Happy New Year

Happy 2010 everyone, the week has been really busy, my mum arrived on Saturday 26th December and is staying till monday the 4th. We went to Berrima yesterday and had a great day looking at all the great shops. My favourite one is the Antique shop Peppergreen's it was fantastic. I could have spent hours in there, I'm going to save up and go back with some special money to spend. Somethings were expensive but others were quite reasonable.

I hope you all have a great new year, I hope 2010 will be geat for all...

Tracie

Merr Christmas

Merry Christmas, I hope Santa was good to you. I got some lovely practical pressies. my favourite was my gift vouchers, especially the one for Dymocks and Borders. I have some great books on my wish list.

I hope everyone that reads here has had a wonderful day.

Tracie

Going to see Keith Urban tonight at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Should be a good show, I'm not really a big fan, I like some of his music, who knows I may be converted after tonight. My friend Amanda is dragging me along...

Tracie

My goodness, doesn't time get away from you when you are busy. This is just an update of what's going on her at our simple green house. I'm still making a few chrissy pressies, better get a move on only 19 days till Christmas I've been told. Haven't been too well this week, have had a cold and it has really taken me down with a thump. I even had to take a day off work on wednesday which is unlike me at all. I didn't want to give it my charges. Feeling better today, must be due to the lazy day we had at home yesterday.

The girls are still laying eggs, somedays we get one and somedays we get two, we still haven't worked out who lays which egg, they all look the same to us.

The garden is looking great haven't harvested much yet but I'm sure that will start soon.

I went shopping last week and bought myself size 16 shorts and tops can you believe size 16. I tried on a dress and couldn't buy it as it was too big and they didn't have a smaller size. This time last year I was hovering between size 24 and size 26. It hasn't been easy to loose this 25kgs and I'm sure the next 15kgs isn't going to be easy, but I tell you what it is going to happen one kilo at a time I'm in no rush, it didn't go on over night and finally I don't think it has to come off over night.

I'm currently reading "5 Greatest Warriors" by Matthew Reilly, this is the 3rd book in a continuing story that started with "7 Ancient Treasures" and continued with "6 Scared Stones", they have all been great. I haven't read a novel for ages and in the last month I have read almost 3, it's no wonder I can't get my Christmas sewing done.

Bye for now,

Tracie

This is how a cat helps with the christmas card making. Very helpful don't you think...

Tracie

We ate our first googs yesterday. They were cooked on the BBQ. YUM, Steve reckoned he couldn't taste the difference, I told him the difference is they have come from happy chooks that aren't kept cooped up in small cages, living an unhappy life.

These are the clever girls that layed the eggs above. Berta and Rose. Berta is the grey chook and Rosey is the black chook, they are named after two of the female characters in "2 and a Half Men". Don't ask what breed they are cause we don't know. We bought them from the local Trash and Treasure market for $2.00 each. They both have completely different personalities, I just wish I knew who layed what egg. They are both laying now so we should be getting 2 eggs everyday now.

This is one of our cats. Kirby, is 12 months old and very spoilt.

I think I might want to be a spoilt, loved cat in my next life...

Tracie

Well another week has past.

We got our first egg this week, it is only very small but I'm sure they will get bigger. This is actually our 2nd egg the first one was crushed, probably in the shock of it all. The thing is we haven't had another one after this one. If someone reading this knows more about chooks than me, is it normal to have one egg then a break.

Yesterday we went for a drive to Breakfast Point to see our beautiful girl be flower girl for her Aunt. She scrubbed up very well in her flowergirl dress. R was very excited about the whole event and had spoken about it for weeks. Our gorgeous boy, her brother A was just as excited and he scrubbed up very well too.

The Flowergirl... Isn't she lovely. Brides shouldn't have flowergirls they steal the show because they are sooooo cute.

Here is the Flowergirls big brother A and their Mum. Doesn't A look very smart and he told me he did his own hair. He was so excited to be at the wedding and wanted to know when the food and dancing would be happening.

Today we spent the day in the garden...

We planted cucumbers and squash.

This is our Corn, growing nicely.

Button Squash, the flowers look lovely but most of the squash have bottom end rot. We can't work out why this is happening. Have to do more research I suppose.

Hydrangeas - I gave these plants a hard pruning last year and now they are full of flowers.

Our Passionfruit finally has flowers with little fruit in the middle. Hopefully these little fruit won't fall off like the rest have.

Steve pruned this 4o+ year old lemon tree with a chainsaw last year. I guess it was the best thing he could have done for the poor old thing, this year it's full of fruit and flowers and lots of new growth. I pulled a few stink bugs off it today but there is no where near as many as there was last year.

I think thats all for now.

Tracie

Well, so much for me blogging everyday, one whole week has past and I haven't even been here. I went to the city yesterday and had a wander around. Forgot the camera though. I love to go to the city and hang out in Borders Books, but guess what? Borders in Pitt Street is just a big hole in the ground, when did this happen? I really should go to the city more often so I can keep up to date. The building that was between Centre Point and Sky Garden is gone. The facade is still there but the building behind it is gone. Pitt Street was a bit of a mess really, mustn't do anything for tourism.

Once I walked around and around in Myer, I went to Dymocks Book store for some morning tea, iced coffee and a melt yum. Then I went to Lincraft which is now under Supre on the cnr of Market and George Street, they were having a 30% off sale, so I bought some fabric that I had been looking at on Thursday.

I then walked down George Street to meet Steve in Dixon Street (China Town) for lunch. We had lunch at the noodle bar. We then went and looked around Paddy's market (boring) it is the same old rubbish to suck in the tourists.

We hung around till 4.00pm because we thought we had cheap parking, but when we finally got back to the car we hadn't parked on the right level so instead of paying the Early Bird rate of $13.00 we had to pay $26.00 hard lesson learned. We would have left the city heaps earlier if we had know this. Oh well what were we to do. We had had a lovely day and we weren't going to let anything spoil it. We drove home in bumper to bumper traffic, I think everybody drove to the city yesterday.

Tracie

The weekend was too busy to post. Went on a shopping trip fundraiser on Saturday. Had a great day but it was really tiring, I was over it by 3.30pm, and we never got home till 7.30pm. The bus of 29 people spent $8500.00 I can tell you I didn't contribute much to that, $150.00 was my spend and that was on chrissy pressies that were on my list. People are funny, they were spending just because they thought they were getting a bargain. The bus trip coordinator didn't help matters either, she said right at the beginning, if you see something you like buy it as we can't go back if you decide to buy it later.

On Saturday night we went to a 50th birthday party, it was a really nice night. We were a bit late getting there but we made it by 8.30pm.

Sunday we had a bit of a sleep in then after breakfast we went to "Bunnings" for a few things. We got some plastic fencing to give the Chooks more room to free range, and to keep them off the paths, chook poop on the paths freaks Steve out a bit. It does just hose or wash off but now they can't poop on the paths and they have a bit more room to move.

Today I'm caring for my 3 small charges, they have been grumpy all morning but they are in bed now. I hope they all wake in a better mood.

Till tomorrow.

Tracie

Here I am back for the second day in a row, shock horror. I just have to get into some type of routine. I have a sick hubby at the moment so the house is very quite. Worked today at Funtime 4 Kidz. It wasn't very busy but alot of the regulars were back after the school holiday of the last couple of weeks. Not working tomorrow as I have to get the "Tax" done. I hate paperwork...

Well talking about that I better get off here and start work on the dreaded Job.

Tomorrow..

Tracie

From the swirly temp thingy that is swinging around at the top of the page I would say we are finally going to get some decent spring weather.

I know my posts have been few and far between but I think I lost my blogging mojo.

I am going to start to try and post something every day starting now.

In the garden...

we have

Tomatoes

Corn

Beans

cabbage (at the end)

zucchinis

onions

pumpkins

chillis

capsicium

Lemons

peaches

strawberries

blueberries.

My two chookies are getting bigger by the day. I check every morning for that elusive egg, and every day I say should be soon. You will hear me squeal all over the world when I finally get one.

Making for Christmas - Paint shirts x 3 (better get a move on only 1 done)

Making a baby bag for a friend who is having a baby next March.

Weight loss is going well have finally made 95kg - next goal 90kg. Hope to be 85kg by my birthday.

More tomorrow.

Tracie

madeit - buy & sell handmade goods :: 100% Australian handmade & independent

madeit - buy & sell handmade goods :: 100% Australian handmade & independent

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It's Spring

Now that I've spent winter hibernating its time to get out in the garden and do the spring planting.

We have had a very busy last couple of months with the moving of our business back to our home and learning to cope with diabetes.

I have now lost 16kg, this puts me below 100kg for the first time in I don't know how long... the dietitian says this a dangerous time when you can go backwards. I hope to keep going down. My next goal is 95kgs.

I was a size 24-26 for so long that I have no small clothes in the wardrobe, so I have been scouring the op shops for smaller sizes so I don't have to buy new. But these sizes are popular so there aren't many around.

We have two new additions to the green house. They are our chickens Berta and Rose. We bought them at Bankstown Markets not knowing if they were boys or girls, it looks like we may have been luck enough to score girls. I have been told they should be laying in a couple of months. They are the most effecient garbage disposals, better than the worms. Steve isn't coping with them leaving little parcels all over the concrete. The two cats are terrified of them, which is a good thing, Kirby use to eye them up as a meal when they were little and now he runs away from them.

Well my baby has just got out of bed so I had better go and feed her lunch, before she wakes her brother and sister.

Will write again real soon.

Tracie

Diabetes...

The other thing I have been doing in the last 4 weeks is coming to terms with Type 2 Diabetes. My father is a type 2 diabetic as well. I was diagnosed 4 weeks ago and since then I have been working at trying to loose weight and get my blood sugar levels down.

I have now read quite a few books on this disease and I'm trying to manage it as best I can. Last Saturday 20th June I went to see a dietitian, the one thing he said to me is that we aren't going to manage the diabetes we are going to get rid of it.

This is very positive and I can say that I'm of the first eating plan that I have ever been on that doesn't leave you hungry. He was adamant that I eat at least 6 meals a day and they must be at the same time each day. Breakfast, Morning Tea, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Dinner and Supper.

The eating plan must have no sugar and no fat. I have enough fat in my body I don't need to cook with fat or eat fat as this will only add more. I have alway been against eating "diet" stuff, as some of the chemicals leave alot to be desired, since my diagnosis, this has change a little and I am now eating and drinking some of the "diet stuff" in moderation. Diet Jelly is just fantastic to get rid of any hunger pangs and gives you a sweet treat. I also discovered diet Bundaberg Sarsparilla when I was in the supermarket the other day and this is a great treat with my diet Bundaberg Ginger Beer. I haven't eaten a lolly or chocolate since my diagnosis, I think i have broken this habit. My health is more important than both of these things.

I will stop boring you with my woes.

Oh and by the way I have lost 5 Kgs since being diagnosed. This is the first time in a few years I have been below 110kg.

Have a great day...

Tracie

Time

Where has the last 2 months gone? I haven't posted for awhile as my life is really hectic and we are going through lots of changes. Firstly due to the economic downturn we are going to have to close our shop. Business has been real slow for months and months. I'm still going to do scrapbooking classes but at home. I have a great group of ladies who regularly come to classes at night.

I have also got myself 2 other jobs to try and help make ends meet, I'm a Nanny for a family of 3 children, 2 year old twins and a 6 month old, two days per week. I also work 3 days a week at Funtime 4 Kids at Menai, making coffee, serving food and general duties. I love both of these new challenges, but I love funtime the best. At Funtime there is time to interact with adults and children alike, and I love a chat.

This has kept me very busy over the last two months, I will try to write more often but at the moment my time is very limited.

Have a great day...

Tracie

Things I have been doing

Yesterday we spent the day in the garden. We have started to get our winter beds ready for planting. We planted, Snow peas (this is our second attempt, the last lot did no good at all), parsnips, turnips, beetroot and onions, we are still harvesting beans, zucchinis, chillis, raspberries (it is so nice to walk down the backyard and pick a fresh raspberry), I'm still waiting for my lemons to ripen, how long do they take?? We have radishes coming out of our ears, they are so yummy. Thats about it for the garden at the moment.

I'm cooking up some home made stocks at the moment and the house smells delish. Chicken stock and Lamb stock. Once the lamb stock is cooked I'm going to make up a hearty lamb stew, that should keep us going for a few days. The chicken stock is going in the freezer so I don't have to use bought stock. I have about 20 litres of stock bubbling away on the stove with lots of good wholesome bones in it. The cost of all this stock would have been no more than about $15.00 if I bought this much store bought stock it would cost me about $53.00 I think this is a great savings and a lot less salt in it.

The stock is now all finished. I made some JOOK (rice porridge with chicken, rice dried turnip and other things) for dinner. Jook (have no idea of the spelling, I spell it how I say it) is a chinese soup made with rice and it is thick like porridge. We love it here and my MIL usually makes it, I have made it once, it's a really filling cheap meal, you can have it for breakfast too but we like it for lunch or dinner.

Better go now,

Tracie

Hello all who read.

I know I have been slack, I haven't posted for quite a while. Life around here is extremely hectic. To loose weight and to exercise Steve and I have taken up delivering junk mail. You wouldn't do it for the money but I tell you what, the exercise is well worth it. I have been walking for 1 hour a day up hill and down dale. All the areas around here are a bit on the hilly side, so even though I can't walk too fast due to posting things in letter boxes the hills get my heart rate up.

Steve sprained both of his ankles on Good Friday, so he hasn't been out walking with me at all. We generally have both of our areas completed by now but with only one of us able to walk we still have one area to go.

Now back to Steve's sprained ankles. We were out at Cronulla with our good friends who had come down to visit us from the Newcastle area for Easter, we had only just started the walk along the esplanade to South Cronulla when Steve had his fall. Silly thing was looking out towards the horizion and didn't see two small steps and went crashing down in a heap. We got him up and he told us he was okay, so we continued on our walk. When we got to South Cronulla, we got some nice and very expensive fish and chips for lunch, $70.00 for the five of us, am I the only one to thing this is ridiculously expensive for fish and chips. The shop was packed with a queue out the door and they still had the hide to put a 10% surcharge on top of the price.

After we had sat down to eat our lunch/dinner Steve went to get up again and was in agony. His ankles had seized up on him and he was in a great deal of pain. I offered to walk back and get the car and bring it closer but he said he would be right and hobbled on. He spent the next two days with his feet elevated being waited on hand and foot.

He went to work on Tuesday and is starting to walk alot better.

Bye for now.

Tracie

Aussie 100

I saw this on Belinda Moores blog and thought I would give it a go. Why not do it your self and let me know so I can read it

Tracie

The things that are bold are the things that I have done...

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited The Great Barrier Reef.
5. Stood under the stars in the outback, the real outback – think Uluru.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to the Gold Coast’s theme parks – anyone, you take your pick.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sung a solo. (only if the shower counts)
11. Bungee jumped, jumped out of plane, been paragliding or hang-gliding, hot air ballooning – you get the idea, you’ve been hundreds of metres about earth in a seemingly flimsy contraption.
12. Visited Melbourne.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Had a child. Raised a child. Worked with children.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Been to the Snowy Mountains.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Visited the Brett Whitely studio in Surry Hills, Sydney.
20. Slept on an overnight train or bus.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Been backpacking.
23. Taken a mental health day.
24. Been buried in sand with just your head and toes sticking out.
25. Held a possum, kangaroo or koala – or any other native Australian animal.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Been in a fun run. (does cycling count)
28. Been on the Blue Mountain cableway.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.(both)
31. Played, or watched, summer cricket.
32. Sailed, kayaked or canoed our beautiful waterways.
33. Seen the Daintree.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Visited an Aboriginal settlement or mission.
36. Learned a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Toured the Sydney Opera House.
39. Tried rock climbing (indoor or outdoor), abseiling or just simple bush walking. 40. Visit Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art.
41. Been to the Tamworth Country Music Festival. (see post below)
42. Sunbaked at Bondi.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Broome.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone fishing.
49. Seen Tasmania’s old growth forests.
50. Been to the top of Q1, on the Gold Coast.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Driven the Great Ocean Road.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Norfolk Island.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Guide biscuits.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.
65. Gone jet boating.
66. Visited Port Arthur.
67. Bounced a cheque.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favourite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Australian War Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Federation Square.
74. Been on the Murray River.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Travelled, or climbed, over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Three Sisters at Echo Point, Katoomba.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited St Mary’s Cathedral, in Sydney.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Been to Hermannsburg.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited Parliament House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Saved a pet.
95. Been to the site of the Eureka Stockade.
96. Swum in The Whitsundays.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a mobile phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

Tamworth Country Music Festival 2009

On Thursday 22nd January 2009 my friend Amanda and I headed off on our annual pilgrimage to the Australia's Country Music Mecca Tamworth. When we left home on Thursday morning it was 27c in my lounge room at 5.30am. As we were driving north it was getting cooler and the rain started at Singleton and never stopped until we were the other side of the Great Dividing Range. We stopped in Murrurundi for morning tea then we continued on to Tamworth.

When we go to Tamworth we stay with a lovely home hospitality family, they open their home for us and they are very welcoming.

We had a very busy day planned for Thursday first we were seeing Troy Cassar-Daley at the TREC and the we were seeing "Cash only" at the Longyard Pub.

Troy was fantastic as always and he has a new album coming out in April. I will be saving up for that. I have all his albums and I just love his music.

Troy Cassar-Daley at the TREC

Our Friend Wendy in "Cash Only"

at the Longyard.

"Cash only" was great, the fellow that sung Johnny Cash's part sure did a great job as did Wendy and all the others.

We went back to our accomodation after this show and crashed.

On Friday we had another busy day so we had a early start, Our first Stop was the Big W shopping centre here I was meeting a blogging buddy Tracy from Sunnycorner Farm It was so nice to meet her, Tracy bought us a coffee and we had a lovely chat.

Thanks again Tracy.

Tracie (me) and Tracy

When we left Tracy we went in to Big W to see Adam Brand. Amanda wanted a photo with him and here it is...

Amanda and Adam Brand

We then had to rush down to Peel Street to see Jonah's Road .

Jonah's Road

They are a great group have a listen on you tube they are worth it. They are really nice Blokes. We had lunch with them the next day and then watched them again at this spot in Peel Street

On Friday night we headed to "The Pub" to get a good seat so we could see Travis Collins.

Before seeing Trav we watched the Jazzer Talent Quest. This was just fantastic, there are alot of talented youngsters out there.

Travis Collins

On Saturday morning we went to the cavalcade (street parade). We saw some of our favourite Country Music Stars but most of them weren't there which was very disapointing. The cavalcade wasn't as good as last year.

On Saturday afternoon we went to see Kirsty Lee Akers launch her new album. She is a great little singer and well worth the listen.

Kirsty Lee Akers

We left early on Sunday Morning and we stopped at Murrurundi on the way home for breakfast. this is a yearly stop for us and the brekky is delicous.

A couple of very hot Country Music Fans

I hope I haven't bored you all too much.

Have a great day

Trip to Leura Jan 9th 10th and 11th 2009

I have lots to catch up on.

We went to Leura in early January, I had a lovely relaxing time. Until we got the phone call on Sunday Morning to say Kirby was missing. Kirby is our 11 month old cat and he was staying with some friends while we were away. On Saturday night he had got out of their house and they couldn't find him anywhere, we came home and joined the search party, we searched for hours then we decided it was getting too hot so we would put the search off until it was cooler. We restarted the search in the evening just before dusk thinking that it had quietened down and he might come out to my voice. We decided after a few more hours of searching that we weren't going to find him. We went home. About 1 hour later we got an excited phone call to say he was back and meowing at their front door. One very hungry ginger cat had returned 23 hours after he had gone missing, only he knows where he had been. I tell you there were 5 very pleased to see him humans. We were all over him and I don't think he could quite understand what the fuss was all about. We were so thankful that he had come home, I thought we had lost him forever.

In the weeks since there have been no mad dashes made to get out the back door, I don't know what happened in that 23 hours but we now have one content to stay inside ginger cat.

Our time spent in Leura was very peaceful and relaxing, I walked to the Leura shops but they are very overpriced so I didn't purchase anything. The shops are all lovely to look but they are just tourist traps. I didn't need anything so I didn't buy. Very proud of myself...

I came back from the shops and baked some afternoon tea for everyone. Cupcakes, are their favourites, and I think this was the nicest batch that I have made. Cupcakes with orange icing, they were yum with a nice cuppa. It took a little getting use to the oven but it was great just a little too small but I coped.

I will do more updating later.

Tracie xx

BIrthday

Today I turned 46. Have had a great day, breakfast BBQ this morning, lunch out with my Mum, and a nice BBQ dinner. Lots of pressies etc. My friend Kelly made me a yummy birthday cake, and my phone has been going off all day with birthday wishes.

Tracie xx

We're off for a few days.

Steve and I are off to Leura- Blue Mountains of New South Wales, tomorrow for a couple of well earned days of R and R, I have been looking forward to this for months. It will be so nice to get away from the shop and home and to just relax with a good book. I'm reading "Twlight" and Nourishing Traditions at the moment, two very different books. It is going to be cool enough that the garden should cope. My friend Kelly is coming to stay on Saturday night for a few days, she will feed Lil Pud and water the garden, Kirby has gone to stay with friends he is being spoilt rotten as I write. The cats and the garden are both being taken care of so I don't have to worry.

Will be back too soon...

Tracie xx

Very HOT HOT HOT

I Got over my little vent from yesterday. I just didn't watch the news tonight.

We have had a wonderful eating from the garden season, excuse the grammar...

We have eaten from our garden the following - Tomatoes, approx 15kgs, we haven't finished yet the tomatoes still have about 4-6 weeks in them, we have to pick them green and allow them to ripen off the vine as we have a bit of a fruitfly problem.

We are still harvesting beans, about a handful a day my FIL picks, and for someone who only really likes them raw, this is lots. We have been giving them to friends and eating lots in salads gives an extra crunch and raw food is better for you anyway.

We have eaten zucchinis and cucumbers till they have come out of our ears, with the Zuccs we had a bit of problem with the ends rotting, we have worked out from lots of reading that our soil is a bit acidic and they are lacking calicium. We have rectified this with some calcium rich fertiliser.

My two raspberries that I planted at last count have turned into nine.

We are starting to get strawberries, finally, if the possums would just leave them alone. I hid 2 almost ripe strawberries under some leaves and the next morning when I came to check on them they were gone.

I better go for now.

Tracie xx

Venting

I hate the news, I try not to watch it as it is so depressing, especially tonight with all the Israeli bombing news. It is all so sad. Ok tell us that this is happening but why does it have to be so graphic. Don't the news broadcasters know there are children watching at this time and children don't need to know that other children are dying by the 100s on the otherside of the world. If news media wants to show this type of images then broadcast them at a later time when all children are in bed.

I'm just venting.

Tracie xx