Category Archives: family

What’s In a Name?

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Today I can unveil the name of our home and the sign we chose.

I like the idea of a house name but I am not fussed by some of the tried and true ones that are frequently used. Nor am I keen on ones like ‘Hilltop’, ‘Seaview’ and so on.

The first house that we named was our home in Brisbane where we moved in 2001. We decided to choose something that was unique to our family so we looked at the many and varied surnames and place names associated with some of the family history research I had done over the years. It eventually came down to 2 – Boswell or Pembroke. Boswell was GMan’s maternal grandmother’s maiden name while Pembrokeshire in Wales was where my father’s ancestors originated a few generations back. With nothing more than the flip of a coin, we chose Boswell. That name (and the plaque) actually moved with us when we relocated a few years later to Maleny.

After 17 years, we decided that the name truly belonged with the house so when we came here we decided that a new name was in order. As we have walked many of the streets in this historic town it became obvious that most of the house names were ‘………Cottage’ or ‘………….House’. Others were clearly a nod to the origin or occupation of the earliest residents.

Once again, we needed something unique to us. I was not sure that ‘Pembroke’ was what I wanted but a nod to my Welsh heritage was rather appealing. We had visited Wales, including Pembrokeshire, in 2014 and had discovered a tiny brewery called ‘Caffle Brewery’. Sadly, it is now closed but I just love the sound of the word. The meaning is somewhat debatable. Google throws up various meanings, including, to argue, tangled, confused or generally in a muddle. One thing is for sure – the origin is from Pembrokeshire. We have a rural view over a paddock towards the golf course so we chose ‘Caffle View’ for the name of our home.

A close-up tells the full story.

Refreshed, Ready to Use

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It is over 2 years since my mother died and in many ways it seems like just yesterday. Both of my parents were small children during the Great Depression which undoubtedly coloured their views of taking care of their possessions and mending, repairing and upcycling where necessary. Throwing perfectly good items away was simply not in their DNA. Much of this mindset filtered down to my siblings and me so we felt a certain obligation to ensure that Mum’s personal effects were distributed wisely. Some went to various family members, others were sold and yet more went to charities who could use them.

I was surprised when my younger daughter expressed an interest in the kitchen stepstool. It was sturdy but had seen better days and the orange vinyl seat screamed 1970s. Nevertheless, she was keen to have the stool as it offered a practical solution for accessing the top shelves of her kitchen cupboards as well having some special memories of helping in her grandma’s kitchen when she was a young child.

I don’t have any before photos but GMan dismantled the stool, removed the seat and spraypainted the metal frame. We disassembled the seat, scrubbed the vinyl cover, bought a new piece of foam and cut a replacement base from some leftover timber. I used upholstery staples to recover the seat using the same vinyl cover. This is apparently some of the appeal to my daughter.

Here is the end result.

The seat folds up to allow the steps to be accessed. Note the photobombing dog!!

We will be delivering the refurbished stepstool to its new home this week.

Don’t forget that there are various repair cafes and groups who can assist with restoring/repairing items if they are beyond what you are prepared to tackle.

Remember, the most sustainable items are those that you already own.

More Bargains

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We have been rather occupied with our guests for the past five days so no time for blog posts.

Yesterday I took my granddaughters to Bendigo. I bought more fruit and vegetables, we enjoyed the Australian Women’s Weekly exhibition at the art gallery and we found time to check out a couple of op shops.

I found a summer dress for Liv – no mean feat as she is 15 and liable to change her mind at a moment’s notice. Also, a warm fleecy black top for Izz as well as a skirt, long sleeve knit top and scarf for myself.

However, the standout purchases were a pair of shoes and a chair.

These shoes caught my eye but did not appear to have any size, brand or country of origin markings. In fact, I think they may be handmade. I tried them on and they fitted perfectly. They have barely been worn and were priced at $8. Lucky me!

I actually saw the chair outside the shop as we approached the door. You may remember that I bought a dining setting with 4 chairs from Marketplace some weeks ago. You can read about it here. I was prepared to have one or two extra chairs and was not too worried about whether they were an exact match. I figured that this one would be suitable so I handed over $5 and it was mine.

I brought it home and here is the recent purchase (on the left) beside one of the existing set. Can you pick the difference? The whole chair is marginally (about 1cm) lower, the curve at the top is not quite as pronounced and the top of the sides are rounded rather than flat.

I am absolutely chuffed with my finds.

Ready For Guests

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You have probably seen photos of the guest room and it has been used once when friends stayed overnight last month. However, the other room has been a bit of a dumping ground for empty boxes and other items yet to be sorted.

This morning I spent getting both spare rooms ready as we have family coming to visit from interstate and they will be here for a week. I have even hung some artwork in the empty room.

The designated guest room is fully furnished.

The spare room is slightly more sparse but comfortable. The QS air mattress is made up with plenty of warm bedding.

We will be picking up our daughter and 2 granddaughters tomorrow morning when they arrive from Queensland. I am really looking forward to their visit.

Countdown to Christmas

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I have noticed that it is 8 days since my last blog post and of course, it is only 4 more sleeps until Christmas.

The focus of the occasion certainly changes as families grow and change. This year will be somewhat poignant for me as it will be the first since my mother died earlier this year. We are all holding our breath and hoping that everything will go according to plan and our Melbourne-based daughter will be able to join us. She is due to arrive on Thursday. Meanwhile, our grandchildren are growing up (12 and 14) and will be spending the day with their father.

Our celebrations will be fairly modest and spread over 3 days to include various members of our family.

I put up the Christmas tree on Sunday and our small dog was mildly interested. So far she has not been tempted to attack the tree.

Of course, the regular shopping, cooking and housework continues unabated.

2021 has been a trying year in many respects. Whatever your circumstances, I wish you and your family a safe and peaceful festive season.

Homegrown & Reused

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Today some of my family went to the memorial gardens where our mother’s ashes were to be placed.

These are the native flowers which I took from my garden.

The arrangement is not quite up to the standard of commercial floristry but I was pretty pleased with my effort. Especially since flower-arranging is definitely not my forte.

The wrapping was some that I had squirrelled away from previously received flowers and I even managed to find a piece of matching ribbon.

Rest in peace Mum and Dad. We love you and miss you both always.

Returned – Finally

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In my post on 24th March I mentioned that my mother was quite ill.

Unfortunately, her diagnosis was terminal and the decline was rapid. Mum died at the end of April and we are grateful that she did not suffer a long, drawn-out death.

The void which has been left is indescribable and some days I feel completely lost.

However, life does go on and I will continue to share my thoughts, ideas, tips and suggestions with you all.

I was extraordinarily lucky to have a close and loving relationship with my mother for many years. I know that not everyone has this opportunity for a variety of reasons.

Much of my knowledge and ideas have come to me by being handed down through the generations from my mother and grandmothers.

So, this blog honours those women in my family who have come before me.

Farewell, Mum. Thank you for everything. I will love you always.