THE RUN UP TO CHRISTMAS

Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.

Paul J. Meyer

I love quotes because they often contain little gems of wisdom and when I come across ones that resonate with me, I include them here on my blog.

I am thinking of starting a new blog - one that is more professional and deals with general lifestyle and living well  on a low income. I have been slow starting and then came across this quote above. I have printed it off and put it up near my computer. The three principles - commitment to excellence; intelligent planning; and focused effort - have become a bit of a mantra for me, especially when I feel like giving up.

The run up to Christmas is well and truly upon us. How quickly the days pass now. It is only 2 weeks until the end of the year! As always the time has caught up with me and I marvel at the way the younger me coped, in fact blossomed, many years ago at Christmas time with school aged children and many Christmas committments and presents to buy (and a lot fewer aches and pains!)


Last weekend we travelled to Canberra to spend time with family we won't see on Christmas Day. As always it was a lovely weekend, made even more enjoyable by watching the 3 great-nephews aged 2, 4 and 6 decorate a gingerbread house.

Later the house was smashed and we shared gingerbread.


 Flowers

Christmas is time for the Illawarra Flame Tree to flower and they can be seen dotted around the Illawarra. I spotted this one in Figtree.

The photo above was taken through the car window as we picked up donated bread from a baker for a charity we work for known as Manna House.


These orchids bloomed in Peter's yard. They receive absulutely not attention and are extremely pot bound, but flower nevertheless and are quite beautiful. 

Speaking of plants I have discovered that basil grows in water. I bought a bunch recently, cut the top leaves off and then stuck lot in water to use the lower leaves later. Surprisingly the stems grew new leaves and copious roots.

I am going to try a few more herbs on my windowsill. You can read more about how to do it here.

Clean your house with toothpaste

After having a scare with cancer I am determined to use as many non-toxic house products as possible. I already make my own general cleaner with 1/4 cup liquid dish detergent, 1/4 cup of white vinegar (the cheapest you can get) and 1 litre of water. Put into spray bottles to use in the kitchen and bathroom. Sometimes I also add some peppermint essence because I like the smell.

I was interested to come across this site suggesting the use of toothpaste for household cleaning. Of course toothpaste has preservatives and other chemicals but I reckon that since it is safe enough to put in your mouth it must be a reasonably non-toxic cleaner. I am planning to give it a try. You can read the article here.

Biggest blessing

Our biggest blessing this Christmas has been the birth of little Emelia Grace to Peter's daughter. She is their third daughter and Peter's seventh grandchild and will be much loved.

Interesting sites


1. Glass treehouse in Mexico City

Photo source

A Mexico city architect has built a tree house out of glass instead of wood. Click here to read more.



2. England once forced everyone to be buried in wool

Photo source

As of  March 25, 1677, everyone in England had to be buried in woollen (rather than linen) shrouds—on pain of a hefty £5 fine taken from the deceased’s estate or his or her associates. Click here to read more.

 3. These spiders decorate their webs

Photo source.

Some spiders seem to decorate their webs and scientists don't know why. Click here to read more.

JASPER, A SEWING LESSON AND MEET MY BROTHER

 The quality of strength lined with tenderness is an unbeatable combination. 

Maya Angelou

It has been a busy week and I have had trouble with my internet connection as I am changing providers. Luckily, I have a wonderful brother who spent many hours working on it and finally found a solution. In the end it turned out to be a fault at Telstra's end.

Anyway, I am a bit late getting this post out. 

We have had some beautiful weather. I took this photo from my back deck yesterday.

The sun through the trees at my back deck.

We have had our warmest autumn on record and over a week into winter are still experiencing above average temperatures. This has been great for me. I don't have particularly good heating so I have really appreciated the warm weather.

 
My daughter R is currently at Mount Isa, in Queensland. So Jasper, my grand-dog is still here with me. He is great company, although very spoiled, and I am probably the worst offender.

Jasper

He is a Miniature Foxie and very cute.

I had another sewing lesson at Vera's Machine Centre in Fairy Meadow.

Vera's Machine Centre

I am surprised at how long it has taken me to learn to use the functions of my machine. Is it because I am approaching 60?


(Since I was made redundant from my job of teaching teenagers with major behavioural problems I have had certain people suggest I should do some upgrading of my psychology skills and become a registered psychologist.  I did my Masters degree 20 years ago and I would really need to upgrade quite a bit to be registered. All of this would take a few years. Besides costing a fortune, which I do not have, I really do not feel like studying that hard any more. I don't know if I could.)


Anyway, I can now sew my name and do a variety of fancy stitches which I hope to incorporate into some of my felt work. It did take me 2 lessons instead of the 1 lesson usually provided but I got there in the end.


Because of the warm weather my paper bark trees in my front garden have been tricked into flowering only a couple of months after their last flush.

Paperbark trees

They are very pretty but too high up to pick.


My brother Geoff has a lawn mowing business in the Illawarra area. He loves his work and takes great pride in it. He doesn't just mow lawns - he tends them.

Geoff

​
Instead of a single price per mow, Geoff charges an average of $100 per month during the warmer months of the year, less during the cooler months.  For this he will maintain your lawn and do his best to keep it looking at its best. For your monthly payment you will receive at least 2 mows.  You will usually receive 3 or 4 or more, depending on the weather. Geoff will negotiate a price with you and then he will do his best to keep your lawn looking lush, smooth and green. 

While he is not a horticulturist, Geoff will do weeding, pruning and other gardening maintenance. 

If you are interested in giving Geoff a try you can reach him on:
 0466 955 135.

Or contact him via email at:
 geoff@imowlawns.com.au 

Interesting sites

1 .

Floating Egg House

Photo source

 Artist Stephen Turner created this egg-shaped abode. He plans to use the Exbury Egg, which was made with boat-building techniques, as his living and working space for the next year. Inside there is a stove, a shower, a desk and a hammock. And solar power too. Click here to find out more.


2.

 126 images pieced together to make one of very big tree

Photo source

“The President” is  the name of a giant sequoia located in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in the United States. It’s so huge, it’s impossible to look at in one go. So no one has ever taken a proper photograph of its entirety. A team of photographers from National Geographic worked with scientists from California’s Sequoia National Park to take at least 126 separate photos of ‘the President’. The end result was worth all the effort as these 126 photos were pieced together to get a single, stunning full-length image of ‘The President’. Click here to view the image and see more.

3.

 Concrete tube hotel

Photo source

Tubohotel opened in 2010 and lies approximately 45 minutes south of Mexico City in the village of Tepoztlan, Morelos. The rooms are created from recycled concrete tubes & stacked in a pyramid shape, reflecting the Aztec pyramid of El Tepozteco that overlooks the town.
Click here to see more.

RUBY'S BIRTHDAY

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. 

Albert Einstein

It has been a really busy week so I am a bit late getting this post out.

I have been busy sewing a birthday present for P:-)'s 2 year old granddaughter, Ruby.

I made a felt name to hang on her wall.

It took quite a bit of time to make the rabbits.

I ended up having a really late night and early morning in order to get it completed.


I packed it up in cellophane.

 

It was a fun party for the 5 children who attended Ruby's birthday party on Sunday. I don't usually post photos of people but I'm sure Ruby's parents wouldn't mind.

Everyone had a turn at swinging at the pinata with a baseball bat.

I had another sewing lesson at Vera's Sewing Machine Centre at Fairy Meadow and learned to make buttonholes !

Vera's Sewing Machine Centre

I have been using  a sewing machine close on 50 years - since I used to make dolls clothes for my Barbie Doll at the age of 10. I have made all sorts of things but never made a buttonhole. My mother is a wonderful sewer and very good at button holes, so when I needed button holes on something I had made, Mum did them for me.

Now I have a sewing machine that makes all types of button holes I am anxious to start making my own.

The paperbark trees in my front yard are blooming.

 

 Sadly the blossoms are too far up to pick and put in a vase inside.


I had got rid of a lot of my stuff including glassware because I thought I was going to have to sell my house and move in with my mother. (I was unexpectedly made redundant last year. Luckily things have made it possible for me to stay in my house.)

Mum bought me a lovely blue glass bowl. It sits perfectly on my table.

My daughter R painted the frog for me many years ago and she bought me the brown frog on the table.I have kept all the frogs both my daughters have bought me over the years.

My next project is some little felt birds for P:-)'s 5 grandchildren for Easter.

I hope to get 15 of these little birds made for Sunday as well as a carrot cake for Easter lunch with P:-)'s family on Sunday.


Interesting sites
1.

Small World, Big Idea

Photo source

On Christmas Eve, Kevin Johnson received the following gifts: a bed and mattress, a blanket and sheets, a desk and chair, a toilet and sink, towels and washcloths, toothpaste and floss, and a brand-new house. Click here to read more.


2.

 Giving

Photo source

 ..........by adding value to other’s lives, we get satisfaction. But that’s not all we get. Truth be told, we always get more whenever we give.
The key to giving is simple: add value first without any expectation of receiving anything in return. Do this with enough frequency and you’ll get way more than you give. Click here to read more.

3.

 The hand of the Atacama Desert

Photo credit

 In the middle of the Atacama Desert, a giant hand rises from the ground like the remains of an ancient civilization. In reality, it’s a pretty modern sculpture – an art piece called “Mano del Desierto” and created by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal in honor of the victims of injustice and torture during the military regime in Chile. Click here to read more.

NATURE REFLECTION

I began my blog for myself. My main aim was to reflect on my life and look at the positives in it. The past few years for me have been quite turbulent. I am getting through them with God's help, but sometimes find I don't take time to 'smell the roses'. So my blog is a lot to do with smelling the roses and if you enjoy following what I do then Welcome and Thank You. 

I call my blog Piggywhistles - the nick name my father had for me as a child. He died many years ago. You can read a little bit about him here.

This last week I have spent some time appreciating my back yard. I took a walk down there and further on to the creek. I love it because it is so green. It is a bush garden, mainly filled with natives.

I have a renewed appreciation for it as it looked for a while as if I was going to have to sell my house because I had been quite unexpectedly made redundant. (You can read a bit about it here and the posts before and after depending on how much you wish to read about it.) 


I took some random photos of my back yard as I wandered down.

The sandpaper fig had some great lichen growing on the trunk.

  I walked on a little further to the creek, which was quite full after the rain.

My back yard wouldn't suit a lot of people and when I was thinking of selling my house I did wonder if my yard would be a selling point or actually a liability. There is no lawn. There are no garden beds. But I love it.

I got a bit of a surprise in my front yard a couple of days ago when I discovered a Port Jackson shark's egg lying near a couple of pots.

 

 I don't imagine it was left there by a passing shark. I think it must have been put in the garden by my children many years ago and has simply washed down in all the rain. That is the only logical explanation I can think of for this .

Keeping in the theme with nature are a couple of pictures of the sunset taken from  P:-) 's place last Thursday evening.

Interesting sites

1.

Photo source

Jessica Shyba, mother of three, and blogger at the site MommasGoneCity.com picked up their puppy Theo - a shar-pei and German shepherd mix - from a pound in Santa Cruz when he was about 7 weeks old. Jessica decided to train Theo to sleep in his pen, but the pup wouldn’t sleep alone. Unable to stand his cries at night, she eventually let him sleep in bed with her. The moment she introduced Theo to their bedroom, Theo climbed up on top of her two-year old son Beau, and “it was just the cutest, most natural thing," tells Jessica. Every day now, when Shyba puts Beau down for his nap, Theo follows and they sleep together for a minimum of 2 hours. Click here  to see some beautiful pictures.

2.

Photo source

                                                    

Wataru Itou , a young student in a major art university in Tokyo created one of the most stunning examples of Paper Craft in the world. It is a paper castle which took him 4 years to complete. Click here to see some beautiful photos of it exhibited at Umihotaru, a place which in itself is a major attraction: a service area in the middle of the ocean, right between Tokyo City and Chiba Prefecture.

BENDALONG 2: BERRINGER LAKE

Being a planner isn’t a bad thing. The saying goes, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” And that might be true. But being unwilling to deviate from your route, disregarding the urge to take a side road, or pause altogether, that’s the perfect way to arrive at a destination you don’t even recognize, let alone want for yourself.

Rebecca, The Rebel Road Project

Last week P:-) and I spent a few days at Bendalong on the South Coast of New South Wales- a tiny village lying between Nowra and Ulladulla.

 We stayed at the Rustic Caravan Park in our little pop up caravan.

It is a small, simple, quiet caravan park on the edge of  Berringer Lake,  an off shoot of Lake Conjola.

P:-) and I went for a walk along the edge of the lake, through the Conjola National Park.

 

The only trouble was that we lost the path on the way back over the hill and had to bush bash back to our camp. Luckily it wasn't too thick. It did give us a chance to have a close look at the wild flowers. There were lots of Hairpin Banksia (Banksia Spinulosa) scattered amongst the trees.

There was a much taller variety of banksia which wasn't flowering, growing across the hill and these trees left carpets of serrated leaves dotted with banksia cones.

Dotted through the trees were flowering Mountain Devils (Lambertia formosa).

 

 

I had a Mountain Devil doll when I was a young child. These were pipe-cleaner figures using  Mountain Devil fruits as heads. They were mainly sold in the Blue Mountains in the 1940s and 1950s. Mine was a ballet dancer in a long mauve tulle skirt.

Photo source

But back to the camp for lunch.

Interesting sites

1.

 Transformed Comet

Photo source

Taking the vintage camper route is Worcester, Massachusetts-based eco-designer and DIYer Mariah Pastell, who has been transforming a 1960's Avalon trailer into The COMET (Cost-effective, Off-grid Mobile Eco Trailer). Mariah lives in this lovely camper year-round, towing it to warmer places during the winter. Click here to read more.


2.

 Fashion and fine art

Photo source

 London-based photographer Natalie Dybisz, better known as Miss Aniela, has amassed a wide collection of images that present a cohesive collaboration of fashion and fine art, blurring the lines between the two. Click here to see some fascinating pictures.


3.

 Simple whimsical art

Photo source

 The world is filled with possibilities according to clever Ecuador-based artist Javier Perez. From the graphic designer's perspective, any little object can be redefined to communicate a whimsical idea that will make just about anybody smile. Click here to see more.