A Little bit of Christmas Prep.

At this time most years I get my Prunes in Port ready for Christmas gifts.
It is so easy to do,so delishious and makes a great little gift.

All you need is a large packet of Prunes..pitted or unpitted..it makes no difference..whatever you like..unpitted are generally cheaper though.
Some white sugar.
A bottle of Port..this year I used Tawny Port.
Some nice shaped bottles not too big as it is nice to be able to give several small ones away.
Sterilize your jars.
pack tightly with Prunes.
Place 1 tablespoon of sugar in each jar.
pour Port into jars,let settle for a little while and top up to all fruit is covered with Port.
Place lids on.
Give the jars a good shake to dissolve the sugar.
Do not eat for at least 6 weeks.
These are wonderful with cream or ice cream also just as nice to place one or two on your plate with your salad..
Enjoy.

                                                When someone touches your soul.
Recently the daughter in law of one of our cackle Club ladies came to our sewing day to give us a talk with a friend of hers.
I have to say I was so deeply moved by their words that my days since have been spent day dreaming.
When Bob and I decided to start a family all those years ago baby 1 was born and then 2 years later baby2.I thought it was that easy for everyone.They have a small group of 35 yes  35 all having miscarried or had stillborns...Many of the young ladies had lost up to 7 babies.
We were reduced to tears at their heartbreak...the reason they came to us was for help to make tiny clothes to dress the little babies in for their burial and little rugs and snugs to place them in while they are nursed for goodbye then mum and dad get to keep that little item.
These items must fit from  25 week and sometimes a little less to full term babies.
The girls came to the right place,we are going to make these items of love for Mums of the future who go through this traumatic time.
I feel so blessed to have never knowingly lost a baby,and honoured that we can help these young Mums out.
We have made some pieces already,I have to say it is a very sad thing to do,an honour but hard.
We have taken it upon ourselves to be Grannies to these little Angels that God has taken swifly,early.
Do you think perhaps you could check with your local hospital to see if they are also desperate for tiny clothing and rugs to dress these precious little angels in..you might just find it is a way that you too can make a young Mum feel blessed..Just think about it.. that's all...

 These are what the girls have made already,we have to make some of the little shrouds smaller ,the smallest bonnet will fit over an egg and the smallest bootees in the second picture are nit even and inch long on the foot.

This is a knotted snug/shroud and such tiny little bootees.
Please if you like to knit or crochet,there are many premi patterns online and some wonderful sites for free patterns,even if you just did a couple of items and take them to your local hospital i know they will be so grateful,I do warn you the tears flow as you make them,but someone has to do it...maybe this month it could be you...bless you lee and Amanda for your stories and your bravery for talking to us,we ached for you.
(P.S both the girls have gone on the have healthy children  one has 4 and one has 3).

                                          Spring is here...bringing the sweet things and the not so sweet!




A day in my office as they say......I love the Spring..the lambs and calves are everywhere,the Plovers protecting their nests and the not so lovely(depends on your taste) the snakes are out like never before so it is going to be a bad year for them...I have seen so many already,unfortunately I have to look at every step i take once I am out of the car as we live where king browns and Tigers and Black snakes are in abundance and I can honestly say I have never seen them so fat so early in the season,maybe they did not hibernate so long this winter...anyway...here is my day on Monday.

                                           Lambs and calves a wonderful sign of Spring

 The sun is out again and so are the Echidnas,this one is large I could not get the camera out quick enough to catch a tiny one further along the road,maybe next time.

 Mrs Plover protecting her baby that is well hidden in the grasses,they look like Cockroaches on legs they are so tiny,but they grow very quickly,these birds have a poison spur so you do not get too close.

Many snakes on the roadside this year and yes I do run over them occasionally I worry about it when I do as they can flip up,just recently a friend ran over a 10ft brown snake and it wrapped around her brakes..Lord I hope that does not happen for me!This is a Black snake and has a red belly and they are venomous,and I am miles from anywhere most of the time, I would dread getting bitten by either a Brown or Black..

I was not able to take some pics of the lovely foals as they are a bit far from the road,maybe next time..

                                    How many Girls dwell in your garden??


Rose was absent today as she is just a budding little lady so we will excuse her,however for a garden party these girls were there.

 
                                             The lovely Jasmin always looks her best..

                                         Iris is just perfect whenever she shows.

                                           Daisy is delightful and a real show off!

 Now I am sure there is no one by the name of Rinuncula but for the sake of today there is lol.

                                   Violet,dainty and reposed,always a lady.

 May,now she is confused by the seasons,showing herself in September !

                                            Lily,hiding shyly in the pond.

                                     Another Lilli,so nice and multiplying yearly.

                              Rosemary,sweet scented and a welcome addition to any day.

 Now here is the little blended family,it consists of Miss Stock,Pansy,Miss Primula,all living happily in their tiered home cared for by Joyce.

 There would of course be no party without Madonna,always looking for attention.
So thank you for coming to our little garden gathering,how many girls are in yours at the moment.



On another subject here is a little pedestrian that I had to stop for this week.It is an Echidna and it is a lovely time of the year for seeing them.

 Finally safe from that sticky beak mail lady,refuge near a large rock.

Have a great week and many happy days ahead,for you all.

A Hard Day, Tears,  knowing you are Loved  and Appreciated by many,Making time for Thanks.


This week was a terrible week once again for our Soldiers in Afghanistan.It really rips at your heart to know we have lost more boys and in such a horrible way,war is bad enough but to not know who your enemy  are even worse.
For al of us involved in sending quilts and care packages it makes your heart even a little more heavy,waiting for the names to be released to see if perhaps they are someone on your list of Care Packages yet to be sent...
Yesterday for me makes the time and effort that getting these packages ready really worth while,I will be talking to all the people that so kindly help me and support me and let them know what a difference it all makes.
I had a phone call last night ...all the way from Afghanistan from a Flight Sergeant there who was deployed about 2 months ago,her mother lives in our small town and when we found she was going over there we had to place her on our list....
Yesterday was the Ramp ceremony for their lost comrades,a sad and heart wrenching time for them all to say goodbye as their fallen friends are returned home to be layed at rest.
After the ceremony on returning to their units they were given their Care Packages,her joy of being appreciated by herself and her fellow  serving officers and troops was overwhelming,she said after such a hard day to come back and have a package it was like Christmas as their joy of sharing the goodies in their packages and reading that they are so appreciated made the day a bit easier.
I cannot even begin to imagine how hard it must be to be over there,sand in every little crevice that can be found,intense heat,the fear of what tomorrow brings a constant in their lives,it makes it all the more important that the girls doing the Hero Quilts and us doing the packages keep up our works and letting them know they are loved.That they took the time to call and say thank you,my only sadness is that I got such a shock I was almost speechless and did not talk for very long!
Our little Scout Group also got a surprise this week,they received a package!!! from a nameless soldier with an Aussie flag signed by several soldiers for them to carry on Anzac day,a singing camel now that was cute,some wobbly headed little Afghani figures and a lovely letter saying thank you.
To think that although in their private time they would be awashed by tears of sadness for those close that they have lost,scared of every single tomorrow and yet they took the time to thank us doing it so easy at home.
Please spare them a little moment of silence every day not just Anzac day as it in reality it is  Anzac day everyday...I am in awe of all our boys and girls over there..Our love to the families of those who lost their loved ones this week and before and also to the families that wait as waiting is all they can really do and pray for their safe return.