A mischievous little puppy

Back to the vet to get a new bandage and a bigger cone!

 There is no stopping this little lady.

Cheers,
Lynda

Puppy trouble

We had ourselves a bit of an emergency last night. The new puppy, Miley, somehow managed to cut her leg open on something in the back yard. It was only a small cut but it was deep and I could tell it needed sutures. It was 9pm and all the veterinary clinics were closed but we managed to find a 24 hour service in a nearby suburb. It came as quite a surprise to learn that she needed an operation.  She had not only cut her leg but also the tendon which meant surgery, shock horror and expense! and an overnight stay in the hospital and some medication to make sure the wound didn't become infected.

She's confined to indoors until the bandage comes off and the sutures are removed but she is liking all the attention.

Now we just have to find out what she cut herself on in the first place. We certainly don't want that expense all over again!

Cheers,
Lynda

Keeping me busy

The last few weeks have been a series of ups and downs. Life's busy at the moment and I am finding myself with very little spare time.  A lot of that time I am clocking up kilometres and paying the petrol companies too much of our money!

Homeward bound

One bright spot in our days is when this little one comes to visit. Babies bring so much happiness and joy, don't they?

Then there was the story of Duke's big adventure!! We learnt that he missed his calling and he should have been a steeplechaser. That horse can jump! He was spooked one day in his new paddock, jumped the fence and galloped to the next suburb (a long way away), crossed several roads and a major multi lane highway and caused traffic hazards along his path.  He didn't escape injury. It was thought at one time that he may have broken his leg but thankfully that wasn't the case and after many vet visits and various medications he has made a full recovery. He lost a good deal of condition that will take some time to stack on again and he also has some nasty wounds to heal on his head and legs but it could have been so much worse. He is now back again in his old paddock down at the farm and we hope he has had enough adventure for a very long time!

May is a busy month for birthdays with several in a row and two immediate family birthdays on the 11th and 13th. Add Mother's Day to the mix and the last week has been full of celebrations.

one of the birthday boys

There has been very little crafting going on but I plan to change that as soon as I can. I'm working slowly on the Lusekofte-sque Mitts by Mary Rourke and I am well into the second mitt so time allowing I should have those finished any day now. They are a lovely knit and I am enjoying the small about of fairisle in this pattern. Makes for something different. I also have a crocheted cat and a pair of slippers on the go.

Oh and I have to mention that life is made extra busy with the arrival of a new little puppy. She came a couple of weeks ago at 8 weeks of age and we are realising every day how much work goes into caring, training and loving a new puppy. Her name is Miley and she is a golden retriever. She is finding her place in the pecking order but she has fitted in with Jet and Princess Belle very well although she still has some work to do to win the Princess over completely.

Isn't she gorgeous

Cheers for now,
Lynda

Old Fashioned Jam Making

It's big, covered in a brownish pubescence, is hard and unpalatable when raw and some of them are among the ugliest fruits I know. What is it? The quince. When cooked it becomes a delicious not too sweet, not too tart fruit that makes excellent jams, jellies and paste.

It is in season here over April and May and it is a family tradition to make a few pots of jam while they are available. There was a time when many backyards had a quince tree along side the lemon tree but not any more. If you want quinces you have to go out of your way to find them at select green grocery stores.

Amid the madness going on around here this weekend I did manage to make jam and now I have some pots to share and some to store in the pantry for the coming weeks.

 Quince Conserve
1.5kg quinces
10 cups water
zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup lemon juice
5 cups sugar

Peel and core quinces and thinly slice flesh. Put some of the cores and skin in a muslin bag. Place the quince, muslin bag, water, lemon zest and juice in large saucepan and boil uncovered until the fruit is soft and pulpy - about one hour.  Discard the muslin bag. Add sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Boil rapidly until setting point is achieved - around 40 minutes but make sure it doesn't burn on the bottom of the saucepan. Let cool for a few minutes and then pour into sterilised jars and seal immediately. Enjoy!

Cheers,
Lynda

Sugar and spice and everything nice..

that's what little girls are made of!

This weekend we covered the family room floor in ponies and barbie dolls and drank pretend tea out of miniature plastic cups.

We baked and decorated cupcakes. Needless to say we ate some too.

We read Dr. Seuss books and decided Green Eggs and Ham was our favourite today. It was just right for a 6 yr old to read all by herself.

Kaylee picked me flowers from the garden that she arranged in a glass. Philosophically she stated they look pretty now but they will be mushy and dead tomorrow :)

She makes my heart sing!

In the words of  Dr. Seuss

“Look at me! Look at me! Look at me NOW! It is fun to have fun. But you have to know how.”


This little bunny knows how!

Cheers,
Lynda

The Power of Fish

Take a look at what Ash brought home for me today! One mention of good fishing in the US  and he was thinking he and I could do a road trip together. He was off to the travel agent for brochures. He has planned a drive holiday up the pacific coast (all be it in his head). Knowing Ash's determination this might just happen!

Giggle, giggle,
Lynda

Not the Natural Winter Kit Cowl

What to do with bulky weight Noro Iro? This is a difficult yarn to use. The colours are so appealling but it's expensive yarn so I only bought one skein  with the thought of making a cowl. I chose the Natural Winter Kit from Pickles but after the first round I made a mistake with the pattern and decided to continue on regardless as I had knitted too much to pull back and start again. The pattern was looking  ok, slightly different to the original pattern, but I liked it. Now it is finished I'm not sure about the stitch. It looks very much like a dropped stitch but of course it isn't. I like the thick columns though.

I've made this the right side and left the loops for the back.

It's long enough to wrap twice around the neck. Time will tell if I frog, gift or keep this one.

Cheers,
Lynda

A Bush Walk

Where did the weekend go? I don't know. One minute it was Friday evening and we were comtemplating all the things that we needed to do over the weekend and the next thing it's Sunday night. Not much was achieved for two days but hubby and I decided after lunch today that we would walk the bush tracks near home. We hadn't been walking in this area for awhile and it is lovely to have natural bush just two or three minutes from our door. This bushland escaped the last bushfires that raged on the other side of the road and came within metres of this land. It is home to many indigenous plant species and fauna including koalas, wombats, eagles and kookaburras. 

There are several interlinking tracks through an area of approximately 100 acres and most are easy walks with changing views and vegetation.

It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.

Cheers,

Lynda