Back to Basics Challenge

Sowing seed or Planting

We hope to plant some sweet pea seeds.

Planning for The Future - meal planning, the next seasons garden plan, working out storage plans or more long term goals and projects like plans for digging root cellars

I found there was a spice we ran out of when making the turmeric pancakes, I think it was garam masala, so have started a shopping list with it at the top, and then bought it.

Made mental note to get two new light fittings for the front section of our newer house, as I noticed the baton on one, standard fitting has a piece of plastic broken off. This is the door that has a new doorknob we reused, however, I still have to work on getting it repaired, and have reminded my husband about glueing up the ceiling. My middle daughter and he got very industrious and it is now glued up. There is another damaged door (remember this is why we got the house cheap) and my husband has some masonite to fix it with. Originally he thought he would have to take the door apart to fix it.

I have since found the original curtain to this room, or nearby. It has all the colours in it, plus a green similar to what we have painted a bedroom. Maybe I will paint the doors that colour one day.


My husband went to where we get wood, and found there is some left. We will be able to start off without worrying about it. We will collect it soon. My husband dropped off his chainsaw for some maintenance. It is not too dry to use the chainsaw. He had to ask the owners permission because of worry about bushfires with the chainsaw.

I bought the ingredients for Raspberry & Coconut Loaf.

Working for the Future - storing food, managing stores, preserving, building that home made cob or solar oven, adding house insulation, saving for manual grain mills etc

I found somehow I ended up with a pumpkin extra, I accidently ordered another one I think. The first thing on the menu for the next fortnight I have worked out to be Fragrant Pumpkin & Lentil Curry. I think I may even swap the recipes around so the pumpkin is used up first.

I printed some recipes for raspberries. My middle daughter wants to make a cake. She ended up making these.

I am not sure when I was at the new house before Thursday, but before we left I think a parcel came for me containing ebay curtains. I tried it on the window, it was twice as wide and a good length next to the drapes. I got my husband to put up the wire, which we had planned out earlier I expect. A lot of things that we have planned out at the house are starting to come together. I guess we have been at it a long time. I have two more lace/net curtains to go. This particular one makes the house look more lived in. It gives a lot of privacy, it is near the front door.

Remember the chook/chicken house? It has been moved to the site I took a picture of. I saw the house from an angle where you can see a little into the backyard and you can see the lovely green fence all around, not the cage, and it looks pretty. So I am glad it has been moved. We had a gate that didn't open from the drive, it works now, and I walked through the bushes where the cage used to be, the other way to the path was planted out with a buddleia before the previous owner left. I ended up standing in front of the pond stranded. But it was fun! Hopefully we can move the buddleia.

The edges of the kitchen benches got finished with the painting.

Building Community - volunteering, donations, joining an existing community group, forming your own community group, taking a cake to a friend having a hard time, calling someone you just let drift out of your life, etc

We found the mobile library in the town of our new house when I came by with the groceries. The girls took my card and borrowed some movies. I ended up taking the groceries home after seeing the newly washed masonite in the kitchen. We have since bought some contact. However it is a beige pattern, not very modern.

The three bags of clothes got dropped off at the op-shop.

Learn a new Skill

Learning the art of moving house again.

This meme comes from Belinda's blog.