Wednesday W’s #93.

What’s top of my mind: the ironing.

Argh!

I love wearing linen, but the creasing! I ignore it once the shirt/dress/trousers are actually on my body, but I simply cannot pull something on that’s made of linen and is unironed. It’s just too much.

I don’t mind ironing, but I have to be in the zone. Unfortunately, the zone has gone somewhere else since Christmas. It’s going to quickly come to a choice between knuckling down and doing the ironing, or buying new clothes…

Where I’m going: Kangaroo Island.

I really love that the date I’m starting this break is the day that the kids go back to school. I didn’t plan it that way, but it’s a clear sign that I’ve actually retired.

🙂

Where I’ve been: the library.

My local branch was closed over Christmas until the 15th January. I walked in with 6 books to return and left with another 7.

Too many people are recommending Thumping Good Reads.

Such a first world problem…

What I’m reading: Such terrific books!

How To Get Fired by Evana Belich.

This a collection of short stories set in New Zealand. They’re wonderful on their own, but what I really liked is that they’re all linked… a minor character – even someone the protagonist passes in the street – turns up as the protagonist in another story. Beautifully written. It was a real treat to read.

Kill Your Husbands – Jack Heath.

This is an excellent ‘locked room’ murder mystery. The only thing I regret is that I didn’t know it was the second novel in a series — Kill Your Boyfriend is first. Luckily, the first one is waiting for me at the library!

This is an Aussie novel and it kept me guessing the whole way through. Excellent holiday reading.

What I’m watching: Boy Swallows Universe.

I’m sure most of my Aussie readers will have at least heard of this book, if not actually read it, but my overseas readers may not be familiar with it.

Boy Swallows Universe is the debut novel from Trant Dalton, who is turning into quite the interesting author. His first and third novels , Lola in the Mirror being his third, are particularly good.

Netflix has just released a limited series of Boy Swallows Universe, with an all-star cast, ( even Bryan Brown, the author of one of last week’s Wednesday W’s books – he plays Slim Halliday), and of course everyone was anxious that they’d fuck it up.

But no. It’s brilliant. I can HIGHLY recommend it.

And no, I don’t spend my whole retirement sitting on the couch watching Netflix. I do a lot of reading on that couch too.

Haha!

What I’m listening to: Mum’s Boppin’ Bangas.

January is when the garden starts to produce food for me to harvest. So far it’s been plums, apples and rhubarb, but now other things are starting to ripen.

We still have a rat problem, so I’m picking things before they’re quite ripe and bringing them indoors. When I’m chopping up things to cook or to freeze, I pop on Mum’s Boppin’ Bangas and have a really good time!

That family deal on Spotify is working out really well for Ryan29 and me.

What I’m eating: A zucchini slice with no zucchini.

The frugal cook works with what they have.

I’m having a friend over for lunch, so I’ve baked bread rolls and made a zucchini slice with spinach instead of zucchini, and with big chunks of chopped-up Christmas ham that I froze in 250g lots.

I also picked 2 cherry tomatoes, so after a few days of sitting on my dining room table getting ripe, they’re now part of my incredibly artistic design on the top of the slice. They’re the yellow ones in the middle.

What I’m planning: or at least, I SHOULD be.

What I’m going to do on Kangaroo Island. I only have a week or so to go before I start driving to Adelaide to stay a few days with Jenna’s parents.

I’d better get my arse into gear.

Anyone been to Kangaroo Island and have any tips on what to do? Or maybe more importantly, what NOT to do?

Who deserves a thumbs-up: my friend who’s coming for lunch.

She wants me to walk her through buying her first shares.

I’m proud of her. It’s a bit scary taking that first step.

What has made me smile: beginning to use my vacuum sealing kit.

Last year Ronda from the Down to Earth blog said that she bought a Zwiller kit and she was loving it. Her fruit and veggies are lasting for weeks and she never has to throw anything out anymore.

Of course, this sounded intriguing. We have little food waste here between the dogs, the compost and freezing veggie scraps to use when I make veggie stock paste, but there are still things that turn quickly, like mushrooms.

All you do is pop the food, whether it be fresh veggies; meat you want to freeze in the marinade; well, pretty much anything really… then you close up the bag or the glass container, grab the vacuum-suckery-outerer thing and put it on the valve. Once the air is all sucked out, the food is in a vacuum. It stays fresh for AGES longer than if it was in a traditional container.

As a Christmas present to myself, I went to Amazon and bought the beginners set and extra bags. Today my friend and I opened the boxes and we had a play with them. It’s strangely exciting to see the bags scrunch up around the carrots and cabbage as the air was sucked out.

I’ll let you know how I go with them. Ronda is delighted with hers, so I’m sure I’ll be feeling the same way.

Dad joke of the day: