Knitting

Romance, Eden and Distance.

Posted on by mjlarter2

        As an author, I note that romance stories (aka Mills and Boon etc) sell like hot cakes.  So … I thought, it’s not my style, but, what the heck, surely I could write something like that. I sent off to the M&B admin, and they sent back a list of rules that I had to follow if I wanted them to even look at my work – with no guarantees that anything I wrote would even be accepted. The list was amazing! Talk about writing to a formula.

          Still, I gave it a shot.

          Well, Bugger! It wasn’t as easy as I thought. It was no walk in the garden of Eden, that was for sure. I couldn’t come within a stone’s throw of anything that resembled a good story, let alone good writing quality! I threw up my hands in a gesture of surrender and decided that path was not for me.

          By going back to my comfort zone and putting some distance from the ridiculous notion that I could actually make money from my writing, I have enjoyed the writing process for its own worth, the wonderful effect it has on my ability to think and imagine, and the joy of simply having the challenge of finding new ideas and then using those stories to learn self-publishing as well as the use of the computer. I realize that as you get older, it is more and more important to keep your brain active, learn new things and still have dreams and goals.

          I also now use my hobby of knitting to donate my finished articles to charities. Maybe, during the harsh winters over in Europe and Asia, someone will enjoy wearing one of my knitted jumpers, or scarves, or gloves. I live in a relatively warm climate and a peaceful country. Here, I can make someone’s day by smiling at them, or simply complimenting a stranger on their lovely outfit etc.           

          Hopefully the people suffering the ravages of war, poverty or sickness in another country will benefit from my hobby. Funnily enough, even though it’s kind to help someone else, it actually rebounds to a kindness to yourself as well.

Heirloom – a romance of the past?

Rachel stared at the painting above the fireplace for some time. She had always loved it.

The woman in the tableau was sitting on an opulent armchair, staring out of the window. The room was full of the knick knacks of a wealthy Victorian family. The curtains pulled back from the multi- paned window were a rich burgundy velvet and the antimacassar protection on the back and arms of the chair were embroidered with coils of flowers. Behind her on the shelf, a Tiffany lamp stood amongst the displayed plates of a decorated set of crockery.

Outside, the falling snow had created a pristine outlook, which was now about to be ruined by two young boys, rugged up to the nines,  flying down the hilly street in what looked like a cardboard box, but was probably a wooden crate from the greengrocers just glimpsed at the top of the hill.

The woman looked serene, yet sad. On her lap, once busy hands that had been creating a patch of lace, were now idly holding the work, forgotten in the moment of reflection. Rachel wondered what she was thinking, what tragedy was causing her pause, or was she merely daydreaming?

Rachel was surprised how much her great- grandmother in the picture looked like her. The hair colour was the same, even the shape of her nose.

Of course, Rachel was modern. The clothes she wore were never considered to be fashionable in her grandmother’s time, let alone her great-grandmother. That period of time had had an elegance that was now lost. Rachel thought it must have been very uncomfortable to wear and truly restrictive.

 Now, as she stood looking at the painting, she wore shabby chic jeans. Her knees were poking out of custom-made slashes, and her feet were clad in canvas sneakers.  The old threadbare t-shirt, trimmed with lace and bling from a bedazzled machine, was one of her favourite tops.

Rachel smiled.

Her great grandmother in the painting would have been horrified of her style and the way she looked.

But still, Rachel touched the lace on the neckline, lovingly attached by her own hands.

Surely it was the same lace her great grandmother had been making, when the artist had caught and frozen that moment of introspection, those many years ago.

***

Does your child love the ‘Harry Potter’ stories? Well, maybe these two wizard chapter books might be something to enjoy. Written by me and illustrated by a close friend, I’m wondering if I should continue the series? What do you think?

Still only AU$18 each (or $32 for both). Want a catalogue? Let me know by direct message.

***

FREE recipe to try.

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

1 cup Pineapple juice (with water)

BREAKFST2 tblspns cornflour

¼ cup vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tblspns soy sauce

2-3 tblspns tomato sauce

1 cup chopped onions

1 ¼ cup of pineapple pieces

2-3 drops of red food colouring (optional)

other chopped vegetables as desired. (carrot, cabbage, broccoli etc.)

  1. Blend cornflour, pineapple juice and vinegar in a saucepan.
  2. Soak onion in red colouring for a few minutes.
  3. Add everything to saucepan except pineapple pieces.
  4. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Serve with rice. Serves 4.
  5. Veg can be par cooked if desired.

FREE knitting pattern to make.

Scarf.

The beauty of this pattern is that it is so simple, and can be adjusted to your needs. You can use more stitches and smaller needles for a firm cosy scarf – or bigger needles to create a more lacy feel. You can adjust the type of stitch for a pattern, keeping ordinary plain stitch to stop curl (stocking stitch (1 row plain, 1 row purl) will curl.)

0.jpgI use 6mm or 6.5mm needles and about 20 or 24 stitches, with 8 ply yarn. This gives a soft feel to the scarf. The bigger the needle the softer and lacier the feel. The smaller the needle the more compact the fabric becomes.

The same yarn, 4mm needles and 40 stitches, and still 8 ply, is the second random stripe scarf. These can be stitched together lengthwise to form a knee rug or bigger blanket. The stripes are a way to use up odd bits of yarn (But keep the same ply. The only problem I find with this is having to stitch in all the ends!

The easiest stitch to use is all plain (garter or knit stitch) – quick and easy, but you can vary it as you wish. Length is recommended as the height of the person you are knitting for. E.g. – I am 5foot 6 inches – a perfect length for me would be between 5 foot or 5 foot six inches – but you can change that to your needs.

IF THE ABOVE KNITTING PATTERN DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, OR YOU CAN’T KNIT – PERHAPS YOU’D LIKE TO BUY (or order) ONE OF THE ONES IN THE PICTURES BELOW.

Romance, Eden and Distance.

        As an author, I note that romance stories (aka Mills and Boon etc) sell like hot cakes.  So … I thought, it’s not my style, but, what the heck, surely I could write something like that. I sent off to the M&B admin, and they sent back a list of rules that I had to follow if I wanted them to even look at my work – with no guarantees that anything I wrote would even be accepted. The list was amazing! Talk about writing to a formula.

          Still, I gave it a shot.

          Well, Bugger! It wasn’t as easy as I thought. It was no walk in the garden of Eden, that was for sure. I couldn’t come within a stone’s throw of anything that resembled a good story, let alone good writing quality! I threw up my hands in a gesture of surrender and decided that path was not for me.

          By going back to my comfort zone and putting some distance from the ridiculous notion that I could actually make money from my writing, I have enjoyed the writing process for its own worth, the wonderful effect it has on my ability to think and imagine, and the joy of simply having the challenge of finding new ideas and then using those stories to learn self-publishing as well as the use of the computer. I realize that as you get older, it is more and more important to keep your brain active, learn new things and still have dreams and goals.

          I also now use my hobby of knitting to donate my finished articles to charities. Maybe, during the harsh winters over in Europe and Asia, someone will enjoy wearing one of my knitted jumpers, or scarves, or gloves. I live in a relatively warm climate and a peaceful country. Here, I can make someone’s day by smiling at them, or simply complimenting a stranger on their lovely outfit etc.           

          Hopefully the people suffering the ravages of war, poverty or sickness in another country will benefit from my hobby. Funnily enough, even though it’s kind to help someone else, it actually rebounds to a kindness to yourself as well.

Heirloom – a romance of the past?

Rachel stared at the painting above the fireplace for some time. She had always loved it.

The woman in the tableau was sitting on an opulent armchair, staring out of the window. The room was full of the knick knacks of a wealthy Victorian family. The curtains pulled back from the multi- paned window were a rich burgundy velvet and the antimacassar protection on the back and arms of the chair were embroidered with coils of flowers. Behind her on the shelf, a Tiffany lamp stood amongst the displayed plates of a decorated set of crockery.

Outside, the falling snow had created a pristine outlook, which was now about to be ruined by two young boys, rugged up to the nines,  flying down the hilly street in what looked like a cardboard box, but was probably a wooden crate from the greengrocers just glimpsed at the top of the hill.

The woman looked serene, yet sad. On her lap, once busy hands that had been creating a patch of lace, were now idly holding the work, forgotten in the moment of reflection. Rachel wondered what she was thinking, what tragedy was causing her pause, or was she merely daydreaming?

Rachel was surprised how much her great- grandmother in the picture looked like her. The hair colour was the same, even the shape of her nose.

Of course, Rachel was modern. The clothes she wore were never considered to be fashionable in her grandmother’s time, let alone her great-grandmother. That period of time had had an elegance that was now lost. Rachel thought it must have been very uncomfortable to wear and truly restrictive.

 Now, as she stood looking at the painting, she wore shabby chic jeans. Her knees were poking out of custom-made slashes, and her feet were clad in canvas sneakers.  The old threadbare t-shirt, trimmed with lace and bling from a bedazzled machine, was one of her favourite tops.

Rachel smiled.

Her great grandmother in the painting would have been horrified of her style and the way she looked.

But still, Rachel touched the lace on the neckline, lovingly attached by her own hands.

Surely it was the same lace her great grandmother had been making, when the artist had caught and frozen that moment of introspection, those many years ago.

***

Does your child love the ‘Harry Potter’ stories? Well, maybe these two wizard chapter books might be something to enjoy. Written by me and illustrated by a close friend, I’m wondering if I should continue the series? What do you think?

Still only AU$18 each (or $32 for both). Want a catalogue? Let me know by direct message.

***

FREE recipe to try.

1 cup Pineapple juice (with water)

BREAKFST2 tblspns cornflour

¼ cup vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tblspns soy sauce

2-3 tblspns tomato sauce

1 cup chopped onions

1 ¼ cup of pineapple pieces

2-3 drops of red food colouring (optional)

other chopped vegetables as desired. (carrot, cabbage, broccoli etc.)

  1. Blend cornflour, pineapple juice and vinegar in a saucepan.
  2. Soak onion in red colouring for a few minutes.
  3. Add everything to saucepan except pineapple pieces.
  4. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Serve with rice. Serves 4.
  5. Veg can be par cooked if desired.

FREE knitting pattern to make.

Scarf.

The beauty of this pattern is that it is so simple, and can be adjusted to your needs. You can use more stitches and smaller needles for a firm cosy scarf – or bigger needles to create a more lacy feel. You can adjust the type of stitch for a pattern, keeping ordinary plain stitch to stop curl (stocking stitch (1 row plain, 1 row purl) will curl.)

0.jpgI use 6mm or 6.5mm needles and about 20 or 24 stitches, with 8 ply yarn. This gives a soft feel to the scarf. The bigger the needle the softer and lacier the feel. The smaller the needle the more compact the fabric becomes.

The same yarn, 4mm needles and 40 stitches, and still 8 ply, is the second random stripe scarf. These can be stitched together lengthwise to form a knee rug or bigger blanket. The stripes are a way to use up odd bits of yarn (But keep the same ply. The only problem I find with this is having to stitch in all the ends!

The easiest stitch to use is all plain (garter or knit stitch) – quick and easy, but you can vary it as you wish. Length is recommended as the height of the person you are knitting for. E.g. – I am 5foot 6 inches – a perfect length for me would be between 5 foot or 5 foot six inches – but you can change that to your needs.

IF THE ABOVE KNITTING PATTERN DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, OR YOU CAN’T KNIT – PERHAPS YOU’D LIKE TO BUY (or order) ONE OF THE ONES IN THE PICTURES BELOW.

Rocks, Extreme and Deadly.

Posted on by mjlarter2

I’ve been getting a lot of posts in my social media accounts showing archaeology findings from the remote past. It really amazes me that previous civilizations went to so much trouble, in often isolated and awkward terrain (think Machu Pichu) to build structures that defy the imagination. There are rocks that seem cut to a precision we find hard to replicate even today with our technology. And huge stones, moved from sometimes miles away, as well as obelisks of extraordinary tonnage, lifted into position with presumably much difficulty.

          Will we ever really know how they did it, and why? The theories are diverse and often presumptuous. Conjecture is a deadly thing. It can lead to the general public learning opinions rather than truths. I often wonder if the ‘experts’ have got it all wrong, and some other discovery in the future will turn our ancient history on its head.

          After all – it isn’t an extreme possibility when you look at our own media of today. It is skewed to what the powers-that-be want us to believe. What is reported in one way in our country, is reported differently in another. It was probably no different in the past, I’m sure.

           We are all manipulated, subtly and not so subtly, guided into a way of thinking. The media plays games with the public.

          With all the chaos in our world, sometimes created by the media, always remember to do the best you can in your little sphere of existence. Let your loved ones and friends know that they are important to you. Always be kind – you never know what trauma someone else might be facing.

          Having said that – here’s a story I wrote about the games people (in this case children) play.

FREE story to read. 

The treasure hunt.

          The hieroglyphics on the crumpled paper must have meant something to someone.

          Carefully I flattened the paper on the old table behind me. The ragged edges were a warning to me to handle it with care. The writing appeared to be in ink; there were blotches above the top line. A careless spill perhaps. Or maybe the message had been written in haste. Some characters had faded, particularly those nearest the edges of the paper.

          “I think that means ‘regal’ or something,” Daniel pointed to the glyph of an eagle surrounded by a thickly drawn oval.

         “Could easily be seen as a caged bird,” I said with a shrug.

          Daniel snorted. “Yep, I suppose.” He continued, “This last one could be the rising or setting sun.”

          I stayed quiet as I focused on the problem.

          “How’re we ever going to work this out?” Dave whinged, as he squinted at the fragile scrap that we had found.

          I looked up. His hair was dusty under his hat and the scar on his chin stood out starkly against his grimy face.

          I giggled. “You look like Indiana Jones,” I said.

          He nodded. “That was the intention,” he grinned, “and you look like Cleopatra. But I didn’t know when I got dressed, that your Mum had decided to have a real treasure hunt for your birthday party!”

          I shrugged as I continued studying the puzzle.

          “Hang on,” I hesitated.

          Daniel raised his eyebrows. “What?”

          “Let’s read this with modern eyes.”

          He nodded as I concentrated.

          “I think … the oval and eagle is ‘bird cage’ and the sun,” I peered at the

hieroglyphs, “is followed by a faded up arrow.”

          “The rising sun?” Daniel murmured. “Perhaps that’s ‘East’?”

          “Good one!” I was thrilled; he basked in my praise.

          “Now I understand the message. It says – ‘Treasure found forty paces east of the bird cage’.”

          I grabbed Daniel’s hand. “Yay! Done it! Let’s go, Dan!”

          I dragged him out of the potting shed to the aviary on the other side of the garden.

          We were going to be the first back to Mum.

***

I continue to write my children’s books. These are my three newest publications that I’ve let loose on the public.

Still only AU$18 each. Want a catalogue? Let me know by direct message.

FREE recipe to try.

HOMEMADE CONDENSED MILK INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Cups Full Fat Milk or Low Fat Milk
  • ⅔ Cups White Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING CONDENSED MILK

  1. In a heavy-based saucepan, add the milk and sugar
  2. On low heat, gently stir until  the sugar is completely dissolved.
  3. Simmer, without stirring, on low-medium heat.
  4. Continue to simmer on low heat for 35-40 minutes, until milk changes to a dark grey color and thickens and reduces by half.
  5. Skim off any foam that forms, with a spoon.
  6. Remove from heat and pour into a jar. don’t add any sugary bits to the jar, as they will cause a problem with the mix.
  7.  Cool completely before putting on the lid.
  8. Label the jar and refrigerate. It should last for months.

A tip or two for your CONDENSED MILK:

You can use home-made condensed milk as an excellent substitute for eggs in cakes and cupcakes. You can use it in rice cream or baked rice pudding. Always use the condensed milk at room temperature when baking with it.

FREE knitting pattern to make.

Baby beanie.

Use a nice soft baby yarn, and needles size 4mm.

Cast on 64 stitches, and rib 8 rows. If you want to, this can be done in a contrasting yarn – or not. Whatever you wish.

 change to 4.5mm needles and main colour yarn if you are using two colours.

 Now start stocking stitch (Knit one row, then purl one row – repeat). Stocking stitch 24 rows, finishing on a purl row.

Shape the top of the beanie thus:-

Row 1 : ‘knit 1 k2tog, knit 5’ – repeat (56 stitches)

Row 2,3 and 4 stocking stitch.

Row 5 : ‘k2tog k4’ repeat – finish row with k2 tog.(46 stitches)

Row 6 : purl

Row 7 : ‘K2tog’ repeat. (23 stitches)

Row 8 : ‘Purl 3 P2tog’ – repeat. P3 at end (19stitches)

Row 9 : ‘K1 K2tog’ – repeat. K1 at end. (13 stitches)

Row 10 : Purl

Cut the yarn and thread through the 13 stitches and pull tightly. Sew up the side seam.

Rifles, Excellent and Depiction.

Posted on by mjlarter2

Now the new year is bedded in and it will be Christmas again before you know it, I was sitting reminiscing about my younger days – when the children were small. I decided I wouldn’t succumb to the ‘male’ and ‘female’ roles of previous generations. I wasn’t going to let trucks and guns be male toys for my son and dolls were not for use only by my daughter.

Well, they say even the best laid plans can go awry.

My son, almost from the time he could walk, loved playing with toy trucks and bulldozers. He would even pretend to hold his sister up with the age old hand sign for a gun. Where did he pick that up from?

While he was saying ‘Bang, bang’, my daughter held her doll close to her chest and wailed – ‘Don’t hurt my baby!”

Are these roles ingrained in our DNA?

From history – weapons of every type have been used by humans – from clubs to cannon, rifles to revolvers, lance to lasers. Seems the human race is doomed to be forever aggressive.

Wouldn’t it be excellent if we could break the cycle?

Be kind, considerate and peaceful. Open doors for strangers, buy coffee for someone in less fortunate circumstances than you, smile and enjoy the beauty of life instead of complaining. The world would be a better place.

I think the depiction of the horrors of the world are all too easy to see and report on in the social media of our day. But it seems greed and the desire for power override any decency for fellow human beings. We’ve seen it over and over again through the ages.

Sorry – Rant over.

Anyway – talking about kids and their toys – inspired me to write this little story. Enjoy.

FREE story to read.

Kids

“Do you like poetry?” Danny asked his friend.

Kevin screwed up his nose. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Well,” Danny said. “My Mum can recite all sorts of funny ones.”

“Poetry isn’t funny,” Kevin smirked.

Danny recited, straight-faced – “The boy stood on the burning deck

                                                        picking his nose like mad

                                                        rolling it up in little balls

                                                       and flicking it at his Dad. – that’s poetry.”

Kevin laughed. “That’s gross!”

Danny lifted his nose in the air and boasted. “Mum can also recite ‘The owl and the pussy-cat went to sea.’ and she says she can still remember another title of a poem, even tho’ she’s forgot the poem.”

Kevin looked down at the ground and wriggled his toes.

“What title?”

Danny scrunched up his face in concentration. “I think it was ‘Fireforefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell’ – it was about a cat, she said.”

“That’s silly,” Kevin flicked a piece of grass at an ant to see if it would be able to lift it, or walk around it. “Poetry is supposed to be serious – you know – Shakespeare and stuff.”

“Who?” Danny asked.

“Apparently he wrote things a long time ago – and MY Mum says, it was hard to understand, and anyway, everyone died in his stories.”

Danny nodded. “I wonder if they’ll teach us that sort of stuff when we get to school?”

“Who knows!” Kevin answered. “I’m not looking forward to starting school!”

Danny shook his head. “I am. You get to make new friends all the time, and play, and draw, and Mum says you learn lots, too.”

Kevin looked at Danny as if he had grown two heads.

“Yeah! Right!” he said, then got up, kicked the sand, stood on the ant and began to run towards the sea.

“Come on. Let’s go and have a swim.”

FREE recipe to try.

Tuna, corn and egg pies:

1 can tuna, drained

baby spinach leaves, chopped

1 can corn kernels, drained

6 eggs

3 sheets puff pastry

  1. Preheat pie maker and spray with oil.
  2. Combine tuna, spinach and corn with whisked eggs.
  3. Cut pastry into 6 tops and bottoms of pies. Place bottom in pie maker.
  4. Fill each pie with egg mixture.
  5. Put on tops. Close pie maker and cook till light goes out. Makes 6.

The basic pie can be filled with ANY filling – mince in gravy ; mushroom and capsicum vegetarian mix ; Chicken and cauliflower in cheese sauce ; sweet and sour pork ; etc

OR stewed apple and cinnamon ; apricot and almonds ; fruit mince ; etc.

Enjoy experimenting.

***

Some of my children’s chapter books for the reader in the 8 to 10 age group. These are AU$18 each, plus postage. DM me for extra details and see if I have any discount or special this month.

FREE knitting pattern to make.

Soft caterpillar/ worm toy.

Using whatever colour 8 ply yarn you have, cast on 6 stitches.

next row : purl

row 3: knit 1, then increase in each stitch. (11 stitches)

Repeat rows 2 and 3. (21 stitches) (if you are making a worm, or snake – stop here and then continue in stacking stitch for length desired. Decrease as per end of caterpillar)

Repeat rows 2 and 3 (41 stitches)

Now continue to length desired, adding different coloured yarn as desired.

Decrease :-

starting on a knit row – Knit 3, Knit 2 together, (knit 2, Knit 2 together). Repeat the part in bracket to end of row. You should have 31 stitches left.

Next row – purl.

Next row – Knit 2, knit 2 together (knit 1, knit 2 together) – repeat part in brackets to end of row. (21 stitches left)

Next row – purl.

Next row – Knit 1, (knit 2 together) to end of row. (11 stitches left)

Next row – purl

Next row – Knit one, (Knit 2 together) to end of row. (6 stitches left)

Next row – purl.

Next row knit 2 together to end (3 stitches)

Next row – knit 3 together and finish.

When finishing the toy, stuff sections the tie off with tight yarn and finally decorate as you wish.

If these instructions are confusing to you, or you need more information – please message me and let me know. Thank you.

Red, Entry and December

Posted on by mjlarter2

December 2023 – gone – and another year is over again. Where did that year go?

The older I get the quicker the time flies past. I think that is so unfair! I have so much to do still and, while I’m healthy and mentally okay, time should be more flexible – don’t you agree?

Entry into the year 2024 is full of hope. This New Year will be a great year – the drama of the Covid shutdowns, masks and fear are hopefully behind us. Although I have to admit the media absolutely loves finding another drama to push our contented lives into disarray.

Begin this year by trying on the mantle of kindness. Hug a loved-one, just because you want to. Compliment a stranger just because you can. If you are ever in a queue – let someone in before you. The smiles you receive are worth the effort.

The Ukraine/Russian war still rages on, now overtaken by the muddle that is Israel and Gaza. I feel so much for the families of all sides that experience that loss of peace, the death of family members and the destruction of home and hearth. It makes me see red that politicians have to flex power muscles like young children – you know – ‘my Dad’s better than your Dad’ type scenarios.

But they play with people’s lives and the planet’s health.

It is time all countries stop thinking of a small section of the Earth and realise that without a planet we have nowhere to live and no-one wins. Greed and power are useless emotions when life and our planet is forfeit. I’ve coined a new word – we should all be Earthians.

This year, I will endeavour to give you, each month, a FREE recipe, FREE knitting pattern and a FREE short story for your reading pleasure, so keep scrolling to find your free gifts.

 Let me know your thoughts on the content of my blog – DM me at my facebook page for more information and feel free to follow me.

My three new picture books launched in 2023 are:-  Still only AU$18 each. Want a catalogue? Let me know by direct message.

FREE story to read.

A new beginning.

A short story for the start of a New Year.

Nadia spread the blanket over the sand and sat down. The beach was deserted. English people weren’t silly enough to come down to the coast during winter. They were home in the warmth, enjoying the aftermath of Christmas – of too much food, too much drink and too many relatives and visitors. She pulled her sweater collar up to protect her nose from the cold.  The water would be frigid now, but she didn’t feel like swimming anyway. Somehow, the troubles of the past year began to uncoil from her mind as the solitude worked it’s magic.

It wasn’t long before an inquisitive seagull arrived and regarded her curiously. She didn’t take any notice, and the bird soon flew away. Several other seagulls swooped down, but quickly realised that there was no food being offered and didn’t stay. The sea was calm and the temperature pleasant. The monotonous sloshing of the waves soon lulled Nadia into a mesmerized stare. Somewhere, deep down in her mind, the unhappiness of the last year drained away.

 “Hello!” a male voice said, causing Nadia to startle. She turned and then smiled. It was so nice to see the man standing there. He looked concerned.

“I saw you from my holiday home up there,” he explained, waving his hand in the general direction of the street above. “Are you okay?”

Nadia nodded.

“Just enjoying the peace – even the seagulls are leaving me alone!”

The man laughed.

“They know you have no food!”

“Thank you for checking on me,” Nadia added. “I only arrived this morning and I couldn’t wait to come down here and enjoy the calmness.”

“Yes,” The man agreed. “I love it here, too. By the way, my name is David.”

“Nice to meet you,” Nadia replied. “I’m Nadia.”

“Mind if I join you?” he asked.

Nadia shifted slightly and patted the blanket. She felt the thrill of the attraction for this man. 

“Please do.”

David sat and they both stared out to the ocean for a while. David quietly reached for Nadia’s hand and she shifted just a little closer.

It was going to be hard, but Nadia and David had to do something to revive their marriage, and this get-away seemed the perfect answer.

FREE recipe to try.

HOMEMADE ONION SOUP MIX

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup dried onion
  • 4 beef stock cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredient and seal in an airtight container.
  2. Store in the cupboard up to 6 months.
  3. Five tablespoons = 1 packet of soup mix

Recipe Notes:-

 I dried my onion and garlic (separately) before I blitzed them to form a powder. I had to put the dehydrator outside as the smell was too overpowering in the house.

This mix was also useful as a seasoning mix for gravy, stews  etc.

FREE knitting pattern to make.

Ear-warmer headbands.

Using 6 mm needles, cast on 14 stitches.

Knit each row until the strip measures 17 inches.

Cast off.

Stitch together the short ends.

This pattern is extremely simple and great for beginners. You can vary it by using different coloured yarn, or different pattern stitches as well as the method of stitching together.

IF THE ABOVE KNITTING PATTERN DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, OR YOU CAN’T KNIT – PERHAPS YOU’D LIKE TO BUY ONE OF THE ONES IN THE PICTURES BELOW. AU$5ea plus postage (AU$3extra)

Reactions, Educate and Dairy.

Posted on by mjlarter2

Gosh a fortnight goes quickly!

It is time to post another article about my thoughts and life – although why anyone would find that interesting, beats me!

Judging people always seems to me to be an exercise in futility. We all have challenges and obstacles in our lives, and that is what makes us who we are. Reactions to our hurts, worries and doubts often cause us to react to other people, often with anger, and they react right back. It can cause heart ache and misunderstanding.

Always treat people the way you would like to be treated – I know that is difficult sometimes, but kindness, tolerance and love are emotions we feel, and they shouldn’t be buried. We need to educate ourselves to show these qualities, so that we can reach the happiness we all deserve.

Now that I’ve done my preaching for the day, I should give you something to enjoy.

I’ve already given you a great recipe for ice-cream ( see Archives – May 27th – you can find that by clicking on the bars on the right hand corner of my site). I often give you icerecipes – and I don’t consider gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan or vegetarian or allergy making ingredients.

I’m sorry.

I will try to find a great tasting treat to include all those things.

What about :- No cook, Apricot balls?apricot No – that’s no good – it includes dairy.

What about :- Christmas mince pies? No – that’s no good, there is dairy in the pastry and                              gluten, too!

What about :-  My favourite – savoury mince with rice? – Obviously no good – it includes                               meat!mince

Well, that took care of my ideas for a recipe  … so … instead of a recipe today, I thought I’d give you something to make for a Christmas gift – after all, Christmas is fast approaching. This is a knitting project.

Knitted Slippers – can be made in any size – from baby to adult.

slipperUse 8 ply wool or acrylic yarn, double strand, and size 6.00mm needles (remember I live in Australia – use the equivalent in your country.) 2 x 100gm balls in two different colours makes two slippers for an adult.

Cast on (using two strands) 17 (23, 29, 35,or 41) stitches, depending on the size you require.

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Knit 5 (7 – 9 – 11 – 13), Purl 1, Knit 5 (7 – 9 -11 – 13), Purl 1, Knit 5 (7 – 9 – 11 – 13)

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until there are 11 (13 – 15 – 17 – 19) ridges on the right side, ending with a row 2.

Shape toe:

Row 1: Purl 1 Knit 1 across the row.

Row 2: Knit 1 Purl 1 across the row.

Repeat these two rows until you have 9 (11 – 13 – 15 – 17) rows worked.  Break off yarn, leaving a length of about 10 inches to use for stitching together. Slip the thread through the stitches on the needle, casting off and pulling the thread tight to form the toe shape. Sew to the beginning of ribbing. Fold in half and sew inside seam for centre back. Add a pompom or button or bow (use your creativity) to finish off. Make a second one to finish the pair.

Knit a pair for each member of your family.

With Kindness

Maureen

quakeP.S. A new short story is up on the next page. An amusing true story!! – readeatdream.net/free-childrens-picture-book