It's like heaven

I wish you could see my home. It's like heaven here now.  After the cyclone, we had a couple of days of high humidity and rain and now, well now, my friends, it is a paradise.  I was sitting outside with Hanno earlier, it was coolish at around 20C degrees, a slight breeze was rustling autumn leaves and new green shoots are coming up everywhere. We had morning tea there later and I could not imagine being anywhere else or wanting to move an inch. There is so much to love in Autumn.

Hanno had a tooth out during the week so we're on soft food for the next month while the hole heals over.  He's on Warfarin so we have to be very careful. I've been making quick soups all week - one pot fed us for two days and I made three different soups. Sweet potato and pumpkin, mushroom and leek and finally herby tomato. There were no cans and no preservatives, just real food cooked as we like it. Today we're progressing onto "soft food". The soft food special will be savoury mince with vegetables. I'm cooking cabbage, onion, capsicum, carrots and celery but it will all be run through the food processor for ten seconds and then cooked with the meat.  It sounds pretty grim but I'm sure it will taste good.

On Saturday we celebrated Jamie's sixth birthday at an activity centre over on the coast. Along with Kerry, Sunny and Jamie there were Sarndra, Alex, Eve, Hanno and I, and about 12 of Jamie's friends. The kids played dodge ball and jumped on the ground-level trampolines to build up their appetites and then had pizza, slushies, drinks, Minecraft cake and lollies. I was going to show you the Minecraft cake but I forgot to take a photo when I finished it and all the photos I took at the party had children I don't know in them, and I don't want to show them here without their parents' permission. The cake was chocolate with bright green (ack!) cream cheese frosting and chocolate icing. It was cut into large squares with two levels and steps leading up to the levels.  Minecraft figures stood on the top level with a wolf on the steps. It wasn't my best work but I think the kids enjoyed it.

My sister Tricia is coming up for a visit at the end of the month. We haven't seen her for a year so we're looking forward to the visit. While she's here I plan on having a big family BBQ and will try to get the whole family here together. That can be quite a feat of organising - four families in one place for a meal, it doesn't sound difficult but it's a challenge.

Yes, I know I'm spoiling her :- ).  I made an extra bed for Gracie in my work room.  She sleeps in there until I go to bed and then wanders out and spends the rest of the night in her bed in the lounge room. 

We finally got our invisible dog fence up and connected and will start Gracie's training tomorrow. I hope we can get her to the point of not needing the collar but we'll have to play it by ear and see how she goes. She's a very intelligent dog so I have my fingers crossed the training will go well.

It looks like a week at home here again. They're my favourite weeks, with nothing to do but potter around our home, doing this and that. We did a big shop last week so I hope to make do with what's here and not go out the gate at all. During the week we'll continue with Gracie's training, I'll be working in the garden and I'm going to start work on a baby doll in a sleeping basket. Eve will be two soon and she likes bags and baskets. I think a baby doll wrapped up in a fluffy knitted blanket and quilt, sleeping in a basket she can carry around, might hit the spot with her.  What are your plans for the week?