Toffee :)

Russell experimented with a new recipe last weekend and this was just as good as the usual one that he uses... Loved the toffee... Or Caramel as the recipe called it... Easy to chop up when straight out of the fridge but very hard once it gets warm a little...

Yummmmm

Cheers Damaris

Meet Lauren Emily...

All finished...

Here is my doll all done... Have gotten allot of great feedback. Not bad for a first timer. :)

Cheers Damaris

Ducklings are growing...

Here is a quick picture of the ducklings that my sister had in her classroom for two weeks. They seem to have exploded. :)

Cheers Damaris

Eco visitor comes to Maryvale State School

Beautiful bags made...

Soccer ball out of rags, newspaper and plastic string and bags...

wooden carved statues...

Duarte showing the kids some games...

Joshua practicing

A successful visit :)

A wonderful slide show was shown...

Information on the Eco Tourism done on the Island

Last Monday our school had the pleasure of visiting friend of one of our teachers. His name was Duarte and he comes from Atauro Island which is part of East Timor. He gave us an excellent overview of his island, their culture there and shared with us a long list of things that he had never seen before such as a microwave and a scooter. It was amazing to know that he would have to travel five hours on foot just from his village to work. Made our little walks seem very tame in comparison...

Duarte also shared some games from his childhood. They are a very poor people and don't have allot of money for toys at all so they make do making their own things with what they have on hand. Very ingenious and also at the same time game the children a really good insight into another countries way of playing... Very simple but lovely games. :) Was nice to see that life is not about the latest XBOX game or DS console...

I especially loved seeing what the villagers were able to make out of grass. The number of amazing weaving that were brought with him to show us examples. Just amazing... I wish him all the best for the future...

Cheers Damaris

Cubby update...

Well here is the latest photo from yesterday... Got rather burnt doing the roof. More sunscreen next time... The boys are really impressed with it too...

Only have the fascia on the roof left now and the door and windows... :) Nearly done :)

Cheers Damaris

Camp time :)

Some of the kids getting off the bus after a busy three days of learning...

Joshua exhausted but happy :)

Joshua went away on a three day camp this last week. He had an excellent time by all accounts. It was a Sustainability camp where he learnt a heap of information that he will now take back to school to share with the other children...

He is looking forward to doing the presentation and was happy to learn so much new information. I know that at home we will also benefit from his new found knowledge. I am very grateful to his Principal for sending him. :)

Cheers Damaris

Garden and Patio Statues...

Fencing wire, Aluminium foil and masking tape are used for the body

This is how she started out...

Cloth wrapped around after dipped in glue and paint...

Small Doyle used as a top...

Cotton cloth was used for her skirt and waist sash...

I had the honour of attending a workshop last week and will again this week at our local Hall. We have the very talented Lorraine showing us how to make Garden and Patio Statues... She sells these at the markets where she comes from up north.

It involved quite a process and am glad that she did the first bit for us all. Then we did the rest... Has been a wonderful experience. Mine won't go in the garden though it is a present for someone close to my heart :) All I have to do now is put hair on her and paint her a little. Then she is done. :)

Cheers Damaris

Back on the Tractor...

Getting more confident :)

I have been wanting to get a bit more confident with our tractor for a while but every time I go to get Russell to talk me through it again it ends up raining... Well last Friday I got my wish and I ended up doing two hours on it. Was great to get a good run with it... Felt good...

Am much more confident now that I can do it without him here. :) Maybe after a couple more goes. :)

Cheers Damaris

Verandah Roof is on :)

Getting there...

We have come far... The verandah is on and the roof is attached. Now all that is left is the window frames, the door and the main roof :)

Cheers Damaris

I DID IT!!!!!

Proof of our wonderful achievement :)

One of my aims in life... (I know rather sad right???) I have always wanted to have a quarterly electricity bill of less than $100...

Well this last quarter I did it :) :) :) :) Our bill came in this week and it was $99.90. $73.31 without the ambulance levy... How fantastic is that??? I am soooooooo stoked :)

With the increase in electricity again in July I doubt I will have this low a bill again unless we start getting more of a rebate for our solar that we put into the grid or until I get more panels up on my roof... Will see. Just glad to have done it once at least...

Not bad for four people... And just because Russell is not here three nights a week... Trust me he makes up for it on the weekends... :( Anyway I did it and am really proud of our efforts. :)

Cheers Damaris

Chooks loving the soaked doggy bikkies...

Poultry loving the dog biscuits...

A vet once shared some good advice with my lovely Sister-in-law... To get chooks to start laying again give them soaked dog biscuits... So as I am trying to get rid of some cheap dog food from my food drum I thought I would do just that... Have done it for the last three days and am hoping that it does the trick...

I have mostly three or more year old chooks and they are not laying allot. I have about 20 of them but am only getting about four or five eggs a day. Fine for just us but love to use extras and barter with them. Not that I am doing any of that at the moment. Last week I even had to buy a dozen. (Shudder...)

I have decided this morning too that I will cull quite a few of them... Probably all of them but Bruce and maybe a handful of hens that are the younger ones. They are getting to be too much of a chore for the boys and am tired of hearing the complaints when babies need to be tended to before and after school. So as soon as they are old enough they will be sold too...

Just hope that they start laying again before the culling begins. Will fill my freezer as well as a friend's and that is that it ultimately is about... Relying less on the supermarket and saving money at the same time... Can't wait to eat them though am not telling the boys that...

Cheers Damaris

School's veggies :)

Lots of growing happening at school. :)

They are growing at an alarming rate :) No, not really. They are doing just what they should be doing :)

Was great to have a look after Parade at Maryvale State School last Friday to see what the veggies have been up to. Many more new seeds have been planted as well and seedlings are pushing their way through the surface :)

Great to see. :)

Cheers Damaris

Adam's visit :)

Getting ready for Monopoly... Adam was also the Bank :)

Russell won, what a shark :)

A electronic break from UNO

Timothy hitching a ride :)

Wrestle Mania :)

Last Friday our family eagerly anticipated Adam's arrival. Had not seen him in about six months so was rather busting for a huge hug. He is one of those men that just knows how to give really good hugs. :)

So there he was arriving in his mum's car as he had flown up from Melbourne and stayed with us for a wonderful 24 hours. We had lots of food and drink. The company as always was fantastic. :) Russell and I took him along with us to Joshua's Parade at school and after Parade we even got to look at the wonderful vegetable garden that the kids have planted out. The pumpkins have taken over for sure. hehe

We played Monopoly and had a UNO challenge, which I think in the end actually won. And yes.... I didn't even cheat this time. My grandma taught me well but I behaved myself. lol

The Wrestle Mania had to happen as well off course. We have the futon out already as that is where he sleeps when he comes to stay with us and the boys all take full advantage of that. :) Apparently Timothy is getting really strong... Adam fared well don't worry. He came out alive in the end to leave and go back to sorting out stuff for his mum who was really badly affected by the recent Brisbane floods loosing everything. Tradies are on the job though and she will hopefully be back in her 'new' home in about eight weeks...

Oh how wonderful a time we all had... Can't wait for next time :)

Cheers Damaris

Is she happy???

That tail just won't stop :)

That tail of Nova's says it all... She loves her boy Joshua... :)

Cheers Damaris

'Wicked' was just that :)

Big boy going on his first real excursion...

The stub that will be kept forever. :)

Timothy had the wonderful opportunity this week on Wednesday to go to QPAC in Brisbane along with other Music students from Warwick SHS to watch the awesome show 'Wicked'. He was not so keen to go at first as he didn't know what to expect.

I tried really hard to get him to understand that it really was a once in a lifetime opportunity and that the three hour show would be fantastic. I wish I could have gone as well. :) Our other major issue was that he would have to wear his formal school uniform... He has not worn it before and he didn't know how he would go wearing long sleeved shirt as well as long black trousers for the day. He was hot when he got off the bus but the trousers were a nice soft material so it was wearable. Plus he was allowed to loosen the tie and have the top button undone. Thanks to his wonderful teacher for that one...

Upon return at just after 7pm that night he was unstoppable. He couldn't stop raving about how fantastic it was and that I had been sooooo right. It had been awesome. :) He gave it a 5/5. He loved the costumes and said the sets on stage were fantastic as well.

The great part about it was also that he was upstairs with the female teacher as well as five other female students... Cheeky :) He was in heaven I reckon lol

All in all it was a huge day for him. He had to go over The Gap in a bus, which was a daunting prospect in itself but he came out of it with having had a wonderful experience. One that he will not ever forget. He still talks about it and lets everyone know that will listen that they really need to see it :)

Cheers Damaris

Cubby update...

Joshua being silly :)

Three sides done :)

Frame for the verandah...

This morning we got up really early and got going on the cubby again. We have finished three sides now and have also done the frame for the verandah. The palings for that have gone on too... Looking good :) :) I must say that Joshua has been an absolute huge help with all the work. We really needed his hands to help :)

This arvo we will do the front of the cubby... Russell is out mowing with the tractor at the moment as our grass has taken off with the recent rain that we have had... :)

Cheers Damaris

Yikes, 6ft long Brown Snake...

Our unwanted guest... but no more. :)

This is the scene I came home to... Came up the driveway and Timothy was in a flap. Russell was trying to get a huge fat brown snake out of the shed. It had just passed him by very close to him and he was not happy...

I got Joshua to get our neighbour so that he could relocate the snake. He was really good with that.

So there is Ron walking off with the huge snake wandering back down to his place. Don't know where he relocated it to but thank you all the same... Hope it doesn't come back that's all I can say... And Russell... He is still up in arms about it... Could hardly get him back into the shed... lol

Cheers Damaris

Can I do it Mum???

Bailey having a chew :)

I will get there, Mum... :)

Love to watch the dogs with their bones when they get them... Bailey has his in no time flat... He has all his teeth you see. Nova on the other hand she is so funny to watch... It takes her about five hours just to get a chook wing down her. Bones and chewing anything off that has been left there by the butcher can take a very, very long time. But it amuses her and she diligently looks after it. Love her determination... her gums are now quite tough so she can have the bones still which is great...

Took her to the vet the other day, as I have mentioned in an earlier post and her gums are doing really well. The vet is really pleased with her... On that note as well she has put on weight. :) :) She is filling out. This means that the steroid injection as well as the puppy food is working... Wonder how this will be maintained. Can't wait to see the Vet this coming Monday to find out. :)

Cheers Damaris

Legs, legs and more legs...

Bailey and Nova rather comfy :)

Love their little paws...

These two are so funny sometimes. One time they will lie where they don't come in contact with one another and other times they are totally interlocked... So funny :)

Cheers Damaris

Love the new gloves...

Also my favourite colour. hehe

When I subscribed to Gardening Australia at the end of last year I not only got a bargain as it was on a great special for the yearly subscription but I also scored a great pair of gloves... I use them all the time when I am outside. I usually tend to not have gloves on and it is starting to show on my hands. Especially since I love, love, love to pull weeds... I know, strange but there you have it. I love to mow and I love to pull weeds. You see the effect straight away. There is always a difference when you are finished. And that for me makes it very worthwhile :)

Just love my new gloves. :) Hardly any sweat even when using them for a while and are soooo comfy :)

Cheers Damaris

Deluxe Pedicure time...

Lovely Goo...

Love having someone else doing my nails :)

I treated myself yesterday and went and saw Tiffany... Her and Stephanie did the most fabulous job with my feet and up to my knees... The chocolate moose or mud or whatever it was that she put on my legs was divine...

A great way to spend nearly two hours, especially when the chatting didn't stop and neither did the massage chair. lol :)

Cheers Damaris

Froggies galore :)

Meet our little frogs...

For the last couple of days Joshua has checked each morning to see how many frogs we have gathering in my hammock... Started with one, then two now FOUR :)

Yep we have four regulars, all sizes, coming to spend the night in the hammock... Aren't they just the cutest things you have ever seen???

Cheers Damaris

1500kWh produced... :)

Loving the solar panels :)

Our panels have produced that many kWh's. Very happy about that. We have used about two thirds of that. As of this morning have exported 583kwh into the grid. Very happy to use my own sun :) :) :) Here is to many more kWh's. :)

Cheers Damaris

Worm food... YUMMM

Celery, cabbage, capsicum, apple and potato peels. :) YUM

I used to just put food into the worm farm and not think about it again for a while... I have learnt one thing and that is that if you mush it up for them they eat and reproduce at a much great rate...

What the chooks don't eat goes into the Thermomix which gets a good workout every weekend usually. I made it all into mush and share the whole bowl between my two farms... They love the stuff. And I have no shortage of worms or worm castings either... Their worm juice is devine as well... Must go now and put it to good use in the garden. :)

Cheers Damaris

She's in the paper...

Ellen and her fans. :)

Ellen that is. For her 90th Birthday. :) Again, Congratulations Ellen. :) :) :) And yes I made it in there again as well. lol Shame it was before I had my hair cut though. Never mind...

Cheers Damaris