Gosh, how can I keep not coming here and writing about my all exciting life! I really do need to get into the habit of visiting myself every day.
So, what's up here in Barbs Backyard? I have finally got some garlic planted, did that last week and it is already a few inches high. I used to always plant it around Winter Solstice which is now, and pull it up during the summer Last year I forgot that rule and whether that was the reason that I had a very poor harvest or the fact that half of it rotted in the ground, we didn't get much at all. I had to resort to accepting a big bag from the father in law...how sad. I have always been the one to share the produce and now I am the receiver...I really need to lift my game. I'm thankful that he did though, his garlic was big, tasty, and he gave me enough that I had enough left over to plant. Last week.
The brassicas are doing well, I am eating so tasty beans straight from the garden, still have heaps of chokos, capsicum, sweet potato...still not buying much at all. Oranges are being picked and eaten from the tree. I can not believe that we used to like the shop bought ones. Really there is no comparison and we will never eat *those* ones again. There are still apples to pick but not many left now. Enough for us. I lost a whole fridge garden of potatoes due to not checking them when the last lot of rain hit us. Seems the drainage holes blocked and the fridge filled with water and they all drowned. Rotted. Not there anymore. We have others elsewhere but that was a bit of a bummer.
Chooks still aren't laying so husband has permission to do what needs to be done and we will have chicken soup instead of eggs. They do have a bit of Scaley leg mite and I am oiling them for that but they haven't laid for near on 7 months so I can't blame that or the cold or heat or stress or lack of food or too much food. They are just useless chooks that should do better.
The bees are still doing what bees do, I have finally fixed the zip in the overalls, both pair, how good am I, and am now waiting for a nice day when I am home so I can do an inspection. Or, truth be told, I will go out looking the part, take the lid off, have a look, maybe pull out a frame or two, close it back up and suggest to the husband when he gets home that they are looking OK, what does he think and we will go out together and he will tell me what I should know by now without him. That's how we work here. I'm the wannabe and he is the is.
The monthly lunch with Mum and a sister was a couple of days ago. This time we went up to Collie. Had a look around the town, lunch in a café then drove around some of the streets. Mum used to live there, many many years ago and it was interesting hearing things she had to say about her time there. Hmmm, I never did have a think about the places that we have been to so far and make a list like I said I was going to, really must get onto that.
I dog sat for a week so earned some money towards my *$3000 a year from the yard* money making scheme. Only $2900 to go with that one. Not really, I have had him a few times now but still have a long long way to go. I don't think that I will get rich through dog-sitting. I have plans to pot up some plants to take to our next markets but if I don't get a move on with that they wont be ready in time and there wont be anything extra to add to the kitty. The chokos are nearly finished so even the small amount I get from selling them will soon end. It sounded easy when I was thinking about it, $3000 a year, 10 times, enough for us to live on when husband can no longer work...It's still a good idea but I think I need to come up with a proper plan. Or 10 plans...
My back is starting to hurt again. I though that the pills the doctor gave me were doing their job but a few days ago the pain started coming back. I have about another weeks worth and he said that if it wasn't better by the time the pills were gone he would look into it more. I hate how they give out pills to treat the symptoms instead of finding the cause and fixing that. I need to get some blood tests done again before I go back to him too. They need to be fasting ones and I have had a month now to get them done but I always get up and first thing have a coffee. It's not until I am halfway through that that I remember that I am not supposed to have anything and need to wait till next day. And again and again. I have now written myself a reminder note so hoping Monday will be the day.
Daughter L is in town this weekend. It was FreeMarket day this afternoon but she was here this morning before we left gabbing on about those super green smoothie drinks that we should all be having. The ones I was going to have every day and did start to except they were more brown than green...Anyway, this time she was saying that we should make one and add some Aloe Vera to it as it would be fantastic and solve all our ills....So we did. It had orange, banana, aloe vera, comphrey, green leaves from the garden...it wasn't awful. It was green. A very pretty green and much more healthy looking than the brown ones mine always tend to be. I think mine are less green because I add carrots. And I think I will start having them every day again. Husband has been off work for 4 weeks now and I always eat too much crappy food when he is home. He has a few days work next week so it will be green smoothie and vegie soup meals while he is away with no white crappy carbs at all. And I'm not going to mention the hot chips we had for tea tonight to L as she might make me drink some other concoction...
We have had the wood fire going for the last week, the house is toasty warm and the kettle is always hot. So nice at this time of year. Tomorrow I am going to cook up a big pot of soup, there are a few manky things in the fridge that can be added and it will make me feel better that I used them and didn't need to subject the poor chooks to them. Yum, manky food soup. Who's coming for lunch...
