SMILE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED (March 2017)

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. 

Dr. Seuss

This is good advice as you get older, especially as you reach my age of 62, and it is very easy to look back on the fun days when the kids lived at home and we were all together and long for those days.

Better to be thankful for the good times of the past, and look forward to the future to make more good times.

I have spent 52 years missing father, but ever thankful for the 10 wonderful years I did have with him before he died. He was a man ahead of his time - a very 'hands on' father who told me I could be anything in life that I wanted to be, even if I was a girl. It makes me very sad that he missed so much of my life.

BUT...how lucky was I to have my beautiful memories to look back on, so I can look back and smile. 

 

James Edwards 1922-1964

It has been a quiet week with a trip to Stanwell Park on Wednesday to see Peter's GP.

Decorating

I am redecorating on a budget of almost nothing. I am making use of all sorts of things that once I wouldn't have given a second glance.

My mother was clearing some things out and gave me this old wooden lamp base she had once bought at a garage sale. 

A coat of aluminium spray paint completely changed the character of the old wooden lamp base.

 The lamp shade came from the Salvo's at a cost of $4. I was really just looking for a frame I could cover in chicken wire, but then decided that the shade looked quite good.

 Because the lamp shade didn't fit the base I made a set of 'washers' out of an ice-cream container to hold the shade in place.

 Below is the lamp switched on.

 

Below is a close-up of Jade's sculpture under the cloche.

The table itself was found at the Salvo's for $8. It was originally black so also received a coat of the aluminium spray paint.

Finds

These fans were bought for $4 for the 3 at Vinnies. I think they are beautiful. I have plans for them. 

In the garden

On Monday we had some time to spend in the garden so we added some more mulch to the front.

I bought this pot at an op-shop for 50 cents. My son-in-law drilled a drainage hole in the base, potting mix was added and then some mint cuttings. So far they are growing well.

This tiny seedling is one of several growing in the lavender cuttings. 

I think they are tree ferns as this small tree fern growing behind the sage in the herb garden nearby began the same way.

In the kitchen 

Leek and asparagus tarts.

Makes 4 tarts
Serves 8

I bought 2 leeks and 2 bunches of asparagus at the fruit market. I decided to make some leek and asparagus tarts.

Ingredients

2 leeks washed and sliced
2 bunches of asparagus.
4 squares frozen puff pastry
beaten egg
200g Fetta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
12 tiny tomatoes
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup of sour cream  
2 beaten eggs


Chop and sweat down the 2 leeks.

Cover 2 bunches of asparagus in boiling water and leave for 15 minutes. 

 Cut 2 squares of puff pastry in half. Cut 4 one centimetre strips off the long side of each piece. Place a strip around each edge of the pastry rectangles. Make knobs for corners with left over pastry. Coat edges with a beaten egg.
Sprinkle a quarter of the Fetta cheese over each rectangle. Cover with leeks. Place asparagus along edges and across pastry. Top with tiny tomatoes cut in half.

 Sprinkle half of the fresh thyme over.

Mix half a cup of sour cream with 2 lightly beaten eggs. Spoon onto tart between asparagus. Sprinkle with remainder of the thyme and bake at 220 degrees for 20 minutes.

 

Interesting sites


1.

 Hobbit home built for sheep

Photo source

 Click here to visit this abandoned hobbit - home, built for sheep. 

2.

 The scale of the large

Photo source

 Click here to watch a short video of the comparison of sizes and distances in space, beginning with ourselves and ending up with the universe. This is done by the Khan Academy. I really like their stuff.

3.

Photo source

Click here to read a really interesting article from the New York Times about how success can make you sick. This sort of explains why in my case depression can lift in the short term when I encounter a crisis.