What have you been doing today?

[cookie1]

Marina your trip sounds wonderful, but exhausting. Welcome home.
Everyone sounds very busy. It’s been freezing over here. (For us West Aussie’s) we are having maximums of 15 or 16.
DH has gone with a couple of others to help a young lad build his Model A.
I see where CP had her 60th birthday the other day. I think she has become a consultant too.
Tenina has been in hospital too. Out now after 15 days.

[Cuilidh]

Cookie, three days ago we were enjoying lovely 37 degree days when we were away, today it was less than 10 today up at our home in Guildford - that was a rude awakening.  I have just popped down to turn my electric blanket on to warm up the bed before I head off for the night.

Chookie, I saw you visited Tilden.  What is the village like?  I often drive through it on my way up and down to the country and think it looks really lovely, but I only see the main road and have never actually stopped.

Two of my chooks are well into their winter moult - I always think winter is a stupid time to moult.

Also, Chookie, you asked about our heat pump hot water system. It is really effective.  For the first time since we purchased our house I actually had a decent shower with great pressure and a stable temperature that didn't cool down after 4 minutes - what bliss.  The consumer's association magazine recently released results of their tests on heat pump hot water systems, let me know if you are interested.

[cookie1]

I went to the Physio this morning.

[achookwoman]

Just catching up.
Mab, how lovely. A nice surprise and lovely meal.
Marina, Tilden , I stayed with a friend. It isn’t really a town but does have a very active community. The local store often sells fruit and veggies from my friends garden when she has a glut.
Also there is a strong jam making group .  We share our latest efforts.
Marina, I love the idea of the heat pumps but feel it’s wasteful to replace the new appliances in my new home. Thanks.
Yesterday I ordered 2 raised garden beds, zinc lined custom built to fit the space.
Huge disorganized mess in the Council funded exercise based classes in Ballarat. Yesterday I found out that the Chi Chi teacher hasn’t been paid for her lessons. The classes have been stopped for a month before a new program is put in place. I will wait and see.

[Cuilidh]

Marina, I love the idea of the heat pumps but feel it’s wasteful to replace the new appliances in my new home.

That is totally understandable, Chookie.  Funnily enough we had been looking at changing our water system for quite some time as it was as old as the house, in the end, we had no choice as our old one started leaking and we couldn't leave it whilst we were overseas.  We are very happy with the new system.

thanks for the info. on Tilden.  It does look like a lovely peaceful village.

shame about the shambles with the exercise classes in Ballarat.  Hope they sort it out soon.

[achookwoman]

Thanks Marina.  The Council seems short of money.  I could make a couple of suggestions on how to save money. I face a wetland and park. It is mowed every couple of weeks when it doesn’t need it.
Today, exercise class. I’ve enrolled in a different Tai Chi class. This seems to suit me.

[K Atie]

Marina my chook lost a lot of feathers awhile ago and used the dust mite powder on them . Incredibly they had tiny new feathers 🪶 shortly after . A must do as last time they got very bear and took ages to grow their feathers back . Having DS home is great , helping DH out . But a lot of food is eaten .

[Cuilidh]

Thanks for the tip for my hens, K Atie.  Very helpful.

[cookie1]

Not a lot. DH is meeting an agent about selling his Mum’s house. It will be land value only as the house is old and very, very sad.

[achookwoman]

K Atie and Marina. I used to use garden lime to dust my chooks.
All my family are skiing at the moment, so I thought I’d spoil myself. I drove to Creswick ( about 20 minutes )  and had morning tea at the French Patisserie and then went quite mad and bought a puffer jacket and blouse at the Farmers Wife shop. This is a very smart shop for younger people. The puffer jacket is olive green and stuffed with down. I’ve never worn this colour before.
It is bitterly cold in Ballarat this season. Everyone is complaining.
I’ve been enrolled in an exercise program by the Physiologist.  It’s to help my balance . Lots of machines. Very challenging.

[K Atie]

Chookie thanks for the tip . What a treat to go to Creswick pastries 🥐 and clothes shopping. Love that French patisserie and seen the clothes shop looks great . Spent yesterday sewing up DS work pants , he ripped them ages ago on barbed wire . Well it was ok job but my sewing skills need polishing as I use to be very neat . Then I worked on DS jacket again roped the pocket on something! But it’s hard work as think and right on the zip , getting there.

[cookie1]

Good on you Chookie. The puffer jacket will be perfect. We’ve had a very cold winter too. One of the coldest I can remember. We are due for rain tomorrow so it will be a little warmer.

[Cuilidh]

Spent the entire weekend doing annual stocktake ... absolutely hate this time of year - we have over 4,000 individual items that need to be counted manually then entered into the accounts program, manually again 

[judydawn]

At least that’s all over now Marina, only 12 months until the next count.

[Cuilidh]

Thanks, Judy, that is an encouraging thought!