Reading...

What does one do when you have a No Technology evening?

My eldest got his budgie, Bud out and read to me :)

Love it!

Cheers

Wow, growth explosion...

So, after the second lot of fermenting, we now have 1 1/2 cup of Water Kefir Grains... Amazing! It doubled in size in one go!

Each batch you use 1 cup of grains only with 6 cups of water, etc... The extra we have placed in a bottle, dated and put in the freezer as a back up. Always good to have :)

With our first lot of juice, hubby added pineapple and pear juice to the 1 litre we had left. We, as a family are not used to having anything with effervescent in it. You could still taste it in the aftertaste but it was a total hit. It all got drunk very quickly! The second lot of water kefir, we halved the outcome and added organic sultanas as sweetener to one and cranberries to the other. Hope that works because it would be too expensive to keep using all that canned pineapple and pears... Must check out juicers...

It's a huge change for a family that only has filtered rain water or milk... ;)

We are getting there... Now, looking forward to my Matsoni culture and then we make yoghurt on the bench top as well. Yeah, baby!

Cheers

Hot cross buns...

While my eldest and I were out at the Rock Fest, my youngest and hubby made some delicious Hot Cross Buns...

They came out of the oven just as I got in the door... Oh, yum...

Cheers

Rock Fest 2013...

My eldest and I went this morning and had a great time looking around. So many stallholders... So many rocks, gems, lovely shiny things hehe

My young man couldn't find anything that tickled his fancy... He was after a geode but the ones there were not large enough for him.

Me, yeah I found a necklace, a new handbag, a pair of ear rings and a bracelet. I now have a set of the Zebra Stone of which I bought my necklace last year :) Very chuffed!

Food was great too. Nice Mother and Son time :)

Cheers

Growing up...

Yep, they all do it... Here mine are getting ready to go out to the Chinese Restaurant. It was a delicious meal. Everyone had a ball! My eldest had not been to a restaurant before and had a great experience which I'm very happy about...

Lots of lovely manners shown too :) I know I can take them out and not be embarrassed :)

Cheers

Water Kefir...

Well, it's been two days and the babies have eaten all the sugar. We started with just under 1/2 cup of grains and ended up with 3/4 cup! They grew so much and that was straight after being shipped!

We got two bottles of juice. One is in the fridge to use. The other we are leaving out for a day so it produces more fizz and then it'll go in the fridge. Looking forward to seeing the difference...

It's awesome doing this with hubby too as it has ended up being like our little ongoing project :) Plus he's allot more into following receipes to the letter and measurements than me hehe

Cheers

Nearly there...

We have run out of bedding sand... A local will bring us the last 1/2 metre soon, I hope...

Soooo close now :)

Cheers

Milestone...

Today, hubby and I celebrate 20 years of marriage...

It is wonderful to reflect on all those years... We have had our ups and downs... But we have come out stronger in the end...

There is no one I would rather be with. He is my soulmate... That I know for sure... I, am truly blessed...

Hubby surprised me with a long beautiful poem and a gorgeous Sapphire and Diamond ring :)

Tonight we will go out to dinner with the boys, which I am really looking forward to :)

Cheers

What a smell...

I love my rose bushes... I only have three bushes but my Mr Lincoln is sooooo my favourite. I have had it and taken it with me to three houses...

With the morning dew on it this morning, I loved burying my nose in the two beautiful blooms we have at the moment :)

Cheers

Tail feathers... Where are you???

Poor Bruce...

It's amazing his ladies recognize him hehe

He's been without his big long tail feathers for a couple of months now... He looks naked ;)

Cheers

Building their nest...

Cheeky little birds have been pinching the soil from a crack in our retaining wall...

So cute...

Cheers

My babies have arrived...

Water Kefir Grains that is...

We got some Milk Kefir Grains too but I'm really excited about the water ones as the last didn't work out for me...

Got them in the mail today. They were shipped brilliantly and handled their trip from down south really well :) Got just under 1/2 cup.

Now to wait a couple of days to see the result. So glad for great instructions. Can't wait for them to multiply so I can share the grains with friends :) :)

Grow my babies... Grow!!!

Cheers

Sun touching our mountains...

Love it out here... Love the mountains... The Great Dividing Range... After all the rain we've had, everything's so green...

Cheers

Huge progress...

Yes, the pavers have been sitting on the pallet for about six months...

Last week, I asked hubby if this job could finally be done... He agreed it had dragged on long enough...

My eldest is hauling all the pavers... My youngest is hauling all the bedding sand... Hubby is doing all the flattening of sand and laying of pavers... The three of them are loving the project...

Yes, the boys still argue and carry on but it's part of learning, this working together... Each having their input... Each feeling like they are achieving something...

And they are... It looks fantastic! The width only has two rows to go. It'll all be edged with a strip of concrete and decorative pebbles...

Now, for the table and chairs and other decoration that is begging to go out there ;)

Cheers

Trying hard to live...

I got this potted plant... Oh soooo many years ago...

I love the variegated leaves on it. Last winter it really copped a beating from the ice at night...

It's trying so hard to live... I think I'd best give it a hand...

Cheers

Nasty weather...

We were very fortunate again... 16.8mm of rain. We copped none of the 90km/hr winds... No power lost like 58000 homes an hour away from us... No trees over the roads... No flash flooding...

The lightening put on a spectacular show for hours. Was so grateful to not have lost power while the roast chook was baking :)

The rain was heavy for a while... Oh, I love falling asleep to rain hitting the roof...

Cheers

Pomegranate ahoy...

Today was the day to pick them. All four of them! Hehe

Bit on the tart side but much easier to get out then some of the complicated ways the Net says... You just have to find the right video... :)

Off to enjoy some more :)

Cheers

Published... Again...

Hubby's been reviewing a book... Got his quote not just inside the book but on the back cover too :)

Bit chuffed for him...

Cheers

His first dessert...

My eldest wanted dessert... He decided he wanted to make it... All by himself :)

Pear crumble and ice cream :) Yummy! He did an excellent job!

Cheers

30 years on...

Yesterday, 30 years ago, my family and I arrived in Australia... Straight into Grade 7, no English and all my extended family (which is huge) and friends... All gone. I was 11. Oldest of 5. The youngest was 1...

The journey we have been on has been amazing, rewarding and always blessed... The things I've learnt and taught... Wow!

I love my adopted country and consider myself very much an Aussie but am also extremely proud of my Austrian roots!

Cheers

Yummy Kefir...

Been getting so much from my grains that I'm now sharing the Kefir with the fowl as well :)

They love it!!! What a sight!

Cheers

Sad...

Found this little one outside the back door... Just lying there... No injuries, nothing out of place...

Its mate is still calling... They nest each year near the cubby house... So sad...

Baking...

I knew there was an alternative motif to my youngest wanting to bake Anzac bikkies...

Yep, he has a young lady friend named Emma... And so the real growing up begins...

So he made her some bikkies and giving them to her in the morning :) So cute...

Cheers

Hubby, the scrubber...

Hubby got stuck into the sinks this morning...

Beautiful, gleaming results all round :)

Cheers

Hitching a ride...

My youngest reckoned that Nova wanted to come with him to school... Yeah right! He wishes ;)

Cheers

Fairy floss, homemade style...

The boys love it when we get the fairy floss maker out... My youngest had a go... Hubby ended up taking over :)

Cheers

Visitor at work...

When closing up the other night, this little fellow greeted me :) What a cutie :)

Cheers