manningroad

Storage Issues

 

The downside of old houses like mine is there is a total lack of storage. I have no streamlined built-ins and am tired of everything looking bitty. I have gone ahead and had some cupboards made but saw this fabulous big "treasure" chest on ebay. I went ahead after some deliberation and bought it. Of course it was not delivered to the door and I had to lug it home from the post office. I think it will make perfect storage for my Xmas decorations. They always spill out of their plastic bags with bits and pieces lurking at the back of wardrobes where I have tried to hide/stuff them.

Addictive Brownies

I really should ban myself from making brownies. These were ooey gooey and delicious and way too addictive for words. No matter which recipe I follow I fall under the brownie spell.

Washed Out !

I shared a stall today, as I do from time to time at the Elwood Community Market. We were selling secondhand clothes and books and toys. The morning dawned fine and clear. The forecast was not for rain, only maybe an isolated shower.  We  were doing quite a good trade, had removed our coats and scarves and needed sunglasses. Then the worst occurred - rain ! The isolated shower had appeared from nowhere. It was really heavy drizzle and the crowds went home to dry off . The stallholders, including us, decided to pack up early and go home. Even though we raced to cover things, rain and dampness has seeped through all the stock - a stallholder's nightmare as you have to fill the car with sodden items and then unpack the sodden items and then spend hours getting them dried out. We must need our heads read as we have re booked for the next market in June !!!!

Another Floral Delivery

Another glorious bunch of flowers was bought to my door by my florist neighbour. These roses are the most incredible peachy orange colour and have come all the way to Australia from Zimbawe !!!

Brunch Egg Bake - freezeable too

This was a great early dinner and very easy to do. I suppose it is akin to a savoury bread and butter pudding - just no butter.  Croutons or torn up bread is used , topped with handfuls of ham, cheese and basil. Milk and egg is poured over the top. At this stage, the dish can be frozen for up to 3 months. I put mine straight in the oven and we all loved it.

Two Surprise Crops - quite unexpected

I have a large crop of mandarins  and olives growing in my front yard. When I moved here nearly a year ago I thought how lucky I was to have so many olive and citrus trees. I had no idea that I would have further luck and they would be fruit bearing. Often these trees are ornamental or due to our climate don't bear fruit each year - so they are a bit of a lucky dip. There are 2 mandarin trees, one is laden and one is stunted in growth and looks sad. I have loads of olive trees flanking my two side fences and there are green and black olives scattered her and there. It will be interesting to see if the mandarins are of eating quality otherwise marmalade may be on the cards. I think the olives will remain as decorative items as I have no idea what to do with them.

The Melbourne Clinic :: Home

via www.themelbourneclinic.com.au

I have a daughter who has decided to do the Living Well week in this hospital. Mental health is such a delicate issue and people often do not share their problems for fear of other's reactions or ridicule. So it is great when we can reach out and seek help for whatever is holding us back from living our life to the fullest.

Winter Sets In

It is here and full on too. The dreaded wintry weather and early darkness have really set upon us. It has been so grey and wet all day. The evening gloom has set in really early and I can hear the cars ploughing through sheets of water on the road. The dogs are nestled in, seeking warmth, and this sight will be seen on a daily basis for many months now. They do have their own lovely soft beds but prefer mine. I am not thrilled by this but they are hard to move and can open doors !!

Who Had One of These ?

 

My sister unearthed this vintage bakelite telephone and it certainly brought back a zillion childhood memories -  mainly of being told to get off the phone as a teenager, night after night after night after night !!! I spent many hours hugging that receiver to my ear talking to best friends and boy friends and then talking again to best friends about boy friends. I recall as a child our phone number began with WU and then changed to all numerals 872668 and then changed again as the population increased to 8742668. It makes me wonder what sort of brain I have if I can recall all those phone numbers from the 1960's and yet don't know my own mobile number !!!

An Impromptu Birthday Cake

Today J turned 24 so Happy Birthday to her. I had about 10 hours notice that I was on birthday cake duty but most of those 10 hours I was at work so I really had no time to concoct an extravaganza. What I did have was a big bucket of Costco cup cake mix so used a couple of cups of that to make one long cake and added lots of dark choc chips, cocoa and cinnamon. Less is not more with birthday cakes so I topped it with whipped cream and M&M's. The candle was a scented one quickly grabbed from my bookshelf !!