Late January with Granny

Granny arrived for her two week holiday in the last week of January, and everyone was really looking forward to seeing her as we haven't seen her in a  few years now!
I had moved Hadassah to the day bed so that Granny could rest her old bones on a proper bed instead of something knocked up. Hadassah did not mind this at all.
I also cleared her some space in the girls wardrobe for her clothes, so that she could have the more used things within easy reach instead of in a suitcase.
Granny arrived late that day. After the children were in bed, so it must have been around 8ish.

 She got a huge welcome by the kittens.

 NOMONOMON! Plastic!!

 The good thing about Michael's Mum is that she doesn't requite entertaining, so the fortnight was nice and quiet.
The children's enthusiasm in finger knitting and looming was brought back to life, and I did a bit myself, (note Daddy's new head of hair ;) )

I had acquired about six litres of full cream from NQR the week before, so we made butter! (home made butter is good enough to eat with a spoon!!!!)

 We washed the gods in tea tree oil and combed all the fleas out with a nit comb (which I then bleached), and after I had vacuumed and sprayed the house we let them go!

 They were blissfully comfortable for about an hour. Then Butch started to scratch again. Hmmmm, did we waist our time I wonder?
I also bought three boxed of tomatoes for $2 a box, and I made these bottoles of ketchup,

And all these canned tomatoes. I am so happy with them! They should last us a few months :D

 In the late first week of Granny's stay we went and spent the weekend at Mum and Dad's house. It was a gorgeous stay for the first night. The house was pretty clean, Granny had a whole room to herself, the children were settled, and the air was LOVELY.
The next day (Sunday) during church the smoke from the Orbost fire hit us. This HUGE plume of smoke, not 20 k's away and getting closer filled the window! (I had photo's. I cannot find them.)
Miriam and Ryan with Ebony were there as well. They ended up leaving early as the sky was getting dark.
THe smoke hit Mum and Dad's place around 6pm, and we happily left the next morning. Needless to say a lot of prayers followed us as none of us wanted to have to take the log way home due to blocked roads.
The road home was uneventful and easy. No blocked roads. No congestion. No drama's. Till we got to Morwell.
The house and Granny's car was covered in ash and the air tasted aweful!! What had happened??
Apparently there was a bushfire just outside of Morwell, started on Sunday. That's what happened. Huh. Awful lot of cack around for a bushfire. Never mind. A bushfire will never come into town...

 The following few days the air does not clear, but we aren’t terrible concerned. I mean, the house isn't going to burn down!!
Eli really enjoyed the smell and feel of Granny!

 We had to fish him out of her stuff more than once!
I got creative while she was here, too. These cushions are on the outside chairs. I needed something that could take a lot of heat, and be durable, as all the cushion covers I'd had on these cushions had rotted within a season. I think these jean tops should last a bit longer than that.

 The last few days Granny was here the air quality changed again. It didn't get smokier, but it did get harder to breath. Upon inspection we learnt that the fire had gotten down into the open cut coal mine, just over the highway, about 5 k's away. Hmm, this is not good. Brown coal smoke.

We also noticed a difference in Granny. She was starting to have trouble thinking straight, and got tired and puffed very quickly. We were very relieved to see her off on the Friday to go home. If she stayed much longer she wouldn't have been fit to drive.