Trying to catch up

We seem to be a little swamped, but we are trying to slow down and take it easy .
 The problem is  everything around us is still going full steam, and we just seemed to get swept along with the tide.
Our garden is flourishing, Thanks to  Brian and all his hard work carting water and spending ages  in the garden maintaining it.

We are picking  corn,zuchinnis and squash, spinach, tomatoes and cucumbers, rhubarb, lettuce,  and herbs.

I have been canning  most of the corn we have picked so far into kernels to  keep on the pantry shelf, we find them so handy through the winter.

We tried using the new tool that attaches to  our drill to strip the kernels off but to me it made it more like a creamed corn  consistency so I reverted back to a sharp knife and  tripped them by hand.

We ended up canning three loads, that gives me 57 pint jars of kernels. We also froze about 28 cobs as well . There are still quite a few more cobs to pick, and another lot still to mature as well.
My cupboard doors for my kitchen cabinets finally arrived, and I am really pleased with them.
I also did another big reshuffle in the pantry as well, I was using it as a dumping space while the work continued, so tidied it up, here is a before and after shot. I tried doing a fancy panorama photo shot, so that's why the things look a little wonky.

The tiler has also returned and  will hopefully today have all the tiles laid in the kitchen and all being well complete the grouting tomorrow. I have been laying blue painters tape on the tiles where I am able to walk, so that I don't  forget  and wreck his lovely work.

It is finally all falling into place now,  and once I get in and paint it , it all will be lovely  and we will finally relax a little.
I had a lovely night away  last week, spent the day shopping and  a lovely lunch with my big sister , then we both spent the night with our mum, had another lovely meal out and  sat up late  laughing and  talking  about nothing in particular. It was just lovely to spend the time together relaxing, my sister is also in the  midst of moving house and was in desperate need of a  break also.

We have had a round of end of year christmas functions for a few of the groups that we belong to or volunteer work with,  Our camp grounds had a bbq lunch gathering , the rifle club had a  lunch and presentation at the local golf club which was lovely, and our rail heritage group had a meeting followed by afternoon tea/drinks/ nibbles where two very long standing ,hard working couples were presented with life memberships to the group.

This is our small group of Rail Heritage volunteers minus a few who couldn't make it , who work really hard to keep  the Barracks accomodation up and running  day in day out, they are a pleasure to work with.
We also attended our neighbours birthday lunch on the weekend , it was a small get together of the surrounding neighbours.
We have had three baby turkeys hatch out as well as 6 chickens. we  won't try to incubate now until the end of summer, as  we are struggling to maintain even temperatures both in the incubator and the brooder.

A couple of nights ago I came out to the kitchen just before bed and  noticed that I had a visitor sitting up on my old preserving jars that I store tea bags ect in, it gave me a bit of a surprise, but I insisted it stayed while I photographed it and then I popped him back outside in the garden. I adore the green tree frogs, and we get them regularly here, especially in the toilet bowl, much to the shock of some of our guests, but we haven't had one inside for a while.

He is adorable isn't he. ?
Brian and myself want to wish each and every one of you a safe and joyous Christmas with  your family and friends, if you travel as we are, please be safe out there on the roads and take care.
Best wishes everyone until we meet again,
Take care
Merry Christmas,
Cheers
Jane and Brian.