Nostr notes by Bec

This one is super tasty (and the chef who makes it is wonderful ...

2026-07-20T06:21:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…l5fd
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This one is super tasty (and the chef who makes it is wonderful and really understands both digestive issues and also energy challenges):

https://youtube.com/shorts/v2lj1bQQdas?si=fdb-c27e0X9U8eAo

We eat a lot of rice too and for years I made it from scratch on ...

2026-07-20T06:01:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…5ap6
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We eat a lot of rice too and for years I made it from scratch on the stove and resisted a rice cooker but then the kids bought me one and it's so good to have. Love being able to just put it on and not have to check on it again until it's cooked! You can make full meals with them too, adding fish and vegies and soy sauce or whatever

It's so unfair that money buys power. I hate it ...

2026-07-08T03:32:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…aqzm
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It's so unfair that money buys power. I hate it

Prof. Sam Lawler (npub1dgc…cla4)

I guess I'm being naive when I ask whether there's any ...

2026-07-08T03:25:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…la7s
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I guess I'm being naive when I ask whether there's any regulation on this kind of thing...?

Ugh, teeth. I'm so glad you're able to see the dentist ...

2026-07-07T03:36:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…jup4
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Ugh, teeth. I'm so glad you're able to see the dentist soon! And what a massive pain in the arse to have to try and sort out stuff with that particular department (hopefully it's properly sorted?)

The lie I'm struggling with at the moment is 'We'll call you back'. They have not called me back. So I called THEM back. They still have not called me back. I will be calling again today... squeaky wheel and all, but I have other things I would rather be doing?

The mess was something else! And as if I need more wet towels to ...

2026-06-26T00:04:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…8s0y
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The mess was something else! And as if I need more wet towels to wash. But now the floor is clean (that bit anyway) and the towels are washed and I was able to buy more milk, woohoo!

I just dropped the milk as I was getting it out of the fridge and ...

2026-06-24T01:03:58Z

I just dropped the milk as I was getting it out of the fridge and the lid came off and about half of the bottle emptied onto the floor before I could pick it up.

I didn't cry! But also it's lactose free milk which is so expensive and there was such a mess on the floor which took three towels to properly clean up, sigh.

Also because of all the palaver, my tea isn't as hot as I would like.

Did I mention I have a cold, too? So many mildly frustrating and irritating things (I know, things could be way worse, everything is honestly fine, but all the same: boo)

#SpiltMilk

Some cool garden things: the other day I was looking out the ...

2026-06-19T13:13:46Z

Some cool garden things: the other day I was looking out the window and thought, oh, the rosemary is flowering so much, and such a dark purple, I wonder why... and then I realised it's because one of the vines I planted on the bones of the lawn has climbed up into the rosemary and is flowering. So there are two kinds of purple flowers together and it's delightful 🥰

The other thing is that the sheoak I planted a few years ago is flowering for the first time and the flowers are so pretty, and also kind of weird. They appear on the branches rather than on the leaves. Which is probably not that weird because sheoaks don't really have leaves, they have needles. They're also not oaks.

Anyway. Yay flowers and new things to be noticed!

#flowers #gardening #NativePlants #GardeningAU

The waiting is the worst. And the stress of having to deal with ...

2026-06-19T04:41:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…qqsh
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The waiting is the worst. And the stress of having to deal with them is enormous. So glad you could get it sorted xx

Mia succumbed to her cancer today. I rang this morning to book ...

2026-06-18T14:01:34Z

Mia succumbed to her cancer today. I rang this morning to book her in to see the vet and while we waited, I wrapped her up in one of my jumpers and lay her in the sunshine.

She declined very quickly and by the time I carefully put her in the carrier to go to the appointment, she was very weak. On the way there, she cried a little bit and I sang Teddy Bear's Picnic to her so she knew she wasn't alone. By the time we got there, she was gone. The vet checked her with a stethoscope and gave me a hug and said it was better to go in a familiar place – and now I could plant an edible tree over her, which is a nice thought.

#cats #pets #PetDeath #death #sad
This is a picture of her on her 20th birthday this year. She was so cranky and opinionated, and pretty and talkative and loved laps. Truly an excellent cat

What's ridiculous is that I think most people in the country ...

2026-06-17T06:42:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…uc4z
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What's ridiculous is that I think most people in the country really don't give it that much thought. She's just trying to cast a wide net and catch as many bigots as she can.

Big love, there's a lot of us -- more of us, I would think! -- who are ready and willing to stand with you and push back against this stupid

[@sister_ratched](https://toot.community/@sister_ratched )

Yes! I made this on the weekend, big hit: ...

2026-06-16T02:47:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…cz92
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Yes! I made this on the weekend, big hit:

https://theloopywhisk.com/2026/02/27/gluten-free-cinnamon-swirl-banana-bread/

And I tried some quinoa/coconut/chocolate snacks which were less of a hit (I liked them, kids not as impressed)

Buying ingredients for this one today when I go shopping, I think it'll be really good:

https://www.recipetineats.com/crunchy-muesli-bars/

Life, indeed. 'This is not forever' is my mantra and some ...

2026-06-15T23:40:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…9t7g
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Life, indeed. 'This is not forever' is my mantra and some of the chaos is fun, I suppose?!

Kid2 made pasta last night as well, so there's food to eat today, too! What is this, being organised so we have actual meals prepared in advance? Surely can't last! (please let it last)

So much! Last week was a bad week for needing to buy food made by ...

2026-06-15T23:37:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…m4th
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So much!

Last week was a bad week for needing to buy food made by other people... well, I guess people were involved at some point? But I would say it was mostly machines. And the good thing about that is yay, not being hungry! Big win! But the bad thing is, wow, that food is expensive and not really ideal. So having the homemade stuff again to start the week... it's a step down for the stress levels

Wow, there's a bunch of awful news about, isn't there? ...

2026-06-15T12:56:52Z

Wow, there's a bunch of awful news about, isn't there?

Meanwhile the days are so busy: unexpected trips for Dad; and urgent return to the optician (when we'd only just been for a checkup) to repair some broken glasses; Jarrah had a random seizure but seems OK now; everyone needs the dentist and why; general work malaise that I usually feel this time of year; it's cold and rainy and I'm looking forward to the shortest day; teens are sometimes miserable and it's up to us to empathise and offer ideas and advice even when we're tired and there are no easy answers; I buggered up one of the valves on my trumpet and now I have to wait to see my trumpet teacher so he can help me fix it; I need to message back a couple of friends to catch up for coffee but tiiiime, who has it?

Also I made some excellent roast vegie soup yesterday and there are leftovers. Leftovers are possibly the best thing ever. And homemade snacks! Thank goodness for good food, right? Even when everything else is a lot

#jarrah #food #today #update

Comparative to further south or the northern hemisphere winter, ...

2026-06-10T07:07:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…ekjp
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Comparative to further south or the northern hemisphere winter, the days are not even that short but wow, they feel short, haha!

Sometimes I wonder if I would prefer to live in the northern ...

2026-06-10T04:48:59Z

Sometimes I wonder if I would prefer to live in the northern hemisphere, somewhere like Sweden or Germany or maybe even Scotland (I spent a summer in those places years ago), where summer is so celebrated for its brevity and its lush green, because summer here is SO LONG and hot and really dries everything out and we're constantly on edge waiting for fire.

And then in the winter, in those places, the houses are (generally) so cosy and inviting and there's yellow light and warmth and a real indoor-culture to celebrate that part too.

But then I think about how I struggle with June's shorter days here, and the cold mornings and evenings (because even though we rarely drop below 0C here on the south coast, our houses are NOT COSY AT ALL and inside it's often below 10C overnight, which is uncomfortable to say the least) and at least I know, even when I'm getting chilblains again, that in a few weeks it'll be time to start sunflowers and tomatoes seeds on the windowsill, and that makes me so happy

#weather #winter #summer #ColdFeet

Just like him :)

2026-06-04T08:03:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…q5f3
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Just like him :)

I just signed up to his newsletter. So hard to be away from home ...

2026-06-04T08:02:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…52wz
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I just signed up to his newsletter. So hard to be away from home when you're feeling low, and then to get bad news as well

Aw, I'm so sorry to hear that

2026-06-04T07:54:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…8asz
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Aw, I'm so sorry to hear that

Truly! Such a disappointment!

2026-06-04T04:01:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…u9g0
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Truly! Such a disappointment!

Bah, started the day with a stubstandard mug of tea. It's my ...

2026-06-03T23:39:29Z

Bah, started the day with a stubstandard mug of tea. It's my own fault... I was too impatient and didn't let it steep long enough and now it's too milky and not strong enough, but I've had the first sip of the day (and I knew! even before that first sip that it wasn't going to be as good as usual, but I persisted because what a waste to throw out a mug of tea, right?) and I can't redo the first sip.

Sigh. I'll just have to do better with the post-lunch cuppa

#tea

Aw, I'm so sorry. It's such a shitty thing to go through. ...

2026-06-03T02:06:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…8q6q
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Aw, I'm so sorry. It's such a shitty thing to go through. I hope it progresses really slowly for her

Oh, so amazing, all of it!

2026-05-27T09:29:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…de3s
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Oh, so amazing, all of it!

The ROI of lasagne is just not great. On the one hand, I'm ...

2026-05-25T04:37:50Z

The ROI of lasagne is just not great. On the one hand, I'm thrilled that three of the Kids love it so much. On the other hand, it takes me 2 hours to make a double batch and it's gone in 12 hours.

Three of us didn't even eat it! It's just Kids1,3 and 4 who like it. Kids1 and 4 went back for seconds last night; Kid3 had a serving for breakfast...

#lasagne #food #teens

It's such a gorgeous day here today. Pity I have to go back ...

2026-05-24T00:48:34Z

It's such a gorgeous day here today. Pity I have to go back to work tomorrow, but that's hours and hours away... for now it's blue skies, and the promise of gardening, trumpet practice and making food for the next few days.

Right now I'm sitting quietly, having just finished my morning mug of tea, with Leia on my lap. Pausing for some warm cuddles before the busyness begins

#cats #CatsOfMastodon #Sunday

I grew up on a fairly remote farm so they were definitely more ...

2026-05-17T00:35:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…enaj
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I grew up on a fairly remote farm so they were definitely more common than they are down here in our coastal city – came across one on the road eating a deceased rabbit as I rounded a corner and I had to slam on the brakes while it took its sweet time taking off 😂 I was driving a German friend down to the farm and he was just so astonished and amazed at this magnificent bird!

Kid2's shift got changed which unfortunately meant I needed ...

2026-05-16T07:12:58Z

Kid2's shift got changed which unfortunately meant I needed to take her to work rather than her catching the bus, but! On the way home I took a slightly longer route to drive past trees and I saw a wedgetail eagle coasting up high above the canopy 😍 What a gift! I actually wowed out loud!

#birds #nature

Our little Sebright has died and while she was probably quite ...

2026-05-15T06:58:53Z

Our little Sebright has died and while she was probably quite ancient in Sebright years (we got her as an older chook three years ago), we're still a bit sad, because Sebrights are SO SUPER and delightful and she was very much my favourite.

She was so fast! She made the cutest little sound -- different from the croaky croons that the others do when they're going about their day. She was a remarkable escape artist and spent a couple of weeks hiding in the neighbour's garden after flying over the fence and not realising how to get back (I said she was my favourite, I never said she was clever -- although to her credit, she did learn her lesson and didn't fly over there again).

She didn't lay much, she was tiny so didn't eat many scraps, she also would regularly dig up my seedlings if she could find them and she was very good at finding them. She was... kind of a menace?! But I think the cheekiness and the cuteness just made her all the more adorable and I'll miss her

#chicken #death #pet #chook

What a full weekend. Thank goodness for work tomorrow, in some ...

2026-05-10T12:25:36Z

What a full weekend. Thank goodness for work tomorrow, in some respects – it was a really great couple of days but I badly need some recharge quiet time!

Yesterday was the Green Fair on the Square and I picked up my free plants, huzzah! Bumped into a friend, which was lovely. I also rode a bike to make a smoothie for Kid3 and then Dad and I went to a talk by a local elder about resilience and sustainability from an Indigenous perspective. That was super interesting and fascinating and I would have loved to stay and chat with her for hours.

The rest of the day was errands and busyness. Today was a bit the same but with extra gardening (which was, of course, great). I planted the free plants and also the poor kangaroo paws that I believe have been waiting in their pots since last year 😬 Had to get quite aggressive with the trowel to break up some of the roots... hopefully they cope in the ground OK.

#gardening #MothersDay #KillYourLawn #DieLawnDie #plants #community #ThingsILove

❤️

2026-05-08T04:21:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…wv3v
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❤️

I'm glad you're feeling better. And glad to hear that the ...

2026-05-08T03:58:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…yslc
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I'm glad you're feeling better. And glad to hear that the overheard conversation has resulted in the staff being very clear about how long your mum needs to stay there.

It's sweet that she wrote to use 'LOL' correctly, too! Sending Lots of Love to you all ;)

Indeed. May I present Exhibit A (aka Booker, aka Fatty Book, aka ...

2026-05-02T01:13:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…90m0
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Indeed. May I present Exhibit A (aka Booker, aka Fatty Book, aka Booker Deluxe, aka Catniss Evergreed)

Slept in, which was delightful. Heard Kid2 leaving the house and ...

2026-05-02T00:59:07Z

Slept in, which was delightful. Heard Kid2 leaving the house and when I got up, I messaged her to ask if she had fed the dogs. She said no, so I fed them – only to discover that Kid3 was also up... and she had fed them already.

Dogs! Such opportunists!!

#dogs

Mum has since rallied. This is both heartening and exhausting! ...

2026-04-17T11:02:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…7pza
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Mum has since rallied. This is both heartening and exhausting! She's eaten some food today but then slept the rest of the time. We're taking turns to visit and be beside her but I'm also pacing myself because I think this could be a long process...

Could be? I had another word in mind but my brain is that fuzzy ...

2026-04-14T08:21:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…v3h0
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Could be? I had another word in mind but my brain is that fuzzy foggy way you get when you're tired and now I can't think of it. You know how it is?!

Poesie (npub1wpx…2kkp)

Seems Mum might be close to the end. She's no longer eating ...

2026-04-14T08:18:56Z

Seems Mum might be close to the end. She's no longer eating or drinking, drifting in and out of sleep. Waking sometimes, mumbling things -- last night was quite convinced I was her younger sister (which is fair, since we do look alike, and the disease has erased us children). In a way, that's good, because she's comforted by someone familiar. I'll go and see her this evening and I guess we'll see what happens overnight.

It was a late night last night and a busy, phone-call-and-message-filled day, so there has been much tea. Thank goodness for tea. It should come as a surprise to nobody that I've drunk many, many cups with my mum. I'm about the boil the kettle and will think of her while I drink it

#death #dementia #Alzheimers #aging #caring

Oh, the little bits! So annoying and inconvenient! Once ...

2026-04-14T08:11:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…26hy
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Oh, the little bits! So annoying and inconvenient!

Once you've made tea and the stove is cooled down, can you get the vacuum end up there? I've done this when we had a similar accident and it got rid of most of the little pieces.

Also I realised I don't know what the cast iron things are called either 😅

We went to see this the other evening and I have been thinking ...

2026-04-13T03:42:11Z

We went to see this the other evening and I have been thinking about it a lot.

First because I went into the film knowing really nothing about it (other than it was in space), and about 10 minutes in, I thought, ah, so Andy Weir likes to write books about 'man alone in space'.

But then as I got into the movie, I realised that the man-alone-in-space theme is only part of it. He's not glorifying individualistic crusade, he's showing us how much we need each other. We need our friends. Without them, we are lost and we'll die.

I've only ever read/seen one other work of Andy Weir (The Martian) and I'm using this limited sample of two works to decide that Andy Weir really likes writing about friendships, and he does it REALLY WELL.

I love this because friendships and connections are one of the things I explore in my own writing, because I love it so much, and I want to be better at writing about those relationships -- the true, deep affection you feel for your friends and the way you can support each other. In the film, it's literally about life and death but also in real life, our connections are life and death. Loneliness kills us.

That's not to say that romantic love is completely ignored. I felt a pang of grief when Rocky's talking about his mate, and Grace makes a joke about the length of time they've been together (over 100 years) and Rocky says something like, 'It's not long enough.' Because of course it isn't. For our closest people, our closest loves, it's never long enough. We always want more.

I also appreciated the way that Rocky and Grace are quite evenly matched, intellectually. Of course they are, because their civilisations have both sent them out to find a solution to the problem, but I like the emphasis on how difference does not equal inferior.

Anyway, I will likely watch this film again, and probably read the book too. It's not perfect, because it is art made by humans, and we are not perfect. But I loved the characters a lot, and I loved the friendship a lot, and it made me feel better about the world and our capacity to connect with each other, whoever that other may be.

#film #musings #ProjectHailMary #friendship

Ugh, that's just rude. As someone who has to restrict certain ...

2026-04-12T07:30:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…a3zv
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Ugh, that's just rude. As someone who has to restrict certain foods due to a temperamental digestive system, I also know it's MY issues and if someone is generous enough to offer to make a cake, I would either politely not eat it or just eat a small amount so as not to trigger a reaction. Good grief! No wonder you feel annoyed, I would too!

It is not too bad! It's a moody grey afternoon and I'm ...

2026-04-08T07:38:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…jdad
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It is not too bad! It's a moody grey afternoon and I'm looking forward to homemade pizza for tea

Dietician, books and art supplies, what an excellent day!

2026-04-08T07:08:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…dwhh
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Dietician, books and art supplies, what an excellent day!

Friends, the long weekend continued to be full of care work all ...

2026-04-07T04:51:50Z

Friends, the long weekend continued to be full of care work all the way through, but as Adam remarked, if I had not been on holiday, the care work would still have been there -- and I would have also had the paid work to manage.

So at least I had free time to manage it?

There are some good things, though! I made soup and curry, and froze them both in some cake bar moulds (cheap versions of those popular 'Souper cubes' that are everywhere at the moment). This means I have nearly two dozen meals ready to defrost and eat as needed, huzzah!

I drove over to Denmark (the town not the country) and hung out with a friend for a couple of hours at her place. So good to catch up, we haven't seen each other for a couple of years. She's in the final gasps of her PhD so I was keen to hear her progress (and commiserate and cheer where appropriate).

Dad is doing better today and hopefully we'll hear back from his specialist about how we can modify his medication to prevent a repeat of the last few days.

And Kid1's friend is staying with us for a few days, a lovely guy, and we've had some good kitchen chats about food, religion, politics and childhoods. It's awesome 🥰

#today #work #caring #friends

Ahahaha and then Dad had an episode and needed me to come over ...

2026-04-05T04:49:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…vd4y
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Ahahaha and then Dad had an episode and needed me to come over for a while – but no hospital this time, so yay for small mercies, right?

Despite taking two extra days off last week, I don't feel ...

2026-04-05T00:34:03Z

Despite taking two extra days off last week, I don't feel very rested. Wednesday and Thursday involved some kid-related drama that meant meetings with various people and Friday and Saturday were full of phone calls and ferrying people places.

Last night I hit a wall and so today is rest day by necessity. I'm sad about that, because it's a perfect day for gardening. But the body needs what it needs. There's some housework to do but it can mostly wait. We have tea and chocolate; that'll do for now

#family #caring #life

Squeee! As part of the Tree Festival, my little city is giving ...

2026-04-03T14:12:29Z

Squeee! As part of the Tree Festival, my little city is giving away free trees for the garden! I've submitted my application for five indigenous and locally grown trees – I did pause on the question, 'Do you have space in your garden for these trees?'

Surely I can find a spot for them...

#gardening #trees #KillYourLawn

That sounds like an amazing afternoon ☺️

2026-03-28T03:07:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…fxe7
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That sounds like an amazing afternoon ☺️

I'm very fond of Esperance too! But it is faaaaar from other ...

2026-03-28T02:22:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…tnxw
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I'm very fond of Esperance too! But it is faaaaar from other places and also doesn't have the population/infrastructure that I wanted so we have to slum it with ever so slightly less picturesque landscapes further west 😁

Cycling Stu (npub13yd…7xc7)

Yes indeed 😁 It hasn't really changed since the 80s, haha!

2026-03-28T00:30:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…j99h
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Yes indeed 😁 It hasn't really changed since the 80s, haha!

Bah. It's one of those days where it feels like everything ...

2026-03-27T08:08:14Z

Bah. It's one of those days where it feels like everything went wrong.

Obviously not everything did.

But enough did to make me cranky.

Had to edit a thing that bothered me.

Had to run Dad to an appointment during my work day which meant I have to make up the time next week.

A colleague has asked me to do something extra which annoyed me because it goes against processes.

Had to run another errand during my lunch break.

Got home from said errand and the dogs had knocked over the huge bottle of washing liquid all over the floor in the study.

None of these things are bad. They're all manageable. It's not the worst day ever but also FEELING ALL THE MEH.

At least it's the weekend now. And once I clean up all this washing liquid, the floor will be spotless for the first time in years.

Still.

Bah.

#cranky #weekend #annoyed

A slow day sounds ideal after all that activity. And yum, lemon ...

2026-03-24T01:53:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…kv47
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A slow day sounds ideal after all that activity. And yum, lemon cake. One of my faves!

Yesterday was busy here and today will be too, but in a nice way. We have a cluster of birthdays in the family around this time, so tonight we're going out for tea together. I can't remember the last time we went out together for a meal. This poses some logistical problems since the car doesn't fit all of us at once, but we are solving it with some of us catching public transport into town and then a taxi out of town.

In between finishing work and meeting at the restaurant, I need to do the food shopping. Although I may just do the essentials and do the bulk of it tomorrow. I need to finish the meal plan for the fortnight before I go... I'll ask Kid2 to help me with that since she's home for the day

A friend suggested to me today that I should plan a long weekend ...

2026-03-19T02:44:13Z

A friend suggested to me today that I should plan a long weekend away, just on my own, and as much as I think that would be amazing, I'm also quite terrified by the idea.

This reaction intrigues me... what have I got to be afraid of?!

Kid2 is making a cake for her gluten-free friend and the friend ...

2026-03-15T10:52:21Z

Kid2 is making a cake for her gluten-free friend and the friend has requested carrot cake. So far we've had two test cakes (it's for a special occasion so Kid2 wants it to be very good) and neither has been amazing. Edible? Yes. But not special occasion-worthy.

Does anyone have a failsafe gluten free carrot cake recipe? Boosts very much appreciated

#baking #cake #GlutenFree

Very much so, I'm just so surrpised by the whole thing

2026-03-10T03:36:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…xymq
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Very much so, I'm just so surrpised by the whole thing

I had a call from my manager today to tell me that one of our ...

2026-03-10T03:33:00Z

I had a call from my manager today to tell me that one of our colleagues had died very suddenly.

We weren't very close but she'd been with the company a long time, and I've chatted with her online and on calls several times. She was a lovely human being, really chatty and friendly and so full of life -- and only middle-aged, too.

I'm so shocked, really -- she was here one day and then just not the next.

A good reminder to all of us to savour the precious moments, I suppose?

Yeah, ours are also very fond of showing us their butts as well, ...

2026-03-04T03:36:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…wva4
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Yeah, ours are also very fond of showing us their butts as well, I feel like there's some cross-species miscommunication going on there 😂

I feel so lucky to be able to live with non-human beings. There ...

2026-03-04T02:52:50Z

I feel so lucky to be able to live with non-human beings. There have been times when we couldn't and I really feel my life was poorer for it.

The little tabby cat just jumped on my lap, gave a little trill and rubbed my chin with her chin and I feel such a rush of warmth and connection between us 🥰

Pets. The absolute best.

#pets #home

These are adorable!

2026-03-01T04:57:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…xrz6
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These are adorable!

Bird ornaments! They sound so gorgeous. Yay for good things 🥰

2026-03-01T03:27:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…f8j2
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Bird ornaments! They sound so gorgeous.

Yay for good things 🥰

Happy Sunday to you, friends. I've dropped the middle Kids in ...

2026-03-01T02:05:21Z

Happy Sunday to you, friends. I've dropped the middle Kids in town for their respective shifts and on the way home, visited Mum and gave her the flowers I bought yesterday. She was chatty and it's kind of fascinating what phrases and words are still very clear. She gave me such a happy smile when I got there, and said, 'Oh, it's so good to see you!' and then when I got ready to go, she said, 'You're off, are you?' I gave her a hug and wished her happy birthday for tomorrow (I won't see her as I'm working). Sometimes I grieve so deeply for the way things are. But they are that way, so I suppose just... acknowledging the grief is all I can do.

On the agenda today: pancakes, some washing, and checking in on the groundcovers (I promised a picture! I'll take one shortly). No beach walk today as I promised Dad I'd take him home from church and I need to pick up the Kids later. That's OK. I'll be able to get some good trumpet practice in instead. Not quite the same but still cup-filling

#grief #dementia #alzheimers #gardening #trumpet #sunday

I want to read it but I suspect it will just make me angry about ...

2026-02-27T23:47:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…k0my
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I want to read it but I suspect it will just make me angry about what I can't (or won't, I guess) change. Sigh/grrr

Finally the weekend – and I say finally, despite having just ...

2026-02-27T09:42:30Z

Finally the weekend – and I say finally, despite having just had a week off and only working three days this week. I was really happy to go back to work, too! And now I'm tired already.

You know what I think it is? It's just full time work is so... full time. Eight hours a day and then all the other things like parenting and Dad and making sure that plants don't die and cooking and washing up and grocery shopping, it's just so much.

And I'm not complaining about my work, which is not 'hard' in the sense of physical exertion or responsibility (if I mess up, nobody dies, and any mistakes I make are generally fixable). I love my colleagues, and my work is satisfying for the most part. But eight hour days... surely we could switch to six hour days and still manage? I feel as though the four day week isn't really getting the traction but what about a 30 hour workweek? That would be kind of great, don't you think?

#work #rambling #tired

43.4 – but also I was too inept to work out how to share my ...

2026-02-21T12:39:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…tjsn
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43.4 – but also I was too inept to work out how to share my score 😅

Maybe if she tucks herself under the doona near the pillows, ...

2026-02-21T06:47:15Z

Maybe if she tucks herself under the doona near the pillows, nobody will notice that she's there

#caturday #CatsOfMastodon #tabby

Wheat is not my friend, so whatever ones I get, I'll have ...

2026-02-09T04:46:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…0puk
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Wheat is not my friend, so whatever ones I get, I'll have regrets later – might as well make them as tasty and buttery as possible 😂

(yes, gf is an option but they're not a patch on the wheat ones, sigh. Maybe I should try and make some myself)

I really enjoy the occasional one, but it's traditional all ...

2026-02-09T01:08:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…x5fg
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I really enjoy the occasional one, but it's traditional all the way for me... although apple and cinnamon are probably the best out of the alternative flavours on offer. And definitely toasted with butter, no matter the type!

Yay for making a start, and in my long experience with digestive ...

2026-02-02T05:49:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…p8cq
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Yay for making a start, and in my long experience with digestive discomfort, dramatic moaning (and dog cuddles) definitely helps! Hope your body gets used to it very soon xx

That's a great find! I love your cut – I'd absolutely ...

2026-02-01T09:20:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…eem5
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That's a great find! I love your cut – I'd absolutely have short hair if I had a good hairdresser close by

The Drop Bear 2.0 :angery: (npub1308…wa44)

Nurses. Absolute gems. Dad has gone for a scan so I'm waiting ...

2026-01-28T19:33:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…fw6f
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Nurses. Absolute gems. Dad has gone for a scan so I'm waiting here for him to come back and the nurse just asked if she could get me a tea or coffee (no, but thanks for asking!)

'Not even a water?!'

I laughed and said I'm OK for now, and now she's cheerfully bringing orange juice to the child who sounds so much less pukey, thank goodness (for her and her parent's sake!)

I'll have something to eat and drink when we're back out in the fresh air and I can safely unmask (both figuratively and literally)

Back at the hospital again, thankfully it's not super busy ...

2026-01-28T19:15:12Z

Back at the hospital again, thankfully it's not super busy and Dad is OK and getting tests. I'm masking of course but also hoping very much that the puking child in the nearby bay is not contagious. I'm feeling a bit rough but I'm fairly sure that's just being awake at 3am.

Yay for hospital workers, boo to bodies... can't live with them, can't live without them

#hospital #sick #health #caring

It is a calm Sunday morning here and in an odd coincidence, there ...

2026-01-25T01:39:58Z

It is a calm Sunday morning here and in an odd coincidence, there is only one teen at home (the others are away on holiday and at sleepovers) and it is quiet and a little strange for the house to be so empty. Not terrible, just different.

Plans for today are a catch-up with my brother and his family, trumpet practice and some cleaning and decluttering. I'm consciously limiting the to-dos but I also really need to meal plan for the next fortnight too.

Outside, the corn is nearly ready to be picked and I am going to soak the kangaroo paws to be planted tomorrow. We're expecting some mild weather and they've been waiting to go in the ground for weeks. I'll take some pictures when I plant them

#sunday #today #trumpet #family #gardening

Just wow, that's a lot

2026-01-25T01:00:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…yrd4
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Just wow, that's a lot

Happy birthday to Mia, who turns 20 today. Let me tell you about ...

2026-01-24T03:08:45Z

Happy birthday to Mia, who turns 20 today.

Let me tell you about Mia. She came to us when she was 11 and is a foster fail (to be fair, we never really set out to foster cats, so when we brought her home it was always only going to be for good). She and her sibling, Ted – a sweet natured orange and white shorthair – had lived with a couple who broke up and couldn't keep their cats, so we agreed to take them despite already having three cats (and four Kids under 12) at the time. What can I say? We like a challenge.

Mia is a lapcat, through and through, and she will fight any other cat who wants to take her rightful cosy place, whether that's a warm human belly or the couch, which she's doing her best to cover in fur.

When she was 14, she got hit by a car and we thought that was it for her, but the vet was confident that she would make it. The surgery was going to cost $2k, though and we were like, well. That's just not possible, right? We barely made it from week to week as it was. Enter my friends from the internet... an old friend from livejournal messaged me and said she was happy to help pay for Mia's surgery if I wanted. She said, don't let her age or the cost influence your decision. So I made a crowdfunding account and she and other friends met the target within days and Mia got her surgery (a leg amputation). Soon after that we also built our catio. Apart from the surgery, it's the best cat investment we've made.

And here she is at 20. She's quite deaf and probably can't see as well as she used to but she still enjoys cuddles, yelling at everyone, and devouring the expensive tinned cat food and any spare roast meat you might want to toss her way. I don't know how much longer she has but we're just enjoying her company while we can. Who knew this crotchety old lady – who was already quite old when we adopted her! – would make it this far?! I do believe she's just alive out of spite at this point

#caturday #HappyBirthday #cats

As an editor, I feel this in my bones. It's so disappointing

2026-01-22T06:51:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…8qlw
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As an editor, I feel this in my bones. It's so disappointing

I took Dad home from visiting Mum yesterday and we dropped into ...

2026-01-17T07:16:34Z

I took Dad home from visiting Mum yesterday and we dropped into the supermarket on the way, which meant this morning I was free to do whatever I wanted, hooray!

I went into town early and parked up so I could walk everywhere I needed to go :

- the markets (apricots!! still there until the end of the month, according to the growers)

- the wholefood store (star anise, cloves, cinnamon and chia seeds)

- the music shop (valve oil for the trumpet, and asked the owner - a tuba player, who gave advice on cleaning the trumpet - if he knew anyone who gave lessons; he does, and I left my name and number)

- the op shop (for singlets, but there were none)

- and the health food store (shampoo bars)

I had to run a parcel to the post office for Dad, which involved a lengthy process of filling in a customs declaration, so annoying. Then I drove round to the animal feed store for chook pellets and dropped into another op shop on the way home -- and this one had singlets! I got three, plus three tshirts for Kid4.

Dad and I picked the last of his rhubarb yesterday so now I need to cook it... I might make a cake with some of it. And I've still got plums to stew. Both of those things may have to wait if I want to avoid a 'you did too much' headache later, though.

Still happy that I ticked all the things off my list in a couple of hours, and I got to chat to friendly folk and feel welcomed in my community. A good day :)

#today #community #markets #food #trumpet #weekend #baking #GrowYourOwn #secondhand

I did attend my graduation after I did honours, so I feel as ...

2026-01-12T12:07:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…axt6
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I did attend my graduation after I did honours, so I feel as though one is maybe enough?! I can understand the significance of being the first in your family to graduate though, and wanting to celebrate in that way ❤️

[@sister_ratched](https://toot.community/@sister_ratched )

I'm feeling bolstered by so many people telling me they ...

2026-01-12T11:09:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…ll5u
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I'm feeling bolstered by so many people telling me they didn't go to theirs!

I just got an invite to my graduation and I decided I'm not ...

2026-01-12T06:10:55Z

I just got an invite to my graduation and I decided I'm not going to go.

My oldest kid and my friends and my sister were all encouraging me to go, but... I just don't love events like this. And it's an extra trip to Perth, plus hiring a gown, and booking leave from work. I guess I would have to get something fancy (even if secondhand) to wear too, since my wardrobe consists of jeans, tshirts and hoodies, and really nothing else.

The reasons for going would all be good reasons if I weren't actually me, a person who doesn't like crowds of strangers, or having to mask and make small talk, or dressing up in fancy clothes.

Also, the relief at the realisation that I am choosing 'no' is kind of amazing. I will be just as thrilled - in fact, much more thrilled - to get my certificate in the post

#phd #SocialEvents #university #academia #graduation

It was produce swap at the community garden today. I picked Dad ...

2026-01-03T06:50:38Z

It was produce swap at the community garden today. I picked Dad up and we cut some of his rhubarb to take with us; I brought along plums from our tree, and one of the older gardeners helped me identify it, which was exciting and helpful! It's a Santa Rosa plum – it was well established when we moved here so I didn't have any info on it. She said it's a good jam plum, which is what I had planned to do this afternoon anyway, but it's great to have confirmation.

I swapped the rhubarb and plums for blackberries, silverbeet, a strawberry and an eggplant seedling, and some very ripe tomatoes.

There were about a dozen people today, including Dad and me. It was fun – we discussed gardening (obvs), keeping in touch with old school friends (none of us do, apparently, but we all live in different places to where we grew up), and public transport in our little city (I want it to be more accessible, available and possibly free of charge).

I've only got one more day until it's back to work, but that's OK. It's a quiet weekend so I can do some things that help boost my energy, such as cooking and gardening and some extra walks. The other day, I was feeling resentful about having to return to work, but the truth is, I quite enjoy my job and I'm looking forward to catching up with my colleagues. Plus working while the kids are on holidays makes things somewhat easier and the long days mean there are still some hours outside of work for gardening and potentially swimming

#CommunityGarden #family #food #gardening #today

The holidays are progressing well – today involved grocery ...

2025-12-29T13:56:04Z

The holidays are progressing well – today involved grocery shopping, trumpet practice, taking Dad on some errands and sorting out a birthday gift for a friend ( I bought a kitchen thing I thought she might like, and potted up some peppermint for her windowsill).

Also finished reading The Cat who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa. Not a bad book, lots of food for thought, especially given my own struggles with finding value in creativity lately.

Still to come this week: the sister is driving down to visit so we'll catch up for coffee (she is taking the birthday gift back to Perth for my friend, yay for saving postage) and another friend is visiting on holiday so we'll meet up for coffee too. Can't wait to see her – it's been about two years since we've met up in person, and even though we've chatted via text, it's not the same as face to face

#holidays #summer #reading #family #friends #AdventuresWithTheTrumpet

Now I'm super invested in who it was and also what the olives ...

2025-12-12T02:28:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…ar7x
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Now I'm super invested in who it was and also what the olives are like 😅

chestas (npub1k57…48fh) Bellycan (npub13ky…zgu6)

😂 Here it's black cockatoos and sometimes my arthritic ...

2025-11-23T00:54:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…77ku
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😂 Here it's black cockatoos and sometimes my arthritic foot (depending on how bad the weather is going to be!)

I read an article a while ago that says the cockatoos don't always get it right but I'm thinking, also neither does human modelling...?

Oof, poor little thing. Hope whatever is causing the pain is soon ...

2025-11-19T07:09:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…rq8f
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Oof, poor little thing. Hope whatever is causing the pain is soon resolved!

Ahahaha, same. YOU might spend most of your time in the bar car ...

2025-11-19T02:36:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…m7r9
_________________________

Ahahaha, same. YOU might spend most of your time in the bar car socialising Tim Richards (npub12cj…hqkq) 😂

I think I would spend a good amount of my time daydreaming, reading, napping, writing... gosh, what a lovely thought

The not-cheapness is the thing that's stopped me so far 😅

2025-11-19T01:44:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…yy5a
_________________________

The not-cheapness is the thing that's stopped me so far 😅

Welcome to the West! Enjoy the Indian Pacific... I would love to ...

2025-11-19T01:23:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…hhnk
_________________________

Welcome to the West! Enjoy the Indian Pacific... I would love to do that trip one day...

One of the potato plants was looking a bit yellow so I decided to ...

2025-11-08T11:13:30Z

One of the potato plants was looking a bit yellow so I decided to dig them up. Not the biggest haul since I grew them in containers and probably needed to wait for longer to get more potatoes, but given the cost of spuds these days, it's more worth it to grow your own than it used to be

#GrowYourOwn #gardening #potatoes

#caturday post from last Saturday. We enclosed the patio to make ...

2025-10-25T09:51:42Z

#caturday post from last Saturday. We enclosed the patio to make a catio a few years ago and it's been such a good thing for everyone involved. Since we've stopped them going outside, we've not lost any cats to road accidents, they've not been in any fights, and they get to enjoy watching the birds, not killing them. I mean, I'm sure they enjoyed killing the birds but obviously the birds weren't fans of that, and neither were we!

Oh yikes, less of that kind of thing, kitteh! I think those sorts ...

2025-10-19T00:34:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…uly3
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Oh yikes, less of that kind of thing, kitteh! I think those sorts of near misses use up some of our lives too...

Sunday night: I'm doing the shopping list for the next ...

2025-10-05T13:32:22Z

Sunday night: I'm doing the shopping list for the next fortnight. The last month really kicked my butt and I've been skating by trying to wing it with meals every night, but that's stressful and also means I often take forever to decide what we're having, so we eat super late. So this fortnight will hopefully be better.

As Dad was in hospital yesterday, I went on my own to the community garden. Stayed for about an hour, talked about water security, homelessness, and had a good catch up with a friend there. I took some lemons and rosemary for the produce swap and brought home rhubarb, rainbow chard and some corn and pumpkin seedlings, which I've planted (that reminds me, I need to dust them with coffee to keep the molluscs away).

This afternoon was a whirlwind of taking children, children's friends, and Dad various places. One of the kids got sick and needed picking up early, pretty sure it's a 24 hour bug so she should feel a bit better by tomorrow but she had also better keep any germs to herself! I don't feel like enduring a full household of gastro germs any time soon.

I was going to get all the blood tests in the world done tomorrow but I've got a cold (courtesy of the same sick kid, wtf) so I'll have to go later in the week. It's not really urgent and I'm not getting the associated ultrasound until the end of the month so I feel as though we can take our time with it.

Sigh, back to shopping list. It's boring but having to choose what to eat is not at all a bad problem to have, is it?

#shopping #food #update #family #gardening #CommunityGarden #sick #MealPlanning

I'll be crossing everything for you and hope that it's ...

2025-09-22T03:13:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…m6dm
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I'll be crossing everything for you and hope that it's sorted really soon and you can start bartending as soon as possible!

(also good grief, it's criminal that $2.13/hr is even a thing, omg)

What I learnt from years of freelancing is that if my gut was ...

2025-09-22T01:49:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…75zz
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What I learnt from years of freelancing is that if my gut was telling me that something wasn't right about the job/client/scope of work, then I should listen to my gut. Every time I failed to do that, I got burnt and it ended up being a terrible job (they wouldn't pay, awful scope creep, etc).

Not quite the same thing as what you're experiencing but you seem to have identified plenty of red flags, so my advice would be if they don't get back to you with some kind of explanation or clarity, then I would look for something else. Which obviously sucks! But better than being stuck in something you didn't ever really want to do and which will not pay enough to live on.

On the advice of a good friend, I took the day off today – no ...

2025-08-16T10:05:07Z

On the advice of a good friend, I took the day off today – no freelance stuff, no PhD edits, just usual things: went to the markets for soup ingredients, took Dad shopping, came home and made soup, and then a good hour and a half in the garden (the sun! it shone!)

I saw someone on youtube growing potatoes in cardboard boxes so I thought I'd give it a go. Also Kid2 brought home a polystyrene box so I am trying that too (less delighted about polystyrene in the garden but since it exists in the world I might as well use it).

I planted one box about three weeks ago and have been looking out for the sprouts and today I spotted two! I've put butterfly stickers there to show you where they are.

Not pictured: the jasmine, which is blooming so beautifully but the light was fading so my phone somehow found it impossible to focus on the flowers. I'll take some more pictures tomorrow and see if they're better

#gardening #GrowYourOwn #vegetables #potatoes

We've got strong winds and heavy rain forecast for tomorrow ...

2025-07-05T09:16:08Z

We've got strong winds and heavy rain forecast for tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday so I got into the garden this afternoon for a bit and wrestled with the kikuyu. It is so damned persistent. But I won't give up until it's all gone! And even in writing that, I realise I've managed to get rid of at least two thirds of it. I have been focused so much on what there is left to do that I forgot to take stock.

Anyway this is what I'm dealing with. The ground is soft but even after pulling out as much as I can, I'm still left with roots that go too deep to grab with my fingers. So once I've pulled as much as I can, I cover it with cardboard, paper shopping bags (I had to get groceries delivered when I was sick recently) old magazines, pizza boxes, the community newspaper... the thicker the better. It's such a slow process and even after all that, there will still be tendrils that emerge because it's everywhere (see it poking out of the agapanthus?)

Elsewhere in the garden there's daisies and thyme and dichondra, though, so I just need to keep at it!

#gardening #KillYourLawn #persistence

😢 I was at the hospital with Dad last week and the lack of ...

2025-06-29T02:04:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…qhhw
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😢 I was at the hospital with Dad last week and the lack of masks was upsetting, to put it mildly

Oh wow, that's some nasty heat! Take care, won't you? ...

2025-06-24T00:28:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…hdg0
_________________________

Oh wow, that's some nasty heat! Take care, won't you?

gardening group (npub1v5a…ny6w)

In the interests of distracting us from all the awful, I would ...

2025-06-10T01:24:46Z

In the interests of distracting us from all the awful, I would love your input on this item. It's a contraption/stand usually made from wire and metal tubes that folds out for you to dry your clothes on. Sometimes they're made of wood (my parents have a wooden one still).

Familiar, right? Right. So what do you call it? We always called it a clothes horse but my mum (from Cheshire originally) called it a clothes maiden.

Also I took Dad to a garden centre, one I'd never been to ...

2025-05-17T12:40:57Z

Also I took Dad to a garden centre, one I'd never been to before. Such a cool little nursery with very decently priced plants.

He had a couple of gift vouchers and I didn't, but I still bought a bunch of plants. Oops. Had some stuff to do this arvo and was staving off a migraine so I didn't get into the garden today but tomorrow, I will.

#gardening #gardeningAU #NewPlants #KillYourLawn

Today I went to visit Mum and took a posy from the garden. She ...

2025-04-21T06:32:26Z

Today I went to visit Mum and took a posy from the garden. She seemed to like the flowers. I'm not sure she knows *who* I am but she knows I'm familiar (I'll take it; it's expected but I guess another sign of decline).

I had the thought when I was walking back home... it's not too late to plant bulbs. I might get an assorted pack and plant them in the ex-lawn and then I can take her bunches in the spring. I always find it easier to visit if I have something to bring, and flowers brighten up everyone's day.

#gardening #bloomscrolling #today #parents #dementia

A day of being near plants. First stop, the community garden for ...

2025-04-05T08:58:21Z

A day of being near plants. First stop, the community garden for produce swap day, where I took peppermint cuttings and swapped for a cute little posey (posy?) in an old Vegemite jar. Also took two figs and some silverbeet, the latter of which I will add to the pea soup I'm making tomorrow.

I got to chat to a friend and meet some new people, and we tentatively discussed meeting up again socially soon (outside of the scheduled garden catch-ups).

Then dropped Dad home via Bunnings, where he bought some pots and other odds and ends, and I bought two punnets of English spinach seedlings and one of bok choy.

So this afternoon has been pulling up all the weeds (I mean, not ALL the weeds, of course – I have to leave some for another day or I'd be bored, right? Right) and planting out the seedlings in pots. Ideally I'd have them in raised beds but that's not possible just yet. We'll see what I can salvage/create as the year progresses. I figure if I can keep up the nutrients to them in these small pots they're going to be OK

#gardening #gardeningAU #GrowYourOwn #bloomscrolling #saturday #plants #ThingsILove #CommunityGarden