Positives & Negatives

Greetings dear friends & readers

I am having yet another attempt at resuscitating this poor neglected blog of mine

February was a month of many positives AND negatives & I just did not get any time to blog.

We had endless ups & downs with my Mum during February & then I myself became sick - twice !!

After several Dr's visits & investigations I tested positive for campylobacter & am now taking antibiotics to clear it up 

& get back to some good health.

So blogging definately was not a priority - some days it felt like it took all my energy just to get through the day.

Though my poor garden is rather like my blog - sad & neglected - the roses are still blooming away.

This is a good time of year for picking & drying the many petals I require throughout the year for the potpourri's I sell.

An added bonus is that it doesn't take long for the petals to dry to a crisp these hot summer days.

My friend Carolyn visited early last month & bought me a large armload of Nigella Seed Heads  (Love in a mist)

 from her garden.

When I cut them all up they filled a 10 litre bucket - these will be wonderful to help bulk out my citrus potpourri's

The statice is blooming & required cutting & hanging bunches to dry.

I have picked 3 trays of lavender heads so far (tho' there are many more still to pick) & sat one evening & rubbed 

one tray full into brown paper bags

I had an Order from my friend Marie for 10 lavender bags & 10 mothball sachets, which I always enjoy making.

(The mothball sachet recipe can be found at the bottom of this post if you would like to make your own.)

Quite some time ago I bought this chandelier off Trade me, a New Zealand auction site, similar to ebay 

The seller was demolishing a house & as no-one had bid on the chandelier they offered it to me for $5.00  ....  pointing out to me that it would probably need re-wiring to be able to use it.

I removed the lightbulb holders & pulled out the wiring from it - I had no intentions of it ever being re-wired.

Then I painted the brass with some left over chalk paint (Colour - Yorkshire Stone)

I found 3 matching china cups + saucers in my stash & made soy candles in each cup 

(Fragrance - Black Raspberry/Vanilla)

I used a strong Araldite Glue to affix the saucers to each of the 3 "arms" of the chandelier & then glued the cups 

onto the saucers.

After hanging it up I decided it needed some crystals hanging from the curves of each arm - my photographs are 

not doing it justice - it looks gorgeous hanging up & I am so thrilled with my $5 purchase

What's more - another of the endless ideas floating around in my head  has come to fruition 💕😊 !!

On Friday I had to deliver a tractor part to The Mr at the farm & snapped a quick pic of the dry brown pastures - this countryside is peat & usually manages to keep a green tinge over our hot summer months but everything is brown 

& crisp for miles

Today is overcast but still humid - Miss Pip has spent the day in her banana box out on the deck, & I think Blackie is under the house in the cool - he will return covered in cobwebs tonight.

I have reached a bit of a crossroads with my blog & alot of things in my life of late.

I wonder if my blog has become a bit stale & I don't seem to have as many interesting things to post about compared to when I was running my Cottage ?

I shall be giving it some deep thought over the coming weeks about whether or not I continue.

In the meantime Thank You All So Much for your visits & your continued support here.

With much love & friendship to you all,

Julie & the furry ones x0x0x