Renovations

Here he is...the painter....amongst other things!! We are getting the side entrance fixed up after all the leaks. We had the paint a while ago, so this is early stages. I did all the masking tape work, and the cleaning up....all the dull jobs, and now it is a question of "little by little" as we can't go at it like a bull at a gate...as we would have done years ago.
Today is the first day of him wearing the pain patches, so we shall see how he ends up.Probably too early to tell yet.

These are the patches we bought recently. They stick to the skin, and are joined by a wire, that sends impulses through, to stop the pain receptors from going to the brain, and therefore stopping some of the pain. No pills or potions, so we shall see.
 Note the Hino cap...at a rakish angle, of course....courtesy of Angus!!

My Yearly Photos

Here is Angus all geared up to go for a ride on his road bike. I have to say, he spends more time polishing and cleaning it than riding. Even the clothes get special attention. Most weekends he goes for a spin if he can, and if the weather is reasonable.

Every Spring, I go round the garden and take pictures, to show how much things have grown from last year. It has been a bumper year for Azaleas etc. and so far, no storms to spoil the flowers.

 Our little umbrella table in the back garden was in use last weekend, with such beautiful weather. We even had to move to get out of the sun!!

 I have put in a Herculean effort, and mowed, raked and weeded. I may never stand up straight again!!

It is lovely to see the grass so green. Give it another couple of months, and it will all be nicely crisp, and golden brown!! Such a shame!

Ricotta

Sorry about the rubbish picture, but I snapped it quickly before it all got eaten. I have bought ricotta cheese in the past for various recipes, and thought it wasn't particularly cheap. So, I googled it, and, lo and behold, there's hardly anything to it! Just 2 litres of milk (must be full cream), or you can use goat's milk, 1 cup of cream, salt, and white vinegar. The most important thing is to heat the milk to the right temperature. I had an old thermometer in the drawer, for cheese, milk etc. and used that, but it was a bit unwieldy, so I shall buy a clip-on one..for just a few dollars.
 The other part of the picture is a bowl of cheese crackers. Again, easy to make, and crisp and tasty to have with the ricotta. Always good for an easy snack.

Back in Business

So here we are. It arrived yesterday afternoon, and not a moment too soon. Today, the sheets are twirling away, and I am sitting here listening to a completely different set of sounds from the last one. But, the wash still seems fine, so we shall see how this machine pans out. If it's all OK, you won't hear another word about it! Fingers crossed!

Pevensey Bay of our childhood

http://www.francisfrith.com/locations/pevensey-bay/photos/pevensey-bay-c1960-89850352

Here is the link to some photos of our childhood, and you can see how Chris, Ju and I spent our early childhood years. Sounds a simple life compared to today, but what carefree days they were. How lovely that someone has catalogued the pictures, so they never get lost. I have joined the site, and have written a few lines for publication. This story has to be vetted first, before being seen by the public, so it shouldn't be long before my name is in print!!

What a Bummer!!

We have had a bit of a setback. The washing machine went haywire the other day, and try as I might, I couldn't finish the load. It was Angus's work clothes, so they were pretty dirty anyway, but I just had to get them through willy nilly, and hang them to dry, hoping they were not TOO dirty still.
 So, we bit the bullet (after all, the machine is over 10 years old )and bought another on-line.
 It should arrive tomorrow, so hopefully it won't have such a severe workout as the time Tiff was here, and washed practically every day.
 I just hope it is OK....Will keep you posted!!

A day disappeared

So here I am...it's nearly 4 pm, and I have spent nearly all day on my laptop!!  I finally bit the bullet and bought a copy of Windows 7. Of course, Angus had to do all the installation work, but now I am trying to get order out of chaos!!  I thought I had downloaded everything of importance onto my external hard drive, but inevitably there were glitches, and things I hadn't foreseen!! I am glad to get rid of Vista, and I am sure in a few days things will be back to normal...or near enough. I thought I knew it all.....but you never do, do you?  However, I have made progress...of a sort!!  Plenty of days to fiddle with things, and sort out the glaring mistakes.
  Just goes to show, I am learning all the time...maybe at a slower pace, but inching forward...snail-like!!

A health scare

My blood pressure monitor

This is our recent purchase. I had a bit of a health scare recently. I was getting headaches over one eye, and then I developed a sore eye. This didn't clear up, and so I went to the doctor, and he put 2 and 2 together and decided that both symptoms may have been related. So off to pathology for an arm-full of blood for testing, and then on to have a brain scan! (Yes, they did detect a brain, I am pleased to say!)

Anyhow, the tests came back clear, which didn't help my sore eye, but I now have eye drops, so I am walking round peering through a greasy fog a lot of the time!!

But....isn't there always a 'but'?...... I have horribly high blood pressure...don't know why...so we thought we would buy a monitor to keep tabs on it. This is it...dead simple to use...strap it on your wrist, and press a button, and Bob's your Uncle. It stores the last 60 readings for comparison. So, using this regularly, plus the diet I am on for lowering blood pressure, we shall see what can be achieved. Very early days yet...only a week, so I have to give it a reasonable amount of time.

It's all a bit of a bother, but, as they say "worse things happen at sea"!

Follow-Up

The house that was burnt in N.Z. has been assessed by the insurance company, and they agreed to pay out. The fire was investigated, and they think it started in some bad wiring behind the stove, so that's a relief, as I think there was a question as to whether the last tenants (who were removed by court order) were to blame.
Always a dodgy situation, especially when claiming on insurance.

What awful Luck

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/10217921/Fire-ravages-Waikato-home
I have posted a link (hopefully) to a N.Z. newspaper. The house that burned to the ground belonged to Dilys' son Christopher. Her daughter and family lived on the next property, and were unable to save it.

Hopefully the insurance will cover it, but there will be an investigation, as it was empty at the time.

Disaster has struck

Hector the inspector!

As usual, they needed Jim's expertise and strength !

The tree came down across power lines yesterday at 12.30 (lunch time). It was about 4 doors up, and there was another just round the bend, that fell on a house....we heard the metallic crash onto a tin roof. These pictures were taken before all the tree cutters, road barriers, and electricity people arrived. Then it was mayhem. Chain saws buzzing away in the night, with lights shining everywhere...those poor workers, it was absolutely tipping it down.

The power was off exactly 24 hours and 5 minutes....the longest and coldest 24 hours of my life!! This morning.....no hot shower, just a kettle full of hot water in the sink, and then in the car and off to MacDonald's for breakfast, and to thaw out. Finally, at lunch time, when it was warmer outside than indoors, the power came back on. First thing.....the longest hottest shower you can imagine, followed by Jim doing exactly the same thing. So now we feel faintly normal, but the house is taking a while to heat up.

We have consulted Angus about getting a generator for future 'incidents' like this. I don't want to go through that misery again.........EVER!!

Happy 70th Birthday Jim

Here is Jim as a primary school pupil. Always cheeky, and always a handfull!! So what's new??

The next stage...a fit, healthy cyclist...with cups and awards for his cycling prowess. Hard to believe, I know!!

And finally, here he is...a much more up-to-date version...taken a couple of years ago. Can you see the difference???   Can you heck as like!!

I have to say...given his life-style, he has done remarkably well. So, as they say....."Keep on trucking"!!

Before and after

This is the state of the driveway and back garden in the midst of a huge cut back. All the tools were out! Me with my nippy hedge trimmer, and Angus wielding the huge hedge trimmer, the chainsaw and the pole saw. It was a mammoth effort, because the trees had gradually encroached on the driveway, almost without us noticing, likewise the hedging near the pond. Anyhow, with Angus doing the heavy work, and me running backwards and forwards with endless barrow-loads, it was at last looking better, and then the finishing touch was Angus using the big blower to get rid of all the leaves.
 I hardly knew it was the same place!!  Wonder how long it will last!!

So all in all, a good start for the Winter.

And doesn't it look better?

45 and counting!!

Well folks.....the look says it all!! Jim is thinking "can it really be our 45th anniversary? seems more like 100"!!
So here we are. D-Day, 6th June, 2014, and 45 years ago we were nervously waiting in the Sydney registry office. The wind was bitter, it was wet, and I had the worst head cold you can imagine. Still, they do say that the first 45 years are the worst....in that case, bring on the next 45!!  As if we shall see that!!

At least we remembered this year. Usually it is a few days later when we suddenly realise we have missed it again. Still, it's really not that important now.

I have to say......what a likely-looking pair!!

Along the Sylvan Road

We were driving towards Lilydale the other day. It was a beautiful sunny morning, but after a very cold night, there was mist everywhere. Looking across to the hills from the front of Tesselaars, this is the view. The hills floating above the mist.
 It turned out a cracker of a day. Needless to say....no camera in the car, so this is from my phone.

Laundry Liquid

Here it is folks. My first attempt at home-made laundry liquid. I shall put in the recipe for anyone who is interested.
 Once you have bought the ingredients, it is ridiculously cheap to make, and, as you can see, makes about 9 litres approx. I had my doubts at first...there really isn't much in it, and when told it would cool to a gel, it looked as if it would stay like mucky water.
 However, the next day I checked, prepared to ditch the lot, and lo and behold, it did exactly as promised. It is a thick gel, and you use 1/4 cup for a wash. You could add something to make it smell, but the Lux flakes are pleasant anyway.
 This is what you do. First, I should say, you will have to have enough containers at hand. I have been saving these for a while now. A wide mouth is a good idea.

1 cup Lux Flakes
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax

Add these ingredients to a large saucepan with 1 1/2 litres of water.
Boil until dissolved.
In a large bucket or container, put 8 litres of cold water.
Add hot soapy liquid and stir.
Pour into bottles and leave to cool.
Once cold, and gel-like, use 1/4 cup in the wash.

Cinnamon Buns

Latest attempt at Cinnamon buns

So here is my latest attempt. Found the recipe in The Guardian, through a link from the "Down to earth" blog. I have a recipe already, but gave this a try. I must say they look OK, but haven't tasted them yet. When I was trying to knead the dough, they warn that it is a bit wet!!! I got thoroughly glued up, but wasn't to add any more flour, so I was a bit unhappy about things. However, we shall see how they taste. No doubt Jim will be the guinea pig for this!!
 Makes the house smell nice though!!.

Cutting pinching

This is a plant we spied when we stopped for breakfast at Seymour MacDonald's. We were on our way to Albury, and saw this plant in the car park. We always keep a plastic container with wet paper towel in, for just this occasion. So we put a few sprigs in the jar, and when we got home, Jim potted up several cuttings. So we shall see how they turn out.
  Don't know what it is!!

Mother's Day Eve!

Summie popped over yesterday afternoon. It was so lovely to see her back to a more healthy state. We had a lovely chat, and, as usual, she brought me a wonderful mother's day present. Thank you so much Summie, it was really appreciated.
 I know she won't mind me saying that she has had a horrendous time, coping with her reaction to the medication, but thankfully things seem to be getting back on track for her, and she now has to live with a fairly restricting diet, but one that will keep her healthy.

I got Jim to take some photos, so here is one with the flash. The first was without.

Needless to say, one of the photos he took came out all blurry! This seems to be a speciality of his. Maybe it's excitement!!
So all in all it was a very enjoyable afternoon, despite the horrible wet weather, and Summie took some plants back with her to start off their small garden.

New Wallpaper

I thought you would like to see this ever so striking wallpaper. I found another website for them, and couldn't resist this. Shades of Victorian times.

The Eclipse

Here is my photo of the eclipse last night. It was announced on the news that the eclipse of the moon was in the East, so I dashed up the back, in the dark, and tried a few shots with different settings. Nothing wonderful, but it was lovely to see.

With this setting I couldn't help moving the camera a fraction, even resting it on Jim's shoulder. Apparently there are more eclipses to come this year, according to what Jim heard on the radio.

First bonfire of the Autumn

This is the first time we have been able to burn off all the branches and weeds. It was soaking after the rain, but with a lot of newspaper, fire-lighters and even a splash of kero...it finally took hold.
 The sun was shining through the smoke haze, making some interesting patterns. Luckily it stayed that way long enough for me to get the camera. Quite a startling scene. The first one almost looks as if the tree is ablaze.

Wonderful to get rid of the rubbish.....all ready for the next lot of cuttings!!

Look what we've got!

Well, here is our latest house guest! He appeared in the kitchen about a week ago, and hung around in different spots. Mostly up high near the ceiling, but one day he was half buried in the bowl of grapes, and another time he was found clinging to the side of the toaster!!
Finally, he disappeared, only to surface today in the spare room, again high up on the wall, just over my computer desk!! Thank goodness Angus isn't here, otherwise it would be buried under a white mound of insect spray!!

Where to next? I wonder!

Summie is home

I am amazed. From being in intensive care...with a breathing tube...to being discharged. Wonderful news for Sum. I am sure she has a way to go to get her strength back, but we are all so pleased for her.
 Fraser will have to be the general dogsbody for a little while I expect, but I am sure he is just as pleased as we are to see her on the mend after such a dreadful time.
 So now, hopefully, she can enjoy her new place to live, which they moved into just before she was taken in to hospital.

What next? I hear you cry.

On the go!

Well, dear readers, here is the finale. I found a blog where the lady had great success by mixing red and green tomatoes to make tomato sauce. So I looked at the bowl, overflowing with green tomatoes that probably wouldn't ripen, and thought "Why not?"
Consequently, today was the day, and I bundled everything into this small vat, and left it to bubble away for 3 hours.

The result

So after the cooking was finished, I went at it with my little stick blender, lavishly decorating the kitchen walls and the stove in the process. Then.....Voila!!  There is enough sauce there to last for 10 years, at the rate we eat it, so I may have to give most of it away. However, now there is not a green tomato to be seen!!
Except!! (there's always an except) we pulled out the plants up the back, and read that if you hang them upside down in a cool dark place, the tomatoes still on the plants have a good chance of ripening. So that is what we have done...in Angus' part of the shed, slung over the beams.
Hmmm....we shall see!

Green Tomato Chutney

This was my first go at making chutney. Of course, I had long since given all my empty jars to the op. shop. So, I had to go and find some more!!
 The taller jar on the right is a different recipe...it has chilli. The other two were an easier recipe to make. As you can see, just behind is a dish of the left-over tomatoes, plus another load still on the plants. If we don't like the chutney I don't know what I can do with them.
 Look for more recipes I suppose!! Which will mean buying more jars!!

Summie

Here is a picture of Sum, taken a few years ago. At the moment she is in intensive care at the Alfred Hospital in the city.
We wish her all the very best, and hope she gets better soon. She and Fraser had only just moved into a 2 bedroom unit, so it couldn't have come at a worse time.

A worrying time, especially for Fraser, and we send all our love to them both.

Get well soon Summie.

The past revisited

Yesterday, we decided to go for a drive, and we ended up in Chelsea, where we lived when the boys were small. No, we didn't visit Kiwi Court, but we did go down to the beach. It was overcast, but very warm, and in spite of that, there were only 2 senior citizens braving the water. If I had come prepared, I would have gone in the sea too, but never mind.
It was a still day, so the water was very calm, and we had a really pleasant time there. Also,  interesting to see so many changes all round Carrum, Edithvale, Aspendale and Mordialloc.
Please note, as usual, we forgot to take the camera. Luckily I had my mobile phone, which I had left in the car, so I had to run back and get it. Once again, Jim had to remind me that the name says it all......it IS mobile. One day I shall remember!!

What a load of old cods!!

So this is the rubbish ready for collection.........so far.......yes, there may well be more to come. Once you make a bit of a dent in it, even more comes to light, so it is a bit of a never-ending saga. The worst part is trundling the wheelbarrow from the shed right up the back, down to the front, and then unloading. The pick-up starts on Monday, so, for once, we are really ready.

Of course, things have come to light which we had forgotten existed. One thing is this camera, which was a present from my parents when I left home to emigrate in 1967. Such a long time ago, and so many developments have happened since, but there's no way this is going on the rubbish pile. Too precious a memory.

The Agfa Silette

These were the days of film spools, and setting the film speed and F settings. What an age ago that seems.

More Birthday treats

Who wouldn't love a beautiful gift like this. Thank you so much Summie and Fraser. I know you must have a million and one other things to think about at the moment, so it is even more appreciated.
 It is so nice to have such rich lotions and potions at one's disposal, and I shall pamper myself from now on. I shall be the nicest smelling 71 year old in Victoria, and, with the smoothest skin!!!
 I really have, once again, been extremely lucky.

Summie and Fraser

Fraser and Summie

 

Here is a picture of Fraser and Summie. They are due to move next week to a lovely 2 bedroom unit. I have seen the pictures, and I think they will be very comfortable there. Unfortunately, Summie has had some ongoing health problems lately, so we wish her lots of love and best wishes, and hope she can cope with all the extra pressure.
I am sure Fraser will be a strong support for her.

Another one bites the dust!!

Even the box is lovely

Much appreciated

Well, once more it is that time of year. Birthdays do tend to roll round a lot quicker these days!!
Here is the lovely present from Angus and Sue. They popped in for a flying visit yesterday, and this is the result. A really  lovely perfume, that I would never have picked in a million years, because I knew nothing about it.  So it was a complete surprise, and a very much appreciated one at that.
So maybe I shan't write off future birthdays altogether if this is the result.
They won't be able to top this next year!!

Old London 1927

This is a fascinating insight into London circa 1927. How times have changed. It just goes to show that you can find anything you want by googling!!!

There is also a video that shows these and other scenes. It is well worth taking a look at these pre second world war days. Even I wasn't born then, and that's saying something!!

Make sure you have the sound up...the music really suits the pictures.

The Leaking Roof

Not a good look!

 This is the view of the affected part of the roof from the side door.

An even worse view...what a mess!!

This is the same leak from the laundry steps. Jim thought he had fixed the ongoing leak the other day when he was up on the roof, but after the rain yesterday, this proved not to be the case. So, it was decided to take off all the dodgy plaster and see what was underneath. Well, all was wet, but the leak seemed to be coming from a different area, so, it was a case of calling in the big guns!!  In other words...the good old expanding foam. As you can see, it looks like icicles, but is, in fact, just like hard polystyrene, and can be trimmed before putting up new plasterboard. We shall leave it open for a while, to dry everything out, and make sure we have really got to the root of the problem....at last!!
  Needless to say, he had to finish it all off with a good squirt of silicone on the outside.....the cure for nearly everything  it seems!!

What a shame!

Burnt offering

 

 

 I spent ages last Spring, clipping, pruning, and generally snapping the garden into shape. The first hot spell...and this is what happens. I know I shouldn't complain...there are a lot  of people much worse off than us, but it is all a little disheartening.

What Grass?

We had a really nice, green patch of lawn here, but as soon as the weather warmed up, it started to wither. I must say though, the weeds are coming on a treat, so I just mow them instead...have to be practical, and make the best of it all!!