Category Archives: All things home

Where do you get or I have one too….

All things family, All things home,

A question bloggers often ask each other is – where do you get your ideas from- things to talk about, post about? Here there and everywhere is often the answer.

I’m tagging onto (pinching?) something Sandra at Madsnapper featured the other day – an idea she recently ’‘borrowed and adapted’ from a couple of other bloggers

https://snapperone.blogspot.com/2022/04/definitely-not-pioneer-woman.html

A spoon rest is a piece of kitchenware that serves as a place to lay spoons and other cooking utensils, to prevent cooking fluids from getting onto countertops, as well as keeping the spoon from touching any contaminants that might be on the counter. source

So here is my ‘so not pioneer woman’ spoon rest – very similar in style to Sandra’s, complete with my very frequently used vintage British government issue tablespoon.

One of my contributions to recycling/reusing is a small stack of these plastic food trays that (in my case) minced chicken comes in. They get used for all sorts of things, a place to put spoons in use (or any other utensil) being one of them.

Maybe not as elegant and smooth as something purchased but free – if you discount the product that came with it. They come and go – one or two new ones in, one or two old ones out.
~ ~ ~ ~

The beautiful solid sensible looking tablespoon somehow found its way into my civilian kitchen when The Golfer was demobbed in 1968.
It’s certainly been a ’trusty servant’ since then!

The markings on the back are interesting

  • SIPELIA – the manufacturer who had the government contract

History – https://www.hawleysheffieldknives.com/n-fulldetails.php?val=s&kel=896

  • 18/8 stainless steel

https://www.corrosionpedia.com/definition/6416/188-stainless-steel

  • The date it was made 1961 plus an arrow head signifying it was government property

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_arrow

  • I’ve no idea about the numerals 9424296 – possibly a design number.


So what do you use as a spoon rest…..or don’t you? What do you reuse or repurpose?

#keeplifesimple

On my mind…

All things home

Well, at the rate our nights are cooling off I’m wondering how long it’ll be before I have to bring the woollen blankets out of summer storage. And then how long before the Doona joins them for those ’OMG it’s bl**dy cold’ nights

(it’s surprising what you can unknowingly ’capture’ when you’re lying in bed playing with your iPad on a cold Winter’s morning in 2021 😊)

We have one in our street….

All things home

But no one knows who it is!

There is a rotating system for bin collection

Solid green bin (household waste) every week

Yellow lidded (recycling) one week – Green lidded (garden waste) the following

Garden waste week!

Late Sunday afternoon you will see some neighbours glancing up and down the street

You can almost hear the voices in their heads – Yellow or Green – Which one is it?

Then all of a sudden one set of bins is on the nature strip – closely followed by more

All lined up like soldiers (or Daleks) in battle formation

Ready to be upended the next morning – then dumped unceremoniously on the ground

Most weeks the lid colours match- some weeks there is one that doesn’t
Oh dear the kids down the street have got it wrong again – pocket money will suffer

The Golfer deals with ours – “which bin” he constantly asks
“Which one did you put out last week “ is the answer.
Often followed by ”which one is half empty”

Then I’ll smile and suggest he checks the chart on the fridge
That way I know ours is correct 😊

There was fun and games not long ago.

Pick up after Christmas Person #1 got it wrong.
LOTS of wrong coloured bin lids lined the street – it was garden waste not recycling

There was a flurry of activity when neighbours who had put out bins with yellow lids (and happened to be home) saw the green waste truck going by, it was quite a sight seeing some of them struggling across the road with their green coloured ones, pulling them up on to the opposite nature strip in time for when the truck returned to deal with the other side of the street.

Yes we have a bin-influencer in our street – but we have no idea who he/she is

Influencer :~ Someone who affects or changes the way that others behave source

#livelovelaugh

It would help if I put my specs on….

All things home, ,

During our winter stay in Bowen we shop at the same national supermarket chain as down here in Melbourne. It’s a case of doing that (being the only supermarket in town) or using the local independent grocer – IGA – also a sort of national chain but owner run – with slightly higher prices. Being a ’country town’ most of the businesses close at lunchtime Saturday – no city weekend trading hours there…..apart from one chemist/pharmacy and IGA.

We use powdered milk, have done for many a year, it works for us, is easier to have on hand rather than the UHT long life stuff (yuk) and usually mixes quite easily….except for a couple of months prior to going away we noticed it was needing a bit more effort to get rid of lumpy bits of undissolved powder on the top of the liquid.
Anyway, one week there was a problem with supply – lots of full cream but no skim on the shelves or out the back. Still none available a few days later so out of necessity one Sunday we went down to the other place….where their shelves were full. Same weight….Same price….bet it’s all packed into different packets in the same factory. Same ratio of powder and water to mix……same taste….but there was one difference……it dissolved and mixed up a dream. Just with a fork, no beater needed. Big smiles all round.

Back home again the last bag of the original brand I had on hand here was almost finished so I decided to hunt out the ’new’ one. Unlike the other national chains those shops aren’t on every corner so it was a fair drive to the closest…half way up the mountain just for a couple of packs of skimmed milk powder😊

And what’s with the picture below ?

Well, I was about to recycle the empty pack and wondered if there was a difference in the health/daily allowance figures on the front.
Oh dear…the figures on the lower ‘new’ pink bag are much higher than the ones above on the ‘old’ grassy green one

Oops, now I see why…..one is for a 250ml serve – the other for a 100ml serve.
Now where did I put those specs??


Not in my house…..

All things home, All things weather,

Yes, it’s Monday!

For years Monday was always referred to as Wash Day……that gave it the rest of the week to get it dry and ironed before Sunday. But did you know that for a long time wash day (known as the great/grand wash only came round
maybe every three to six months.

If like me you’re a fan of everything old and interesting have a look at this site – lots of quirky facts there about what is described as domestic paraphernalia….. fabulous info about things from around the house. Want to know about washing machines pre 1800…look no further than here. Tablecloths in the middle ages, mangles, history of pressure cooker….it’s all there.

Unlike a lot of my friends (even in these days of ’automatic washing machines’) Wash Day in my house has never been on a set day. Two adults + five children = a lot of people = an awful lot of clothes to be laundered ….so when there was a load out came the washing machine. My granny would have turned in her grave if she’d have known I washed on a Sunday but it did happen…..now and again.

I wonder if I’m the only one who loves the sight of a line full of laundry blowing in the wind? There’s a soft gentle comfortable look about it..….yes, even if it’s a line full of mens shirts, jocks and socks
Which is really strange because I’m the least domesticated person you’d ever come across – I’m sure there are many like me who would much rather sit with a book than do housework. There was more play with the children than housework when they were little as well.

After having so many rainy days where everything had to be dried on the back deck, it was good to get some dry sunny days with a bit of a breeze so I was able to launder a woollen blanket, hang it on the big line and know It wouldn’t need all week to dry


What is a constant in my day (each and every day) however is an early cup of tea 🫖☕️

Putting the kettle on in the daylight is still a novelty – I can see how the day is beginning but have to go by the BOM forecast for how it may end. If the one from early evening yesterday is anything to go by it’ll be a case of close the window overnight …….or put the blanket back on the bed!

Linking to Life this Week hosted by Denyse at Denyse Whelan Blogs. 
Do pop over and see what others have been up to this week

Pussy cat Pussy cat where have you been……

All things home, , ,

We had cold and wet and gale force wind in copious quantities last week in Melbourne, we also had days with no power after a ‘ginormous’ storm went through but just before all that happened I did a bit of indoor ‘ techie type’ clutter clearing’…… this time it was sorting out old photo folders (again)
I had a little smile when I came across these two …..I’d read somewhere about taking photos as reminders of items/objects you’ve enjoyed but no longer want/need
So during a previous ‘clearing out’ blitz, that’s just what I did.
Took photos of these two very large almost brand new mugs that had spent a lot of unused time in the cupboard….. just before I passed them onto someone else 😊

I’ll keep the photos a while longer – not to remember the mugs – but as a memory of the recently departed friend who gave them to me.

In the cold of the very early morning I’m enjoying my first cup of tea and thinking of my ‘darling B’ ……she who lived such a gentle life, and left this world in a gentle sort of way. Settling down for the night, not waking in the morning – just as she would have liked. Quietly peacefully at ease.

She talked continuously about ‘ feeding the heart to nourish the soul ‘, introduced me to the concept of loving kindness and all it involved, lived a lifestyle practising what she preached many years before it became trendy. Gifting to me gave her as much joy as it gave me.

She had many friends who appreciated the quiet peaceful life she led, her ‘going away party’ was small and simple, limited by restrictions…..
but there’s another ‘friends as well as family’ gathering being planned for later….where she’ll be the centre of attention as we celebrate her life 😊❤️

Denyse is the host of Life this week  – do pop over
because you never know who you’ll see there.
Linking to Senior Salon – hosted by Esme
As the old advertising slogan goes:- You’ll never never know If you never never go!

ps – B even suggested the people I could pass the mugs on to.
pps – I live in the foothills of The Dandenongs. This is what went through

https://www.9news.com.au/national/weather-news-victoria-thousands-without-power-as-destructive-storms-lash-state/c36b2a57-3eb9-4178-90f4-f9eb9a455e9c

Something new…

All things home,

Honestly, I’ve come to the conclusion that if I don’t think about what I’m doing at bedtime, I could actually do myself some damage.

Not me

So when I was shopping the other week a couple of pairs of silky pyjamas went into the trolley.

Why you ask??

So I can roll over in bed is the answer 😊

Colder nights mean thicker pyjamas that for some reason cling to the sheets which means I’m waking up feeling a bit ‘strangled’ in places, floundering about straightening tops and bottoms and having to sit up to roll over. Any attempt to do it lying down often results in some strong language coming out of my mouth as twisting can cause discs and nerves to come in contact with each other – I’m certainly not happy when that happens

It’s a different story when I wear my slippery silky pyjamas – they just slide and glide over the bottom sheet so there’s no friction at all. Unfortunately I’m down to two pairs in the cupboard which are being worn continuously …..except for the nights when I forget and put on the ‘thick’ ones and end up getting ‘stuck’ and worse, in pain…….so it was time to seek out some more.

Job done and I was all ready to ‘tap and go’ when this slogan caught my eye.
“Sleep warm and cosy with this soft touch sheet set”

Does anyone remember a couple of years ago when soft and cuddly bedding was what I wanted but what I ended up with were sheets like velcro ? Well I brought them out of hibernation for another chance turn on the bed….even with silky pjs on it still felt like trying to roll over on velcro…..guess they are maybe possibly definitely going to the op shop!

So warm and cosy in soft touch sheets sounded very interesting 😊

A little fondle of the sample and I was hooked.
It reminded me of the brushed nylon sheets we had back in the 1960s, similar…..not the same, thicker but softer.
…..They are constructed from washed microfibre that gives them a relaxed look and soft texture. These everyday sheets are lightweight, easy to care for and naturally wrinkle resistant…..
Oh I’m easily pleased
One queen size set went into the trolley!

And now I’m definitely pleased.
They are smooth, warm and cosy with not a hint of velcro to be found, they received both mine and The Golfer’s seal of approval … so much so that after a week of sleeps with them on the bed in my new silky pjs, then a look at how they laundered, I nipped back to the shop and came home with another set.

I have been thinking about this over my early cup of tea and realise that over the years I’ve never given much thought to sleepwear and bedding – you needed it so bought it. Soft warm comfortable new pjs is a new ‘well into retirement’ necessary requirement as is soft warm/cool comfortable new bedding. If my mother discovered what my thoughts on both of those things were she’d say I was going soft in my old age.
but golly, it’s good to be pampered now and again isn’t it.

Denyse hosts Life this week – why don’t you pop in to read the latest episode.

Good Better Best

All things home,

Just doing a bit of thinking out loud as I enjoy my early morning tea…… letting you know because this will probably end up as a lot of unorganised thoughts, that’s how much my mind is wandering these days.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking about the word good:-
very satisfactory, enjoyable, pleasant or interesting (source)

I’m not sure how ‘you’ would describe them (interesting maybe) but I recently learnt/discovered what I think are two really good words
Ones I hope to keep memorised remember and can pull out when I need impress other crafters…..who probably know them anyway 😊

SABLE– A common knitting acronym that stands for:-
Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy.”
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, At Knit’s End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much

TINKING – Tinking is the process of un-knitting your work
You would do this if you made a mistake somewhere in your row, but you don’t want to rip out your work. Tinking allows you to undo your knitting and fix your mistake. Tink is knit spelled backward.
https://newstitchaday.com/tinking/

It’s possibly a generational thing but do any of you remember this ‘rhyme/saying’ that was drummed into us at home as well as at school?

Good Better Best
Never let it rest
Until your good becomes better
And your better best

Parents and teachers had a lot to answer for in those days didn’t they…….wonder if it’s mentioned these days? I did also wonder if it was just a strict 20th century way of supposedly encouraging children along but it seems it’s been in use since 1897 source.

Better is described as – of a higher standard, or more suitable, pleasing or effective than other things or people (source)

And best is – of the highest quality, or being the most suitable, pleasing or effective type of thing or person. (Source)

BUT thinking about it I still wonder….and you might have your own thoughts

Why wasn’t our good good enough
Why did it have to be better
And more to the point, why did it have to be the best
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Now when you’re pottering around the internet and find a web site
that says if you add all these ingredients together

the result would be ‘seriously amazing’ – my eyes prick up.
Well actually all I look for or rather all I want is something that tastes good
But if seriously amazing is promised that’s even better!

Rummaging around the cupboards this is what I found to work with:-
Lentils – Garlic…….crushed in jar – Onion and Carrot.
Chicken stock and potato water in freezer + extra made with vegetable stock powder
Coriander – Cumin – Salt/Pepper.
Lemon – slices in freezer or commercial lemon juice
Paprika – Bay Leaves…..no
Celery – no…..not nice however cooked.
Tinned Tomatoes……which had garlic and oregano flavours but what’s a different spice between friends 😊

Looked good after cooking – see below
I mashed it up a bit with the Bamix (wrong move….didn’t look so good) – not shown
Tasted really good

What was even better was how it tasted two days later
That’s when I remembered the big pot in the fridge
The one with the leftovers that should have gone into the freezer
Leftovers that ended up being dinner that evening

They tasted so good – in fact much much better than before – in fact Seriously Amazing

~ ~ ~ ~

Do visit Denyse’s blog to see the latest edition of Life this week – it’s all good over there