hugo & elsa: September 2008

Crazy times with Gumption

It's so hectic around here at Chez Hugo & Elsa as this weekend is our school fair. We have been busy making raspberry jam and meringues, potting up hundreds of tomato plants and collating show bags. Phew - only 50 apples pies, 100 toffee apples and 200 cupcakes to go!

In the meantime, the clever and witty Potty Mouth Mamma has tagged me

Here's how to play:

1) Link to the person who tagged you
2) Mention the rules
3) Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself
4) Tag six other bloggers by linking to them
5) Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged

Here are my six reasonably quirky and yet boring things about me:

1. I'm a Sewing Procrastinator - I'm a shocker when it comes to finishing or actually starting anything crafty. I'm really very good at the part of sewing that involves shopping. I have the books, the fabric, both new and thrifted finds, and the accessories, even a nice space to create in, all ready to go. And I'm so in awe of all the amazingly clever things those crafty blogging mammas create. But at the end of a busy day, when it's the choice between the sofa and a bit of sewing, dang, that sofa wins no contest. I just can't get motivated. There also seems to be a lot of ironing involved with sewing. And I don't iron.

2. Mozart 3rd movement from Piano Sonata A major K.331- I never learnt to play an instrument bar a bit of recorder at school. So as my 40th birthday approached I decided I wanted to learn to play the piano. And my darling husband indulged me with a beautiful white piano for my birthday. And I just want to learn to play this. Nothing else, just the 3rd movement from Mozart's Turka Alla Ronda. I don't care how many years it takes, I intend to perfectly play that one piece because it just does it for me.

3. When I asked my husband about this tag he said you're maybe not quirky just plain weird about the milk, can't we just buy milk from the supermarket like normal people? He said he'd be concerned about my milk obsession if it wasn't for the fact that there's a whole gang of us equally obsessed about this milk. We just we love our milk from Elgaar. The trouble started when our regular delivery stopped and the dairy hasn't really sorted out a new delivery system yet, so we don't know when it's coming. Word will hit town that a milk delivery is on the way. Texts are sent - reconnaissance missions into town are launched - there is a stake out at the deli or a loiter at the organic cafe for HOURS waiting for the milk man, who never seems to arrive. Texts are sent confirming aborted delivery. Sometimes, I think our own cow might be easier.

4. I cannot start the day without my beloved coffee - and it has to be out of my teacup - with above mentioned milk - using our trusty old espresso machine. And no one else can make it properly but me.

5. Which brings me to mugs. I don't like drinking out of mugs. It has to be a cup and saucer. Tea and coffee just tastes better when served in a cup and saucer. We don't have any mugs in the house - What's the point? There's not enough room in the kitchen and they don't fit under the espresso machine. Well, actually I did think about getting some mugs to use when offering a cuppa to the tradesman who occasionally come to work on the house. I used to feel a little pretentious serving a cafe latte in a cup and saucer to a rugged, crusty tradie. Funny thing is, the tradesmen are most appreciative, in fact I was floored when one guy, apparently a true coffee connoisseur, asked not only where I had purchased the beans from but how long ago did I grind them. Needless to say, I was relived that I do not have to invest in mugs that I have no use for. I only have to worry that the coffee is up to scratch (I'm sure it affects the final bill you see).

6. Gumption - I'm crazy about this stuff. It cleans everything so easily and doesn't smell at all chemically. Try it on a stainless steel sink. It will sparkle. As soon as I open that little tub of white paste I can't stop cleaning - I end up blitzing the entire kitchen which is a good thing. But also incredibly boring and not really quirky at all.

And six bloggers to play - will you?

Ness
Keltie
Abbey
Lila
Catherine
Leah

Spring Pickings

It's with an immense sense of pride that I present today's produce from our garden. Italian parsley, purple sage, a couple of eggs and two precious spears of asparagus. A perfect Sunday night supper for, ahem, one.

I look forward to the day when we can cook an entire meal for us all with produce from our garden. But in the meantime, the darlings are happy with cornflakes for dinner (they probably wouldn't eat a herb and asparagus omelet anyway).

Tuesday 6pm

Second day back at school
Paint spots on face
Texta marks on hands
Big bowl of pasta
Big day of big fun
Asleep on the couch
Sweet dreams my sweet girl

Felt fun

Last day of school holidays today, sigh. It's been so relaxed and warm and fun. I didn't get nearly half way through my planned activities for the little ones, like collect shells from the beach, a bush walk and paint the fence.

I had also stocked up on craft supplies for the holidays from a gorgeous tiny new Hobart store called Lyrebird, they specialize in Waldorf inspired toys, crafts and unicycles(!).

So with our beautiful Lyrebird wool we tried felting today as per Amanda's lovely book. I was hoping to make some eggs for the nest we found that's displayed on our Spring nature table.

A bowl of hot soapy water and roll the wool into shapes - too easy. Although I'm glad Amanda cautioned that it's about the process rather than the product, but we did manage a few eggies of sorts. Lots of splashing and lots of fun.

Well, hello Spring

We've flung open the doors and run out to play in bare feet - so long gumboots!

The air is warm and the little ones are in t- shirts - so long spencers!

It's so delicious and sunny out there - so long winter!

Welcome Spring!

I love our street

Our friends from the city came to visit today. We went walking for some en plein air. Chased some cows. Walked home in the windy spring weather. Ate cake and drank tea. Lovely...

A date with the chicks

Friends of ours are minding some week old chicks, so a play date was organised to meet the little cuties. Elsa, dressed in her favourite Susie Wong outfit, was a little bit hesitant at first, but she eventually warmed up to the little balls of fluff. Sort of.

I do worry about her fear of animals, she loves insects and will quite happily play with a dead beetle, but anything bigger than a frog spooks her. Yet Elsa's desperate for a pet, and has been doing chores towards earning the one she wants, but maybe my girl's not ready for the little lamb with fleece as white as snow just yet...

Garden of Eatin'

Ahh spring, time to get into the garden. Now I've long been enamored with the thought of a bountiful kitchen garden, and when we moved in to our home there was the overgrown remnants of a once productive vegetable garden. But the grass was so thick with stalks the size of leeks that it took close to six months to clear it. But clear it I did, I even carefully laid neat brick paths between the beds. And we had a wonderful crop of beets, kale, peas and some tomatoes before the critters got stuck in.

All was going along just fine until the septic needed pumping. We had assumed the septic was located in the lumpy patch of continually green grass on the other side of the house. But no, the septic pump man walked straight to where he knew the tank was. Right under my brick path. They ripped up the bricks and pulled up all manner of unspeakable horrors. Now, I've nothing against poo in the vegetable garden per se, just not our own. That's taking recycling a few steps further than I'm willing to take.

So I despondently replaced the bricks and pretty much walked away from the garden. It's just too close for comfort having a vegetable patch on top of the septic. You risk contaminating your soil from untreated sewage seepage. There's a lovely thought.

Since then we've been searching for the right spot for mark two. But even with close to an acre of yard to choose from, most spots aren't suitable - too shady, too rocky, too close to the drive way. But last night I found this via here and was all inspired! Of course the front yard! North facing, flat, all day sun, perfecto!

"No way, not the front lawn!" was the response from the Mister. Sigh, I need to come up with a persuasive case. My dreams of a Gertrude Jekyll/Edna Walling meets Jamie Oliver at Home style garden is still a few years away.

Meanwhile Hugo has been helping load up the trailer with all the wild weeds taking over, seems you clear a patch, take them away, and a new lot have replaced them by the time you get back.

This gardening caper, it's slow work but we''ll get there...

sometimes the mess makes me smile

I heart Bill

School holidays here in Tasmania - a lazy week of staying in our pyjamas til noon. Inspired by Amanda's birthday blog today - I just had to make a batch of cinnamon scrolls. A perfect school holiday activity with help from Demolition Man. I used Bill Granger's recipe from this book, one that I've always overlooked thinking it was too much effort. But these were pretty easy and soooo goood, warm from the oven...The house still smells of cinnamon.

The milk

For the past eighteen months or so, every Thursday has been milk day, one of our favourite times of the week.

We meet at a friends beautiful farm (a post about that another day) and wait for our organic milk from a dairy in Northern Tasmania to be delivered. We chat and drink tea while the children run amok - putting on plays or painting and playing dress ups. Then Pete arrives, one of his last stops after a verrryy long day, with milk and yoghurt and hopefully butter (ooh it's rare). Then we take it straight home to decant into glass milk bottles. The pail and glass yoghurt jars are washed and returned to the dairy, collected at the next week's delivery.

Anyhow, Pete's not delivering the milk any more, he's focusing all his efforts on his organic vegetable farm. Growing produce that we also get delivered every week. We'll still be able to order the milk from our local organic cafe, but what in blazes is the world coming to when you have to GO TO THE SHOPS for milk...