Life on My Half Acre

The last few days have been so busy here in our little world

On the weekend my darling sister, Annette, came for an overnight stay.  We had a lovely time together.

Jarrad and Megan's friend Michelle and her lovely mother, Trudi, came down from the city for an overnight in Bridgetown which is about 40 minutes or so from here.  They dropped in for dinner and insisted on bringing all the food with them.  How gorgeous is that.  We have a lovely meal out on the back patio.

  They also brought me a gorgeous bunch of flowers.  Just felt totally spoilt.

Poor Annette had a bit of an alergic reaction to my cats.  She decided that some sliced cucumber would sooth her itchy eyes.

I have been stitching away like nobodies business since the start of the year.

Day three I started a Heaven and Earth's Design called "Mask of Colors".  It is the artwork from Ravenscroft.  I have had this chart in my stash for a very long time.

Day four I started a Kooler Designs chart called Chicken Ruffles or something like that.

Day five I started Ink Circle's "Kaleidoscope".

Day six I started Long Dog's "Kells Critters"

I also worked on some of my WIPS/UFOS

I seem to have an explosion of little chickens.  Five new little ones have joined us this weekend with more eggs to hatch and Heckle has about 20 eggs under her.  I hope these ones hatch as they will be offspring from Barrack and Heckle and will produce nice big hens.  

It's A Boy

Such an exciting day.  Today we learnt that we are going to get a Grandson.  He is due in May.
Here he is waving his hand at us

Second Start to The Year

As tired as I was I was determined to start my second new project for the year.  It is a huge bunch of flowers in a vase and the chart I believe is called Deep Love.  This design will be about 23 inches by 28 inches when finished.  Tonight I put in 100 stitches.

Today Alan and I went into Bunbury.  Bunbury is a large town, very small city (so they say) some 65-70 kms fromm here.  I travel in twice a week to go and visit my dear mother-in-law who is residing in a nursing home there.

We went and visited Beryl for several hours.  Today she was unsure of who we were but was never-the-less very happy to see us and even happier that we came with some small cakes for her.  She does love cake.

We then went and had our eyes tested.  Crumbs that is an expensive exercise.  Ended up costing us over $700 even with our discounts etc.

Anotheer chicken had hatched overnight.  Three of the little darlings now.

January 1st 2014

Happy New Year!

I had a great day today.  Decided to stay in my PJ's, cleaned the kitchen and then decided to clean out my food cupboards. Didn't have that much to throw out, mainly just putting open foods and cooking ingredients into containers.  Did have some out of date rolled oats to throw out so went up to the chook pens to give them a treat.  Was thrilled to find out that I had 2 new babies that had hatched today.  There is nothing cuter than little fluffy chickens.

Have a heap of stitching waiting for today to start or to start working on again.
I started on a Joan Elliott design called Medieval Lady.  She is very pretty. 

Asked Alan to get a tub of fabric out of my shed as I needed to source some 38 or 40 count fabric to dye for a SAL I am in.  Found all sorts of lovely fabric that I haven't seen for nearly three years.  I probably have at least another tub of fabric in that shed as well.

Anyhow, the fabric I decided to use is a 38 count Italian fabric.  I love this fabric.  I boiled up a good few tablespoons of loose leaf tea and then poured it over the pre-washed fabric scrunched into a jug.  I will rinse it out tomorrow morning and hang it out to dry.  Hope to popmy first stitches into The Snooty Parrot tomorrow.

A Fantastic Weekend

I have had a fantastic weekend.

Yesterday my brother and sister-in-law came down from the city for an overnight stay.  Jarrad and Megan had friends also come down for the weekend.  We had a lovey day little party (late lunch) at our house.  Cinnamon and Mark have the most gorgeous little 14 month old boy called Bryn.  He has the bluest eyes and is such a happy little man.  We had lovely Sesame Chicken, cold meats and a couple of salads with desserts of  home made Lemon Merange Pie, Chocolate slice and Pumpkin Cheesecake.

It was a tad chilly so we sat out on the back lawn surrounding Bryn and enjoying his babyness.  He was delighted by our dog Panda and the free ranging chickens.  Fascinated by the leaves on the lawn.  And then top it all off our broody chook, Vanessa, her eggs started to hatch. 

The young adults left as they were staying at Jarrad and Megan's place and then us grown ups had a lovely evening talking and chatting.  It is so important that we see each other now that our Mum and Dad are no longer alive

Today we went down to Balingup to visit with Jarrad and Megan at their home.  We had brunch at a lovey cafe and then toured the orchards where the boys work.  We then had to say goodbye as our visitors had to return home.

It is Christmas decorating time in my home.  Alan kindly got the decorations out and tomorrow I shall decorate our home.  I am only having 2 christmas trees up this year.  

I even popped some stitches into my Mary Sampler that Plum Street Samplers kindly released as a freebie as few weeks ago.

Some Finishes

I have been doing a fair bit of stitching these last few months. I have finished 2 old UFOs (small ones) and started and completed a project. I stitched this design on a piece of hand dyed fabric I had in my stash. I have no idea what count it is. I stitched it 1 thread over 1 thread with DMC threads. The design is a freebie by Bev from Love Thy Thread

Gosh I can't believe this tiny design was a UFO for so long. Started it in Perth before the big move. Just Nan's Noela Christmas Robin. A collaboration between Little House Needleworks and Crescent Colours.

Kenneth James Nock 1926 - 2013

At the end of April my gorgeous Daddy passed away.  I loved him very much and as with any loved person in a family, who passes away, it takes awhile before life gets back on track and routine returns to normal.  We were so lucky that we had Dad for 9 years longers than we thought and they were mostly a good nine years even though his heart was very dicky.  My dear sister looked after him in his last year of life and I know I can speak for my brother in that we are so thankful that she did and he did not have to spend any of  the last year of his life without family around him.  He wanted to go and was excited to be joining Mum.

 Dad, taken on his last birthday. My sister Annette.

Dad with his great grand daughter Evangeline.

Dad dressed up to go to the Melbourne Cup lucheon at Daddy day care

  
Last time at our place here in Kirup a month before he died.  He was desperately ill but so wanted to come down one last time to see our dog and visit with us at our house.

My Daddy I loved you so much.  Many wonderful memories you have left me.  RIP in peace with our Mummy