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Life on two acres of arid dirt, on the edge of the Australian outback.

Saturday, February 4, 2017

this week

Good evening dear friends.

Thank you for dropping in on my little blog. 

February has arrived, and this means just one more month to enjoy Summer. 
It also means that hubby gets to celebrate his big fiftieth birthday. 

Last weekend I called into my favourite little op shop and found this set of six place mats and a table runner in the palest colour blue for $1.50.   Unfortunately the table runner is too big for my table so I will need to find somewhere else to place it. I may brighten the placemats up a little. Maybe a crochet border, some rick-rack or lace? We will see.


I also found these cute retro jars.  I have not seen them in this colour before. One is filled with lovely smelling pot pourri and they were just twenty cents each.  Wouldn't it be great if all op shops could sell things at this sort of price?  That would make me very happy. 


This old toy trolley belonged to my big brother as a youngster.  I would sit in it and he would pull me around and occasionally tip me out!   
I am hoping to bring this back to life. It will need a lot of work, but I am confident it can be done. It needs a long pull handle, some new wheels and a coat or two of red paint.


Bossy bantam rooster strutting around.


Outside colour.








A very plump sleepy lizard passing through.  
We also had a brown snake pass through a couple of days ago.  Gave us the fright of our lives lol! 
Sorry there are no photos of the snake, I was long gone...



Tomatoes ready for the dryer.


Some time ago I found this bundle in the Salvos op shop. Could it be that a dear old lady knitted all these little rectangles in the hope of making a blanket?  Maybe it was something for her to do to while away the hours. Anyway for what ever reason, these ended up at the Salvos.
As soon as I spied the bag with all the knitting inside, I knew I would be taking it home to finish off the blanket.  It needed six more rectangles which I have knitted up, and now it is ready to sew together and put a nice border around.



Pretty bath bombs on my kitchen bench.  Sweet daughter in law is making them.


There has been more bread making, a regular part of my routine now ~smiles.



and more beautiful roses.


A classic back to basics recipe. 
Salmon patties.  
I browsed a couple of recipes and then made up my own. 
You will need;
One tin of salmon, two potatoes cooked and mashed with butter, cream and approximately two tablespoons of mayonaise. One onion finely chopped, one tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, 1/4 cup cornflour, 1/4 cup of flour, one egg and some fresh breadcrumbs (I didn't measure the bread crumbs sorry, maybe around a small handful). Mix ingredients altogether and form into patties, then place in fridge for half an hour. After they have rested, roll in flour, dip in beaten egg and toss in some fresh (or bought) breadcrumbs. Fry in a little oil and enjoy.



Very delicious topped with cream cheese and sweet chilli sauce.


This little guy dropped in a few nights ago.



Not a very good photo, but he wasn't hanging around for any more pics.



This old 70's Kriesler stereo has made its way into my lounge room. Hubby picked it up cheaply and has already replaced the stylus on the record player.  It also needs the tape player looked at by someone who knows about these things lol. Thankfully we have found a place in Adelaide that repairs them.  

So of an evening we have been playing our old 33 records.  We much prefer to do this than to watch television. I had forgotten how good they sound.

I bet some of you owned one of these players back in the day. Do tell?



Finally somewhere to keep and play all our records from years gone by.


An ordinary pile of logs makes a great spot to sit and watch the sun go down.  At the moment the salt lake out the back has water in it so this makes for a good photo.



One of my favourite quotes. This says it all ~smiles.


Such a beautiful sky on show this evening.


Another season in our life is about to begin.

We have known that our son has been looking at buying a house of his own. Well on Tuesday it finally happened. He will soon be paying for his first home and moving out in April. I am very happy for him, and wish him well, but this house that he has called home will be so empty and quiet.

Very soon we will be empty nesters. The last of our four chicks will have flown the nest to pursue a life of their own. I am a little sad at this thought after thirty six years of having a busy home. This new life will take some getting used to. 

To end on a much happier note; later that same day my daughter told me that I am to be a grandmother once again. A tad excited about grandchild number three arriving. So maybe our house wont be quiet for long.



I would like to welcome any new followers and visitors to my little corner of the world. I hope you enjoy your time here.

Thank you to those who take the time to comment, I really love hearing from you all and appreciate your wonderful contribution to my blog.

So tell me, what did you get up to this week? 

Hope your weekend is a good one.

34 comments:

  1. I like the new record player you will get lots of fun out of that. Also will try the tin salmon recipe. As a child in UK we always had tin salmon sandwiches for tea on Sunday, the salmon was always mixed with vinegar salt and pepper and the bread always buttered. Over here in USA everybody eats tin tuna fish, mixed with mayo in a sandwich. So large tins of tin salmon are quite cheap, nobody I know seems to buy them, so will definitively give your recipe a go.
    Christy

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    1. Hi there Christy,

      Best of luck with making the salmon patties. Jane mentioned in her comment below that a few veggies can also be added. I will definitely try adding some next time round.

      Salmon patties are a cheap meal and not that hard to make. In Australia salmon can be quite expensive compared to tuna. Just shows how things are priced differently depending on where you are located :)

      xTania

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    2. Hi I'm also a Britt stuck in the US. I remember those tinned salmon sandwiches also. I make these salmon cakes quite a bit but use sweet potatoes instead as I grow them in abundance each year. If you bake the potatoes instead of boiling they freeze really well. Just found your blog. Have loved reading all the older posts.

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    3. Hello Amanda,

      Welcome to my world!

      I must try the patties with sweet potatoes. I was growing them here a few years ago and they did really well.

      Thank you for letting me know you dropped by :)

      xTania

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  2. Hello Tania,

    As always, an utterly lovely post.

    Thank you for sharing your salmon cake recipe. I have one that we all enjoy very much, but I think your addition of cream cheese and sweet pepper jam would be a perfect addition.

    It is so nice to see your plans to finish the knitted throw blanket that was started but, for whatever reason, never completed. I look forward to seeing photos of the project.

    Although I have a few more years to go before becoming an empty nester, I have several friends whose children have "flown the coop". Although they were, initially, a little saddened, ALL have found a new lease on life. They've suddenly found they have time for all sorts of pursuits they had always delayed because of tending to their children's busy schedules. I am confident you will also take up new adventures and revive old hobbies or dreams.

    Most of all, COGRATUATIONS on your new grandbaby! What a joy! I am so very happy for your family.

    Blessings,
    Mrs.B

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    1. Thank you for you kind words Mrs. B.

      I am kind of looking forward to having more time to pursue my interests. You are right. My plans and dreams have been put on the back burner while my children have been around, now will be my time to shine :)

      I can not wait to get the blanket done and see what it looks like. A couple of the rectangles are knitted very loosely so I am hoping this isn't going to be an issue when sewing it together. If it is I may have to re-knit them which will take more time. Oh well, they don't take that long to knit :)

      I am excited for grandchildren as I have had to wait for so long. Only one of my three daughters have decided to have babies and she is the youngest, so it has been a slow process. I have had one grandson for twelve years and soon I will have three grand-babies woohoo! The second little boy turns one tomorrow :)

      Many blessings to you,

      xTania

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  3. I just revived salmon patties also. Read a recipe on a blog that brought them back to mind. It has finely chopped dill pickle in the mix and was really good. : )
    Congratulations on becoming a grandmother again. Its lovely isn't it?

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    1. Dear Candace,

      Thank you for telling me about the chopped pickle in salmon patties, I am sure they would improve the taste even more!

      Yes it is a lovely feeling being a grandmother :)

      xTania

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  4. I imagine that you know "refurbishing the little wagon will ruin any antique value it may have.

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    1. I would imagine so Gorges. But it looks terrible in that condition lol!

      I may not even get around to doing anything to the little cart as I have many other things to do first :)

      xTania

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  5. A lovely post Tania - great to pop by & see what you have been up to. I love the old trolley & look forward to seeing you revamp it. Congratulations on a new granbaby - I am waiting for No 2 to be born in March. Such an exciting time in our lives. Happy February Tania x x

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    1. Hello again Julie,

      So good of you to pop in and see what I am up to.

      I hope I do get time to give the little trolley a makeover. I would love to see it back to its original self. The resident spiders wont be too happy though!

      Yes I love the fresh new grandbaby smells, there is nothing better. I am enjoying this time of my life although there are lots of different circumstances happening at once, but that is the story of life.

      XTania

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  6. As always - beautiful photos and wonderfully newsy content. Your blog always makes me feel like I am there. The best of life's blessing to your son in his own home (what a great young bloke!) and also for the new life in prospect to be added to your family. Phil

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    1. Thank you for your kind words Mr Home Maker.

      We are very proud of our son. He is only twenty one and already wanting to buy a home and settle down :)

      xTania

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  7. Congratulations to you and your daughter and family for the news of another Grandbub. This really is joyful news. Wow your boy moving out and into his own home. We only have the two and both moved out of home at 18. Our daughter moved back in last year as she was able to find work here and has gotten herself into Uni. Salmon patties are a regular here. We often use left over veges in them as well. Looking forward to seeing your blanket all made up.

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    1. Thank you Jane.

      Our son is twenty one, so he has his head in the right place. He is an electrician now and already wanting to settle down and get his life started. I have been blessed by all of my children, they are all really good kids.

      What a great idea to add vegies to the patties, I will definitely do that next time. Cant believe I didn't think of that lol!

      xTania

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  8. Congratulations on expecting your third grandchild, Tania. Grandchildren are such blessings. I had a laugh about the photo of the snake. I wouldn't have hung around to take one either. Even the blue tongue lizards frighten me enough.

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    1. That snake was the one that got away Nanna Chel. He slithered under the house and it is driving Phil crazy thinking he could be still there. Personally I don't think he would of hung around as he got as big a fright as we did!

      I am looking forward to meeting my new grandie in August :)

      xTania

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  9. I love salmon patties, they are pretty regular on the menu around here. Ah the good old record player, I inherited my dad's record collection as he never played them anymore, all the good old stuff from the 70's and 80's, we bought a cheap record player, and play them from time to time, but we would love a better player and speakers, ours don't do the music justice!

    Congratulations on the news of becoming grandparents again, it's hard from where I am in life to ever imagine that LOL, but I'm sure it will happen, just not too soon LOL!

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    1. Dear Cheryl,

      You need to get one of these players, the music sounds so good! We had a cheap stereo but the sound just isn't the same. This type of player can still be found.

      I am looking forward to being a granny again. I dreaded the through when I was younger, but now I love it lol! It will come around soon enough for you :)

      Have a lovely week,

      xTania

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  10. Chicks always return to the nest, especially to a mother hen who can cook good food! That's very exciting for your boy and wow, another grandy! So exciting!

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    1. Haha he is already saying he will still come home for dinner and tea! He has a girlfriend so hopefully she can cook. They had a trial run when we went away last year :)

      xTania

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  11. Congratulations on grandbaby No3, My No3 is arriving in June sometime and I cant wait.
    Snakes and lizards are a summer guest in most parts and do scare us often.
    I make salmon patties regularly here but I will add some mayo next time, sounds yummy.
    Debbie

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    1. Thank you Debbie.

      When I read a recipe that said to add mayo I thought I must do that. It does make a difference, they are much nicer.

      Hopefully that is all the snakes we see this year!

      xTania

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  12. I giggled about that snake, Tania. I'd be long gone too if there was a brown around! We have snakes here, whip snakes and green tree snakes and carpet pythons, but haven't seen a brown here. I can't wait to see what you do with that old trolley, I'm sure it will be lovely when you've given it a makeover. The weekend here has been really hot. I got out early for a long walk yesterday morning but today's morning has been spent baking and marinating feta and playing cards with my boy. Lovely for you to have another grandchild on the way. Exciting times! Meg:)

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    1. Dear Meg,

      This was the first and hopefully last snake we have seen this season on our property. We have seen plenty squashed on the road. I am guessing that the snakes may have bred up with the extra good season we have had this year. This snake was about three foot long, so a youngish one.

      We have had your weather this year, very wet and very humid. I have never seen this country so green in summer. This week however may change that. We have a hot one coming. It will be 46C by Saturday! If it is humid, we are going to melt...aghh!

      xTania

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  13. Hi Tania, it's been a while since I last commented but I still read your lovely blog. I've just started my simple living blog up again after 1 1/2 years. I'm not sure where the time went. Congratulations on the news of a lovely new grandchild. xxSue

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    1. Hi there Sue,

      So glad to hear you are back blogging. I look forward to following your simple living adventures.

      xTania

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  14. Dear Tania,
    I think I will try your recipe only with tuna... I hope that will work! Congratulations on another baby in the family that is wonderful!
    Well done to your son for buying his own home. That is fantastic. Yes its an adjustment when they move out but it is so good to see/her of a young man doing so well.
    The granny squares will be lovely made up. I think old fashioned rugs like this are really sweet. And warm!
    I hope you have had some of this rain. It is so wet here it is crazy! I thought it would never stop raining! The garden has gone sub tropical!
    With much love, Annabel.xxx

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    1. Dear Annabel,

      Tuna will work just fine with that recipe. I didn't have any tuna on that day only a tin of salmon.

      It is raining here today and then the rest of the week is HOT! Really HOT! Think I will be moving out into the craft room as that has a split system air conditioner. We really don't need to visit up north with all the humidity we have had down here this year. I think Australia has flipped upside down lol!

      xTania

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  15. Congratulations to your son on his buying his first home and to your daughter and you too for that precious new little life that will be joining your family! You covered so much in this post but that sunset was amazing and the little gecko that came to visit you brought back so many wonderful childhood memories for me. Thank you for that Tania!

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  16. Love the recipe of the Salmon Patties. By dipping in egg then crumbs makes them exotic....might try them tonight. Wish me luck Tania
    Alexa-asimplelife

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  17. Tania, your photos are beautiful and so interesting. It will be sad to see your son leave, but it also opens up new possibilities in your home! Hopefully he won't be moving too far away. Like you said, you are beginning a new season in your life. That little trolley is so cute! I don't know what styles are in your country, but here in the U.S. rusted items are very popular! Just clean your little (we'd call it a wagon) trolley up and leave it rusted. Use it for a seasonal display, inside or out!

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  18. Congrats on the 3rd grandbaby. I have three.....all boys. Nice find on the little jars but the prize is that wagon and the memories you have to go with it. NICE....thanks for sharing.

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Your comments really make my day. Thank you for taking the time and for being so kind.