Who would have known that this week would bring so many new things!
Early in the week we have welcomed a new family member in the form of Peppa, a five year old ex stud doe rabbit. We are learning about rabbits rapidly but the thing I didn't know is they like to play chasies, at least Peppa does, she loves company and we have been having her hop around inside. there were claims made that she is litter trained but she just seems happy to go anywhere to me! We have given the boys the little cordless vacuum cleaner and they go around vacuuming her "leavings" up which seems to keep us all happy! She chases them and they in turn are surprisingly gentle with her.The cat is scared and Peppa chases him. Most amusing. Peppa is a welcome addition to our funny little household.
So now we have learned to be rabbit owners!
I have also dug out some old singer sewing machines from the shed as next week I have a dance performance and was given a lovely little frock to use as a costume bu the problem is it is too little for me so I have bitten the bullet and I am learning to up-cycle. I have already turned a too small Indian blouse into a wearable one and now I am determined to make a costumes with the aid of the trusty Singer. I have, of course, needed to learn all the basics of how to thread a machine, wind a bobbin, oil it and so forth which leave me smelling all steam punkish with oil and dust and old metal. I have managed to sew two straps so far, I hope to post a picture when the costume is done. I also intend to do a more in-depth blog post when I have mastered it a wee bit more, one just for my fabulous Vintage Singer machines!(Actually really my darling husbands but I have snaffled them!)
we went to a fundraiser sale for the Van Diemen Roller's (local Roller Derby league- which of course you know all bout, right- if you don't know about Roller Derby please go and Google it, it is wonderful)
I picked up a pair of skates for $5 and have been in our giant shed out the back practising my skating which I haven't done for ummm TWENTY YEARS!(Really, it is hard for me to believe that there is stuff I haven't done for twenty years but there you go)I have picked it up again quite easily I think (It helps having the massive shed to practice in). I did fall over once and realised why they all wear knee pads when they compete *OUCH* but never mind. There's a lesson learned too! I don't know if I have what it takes to be a roller girl but I will go to the info session (I am slightly apprehensive- they are pretty tough ladies! Very nice but they are hardcore they wouldn't be woozling over a bumped knee like me!)
So there we go, rabbit owning, sewing (well ahem, maintaining a sewing machine and a small amount of sewing ) and roller skating all in one week. The garden is growing all by itself and we have purple peas coming one and lots of lettuce. Life is good!
Today has been lovely- we went to a 2nd birthday party which turned out to be a surprise wedding which is so lovely and we were just delighted to be there- a real treat when times are tough!
Yesterday I spotted what would appear to be a flowering elder growing out the back of one of the commercial properties around the corner, not very big but I was excited as I wanted to maker elder flower cordial ever since I tasted it at a local market (but $18 a bottle- yowch!).
At dusk we took a shopping bag down the road and as I was abou to cross I saw on the abandoned block on the corner a large flowering elder *AAAAAAAH*(angelic sort of noises inserted here). This is a great block, I have found parsley plants, apples, blackberries, peaches, weeds for the hens and now elder flowers.
I luckily had a kilo of lemons at home and now have two giant pots of elder flower cordial steeping. I roughly based my cordial on this recipe but I didn't have any citric acid, I will let you know how I go and hopefully I will rustle up some containers for the 3.5 litres of cordial I will have too! It smells so goregous...
Wouldn't elder flowers make the most wonderful confetti for a wedding? I would love to get married again (to the same man I am married to now!) and have lots of canny wedding ideas!
