Castle in the Mud

I really feel as though I have been a bit off the rails as far as this blog goes since before we went on holidays. Now things are starting to settle down and I hope to get back into the swing of posting something each day.

One of my goals for the year was No Spend Sundays (and public holidays). This went by the wayside for a few weeks before the holiday as we needed to get things and there did not seem to be enough hours in the day (or days in the week). This is a long weekend here in Queensland and this morning I managed to achieve all of the shopping that needed doing. I had my hair cut, bought meat, fruit & veg, groceries, G bought 2 pairs of shoes and we also went to Bunnings and a couple of kitchen shops looking at ideas for our kitchen renovation which will be starting a few weeks.

This afternoon I made celery soup and refried beans. I picked a large bag of lemons as well as our very first navel orange from our tree and the first grapefruit. I will be making lemon cordial tomorrow. While I was in the garden I also finished putting a border of rocks around the grapefruit and one of the orange trees and mulching under the trees. I hope to get all of the fruit trees done over the next couple of weeks.

This morning we hung up our hanging canvas chairs under the house. We bought them at the Eumundi markets a couple of years ago and have been patiently waiting until we had the concreting done under the house before we hung them up. They are so comfortable and relaxing - I expect I will make time to curl up with a good book in mine. However, probably not too much use in the next few months as it will be too cold. Once summer comes it will be lovely to escape to the cool space down there.

I have finally organised my photos from our holiday. Here is a selection. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

The concreting is all done and now the builders are going to do the wardrobes in the two bedrooms. So this weekend has been chaos - Z and I unpacked all of the boxes of gear she left here before going overseas. After reviewing the contents with new eyes we were able to list heaps of things on Freecycle. Almost all has been collected or will be during the coming week. Apart from the cathartic feeling that purging 'stuff' gives you, it was a great feeling to be able to pass on lots of good quality things to people who really wanted them.

I have also emptied all of our clothes and shoes from the existing wardrobes in both rooms so it is now clear for the building work to start. However, the rest of the house looks a bit like a bomb site. The 3rd bedroom is barely able to be entered, the ironing board is in the lounge and the 2 portable hanging racks which G bought from Bunnings this morning are now loaded with all of our clothes and living in the front entry.

I took Z to Brisbane this afternoon, where she is staying while she looks for permanent accommodation and of course, employment. We are keeping our fingers crossed for her.

Today I also installed the software for my new camera (with some help from Z) and downloaded the photos from my camera (including the ones from Japan). I will try to get them into some sort of order and post a link to them in a day or so.

Back again after a fairly long break with a new look for the blog. My tech-savvy younger daughter is back from overseas so I was able to utilise her skill and create an updated look. I had been toying with the idea of some changes but my limited computer skills put paid to taking that any further than the idea stage

So much has been happening recently it is hard to know where to start. We arrived home from Japan almost 2 weeks ago. There had been a huge amount of rain while we were away and with the house all shut up there seemed to be mould on everything. I am gradually getting on top of the cleaning.

Z has been home for nearly a week now and is busy job-hunting and in between has thoughtfully done a heap of ironing for me.

The computer is hovering between life and death so if the posts suddenly stop again it may be because death has finally won out. In fact everything seems to be suffering the same fate - the pump has some serious issues which have been solved for the short-term but it needs some more work and the large circular fluorescent tube in the kitchen has decided to cease working so have to get a new one on Saturday. I keep wondering what is going to be next.

The most exciting news for the week is that the builders have started work on the renovations this week. The first job was concreting under the house and the path along the back. After 3 days of excaavating, levelling and general preparation the concrete was poured today. It looks fantastic - all terraced concrete instead of a dust bowl where the fleas would breed. I am looking forward to being able to hang our hanging canvas chairs that we bought a couple of years ago. I will post a photo once they are up. The next part of the job is removing all of the old cladding and replacing it as well as adding insulation to the walls and all new windows and flyscreens. We are replacing some of the windows with louvres. More news on the renovations later.

The rubbish weigh-in continues: this week was 1305g (1.3kg). I will go back to the older posts and retrieve the previous totals and update this info. It has been several weeks because of being away and off-line. Rubbish in Japan – ahh!! That is another story altogether so may be a blog post all of its own!

My last post about our trip was fairly brief so I will try to fill in a bit more detail this time.

We arrived in Tokyo quite late on Saturday evening, almost 2 weeks ago. We, is G and I as well as C, A and Baby O. Our accommodation has been hostels which have been very clean and the staff welcoming and helpful. We have travelled to Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Kobe as well as day trips to Nara, Miyajima Island and Himeji.

Although I have enjoyed the trip, it has served to remind me of the saying, "There is no place like home". I have found the sheer numbers of people, buildings and 'stuff' quite overwhelming at times. My only other overseas travels have been to New Zealand (South Island) and Canada (west coast) where there are similar wide open spaces and some emphasis on the natural environment as we have in Australia. This appears to be completely missing in Japan and the whole culture revolves around the urban jungle and consumerism.

Any land that is not covered by buildings stacked cheek by jowl is under cultivation or covered with monculture plantation forests and high tension power lines. Apparently, of all of the thousands of streams and rivers in Japan there are only 3 that remain undammed. All of the watercourses which we have seen in towns and cities look more like canals due to the fact that they are all lined with stone walls and have innumerable weirs.

I have really struggled with the amount of stuff in the shops. I know that there are a lot more people in Japan than in Australia but I still fail to understand how so much 'stuff' can be consumed. Most of it is unnecessary - not things that are vital to life. However, I did buy some things while we were here - a new pair of good black shoes to replace the pair I have had for about 10 years, 2 silk scarves for gifts, 3 cotton cardigans, 4 tank tops and 4 pairs of socks for myself (all required) and a pair of trditional pyjamas for Baby O for her next birthday.

It was not all ugliness. The cherry blossom season has been at its peak for the last week in the areas where we have been and that has been a real delight. We have seen some ancient and extavagantly decorated shrines and temples. When we get home I will post some photos of stunning scenery.

Seeing the peace memorials and musuem which related to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima were very poignant indeed. In fact the whole trip was worth it just to spend a day reflecting and trying to understand the actions of that day in 1945.

The blog postings have really gone awry while we have been on holidays. We are currently in Nagasaki with free internet access so will try to give a quick update.

We have had an onsen (hot bath), ridden a cable car over a volcano crater, been to the Hiroshima atomic bomb memorials and museum (gut wrenching), ridden the bullet train, mastered the Tokyo public transport system, visited temples and shrines and seen cherry blossom wherever we go.

Things you will not discover from the tourist brochures:

Shopping is the national pastime
The millions of taxis have really kitsch lace 1/2 seat covers
Restaurants/cafes have plastic food models in the display windows. If they are designed to entice customers inside I am afraid they fail miserably with me.

Also tested the Japanese health system when Baby O became quite ill a couple of days after we arrived. In fact we have all had terrible colds but have managed to get out and about and enjoy ourselves anyway.

If I do not post again before I get home there will be more info in about a week.

The weight of the rubbish for the last 2 weeks is 488g so the total so far is 3.05kg (3057g).

This morning I filled some saved small plastic bottles with cleanser, shampoo and conditioner so that I am only taking approximately the amount I need for the time we will be away.

Today I lodged the request for holding the mail and bought my new camera. This evening we filled in an online application to get 2 rental phones while we are in Japan. That way if we split into separate groups we can always track each other down.

I have been running around this evening trying to get things organised for the trip. I feel as though it is coming together and I am determined not to be in a mad rush on the last night.

Almost time to fall into bed.

The title says it all. My excuse is that there is so much to do and so little time. G and I went to the DFO near the airport today and I bought a new suitcase for our trip. The other one I had has served me well over quite a number of years, however, the corners have holes, the handle is a bit dodgy and one wheel is not functioning properly. I bought one for $69 - medium size and red. I am happy that it will be suitable for what I need. I also bought a lightweight spray jacket (for the trip).

I have started putting things that I will be packing in the spare room so I feel like I am making some progress. I did several loads of washing including the bedspread from our bed today. G and I cleaned up the desk in the study and I renewed my driver's licence online. I have done quite a bit of ironing, although it is not finished. No more tonight as I think I will have an early night.

No, not the renovations I mentioned a couple of posts back. Today we did some refashioning of "Chez Chikki"- otherwise known as the chook house. It is one that we inherited when we bought the property and we are seriously thinking about building a new house in a different location. However, the prospect of asking someone to feed the chickens and collect the eggs while we are away finally stirred me into action. The problem was the nesting boxes - they were low to the ground and difficult to access so we did a bit of very rudimentary carpentery and have ended up with a 2 storey affair which is much easier to get to and retrieve the eggs.

We went into town this morning to vote and do a few other jobs. I have also done some ironing, sorted the freezers and planned the meals for the rest of the week. Apart from $10 worth of fruit and veg we can live quite nicely on what we have. In fact I can't remember when I last went shopping. This morning G made scrambled eggs and grilled bacon on toasted Turkish bread for breakfast. As he served it the comment was, "That will be $15.90, thanks. Tilly's - eat your heart out." His remark was a reference to the yummy breakfast we had at Tilly's Cafe in Canberra last weekend when we were there with a group of friends.

Our Japan planning is gradually coming together. We now have arrangements for the chickens and the dog. I have started making lists of what we need to take. I am trying to keep on top of the washing and ironing so that it is not a mad rush later in the week. Tonight I need to put the itinerary together and gather all of the info we have saved on the interenet so that I can print it off next week.

It is finally the end of the week. I am really tired so this is going to be short and sweet as I am about to head off to bed.

I managed to do 2 loads of washing during the week so not much laundry to do on the weekend but plenty of other jobs.

Tomorrow we need to go and vote, return library books and buy some fruit and veg. I will do a menu plan in the morning after checking out the contents of the freezer. There is enough to feed us for a week until we head off to Japan. Also, on the weekend I need to finalise the itinerary and other paperwork for the trip as well as make a list of what needs to be packed and what I still need to get before we go.

......Is what I have tonight because we have just signed the contract for our house renovations. The work will start in about a month (after we get back from Japan). We are having new windows and flyscreens, new wall cladding and insulation, a wall knocked out and a new kitchen, new built-in wardrobes in 2 rooms and concreting under the house. We won't know ourselves.

We still have to make decisions about various colours and products so lots to think about.

For those of you who are watching the rubbish results, I forgot to weigh the rubbish (or put it out) this week so it will be held over till next week.

Today was a No Spend day again. I worked a long day and simply had no time to spend anything even if I had wanted to. I took salad and some Chicken Roll (from the freezer) and met my mother for lunch in the park. My salad included lettuce and tomatoes and hard-boiled egg - all from our garden and chickens.

So much has happened since I last wrote an entry on Thursday.

After going to work on Friday, we stayed in Brisbane so that we could catch the very early flight to Canberra on Saturday morning. There we met up with about 6 other couples who I knew through Simple Savings who had come from various parts of Qld, Vic and NSW. Some I had met previously, some not but we all seemed to click and had a great weekend of fun and socialising. G and I managed to fit in going to the Degas exhibition at the National Gallery as well as a couple of other exhibitions there and spent several hours on Sunday at the National Portrait Gallery.

On Sunday morning the group met up with some others from Simple Savings who live in Canberra. Prior to meeting them at the Old Bus Depot Markets G and I went to Queanbeyan to go to Spotlight. I had a $10 voucher which expired that day and I wanted to buy some netting and fabric to trim the netting to make covers to throw over plates of food to keep insects off. I will post a photo one day when they are made. That is 2 Sundays in a row that I have failed on my No Spend Sunday challenge. Hopefully, I will get back on track. Even though we ate out several times I did stick to my savings plan by taking biscuits, cheese and salad which G and I ate for lunch on Sunday – felt very virtuous.

The next couple of weeks are going to be very busy as we finalise our Japan trip. We leave on Sat 28th March so not much time. I will try to do an entry each day but they will most likely be fairly brief.

Today C came into town at lunch-time and we sat in the park and ate our lunch. It was lovely to spend even a short time with her on a one-to-one basis as Baby O was daycare. C works 5 days/fortnight so has one day off to herself. When a shower of rain started we beat a hasty retreat and wandered along looking in the shops. C saw a couple of nice cardigans but decided that she would have to check her other clothes and decide what colour would be the most versatile - no impulse buys here!

This evening I have spent some money but it is for the garden. I received the Green Harvest email advising of the availability of garlic and potatoes so I have ordered seed potatoes in 3 different varieties and 2 types of garlic. Although it is mail order their warehouse is in Maleny and I usually arrange to pick my order up when I am next in town. It saves me money and it is great to chat to the staff.

I have just arrived home from a trip into Maleny. I had my hair cut at the local barber shop, took a couple of items into the picture framer/gallery to have them framed, deposited some money in my savings account at the local community credit union, bought some fruit at the greengrocer, bought shampoo and body wash at the co-op, borrowed some books and magazines from the library and picked up a parcel from the post office.

I am pleased to be supporting local businesses and local jobs wherever possible. I think it is really important for us all to support and sustain each other within our communities.

While I was in the credit union I signed up for programme where the credit union round down your savings account at the end of each month and the "spare cents" are transferred into a community trust account. The maximum possible amount would be $11.88/year. This money is then distributed as grants to worthwhile community causes as decided on by a board of trustees. Th local IGA supermarket also has a Community Benefit Club where a 1% of the value of your purchases is donated to the group you nominate. Check the link for more detail about this great scheme.

I have really blown it this week! The rubbish for this week is almost as much as for the previous 9 weeks :( The reason is that due to the possible cyclone we checked all of our emergency equipment. We have 2 lanterns which are powered either by 12V(car battery) or 6 x Size D batteries. We had not used the lanterns for some years and the batteries had been left in and leaked. We had to throw the batteries out and 12 x Size D batteries weigh rather a lot. Anyway, hopefully next week we will be back on track.

Week 10 - 1143grams (1.14kg)

2009 total - 2569grams (2.57kg)

Today I had a yummy lunch. I made salad using the first leaves from my crop of lettuces, cherry tomatoes that are growing wild on the neighbour's footpath, mild chillies from the garden and local marinated feta cheese. The dressing was some that was leftover from the Green Bean salad which we had on Sunday. It was red wine winegar, olive oil, dijon mustard and garlic. I also had a couple of slices of the Chicken Roll (which I made a couple of months ago) from the freezer. Tonight was zucchini quiche and salad - more lettuce and cherry tomatoes as well as pickled cucumbers. The fresh cucumbers are finished - I used the last one to make tzatsiki dip on Sunday.

Tomorrow I have a day off so I plan to catch up on the housework and get everything up to date before we go away for the weekend.

At the moment it looks as though the cyclone will not make landfall, however, they are so unpredictable you never say never. We will continue to be aware of what is happening.

We had nearly 40mm of rain here today and it is quite cool and windy tonight.

Once I have typed this I will be going to bed as I only had about 4 hours of broken sleep last night, thanks to the wind and general unease about the weather. I am so tired that I am sure tonight will be better.

We are looking forward to our trip to Canberra on the weekend to meet up with friends. I think all of the planning is done - tonight I booked the long-term car parking near the airport. I hope the cyclone watch is finalised before we go away.

This week we are eating from the freezer as I want to reduce our frozen supplies a bit before we head off to Japan in under 3 weeks. Tonight was spaghetti bolognaise and today I took some vegetable casserole to work for lunch.

Watching and waiting. That is what the next couple of days will be all about. We have done al of the preparation that can realistically be done at this stage. Now we just have to go about our daily business of work etc and wait and see what track the cyclone takes and consequently what effect we will feel here. I must say it is a bit unnerving. A cyclone coming this far south is unusual but not unheard of and I fear a lot of people will be caught unawares as they have no idea of what to expect.

More news tomorrow.

Meanwhile we did have a lovely, leisurely lunch with our guests today. A most enjoyable gathering.

As I write, another chapter in the book of Australia's extreme weather is about to be written.

Severe TC (tropical cyclone) Hamish is tracking south-east parallel to the north Queensland coast. The communities most at risk in the near future seem to be Mackay and the Whitsunday Islands. Some island resorts have already been evacuated.

Here, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland all appears to be 'normal'. A slightly overcast day but no wind or rain, however, I suspect that may change over the next 24 - 48 hours. Although we are not close to the coast we are on a fairly high, exposed ridge and often get quite strong winds from the coast.

Due to the possible deterioration of weather over the next few days we have made some preparations and will do more tomorrow. So far we have checked on the food stocks, plenty of matches, full gas bottle as well as torches and lanterns working. Tomorrow we will clear the loose furniture, pot plants, laundry trolley etc from the verandah. I also want to fill the 20 litre drum of water. We have our own tanks and certainly hope nothing catastrophic happens this far south but you can never be completely certain.

I decided not to get my hair cut today as on closer inspection it can wait another 2 weeks - or I may get it done on Wednesday if I have a day off.

Today we went to Brisbane to the exhibition which I mentioned in yesterday's post. It was well worth going and I would thoroughly recommend it. The exhibition is on until 19th April. While we were out we also went to Aldi and did some routine grocery shopping and replenished our stocks of food.

Tomorrow I need to go into Maleny to buy some specialty cheese and also some fruit and vegetables for the coming week and also for lunch as we have guests (my sister and her husband) coming for lunch. That will be my first failure in my No Spend Sunday challenge!! We are having Tasmanian Atlantic salmon with potatoes, Green Bean & Feta salad and minted cucumber. My sister is bringing dessert so that is a surprise.

Thank goodness it is Friday at last. I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

Today I got my boots repaired but unfortunately they did not have the batteries that are required for my pedometer in stock. I will try again next week.

I also picked up my yearly rail pass which will save me about $25/fortnight compared to the cost of a weekly ticket. I don't have to pay for it upfront as my pay office deduct a fortnightly amount from my salary which makes it relatively painless.

Speaking of money, the electricity bill arrived in the mail today and the exciting news is that the account is actually in credit. We pay a set amount each fortnight and our consumption has been consistently reducing, thus a credit balance. I will see how it goes during winter but may consider reducing the amount we pay each fortnight - I wouldn't want to be too far in front!

Tomorrow we are going to have a look at a house with C & A then heading off to an exhibition of Cressida Campbell's art at the QUT Gallery in Brisbane.

Before that I will need to do some mundane things like do a menu plan for next week, buy some fruit and vegetables and perhaps have my hair cut. I would normally leave it another week but since we are going away next weekend I would like to get it done before we go.

Life continues on as usual without any earth-shattering events but lots of little stories to tell.

Today I spent the enormous sum of $4.95 on a chain for my computer glasses. They are perfect for working at the computer and also reading documents, however, every time I get up to go and photocopy something I just about fall over if I look through my glasses. Rather than putting them down on the desk constantly I have resorted to a chain around my neck - it may not be super-stylish but much more practical.

I have also found a bootmaker in the arcade near the train station so I intend to take my winter boots to get them re-heeled and toed before I do any major damage to them. He has quoted me about $25 which is much better than $180 for a new pair of boots. I will take my pedotmeter in as well and see if I can get new batteries in it (they are like hearing aid batteries).

This morning I caught a later train and was able to water the lettuces in the garden - they are growing (so are the weeds) and 45 of the orignal 57 seedlings that I planted have survived. Not bad for a $2 punnet. I picked 2 ripe figs which I had for breakfast. The pumpkin vine is quickly sprawling everywhere and I know there is at least 1 full-size pumpkin on it already.

I managed 2 loads of washing today - 1 this morning which was dry when I got home this evening and is now folded and put away except for the ironing which has been added to the pile. I will try to get some done tomorrow afternoon. I have set aside 2 pairs of socks which have small holes and I will 'darn' them using the zigzag stitch on my sewing machine. I did the second load of washing this evening and hung it out.

I want to say thank you to everyone for their interest in my ramblings and encouraging comments. They help to keep my focus. Thank you all.

Another week and another rubbish report:

Week 9 - 87grams

2009 total - 1426grams (1.42kg)

It is 3 1/2 weeks until we head off overseas so hopefully at this rate I should be able to achieve my goal of less than 2kg by the end of March.

Here I am, home at last. It is good to be back with G. The dog also seems to have noticed my absence as he greeted me with gusto when we arrived home this evening. After a gap of a few days I am back to my writing.

I had a great weekend in Melbourne and Bendigo, catching up with family and friends. Lots of eating, chatting and fun. I went to the Haute Couture exhibition at the Bendigo Gallery which was excellent and well worth the admission cost.

My knitting which I have mentioned previously can now be discussed in full. It was a scarf for a belated birthday gift for my friend in Bendigo, although it will have to cool down considerably before it is scarf weather.

Yesterday was an orientation day for work. I flew back to Brisbane last night and then stayed at my mother's place.

Today has essentially been a day of rest after a few long days at work. I work flexible hours and am able to accrue enough hours to have a day off each fortnight.

I did a load of washing which is now all dry and waiting for me to do the folding and also some ironing once I finish typing this. A friend came for lunch today and we sat out on the verandah surrounded by the garden and enjoyed the peace and quiet. I was also able to take her for a wander through the garden since she had not been here before. She went home laden with eggs and lemons from here. I think it is so important to share what you have and develop local connections and networks because in difficult times it will be through those networks that we are able to sustain each other. This afternoon I headed up to Maleny to do a bit of shopping and go to the library.

This evening I need to get myself organised and pack for the weekend. I may be able to write some posts while I am away but if not there will be an update early next week.

At least 2 of the ongoing themes which I mentioned on Monday have now been laid to rest.

I picked up my new computer glasses this afternoon. They will make my work which is almost all computer-based much easier.

The Japan Rail passes have all been purchased so I feel like things are really starting to move along in that regard. Just as well because we fly out in 4 weeks from Saturday.

Last night we went out to dinner with C, A and Baby O. It was A's 40th birthday today. We went to a local restaurant near their home and had a lovely meal. Baby O spent most of the time happily in the high chair, however, while we were waiting for dessert I took her for a walk as she was getting a bit restless. Even though she has only been walking for a few weeks she very determinedly marched up and down the footpath with me holding on firmly to her hand. She had a great interest toward the road and the neighbouring restaurant so most of my time was spent steering her in the direction in which I wanted her to go. Not an easy task!

I have a day off tomorrow so hope to get a bit of housework done, some meat and fruit and veg shopping as well as meal preparation for G for the weekend while I am in Melbourne. I will also need to pack tomorrow as I am leaving Friday afternoon straight from work and will not be home until Tuesday evening.

Here are the results for the rubbish for this week.

Week 8 - 169 grams

2009 total - 1339 grams (1.33kg)

That is all the news for today. We have been out for dinner tonight - very tired and off to bed. I will post more details tomorrow.

Since there is nothing new and exciting to report on today, here is an update on a few of the ongoing themes:

Baby O - no sign of chickenpox but she does have a sore throat and quite a nasty cough.

My new glasses for computer work - still no sign of them and it will be 2 weeks tomorrow. Hopefully they will put in an appearance very soon.

Exercise - I walk between the office and the railway station both morning and afternoon (total about 20 mins) plus climb 12 flights of stairs (4 flights x 3 times during the day). Today I also walked for about 25 mins at lunch time. I am hoping this will eventually equal increased fitness and some weight loss.

Japan Rail passes - hoping to purchase them tomorrow. I have all of the documentation - copies of passports and itineraries.

To set the scene: This afternoon G was cleaning out the gutter around the garage which is actually just below the level of the patio. The patio is essentially the top the garage roof - hard to explain! The clothes line which I routinely use is under the roof which covers part of the patio.

About 4 weeks ago I could not find a particular shirt and I turned the house upside down over a period of days. In desperation I even rang a motel where I had stayed during a trip in my previous job to see if I had left it there - no luck. I gave up and had no idea what had happened but I was not pleased as it was one that I had made.

Fast forward to this afternoon. G called me and neither of us could believe our eyes - out of the gutter he fished out my shirt!! It had obviously blown off the line, across the patio and got tangled in the gutter. The fabric was pure cotton and had already begun to decompose. The only thing to do was get my scissors, cut off the buttons and put the remainder of the cgarment in the compost. The buttons are now soaking in a container of soapy water and will get re-used at some time. Despite my disappointment now at least I know what happened and that I am not going completely mad.

Luckily, I did the washing and got it dry by lunchtime because by about 2pm it started to pour here and we have had about 30mm this afternoon. The underwear and socks are still slightly damp so I will put them in the drier for 5 minutes to finish them off. I have done all of the ironing from this week and most of what was previously in the basket - just a few more items to go.

I have done a menu plan for the week and am about to go and finsh doing some of the preparation of meals for later in the week so that dinner is not too late when we get home from work.

In response to Sharyn's comment, here is my Lemon Delicious recipe. It is a family favourite which has been made by my mother for as long as I can remember and now my daughter (who used to call it Lemon Dooo-lishus) makes it as well. I am not sure of the origin of the recipe (I will ask my mother) but it is great for when I have have an excess of both lemons and eggs.

Lemon Delicious

1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 lemon (juice and rind)
2 eggs
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.

Cream the butter and sugar, add the flour. Stir in the lemon juice and grated lemon rind. Separate the eggs. Add the egg yolks and milk to the mixture. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff. Add to the mixture and gently fold in. Pour into a greased ovenproof dish and bake standing in a pan of water (about 2cm deep) in a moderate oven for approximately 40 mins.

Serves 4

It is essentially a lemon self-saucing pudding. Serve hot or cold with cream or ice-cream.

Today I thawed out a meal of vegetable casserole. We were out for most of the day and when we got home G decided that was not really what he wanted for dinner. I then had a ferret around in the freezer and found 4 sausages. There was also 4 slices of a loaf of bought white bread which we never normally eat. The bread had been bought especially for the Summer Pudding I made for Christmas lunch and these were the leftovers. We both immediately 'knew'what we would have for dinner - a sausage sizzle! Sausages grilled on the George Foreman grill, topped with sauce and wrapped in buttered white bread. Not a particularly healthy offering but gosh it was yummy and great for an occasional meal.

As part of our renovation preparations we spent the day looking at kitchens in display homes. I now know what I don't want! We have got the general design done but wanted to look at finishes, appliances, door handles, laminex colours etc and I must admit the colours and finishes of most of the current trends leave me distinctly unimpressed although I did get a couple of ideas. I am going to look on the internet and also check out suppliers of taps, handles, laminex etc but I had thought it might be nice to see some of the kitchens 'in the flesh', so to speak.

The other thing I did this morning was mend the dog's bed. It is a metal frame with a cover made from shadecloth. Over a few years he has managed to gradually scratch and break the weave of the shadecloth and create a longtitudinal split of about 40cm. G was sure we would have to replace the cover as the dog was sagging lower and lower in his bed, however I decided that we should turn the cover over so that the split was on the underside. This did not improve matters much so I found about 7 cable ties and threaded one through the shadecloth on opposing sides of the middle of the split and pulled it tight. I then repeated this with the remaining cable ties so that they were positioned about every 5cm and pulled tight. This has mended the shadecloth quite satisfactorily. I had known what I wanted to achieve for a while but it was not until a couple of days ago that I read in a Grassroots magazine from the library about using cable ties to join shadecloth. I remembered that I had some ties and decided to give it a go.

After a short day at work today I had time to catch up on some jobs at home to give me a headstart to the weekend. I did a load of washing and prepared a yummy dinner. We had bunya-crusted chicken breast fillets. For the 2 of us I slice through the breast fillet to make 2 thin pieces then dip them in beaten egg and crumb with crushed bunya nuts before baking in the oven. I served them with seasoned, roast potatoes and salad. The egg, bunya nuts, cherry tomatoes and cucumber were from our own garden as well as more eggs and lemon for the Lemon Delicious I made for dessert.

I also took the dog to the vet for his annual check up and heart worm injection.

We had a bit of a storm late this afternoon but not a huge amount of rain. It is still very humid although supposed to be showery and somewhat cooler tomorrow.

The knitting is finished and now I just need to weave the loose ends in and all will be complete.

Today I feel as though I have completed a few small tasks. I went to the travel agent to get all of the details about purchasing Exchange Orders for our Japan Rail passes for our holiday in 5 weeks. It is approaching so fast now! I sent a couple of emails that I had been meaning to do for ages and also arranged the annual checkup/heartworm injection for the dog. I will be working a short day tomorrow and then taking him to the vet. I will also pick up a couple of things I need in Maleny while I am there.

I cannot believe how little I have used my car lately. I have driven less than 100km/week since I finished my previous job whereas previously when I was driving for work it was about 1000km/week.

The other loose end is that I have paid off the personal loan which we got for our second water tank. While it was not a lot it just feels as a bit more has been cleared off the deck.

Most of my lettuce seedlings appear to have survived the 40mm of rain we had yesterday/last night. After paying $2.45 for a lettuce the other day I realised I have a potential goldmine in the garden. I also noticed there is another bunch of bananas formed so on the weekend I will have to bag them or otherwise the wildlife have a free feed. The other job I did last weekend was to protect the fig tree from the marauding birds. I surrounded the whole tree with a roll of fine mesh wire which I actually bought to make a cage to grow potatoes. Since I won't be planting seed potatoes for a few months it can be used to protect the fig tree. I then threw some bird netting right over the top of the tree. It has certainly worked because the other day I picked 2 of the most luscious figs. They had fully ripened on the tree and were bursting with flavour. Can you tell I love figs?? The tree is only just over 12 months old and already about 2 metres high and a similar diameter. There are about another 10 figs so far that I have noticed so I will be watching them carefully.

Other news - the knitting is almost finished so am very pleased about that. The latest bulletin on Baby O is that she has a slight fever, snuffly nose and generally grumpy. C seems to think this is a precursor to the chickenpox spots appearing since it is similar symptoms to the beginning for the friend who has probably kindly shared his bug.

Here are the results for the rubbish for this week.

Week 7 - 123 grams

2009 total - 1170 grams (1.17kg)

We are going away in another 5 1/2 weeks and my goal is to have the total for the year under 2kg by the time we go at the end of March.

I did lots of knitting today - I knitted on the train both to and from work and have now completed 3/4 of my project. I hope to have it completed by the weekend then I will be able to wrap it up as it is a gift.

Also on the craft front I spent some time planning how to design and create a make-up purse. I cut out one piece each of fabric, wadding and PUL. I pinned these together and diamond quilted them using an idea I got from Whimsy. I have cut the strips of contrast fabric to make bias binding and will use a heavy stud to close the flap. I hope to the finish the project this week.

I have not heard anymore from Baby O's mother so I assume all is OK at the moment.

The beginning of another week at work so not much to report. I did not do any knitting today, in fact I did not even take it with me because I figured the 75 minutes on the train could be better spent catching up on some sleep. With the aid of my neck pillow I achieved my goal.

No sign of my new glasses yet but hopefully they will be here soon because that will make the computer work somewhat easier.

On the exercise front I am continuing to walk to and from the station (12 min brisk walk each way) plus I try to make as many trips up and down the stairs as possible.

My daughter rang last night with the news that Baby O has been in contact with chickenpox. This is really not what they need at the moment with her going to daycare and her Mum just back at work.

When I restarted this blog at the beginning of the year one of the reasons was to track my goals of the course of a year. 6 weeks into the New Year and I thought it might be time to look back over what I set out to achieve.

No Spending on Sundays & Public holidays - 100% success so far.

Write something in my blog EVERY day - I have only missed 1 or 2 days.

Each month I will meet and socialise with at least one friend with whom I have not kept in contact regularly - in January I took my mother to see an old friend who neither of us had seen for mor than 35 years.

I will read the AG magazines we have (20 years worth) - haven't started yet.

I will read at least 1 book each month - read William McInnes' "A Man's Got To Have A Hobby". I had read it previously but still enjoyed it.

Do some sewing/mending at least once a week - ongoing.

Tend the garden regularly and make the most of what we grow - trying - I planted out 57 lettuce seedlings today.

Do the ironing on the same day as the clothes are washed - grand plan but not happening all of the time. This goal is helping me to keep the ironing pile under control.

Today I did not achieve as much as I had hoped because I have had a migraine all day. It is not too bad but has definitely slowed me down.

I am going to take some tablets and have an early night.

If Sundays are No Spend that must mean that Saturdays are for shopping. Today we went into Maleny so that G could have his hair cut. When I think about it most of my purchases are really part of our quest to live reasonably simply and frugally. I bought apricot jam (hopefully to 'rescue' the sweet chili sauce I made a week or so ago - see earlier blog entries), bleach (to clean the bottles for home-brew), shoe polish (to keep our shoes in good condition so that they last longer) and a zip for the skirt I am making.

We went to the library for the first time in ages and I got a novel, a book of short stories, 3 non-fiction items and a magazine. More details another day.

I also bought some fruit and vegetables including a large bunch of celery which I used to make celery soup. We had some for dinner with warm Turkish bread roll - mmmm!!

From the menu I guess you can you tell that today it has been cool and raining lightly all day. The cloud has been right down over the mountains with mist rolling up the valley. I love it up here when the weather is like this.Since we have had no sunshine for almost 3 days we did need to turn the booster on the solar hot water system on for a couple of hours this morning.

After our trip to Maleny we headed down to the coast. Since it is a bit of a distance we try to combine a few tasks into one trip to save on petrol. The first stop was to pick up another large bag of dog food from the pet supplies. The dog now has his own stockpile with one large bag in reserve. We looked at electrical items but at this stage are just gathering information then it was off to the fish and chip shop for a treat for lunch.

We then went to Sam's Warehouse where G got 4 plastic rubbish bins with clip on lids and I picked up a couple of balls of knitting cotton. We have never been to Sam's Warehouse before and may never go again (a) because they are in liquidation, (b) I do not buy most of the things they seem to stock and (c) I found that the prices of several things are not really bargains at all. The garbage bins are for storing potting mix, garden lime, blood & bone etc. The knitting cotton will be used for making dishcloths. I made one a while ago and have just got to weave the loose ends in and it can be used. I threw out a dishmop recently when it fell to bits so I have decided cloths that I can make myself will be a better idea. I will probably start knitting them on the train once I have finished my other project.

Finally, G bought a new pair of walking shoes for when we go to Japan. They are better than sneakers, not as heavy or bulky as his hiking boots and look smart enough to wear with casual trousers for going out. We got them at Kathmandhu at Kawana. It is really convenient because both Kathmandhu and Anaconda are in the same complex there so were able to compare what was available. Kathmandhu had a better range and G is very happy with his new shoes.

We have had close to 100mm rain in the past 36 hours so the lake is back - just like the photo at the bottom of the page. There will not be any lawn mowing done this weekend, that's for certain.

Today I have spent quietly at home doing a few jobs and some sewing but generally just taking it easy after a couple of weeks of long days at work. It is nice to have the option of flexible hours.

This is my "Friday night" as I have a day off tomorrow and therefore a long weekend. This is as a result of the flexible working hours we are able to work so I have worked my allotted hours in 9 days. I am really looking forward to the break.

Today I bought a pair of walking sandals. They are "Ecco" brand and so comfortable. The straps are all padded and adjustable and the actual sandal is very lightweight. They have contoured soles and arch supports etc.

Tomorrow morning we have a valuer coming as we are planning some renovations to the house. We are reasonably confident that the valuation will be as expected but it will be good once that is done. Then I will head into Maleny to do a couple of errands, including making a final payment on the loan for the rainwater tank.

Other than that I need to knuckle down and do some sewing. I have a skirt and a shirt that I want to make and they should not take too long once I get going. More about that tomorrow.

It is cooler tonight and raining here now - not heavily but gentle, soaking rain so am very grateful for that. Perfect sleeping weather so I am off to bed.

Work again today. It is now my 2nd week in my new job and I am starting to get a routine happening. Again tonight I had dinner on the table 15 minutes after arriving home - memu plan and preparation are definitely the key to success.

Today I did some more knitting on the train. I now have my project 1/2 finished so will have it completed in time.

The other thing I achieved today was some exercise. Instead of getting off the train at Central I went 1 more station and walked back to work. The walk was 12 minutes (brisk) so that was 24 minutes total for the day. I will do at least one way each day and try to walk both ways so that is a bit of a start. I also need to get new batteries for my pedometer.

I have just weighed the rubbish for the week and cannot believe it - 49 grams!!

Week 6 - 49 grams

2009 total - 1047 grams (1.047kg)

The result for our first 6 weeks of the challenge to reduce and quantify our rubbish has been a far greater success than I had ever dared to imagine. We are not really doing anything different and this is just our normal routine.

Today I had my eyes tested and have ordered a new pair of glasses especially for computer work since I really need a dedicated pair as most of my working day now is spent in front of the computer.

It has been very steamy the last few days here and we are hoping to get some of the rain which is forecast over the next day or so.

Also, hoping for rain for all of those still being affected by the bushfires. I am still struggling with the enormity of what has happened and continue to pray for all of those who have been touched by this tragedy.

The beginning of another week. This morning I felt a bit more in control after my busy day of preparation yesterday. It certainly paid off this evening when we were able to sit down to dinner 15 minutes after arriving home. I simply took the container of risotto out of the fridge, heated it in the microwave and added a little grated cheese on top.

The rest of the week will be much the same as I have meals planned and prepared for the whole week.

C (Baby O's Mum) started back at work today after 16 months leave. She rang this evening and everything seemed to go OK on her first day.

Now I need to go and tidy the kitchen, put on a load of washing, pay a bill (tree-lopping) and get myself organised ready for another day.

It is with great sadness in my heart that I sit to write today's entry. As I type this we now know that 84 of our fellow Australians have lost their lives in the terrible bushfires that have ravaged numerous parts of Victoria. Many are still missing and countless others injured and homeless.

Meanwhile at the other end of the country, in north Queensland, floods are inundating homes and causing untold grief. Our land has always been one of "droughts and flooding rains" and this weekend has clearly painted the stark contrasts of extreme weather patterns that we are experiencing.

Therefore it is in our best interests to be prepared for whatever may befall us. It may be Mother Nature with flood, fire, earthquake, cyclone etc; ill-health or injury to the family breadwinner or a more generalised health issue like a bird-flu outbreak; unemployment or a breakdown in services such as power for reasons as diverse as industrial action or the weather.

Whatever the cause our supply lines are remarkably fragile and we all simply tend to take them for granted.

Today has not only been a No Spend Sunday but we have also made more progress in our quest to use what we have. I have spent a large portion of the day preparing, cooking and freezing meals. This means that it is a relatively quick and easy task to serve up a healthy meal when we both get home after a long day of work and commuting. This combined with the stock up of groceries (non-perishable) done on Friday makes me confident that we have enough supplies for us for almost any eventuality.

G has done a lot in the yard but most specifically sorting and cutting up wood from a very large secondary trunk of a eucalypt tree which we had removed during the week. Once this is all dried and seasoned it will add enough firewood for a couple of years to our already extensive pile. The wood we have stored is enough for quite a long time if just used for occasional heating as we normally do but could also be a source of heat for cooking if necessary.

The sewing I planned to do will have to wait until another day.

I find it impossible to write mindlessly of the day to day happenings at The Castle while many of my countrymen do not even know whether they will have a home tomorrow due to bushfires raging through many parts of south-eastern Australia.

My thoughts and prayers go to all of those affected and I will write more another day.

One of the best things about my new job is the flexible hours. I worked longer days from Monday to Thursday and was able to leave at 3pm today. I did the grocery shopping and stocked up at Aldi and Simply Good on my way home. I am confident that I should not need to go to either shop again for a month.

Tomorrow morning we have a cabinetmaker coming to discuss plans for the kitchen as part of the renovations. After that I will need to pop into Maleny to get some fruit and vegetables.

I want to get some more done in the garden on the weekend. This evening when I emptied the compost bucket I noticed that there are lots of climbing bean have come up in the compost. I think I will put some trellis around them and hopefully get another crop of beans.

On the craft/sewing front I am pleased to report that I got some more knitting done today. I want to make my blouse with the new material I bought the other day and also draft a pattern for a skirt and top from some material I have in my stash.

I apologise for the lack of photos in recent posts but I hope to rectify that soon when I buy a new camera.

At lunchtime today I went for a short stroll in the city and found a shop which sold lots of comfy shoes including Birkenstocks and Ecco. I found a pair of Ecco sandals with 2 adjustable (velcro) straps across the foot as well as an adjustable heel strap. I tried them on they were soooooo comfy. I really want a pair before we go to Japan because comfortable walking shoes are essential. They are $190 so I need to have a good, long think about them but I do know I will get heaps of use from.

I forgot to take my knitting with me today so no more got done but there is always another day.

I have started making a shopping list as i am going to do my grocery shopping on the way home tomorrow.

Now that I am catching the train work each day I have about 2.5 hours to entertain myself on the train each day. It is certainly a huge change after having to spend many hours concentrating on driving. I have a knitting project which I have started and is progressing well. That is all I can say because it is for a gift next month. I also listen to my iPod and the time passes quite quickly.

I had a pattern for a lovely knitted jacket when my girls were young but I gave the pattern away a couple of years ago. I am going to try to get a copy back from the person so that I can make one for Baby O for winter 2010. Speaking of Baby O, she is now walking unaided and getting into everything. She also started at daycare last week for 3 days/week and is loving it by all accounts.

The Sweet Chili Sauce is bottled and awaiting a decision from me on how to salvage it. I will probably buy some apricot jam when I next go shopping and see if the helps.

I plan to make my blouse on the weekend so I can show it off at work next week.

Since it is Tuesday it is time to record the weight of rubbish for the week. For the first time this year it is down to double figures - 99g.

Week 5 - 99 grams

2009 total - 998 grams

I am so pleased. We have completed 5 weeks of the Great Rubbish Challenge and have managed to average a touch under 200 grams/week over that time but better still each week has seen a reduction. This cannot continue forever but I will try to maintain the average over the year.

I missed posting yesterday as it was my first day in my new job and I was just too tired by the end of the day. Today went well at work - I now have my computer installed and hopefully tomorrow my desk phone will be programmed.

Travelling to work on the train is certainly very different to the extensive amount of driving I was doing in my previous job. Today was a challenge as there were 'technical hitches' with some overhead lines on both the inbound and outbound trips. It took me 2 hours 40 minutes to get to work which is basically double what the normal time is and this evening we got offloaded from the tain and onto a bus for the last 30km home.

At lunchtime today I went across the street to a fabric shop and bought a lovely piece of white cotton/voile fabric. It is all pieced and patchworked and has a bit of grey, black and red on it. I bought some red buttons and am going to make another shirt. The girls at work are very interested so I have promised I will make it on the weekend and wear it next week. I have a lightweight red cardigan with 3/4 sleeves which will go nicely with the shirt.

G and I are busy planning our new routines to include grocery shopping and housework with me now working regular hours for the first time ever in the 33 years I have been working.

I made the Sweet Chili Sauce today and it is anything but sweet. In fact it is soo hot that I am still suffering the ill-effects. I inhaled some of the fumes and it has 'burnt' my throat, leaving me with a constant tickle in my throat and 3 fingers on my left hand are constantly burning from touching the chilies while cutting them up. At this stage I have a bottle and a half of inedible chili sauce that is so hot it is unbelievable. I posted a question on Simple Savings to see if anyone had any ideas on how to improve it. I thought of making more sugar syrup and breaking it down with that but I like Lara's idea of her Mum's recipe which includes apricot jam. I think I might buy some and try adding some to a small portion of the sauce to see if I can improve matters. Watch this space for more updates.

After the suace saga everything else today almost pales into insignificance.

I was delighted late this afternoon when my cousin and her husband who live in Brisbane dropped in with her sister who is visiting from interstate. It was lovely to be able to sit in the lounge and have coffee while watching the cloud and misty rain blow in from the coast. The rain may increase over the next day or so depending on what the cyclone further north does.

Apart from that I am busy mentally preparing myself for my first day at my new job tomorrow. More about that another day.

Nothing too much exciting today apart from getting my hair cut so I look respectable for my first day of my new job on Monday.

Most of the rest of the day was taken up with more domestic chores such as defrosting the small freezer as well as washing and ironing. It was while I was doing the ironing that I looked closely at a favourite skirt. I realised that it will be pretty easy to create a pattern from it to make others. I may try to draft the pattern tomorrow.

I have still yet to source more chilis - maybe tomorrow. I also need to sort the frozen goods and relocate some of them from the frig/freezer back to their rightful home in the newly-defrosted bar size freezer.

Today didn't turn out quite as I planned in yesterday's entry.

I had a gentle start to the day - the last official day of my holiday and then decided to do the ironing. It is almost all done (including the washing from today) and I will finish it tomorrow.

My mother and sister came for lunch so it was Tuna Pie and Salad again for lunch followed by a fresh fruit platter. I was able to include peaches and mulberries from the garden alongside bought nectarines and plums.

After the visitors had gone I donned my old clothes and spent a bit of time in the garden pulling out the old cucumber vine. Then the chickens got into the soil and staring digging it over. I think I will get G to help me remove the trellises and then I will plant beetroot as my next crop in that bed. I hope to grow a large quantity of beetroot this year so that I can preserve enough to last us right through next summer as well as eating some in risotto and roasting some. I have never roasted beetroot before but I believe it is yummy.

Rather than modifying the recipe for the Sweet Chili sauce I have decided to wait until tomorrow and go and see if the neighbour has any ripe chilis and see if I can make up the shortfall that way and then give her a bottle of the sauce once it is made.

Today I had a break from sewing. I decided that I was going to have at least one day this week that really felt like I was on holidays. A friend came for lunch and it was lovely to just be able to sit and chat. We had Tuna Pie & salad followed by a piece of Scottish Fruit Loaf. I had actually made this one using a combination of dried apricots, dates and almonds. I felt quite refreshed and relaxed - which is what holidays are all about.

This afternoon I ventured down to the overgrown garden and picked the last 6 cucumbers from the vines. The vines will get pulled out on the weekend. I also picked Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes as well as 3 different types of chilis. I want to make Sweet Chili Sauce but only have 190g of chilis and the recipe is for 250g so I think I will reduce the quantity and make it tomorrow. I will also make some more cucumber pickles. The larder is filling up again. I made plum jam today with 1kg plum I bought earlier in the week. That made 3 medium jars of jam. G loves plum jam.

I have spent most of the day in my sewing room today. I managed to finish the 2 shirts that I started the other day.

The project was not without its challenges. All was going smoothly until I found a bottle of Fray Stop in my newly tidied sewing room. I haven't used it for ages but decided to put it on the buttonholes before I cut them. I always did this previously but had forgotten recently. A drop got on the front of the pink line shirt so it was a bit of a panic to remove it. I managed to get it out successfully but isn't it always the way that it happens when you are sewing for someone else :(

I also made a pair of satin boxer PJ bottoms for my daughter as well in a fuschia colour. The fabric was leftover from the trim on her dressing gown that I made her for Christmas. I then went back to finish the second shirt (white linen) and was very careful when using the Fray Stop. I covered all of the garment apart from the buttonholes and set to work. However, I did not realise that that colour from the satin had stained my finger slightly and that combined with the Fray Stop left a small pink stain over the first buttonhole - I did say I had challenges!!

I soaked the shirt and got it clean but I must say today's creating was a bit traumatic! Luckily, not every day is like that and I will learn from my mistakes.

On a completely different design/creative theme I am starting to consider all the design aspects of my new kitchen. The builder came on yesterday with the final quote for some major building work. A lot of it is outside - concreting as well as re-cladding and insulating the outside walls but there is some internal projects. These include replacing 2 wardrobes and removing a wall between the kitchen and dining-room. Then we will be redoing the kitchen with a completely new configuration so it is time to put my thinking cap on and consider types of finishes, colour schemes, layout etc. This is a really exciting project because it although it is our 6th house it will be the first time I have had a real opportunity to set up the kitchen the way I want it rather than making do with what was already there. The kitchens I have worked with ranged from really good to downright terrible so I have some pretty clear ideas about what I do and do not want. The building work won't start until well into April so I have plenty of time. There will be more discussion and photos as the process unfolds.

Here are the totals for this week.

Week 4 - 113 grams

2009 total - 899 grams

It is almost the end of January and we are still well under 1kg of rubbish for the year. I am really pleased with our achievement so far. I am definitely going to continue recording for the year to see how things change.

.........with apologies to Charles Dickens.

Today I have been making 2 linen shirts for my elder daughter as she prepares to return to the workforce after 16 months leave. They are the same style as others I have made recently.

I have finished the hot pink one apart from the buttons and buttonholes. I have to buy more thread tomorrow so that I can finish it.

The white shirt is partly made and should be finished tomorrow as well.

While trying to conserve the pink thread I realised how wasteful we are in so many ways, simply because it is easier. In an attempt (in vain it turned out) to have enough thread to complete the buttonholes I started just pulling the fabric a couple of inches away from the foot at the end of a row of stitching before cutting the threads close to the end of the seam. Normally I would pull the fabric up to 8 - 10 inches away before cutting the threads. Today's method took a little extra time but made me think of how many metres of cotton I have wasted over time.

Saving thread reminds me of a story book I had as a child - "Five Little Peppers and How They Grew". In one part Polly and her mother are sitting on the verandah unpicking garments for refashioning. Polly's eyesight is failing and she cannot see the thread properly and breaks it. Her mother hears the snapping sound and reprimands her. I realised that not only were they planning on re-using the fabric but also the thread which they were rewinding onto spools. That is seriously frugal!

Back to the 21st century - I will take photos of the shirts when they are finished and post them here.

Anyone who has been following this blog closely will notice that I have slipped up and not posted yesterday. I think the title of my last entry is a giveaway as to the cause, "The Littlest Guest".

I arrived home at about 4.30pm on Friday with Baby O and I must say that in the 44hours (was I counting?) that she was here our world was turned upside down. Even though I have brought up 2 children of my own nothing prepared my for the challenges of having a demanding 13 month old person here without her parents. From the first sleep-deprived night it was all I could do to bathe, feed, entertain, settle and generally care for Baby O as well as do some semblance of housework quite apart from any blog entries.

Her parents arrived today to rapturous applause from Baby O and they stayed for lunch. Then we collected up ALL of the clothes, toys etc for their trip home.

Since today is Sunday it is another No Spend Day as will tomorrow because it is a public holiday.

I am not sure what we will be doing tomorrow - just a quiet day at home, I think.

I do wish it would rain - it is just so hot and humid here these past few days. I have just looked at the weather radar and there does seem to be some rain coming our way.

Now I am off to help G make dinner - mini pizzas on Turkish bread, mmmm!!

Tonight we have Baby O sleeping over for the first time by herself. I picked her up after I finished work and she will be here until Sunday lunchtime when her parents arrive.

I had an emotional day at work today - saying goodbye to my co-workers of the past 6.5 years. Even though I am ready to move on it is a wrench to leave your comfort zone. After a meeting this morning we had lunch and they gave me a lovely pair of earrings and a pendant. The farewell card with lots of good wishes is also very special.

I am planning an early night so that I can cope with any unexpected awakenings during the night - I hope not though.

Yes, tomorrow is my last day in my current employment.

I start my new job on February 2nd after holiday for a week. I am looking forward to the new challenge. It will be very different from what I have been used to. I will be working regular hours in an office environment (never done that before) and no travel. I must say it fits much better ethically with my environmental concerns than constantly driving and/or flying all over the place. I will catching the train to work and probably will go to the station with G in one vehicle.

We are not going anywhere during my time off between jobs so I will just be at home getting things organised. G also has 2 days off next week after the long weekend so it will be a great opportunity to get stuck into some jobs around the house. Maybe we could build the fence around the vegie gardens and orchard??

Firstly, I will be picking up our darling 13 month old granddaughter (Baby O) tomorrow afternoon and she will be staying with us until Sunday when her parents collect her. It is Baby O's first sleepover here so quite exciting for all concerned.

Last night I started some knitting. I have not knitted anything much for a number of years and this is for a gift. The recipient may be reading this so can't divulge any more detail just yet. After I had started I remembered that I had a drawstring calico bag which had contained one of my Christmas gifts. I had carefully put it away so retrieved the bag and found that it is just the perfect thing in which to store my knitting. This will be great for taking it on the train so I will be able knit while commuting.

I am constantly amazed at how our garden continues to provide even with minimal input from me. This evening I picked 3kg of produce including cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, cucmbers, zucchini and white peaches. I also noticed good crops on the lemon, grapefruit and orange trees not to mention the avocado tree which is laden with fruit yet again.

It is good to know that we can go at least some way towards providing for ourselves from our land.

Very short entry today. The rubbish for this week is in a Parcel Post bag in which I received a parcel last week. Another decrease - how long can I keep this up?

Week 3 - 173 grams

2009 total - 786 grams

As the challenge continues my new short-term goal is to get under 1kg for the month. Watch this blog to see if I can achieve it.

The bunya nuts have been boiled and about 2/3 dehusked, roasted and ground. I now have a 2 litre ice-cream container almost full of bunya nuts ground to a similar consistency to almond meal. This will be stored in the freezer until I use it.

The other 1/3 of the nuts did not get dehusked as it was a very tough assignment for my hands and I actually ended up with a huge blood blister on one thumb. So for the time being the rest are in a bag in the freezer.

It was really satisfying to see the container of finely crushed nuts that I had created completely from picking up the pine cones.

Yesterday I collected about 8 cones from our Bunya Pine. The tree is high on the slope at the back of our block but fortunately when the cones drop they roll down to near the chook house so we can easily collect them. I have removed all of the nuts and weighed them










- 4.4kg with the husks on. They are currently boiling and then the next step will be to remove the husks. I will then spread them out to dry and after that they will be roasted in a warm oven. I plan to grind the nuts and freeze them once they are ground. That way I will be able to use them at my leisure in a variety of recipes. This the first year I have actually planned on using the nuts so it is a new adventure. Watch upcoming posts for more bush tucker news.

From the slightly more cultivated garden area I am still picking zucchini and cherry tomatoes. The highlight of today was the white flesh peach that G found on the dwarf peach tree. We shared it and the taste is simply like nothing you buy in the shops. It is not hard to remember why we grow our own produce. I plan for 2009 to be the year when I have all of my fruit fly controls in place so that hopefully we will be able to get a decent harvest of nectarines and peaches. I finally made the cucumber pickles today that I talked about at least a week ago. The delay has been getting some yellow mustard seeds without making a special 80km round trip.

Tonight I also made some more fruit loaves using a combination of dried apricots, dates and chopped almonds. This combination seems to be a winner with everyone.

I mended some of G's socks using the zigzag stitch on the machine. There were not true holes but rather some very thin patches which I have reinforced before they become holes. Remember, "a stitch in time saves nine". This certainly holds true for the socks and they are so much easier to do before there is an actual hole.

I also must not forget that today is Sunday and therefore, "No Spend Sunday". Not only did I not spend but I actually made money today - $50 for a tall wall unit which I finally managed to get rid of. We inherited it with a previous house purchase but it is now excess to our requirements. The recipients are very happy with it and we are pleased to have the space.

It has been hot here today with not a breath of breeze. We have not had a fan for about 18 months since the last one gave up but I may be forced to get another. Generally it is a little milder up here on the range but we have had a couple of quite hot days.

This afternoon I did some more work on my shirt. I now just have the buttons and buttonholes left to do. Buttonholes are so much easier to do with my new machine which I bought about 4 years ago since it does them automatically and the button dictates the length of the buttonhole so no more guesswork.

Apart from that I managed to go into town and get some meat, fruit and vegetables and a tin of Milo for G from the IGA. When I got to the checkouts it seemed busier than usual - chaos would have been an apt description. A few minutes later one of the senior staff at the express checkout announced that their eftpos system was 'down' and that people would have to pay cash but there was a functioning ATM in the front of the store. I had cash for my 1 item but was reminded of all the times that I only use a card and don't have cash in my wallet. I think that is about to change. I know it was hot and tempers probably a littled frayed but what astounded me was the reaction of several people to the fact that the system was not flowing as normal. One man was quite rude to a lady who had gone to get her cash and came back to pay. He made a snide comment about 'queue-jumpers'. It really does show the ugly side of human nature and gives a little insight into how ugly things could get if there really was a major systems failure such as with Hurricane Katrina.

The garden has been neglected in the heat but I have still managed to continue picking cucumbers, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and the occasional strawberry. It is now 5 months since I started picking strawberries so they have done really well. Once we get the fencing done I will be moving the strawberries. The plan is to have them surrounding the blueberry bushes along the fence and be able to securely cover all of them from the marauding birds.

Also known as my menu plan has gone awry. I have not stuck to the menu plan religiously this week so tonight was going to be omelettes and salad which was originally scheduled for Tuesday. I got sidetracked this afternoon and did not go to the shops to get any fruit and vegetables and the final straw was the discovery that the last of the lettuce was beyond redemption.

So it is 6pm and nothing prepared. I had a scramble in the freezer and found some cooked arborio rice (about 3/4 cup), bolognaise sauce (single serve), soft breadcrumbs and a 500ml container of Mimi's Refried Beans. So I set about creating a meal.

Mexican Slice (newly named)

Thaw and heat pre-cooked rice. Add 1 beaten egg to rice, season with pepper and a little celery salt. Press rice mixture into the bottom of ovenproof dish. Thaw bolognaise sauce and refried beans, combine and spread over rice base. Combine 1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup grated cheese and sprinkle over bean mixture. Bake in moderate oven for 20 minutes unitl heated through and topping is crispy.

Served with zucchini, peas and carrots.

This quantity would serve 4 adults, however, since there are only 2 of us we will have leftovers for lunches.

It is amazing what you can create with a little bit of thought.

I have to confess that the reason I did not go to the shops is that I was busy sewing. I am making good progress on the shirt which I mentioned yesterday. I should finish it tomorrow as long as I can find some suitable buttons in my collection. I originally thought that I would have to buy some white bias binding to finish the neckline and armholes but have decided to make my own binding using the contrasting fabric that I have used for the collar and pocket flaps. So this will use up some more fabric scraps and save me buying anything more for the moment.

When I went to let the chickens out at lunchtime I was shocked to find one of them had died. Although I do not know a lot about keeping poultry I do know that they don't live forever and this was one of the older ones which we have had for close to 3 years. I have buried her - on the vacant land next to our block so that the dog cannot dig it up. I guess you have figured from this that we only keep chickens for the eggs - not to kill for meat. Although I am not a vegetarian I have always said that I would be if it was up to me to be involved in raising and killing livestock for us to eat.

On a brighter note - I have been tidying up and sorting out my sewing stuff in an attempt to get the spare room into some sort of order. It is all part of my 'big picture' decluttering plan. While I was refolding some offcuts of material I found a piece of white linen with which I am going to make a shirt. It took quite a bit of fiddling with the pattern placement to be able to fit the pattern on but I did it by having contrasting pocket flaps and collar and cutting the front facings separately out of some other white poly cotton fabric I have. It is amazing what you can achieve by being a bit creative. I have got it all cut out so once it is made I will post a photo of the finished article.

Here is the rubbish for this week bagged up in a used corn chip bag and ready to go in the bin.

Week 2 - 246g

2009 total - 613g

I am pretty pleased with our results so far so hoping to keep it up for the year. Now that I have figures for 2 weeks I have some sort of baseline to aim for as the year progresses. Even at this rate we will still generate about 16kg of rubbish for the year. I have have been doing some research and found that the 'average' person in Australia throws out around 600kg of rubbish per year. I know that the rubbish I am measuring is only generated from within the house and does not include things like the empty cement bag which G used when putting in the new post for the gate. Despite all of that I am sure we will come in way below average so I am really pleased.

The other exciting news is that I have successfully purchased my chosen mobile phone as planned. Over the coming week I will have to acquaint myself with the features and also load all of my contacts into it from my existing phone.

I spent the morning at home doing a bit more housework. When I am complaining in a day or so that my knees are hurting this post will remind me that I spent a considerable amount of time on my hands and knees - scrubbed the kitchen and laundry floors as well as cleaning the internal timber staircase.

Before I went out at lunchtime I collected the mail which included a parcel - my 150 new pegs that I ordered from Maid of Shade. They look great and I am sure will work a treat. I am not planning on using them straightaway but rather to put them in my stockpile to add as required when the others break.

I carefully opened the plastic postpak that the pegs arrived in by splitting it along the top edge. This will be the rubbish bag for next week. The rubbish bag this week is the bag from the corn chips that I bought last week to make Bean Nachos.

Before I started work I went to the local Telstra Shop to see about buying a new mobile phone. I have had a mobile phone supplied by work but now that I am changing jobs I need to get a new one. I had done my research via Telstra catalogue, the internet and Simple Savings forum and was fairly convinced that I knew what I needed. Once again, the staff proved how easily people can be led by the sales pitch. The Nokia phone I wanted was $79 to puchase outright as a pre-paid so it was not going to do wonders for their sales so the salesman's final spiel was to point out that because of where I live it might be better to have access to the 3G network which covers 98% of people in Australia (his words, not mine) and that is not available on the phone I had chosen. I wasn't going to fall for this so said I would think about the information he had given me and walked out of the shop. 2 minutes later I realised that G has an old-style Nokia which cetainly is not compatible with 3G and it works perfectly well for our requirements. By this time I had lost my place in the queue and needed to get to work so tomorrow I am off to BUY my phone. No-one is going to distract me from my chosen path!

Tonight we are having sausages and vegetables for dinner and after that I hope to do a bit more sorting of my sewing and craft things.

We spent the most of the day looking at houses with our daughter and family so didn't get home till after 3pm.

Luckily I did a load of washing and hung it out before we went.

So, washing is in and folded, ironing to be done tomorrow, dinner cooked and eaten plus the dishes all done.

I have also been looking at what sort of mobile phone and plan I want to get once I give up my work phone in 2 weeks. I just want one to make and receive calls and texts in emergencies - nice and simple so a bit more research is required.

Possum, here is the recipe for the Chickpea Loaf. You will need to scroll down to Robyn's post on Nov 1st. I make the loaf and when it is cool I slice it and flash freeze. Then you can simply thaw and heat in the microwave and serve with vegetables and gravy.

I have just realised that I have come to the end of the week of meals I had planned so now it is time to put my thinking cap on and come up with some more ideas so that the title of this post does not come true.

Pay day is not until next Thursday so I don't want to have to buy much until next weekend.

Saturday - Vegetable casserole with dumplings
Sunday - Zucchini Slice with salad
Monday - Sausages with vegetables & gravy
Tuesday - Omelettes & salad
Wednesday - Tuna patties & salad
Thursday - Chickpea loaf with & vegetables & gravy
Friday - Pita bread pizza

"Live simply so that others may simply live"

I read this again today and am reminded of what a powerful message it is.

By living simply we can reduce our ecological footprint, share the resources of the planet more equitably, leave a better world for our children and grandchildren as well as saving money.

Like a jungle! I finally made time this afternoon to do something in the vegie garden. I pulled out all of the old climbing beans from the trellis and cleared heaps of weeds out of that bed.

The chickens then got into the bare earth and had fun catching all sorts of goodies.

Today's harvest was worthwhile - 3 cherry tomatoes, 2 Roma tomatoes, 1 large zucchini and 15 cucumbers. Now, what to do with the cucmbers? I will be making some pickled cucmbers and may look for a recipe for chilled cucumber soup. I guess they will be some of tomorrow's chores.

I slipped up yesterday and did not post anything but I worked and then went shopping - proper grocery shopping for the first time in about 3 weeks.

I went to Aldi and stocked up on basic items such as cracker biscuits, pasta, cheese, butter, toothpaste and lots of canned goods - fruit, pineapple, tuna, corn and tomatoes. Then it was off to Simply Good where I can buy dry goods from bulk bins. I re-use my own paper bags so this means NO packaging. I bought chickpeas, kidney beans, almonds, sultanas, red lentils, arborio rice, bran flakes, wheat flakes and mixed herbs.

The evening was spent packing everything away. I put the month/year date on all packaged goods using a texta and the bulk goods are all rotated so that the new product goes in the bottom of the container.

I am not 100% sure but I think that we could eat well for at least 6 months on the supplies we currently have. There are so many reasons for having a supply of food and miscellaneous items and I did test my supply a little towards the end of 2008. I was so busy at work I simply did not have time to shop and went for 7 weeks and only bought a couple of lots of fruit and veg. Everything else came from the pantry, freezer and garden.

As mentioned in one of my earlier posts my plan is not to spend any money on Sundays or Public holidays apart from recreation spending. The reason for setting myself this challenge is as a statement against extended hours of opening for retailers. I dislike the fact that it takes away family recreation time for all those who work in the retail sector as well as the encouragement for people to spend as a recreational activity.

Today was a success with no spending on groceries, petrol, whitegoods etc. What did I do?? I met another Simple Saver and family for morning tea at a local cafe. We also made friends with the resident Eastern Water Dragon. Afterwards I came home and washed, ironed, sewed and cooked. Sound boring? - perhaps, but the cooking and sewing are hobbies as well as necessities and the washing and ironing are all up to date so I don't need to worry about them during the week while I am working.

I am making a bathrobe for G which I have nearly finished so tomorrow I will post a photo of the finished article.

As promised I am reporting back on our trip to the movies last night to see Vicki Cristina Barcelona. G and I both enjoyed it. The scenery and architecture was stunning - maybe we should add Spain to our list of possible overseas holiday destinations. The story was fun and I thought Penelope Cruz's character was a standout. I would thoroughly recommed this film.

Today we have had another trip to Brisbane to look at a house for sale with our daughter and her partner. It was not suitable but gave us all an opportunity to think further about what they are really looking for - buying a house is such a big step that you really need to know that you are happy with it.

We went to our local fruit and veg shop to stock up for the week ($16.35). Even though we sometimes think food prices are expensive it does not cost a lot to eat well, especially when you cook as much as possible from scratch.

I have done a menu plan for the week:

Sat - Chickpea loaf (from the freezer)with onion gravy and baby potatoes, carrots, zucchini

Sun - Celery soup with fresh baked bread

Mon - Beetroot and bacon risotto

Tues - Spaghetti bolognaise and side salad

Wed - Bean nachos

Thur - Chicken burritos and salad

Fri - Stir-fry beef and asparagus with ginger, soy & chili sauce

Now I'm off to do some washing (just as well the line is undercover as it is raining here today) and tidy some more of the study.

Thanks to those who have left comments/are following this blog. I will endeavour to keep it valid and interesting.