~2014~The Ones That Got Away

 Boy 2014 certainly whizzed by in a flash

Welcome 2015 and let's hope it's a peaceful year all round the world especially in light of what has been going on

I thought I would do my annual post on pics that were going to be made into blog posts but  just didn't make it

First pic is of lucerne bales for a small vegetable garden that I thought we would start up

Mr Armchair built the garden 4 storeys high out of railway sleepers

One reason is I'm tall and don't bend so well and the other is our Labrador Mimi who loves to 'garden'

Not long into it and this is what it looked like

And to keep Mr Armchair busy in February I needed a new bookcase and thought this corner was perfect

And it is........only trouble is the books keep 'growing'

In March JoJo was out with her group and she bought Mimi a collar

Only thing is it's for a puppy and Mimi is a big, boofy Labrador 

Such a sweet thought on JoJo's part

At Easter time in April I coloured some eggs in vine leaves and onion skins..........a Latvian tradition

this being the result

The egg can then be polished up with some bacon rind

In May we went to see a Miss Fisher exhibition

Miss Fisher......played by Essie Davis........ is a glamorous Lady Detective and the series is set in the 1920's in Melbourne

Read more about the series here

One of my favourite TV shows

In June I entered a giveaway by Jennifer Chiaverini and won this book The Master Quilter

One of her best I think

It was even autographed for me

To win I had to enter a question asking which character I would most like to meet out of the Elm Creek Series

My answer was Anna (the cook) so that I could cook with her for the patchworkers and then sit down and do some sewing with everybody later

I think there were about 800 entries so not bad

 In July at around 5pm there was a massive storm and I took some quick pics coming home

The colours were just stunning

In August we went out for JoJo's birthday breakfast and this is the view 

In September I bought an apron off my Friend Miss Vicki and decided to wear it whilst sewing as I get a heap of threads all over my clothes.......especially the black ones

In October I got to meet Monica McInerney who recognised my name from comments I had made to her Face book page

Such a lovely lady

 In November one evening I spilled frozen peas all over the floor (not very exciting I know)

but the next night the garlic I had fell down and landed looking like a triangle so I just had to photo it

And of course Mimi came in and cleaned up the peas

She didn't even know they were frozen as she doesn't eat she vacuums lol

Before we knew it it was Christmas again

 JoJo's programme had a Christmas get together and she was so proud that she cut the sausage and spiked it together with a tomato and a toothpick

And oh my goodness was this ever good

A Paleo Chocolate Blueberry Cake

I even made my own Nut Butter (cashews) and Paleo Chocolate

Recipe found at The Merry Maker Sisters

And to cap off New Year's Eve a pic taken off the television of the Fireworks on Sydney Harbour 

Happy 2015 everyone.........let's make it a good one

Love Dzintra

This Week...

We had a huge surprise recently in our backyard by the fence

This is the second year we gave had new neighbours on one side and previously we hadn't noticed a vine growing as she kept everything meticulously trimmed......

And look at this......a grapevine with grapes coming on......Mr Arnchair trimmed some leaves to see what was happening and check it out!!!

Michael Edgley's Moscow Circus has hit town and due to good reports JoJo and I headd off to buy our tickets......looking forward to that

And playing around with a new programme for taking pics 365 days and adding them to a calendar daily and because Mimi was in front of me she was the first pic I took......she is growing up to be the most affectionate and beautiful dog!!!

Happy Weekend everyone.......Dzintra

Mimi's First Beach Walk

Yesterday was the most beautiful Spring day here so Mr Armchair and I thought we would take Mimi down for her beach walk whilst JoJo was at Respite Care for a few hours and I hadn't been anywhere due to having this violent cough still

Above is her first step into a rock pool and below her first 'taste' of sea water

With Mr Armchair here

There was a new Memorial Bench here back on the grass and we took a little walk up to it

and this was the view from it......

A lovely Dedication Spot

We even talked about perhaps doing a bench also as people do really appreciate sitting on them and just looking......thinking

I've missed a singing lesson due to this bug and I hope I can get back to it this week but somehow I don't think so

I've been doing a little stitching also

I have read a book The Golden Earrings by Australian Authoress Belinda Alexandra

which I thoroughly enjoyed...

Now it's off to a new week and I'll see if I can't shake the cough off this week!!!

Have a great week.......Dzintra 

~A New Wood Fire For Us and Mimi~

Just very recently we decided to latch out and get ourselves a wood combustion stove for heating....

This is the first time in many years that we haven't had wood and we were really starting to miss it....

Above is our first pile of wood ordered

And these are the gloves of a Worker......JoJo who has been looking forward to this load so she could stack it up.......How cool is that......one less job for me!!!

All done and stacked with the help of Mr Armchair......

This is the gas heater that will be replaced

The corner is this living room was the best spot for the stove

The step had to be shortened so it could fit into the corner

And yep, the flue was going to go all the way up through the ceiling!!!

Step cut and stove positioned

And covered over while the big job started

I went outside and thought these flues looked pretty cool standing there upright!!!

Ceiling hole cut and skylight appeared......for a little while anyway!!!

View looking down from upstairs when installed

And all ready and waiting to go!!!

Alight and looking lovely

By putting the flue all the way up we have an extra 30% heat and lovely warm bedrooms and bookcase too!!!

And the first fire and how warm is this......we just love it and JoJo brings wood in each day!!!

All done by Jason......I thought I better put his truck in so I know where his number is if we even need him again!!!

Our steps were covered with carpet which we pulled off

At the top step we pulled out the first piece of timber and look there was a little branch in one of the boards......how incredible is this!!!

I had Mr Armchair chip it away and I will keep it as I'm not likely to see anything like this again!!!

And look at Mimi how she's grown except she doesn't know she's big!!!

Here she is under the coffee table a couple of months ago.......she doesn't quite fit now LOL!!!

And her beautiful new 'punk' collar!!!

These past few days have been a whirlwind for us

JoJo has just had a birthday......we went up to Canberra to celebrate at La Scala Restaurant......

her favourite!!!
On Friday it was the Canberra Craft and Quilt Fair

and Phantom of the Opera at Canberra Theatre on Friday night
What a show this was......absolutely superb!!!

Today some visiting and then home this evening
We are exhausted but happy and I have soooooo much catching up to do in Blogland and emails!!!

Meanwhile the fire is going.....Mr Armchair is cooking dinner and all is well in our little World!!!
Happy Weekend everybody......Love Dzintra