March Continued

I've always thought a picture says it all, so here are some more of our March.


This is where we celebrate Easter with our family. This was the only time the camera came out (Too busy having fun), but I think it was worth it. Notice the goose/duck down the bottom. He or she was there to greet us on our arrival.

Last week we visited Miles. His owners, not having a puppy in a while, since Zappa was a 13 year old dog, we decided to supply them with a baby bag - dog style. In it we put a packet of dried liver, gel hand sanitizer, spray disinfectant, paper towels, poop bags, and the essential Kong with a small jar of peanutbutter and vegemite. It really is a great bag to have on hand for little accidents.


He is such a playful little dog.

After he took turns playing in each of our laps for at least 1.5 hours, he fell fast asleep.


Till next time MnM:)

Hiya
I've finally made it to the neck of the Fair Isle Jumper. Those last 6 cms are calling me.
Huggs Little Ma

Little stuff in March!!!!

Hi everyone!!
I just down loaded all our pics from the camera, which has not been done in a while.
So here are some of this months activities.
Spot the fruit. We were all very exited when we saw them. Can't wait to eat them.

Like the blog (life at rosemary hill) we visited the northern lights. The blumen camera batteries ran out half way through, but these are the ones i liked the best.




This month it was Dude's 13th Bday. So to celebrate we had a birthday breakfast with prezzies of course.
He had to wait until everyone was at the table to open his presents.

So when he could open them he got stuck in. Lots of fun.

And for the big day we all had pancakes sprinkled with sugar and orange juice.

He was very happy!!!!

Lots of hugs MnM:)

Miles and Happy Foody

Hey

Our friends who lost Zappa last year have just found themselves a new puppy - Miles. Anticipating this happy event we bought them a Dog food recipe Book with heaps of Fancy Fussy Recipes for dogs ( the sushi for dogs really tickled me). So here is a pic of probably the best cared for Pup in Australia. He's a beautiful little Kelpie. Isn't he cute as?



Well the dog's got good food I better check out our diet! I've been meaning to add more vegetarian meals but they have to be tasty especially for the carnivores in the house. Eating veg for them is punishment. But they will drink smoothies and veg dips like hummous, red kidney bean dip or skordalia. There's a few recipes at the

Happy Foody

I want to try. (Followed by some delicious Burnt butter Biscuits just in case it's all too healthy)

On the knitting front , I've managed to graft the sleeves onto the main part of the jumper and now have to work out a fair isle pattern. I'm so excited 'cos when it's done I want to finish the Ice Queen shawly thing.
I went back to the Button Bar to finally get my replacement needles. I don't think I'll be going back there. I just got the feeling that the lady just wasn't really interested in fixing the faulty needle issue and that I was really just a nuisance - oh well.

Things I'm chuffed about this week - Rain, rain and cold weather.

Huggs Little Ma

Wonders of the Industrial World

Hey Happy Easter!

Just watched a show about how they built the Panama Canal. Anyone else catch it? Supposedly one of the 7 Wonders of the Industrial World. The French failed, leaving a great ecological mess. The Americans took over and blasted their way through. I'm still waiting to be suitably impressed. Apparently 20.000 people died while the French tried building it and 5000 when the Americans took over. Okay they did prove that the mozzies were to blame for the yellow fever but have I missed something? People died to make someone else rich - crazy-stupid! I'm going back to my knitting that makes sense most of the time.
Still working on the Fair Isle jumper and some crocheted/felted bags. We're hoping to have a good amount of stuff ready by mid April and set up a stall at Prospect.
One thing I want to do this year is get a bit fitter. and the year did start off well with bike rides etc but since The Boss had surgery I did get a bit slack so today I tried out a Billy Blanks Ab Bootcamp DVD. It was good. Had a lot of AB exercise's while standing which I really liked. It finished just as I was getting bored, which is fantastic. Must have a short attention span. I'd rather garden or do dvd stuff than go to a gym. But my favourite exercise is to dance around the room. Gets your heart pumping and some of those hippy shake moves do wonders for your waist. Doesn't impress the beloveds though - oh well . I know my dancing is cool in my own mind. Who cares what anyone else thinks! Yeah Man, crazy! : )

Huggs Little Ma

Who left the heater on?

Not me. someone in the cosmos is playing a joke right? Luckily we can turn on the air conditioner when it's utterly unbearable. I try hard not to use it too often for both environmental and economic reasons but I am really grateful that we have it. Growing up there was no airconditioning so to stay we cool we did several things.
Sat in the dark a lot. Had quick cold showers (we were very clean), Sat around with very little on ( obviously when no-one was home!). At school we'd take frozen water bottles, ate Snips and took a towel to sit on 'cos the seats were that horrible skin-ripping plastic. My favourite now though is going to bed with a wet flannel and the fan on.

This month has gone by so quickly. We've been busy with learning new things. I'm really enjoying the programming course. Family has been visiting from overseas and I've finally started ripping down the vine on the fence in the dust bowl. Of course the fence is coming down too, followed by the rails. It's going from bad to worse. But I'm NOT panicking . This stupid heat limits how much I do but if I do a bit at a time one day I will have a lovely spot for fruit trees and veg and a place for my chookies.











They've been moved to the front yard temporarily - they seem to like it out there. As they finish clearing each spot I'll move them.
I just need to get a small cage for night for them. They're still living in the rabbit hutch . Their day run is just chicken wire and a few star droppers. Works a treat. I just move the uncurled bit of wire to get them out at night ( watching out for spiders )

Craft wise I haven't done too much knitting. Still working on the yoked fair isle jumper and making friendship bracelets. They're fun and quick too. This one's MnM is making atm. I'm wearing mine around my ankle and feeling very Hippyish!

Happy Valentine's Day

The last of our Peaches I'm going to miss them in our morning porridge!


Happy Valentine's Day everyone!! Or as it's known in our house - Happy Fluffy Puff Day!
( The recipe was on an earlier blog). It's been such a lovely day today. We had some
special friends and my sister over for lunch.


Shared a vaguely Lebanese style lunch and
of course the Fluffy Puffs. It was good to take time out of the busy week and spend it relaxing
with my beloveds.

Chocolate Gugelhupf or Yeast cake for Valetine's Day

Classes have started and we're all happily busy with phone lessons (German, Biology, Chemistry and English) and attendance classes in Catering and Programming. I've learnt how to make a simple (and utterly useless) calculator and make a form that tells me my name. LOL ( Good for when my old-timers ailments start) But I've really enjoyed it. Probably cos it's in the morning and I think best then. (After lunch I usually need my Nana Nap)


OOh and I spent my birthday money too. I finally got the Knit-picks interchangeable needles - the Harmony Wood. Got MnM the steel ones last year and they were lovely but I preferred the wood. We can always share them now as both sets are interchangeable with each other.

There was a down side. I have to order the folder separately , which I didn't know and also the smallest needles (3.5) aren't screwing all the way down. I checked MnM's set and her largest needle has the same problem, only more so. I rang the Button Bar where we bought them and a lovely young woman ( Helena) said she had the same problem and just to try and push whatever is blocking it into the needle (with a tapestry needle) and if it doesn't work to bring them back. So I'll try that later and see how I go.

She also encouraged me to try the

Magic Loop

method for circular knitting and it works a treat. I've started the sleeve on a fairly long cable and its just so cool!! No dpns , no losing needles etc.

Today I'm grateful for easy, tasty recipes that don't take forever so I can spend time with everyone. And automatic front- loading washing machines. They clean my clothes gently, use less water and water my garden.
Valetine's Day is for all who love - Does that mean my chookies are my valentines 'cos they sure love me in the mornings when they're fed, in the evenings when they're put to bed and when they leave little presents on the paving when they escape. : )

huggs Little Ma

Squeezing Stuff in!!

Hi All
Hasn't this first month of 2008 gone by so fast!!!
We've been keeping busy with lots of craft and cooking. Our two favourite things to do. This is a "Sour Cream Choc Cake." I got the recipe from a book called "CRAVE a passion for chocolate"by Maureen McKeon. It has lots of pics, mmmmm. This book is one I will be putting on my xmas wish list, which is growing all the time.

This week we discoved a great way of drying the baby beanies I've made.

It's a small dessert bowl on top of a glass. It is a great way to help keep its shape.
A while ago Little Ma spun some Camel down and Tussah Silk. So while the Aussie Open was on this year I made a capelet and Little Ma made a shawl from it. Both of us wanted to try a stitch called 'Solomon's knot." We both started to crochet freestyle.



On the Capelet we chose a button that was made out of coconut. We both fell in love with it as soon as we saw it.
Until next time MnM :)


Hi I was just feeling crappy 'cos the Angel was getting on my nerves ( Instructions are yuk and the fiddly stuff makes me feel like I'm getting no-where) the Ice Queen cowl needs concentration which I've been lacking in the hot weather( air con is not working and the fan is just not enough . Why did I get rid of the pool - silly, silly me ) and I needed something interesting yet easy. My crocheted vest is boring me as well - possibly cos' it's the third time the bodice down has been worked. So I've started a kid's jumper with a round fair Isle Pattern around the shoulders. I feel so much better even doing the rib. Guess I just needed to knit SOMETHING!! I'm using some beautiful soft handspun wool from a lady (Irene Paine) who has passed away. I know her daughter-in-law, Beverley Paine, who passed on the wool to me. I wish I could have met her and told her how lovely her spinning was and how much I am appreciating knitting with it.
I'm going to go and knit some more . i think I'm ready to do the stocking stitch part - I can't believe I'm so excited to start that part. LOL


Oh , and what I'm grateful for today is being able to borrow books from the library. Less clutter at home and cheaper! Always a plus. I can check out books and decide if I really really need to have that one at home.
Huggs Little Ma