tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244815379125486822024-03-13T10:53:56.973+10:30Simple Everyday LivingJanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.comBlogger173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-62763777379486321722024-03-11T19:59:00.000+10:302024-03-11T19:59:33.920+10:30Sowing for the Autumn/Winter Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7kDjfrTTEhWdllI6R1mL6gl-A0mdsDPLKVG0s27j6YfCTvRDtkAv6NlHdJnnhqIcl8u7bDZolXs4xgqObCY1ZUR4AuTv2xxwNwghdxcrqp17lVhA_1AoHkH-lqPnvAKg-IqNJTnXb75a4oX7ezZFsrkz8TRRt2Jc97ezaa_JA-_BWZFkFcJR66qNwruq/s4021/20240305_160035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2122" data-original-width="4021" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7kDjfrTTEhWdllI6R1mL6gl-A0mdsDPLKVG0s27j6YfCTvRDtkAv6NlHdJnnhqIcl8u7bDZolXs4xgqObCY1ZUR4AuTv2xxwNwghdxcrqp17lVhA_1AoHkH-lqPnvAKg-IqNJTnXb75a4oX7ezZFsrkz8TRRt2Jc97ezaa_JA-_BWZFkFcJR66qNwruq/w640-h338/20240305_160035.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's not a very exciting photo I know, but I wanted to post, so I have a record of when I sowed and what I sowed. </span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These are all the seeds that can't be direct sown, and were sown on March 5th. The seeds that can be direct sown won’t go in until we get some cooler weather, which at the moment feels like it is never going to happen. We have had a reasonably cool summer this year, but just as the temperatures should have started to drop, it rose instead and we are now on day seven where the temperature has been above 35°C. Today’s high was 41°C, (105.8°F) as was yesterday, and the day before. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here is a list of the seeds I have sown so far.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;">Brassicas </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;">Brussel Sprouts - Long Island</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;">Broccoli Green Dragon and Di Ciccio</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;">Cauliflower - Macerati Green, Purple Sicily and Rober</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;">Pak Choi - Shuko</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;">Lettuce - Green Mignonette, Freckles, and Butternut</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;">Spinach - Red Kitten</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;">Here is how they are doing after six days.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuYryM7Ig-y_3aboRCiaqx6dF0eDJtmYa90I4cE8aX034s6QgcWajbMSstQoDM893iQZUo5uSudEzjPX2BDVrT9U4aeQq3ER6072pa5Iza-iPpMLZMKkaGhB_WFwaQwgwFhEhEnS8CBCMkoGOWMfSgDLwYdXxY4TbAd783h8numGXal5qG_L01SOl2t5N/s3820/20240311_181711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3820" data-original-width="2579" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuYryM7Ig-y_3aboRCiaqx6dF0eDJtmYa90I4cE8aX034s6QgcWajbMSstQoDM893iQZUo5uSudEzjPX2BDVrT9U4aeQq3ER6072pa5Iza-iPpMLZMKkaGhB_WFwaQwgwFhEhEnS8CBCMkoGOWMfSgDLwYdXxY4TbAd783h8numGXal5qG_L01SOl2t5N/w432-h640/20240311_181711.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">As soon as the weather starts to cool down I will be sowing all of the carrot, turnip, parsnip, wombok cabbage, and pea seeds.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">There is still a week of warm to hot days ahead so while I wait for the weather to change I will order some compost to top up the vegetable beds, and dream of the harvest to come.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Until next time, </span><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">stay safe and be kind to each other.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-69095267415828602522024-01-12T22:08:00.001+10:302024-01-12T22:08:21.911+10:30Books Read in 2023<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hello everyone. Happy new year. I only read nineteen books this year. That’s one book every 2.8 weeks, which for me is quite a poor effort. Actually, make that eighteen. I didn’t have time to finish A Mind for Murder by P. D. James before it was due back at the library. </span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">1. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry</span></p><p><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: verdana;"><i>Moving between Essex and London, myth and modernity, Cora Seaborne's spirited search for the Essex Serpent encourages all around her to test their allegiance to faith or reason in an age of rapid scientific advancement. At the same time, the novel explores the boundaries of love and friendship and the allegiances that we have to one another. The depth of feeling that the inhabitants of Aldwinter share are matched by their city counterparts as they strive to find the courage to express and understand their deepest desires, and strongest fears.</i></span></p><p><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">2. The Apothecary Rose by Candace Robb</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Once the king's captain of archers, now he must penetrate a poisoner's secrets...</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Christmastide, 1363-and, at an abbey in York, two pilgrims die mysteriously dead of an herbal remedy. Suspicious, the Archbishop sends for Owen Archer, a Welshman with the charm of the devil, who's lost one eye to the wars in France and must make a new career as an honest spy.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Masquerading as an apprentice to Apothecary Nicholas Wilton, whose shop dispensed the fatal potion, Owen's dark curls, leather eyepatch and gold earring intrigue Wilton's wife. But is this lovely woman a murderess? and what links the Wiltons to bumbling Brother Wulfstan, ascetic Archdeacon Anselm and his weaselly agent Potter Digby, and the ragged midwife Magda the Riverwoman? Answers as slippery as the frozen cobblestones draw Owen into a dangerous drama of old scandals and tragedies, obsession and unholy love...</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">The Apothecary Rose marks the arrival of a bold and quick-witted detective in this expertly detailed, engrossing tale of medieval life-and death.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Once the king's captain of archers, now he must penetrate a poisoner's secrets...</span></i></span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">3. <span>Murder Has a Motive</span> by Francis Duncan (Mordecai Tremaine #2)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">When Mordecai Tremaine emerges from the train station, murder is the last thing on his mind. But then again, he has never been able to resist anything in the nature of a mystery – and a mystery is precisely what awaits him in the village of Dalmering.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Rehearsals for the local amateur dramatic production are in full swing – but as Mordecai discovers all too soon, the real tragedy is unfolding offstage. The star of the show has been found dead, and the spotlight is soon on Mordecai, whose reputation in the field of crime-solving precedes him.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">With a murderer waiting in the wings, it’s up to Mordecai to derail the killer’s performance…before it’s curtains for another victim.</span></i></span></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">4. </span><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span>Cover Her Face</span></span><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"> by P. D. James</span></span></p><p><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: verdana;"><i>Headstrong and beautiful, the young housemaid Sally Jupp is put rudely in her place, strangled in her bed behind a bolted door. Coolly brilliant policeman Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard must find her killer among a houseful of suspects, most of whom had very good reason to wish her ill.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Cover Her Face</span> is P. D. James's electric debut novel, an ingeniously plotted mystery that immediately placed her among the masters of suspense.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;"><span>5. </span><span>Payment in Blood</span><span> by Elizabeth George (Inspector Lynley #2)</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>The career of playwright Joy Sinclair comes to an abrupt end on an isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands when someone drives an eighteen-inch dirk through her neck. Called upon to investigate the case in a country where they have virtually no authority, aristocratic Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, grapple for both a motive and a murderer. Emotions run deep in this highly charged drama, for the list of suspects soon includes Britain's foremost actress, its most successful theatrical producer, and the woman Lynley loves. He and Havers must tread carefully through the complicated terrain of human relationships, while they work to solve a case rooted in the darkest corners of the past and the unexplored regions of the human heart.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;"><span>6. </span><span>A Better Man</span><span> by Louise Penny (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #15)</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>It's Gamache's first day back as head of the homicide department, a job he temporarily shares with his previous second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Floodwaters are rising across the province. In the middle of the turmoil, a father approaches Gamache, pleading for help in finding his daughter.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />As crisis piles upon crisis, Gamache tries to hold off the encroaching chaos, and realizes the search for Vivienne Godin should be abandoned. But with a daughter of his own, he finds himself developing a profound, and perhaps unwise, empathy for her distraught father.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />Increasingly hounded by the question, <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">how would you feel</span>..., he resumes the search.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />As the rivers rise, and the social media onslaught against Gamache becomes crueller, a body is discovered. And in the tumult, mistakes are made.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;"><span>7. </span><span>Mystery in the Village</span><span> by Rebecca Shaw (Turnham Malpas #19)</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Peter and Caroline Harris live a comfortable life at the rectory, but their cosy world is shaken up when Caroline's old flame Morgan Jefferson appears. He's intent on convincing her to pursue a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - in America. What's more, it looks like Caroline's career isn't the only thing Morgan is interested in.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />Newlyweds Chris and Deborah Templeton seem to be the perfect union. The old, unpredictable Chris has been replaced by a kinder and gentler man, yet he's still plagued by doubt. Where does Deborah disappear to for days on end? Why won't she tell her husband?<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />After the tragic death of his young grandson, Ron Bissett is further devastated when he loses his wife. Sheila Bissett has taken her own life, and no one can fathom why. But when an unexpected letter is received, it soon becomes clear that Sheila was hiding far darker secrets than anyone ever knew.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">8.<span> Bone Garden</span><span> by Kate Ellis (Wesley Peterson #5)</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>An excavation at the lost gardens of Earlsacre Hall is called to a halt when a skeleton is discovered under a three-hundred-year-old stone plinth, a corpse that seems to have been buried alive. But Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson has little time to indulge in his hobby of archaeology. He has a more recent murder case to solve. A man has been found stabbed to death in a caravan at a popular holiday park and the only clue to his identity is a newspaper clipping about the restoration of Earlsacre.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />Does local solicitor Brian Willerby have the answer? He seems eager to talk to Wesley, but before he can reveal his secret he is found dead during a “friendly” game of village cricket, apparently struck by a cricket ball several times with some force. What is it about Earlsacre Hall that leads people to murder?</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">9. Lavender Blue Murder by Laura Childs</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier Drayton Conneley are guests at a bird hunt styled in the precise manner of an English shooting party. Which means elevenses (sloe gin fizzes), gun loaders, the drawing of pegs, fine looking bird dogs, and shooting costumes of tweed, herringbone, and suede.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">But as gunshots explode like a riff of Black Cat firecrackers, another shot sounds too close for comfort to Theodosia and Drayton. Intrigued but worried, Theodosia wanders into the neighbour's lavender field where she discovers their host, Reginald Doyle, bleeding to death.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">His wife, Meredith, is beside herself with grief and begs Theodosia and Drayton to stay the night. But Theodosia awakens at 2:00A.M. to find smoke in her room and the house on fire. As the fire department screams in and the investigating sheriff returns, Meredith again pleads with Theodosia for help.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /></i></span><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>As Theodosia investigates, fingers are pointed, secrets are uncovered, Reginald's daughter-in-law goes missing presumed drowned, and Meredith is determined to find answers via a séance. All the while Theodosia worries if she's made a mistake in inviting a prime suspect to her upscale Lavender Lady Tea.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">10. Dewey Decimated by Allison Brook (The Haunted Library Mysteries #6)</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Carrie Singleton is just off a hot string of murder cases centred around the spooky local library in Clover Ridge, Connecticut. She could really use a break—but no such luck, as she; Smokey Joe, the resident cat; and Evelyn, the library’s ghost, are drawn into another tantalizing whodunit.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />First, a dead body is found in the basement of the building attached to the library, and it turns out to be Carrie’s fiancé’s Uncle Alec, who Dylan hasn’t seen in years. But Alec has no intention of truly checking out, and his ghost makes itself at home in the library, greatly upsetting the patrons. Carrie and Evelyn work hard to keep Alec out of sight, but what was he doing in Clover Ridge to begin with? And why was he killed?<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />Meanwhile, the town council, of which Carrie is also a member, is embroiled in a hot-headed debate over the fate of the Seabrook Preserve, a lovely and valuable piece of property that runs along Long Island Sound. Turn it into an upscale park? Sell it to a condo developer? Or keep it as protected land?<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />As the dispute rages, there’s another murder, this time involving a council member. Could the two murders be connected? And could Carrie be next on the hit list?</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">11. The Peppermint Tea Chronicles by Alexander McCall Smith (44 Scotland Street #13)</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose; it is summer in Scotland Street (as it always is) and for the habitués of Edinburgh's favourite street some extraordinary adventures lie in waiting.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />For the impossibly vain Bruce Anderson - he of the clove-scented hair gel - it may finally be time to settle down, and surely it can only be a question of picking the lucky winner from the hordes of his admirers. The Duke of Johannesburg is keen to take his flight of fancy, a microlite seaplane, from the drawing board to the skies. Big Lou is delighted to discover that her young foster son has a surprising gift for dance but she is faced with big decisions to make on his and her futures. And with Irene now away to pursue her research in Aberdeen, her husband, Stuart, and infinitely long-suffering son, Bertie, are free to play. Stuart rekindles an old friendship over peppermint tea whilst Bertie and his friend Ranald Braveheart Macpherson get more they bargained for from their trip to the circus. And that s just the start.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />Take a few minutes to relax with a cup of tea of your favourite tea and savour the affairs of the world in microcosm, teeming with life's loves and challenges. Little dramas writ large by the master chronicler of modern life and manners.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">12. A Conspiracy of Friends by Alexander McCall Smith (Corduroy Mansions #3)</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>The universe seems to be conspiring against Freddie de la Hay and his neighbours at Corduroy Mansions, as they all struggle with their nearest and dearest in this captivating third instalment of Alexander McCall Smith’s London series.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />Berthea Snark is still at work on a scathing biography of her son, Oedipus, the only loathsome Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament; literary agents Rupert Porter and Barbara Ragg are in a showdown for first crack at the Autobiography of a Yeti manuscript; fine arts graduate Caroline Jarvis is exploring the blurry line between friendship and romance; and William French is worrying that his son, Eddie, will never leave home, even with Eddie’s new, wealthy girlfriend in the picture. But foremost in everyone’s mind is William’s faithful dog, Freddie de la Hay, who has disappeared while on a mystery tour of the Suffolk countryside. Will Freddie find his way home, or will Corduroy Mansions be left without its beloved mascot?</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">13. The Quite Side of Passion by Alexander McCall Smith (Isabel Dalhousie #12)</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Isabel finds herself befriended by Patricia, a single mother whose son, Basil, goes to school with Isabel's son. Isabel discovers that Basil is the product of an affair Patricia had with a well-known Edinburgh organist, also named Basil, who was, rumour has it, initially reluctant to contribute financially to the child's upkeep. Though Isabel doesn't really like Patricia, she tries to be civil and supportive, but when she sees Patricia in the company of an unscrupulous man who may be a wanted criminal, her suspicions are aroused and she begins to investigate the paternity of Basil Jr.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />When Isabel takes her suspicions to Basil Sr., she finds that, although he is paying child support and wishes he could have more of a relationship with Basil Jr., Patricia has no interest in Basil Sr. taking a more hands-on role in Basil Jr.'s parenting, even as she continues to accept his financial support. Should Isabel help someone who doesn't want to be helped?<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />As Isabel navigates this ethically-complex situation, she is also dealing with her niece, Cat, who has taken up with a brawny and opinionated tattoo shop clerk? Isabel considers herself open-minded, but has Cat pushed it too far this time? As ever, Isabel must use her kindness and keen intelligence to determine the right course of action.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />In this twelfth full-length instalment of Isabel's story, McCall Smith gives his readers what we want--time inside the mind of one of fiction's most richly developed women detectives, a visit to Edinburgh, and a twisting and tangled mystery about what responsibility humans owe to each other.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">14. The Reading List by Sarah Nisha Adams</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in the London Borough of Ealing after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">To Kill a Mockingbird. </span>It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she’s facing at home.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list… hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again. </i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">15. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs #1)</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Maisie Dobbs, Psychologist and Investigator, began her working life at the age of thirteen as a servant in a Belgravia mansion, only to be discovered reading in the library by her employer, Lady Rowan Compton. Fearing dismissal, Maisie is shocked when she discovers that her thirst for education is to be supported by Lady Rowan and a family friend, Doctor Maurice Blanche. But The Great War intervenes in Maisie’s plans, and soon after commencement of her studies at Girton College, Cambridge, Maisie enlists for nursing service overseas.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />Years later, in 1929, having apprenticed to the renowned Maurice Blanche, a man revered for his work with Scotland Yard, Maisie sets up her own business. Her first assignment, a seemingly tedious inquiry involving a case of suspected infidelity, takes her not only on the trail of a killer, but back to the war she had tried so hard to forget.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">16. The Second Sleep by Robert Harris</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>All civilisations think they are invulnerable. History warns us none is.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />1468. A young priest, Christopher Fairfax, arrives in a remote Exmoor village to conduct the funeral of his predecessor. The land around is strewn with ancient artefacts – coins, fragments of glass, human bones – which the old parson used to collect. Did his obsession with the past lead to his death?<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />As Fairfax is drawn more deeply into the isolated community, everything he believes – about himself, his faith and the history of his world – is tested to destruction.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">17. The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham (Albert Campion #1)</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>A house party is under way at the remote mansion of Black Dudley, and among the guests are some very shady characters. As they playfully recreate the ritual of the Black Dudley Dagger, someone dies. Pathologist George Abbershaw suspects foul play, and when a vital item is mislaid, a gang of crooks hold the guests hostage. Will they escape the house – what did happen to the Colonel – and just who is the mysterious Mr Campion? Neither the story nor Albert Campion is quite as vapid and slow as you might expect.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: verdana;">18. So Pretty a Problem by Francis Duncan (Mordecai Tremaine #5)</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Adrian Carthallow, <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">enfant terrible</span> of the art world, is no stranger to controversy. But this time it’s not his paintings that have provoked a blaze of publicity – it’s the fact that his career has been suddenly terminated by a bullet to the head. Not only that, but his wife has confessed to firing the fatal shot.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />Inspector Penross of the town constabulary is, however, less than convinced by Helen Carthallow’s story – but has no other explanation for the incident that occurred when the couple were alone in their clifftop house.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />Luckily for the Inspector, amateur criminologist Mordecai Tremaine has an uncanny habit of being in the near neighbourhood whenever sudden death makes its appearance. Investigating the killing, Tremaine is quick to realise that however handsome a couple the Carthallows were, and however extravagant a life they led, beneath the surface there’s a pretty devil’s brew.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I didn't have an absolute favourite book this year, though I did really enjoy The Reading List. The Second Sleep was an interesting read, but the ending really let the book down. I also enjoyed The Essex Serpent, and I'm looking forward to finishing A Mind for Murder in the near future. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a lovely start to the year. I wish you all peace and happiness in the coming year.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;">Until next time, stay safe and be kind to each other, Janette.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-8500623702776253962022-01-16T17:56:00.015+10:302022-01-16T19:55:21.261+10:30Starting The Year Off Right<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">I have set quite a few goals for myself for this year. Mostly small ones, like meal planning, eating healthier and making better use of my time, and I have set a few bigger ones as well. </p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">One of those bigger goals is to organise my home in a way that works for me.</p><p>Decluttering and organising my home is something I have been working on for a while now, but there were still a few areas that I hadn’t gotten to yet. One was my pantry. It didn’t matter how often I cleared it out and reorganised it, it always ended up a mess and I was fed up with having to move six things to find the one thing that I needed.</p><p>So I started looking for a way to organise things that looked good but didn’t cost a fortune. I finally decided on these black wire baskets.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsu-zQZAGmggQfXr3ZXpK5x3VKPGJknEhqAxIcsEfybaLOnM-taDRlijYLMufS3WnhbKgifroqMvGObOVdILxS8zp1QdYUaGHxKKRZQhYvTpnOk4Fsoho2pywZnP2JsgUhUOc65ommc8YZp_FXSELXiHq2Do8ViZDtJzRXkATpKr1bwpDEddMdJAm3Fg=s900" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsu-zQZAGmggQfXr3ZXpK5x3VKPGJknEhqAxIcsEfybaLOnM-taDRlijYLMufS3WnhbKgifroqMvGObOVdILxS8zp1QdYUaGHxKKRZQhYvTpnOk4Fsoho2pywZnP2JsgUhUOc65ommc8YZp_FXSELXiHq2Do8ViZDtJzRXkATpKr1bwpDEddMdJAm3Fg=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div>L. T. Williams stacking basket $12.00 from Big W and this smaller one from Kmart which cost $4.00.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvOhIxPWsXCZya1q6xt_egp9RKllmLXs8M0epaGRk38iPjodglyCotGTJT8UCnVrS29ZPu_g3MGqvbKY4jtT8TGGfJlmDjsp_EfTIfzbF32JSrrJKPZtNeVoBE4b5w_9cwcL6QCi7Fs6yvD8PX3H0Xl1PfU5_EinoT5Nl7avn_chhAJmt7v1f-ef-qjA=s480" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvOhIxPWsXCZya1q6xt_egp9RKllmLXs8M0epaGRk38iPjodglyCotGTJT8UCnVrS29ZPu_g3MGqvbKY4jtT8TGGfJlmDjsp_EfTIfzbF32JSrrJKPZtNeVoBE4b5w_9cwcL6QCi7Fs6yvD8PX3H0Xl1PfU5_EinoT5Nl7avn_chhAJmt7v1f-ef-qjA=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">So my pantry went from looking like this</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4iHskZDmKjT9RjTloMWA-mN1BfwBbxdcFJbymiIW8CTOjQqecCPqF3DVaFwUL654pPCv-Razdy4Y9vC7OjT8Jh0RQUeuI79fUtcqlArBuT8NqsNnE1WEv8xc9BxO-XDTUWo5Hryg2YhtcimCDrQDg3AlmyEOvue_NsNkxENhm2QxOl1oNG_e2fQ7JQg=s3095" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2935" data-original-width="3095" height="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4iHskZDmKjT9RjTloMWA-mN1BfwBbxdcFJbymiIW8CTOjQqecCPqF3DVaFwUL654pPCv-Razdy4Y9vC7OjT8Jh0RQUeuI79fUtcqlArBuT8NqsNnE1WEv8xc9BxO-XDTUWo5Hryg2YhtcimCDrQDg3AlmyEOvue_NsNkxENhm2QxOl1oNG_e2fQ7JQg=w640-h606" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">to looking like this.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA-ZmToZYGn1ETzLKT6Y7rOCjnIejOy55Gj6sd-bZVYDx7Vu3h3u6xvgsVKg_YMDegxf94L_zEIkU8Pi6laoO5yyLx4A7ZXaEBnWgOqFaEvCBuqLj19JRGbaIiAX3N53ipeUFm590hLrlo3ccbsEbdQKyYMDxl2Y0J49G0V6gIp5NqFLLCOP_HdE-o0Q=s2833" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2833" data-original-width="2795" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA-ZmToZYGn1ETzLKT6Y7rOCjnIejOy55Gj6sd-bZVYDx7Vu3h3u6xvgsVKg_YMDegxf94L_zEIkU8Pi6laoO5yyLx4A7ZXaEBnWgOqFaEvCBuqLj19JRGbaIiAX3N53ipeUFm590hLrlo3ccbsEbdQKyYMDxl2Y0J49G0V6gIp5NqFLLCOP_HdE-o0Q=w632-h640" width="632" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">It’s still not perfect, but it’s so much easier moving one basket to get to the one behind rather than moving multiple things. I also added another shelf riser for the canned goods, which has made them much easier to access.</p><p>There were also a couple of cupboards in the kitchen that, while they weren’t terrible, could use some improvement. The spice and oil cupboard and the cupboard where I keep the baking trays.</p><p>The spice cupboard wasn’t too bad, but like the pantry, I had to take things out to reach what was in the back. </p><p> I took before photos, but I cannot find them so here are the afters.</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilxKGif47e2oEG3LPfX3eqjstZylkVrZCLuwE8DvyUKOqGx25XHRc7DQOqJDZO5-oJJNa8InCscYmELit4c3ScouY1EddqXswIJKga25pnnmdpY2MvvjU7SX8SDat-FH9cjGD-jGNhMqp3rUmIiobttPEbBcz9BwhDxP2g9aWhkJMT2VZDB3tIPL2y8w=s3120" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="3120" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilxKGif47e2oEG3LPfX3eqjstZylkVrZCLuwE8DvyUKOqGx25XHRc7DQOqJDZO5-oJJNa8InCscYmELit4c3ScouY1EddqXswIJKga25pnnmdpY2MvvjU7SX8SDat-FH9cjGD-jGNhMqp3rUmIiobttPEbBcz9BwhDxP2g9aWhkJMT2VZDB3tIPL2y8w=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">For the spice cupboard, I bought a bamboo Lazy Susan from eBay and a plastic one from Kmart so that any spills were easy to clean up. They made such a difference to the amount of space in this small cupboard.</p><p>The bamboo one holds all the herbs and spices we use regularly with the less used ones to the side. The plastic one holds oil, soy sauce and other condiments we use in our cooking.</p><p>I used this adjustable kitchen rack from eBay to organise the baking trays; it has made such a difference.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi68gDe3EqOysurxUpRGdPo_EWEhmYce2OO-PZ8EUlLTbEZMaSKverYxK4-UhuA1Z0lSNJ1wL-bZNKn6NQjgA5ygfXoMUsQQa8_QqganKpwiHeGdCC9i1uImuJZOR91LLjd03y5UVSV_y5TWk-KEe8y5hF20Cpqk8p_9VIwfDGtVX8_qJgq2aoYlXyALg=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi68gDe3EqOysurxUpRGdPo_EWEhmYce2OO-PZ8EUlLTbEZMaSKverYxK4-UhuA1Z0lSNJ1wL-bZNKn6NQjgA5ygfXoMUsQQa8_QqganKpwiHeGdCC9i1uImuJZOR91LLjd03y5UVSV_y5TWk-KEe8y5hF20Cpqk8p_9VIwfDGtVX8_qJgq2aoYlXyALg=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqbdkJjfcZaVMn88O0Cbjypn4TWArbV6-4ES425FxpoL-nyvCUykNyMy01RcKtx1qcZKhAyuEJshdvb1QDeugshRNOqtHQJq-bvIZkCk9DLFKKIVsRnn_OSR3zPEQqAuW6W7qpHQcfqV_60_xzkrI7e-MCtgQTY_4SvL5gFvc3j0cqbvG6bXzw185CnA=s3120" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="3120" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqbdkJjfcZaVMn88O0Cbjypn4TWArbV6-4ES425FxpoL-nyvCUykNyMy01RcKtx1qcZKhAyuEJshdvb1QDeugshRNOqtHQJq-bvIZkCk9DLFKKIVsRnn_OSR3zPEQqAuW6W7qpHQcfqV_60_xzkrI7e-MCtgQTY_4SvL5gFvc3j0cqbvG6bXzw185CnA=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">I also organised the pantry cupboard in the laundry, which not only holds the dog food and cleaning goods but also the overflow from the pantry.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhd2NRChoE2f7la7TOvenEeiTxXvwE-VbYjqEiYvEnH-NHk2tzV_U-ZgvQAq3hSJ-MXeNw5YJVf3lCrwRUEevMa-aVNmgwPExyi5jkNpIHDScl5OayZnEltfQ5A6dD9yi4-huKyc8l9oCmducuw4YPjCqNc2NEES7UG4o638DqI7zYeZsWg8K02bnMGNA=s3100" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3100" data-original-width="2345" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhd2NRChoE2f7la7TOvenEeiTxXvwE-VbYjqEiYvEnH-NHk2tzV_U-ZgvQAq3hSJ-MXeNw5YJVf3lCrwRUEevMa-aVNmgwPExyi5jkNpIHDScl5OayZnEltfQ5A6dD9yi4-huKyc8l9oCmducuw4YPjCqNc2NEES7UG4o638DqI7zYeZsWg8K02bnMGNA=w484-h640" width="484" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-3y8qivo7vm-hlqg0y1r3zGvNnqM5oRH9KGINeEr9EH7nYPC2Dn5qPkJfso3keklb_up5qRJ4xniYWs7mVV-Dx7utgH6deA15muiv_7OPt4efqOXZedWJaMLqvkmfc1UnxWRuWJZOoCmxlUans3XBfIuWCqRmtINmMx2CBEcP6OL3b4JbjcxVgBcdRA=s3120" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="3120" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-3y8qivo7vm-hlqg0y1r3zGvNnqM5oRH9KGINeEr9EH7nYPC2Dn5qPkJfso3keklb_up5qRJ4xniYWs7mVV-Dx7utgH6deA15muiv_7OPt4efqOXZedWJaMLqvkmfc1UnxWRuWJZOoCmxlUans3XBfIuWCqRmtINmMx2CBEcP6OL3b4JbjcxVgBcdRA=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Much better!</p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">The bathroom cupboards are next on my list and, after that, the garage. The garage is one space I have been putting off as it was my housemate’s space and he was not the tidiest of people, so it is a mess in there. That will have to wait until autumn when the weather is cooler though as it is just too hot to do it now.</p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"></p><p></p><p></p><p>Have you set any goals for the new year? Is organising and decluttering one of them? Let me know in the comments below.</p><p><br /></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">*I apologise for the less than perfect photos, but the lighting in my kitchen and dining is terrible.</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><p><br /></p></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /> </p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-18850202665462198402022-01-05T17:03:00.119+10:302022-01-09T09:22:07.932+10:30Books Read in 2021<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">I’ve always enjoyed reading ever since my grandmother gave me my first book at age 10. Some years I read a lot of books, and some years not so much. In 2015 I read 76 books, a number I haven’t been able to match since. </p><p>Last year my intention was to read twenty-one books, but I fell one short of my intention. Seventeen of the books were from the library and three were from my own bookshelves. Of the twenty books, I finished all but two, and there is one missing from the list, as I forgot to write it down.</p><p>My favourite book this year was Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny. She is a fabulous writer. The books are set in Quebec, Canada and the fictional town of Three Pines, a place so small it isn’t even on a map, a place filled with interesting, and mostly likeable characters and murder. </p><p>My least favourite book this year was Hattie’s Home for Broken Hearts. I don’t want to give too much away, but the title is a complete misnomer. From the title, you would assume that Hattie runs a home for broken-hearted people, but that just isn’t the case. I also just couldn’t warm up to the main character. The book got a rating of 4.12 on Goodreads, so maybe it’s just me.</p><p>My goal this year is to read at least twenty-two books most of which will be from my own shelves as I have seventy-eight books waiting to be read, but there are a few on my “Want to Read” list that I will borrow from the library.</p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;">Murder at the Vicarage<b> </b>by Jill McGowan</span><b style="font-size: large;"> </b><span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium;">3.5/5</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">Deepening snow has isolated the village of Byford from the outside world, but as the locals settle down for the festive period, the peace is suddenly destroyed with news of a violent crime at the vicarage.</span></p><span id="freeText3792730336011639739" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><br />The victim is the vicar's son-in-law, but few are saddened by his death. And although Chief Inspector Lloyd is expecting an open-and-shut case, he is soon confronted with more than he bargained for.<br /><br />Struggling to keep control of his personal relationship with Sergeant Judy Hill, Lloyd must work his way through a tangle of suspects, each doing their part to disrupt the investigation in this perplexing mystery.<br /><br />'Murder at the Old Vicarage' is Jill McGown's classic homage to Agatha Christie, with a decidedly uncosy twist.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"> </span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">A Wood of One's Own</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">by Ruth Pavey</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">DNF</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">After years of living in London's urban jungle, Ruth Pavey dreamt of reconnecting with the British countryside. In pursuit of a haven from the unrest of city life, she embarked on a journey to find the perfect plot of land on which to plant a wood. But creating this would-be sanctuary proved more daunting than she expected. In this inspiring memoir, Pavey shares her story of finding peace by sowing her legacy in the form of a wood, one tree at a time. Chronicling her struggle to clear away the brambles to make a place for herself in the world, Pavey's story is both enchanting and candid, and at times self-deprecating as she recognises her shortcomings as a landowner. By probing her own motivations and her enjoyment of the solitude and beauty of the place, she shares her insights into our relationship with nature - and our destruction of it. Her intelligent understanding and caution against our romanticising of rural living forces us to consider the reality of country life in Britain today. With charming descriptions of the Somerset countryside and abundant with tales of its history and inhabitants (both past and present), Pavey's story is at once lyrical and beguiling. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;">My Four Seasons in France by Janine Marsh</span> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">3.5/5</span></span></div><div><div><span style="color: #444444;">A little over ten years ago, Janine Marsh and her husband gave up their careers in London to chase the good life in the countryside of northern France. Having overcome the obstacles of renovating her dream home - an ancient, dilapidated barn - and fitting in with the peculiarities of the locals, Janine is now the go-to ex-pat in the area for those seeking to get to grips with a very different way of life.</span></div><div><span style="color: #444444;">In this book, Janine regales us with the delights and dramas of a year, attempting to live the rural idyll. Each month brings to light a new aspect of life in the French countryside: snow in January, resulting in a broken arm, which leads to an etiquette lesson at the local hospital; wild winds in February; cuckoos in March; and giant hailstones in July that destroy cars and houses and bring the villagers closer together.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">DNF</span><span style="color: #ffa400;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">Bookshop owner Sarah Smith has been offered the opportunity to exchange bookshops with her new Parisian friend for 6 months! And saying yes is a no-brainer – after all, what kind of a romantic would turn down a trip to Paris? Even if it does mean leaving the irresistible Ridge Warner behind, Sarah’s sure she’s in for the holiday of a lifetime – complete with all the books she can read!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">Picturing days wandering around Shakespeare & Co, munching on croissants, sipping café au laits and people-watching on the Champs-Elysees Sarah boards the plane. But will her dream of a Parisian Happily-Ever-After come true? Or will Sarah realise that the dream isn’t quite as rosy in reality?</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;">Return to Prior's Ford by Evelyn Hood</span> <span style="color: #666666;">4/5</span></span></span></div><div><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">The course of true love never did run smooth, as the Prior’s Ford villagers are beginning to discover. The once-failing Tarbethill Farm is facing a happier future thanks to Alison Greenlees but Ewan McNair doesn’t see himself as the sort of husband Alison deserves, while at Linn Hall the return of famous actress Meredith Whitelaw is bad news for her daughter Ginny, anxious to catch the eye of the son of the house. And Thatcher’s Cottage is now home to Dr Malcolm Finlay, a retired university academic with a secret ability to turn the hearts and heads of almost all the women in the village.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;">The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan</span> <span style="color: #666666; font-size: medium;">4.5/5</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">The village of Chilbury in Kent is about to ring in some changes.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">This is a delightful novel of wartime gumption and village spirit that will make your heart sing out.</span></div><div><p style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;">Kent, 1940.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;">In the idyllic village of Chilbury change is afoot. Hearts are breaking as sons and husbands leave to fight, and when the Vicar decides to close the choir until the men return, all seems lost.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;">But coming together in song is just what the women of Chilbury need in these dark hours, and they are ready to sing. With a little fighting spirit and the arrival of a new musical resident, the charismatic Miss Primrose Trent, the choir is reborn.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;">Some see the choir as a chance to forget their troubles, others the chance to shine. Though for one villager, the choir is the perfect cover to destroy Chilbury’s newfound harmony.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;">Uplifting and profoundly moving, THE CHILBURY LADIES’ CHOIR explores how a village can endure the onslaught of war, how monumental history affects small lives and how survival is as much about friendship as it is about courage.</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;">The Dig by John Preston</span> <span style="color: #666666;">3/5</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;">In the long hot summer of 1939, Britain is preparing for war. But on a riverside farm in Suffolk there is the excitement of another kind: Mrs Pretty, the widowed farmer, has had her hunch proved correct that the strange mounds on her land hold buried treasure. As the dig proceeds against a background of mounting national anxiety, it becomes clear though that this is no ordinary find ... and soon the discovery leads to all kinds of jealousies and tensions.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;">John Preston's recreation of the Sutton Hoo dig - the greatest Anglo-Saxon discovery ever in Britain - brilliantly and comically dramatizes three months of intense activity when locals fought outsiders, professionals thwarted amateurs, and love and rivalry flourished in equal measure.</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Hattie's Home for Broken Hearts by Tilly Tennant</span><span style="color: #181818;"> </span><span style="color: #666666;">2.5/5</span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #181818;">Hattie was once thrilled to call the beautiful city of Paris her home. But when her heart is broken by her boyfriend and she loses her dream job, she bids farewell to the city of love and hurries home to Gillypuddle, a sleepy village on the Dorset coast. But as she returns home she finds her parents struggling to cope with a terrible family tragedy.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #181818;">In a desperate search for a new start, Hattie takes a job at the donkey sanctuary nearby on Sweet Briar Farm where Jo, the taciturn owner, certainly loves her animals far more than humans. Hattie can’t help but fall in love with the donkeys (and the opportunity to get close to dreamy Canadian vet Seth) but Jo is harder to get to know and when she finds her boss sobbing in her sleep one stormy night, she knows that her new friend is hiding a dark secret.</span><br style="color: #181818;" /><br style="color: #181818;" /><span style="color: #181818;">And when handsome newspaper reporter Owen does some digging into Jo’s past he finds something that connects her to Hattie on a whole new level. Can Hattie trust what Owen says, especially when he seems intent on standing in the way of her blossoming romance with Seth? And can Hattie help Jo to start healing and the donkeys of Sweet Briar Farm?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">The School at Thrush Green by Miss Read </span><span style="color: #666666;">4.5/5</span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #181818;">As two schoolteachers plan for their retirement, readers witness the challenges they face leaving their old home and learning to drive. Once again Miss Read will satisfy fans with her happy blend of nostalgia and authentic flavour.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;">Village Fortunes by Rebecca Shaw</span><span style="color: #181818;"> </span><span style="color: #666666;">5/5</span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">Things are heating up in the village of Turnham Malpas. Now comfortably settled in the Big House, Johnny and Alice Templeton are over the moon at the arrival of their second son. But Johnny's roguish younger brother, Chris Templeton, is visiting from Brazil and causing not a little trouble in the village. For Ford and Mercedes Barclay, returning to the village after all these years - and after Ford's shameful imprisonment - is a big step. Will they be welcomed back or shunned? And will Ford be able to convince people he's a changed man? While most of the villagers greet the pair with open arms, there are those who still have their doubts. Meanwhile, poor Fran Charter-Plackett has some important decisions to make about her future. With all her siblings having flown the nest, the pressure is on her to decide what to do with her life. And when her parents discover Fran's shocking secret, things really start to get messy.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon</span> </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">4/5</span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">Who is Pietr the Latvian? Is he a gentleman thief? A Russian drinking absinthe in a grimy bar? A married Norwegian sea captain? A twisted corpse in a train bathroom? Or is he all of these men? Inspector Maigret, tracking a mysterious adversary and a trail of bodies, must bide his time before the answer can come into focus.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;">The Late Monsieur Gallet </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><span style="font-size: medium;">by Georges Simenon</span> </span><span style="color: #666666;">4/5</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">A devastating tale of misfortune, betrayal, and the weakness of family ties, newly translated for the Inspector Maigret series</span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">In the third Maigret mystery, the circumstances of Monsieur Gallet's death all seem fake: the name he was travelling under, his presumed profession, and, more worryingly, his family's grief. Their haughtiness seems to hide ambiguous feelings about the hapless man. Soon Maigret discovers the appalling truth and the real crime hidden beneath the surface of their lies.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Teacher, Teacher by Jack Sheffield</span> </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">4/5</span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">It's 1977 and Jack Sheffield is appointed headmaster of a small village primary school in North Yorkshire. So begins Jack's eventful journey through the school year and his attempts to overcome the many problems that face him as a young and inexperienced headmaster.</span><br style="color: #181818;" /><br style="color: #181818;" /><span style="color: #181818;">The many colourful chapters include Ruby the 20 stone caretaker with an acute spelling problem, a secretary who worships Margaret Thatcher, a villager who grows giant carrots, a barmaid/parent who requests sex lessons, and a five-year-old boy whose language is colourful in the extreme. And then there's also beautiful, bright Beth Henderson, who is irresistibly attractive to the young headmaster...</span><br style="color: #181818;" /><br style="color: #181818;" /><span style="color: #181818;">Warm, funny and nostalgic, Teacher, Teacher is a delightful read that is guaranteed to make you feel better, whatever kind of day you've had.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;">The White Cottage Mystery by Margery Allingham </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;">4/5</span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">The mysterious recluse Eric Crowther was murdered, he lived in the gaunt house whose shadow fell across the White Cottage, much as the man himself overshadowed the lives of the occupants of the little white house. Indeed, as Detective Chief Inspector W.T. Challoner soon discovered, seven people had good cause to murder him. Everyone ought to have done it, but by the evidence nobody had. The seven suspects, all with excellent motives for killing the hateful Eric Crowther. So it was not lacking evidence but rather a surfeit of it that sent Challoner and his son Jerry half across Europe in pursuit of the trail. He collected their secrets. And he used them. But which of these long-time sufferers had found the courage to pull the trigger? And should this benefactor really be prosecuted?</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;">Mister Teacher by Jack Sheffield </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: medium;">4/5</span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">It's 1978, and Jack Sheffield begins his second year as headmaster of a small village primary school in North Yorkshire. There are three letters on his desk - one makes him smile, one makes him sad and one is destined to change his life forever. This is from nine-year-old Sebastian, suffering from leukaemia in the local hospital, who writes a heartbreaking letter addressed to 'Mister Teacher'. Jack tries to help, and so begins a journey through the seasons of Yorkshire life in which the school is the natural centre of the community.</span><br style="color: #181818;" /><br style="color: #181818;" /><span style="color: #181818;">There's a colourful cast of characters who accompany Jack through the ups and downs of the school year including Vera, the school secretary who worships Margaret Thatcher and whose greatest ambition is to become President of the Women's Institute; Ruby, the 20-stone caretaker who sings like Julie Andrews; and Dorothy, the coffee shop assistant who is desperate to be Wonder Woman. Most of all, there is the lovely Beth Henderson, a teacher from a nearby school, who with her sister Laura presents Jack with an unexpected dilemma.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;">Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny</span><span style="color: #181818;"> </span><span style="color: #666666;">5/5</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">When a peculiar letter arrives inviting Armand Gamache to an abandoned farmhouse, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec discovers that a complete stranger has named him one of the executors of her will. Still on suspension, and frankly curious, Gamache accepts and soon learns that the other two executors are Myrna Landers, the bookseller from Three Pines, and a young builder.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="color: #181818;">None of them had ever met the elderly woman.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">The will is so odd and includes bequests that are so wildly unlikely that Gamache and the others suspect the woman must have been delusional. But what if, Gamache begins to ask himself, she was perfectly sane?</span><br style="color: #181818;" /><br style="color: #181818;" /><span style="color: #181818;">When a body is found, the terms of the bizarre suddenly seem less peculiar and far more menacing.</span><br style="color: #181818;" /><br style="color: #181818;" /><span style="color: #181818;">But it isn't the only menace Gamache is facing.</span><br style="color: #181818;" /><br style="color: #181818;" /><span style="color: #181818;">The investigation into what happened six months ago—the events that led to his suspension—has dragged on, into the dead of winter. And while most of the opioids he allowed to slip through his hands, in order to bring down the cartels, have been retrieved, there is one devastating exception.</span><br style="color: #181818;" /><br style="color: #181818;" /><span style="color: #181818;">Enough narcotic to kill thousands has disappeared into inner-city Montréal. With the deadly drug about to hit the streets, Gamache races for answers.</span><br style="color: #181818;" /><br style="color: #181818;" /><span style="color: #181818;">As he uses increasingly audacious, even desperate, measures to retrieve the drug, Armand Gamache begins to see his own blind spots. And the terrible things hiding there.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Finding Home by Roisin McAuley</span><span style="color: #181818;"> </span><span style="color: #666666;">3.5/5</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">Louise and Rebecca, good friends since their BBC days in Belfast, are searching for a suitable location to shoot a movie about Elizabeth I. As they stumble across Wooldene House, they meet owners Diana and Henry. Widowed Diana yearns for a new romance, while Henry is increasingly drawn to Louise.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">The Little Village Christmas by Sue Moorcroft </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">3.8/5</span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">Alexia Kennedy – interior decorator extraordinaire – has been tasked with giving the little village of Middledip the community café it’s always dreamed of.</span><br style="color: #181818;" /><br style="color: #181818;" /><span style="color: #181818;">After months of fundraising, the villagers can’t wait to see work get started – but disaster strikes when every last penny is stolen. With Middledip up in arms at how this could have happened, Alexia feels ready to admit defeat.</span><br style="color: #181818;" /><br style="color: #181818;" /><span style="color: #181818;">But help comes in an unlikely form when woodsman, Ben Hardaker and his rescue owl Barney, arrive on the scene. Another lost soul who’s hit rock bottom, Ben and Alexia make an unlikely partnership.</span><br style="color: #181818;" /><br style="color: #181818;" /><span style="color: #181818;">However, they soon realise that a little sprinkling of Christmas magic might just help to bring this village – and their lives – together again…</span><br style="color: #181818;" /><br style="color: #181818;" /><span style="color: #181818;">Settle down with a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine as you devour this irresistibly festive Christmas tale. The perfect read for fans of Carole Matthews and Trisha Ashley.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: medium;">Test of Wills by Charles Todd</span><span style="color: #181818;"> </span><span style="color: #666666;">4.5/5</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #181818;">In 1919, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge remains haunted by World War I, where he was forced to have a soldier executed for refusing to fight. When Rutledge is assigned to investigate a murder involving the military, his emotional war wounds flare. It is a case that strikes dangerously close to home--one that will test Rutledge's precarious grip on his own sanity.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-40199898343239082912022-01-01T09:40:00.004+10:302022-01-01T11:05:43.747+10:30Happy New Year <p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHXb8G94PdAG0UT6l9N59fivariRPuGgs9Xx01AgUaLz6g-b5-knefmbJHtDTzCSHeSwK4qKaQt9rvm1K_a9iGCZWt5aHqK6mnQw4gYiqroZMKJG_H6eA63F_bst6CD-5KMPsxa-03LnMmnAE4Nc19TYZ5rolXhe6ro0wotERvaQRTCS4MKI828nhphQ=s1062" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="1062" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHXb8G94PdAG0UT6l9N59fivariRPuGgs9Xx01AgUaLz6g-b5-knefmbJHtDTzCSHeSwK4qKaQt9rvm1K_a9iGCZWt5aHqK6mnQw4gYiqroZMKJG_H6eA63F_bst6CD-5KMPsxa-03LnMmnAE4Nc19TYZ5rolXhe6ro0wotERvaQRTCS4MKI828nhphQ=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: left;">I spent New Year’s Eve at my daughter and son-in-law’s house with his parents and my youngest daughter enjoying home-made pizza, wine and board games. It was the perfect way to end 2021.</p><p>2021 was a year of sadness for myself and my family. A year of loss and one in which many, many tears were shed, but a new year has begun and I look forward to making some happier memories over the next 365 days.</p><p>Thank you to everyone who stopped by to read the blog this year. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to visit. </p><p>I wish you all a New Year full of love, abundance, good health, and joy.</p><p>Until next time, stay safe, and be kind to each other, Janette</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-39336943138853602942021-12-25T09:14:00.002+10:302021-12-25T09:14:34.473+10:30Merry Christmas<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge01GolFALnf1KOgFBLCDaHd2sGXL8bNRiPD5IhQnlJvyXqdknD4xVAuDA68P6koKkJel6OSaAcnB6zK_qYwsfS5aL9tZDYuOdR_kNWYJfZAX8pU8akC1QnCjux8kkbKjCKLholVgtaYBgCGfBi39tVjJM9CA7jG3IICOReQtn-kXNonpq58uV_SXIrA=s1024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="1024" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge01GolFALnf1KOgFBLCDaHd2sGXL8bNRiPD5IhQnlJvyXqdknD4xVAuDA68P6koKkJel6OSaAcnB6zK_qYwsfS5aL9tZDYuOdR_kNWYJfZAX8pU8akC1QnCjux8kkbKjCKLholVgtaYBgCGfBi39tVjJM9CA7jG3IICOReQtn-kXNonpq58uV_SXIrA=w640-h374" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Merry Christmas everyone. I hope however you are spending your day you are surrounded by peace and love. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-58229165519553042622021-11-21T15:57:00.005+10:302021-11-22T11:21:41.754+10:30How Do I Recycle That<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">We all want to do the right thing by the environment, but it isn’t always easy to find the resources we need. Below is a list of resources I have found that might help. It's not a comprehensive list by any means, but one I will continue to add to it as I find more information.</p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Batteries</b></span> - Aldi will take AAA, AA, C, D, and 9-volt batteries, single use and rechargeable as do IKEA, Officeworks and Battery World.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Bottle caps</b></span> - Both metal/aluminium and plastic bottle caps are recyclable. Put them into a larger container made of the same material and when the container is full, it can then go into the recycling bin. </p><p><i>Don't put individual bottle caps in the recycling bin as they can slip through the sorting process or cause the recycling machinery to jam</i>. </p><p><b style="font-size: large;">Bread tags - </b>Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs collects bread tags nationwide. The tags are recycled and funds raised are used to buy wheelchairs for disadvantaged people in Africa. You can find a list of drop-off points <a href="https://ozbreadtagsforwheelchairs.org.au/download_files/Aussie%20Breadtags%20Collection%20Points.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">here</span></a>. </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Brita water filters</b></span> - Terracycle has a program for recycling <a href="https://www.terracycle.com/en-AU/brigades/brita-recycling" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">these</span></a>.</p><p class="Normal tm5"><span class="tm6"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Car Batteries</span></b> - Battery World, Repco Auto Parts, Super Cheap Auto accept old car batteries.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Coffee pods</span></b> - Nespresso has it's own recycling program, you can read about it <a href="https://www.nespresso.com/au/en/how-to-recycle-coffee-capsules" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">here</span></a>. </p><p>L'or, Moccona and Illy have a partnership with <a href="https://www.terracycle.com/en-AU/brigades/jde-capsules-au" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Terracycle</span></a>. There is no cost involved, but you will have to sign up, and there is a minimum weight requirement of 2kg.</p><p class="Normal tm5"><span class="tm6"></span></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">As well as the coffee pods mentioned above, Terracycle has programs for several other brands. Check their website to see if a program is available for the brand you use.</p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">If you would like to check out what other programs Terracycle have available you can do so <a href="https://www.terracycle.com/en-AU/brigades" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">here</span></a>.</p><p>If you would like a more sustainable option for your coffee pods, <a href="https://au.podandparcel.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiA1uKMBhAGEiwAxzvX97b97srXkOZ62SJqLziXEIENNYlMMAgHMtlKtrf6qE2IZJByxsgovRoCzTcQAvD_BwE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Pod & Parcel</span></a> makes fully compostable coffee pods, including the packaging they come in.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Doonas </span></b>- <a href="https://boomerangbags.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Boomerang Bags</span></a> will accept donations of doonas, quilting fabric and pillow cases. </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Ink cartridges </b></span>- Australia Post accepts empty ink cartridges.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Flora and Fauna</b></span> - Have a recycling program for all types of personal care products, including blister packs. Check it out <a href="https://www.floraandfauna.com.au/recycle" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">here</span></a>. You will have to create an account, and pay for posting, but you will receive a credit towards any future purchases.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Light globes</b></span> - Can be dropped off at your nearest Mitre 10 store. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Mattresses</span></b> - This one is going to take some more research to find recycling centres nationwide. I will leave it here though and get back to it when I have some information.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Oral care products</span></b> - Terracycle have set up a partnership with Colgate to recycle your old toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes ( remove excess paste before posting), and empty floss containers. they also have a separate program for electric toothbrushes. Check their website for more information. </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Organic material </b></span>-The easiest way to deal with organic waste is to compost it at home. There is a variety of compost bins on the market, but if this doesn’t appeal, contact your local council and ask if they have green waste bins available for residents. Also, be sure to ask what you can or cannot put in them.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Pillows</span></b> - Before you chuck those old pillows in the bin could you upcyle them? Make a bed for your pet, draught stopper, floor pillows, ottoman, and throw pillows are just a few ways to re-use them.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Postal satchels</span></b> - Official Australia Post satchel can be recycled through the REDcycle program via Coles and Woolworths. </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Sports shoes</b></span> - Tread lightly accepts athletic lifestyle shoes, any sports branded shoe, thongs and slides, football boots, sneakers, trainers, runners, and golf shoes. Click <a href="https://treadlightly.asga.com.au/collection-locations/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">here</span></a> to find a drop off point near you.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Towels -</b></span> Can be made into unpaper towels, <a href="https://confessionsofanover-workedmom.com/make-unpaper-towels/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Confessions of an Overworked Mom</span></a> has a tutorial. Alternatively they can be donated to your local animal shelter.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-72311636042342076022021-11-01T18:42:00.006+10:302021-11-02T09:20:03.619+10:30Blogtober Day 22 - 29 <p><i>Warning, a long catch up post following.</i></p><p>My apologies for not having posted over the past week but my life has been a bit busier than it normally is.</p><p>Day 22 - I spent today tidying the house and changing bed linen as I have a guest coming to house sit as myself and my youngest daughters are going away on Sunday to the Adelaide Hills for three days. I also walked into town to return some clothes that I had had on layby that either didn’t look as good as they had in the shop or were a wee bit tight.</p><p>Day 23 -I mowed the grass today. I won’t call it a lawn, as it still has weeds from winter in it. They will die off as soon as the weather gets hot. I also spent a lot of time watering the gardens and I put the vegetable seedlings into trays of water, so they didn’t dry out while I was away. In the evening, I ironed the clothes I am taking with me and packed my bags.</p><p>Day 24 -I was up early this morning and once breakfast was over, my youngest daughter, who stills lives at home, and I packed the car, we then drove over to my other daughter’s home to pick her up, transferred everything from our car into hers, her car is larger and has more room for all our luggage and the food we are taking with us. Because we knew we weren’t able to get into our accommodation until this afternoon, we planned to go to the market at Stirling which only happens once a month, it was so much bigger than we thought it was going to be. We arrived at 10 o’clock and didn’t leave until 1.30pm. Almost all of my purchases were food, including some Belgian chocolate, vegan cupcakes, which, although a little sweet, were delicious, and some delicious raw, locally produced honey. The only other thing I bought was this. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uWIg8_6aV3o/YX4oJllUWoI/AAAAAAAAIG0/LL7vFuVZqVIF4HkWdYkL-pNRu57vxqWWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211027154050.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uWIg8_6aV3o/YX4oJllUWoI/AAAAAAAAIG0/LL7vFuVZqVIF4HkWdYkL-pNRu57vxqWWwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211027154050.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">It pretty much sums up how I feel about my life.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">We stayed at McLaren Cottage, in Mount Barker a lovely little 19th-century cottage, which had everything you could want, including a wood fire which we were happy to make use of because, although it is spring here, the nights are still a little chilly. </p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ioEwk0DoD0/YX8oTefDm1I/AAAAAAAAIIA/c8CsIyyzvWYu5sghHA9VeFz4msud1MKEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s779/McLaren%2BCottage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="779" height="638" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ioEwk0DoD0/YX8oTefDm1I/AAAAAAAAIIA/c8CsIyyzvWYu5sghHA9VeFz4msud1MKEwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h638/McLaren%2BCottage.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M_RziA9G1zo/YX8ohdq5WNI/AAAAAAAAIIE/tuiRmqh7BiIyCqM_pEdQQ6bV3rJGZoUmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211024175332.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M_RziA9G1zo/YX8ohdq5WNI/AAAAAAAAIIE/tuiRmqh7BiIyCqM_pEdQQ6bV3rJGZoUmwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/IMG20211024175332.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Day 25 - </span><span style="text-align: left;">The next morning, we packed a picnic lunch and headed out to do some op shopping. Our first destination was Hahndorf. I have visited this lovely town founded by Lutheran migrants in 1839 before, but always on a weekend when it was teeming with tourists, so it was a pleasant change to visit on a weekday when it was far less crowded. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KYPWzMD7WrY/YX8pSeiMKII/AAAAAAAAIIQ/4r22ZsZRS8kYd_HBgZol9phdVDTxNrHeACLcBGAsYHQ/s780/Hahndorf%2B1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="780" height="636" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KYPWzMD7WrY/YX8pSeiMKII/AAAAAAAAIIQ/4r22ZsZRS8kYd_HBgZol9phdVDTxNrHeACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h636/Hahndorf%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KDs97jlBx3Y/YX8pXvD7Q7I/AAAAAAAAIIU/t-AaXsp4XGwSs4rV1kh0UA5KKncpctEEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s779/Hahndorf%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="779" data-original-width="771" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KDs97jlBx3Y/YX8pXvD7Q7I/AAAAAAAAIIU/t-AaXsp4XGwSs4rV1kh0UA5KKncpctEEwCLcBGAsYHQ/w634-h640/Hahndorf%2B2.jpg" width="634" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a wander around and a visit to the op shops, we had lunch in the park, then we headed back to Mount Barker to try our luck at the op shops there and on the way dropped into two others that we had been told about.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C59sslRiMIg/YX-OG2WzsoI/AAAAAAAAII4/HF0NZHfH0hshuFBCP7TjiTOQJnvVKGq7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s782/Op%2Bshop%2Bfinds.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="776" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C59sslRiMIg/YX-OG2WzsoI/AAAAAAAAII4/HF0NZHfH0hshuFBCP7TjiTOQJnvVKGq7QCLcBGAsYHQ/w636-h640/Op%2Bshop%2Bfinds.jpg" width="636" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two books cost me $7, the pottery was $7.50, the painting was $2.00 and the top was a bargain at just 50¢ because it had a stain on it which came out in the wash.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Day 26 - <span style="text-align: center;">The last day of our mini-vacation we spent at Victor Harbor, a well-known whale watching spot, intending to go to Granite Island to see the penguins, unfortunately, the causeway was closed for maintenance so that will have to wait until our next visit. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ST3DlXV8wt0/YX99nSS7n5I/AAAAAAAAIIw/3Dhw_B9U4wcQcFZCA4lHsbgJ_FKGuxfgACLcBGAsYHQ/s777/Victor%2BHarbour.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="777" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ST3DlXV8wt0/YX99nSS7n5I/AAAAAAAAIIw/3Dhw_B9U4wcQcFZCA4lHsbgJ_FKGuxfgACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/Victor%2BHarbour.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">After a wander around down and a picnic lunch, we headed back to the cottage for a rest and to pack our bags, ready to leave in the morning.</p></div></div></div></div><p>Day 27 - We arrived home at around 11am unpacked the car, I did my washing, and just had time to check on my seedlings in the greenhouse before it started raining. I spent the rest of the day relaxing before getting my uniform ready for work tomorrow. </p><p>Day 28 - It was cloudy this morning when I got up, then the skies cleared, but by the time I was ready to leave for work, the clouds had gathered and I could hear thunder in the distance. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CV_YYBZDUY/YX-O5Il2U6I/AAAAAAAAIJA/7iWfRyH9LgsPozAM_b5BPnc4dBorpLItwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211028094700.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CV_YYBZDUY/YX-O5Il2U6I/AAAAAAAAIJA/7iWfRyH9LgsPozAM_b5BPnc4dBorpLItwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211028094700.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">I had intentions of walking to work as I usually do until I saw lightning and thought better of it and caught a bus instead, which turned out to be a smart decision as not long after I had boarded the bus, it started pouring. </p><p>By the time I left work, the sun had made an appearance, but the sky was still cloudy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6TmOjOaj0bg/YX-PTQDAadI/AAAAAAAAIJI/L9g4VYKyDSITaVfPMJbUOkZVvvbsNUTlACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211028165441.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6TmOjOaj0bg/YX-PTQDAadI/AAAAAAAAIJI/L9g4VYKyDSITaVfPMJbUOkZVvvbsNUTlACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211028165441.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Around 6 o’clock, the wind picked up, and the rain came down in torrents and I feared what damage I might find in the morning, as the winds seemed almost cyclonic.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Day 29 - It turned out I needn’t have worried as the storm caused only minor damage to our town. The surrounding areas were not as fortunate. The tomato seedlings in the greenhouse got blown off the shelf but were undamaged. I had to go into town to take some money out of the bank as I have a skip bin coming this afternoon so that I can finally get rid of all the rubbish that has accumulated over the years. While I waited for it to arrive, I stewed some rhubarb, which is now in the freezer ready for rhubarb and apple crumble. </p><p>Day 30 - The skip bin is full, and it is ready to be picked up, anything that I thought might be useful to someone else I put out onto the verge, hopefully, it will be gone in the morning.</p><p>Day 31 - Today is normally a rest day for me but as I am having my second Covid vaccination tomorrow and I’m not sure how it will affect me, I finished the yard work today and will make tomorrow a rest day instead. Everything that I had put on the verge had gone this morning when I got up. I’m glad somebody could make use of it.</p><p>There you are, my life over the past week, and if you read this post until the end, thank you for sticking with me. I take my hat off to anyone who writes a blog post every day. I don’t know how you do it.</p><p> Writing a post every day wasn’t easy for me, but I’m glad I did it, it will be good to have a record of a month of my life to look back on. I enjoy writing, but I’m not a natural writer. I agonise over grammar, punctuation, readability. It takes a sizeable chunk of my day; I wish I wasn’t so critical of myself. It would make things so much easier. </p><p>Well, that’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my everyday life.</p><p>Until next time, stay safe and be kind to each other. Janette. </p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-22487774054719170442021-10-21T22:41:00.002+10:302021-10-22T08:07:39.054+10:30Blogtober Day 21<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">I had a beautiful walk to work this morning. The air was fresh and cool; the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds and the eucalypts are in full bloom. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QO3V8sa1GiY/YXEUqle2ZUI/AAAAAAAAIFo/9tMDsZig95cPaZujNrXa7xSXLMuIHXcegCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211021090529%2B%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1680" data-original-width="2048" height="526" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QO3V8sa1GiY/YXEUqle2ZUI/AAAAAAAAIFo/9tMDsZig95cPaZujNrXa7xSXLMuIHXcegCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h526/IMG20211021090529%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">High in the treetops, the Magpies were warbling, the Rosellas and the Lorikeets were squabbling with each other over nesting sites and the Noisy Miners were being, well, noisy as they defended their territory. </span><span style="text-align: left;"> It was a perfect start to the day.</span></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rbgrSwJr6oA/YXEVQVFcAOI/AAAAAAAAIF0/gpJ2qKDsH_kegqDg1YNDrtLuUwdj3hDbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211021161325.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rbgrSwJr6oA/YXEVQVFcAOI/AAAAAAAAIF0/gpJ2qKDsH_kegqDg1YNDrtLuUwdj3hDbgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211021161325.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-693niz1LCvo/YXEVQOOWBpI/AAAAAAAAIFw/Jpgzz8RdQtYIJd4uw4l3195KseY2I7XFACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211021161401.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-693niz1LCvo/YXEVQOOWBpI/AAAAAAAAIFw/Jpgzz8RdQtYIJd4uw4l3195KseY2I7XFACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211021161401.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mLvgwY_kuzQ/YXEVnDVrryI/AAAAAAAAIF8/J-fQF0Au8tEq36UxD0L6PZl7SJZ7YBLZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSCF9036.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mLvgwY_kuzQ/YXEVnDVrryI/AAAAAAAAIF8/J-fQF0Au8tEq36UxD0L6PZl7SJZ7YBLZwCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/DSCF9036.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australian Magpie</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2RNMwGtnXxE/YXEV0MUQq-I/AAAAAAAAIGA/61kQwCRpd0EgRyXoZ58vPvbj_BV4FJsLACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSCF6294.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2RNMwGtnXxE/YXEV0MUQq-I/AAAAAAAAIGA/61kQwCRpd0EgRyXoZ58vPvbj_BV4FJsLACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/DSCF6294.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adelaide Rosella</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WNxwEJVdJNA/YXEV0GFfILI/AAAAAAAAIGI/E32XGL4dyEwzEq3anI5GSTZxUKFcEd4jwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSCF6318.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WNxwEJVdJNA/YXEV0GFfILI/AAAAAAAAIGI/E32XGL4dyEwzEq3anI5GSTZxUKFcEd4jwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/DSCF6318.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pair of Rainbow Lorikeets</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FIs8YFJwNzw/YXEV0Httt6I/AAAAAAAAIGE/ZPe3MGF317wG1k2u7w8kvqTjqClJCQCtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSCF6319.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FIs8YFJwNzw/YXEV0Httt6I/AAAAAAAAIGE/ZPe3MGF317wG1k2u7w8kvqTjqClJCQCtQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/DSCF6319.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Musk Lorikeets</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8svdqfGameE/YXEWwLqDtrI/AAAAAAAAIGY/fxwBDwA-HaoOCMhVsKrgMABMe59A-Ty0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/john-torcasio-qff1r0E28s4-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1461" data-original-width="2048" height="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8svdqfGameE/YXEWwLqDtrI/AAAAAAAAIGY/fxwBDwA-HaoOCMhVsKrgMABMe59A-Ty0wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h456/john-torcasio-qff1r0E28s4-unsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noisy Miner <br />Photo courtesy of <a href="https://unsplash.com/@johntorcasio" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">John Torcasio </span></a>via Unsplash</td></tr></tbody></table><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">© All text and photographs used for this website were produced by me unless otherwise stated and are copyright of Blue Jeans and Dirty Gumboots. Please do not use, alter, or edit my text or photographs without my written consent. </span></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-18323169849951267202021-10-20T17:38:00.003+10:302021-11-05T07:46:28.581+10:30Blogtober Day 19<p>As you know from a previous post, I have a problem with the pump in my fish pond. I’ve been checking on the fish every day since the pump stopped working, and they had been fine until yesterday. I feed them twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the early evening, when I went out last evening to feed the fish I noticed one of them lying on its side gasping for air, the oxygen in the water was running out and the fish were suffocating. I did not know what to do, as by this time all the stores were closed. In desperation, I emptied almost all the water out of the pond and replaced it with fresh water. My thought was that freshwater should have oxygen in it, so I filled the pond back up, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. This morning when I checked on them, they were all okay and swimming around happily. As soon as I had finished breakfast, I walked to the nearest hardware store and bought a small pump to put in the pond to keep the water moving and aid in oxygenating the water.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_-HdADf2lQs/YW-_vuKoWuI/AAAAAAAAIFg/uEJJ3Ed-2M8ys-z37QcnQz314n7XF64-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/iso-republic-curly-tendrils-of-potted-plants-on-wooden-shelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_-HdADf2lQs/YW-_vuKoWuI/AAAAAAAAIFg/uEJJ3Ed-2M8ys-z37QcnQz314n7XF64-wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/iso-republic-curly-tendrils-of-potted-plants-on-wooden-shelf.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://isorepublic.com/photo/potted-plants-shelf/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">ISO Republic</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Once the pump was installed and doing its job, I could relax knowing that the fish would be all right and I got on with doing a few things around the house. I cleaned the microwave; took the kitchen bins outside and cleaned them out; repotted a few of my houseplants; pulled out my celery plants that had unfortunately developed a fungal disease and gave the outdoor area a tidy up. </span></p><p>As I will be at work tomorrow and Thursday I probably won't be posting as I won't have a lot to write about. I will be back with a post on Friday. </p><p>Until then, stay safe and be kind to each other.</p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-24696120984312047212021-10-19T17:54:00.004+10:302021-10-19T17:54:37.321+10:30Blogtober Day 18<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"> I have been lazy this past week; I haven’t kept up with my Italian lessons; I haven’t written in my journal; my colouring supplies have been neglected and worse of all, I haven’t walked once this week when I usually walk 4-5 times a week. I know the reason for it, I’m tired. Our elderly dog has been waking us up during the night because she needs to go outside, once back in bed, it takes an hour or more for me to get back to sleep, by the time my alarm goes off I feel like I’ve had no sleep at all. I’m out of my routine and I don’t like it. </p><p>I worked a half-day at the Heritage Centre today. At the moment, I am cataloguing school children’s copybooks they used for practising their cursive writing, not an easy thing to do with pen and ink. Some are very messy. There are also some history and scripture exam papers as well, they make interesting reading. </p><p>When I arrived home, I noticed that the garden was full of blooms, spring has finally arrived. I will leave you with some photos I took.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YE3LA7J3bb0/YW5ujPIeXnI/AAAAAAAAIEo/xfhTiNY7SucSe5U8scfjWPzAqodClSleQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211018175454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YE3LA7J3bb0/YW5ujPIeXnI/AAAAAAAAIEo/xfhTiNY7SucSe5U8scfjWPzAqodClSleQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211018175454.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bearded iris</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ed08sBkASSo/YW5ui0WGQbI/AAAAAAAAIEg/mjNQxANQmCAwpODiKPx6ff1oAdHu8ap8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211018175512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ed08sBkASSo/YW5ui0WGQbI/AAAAAAAAIEg/mjNQxANQmCAwpODiKPx6ff1oAdHu8ap8QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211018175512.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favourite rose of all time, Double Delight.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6KzTmeVU3U/YW5ui6wL-mI/AAAAAAAAIEk/GmUtYF-jsfIpwrZd7xFia6RBsDHIj4qMACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211019170905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6KzTmeVU3U/YW5ui6wL-mI/AAAAAAAAIEk/GmUtYF-jsfIpwrZd7xFia6RBsDHIj4qMACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211019170905.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cornflower</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z4TbQT_uXlE/YW5uoiGCcFI/AAAAAAAAIEw/JOfxrssHpsg2FrIS2CcDknTMjNcv-N6OACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211019170935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z4TbQT_uXlE/YW5uoiGCcFI/AAAAAAAAIEw/JOfxrssHpsg2FrIS2CcDknTMjNcv-N6OACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211019170935.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erigeron aka Sea Side Daisy</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VEy94jUia4s/YW5uoD8ZNvI/AAAAAAAAIEs/ayzVOiQ43uc-h4W4SBL9CIYdSNd1Vgc7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211019171030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VEy94jUia4s/YW5uoD8ZNvI/AAAAAAAAIEs/ayzVOiQ43uc-h4W4SBL9CIYdSNd1Vgc7QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211019171030.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma's Rose, beautifully fragrant and thornless.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K5TCcwTTP1Y/YW5upOVK_yI/AAAAAAAAIE0/EijArvJzLk8Sl6MxBWl4_y1b7qZcNBuYACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211019171103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K5TCcwTTP1Y/YW5upOVK_yI/AAAAAAAAIE0/EijArvJzLk8Sl6MxBWl4_y1b7qZcNBuYACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211019171103.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lewisia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-83yNH2RyEWc/YW5urOCP8VI/AAAAAAAAIE4/tqhGFwATrxk_BCBXcGgMju0vJA_o1QlOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211019171155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-83yNH2RyEWc/YW5urOCP8VI/AAAAAAAAIE4/tqhGFwATrxk_BCBXcGgMju0vJA_o1QlOQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211019171155.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dutch iris</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Wcq8U9134o/YW5ur8iyMDI/AAAAAAAAIE8/zPvcOPl-0nsDnK5kzYZmNsgyxEUvo_cfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211019171246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Wcq8U9134o/YW5ur8iyMDI/AAAAAAAAIE8/zPvcOPl-0nsDnK5kzYZmNsgyxEUvo_cfwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211019171246.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red valerian "Kiss Me Quick"<br /><div style="text-align: left;">I will be back tomorrow.</div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-12221560761794696742021-10-18T10:12:00.000+10:302021-10-18T10:12:28.392+10:30Blogtober Day 17<p> I woke to sunshine and blue skies this morning a perfect day for doing the laundry. After I had hung the clothes on the clothesline, I sat down at the computer to work on the plan for the summer vegetable garden. I use Grow Veg, a subscription-based program that helps me keep track of what I've planted and where, it also helps with crop rotation.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7guqvDKmlWk/YWyqM0I20fI/AAAAAAAAIEY/jbWHCZb1a1k4W5MoGVbd3fkCe0nYPcL0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1141/Summer%2BVegetable%2BGarden%2B2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1141" data-original-width="541" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7guqvDKmlWk/YWyqM0I20fI/AAAAAAAAIEY/jbWHCZb1a1k4W5MoGVbd3fkCe0nYPcL0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Summer%2BVegetable%2BGarden%2B2021.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">I have three different varieties of cucumber, Lebanese, Marketmore and a gherkin cucumber, that I need to find room for. I might extend the garden on the left-hand side and grow them there, the grass there is very patchy so it wouldn't take a lot of work, it would also give me more growing room for winter crops. Before I plant anything, I have to check the irrigation system to ensure it's all working, it saves me so much time and, I no longer have to stand out in the heat to water the garden.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-30062831059396155512021-10-16T17:40:00.001+10:302021-10-16T17:40:32.688+10:30Blogtober Day 16 <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zT9fhAXijlk/YWpxXfSa6DI/AAAAAAAAID0/hyK4KVZP2lUyU1PEJHIbbzJoePMQAxv6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20210926172029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zT9fhAXijlk/YWpxXfSa6DI/AAAAAAAAID0/hyK4KVZP2lUyU1PEJHIbbzJoePMQAxv6QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20210926172029.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My self seeded apricot tree in flower.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">Another cold day today. I feel like spring is never going to arrive this year. I had quite an easy day today. I finished cleaning the bathroom, the laundry, watered some houseplants and vacuumed the floors. I had another go at fixing the pump in the hope that the missing grommet wasn't the problem but to no avail. I placed an order for the impeller which will hopefully arrive sometime next week.</p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-67898587250116693372021-10-16T12:29:00.007+10:302021-10-16T12:37:46.573+10:30Blogtober Day 13, 14 and 15<p> I didn't post on Wednesday because I had nothing to write about, I went to work, I came home, that was it. </p><p>Thursday was much the same except that for the first time in years I went late night shopping with my youngest daughter. I wanted to buy some fabric to make myself some face masks to add to the ones I already have. The solid coloured fabrics were all from the remnants bin and the patterned fabrics were all on sale.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vK1a9uqqEXY/YWlxoskxORI/AAAAAAAAIDU/K-wSBFXUb2kuIedyvttjdqTcDH_cinsRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211015171601.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vK1a9uqqEXY/YWlxoskxORI/AAAAAAAAIDU/K-wSBFXUb2kuIedyvttjdqTcDH_cinsRgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211015171601.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Each mask will have three layers a solid coloured layer, a patterned layer and a layer of muslin in between.</p><p>I also bought three new jigsaw puzzles at a price that was too good to pass up.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5k-z7GL-YHc/YWlyTiRPN0I/AAAAAAAAIDc/g61wSltRzj4-v854CqKKj2x-d_WFp6-cQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_20211015_201216.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2015" data-original-width="2016" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5k-z7GL-YHc/YWlyTiRPN0I/AAAAAAAAIDc/g61wSltRzj4-v854CqKKj2x-d_WFp6-cQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG_20211015_201216.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r3KOiSDdqAo/YWorOlzJ8lI/AAAAAAAAIDk/hwmm04wXlukw3vnMDQbxWTUGbKADgaNSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211014182448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r3KOiSDdqAo/YWorOlzJ8lI/AAAAAAAAIDk/hwmm04wXlukw3vnMDQbxWTUGbKADgaNSQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211014182448.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sky on Thursday evening.</td></tr></tbody></table>We had 26.4mm (1.03in) of rain overnight which I was glad of as it saved me from having to water the gardens in my front yard.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">That brings us to today. I had quite a long list of things to do today and I got most of them done. One of the things on my list was to give the fish pond pump a thorough clean. I took it all apart and cleaned it, put back together, put it back in the pond, turned it on and, nothing. So I took it apart again and made sure the impeller was seated properly, turned it back on and it still wouldn't work. I got the manual out to make sure I had done everything the right way and as I was looking at the diagram I noticed that on the bottom of the impeller was a small black grommet which I no longer had. Apparently it helps hold the impeller spindle in place and without it the pump won't work, so now I have to order a new one as they are a special order and not available in store. I just hope that fixes the problem.</span></p></div>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-87225726017584714592021-10-12T17:42:00.006+10:302021-10-19T18:00:45.432+10:30Blogtober Day 12<p>I had just a few things on the agenda for today, the first being a visit to the pop-up blood donor centre. My family carries a genetic disorder called <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hemochromatosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351443#:~:text=Hereditary%20hemochromatosis%20(he%2Dmoe%2D,disease%2C%20heart%20problems%20and%20diabetes." target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">hemochromatosis</span></a> which causes a build-up of iron in the blood. I don't have hemochromatosis, but I do carry two of the genes that cause it so to keep my iron levels low and avoid any problems associated with iron overload I have to give blood on a fairly regular basis. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sKkar2krj8c/YWUwIMHP8_I/AAAAAAAAIDE/ZA1JVO1Erh0K6qqubIZhFvpa6aYSatEQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211012110744.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sKkar2krj8c/YWUwIMHP8_I/AAAAAAAAIDE/ZA1JVO1Erh0K6qqubIZhFvpa6aYSatEQwCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/IMG20211012110744.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the bus.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5qZ3BEbc8_4/YW5zGsU9NNI/AAAAAAAAIFY/7zjdOWNCN4Ut34Y-gi6g62GQ8eul4o_9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211012122856%2B%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1954" data-original-width="2048" height="381" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5qZ3BEbc8_4/YW5zGsU9NNI/AAAAAAAAIFY/7zjdOWNCN4Ut34Y-gi6g62GQ8eul4o_9QCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h381/IMG20211012122856%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not something you expect to see when donating blood, but he was a very cute distraction.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Once back at home I had lunch and then I got busy potting on those tomato seedlings that needed a bigger pot. I forgot to put name tags in the pots as I transplanted them so I have no idea which tomato is which now. I guess I will have to wait until they start fruiting to find out. I also planted out the beans that I was meant to do the other day but never got around to. </span></div><div><div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oO_wQ9VrgL4/YWUyS6E0IeI/AAAAAAAAIDM/Ej1QKi28ZCMMa175NnDEjJ-5SxG9QYxLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211012165635.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oO_wQ9VrgL4/YWUyS6E0IeI/AAAAAAAAIDM/Ej1QKi28ZCMMa175NnDEjJ-5SxG9QYxLwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/IMG20211012165635.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-30901315362835817752021-10-11T10:59:00.005+10:302021-10-11T10:59:58.144+10:30Blogtober Day 11<p> I had a very bad nights sleep last night, my wrist was so sore the pain kept waking me up throughout the night despite the fact I had taken painkillers before I went to bed. Today I will be taking it easy, I need to catch up on my journaling, I might do some colouring and just generally have a relaxing day. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3nhbiSxB2v0/YWOEIOSeVlI/AAAAAAAAIC8/HiQoiG5Z_AUnRqklPBpKPJCPMGzJ4qjmgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Duck%2BPond%2B-%2Buploaded%2B13.2.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1947" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3nhbiSxB2v0/YWOEIOSeVlI/AAAAAAAAIC8/HiQoiG5Z_AUnRqklPBpKPJCPMGzJ4qjmgCLcBGAsYHQ/w608-h640/Duck%2BPond%2B-%2Buploaded%2B13.2.18.jpg" width="608" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just one of the many pages I have coloured over the past 4 years. Colouring helps quiet my overactive mind. Artwork by Johanna Basford.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-67145848739966747732021-10-11T10:46:00.006+10:302021-10-11T11:00:21.681+10:30Blogtober Day 10<p>Yesterday I was out in the garden in a T-shirt, today I'm wearing a jumper. Apparently, winter isn't quite finished with us. I'm not complaining, I am definitely more of a cold-weather person, and I don't look forward to the hot days of summer.</p><p>I didn't have a lot to do today, some clothes needed folding, both my desks were a mess so I tidied them, and I watered the outdoor pot plants and the garden beds that I didn't get to yesterday. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5mWTb0suSUA/YWKrDqS0ZbI/AAAAAAAAIC0/TV7391qIU14XLK0QpUu4SbO30sisWCoeACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211010171951.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5mWTb0suSUA/YWKrDqS0ZbI/AAAAAAAAIC0/TV7391qIU14XLK0QpUu4SbO30sisWCoeACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211010171951.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>I also had a surprise visit from my niece, her husband and their 16-month-old twin daughters. Due to them being born premature and Covid it was my first time meeting them. I had forgotten how noisy two small girls can be, but it was lovely to see them.</div><div><br /></div><div>All the weeding I did yesterday has caused the tendonitis in my right wrist to flare up so tomorrow I will be taking it easy and resting it. </div> <p></p><p><br /></p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-33326519403239145332021-10-09T17:58:00.001+10:302021-10-09T17:58:38.055+10:30Blogtober Day 9<p>Today was a day of sunshine, blue sky and it was the perfect temperature (22°C) for working outside. I spent most of the day down in the vegetable garden weeding and digging up spent broccoli plants. I don't think I've ever had so much Milk Thistle in the garden before.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ML6WqSsqJZg/YWFAxm-mOxI/AAAAAAAAICk/IPAaW3Yx3scFzA0dRYlj6jvoynjuK5vCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211009135802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ML6WqSsqJZg/YWFAxm-mOxI/AAAAAAAAICk/IPAaW3Yx3scFzA0dRYlj6jvoynjuK5vCgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211009135802.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The garden before.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">I have a real issue at the moment with whitefly on my Brussel sprouts but decided not to spray as the garden needed watering. It will have to be done soon though or the whitefly will start to affect the growth of the plants.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7WxEX9qXlkY/YWFBXjMJuKI/AAAAAAAAICs/zcQ3VcsfC0AWc4GqSqf65BHa-cx1UsLIACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211009154941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7WxEX9qXlkY/YWFBXjMJuKI/AAAAAAAAICs/zcQ3VcsfC0AWc4GqSqf65BHa-cx1UsLIACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211009154941.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The garden after. </td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">The only thing left are two very healthy bok choi plants that were hidden under all the weeds, and the Brussels sprouts which I'm hoping will reach maturity before it gets too hot, I had to cut the top of one as it was going to flower. Tomorrow I will plant out my bean seedlings which should have been done a while ago.</p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-79387928229636851622021-10-08T16:17:00.001+10:302021-10-08T16:17:41.055+10:30Blogtober Day 8<p> There were only two things I needed to do today, one was a visit to the doctors to get a referral to have an x-ray on my hip and the other was to get the results of an ultrasound I had a couple of weeks ago. The results were exactly what I thought they would be, but I will need to have a follow-up ultrasound in three months time.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LgXhVDJU_CE/YV_W4XCU9_I/AAAAAAAAICc/uqIbwT5Pcd4Uq1AlYmylFF2aSNvp_u4yACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211008112233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LgXhVDJU_CE/YV_W4XCU9_I/AAAAAAAAICc/uqIbwT5Pcd4Uq1AlYmylFF2aSNvp_u4yACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211008112233.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo of a bottlebrush (Callistemon) simply because I don't have another photo to include in this post. They are all out in flower at the moment and they look stunning.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The other thing I had to do was the grocery shopping which I only do once a month. I managed to buy everything on the list for less than I was expecting which is always a nice surprise. I will have to go back in the middle of the month for more fresh fruit and vegetables, but for now, it's done.</p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-70845911868300428192021-10-07T17:57:00.000+10:302021-10-07T17:57:30.263+10:30Blogtober Day 7<p>As I mentioned in my blog post yesterday I love history, I especially love ancient history. I enjoy watching shows about our ancient ancestors and how they lived so when I saw this book by Alice Roberts, who is an anthropologist and Professor at the University of Birmingham, and has presented shows such as The Incredible Human Journey, (if you haven't seen it yet you should watch it), on BBC2 I had to borrow it and have a read. I'm not that far into it yet, but what I have read so far I've enjoyed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ps3yvwaQcxY/YV6WcFLlztI/AAAAAAAAICM/2MrCocAzXfssCBdp1OxXxOSo33WiL1IPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/The%2BCelts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="325" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ps3yvwaQcxY/YV6WcFLlztI/AAAAAAAAICM/2MrCocAzXfssCBdp1OxXxOSo33WiL1IPgCLcBGAsYHQ/w416-h640/The%2BCelts.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">I recently finished Terry Jones' Medieval Lives, an era that has always fascinated me, an informative look into the lives of people from different walks of life and how they really lived during this time. An enjoyable read this book taught me that what I thought I knew about that time period was not entirely the truth. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g4hKf1ZNhd0/YV6dmoQQcHI/AAAAAAAAICU/r-E6cjsktNcFaELiAvA-1i0McFsGlZ3sgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Medieval%2BLives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="317" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g4hKf1ZNhd0/YV6dmoQQcHI/AAAAAAAAICU/r-E6cjsktNcFaELiAvA-1i0McFsGlZ3sgCLcBGAsYHQ/w406-h640/Medieval%2BLives.jpg" width="406" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Are you a history lover? Is there a particular time period that fascinates you? Let me know in the comments. <br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-54041492825388015622021-10-06T17:54:00.001+10:302021-10-06T17:54:10.516+10:30Blogtober Day 6<p> Today is a workday for me. I work part-time at our town's cultural heritage centre helping to organize and catalogue the history of the town, which includes a large collection of books some of which are well over a century old. At the moment I am collating all the correspondence dating back to the 1850s. It's work I enjoy as it combines two things I like, history and organisation. As well as working at the cultural centre I work one morning/afternoon a week at the visitor's information centre which I enjoy despite not really being a people person.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bIlQ3Upd9_I/YV1MEr_xuLI/AAAAAAAAICE/Uq6TGnKN2l0-RSLxr9tbV4UHNyaHdjOKACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG20211006105156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bIlQ3Upd9_I/YV1MEr_xuLI/AAAAAAAAICE/Uq6TGnKN2l0-RSLxr9tbV4UHNyaHdjOKACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/IMG20211006105156.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I live close enough to town that I can walk there which is easy to do on days like today.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Today started out much like yesterday with blue sky and sunshine, but by the time I had finished work the clouds had gathered and it looks like we are in for a rainy night. </span><span style="text-align: left;">I will be back tomorrow with another post. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-18101031878350219492021-10-05T22:05:00.002+10:302021-10-05T22:05:32.712+10:30Blogtober Day 5<p>I slept in this morning after having had a very bad nights sleep due to a sore hip which I could put down to getting older, but my left hip has been giving me problems on and off since I was in my mid 30's, lately, it has been causing me a lot of pain more often. Arthritis? Probably! Which I'm sure an X-ray will verify. </p><p>Today is in complete contrast to yesterday, the sun is shining and the sky is blue so I took a walk into town by way of the river late this morning to pick up a few necessities, by the time I got back home, it was time for lunch. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JxYsYe_u0eI/YVv2ffR8HtI/AAAAAAAAIBM/3GeUXkjnmtQdRuGs66rFE497c5K-yYRZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Fumitory.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JxYsYe_u0eI/YVv2ffR8HtI/AAAAAAAAIBM/3GeUXkjnmtQdRuGs66rFE497c5K-yYRZwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/Fumitory.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fumitory is an annual weed that germinates in winter and flowers in spring. It is considered a noxious weed in agricultural areas.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BSjhioVWMEs/YVv2352ENUI/AAAAAAAAIBs/oEehnpGTnUEMqpsuqhw99RLTY_HUMsczACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Nasturtiums.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BSjhioVWMEs/YVv2352ENUI/AAAAAAAAIBs/oEehnpGTnUEMqpsuqhw99RLTY_HUMsczACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/Nasturtiums.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nasturtiums grow wild along the river bank at this time of the year</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OjBhvETVgLw/YVv2hTTkgMI/AAAAAAAAIBU/d9T6W2765tspaakvn0cXVvC9_sLrljtagCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Little%2BPara%2BRiver.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OjBhvETVgLw/YVv2hTTkgMI/AAAAAAAAIBU/d9T6W2765tspaakvn0cXVvC9_sLrljtagCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/Little%2BPara%2BRiver.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The river that runs through my town.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FTwSvROik2k/YVv2kNHVozI/AAAAAAAAIBY/FVzbRdtBFBAij5AworhdMocz3zSmSOrdACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/River%2Bwalk.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FTwSvROik2k/YVv2kNHVozI/AAAAAAAAIBY/FVzbRdtBFBAij5AworhdMocz3zSmSOrdACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/River%2Bwalk.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view along the river path.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>My plan for after lunch was to spend some time weeding the vegetable garden which due to all the rain we have been having is almost overrun with weeds, but because of the rain we had yesterday the ground is too wet to walk on so that will have to go on my list of jobs for this coming weekend. </p><p>Instead of weeding, I sorted out the last of the small plastics recycling which was all my empty tubes of skincare and toothpaste from the last 18 months or so, they are now outside drying. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5XWlG4kGeFI/YVv1xrq4WaI/AAAAAAAAIBE/w6QMxRMaAhkB0Gy0t0mip0tHvkCvRe8TwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Recycling.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5XWlG4kGeFI/YVv1xrq4WaI/AAAAAAAAIBE/w6QMxRMaAhkB0Gy0t0mip0tHvkCvRe8TwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/Recycling.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Once it is all dry I will package it up and send it off to <a href="https://www.floraandfauna.com.au/recycle" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Flora and Fauna</span></a> for recycling. After hanging out my washing it was time for a cup of coffee and some chocolate something I look forward to every day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5B-DX4ZUh5I/YVv5Ih9kqpI/AAAAAAAAIB0/3jwoyazpG_8ZwEHC5_MbiHeEDbWPq5N3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2015/Coffee.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2015" data-original-width="2015" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5B-DX4ZUh5I/YVv5Ih9kqpI/AAAAAAAAIB0/3jwoyazpG_8ZwEHC5_MbiHeEDbWPq5N3ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/Coffee.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I will be back with another post tomorrow.<br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-70954505604153015242021-10-05T21:54:00.003+10:302021-10-05T21:54:47.095+10:30Blogtober Day 4<p> Hello everyone, I have decided to participate in Blogtober and write a blog post every day this month. I'll warn you now that some days will be boring, but I'm hoping that writing every day will get me back into the habit of writing more often than a few times a year.</p><p>I woke to gloomy skies and rain this morning which made it the perfect day to stay inside and potter around catching up on some of the things I had been putting off like sorting out the small plastics recycling. I'm pleased to say that I got it all sorted and into the recycling bin except for the empty skincare and toothpaste tubes which have had the bottom cut off them and are now soaking in the laundry sink, tomorrow I will clean them out and get them ready for recycling. </p><p>Another job on my list for today was checking on my houseplants, of which I have too many, and seeing which ones need to be watered. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AvH5W_1umZ8/YVwCLjOYUXI/AAAAAAAAIB8/asLSw-DIq0gVKjAqRqZ8Ekb3uYIASZixQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Philodendron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AvH5W_1umZ8/YVwCLjOYUXI/AAAAAAAAIB8/asLSw-DIq0gVKjAqRqZ8Ekb3uYIASZixQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/Philodendron.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just one of my 40+ houseplants, philodendron "Congo Red".<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A lot of my afternoon was taken up trying to find places to recycle various items like printer cartridges, batteries, water filters and the skincare tubes that I mentioned above. I'm happy to say I found a way to recycle them all. <span style="text-align: center;">I will be back soon with another post.</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-59386059728040230472021-07-13T13:18:00.015+09:302021-08-08T15:29:22.420+09:3025 Sustainable Swaps To Help Save Our Planet<p> We all know by now that plastic is not good for the environment, and we all know that we should be doing our bit to help cut down on the amount of plastic we use each day. Cutting down on the amount of plastic in our lives is not easy, but choosing to live a more sustainable life is not only good for us but good for our planet as well. Below are twenty-five ways you can use to live a more sustainable life. </p><p>1. Bamboo cutlery is a great alternative to plastic cutlery. I bought mine online, but I have seen them in my local supermarket. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-54vRwP4Pal0/YO0NulJ70JI/AAAAAAAAHnQ/1UwuOm8DG1wOk1HFaBWcLi5T_6uqd6dlACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Bamboo%2BCutlery.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-54vRwP4Pal0/YO0NulJ70JI/AAAAAAAAHnQ/1UwuOm8DG1wOk1HFaBWcLi5T_6uqd6dlACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/Bamboo%2BCutlery.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Image courtesy of <a href="https://unsplash.com/@goodsoulshop?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Good Soul Shop</span></a> on Unsplash</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Another solution to plastic cutlery is to take your own from home wrapped up in a fabric napkin.</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">2. Reusable produce bag. These are readily available these days online or in the supermarket or if your crafty you could make your own.</span></div><p>3. Buy a metal reusable water bottle, I have one that's insulated and keeps the water in it cool for six hours, not the water last that long.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvuBnpjkkG4/YO0N85FdxgI/AAAAAAAAHnU/SE4ittsFVaUUajeApMJ0KRrapsOCIkVFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Water%2BBottle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1366" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vvuBnpjkkG4/YO0N85FdxgI/AAAAAAAAHnU/SE4ittsFVaUUajeApMJ0KRrapsOCIkVFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Water%2BBottle.jpg" /></a></div><br />Image courtesy of <a href="https://unsplash.com/@joanofarts?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Joan Tran</span></a> on Unsplash.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">4. Bamboo or metal straws are readily available these days I purchased mine from Kmart.</span></div><p>5. Reuse glass jars for storage. We all end up with empty jars from jam, pasta sauce, tomato paste etc; rather than put them in the recycling bin keep them for storing dry goods in the pantry and leftovers in the refrigerator. They may not be aesthetically pleasing as mason jars but choosing to reuse them will save you money.</p><p>6. Make your own bread. Even if you only buy one loaf of bread a week you would be saving fifty-two plastic bread bags a year from ending up in the landfill.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mqJbHmHHJFo/YOJt0BS5j2I/AAAAAAAAHms/GjL8rP1VqW8D2VgB-KbeM-qTDYgaUm7iQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Bread.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mqJbHmHHJFo/YOJt0BS5j2I/AAAAAAAAHms/GjL8rP1VqW8D2VgB-KbeM-qTDYgaUm7iQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h268/Bread.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of <a href="https://unsplash.com/@viazavier?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Laura Ockel</span></a> on Unsplash.</p><p>6. Skip buying soft drinks in plastic bottles and invest in a soda maker and make your own. </p><p>7. Buying in bulk is much easier now than it used to be with most supermarkets having bulk bins in their stores now. Don't forget to take your own containers and bags with you.</p><p>8. Ditch the garbage bags. I haven't used a bag in my kitchen bin for over three years now. I simply line the bottom of the bin with two layers of newspaper which helps soak up any liquids and if the bin does get messy it doesn't take a lot of effort to clean it out.</p><p>9. Switch out that plastic-wrapped toilet paper for another like <a href="https://au.whogivesacrap.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Who Gives a Crap</span></a>, who not only make great toilet paper but also donates 50% of their profits to help bring toilets to people in need.</p><p>10. Carry a reusable coffee cup with you when you're out and about. </p><p>11. Invest in a safety razor or at least buy a razor that only requires new blades.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l_NicXyh8G8/YOJvg5qsfXI/AAAAAAAAHm0/tooMbb13nQ0hEEoB_DmodrQ3y5JitzXFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Safety%2BRazor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l_NicXyh8G8/YOJvg5qsfXI/AAAAAAAAHm0/tooMbb13nQ0hEEoB_DmodrQ3y5JitzXFgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/Safety%2BRazor.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Safety razor available from <a href="https://www.floraandfauna.com.au/green-kind-reusable-safety-razor-rose-gold" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Flora and Fauna</span></a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">12. There is no need to keep on buying those plastic pot scourers, there are more sustainable options available for you to buy like these </span><a href="https://www.floraandfauna.com.au/safix-biodegradable-scrub-pad-small" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Coconut scourers</span></a><span style="text-align: left;"> or this </span><a href="https://www.floraandfauna.com.au/eco-max-kitchen-scrubber" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">kitchen scrubber</span></a><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div><p>13. Did you know that there is a cling wrap that is 100% compostable <a href="https://www.floraandfauna.com.au/compostic-home-compostable-cling-wrap-30m" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffb23f;">Compostable cling wrap</span></a></p><p>14. Beeswax wraps are another excellent alternative to plastic cling wrap and are also 100% compostable. There is also a vegan version as well, both of which are easy to make at home.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EgHTG4vdFyI/YOJxr1UmK8I/AAAAAAAAHm8/A4J_eSl5jTsoeWrCkZwveVWhQiXLokcrgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/Vegan%2BWraps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EgHTG4vdFyI/YOJxr1UmK8I/AAAAAAAAHm8/A4J_eSl5jTsoeWrCkZwveVWhQiXLokcrgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/Vegan%2BWraps.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Vegan wraps are available from <a href="https://www.floraandfauna.com.au/green-kind-vegan-food-wraps-3-pk-mix" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Flora and Fauna</span></a>.</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">15.When you need to replace your kitchen utensils consider buying steel or bamboo instead of plastic.</span></p><p>16. Bamboo toothbrushes are a more sustainable option than plastic and apart from the bristles (which can be pulled out) are fully compostable. You can also purchase floss made from bamboo that is also compostable.</p><p>17. There are now cotton buds available that are fully compostable <a href="https://www.floraandfauna.com.au/green-kind-bamboo-cotton-buds-100" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Bamboo and cotton buds</span></a></p><p>18. Buy or make yourself some reusable face pads to replace those single-use make-up wipes. These ones from Target come with their own laundry bag <a href="https://www.target.com.au/p/alchemist-reusable-cleansing-pads-with-laundry-wash-bag/64568607?utm_term=64568607&utm_content=alchemist-reusable-cleansing-pads-with-laundry-wash-bag&utm_source=google&utm_medium=merchant-site&utm_campaign=merchant-site&gclid=CjwKCAjwuIWHBhBDEiwACXQYsWIBw2hkV_x87hVDkmIkgrJrlIS_D-8-xmVpNKuR5ilQV8kFurmTSxoCt20QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Reusable face pads</span></a>. 100% cotton or bamboo facecloths are another alternative and can be composted when longer usable.</p><p>19. Consider investing in clothes, bed linen, towels etc made from natural fibres such as cotton, linen and bamboo.</p><p>20. When it comes time to replace your laundry basket think about buying a bamboo, cane or metal basket instead.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bCO09VSykO8/YOJqTcek6xI/AAAAAAAAHmc/ot8XG-UIQOMXvC1HCBQiN0NPh2pBEIJqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/Laundry%2BBasket.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bCO09VSykO8/YOJqTcek6xI/AAAAAAAAHmc/ot8XG-UIQOMXvC1HCBQiN0NPh2pBEIJqQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/Laundry%2BBasket.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of <a href="https://www.kmart.com.au/product/oval-open-weave-laundry-basket---brown/3503802" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Kmart Australia</span></a>.</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">21. I know some people don't like the idea of using handkerchiefs instead of tissues but they are the best sustainable option you can choose and they really aren't any grosser than using tissues. If you're worried about germs just wash them on your washing machine warm cycle.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;">22. Swap out paper towels for unpaper towels, you will find a tutorial for making your own on <a href="https://www.papernstitchblog.com/how-to-make-reusable-paper-towels/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">Paper and Stitch's</span></a> blog. Not only will they save you money it's also a great way to use up old towels.</p><p style="text-align: left;">23. Buy second-hand clothes instead of new ones. I was always against second-hand clothing when my children were growing up, the clothes were always dumped into bins that you had to rummage through and more often than not if you found something you liked it was damaged or dirty. These days however op shops (thrift stores) are completely different and the quality of the clothes is so much better. There is also the added bonus that most are run by charitable organisations and I am more than happy to support them. Op shops are also a great resource for books and DVDs.</p><p style="text-align: left;">24. Replace single-use batteries with rechargeable ones. The cost is more expensive to start with, but it will save you money in the long run.</p><p style="text-align: left;">25. Replace a meat centred dinner with a plant-based meal one day a week, you can find some amazing vegan or vegetarian meals on Pinterest.</p><p style="text-align: left;">There you go, 25 easy ways to live a more sustainable life and help save this beautiful planet we live on. </p><p>Until next time, stay safe, be kind to each other and the planet.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324481537912548682.post-70114257438888687202021-05-18T12:27:00.002+09:302021-07-01T07:23:34.531+09:30Hello! <p>Hello friends, I just wanted to pop in and say hi and to apologise for my long absence from the blog. Since my last blog post, I have been dealing with some very difficult and emotional situations that have left me feeling exhausted and full of anxiety and the last thing I have felt like doing was writing, but I am finally starting to feel like my old self again and I will be back soon with a new blog post. Until then, stay safe and be kind to each other, Janette.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xX1Jc7pEreU/YKMqJM5REdI/AAAAAAAAHi4/xIQ2p2dZmUE2hhxD0EQs1NRWsSx5cDBHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Eucalyptus%2BTrees.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xX1Jc7pEreU/YKMqJM5REdI/AAAAAAAAHi4/xIQ2p2dZmUE2hhxD0EQs1NRWsSx5cDBHwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/Eucalyptus%2BTrees.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200939679562558409noreply@blogger.com1