A strange summer makes for a confused garden

This summer has been quite a strange one in Australia due to La Niña effect, massive floods in many parts of Eastern Australia, with the sun and hot temperatures not eventuating.














The vegie patch doesn't quite know what to make of it, and although the tomato plants have produced beautiful tomatoes, they sit on the vine, green, without the power to turn into lovely red delicious globes.

Our japanese pumpkin vine stretches along the ground and twists itself along some twine up to the shed, and although it has lovely yellow flowers, nothing is budding.





















I am at a loss and think that I will have to find a great recipe for making something with green tomatoes in it (preferably not fried!)

I hope that Autumn this year is as expected and then the rest of the year follows its usual course, weather wise.

Bunny finished but I have the Amigurumi bug

My little Easter bunny is finished and she is very happy to out and about. She has been played with and looked at and held and loved.












She will however be joined by another, who it seems will be quite  a bit bigger than her, and who I think will make a wonderful present for a little baby about to come into the world.







I couldn't help myself when I stumbled upon this beautiful bunny with free pattern supplied
by Darncat Crochet I just had to make it!

My creative space - Amigurumi bunny

I've been trying to get this little Amigurumi Bunny ready for a photo shoot for todays My Creative Space, but with limited sleep (awake from 3.30 - 5.30am), my eyes wouldn't focus last night!

So here she is, missing her other ear and face - Atashi from Chobits (absolutely no idea what show she stars in!).

 I was originally thinking that I would make lots of them and give them as presents for Easter - instead of chocolates, but she has been quite a lot of work, and I just can't see myself making 6 of them!!



And this is the original with the pattern here:

Can you guess?

I'm making something with my new found crochet skills.

I found a pattern when I searched for amigurumi animals.

It has been a process of learning how to read a pattern and also how to make new shapes....

some of them look like little sperm... or teeny cod pieces!

can you guess what it will be?

My creative space - Amigurumi hearts

Wow!! it's been a long time since I've been able to have any space to myself, let alone creative space!!

Actually, I tell a lie, I have been able to snatch a few moments here and there to make my grandmother a few hearts. I promised myself when I went to Chile last year to say goodbye to my auntie (who was very skilled at crochet), that I would learn how to crochet, and now, thanks to Youtube, I have.

When I was there in September, I gave my grandmother a sewn heart, that she sleeps with and prays with. It reminds her of her daughter. But it has seen so much attention that it needs a replacement, and after a few attempts at creating the perfect one, I finally feel confident in sending her this one.

I hope she likes it.

On another creative note, seeing as this in my first free day since last year, I am hoping to have a stab at making this short sleeve blouse....


These crafty people might get you inspired to make something today as well

Banana Muffins

Lucho started prep this month, and it has taken a bit of getting used to the new routine of pick ups and drop offs. plus there is cricket, and martial arts during the week... and I still haven't got used to stopping everything for that 3.30pm pick up.

Little Eva misses him a lot as now it's just me and her, and I'm infinitely less entertaining than her big brother, even if I take her to the movies to watch tangled.








On Wednesdays though, for a little while longer, Lucho is with me, and today we have made some banana  muffins for his lunch box.












And then, i made a lovely coffee to go with the fresh warm muffins... mmmmm yum!
Recipe was supplied by Amanda, the cook from his childcare centre.





Here's the recipe, they were so easy to make, and tasted like coffee shop ones:

Banana Muffins

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 egg - beaten

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas

1 3/4 cup self raising flour

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C and prepare muffin pans.

Blend butter and sugar, then mix in egg and bananas.

Gently fold in self-raising flour.

Spoon into muffin trays and cook for 20 - 25 minutes.

EASY! enjoy :)

Musical furniture

Our dear neighbours left for greener pastures and calmer lives about a week ago, and they left behind two children who pine for them and two adults who miss the companionship and regular contact. 

We have a few things to remember them by though, some gorgeous art work, which I will post about when they are framed and hanging on our wall, many bits and pieces from their home which remind us of them every time we use them, and a piano.

The piano was once owned and used by the Australian playwright David Williamson, it stayed with his ex wife, then over to our neighbours whose children learnt to play on it, and now, although we are not a musical family, it lives with us.

I wanted to have it here, as it is such a beautiful piece of furniture as well as making music, and if we never really learn to use it, it will look lovely in the lounge.

My favourite thing at the moment, is hearing the children playing it at different times of the day, in between other activities, and although out of tune, it still sounds sweet!

This afternoon, Hubby and I gave it a polish with a combination of linseed oil and other potions recommended by an antiques dealer, and it has come up a treat!

Teeny pigs and other rodents

My children have been asking for a pet for a few months.

My dear son would like to have a snake or lizard (NOT cudldy or sweet!)

My daughter would like to have a fairy (a bit hard to get these days)

I would like to have a cat -  but I'm not the one looking for a pet.

So, for Christmas, we (me) chose to purchase and love some guinea pigs - renamed teeny pigs by the children because they're small. We have Flames (all black and short hair and the scaredy cat of the group) Franklin  Mott (black and brown with long hair, named after my favourite vampire) and Biscuit (white, black and brown)















 So these teeny pigs have a double storey hutch and also a large yard. We joke that they are planning to install a pool and deck chairs next, along with their gazebo.

 

Apart from a few scary moments, the children have become used to the teeny pigs, and they in turn have become used to us. One of them - Biscuits - is the leader and calls out to me and complains if there is not enough food that he is happy with, while the other two try to not get caught by us. Their favourite food is carrot by far!

One thing I had not thought of, and now makes me rethink the whole guinea pig thing, is that we have another pet coming in on a regular basis and eating during the day.... meet little mouse...










He thinks that he is part of our little family. He is very careful, and very quick, but still is quite happy to pose for a shot or two, and has a penchant for corn.... or anything else...

 I think I should have got a cat instead....

Owl Family visit Thornbury

Last night my husband came in from the back yard and excitedly told me about how he had spotted some owls on our fence. Owls! On our fence! Very Cool! I wished that I could have seen them too... then...

This morning as we were piling into the car to head off to Kinder, some locals walked past and invited us to come owl watching. 

 

There is a family of Tawny Frog Mouth Owls roosting in the trees about 3 houses away. There seem to be two little ones and a mum.

 

Was a great start to the day, although the Northcote Leader wasn't impressed enough to come and take pics of them....  So enjoy mine

Green thumbs

This afternoon after a big morning of our favourite music class, Stomper Room and then the park with friends we came back home and decided to harvest some of the delicious and bursting-with-goodness broad beans that have taken over half the veggie patch.

These plants tower over my little ones, and picking the beans became an adventure in the broad bean jungle. They are at an age where they are excited about participating in all things green and tasting food straight from the garden.





I hope that we are instilling a love of home grown food and also the desire to eat what they grow - so far, we have had success with them eating peas and carrots, but not parsnips, leeks or beetroot!






Shelling them was also enjoyable and quite peaceful as we discussed how we might make them for tonights dinner.

It was decided to have them as a salad with a bit of lemon and perhaps some mayonaise on the side.

now I'm crossing my fingers that they will actually eat them!