Weekend Reading

A few years ago, the week we've just had here would seem like a very easy week. However, now things take more time so I feel it's been a busy week. Today we're looking after Jamie, always a pleasure, so we'll probably make ginger syrup, talk about his birthday and birthday party, the final week of school and what he's got planned for the holidays. Then when he goes home today, the gate will be shut and over the coming days, Hanno and I will mix gardening with relaxing.  Oh yes!

Close to the front door, this is one of our book cases which holds cook books, my books, magazines and a few odds and ends.

We started weeding and reorganising our cottage garden during the week. It's a real mess with invasive weeds taking over parts of it and plants that are dying back.  It needs a total overhaul as well as working out where the empty spaces will be and weeding, fertilising and covering those spaces with compost and mulch, ready for planting next month.  My sister, Tricia, is visiting soon and she's bringing cottage plants from her garden, such as penstemon and Japanese anemones, and I have a climbing rose coming from Treleor Roses in mid-June.  Rebuilding the garden will be a staged exercise but that is true of most simple productions - instant anything is rare. I'm really looking forward to the rebuilding process - out in the cool, fresh air every day, gardening, watching the birds, insects and reptiles, and trying to work out new ways of adding interest to the backyard while keeping opportunities for foraging and safety for the abundant wildlife that share this space with us.

I made coleslaw as one of our side dishes last week. This was the start of it - the cabbage is under the vegetables on top. 

Our capital city, Brisbane, which is an hour's drive from our home, went into lockdown during the week when community acquired Covid was found in a handful of people. In the last 24 hours there have 9 cases acquired overseas and one local. Most of our cases are Australian citizens returning from overseas but this goes to show that local spread is still a possibility and we must be careful.

Hanno on his trusty lawnmower.

I hope you're healthy and remain safe, wherever you are. I'm very worried about readers living in areas with high mortality rates. Please stay at home if you can and if you have to go out, wear a mask, take hand sanitiser with you and avoid standing too close to others.

Nodding violets growing on the front verandah.

Thank you for visiting me today. It's Good Friday here and we have holidays until everyone returns to work next Tuesday. I hope you enjoy Easter and spend it with the people you love. xx

🐰 🐣 🐰

• Recycling tips in daily life - Harugreen is one of my favourites on YouTube 

• Fried shrimp with ketchup sauce, kiwi syrup, cabbage & carrot pickles, my other favourite, Ivy Kitchen

• The last farm in Britain to be worked by horses

• Snuggy shawl pattern

• Amazing Japanese handmade school lunches!

• How I learned to bake bread - includes recipes for soda bread, pumpkin scones and griddle cakes

• Hand sewing kit bag 

• Gem hunters flock to tiny Queensland town after severe flood brings sapphires to the surface

• Make dandelion lotion bars with me

• The 20 best cheese recipes (according to the journalist who wrote the article)

• How to make quick pickled vegetables

• 5 foods you should never feed to dogs

• How to disinfect your phone and electronics from viruses and germs

• Liquid handsoap recipe