No dig all done

Finally got into the garden today and built my no-dig-veggie-garden, I will defiantly post some pictures tomorrow (promise!) I was just too tired after I finished. I planned to go out at about 1-2pmish to avoid the heat of the day, that didn't work within 20mins I was dripping with sweat. but it was worth it. So far we only have 6 lettuce plants and some brown onion plants but as soon as the tomato plants & basil plants germinate there will be more for the new veggie patch. I will also be getting some carrots.

I really enjoyed building the veggie patch this afternoon. Something about being outside and just letting the hours pass moving dirt and playing with water. Above all else this garden means that I am contributing to the grocery bill, and it is healthier for us.

I am just so happy about what I have been able to achieve in one afternoon, I know that I can do almost anything that I set my mind to, and alittle planning too. It has taken me three days to get this veggie patch going. I don't like to do things too quickly, I find that you don't do things well if you do things too quickly. There really is nothing wrong with doing alittle planning before doing anything.

I plan to the point where I have a written plan of my new veggie patch and am already mentally planning the idea of having a compost heap or worm farm. Thinking the later is the best bet as we don't produce alot of scraps only being the two of us. There I go! More planning, I really think that my natural want to plan is the key to surviving being unemployed, though it is still important to remember that ultimately no matter how much I plan I am not incharge and that God has a plan for me.

Tomorrow I am itching to get into the garden again, this time I want to weed some of the other garden beds. We also have Youth Group tomorrow night, we are playing basketball, which means that we will have a good turn out. We have a big turn out when we play netball and basketball is more of a game that more of the Youth (particularly the boys) enjoy so we could very well have a huge turn out!

Much needed Mojo boost

Today was soooo what I needed and I didn't even know it. My friend invited me over for a scrapbooking day, I pack up the holiday album that I havn't been doing anything about and printed off enough photos to complete 6 pages and off I went.

Honestly wasn't sure that I wanted to go, think that was probably the depressive feelings talking. Didn't want to waste petrol or have to be around other people. But my ever wonderful, knows what is good for me husband said that he would leave work and drive me if I didn't go myself. So I went....and I am very glad that I did (don't tell my husband :-) ). It was so nice sitting there and chatting with friends and getting back to a hobby that I love very much. I think that I have been neglecting something that would make me feel really good.

Best thing is that I was able to complete all 6 pages that I brought photos for, which was great 'cause they just came together quite smoothly. One I am very proud of, and it was probably the one that came together the fastest.

That is one thing that I learnt today, I shouldn't neglect my passion. My husband says that I have a talent, and if that is true then that is something that God gave me. Something that I am suppose to enjoy, and shouldn't just close the door on this hobby.

Funny how when things get tight, money wise anyway. Things you find just simply enjoyable you feel guilty for enjoying them. That really shouldn't be, these are the times for these hobbies and activities, if you feel good and happy then that will come across in interviews and in life in general. And for me personally anything that keeps me busy and thinking positive is a good thing.

One a slightly different topic we found out today that my husband's brother and his wife are expecting their second child. About 5 weeks along, they already have one son who we love very much and love having him over. And the family is looking forward to meeting this new addition to the family.

Just when I thought I was winning

The battle against my depressive feelings was something I thought I was winning, I had a great plan for today and the rest of the week. I was feeling quite good, considering. Then the phone rang.....it was the person that I had the interview with last Monday. She said that they didn't have any positions for me, I was glad being actually told but it was a bit of a kick in the guts. And it was the end of my motivation for the day.

The one thing I have been afraid of is getting so down that I just retreat inside myself and sit on the couch all day eating and watching bad day time TV. Day time TV is always bad. I really thought that I was doing well, but this has just shown me that I still have a long way to go.

We were at friends of our yesterday for lunch after church, and we were talking about unemployment and people who are dole bludgers. And it came up that on average people at the moment (in this economic climate) are without work for 140days, I have been unemployed for about 1 month, so about 30 days. I found that 140days quite depressing, but I am still determined that I am going to get a job, this is one of the best times to be looking for work. This time of the year is prime for employers to be looking for more employees, I wouldn't mind Christmas casual work atleast it would be extra money over the Christmas season.

Ok, now I have to try again tomorrow. I am going to wake up and actually do stuff not sit around and feel sorry for myself. Tomorrow is always another day, God has a plan and I just have to wait.

I have a plan....No digging!

I have wanted to get a new veggie patch going, since our other one was shaded out by our neighbours trees. But finding a new place to build a veggie patch hasn't been easy, our backyard has a beautiful big tree right in the middle that unfortunately casts shade on one side of the backyard in the morning, and casts a shadow on the other side in the afternoon. Makes it difficult, but up against the fence there is a space that I think that I can build a garden. It is right next to a old palm tree, which have a nightmare of a root system, so I don't think that I am going to dig a garden. So I found....No Dig Garden.

This concept that I have heard before and I found this website No Dig Vegetable Garden and I found that it is an easy to do concept.

Basically what you do is make layers on top of the dirt/grass/concrete hence 'no dig', the recipe I am going to use is basically;

Layer 1 - cardboard/newspaper 5mm depth
Layer 2 - hay (but I am going to use sugarcane mulch as I already have a bale) 10cm depth
Layer 3 - Fertiliser/manure 20mm depth
Layer 4 - Straw (again I am using sugarcane mulch) 20cm depth
Layer 5 - Fertiliser / manure 20mm
Layer 6 - Compost 10cm

Then you water the garden bed, and that's it. I did find on the site in a discussion board that when you plant you make a hole and add some more compost or potting mix. The thing that I really like is that planting can happen straight away. I am going to get the boxes from my husbands work and the manure & compost from Bunnings. So hopefully by this time tomorrow I should that a new veggie patch up and running. Yeah!

I'll try to remember to take some pictures and I'll post them later this week.

On the job front I didn't get the job that I had an interview for at the beginning of the week, I really love the feeling when you get an interview. You get this great feeling that you are a worthy person, that you have worth. Now I must make it clear that my worth does come from my relationship with my Heavenly Father, but being unemployed does make you feel less than human alittle. The worse feeling is after the interview is over and all you have to do is wait, waiting is the hardest. And the longer you wait the more your self worth feels like it is being sucked out.

I really don't know how people willingly stay unemployed, I find it so hard. I have to make specific plans and lists to keep myself as busy as possible just to stop myself from getting down and depressed. But I will keep going, I need to get a job, so we can save more and get our house sooner. It is really good to have that goal, something to look towards.

For Today 17th October 2009

Found this on The Simple Women's Daybook, great idea and reminds me to be aware of the simple things and how blessed I really am.



Outside my window... A starlite sky, looks like a black satin sheet with fairy lights stuck in it. So incredibly beautiful, the stars go on forever. Psalm 147:4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.



I am thinking... About the BBQ we are having with some of our friends tomorrow, and how nice it will be to sit back and just hang out with friends.



I am thankful for... This house, the fact that we have the best landlords that have a tendency to forget that we are renting off them.



From the kitchen... Honey & Sesame chicken, new recipe and it certainly went down well. Defiantly think that it will become apart of a normal dinner routine. Also made a batch of chocolate chip cookies (yummy!)



I am wearing... My favourite clothes, PJ's! I love to be comfortable, and the most comfortable thing to wear is defiantly my PJ's. Stay in them all day if it wouldn't look alittle strange.



I am creating... An album about our holiday to Cairns this year, also planning some monogram artwork for our bedroom wall.



I am going... Around in circles, which is how I have been feeling lately. I have been unemployed for about a month now and I do feel alittle lost.



I am reading... The bible, one thing that I am glad about being unemployed about I have really been able to sit down and read the bible and do a daily devotion. Though I have been feeling alittle lost getting into God's Word has really kept me from spinning out of control.



I am hoping... For a job to come along before Christmas.



I am hearing... Taggart, a TV show about a Scottish Detective. We love British crime drama, though I have watched so many crime dramas that usually I can guess what is going to happen before it happens.



Around the house... Things seem bigger, I have been doing alot of cleaning and reorganised of late. Being that our house doesn't have alot of built in storage (pretty much none) reorganising has to happen alot.



One of my favorite things... Our pet bird Curio, brings so much joy to my life. He spent most of the day today outside in his cage with me singing to all the other birds.



A few plans for the rest of the week: Build a veggie patch in the backyard to replace the old one that has been shaded out by our neighbours trees, and apply for more jobs.



Here is picture for thought I am sharing...


















Revelations 3:18 here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me.

This picture comes from the Hubble telescope ( http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/entire/pr1992017a/), though it isn't on that I have taken. It is a picture that I have been feeling very inspired and bowled over by.

As promised

Pair one, my husband likes these ones the best.

Pair two, I like these ones best. Don't know if you can see them well, but there are butterflies on the side of these glasses.

Amazing things

Yesterday I was feeling down, funny how when you have been feeling down simple things can really pick you up. This morning I got up and cleaned the house, which is a surprisingly gratifing activitity. So gratifying that I even went to the trouble of cobwebing with tea tree oil (which helps to deter the spider from coming back). The house always feels bigger when it is freshly clean, though I don't think that our pet bird liked the vacum cleaner around his cage and favourite perch.

But the best thing about today was my new glasses finally turned up. A friend of ours told us about this website that she uses to buy her glasses, you can get a pair of glasses for as little as $8. I got two pairs for about $45, including postage and handling (I think). I have been waiting for these glasses for about 2 weeks now, I lost my last pair of glasses and have been getting loads of headaches. Funny thing is that I found my glasses that I lost on Monday while me and my husband were preparing for a bushwalk. I am going to give my old glasses to charity, there is a collection spot at my local shopping centre, they recycle the glasses and give them to poor people in thrid world countries.

It is amazing how simple things can really lift the way that you feel, I am going to have to try every day to focus on the simple things and not think about the fact that I don't have a job and all I really do all day is wait for my husband to get home. I think that is a really struggle for people who are unemployied, especially me. Have to give yourself things to achieve and be able to feel good about.

I'll post some pictures this week of my new glasses, they are so cute! Amazing how the little things can make your whole out look on things change.