notes from daisy mountain

Australia Day 2012

2012-01-26T18:25:00.003+10:00

Australia Day - and a very different one for our family this year.

Normally we set up the BBQ and the tables in the back paddock make sure there is a pathway mown to the dam and invite all and sundry and then some to bring along a picnic and celebrate with us.

This year we did things a little bit differently - we weeded the garden, took rubbish to the dump and then lazed around most of the afternoon until it was time to walk to the Club for a drink - now dinner is cooking away (and smells great) in the oven because - we have no BBQ !

How unAustralian is that ? No BBQ on Ozday - why you ask?

Well when we moved we got rid of the old one and thought we would get something a bit smaller and more suited to a suburban home deck ( and I wasn't sure if I cleaned all the muck off the outside of the old one that it wouldn 't fall apart!).

So we looked and researched and eventually settled on the one we wanted - which wasn't in stock - so we paid a hefty deposit safe in the knowledge it would be here by mid January - until early January when we got a call to say it would be here in February - because it is a very popular model.

Then naturally we get a phone call last week to say it won't be here until March - March !!!! March - BBQ season is over in March - it gets cooler in March - football starts in March.

But I am determined to look on the bright side the new bbq will still look new for Next summer - unless the phone rings again........in which case we might be picking it up next summer.

Daisymum

New Years Resolutions

2011-12-29T11:06:00.003+10:00

Well it is that time of year again - a time to reflect on what has been and what is to come. I don't make resolutions as much as plan for the year ahead.

Although last New Year as I sat on the beach contemplating who knew that we would sell DaisyMountain and move to the 'burbs'? I certainly didn't plan for that.

What I did plan for however was to Simplify my life - and that came through selling our five acre property and large house - and with them the hours spent in maintenance, cleaning and travelling.

I planned to spend more time with my children - and that came through selling DaisyMoutnain and moving closer to work so while they have been on holidays I can come home for lunch, take them to the park after work for a play and spend longer at home with them in the morning before heading to the office (2 minutes away).

My other plan for the year was to streamline my business so that I could do more of it - and that has come through selling DaisyMountain ..... you get my drift

That is the thing with "resolutions" or plans when you give it up to the universe you acheive your aims but sometimes in ways you least expect. And sometimes it is as simple as one grand leap achieves several aims.

So for the year ahead my "resolutions" or plans include:

- taking some of this extra time and spending it on me - and in the process getting healthier, thinner and gaining more energy.

- sticking to my new business plan - a very streamlined simple plan which will get me the results I want

- and ticking some things off my (yet to be created) bucket list - which I call the Daisy Do list.

Have you got one of these? It amazes me how many times I have been told by highly successful people "write it down and it becomes a reality". This year I have done a lot of writing down and those things have become reality.

I am not sure what to add - oh there are a few things like waterski again, snow skiing, get back on a surf board. But in the few minutes I have spent thinking about this list I have realised that my dreams are pretty light on - maybe a bit safe - so for the next few days I will be going all out and thinking outside the square - thinking big and thinking bold - to compile the DDL.

My "almost New Year" challenge to you is to do the same - It doesn't have to 100 things but there have to be some things that will require effort and planning - something that will be an ACHIEVEMENT in every sense of the word.

Until Next time

Daisymum

Sunday afternoon

2011-10-09T17:29:00.005+10:00

Thought I would share a photo I took at a new home I listed last week - this Wisteria is simply gorgeous. The photo below is just part of the garden there too....look at that Queensland bottle tree.

Well another lazy Sunday has passed with usual round of cooked breakfast quick game of cards with the kids and loads of relaxing and playing games together.

Daisygirl16 went off to school camp today - at the Sheraton !!! - it is a hospitality camp - funny how they didn't need any parent help on this it is probably the only school camp I could see myself on! !! Although the girls are going there to work - making beds, serving food etc we still had to pay - not sure that is quite right but oh well.

The kids seem to be the only ones going anywhere at the moment - Daisyboy15 just got back from the trip of a lifetime to New Zealand with his rugby team - they played a game, watched a couple of world cup matches and did the usual tourist stuff in Wellington.

Mind you daisyman and I are going on a fishing trip later this month to raise money for the Harcourts foundation. Now you all know camping is not my thing but I am rather looking forward to waking up on Teewah beach in a tent.... but I reserve the right to change my mind if it is raining !! The Harcourts Foundation is largely supported by agencies who donate a percentage off the top of their commission - it is a lovely worth while thing to see the money be distributed to worthwhile charities. Next year the major fundraiser is a trip with a terrific bunch of agents walking the Kokoda Track to raise funds for the Foundation.

Actually when daisyboy15 went to New Zealand we were having trouble getting the boys a game as it was school holidays - because of the sort of company I work for I was able to send the CEO Mike an email asking if he could do anything (Harcourts started in NZ in Christchurch) - after six long weeks and a series of emails going higher and higher up the food chain - they got the boys a game at Poirura College - daisyboy and his teams mates said it was the highlight of the trip staring down the Haka performed by the opposition!! It made me realise how proud and lucky I am to work for a company that really does live its core values - Fun and Laughter, People First, Do the Right Thing and Be Courageous. The Foundation is another example of the company living its values not just paying lip service to them.

Until the next time I have five minutes spare !

Daisymum

Sunday Beautiful Sunday

2011-09-25T12:10:00.002+10:00

Well I have to tell you all my mood has improved greatly since the warmer weather has arrived.

I have to go to work for a little while in half an hour but then I am going tot he nursery to get some seedlings and get into the veggie garden.

DaisyMountain as some of you will recall has been on the market but we have decided to stay here for another 12 months or so. A decision that has been harder than I thought it would be.
But once it was made it sure made getting out in the garden a lot more fun and more productive.

At the moment I am sitting here with the gentle perfume of the Brunfelsia I cut yesterday wafting through the house. I think I might just cut a big bunch for the vase on my desk as well.

While my time is limited with work, and the demands of the family - there is a gentle balance that has settled itself over our lives at the moment and I plan to take full advantage of it. SO some simple vegetable gardening and some gardening - nothing startling just bits and pieces that I can do in the few linutes I find spare every now and then.

The trick to working full time I have discovered is not to wait for large chunks of time to open up to get tasks accomplished - just take a few minutes here and there to do a bit.

Clean out one drawer in the kitchen while you are waiting for the toast to cook, because I guarantee that the hour and a half that you need for the whole job is much harder to find than the bonus five to ten minutes, that present themsleves during the course of the day.

I have revisited Fly lady recently - it is a "home life organisational system" that I used for years and years - it is probably more relevant now than it ever was.

I hope you are all using this beautiful day to full advantage - doing, relaxing, or connecting with people you love.

Until next time

daisymum

Changes afoot

2011-06-15T14:07:00.004+10:00

Hi Guys

Wanted to post this to my business page but it is down for some reason - the tecchies are working on it now. So I will regale you all with my thoughts:

This article appeared in my inbox today:

Industry slams new stamp duty legislation

Wednesday, 15 June 2011

Matthew Sullivan
"The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) has slammed the Queensland state government’s decision to remove the stamp duty home concession.
From 1 August, the government will remove the concession which non-first home buyers receive when buying a new or established home as their principal place of residence.
In addition, the government said it would also introduce a $10,000 grant to people that are building or buying a new-build home or unit priced up to $600,000.
REIQ chairman Pamela Bennett said while the incentive to increase housing supply and create jobs in the construction sector is a positive for the economy, the removal of the stamp duty concession for non-first home buyers will wreak havoc on the Queensland property market.
“The government is obviously trying to fill the financial void that has been left by the weak property market, and the subsequent lower stamp duty receipts given the marked reduction in property sales over the past 18 months,” Ms Bennett said.
“A better way to stimulate the economy would have been to provide financial incentives for all buyers of all types of properties which in turn would have increased activity and therefore helped the government’s bottom-line.”
According to the REIQ under the new legislation, home buyers purchasing a median-priced house in Brisbane will now be hit with more than $15,000 in stamp duty – an increase of more than $7,000."

So what does it all mean:

1: get in quick and buy a house before August 1st if you are thinking about it

2: get in and buy a block of land and build a new house if you are a first time buyer and get $17000 as grant before January 2012

3: get in and buy an investment property becasue prices are down, interest rates are down and the stamp duty thing hasn't changed for you

4: if none of these apply - take some advice from "The hitchhikers Guide to the Universe" - DON'T PANIC
The reduciton in stamp duty for buyers of a Principal place of residence was introduced as a result of the GFC to help stimulate the housing economy somewhat. Australia is in pretty fair shape still and indications are that we will remain in good shape for the foreseeable future. So this in one way is an indication of that - but more importantly there will always be a percentage of the population "on the move" - stamp duty or no stamp duty this won't change. People have to move for work, family reasons, lifestyle changes and nobody is going to sit put because of this - in fact in six months time nobody will even think about it - death and taxes it comes to us all.

( the real estate daisymum)

Another fabulous Day Off

2011-05-02T17:14:00.007+10:00

It never ceases to amaze me just how many beautiful spots there are within a short drive of our home.

This morning we headed to Walkabout Creek at Mt Nebo and had a look through the Wildlife exhibit it was great - seeing the platypus and the snakes and the wombat (reminded me of some teenagers I know). Check out the face on this fish - he was so angry looking it was hysterical.

Then we headed off to Mt Glorious and stopped at the Camp Mountain Lookout which we have never done before. The view of the village from one side was great but the view of the CBD from the other was just breathtaking - the photos are from my iphone so aren't great but you can always pop up and see it for yourself.

Then we headed down to the Cedars and stopped for a picnic by the creek - the three (well four ) boys had a great time chucking rocks in the big pools, skipping stones and paddling and swimming in the water hole. Lunch was a simple chicken and salad roll , hot coffee from the thermos, juice and a few left over Easter Eggs.

On the way home we stopped in Mt Glorious and bought ice cream for the kids and coffee for us then a short trip down the hill and we were home - a gorgeous day out and never more than 25 minutes from our door !

And there is still so much we haven't done just in that drive there are three more lookouts to check out and the winery to stop at. But being so close to home we can do that one Satuerday afternoon after I finsh work - or even on a Sunday on the way home from football.

I hope you all enjoyed your day off and did something relaxing, exciting, with family, on your own - doesn't matter as long as you feel refreshed and happy.

daisymum

I found my old life for a few hours today...

2011-04-23T17:34:00.002+10:00

Being a Saturday I had Open Homes but being Easter Saturday I only had two! This meant I was finished early, took daisyboy10 shopping for new footy boots, had a coffee, then went to Bunnings and did some damage in the nursery!

Home,changed and then went outside potted up some plants, repotted some geraniums that have been struggling to survive, tidied and moved the garden furniture around.

Then I got out the good cloth, the good cups, heated up some hot cross buns and made a pot of tea and sat and enjoyed it with the kids, Daisyman and a dear friend.

What a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Reminded me of what my life used to be like before I got a career!!!

If only there were enough hours in the week to have it all...but maybe there are...we will see the new "set business hours" plan kicks into gear after Easter. It should bring me more days like this and that can never be a bad thing.

Happy Easter everyone

daisymum

My Other Life....

2011-04-06T08:33:00.004+10:00

Thought I would share my "other existence" with you all.

This is my desk - as you can see pink predominates, the hydrangas are from daisy mountain's garden.

The green coffee travel mug is a fixture and much smarter idea than an open cup. I can't tell you how many quilt became "coffee dyed" because of an incident with a coffee cup!! It also saves all those broken coffee cups in the car as I leave the house or office with a cup of tea.

So back to my desk and the other reason for showing it to you. It is organised and clean and reasonably clear of clutter, but today is a paperwork day for me so there are two piles of stuff at the back that won't be there by the end of the day.

It has become my haven - Daisy Mountain is going to be sold and we are moving the daisy gang closer to work,schools etc. - so Daisy Mountain looks like hell !!!

I am in the middle of painting the kitchen and our bathroom, delcuttering, clearing the jungle that used to be the garden, and packing. So when it all gets too much I retreat to the calm clear space that is my desk - and update my blog!!!! hahaha

It did get me to thinking however that everyone needs a clear, clean space to retreat to when things get too much. In the days when I was religiously meditating everyday that space more often than not was in my head.

So this week's little challenge is to post a photo of your clean clear space - real imagined or hoped for...

daisymum

End of an Era

2011-03-16T17:45:00.002+10:00

End of an Era - Daisy Mountain will be on the market in the next few weeks. And the Daisies ae off to the "burbs".

On one hand I am really looking forward to being closer to the kids schools and work, and living a more urban lifestyle.

But on the other other there will be many things to miss about our little haven not eh leat of which will be our mountan, my garden (well not so much a garden anymore as a rampant jungle of plants) our beautiful dam and gorgeous trees.

Then there is my sewing room - all the space we have to spread out and be us and the many many memories.....but the practical part of me says its time - and Real Estate wise it is the right time to move. So that is it the papers are signed the agent is employed I just need to hustle my butt throgh the painting and decljuttering adn turn my beautiful home into a desirable piece of real estate!!

daisymum

Dinosaurs and Dynamos

2011-03-08T19:33:00.003+10:00

I am a baby boomer (albeit - a late baby boomer - which apparently means we get to claim some Gen x traits). But the gap that I see widening between agents who came into Real Estate less than 10 years ago and the ones (like me) who have just arrived is already huge and widening every day.

I remember talking about "old school" agents ("press hard triple copies on the hood of the family car" types) - but now I see them having a new classification as Dinosaurs whereas the younger agents are absolutely the Dynamos. Which logically makes the other group Darwins.....subject to evolution or extinction.

Last week I had the very great pleasure to be helping a younger colleague at his mid week auction. This is a disciplined, gentle, intelligent man with impeccable manners and ethics so I am happy to help out when he asks me. There he stood in his suit with his iPad cradled in his arm like a newborn, tapping away while talking to prospective buyers and auction attendees. He looked so cool, so professional and so completely in control that the fact that there were no registered bidders and that the mother of all thunder storms was bearing down made little difference to the evening.

Now I know some of you who have followed me for sometime think I am superwoman but believe me - I looked like Louie the Fly compared to this kid!

Is that scary ? - well may be for some - and I can tell you now that I know a handful of agents who won't be around in 3 years because technology and the level of professional sophistication that we will be expected to have will be out of the bounds of their abilities.

But I think while I still have a deep and abiding love of new gadgets, technology and good old fashioned communicating that I might survive this particular "extinction" but as always time will tell.

EVOLVE OR PERISH PEOPLE!!!!!!

Daisymum

Sustainability isn't just about vege gardens

2011-03-02T07:02:00.002+10:00

Sustainability for me isn't just about vegetable gardens, recycling and buying organic.

It is about accepting the gifts and talents you were given - we are all part of the natural world and if we follow the thinking through then there is a reason each of us is here in the form we are in.

I just read a facebook post about someone who was revelling in actually diving in the pool - she had been resisting all day in 36 degree heat because she had straightened her hair.

If you were born with wavy or curly hair then you can bet your life there is a reason for that just like tree frogs and short sightedness.

I am not saying that for a special occassion it isn't nice to do something different with your hair but a long long time ago I relaised that fighting nature is just stupid, heartbreaking and expensive. My hair is STRAIGHT no amount of curling with tongs, curlers or anything else will make it stay anything other than straight - so I gave up. I hate my hairstyle always have but it is easy and the way my hair naturally sits.

My hair is also very dark - almost black - I hate that but fortunately I can change that easily each month with a little box of colour even if I do have to empty the rinse water out instead of putting it down through the biocycle.

So save yourself some time and energy - let your hair do what it is meant to do - yes fellas even if that is fall out - nothing worse than a plugged head and don't think nobody can tell BECAUSE YOU CAN - AND IT LOOKS WEIRD!!

You can't fight nature and if your spend a day sweltering because you have spent an hour straightening your hair then that is just sad.

End of rant

have a great day

Daisymum

Holding a mirror up to your life.- and liking what you see

2011-02-16T16:29:00.003+10:00

This week an article appeared on a website - about me.

The article is on a site called Living Savvy the brain child of the gorgeous Jo Bassett our chidlren share a classroom, and she and I have shared a few lunches. Why she would have been interested in me was a bit of mystery but she was so we met, we chatted and the results are to be found on Living Savvy.

I was laughing as I was reading it because I kept thinking this is so weird I sound so good, so together, so grown up - when I feel far from all those things most of the time!!

That got me to thinking that I am, like most women, too hard on myself.

Having 7 kids isn't any harder or easier than having one - it is just different - like everyone's family is different. Working full time is no big deal millions of women all over the world do that and without the benefit of the best boss in the Universe. The other stuff I do well that is just the other stuff I do - put it all together and I sound like Superwoman or Wonderwife.

The reality is far more mundane I go through the motions, I write lists, I yell, I get things done, I know how I want things to be and somedays it works out like that - do I love my life YES! Would I change it - NO! Tweek it? - All the time and maybe that is where I am different I am constantly re evaluating EVERYTHING.

But perhaps that is more about getting bored than trying to be a better person.

But one thing I do know having someone hold a mirror up to you and making you look into it - is a really worthwhile thing, the upshot of this week is I am probably more appreciative of what I get done rather than beating myself up over what got missed.

So thank you Jo - it was an uncomfortable, confronting and worthwhile experience.

Daisymum

Nighties!!!

2011-02-09T16:48:00.002+10:00

Well finally tonight our quilt group starts for the year. Can't quite believe this will be our 3rd year! They are such a great bunch of birds - and we have so much fun - I am so looking forward to tonight.

Even though we had a sneak peak the Sunday before last when we met for a Day retreat - we went to a hall just up the road( in Australian terms) and sewed for a whole Sunday.

The whole balance things is working quite well at the moment - I feel like a whole person again instead of some unrecognisable manic monster. lol

Daisymum

The list gets longer..............

2011-01-22T12:16:00.002+10:00

As usual I have spent the first few weeks of January deciding what needs to be on the quilting MUST COMPLETE list for 2011.

I have decided to record that list here in the hope that some of you may try to keep me focussed on finishing these things rather than starting new ones!!!

- Journey of a Quilter - those familiar with this list from 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 will remember it is a block of the month that I completed one block of.....

- Be Attitudes - I need to do all the hand stitching of faces and details.....

- Angels Story - another long term favourite block of the month - although I have completed four blocks, have three ironed on and ready for applique and one to embroider ....as well as the other 7 to put together.

- my red, pink, white and black quilt - this one is only a the farbic selected stage - still haven't found a pattern for it - suggestions welcome.....

- Roll, roll cotton ball -a Bonnie Hunter mytsery quilt

- Kiss in the corner - a Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilt

Might work these two together like I did Caroline crossroads and Orange Crush when I got sick of one I worked on cutting or piecing the other and I finished both of them in five weeks - yes that is definitely the plan for these two.

- Birthday block quilt - at least it won't be making these blocks the girls in the quilting groups will be I will just put them together - this will be my next hand quilting project

- Zahlees Quilt - Speaking of hand quilting I have to finish the pastel quilt for my little Zahlee.

- And then there is a paper pieced quilt that I want for my new bed - it will be scrappy with a common background fabric - again suggestions welcome

And finally the one I added this morning a "Jared takes a wife " it is another of Bonnies quilts that I have rediscovered - and have decided I just have to make it ....I wonder if it would look good made with the red, pink, white and blacks I have chosen with no pattern????

Are you thinking what I am thinking ? Is she CRAZY there are too many - I agree but my mentor tells me you have to aim high .....if there is no update post in December this year feel free to renind me to fess up and see if I got to finish any of them !!!

Daisymum

2011 - what a way to start a year !!

2011-01-14T06:40:00.003+10:00

This first post of the year was going to be last week and about our holiday- a new addition to the family and things like that.... now that all seems a bit trivial.

So a quick round up:

We have a new puppy she was a Christmas present from our son - her name is "pudding"

She is now about 9 weeks old and is very cute and getting used to us - I on the other hand keep stepping on her because she is always right under my feet!!!!

One of the best blog posts this week was when we all heard from Mandy from The Old Dairy - it was great to know she and her family were safe and dry.

I think now with all the devastation around from the flooding it is a good time to remind oursleves that fruit and vegetables will be expensive and probably in short supply - so yesterday I planted some tomatoes and lettuce and few bits and pieces more than I normally would because I figure if I have excess I can share it.

So Welcome to 2011 - we Queenslanders sure know how to start the year off big!!! My thoughts go out to the families in WA facing fire threats - if we could send water we would - stay safe everyone.

daisymum

Look what we got this year

2010-12-10T08:22:00.002+10:00

These cute little guys are the ones that we bred from the ducks that daisyson6 got for his 3rd birthday, turns out they were great mothers and we got 19 ducklings hatched from them.

We lost a few to the Powerful Owl family that is nesting in the back paddock - but only when we were home too late to get them locked away.

The one we kept is now a snowy white muscovey duck and she spends her day with our lovely Gander - Kite. Poor Kite thinks she is a really small goose - and she isn't sure what she is but they are having a loveky time together anyway swimming in the dam - which if FULL with a capital F.

So with visions of fluffy yellow ducklings in your head - have a fantastic day!!

daisymum

A week and its December Already?

2010-12-02T21:13:00.003+10:00

I can't believe it has been over a week since I posted and it is December!

I just worked out that I have made over 13000 - thirteen thousand school lunches and I still have about 4800 to go before I am done being tied to the kitchen bench at 6am.

But the really sad thing (apart from me taking the time to work this out) is that I am not sure just how many of them got eaten.

You start out the school year with salad sandwiches and yoghurt in new lunch boxes and end the year with vegemite sandwiches and cling film!!

Of course there are spurts of wraps, and casseroles in those hellishly expensive food carriers - you know the ones - the ones THAT NEVER COME HOME.

What does come home are the mouldy sandwiches, squishy fruit and the "healthy muffins" now a very healthy food source for nine previously unidentified strains of bacteria.

At the end of every year we all ask oursleves why bother but in eight weeks time we will all be in the kitchen with shiny colour coordinated lunchboxes and ice packs - packing healthy yummy lunches - with the naive thought that this year will be different, and your kids will eat the lunches you pack not sell them to the boarders - so they can buy chips and lollies!!

Daisymum

Balance - a challenge for you

2010-11-22T15:59:00.004+10:00

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to have a guy called Nique Stewart come and speak to us - at us - he is a motivational speaker.

He talked about goal setting and how setting goals isn't just about work goals but life goals as well. How you need to write them down and in the present tense ie: I am spending 1/2 hour everyday in my garden, not I will....

So why am I telling you all this? well because it works.

Now mind you sceptic that I am it may just be that is is summer and you all know how I LOVE SUMMER! But since I wrote down in my book - I am spending 1/2 an hour in the garden everyday, I am spending 1/2 sewing everyday, I am spending 1/2 hour cleaning the house everyday - I actually am! Not to mention all the work related goals that I wrote down and are now coming to fruition.

This comes as much of a surprise to me as I am sure it is to you. But I spent so many months saying "I don't have time" when in fact I do have time I just don't allocate it for the things I love. I try to get all the work stuff done first so then I can play - but play is what makes me who I am and how can I be effective at my job if I am not who I am?

So all those posts about the elusive "balance" - it is simply a matter of writing it down in the present tense and reading over it every single day (more than once).

I know it sounds simplistic but if it is so simple and no harm can come of it why not give it a go and let me know how you go?

Daisymum

Friday

2010-11-19T07:17:00.003+10:00

For the first time in ages I don't have any appointments - so that means one thing - jeans and a tshirt and a day of paperwork. Now this may not seem very exciting but believe me it is like a holiday compared to what I have been cramming into my days lately.

But as you can see I ahve made time for the vege garden here are a few squash, beetroot and lettuce. With the wonderful rain we are having they are much bigger than when I took this photo on Monday!! Remember when we are desperately concerned about the lack of rain - how lucky are we now.

Tonight is the Primary school extravaganza - not one of our favourite evenings - oh it is lovely to see the kids perform and have fun but the behaviour of some of the parents leaves me quite cold. I think I am getting less tolerant of boof heads in my old age!!!lol

Huge work day tomorrow 9 Open Homes and an inspection at 7:30am so a long day - but I love Saturdays they are full of promise and meeting new people and adventures and achievements - for a whole variety of different reasons it is still my favourite day of the week.

I hope you are all having a fabulous run down into the weekend.

Daisymum

Beautiful Sunday Morning

2010-11-14T07:29:00.005+10:00

Today was to be my first day off in 33 days but as fate would have it I had a huge day in Open Home land yesterday and I have some buyers who want a second inspection on one of my properties.

Now to be fair I did try to organise it for Monday or Tuesday telling them I hadn't had a day off in a month - but one is starting a new job tomorrow and hey have little kids - and my seller needs to move on with her life.

So I chose to look at it differently I will get dressed, take the kids with me and drop them to the park in town (with ice cream money) do my inspection then sit and have a coffee while the kids play. I like the idea of afternoon tea in the village today - and I wouldn't have even thought of it if these people hadn't wanted this inspection.

So the lesson is - always look out for the possibilities in every situation.

Other than that I am planning on getting the house clean in a blitz this morning, cutting out some more pieces of my Mystery Quilt, planting out some more seedlings in the vegetable garden (did I mention the nursery is right next to the park!!) and getting my quilt marked up with the quilting lines so I can continue hand quilting tonight, and getting to church later today.

These are the bits of the Mystery Quilt I have cut so far - not even enough to complete the first part of the first block!!! Need to get a wriggle on with this today so I can sit and sew for a while.

This is Sascha - we are looking after her for her owner who is away until February. What I didn't mention when I told you the big boys had moved out was that they took Turbo with them and Buddy went to live in Mitchell with a friend of daisyson23 - he is happy and healthy and spends his days mustering goats!!

So we were dogless - we looked at getting another one and at fostering for the RSPCA and then Sascha turned up. She is a great dog she never barks, doesn't chew shoes, doesn't dig, loves to go for a walk (but not too far she is 7) and her only vice is ripping the soccer and footy balls to shreds so the kids play in the back paddock instead of the yard.

We will miss her when she goes back to her owner in February and perhaps by then we will be ready for a permanent four legged member of the family.

Enjoy your Sunday whereever you are

Daisymum

Vegetables

2010-11-09T19:54:00.002+10:00

A quick one to let you know - blogging again is keeping me honest...got out and weeded the rest of the vege patch and planted squash, beetroot( a bit late but oh well) and lettuce.

Also planted some seeds of rocket, beans and tomatoes.

Not much but it is a start - and now it is raining ever so gently....I am taking that as a sign.

photos soon!

Daisymum

My year in Quilts

2010-11-08T06:25:00.006+10:00

Old Dairy Lanes:

This quilt was a mystery quilt posted by Bonnie Hunter from Quiltville some time ago she called hers Old Tobacco Roads, as the area she lives in is an old Tobacco growing area. We live in Dairy Country and I chose to use green for the stepping stone blocks hence "Old Dairy Lanes".

This was a fun quilt to make loads of little pieces but all strip pieced so it was quite quick - basically for you quilters out there, it is pinwheels and four patches set on point with alternating bricks of a plain colour - in this case greens. It is completely scrappy all I did was separate lights and darks and just go for it.

This one is Charm Square Swap

We had a swap at quilt group (the one I never get to - or hardly ever! see it isn't just blogging that has been squeezed out of my life). We broke into groups of 10 and each month we all had to bring in ten charm squares (5 x 5inch) all the same so at the end of the year we ended up with 12 sets of 10 scrappy charm squares - 120 in all. My group had just 7 so we had a few less.

They were so different I was at a loss for a while - but then you have to let go of the "colour control" sometimes and just let it happen - tie it together with something darker and plain and this is the result.....

Be Attitudes:

This quilt "Be Attitudes" I have been working on for a while as you can see if you look closely, there is MUCH hand stitching to be done (nobody has any eyes!) Thought I might do that when we go on holidays over Christmas.

So there you go a few of the quilts I ahve staqrted or finsihed in the last 12 months.

Have a fantasitc Monday!

Daisymum

Notes from Daisy Mountain back on line!!!!

2010-11-07T18:14:00.006+10:00

I cannot believe it has been almost a year since my last blog post!!

Thank you to The Old Dairy for getting me moving and motivated again. I love facebook I think it is a great way to stay in contact with people in "sound bites" - but for a meaningful coffee worthy, relaxing time at the computer nothing beats reading a blog post and being involved in a friends life.

Not sure whether sustainable living is still my main theme for here - things have taken a distinctly consumeristic turn of late with me working 6 days a week (and for the last 29 days - 7 days a week).

But there are some volunteer cherry tomatoes growing over the old chook pen, and some of those yummmy purple and white beans rambling over the lantana in the back of vegetable garden - and I did plant some white with purple spots sweet potatoes I got from a client the other day so I guess I can claim some credibility.

As for the quilting - I have started a new mystery quilt, finished hand quilting that single bed one and am half way through another one. The good news is one of my dear friends is quilting all my finished tops for me (well all but 2!) so soon I will have lots of new photos to show you all.

Family wise there have been some changes two of the oldest boys daisyson 23 and daisyson 19 moved out about three months ago - and hey presto the house is staying tidy, the electricity bill is cut by a third and the washing is now manageable! I miss them like mad but they are happy and healthy and living not too far away. And for the first time in 15 years we have a"normal" size family.

Work wise - I LOVE LOVE LOVE my job, I work in the best office with the best people and everyday is a joy. I have managed to sell over $5,000,000 worth of real estate in one year which is right in line with the goal I set myself so I am pretty happy.

Lifestyle wise things have changed a bit too Daisyman has a new job - the grown up job you apsire to when you reach middle age kind of job - it is a credit to him and his expertise and he is loving it. But I had a few months of being able to rely on him for picks and drop offs and now that has changed so my work day begins after I drop off daisyson 9 and daisyboy6 and finishes at 2:30 when I leave the office to collect them.

For about a week I panicked and moped about it, then I realised it gives me more time here in Daisy Mountain - to do things like the garden, the housework etc. - not that I have done any of that yet - but that is the plan - lol.

But seriously it is nice to be home to cook a proper meal and I am back in touch with the kids again - I was spending so much time at work that I missed liturgies sports days all sorts of things. So this new change has given me my mummy time back.

All this happened about four weeks ago right about the time I came down with whooping cough so I have been feeling dreadful - but that is now well and truly under control and getting better - so this week today is the start of a new kind of balance.

And I am relying on all of you to remind me about it when you see me straying back to workaholic mode.

So that is me and the last year in a nutshell - I hope you are as happy as I am that I am back in blogland.

Daisymum7

Sustainability Declaration Explained

2009-12-17T16:57:00.000+10:00

Section one of the new Sustainability Declaration is all about the Energy Efficiency of your home:
Questions like how many out of the total number of lights in your home are energy efficient.
Do you have solar power, Gas, air conditioning, pool or spa, what type of hot water system, insulation where and what type, window glazing , roof colour, roof ventilation and ceiling fans.
Section two is aboout Water and has 7 questions:
Is there a rainwater tank and what size?, greywater, water recirculation,shower heads, type of taps,dual flush toilets,garden irrigation.
Section three is about Access:
and has six questions - entry level, steps etc, level access to bathrooms and toilets and living areas, grab rails in bathroom and level entry to shower, toilet grab rails, wide doorways and wide hallways. Very pertinent for an aging population
Section four:
Safety five questions :
Smoke alarm installed (on standard REIQ contract anyway), Electrical safety switch also on standard REIQ contract, Pool fence maintained, Hot water system tempering device installed, Property number clearly visible from street (for emergency services)
The questions are set out simply and are easy to answer and very logical and the type of things we should know about our new homes.
There is also a column on the right that tells you what the savings for various things are.
As I mentioned before there has been some opposition to this form and there are petitions circulating right now to stop or curb it - I think we all need to get on board and support this initiative it takes not too long to complete (yes my husband and I did it for our house - it took about 20 minutes plus a few minutes searching receipts and paper work to confirm a few things and fill in the kilowatt usage from which you calculate your green house gas emissions).
Go to the website and check out the form and then give it a go fill it in and see how your house rates. Then get back here or go to my facebook page and let me know how you did.
If you have joined The Green Streets forums you will have no problem answering these questions.
Until next time
Angela

Christmas Recipes

2009-12-01T08:27:00.003+10:00

Okay Recipes it is, seeing as I don't have time to cook it would seem appropriate!!

For the next 25 days you will get a recipe from somewhere around the world relevant to this time of year some traditional Christmas Fare, some not so traditional for us, but for someone and in line with my God/universe/whatever you believe in philosophy - some from left of the Western Christmas field.

But we will start with traditional Christmas Cake

But whose? Australian, Middle Eastern, Asian ? This may take more than one recipe folks!!

So heres mine - think it is an old Australian Womens Weekly Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

3 cups (500g) sultanas
½ cup (100g) glacé cherries
1½ cups (250g) raisins chopped coarsely
1½ cups (115g) seeded dates, chopped coarsely
½ cup (125g) glacé apricots, chopped coarsely
½ cup (125g) glacé pineapple, chopped coarsely
¼ cup (85g) orange marmalade
¾ cup (180ml) Grand Marnier (or brandy or rum or all three!!!! and some for the cook)
250g butter, softened
¾ cup (165g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
4 eggs (duck eggs if you can get them)
2 cups (300g) plain flour
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 cup (160g) roasted almonds, chopped coarsely
¼ cup (60ml) Grand Marnier ( or rum or brandy and more for the cook!!!!)

METHOD
Combine fruit, marmalade and liqueur in large bowl; mix well, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Store mixture in cool, dark place overnight or up to a week, stirring every day.Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan-forced. Line base and sides of deep 19cm-square cake pan with two layers of brown and two layers of baking paper, bringing paper 5cm above sides. Beat butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until just combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined between additions. Add the butter mixture to fruit mixture; mix well. Stir in sifted flour and spice, then nuts. Spread mixture into pan. Bake about 3 hours. Brush top of cake with extra liqueur. Cover hot cake tightly with foil, turn cake upside down; cool in pan.

Off to research a recipe for tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy your day

daisymum

Apologies for being AWOL - again

2009-11-30T11:13:00.002+10:00

Hi gang so sorry I have been absent for a month already!!!!!!!!Life is fantastic adn the new job is wonderful but I am so busy just trying to do the basics!!!

What else is new?

Hope this finds you all well.

I hve a blog for the business now you can tune in there from time to time if you like.

go to: http://angelasrealchat.blogspot.com

Wow tomorrow is DEcember 1st - have to think about what my Christmas Series will be about tis year ---mmmmm Maybe Christmas recipes from around the world? or would you like me to find more weird and wonderful traditions??? your call let me know

daisymum

A quick thank you

2009-10-28T07:41:00.003+10:00

Thank you to those who posted recipes I can tell you it is Wednesday here and I read this post quite early got in and baked the fruit crumble for breakfast that Tracey suggested as i had all the ingredients on hand!! YUM

I made slab cake on Sunday and iced it differently and used different flavoured cake and that was fantastic - what a simple idea. Fruit slice this afternoon thank Lyn.

Ths is actulaly fun I have made more time to cook these things - so maybe time wasn't the issue perhaps motivation. Whatever it is -thanks girls (and the children thank you)!!

daisymum

PS: The reason I had cake mix in the cupboard is because I make a really simple dessert with it. SO as you shared your heres mine................

Upside down fruit cake:

You need

One packet of butter cake mix
One can of fruit
However many eggs the packet mix says.
spice

How you do it:

put packet mix in a bowl add egg(s) add juice from can of fruit (eg pineapple)
mix
place powdered ginger and cinnnamon in the bottom of a greased cake tin place sliced pineapple on top - put cake mixture on top of this and whack in the oven for the designated time (usually 25 minutes at 180 degrees C.

Turn out and voila Pineapple upside down cake!!!!!!! For about $2.50 Aus.

Use different spices for different fruits eg: pears cinnamon and allspice
peaches star anise.

OR the other favourite quick standby is:

Cherry flat Cake ( not very inspringin but you will see what I mean when you make it)

You need:
one packet of butter cake mix
1 can of sour cherries DRAINED (or a cup and half of frozen berries)
1 250 ml carton of sour cream

whack the sour cream and cake mix in a bowl - mix well

fold in cherries or berries

whack in a greased cake tin and cook for about 25 minutes on 180 degrees C.

It won' t rise (hence the flat cake description) serve cold with cream for a luscious - aren't-I-a-fantastic-cook dessert.

have a great day

daisymum

FRIDAY - Recycling and Recipes!!!

2009-10-16T06:18:00.004+10:00

There is nothing like waking up and realising it is Friday - except these days I also work on Saturdays - but Saturday is a different kind of day it is kind of like a free dress day at school!! ( In Australia all schools except some privatley run primary schools have compulsory uniform rules).

I am not commenting anymore on the garbage situation - I think my "friends" jumped too quickly onto the "madwoman" bandwagon - so from now on Joolzmac and I will suffer in silence as we sort other peoples laziness.

But seriously it has made me realise that now I am working full time again how much packaging there is in things. I always used to take my storage jars to the organic shop and get them filled there - they just weigh the jar then weigh it again after it is full of flour or whatever. But I don't have time to do that these days so ther are flour packets, sugar packets the list goes on. As I work more hours I seem to be more disorganised with shopping and food preparation - oh I still cook every night - no takeaway - So no packaging there......it is the biscuits!!

In an attempt to be a good mother I have been buying - buying mind - you biscuits (cookies) for the kids for lunches (hang head in shame ....) and afternoon teas.

So today the challenge for you my friends is to give me your easiest - yummiest - quickest biscuit and slice recipes.

Sunday I am cooking all day to fill the freezer with things so no more bought biscuits and no more packaging.

Can't wait to see what you all come up with.

Daisymum

Madwoman's Garbage

2009-10-14T20:07:00.002+10:00

Thinking of changing the name of the blog to Madwoman's Garbage - today is rubbish day - guess what I was doing today????????????

Yes the mad garbage sorter was at it again???????? I know I don't throw out more than half a bin and as I am the only one who Pcks things up where does all this stuff come from!!!!!!!!!!!!

Off to get another glass of wine mutter mutter mutter...

daisymum

Green Streets

2009-10-12T07:20:00.003+10:00

I have just joined "Green Streets" and to my delight have found two others in our street who are also taking part.

You go on to the website answer a few questions about how you live eg: how many times per week your family uses public transport, how much non recyclable waste you put out each week, whether you grow your own food, etc etc all the things we are doing anyway. From there you get a score and the aim is to lower the score.

Check it out and let me know what you think. I love the idea of being publicly accountable....for example I answered the question about the rubbish and put down we have about half a bin full each week - that was rubbish day and guess what?? The boys had cleaned their room so there was a mass of stuff in the bin - rahter than put it out and have the neighbours see I had lied I went through the bin added what I could to the recycling, grabbed some clothes for rags, used some of the plastic bottles as planters for the seedlings and it eventually came down to half a bin - then I went back in the house had another quick shower got changed into a fresh set of work clothes and drove like a maniac to get the boys to school on time!!!!! So I saved half a bin of rubbish from landfill, used another 50 litres of water for the shower washed another set of clothes and used a bucket load of petrol speeding.........

Next week I check the bin out on Tuesday afternoon, not on the way to the car for work!!!!!!

Seriously though I wouldn't have done that if I hadn't just filled in the survey and knew that my neighbours would be driving past..accountability it is a great thing.

Have a look at it here................http://www.greenstreet.net.au/

daisymum

A Mummy day

2009-10-08T07:22:00.004+10:00

On Tuesday I went off to work sat there for about an hour staring at the computer screen knowing that there were things I should be doing. After a while I realised that sitting there wasn't doing anyone any good so I packed up did some grocery shopping and came home. Now the thought twelve months ago of coming home from an exciting vibrant place filled with interesting people to do housework would have never crossed my mind. But on Tuesday that is exactly what I needed.

I called it a mummy day but in reality as I sit here and write it was a Rhonda Day - those of you who read Rhondas blog Down to Earth will know exactly what I mean.

I swept and mopped floors, dusted, rearranged, cooked, washed, folded, ironed, tidied and gardened. After about an hour of working up a sweat with the broom and vacuum I felt great.

And finally after about 6 weeks there are flowers in my vases again nothing makes me happier than flowers from my our garden inside the house.

Sometimes I think you need to make sure your home is still a haven before you can go out and be constructive and productive in the wider world.

Have a Great Day

Daisymum

Real Estate Sales Me

2009-10-06T07:00:00.002+10:00

I know - it has been ages but I have been trying to come to grips with my new role. The new office is wonderful and the staff are all incredibly professional, caring, and generous people..it is nice to be working there.

Work -I have had some mild success I signed up my very first property to sell in just two weeks, and it will be an auction ( so if any of you are looking for a lifestyle change - watch out for a tearoom, residence and vacant block for that organic vegetable garden - all just 35 minutes from Brisbane CBD). Work wise things are great.

House - the dust storm, school holidays and me working my little behind off (more about that in a later paragraph) have taken a toll on my home - remember those "honesty shots" almost a year ago??? Well the sewing room looks not quite as bad as that but the garden is worse. One day a week just isn't enough to keep everything under control.

Vegetable Garden - what vegetable garden? I have a few stalks of silverbeet, loads of Kale - (thanks Rhonda that stuff just grows its head off!!! been using it in spinach pie type things and fritattas.) And there are some volunteer tomatoes which are the sweetest tasting tomatoes I have ever grown so not exactly sure where they came from!!!!

Garden - the roses are blooming their heads off and the hedge row roses have their first flush of flowers - they are so lovely they only flower for about three weeks a years but when they do it is gorgeous, and the jacaranda is coming out in bloom as well so the garden - from a distance- looks pretty good.

Me - I went to the agents launch of a property the other day and was sent some photos - I knew I was fat but oh my gosh so am embarking on a look after me campaign. Started eating breakfast again, packing snacks and lunch, booked in for yoga on Mondays and will walk/run five times a week. My new boss is very keen on the idea of incorporating your fitness times into your weekly schedule - so I booked myself in for a Seasonal Way seminar on Thursday this week a kick start to looking after myself and guess what ? He starts an eight week sales training session that day!!!!!

Sewing - what sewing? The photo at the top of the page is an original design put out under my business name Daisy Mountain Designs - it has sold very well and I love walking into someones sewing room and seeing it up on the wall.....but there are times when I can't believe that I designed it and found the time to stitch it and package it and well be creative.

The Moral of this Post - if health is all about balance and moderation - I am taking up woodwork to learn how to make a big box - because I am going to need it!!!LOL Oh don't get me wrong I eventually get everything done and everything under control but there is always something that has to give including blogging but mostly it is me and what I need or want to do. I think I have discovered that the purpose of my life this time around is learning to find balance - if I was a cynic I would say I might have to live this life a few thousand more times before I get it right.

But as in all large jobs it is easier to break it down so for today I will blog, I will walk/run, I will take my lunch and snacks to work, I will hand quilt tonight in front of tv, I will wash the kitchen floor before I go to work today, and when I bring the boys home from school I will plant the blueberries, cranberries and Taro I bought three weeks ago!!!!

Have a wonderful day...I know I will

daisymum

Sad news

2009-08-28T07:25:00.003+10:00

I have popped in very quickly to ask those of you who pray to send some away for my 33 year old niece. She has 3 children under 4 the youngest not one yet and she has two malignant tumours in her bowel, and it has spread to her liver,lungs and lymph nodes.

I believe we all have a certain time frame that is preordained by fate, the universe, God, something but that doesn't mean you can't fight to push the edges of that frame every step of the way.

Have a wonderful weekend hug your family close and tell them you love them.

daisymum

"Ruffian" update

2009-08-12T18:13:00.003+10:00

I had a little time yesterday afternoon and I found some more scraps in my sewing room so I sewed them together and added them to the "Ruffian".

I found a pile of bigger ugly fabric scraps - so I sewed them together for the backing so I am ready to quilt this baby on our quilting retreat in a few weeks.

Tired and hungry just got home from work it has been a long day.....

daisymum

ASPARAGUS and potatoes

2009-08-11T07:34:00.003+10:00

So anyone planted asparagus??? Do you leave it in the garden for years or do you pull the crowns each year like daffodils????????

Think I might be in way over my head with this one......but we eat so much of it I figured it would be good to grow it instead of buy it.

So any advice would be greatly appreciated.....

This is the bucket of potatoes I harvested without the garden fork the other day it was kind of therapeutic to dig in the dirt with my hands and come up with these.

I found loads more when I found the garden fork and dug over the beds on Sunday.

daisymum

Apologies ....

2009-08-10T07:06:00.002+10:00

I ahve tried all weekend to get that post up about the baskets but I can't so I am sorry you will ahve to trawl back through my posts until you find one for April 10th.

This is the Easter Basket tutorial as I promised.

This Friday - we will be making lunch sacks and mug bags. You will need a couple of fat quarters of fabric (or 2 x 45cm ). A sewing mahcine, something thick for the middle (polar fleece ?) and a button.

daisymum

Ready set ...Christmas!

2009-08-05T07:13:00.003+10:00

Someone mentioned on a blog the other day how close Christmas was - it got me to thinking that it would be good to be more organised this year because I am working.

So Friday next week I will begin a series of tutorials for quick gifts to make for Christmas.

I am no expert but I have made loads of things over the years and they sold quite well at the markets I attended. Where possible I will use recycled materials and I will keep the instructions simple. I will not be reinventing the wheel so if there are website out there with great tutorials on a particualr aspect of the job then that is where I will send you to look.

Some will be for machine sewing, some hand sewing, some cooking and just some clever things I have found along the way. You will even be treated to a few original designs.

I say Friday next week because this week to save myself some time I am rehashing an old tutorial I did. No hints but for now DO NOT THROW OUT ANY OLD TOWELS, FLANNELETTE SHEETS, OLD SHIRTS and keep an eye out for end of winter sales in polar fleece, cheerful cotton (or poly cotton - this isn't a quilting class) fabric, and embroidery threads.
Oh and if you see any of that by the metre plastic with the fabric backing that they use for outside tablecloths grab a little bit of that - look for remnants or end of rolls.

Okay that is enough for now........kids are well and back to school today so I am off to work.

daisymum

I've been tagged................

2009-08-04T08:01:00.005+10:00

Here I am thinking to myself - the boys are still not well they are staying home from school daisydad will come home at 11 so I can go to a meeting and work this afternoon - what will I blog about today? ( it was going to be something about harvesting 15 kilos of potatoes without the bloody garden fork..)...and along comes Margaret from Margarets Ramblings and tags me. I have to divulge seven things about me that I think are amazing ....

I am tempted to put down that I am still sane but you all know that already so here goes

1: My children are by far my greatest and most enduring achievement daisyson22 is an electrician, daisyson21 has just started a carpentry apprenticeship, daisyson18 works in local hardware store four days a week and studies a uni course via distance education, daisygirl14 is a thoughtful, resourceful and attuned young lady, daisyboy12 is a typical 12 year old with a soft and caring side to his nature that his loudness masks a lot of the time, daisyboy8 is simply gorgeous and perfect he is smart, funny and a demon at gin rummy and canasta!!!, and daisyboy5 is a delight funny, loving and very interested in animals and nature.

2: My husband we met at 15 - he proposed when I was 17 - I refused - he moved away for work - we always remained friends - I married someone else had five kids - my marriage fell apart - daisydad came back - he proposed I figured I wasn't going to get a thrid shot at it so I said yes - I live in a Mills and Boon Novel!!!! He is the most wonderful caring, loving, handsome, dependable perfect man on the planet.

3: I worked out that I have raised over $150,000 for schools and charities working on various commitees and starting up things over the last 10 years. I started the markets here in town and I am very proud of that. Next year we will join the Show society and I will head up the team for our patchwork groups Quilt Show.

4: I surprise myself all the time I am one of those "where Angels fear to tread types" I find myself agreeing or volunteering to do things I know nothing about - and then I think I should be worried but I never seem to be I just do what needs to be done, find an expert when i don't know how and get on with it. Whether it is quilting, cooking gardening, organising anything I look back at some of the things I have taken on and I am truly surprised.

5: I miss my mum she passed away four years ago last week - I thought it might get easier or less painful or something but there is this empty hole inside me.

6: Here I am at 46 and I still want to do another four or five jobs before I shuffle off this mortal coil, I think I would like to be a nurse - not a sick people nurse no patience for that - but a theartre nurse, and I would like to sell and lease commercial real estate, and I would like to own a b&b or maybe the quilting retreat my daisyfriend1 and I keep talking about, oh and I would like to write a book or at least finish one of the three that I have started.

7: I am not looking forward to being a grandmother - my friends are all gaga over babies but to be honest I am over it - I guess it is different when you only have one or two kids or have four really close together they are all over and done with and gone, then they come back with their kids in tow. But I am still the mother of a 5 year old for heavens sake why on earth would I want more babies around. Fortunately there appears to be only a slim chance of that happening so fingers crossed I get a few more "baby free" years.

Now who do I want to tag?????

Life at Castle Cleugh
The old Dairy
Simply Jooz
A vision Splendid
Can you all hear me at the back
The Remote Treechanger
100mile diet in Calgary

No rhyme or reason just time to think.....

2009-08-03T10:57:00.014+10:00

At the last quilting retreat Daisyfriend1 gave me these off cuts from a quilt she was putting together. As you can see they are small but for some reason I couldn't let her throw them ...
I don't think its merely that I hate waste - I suspect that I have a bigger aversion to cutting out and the thought of cutting a zillion little triangles - well anything really - never appeals to me.

But being able to sit at the machine and just sew things together - that is pure bliss!!! As those of you who know quilting can see no quarter inch foot just me and some scraps and a sunny afternoon........................perhaps this will be one of the 18th brithday quilts I need to make who knows.

So I've sewn them together and then sewn two of those squares together and so on and so on.....
I've also unearthed some orphan blocks left over from old quilts and some other bits and pieces I just couldn't throw out becasue they are already cut and ready for an afternoon of sewing.

Some made these they are quite big about 8inches square.

There is something very liberating about just sewing scraps. I have already mentioned I hate cutting out - there is such a responsibility in getting out a new piece of fabric and measuring and cutting and checking - but with scraps it doesn't really matter does it?? After all, they are already just one step away from being binned so if something gorgeous (or I-can-live-with-that) doesn't emerge you can relax but cutting into hundreds of dollars worth of new fabric? You need to think and plan and all that stuff before you get to the fun bit.

So while I sewed - I have composed this blog in my head ready to publish tomorrow (today), worked out what we are having for dinner all this week and what I need to buy, planned my work day and sketched out the week, and decided that this will not be a gift quilt it will be a quillow for daisyson12. I have also worked out what pattern I will make the 18th birthday quilts and what fabrics I will use.

And I have come to the conclusion that sewing scraps is very therapeutic for me, I might even trim them into real sizes (but then again maybe i won't!)

Not sure what they will all look like once they are together but they will all be together soon. All those little bits are now bigger bits, so now it is just nutting out a layout of sorts to accomodate all of them - after all I don't want any leftovers!!!!!!!

Imagine having enough fabric to make a whole quilt top in four or five little ziplock bags!!! It never ceases to amaze me. I even have a name for this quilt "the ruffian" which works on so many levels (lol).

daisymum

PS: the vege garden didn't get a look in, but I did make two loaves of bread, a casserole and a cake.

Start a club today!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-31T07:19:00.005+10:00

Mandy over at The Old Dairy posed the question yesterday do you buy organics or is your preference to buy local????

I buy organic baking stuff from the Organic shop in our village so I guess I do a bit of both. But buying organic fruit and vegetables is really expensive when you have a household of 8. I belong to a backyard vegetable growing club and we swap our excess produce which is fantastic

but for me the best bit about it is the knowledge I pick up from these very accomplished growers, and the free seedlings, seed swapping etc etc.

So why not get together with some friends you haven't met yet and start a backyard food club in your local area? Put a notice up on the community notice board take out an ad in the local paper , try the school newsletters for a free plug - in these days of the internet most of the organising can be done via email (or your own club blog!!).

Although my vegetbale garden is quite sad for lack of commitment at the moment I am still popping in a few seeds each week and transplanting them out, my yields aren't great but I know what that is about I need to feed my soil more, so off to buy manure today - see I even sound like I know what I am doing now!!!!!!

daisymum

Dropping by again

2009-07-30T07:09:00.004+10:00

I cannot believe the week is almost gone again. I was out last night and looking at the sky and it is decidedly lighter these days at 6pm than it was a few weeks ago - which means the sun is coming back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know there are a lot of you who will be complaining about the heat but I love the sun and the summer - I am one of those people that gets quite depressed in the depths of winter for lack of sunshine.

Now that I am working again I get to work some days when it is barely light and go home in the dark - not much fun. So I have made a pact to walk in the sunshine for at least 1/2 hour everyday. When I was home I could garden or hang out the washing but being stuck in the air conditioning makes it more challenging.

Fortunately everything in our little village is quite close so the other day I walked to an open home that I was attending with a co worker instead of driving the car. It is amazing how much more productive I am when I get out in the sun.

Tomorrow is Buddy's Friday over at Margarets Ramblings if you haven't seen her buddy posts and those she attracts from other bloggers have a look tomorrow they are always worthwhile.

Thinking it is time to do a tutorial on making a beach bag.......so watch this page for instructions over the weekend.

daisymum

Buddy's Friday - a day late...

2009-07-25T15:54:00.002+10:00

Some of the comments left regarding my local show post got me tot thinking in this age where there is a definite upsurge in the number of people cooking more, gardening more, sewing more why aren’t the local shows getting the entries they used to? (I say that generally because there was a definite up swing in our show entries this year)

Is it because we are afraid that someone will judge our work “not worthy”.

When I say I was lectured by the steward at our show about not cutting my citrus properly I mean LECTURED I suppose I could have been offended but instead I took it with a very serious face and then laughed my head off when I got outside!

I know my grapefruit tasted better than the ones that won, I know my lemons were probably as good as the ones that won third place but in the giant scheme of things it was fun to enter, exciting to get to the pavilion to see if I had won anything and I still made lemonade.

See I am not a competitive person by nature but I’ll be blowed if our local show will go without quilt entries because I was too lazy to rip one off the kids bed and enter it (yes literally and of course Friday night was the coldest night of year here and daisyson18 wouldn’t let me forget it ribbon or no ribbon!!)

I believe in community and our local show is part of our community I want to know that a lady I nod to at the bus stop in the afternoon is a really great photographer, I want to know that a mum who seems chronically disorganised is probably that way because she got a first for almost all the cooking she entered. I want to know these things about my community.

A few years ago when we were in the grip of drought a lady who has had great success with her rosella jam had her rosellas pinched - seriously they climbed over the fence and ripped the plants right out of the garden!!!!! Now as shocking as that is it is also kind of funny – like an episode of Midsommer Murders!!! I Love that about my community that there are the crackpots and odd balls.

Like the guy who staked out the jam competition last year because he didn’t clean sweep the section because I won a third for my peach and nectarine jam – when he asked for the recipe and I told him I just chucked everything in and guessed the amount of sugar he just laughed and asked me if I was game enough to enter next year…..I wasn’t but not because I was scared to - but because I haven’t had time to make jam for ages. But 2010 look out buddy there will be another recipeless challenge to your domination.

I guess what I am trying to say is be good buddies to your community support your local Show or Fair if they don’t have a category for what you made or grow then ask them to include it It doesn’t matter if you win or not it matters that people will see that someone is growing things and sewing things and cooking things and that menas everyone wins.

Daisymum

Camouflage and ribbons!!!!

2009-07-21T07:10:00.005+10:00

Every year at the local show they have the Army recruiting van this year they gave out these really cool torches and water bottles - daisyson8 just had to try on the full pack and see if he could hold it up this year. He must have grown he can stand in it this year!!! ---just. The big smiles say it all really.

Every family has that kid that spoils every photograph by poking out his tongue, rolling his eyes, looking away or scowling into the lens.... meet daisyson5. He couldn't get the pack on so he just tried on the vest. Caroline over at the Simple Things has a son who is in the Army I wonder if he tried on the pack at their local show when he was a little boy?

And finally a little brag - I entered a quilt actually daisyson18's birthday quilt and I won a third prize for it!!! I was really thrilled. I was more thrilled to learn someone wanted to buy it but of course I couldn't sell it - then she asked if I would make her one....stilll wondering how I would charge for it - anyone out there who has made this pattern "Carolina Crossroads" by Bonnie from Quiltville knows just how long it takes. Anyway they gave her my number and I suppose we will see if she is serious or not.

Have a fabulous week as you can tell things for me have resumed a "normal" pace and I have some time spare. So hopefully I will be posting more often can't guarantee everyday but certainly at least twice a week or more.

Love and hugs

daisymum

The local Show.....

2009-07-20T07:10:00.006+10:00

I know I am biased about where I live but we serioulsy have the prettiest (or one of the prettiest) Showgrounds on the planet. Here are a couple of views taken from the top of the Ferris Wheel yesterday afternoon about 3.30pm.

Bear in mind for those of you in the Northern hemispherre we are in the middle of our winter!

The showgrounds is set right in the middle of a housing estate 1 acre to 1 1/2 acres blocks loads of horses etc, this is the main arena with "house" mountain in the background.

And here you can see the carpark and over towards the houses - the Showgrounds is about a one minute drive from our home so we buy a $25 family membership and spend various times there over the weekend.

I got there early Saturday to watch a friend compete with her horse, then daisydad took the kids mid afternoon for sample bags and rides, I got home from an afternoon tea with my MIL and took them back for the fireworks.

Then yesterday as daisyson12 has that awful coughing bug (which meant no football for him) we went back and spent no money (well just a little) and collected all the freebie notebooks, magnets, pens, stickers, arm bands and entered all the free competitions, watched the parade, the duck herding, the free circus, the motorbike show and of course the pig races!!! Daisyson8 did some sport on the main arena, we sat on the grass in the sun and caught up with friends, indulged in the free wine tasting and wandered around the "beaut ute" show.

Some families I know take their picnic lunch becasue once you pay at the gate you can park your car and go back to it as many times as you like they have an esky in the car and picnic in the carpark, we were a bit more financial this year and so we ate dagwood dogs (I know they aren't real food, I know they are so bad for you - but what is a show without dagwood dogs and fairy floss???)

We had an amazing day and I was very impressed with all the horticultural entries we had howling winds here Thursday night and all the roses I contemplated putting in blew away as did the camellias. But the standard of entreis was AWESOME and the fruit and veges were amazing.

I entered some grapefruit and some lemons but made the mistake of picking them not cutting them with stems on so my entry wasn't looked at - I had the lecture from one of the stewards and now I know what to do for next year!

I hope everyone in my part of the world enjoyed the fabulous weather yesterday and got out and indulged in some mid winter sunshine.....there was a hint of summer on that breeze.

daisymum7

PS: tomorrow the quilt I entered and signing the boys up for the armed forces!!

Another deep and meaningful question...............

2009-07-11T07:47:00.006+10:00

And there is was tucked into one of the last paragraphs of Rhondas (down to earth blog) blog post from the other day(and live with stark white minimilism if you want to). See I look at the photos of Rhonda's home and I love it but I know I could never have my home look like that. I guess what I see is the love that radiates out of her personality shining through in two dimensional images - so what does that say about me??

Well at the moment I think it says there are nine people living in this house keep as many surfaces free of stuff as you can - there will be time to fill it when they leave!!!!!! But I could be wrong perhaps it is just that I don't know where to begin.

I have some lovely things but honestly the thought of hauling knick knacks out of boxes and displaying them kind of leaves me cold. But the thought of some lovely silver pieces sitting in the cupboard to be trotted out a few times a year for a dinner or party also makes me cross. I have lovely glasses and plates and I use them - I don't want my family to wait until I am dead to drink out of the waterford crystal wine glasses - they are gorgeous and substantial and make even the cheapest wine something special but in the giant scheme of things they are just glasses.

Perhaps that is the personality that comes across in my house - it is just stuff - perhaps I am just too time poor to titivate things like I used to.

So my weekend question to you all is ....... is your home truly a reflection of you or a reaction to your lifestyle????????????

Finally a day off!!

2009-07-10T08:50:00.003+10:00

This has to be quick having a day off with the daisies today.

I bought my bread maker last weekend I opted for the cheapest one I could find just to make sure I would use it etc.

It is great planning on using it just for dough tomorrow and baking some bread rolls, but popping everything in clicking the switch adn coming back three hours later to find bread is pretty good!!!!

I found sour dough mix that tastes okay and have loads of organic flours to make all kinds of weird combinations - it is fun - haven't done any sweet bread ones yet but thinking a fruit loaf this weekend.

Other than that the vege garden provided a zillion peas, some kale, carrots, beans and one lone broccoli(the possum likes broccoli). Haven't the time at the moment so going to fill it with manure and leave it for the longer days. I still have onions and potatoes coming along but the other bed is going to have a rest.

I have finished baout five quilt tops lately and am finally making some progress on the single bed quilt I am hand quilting.

Not going to promise photos becasue it never seems to happen but with three whole days stretching out in front of me who knows ....................

love and hugs

daisymum

Footy night post

2009-06-19T19:46:00.002+10:00

Yup Friday and everyone around me is watching the footy so I though I would site with them all and post a quick one to once again explain my absence.

WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!What else???????????????

At the moment I am taking over the job of property manager - did I tell you I passed my registration thingy??? and I will also be Office manager but in the meantime until i find someone to do my reception work I am doing all three jobs or trying to.

This afternoon I actually cried when i came home because I forgot the cleaner was coming today and when i got home because I hadn't left a note he had cleaned the WHOLE house they were tears of relief that I didn't have to do it.

So instead I packed up the car for my quilting retreat weekend I can't wait to get up there and catch up with all the girls and sew and chat and not thinkabout work.

And maybe I will even check the second hand shops on Tba and find a bread maker!!! Yes I am still on that tangent!!

So my dear friends thank you for bearing with me - and sticking with me in three weeks i will be back for real and posting much more often.

love you all lots

daisymum

ps; will take photos over the weekend at what everyone got up to.

Tablescape Thursday

2009-06-11T16:14:00.002+10:00

It is cold here today but when I got home from work the sun was out and I felt like a cup of tea. So I made a quick batch of pikelets and a pot of tea and set up this little table to have my afternoon tea (with daisysons 5 and 8 ) in the front yard in a small patch of sunlight.

An antique silver tea pot, creamer and sugar basin and two of my favourite pink toile tea cups (daisyson5 prefers his monkey mug - not in shot - I wonder why lol)

Ah bliss and to think I wouldn't have bothered if I didn't need a photo for Tablescape Thursday.

daisymum

Welcome

2009-06-08T10:29:00.005+10:00

I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome Becca and Angie to the followers list. It is lovely to think others think my life is interesting enough to vist from time to time.

I have just gotten back from my flying visit to Melbourne and my friend at Castle Cleugh. Their new home is gorgeous and in a great location just near the beach in Beaumaris. We had fun doing a little shopping ( I bought a few new clothes and some things for the kids) But of course now I am at home I am thinking I should have bought that and that - oh well I will just have to go back again.

One of the things that really struck me about Melbourne is the local strip shopping, we went to Mentone and the Concourse and few others just in the course of the driving me around and getting me aquainted with where things were. I love the idea of being able to go to the butcher, the bakery, the coffee shop, the fruiterer, a clothes shop etc etc without having to inhabit one of those ghastly shopping centres (malls) there is something decidedly quaint about being able to grab a basket and wander around and shop.

I take it for granted in a lot ways becasue we live in a village outside of Brisbane and this is how we shop every day, but it struck me that in Brisbane generally this type of shopping experience has largely disappeared except for a few precincts like West End, Redcliffe, Sandgate and some of the trendy areas like Bulimba and to a lesser extent Wilston.

It is a shame if we could all shop more locally we would walk more, get to know our retailers more, support smaller businesses with more sutainable business ethics and then we would be moving steadily towards the type of world I think we all crave.

I enjoyed my Saturday morning at the shops so much I didn't even think to be miserable about how cold it was !!!! (actually it was a lovely 9 degrees celcius but as the morning wore on the "snow" clouds came over the sky and it got chillier) but there I was breathing fresh air and not recycled air conditioning air, hugging my bags of produce and thoroughly enjoying every moment of being outside.

So if there is a tired little set of shops near you where you can pick up the bread and milk, the paper, chat about local events as you wait for coffee or find a dusty bargain on a back self then do yourself and the planet a favour and go explore. Certainly the internet may be making the whole world a village but nothing beats interacting with actual people and seeing their smiles, and the knowledge that your purchase may just keep them open a little longer or draw in another retailer to help revitalise our local precincts.

Have a wonderful Monday where ever you are - and take a walk to the shops!! (even if like me you have to drive there first)

daisymum

I'm baaaaack...........

2009-06-04T07:34:00.006+10:00

Just walked away from the computer and thought hold on - one of the comments about last week was how our friends in the other hemisphere rarely get to see our Christmas tables so for your looking pleasure some of our Christmas tables from over the years.................

Will scan some of the older ones in and post them next week.

daisymum

Tablescape Thursday again already!!!

2009-06-04T07:28:00.001+10:00

Hi wanted to say welcome to the new visitors here to Daisy mountain.

Can't believe it has been a week since Iposted. having a roast with the gang tonight so will get the photos of the Tabelscape uploaded after dinner for you all to see.

I am off to visit a friend of mine in Melbourne tomorrow morning at 6am!! (which means leaving home at 4ish the things we do for good friends hey?? and it will be COLD and I HATE the cold.!!

have a great day until tonight my tablescapers!!!

daisymum

Tablescape Thursday

2009-05-29T07:11:00.005+10:00

Tablescape Thursday:

What Christmas at the Beach looked like last year.

Hi friends just came across a great idea Tablescape Thursday - check it out at "Between Naps on the Porch ". What a great name for a blog.

I am recycling a Tablscape from Christmas last year for my first one.

Been very absent work has been really really busy but promised myself this week that I will start getting back to dooing some of the things I love.

Off to Melbourne next week to visit my friend at Castle Cleugh.

Have Daisyson's 21st this weekend. and school and club rugby so no relaxing weekend here!!!

And I turned 46 last week.

And to answer some of your emails and comments while I have been absent:

No we didn't get flooded out but the kids schools were closed during the middle of the day and we had to pick them up early it was my birthday so I was out with a girlfriend visiting patchwork shops and books shops and supposedly having lunch didn't work out like that but we had loads of fun!

Yes I am fine not ill or grumpy just busy in fact thinking of changing the name of the blog to that "not grumpy just busy"

The vege garden is doing okay but for the first itme my tyre stack potatoes failed I only got 6 out of the two stacks!!!! Not sure why maybe there was too much water!!!!!!!!

And no I ahven't bought that bread maker yet...still can't decide what I should do and of course the sour dough started is off and running again so now it isn't an issue except I bought a box of bread mix a few weeks ago ( yeah cart before the horse stuff) so might have to get kneading which might be good for the wobbly arms I have now grown overnight since my birthday!!!!

I will really try not to be so absent am off to buy myself a laptop next week as I never seem to get anywhere near one of the four computers we have in house!!!!! Figured I can sit on the couch and blog at night when there is NOTHING on television which brings me to another technological question just how long do I have before digital tv takes over and we can't watch anything???????

I can't believe the year is going so fast I have made my second batch of laundry liquid already two more and it will be Christmas !!!! Again.

daisymum

A question of bread......

2009-05-13T16:33:00.002+10:00

Okay so my sour dough started died and I have to start another one but that aside I think I would like to get into the whole baking bread thing s little more than one or two loaves of sour dough a week.

Of course all new ventures are fraught with questions so I will pose this one to you all.....bread makers - whaddya think??

I have always been of the opinion that they are just too small a loaf for my large family but then someone suggested I could just use it to knead the bread (great idea no time for all that these days)

So I went to ebay and there are heaps of different brands and sizes and I got confused so tell me
- do you have one
- what make and model is it
- good points
- shortcomings

anything else I need to know before I but one new or secondhand?

daisymum

Mother Day and surprises!!

2009-05-10T18:23:00.004+10:00

Obvioulsy Mothers Day was full of surprises from my wonderful family. But I was impressd that little or no money was spent on gifts, my daughter cleaned the house for me and put flowers in all the vases and made a gorgeous cake.

My eldest boy bought me a load of mulch and proceeded to weed and mulch all the gardens for me.

Our youngest made me a lovely card and a photo frame for the fridge with his little face in it, daisyson8 bought me a scarf, a book mark and a smelly lavendar sachet to hang in my cupboard from the school craft stall (all hand made).

Only daisydad and daisyson18 went commercial from my son I got a pair of secateurs (I misplaced mine in the garden somewhere no doubt they will turn up when things die off a bit!) and a new pair of gardening gloves and from my lovely husband a bottle of my favourite perfume.

The day was spent on canteen duty at rugby, then washing jerseys for the other sons team, a few hours quilting a Fire Quilt to send to Victoria and getting some things organised to sew this week. Then a game of badminton with all the kids (really gets the heart rate up!). Then catching up on emails and the blogs and a glass of wine and home made pizza.

Bliss a simple productive wonderful day spent being a mum.

daisymum7

Whaddyamean it is wednesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-06T07:21:00.001+10:00

Can't believe it is Wednesday already loads to tell bnut maybe tomorrow not time this morning.

Have a great day gang!

daisymum

Daisy Mountain - the Drive

2009-04-30T07:05:00.002+10:00

There are times here at Daisy Mountain when I feel like I am just going through the motions. For the next few months our life looks something like this....

Monday: daisygirl netball collect at 5:30pm (75 minute round trip)

Tuesday: collect daisyboy12 and friend from footy training at school (50 minute trip)

Wednesday: take daisyboys 12 and 8 and friend to footy practice (50 minutes)

Daisydad to collect daisygirl from netball then bring her to footy where I take her and daisyboy8 home after his practice (and BBQ dinner at the club)

Except for the last Wednesday of the month when I drive and dump the boys then get back to open up for patchworkers and daisydad brings all home late.

Thursday collect daisyson 12 and friend from footy training at school(50 mins)

Friday get over the last four days and prepare for

Saturday: one club game one school game

Sunday: one club game

And that is just the sport bit no teacher interviews, club meetings, etc.

Somehow I have to find the joy in performing all these drop offs and pick ups, I have to remind myself it gives me time to chat with the kids. I have to keep reminding myself that I have chosen to work everyday and that I need to find other times to do the things that need to get done or that I want to do like sewing. And I have to keep reminding myself it is only for this term then school football ends and we only have netball and club football to contend with then by the end of August it is over for another year.

And I have to keep reminding myself that in three years daisygirl will have finished school, and that in four daisyboy12 will be done with it, and that in just 8 years after that we will have all of them out of school.

Feeling better already.............. just 12 more years of hell to go - I must have done something very very wicked (and probably loads of fun ) in a previous life!!!!LOLOLOLOL

Have a fantastic day!!!!!!!

daisymum

A question of potatoes...

2009-04-27T07:09:00.004+10:00

So when you grow potatoes in a bed do you need to add more soil around the base of them as they grow like I do with the tyres??? or do I let them go because the bed is built up so high above the ground?

We inherited some new chickens over the weekend 6 gorgeous silkies 3 caramel, one black and two white (one of the white ones is a bit psycho). I will get some photos this afternoon and psot them tomorrow so you can see them all. They came from my friends father in law if you read her blog Life in Castle Cleugh you will know her inlaws are moving down there today and they wanted their chickens to go to a good home and we were it!!! They are so lovely. Thinking seriously about getting the Silkie rooster that is advertised on the community noticeboard so we can breed from them.

Other than chickens, the Dawn Service with all the kids and breakfast for all afterwards, we had daisyson8's First Holy Communion yesterday , my in laws came along then we had a tea and toast brekky with them and toddled off to our local pub for a long lazy lunch with four other families a zillion kids and the most glorious weather.

Another busy weekend but a lovely one nevertheless.

Have a wonderful day

daisymum

We went to the zoo zoo zoo - you can go too too too

2009-04-23T16:08:00.012+10:00

A question

2009-04-21T11:36:00.001+10:00

Who has twitter????????????

Honestly they weren't there yesterday........

2009-04-18T16:35:00.008+10:00

...but I just went outside now - after a frantically busy Saturday cleaning,shopping etc etc - and there they were.....POTATOES!!!!

What I should have done of course was label which variety I put where..... Then I would know why three rows have come up and not the other three

It is all so much easier when you plant them in tyres this stack is this and that stack is that...these are colibans (both stacks)

And here is the garlic I planted only one variety

They are in tyre stacks two high (but they are four wheel drive tyres) - and I have three stacks of them

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend - tomorrow we are off to the zoo - Over the mountain and through some back roads to Clifton. But right now I have to check on the roast lamb and ice the birthday cake.

Love and hugs

daisymum

Garlic

2009-04-17T07:26:00.002+10:00

Well my garlic is up and growing like mad obviously it is okay with living in tyres.

BUT not one of the seed potatoes I planted in the raised beds has come up - I keep waiting and waiting but nothing!! My tyre ones are fine growing like mad but not the garden bed ones I thought it may have been too wet but they are very well drained so not sure what is happening.

Other veges are growing well and I planted out some basil seedlings, tomato seedlings and some cauliflower seedlings over Easter.

My eldest Daisy is 22 tomorrow where did that time go???????

Work is frantic being two short weeks and considering I do short hours anyway it has been awful, but the kids seem ok with being home and I have two days off once I get through today.

A very close friend of mine moved to Melbourne a few months ago and she has started her blog about it go to cleughcastle.blogspot.com and check out her adventures. This woman is an amazing gardener and once they move into their new home and she starts transforming the yard you will be in awe. That is what I am looking forward to watching I have had the priveledge of watching her transform a few homes now and being able to keep track of this one too is very special.

Okay no photo slack I know but I will take some this afternoon of the Garlic and the potatoes etc and just post photos tomorrow.

have a wonderful day!!

daisymum

An inauspicious start...but here it is..

2009-04-10T13:47:00.017+10:00

Welcome to the first of the Buddy's Friday ready set Christmas Tutorials/Pictorials on some easy gifts to make for the rpesetn stash.

This is a basket I orignally made for a swap I was particiapting in but imagine how great it would look in Christmas colours!!! Or to match a friends' (or your) kitchen.

I am going to show you step by step how to make a basket for bread rolls, Christmas chocolates, hand made soaps, handtowels anything really.

I used a couple of tea towels that I had cut up for our potholder swap - but you can use any fabric my preference is for cotton but you may think differently.

Start with two squares of fabric about 16 inches x 16inches. Hem

them as I did (see pic 1) by folding over the edges twice (you may like to pin them ).

Then get out your trusty ruler and a pencil or washable marker and mark 2 1/2 inchs in from all sides, draw these lines, then with wrong sides together carefully sew along THREE of them only. From edge to edge. This will leave you with an open side.

Cut out some template plastic (or ice cream container lids - cardboard if you won't be washing them - you could even use the ironed shopping bag "fabric" that is all the rage at the moment) it needs to be stiff but flexible. Cut this into one 10inch x 10inch square and four 2 1/4 inch x 9 1/4 inch rectangles.

Slide the ten inch square into the pocket you have made in the middle and sew the final line from edge to edge.

Slide the rectangles of plastic into the remaining long open pockets on the four sides - you may have to trim them to get them to fit in snulgy that is fine you may even have to trim a little off the long side - again that is fine. At this point you may want to pin again I don't but I don't use a lot of pins I find they just stay there anyway.

Cut out eight 2" x 14" strips of fabric I used spots but you could use the same fabric as the basket these will be the ties for the sides.

Fold the edges to the middle (ironing them at this point helps keep them flat)

Then fold in half again and sew right on the edge to form a strip

to be used for the ties.

Place them about an inch into the sleeve on the outside of the basket on top of the plastic and pin

Then sew very close to the edge of the basket all the way around (I backstitch over the ties).

This is what it looks like when you are done.

And this is what it looks like when you tie it up -remember it is reversible!!!! And if you have used plastic it is washable!!

And because I did this post at Easter I filled it with Hot Cross Buns.

I hope you have enjoyed sewing along wit this little project.

Next Week: Mug bags and Lunch sacks

Daisymum

Moods of the Mountain

2009-04-07T15:46:00.002+10:00

This is what our mountain looked like early this morning all misty and brooding. The other morning when I woke up there were waterfalls all over th rocks it was so beautiful but I forgot to take a photo of them.

I love living in the protective embrace of this mountain over to the elft of the photo is the saddle where the village is located it is through this gap that all the storms come roaring in from the west. It is also why we get wet a lot, once the clouds hit the hill they drop their rain on us!

Another new challange next week me going off to work while the kids are home on holidays how strange that will seem.

I will also not be posting much for the next few weeks as my study materials for the Real Estate Sales Licence have come through so I will be hitting the books and getting it done.

Have a wonderful Easter be careful if you are travelling, be joyful if you are spending time with your family and most of all be peaceful in your heart - just because it is good for you.

hugs

daisymum

Who knew?

2009-04-03T20:08:00.002+10:00

The thing with food plants is it doesn't seem to matter what you throw at them or how badly you neglect them they ahve a way of coming back from the dead when you least expect it - as if to say "okay one more chance - just please remember to water me!!"

This poor chilli died while we were away on holidays for four weeks - not sure how as it was the wettest january we had had in some time - but die it did. The pot has been sitting on the verandah empty and forlorn (and hidden under a particularly vigorous geranium) this morning I moved it and this is what I found.

So this time I promise not to drown it in a mass of tea leaves (we empty our teapot into these pot plants every morning some love it (ie the vigorous gernanium) some curl up their toes and die (not tea drinkers) and some just kind of stagnate and don't do much (maybe they prefer coffee).

So far for the year I am 16 seeds ahead of the days. So I willnot plant any seeds for the next 16 days ( well you know I will I bought some gorgeous Eden seeds today herbs mainly) How is your tally are you on target for a seed a day in 2009???

Have a fantastic weekend

daisymum

The Things I "used to do"

2009-04-02T07:21:00.004+10:00

Before my return to the external workforce I used to clean all my bottles in preparation for jams, preserving whatever, take the labels off, print out new groovy ones to stick on after bottling was done, cut out circles of old fabric to put on the top.

This is what I do now............. I clean the bottles really well I sterilise them and I whack whatever it is I cooked into them they might get a label they won't get a frilly fabric cap and sometime in the future it may be potluck as to whether you are opening a bottle of tomato sauce (as above ) or a chutney or tomato jam.

I am not thrilled with the shortcuts I have to take to get these things I love done, but I am thrilled I turned a five dollar box of tomatoes into eight jars of tomato sauce. Oh I also took the shortcut of not straining it I took out most of the skins and the cloves and just processed the rest a little to make it pourable. (I have done that before because straining it is a pain but this time I am blaming working outside the home 30 hours a week and not laziness - and may continue to do so !!LOL)

I have decided sometimes it is about getting it done, all the frilly bits can wait until you have more time.

daisymum

PS: for this tomato sauce recipe visit my dear friend at The Tin House she uses the same one and she had the time sometime in the past to put hers in her recipe file!!!

Birthdays birthdays birthdays.............

2009-04-01T07:19:00.007+10:00

Last Thursday was daisyboy7 birthday (henceforth daisyboy8). He is a fantastic little boy who gives us no trouble - even if he does get up at 4am on a Saturday dressed and ready to go to rugby - peeling our eyelids back and asking us if it is time to go yet or do we wait until the sun comes up! No seriously every Saturday...

Saturday was "the birthday party" for daisyboy4 we asked all the kids in his class and they all came bar about three!! With their mums and/or dads and siblings what a riot!! there were kids everywhere it poured with rain just as I was wondering how on earth to get everyone settled to cut the cake! The sun came out and all the kids went and played in the puddles (the invite did say "get dirtiable clothes') We had just packed up and were ready to jump in the car to head to Toowoomba for my BIL 60th birthday party when a kid arrived at the gate his mother had gotten the time wrong! He was in tears so we did more cake, more lollies, shoved some chips and soft drink into him, opened his gift and promised he could come and play one Saturday. Then packed up and left for Tba.

We were so exhausted I need to apologize to my sister and her husband for going to bed so early we went to be when the kids did!!

Today is daisyboy4's actual birthday (henceforth daisyboy5) - yes I get the irony of it being Arpil Fool's Day believe me if you knew the story of how he came to be it would be even funnier.

So after another cake tonight at about 7:30 when everyone gets home from rugby training, netball training, league training and meetings - I will be over birthdays.....until the next one in two weeks.

Have a fantastic day

daisymum

Still getting my hands dirty

2009-03-29T15:26:00.003+10:00

I love growing potatoes in tyres it was the first vegetable gardening I ever did about 20 years ago and I have put some in every year since.

Most years I just used the ones I bought commercially that sprouted at the bottom of the vege drawer now I buy them certified organic from diggers, green harvest or The Tasmanian Potato Assoc.

The ones in here are from a friend of mine - they are colibans (he thinks) I will heap some more soil on them this afternoon, and some more mulch so that just the tops of those shoots are visible and then in a week or so I will add another tyre on top and top up the soil and mulch again. Last year some of my stacks got to four tyres high but mostly they top out at three. Once they flower and die down I leave them for a few weeks - although I read today in frost free climates you should cover the tops with a thick layer of mulch first to stop them re shooting - then knock over the tyres and pull out the potatoes.

This year I am also trialling a bed made up of hay bale sides and a deep deep soil - we will see what proves the best and easiest. I have used the rest of my tyres to plant out garlic, we will see if they like warm feet.

Here is the other vege bed (old vege garden site) you can see the corn, with more seeds coming up in front. Some tomatoes around the stakes at the back, broccoli and cabbage, this is where the kale and first rows of beetroot are as well.

These photos were taken early in the morning just as the first rays of the sun were hitting the garden. I love to wander out there with a cup of tea and pull out a few weeds or just look and dream and plan what I will do next or better, or differently.

For example next time this garden gets planted out I am going to only plant one thing in the whole space not loads like i do now - it works but I don't think I get the yeilds I should get.

We need loads of food for our lot so the garden bed above for summer will just be planted out the lettuce continuously one row a week across the bed until the autumn. And I want another bed for just tomaotes, one for cucumber, one for squash, my potatoes tyres will fit anywhere where the sun is so they are always easy and becasue they are moveable the soil is changed every planting season which I only found out today is another potato thing. you shouldn't grow potatoes in soil where potatoes have grown for three years !

Okay off to get some clothes folded and pressed for the week ahead we spent last night in Toowoomba for my BIL brithday party, coffee with friends this morning and then home to do some gardening - so try as I might can't put off the washing basket and ironing basket any longer!!

Daisymum

Strawberries, Squash and Thank yous............

2009-03-27T07:08:00.005+10:00

Just to prove I actually have been doing something over the last few weeks here is the vegie patch.

All planted out with snow peas, yellow squash, and in the corner my pineapple top!

This Wheelbarrow became home to a punnet of Strawberries I got in exchange for doing some hems on one of my clients pants.

Now that I have closed the business, I don't feel I can take money for doing sewing jobs - (too lazy to keep track and put in the tax return) so am working on a bartering system. So far three hems equals one punnet of strawberry runners, and two punnets of capsisum seedlings - this customer has an organic no synthetic chemical garden and I have been the lucky recipient in the past of his preserved chillies - fantastic for adding to all sorts of dishes.

Finally my bean trellis yeah a bit of wire strung between the pine trees!! Maybe beans like the acidity of the pine needles either way I picked about a kilo of beans off the Purple King plants yesterday and the other beans I planted a few weeks later are fast catching up.

I am not as technical as I should be with the vegie patch I don't check the ph and all that I just add manure and dig and dig and then plant and pray!!

I am learning though and right here I want to acknowledge one of my greatest inspirations is Stewart from My Veggie Garden a great bloke who has a sense of humour and endless patience and expertise that he is willing to share in the form of email answers to questions about the vegetable garden.

There are times when a whole packets of seeds just never come up for who knows what reason and every time I think oh it is easier to buy seedlings I read one of Stewart posts and I think - one more time - and now I am having more successes than failures.

So to Stewart thank you thank you thank you.

Okay enough soppy stuff off to work have a Fantastic Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

daisymum

Tuesday

2009-03-24T06:56:00.003+10:00

Yesterday when I got home from work I got into the paddock and put some lucerne bales (wet ones that are no good for feed ) around the vege garden then filled them with some more soil and manure that I had mixed together.

In went the carrots, parsnips and beetroot. I put in some cucumbers, and one of my sons bought home a half corrugated iron rain water tank (small) so I planted that out with some more corn (you can never have enough corn).

This afternoon I need to put up some frames and plant some peas and some eggplant. Then water everything and do some mulching.

So photos tomorrow of the new dasiy mountain vege patch.

Waiting now for the seed potatoes and some garlic to come from "green harvest online".

Gardening seems to be a lot about waiting............................

daisymum

Mess and Mindset

2009-03-20T06:32:00.005+10:00

Sometimes I wonder whether the messy rooms in our lives are indicative of the messy parts of out lives.

A few months ago our office was a disaster area ( and had been ever since we moved into this house 6 years ago). Then I spent a day cleaning it up re organising things, and at the same time we were sorting things out, I had some regualr money coming in the bills were getting paid on time for a change. And since then the office has remained tidy and clean.

As some of you read I sold my industrial machines and closed down my alterations and mending business ( I still hope to design more patterns to sell and continue to sell the ones I have out there). And quite apart from the fact that I have had little time to sew the sewing room is tidy and seems to stay that way.

Is it that we get rid of certain hindrances to the smooth running of our lives and it manifests itself in an organised area of the home? Perhaps it only happens around Daisy Mountain. So from now on I will be watching the physical signs that something needs "tweaking".

Oh and by the way here she is second hand and an absolute bargain the 6500!! She sews beautifully and hopefully in the next day or two she will be quilting a quilt to send to the Victorian bushfire victims.

Have a Fantastic Friday!!

daisymum

They're here!!

2009-03-19T07:18:00.002+10:00

Yay finally my seeds arrived from Diggers.

It is an overcast day and they are expecting it to stay that way so this afternoon I am planting out stage two of the new vegetable garden. By the time it is all done these will be big enough to transplant.

Don't forget to plant a seed a day in 2009 so you always have something growing and producing food.

Off to work

daisymum

New Pet

2009-03-18T06:49:00.003+10:00

We weren't in the market for a new pet but a few months ago when we popped in to see my sister in law she was saying that their poor bird "greedy" was a bit miserable. He is a hand reared Cockatiel and he used to talk and sit on their hands etc etc but with all the kids growing up and moving out and having lives of their own he had been somewhat lonely. Somehow we ended up offering to take him.

Here he is.............................

Now I don't actually agree with the concept of caged birds although over the years I have managed to have a few thrust upon me. I think they should just fly free and be who they are - birds. However this little guy was reared for the purposes of being part of the family so letting him go would be tantamount to wringing his little neck.

Having said that I also don't like the idea of a bird, hand reared or not, flapping about in the house - I am not an animal in the house person at all and never have been. So after convincing the kids they couldn't have him in their rooms I compromised and let him stay, for the time being, on the front verandah. Eventually we will build him an aviary that is big enough for him to have a fly around in the front garden just near where we sit to have breakfast or a drink in the late afternoon. That way he can kind of be in nature without geting eaten by something or attacked by something and we will still be close by to chat to him every day.

When we bought him home we noticed he would run his beak over and over the bars of his cage so much so he has worn a groove in his beak, so we talked to him all day Sunday, we put new toys in his cage and put the cage near the front door so everyone says hello as they go past and by yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) he had finally stopped running his beak over the bars! He is also now whistling to us if we walk past without saying hello which is great.

Today will be his first day here without anyone home so we will see if the boredom behaviour returns. And i think we will be changing his name not sure what to yet but he just doesn't look like a greedy - bird - is the popular choice today although Colin was suggested by some bright spark ( Colin Thiele!!?) This family of mine is very strange.

Okay the other new member of the household will be up tomorrow for you to see.

daisymum

Tommy Teddy comes to visit

2009-03-16T06:57:00.002+10:00

This is a photo of a very tired Daisyboy4 and his friend from prep Tommy Teddy.

Tommy goes home with a child for a few days and has to be taken everywhere and the visit recorded in photos, drawings or in words. Then when they get back to school they have to tell everyone what Tommy got up to at their place.

So Tommy got dragged to a family birthday party on Saturday night, helped clean the house, played and generally enjoyed his visit here at daisymountain. He is off back to Prep today to be taken home by another child.

I am sending the blog address to school so the kids can see him on the net.

daisymum

A whole new song...........

2009-03-15T12:39:00.004+10:00

I posted a comment on Rhondas blog the other day saying I think I had found my rythym. Well part of the new rythym around here is cleaning the house top to bottom on a Sunday - not ideal but for this weekend at least the only time I could do it. Strange thing is we started at about 10am and it was done in less than an hour and half.

And I do mean clean cobwebs, marks on walls and doors, two bathrooms, two kitchens(one we use as a bar area), floors vacuumed and washed, dusting, polishing the furniture and cleaning out the fridge. Next week hopefully I won't have to spend Saturday driving hither and yon like I did yesterday so the clean will happen then.

Two new things have come to live at daisy mountain - one new sewing machine I will introduce you later this week and one new pet also on the agenda for this weeks post list. We have also had a very special visitor to daisy mountain.

have a wonderful Sunday

daisymum

And just to prove it wasn't a fluke.........

2009-03-13T06:58:00.005+10:00

These slightly blurry shots are my Golden Beetroot - sewn direct!!!, and my miniature kale also sewn direct...............am I on a roll or what?

We have a busy weekend but I am still hoping to get some more gardening done, after I run all over the place on Saturday doing some jobs I need to do and attending another family party on Satrurday night, then Sunday daisyson12 has a trial game for rugby so we are off for a picnic and fishing after that (it is near the water). I wish I could have some time to sew this weekend but it doesn't look like that will happen....maybe next week.

Work is going well the new hours are WONDERFUL and knowing I am there everyday has helped me to be a bit calmer and more organised. I said on a comment this morning that I think I have found my rythym and it feels great. The little kids are happier now that I am home every afternoon when they get home, the house is happier, and the garden is doing well, just have to plan in some sewing time for me and life will be perfect!!!

have a fantastic weekend - try to plant seven seeds for the coming week - a seed a day.

daisymum

Little things...................

2009-03-12T17:23:00.004+10:00

My tomato seeds have almost all come up! I see I am going to have to wear my glasses when I plant them I have way more than the three per segment I should have but I can always thin them out!! This has been the biggest success for me with seeds (aside from my nastrutiums and marigolds) for some reason food plants and I have had a rocky start but it looks like I have it right finally .........now where the heck is my diggers order????????????

I need seeds to plant!!!!!!!!

daisymum

A Seed a Day

2009-03-10T07:11:00.001+10:00

David Borthwick over at Productive Gardens has this challenge going to plant a seed a day every day for the whole of 2009.

I only stumbled across this challenge last week but I thought it was still a great idea, planting one seed a day as he explains keeps you in seedlings all the time something to plant out in the vegetable garden, on a regular basis so you don't have the "feast and famine" scenario that the daisy mountain vegetable plot has been over the last few years.

Anyway last week I got to planting and given that today march 10th we are 69 days into the year already I only have to catch up about 30 seeds. I placed an order with Diggers last week and the Green Harvest so things will arrive this week and get planted in the punnets I have saved from the seedlings I bought.

So far in punnets I have two varieties of tomatoes (one has started to come up the other is just bare..... In the garden I have planted seeds of golden beetroot and some miniature Kale, and seedlings of broccoli, cabbage, roma tomatoes, corn, eggplant, yellow zucchinis, snow peas and the purple king beans I planted are now up and racing up the trellis and the other beans (can't remember what they are but they are green) are starting to poke thier heads up as well. And I planted out a kilo of coliban potatoes and am anxiously waiting for the others I ordered to arrive.

All the new seeds will probably get planted out into the new garden we are building in the orchard paddock it gets a lot more sun than the other one and I think will work better for winter thus allowing me to "spell" the back garden once this lot is done and build the soil up while I concentrate on the other one. Then the orchard garden can have a "spell" over summer.

That is the theory anyway but with nine people to feed I might need both gardens in summer - so big learning curve happening here.

Raining today but will get some photos this afternoon to post and show you how it is all looking.

Have a fantastic day

daisymum

Green Sewing

2009-03-06T07:00:00.003+10:00

I follow the Quiltville blog - Bonnie is an amazing quilter who uses almost every piece of fabric to make into quilts she has written a book about recylced quilting called Scraps and Shirttails. Today on her blog there was a video of a woman who pieces all her quilts on a treadle machine - no electricy "people power" only and from there a link to her sisters site where you can see the "amazing Annie" free motion quilting on a treadle. After all you only need a straight stitch really for quilting. Imagine the dedication needed to lug a treadle machine to a weekend workshop.

For those of you not into quilting forget the terminology the point is these people only use people power for their sewing, so if you have a treadle machine dust it off and get sewing with it. I only wish I had one, my mother taught me to sew on a treadle but hers got turned into a table that lives at my sisters place not sure whatever happened to the actual machine.

I think it makes so much sense for me, sewing is a relaxing thing to do if I can indulge my passion and use the worlds resources more frugally then it will me even more of a pleasure for me. I already reuse and recycle fabrics, as many of you do, I use my smallest pieces and when they are too small for me to use I give them to the local preschool to be turned into works of art, or they tie up plants in the vege garden or I use them as weed mat with the newspaper - as they are all cotton they break down eventually.

Green Sewing think about it ......

daisymum

PS: here is the life motto my friend wrote:

"Patchwork & Quilting is my creative outlet, it completes me – the fact that others may benefit is a bonus and not the reason for all the projects. This may appear self centred, but as a wife, mother and nurse my life is totally full of caring for others, patchwork is were I care for me. This was my belief prior to Mum getting sick with Ovarian Cancer, but the way she used her patchwork to assist her to get the best quality out of her life was the best confirmation of my life Motto."

It is still Friday somewhere in the world what is your life motto!!

THURSDAY ON MY MIND

2009-03-05T16:34:00.002+10:00

I help organise a new group for our Patchwork Group that meets at night. I am in the process of writing our first newsletter and I wanted some profiles for it so I did a quick one for me and asked a few others to contribute as well as a way for the day group to get to know the new night time members.

One of the things I asked was for everyone to write down their personal motto.

This morning I got the profile back from my fellow organiser someone I have known for about 12 months, someone whom I have come to admire and respect enormously - and someone I have told you about before - remember my buddy from the craft fair??? Her personal motto (which I would love to share with you but I must ask her permission first) just stopped me in my tracks, it was so simple, so profound and so completely "right".

There are times when we read words that just fit with our soul and these words fit.

I came away feeling what I had written was a tad flippant, perhaps shallow but it is how I live my life it is how I feel about lots of things

Mine is : Life is too short for instant coffee

which of course has everything and nothing to do with coffee.

you know where this is leading don't you? It s Friday challenge time.........................

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL MOTTO, SLOGAN, CREDO.

Daisymum

Progress Report

2009-03-03T15:47:00.002+10:00

I put in a second row of climbing beans, a row of Dwarf Kale and a row of Golden Beetroot.

Thursday the plan is for a few more rows of some other stuff and as the beds are huge squares to place some stepping stones in between so i can "row hop" when they get bigger.

Some weeding done, a few pumpkin uncovered, more sleepers arrived for the new beds, and an order put in for more seed.

I even planted some seeds in tubes, some tomatoes two varieties.(wish them luck I am not good with seeds)

daisymum

Tuesday is Gardening day!

2009-03-03T07:28:00.002+10:00

With so much rain around ( sorry to all those not getting any) the garden is really getting away from me. But it looks like today I will get to spend most of the day in there weeding and planting and cutting back. I cut all the plants in my garden back by a half to two thirds twice a year

once in late October (so I get a full flush of flowers for Christmas) and then again in April to help them get through our dry winters. This year I am cutting back earlier than I usually would because the growth has been staggering, so I will have bundles of cuttings of pentas, lavendar, daisies, hibiscus, plumbago, duranta and some roses to give away and to replant in the few bare spots that have been claimed by the weeds.

For those who follow the Catholic way of thinking you will know it is Lent our children have given up all kinds of things for lent - playstation (no big deal there as it is packed away during the school term anyway) chocolate (this is a biggie daisyboy7 LOVES chocolate he wouldn't even take a lamington to school for morning tea today) - what will power and strength of conviction he has for a 7 year old he can't even have a chocolate cake for his birthday.

I keep thinking it must be luck that I have these great kids but more and more I see that we live very differently from other families. We have always expected our children to pitch in and help, we have always expected to be respected by our children, we have always done everything we can to encourage them to chase and catch their dreams ( as opposed to doing it for them).

Now that I am working my greatest fear is losing some of that of letting them down because it is easier to give in than stand your ground and watch them fail (which is after all how we all learn - from our mistakes) I see more and more guilt ridden parents doing everything for their children to make up for the fact that they are working and have less time to spend with them. One mum told me the other day that it was easier for her to do her year 10 sons homework assignments and have him pass so they can spend more time together on the weekends - what she fails to see is that he leaves home at 7am Saturday morning and goes motorbike riding all day getting home at 5pm and then Sundays he spends locked in his room chatting on msn and grunting as he passes anyone on the way to the kitchen - how is this spending time? how is he learning anything?

She then went on to tell me that she pays a lot of money in school fees and couldn't afford for him to fail and have to repeat....... apparently he gets enough marks from his assignments to assure a pass ...I wonder if she will do his uni assignments as well, and fill in his dole application??? I was so angry when I left that conversation and I wondered if time will turn me into one of those parents?

But the thought of turning lose on society an adult who can't read, write, cook, clean, dress themsleves and get themselves organised is repugnent. Surely a parents job is to nuture a whole human being not stunt them into a childlike dependance for the rest of their lives.

end of rant have a great day

daisymum

Beautiful things............

2009-02-26T07:31:00.003+10:00

This Glorious Frangipani took up residence in my garden about 18 months ago at the height of the drought. I bought it for $5 from the local markets, put it in and crossed my fingers, we don't water our plants (except the veges) as we are on tank water. 18 months later and this is what she rewarded us with......This is probably my favourite shade of pink well it is today anyway.

Have a wonderful day whereever you are. I am off to plant some seeds and do something in the vegetable garden and start building a third one to prepare.

daisymum

I think this is a..................................

2009-02-25T07:05:00.002+10:00

Sweet potato - but then maybe it is just another opportunistic weed that has come to live in a corner of my yard.

So the question of the day is........................is it a sweet potato?????? I had a few left over from a box of organically grown veges and it sprouted at the eyes so I cut it up and put it in this pile of lawn clippings under the cubby. Well the cubby got pulled down at Christmas time and this little thing has grown and grown.

I didn't know if sweet potato grew from eyes like real potato but if this is one then they do - how cool is that??? I think that is the amazing thing about potatoes you can cut the little eyes out and hey presto in a few months potatoes.

BTW Stewart if you are reading this - those freebie ones surprised us all - I thought they had gone to the garden god but no - they gave me a nice bucket full of potatoes just yesterday little but enough for a few meals.

daisymum

The Fluid nature of our lives.....

2009-02-24T06:58:00.007+10:00

More changes on the way here at Daisy Mountain, work changes this time. Very soon I will be working five days a week from 8.30am until 2.55pm (so I can race down the street and pick up the little boys from the bus stop in the Village) This means the daisyboys won't even realise I am at work I can drop them off to school, go to work pick them up off the bus and still have a few hours in the afternoon to get some gardening, sewing, cleaning, organising, and cooking done. The best thing is I won't be working Saturdays!!!!!!!!!!!! (well not every one anyway)

And in a few months I will find someone who I can train to do Wednesdays (Patchworkers Day) and Saturdays for me and then I will only work four days a week, which will give me a day to help out at school, or just chill out at home.

The other change is the closing of my little alterations and mending business, I have taken the ad out of the local paper, am referring my clients to someone else and.......................I sold my industrial machines! Now in my little sewing room there are two big holes where the monsters used to reside. I am very excied to be able to have more room and finally a cutting table in the room and space for the ironing board which has been living a "nomadic" existence since they arrived.

It looks bare but full of promise - Thursday I will get in and clean it again and re organise things.

My sewing room was the project I worked on as my mother was dying, we had it built it and in the days before her funeral I undercoated it and for weeks after I painted and painted and organised and shuffled, it became a real haven for me. Once I started working it became more of a house of horrors, every time I walked in there I felt guilty and a tad panicked as I looked at all I had to finish. Now that that pressure is gone it has become my haven again and I really really enjoyed sewing that quilt last week I am inspired and motivated and relaxed. Sewing once again becomes my refuge not my source of guilt.

So as with all things my life is flowing and changing into something quite different. And there is at leat one other new challenge that may come my way in a few weeks time but more on that if it happens. I would never have believed that once daisyboy4 was off to prep my life would take such turns and twists! I feel very alive.

Have a wonderful day

daisymum

Finished!

2009-02-23T07:17:00.012+10:00

Quilting

The back

The front

Quilting detail

Sewing on the binding

This is the view from my chair where I sat on Saturday morning hand sewing the binding on.

Here it is finished at last.

The little fine red strip of binding looks better than i hoped.

The party was fabulous my SIl was surprised and delighted and now I am off to work!!!

happy day everyone!

Daisymum

The green bits connected to the red bit.........

2009-02-19T16:29:00.016+10:00

Or how daisymum spent her day........................

First you make a really long string of one inch squares trying not to put two the same together..

Then you sew them to the quilt centre with your trusty sewing machine.

Then you add a green check border......

And lay it out and have a good look at it.......

oooh look - my toes match the quilt!!!!!!!!!!!

Then stand further back....and notice that it looks a bit "washed out".........so..........

Add a slightly darker green border and stand back and see that it gives it some more definition.

A bit closer so you can see it better

This little gem of a fabric I bought very cheaply at my favourite quilt shop I think it was $6 a metre and it matches the front perfectly. I sewed it together so it was big enough for the backing, joined several large pieces of batting left overs together for the batting layer and now I am ready to quilt!!!!!!!

I also managed to shop, vacuum, and pop in to the library ( ALL BY MYSELF!!!) and collect a book I had on hold.

My day was blissful but boy is it HOT. Storm on the way hope we don't lose power I need to put the pedal to the floor to get this baby quilted and the binding sewn ready for me to hand stitch before we leave tomorrow at 1pm - yeah I'll get it done...................................

Daisymum

The great lap quilt in five days challenge.......

2009-02-18T07:18:00.003+10:00

Wednesday last week we got an invite from my SIL to her 6oth birthday - wondering what to get her I settled on the idea of a quilt.

I had a few handpieced blocks from a hand piecing course I did (4) so I only needed five more to make a lap quilt. Sunday I got stuck in and made another five blocks (machine pieced of course) and last night I added some sashing (thats the reddy coloured strips between the blocks). This is what it looks like so far.

Plans are for a scrappy one inch border then a wider greenish one then quilt and hopefully bind it in the car on the way to Bundaberg this Friday. I might if I have time add some flowers to the edge of the basket block but I think might be just a bit too ambitious given the time frame!!!

Now that I have given up my sewing business I am rediscovering how much I can get done in my sewing room in a short time. And the pure joy of sewing because I can not because I have to.

Have a fantastic day

daisymum

Camels and the pursuit of calm

2009-02-17T06:57:00.004+10:00

Here is another shot of those wonderful camels, on a different day just loping along the beach without a care in the world. Reminding us all it is about the journey not the destination.

I have spent a lot of time lately getting "organised" so I can juggle work, the kids and our home. But somehow I lost sight of some of the most precious lessons I have learned.........time to slow down and refocus.

Yesterday I listened to myself for the first time in ages describing the things I had to do - that list in my head - first this then this then this and then maybe this...I haven't had that internal dialogue going for quite some time. And it can be so destructive.

Once you make your whole existence about the need to get things done, about things that have to be ticked off the "list" then you lose sight of the fact that doing those things accomplishing those tasks - is your LIFE - not in a definitive way but in a you breathe and move through these moments, this is what it is and you must find the way to love it or all you are doing is going through the motions.

I bet not one of those people is sitting on those camels thinking "hurry up I need to put the washing on, and then vacuum and cut the beans up".

I told you camels are a good visual - now I have identified my thought processes - I need to refocus and get back to the basics, so I can enjoy working, my family and my home again and find joy in all the things I love to do becasue I love to do them not because they must be done.

I found this sign in a shop in the village a few months ago I have put it on the wall leading into the kitchen/dining/family room and for a few weeks now I have walked past it without "seeing" it.

A calmer me sets forth this morning to attend the daisyboys school mass, do some cleaning, washing, cooking and sewing.

And remind myself of those camels and how they glide through the journey leaving barely a footprint - and seeing my sign that tells me the joy is found in the simple things, and in keeping things simple.

Have a fabulous day

Daisymum

How we are coping three weeks on.................

2009-02-15T11:05:00.002+10:00

This is the last bunch of hydrangeas off my bush a little bunch of colour peeking out - nothing too surprising there except this is the first time in weeks I have been able to see it -I am sure some of you know what I mean.

So what have we been up to........

daisyboy4 has settled in well and after a few days of teary farewells (him not me) he now rushes off to the classroom and gives me a kiss and tells me "to have a great day". In the second week of school we decided to put him (and some of the other preps) on the bus from school into the village. They were so EXCITED and they loved it they even managed, as a little group, to talk around some of the more reluctant to let go parents into letting their other little friends join them. It is so satisfying to be able to give your kids this hint of freedom, this first little bit of independance, they feel so important and grown up ( and lets face it you don't have the hassle of the school parking and pick up!) I need to say here the bus is a privately contracted bus that bring the kids straight from school to the bus stop in the village no other stops along the way, they have the same bus driver "Karen" every day and she is a marvel. So now they catch the bus every day, in a week we will be able to drop them off in the cul de sac and they will walk to the big shed for assembly each day so no more out of the car , walk to the classroom, etc etc it always seems to make me late for work!!

Daisyboy7 is in heaven football sign up finally arrived last weekend pre season training starts this Wednesday his little mate from school didn't sign up this year but another one did so he is as happy as they are all outside now doing pre tackling drills ..... the ARU changed the age group for tackling to under 8s this year so new rules for some of the ages groups.

daisyboy12 is loving high school, and he has also signed up for club football, turns out a kid who lives down the road and goes to his school also plays for this club so things are looking very good for shared driving to and from training (YAY!!)

Daisygirl will be 14 next week and apparently we are going shopping with five of her friends for her birthday - I am hoping this means I get to sit and drink coffee and read while she and the girls hit the shops, not a bad way to spend a Sunday might take the laptop with me and update the blog then too!!! Oh by the way ipod nanos don't like a 60 degree whites wash.......yes my helpful girl put her school uniform in the wash and turned the machine on...good thing I ticked the "accidental loss" box on my insurance policy ....... the guy at the insurance company told me that it was common, and the other common one is those hand controllers from the wii thingys smashing big screen tvs !!! Our kids don't have one but if they did I would give them 100 points for being able to hit our little screen tvs!!!!LOL We are so technologically challenged in this household when all the stations go digital we will be sitting in the dark!!!! (note to self must get one of those set top thingys one day)

Daisyson18 is happily working, waiting for uni to start and helping me with the house and child care in the afternoons. Oh and doing up his car - no he still hasn't gotten around to getting his licence...........

daisyson20 's has started up a landscaping business he seems to be busy and happy and hardly ever here so I think that is good news.

daisyson21 will be a fully fledged electrician in just 3 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he has been offered a job with the firm he is currently working for and we are keeping our fingers crossed they will give him a fuel card - all his jobs are on the southside of town so he leaves home most mornings at 4.30 - 5 am. His best friend is off overseas today for 12 months but he has some plans for the next few months to keep him occupied.

daisydad isn't getting a lot of work lately so our frugal ways are helping a lot, plus my work. But he is happy and finding more time to potter in the garden (lucky me) Trouble is he thinks everything that isn't a tree or a well established shrub is a weed - so I go around in the afternoon after he has been out there and take cuttings of everything he has chopped down or pulled out!!! The thing is I have been so busy spending Sunday getting organised for the week ahead I haven't been in the garden with him - but it is nice to have the help so I am not saying a word!!

And finally to me - (sorry this is such a novel!!!) Work is fabulous I just love it, the house is pretty well organised, I am on top of things mostly and it gets easier every week. We are in the throes of making quilts for the fire victims at the moment and my SIL turns 60 next week so decided this morning to add a few blocks to some I have already done and put a quilt together for her for next weekend. ....yeah I know but you know me it will get done ( and to be fair we only got the invite to her birthday on Wednesday - good thing there are UFOs in my sewing room).

The vegetable garden is well turned over and full of manure and compost, ready for planting probably next week I have some potatoes and beans in already but the new bed won't be ready for another couple of weeks.

As for the home front well meals are done for next week, cakes are cooked and frozen for lunches, I just need to do some fruit shopping and I am once again ready for the week ahead

SO blogland that is the update from daisy mountain - I loved everyones Friday camera Grab photos from the other week. Have a great Sunday

daisymum

gifts from the garden.............

2009-02-09T07:05:00.002+10:00

Yesterday I packed up my carefully nutured batch of seedlings, some lettuce, some tomatoes, some marogilds and nasturtiums (not as big a variety as I would have liked but lots of them ) and I dropped them off to a friendly old bloke in a street in a suburb nearby that was hit really hard by the big storm last year. I explained to this complete stranger that I felt so helpless and there was nothing I could do for them at the time but that I planted these and looked after them so that he and his neighbours might have something to plant now that their gardens are somewhat recovered.

I thought he would think I was nuts all these trays of seedlings and then his wife burst through their front door and announced another twenty deaths in Victoria from the bushfires. Then I thought instantly of the floods in North Queensland .... then he hugged me and thanked me and as I drove away he was handing a bunch of seedlings to his neighbour and the woman from across the road.

It seemed like such a clever idea when I thought of it but in the light of all that happened yesteday in our big country it seemed kind of pathetic................

daisymum

A weekend challenge....

2009-02-06T07:40:00.003+10:00

No matter where you are when you read this grab the camera run outside and find something that sums up your mood....kind of like the photo of our dam on Monday restful,tranquil that was how I felt then.....it can be a photo of anything BUT it has to be something from nature - no photos of rude words scribbled on pieces of paper!!!LOL

I would love to be blogging more but I am off to work again today so that will be six days in a row by the time I finish tomorrow afternoon - and although it means I will spend my one day off on the weekend geting things clean and organised for the coming week, and I would dearly love to be home today to just potter about...I still LOVE IT!!!

Hence my photo for today.............................my frangipani just a little too far away to really appreciate the full beauty of it and too far away to smell the perfume...which is exactly how I feel happy, but removed.

daisymum

quickly......

2009-02-05T08:24:00.002+10:00

Good thing I was organised this week - my three day week has turned into a four day week already and I still have to work Saturday.

daisymum

A Brand new week..................

2009-02-02T08:02:00.002+10:00

You can probably tell from the title I am somewhat calmer this morning than I have been for a few weeks.

I spent yesterday washing, folding and daisydad did the ironing for the week (bless him). I went and did some shopping (at Aldi - for the first time it isn't too bad they had everything I had on my list so...and loads of orgnaic stuff that was a very reasonable price - I will probably go back again)

Then I came home and got cooking so I have three meals cooked for this week and one containner of marinated stir fry meat in the freezer as well as an extra container of chili in the freezer.

About the only thing that I am behind with now aside from the vegetable garden but I this will happen tomorrow afternoon, is the sewing work that has come in. By the time i get home from work and do everything that I used to have all day to do there just aren't enough hours. i will be glad once I finish off these jobs that I can just say "no" from now on.

I took daisygirl and daisyboy12 to the train station this morning (and picked up a few of the commuters along the way who were waiting for the bus to take them there - it isn't exactly like picking up hitchhikers because I know they live in the village and mostly I have seen them around - but I guess people think it is strange to stop and ask if they are off to the station and if they want a lift - but it is catching on someone told me the other day she does the same thing now - ahh my own mini revolution!!!) The I got home and dsaiydad took daisyboy4 abnd daisyboy7 off to school so I have these precious moments to catch up with all of you until I leave for work.

Getting up early is great I got a load of washing on, the dishwasher unloaded, the rubbish out , changed our sheets , hung out the load of washing and swept the floor. The FABULOUS thing is - when I get home from work the house should still look like this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

okay my friends have a fantastic day -(she says feeling very superior, organised and calm!!!!LOLOLOLOL)

daisymum

dishwashers, garden soil and not coping..........

2009-01-30T14:13:00.009+10:00

The new addition to the kitchen is installed and has washed its first load without a hitch ....although there were some funny moments as Daisyson20 and I tried to work out from the pictures in the book where the rinse aid stuff should go. On advice we used one part white vinegar to ten parts water, glasses were sparkly arkly so think it will be okay. I bought the environmentally friendly dishwasher soap with citrus but it STINKS!!! and I mean that literally it cleaned well enough but boy it pongs...apparently I will void the warranty of I use bicarb as it is an alkalai ( I knew that) and it might wreck the inside of the machine (didn't know that). I got a name brand machine that only uses 11.9 litres for an eco wash. That is MUCH less than two sink fulls of water that we need to wash up dinner , plus one for breakfast and lunch. So all in all I don't think I am being an environmental vandal but I am concerned that none of the dishwashers I looked at had a high star rating and a high water rating. It was either one or the other so I chose water - for us with tanks and a family of nine - it is very precious.

The other "first pay packet" purchase is a load of organic ( no man made chemical additives) garden soil - cost me an arm and a leg but I needed some soil for the vegetable garden - ours was only the soil that came from underneath the old chook pen. So the beds are full and I have some beans ready to go in this weekend and hopefully I will plant out some other seeds on Sunday to go in in a few weeks. I have been diligently reading my what to plant lists from Gardengate (thanks Stewart!) and I have a plan. When I get paid again I am buying another load of soil and building some more beds inside the orchard paddock - these will get more sun through winter and I think they will be our main beds for the cooler months then next summer it will be back to the old site which gets full sun and dappled shade, even the lettuce seemed to cope quite well through the heat. I figure this way I will always have beds spelling and being able to be renourished - which I didn't do before.

Not coping??? Well not really there just seems to be so many things to do on these two days off but I am sure by next week when I am not running back to prep at 11.30, and all the kids will be back into their normal routines I will find myself with those few extra hours I am craving to get everything just so.

I feel like I am so disorganised but in reality the house is clean and reasonably tidy, the washing is done and thanks to a few hours of sunshine today is dry, the folding well that is another story....... The kitchen thanks to the new dishwasher is cleaner than ever, and I managed to get my tax done finally!!!! So really I am in a good place.

I am a planner I like to know I am ready for new changes and after coming home from holidays and going straight to work, I didn't get to do that. So off to take stock of where I am actaully at and get this house "Friday" clean. Then I will do some sewing work that has come in, cancel my ad in the local paper because I know now I cannot keep my sewing business going along with working outside and inside my home. In actual fact this will be a relief I always felt I had to work hard to build my business but now I am working and I get paid well for what I do it is so much easier. So I will tidy up these few jobs and that will be it.

Why the photo of "my mountain" well this is what I look at when I sit in those white metal chairs, I love the moods of my mountain and while this morning he was glum and drippy and brooding, this afternoon he is bathed in sunshine, and seems light and happy - guess who feels the same way.

Thank you for taking the time to share my world

daisymum

22 years.............the end of an era..........

2009-01-29T07:02:00.002+10:00

Here is my youngest daisyboy at about 13 months, yesterday he started prep.

Things went very well and he was only a little apprehensive when daisydad had to leave. But came home all smiles and full of news including that "they had shot some kid out of a cannon" (will find out about that when we drop him off today).

It wasn't quite how I imagined the day to be. I left about 15 minutes before the bell to get to work. As I walked out of the school I thought well that is it, finally after all these years no toddlers at home.

I had a frantically busy day at work - so it probably won't hit me until tomorrow when daisygirl finally starts school again, the boys are off to school, and daisyson18 is at work - then I will have the house to myself...............................

Today though I am off to buy a dishwasher!

daisymum

Friday....hand quilting and banana bread

2009-01-23T07:10:00.008+10:00

This is a photo of the a quilt my daughter made it is her first attempt at quilting. She sewed strips of scrap fabric of all different widths on to six inch squares of telephone book pages (makes them easy to trim to the right size. When all the sewing is done you trim and tear the paper away. She then sewed these to calico squares across the diagional (twice) cut down the middle between the stitch lines and opened them out to have a square made of a plain and a pieced triangle this method is fast for kids because you get two squares at once!! Then she helped me sew them altogether to form rows then the rows together and voila a quilt top is born.

Over the holidays I have been reading some of the Elm Creek novels and I really wanted to do some hand quilting so I picked it up and the stitches you see are what I got done in an hour or so. The stitches are big because I have used a piece of pola fleece that someone gave me for the batting (it washes really well in kids quilts).

I was having a wonderful time and was really enjoying the process and could feel myself relaxing when she came in and announced that she would rather have it machine quilted!!!!!!!!!!

So yesterday when my quilting buddy arrived I was telling her about it, as we looked at what we had completed or started over the holidays, as I was walking back out of the sewing room I spotted the corner of another quilt top I had finished at retreat last year - the perfect hand quilting project!!!! We chose some border fabric and backing (from the STASH) and I sewed them on yesterday now all I have to do is machine quilt daisygirls quilt so I can use the pins to pin my hand quilting project. This will keep me sane it is such a relaxing rewarding thing to do.

And then there was this other friend of mine who runs one of the fruit shops in the village...he walked into work and gave me a box of bananas...they all had brown spots on them but were firm and perfect for eating or smoothies - apparently people won't buy bananas with brown spots on them so he either has them sitting there getting browner with 99c a kilo on them or he gives them to me and I (with all my spare time) turn it into banana bread - some of which goes back to him for his staff morning teas.

Normally the box of bananas is a box but not full this week (becasue I have so much spare time) it was FULL!!!!

So here are some I baked earlier .............................
minus half of the ring one we had for morning tea.......

Here is the last batch inside Gloria being cooked and there was another containter of 2 dozen muffins already in the freezer......

Can you believe people won't buy bananas with a brown spot on them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So breakfast this rainy day (the water tanks just started overflowing) will be a pot of freshly brewed coffee and warm banana bread.

daisymum

Still here!!!!

2009-01-22T09:27:00.004+10:00

Well I am still here but the last week has gone in a blur. I have only worked my scheduled days this week and I am pleased I put in the effort to spend the extra time last week at work becasue now I have things mostly tidied and can just walk in and start work without all the mess around me - SIMPLIFYING - DECLUTTERING - only this time at work.

Home ? well that quote that I am fond of giving to others about being a great mother, a fantastic wife and a wonderful business woman - just not all on the same day....has really come back to bite me in the behind. Boy it is SO TRUE - I think girl children should have it tattooed on their forearm at birth!!!!!!

Neverhteless as I read this I realise I still have my sense of humour something that was sorely lacking in the fog that was last week.

So today daisyson17 is 18 - henceforth he shall be referred to as daisyson18. Below is a photo of his birthday cake...complete with HSV commodore to adorn the top - we found it at Kmart for about $3 the other day heaven only knows how old it is and how long it has been there but chocolate is chocolate and holdens are holdens and $3 is small price to pay for my car mad son to have it on his cake.

I have a few more posts in the wings I decided the only way I am going to keep up is to write some ahead of time then include all the daily ramnblings when I pull it up to post....this may sound like cheating but I call it organisation from now on I need even more of that than before.

People are still bringing me their alterations and honestly I think I am going to have to can that part of my life except in a few rare circumstances I just don't seem to have time to get everything done with working. I have another load of pre fold nappies to make and a skirt to take up and another little repair job. I guess I will just have to get used to the idea that I won't be able to turn things around in a few days and people seem happy to wait so maybe I will see how it goes for a while.

Okay off to have a swim in the dam it is over 30 here already this morning - then we have a relaxing day of friends coming over (one of my quilting buddies and her kids), a bbq lunch and just kicking back and relaxing. Tomorrow well that is whole other story...............

daisymum

Sunday............

2009-01-18T08:43:00.003+10:00

Wow where did the week go?

I ended up working everyday except Friday last week so today is a day of catching up on housework, and trying to be more organised for meals for next week.

Fortunately the house isn't too bad the kids and I got stuck in on Friday and did some things, but I have had a bit of a head cold so I was moving much slower than usual!!

As predicted daisyboy4 isn't taking me being at work very well and is very clingy and whingy, I am hoping that when he starts prep in a few weeks he will have so many other thing to occupy his mind that me not being there won't worry him too much.

Daisyson17 is studying externally so that means he will be home to pick up kids from the school bus etc so that is a blessing. he will be working at the local hardware store though three or four days a week and we are trying to work it so he works the days I don't and vice versa.

I have been reading another Elm Creek Quilt novel and so all I really want to do today is unpack the sewing machine and start sewing something! But we are having lunch with friends so it will have to wait until Tuesday when I have a day off.

Once I am over this cold I will get more organised and get some more photos to post for you all of the happenings in the garden. I have pulled everything out of the vege patch and have added loads of manure and am digging it over everyday just to break up the soil. I will plant out some seeds today I think if I have time and so in a few weeks things will be ready to go again but this time with more planning and rotation so hopefully we get good yields.

daisymum

Bragging.................

2009-01-15T09:39:00.002+10:00

Daisyson17 just logged in and found out he has been accepted into the Bachelor of Creative Enterprise degree. He was a little disappointed he wanted the Environmental Management course but as his mum and seeing his results this is a much better fit for him.

I am so proud of him and I had to share with all of you

daisymum

One crazy week....

2009-01-15T07:09:00.003+10:00

Although I was only supposed to be working three days a week this week I worked Monday, then went in on Tuesday because they needed me to, so I worked until 3.30 then flew home grabbed the kids and went to the library and off to do a birthday present shop for a sleepover party this weekend. I worked yesterday and this afternoon they need me to go in for a few hours as well.

Meantime I have to get the night time group for patchworkers organised finish off my tax return for the accountant, get my domain name registration paid for, get daisyson17s quilt off to the quilter so she has time to do it before his birthday oh and did I mention the washing, ironing,
folding, cleaning?

I know it is only the first week but I am wondering how I am going to cope with this - I am so tired today I would love to still be in bed.

It will probably be different when the kids are back at school I won't have that nagging guilt that I should be with them not at work.

I know I will be drummed out of the green network for this but I am buying a dishwasher we had one while we were away and it was so easy we still only needed to put it on once a day and I used bicarb in it instead of the chemical powders and it worked very well. So with this fortnights pay check I am off to buy one, nothing fancy just something that has a high water and electricty rating then in the mornings I can load the brekky things into it and the kitchen is clean when I go off to work, it will get filled with the dinner dishes and put on then. Is this a cop out???

Off to get a heap of little jobs done and spend some much needed time with my children this morning before I go back into the office this afternoon for I what I hope will only be a few hours.

daisymum