So Much To Do, So Little Time...

Sometimes it feels like there are just not enough hours in a day.  Sometimes it feels like those we do have are flying past so fast they have wings.  I'm on a Staycation at the moment.  Normally I plan and plan and plan a holiday but a few weeks ago i just decided that if i wanted the veggie garden and backyard to be ready for the next growing season that I'd better take a week off work and get through a few projects.

Projects Wish List (Short Term)

Box in the square of grass we are keeping for Tilly in the backyard to contain the Kikuyu.  I know, its ridiculous to kill 75% and leave a small patch but Tilly does love rolling around in it and snoozing on a sunny day.  Any blade of grass escaping will be shot dead with hot water or as a last resort weed killer.

Remove James Stirling Pittosporum (4m high and about 2m wide) that sits on the fence line half way down the side.  By doing this i will have one continuous line of fence making the yard look longer.  As my mate Craig from Edible Garden says, "if it doesn't pay its way by providing flowers for bees or some form of food then get rid of it".

Starting at the pergola, mark out every 10 ft and put in a pole (2.4m high) to run the wire through and to support espaliered fruit trees.  Craig told me to make the first wire 2 ft from the ground and then 1 foot thereafter.  I figure i have about 15m + 8m of fence i can use.  Since some of my trees will have multiple grafts i will have a veritable orchard in a small suburban backyard with some added privacy.

Craig's Apple Tree

Probably two of these frames will have cross beams to support the vertical strawberry beds i made out of pallets a few weeks ago and also perhaps a couple of gutter gardens (for micro greens).  We are also trying to figure out how to incorporate my beautiful garden mirror made by the guys at work so that it reflects back across the green grass and the area in front of the pergola.

Brushed Aluminium Custom Frame and Polished Stainless Steel Mirror.  

Paint the entire fence, poles and border sleepers.   I know this is unnecessary but I'm big on final touches.   Grey mismatched wooden palings are just not in my colour wheel (as Sandra Bullock said in Blind Side).

Continue lining the existing raised beds and incorporating more soil, mushroom compost and manure.   Plant some more winter crops and make the lower ones all Tilly proof.

I had better leave it there.  My hubby is beginning to twitch.  Obviously this cannot be done in a week but i want to get a good start so that i can accomplish parts of each on weekends instead of thinking its all just too much.

Now this is the picture i should have started with - i can see you all exiting to go get a cup of coffee/tea right now.  

On Friday (Day 1 on my Staycation) i drove to Ballarat to spend the day with Sharon from Miss Townmouse.  It was my first visit to her home and i was busy checking out all the images i had of her place from her blog with those in front of me.  OK, its official, she is not running around the neighbourhood taking photos of miscellaneous neighbours homes, it really is her place. Those baby bunnies are so so cute.   I didn't take any photos as mine wouldn't do justice to the ones that she and India take on her blog so go check them out, later, not now!

I arrived at 10.30am and can i tell you that we talked right through till 5pm.  Such a great day.  Mid afternoon i had my first reflexology massage on my feet and then was turned around and had an Indian Head Massage.  It was really relaxing though i think you are meant to be quiet and reflective, not yak right through it. The music was on, the candles were burning and there we were like chooks in a hen house.

On my way home i popped in to visit Jess from Rabidlittlehippy.  Yet more talking before making my way home.  Gosh Ballan is cold.   It was a big day out but long overdue.

Saturday my big sis turned up for her regular weekend away from the grandkids she lives with.  Actually its been a few weeks with weather and interruptions (OK so Bel burst her appendix, what's the big deal) so if she doesn't turn up in a fortnight i might have to review that "regular visitor" tag to "once in a while visitor". Do you think I've gotten the message through?  I really look forward to our time together.  We do really exciting stuff and cancel outings to see Tom Cruise in The Edge of Tomorrow to do things like play Solitaire Wars with our smart phones over a plate of grapes, cheese, crackers and dips.  If you cant work out what we are doing then you had better come over because i just might get a win in.  We are really wild girls. Our usual big weekend outing is a trip to Bunnings with a quick coffee from the cafe.

When getting Chinese takeaway we popped into our local video store that is closing down and having DVD sales.  I was chatting to the girls and noticed that there were fittings available.  Staring right in front of me was a popcorn stand.

Now a potato planter lined with shade cloth.  You can see on the ground all the "freebie" plants coming up.  Obviously Tilly didn't get them all.

Trouble is, looking at it i thought it would be light painted aluminium.  I went to grab it and take it to the car and left my elbow behind.  Its made of steel and very heavy.  Hence on Sunday, i couldn't even lift my coffee cup.  Ole ambidextrous sister of mine was having a great time laughing at me continually trying to do things before yelping and changing hands.  I spent most of Sunday and Monday moping thinking that my week of work was over but here i am Tuesday and I'm already lugging sleepers around.  Funny thing is i still cant turn the tap on or squeeze things, weird.

Other great freebies included:

Hubby scored himself 3 of these shelving units which were in a back room.

We scored a beautiful mirror which was on the back of the office door.  It matches our architraves and window frames.

They also offered me large office chair i'm sitting on now,  the microwave and the kettle.  Why not, always good to have a spare and all are as new.  I've got my eye on the vacuum cleaner which is industrial but i have to wait until the end of the week as they will need it last minute.  The owners are going back to New Zealand and they have to pay someone to take stuff away so they were very grateful.  My sis was shaking her head and saying how can you be so up front.  I laugh, that's easy, i just turn my head and look at my big behind - "more arse than class" i say.

My readers, if there is one piece of advice i can leave this world with its that you don't get anything, if you don't ask!  Since i started being mindful of "repurpose, recycle, reuse, reclaim, restore" i see useful things everywhere.  Our factory is like a candy store now and yet i've worked there for seven years blind to it all.

Tom was also in on the act and painted our old dog kennel not being used.  He sold it for $40 to our friend (thanks Natalia).

She gave him an extra $10 and also a little dog suit for Tilly which was too small for her dog.

She doesn't look too happy in this shot but she really hasn't tried to take it off and she is so snuggly warm.  She was recently groomed and so is missing her top coat.  

Whilst working in the garden i have to pull up a few plants so that I can lift the level of the soil.  The garlic chives took some doing with the wrong hand but when i separated it out it had so many bulbs.

I kept a few for myself but most have been planted into a big Styrofoam box to keep for Jess.  

The last of the lettuce also had to be picked and so it was a yummy salad for lunch.  I have masses of baby lettuce and radishes coming up in a bed I've already completed.

I'm going to leave you with some other unexpected news.  I won Gavin's Watch Giveaway.  In my future is beautiful watch made from wood. I really going to enjoy explaining where i got it from, it is so unique.

Thanks for Visiting Living In The Land Of Oz