Beautiful and useful.....and not so much

Beautiful! I swore was thinking I wouldn't buy any more pretty china but while trawling through Vinnie's the other day, I spotted this gorgeous plate. You can't see it, but there are indentations where the floral motifs are - similar to a devilled egg plate. I just love it. When I got home, I looked at the back and it has the initials B.H. and 90 so I'm assuming B.H. made the plate in 1990. I thought it was a lot older than that but it doesn't matter.  I hope B.H. knows that it has gone to a loving home and will be admired and appreciated for a long time to come.

Totally useful.  This is the best funnel in the whole world. It is a milk container cut down and I use it for so many things. It has a very wide neck and the handle is just so good for holding the funnel steady. I also use it to bottle my jams and pickles. It's marvellous!

Not so useful. When I went to pickle school, I bought all manner of things that looked like a good idea. This funnel is one of them and it's totally useless.

It comes apart and is supposed to be three funnels in one. Ha! The biggest bit is too big for most bottles. That grey bit in the middle has a slanted hole and is supposed to be the bee's knees for putting peppercorns into grinders (who knew?). I tried it once. Peppercorns still shot all over the floor and there was a lot of mucking around.  Not too sure what that little red bit is for. Maybe pouring oil into something? Who knows? I am willing to concede that it could be operator error, but in my view, this expensive little item is a total waste of time, money and space.

Back to beautiful. My poor old Iceburg rose. Always being belted with wind and rain; always being munched on by all manner of critters and yet, still gives me sweet smelling flowers.

Useful. We had solar panels fitted some time back. Wish I'd tidied up the back patio before I took that shot. I just got a power bill and there was about a month's worth of solar in it. The bill was $364. The previous bill was $411, the one before that $410 and the one before that (before I started making a concerted effort to reduce power costs) was $552. I am thinking that the solar will be worth around $50 a month, based on the previous bills.  We are paying them off interest free and if I got the cost of the panels back, I'd be one happy camper. Either way, I figure we have to be better off.

No comment!

After the rain.........

The amount of rain we have had over the past few weeks has been truly amazing! I am so happy that I screamed and yelled and threw an hysterical whammy  requested a tin roof when Bill the Builder built our house. I do so love to be snuggled in my bed, listening to the rain on the roof.  When I mentioned to beautiful grandbaby that it was lovely to sleep in the rain, he told me it wasn't lovely at all. That we'd get wet!  Although I fear my feet are about to web over, I am delighted with the tree in the front yard. It is in such beautiful bloom and in the 19 years we have lived here, I have never seen it looking like this.

The rainbow lorikeets, the bees and even the flying foxes are having the best time in amongst the lovely flowers. I can't remember what tree it is now, but it's some kind of native.

Our tanks are full, the yard is beautiful and green but best of all, my herbs are doing so well. A great source of pesto for home made pizzas. Friday night's dinner was prawn, camembert and chilli pizzas with the freshest pesto made with basil, mint and garlic chives. Yum! Beautiful grandbaby said I could probably work in a pizza shop, if I wanted. I don't.

Of course, all this greenery brings out the munching critters and those evil cute little green grasshoppers are all over the place.  I mixed up a brew of garlic chilli spray and hosed everything in sight. That fixed their little red wagon for a while but with all the rain, it didn't last too long.

I seem to have lost my sewing/crafting mojo lately. I started to do some dressmaking again, after many years and after having given all my patterns and fabric to Vinnie's in the great clean out but haven't continued on with that either. I think I need to visit my favourite inspiration place. Beautiful daughter gave me a voucher for Christmas but with significant birthdays happening over the next few weeks, I'm going to have to think of something else.  Mind you, there is some hindrance to any kind of sewing here.

Vicious cat with damaged psyche Beloved family pet takes up residence on anything I am working on. (Tongue is out because he's having a rare bath, not because he's about to vomit!) And so begineth another wonderful week. After waking to a glorious sunny morning, the clouds have gathered again.  I blame Bill the Builder because I blame him for everything he washed the car yesterday.

Off to the library. They are threatening to lynch me would like their books returned.