It's been a busy week here the highlight of which was a face-to-face talk this morning with Grandma Donna on Zoom. It makes such a difference when you can see the person you're talking to online. We have a lot in common and with only a year's difference in age, our experiences are very similar. Of course, we've know each other online for a few years but the talk we had today showed us both that we should take the time for regular chats in the future. We'll meet up again soon because we've only just scratched the surface with this first meeting and we've both got a lot of questions.
Gracie had her birthday on Tuesday, she was five years old.
Earlier in the week Hanno and I finished making a new bromeliad garden just off the front verandah. It looks good and will improve even more when the plants fill out a bit. We used the bromeliads we already had here and which have been multiplying for a few years in pots. Hanno used old recycled logs to create the garden borders and the only cost was the purchase of some pine bark chips we'll use as mulch. All up, the garden cost us $24.
I finished the Kurringai Council, Willoughby Council and North Sydney Council workshops on Wednesday with a talk about budgeting and debt reduction. It's heartening knowing some Councils are getting this type of information out to their residents.
I still haven't taken photos of the back garden, I promise I'll have them for you next week.
Our food in the past week included lamb chops, guacamole, vegetable frittata, savoury mince (a la 1952), salmon fillets and potato salad. I made a blood orange butter cake too that stayed fresh for days which we had for dessert and morning teas Next week will be all gardening for me with no appointments or commitments, and as I'll be as free as a bird, I'll take a few food (and garden) photos for you.
The Delta variant of Covid is claiming more lives here in Australia, mainly in NSW. We're out of lockdown in Queensland now but NSW and Melbourne are still restricted. If you're currently in isolation or lockdown, thank you for doing what we all need you to do. It's only by following the government guidelines and doing what we know is right that we'll survive this lethal virus. Take care and stay safe every time you go out. Thanks for visiting me here today. xx
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WEEKEND READING
- The house that can withstand a cyclone: how traditional dwellings are making a comeback in Vanuatu
- ‘If you talk, you live well’: the remote Sardinian village with eight centenarians
- Pompeii’s fast food joint unearthed in 2019 opens to public
- Why this week's IPCC report is such a hot topic
- Cloth masks or surgical masks? Either way, you'll be wearing one for 'years to come'
- Bubble Bread
- Great North Road: cycling the old route from London to Edinburgh
- Raid the pantry: why now is the perfect time to reassess your store cupboard
- A new start after 60: ‘I handed in my notice – and opened my dream bookshop’
- A Guide to Developing a Deep Reading Habit
- Tropical edible garden in Tennessee
- Constance Spry and the Fashion for Flowers review – everyday beauty in full bloom
- Pores for thought: how sweat reveals our every secret, from what we’ve eaten to whether we’re on drugs
- Different Cultures Define Happiness Differently
