In my neighbourhood it is that time of the year when everyone goes through their home, garden and garage and throws away a lot of junk but also a lot of items just ready to be reclaimed. Utes drive up and down the suburb filling the back with metal items and others with secondhand goods - I think they must have second hand shops. I am always happy to see things get picked up and reused - sure beats going to landfill at the dump!.But I am always amazed at some peoples attitude to bulk council clean ups. Comments such as
"but why would you scavenge through other peoples junk?"
"I'd hate to see their houses", referring to the people who reclaim the items.
"I refuse to put anything out because I hate people rifling through the stuff and messing it up".
Guitar Dude and friend have been on the prowl for pieces suitable for making a billy cart from. They have dragged home two bikes and taken the wheels off, a backseat of a car, a few metal bars for axils and a steering wheel. And the great building of the cart is progressing well. It is school holidays so it is keeping them entertained.
I have had a few wanderings around the neighbourhood and ventured home with some large black pots for the garden, a cane cat bed for my friends cat and a hose reel. 
Zippy came home with a toy lawn mower for Super Boy and a sunflower pot as a present for me.
The prize for the best find goes to Guitar Dude and friend who reclaimed a trampoline. We already have one so the trampoline has found a home with a family with three boys. I know they will get heaps of jumping pleasure out of it.
Yesterday I set out with my shopping list after working out a meal plan for the fortnight. But unfortunately I didn't make it to the shops. I got to a busy roundabout and my car cut out as I was giving way. I got it going again and decided to head to the mechanics further up the road as the car was making a funny noise. But when I stopped to give way again it cut out. After blocking traffic for a little while I finally got it going again and this time it cut out while I was driving. Luckily I was able to cruise into a bus stop and off the road. The car needed towing away and the report from the mechanics isn't great - expensive. I have only brocken down a few times before - once in Sydney where I was partly blocking traffic and was in the car with two little ones. Not one person stopped to help me push the car over or offer help. Plenty of horns beeping me, even though my hazard lights were on and it was obvious I was broken down.
Well yesterdays experience was very different from that one. I called the NRMA and while waiting a lovely man came over and pushed the car further up the road out of the bus stop zone. It was midday and Superboy was with me. A man walking by stopped and had a look under the bonnet and then continued walking further up the road to the shops. He came back a short while later with a bottle of water for us and a cupcake for Superboy from the bakery. After NRMA had come and declared the car dead we had to wait for the tow truck. Superboy was very sick of waiting around in the heat by then and a lovely lady with her kids stopped to see if I was okay. She offered to wait by the car in case the tow truck came while I went up the road to the bakery(bribery food for Super) and to take him to the toilet.
Today I took Superboy to Dora The Explorer concert and normally I would have driven but for the first time since living here I took the bus there and back. We had to walk a little way on the way home and wait for a while for a bus but it worked out okay. Now we will be using public transport and walking more often for a while, it is the spur I needed!
Half way through the concert I sudenly had this aaaght moment! Did I turn off the hose form the water tank? The water tank hasn't got a pump so I usually hand water from the tap and before leaving I had it under a tree while pulling out some weeds. Turns out that I didn't turn it off. And now the tank is empty. I can't believe how stupid I am! And that poor tree will probably die from root rot or something! I am so annoyed with myself. Just have to hope it rains soon.
M xx
I have planted it outside the bathroom window. It is my natural deodorises. I leave the window open and the bathroom always smells so fresh. 
They helped water the pumpkins and then made up this funny game with a bucket of water - they asked each other questions and if they answered wrongly they had to dunk their head into the bucket. It was hot today - 29 degrees so perfect way for them to cool down. They even went for a brief swim in the pool in the afternoon too (along with 4 other boys from the neighbourhood).
I really haven't got anywhere for the pumpkins to grow in my garden. So I decided to try growing the pumpkins outside our boundary. There is a walkway betwween our house and our neighbours running along around two sides of our house. The land is never used and is maintained by us. We mow the grass/weeds and have planted natives out there. The soil is clay so the only way I can see them growing is in a raised patch. There is plenty of space for pumpkins to ramble out there. I will just have to remember to water them -hose wont reach so will need to bucket water them.
I posted about the dilemma of the treated wood for the raised garden a few posts ago. We decided to seal the wood on the inside and then also covered it with black plastic. As a further safety measure I wont be growing any root veges there. But I am much happier now with using this garden as a vegetable patch.
Then I decided I was sick of the pine furniture that we have had forever. But I couldn't justify gettign rid of it and buying new since it was still in good condition.
So instead I painted it. Firstly painted it with this very cool paint (it has probably been around for ages but I have only just found it) that can be painted onto oil or varnished and there is no need to sand beforehand. After that was dry I painted the main colour (antique white USA) and then sanded off around edges etc to give the furniture a distressed look. Brought some new knobs for the drawers to replace the wooden ones and all complete. Love how they turned out.
Very shabby chic - very me.
On the other side of the hedge is a public walkway. I have replaced the grass with agapanthus and further along grevilleas for privacy. I am going to plant pumpkins and other veges out there this year - between our fence and the grevilleas. It is council land but not used by anyone and gets lots of sun.
Looking up the driveway I have a teardrop garden bed with a small magnolia tree, three lavendar plants and a border of parsley planted. The dirt is where the turf will be layed (hopefully next week).
This is the path leading to the front garden. The garden has been extended. The greenery is the original garden - mondo grass, hydrangeas, some sort of ginger, and manfern. In the front I have planted tomatoes, eggplants and edged with more parsley. I had intended on planting mondo grass and more hydrangeas in front.
Towards the side is a smaller garden bed. There is a coffee tree (coffea Arabica), star jasmine and thyme in this garden.
Very happy as now I will have a dedicated place to put my veges and herbs. Up until now I have just planted them where ever there is a space in the garden. And the place with the most space doesn't get nearly enough sunlight. This new corner where the raised patch is going gets heaps of sun.
