Last week of July...

 It was indeed a full week. The kind that can catch you off your guard in more ways than one. It began with days slightly cooler than we've had this winter, and they were just what was needed to refresh body and soul before the soon-to-return tropical heat. 

But little Charlie, just 31 months old, who had been battling fevers that came and went with increasing lethargy over the few days previous, ended up in hospital on Tuesday. He went downhill on Monday night and the doctor thought it was a blood infection so after being rushed into Emergency early Tuesday morning, he was monitored through the day, and once his fever was back down Blossom (who had barely slept for days) and Ross were advised to take him home to continue recovering from what was now believed to be influenza. Apparently the paediatric wards in our hospital were overflowing with babies and small children battling Influenza A or B, and RSV, so it was deemed safer for him to be at home. We only have a few paediatricians in Townsville (the waiting list to see them can be two years) and I can only imagine the strain that puts on parents, and our doctors and nurses in Paediatric wards. 

I called on my two prayer partners (all the way over in the USA) Allie and Susan, and more friends prayed after I posted on Instagram. What a blessing to have so many praying for our little fellow and all the children still in hospital. Charlie is continuing to recover well, and we are praising God for His faithfulness again...as if we can ever praise Him enough, for He is faithful day by day. 

Also this past week:

One afternoon I was out in the yard taking the washing off the line and glanced over to my right where a visitor had arrived...a Muscovy duck! Perhaps you don't know, but birds are a true delight to my heart and when I am in the midst of trials, or weariness, or extended seasons of deep prayer, God uses birds to remind me He is watching and that I can be sure He is working in the midst of every situation. This past week having a Muscovy spend two hours in my company before flying off into the sunset was a miraculous example of the Father's care - for I had never before seen a Muscovy duck in real life. 

The next day I was outside tending the garden, continuing to pray for Charlie and also for the rest of Blossom's family (who were exhibiting symptoms of head colds) when one of my favourite little birds, a Willie Wagtail, came to visit. He was sitting atop the wire on one end of the raised garden bed....

...and he stayed for ages while I chatted away to him. Of course, maybe it was Mrs Willie, and I did say that in my one-way conversation with this precious visitor, but no matter, my little friend didn't seem to mind, just happily wagging his tail feathers to and fro for my delight. 

On my to-do list for ages has been to write up an inventory of everything in our pantries, especially the small one in hubby's study, and the one in our linen cupboard. The main pantry (below) will come last because it's mostly full of the items we use weekly like baking staples, rice, pasta, spices, oil, condiments etc. and my bread machine.

The little pantry shelving inside my husband's study is wedged between our second fridge and his gun safe, a position which attracts more dust bunnies than anywhere else in the house. When I buy up on long term items after seeing them on special at a really good price, I just got into the habit of putting them anywhere I could find space, so it was very important that I took time one day to remove everything, clean the space, line the shelves (at last!) and then put everything back in sensible categories.

Here's the dusty awful before photos (excuse the photo quality as it's a dark shadowy room)...

I removed everything and prepared a notebook to write down exactly what we had in that pantry, how many of each, and what we needed to stock up on...

...and listened to my latest audio book while I worked away.  This is the third book in the series, set in 1923 after the Great War, with two wonderfully different and endearing main characters, Beryl and Edwina. There's a touch of Marple in the stories, so as I have now officially read/heard all of Agatha Christie's books (some twice) this series has definitely helped to fill my mystery book gap. 

Now for the 'after' photos.

The shelf lining has certainly brightened the area, but more importantly, everything is in it's right place at last, and I can easily plan meals for those occasional weeks when I like to "shop from the pantry and freezer and garden" to save on grocery expenses during a tight week. I do in fact think this is a wise habit anyhow, for we need to use what we have on a regular basis and not just store more and more and more without checking use-by dates. 

As much as possible I like to make everything from scratch - stewed fruits, jams, tomato products, pesto, yoghurt, bread, soups, broths, and even our milk (cashew and almond milk being our favourites), but life can be unpredictable so having basic meal items on hand like this means that if for any reason I have no time to cook from scratch, other options are on hand. This is also why I keep a supply of home baked breads and muffins in our freezer...oh my, these are so handy for easy breakfasts or a side plate. 

Lately I have been baking a large focaccia every Sunday (I have shown photos of the various ones from the past few weeks in previous posts) and I divide it into three. We enjoy a third that night for dinner and use some of it for my husband's work lunch the next day. Two portions go into the freezer. One of those portions will be defrosted and served with soup one night later in the week, and the final portion stays in the freezer so that we always have some on hand when needed. 

Yesterday was Sunday, my busiest day in the kitchen, and I decided to play around with a new focaccia topping...well, it was a success, so delicious! I added grapes, pine nuts, rosemary and celtic sea salt before baking. 

I think this is the best one I have made...in fact I am eating a tiny leftover corner from last night as I type this blog post. Having never roasted grapes before, this will be repeated many times in the future.

In the garden we've had an infestation of green vegetable bugs through the tomatoes. I catch them and squash them every day whilst picking ripe tomatoes, but the past few days their population increased dramatically so I decided to pick every single tomato off the vines. The ripe ones will be added to the mountain of ripe ones already on the kitchen benchtop and I'll use them for salads, fresh tomato and onion chutney, and as a quick pasta sauce.

But we had loads of green tomatoes...

...so they have now been washed, chopped finely along with onion and salt, and left to sit overnight. When I finish this post I'll drain them and begin the process of cooking a nice batch of Green Tomato Relish, which I'll preserve for use over the next year. Last year I made Green Tomato Chutney, but we prefer a relish so I've got a good old recipe to try from my 1959 Queensland CWA cookbook. 

Hubby used a natural pest spray on the tomato vines after I removed all the fruit, and we pray the next flush of tomatoes on them won't attract as many bugs. 

Yesterday, while the focaccia was going through the first and second rise, I made four jars of jam using some frozen berries and cherries that I'd bought for half price around Christmas. That's another thing with stocking up - frozen fruit and meat and vegetables and bread etc only last a certain period of time, not forever, especially here in the tropics. I try to look and see what needs using up a few times a month and then shop from my freezer. By doing that I free up space for any new bargains I find, or for freezing bulk meals I've made, breads, muffins, fruit etc. 

I'm going to rest today as much as possible after doing the basics of washing and tidying, making relish and gathering vegetables from the garden. The past week was full on and my Fitbit attests to that, but it's not good to have those kinds of weeks back to back if you can help it. Intentionally slowing whenever possible is life-giving, so I will pick up a book, brew a cuppa and go sit under the poinciana tree for a bit as it's a wonderfully relaxing place this time of year...

....before looking for hidden beauties to pick and display in a vase on my desk. 

I was asked to share how I make nut milks, so I'll do that next week because I can only take photos of one kind of milk at a time (when I make them). 

Other requests were for the recipes I've used for Cypriot Pitta Bread and Focaccia. Both of those are on Paul Hollywood's website HERE and HERE (I make one large focaccia, not two smaller ones).  

I'll be back in a couple of days with the next Virtuous Wife BOM pattern. Oh, and over the past couple of weeks I've added ten more patterns to my Etsy Shop, so if you wanted to browse pop over here. 

I'm also currently working on designs for a brand new Stitchery Club in my spare time (you can hear me laughing, right?)...well, I'm making spare time cause I'm intentionally slowing, and there's something rather relaxing about working on a new piece of fabric with needle and thread in the evening or during that hour of rest each afternoon before taking washing off the line and starting dinner. All I really want now is a new chicken coop and some more chickens so I can slow down even more. Birds you know? They have that effect on me. 

God bless you all, and may your own week be one where you see the kind and faithful hand of God working in your life, even in the very smallest of ways. Look around you and be amazed...look up and give thanks. :-)

Hugs

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Simple children's gifts, and ducks in the pool...

When I am going to visit Blossom, the children always love to see what special treat I have for them. Sometimes it's a batch of freshly baked muffins, or two punnets of fresh raspberries they can share (they all adore raspberries), or maybe some stickers or stamps. But recently I made them something different, a notebook for each child to draw in.

These were very easy to make. I had some pretty printer paper, a bit thicker than the ordinary paper I use to print on, and I folded it in half to create a cover. 

Then I cut 1/2" from the longest side of some sheets of ordinary printer paper, and folded them in half to create pages. By cutting the white paper a little shorter it allowed the edges to be protected by the cover when closed.

As I hadn't changed my sewing machine needle for a while (naughty, yes) I decided to make final use of it by sewing the pages into the cover, just a simple 1/4" seam down  beside the cover fold.

Years ago I bought a small set of eight Flower Fairy books from the op-shop for $2, with the intent of making greeting cards from the pictures, but as that plan is yet to eventuate, I cut some of the pictures from one book and decorated the new notebook covers for Cully May, Rafaella Lucy and Charlie David. I packed each book into a small brown paper bag, along with a few stickers and a couple of stamps which I'd purchased for just such an occasion. It's a lot of fun coming across small bargains like those stamps and putting them away for 'one day' when the children visit, or like this day when I decided to make little notebooks. 

We're currently reading Little House in the Big Woods when I visit, so drawing and stamping in their new notebooks while I read gave Blossom some free time to catch up on other things without distraction. So of course, what do they request when I visit now?? "Nana, will you make us another book, please?"

Another small gift I gave the children recently was a handkerchief. The two girls have their own small hand bags which Blossom bought them late last year. Inside she placed some lip balm (because this is the tropics and lips can get very dry), a small hair brush, and a few other things little girls might need. 

I decided last year to no longer use tissues, but return to the habit of my youth and use handkerchiefs instead. My collection is sizeable, gathered from here, there and everywhere, but stored inside a lovely zippered pouch, they'd been forgotten. After re-washing them, and then ironing...

...I chose two pretty pink hankies for the girls, and took one of my husband's 'man size' handkerchiefs to give to Charlie. I must say, the children loved their gift, but did need me to explain how it was meant to be used. Ha ha! 

I don't get to see the girls as often during school terms now, as they both attend the local school during the week (hubby's uncle was head master there for many years, and it is held in high regard amongst teachers), but we chat on the phone, and we try to catch up on a Sunday afternoon every second week as a family get together. I do visit Blossom during the week and we have Charlie to entertain (and they have two adorable Pug puppies now!), plus we also do our grocery shop together after a nice cuppa and cake at the nearby cafe too. 

I wish the children had been here the other day though, as this is what I saw when I went up the back to check on the passionfruit vine...

Our pool is having some major repairs, and will soon be relined, but it's still fine for swimming every day...but we had no idea someone else was sharing with us. 

Harry the dog was barking like crazy as he stood watching from the other side of the pool fence, but the ducks were not perturbed. Mother and Father Duck were giving their babies a swimming lesson and all was well with them.

These same parent ducks (duck and drake actually) had babies behind my husband's shed last year, but we never saw them in the pool. 

These are beautiful Plumed Whistling Ducks, and rarely hatch their brood in a suburban back yard...but we do live just 200 metres from the river, and 2 klm from the dam, so perhaps they consider this to be 'home' area.

 I intend to do a bit of baking today as we need more biscuits (cookies) and probably a cake or two to freeze as I have plenty of bananas and limes to use. I thought a banana date loaf, and a lime drizzle cake would be nice to have ready for visitors. Rosie told me last week that this is what she does, bakes cakes in a big batch and then freezes them for later. Such a good idea. I do this with muffins, but not really cake...and frankly, I do love cake. 

But first I'm going to bake a tomato tart for lunch. Here's a photo from the first time I made it, back in 2018...

I'm salivating just thinking about it! For some reason I had forgotten all about this very simple recipe, and have never made it since we bought this home later that same year. Perhaps you might like to make it? Here's the recipe, which was in an old copy of Daphne's Diary...

Before I go, let me show you a cushion I made for Blossom, 'just because'. It's from THIS stitchery, though I changed the trim on the mummy bird's dress so that it would be more personal for my girl. She's had a pretty rough time with her health the past two years, and the passage of Scripture used in the design was just what she needed. 

I hope you're able to enjoy a lovely relaxed weekend. I'll be working on this stitchery (below) whilst watching/listening to a series of David Pawson's insightful and inspiring sermons/lessons from 2011. If you're interested, they are HERE.

The design was originally made in colours to suit fabrics I did not particularly like (a Tilda line which just never sat well with me) but they were given me by the fabric distributor and I was obliged to create with them. The design itself is a favourite, and now I can remake it in colours which bring me joy, for this verse is one I want to shout from the rooftops.

I'm loving the new version in reds and greens! 

There's a lesson in that, you know. I should never have accepted a commission to create from fabrics I did not like, and thankfully, I don't anymore. Aaah, relief. 

Designing or sewing to the beat of my own drum is far lovelier, and as always I give all glory to God for leading me, correcting me, and pouring some of His creativity into all that I make. May HE be glorified by the work of my hands. 

OH - I forgot to mention that Blossom and I are selling off some of our sewing supplies and books. This is for Australians only, and you will find the Destash page HERE Some things have already been snapped up by my newsletter subscribers, but there's still a lot to browse through and grab a bargain.

God bless you dear ones, and I pray that you find our Father to be right by your side, no matter what you face, no matter where you are, and no matter if you have the words to pray or not. He hears through laughter, and He hears through tears. You will always be heard.

Till Monday, 

hugs