Left overs

 I often buy a  hot cooked chicken when I do the shopping. This gives us three meals, one hot dinner, one cold with salad and what to do with the bits?

Sometimes it goes into sandwichs but I had a brainwave and made an impossible pie.

Now I think the impossible pie is just a pie without a crust.

I had also bought a bunch of silverbeet. So silverbeet, grated carrot and zucchini, three eggs and a handful of grated cheese along with the last of the chicken. Twenty minutes in the airfryer and it was done. Again it was three meals, one of the freezer.

Public holiday Friday

 Traffic was horrible, not that we knew as we stayed put at home. I decided to have a pj day and as such got back into the pjs after my morning shower. 

It was a relaxing day, did minimal housework and crocheted while watching TV and then I read a book for a couple of hours.

I didnt quite finish the project that I started, probably if I didnt read as much, I would have but it was finished yesterday. As it is for a Christmas, I figure I am in front.

It was a free pattern but I did have to join a facebook group and then download the pattern which was 23 pages! I didnt like the look of the feet so I changed it and I added the scarf. The only stuffing needed is the head, hands and feet. 

Colourful October

 I love this time of the year but glad we dont have one of these trees in our yard.

I took these photos a couple of weeks ago. Today many of them have a carpet of purple under the trees with blooms falling to the ground.

And then there are the red ones. The next time I walked Lucy here, she picked up some dry seeds in her foot. She just stands with the affected foot in the air, waiting for her people minion to fix it.

Meatless Monday

 I know of people who make meatless Mondays a regular thing we like our meat too much to do that but dont mind the odd vegie meal with no meat.

I was watching a weekly program that has a cooking segment and he made this meal which I decided to make. For a change it wasnt a Jamie Oliver meal.

First he cut up some celery and a leek and soften them then added a tin of tomatoes. Meanwhile he mixed ricotta cheese with parsley and spring onion.

Using a mandarin he sliced zucchini lengthwise.

To each sluce of zucchini, he put a spoonful of the cheese mixture and rolled. 

The tomato base went into a baking dish and the zucchini rolls on top.

My rolls had to go downwards, he had stood his up. Twenty minutes in the oven and theres the meal.

I felt there was too much celery, I had used three stalks and a couple of spring onions, I had some cooked pumpkin that I had added as well. Okay for a change but was quite happy tonight to have a pork chop with the vege.  

Kayaking.

 Great weather for kayaking, even after the heavy rain we experienced the night before.

I was warned to bring extra clothes as I would get wet and would also need to get out and carry the kayak for a bit.

We had paddled about a kilometre to a waterfall before turning back, had quite a while there, taking a break. There had been logs under the water so had to get out and push the kayak. I decided to keep pushing to the end, about 150 metre even though it was deep enough to paddle, the water was up to my thighs. 

Having my phone in the sun, it overheated and it was only on the way back that it was able to operate again, hence the photo.

Here we were coming up to the first fording which was only about ten metres. I was priding myself that I had not fallen in. Youknow the saying "Pride comes before a fall" well just the other side, I was preparing to get in when my foot slipped on a rock and down I went, the water was a comfortable temp so no drama. 

This was one of the prizes, I had to get between the bank and the overhanging branches and then back out before continuing.

I expected my arms would be sore today but not too bad at all. Left shoulder is a little sore if I raise my arm and my sides around my waist is a little achely. Also I didnt put any sunscreen on so bit pink around my neck. 

A Glut.

 Never rains but it pours. Two or three years ago, I planted six tomato plants in our garden bed just off the patio. Some of them died leaving one sole plant. This has grown and grown and then some.

It has overtaken some herb plants that I also had in there and has grown up another flower bush which means it reached about a metre high. 

With that comes tomatoes, thank goodness they are cherry tomatoes so the small ones.

This is one day's crop, needless to say I am looking at ways to use them. About to freeze some for when they finish producing.

Weird rock formations.

 Today was Earth cache day and we travelled to the beach (mud flats!).

We were looking for a shape like a turtle shell.

At high tide, these do get covered and there was a bit of water around but very easy to access. Earth cache make me feel a bit dumb although there is usually a fair amount of info contained on the site, just need to make sense of it and answer some questions to show that you have understanding of it.

The area covered about 40 metres square possibly more going into the trees.

Lost for Words.

 Not often this would describe me but this was the name of a program that we watched the other night.

It followed eight students ranging in ages eight to sixty who could not read and write.

What a sad first espiode. It was over three weeks but we binged watched.

They stated that 43% of Australian adults could not read above level two which is a seven to eight year old! 

After nine weeks all of them improved and were even able to give a speech to fellow students and their families. 

The sixty year old didnt understand a bus time table and for seventeen years he walked for ninety minutes to catch a train to work. He wanted to be able to take his driving test.

He achieved that in the last week.

These were a few tears in this household at the end.

Kangaroo paws

 

Seen on the main street in a town north of here. Growing up, it was a native plant growing on our scrub block, only the red one though.

The yellow one grows taller but the red is more striking I think. Probably hard to see in this photo but they really do resemble kangaroo paws hence the name.

Its October.

 I said that I would attend an event at out local library. I havent been to the library in over two years. I used to go about once a fortnight to get a bag of books but since turning my tablet into a kindle (I didnt, Warren did) I havent had any need to visit. 

I still read a hell of a lot but I also took out a monthly subscription for $14 for as many books as I like.

But I digress, at the library, I saw my first Christmas tree already up and decorated. 

I swear Christmas gets earlier and earlier each year. It did put me into gear though as I have been collecting a few things to make into Christmas decorations and I made three tonight while watching TV.

Storm season

 Yep, its started and Lucy is scared of storms. So hard to know what to do for her. Over time we have bought her a storm jacket, anxiety pills etc, nothing seemed to work.

She gets a bit fidgeting so she must hear or sense them before we do.

Last night a storm came over just after dinner, she had been settled in her chair in the family room then she got up and moved to near our chairs. We heard the rumble and realised why she moved. Another rumble and she moved closer, her ears were up, she was panting and looking towards the door, which we had shut trying to keep out as much noise as possible.

Ten minutes later, she got up and walked back to her chair, storm was over but we knew there was another one expected. Second one was about 9.30pm and Lucy came into the bedroom. We invited her up onto the bed, she doesnt get on our bed normally but jump up she did and again she was panting a bit. My thought was that I had just had the doona cleaned, usually she dribbles as well in a storm but she didnt so I think she is getting better. Same thing once the storm was over, off she hops and goes back to her bed.

Tonight the storm was louder and Lucy had been by our chairs, then she stood up and looked at me and then in the direction of the garage. I asked her if she wanted to go in the car. She bolted to the garage door. Last year we had put her in the garage in the car for the duration. Yep, that what she wanted. I opened the car door and put the shed towel down on the seats, she didnt need a second invitation.

I left the door to the car and the garage open so she could get out when she wanted. She came back in twenty minutes later. Damn dog, didn't shut the doors after herself though. Hope we dont have too many storms at least with a kid, they can understand an explanation.