Saving seeds and Sharing rooms

After I wrote last week I was struck down with a weird sicky bug. It totally knocked the socks of me. I felt so awful that hubby had to take Thursday off work to help mind the kids. I slept until lunch and still was not myself. At least 4 days of gut wrenching pain, aching bones and no energy. And then hubby was struck down for the whole weekend to top it off too. Thankfully the wee ones somehow managed to not succumb to the nasties that were floating around our home. It was like nothing we (at least hubby - morning sickness takes the cake for me) had experienced before. We have come out the other side now and the light at the end of the sicky tunnel is so nice, warm and fuzzy! It seems a new lease on life has come upon me as I remind myself how bad things can be and to be thankful each day that we have our health. We really do try to sustain a healthy and balanced lifestyle that I wonder how sick we really could have been if we didn't. I don't know how this sicky bug came into our home, but looking on the bright side it definitely gave me a boot up the bum to solidify our healthy ways and to pursue something new. So this week I will challenge myself to incorporate something extra to aid our health and lifestyle.

Our other pets, the fish. Just realised they don't have names. Will have to sort that our when the kids get home....

Chicken Tagine for dinner.

A view of our front yard.

I need (want) a magazine rack.....I suppose I could do without it, but it was really just an excuse to go to the op shops this morning for a squizz. I didn't find a magazine rack but I did manage to come home with 3 bags of bits and pieces. All of which we 'need' of course. I have a slight problem with searching for bargains and as some would say hoarding. I am working on it - its on the to do list. Although if you look at it like I am saving this from landfill and thus protecting our environment then its ok, yeah? I do manage to sort through things - eventually, and give away or sell some goods. However I often find about 2 weeks later I need it or could have put it to use somewhere else around our home. I guess really I just need more storage! Our home is certainly not lacking in 'homely' items, if there is a space I will fill it - kinda like the garden. Somehow I can always think of something that we 'need'. I do my best to make sure I am not succumbing to consumerism and sourcing these items from the unwanted. Also the kidlets love it when they come home and have a 'surprise goody' waiting for them!

Today's scoop from the op shops. See that stick blender I found - $6!

Toys galore....these have been waiting to be sorted out for sometime now, trying to find the motivation.

And clothes galore....again waiting to be sorted, grrrrr.

This year I purchased all my seeds for the garden from a local organic place called Greenpatch. I am going to try and seed save this year and first up will be my zucchini's. They have been providing a plentiful supply so far and one bush I have dedicated to growing my seed zucchini. I believe they take up to 2 months to fully mature and this baby is about 3 weeks old. So far it is about 20cm long , at maturity they can reach up to 50cm long. Normally when their skin is hard and rubbery they are about ready - prick it with your finger nail and if it penetrates its not ready. They are not so good for eating at this stage, but I do remember when I was a kid our Italian friends slow cooking giant zucchinis - I think they are called marrow then, with some sort of filling and it was delish. That is an old memory though from when I was a kid and things always seem bigger when you were little than they actually are!

My seed zucchini.

A lone strawberry.

Hello baby bird.

As I was wandering around this morning taking pictures to share, our resident baby black faced cuckoo shrike poked his little head out to say hello. I believe there to be 3 little babies in there, though its still a bit tricky to see. Their nest is so little I am surprised they all fit in. While our home is a 3 bedroom home I too moved our last baby into share a room with her big sister and brother. They are all still adjusting to the excitement and it was a very early morning for us today - who doesn't love 5am starts??? I am going to have to do some more rearranging though as the littlest monkey has found a way to climb up onto the bed, into the cot then from the cot up to the top bunk! Never a dull moment with her, she loves to climb everything. Pretty sure mum said I was the same as a baby, so I know where she gets it from....So much to look forward to.