Closing Down the Back Garden.

 This week we have been up to Brisbane and back, staying overnight with my niece and dropping off a pair of chairs that I purchased from the op shop years ago. I was going to do it myself even had the fabric but as my nieces partner is an upholsterer, he is kindly going to do it for me. My sister sent some photos she quickly took to show him on her visit, I forgot to take some.

Foam needs replacing and wood refinshed.

Fabric is cream with black writing.

Brisbane means visiting my RA specialist. Finally he was able to feel every joint so see how I was going as the blood workup wasn't brilliant for inflammation. I am in active rheumatoid with an inflammation reading of 13 which is quite high. I was surprised and as he said "the body gets used to the pain". That is not saying I couldn't feel it as I did, but not to that extent. So now I am on steroids(prednisone ) for 3 weeks, to try and calm it down. Still taking the injection but has upped my methotrexate medicine to double ie. 20mg. 

Oh well such is life, but I am "upright and walking" like my dad used to say. In fact now that the Prednisone has kicked in, feel I can do anything so while I have the chance 3 grandchildren came to help me yesterday. It was overcast so I asked Miss P to start her fortnightly help, but the twins wanted to come as well. Miss V is a good worker and got a dollar more than her brother who disappears regularly, but this may teach him though, the intricacy of working hard.

This is how overgrown with weeds the back is.

After the first weeding, another garden, left some rocket.

Before

After.... Finding Rhubarb, Strawberry and Blueberries.

Basically to shut it down, I will leave the permanent things, but  the round  and side beds will cover with black builders plastic. This will sterilize all the seeds, and hopefully nut grass. We can spray some poison on the pathway and I will get it concreted over as well. I always look to the future sale of this house and feel that the front beds will be gone as they are portable, and grass can go down, but this area is permanent and would make a nice little garden for veg. or flowers for a new owner.  So making it easy to weed on the path is the best thing. It has been 2006 since we improved it originally. As we get older, little things like this will make it much easier, for me.

The twins carted all the weeds up to the front, which is a bit of a steps climb, onto the veranda, then out to the front, haul. Saved our legs a lot. By morning tea, it was hot and we changed over to the verandah and sorted out the junk there, threw out gloves, many, many pots,old plants collected for seeds, empty bottles etc. Miss V dipped all the Heucheras and  Rex Begonia collections into water, watching the bubbles, they were so dry. I have had to change the pot stand as the one I had rotted. Still a work in progress and the verandah is still covered in stuff but both the green and red bins are now full, to the top for tomorrows collection. A nice feeling. 

 We worked hard and after I took them home, I had to have a lie down after lunch. It is a good feeling to know we have started. It has been raining most of  yesterday afternoon and last night, which the garden needed, there has been a fair bit of drying wind. 

Today is Valentines Day and I wish all the couple a Happy Day, and hope you make an effort to celebrate.

 

Till Next Time.

Refurbishing the Kitchen Island

 When the kitchen was put in more than 5 years ago now, the oak kitchen Island bench was only oiled. This I suppose should be done quite regularly, but was not, so any protection it had from stains hasn't really happened. 

Things like a pumpkin sitting on it rotted unnoticed from the inside and when I picked it up to use was a mess and had left a deep black stain. Odd things happen like that and in hindsight the bench should have been the black marble top like the rest of the benches. 

Wood represented a kitchen table, and so it had become in need of cleaning up something I have waited for a couple of years now. This past Friday and Saturday, I decided to do it myself, while John was away visiting family in Casino.

 As you can see it is quite large, measuring roughly 6 foot x 4 foot (1.8 x 1.20).

Friday I sanded all day, it had an oil coat on it which gums up the sander so scraped a lot of it off with a blade. That night I slept like a log I was exhausted.

Next morning  I read up on how to get rid of black stains, one suggested bleach so tried that and it worked a little bit, but it also turned the wood around the stains, much lighter which I knew would happen, and I had a way of fixing that. 

The above is the wall into the pantry. It was put in 30 years or more after the pine walls next to it, which had changed colour over the years so I stained it with baltic pine to match. No one would know now. 

So for this bench top I used some acrylic paints I had, and mixed brown, sienna and yellow oxide, and put it on with a rag after sanding. 

The end result came out much richer than the original and helped blend the stains, although lighter in colour, from the bleach. 

This is the result.

The light is reflecting from the window.

 I could have perhaps made the darker blend a bit more wider, but in actual fact you really don't notice it much, for some reason it shows up more in a photo.Once a few things like vases of flowers in the middle appear, it will be gone.

I have covered it all with two coats of clear satin benchtop sealer and today will do another two. This will harden substantially and although we can use the bench after it is dry, will harden it for a week first. I have a plastic soft lined cloth I can cover some of it with to protect it once it is dry today.

Close up of worse stain area.

 Very pleased with the result. There is also quite a few things like this to be done. 

On another note, I received in the mail this week my new kit for the new needle injections. The companies who make these include a box to put the used needles into so you can then put them in a designated bin for removal in the local area. My old one for Actemra was quite a neat one. 

Extra Large Coffee cup takeaway size

The new one came in a box, so when I opened it saw this.

My reaction was it is so huge, but thought how nice to include a cold bag as these injections should be kept in a fridge so handy for picking up at the chemist or taking it with you. When I opened the bag up lo and behold another yellow box.

My first thought was how big are these injections!!!! Where do I keep this stuff.  I knew by the way my specialist showed me on our tele meeting they were made a bit different and looked like a very fat pen rather than the skinny one, but really these were huge in comparison.

Friday in the middle of sanding, another knock on the door, with yet another delivery.

 WAIT FOR IT!

Yep

You have to see the funny side of life sometimes.

 

Till Next Time. 

Collecting Heuchera

 I had a surprise turn up this week, John had bought some baby Heucheras and a couple of fancy leaf  Rex Begonias from   Australian Plants Online.

Heucheras I potted up from their tube stock.

Heucharas like semi shade to full sun, and I have had them before in the back corner garden but they died. They are a bit of a ground cover clump, but can grow up instead and you need to prune them every couple of years to take out the middle clump. from which you can then regrow from the stem hopefully.

Earlier this year I actually bought another group, of Heucheras from garden express and they have grown quite a bit. 

The little Begonias are the same variety, and I also potted them up from tube stock. They propagate from leaves placed on the soil with a small rock to hold them down. I haven't had much success doing that though. 

Painters Palette Begonia Rex

 Once the small ones grow a bit bigger I will put them in a nice pot and the whole lot is going to go in my shady corner.

 Yesterday I woke up with a  bad migraine something I don't get very often, and in the afternoon had a very painful  gallstone attack, so was reliving the year before when I had my gallbladder out. So today feeling very wiped out with a niggly pain in my stomach. 

If it happens again will go to the hospital but as I have already been there last week for bad heart palpitations, wasn't keen on turning up again. Will watch my diet, no fat, or meat, and go back to the vegetable soup I did before while waiting for the operation. Hopefully things will settle.

I had video call, before this happened, last Wed. to my RA specialist and he tells me I have to change medicine, as my Neutraphils are super low at .5 and probably lower now as the day before took my injection, I now have to wait a fortnight for new blood tests to get the ok to start again, and so the drama of arthritis pain goes on, he also is getting my knees x-rayed which is causing me the most hardship.

Roses I picked today so beautiful and cheers me up.

I also saw my local GP  last Friday, as a result of the hospital and she is sending me to the Heart Dr. again for more testing probably a Holter Monitor, plus found another skin cancer she has to freeze off but due to the Neutraphils being so low which causes infections, I have to wait for the next blood test, so will see her again in early Nov.

 She also wants to send me to a therapist for depression and anxiety and give me some tablet to make me feel better. I turned that down, will try to cope on my own, for the moment.

For those readers who believe in praying, please add me to your list. As I ask for prayers I think of all those who are struggling with Covid, or Cancer and probably how much better off I am, but it has been a very long year though. 

 

Till Next Time. 

Succulants and Rex Begonia Clean Up.

What a cold week we have had this week. So glad for my fire place. Consequently haven't done a great deal but my  grand daughter helper started today and we cleaned up the plants on the fence line. This is a view outside my kitchen window so it is nice to see it done.

Side one

Miss P worked hard emptying them all, while I wandered around and collected numerous pots of succulents. After it was all emptied into a bigger container, we then  refreshed the soil with cow manure and some chicken pellets and mixed it all up. Succulents don't really need a lot of nutrients, and seemed to grow well with a bit of neglect.

Side 2

Next to all this is a shaded garden that I keep my Rex Begonias in. So another lesson for Mis P about them and we pulled everything out, did the same thing with the soil and repotted everything.

Very hand to use the verandah.

Unfortunately I have lost quite a few, due to my inactivity in the last year and hot weather, but as I got a Bunnings voucher for Mothers Day, by our youngest daughter, this I think, if I can get them, will spend on some more and build the collection up again.

Stands are getting very rusty hopefully another year for them.

The above is where they all go, an orange clivia growing in the ground and also an arum lily,which I thought had died, is at the back under the tree.
 

 The tree is a jaboticaba, of which the plum like fruit grows on the trunk and limbs. Last year I found some for the first time in 10 years but  I don't  like the taste of them. This tree I am thinking we can take out, but will investigate that with John, as the roots must be growing close to the house foundations. I pruned some of the branches up high and John needs to get in with a taller ladder and his strength to cut more. The leaves are getting into the gutter and the tank filters. If the tree comes out a replacement shade bush needs to go in.

All ready for a new growing season.

On another note, I was due for my Rheumatoid infusion this coming Wednesday and decided to have a blood test last week as its been 3 months now since I had one. Unexpectedly, both my specialist and local Drs. rang as the white blood cells are very low. On a normal scale 1.50 is the lowest reading acceptable, mine was .83, which means I am up for any infection that comes my way. Lucky I don't go out except for medical lol.

This week our embroidery group starts again, now that the restrictions have eased a bit, and I will still go as only 4 of us. Of course I have to have another blood test tomorrow, to see what the next step is, if nothing changes maybe wait another week or two. The specialist is investigating alternatives as well, I was starting to feel well again too, despite the pain and stiffness.


Stay Safe everyone, Till Next Time.

Living Lightly Seed Saving Talk

Well I am back and for those who missed me last week I was very sick with flu and spent most of my time doing nothing but sleeping and coughing. I do remember that it rained solid as well. Finally this week though I am back on my feet. Had my infusion as ordered, even though I had to put it off a week, started back at embroidery class, and choir also, so feel the beginning of normal routine is happening.
Today I did my final talk, on Seed Saving, so part of last week was getting notes together.
This was held at Woolgoolga Community Garden and due to the rain all week, not many turned up although it was a lovely day, and this suited me just fine.

Members Beds

Woolgoolga's new pavilion from a distance.

It is a large area in an Industrial estate, with an equally large pavilion.

The compost bins were very impressive, the soil looked great.

I tried out a new gadget which makes your voice louder. A battery operated thing and it worked fine. It belongs to our community garden and will help those throw their voice in our pavilion.

 

Members beginning the set up.

I made it a hands on workshop after explaining the history of how our current seeds came to be.

Sorting out all the stuff

John helped out by handing out seeds for them to pull apart and put in envelopes.

Busy sorting lettuce seeds.

All in all I think it was a successful day. I was exhausted when I got home, and slept on the couch. It has been a hot sticky day as well,with no rain, for the first time in days. I need also to spend some time now, getting my health back to normal, as I realised I have very little energy.

They look interested.

Explaining how this pumpkin had been cross pollinated.

As usual there was a bearded dragon running about.

And my favorite dog breed.

I have had all sorts of seeds floating about the house, so now it is time for me to sort everything out and probably toss a few out of date and start fresh for this year.


Till Next Time.

Brisbane Trip

We drove up to Brisbane this week to see my Rheumatologist, who has moved there from Coffs Harbour. A bit of a pain but not much alternative and it is only for every 6 months. Good excuse to call in at Ikea for some great kitchen knives they have, and a Yarn store for some chocolate brown wool which is quite hard to find.

Although my blood tests are settling down Dr. wants me to start back up on my infusions, sadly also he has recommended that we don't go to Vietnam in November, due to being  Immunosuppressant. Hows that for a big word! Means my immune system is compromised and basically for  Vietnam you have to have at least 3 vaccinations which may not take for me, so that means I have to have more blood tests to see what percentage, then maybe another lot to boost what you just had, 6 months later. 
It is recommended that most people only drink bottled water or alcohol. No salads as they are washed in tap water which has a few nasties like typhoid. Cooked meals only. etc you get the drift. Mosquito viruses are also a problem.  So I have cancelled the trip. Very disappointed.

Chook roaming area.

While in Brisbane we stayed with our niece. Her vege garden is looking great. Still a bit of work to do, but the fruit trees my sister and I  helped choose are coming along nicely. Nice to see chooks again, who just love roaming around the area they are allowed in as well every afternoon.

The 3 big raised beds are all covered now, which is great. Her seedling area is still producing.

We were given a branch from a yellow frangipani, which I will plant in a pot to start with. Plus some lovely eggs, and mangoes off the tree next door for my sister.

Just a quick trip, but great to get away.  


Till Next Time.

Christmas Parties

Would you believe Christmas is only 10 days away. Are you all ready? I must say for me it has been certainly different this year. Not sure what is happening on the big day, haven't got any decorations up, and only know our eldest daughter is arriving on the 23rd.

My health has been a major problem and taking it quiet is all I am doing and letting what will be, happen. I have put myself back on Prednisone a steroid that drains your bones of calcium. I couldn't walk without great difficulty and the pain was just too much too handle. Had the bone density scan done, another blood test  and see my local Dr. Thursday. This will decide if the Methotrexate is doing its thing or if I need higher dosage etc. If all this works I will be free of having a cannula put into my hand every 5 weeks to have a 2 hr. infusion at our local hospital. What I have managed to do Saturday though, as the Prednisone had kicked in by then, was go with my sister to see mum and also a local handmade only market, combined with fruit and vegetables in Bellingen.

Plenty of space at the showgrounds.

There were some interesting items of course, and some shop owners told me they had only been doing it a short while. I am looking at it to see whether I will also take on " a market stall" again in the future.
This one is vetted so no commercial type market stalls get in., which I like.  It is held every 3 months, at the Bellingen Showgrounds.

Toilets at the showgrounds

We got there by 8 am so afterwards it was a bit early to go around to the Nursing Home so had coffee at the Old Butter Factory. Haven't been there for such a  long time. It was certainly a much needed day out. Thanks little sister.

We wandered the shops there and found this lovely Spring Lamb. Isn't it gorgeous?

$160.00

Meanwhile early in the week when I was not good, John went off to the Community Garden Pizza Night. I made up the flour and we worked out all the ingredients and they had a lovely Christmas break up party.

 

John with the new Fantastic Pizza Oven the Roccbox.

There were a few problems but all were learning how to make pizzas for future events to sell. These are about 11 inches big.

I also opted out of Carols by Candlelight, and our Choir master asked for John, as they were a bit short of singers. 18 turned up in the end, and John informs me the noise was huge, and the stage very, very hot.
This is a photo of the stage set up. Everyone brings along chairs and food and sit around it. Just a large grassed flat park, and groups of singers entertain everyone till 9 pm.

2019 is nearly at its end, and tomorrow the 16th Dec. is our wedding anniversary, and we will have been 47 years married.


Stay safe everyone,  Till Next Time.