Harvesting Gourds & Keeping warm

Hello friends,
Sorry havent been posting for awhile - its still a bit hectic around here but we are making progress sloowwly . . . 

if I was to make a list of my favourite things, then I would definately write "gourds" on it - I have been growing gourds every year for about 6-7 years now and they are so much a part of who I am - I do sell them at the cottage but even if I didn't, I would still grow them for myself as I love to have baskets full of them around every autumn.   I enjoy the "lucky dip" aspect of seeing what comes up also, as I find the seeds often cross and all sorts of combinations can appear . . .    this year I didn't actually plant ANY gourd seeds as such, as I decided to just leave the patch where I grew last years and see if any came back up.  I took Mr fat fluffy out to the farm to harvest this years crop last weekend . . . 

Hurry up Mum I'm ready to go

 This is what we collected from NOT sowing any seeds . . .  :-)
because I grow them in peat soil, they all need a good wash when I get them home and then put onto trays to dry in the sun . . . 

washing them in my new (cracked) sink

by the way, my new butlers sink is on its way from England apparently - coming by boat, NOT plane (I did ask) - hopefully will be here next week (fingers crossed)! ! !

I didnt get the usual mixed assortment but still some good varieties came up

We have been having some bleak foggy days here in our little part of the Waikato this past week - I took these photos below at 11 in the morning so it shows you how the fog can linger around in these parts, lift for a few hours & then set in again . . . 

 All you want to do is sit inside by this  . . . 

 Eat things like this  . . . 

Banana cake & malt fudge slice - yummy ! ! !

 Fight for space beside THIS . . . 

 And make things like this . . . 

2 hettie hen doorstops made from hessian

I have also been doing a little knitting and managed to finish some cotton dishcloths I had begun quite awhile ago and never completed . . . 

this is about the limit to my knitting abilities ! !

Quite a few birthdays ago my friend gave me a lovely golly plate & - without intending to - a bit of a collection began, & this week a trademe purchase turned up in the mail . . . 

Just look at that face - how wonderful ! ! !

 I now have 3 golly plates and someone once told me - once you have 3 of anything, you have a collection?!

Love the little triangle shaped picanniny one - another trademe purchase

 I am thinking of perhaps displaying them in my new kitchen area but need to sort some wall space out first.


This weekend is a long weekend here in N.Z. - Queens birthday weekend - Happy Birthday to Her Majesty - hope its a happy one. :-) Have a lovely long weekend out there friends and if you are travelling, drive safely & take care. 

 Keep warm & try to relax . . .  be back real soon.
Love Julie :-)
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