A day of reading

.................not the pile of library books I quickly grabbed just before the library closed for christmas or the local free rag with its first christmas baby pics and who did what on christmas day.  But blogs. I'm off blog tripping again.  I've gone to the first blog on my dashboard, then gone to the first blog on her blog list, then the second blog on their blog list and the third and so it will go on.  This way I get to read blogs that I wouldn't normally go to.

Yesterday I mooched around, I slept away half the day, read for a bit, did 30 sudoku puzzles, had a sandwich, slept some more, had another sandwich and then went to bed.  I was so out of sorts it was not a nice feeling.  I think because this year has been such a rushed affair, always having something to do, somewhere to be that this period of inactivity is killing me, I can't sit quietly and just do nothing (well, maybe for one day I can just about manage it). I am so restless, I couldn't settle to do anything (or want to) .
I've decided that I am going to paint the kitchen cupboards an off white, leaving the tops polished wood (Beautiful Queensland Maple).  That will be summers project. 
I'm dangerous when I am bored.

I suppose I'd better fess up about my christmas present from the boys.   Not exactly pretty,
but very functional, white goes with everything.   Okay, so it wasn't what I imagined I would be getting,  I suppose I'll have to buy myself the gorgeous ceramic shabby chic measuring cups and spoons I'd been hinting about for weeks.  It looked promising as they gve it to me, big and nicely wrapped.......okay, I'm getting to it.   A TOILET CISTERN, yes you heard right.   My loo has been playing up for a while, I have to fill the cistern with water from a bucket, water spurts everywhere from a faulty valve which they were told couldn't be replaced, the whole cistern would have to be new.  So they bought me a new water saving cistern - 6 litres for a full flush and 3 for a wee.   Now all I need is a nice man to fit it for me. 

Oh yes, and we got a cyclone for christmas day. Only a little one, lots of wind and rain but not much damage.  Plenty of flooding around, all the roads to down south cut off which means road transport can't get up north. Shelves pretty bare in the shops, not that I want to venture out. I did go over to my eldests for our festive bacon butty barbi, it looked like the river had gone over at one stage, judging by the amount of debris on the road. The river was running thick and brown just under the bridge so I didn't hang around too long at my sons. 

Better go get dressed and try and get something done today. 

Jan

Prospect of a new job

I enquired at one of the 'boutique' accommodation places in the village to see if they had any job vacancys going. They got back to me last night and want to see me today.  So my resume is titivated and tweaked and off I'll go shortly.  I am easy as to wether theres an opening for a cleaner or admin work.  If I can get 15 hours a week I will be over the moon no matter it is.

I started this update 3 hours ago. I've been down the road to the cottages for an interview and I am now the relief housekeeper.  Its just covering for when the owner has to be away, not a lot of work but anything is gratefully accepted.

I spent all this morning working on a presentation for the position of Chocolatier at the Coffee Works. Now wouldn't that be a great job to do.

Jan

Christmas Markets

Our village had its christmas markets on sunday and I shared a stall with a friend. I made up lots of of little packets of my crocheted flowers and took a few dolls as well.  The flowers were a great hit, all the brooches sold, lots of interest in the dolls but the only one to go was the pink fluffy teddy which I did a straight swap for a yellow retro colander from a Vintage and Retro stall. 
The markets are a great way to catch up with everyone and I get to chat with people I don't see all that often.  One friend told me about a shop that had changed owners and that I should go and see if she would take my things.  So this morning off I pootled into town and lo and behold it was an old friend of mine, we had actually worked together in a craft shop many years ago.  She was interested in some of the flowers and after seeing the photo's of the dolls she ordered 6 for a front window display. 
So my fingers will be flying this christmas, no rest for the wicked. 
I've had a chest infection for the past few days, my head feels like its going to fall off every time I cough and I also wish I'd kept up with those pecky pelvic floor exercises. Its a bugger having to quickly cross my legs every time I have a coughing fit.  I've not felt like eating anything and besides all food tastes like cardboard at the moment.  The dog has started to sleep under the bed again - I think she was fed up of being kicked off every five minutes with all my tossing and turning. 
Its so hot and muggy here, thunders been rolling round the skies all afternoon, we didn't get any rain from it but the sky was black over Malanda way.
I'm off to see if I can find a tin of chicken soup anywhere in the house, I just feel like some Campbells chicken noodle soup.

Jan

Blue skies

We got a bit of thunder and heavy rain yesterday but not much. Say  prayers for all those down south in central and southern queensland and new south wales who are copping some heavy falls and flooding. 

Blue skies brought out the neighbours and their mowers and I even got out there and ripped a few weeds out.  So glad i already did my mowing when it was overcast and a lot cooler, its a scorcher of a day today.

I didn't find one thing at the garage sales yesterday or at the second chance shop, very disappointing.  I decided to unearth the barbeque table from under a season of leaf fall and mouldy flower heads. Its been used as a potting table as well. Its been scrubbed and is now in the sun drying out, I'll give it a coat of O'Cedar and it'll be as good as new and will fit nicely in the craft room.  I have a couple of metres of green felt which should go over the top and will stop the beads from rolling around and then I can start getting creative. 

Matt came round for a hair cut, his hair (like his fathers) is a dirty blond and is prone to get curly if it is left too long between cuts, its very soft hair as well and thick.  The clippers were oiled and tested and off I went.  The last time I did it they cut out half way through, but with fingers crossed (his not mine) I ploughed through it all. Just a number four and it looks okay.  Of course he fidgeted and there were bits I missed but he was eager to go jump in the lake for a swim before the tourists got there.  He's a big boy now (23) and he can use his razor to trim the bits I missed.  He sniffed out the bacon in the fridge so of course we had bacon butties for a late breakfast.  Luckily for me he didn't notice the last blueberry muffin or the choc chip cookies, speaking of which I'm going to go make myself a coffee to go with the muffin and the cookies.

Uhru.

Jan

Webbed Feet.....

We are being teased with the weather, the sun comes up and dries up all the rain and then off it goes again.  Its misty this morning, the trees around the garden waiting for that sun to burn off their shrouds.  Birds are singing their little hearts out in anticipation. I'm waiting for a patch of blue sky before I venture out, I want to see what the day will be like before I make any plans.  I really feel like garage saling, but this apathy is weighing me down.  Its no fun on your own and my friends don't seem to have the same passion for it as I have (or rather -HAD).  I have had three jobs this past week to do so I have a bit of spare cash, I have another cleaning job to do after next weekend and I get paid for the two mystery shops I did last week next Friday.  I'm only spending around $50 a week on groceries and I've cut down on my petrol now TAFE has finished - $20 worth for about 9 days.  Two of the mystery shops involved buying gifts which I get to keep so I made sure they were things I could give to friends.  I'm not worrying over money, when I need, it comes in in unexpected ways. 
I have a necklace to make for a friend to give as a gift, I'm trying to get myself into jewelry making mood.  I want to use earthy colours and semi-precious stones with silver findings.
My very empty craft room is in need of a table to use as work station. I've been crocheting up a storm creating brooches which I can't finish till I get the back pins I ordered, so I need to do something to keep the creativity going.   Perhaps I should go garage saling this morning in a search for a table. 
Mist has cleared slightly, but still no signs of anything blue above me.  I'll get myself dressed and breakfasted, work out my budget and make a list of sales from the two local papers.  The thrill of the hunt is on.

Jan

Wet and wild weather.......

We've been having some pretty amazing late afternoon storms these past few days.  I just love to turn off the lights and sit in the dark watching the lightning fork across the sky.  The thunder literally shakes my little cottage.  The dog gets as close to me as she possibly can, scrunching up between me and the side of the chair, sometimes she attempts to burrow behind me - its a good job she's only a mini foxy.

I've been quite creative, making up some crocheted flower brooches. I had a foray into the world of scrapbooking the other day whilst looking for some cardstock to attach the flowers to.  I know I said I never ever would venture into scrapbooking but it is slowly sucking me in.  My friend burst out laughing when she saw I'd bought some scrapbooking supplies and refused to believe me when I said it was for the brooches.  It is, honestly.

I needed to find some cellophane bags I remember storing somewhere - 5 hours, 3 bags of stuff for the op-shops, 6 bags of rubbish, 3 nice and tidy wardrobe shelves and 1 cleaned out cupboard later I still haven't found them.  And in the interval,  lattes and chocolate marshmallow Santa's with a friend who called in.  I  keep going in my bedroom and opening the wardrobe - nicely folded blankets and sheets, all my underwear in little baskets, I even have floor space in there now, everything neat and tidy.  Not sure how  long it will stay that way.  I even found a pair of hand towels I bought.  I was only thinking the other day I needed new hand towels, I have a vague recollection of buying them before last christmas to embroider for a friend. 

I also found a pair of dungaree shorts that my youngest wore to a fancy dress party when he was three.  I made up some little fabric slugs and snails and sewed them all over the shorts, with a cute little slug peeking out of the pocket.  There was a baseball cap that went with it that I sewed a few little puppy tails on to.  I wish I had taken a photo of him at the time, he was not a happy little boy.  He's nearly 22 now, I wonder if he remembers.

Storms brewing up again, best get off the puter.

Jan


PS NOrma, I've been checking out that etsy blog, very interesting, I keep finding more and more information.

PPS. Vicky, you can come over here and cook me soup and make me pies anytime.

Just like Willie........

I'm back on the road again.  Finally after three weeks my car is fixed, first they had to wait for the part, then the mechanics mom got very sick so he had to keep shooting off.
After two attempts at my Excel assesssment I had a diabetic meltdown, smack bang in the  middle of the second attempt.  I just walked out, I was shaking, headachey, confused (yes, well I know I'm like that normally but I was more so this time). I know what casued it - stress.   Stress over the exam, stress of having no money and all the bills coming in, stress over having to beg lifts off friends and reli's all the time.   I wasn't eating, I had no appetite and I wasn't looking after myself.
I gave myself a week to get back on track and if I couldn't get my level back to normal then I made a commitment to myself to go see the doctor. 
I went back to meditating every day, I put myself first, I sorted the bills out, stopped worrying over things I had little control over and I marked down everything I ate, I started to cook proper meals again.   I was given a third chance at correcting my assessment (I think I gave the tutor a fright) - it was so simple, even the tutor couldn't see the mistake that had caused all the hassle, once it was finally found and rectified everything fell into place.  My speed tests went down hill though, last week I just couldn't feel my fingers on the keyboard and this week was slightly better,the first three weeks of speed tests i was close to 40 words a minute at 99.7 accuracy so I'm happy.  Even with the mistakes and slowness this week and last week I'm still top of the class in speed.  They take the best two results out of 8.
So after a week of being good and careful with my diet and stress levels I am happy to say that my blood sugar levels have dropped to under 6 first thing in the mornings,  around 8 to 9 after meals, around 5 - 6 before a meal and I haven't hit a double figure.  I know when they get too low and always have a little snack after exertion.  I've mowed half the back lawn, the front garden and the nature strip this morning so its time for a coffee and a piece or fruit.
I'm going to watch a dvd (Hairspray) this arvy while I work out a pattern for the amigurumi robot.  I need to start up an Etsy shop for the patterns and finished dolls, but need to find a good tutorial on how to do it, has any one got any hints and tips on how to be successful.

Jan

Quiet Saturday

The weeks are flying by, I'm settling down into my alone life. I'm finally getting some sort of routine going.  Up early in the mornings, take advantage of the coolness and doing a bit of housework.  Catching up with my emails and then off to TAFE for the day.  Theres not much cleaning or tidying up to do - things stay where they are put.

Things have gone slightly awry this week though. I've sailed through spreadsheets, I love Excel.  I do my assessment next week.  Well, that is if I can get my car fixed.  It chose to break down in the supermarket car park yesterday late afternoon - it seems to have a thing for breaking down in the car park at IGA.  I managed to ring No.2 son just before my phone battery died.  He came and got me and took me and the shopping home.  Then he went round to his older brothers and they went to get the car.  Luckily No.1 son knows someone with a breakdown truck. It was 7.30 before they got home.  Looks like its going to be a big job.  I have no money to get it fixed for the next few weeks.  I was worrying over getting one more portfolio done on my certificate course before TAFE finishes at the beginning of December.
I wasn't sure wether i had time to fit another one in.  If I can't get my car back on the road within the next couple of weeks then my problem is solved till next year.  I'm doing the OHS part online so thats no problem and I think I can get a lift next week on one day so I can do my assessment.  I've got some practice exercises to do over weekend to prepare myself. 
Wednesday, I don't go to TAFE so I get all the big stuff done at home, vacumming, mowing, ironing etc.  The side lawn needed doing badly so I waited for the sun to go in and I shot outside and fired up the mower.  I then decided since who knows when we would get another fine day I lowered the blades and did the rest of the lawns, they could have been given a miss till next week but while I had the energy I did them.  I left a small area near the car and intended to move the car and mow but took the opportunity to have a cuppa. A friend rang and asked if he could borrow the mower. He came and took it and fetched it back the next day.  I've just finally finished the one last strip (probably as big as my mums whole garden back in the UK.  The mower sounded absolutely sick as anything, chugging and huffing and puffing, threatening to die at any moment.  I wonder if the friend put the wrong petrol in.  So now I wait for the third thing to go break down.  I used the electric leaf blower very carefully with fingers crossed. I am sooooooo dangerous with that thing, never ever stand near me when I am using it.  I've blasted the poor dog across the verandah and decapitated flowers.
Its our villages centenary celebrations today, I think I'll stay home, I'm feeling very anti-social at the moment.  I just want (and need) to relax.  I've a good book to read and some sewing to do.......oh yes that reminds me.  I was told yesterday arvy that my DIL needed a cape making for Halloween.  No.1 son went home after dropping my car off and went back and got the family.  So nine last night I was quickly making a witches cape.  Its been so long since I used my sewing machine it took a while to get all the dust out of it. I also discovered I had a go faster switch for  straight stitching.  I had grandkids running around (eating all my biccys). So now the machine is out and running I'll get a few sewing jobs done.....they've probably been in the sewing pile for a couple of years and the UFo list.  It might even get me motivated. 
Well I've spent long enough on the puter, I've got a few dirty jobs out in the garden that need finishing so I'll go and get those out of the way and then get cleaned up for an afternoon of stitching.

hugs, love and light

jan

Rain, Rain go away......

Its done nothing but drizzle for the past few days. Grey dreary days. We feel like we are back in winter, not spring.  Its the annual Yungaburra folk festival and the little town is buzzing.  I feel sorry for the poor campers, my neighbour rang and asked me to open up their holiday home for them as friends of theirs should have been camping but its just too wet and they asked if they could use their place as a refuge from the storm.

The nice weatherman just told us they we are going to get a bad cyclone season - oh great.  I'll have to send one of the boys up on the roof to check everythings okay up there, start cutting trees down that are near the house and make the shed secure for all the power tools. We don't usually get the cyclones in our area till after christmas but its better to be prepared early.

I'm struggling to get back into crafting again, I've had a week or two not doing anything and I just can't get back into the swing of things.  My patterns are selling and people are asking for new ones so I need to get my finger out.  All I seem to be doing is homework and going back and forth between the TAFE college and home.  My brain just seems to switch off once I get home and all I want to do is go collapse in the chair and watch tv with a cup of coffee.

I suppose it will all come good soon.  I need something to fire up the passion in me again. I haven't done any embroidery for ages, once I would embroider well into the early hours once the bug got me.  But then it had a purpose - I needed to destress after looking after my hubby, something to take my mind off the endless doctors visits and treatments, it soothed my mind and soul and I could lose myself for a few hours in the peace and quiet of a dark night.
Now I have to find that passion again.

Life seems to be in limbo, I feel like I am waiting for something big to happen. There is this intense feeling that I can't seem to shake off.  I can't move forward.  I know I should just ride it out patiently, that this pause is serving a purpose. But I've never really been a patient one.

Depending on what the weather is like tomorrow I might push myself to venture out garage saling.  I have this urge to rummage through old things and find a bargain, I need a project that doesn't involve hook, needles, threads and wool.

One one of my quiet places, a pleasant place to sit and watch the pelicans float by.  I take myself off and just sit by the water with a book or just let myself chill out. 

Jan

Thank you Cuz

So now I know, funny i can't think of a body part that rhymes with pluto.......I do know which one you mean though, ha ha.

Yesterday I went to market, it was only to be a short trip, in and out with veggies and seedlings.  I saw a gorgeous bromeliad that I had recently admired at the garden show, I ummed and r'd. It was $13, there was another i liked as well for $5 with an unusual flower, I couldn't afford the two. The $13 one won but then at the last minute I said bugger it I'll have them both.  This meant I had no money for veggies but the call of the brom was too strong and I never really treat myself anymore.
Walking back to the car outside the park what should blow across my feet but a brand new $5 note. There was nobody around and there was no wind blowing.

I've never been a fan of broms but they are growing on me - mainly cos they are easy to grow, don't need much mainenance and they are easy to propogate.  I'm all for easycare gardening at the moment.  Things that seed themselves, ones that thrive on neglect.  I have a couple of friends that are into them as well so theres always swappsies for the pups. 

The sun has decided to come out again, I want to see if I can finish off the mowing of the back lawn. Theres never a son around when you want one, perhaps I should bake a cake or some biscuits - they always turn up then, or maybe I'll settle in to do some craft instead, guaranteed one of them always turns up.   But knowing my luck I'll just be putting the mower away and thats when they will come round.

Well I'm off to make hay while the sun shines.

Jan

Bipiness

What is a bippy, I remember Goldie Horne or Judy Carne on Martin and Rowens Laugh-In saying You bet your sweet bippy( Defo showing my age here). The other day i read a blog and someone mentioned bippy. ....... and now I have just left a comment on Creative Breathing's blog and the security word I had to write in the box was bipiness.  All these years later and I realise I never did find out what a bippy is. Somebody please put me out of my misery and then I can get on with the rest of my day.

I sailed through the assessment, too easy I thought, then I had a huge mental block and completely forgot how to block centre a bulleted list.  I couldn't even remember where to find the information. Der...... written down on an information sheet I had in my file.  I still finished within the alloted time. Probably made loads of stupid mistakes.

Playing hookey today, no fuel in the car and no money till tomorrow, but I'm making a start at home.  Excel is next.  Then Powerpoint if I have time. 

Got a cleaning job today as well, I really shouldn't be in here.  Mum just phoned from the UK, had a nice hour long chat.  Seems to me, without naming names that one family member is getting a bit confused over an issue.  I'm being told two different stories from two different people and a third that tells me neither know what they are talking about.  Unless of course, its me thats the confused one.

I'd better go get dressed and make a start on the day, its grey and wet (but warm) and I really don't want to do much, but I'd better make an effort.

Hugs

Jan

One last cup of coffee before I go out the door.........

I've got time for one last coffee, should keep me going till smoko now.

I've going in late, got to rush around and get some faxing done and bits and pieces that need doing.  Then I relax and get this assessment out of the way.  I've got to phone Ergon and tell them I can't pay this week, they'll probably kick up a fuss, I forgot I had promised Telstra I would pay their bill this week.  Its all right these companys saying I should budget better but without a job and relying on Centrelink, its bloody hard.
I get roughly $13,000 a year to live on. I don't owe anything (apart from this months utility bills).  Thanks to a good doctor who occassionally bulk bills me when I am stuck for cash and a health care card which means I get cheaper meds I can just about get by.
Not for me the dreams of gold and riches, a great big house and a fancy car.  My dream is to get a bill and pay it straight off, to have a house that is comfy and welcoming, a car that is reliable. To buy things at full price and not have to scurry round the shops looking for the twofer sales or specials, to be able to give generously to people in need and not apologise for the measly coins I donate.
I am happy with my life though in general.   I love op-shopping and getting a bargain and I always give where I can, all the scurrying around is exercise and the bills get paid eventually. So why worry. Life is sweet.

The bear now has five arms and six legs - I cannot get any two to be the same, I know ami's aren't necessaryly perfect and it won't matter if one is a little bit bigger than the other but I have this inner perfectionist that insists on doing it just right.  Her heads a bit small now, so i'll do another tonight and maybe I'll do her another body and I'm not happy with the colour, it doesn't really work with a small bear so maybe I'll just stitch up all these body parts and make the pattern for a bigger bear.  A friend and I are planning on doing a couple of christmas markets so all the bears made as try outs will go for sale there, or I might open and etsy or madeit shop.

Jan

So glad I didn't stick to my list

....of course I knew I wouldn't, all those pretty blogs, I just couldn't neglect them they were crying out to me.  So glad I did. Hi there Maggie, I love your blog........and yes bubz I won't forget you, I wanna see that rose.

I woke early this morning, pootled and pottered around for a bit, did the bears legs (three times), packed my school bag and went for my shower, noticing that the time was 7.45, quick shower, time for brekky and coffee and get there early to grab a computer by the door (I get the one by the door cos I sneak out five minutes early to put the kettle on in the kitchen for smoko). I'm walking dripping through the kitchen and just happen to glance up at the old wind up kitchen clock - 8.30. There is no way I was in the shower that long. I check the puter clock and its right. I look up at the other wall clock and it seems to be running way slow. I threw clothes on and drove like the wind with the windows down to dry my wet hair. I looked like a wreck - unironed and damp and I suppose now is not the time to notice that I have toothpaste down the front of my shirt.
I have finally done the last exercise in the book, I've done the mock exam and a couple of revisions exercises so hopefully tomorrow I should do my assessment. I forgot how to do leader dots, I had this mental block, I couldn't even remember where to look for it in help and I couldn't just cheat and do a row of fullstops cos the teacher checks our formatting and it shows up on the tab bar.  I tend to do my own thing, think outside the box and not go by the book.
I can do the formatting (my way) and I can do powerpoint and access and excel (again my way) but because I have to learn it the correct way I'm struggling. I feel such a thicko at times. I'm 52 and feel like a 10 year old some times (yes I know I act it most days). I suppose one of the good things about being a mature age student is that we are all in the same boat, all the younger ones seems to have dropped out of class leaving us old fogeys the majority.  They just couldn't keep up with us and I suppose hearing all the lectures of what it was like in our day and you young things don't know you are born might have scared them off.

I'm away to wash the pots and then settle down for a night of tele.

Jan


I'm down to scraping together all the pennies.  Looking in the sofa and under car seats, I've emptied out my money boxes.  I've got enought petrol in the car for tomorrow and maybe thursday to get me to TAFE.  I've no bread left and enough milk for coffee and cereal in the morning. For tea tonight I had oven bake chips and fish fingers and at the back of the cupboard I found a tin of mushy peas.  Perfect meal - fish,  chips and mushy peas with lashing of tomato sauce.  Not in the least bit healthy I know, but I enjoyed it.  I've got strawberries ripening up in the garden and lots of corn ready to be picked and little cherry tomato's running rampant over the garden so i won't be going hungry.

I've been sat here prattling away about nothing in particular and its gone dark and i never noticed. 

blogland

I have so many blogs that I love to read it sometimes can be a bit overwhelming. Which ones do I read first, how can i stop myself from link hopping. 
Okay, so I love roses so today i will only read blogs that have Rose in the title.  I love shabby, vintage so tomorrow i will read all the shabby chic vintagey ones...........and if they are shabby vintage rosy ones then all the better.   I will only allow myself four link hops per blog and 10 blogs a day.   Perhaps tuesday i will read all blogs that have an abode in the title, like cottage, house, villa etc etc, wednesday might be a foody one. I seem to like a lot that have a bird in the title so those can be friday. I know I probable won't stick to the list and if you creep up behind me I'll probably be still in blogland about 30 links away from where i started.

What is it with boys and mud........no matter how old they get they see a big puddle of mud and they just have to dive straight in.  I wish i had the photo to show you what the eldest (27) and the youngest (21) got up to yesterday.  Needless to say, it took the elder 2 1/2 hours to tow his brothers ute out of a big muddy overlarge puddle (aka a creek)    He opened his door to see how deep the water was after he got bogged and the water flooded in the cab.  Teach him to have everything on the passenger side floor.  The look on his face on the video was a picture. 

I started another teddy, a small one and fuschia pink to boot.  She's going to have a pretty dress and bag if I get around to it.  I wasn't in the mood for dinasaurs or robots or even lions. Their body parts are scattered over the lounge room floor awaiting assembly.  Its been drizzling off and on all day and quite windy, I was going to finish the mowing but its a day for cozying up and stitching with a bit of homework thrown in for good measure.

Coffee break over, back to the grindstone,  I've got to get my head round spreadsheets.

love, light and hugs

jan

At a loose end.....

and no money left after I've paid the rates, so I can't go garage saling and its a toss up wether I go use the last few coins in my purse to go get milk or drive out to Second Chance, a lovely place full of vintage clothes, old things and unloved things in need of homes.  I bought this very pretty cup and saucer from there - well I tried to, my pesky sis in law paid for it before I could get my money out.

I had fully intended to spend the weekend in Blogland, no family hassles, no friends coming over, just having a a ME day. Travelling the world, visiting all the wonderful places out there.

Just settled in for a visit and then Skype goes off......so thats my quiet afternoon done for - a girly couple of hours with a friend, putting the world to rights, discussing craft topics, drinking coffee and hopefully eating cream cakes. Then number 3 son hoons up the driveway, he uses the last of my milk for his coffee, uses the bathroom, dumps something in the big shed and after a quick convo, hoons off again.......and I reckon since he hasn't been back he's forgotten he said he would go down to the servo and get me some more milk.

So I've got an hour or two to kill before friend gets here so I might just go for a quick jaunt around one or two blogs.

Love, light and lots of hugs

Jan

OH YES, I HAD A BIRTHDAY AS WELL AMONGST EVERYTHING ELSE.

But don't ask me about it, cos I've slept a few times since then.  I seem to remember lunch at the Botanical Gardens in Cairns, the family coming round, a day out with friends and something else.  My mom phoned me to wish me happy birthday, normally she's about a month late but this time she was a couple of weeks early.  What did I get - a three legged gold tiny gold pig, a pretty rose patterned china mug, smellys, a bottle of wine, a tarot book, a cook book, a plant book and fushcia pink towels.
I am blessed with a wonderful family and good friends.

How can you accidently mistake my car for yours.

Got a phone message - Er Mum, I accidently put a big rusty cylinder in the back of your car by mistake, sorry.   His car is a silver Magna,  mine is small white Laser hatchback. How can you make a mistake, and when I checked it wasn't there anyway. So where did he put it.  Who's car did he put it in.

He noticed yesterday (when he was going through my food cupboards for things he could 'borrow') that I had a new cheese grater. No dear one, that my nice new one to replace the old battered one you borrowed and never returned - you can keep the old one.

His parting remarks was - It would be really nice if you would invite me round for dinner a couple of nights a week, we could catch up, spend time together.

Note to self - Get all the house locks changed, put a barbed wire fence up (no make it an electric one) and a security gate.

I love my kids, I really do. But this is my time now. You gotta fly my little birds.

The one thing my boys do know is that I really love them and despite my naggings, that there is always  a home for them here if ever they need it. 

Its been a miserable past few days, weatherwise, the sun can't make up its mind what to do, its been a grey old day, drizzly, but luckily it stopped enough for me to get back to my car after TAFE.

Tonight I will make a start on the new designs for the robot amigurumi pattern, the first robot I made up as I went along, now I'll tweak and write it all down as I go. 
Then the lion gets done and another bear and maybe a dinosaur.  

My craft room is back to its old messy self again, definately time for a declutter.  My yarn stash has grown again.  But I have plans for that.

Love, light and hugs

Jan

So Sorry - I've been very remiss

No excuses.  I've just not been in a very bloggy mood.

Updates..........passed the first part of Myob, not going to do anymore, passed my customer service, passed writing documents, assessment for creating text documents next week. Start spreadsheets next week as well.
School hols been and gone, did stuff with the grandgirls - they came armed with a list of things to do with grandma - it was a very long list and I think we will still be working our way through it during the summer hols as well.
Matt has moved out finally into his own place. Ryans split up with his girlfriend, Liams changed his job.
I've finally got my ami patterns up and running and in the shops, I have a crochet ami  in January's Handmade mag. I'm still decluttering, I've had a few job interviews and thats about it.
Discovered that one of my ancestors was Myles Standish, won't mean anything to the brits and aussies but it will to the americans.  Theres also a Prescott ancestor that has a big statue erected in his honour somewhere in Mass. 
Well i promise i won't leave it this long again. I'll be in at the weekend and post some piccys.

love, light and lots of hugs.

Jan

IT feels like the sun is never going to shine again.........

it does, the days have been grey and dreary, everyone seems to be longing for the sun to show its face for anything longer than five minutes. We're all vitamin D deprived.  Winter isn't usually this wet.  My neighbours ducks are loving it though, you can almost hear the pleasure in their quacks. A weekend trip to Kuranda for a day of girly shopping and playing at tourists was not spoilt by the constant drizzle and wind and we managed to stay out all day dodging the rain drops. 
TAFE is going okay, though I am finding it hard to get my head round manual book keeping and MYOB and also getting my 'homework' done. I really need to discipline myself.  I'm going to have to arrange to go into TAFE out of hours to use the computers as they work on
Microsoft Office 2007 and you can't get it anymore, I use Open Office.  I happen to prefer Open Office, less bells and whistles than MS Office and it gets the job done.  But I must admit I do like using 2007.  My touch typing is getting slower but more accurate, I have to have a 98% rate. I'm approaching that but only managing 35 to 40 words a minute. But accuracy is more important than speed so I am not stressing out over it.  I haven't touch typed for many years (try 27) and have got sloppy and my fingers have a touch of the old rheumatiz in them but I just plod along and get the job done in the end.
Still haven't picked up the knitting needles again or the embroidery or even looked at a craft pattern. I did go into Spotty last weekend and bought a bit of stuff but haven't even taken it out of the bag. I just threw it straight in the craft room.
I was rudely reminded that I have a birthday coming up in a couple of weeks, I was hoping that everyone would forget. For some time I have been saying I was 52, but then realised in fact I was only 51, silly me. But now when I am asked how old I am people will think I am lying when I say I will be 52.  You are as old as you feel, well right now my body is feeling like its eighty but my mind is still somewhere in my teens.

Jan

No rest for the wicked

Thursday and friday were just as busy as tuesday and wednesday, thursday I continued to run between TAFE and Neato's. No student parking near the TAFE as they are set on the High Schools grounds and there is building work going on so all the school teachers are using the TAFE parking which means parking the car the other side of the school and having to walk a block and then back again, then drive back into town, park and walk to Neato's. Everytime I got out of the car it started to rain, everytime I drove anywhere it stopped. It felt Like I was under this rain cloud following me around.  I was too tired yesterday after cleaning all day to go to get the dogs flea stuff so that was thursday chore as well. Then I decided enough was enough and I met up with a friend and went over to Mareeba to check out the op-shops there.  We also went in the big Priceline chemist and tried all the perfumes - believe it or not and I really hate to own up to this but the Brittany Spears perfume Fantasy is really nice, most perfume go off on me pretty quickly but this one didn't.
Then off for coffee and a late lunch, back to town and then another run to Neato's to make sure everything had gone through okay.
Started the course Friday, wasn't as bad I thought it was going to be. I really thought i would be one of the oldest there, but out of about fifteen there was only a couple of girls younger than 30 and the rest were late forties or early fifties. All being pushed to get back out there into the workforce.
Today started off lazy but then I felt guilty and scrubbed the bathroom floor tiles, not that anyone will notice, I was going to mow but ran out of fuel. I planted more corn, watered the veggies and weeded and now I'm back to being lazy again.
I reckon if I was going to drop dead with a heart attack it would have happened this week with all the hard work and rushing around i've done. But I'm still here alive and kicking.
.......and the bonus is I've lost another kilogram.Back on track with the weightloss.
Haven't picked up my knitting needles since I threw everything into the spare room when Ryan wanted his tv unit back. I went into a beautiful scrapbooking and paperart shop on thursday, while I admire it and thinks it looks wonderful do I really want another craft, can I resist.

Jan

Wednesday

Yesterday I was on top of things, I decided to move my room around and managed to lug my heavy mattress off my big wooden bed so I could move it. I cleaned all the dust up under and behind the bed, I polished, I cleaned walls, I put everything back all nice and fresh. I then started on the living room, vacummed under furniture, polished the big tv cabinet, cleaned out its cupboards, tidied everything up. It took me nearly all morning and half of the afternoon. But when I finished it was good to sit back and see everything sparkling and clean. I plonked myself down at the puter to post on Clares Treasure Tuesday. Then............the youngest phoned up "mum, can I have my tv cabinet back please, I'll be up in a couple of hours to pick it up.  So this meant I had to undo practically everything I had done that day. His tv cabinet was bigger than mine so rather than put his in storage he let me use it and my smaller one went in the bedroom, prettied up with a sarong cover and a silk beaded table runner and I put all my pretties on it and stored all my tarot cards and books under neath. All the living room furniture had to be moved, I emptied my cabinet and his, all the stuff from his has just been thrown in the spare room. I dragged out a white chest of drawers I want to paint and which I store a lot of my crafty bits and pieces in. I managed to get all my cards in it plus my spiritual books and covered with the sarong and runner it looks okay.  It was 8.30 p.m. before I plonked myself down to watch Packed to the Rafters with a glass of wine in hand.  Dinner was  oven chips, fish fingers and beans. Today is not going to be quiet either as I have to go clean someones house and declutter, chase around after this course I want to do, go to the gas shop cos my gas bottle connector is leaking, get flea stuff for the dog and shop for dinner.  Thursday won't be any different and if I manage to get Neato's to pay for the course I will be doing my orientation friday morning and my first class friday afternoon.  I have to do Cert II and components of Cert III in Business studies before I can do the Cert IV in justice admin, but with my car and phone both being out of service last week i nearly missed the deadline so theres a good chance of not getting on the course. 
All I really want to do is knit, I found a really great pattern for a cable knit bag, I have knit if before years ago and I want to do a smaller version, I got stuck into it the other night and did the first nine rows, didn't even touch it last night, I'll get some more yarn this arvy cos once I do get into it I can probably do it in two nights.  I found two premmie baby shawls I had started to crochet as well in yesterday clean-up so they'll be finished this week hopefully and I'll get them sent off along with all the little tiny beanies and booties to the Prem baby unit.
Better go get a move on and make a start on the day, got all my washing to do before I go out.

Jan

Saturday (yes I know its Sunday today)

Saturday with my eldest grandchild.  Little Miss Chatterbox, Jessica Rose.  We baked, we found a wonderful girly game site on the net and built virtual cupcakes and dressed up ponies and decorated bedrooms, we went out for a drive and ended up at the Fairy Shop. We had banana sandwiches for lunch with sprinkles on and a plate of hot chips, we talked girly talk and then while grandma settled down with a book on christmas tree decorating Jessica played some more on the internet.  Not long after her parents and little sister turned up early.  I've promised the little one that when school goes back she can come over for a day and we'll do special things together.  She's nearly four and doesn't really like going anywhere strange without her big sister (Yes, grandma is a bit strange) so we'll see how that goes. She's a total different character to Jess, more of a tom-boy.

Sunday is going to be a quiet day, now I have said that it will be hectic and noisy.  Its a bit chillier today, overcast and windy, definately not tropical. Might just spend the day pottering, couldn't find one garage sale to go to yesterday - most disappointing. I'm feeling the need to go out and find a bargain.  I have the urge to rummage.

change of direction..........

 Not quite sure where I am going with this but after discussing things with my job network officer I have decided to look at doing a Cert 4 in Justice Admin course at TAFE. I can't try to get into the Certificate of Genealogy with SAG till next year but if I want to go into the field of forensic genealogy it might benefit me to do the Justice course.  All a bit scary, its something i hadn't even considered but theres no harm in giving it a go.  All the questions running through my head at the moment - am I clever enough, am I capable of the work load, am I too old to study and the biggy - what if I am successful at it.  Do you know that fear of success is what holds a lot of people back from attempting things............once you are successful then others have more expectations of you, you then have to follow through with everything, fear of failure and not being able to keep up with everything creeps in so you self sabatage before you have even got your first course assignment.  Can you see where I am going with this, already I'm thinking up excuses why I can't do this.   I have to admit that I have not got the stamina to do the cleaning/housekeeping and maybe I should be looking in other directions. Again I was selling myself short, refusing to believe in my capabilities and accepting that cleaning was the only thing I was qualified and capable of. 

Putting my worries aside I am going to immerse myself in the threads and stitches of my latest projects, started on number 4 last night, stitched until my eyes were crossed and stinging and I caught myself dozing off with needle in hand.

Yesterday was a sad day for our little township, we farewelled one of our own local men, a young man who chose to live his life how he wanted, a young man who was a son, brother, partner and friend and who gave his life for his country.  Its been in the public eye and now after what must seem an eternity for his parents they can finally have the privacy they need to bury and grieve over their son.  Ben Chuck, God Bless You and may His Love surround your family.

Jan

TUESDAYS TREASURES

Theres no way I can pretty up this little box.  It has a story behind it. Way way back when Mr Mik and I decided that we would get married my future mum in law worked as an O.T. in Social Services teaching handcrafts to a group of elderly mentally challenged people.  She had always spoke to them about her family and what they were up to so when they found out we had finally decided to get married they wanted to make a little gift. So this old chocolate box was gussied up and they put in broken jewelry, old beads, bits and pieces of lace, all sorts of little things. For over 29 years it has been the treasure box, things taken out, things added to it. Homeless bits and pieces all go in the little box.  Its tatty and cracked (just like me) but I hope it will still be sat on the windowsill in my craftroom for many more years to come.

Its current contents are a pair of dolls shoes for the doll I never made, the ribbons and bells from the girls Lindt easter bunnies, two old belt buckles, a plastic bracelet picked up off the street, wooden beads, a badge off one of our old cars (could be off the old Kingswood wagon), hexagon papers, an original lifeboat whistle, broken jewelry and lots of the original pearl and glass beads that came with the box, sea shells, hairclips, a couple of drawing pins and lots of little fiddly bits too numerous to mention. 

Jan

JOIN CLARE over at Clarescraftroom for Tuesdays Treasure, McLinky doesn't want to play today with me so look for Clares Blog in my sidebar

On a roll........

I got my design mojo back, its been a long time coming and very welcome at this moment in time.  Sat playing with threads and colours all weekend apart from a quick trip down to the markets. Weathers been iffy all weekend but the sun finally did show its face for a couple of hours yesterday enabling me to get the washing dry.  New seedlings safely in the veggie patch, all staked and supported. So it was quite a productive weekend.
I decided after much research to make Poppy dog her food, so I set to yesterday and made special dog cookies and wet food.  She obviously knew something was going on in the kitchen, she kept popping her head round the door every time there was a banging of saucepans, she sat in anticipation at the edge of the doorway as the pot stood cooling..........and finally with wagging tail and whole body quivering in excitement she stood in front of her dish. She looked at it, she sniffed it, she backed away, she sat down, she sniffed it again and tentatively pushed the food around, she looked up at me as if to ask what I was poisioning her with.  Finally she tried it, the next second I looked it was all gone and she was sat on the mat licking her lips.  She produced the biggest known burp known to doggykind and then curled up on the sofa and went to sleep. No thank you, no nothing.  When Matt came home I had to tell him, no I hadn't bake biscuits for him they were for the dog, actually there was nothing in them that a human couldn't eat except they might be a bit hard on his teeth, he went away muttering something I didn't quite catch.
Today the sun is shining occassionally but the drizzle has stopped so the washing can get line-dried again today.  Better get to it and make the most of the decent weather.

Jan

Break out........

I am so sick of eating healthy, watching every little thing. Every so often I break out and eat bad bad food......... bacon butties made with stodgy white bread with slatherings of HP sauce.  Soooooooooooo good I'm going to go make another on and I might even stick a fried egg on top. 

jan

Two posts in one day .............

......................what some people will do to get out of cleaning, I don't know!

I've nearly finished putting everything back in the computer corner, only to realise that I have put everything back how it was before I moved it last time. Oh well at least i got to give everything a good clean.  I wonder how long it will take Matt to notice everything has been moved.

I haven't added to or taken away from the pile of files i took out of the cabinet to move it, but it seems to be a rather tight fit getting them in. Thats a job for another day I think. A quick vacumn round the rest of the house and thats it for me I think.  I have been getting my yarn stash down, I crocheted 30 beanies for the Guardian Chemist/Salvo's Homeless Appeal and I can just about get the lid on the yarn box.  WhenI have lots of little bits of yarn leftover I crochet a flower or a leaf and stick it in a box, one day i will find a project to do with them all. I used a few on the coffee plunger cosy I felted and I've sewn a few to hats and scarves. I'm looking for a really pretty granny square to do, something with a rose in the centre, I need to get this yarn stash down a bit more before I allow myself to go out and buy more.  Last year I went mad crocheting blankets for everyone and I have lots of leftover yarn from that. I have two blankets to make up out of squares I did last year, the gingham blanket is still not finished despite me saying it would be by feb last year.  The hexagon grannys flower garden crochet blanket is still not done, though I might get that finished soon and give it to a friend as a gift for winter.   I found some laura ashley fabric remnants I bought 3 years ago when I was in Melbourne. I had only used a couple when i made Jess's library bag when she started school and these others have been lying dormant until i can find something to do with them. They are 15 inches square and mainly florals and until i see something with the WOW factor that I just have to make then they will stay under the bed in their box.     Actually, did I ever post the anemone flower cross stitch I did. Because I have a vague recollection of thinking at the time I had some fabric that would go with the cross stitch to make a nice cushion.  

The house is all clean now, dusted polished and vacumned so the rest of the day is mine, until I have to get dinner.  Might just crawl under the bed and see if I can find the fabric again.  Knowing my luck it will be in the box at the back of everything else.  Would it be too much to hope for that I actually put it in a place where I could get it again easily. Or would that be too easy.  

I couldn't find the fabric but what I did find was a box of yarn under the bed - fallout from the big box and here was me being so proud of myself for using up over 2000g of yarn.  Okay, so when the small box is gone then I will treat myself to new yarn.                           

Monday

Docs appointment first thing this morning and here I am still sat in my jami's.  I've washed the breakfast pots and quickly tidied the kitchen and thats it for now.  I'll have to nip to the store and get the things I forgot on Friday, I'm with you on the grocery shopping Vicky. Has to be done though..........well if I had lots of money I'd pay someone to do it for me.   Actually thinking about it I suppose thats where my social life is - at the supermarket. I bump into all my friends there and we catch up with all the goss.  I usually go in real early now though, straight in, get what I want and straight out again, home before the roads gets busy with school traffic.

Cept this morning I am being lazy, its a bit chilly this morning - it was a lot chilly last night, so much so I filled up the old hotty bottle and put on my flanny jami's.
Yesterday was a miserable overcast day but today the sky is blue and the sun is shining. I took myself off to the antique/second hand shop and had a good browse, gorgeous vintage clothes and bits of china but nothing that shouted BUY ME.                                                               I have this restlessness again, its driving me mad at the moment. I feel that there has to be something more to everything I am doing. I know I am doing way to much - as in too many irons in too many fires.   I want to sit and craft for hours, I want to get the house painted, I want to sit and read, I want to get out there and do something, I want to stay on the puter all day long digging up the ancestors, I want to have coffee with friends and sit by the lake catching up with the goss, I want to go op-shopping, garage saling, antiquing, I want to learn a new craft, I want to landscape the garden, I want to get in the car and just drive.  So many things I want to do yet I can't decide what to do so I do nothing - well except type endless blogs about what I want to do. 
I make lists, I make plans and then I sit and wait for it all to happen.  Guess I'm going to be sitting around for a long time.

Okay, so now I better go get dressed before I'm late for the docs

Jan

I'n back, blood pressure okay so no problems, got my scripts,caught up with a friend while i was in the grocery store and back home again when in a moment of utter madness if took everything out of the filing cabinet and I'm going to move the computer desk, I'm sat here surrounded by files and everything piled up on the table and you wanna see the muck behind the filing cabinet - second thoughts, no you don't. So I now have to get the vacumm cleaner out and the duster. ooooooh and i found all the paint charts. Well i suppose i'd better get a move on and get it all moved before the day escapes from me.  This is what I do when I get restless, I clean and i declutter and make messes.

June already

Thought I'd better post to let you all know I'm still alive and kicking. Job fizzled out, what they didn't tell you was that it was 15 - 20 hours a week but those hours were split between a team of women. So its back to the job hunt.  I've been cold canvassing this week, what a demeaning thing that is. 
Long weekend this weekend, lots going on. Tour de Tableland Bike Race, Peeramon Feral Pig Hunt, African Circus, Row Boat Regatta on the Lake. All in the same area. There will be rolling road closures tomorrow while they do the time trials and at the same time hunters will be rushing to get thier pigs weighed in. Plus all the boaties, all using the same damm roads.  Timed all that well didn't they.   I'm staying home and being a grumpy old woman. One thing I don't want is to be stuck behind a ute full of dead pigs. 
Mind you there might be a lot of extra men around the place, all those male bike riders in tight lycra shorts, might be worth getting stuck behind them.
Number 2 son has finally got the horticultural traineeship he wanted, so next step is finally moving out. He's saving up for his rental bond and a few house things.  At least I won't be worried about him not eating properly - he's a great cook. 

Jan

WHERE DID THE TIME GO

I blinked and there it was and more than a  week had flown by.  I've been training, its not rocket science but everything has to be done just so.  and there are stairs...........I can run up and down them and get my exercise for the day, I think though by lunch time today the novelty had worn off.  I've stretched and I've bent and I've lifted weights, who needs to go to the gym - just get a job as a house-keeper.

Modeling the latest range of kitchen chic is Punky Plunger.  A soft varigated wool knitted in stocking stitch and subjected to much agitating then decorated with pretty little crochet flowers and leavesand a meandering of running stitch between each flower. Three buttons and felted loops (not shown) hold the whole package together.

I got bored so I got creative. Next will be a hotty watty botty cosy made from a felted fair isle jumper from the op-shop.

Red Letter Day

Happy dance around the room, I got the job, I got the job, didya hear me I GOT THE JOB.  Start training on tuesday, though with what I already know it will be a doddle.  Went to a garage sale and picked up a new computer chair in excellent condition for a fiver, a wonderful book on embroider and crafts for $2 and they threw in two crystal wine glasses I liked and a box for my embroidery threads.  How good was my day.

Jan

Still haven't hear yay or nay

Interview went very well, i was first off the block, bright eyed and bushy tailed.  Beautiful place. I meditated before I went, set off early. I think I made a good impression - well I didn't do or say anything I regret. I asked the right questions at the right time. But i think because I haven't heard anything I haven't got it, but that doesn't bother me, its one more interview under my belt, one more bit of experience.  Met my friend in town afterwards (she had an interview for an admin job in town).  So now its the waiting game, she's heard about hers and she didn't get in so now I'm on tenterhooks everytime the phone rings, though because its the long weekend I don't think they'll ring till tuesday.  Isn't it awful Cheryl how intelligent people become blubbering wrecks when they are in a interview situation, its like their brains go awol.

The weather is absolutely terrible, drizzly and miserable and not a day to go garage saling.  Mould is growing on everything as fast as you clean it off. One of the downsides of living in the wet tropics.    One of the things I bet you don't miss Cheryl.

Well I was going to have a productive day today, but got stuck in 1914-1918. Norma, I did some research while ancestry was free on the military history, looks like only Harold and Sydney Skeat had any and my mums grandfather on the Neal side, though he had three attempts at getting in and deemed unfit on each one.
but his brother got in and saw active service in France.  I've got someone on The Manchester Regiments forum looking for me to check everything out.  Its all been very interesting.

I need to get my creative juices flowing again, I have been so bored recently, last night was terrible - I was so bored I did the vacumming and mopped the kitchen floor. I hate being like this but I can't put my mind to anything.  Damm , look at the time 10.00 a.m. and I'm still in my jammys. 

Jan

I GOT AN INTERVIEW

I have an interview for a job tomorrow at 9.00 a.m., don't panic. don't panic. Okay PANIC, oh my god what do I wear, what do I say, will I lost lost - don't be silly, its right on the edge of the lake.  Think girl, of all the questions they will ask you, sell yourself.  oooooohhhhhhhhhhhh I can't do that, I'm hopeless at selling myself, I freeze, I forget what I'm saying mid sentence. Don't panic, don't panic. Your're 51, grow up. Somewhere in there is a mature woman, what a time for the inner child to make her entrance.

Okay panic over, I'm calm, serene.  I've polished my shoes, made sure my clothes are ironed, I'll go through the selection criterea again. I'll go put petrol in the car and give it a quick clean. 

On a lighter less stressed out note, I just made roasted pumpkin and parsnip soup, very tasty.
Yesterday I sent off the amigurumi dolls to the magazine - they want them and the cheque for the last design is in the post.  It looks like my life is on the up and up. So even if I don't get the job at least it is experience, one more interview under my belt, I suppose each time it will get better.  See, I can be mature when I want.


ooooooohhhhhh Norma you like Johnny Depp as well, perhaps I should imagine the guy thats interviewing me is Johnny Depp star naked. 

Jan

A Frog he Would a Wooing go.......................

Pucker up Babe, your prince is here..................

Come on, look at me, aren't I a fine figure of a frog. You know you're just itching to kiss me. Take a chance. No tongue though. 

speechless still..........

........croaky and snufling.  Sounds likes an undertakers.

Matt knocked the head off the Balinese Running Duck last night.  How on earth am I going to shut the bathroom door now. I remember walking round Brisbane with it tucked under my arm, we caused a stir when we were waiting to cross the pedestrian crossing, I placed him on the floor and then stood back and watched the confused faces of the motorists.  My friend at this stage had totally disowned me. My husband was having a liver op and as we walked into the hospital to visit him he had been allowed out and was sitting in the hospital cafe with a cousin he had only just met that day. At least she knows now that the insanity doesn't run on their side of the family.  The duck I should say before the RSPCA come get me is a 3ft high wooden one, well he was before his head got knocked off. I got locked in the loo when the lock broke and a neighbour had to come break the lock off to get me out, I was intending to fit a new one, I've got the new lock and I'm hoping that if I look desperate enough I can get someone to fit it for me.  I can do it myself if I try, its not rocket science but until I get that bored the Duck will suffice with or without his head.  So now I shall shout - Locks broken on the loo door, ya'll have to out the headless duck behind the door.
Of course I made Matt feel really guilty, his late father collected ducks, it was a special present for him after his op, something to bring a smile to his face etc etc etc.   I wonder what damage he's going to do today, oh god I hope they don't let him loose with the chainsaw.

Jan

FUMING. SEETHING, ROPEABLE.........................

................. and a little bit mad.  I'd had a burst of energy around about 2.00 p.m. and went out to check the mower fuel. Since there was a little bit of fuel left I decided I would mow at the back of the house until the fuel ran out. I moved my car into the spot my son usually leaves his car and got to work. I finished the whole back lawn. Went in to get dinner on and left my car where it was. Son comes home from work and parks where I normally park my car.  Long story short, he goes out of house in a mood and promptly reverses into my car smashing the headlights. Of course its my fault for leaving the car there according to him.  I am so mad I am finding myself at a loss for words.


Jan 

and still snuffling.................

....................one box of tissues, endless packets of cough lollies and having a choking attack this morning scaring me, my son and the dog half to death have made me book a docs appointment. My throat just closed up and I couldn't breathe in or out, I was hammering on the bedroom wall and rattling the wardrobe doors and staggered out to the phone and had my finger over the 0 just as I managed to  breathe again.   I rarely get coughs and colds and when I do I can throw them off pretty quickly. This has floored me.  I had the Swine flu and normal flu vaccines a month ago  so I thought I was safe. 

I can't concentrate to craft, I'm struggling to read or do sudoku's and I have no appetite (which is good since I might finally lose a bit of weight). Matt starts his new job tomorrow with Parks and Gardens, he's hovering round like a mother hen, making sure I have plenty of  fluids and has brought me chicken soup.

Jan

Still snuffling, doc says its nothing to worry about just a spasm through coughing too much, if it happens again, just relax and wait for it to pass.  I'll remember that when I'm rolling round the bedroom floor going blue in the face.  I had a temp and my B.P was up but nothing major. I've just got to ride it out and hope everything clears up in a couple of days.
A few people I have spoken to about the flu vaccine have said they got a nasty cold shortly after. 

still snuffling

Still feel like crap.  Its wet and miserable and I've no money. Got up early and went into town and did a quick shop and put petrol in the car. Got to drag myself out to pay the phone bill shortly. 
Had a burst of energy last night and tidied up the place before I went to bed so not much to do today.

I'm going to do a couple of pedigree charts today, found out mums dads cousin was married to mum mums cousin.  My lot certainly believed in keeping it all in the family. Its starting to get confusing so I now need to keep track of them all.

Jan

I woke yesterday snufflng and sniffling. I had to drag myself out of bed to go into town. I parked the car far enough away so I could get a good walk in, walked all the way down to my bank to discover their hole in the wall wasn't working so had to walk all the way back and further to my other bank. Happy discovery that I had money in my account so I could pay the bills. Walked back to where I normally park the car to find I'd parked it somewhere else.  Oh well at least I'd got a good walk in.  Did a quick shop at IGA, remembered I needed rice.  I was home before 9.30, packed the shopping away to find 2 packets of rice in the cupboard already.  I dosed myself up on panadol and went off to a friends to help her sort out her new printer. I just couldn't get my head round it. I managed to get her new webcam up and running though (quite by accident) what a shock that was seeing myself suddenly on the computer screen - not a pretty picture.  Then home, dizzy and aching. Matt made me a cup of tea and I lay down on the sofa while he cooked dinner.
Hardly slept a wink last night, when I did doze I had the ancestors chasing me with all these remedies for colds and flu, the dog had terrible wind all night (thank god I couldn't smell anything). I tried to read, did a couple of sudoku's, got up, pottered around, went back to bed. I don't get colds, well not full blown ones (scuse the pun), just little sniffles I usually throw off after 24 hours. I had the flu jab a few weeks ago so I'm hoping that I can throw this off.
Still its a good excuse to just laze around and do nothing, no guilt over staying bed half the morning with a good book. Though knowing me of old I will probably rush around doing the housework and cleaning so that if someone does come round the house will be tidy and they won't think me lazy (this is a inherited trait from my mother and my nan). The guilt does creep in and I succumb to a cleaning frenzy. Basically I am an untidy person, I could quite easily allow the place to become a hovel but where other people have inner children I have an inner cleaner who suffers from OCD.
I did the thumbs on the mittens (I'm knitting two mittens at once) and because they are being donated to a charity that provides warm clothes for the homeless I did a larger size, the thumbs looks massive. I only have little hands and they drown me. What is the average length of a thumb of a woman about 5'6"+.
I've got to tackle a couple of assignments for the job network I go to. I'm not good on bigging myself up but.
I'll try and tackle that, then get the forms for the mystery shopper job out of the way and posted. Then I can sit and tackle the practise transcribing for the Lancashire OPC. I went to the op-shops and managed to get back the books I'd donated for Excel and Access and I have to try and get this fuzzy dizzy head round all that. This is me being lazy by the way - after my triple by-pass I had to be literally forced to rest while my friends cleaned for me, I moved off the sofa and there was always one of them spying on me. The inner cleaner got really wound up over that, but luckily the inner slattern came to her rescue.  I am hoping she will surface this weekend and allow me to rest.


Jan

Thanks for the hugs Cuz

I was thinking of taking a day off from the ancestors.......................

.....................well I thunk about it, deleted the very long post I made first thing this morning and I'm just taking a breather from cleaning walls and ceiling.  I have to see the dietician this arvy - do you think it would be possible to lose 2 kgs by then, Nooooo, I didn't think so.

I wrote a very long and weighty piece this morning about relatives losing touch with each other even when they live in the same place, even the next street. I asked mum about this and she said each family kept to themselves, there was lots of fallings out over silly piddling things, there was no big scandal that she could remember, just petty squabbles. It seems such a shame now. I have uncles and an aunt that live still in the area their ancestors came from and cousins living near by yet they know nothing of them (or choose not to).

Rereading the original piece I wrote this morning I felt it was way too heavy for a simple craft blog. All those names on that family tree - we share a common ancestor, we have genes added to the pool from other places, we are all individual, we make choices, we move away from the pack. Sometimes the grass isn't always greener but it might be mowed and weed free and occassionally the view is great. There is so much in this lifetime for us to get wrapped up in, so many opportunities to occupy our minds and time with other things that there doesn't seem time to keep up with the reli's and before you know they are gone.  Families are not just for christmas and easter you know.  I am lucky that the people I am close to are family orientated, I have a large extended family full of in-laws and outlaw and I have wonderful new cousins who I feel I have known forever.  I am lucky that through the internet I am able to keep up with the family in the UK using Facebook.  I don't know why my mothers family grew apart and I wish I had stayed in contact other than christmas cards. 
So, phone a reli today, hug a reli today, be a good reli today.

Jan

Ami photo shoot

Here are a few ami's and bears that I have left.  I forgot to go to the yarn shop this morning - Bumped into a friend and we got stuck talking about family history, as we chatted her hubby had finished the shopping, gone through the check out and packed everything away into their car.  I finished the cross stitch. Now I'm going to catch up with the housework now Matts gone off to Taekwando for a few hours. Dinner is leftover spicy sausage casserole with garlic bread and pasta.

Jan

Playing with piccys

I am soooo bored.  I've been playing with my piccys. I know I've posted this little bear before but here she is again only multiplied.  I should make more. I was playing with colour changes and she looks quite nice as a varigated green colour and an orange colour.  Neither of which I have and I think I made this one up as I went along and didn't write the pattern down. Once the mittens are finished I might make a couple more bears up and see how they look.  I can work out how many stitches etc, its not rocket science and with amigurumi's the weirdier the better.

skeletons in the cupboard

Oh boy and what a nasty evil one it is too.   Most of the Australians I have spoken to about tracing their british ancestors are always eager to find a criminal amongst their ranks and they are quite proud of this.  I unfortunately have a fourth cousin just discovered that is a very nasty piece of work. I have discovered more of my nans family and have filled in a few more holes - they have william dying in 1900 as well Norma and don't know much about him.

I googled the family name and came up with a report of a murder trial of a young man with the same name, a horrible murder. He's just been given 23 years.  This was before my new cousin in the UK told me one of 'our' lot had just got 23 years.  Put two and two together and we have one evil evil man.

I'll have to go and immerse myself in getting this cross stitch finished to get rid of the nasty taste this discovery has left. 

Creature from the black lagoon

This is my latest project, as soon as I saw it in a vintage Aunt Lydia's yarn book I just knew I had to make it. What style, how cute. My grandbubs would love it - what kid wouldn't.  Okay so I'm joshing with you. I have posted this little horror before over on Rantings a few years ago. It looks like something out of a B grade horror movie - swamp monster or The Thing that crawled out of grannys knitting bag.  Its got to be the ugliest looking toy ever made. Now I've left you with the prospect of nightmares I'm off to put the bins out.

Oh Yes Norma, its like bread making - punching out that dough LOL.

Another beautiful day today, despite the fact I had to pay part of my council rates.  I treated myself to marshmallow choccy eggs on special at Spar in commiseration at parting with all that money.  The choccy must have given me energy - I sailed through the ironing and ripped a few weeds out as well. Finished the gloves last night and started on some mittens. Something not to taxing on the old grey cells.

I've got till thursday to finish off the cross stitch. Don't think I'll be starting the rose this time round.

Jan

Didn't get one thing at the garage sales and the new second hand shop was hopeless as well, though it did have some very nice vintage clothes in.

This morning I had a lie-in, then fired up by the beautiful blue skies I went off to market. A friend has a stall there so I hung out with her for an hour.  I wanted plants but the plant people weren't there.  I've got the house to myself for a while. Might do some meditation since the house is quiet. Everybody mowed this morning, whippersnippers going off all over the place - making the most of the good weather.  So now its peaceful I might just chill out.

I've got 5 Sue Grafton books to read and a couple of other novels. Plus I started knitting more fingerless gloves last night, just got half of the second one to do and thats it, might knit some mittens nexts. It doesn't get cold enough really here to warrant gloves but I'm sure I'll find good homes for them. I just can't sit and watch tele without something in my hands and I need to use up some of the yarn stash.

I don't do a lot of the needlefelting Norma, it does get rid of a bit of tension - stabbing bits of wool into things with a very sharp needle (which also hurts like hell if you stab yourself).  I haven't tried wet felting yet, though it is on the very long list of things to learn.

Jan

Day 3 - SouseLob

The Lobby is no more, as predicted Matt came in last night and dived into what was left with the last of the crusty bread.  So I can claim a success, it will go down on the list as comfort food. He didn't complain that it wasn't spicy enough (the celery leaves gave it just a little peppery bite) or that it looked disgusting. He listened when I told him about the ancestors coming home from downT'pit who would have been grateful for the meal he'd just had and sometimes thats all they had day after day.

Guess what we had as dessert..............christmas pudding and custard.  I found the last of the damm things at the back of the freezer (I won 3 puddings in 3 different raffles). THis one was the smallest so it should be gone by tomorrow. 

I should really craft today, I felted a knitted square and want to embellish it with a bit of needlefelting and embroidery. Its just a practice piece but I want to make it into a coffee plunger cosy. I need to finish off the cross stitch flowers and make a start on the rose one.  I've gone two days without doing 20 mins a day.

These are the practise piece needlefelted hearts, the biggest is about 4 inches tall.  I bought some hand dyed roving from a lady that spins and dyes her own wool. 

Should I go garage saling today, I want to but the lethargy is setting in. Its a beautiful day today, the rain has gone and the sky is the most beautiful blue, I have enough petrol in the car was a 50 klm round trip, come on girl, think of all the 'pretties' that are out there, thats it hit the publish button, come on you know you can do it, thats it, a little bit further

ScouseLob - Day 1 and Day 2

There are actually quite a few recipes for 'Lobby' as it was known in our house. Its amazing what you get when you google ScouseLob - its where the term Scousers (meaning Liverpudlians comes from).  The history of it is too much to go into here but it is interesting.

All I did for this one was use diced lamb (HeartSmart of course), but gravy beef or skirt which are all cuts suitable for long slow cooking are just as good. Tradionally it was left over meat and whatever veggies you had to hand.
This is Day 1 (8th April)

Antipodean ScouseLob

Half a kilo of meat  - Lamb or Beef - cut in chunks
3 or 4 large potatoes - some chopped small and some chunky (after the long slow cooking the smaller tatties will break down to thicken the gravy
2 large onions - chopped not too fine and not too big
3 carrots - prepared the same way as tatties
1 small swede  "         "        "     "    "     "
Sweet potato - I used half of a gold one. prepared as above (Not traditional I know before the purists jump on me)
olive oil (personal preference) Use your normal method of browning meat
Salt and pepper
Rosemary
parsley
Chopped up celery leaves (These have a taste similar to Parsley, a bit peppery) Optional.
Worcestershire sauce (Again - same comment as for the sweet potato)
Vegetable or lamb stock, I made enough up (Shop-bought liquid stock and added water)

Brown the meat in a large pan with a little oil

Add onions and gently cook till soft, add the chopped veggies and cook for a few mins, do not let burn, keep stirring.
Add the seasonings. herbs, worcestershire sauce and the stock. There should be enough stock to cover everything in pan.

Bring to boil, put the lid on pan and turn down the heat to lowest setting. It should just be simmering gently.
It should have at least 2 hours cooking time, Stir occassionally to check it isn't sticking to bottom of pan.
The constistancy should be thick and sludgy (sounds disgusting) but that is personal preference and it could be more souply if you like (Don't think thats a real word but I like it).  Mine cooked for 3 and half hours, with the lid off and the heat turned up slightly for the last half hour.  Serve with fresh crusty bread and pickled red cabbage.

Tradionally (well in our family) the meal was added to each day, more potaties, more carrots etc. It certainly tastes better 24 hours after cooking. The remains usually ended up being put into pies.

I think a lot of  Northern regional areas had their own versions.  Some say it had to be lamb others say Beef.
I wouldn't put anything other than the stated veggies in it. Definately not celery (apart from the chopped leaves and that is my own preference), definately no garlic (Boy, was that hard not to use - I stick in everything), no capsicums or zuchinni. 

Now it has Welsh connections, Lancashire and Liverpudlian as well and since I have found out I have both Welsh and Liverpool Ancestors as well as the Lancashire ones its definately 'an old family recipe'.


DAY 2 (9th April)

Half a pan left - Added more celery leaves, 2 more potatoes and an oxo cube. There a few pieces of meat left so they should break up even more to flavour everything.

Enjoy