I hope people have been having a good, or at least an ok couple of weeks. We've been pretty quiet here. Weather has been starting to warm up, but I am glad of a cooler day today as I want to cook Christmas cakes. They are cooked slowly from a cold start oven and I don't want the oven on for half the day when the weather is hot, so today's the day!
Our neighbour's house is being auctioned tomorrow, so I anticipate we'll join half the neighbourhood going for a sticky beak. I am not sure what their plans are re house moving locally or interstate, and it seems a bit rude to ask. It will be interesting to see who might buy the place (or not). I love to browse home listings and I've seen a number of properties being withdrawn or being passed in fairly recently.
I managed to pick another lovely bunch of sweet peas on Wednesday evening. They just keep coming, I do love a plant that repeat flowers!
Not much more happening at present, other than a lovely lunch with former colleagues last weekend and a coffee with a friend to look forward to next Tuesday, weather permitting. That should be enjoyable, especially if we get good weather.
We are still waiting for an appointment day/time for Cheery son to follow up his investigations. Probably won't be until next year, I might have to chase this if I hear nothing by the end of the month.
Today other than Christmas cakes and Cheery son's girlfriend visiting, I'm debating whether to do some more window cleaning. Cheery son and I have done the whole of one side of the house and I"m just about to go around the corner to do the shortest stretch. If I can I think I will persist so I can say I've done half the house, which is a good feeling. Weather is due to warm up next week, so beating that might be good. Also, more weeds to get on top of!!!!!
More appointments, tests and phone calls as we set up aged care support for Mrs BA and myself. She discovered a referral letter among other papers which may bring us more support.
We are beginning to set up Christmas decorations, as we can only manage short spurts. Last weekend grandkids helped me with outside lights. Tomorrow we hope to hang waterfall star and enormous baubles (from the big green shed) on the Murraya tree in front of the house with their help.
On the cancer front, my PSA score dropped from 800 to 46 after the first hormone jab. Have had the second and will have further review in first week of February.
That's really good news @Barnabas_Aus, I hope that your numbers will be even better at your review.
I love the sound of your Christmas decorations and how lovely to have the grandchildren to help you with your set up, that makes it even more special.
I am sure having that referral letter will help as you get your care needs sorted. It's quite the job I believe, just from chatting with my Aunt and her getting stuff sorted.
I'm very thankful to have finished the two Christmas cakes, they came out of the oven looking pretty good and tomorrow I will wrap them and hide one away, so that we don't eat it before Christmas. I can feel a trip to the Swedish shop coming on to find a nice tin to pack the other cake in to help protect it before I put it into the post. I'm glad to have that job out of the way and now I can begin my search for nice Christmas cards. I'm also pleased to report that after only trying two supermarkets I came away with a large jar of fruitmince to do some tarts closer to Christmas. I was shocked when I went to my favourite supermarket which is usually pretty good at stocking things, to find they didn't have any and the assistant I spoke with wasn't sure that they were even getting any (shock horror)!
No surprises there. This time last year no fruit mince in any local ( Sydney eastern suburbs)supermarkets. Saw some on the shelf 3 weeks ago & grabbed 2 jars. At least my sister will get some. 15 Xmas cakes made ( sizes varying from 15 to 25 cm); some to post overseas, some to go interstate & some to go local. Will start puddings this weekend (6 planned). I might add that neither spouse or 3 children are interested so all to be given to extended family and (mainly overseas) friends. At least not providing Xmas cake to work this year as no longer in paid work. Also relinquished job of providing World AIDS day cake ( 01 Dec) -red velvet cake with white icing and fondant red ribbon( worked in sexual health clinic with large HIV case load) for 9 years): baton passed to RN colleague who was a talented pastry chef in a previous incarnation.
Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people, that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may be of thee plenteously rewarded
I miss the Collect for the Sunday Next before Advent - Stir Up Sunday - none of this "Christ the King" nonsense for me!
@Barnabas_Aus glad to hear some goodish news from you. Hope the quest for moré aged care assistance proceeds at a reasonable pace, and that the grandchildren are able to help on the Christmas decoration front.
Glad to hear that someone is enjoying the cooler days @Cheery Gardener, I’m finding the temperature swings a bit trying and accumulating a pile of half-worn clothes from the warmer and cooler days. The winegrowers were very unhappy about that -2°C overnight about ten days ago.
Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people, that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may be of thee plenteously rewarded
I miss the Collect for the Sunday Next before Advent - Stir Up Sunday - none of this "Christ the King" nonsense for me!
Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people, that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may be of thee plenteously rewarded
I miss the Collect for the Sunday Next before Advent - Stir Up Sunday - none of this "Christ the King" nonsense for me!
Although, to be fair, it is used as the post communion prayer at the Eucharist.
I've been thinking we should be well past cool nights @WormInTheGrass, but I'm hedging my bets by having both winter and summer pj's out ready to wear and I've left the winter doona on the bed, but also have a light quilt that I can use if it's a warm night. It feels crazy, but I'm just rolling with it!
Lovely drop of rain last night, pond looking lovely and fresh. Ground also softened up nicely so Cheery husband mattocked some weeds out and I attacked some tree suckers coming up in our gravel driveway, which had been really frustrating me. I'm having a weeding break tomorrow (she reminds herself), as my aching back and hands woke me in the night. That and the fact that is was a warmish night for sleeping, bler. I hope I might sleep through tonight as I had to cancel Cheery son's visit with girlfriend as I was too tired to go and pick her up on Friday. We have postponed until tomorrow.
A quick visit to the Swedish shop this morning, to try for a Christmas tin to use rather than wrap one cake for a gift. No luck, but I did see that one of the sewing/crafty shops has one that might be suitable. I'll try to get there early-ish tomorrow to grab one.
Christmas cake making was really successful on Friday. I really enjoyed baking on a cool day and was happy that I could get pecans and glace cherries to decorate the top. Mother in law always decorated with almonds and used them to make flower petals with the glace cherry as the daisy centre, but I am not so talented, just a cherry in the centre followed by a ring of pecans and more cherries around the edge. They look quite respectable and are now wrapped and ready to store.
I hope others have had either a relaxing or productive weekend as the mood takes them!
We've just come back from a trip to a place near Bourke where elder son does some steel hardening work each month. He lives in Adelaide so it's only a two day trip between Northern Rivers and Bourke, compared to four days (for us) to Adelaide.
I've never been so far into the outback. There were stretches of roads over 60km between some towns with barely a sign of civilisation apart from entrances to stations (not the railway kind). We'd been told to look out for goats on the road, but they knew to move away from the road, unlike kangaroos that often decide to hop in front of the car. We spied a couple of emus. Some farmers had cattle on the road, but had put up warning signs. There were quite a few dead pigs and piglets on the road, which could do serious damage to your vehicle if you hit them.
For most of the distance there was no mobile phone reception, so you would not want to have breakdown.
@LatchKeyKid, yes we did a bit of a round trip to Broken Hill last year (via Lightning Ridge) and it’s pretty empty out there. (I must admit that I quite enjoy driving along a completely empty road). Road maintenance must be an incredible task for local councils. I agree that the goats seemed more wary of vehicles than kangaroos are. We didn’t see any emus at all until the day we were driving from Menindee to Mildura when a male and four chicks crossed the road in front of us. (Fortunately, they were sufficiently far ahead for my husband to stop before we reached them.)
In other other news the weather around here definitely didn’t get the message about the first day of summer having only briefly got to 19°C (feels like 14°C) in the middle of the afternoon, with a cold wind all day.
It's many years since I did an outback trip. A couple of things that stick in my mind from childhood are the huge distances between towns and the flatness of the countryside. Mum used to say when we hit the tree line outside Bourke that she always felt that we were nearly home!
It seems as though summer has arrived today @WormInTheGrass. I can't believe I wore winter pj bottoms to bed at the weekend just gone. Ridiculous! Today the aircon has been cranked up.
I've been thinking of any shippies who have been impacted by storms up north in the last couple of weeks. My Aunt's retirement community had no power for 4 days, but they are now back to normal. I hope she's spending some time re stocking her emergency box for any other events (hopefully no more this summer).
We've had a quiet few days, mostly making lists for Christmas food and gift buying doing a mixture of online and local shopping. Cheery Daughter and I have both been baking, training her up to take over the gingerbread men for work. No more baking again now until the next cool change. My computer tells me it's 29 celsius outside at present so Cheery son and I are watching Home Alone 2 and I'm having a rest day from weeding. Maybe some more tomorrow if I can get outside early enough!!
All Xmas cakes made and iced: so far 3 posted overseas ( UK & Ireland) 2 to Queensland ( Brisbane & Toowoomba) &2 handed over. Another 4 for hand delivery and 3 puddings to be posted to Queensland, Tasmania and almost to the nation’s capital ( Queanbeyan). Will make mince pies closer to the day as some will go to family, some to a solstice party and some to be kept for home use. Have bottled cherries and prunes in brandy as additional gifts. Absolutely no “stuff” as Xmas presents as we all have too much of that! I’ve been saying for some years that that year’s Xmas cake marathon will be the last: I think that this time it really will be it! After 24 years enough is enough.
Tuesday evening saw our parish and community Christmas dinner. We had almost one hundred guests in the parish hall, many of them regulars at our weekly community lunches. With some creative catering the ladies of the Women's Fellowship provided a three-course cold buffet for this crowd. It was a night of festive fun, with a massive tombola, and aided by appropriate decorations. We sent the first-timers home with broad smiles. I made a small contribution of chocolate-coated candied peel for the tea and coffee table - very 1970s!
Yesterday and today the same team have provided morning tea for mourners after funerals at the funeral director's chapel which is next door to one of our town churches. The ladies have become renowned in the town for the hospitality they provide, whether through their baking or a sympathetic ear.
35C here in sunny Sinny; with luck it will cool down soon. Out to dinner in Newtown ( 40 min bus & train trip) with former colleagues, bless them. At least aircon in public transport though the large and noisy Thai joint has none. It will be a suitably riotous evening!
At almost 10am my computer tells me it's 29 degrees, but my phone tells me it's only 26! Either way it's much sunnier and warmer than the same time yesterday, bler!!
I hope your party went well @Sojourner and I'm in awe of your Christmas cake output! Did you make them all recently, or like my late m-i-l, did you do them in the dead of winter when it's a much better time of year to be baking?
Your community dinner sounds great @Barnabas_Aus and the funeral ministry, such an important one!
I don't know why but Cheery husband has decided he needs to be outside in the heat doing the lawn edges, I'm saving my garden work for tomorrow when it is going to be cooler. Cheery daughter has her work party today, I hope she is planning to take many cold drinks with her as it's going to be quite warm and she's going to need them! Rather her than me!
It's many years since I did an outback trip. A couple of things that stick in my mind from childhood are the huge distances between towns and the flatness of the countryside. Mum used to say when we hit the tree line outside Bourke that she always felt that we were nearly home!
A dozen or so years ago, work demanded that I go to to the north west of the State. I started in Bourke, and over the course of several days went from there to Tibooburra and then south to Broken Hill. It was mid-season so the weather was decent in the day and cool for sleeping. The roads were surprisingly decent, and as you'd expect, almost no other traffic. I thought that after retirement we could do a repeat but that did not happen.
Up to 36 in Broken Hill today according to Weatherzone; can’t inagine that either Tibooburra or Wilcannia would be any cooler. Paternal grandmother was born there & left in 1920 when she married; sounds as though it was a booming town then. She was the only one of the family to leave to her mother’s annoyance as the old girl had Gran picked out for the convent!
Cheery Gardener I made a start on cakes in late October. The oven is big enough for 4 small to medium cakes so they were done in batches & the last lot made 2-3 weeks ago. All bar 3 were iced ( keeps moisture in especially if being posted). Puddings were mixed up & steamed last week & I got 5 all around 1kg.
Urk humidity! As much as I'm not a fan of hot weather, it's really the humidity that gets me! I just feel so zapped.
Cooking the cakes in October sounds great @Sojourner, still cool enough to be baking and gives the cakes a lovely length of time to have really great flavour, yum! Personally, I am a huge fan of home made gifts, that someone has taken the time to create something with me in mind, I find to be very special.
Made another batch of mince pies at the weekend, but I'm still not succeeding with creating lovely thin pastry, so I'll buy some frozen today and use up the last of the fruit mince. I might even do a couple "turnover style" as @jedijudy mentioned on another thread. Sounds perfectly yum to me.
Cheery son and I have begun watching our Christmas films last week, started with Elf, I think it's Polar Express today and as it's going to be a hot week, we can watch without feeling too guilty. Does anyone have a recommended version of the Nativity story? We've never included one in our watch list, but I'd like to do so, happy to have suggestions.
I have not yet begun the Christmas cards, but that's OK, maybe tomorrow! Decorating has begun though, Christmas houses, and wall-hangings have made it out. As well as the lego garland with oranges and cinnamon sticks. No nativities up yet, nor the Advent candles (oops), the tree is still in the roof space. Cheery husband was going to get it out yesterday but after much gardening his feet were very sore and as my biggest wasn't enthused after finishing work, I thought we could wait until next weekend to do that all together.
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Our neighbour's house is being auctioned tomorrow, so I anticipate we'll join half the neighbourhood going for a sticky beak. I am not sure what their plans are re house moving locally or interstate, and it seems a bit rude to ask. It will be interesting to see who might buy the place (or not). I love to browse home listings and I've seen a number of properties being withdrawn or being passed in fairly recently.
I managed to pick another lovely bunch of sweet peas on Wednesday evening. They just keep coming, I do love a plant that repeat flowers!
Not much more happening at present, other than a lovely lunch with former colleagues last weekend and a coffee with a friend to look forward to next Tuesday, weather permitting. That should be enjoyable, especially if we get good weather.
We are still waiting for an appointment day/time for Cheery son to follow up his investigations. Probably won't be until next year, I might have to chase this if I hear nothing by the end of the month.
Today other than Christmas cakes and Cheery son's girlfriend visiting, I'm debating whether to do some more window cleaning. Cheery son and I have done the whole of one side of the house and I"m just about to go around the corner to do the shortest stretch. If I can I think I will persist so I can say I've done half the house, which is a good feeling. Weather is due to warm up next week, so beating that might be good. Also, more weeds to get on top of!!!!!
What has everyone else been up to?
We are beginning to set up Christmas decorations, as we can only manage short spurts. Last weekend grandkids helped me with outside lights. Tomorrow we hope to hang waterfall star and enormous baubles (from the big green shed) on the Murraya tree in front of the house with their help.
On the cancer front, my PSA score dropped from 800 to 46 after the first hormone jab. Have had the second and will have further review in first week of February.
I love the sound of your Christmas decorations and how lovely to have the grandchildren to help you with your set up, that makes it even more special.
I am sure having that referral letter will help as you get your care needs sorted. It's quite the job I believe, just from chatting with my Aunt and her getting stuff sorted.
I'm very thankful to have finished the two Christmas cakes, they came out of the oven looking pretty good and tomorrow I will wrap them and hide one away, so that we don't eat it before Christmas. I can feel a trip to the Swedish shop coming on to find a nice tin to pack the other cake in to help protect it before I put it into the post. I'm glad to have that job out of the way and now I can begin my search for nice Christmas cards. I'm also pleased to report that after only trying two supermarkets I came away with a large jar of fruitmince to do some tarts closer to Christmas. I was shocked when I went to my favourite supermarket which is usually pretty good at stocking things, to find they didn't have any and the assistant I spoke with wasn't sure that they were even getting any (shock horror)!
As is right and proper.
Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people, that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may be of thee plenteously rewarded
I miss the Collect for the Sunday Next before Advent - Stir Up Sunday - none of this "Christ the King" nonsense for me!
Glad to hear that someone is enjoying the cooler days @Cheery Gardener, I’m finding the temperature swings a bit trying and accumulating a pile of half-worn clothes from the warmer and cooler days. The winegrowers were very unhappy about that -2°C overnight about ten days ago.
Well, quite.
Lovely drop of rain last night, pond looking lovely and fresh. Ground also softened up nicely so Cheery husband mattocked some weeds out and I attacked some tree suckers coming up in our gravel driveway, which had been really frustrating me. I'm having a weeding break tomorrow (she reminds herself), as my aching back and hands woke me in the night. That and the fact that is was a warmish night for sleeping, bler. I hope I might sleep through tonight as I had to cancel Cheery son's visit with girlfriend as I was too tired to go and pick her up on Friday. We have postponed until tomorrow.
A quick visit to the Swedish shop this morning, to try for a Christmas tin to use rather than wrap one cake for a gift. No luck, but I did see that one of the sewing/crafty shops has one that might be suitable. I'll try to get there early-ish tomorrow to grab one.
Christmas cake making was really successful on Friday. I really enjoyed baking on a cool day and was happy that I could get pecans and glace cherries to decorate the top. Mother in law always decorated with almonds and used them to make flower petals with the glace cherry as the daisy centre, but I am not so talented, just a cherry in the centre followed by a ring of pecans and more cherries around the edge. They look quite respectable and are now wrapped and ready to store.
I hope others have had either a relaxing or productive weekend as the mood takes them!
I've never been so far into the outback. There were stretches of roads over 60km between some towns with barely a sign of civilisation apart from entrances to stations (not the railway kind). We'd been told to look out for goats on the road, but they knew to move away from the road, unlike kangaroos that often decide to hop in front of the car. We spied a couple of emus. Some farmers had cattle on the road, but had put up warning signs. There were quite a few dead pigs and piglets on the road, which could do serious damage to your vehicle if you hit them.
For most of the distance there was no mobile phone reception, so you would not want to have breakdown.
In other other news the weather around here definitely didn’t get the message about the first day of summer having only briefly got to 19°C (feels like 14°C) in the middle of the afternoon, with a cold wind all day.
It seems as though summer has arrived today @WormInTheGrass. I can't believe I wore winter pj bottoms to bed at the weekend just gone. Ridiculous! Today the aircon has been cranked up.
I've been thinking of any shippies who have been impacted by storms up north in the last couple of weeks. My Aunt's retirement community had no power for 4 days, but they are now back to normal. I hope she's spending some time re stocking her emergency box for any other events (hopefully no more this summer).
We've had a quiet few days, mostly making lists for Christmas food and gift buying doing a mixture of online and local shopping. Cheery Daughter and I have both been baking, training her up to take over the gingerbread men for work. No more baking again now until the next cool change. My computer tells me it's 29 celsius outside at present so Cheery son and I are watching Home Alone 2 and I'm having a rest day from weeding. Maybe some more tomorrow if I can get outside early enough!!
What has everyone else been up to?
Yesterday and today the same team have provided morning tea for mourners after funerals at the funeral director's chapel which is next door to one of our town churches. The ladies have become renowned in the town for the hospitality they provide, whether through their baking or a sympathetic ear.
I hope your party went well @Sojourner and I'm in awe of your Christmas cake output! Did you make them all recently, or like my late m-i-l, did you do them in the dead of winter when it's a much better time of year to be baking?
Your community dinner sounds great @Barnabas_Aus and the funeral ministry, such an important one!
I don't know why but Cheery husband has decided he needs to be outside in the heat doing the lawn edges, I'm saving my garden work for tomorrow when it is going to be cooler. Cheery daughter has her work party today, I hope she is planning to take many cold drinks with her as it's going to be quite warm and she's going to need them! Rather her than me!
A dozen or so years ago, work demanded that I go to to the north west of the State. I started in Bourke, and over the course of several days went from there to Tibooburra and then south to Broken Hill. It was mid-season so the weather was decent in the day and cool for sleeping. The roads were surprisingly decent, and as you'd expect, almost no other traffic. I thought that after retirement we could do a repeat but that did not happen.
Cheery Gardener I made a start on cakes in late October. The oven is big enough for 4 small to medium cakes so they were done in batches & the last lot made 2-3 weeks ago. All bar 3 were iced ( keeps moisture in especially if being posted). Puddings were mixed up & steamed last week & I got 5 all around 1kg.
The last refuge of the terminally unimaginative…
It was 42 when we were there, but 36 in the Byron Shire humidity felt hotter.
Cooking the cakes in October sounds great @Sojourner, still cool enough to be baking and gives the cakes a lovely length of time to have really great flavour, yum! Personally, I am a huge fan of home made gifts, that someone has taken the time to create something with me in mind, I find to be very special.
Made another batch of mince pies at the weekend, but I'm still not succeeding with creating lovely thin pastry, so I'll buy some frozen today and use up the last of the fruit mince. I might even do a couple "turnover style" as @jedijudy mentioned on another thread. Sounds perfectly yum to me.
Cheery son and I have begun watching our Christmas films last week, started with Elf, I think it's Polar Express today and as it's going to be a hot week, we can watch without feeling too guilty. Does anyone have a recommended version of the Nativity story? We've never included one in our watch list, but I'd like to do so, happy to have suggestions.
I have not yet begun the Christmas cards, but that's OK, maybe tomorrow! Decorating has begun though, Christmas houses, and wall-hangings have made it out. As well as the lego garland with oranges and cinnamon sticks. No nativities up yet, nor the Advent candles (oops), the tree is still in the roof space. Cheery husband was going to get it out yesterday but after much gardening his feet were very sore and as my biggest wasn't enthused after finishing work, I thought we could wait until next weekend to do that all together.