I just wanted you to know - if you get the feeling that someone is watching you, well - they are.  It's me.  Anyway...I just wanted you to know that...."

The Grands: On Aging - Part Two

There is a fine line when assisting the aged.  Their dignity must be retained, their independence supported and encouraged, but their frailties thoughtfully considered.

As the "Responsible Person" assisting in securing help for the Grands beyond what we can offer, many awkward (and unbelievably frustrating) situations arise, as I am also their cherished daughter.  If ever there was a period of time in life for humility towards parents, this is it. Not quite as the humbling situation happens, but very shortly after and it is a persistent haunting.  It preoccupies.


Heart:  You should do more for them!  You should see them more frequently!

Head:  You have done all you can!  You have assisted in making their lives as safe, secure and as peaceful as can be!


Some of the services in place for the Grands include:

Assisted showering
Ergonomic equipment
Meal delivery
House cleaning
Additional weekly transport to various venues
Hearing Impaired phone
Medical Alarm pendants

I am extremely grateful for the last item on the list. It was Grandpa who pressed the red button when Granny was coughing and choking, battling to get air and still stubbornly refusing to let him call us.    We were notified within five minutes by the Medical Alarm service.  We would have taken forty minutes to reach them. Paramedics were there within fifteen minutes.

#Gratitude.

Two days after her 87th birthday, Granny spent an eventful afternoon / evening tended to by Ambulance and ER staff.  After he was told that his wife would not be admitted to the hospital that evening, Grandpa assured us that he would let us know when she was home safe and sound.

He didn't.

When we called him, he sounded somewhat irritated.

"Yes, she is home, and is still full of nonsense"

"How so?"

"She's grumbling about the fact that I put her evening meal vegetables back in the fridge just after the Paramedics took her away.  How was I to know she would be back so soon...."

The Grands: On Aging - Part One

My dad - "Grandpa" - had spent quite a few weeks in his local hospital.  He hadn't meant to spend such a long time there; it just turned out that way.  Not necessarily because of on-going ill health, but rather - hospital regulations.

He had been admitted with gout, and he could hardly walk.  His feet and ankles were angry-red and swollen.  He would often wince.  Within a few days, his pain subsided, with great thanks to the reassessment of his Webster pack contents, and the addition of new (temporary) medications.   He perked up and blessed many staff members with his gentlemanly ways, wit and charm.

It wasn't enough, though - it wasn't enough to gain his hospital discharge.  His marching orders.

Hospitals require the aged to be as well as they can be - and in particular - stable and mobile before they are considered to return home. Furthermore, a "Services Package" had to be secured and put into place, courtesy of the Australian Government and currently available to our country's aged population.

Grandpa was fairly stable and he was mobile (with the help from a walker), but he wasn't mobile enough.  He was transferred to Rehab, where he spent a further two weeks before leaving - just in time for his 90th birthday celebrations at our house.

Sarah - hanging the 'Happy Birthday' banner

Starting to set the table with snackage.  

Grandpa has visited his local hospital a couple of times since this particular stay, - for gout, chest pain and dehydration and despite long family communal waits in the ER all visits were short lived.  Needless to say, the staff know him by both of his names.  They even shorten his first.  They call him "Bert". 

Bert! 

It makes me smile every time I hear it. 

The Grands have accepted the Service Package available to them.  We suspect that they are well pleased.  But shhhh.....

We haven't suggested this to them.  We haven't even hinted at it.   

To be Continued......

New Year's Eve. New Year's Day.

Life is ever changing.

This eve - this new year's eve - is the first that the Machinist and I have spent ALONE together in 33 years.

It feels weird.

It is weird.

We see our children, their spouses and grandchildren every day.  It's not as if we have special occasion get togethers, because we always have get togethers in the course of regular, every day life.

Like earlier on the last day of last year.  We all went out to celebrate my mam's birthday.  It was a "given" that we should see the Grands anyway.  A regular weekly visit.  It so happened to be her birthday, and cause for eating out at one of her preferred restaurants.

It's not as if we feel lonely or out of the celebrations, either, because even as I type, our local  Hotel is hosting their New Year's Eve party, and the music is pounding out, equalled only by the vocal chorus of villagers, as they recognise and reminisce with the lyrics of familiar songs.

And yet .... somehow... new year's is different.  There are (sort of) expectations of being with loved ones.  Family or friends.  Or both.

This change is probably going to be the first of many to come.

A(nother) new beginning.

Peace and happiness to you, Blogreaders!

Happy New Year!!