This is a Hepburn Voice, a gift for my birthday last month. It's a voice activated speaker that works as a radio, it plays the music I have on my phone (and other online music) and it also allows me to listen to Ted Talks, radio stations from all over the world, audiobooks and podcasts. I can even ask it what's the time in NYC or the weather in Lativa or answer my phone while I continue to cook in the kitchen. 😮 Modern technology, most of it doesn't relate to how I live but this, THIS is wonderful. And I love that it's high tech and yet looks like a meek and mild vintage radio.
Our passionfruit have been producing for the past couple of months and this week, Hanno harvested the last of them and pruned the vines right back. The trellis has to be repaired in places so now is the idea time for both the pruning and the repair work. The cordial is a light syrup with all the passionfruit that needed to be used straight away. I strained the seeds off when I bottled it.
Today will be the first of many days when I have no appointments, meetings or work of any kind so I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the garden. I've got about three times as many seedlings as I need, a few plants in pots, and packets of seeds that I plan to broadcast over the soil. I'm planting my potatoes in bags and pots today too. The weather is beautiful, the birds, bees and insects are flying in and out and for me, this is a perfect day's work. I have a feeling that many of your will feel the same about your gardens.
I hope you're safe and well and feeling more optimistic about the future with the increasing vaccination rates. Hanno and I had our first vaccination last Saturday and will have the second jab in late July. We had feeling of tiredness and Hanno had sore muscles but the only other effect is the feeling that we're safer this week than last week. If you haven't been vaccinated, I hope you can get it done soon. Have a lovely weekend. xx
WEEKEND READING
- You Sewed Your Own Masks. Here's How To Make Clothes - this is a radio broadcast that you can listen to online
- Carrying On A Family Recipe, In Your Own Way - another online radio broadcast
- My Favorite Season｜Morning Routine｜Morning Cleaning - a calm and simple vlog to help you prepare for the day
- Pom Pom - knitting podcast
- Who is Marly Bird - knitting and crochet vlogs
We had our second shot today. So far so good.I haven't even had a sore arm but we'll see how tomorrow goes.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you wait until late July for the secong shot? It's so far away? Our shots were three weeks apart.
Hi Jenny, we had the Astra Zeneca vaccine and their research indicated a period of a few months between jabs gave better protection. Each vaccine is different. You've probably had the pfizer vaccine which provides faster immunity. I wish we had that here.
DeleteI always really enjoy your weekend reading posts Rhonda & go to lots of the links. Thank You for all that you share with us out here in blogland. I always feel really pleased when I see a post from you on my blog roll. That speaker looks just gorgeous & you are right - it looks just like a vintage radio!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie, I'm glad you enjoy the blog. xx
DeleteRhonda, have you finally retired? 😉 I think I have heard that before 🤔 I love the colours of your radio. I have never heard of them before. Enjoy the sunshine in the garden and Mother's Day on Sunday. Give Gracie a hug for me.
ReplyDeleteWell Chel, I haven't quite retired but I'm closer to it. I'm not doing anymore paid writing and no more live talks but I'll be doing more Zoom workshops during this year. Who knows where that will lead. 🙄
DeleteGracie's not happy, she has an ear infection and she hates the ear drops. I hope you have a lovely Sunday as well. xx
Your 'vintage radio' speaker is beautiful and so much nicer to look at than my Alexa, although she does all the same things so I will forgive her being the little black blob that she is.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that your final live talk was a local one with people you know in the audience. They look a great bunch of folk.
Have a good weekend. xx
I was really quite surprised Rhonda about your new "radio". It is lovely but SO modern! Loved the articles regarding sewing: I dabble in it and want to get more serious this year. It seems I find more excuses not to sew than to get into it; hence several unfinished projects around. Good on you for your inoculations: I have had both of mine and I too experienced a bit of fatigue the next day; after that back to business! Have a great week both of you.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the success of your last talk, Rhonda. And I like your new "radio"... so pretty. The concept & function sounds much like an Amazon Echo but much sweeter-looking. :-) Enjoy your weekend. ~Andrea xoxo
ReplyDeleteI love your radio Rhonda. I was given a Hepburn radio by my lovely daughter-in-law this year for my birthday as I had wanted a modern radio that looked vintage for ages. It is a fantastic digital radio which also has Bluetooth at the back so I can listen to anything I like. Mine is a canary yellow. I would post a photo of it, but I cannot work out how to on the replies here. Have a lovely weekend doing your planting. That Airtasker gardener did a great job in preparing your beds. I was most impressed.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Rhonda on a job so well done and lovely that your last 'in person' talk was so local and familiar. I am tucking my potager garden in for winter as it's getting colder down here but I have paperwhite jonquils flowering in the front garden which is a bit early!! We had the normal flu injection a week ago and have to wait 2 weeks then for the Covid one but there doesn't seem to be any problems with accessing it. Have a great week 🙃
ReplyDeleteHello Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to see you are still blogging. I took a hiatus for about a year, then I really felt something was missing in my life, and I am sure it is blogging!, so I am back blogging again. So awesome that the first post I find on your blog is weekend reading. :) That used to be my favourite! I am off now to peruse your suggestions. We are just getting into veggie gardening again up in far north queensland, and enjoying slightly cooler weather.
That is such a gorgeous radio, Rhonda. I love it! What a thoughtful birthday gift. You look so pretty in that photograph with the permaculture group. Like you, I have been out in the garden, planting. I just put in rhubarb, dahlias, and poppies. I spread some seeds for other flowers, as well. I was pleased to find red wigglers in the compost I had made, and healthy earthworms in the soil. They love the straw mulch!
ReplyDeleteI loved that article about eating the same thing. Thanks for sharing. Congrats on your fabulous finish in your live lecturing. I am sure it was a memorable occasion for so many. Enjoy your gardening!
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