Settling In Place

We have been very lucky indeed in this house. We discovered a few holes in our flooring under the tiles. Quite by accident that we found them. We rang the insurance company and they have covered us for the repairs to the flooring up to a certain point. Apparently the people who had the house before us decided to do a quick tile job over the kitchen and wet areas and did not use any type of water proofing. That part of the deal is ours to handle.

Anyway with very careful planning we have managed to get quite a lot of repairs done around the house. The builder arrives on Monday to repair the floor and build a ramp of the back door area. This will be so good because my Mum cannot get into our house up the stairs without a lot of problems. Now she will be able to visit without any worry at all.

So we have been doing lots of little and major repairs. I will post before and after photos when it is completed.

The thing that has really made me think is that in our haste to save money or simply say we cannot afford something to be done around the house - other problems can occur. Our house is our biggest asset. It is our home - our safety - our retirement - our security. It is ever so important to maintain it. Just like our cars or any other object we own. I have watched my parents always look after their home. They do the little things and very rarely have any major problems pop up.

In my youth I never wanted to be at home - I was always out - always on the move. The grass always seemed greener on the other side. As I age and mature - I will add like a very good bottle of wine -  I appreciate my home. I find safety in it - I find calm in it. I never want to leave lately and have the opposite problem to the first part of my life. I am becoming quite secluded. I feel my best emotionally at home. There seems to be less and less reason to leave home as I consume less and less and enjoy making and producing for myself at home. Many grand ideas of travel have left my thoughts - I would still like to travel this great country of ours but overseas - nahh - not really interested now. If I have money spare I would prefer to pay of my morgage - get more freedom from being debt free.

I feel like I am wriggling my bottom and settling down into our home - like you do when you sit down at the beach on the sand - getting comfortable.

And I love it....

Cheers,
Wendy

I am hooked.....

I am completely hooked on growing food. There is nothing like a bit of succes to spur me on to keep trying to grow more and more. I would love this place to be a food forest....

Baby pumpkins on the vine.

I moved to this home and property five years ago this year. I finally got a vegetable garden started at the end of last year. I have run out of room and needed more space. The garden is now extended and surrounded by floppy fencing to hopefuly - fingers crossed - deter the possums. It definately keeps out the wallabies and kangaroos.

What am I going to do when I cannot go to the garden and pick cucumbers - the vines have fruit on them but starting to look a bit worn. I must plant out some more this week. I have made my own cucumber pickles and the best homemade and tastiest gherkins I have ever tried.

A capsicum. The bushs are full of these and the first ones are starting to turn red. Some plants have long fruit like this but some others from the same punnet of seedlings have the bell shape fruit setting.

A few of the banana trees in the front garden. This big one has set a bunch of bananas so I will photograph and post on here as they grow. I am so excited.

I found one very yellow lemon on the ground under the lemon tree yesterday - it was marked on one side but when I cut it open it was just fine and I juiced it and made myself a hot lemon and honey drink with a touch of ginger. MMMMMM.

Pumpkins setting on the vine out the front garden. These are kent pumpkins from seeds from a pumpkin that was so tasty. So far I have counted a minimum of 10 fruit with so many more flowers on the vines. I just hope they are not eaten by something but the odds are that I will get at least a few to store away.

Paw Paw tree covered in flowers. I think this is the female.

And this is the male tree - It has set some fruit already. I will post some more photos as they grow. Again I cannot wait to eat these so I wil have to net them to keep the birds and possums of them. My Dad grew these from some seeds from a nice paw paw he had eaten.

Fresh produce - I am hooked - completely - every where I go I am on the look out for cuttings - plants I might like to grow - and most of all growing food.

Floppy fence around a large section of our yard with the covered in vegetable garden in the centre.

I will keep you up to date on how this fencing works and any troubles I encounter but most of all I am hoping to report on the successes.

Luffa vine - it is covered in fruit and they are getting bigger everyday and still has flowers all over it.

I have so much to show you and talk about but tonight I will leave it at this.

Have a lovely day tomorrow everyone.

Cheers, Wendy