Swimming Pool Madness

We succumbed to the temptation of The Warehouse swimming pools - especially with them having 30% off.  So we did a bit of research and discovered exactly how much water it takes to fill up some of these pools.  Once we knew it was the difference between heaps, and most of our water tank - we went with the smallest pool option.  Still took about 2500ltrs, but after the rain over Xmas, we were not in such a dire water situation as we had been before Xmas.  The pools basically have a blow up ring that floats on the top of the water level - with relatively robust floor and sides.  Of course, we don't just do things the easy way - this required a fence, shade sail, ground levelling and fake grass (shop ran out so we need to get some more).  But we got there in the end!  And judging from the happy faces, it was worth all the effort.

This is what happens when your husband forgets that
there is a shade sail below the deck when you are throwing
goggles from that deck into the pool!

  I have also picked my first tomatoes of the season - planted Sweet 100's again, and although there was only a little handful of red ones, it was soooo exciting.

And I made my first beeroot picking into the recipe in the Edmonds book - adding sugar and vinegar.  My only memory of my mum buying a real live beetroot (ie not in tins) - involved boiling it and forgetting it - which resulted in a burnt lump of charcoal in the pot which stunk the whole house out.  So it was with a certain amount of concern that I put my beetroot in the pot of water - and set the alarm!  It turned out fine, and we all had some with our dinner that night - very nice!

On the creative front, I have purchased some back issues plus the current issue of Stitch Magazine, and have been pouring over the articles, patterns, advertising and need to go through them all again to take it all in.  One article that has grabbed my attention is about a group of people pledging to not buy new clothes for a period of time - say 6 months.  Instead sewing and refashioning second hand clothes.  So this will be one website that I intend to have a look around (of course, once I have finished those darned things for exhibition - counting down those days still, and getting scarier) - wardroberefashion.net