Harvesting . . . & plodding . . .

Good afternoon dear friends & readers,

This past week has been a time of some plodding ... all mixed in with a little late summer harvesting ...

When The Mr & I built our 2nd raised vege garden back in November of last year (see here) ... we filled it with soil from our burning heap.
 I noticed a couple of pumpkin plants had popped up in it so I just left them to do their "thing" & wander

As you can see above, those pumpkins actually turned out to be ornamental gourds - obviously self seeded from the odd ones that get thrown on the burning heap (by myself) from time to time

I was so pleased that there were a few different varieties & not just all the same plain yellow ones ... there were some very small sized ones I was planning to throw out ... but then decided to pop them in my kitchen scales - a little splash of colour on my benchtop

I do so enjoy the colours, shapes & patterns of gourds  :-)

As autumn kicks in here now, I like to pull the last of the vege garden to bits to re-fertilise & plant it out for the winter.
However, I managed to harvest this last colourful assortment just yesterday morning

cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers, passionfruit, & 1 lonely courgette

though our tomatoes this year have been small in size, they are still very tasty & sweet

Before I mowed the other evening, I gathered this basketfull of walnuts off the lawn - though listening to the wind that is howling around us today, I imagine there will be just as many on the lawn again by now

I have been shifting stock & feeding pets for my friend Lois this past week - she lives a few kilometres up the road from me - I have had a constant companion by my side while carrying out these enjoyable tasks - a gorgeous chocolate labrador named Coco

Now doesn't she just look like she fell into the tin of cocoa???!!!

(p.s. YES I was tempted - definately - to put Coco in my car & bring her home with me!!!)

A few years ago my youngest son Kayne undertook a building apprenticeship - Kayne played a significant role in the building of my little Cottage 

& also built the one for Colleen that I posted about back here.
Kayne would frequently find himself unemployed "in between jobs" ... & on one occasion Lois commissioned him to build her a "garden room"  ... I always loved where Lois situated it & captured a snap of it while feeding her animals this week

Although it is not many years old, I love the timeworn, weathered patina it has taken on ... 

... as if it has sat there for a good many years ...

My friend Bronwyn had asked me to make her a teacup teddy to take to Australia as a gift ... she was undecided on a colour so I decided to make 2 & let her choose,  then keep the other as stock for the Cottage

These tiny little "pieces of fluff" which end up pretty much fitting in the palm of your hand sure  do take some fiddling with to put together 

The first one was a gorgeous pink tipped fine mohair fur - she has ended up as Little Miss Rosebud 
(thankfully they don't take a great deal of fur to make so you can use up your smaller offcuts)

The second one is Miss Goldilocks & she was made using a lovely golden mohair fur with a slight curl to it.

 

(The teacups pictured are mine - Bronwyn has her own to use) 

I wonder which one Bronwyn will choose - Miss Pinky or Miss Goldy ...
(these teddies are constructed using one piece for the body, arms & legs & then a pieced head, plus ears) 
This pattern (again) is torn from a very old Bear Magazine & is titled Teacup Teddy by Joan Woessner.
You can read another post about my teacup teddies here

Also - whilst "plodding" this past week - I managed to complete these rusty tin swags 

made using rusty punched-tin hearts, a star & a birdhouse

They are just made using torn strips of fabrics which I iron & fray neatly (I Know, I Know!!!) & then tie in co-ordinating colourways
I have made these before for the Cottage & they have proved to be rather popular.

Well dear friends - I am off to sit down with a cuppa & a new purchase 

- many thanks to Betty for letting me know about this new book - a sequel to the one I posted about back here.

Before I close I just wanted to say a huge Thank You to you all 
some of you have, on the odd occasion, dropped me an email telling me how much you enjoy reading my blog & stopping by my little corner of the world 
This has meant so very much to me - it truely lifts my heart & gladdens my soul to know you enjoy my ramblings

Sometimes just a little kindness (a comment or a word) can mean so very much to a person

I snapped this photo walking into my lounge yesterday afternoon - I loved how the late afternoon sun was making rainbows on the walls

May you all have a rainbow filled week dear friends & readers
Thanks so much for your visits
much love & friendship & kindness to you all,
Julie x0x0x