It's that time of year again

It's the Flame Tree  (Illarwarra Flame Tree) time to shine.

At our place at this time of year, both the Poinciana and the Flame Tree put on quite a show.

This is just the flame tree though.



Hope everyone is enjoying the lead up to the Festive Season.

cheers for now - Wendy

Little by Little

............ out it goes!

I aim for one of these a week to head off to greener pastures at the local animal welfare op shop.

Most weeks I can manage to almost fill a bag.  One day the house will look different.  Uncluttered.

cheers for now
Wendy

Warped board art

I bought this old watercolour on our road trip back in September.  I have a fondness for watercolour and something about this one just spoke to me.  Particularly as when we were travelling the blossoms were out everywhere, and we don't get that so much in Queensland. 

It was framed, an old frame nearly falling off.  It was $20 in an Oppy and husband was tutt tutting in the background that we really have enough 'stuff' at home (yes dear I know).

However what I didn't know until I took the frame off was that the artwork was pasted onto board.  Between the art and the board is layers of newspaper.

Very old newspaper (I'm guessing late 1800's) which is almost paper mached over the top of the board.  Over the years the board has warped - quite badly.  So much so, that when I took it to local picture framer he said that he couldn't do anything with it until it is off the backing board (which is quite firm - masonite?).

Such a pity as I was looking forward to having it framed and hanging it in the house.  So at the moment - my alternatives are:  1.   put it under something really heavy (like a chest of drawers) for a while and see how that works -> then have a frame over the lot.  2.  try and get if off the backing board which is difficult as the art paper is quite fine.  I've tried running a ruler down the back, doesn't work & I don't want to rip it. 

It's just unfortunate that the board is quite warped (painting is biggish 45 x 40cm). I'd love to know the background and who painted it (signature illegible).   Any bright ideas welcomed!  

cheers for now

Wendy 

Revisiting vintage_declutter

Just to advise that I have revamped rebooted my site on ebay under this name.  To access vintage_declutter listings, just click on the link on the sidebar.

It was my intent when I first started this blog to document items as they left the house, in the form of decluttering.  I have to say, I think my first inspiration was my blogworld friend librarygirl, as she carefully detailed the contents of bags as they left the house.

Righto I thought!  I can do that - however in the meantime this blog has turned into an everyday ramble about life on our small acreage, which is just fine too.  I've certainly met some lovely people along the way.

However, although this is going on all the time in the background - I’ve realised that while I have way too much stuff  - I also needed to sell a truckload of things also.

So vintage_declutter was created as an ebay site where I list only vintage, retro and some antiques.  I also started a not so exciting blog of the same name (which I have put on hold).  It may well come back to live another day sometime in the future.

My love of retro goes waayyyy back ........ right back to the day in fact.  I have been admiring, collecting and buying for a long time.  Add to this the fact that I have been the recipient (in a not such a  great way, through inheritance on both sides of family) of some very lovely items. 

At one stage our home held the entire contents of two homes – including large antiques and collectables!  It was interesting to say the least - so I’m pleased to say that now, a few years later, our home no longer looks like an episode of Hoarders Inc.   

My genuine love for retro amd vintage collectables has now evolved to more fine-tuned stage.   I now know which specific ones I’d like to keep.  My mother particularly was very stylish and had an exceptionally tasteful way of displaying things.  I can only hope that once I downsize a little, some of this stylishness will eventually surface in me!

As I was a child/teenager growing up in the ‘80s,  it is wonderful thing now to be able to re-visit retro on an ongoing basis.  I just wish that I had kept more .... well maybe not, but definitely that TV shaped orange radio, and those green cream and orange pinstripe pants!

So now I have reached the stage in my life where my emotional detatchment trigger has been activated!  I can actually part with things at last.  Items really have to get a move on and find other homes because it is going to be a looong process.  I can still record and keep a memory alive through photos and this is how I’ve chosen to do it. 

So this is a shameless plug for vintage_declutter.  Please forgive me if the whole idea doesn’t appeal to you and this is just a blah blah blah post - but for those who care to -  I’d love you to visit my listings.  I will always be updating and adding new items.  Don’t forget to mention it if you are a blog follower  (extra-special treatment if you are! ).

All listings are postal only - I wrap carefully, send off  promptly (Australia only).  I can tell you a little about the history of an item if you’d like to know. 

.... and lovers of Kathy Winkle plates, sorry but this was just a tempter, they are not for sale - for the moment anyway!

Cheers for now

Wendy

Brussel Sprouts look out!

Actually these are mini-cabbages.

Seems we have to pick them early before the Wicked White Moths descend.  I'd like to say that it is a good way to eat them, but sadly it is not.

Speaking of cooking. ...... what do you cook on?  I don't mean hotplate or grill, or even brand names of saucepans, I'm talking type of cookwear.

I think I've tried them all.  Starting off with a very expensive stainless steel set when first married.  Then the various teflon types.  However, I've always been wary of teflon.

So we have gone back to the basics.  Not all the time, but cast iron cookware definitely has appeal ...... and it's good in so many ways.  Including muscle building when lifting out of cupboard.

Not so good for the person stuck with the washing up however!  More muscles needed here too. Luckily Son is either doing the cooking or the washing up so win-win.  He's definitely doing the eating (refer previous post  What's For Dinner Mum)!

Sigh..........I have to frock up and front up to a big Big Night Out in the City this weekend.   You definitely know you're getting old when you'd much rather be at home with a book / glass of wine / knitting or all three!. .. or I would anyway.

cheers for now
Wendy

Unforgettable

Anyone with child/ren will relate to this I’m sure.  Or even those who don’t!

I wonder if you remember the first full sentence your child spoke?   I remember very clearly as our son was in the child seat in the back – “What’s for dinner tonight Mum??”

Now bear in mind that he was (and still) is our only child.  Of course it goes without saying that of course he was (and still is) the cutest, most intelligent, kind, loving helpful child on the planet ... yada yada!

I’m sure he was about two years old, give or take, and had been talking lots but had not actually strung a sentence together.  I can remember hearing that cute little voice from the back seat and being shocked to the core.   What did you say?  How did he know how to put those words together?  Amazing!  Say it again son, that’s fantastic!!   

Fast forward another 16 or so years. He is now 18.5 years old. He has a very much deeper voice.  Have a guess what I have been hearing nearly all of those 16 years – and even more and more of these days?

What’s for dinner tonight Mum?  He is on an extreme fitness curve and apparently has to eat every three or so hours.  Oh – and this is on a Paleo diet, so if I’m not cooking, I’m spending more and more time and money hauling carnivore type food into the house!

Before anyone gets too upset, he does cook at least 3 out of 4 meals himself.  He does clean up the kitchen. He does help unpack the car.  He is on Uni break and he and I seem to be spending more time together than ever before – and food and menu planning keeps getting mentioned in the conversation a lot.

 

However on the plus side, this time last year he was at Gold Coast Schoolies.  So I can only thank our lucky stars that it is all over.  Sending kind thoughts to any parents who are going through it at the moment.    Not good for parents well-being at all.  Anyway, that’s done and dusted and it doesn’t seem to have changed him significantly.  I think he was just glad to get home to some decent food.

Thankful too that our son has finished Year 1 of University - he has changed to a Business degree and it really fits him well.   I didn’t think that he was an Engineer somehow.  So many of his friends have dropped out from various courses, we are pleased that he has at least finished first year.

And this framed stitching is a pickup from the local oppy some months ago?  Still showing it's $4 price tag.  For some reason it ‘spoke’ to me, maybe it reminds me of myself.  Maybe it reminds me of the queue up in the kitchen sometimes. 

I got in touch with my latent creative side and painted and stamped the frame.  Not that it looks much better, but I’m so over brown in this ‘80s house that I change everything I can.  Not permitted to paint the walls apparently (according to husband)  though we do talk about it at times.

 

Just a couple of gratuitous snaps of Dex, just necause he is so cute and at least he still lets me cuddle him!

{  Jo if you happen to be reading this - I know that our son is getting closer and closer to leaving home, so I'll be back reading this post again then!}

Cheers for now

Wendy 

Not much in the garden at the moment .....

I made that comment in the last post, that nothing much was happening in the garden.  So now - the other extreme ............ photo overload.

This morning I went for a bit of a stroll with camera and took these snaps.  Have a look at our November semi-rural sub-tropical garden into which we have adapted a new garden design – I've dubbed it part permaculture and part lazy style.

Poor photo quality as usual, but it did make me appreciate what is going on all the time here.  In this place which I often think of as very ordinary, is possibly more appreciated on reflection.

Coffee trees in flower again.  Each time they are in flower I think – must do something with coffee beans one day ......

 

Shadehouse recently cleared and new plantings, mainly lettuce and tomato, beans.  Cannot take any credit, husband digs around in here when he has time.

 

This tamarillo tree going great guns, despite the crazy  lean-to.  Must prop it up or put on some sort of frame this weekend before it snaps and we lose the fruit.

Lots of brassicas – always do well with the broccoli.  Not so much success with cauli.  Some cabbages too do ok.

The flowering gum in the morning light.  Not so many parrots this morning now that they are taken most of the blossom.  Lots on the ground through.

Coconut palm (one off). 

Gardenia, agapanthus and lily.

My new batch of tomato seedlings.  I try not to visit the big 2 supermarkets very often, but I do like these little perino tomatoes, and the seed can't be bought.  It seems that Coles/Woolies have the monoply on them. So I thought I’d have a go at growing some on - straight from a single tomato.  Seems to be working a charm. Take that big 2!

That's about it - and btw for those interested - MRI showed clear (as anticipated).  ENT fellow said well done, come back in a year.  Tinnutis and blocked feel should be gone by then.  Thank you very much!

cheers for now Wendy

The use of a word ...

Well it was a big day yesterday.  I had a medical appointment  (well now that you ask, it was an MRI.  Who would have thought that a middle ear infection back in July would still be annoying me now!?  ENT fellow wanted to have a look at the big picture .. ahh that would be my brain).

 

So before I headed off to the 10am Melbourne Cup Day morning appointment, I thought to myself well at least it’s before all the hoo-ha starts, and the nation stops to watch the race.  I certainly didn’t want to be stuck in the machine while others watched the race!

 

Then I remember that hoo-ha was an expression my Mum used quite a bit, and I don’t hear it very often now.  I pondered whether it actually was a word, or just a made up.  So of course I asked Mr Google who confirmed that it is a term for fussing about, but also a slang word for something else entirely .........

Well!  I didn't know that - you learn something new every day. I've led a sheltered life it seems.  So  I will have to use the term more carefully now it seems – maybe I should try out brouhaha.

Melbourne Cup Day always leaves me a little nonplussed.   Like most people, I've have enjoyed quite a few lunch outings over the years and have joined in the office sweeps on many occasions.  However, I’ve never been to the race itself and as a horse lover I just don't really enjoy watching horses race.  It was sad to hear that one of the horses, Verema was put down.

=====

A few snaps about the place.  Luckily the gardenias are flowering at moment, not much else is.  The lorikeets are happily enjoying one of our gums that is in full flower at the moment.  It seems that a side order of sunflower seeds is popular as well.

Two books heading back to the library.  The yarn one is beautiful to look at, but a bit complex for me.  The Hilary Mantel novel is .......well, interesting.  It started off as a witty - bordering on humorous - toned story about nuns and priests in ‘50s England ... until the strange visitor Fludd appeared in town.  Things become slightly more complex and the expression ‘putting the cat amongst the pigeons’ springs to mind.    However, maybe that’s just my mind at the moment.  It’s just a bit addled from being x-rayed from many different angles!

Cheers for now

Wendy 

A bit of bridge spotting..

There were many of them - however, here are a just few of the bridges that we either walked over, crossed or just spotted on our NSW/Vic road trip.

We spotted this chap sunning on part of the old railway bridge at Gundagai - which is probably better known for the dog on the tucker box!

several bridges cross this part of the Murumbidgee River, including an old railway bridge.

Part of the unused road bridge at Gundagai.

Yackandah historic stone bridge

Tooleybuc Bridge over Murray River

The walkway to Broken Hill miners memorial.  

Suspension bridge on walkway at Cranky Rock Nature Reserve - Warialda

of course there were lots more, I just wish I had photgraphed them all!

cheers for now

Wendy