Productivity Plus

It was a bitterly cold day (for Brisbane) when standing in the wind at soccer - but once I was out of the wind and in the sun back at home, it was just perfect for gardening.
Which was a good thing because I really needed to get some planting done.
The strawberry hanging garden & strawberries arrived in the post a couple of days ago.  They recommend planting straight away, but I had to get some potting mix first.  So, as per the instructions, the strawberries were watered and put in the fridge.  Today I planted them & hung the garden up.  This is what it looks like.

It contains ten Cambridge Rival strawberry plants and one Temptation in the top, which has been slightly neglected so may not survive.

I also got busy and planted all the rest of the fruit trees - six plants.

News from the Farm

Just thought I'd give you a quick update - no pictures though - sorry!

The chickens, Blacky & Elsa, and Fasty the guinea fowl, are looking really healthy now.  I really think the Organic Yoghurt has done the trick.  I'm continuing this, but 2nd daily now, to maintain their weight gain.  I'll probably reduce to twice a week sometime next month - just for maintenance.

I've planted some of the fruit trees - the Lemon, Orange & Mandarin along the side fence in the front yard, and the raspberry & blackberry in pots behind the safety fence - which will become their trellis.  I think I'll probably put the Tahitian Lime in a pot as well.

I need to move my greenhouse to somewhere with a little more sun - the seedlings are struggling.  I thought they would have been ready for transplanting by now.

Had a nice long weekend.  Spent Saturday at the Textile Art Festival at the Convention Centre.  Sunday we had a lazy day inside (it was cold and grey) and I actually read 2 books.  And a third on Monday night!  The kids were brilliant!
Monday was GOMA and then over to a friend's house for the kids to get together - and me to borrow her dress form for photos of the vintage clothing I hope to put up on Etsy soon.  This made me feel as if I achieved something over the weekend!  Assuaging the guilt of just being.

I'll let you know when I get myself organised re the Etsy stuff.

Ravs

Bye Bye Octopi

On Friday a good friend, who also happens to be a talented artist and J4's kindy teacher (and previously L6's) had her last day of work - she's off to enter the land of parenthood herself.
The kindy had a lovely morning tea send-off for her, with pink balloons, all the kids together (of course, the only way all the staff could be there too), and a few parents, like myself, who could make it.
As she is such a special person I had wanted to make something special for her, and as her favourite animal is the Octopus, and her class are also called the Octopuses (all the rooms are named after sea creatures), I decided an Octopus for the baby would be appropriate.



Made with fabrics from my stash.  All the body fabrics have fish on them.