Feather your Nest Friday, 13th October, 2026.

It was a week full of small and humble things. I chipped away at the list. The mountain that is the sewing room. The present cupboard. The garden. I have tried to do a few extra things each day with the overall goal of being somewhat organised for Christmas and ending the year in some sort of order!Mum made hats for the last two pram blankets from the left over yarn. I love how they look as sets! There is one to go then that is it for this year.I made two tea fruit loaves and they were really delicious. One of these was for Mum.My cook up was a big batch of chicken schnitzels and veggies. I had one lot that were gluten free for myself and lemons to use up so these were delicious (and shared) meals.Early last week we had an inch of rain and I had hoped this would bring up my reluctant pumpkin seeds.Well, this worked! They started to spring up and just kept coming! My pumpkin beds are a big old bath tub and a long trough, maybe twelve feet long? They are all deep and hold a lot of soil.The boys helped me and filled buckets full of sheep manure for me to add as I water. In the orchard pears had formed... hundreds of them! We put the nets over them. I have found once the fruit is set the nets also help if there is a storm. They seem to hold the branches together in the wind as well as protect from the cockatoos.One of my nets is getting a bit worn out and has a few holes. So my job is to do what I have done before to address holes which is to use safety pins to hold them together. Truly if there is one hole the birds easily figure that out. Also if they can go under that is no good... the tree truly has to be sealed off! The tree I was most worried about was the apple. Last year I failed to notice in time that it had aphids. It was really bad and not one apple formed. So for a year it has been cut back, sprayed with soapy water, sprayed with pyrethrum... Even now it has some aphids... but I am about 80% winning and apples have developed. I walk around it a couple of times a week and re spray any aphid patches. But look at those babies! 💗The boys helped me pull up the spent celery. It has reached the cut many times and getting woody stage.The chooks were very happy. Mum gave me Nana's butter dish. Nana made the butter so this was the dish Mum grew up with. I will be using it from when I make my own next batch.Our littlest farmer is Ike. He would like to be keeping up with the big kids. In all of the things that have happened this year his birth is the best. It is hard to fathom all that has happened in 2026. I needed help with my lawn irrigation... this system is part of my fire safety plan. That was sorted out so I am very happy. On a preparedness note I added a CB radio to my ute (truck.) Communication has been my weakest link. So this was something I could do.Today it rained. All day! All my seedlings look so perky and happy. They really look like smiling faces shooting up as we speak. So that is perfect. I have a big raised bed where the celery was. I can now plant something else. I have an idea... something I haven't tried before! So that was my week. Chipping away. Nothing grand. Just keeping going. I am going to make a sneaky plan for some Christmas atmosphere and surprises for some people who deserve something special. The thing is having a sneaky plan is really fun! This is a sure fire way of bringing some Christmas joy to ourselves and others. One thing I am thinking of is making some advent wreaths. But let's think of someone completely unsuspecting we can do something for. If we plan now we can do that!xxx