Thursday 31 December 2015

What are YOUR plans for 2016?

Happy New Year to all my readers wherever you live! I hope and pray that it is a very happy and healthy year for you and your families. I don't make New Year resolutions but when tidying a drawer today I did come across a list I had made on New Years Eve last year of goals I would like to achieve that were doable and fairly simple and I was pleased to learn that I could cross nearly all of them off my list.



One of my goals was to save up to buy a DSLR camera so that I could take better photos. Well, my brother gave me his practically new Nikon camera which was very generous of him and I did sign up to do two online courses to learn how to use it but unfortunately I have only finished one course so finishing the other course is something I need to do this year so that I can learn how to take a decent photo. I have just been using my little point and shoot Canon which has a great Macro setting that I use when photographing flowers. It is light and small enough to put in my pocket when walking around the garden and it is easier to use that so I will have to get into the habit of taking photos every few days with the larger camera to get used to it.




 The CEO has just made a wicking bed for me out of an ALDI raised garden frame we bought for $30 and the plan is to make small wicking beds out of the three old Eskys I found in the back yard which were being kept 'as they might come in handy one day' ;-) It looks like they might actually come in handy so I am waiting for him to watch the video of Costa making the wicking beds on the Gardening Australia episode on Creative Containers. Then he can start drilling some holes and I can get going with setting them up.


I am having some success with growing zucchinis and we are harvesting enough for our own needs but some are being lost to blossom end rot and something has eaten into a couple as well. The capsicums are growing well as are the cucumbers but I don't want too many of the latter as I won't be preserving them anymore due to the amount of sugar that is needed.




The pig has some company as I have planted out some succulents in various coloured colanders.





I brought this plant back from Mt.Isa which is going crazy here and it even grew well in the dry weather up there. I am not sure what it is but is purple underneath and quite pretty. It seems to be a succulent. Does anyone know what it is?




These spiders are everywhere. I am not sure what they are called but I do try not to disturb them. They have nice patterns on them don't they? I guess they are doing some good in the garden. 



Of course the dahlias have come up everywhere now that the rain has started and the ones that aren't being chewed by pests are looking lovely. One of our biggest problems in the garden at present is the amount of weeds that need to be pulled out. The weather is cool so it is a good time to get stuck into it but where to start is the question as there are so many and there is more rain forecast at the weekend. So maybe I should wait till after it has stopped raining again. Does that sound like a plan or procrastination? LOL! Oh well, it is a new year in 30 minutes so I will think about it then :-) What plans do YOU have for 2016?

Have a Happy New Year everyone!



18 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Happy New Year to you too, Faye. I hope it will be a wonderful year for you.

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  2. Beautiful photos and lovely post. Happy New Year to the whole family. Thanks for your support.

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    1. Same to you, Lynda. Enjoy your break if you are having one over Christmas and New Year.

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  3. I think that's an Orb Weaver spider, and they are very beautiful. I try not to interfere with them either, except when they decide to build a web between me and the vegetable patch. ;)

    Happy new year. My plans for this year? I want to get the vegetable beds more organised, guttering attached to the chicken shed so I can feed water down to the vegetable area, and I wouldn't mind getting the coop fenced around either. Not sure how much of that we will be able to complete.

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    1. Thanks Chris. I will have to do some research on them. Thankfully they are in areas where I don't have to interfere with them.

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  4. Lovely photos friend!!!! That was such a blessing in regards to the camera. I will be honest I am terrified of spiders. TERRIFIED!!!!! *Smiles*

    Some of my plans is to learn how to cook most of our meals from scratch. Build up our pantry to be able to do that. Walk daily. Invest consistent time with the children's education and be consistent with my bible reading.

    Happy New Year!

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    1. Chrissy, you would get used to spider if you lived in Australia. I like them better than snakes!

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  5. Happy New Year Chel, Your Dahlia's are beautiful. My plan is to build more vegie gardens to and plant some fruit trees xoox

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    1. Thanks Karen. The dahlias just come up every year and make a nice show.

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  6. My niece asked me about resolutions for her facebook survey, I sent back these - I want to be better at holding on to the blessings and letting go of the hurts, pray more and stew less. I'm pretty sure if I can do these, my year will be awesome!! Happy New Year!!

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    1. Kathy, they are lovely resolutions. I hope to do the same.

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  7. I am not into NY resolutions per se but I do believe in plans and sticking to them. It is smash-the-debt year this year at ours.

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    1. Yes Phil, it is so important to have a plan. I wish you well with your debt smashing this year.

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  8. Happy New Year to you Chel. My main aim this year is to settle on where we will spend our retirement years. There is still a chance we'll stay put but would just love a bit more yard for chooks and a bigger garden. I also aim to make gifts rather than buy them this year. Lastly...angst about everything less and enjoy the moment more!

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    1. Hutchy, what angst? LOL! I do hope you find the place of your dreams to retire to...you do dream about Toowoomba don't you? ;-)It is only three hours from the Sunny Coast.

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  9. Happy New Year to you too! Oh yay to a new camera. I love my DSLR but it's not as convenient as carry a small digital around especially when you still have to lug a pram and nappy bag. My focus will be slowly getting back to work. We are still renting! I can't stand it any longer and want our own 'castle' to bring the kids up in.

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    1. I hope you can find a job that fits in with your family etc. Zena. Yes the DSLR cameras are a lot more cumbersome than the little point and shoot ones I must say.

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