Can you Believe it?

Guess what? I haven't spent any money today. Not even for a loaf of bread. AND neither Dave or I have bought a coffee since Saturday and that is really good for us, Dave thinks the coffee shop will show a decided slump in profits! We have 6 days until payday, I wonder if we will have any leftover???

I am already mulling over my gift list! The hardest person to make for is my Dad and he is up next since I already have give Mae's present to Fiona for her. I just dont know what to do for him. Maybe a Scarf for winter gardenng? And a gift card for Mitre 10? Hmmm. Don't know. I think I will have to be doing more searching.

Finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver today. I love this book. In fact I always look for it in the second hand shop - one day I will get lucky! It's all about a familys committment to eating locally for a year. A lot they grew themselves. It is really interesting, funny and thoughtfully written.

Presents!

We got some lovely gifts this year. I have taken a few pictures of some of them. We had a really nice day, with Wes waking everyone at 6am and then a yummy breaky. Then off to church to sing carols and home again to open more presents!

We had a roast for lunch with chocolate tart for dessert. Though we did have dessert two hours later as we were busting out of our sides! Kim came over and we watched Marmaduke aand had cold meat and a potato bake for dinner and pav for dessert. I was in bed before 10.30.

Here is my "throne". The crochet blanket on the chair is my present from Bronwyn.

We got these from Meg and Tim as well as another set of canninsters that are now residing in the pantry.

Just a few chocolates........Dave's heaven

Wes staged this picture, we had a game of Scrabble this morning and he is hitting the shops tomorrow!

Wes smiling this morning in his Unit shirt and fluffy hair from washing but not combing it. Both kids went to bed completely buggered last night.

How gorgeous is my necklace, bangle and earring set? I love the colour of them. In the purple bag is a necklace from Julie and the perfume was a present from Dave and the kids.

Amelia's Barbie camper. Hope Barbie's okay there...

I got 3 cookbooks from Kate, Dave and Kim. Dave got me the dressmaking scissors and the pinking shears.

Mum did a fantastic job with Amelia's quilt. It is awesome!

Dave living with the torment of assembling the dollhouse. Yes, there has been some "frustration talk".

Happy Thursday!

With tomorrow being my birthday - 36!! I got a couple of early pressies as I wont be at work tomorrow. Work got me chocolates and flowers, can you see the Green protean-like flowers? Any ideas on what they are as they look really great.
Tash got me this book (which I had been eyeing off at Big W) and a bag of snack Bounty chocs! Kim from work got me a voucher and Bronwyn made me a handmade wall hanging applique - it is great and I already have it hanging up, I will take a pic of it soon.Lastly here is a photo of my Brussel sprouts - they are growing so well in the new garden - what a difference sunshine makes! Have a great weekend!

Apples and Almonds

We went up to the Tree Tenders nursery yesterday and they had some bare rooted fruit trees. I have had it in my mind to get some trees and voila! there they were. We have got them to put aside a grafted apple tree - it has pink lady and jonathan, so we dont need to have two as it will self pollinate. We are also getting an almond tree that self pollinates too. Shirley, the nursery lady, was telling us that she believes people have lost their connection with food and with the land in general. She says gardening promotes our natural instincts. Put like she did you just have to agree!

What she said was timely too as on Friday at work, when I wasnt serving the great people of Inverell, the girls and I were discussing how these days a lot of people just put dinner together and dont actully do much cooking at all.

Went to the library yesterday and got -

1. Grass Roots magazine
2. Gardening Australia x 2
3. Home fruit growing guide
4. The Backyard Homestead
5. Nourishing Traditions

Lots more reading! Have nearly finished Mums birthday present and halfway through Kates. Just got to keep at it.

Other News

I went to the markets today and picked a bit of fruit and veg. The first Sunday markets are the little ones so I will have to top up at the green grocers but its always nice to see the people who have grown your food.

Yesterday I went to the library (arent I frugal?) and got some books (surprise!) This is what I checked out:

1. The New Hard Times Handbook
2. Ready, Steady, Lunchbox
3. Australian Gardens for a Changing Climate
4. Crochet Inspiration
5. 100 Mile Diet
6. Aug/Sept 2009 Grass Roots

Hopefully they will all give me a bit of information on something I need to know!

Today I planted radish, carrots, long beetroots and a blue flower mix. I also transplanted some more lettuce seedling. I am hoping they will be more successfull now I have taken Dad's advice and put some plastic down to protect them from frost.