Total Procrastination

Tea for one

2012-03-01T19:00:00.003+11:00

Not part of my Australian spotty pottery but spotty and bright all the same :)

My mum gave me this gorgeous teapot, 4 tea cups and saucers and a large jug and bowl for a combined birthday/christmas gift. It's by Maxwell Williams and if i ever get to a store that stocks it, i'll add to it.

Now i just need someone to visit and have a cup of tea with me ;)

Until next time
~x~

No Reason

2012-02-20T17:58:00.002+11:00

Not sure why I’m writing this. I just need to write. We’ll see where it leads shall we :)

My mum and the man that helped conceive me, married when mum was pregnant with me. They divorced not long after. It could have been a year later, perhaps a bit earlier, I’m not sure and I haven’t asked but I do know I was 3 years old when mum married the guy I have called my darling dad for just about forever :)

I didn’t have a great deal of contact with my Father in my younger years, to be honest I can only recall one encounter when I was young, it may have been just after my 10th birthday. The 2nd visit was when I was 18. I do know there was an altercation when I was very young but all came good thanks to some great family :)
I did however have loads of contact with my Aunt T, Uncle D and Grandmother, and I am forever grateful for knowing them and knowing they still accepted my mum and me aswell as my stepdad and my siblings as part of their family. The most special part of being a part of their family is I was born on my Nanna’s birthday :)

My Aunt T and Uncle D made many trips to my hometown to visit us, 2000kms south of their hometown. When I turned 10 my Nanna, aunt, 2 uncles and their partners came to celebrate. When I was 16 and having a party to celebrate my soon to be travels to Germany, Nanna and Aunt T made an appearance. When B3 was born, Uncle D stayed with me for a week. There were many other visits in the space of 25 years but the above were the most memorable. One other memborable visit was from Uncle D. I was younger than 10, still playing with dolls lol and he brought me a baby doll that had a heartbeat. I cherished that doll and still have him, and his heart still beats!

When Uncle D moved overseas we kept in contact via phone. I always wrote handwritten letters to Nanna. One time I sent her a tape recording of me rambling on about my day. I had fun making that :)

As I got older my letters stopped. I sent birthday cards to Nanna, mostly on a regular basis. It wasn’t a birthday I could forget. Life got busy. It’s easy to blame life but it certainly doesn’t sit well. I’ve never been able to travel north to visit them. It’s too far and the finances haven’t been there. I then had my own family and there was absolutely no time or money to make the trip. We were headed there once a couple of years ago but didn’t make it :(

I’ve never once not thought about them all. They were always good to my mum, family and me. Aswell as my own children who Aunt T and Nanna have never met. Not keeping in constant contact as I got older, is I guess, my fault. Perhaps it was my mum who was always on my back to write to Nanna but looking back, I don’t think so. I quite enjoyed writing and telling her about the happenings in my life. I didn’t receive long letters back from Nanna, but a few quick words in a card always came back with love.

Late last year I was blessed to have made contact with my 16 year old stepsister, my father’s daughter, through facebook of all places lol. I’d always known about her. I’d met her on that 2nd visit, she was aged 2. We are slowly getting to know each other. It’s strange knowing I lived 35 minutes away from her 2 years ago. I always thought I saw my Father at the local farmers market one Saturday in their home town but I had no desire to go up to him and make conversation. Perhaps if I did, Em and I would have known each other longer than the 6 months we do now. Anyways it’s no use what if’ing, everything happens for a reason. I do have a stepbrother, Em’s brother. He’s the same age as my B3. I’ve also been told my father had a child to another woman before he met my mum....

Like I said at the beginning of this post, I don’t know where I’m going with this but I now feel I’m done. It seems I’ve started and ended with no rhyme or reason but I just had an urge to write and now feel better for it.

Normal blogging will resume soon :)

Until next time
~x~

Pigsy

2012-02-20T08:23:00.005+11:00

Say hello to our loveable,grunting Pigsy :) Before i go on, she is a pet only, not for fattening up ;) We may breed her but for the moment she is digging around my vegie paddock cleaning the weeds out and turning the soil over.

We welcomed Pigsy into our paddock on New Years Eve. She travelled 300km from her old home to us on a hot dusty day but she travelled well and was extremely happy when she found a muddy wallowing hole to squirm around in.

Pigsy is now 1 year old and HUGE. If she had her way she would eat all day. A normal meal for her consists of apples, potatoes, green leaves and barley. Every so often when i can get to the bakery she gets old cakes and slices and once a fortnight she gets a big box of vegie scraps from the local greengrocer. She won't eat mushrooms or capsicum and isn't fussed on carrots. Fussy pig lol. I'm trying to grow vegies for her to make life easier for all. There will be a nice crop of corn in the next month or two. Hopefully the pumpkins produce more then we can eat and i've a few plots of potatoes growing strong. We were lucky to get a freezer full of apples from trees off the side of the roads and the neighbours are always throwing her their scraps. She can't complain when it comes to variety.

I'm not sure what breed she is. She's red/brown in colour and has very coarse hair. You know when she's happy because her tail is cute and curly. When she's sad or not well the tail is straight. We had a slight illness scare where she dropped a lot of weight in a 48 hour period but a dose of penicilian perked her up and she's been great ever since.

Until next time
~x~

Pool Party!

2012-02-18T12:14:00.005+11:00

Happening soon ;)

The man of the house had this past week off paid work lol not from around the house work though ;) His 1st mission was to complete the swimming pool. We've built it from recyclable materials. I think we only had to purchase some of the steel posts but the rest came from scrap bins and what we already had laying around the place.

It has a deep end (took some effort to dig out!) and a shallow end and is long enough to swim a lap or two.

It's not quite finished. Work still be be done is some timber decking around the top so you can sit and dangle your feet in the cool water, some plants around the base to make it look inviting, a screen along the back and side fence to screen out the neighbours and a proper fence to enclose it all and make it council approved. And at B3's request, a lot of pool toys!

I can just see the kids having a blast with their friends over the summer holidays :)

Until next time
~x~

Long time no posting ;)

2012-02-07T12:35:00.002+11:00

Howdy It’s been awhile. The school holidays are mostly to blame. I can’t think straight when the munchkins are running around terrorising each other lol

The munchkins have now returned of school. B1 is in grade 6, the last year of primary school in Victoria. B2’s in grade 5 and B3 is in grade 1. They all excelled last year so here’s hoping this year is just as good and loads of fun for them.

We celebrated Christmas quietly. It’s the 1st time in 11 years we have spent the entire day at home. Unfortunately that meant not seeing any of our family as they live near on 3 hours away but it was lovely to just relax and laze the day away. We did have a couple of neighbours join us for lunch and drinks which was entertaining.

New Years was even quieter. We were up extra early to take a trip to collect a pet pig, the day was horridly hot and by the time we got home, settled the pig in and done a few other things we didn't have the energy to party. Quiet drinks in front of the telly was all we managed. The munchkins tried their best to stay awake to watch the fireworks on the telly but fell asleep one after the other.

Not a lot has been happening around the church. The man is working hard out on the roads during the week and the weekends seem to slip by in a blur. Hopefully when the harvest run settles down and some well earned holidays are taken, then some work on the home will happen.

We have some new additions to the animal family. A big fat pigsy and 2 gorgeous guniea pigs. Buffy the dog is growing at a rate of a weed lol She’s still boisterous but learning slowly.

We’ve had an airconditioner installed. *Sigh* it’s bliss. We had a weeklong run of high 30’s – low 40 degree days and the church just wasn’t coping, or should I say we weren’t lol. It was even too hot to jump in the swimming pool so we bit the bullet and invested in a cooling system. And in true Mother Nature style, the weather is now cool and dull lol.

The garden is coming along. I planted a few packets of seeds in seed raising mix and within 4 days everything had germinated! 3 weeks later I’ve planted them out in the garden. If all goes well we will have mountains of watermelon, rockmelon, squash, zucchini and cucumbers. Not only am I trying to feed my family but I have to pig to feed to. She truly is a pig lol

There you go, a quick run down of the happenings since my last post many moons ago. I shall elaborate on a few things I’ve mentioned in following posts.

Until next time,
~x~

Out with the old...

2011-11-28T09:05:00.004+11:00

... In with the new.

Hubby is a long time interstate truck driver. All the trucks he has steered have been late model, neat and tidy, old faithfuls. Until last week that is. He's now driving a brand new extra shiny truck! And has taken on all the worries that go with it lol.

The older trucks had wear and tear. No shiny bits as those parts had either been scratched, dented or buffed within an inch of their life to try to get their shine back lol Any rattles were taken in the drivers stride. Road dirt wasn't worried about until the end of the working week when the truck got a proper bath.
Now, if there's a small bug smeared across the duco it's out with the shammy to clear it off asap! All problems are instantly reported to the boss and documented so the blame doesn't fall back on hubby. It's total paranoia on hubby's behalf lol

I told him to ask for an old truck again otherwise he's going to go grey before his time! ;)

Here's the 2 trucks. Old and New.

Only a slight difference on the outside. A little wider and higher. More lights (i don't know what the obsession with lights is!), fancier smoke stacks, and shiny, shiny, shiny. The inside (no pics) is huge! You can walk around in the bunk, there's overhead cupboards, there's a lot of distance in between the drivers seat and passenger seat. Carpet on the floor. Very nice. Whereas the old truck you had to clamber over the fridge to get to the bed and there were no storage areas.

As far as trucks go, it's alright ;) I'm a MACK truck girl myself so not jumping with joy over this one!

Until next time
~x~

B2's garden is growing.

2011-11-14T16:30:00.009+11:00

B2 recieved a gardening book for her birthday a few months ago titled How Does My Garden Grow. It's a basic childs gardening book with bright photos and simple instructions with the odd bit of educational information that came in handy for a school project she did.

B2 has decided to work her way through the book to try and grow everything pictured. Right now she has corn and potatoes planted (at the end of August she did her planting). The soil is pretty poor here. We do give a liquid fertilizer each fortnight but the soil really needs to have loads of compost and manure dug through it. So, the corn is suffering but the spuds are blooming.

I'll let the photos tell the story :)

Until next time
Happy Gardening
~x~

My munchkins

2011-11-09T19:16:00.006+11:00

I've not really introduced you to my darling munchkins. I've blogged about them but no formal intros. So here they are. Known simply as B1, B2 and B3. No, they don't wear blue stripped pyjama's ;) And no, they're names aren't original but it works for me on my blog.

B1 is my gorgeous 1st born 11 year old daughter who is a girly girl and wise beyond her young years.

B2 is my adorable 10 year old daughter who has a love for animals. Her bedroom looks like a zoo sometimes!

B3 is my much awaited handsome 6 year old little man. Obsessed with anything that has wheels and makes nosie.

There ya have it. My litle family :)

Until next time
~x~

Hello :)

2011-10-20T13:58:00.006+11:00

I've been an AWOL Blogger again lol It’s pure slackness, no other excuse. I admire those who blog daily and I’m sure they are busier than me!

So, what’s been happening in my quiet life the past month?

Let’s start with the Church renovations.
My dad visited for a few days to help with some work around the place. He’s a builder by trade so he knows what he’s doing, well he should hehe.
DH and dad started replacing the roofing iron. We’ve gone for white as it compliments the blue rather well. Half of the front side is done and half of the backside. The next time dad has work holidays he will hopefully come back and finish it off.

The shell of a dormer window was also built. One will be going on the back side of the roof where Miss Mogs room is too, will give more light and a bit of extra head space. The window on the front side will be at the top of the staircase inside.

Miss 11’s room was fixed properly. Skirting boards, timber down the corners of the room and around the ceiling were done. I’m yet to paint, she can’t decide on a colour for the feature wall.
Miss 11 helped her Poppy build a bookcase for her room which she has filled completely, there is no room for any more books! I'm a firm believer that a child can never have too many books :)
Now Miss 11 just needs a door to keep her little brother out! lol

Until next time
~x~

The church is growing

2011-09-21T08:09:00.008+10:00

We’ve been busy the past few weeks around the home.
We scored ourselves a shed that we are converting into a rumpus room. Our neighbour across the road had the shed on her property and was going to demolish it. Hubby took one look at it and said it would be easy to jack up onto a trailer and bring it across to our place so that’s what we did.
It will be connected to the house by a deck that happens to be the future deck that my vegie garden borders. Hopefully by the end of this year it will be a fully functional room.
I’ll let the photo’s tell the storyso far :)

Until next time
~x~

Spring Vegie Gardening

2011-09-20T12:43:00.004+10:00

Finally I have a vegie garden :D Made from recycled materials of course, garage door panels. Eventually we are going to build a timber deck in the middle between the house and garden boxes. Hoping by summer but if not we can still use the area for entertaining :)

I’ve planted lettuces, capsicums, red onions, garlic (i know i'm late) and marigolds for decoration. There’s a little more room for a bunch of beetroot. I also have a couple of other beds along the front fence made from the old weather boards that came off the front wall of the church which have lettuces, tomatoes and peas.

There's also a patch in the back yard where i've got 3 butternut pumpkin seedlings. It's fair in the middle of the yard where it gets the water run off from the washing machine.

I've still got plenty more vegies seeds and seedlings i want to plant. They'll be randomly planted anywhere i can find a spot this year :)

Until next time
Happy gardening
~x~

Blergh

2011-09-06T17:33:00.005+10:00

I think i spoke too soon when i said in my last blog post i hadn't had the normal winter chills. It caught me good :( aswell as the rest of the family. That'll teach me to brag hey lol

Cold and flu tablets and loads of panadol, vicks and mountains of tissues, hot water bottles and favourite blankets have been our best friends over the past few days. I had to stock up on tissues today as we're using a box a day each!

This time next week we should all be back to our normal healthy selves and can start to enjoy the spring weather.

Until next time
~x~

The end of a season

2011-08-31T18:45:00.002+10:00

Winter is nearly over for another year. I say nearly as although Spring will have sprung when the sun rises it will be a frosty start to the new and most welcomed season and i'm expecting a few more days of icy mornings and grey days before spring well and truely sets in.

I have a gorgeous friend who has handcrafted some perfect winter warmers for me last year and this year. I haven't had the normal winter chills this winter like i usually have and i am sure it's because of these 4 warming items :) I'm one trendy snow bunny when wearing these :D I'll be sad to pack them away but look forward to being toasty warm next winter :)

Until next time
~x~

Mmm, Banana's

2011-08-26T14:17:00.001+10:00

11 days ago i bought 5 banana's. They were of decent size and cost $11. They were from Aldi and they were the cheapest in town.

Master 6 asked and asked if he could eat one, i repeatedly said no, not until Miss Mogs birthday which was 4 days later.

For her birthday i made 5 banana sundaes with 3 of the banana's. They went down a treat and all kiddies were delightfuly satisfied.
3 days later after school the 3 kiddies had a huge plate of cut up fresh fruit for their snack. I used one banana divided into 3 along with other delicious fruits.
The last banana has been sitting here looking lonesome, and i've been debating what to do with it. It's not ripe enough for a banana cake or muffins. I don't think a smoothie would do it justice. I could just eat it while the kids are at school but then i'd have to face an inquisition lol Maybe i'll just pop it in the freezer for later use.

I've got the skins from the other 4 banana's in the freezer. The kids are keeping them for the pet deer Rosebud at their grandparents place lol It's the deers treat, she loves them more than anything and i think it's cute that the kids adore her so much that they keep the good foodscraps for her. We're 3 hours drive from the grandparents lol so who knows when Rosebud will get to munch them all up. Miss Mogs has written in big bold letters a reminder note on the freezer door so there's no chance we'll forget to take them with us when we visit.

Until next time
~x~

100 blog posts!

2011-08-24T12:54:00.004+10:00

Yay me :D

Yesterday's blog entry was my 100th post. It's taken awhile to get there.

Here's to the next 100!

Until next time
Happy Blogging
~x~

Paper Dolls

2011-08-23T19:18:00.005+10:00

Miss Mogs received a book of paper dolls for her birthday. This reminded me of the paper dolls i had when i was younger so i went in search of them and found them still in good condition :)

Barbie and Ken paper dolls with beautiful party dresses and handsome suits.

Big sister and little sister with an assortment of clothes.

My favourite paper doll to play with was Punky Brewster with Brandon the dog. I loved the television series and would act out little scenes. The little critter Gomer was from the Punky cartoon. Punky came with loads of clothes and they fit little sister so there was enough to go around when playing with friends :)

This gorgeous paper doll is made from cardboard. I'm pretty certain she was part of a birthday card. Her clothes are just gorgeous and the little kitty with the basket completes it. I never played with this set like i did with the others. I dressed her in the morning and at night i put her nightgown on and she either sat on my bedside table or desk looking pretty :)

Until next time
What childhood toy was your favourite?
~x~

Another room in the Church

2011-08-22T19:37:00.001+10:00

The past week i've had hubby home :) We had huge plans of working around the home and garden but every day it poured with rain and was wildly windy. The garden didn't get a look in :( but the house was lucky to have another room built on :)

Our 11 year old daughter who is hormonal lol and needs her own space finally got her own room. So now we can say the house is a 2 bedroom house lol.

We built under the back verandah where we kind of had a shed and an outside laundry, now the laundry is just wide enough for the washing machine. Entry to the bedroom is through the pantry which is directly under Miss Mogs upstairs room and it steps down into the room.
It's a small square box but it's her box. You can see how small it is by looking at the photo with the bed in it. The bed is against a wall and you can see the window on the other wall. I haven't had a chance to paint or do finishing touches, she wanted to move in asap lol. I can work around her things though.

Until next time
~x~

Gumball Collection

2011-08-09T11:39:00.005+10:00

Gumball machines to be exact.

It's only a small collection of 4. I'm not really interested in collecting more unless there is a purple or orange one out there waiting to be snapped up ;) I do have a red one on a stand but it's gone awol for the moment.

The green one is not a true green machine :( I purchased it from ebay and when i received it the paint was a matt finish compared to the gloss finish of the others. After removing the glass to give it a clean i noticed red around the edges where the glass sits, further investigation revealed it had indeed been a red machine! You can see where the gumball slides down the chute it's red, it's where i rubbed the green paint off. I couldn't be bothered raising an issue with the seller to return it and get a refund (i did give him my 2 cents worth though!)

I sometimes fill them with gumballs much to my children's delight. The pink machine has a broken but repaired glass top so the purple tinsel in it hides the defect and looks funky in my opinion :)

Cars, trucks, my slight obsession

2011-08-05T13:27:00.000+10:00

I'm not a girly girl. Never have been. I've always had a liking for motor sports and cars in general but when i was a kid i didn't have the oppertunity to go to car events or tinker under the bonnet of my parents cars. My family aren't rev heads lol

2 of my boyfriends from my late teenage years were obsessed with cars and i quite enjoyed listening to them rabbit on about the ins and outs of cars and motor sports and visiting the local hotrod shows. I even went to the V8 supercar race at Calder Park Victoria with one boyfriend :)

My hubby, who is neither if those 2 boyfriends lol is a truckie so i've come to have a slight obsession with trucks, but only Mack trucks and hubby hasn't driven one of them in the 12 years we've been together! I don't know why, maybe it's the cute looking Mack Bulldog mascot that gets me lol (the real life bulldogs don't appeal to me at all though!)

After wandering around the world wide web while having my morning coffee this morning my slight obsession has heightened. I came across a photo of a Mack pickup (am yet to do thorough research to confirm all the photos i've seen are indeed Macks, i know some are homemade built on a different chasis), but oh how i'd love to get up close and personal with one of these baby's. I've read there is one in a museum in QLD, will have to suss that out a bit more :)

This blog post is the beginging of another major project for hubby and myself and the kiddies if they so desire. I can't let on exactly what it is right now (you may have a fair idea though), you'll have to wait a few more weeks. It's not a quick project, we're hoping 4 years is a good timeframe for completion inbetween the home and garden renovations which seem to have come to a standstill.

So until next time
~x~

Can you grow the heaviest Watermelon?

2011-08-01T19:54:00.004+10:00

It's that time of year again where Junior Landcare Australia are having their Watermelon Challenge.

Head over to Junior Landcare and register your child (under 16 years of age) for the challenge, for free. During October you will receive a packet of watermelon seeds in the mail. Plant them, tend to them and record your progress on the Landcare website and if you have grown the heaviest melon you could be in the running to win some great prizes.

You don't have to participate in the challenge once you receive your seeds. The past 3 years my children have done it we've had weird weather conditions and the growing season has been delayed by a couple of months so our melons were nowhere near ready by the time the challenge ended but they were oh so delicious! This year we live in a different part of Victoria so the growing conditions just may be to our advantage for once :)

Let me know if you're participating, it would be great to see progress photos. My children will share theirs too.

Until next time
~x~

Fine Dining

2011-08-01T09:21:00.007+10:00

My grandmother turned 80 on the weekend. A happy and healthy 80 may i add :) The family decided to treat her to a fine meal and being all together for the occasion, mutual ground was a must lol so we went to a lovely restaurant.

I can't say i was overly impressed with the fine dining. The meals were exxy for what you got even if you ordered an entree as a main meal. Maybe I'm too countrified lol but a pub meal or even better a home cooked meal is a lot cheaper and fills you up so you aren't looking hungrily at the pizza place you pass by on the drive home lol

The food looked great on the plate though. I do wonder if we pay for the way our meal is presented.

One of the main meals was a hanging rack of assorted meat with tortillas, little bowls of guacamole, salsa and sour cream and a small bowl of salad. The idea was to use the ingredients and make your own tortilla wraps. I don't think anyone at our table really took notice of the word hanging on the menu lol What a grand way to present this meal.

Then there were the deserts which i was told tasted as great as they looked.

I can't say we'll be dining out again anytime soon. It put a dent in our budget but atleast the kids got to experience a fancy restaurant lol

Until next time
~x~

Happy Birthday

2011-07-28T08:24:00.002+10:00

To my Blog :)

2 years old today.

We have gone through a lot of ups and a few downs. You have provided my family a record of all sorts of things. I'm a little sad i didn't make it to 100 posts before you grew another year older. I must get blogging more often hey ;)

In celebration i have changed the template. I've used this one before but i like it so much. It's by the same designer as my last template :)

Until next time
Happy blogging everyone
~x~

Dentist

2011-07-27T09:07:00.003+10:00

Yesterday, after a sleepless night of mouth pain that no painkillers in my cupboard was going to ease, i took myself off to the dentist. 20 years after the last time i went!
Hmmm, not good hey, but surprisingly my teeth are in ok condition apart from needing 2 fillings and a proper dental cleaning, oh and the wisdom tooth i had extracted yesterday that was the cause of all the pain :) The anesthetic was good, it took 5 hours to wear off, my face felt really weird lol and no there was no dribbling ;P

My reason for not visiting a dentist for so long wasn't out of fear, it's just nothing felt wrong with my teeth. I brush them twice a day, floss and mouthwash. I've had the occasional mild tooth ache in the past 20 years but it's always eased off with no problems. Why, dare i say it, waste time and money on having something looked at that isn't troubling me? I know I'm going to have my wrist slapped for saying that! I know my health is important, but :P

If it's any consolation, my children have regular dental check ups :)

So this morning i am having porridge for breakfast as my mouth is a little tender and i don't want to upset any healing that is happening at the back of my mouth. I really don't want anymore painful sleepless nights and a pile of antibiotics because i didn't look after the hole properly.

I go back next week for my fillings then that should be i for another 20 years perhaps lol

Until next time
~x~

History lesson.

2011-07-26T08:21:00.002+10:00

I read the following on a forum. It's quite interesting so i thought ishould share with you all :)

Interesting History

They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & sold to the tannery.......if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor"

But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot......they "didn't have a pot to piss in" & were the lowest of the low

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June.. However, since they were starting to smell . ..... . Brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof... Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence,a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a thresh hold.

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old. Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat.

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would Sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days.
Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen
table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive... So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be saved by the bell or was considered a dead ringer.

And that's the truth....Now, whoever said History was boring!!!

Until next time
~x~

Another Collection

2011-07-19T10:42:00.003+10:00

Australian pottery. To be more specific, Diana Ware Pottery, but only the pieces with white spots, the other styles don't appeal to me. I think it's more to do with the bold retro colours that take my fancy, not necessarily the spots, but the spots make it more unique in my eyes. Blue, yellow, green and pink with grey and a rusty/burnt orange thrown in the mix.

This Aussie pottery was created in Marrickville, Sydney during the 1940's - 1970's. Not all pieces are stamped and there are a few different markings but once you've collected a few pieces you soon learn how to identify a piece of Diana Ware.

My love affair with it began 4 years ago when i spied a vibrant blue jug with white spots in a secondhand store. Since then I've gone spotty mad and got myself a nice variety of pieces. There are soooo many more bits I'd love to have but the spotty pieces are hard to come by which in turn makes them expensive.

I had a dream 6 months back about a blue squat cookie jar tucked away in a dark dusty corner of a quaint antique shop, I'm yet to locate the jar or the shop (I'm not sure either one actually exists!) I have several people on the lookout for it though ;)

The photo shows a small part of my collection :) Some of it is still in boxes.

Until next time
~x~

Horsing around

2011-07-12T14:10:00.003+10:00

I've written before of Miss9's love of horses. And still we don't have room in our little backyard for a pony but that hasn't dampened Miss9's enthusiasm. Yesterday saw my backyard looking like a horse jumping arena with 3 humans posing as horses prancing around lol.
Tyres, timber, chairs, allsorts of materials were used to make jumps and the kiddies exhausted theirselves jumping and neighing all afternoon :)

Untilnext time
~x~

Collections

2011-06-23T13:05:00.004+10:00

They say anymore then 3 items of one thing or similar things is the start of a collection. I wonder if 10 pairs of socks count ;P

I have a few collections and have decided as i unpack storage boxes and put things on display i will blog about each collection.

First up is a collection or rather a selection of pretty glassware. It's only a 1/4 of what i have. I have all sorts of depression glass in pinks, blues, purple and amber. Throw in some modern pieces and it looks grand.
This particular kitchen dresser has housed glassware for the last 5 years. Any other cupboard wouldn't highlight the colours. I especially like the pink depression glass fish bowl (bottom shelf in the middle), i have one in blue too that belonged to my hubby's grandmother :)

I'm not normally into pretty things, or shabby chic, or french provincial. I'm more into retro and country with gothic thrown into the mix. An interesting combination lol

Until next time
Happy collecting
~x~

Creative kids

2011-06-21T08:56:00.008+10:00

I love when kids use their imagination and get creative outdoors on a sunny day.

They found some scrappy sheets of ply wood, drew a picture, got dad to cut it out with the jigsaw, found some paint in mum's craft box and painted their creations. For a few hours they were happy with being creative :)

Until next time
~x~

Hello Possum

2011-06-17T20:48:00.006+10:00

We had a cute furry visitor at our front door tonight and he invited himself inside! I promptly pointed him back out, shared some apple with him and took loads of photos.

He seems very friendly. I guess he is a "local" and the neighbours feed him? I will have to ask.

Miss 9 was happy happy! A couple of weeks ago she did a home project on possums and the Brush-tail possum was of most interest to her. Seeing one up close and personal has made that project much more special. We'll be adding a photo of her and Mr Possum to the title page of the project.
Her next project is about Panda's, i'm hoping there won't be one at my front door next week!!

Until next time
~x~

I have a kitchen sink!

2011-06-14T22:49:00.000+10:00

The weekend saw us working around the home. We were fortunate to have hubby's son to help with the top part of the front wall. There was no way i was going to stand on the makeshift scaffold and hold the iron or a window! So now the wall is all blue with 2 lovely windows and looking very nice if i do say so myself ;) It's not completely finished. We have to replace some iron in the middle with 1 full length so there are no joins, easy to do. The corners need the cream flashing or whatever it is called put on. I need to wash the windows and the iron and a couple of planter boxes will look nice too. Hubby built a new meter box, smaller and in cream iron to fit with the colour scheme. He is clever, just don't tell him i said so ;P

The next project was a kitchen sink. I've been using a bucket and kettle on the table for the past 3 months. Even longer if you include the time we were living on my parents property lol. Anyways, hubby used recycled timber to build a cupboard. The sink is brand spanking new. It was going to be installed in the bus but it's too big for the area and because I'm fussy, it's back to front, as in the drainer is on the wrong side, so it wasn't going to work at all in the bus. It's yet to have a tap. We did have a 2nd hand mixer tap but it doesn't turn off so a new one is being looked for. There is no hot water over the sink yet so the makeshift tap will work well for a few more months. The oven and cook top are set up properly and work great. As much as i enjoyed having the oven on the bench, it looks much better below. The whole cupboard is temporary. We need to replace the wall in the distant future and we would like an old retro cupboard that we can convert for the sink and oven. As everything it serves it's purpose well. I'm just happy to have a working sink :)

Until next time.
~x~

Fairy Tale Park (photo heavy)

2011-06-09T21:03:00.008+10:00

The other weekend i took my kiddlets to Fairy Tale Park in Tarpeena near my home town. The place has been there for numerous years, way back when i was a kid. It closed down for quite awhile before being taken over by new owners who revamped it and reopened last year. I never had the oppertunity to visit the park when i was younger, i'm sure it would have been a lot different to what it is now but fairy tales never change and what child and grown up alike doesn't love a roam around a magical fairy tale realm :).

It's not a huge park. You can take everything in within an hour or if you have kids like mine who want to recite every fairytale they come across then set aside a few hours. You can take a picnic lunch to break up the experience ;)

I'll let the photo's speak for themselves :)

Until next time
~x~

A quick hello

2011-06-02T16:39:00.002+10:00

It's been another few busy days here. I headed over the border on Sunday, had my gallbladder removed on Tuesday and drove myself home today, Thursday. Surprisingly i am feeling ok. I'm not on any medication and the pain is mild if i don't do anything. I have 15 staples that will be removed next Thursday. Miss 11 wants me to keep them lol and Miss 9 wants to take the jar of gallstones to school for show and tell! Weird children i have lol

The kids have had the week off school again, they are looking forward to getting back there tomorrow and having an uneventful 4 weeks before the school holidays officially start!

I'm going to take the next week to rest and relax as much as possible as one can with 3 children and a hubby who isn't around during the week. I can see my only resting will be when i'm asleep lol. Noo, i will seriously take time out to do nothing. I have a couple of letters i want to handwrite so this week is dedicated to that :)

Hope all is well in your world wherever you may be.

Until next time
~x~

What a week

2011-05-25T13:43:00.001+10:00

Miss 10 turned 11. Don't tell her that though lol. She wants to be 10 forever. She's tired of growing up, physically and emotionally.

All 3 kiddies had 24 hours vomiting bugs in the space of 5 days. I'm not a good mum when it comes to vomiting kids. I can't handle it and need to distance myself from it all, i am ever thankful hubby was around to clean up. 2 out of 3 took the oppertunity to make sure we had to wash the floors and bedding after lol

We had a couple of fleeting trips across the border for various Dr appointments, catch up with family and to tidy up the farm in readiness for selling. It's an exhausting trip for all of us when we go back to our home town. We're on the go non-stop trying to fit everything in. I'm looking forward to July when we will finally be able to stay put for more then a week lol.

We did manage to do a bit around the church as hubby had the last week off work (he's glad to be back in the truck now though, he was fearing for his sanity lol). The front wall is 3/4 finished, we have a new front door and 5 gorgeous chooks are happily clucking around the place. I'll blog about all that later.

The bus is still 1/4 full of boxes we grabbed out of the storage shed. The girls were doing a wonderful job of clearing it out until they'd found all their belongings then promptly stopped lol We are struggling for space for everything but we'll get there, slowly :)

Well that's all for now.

Until next time
~x~

A bedroom for 1

2011-05-14T17:39:00.009+10:00

Miss 9 for the very first time in her young life has a room all of her own! She's super happy about it too :D

We had an area in the church that was partitioned off where I wanted to knock the wall out to make the kitchen bigger. Hubby wasn't too keen so he suggested we turn the smaller "room" into a walk in pantry (yet to be done) and because the ceiling is high we were able to build a snug hideaway bedroom on top, using the pantry ceiling as the bedroom floor. In architectural terms it's a mezzanine :)

Apart from the floor boards, once again all materials used are recycled. The "balustrade" is from an old picket fence used upside down.

We’re yet to build a ladder. At the moment Miss 9 is using a normal builders ladder. It’s safe but not desirable. Not sure if a rope ladder, an attic ladder or a straight up and down timber ladder is what we want. We certainly don’t want a huge staircase taking up a lot of precious space. Miss 9 reckons a firemans pole would be funky! Not sure how she’d get up though lol

So, she’s set up her space just how she wants it. Her bed for now is a thick mattress on the floor. A normal bedframe is too big for the area but something small like a camping stretcher would be ideal. She’s only a petite child. She’s filled the bookcase, has bedside shelving with her precious mementos, posters on the wall and ceiling and plenty of room for her beloved my little pony collection and other horses. Lucky she’s not into any other animals otherwise she’d have a zoo happening up there! lol

She only moved up there at 3pm this afternoon and already there is a big difference in the mood of all the children. Master 5 is playing happily in his area, Miss 9 has invited Miss 10 into her corner of the home and they’re playing quietly which is unusual as they’re usually at each others throats at this time of night if they were sharing a room! It’s just a happy home for the moment :)

Until next time
~x~

Having Fun :)

2011-05-12T07:52:00.000+10:00

I'm really getting into the whole blogging lately :) I have to hold myself back from posting multiple entries per day lol.

I've been quite an erratic blogger since i started. I can go a month without posting an entry! Now it seems my life is going forward and although some things may be repetitive in a way, it's all fun and games for me.

When i first started this blog it was for my benefit only, to have a record of my family's happenings. I found it easier to write here then in a paper diary. Now, nearly 2 years on, it's still for me but i do so enjoy my readers input :)

Until next time
~x~

Vegie garden goodies

2011-05-11T10:19:00.007+10:00

My neighbours have a fantastic vegetable garden. One i wouldn't mind playing in lol

The last 2 nights as they've been going about their nightly chores in the garden they've passed over the fence some wholesome homegrown vegies. Silverbeet, pumpkin and carrots. I've had to be quick in getting them off the kids as they like to sample fresh produce straight from the garden! In return for the harvest, i've given some vegie seeds to replenish their already overflowing beds.

I can't wait to get my fruit and veg garden built and producing. The soil here is crap to say the least lol so no planting direct into the ground until we start working to get it up to scratch. Hubby will have to get creative and build some more planter boxes and a trip to the local rubbish tip to find an old rainwater tank or something similar will do the trick too.

We're going to ask the local duck farmer if we can have a trailer load of duck castings and i'll scout around at other farms for old hay for mulch and other types of manure. I'm all for recycling and bartering :)

Until next time
How does your garden grow?
~x~

Welcome home Freezer

2011-05-09T12:20:00.002+10:00

I've been without you for 7 looong months. Everyday i've had to cook meals from scratch for the family. No lifting your lid when feeling slack to find a quick meal to heat up.

I bet you've being feeling hungry and all alone in the shed too but the rest would have done you well.

Now we can look forward to filling you with loads of scrumptious sweet and savoury foods.

1st on the menu is pumpkin soup (homegrown pumpkins from the neighbour) to see us through the chilly winter months. Cookies and cakes are a must too, to have with the endless cups of tea i'll be drinking to keep myself warm. A big casserole pot full of vegies and meats, simmering ontop of the wood fire will be coming your way too :)

Until next time
Happy freezer filling
~x~

Camping in the bus

2011-05-05T15:05:00.001+10:00

Although the bus renovations are not complete, on Saturday we set up camp at Lake Hindmarsh for the night with the inlaws and their caravans. Not too far from home, a short 15kms down the road lol.

The lake is just lovely. It's Victoria largest natural freshwater lake, around 22km long and about 11km wide and for the past 10 years it's been dry. When the floods went through late last year and earlier this year the lake was revived and tourism skyrocketed. Over Easter alone, more than 800 campers took advantage of the semi-secluded campsites. Gosh, i sound like a tourism brochure hey lol Unfortunately the water is evapourating with all these glorious Autumn days we're having, so rain would be muchly appreciated. My kiddies walked for miles out in the lake and the water only just reached the shortest childs waist!

Anyways, we set up camp which was a matter of parking the bus, plugging the power cord in, making the beds and turing the kettle on for morning tea :D

I didn't get any photo's of the inside of the bus set up for the night. I was too busy being snap happy outside and enjoying the down time. I can say though, the beds were comfortable, it was warm, everyone slept well, everything works well. We have a list of items that need to be permanantly put in the bus and possibly some stabalizing legs at the back as the bus wobbles a bit when walking in it but this is only a slight problem when someone gets up during the night. Being a light sleeper doesn't help lol

We had an enjoyable time paddling, pretending to fish, sitting round the campfire, attempting to play the guitar and sing and having a catch up with my inlaws.

All in all it was a good camp out. Looking forward to going somewhere further for more than 1 night :)

Until next time
~x~

All set up

The view from my bed. Lovely :D

We have grass!

2011-05-03T12:52:00.011+10:00

To some this may sound unexciting but to those who live in a part of the country where the paddocks and backyards are dry and near on barron, the sight of greenery poking it's head out of the ground is uplifting :)

Our backyard is sandy, dry and full of cracks. Prickly stubble and ants reside here with pleasure along with a flowering plant i quite like, Statice. This plant grows anywhere in any weather condition! We've discussed digging the yard up, adding a nice topsoil, fertiliser and seed in the hope of growing a lush lawn. It would be ideal to do this before the winter rains but i can see time being a problem.

This leads me to my laundry. It's situated under a makeshift shed behind the house. I quite enjoy doing the washing while listening to the wildlife go about their day and i'm recycling the used water at the same time with no effort whatsoever. We have a couple of old, cracked, not perfectly joined polypipes laid out on the ground and as the washing water runs through them the ground is being watered. I usually do 2 loads a day so a fair amount of water is being used.

This morning i noticed a green patch around and under the pipes. GRASS!! It looks so nice :) I've moved the pipes and hopefully this time next week i'll have grass popping up in another patch. I wonder if i can make a T junction or crossroads of pipes so the water covers a wider space lol.

Until next time
~x~

Sandy Ground

A patch of grass!

Pretty Statice

He who is bored...

2011-04-29T09:41:00.001+10:00

...starts to demolish house!

I’ve said we weren’t going to do any major renovating on the Church atleast until after winter. Well one bored hubby and a long weekend changed that. We’ve removed 3 quaters of an outer wall and replaced it with a window. It’s nowhere near finished but it’s weather and vermin proof :) The inside wall needs to be replaced too. The absence of a reasonable priced hardware store means we have to work with the limited materials we have until shopping day in the next town and that’s not for another 3-4 weeks lol.

When we took over the place, there were bees in the front wall. They’d have to have been there for many months as half the wall was covered in honeycomb and oozing with honey so much so that the wall was bulging. Unfortunately we couldn’t bottle the honey as many chemicals had been used to try to deter and kill the bees. Pulling the wall off and disposing of the comb was the only way to get the bees to leave. This meant hubby had to suit up and go in for the attack one night while the bees were mildly quiet. He pulled the outside wall off scrapped most of the comb off and came out unscathed and the bees disappeared within a week.

We did want to put a sunroom/portico at the front but plans would have had to be submitted and in reality there isn't a lot of room between the front of the church and the front fence. We've settled for a bigger window for lots of light and we’ll put a small verandah on with the same pitched roof as the house roof.

We had hoped to keep the weather board but again we are using what we have and that is blue corrugated iron. Maybe down the track we will replace with weatherboard. We're here for a long time so who knows what could happen ;)

Until next time
~x~

We have moved :D

2011-04-22T09:52:00.000+10:00

We have permanently moved to our new home :) For those who haven't heard about our new home you can read about it here.

Major renovating won't start anytime soon. Winter is nearly upon us and i don't want to live in a home with few walls lol, so we have to make do with the limited space we have. As it's only one big (small describes it better) room we have the kitchen/lounge/bedrooms all in one.

I think i've done a not too bad a job in creating some privacy for the 3 kiddies. I've given them a square area, with the bunk bed creating a "wall" and a cupboard for another wall. The outside wall of the bunk has a "curtain" to enclose the space and stop Miss 10 from watching the television at night lol. My only problem is Miss 9 who sleeps on the top bunk can see the telly so i'm thinking some oversized timber screens or a curtain hanging from the ceiling to the floor.

We also pulled out the old non-working oven and replaced it with a bench top cooker and a new oven. They are only temporarily sitting in their places until we get the kitchen reno's underway. I quite enjoy cooking so am happy to have a new stove to work with no matter where it is sitting :)

While i'm here, i'd like to say a huge thank you to my family for putting up with us over the past 7 months. Your love, support and sharing of your home has been a blessing to us xox

Until next time
~x~

The bus..

2011-04-20T16:51:00.002+10:00

What’s been happening in the bus?

We swapped the lounges. A different double seater and a single chair. There is more room between the 2 now and when the double bed is up against the window (as seen in the photo), we can sit on the back seat anyways. Lots of seating space.

A bed for the little man has been made. We tossed around the idea of something that could be packed away leaving floor space for the kids to play or something permanent that doubled as storage space. We settled on storage space so his bed is basically a box with a lid lol. A foam mattress on top with a couple of pillows against the window and it becomes a sofa lounge, so really it has 3 purposes :)

A floor to ceiling cupboard/wardrobe has also been built at the end of the little man's bed. This will store clothing as will another one that will be built at the other end of the bunk bed.

We’re looking into a one way window sticker for the back window. We were going to fully block it out but it may make it too dark. We also considered tint but that seems boring. Hubby wants passing cars to see a scene or something interesting, not a plain window lol. Now to throw around some ideas as what scene to have, the kids idea of a huge Elmo face didn't go down too well with hubby ;P

We've also got hold of a second hand awning/annex attachment without the actual awning canvas. We can get a canvas made to suit which will be a lot cheaper than buying a brand new kit :)

I think that’s it.

Until next time
~x~

Mushrooms growing in the wild..

2011-04-13T14:59:00.002+10:00

Field or in this instance, paddock mushrooms. Does anybody know anything about them? I don’t and I’m certainly not going to eat them until I know for sure if they’re healthy mushies.

There’s a patch of 9 of varying sizes. To me they look like hugely overgrown button mushrooms. I picked one and destalked it, underneath it looks like a mushroom, it feels like a mushroom. It has a high aroma too.

I’m no mushroom connoisseur lol Can anyone help me?

Until next time
~x~

Making our own

2011-04-08T09:15:00.000+10:00

My kiddies love jelly and fruit, so much so if they had their way they'd eat it every day! They usually have it for their school lunches every 2nd day and 9 a week can hurt the budget!

I was buying the 4 packs of fruit/jelly when i could find them on special but even then i wasn't too impressed with the cost, not to mention the added landfill.

Sooo, i started to make my own. A big tin of 2 fruits, a packet of jelly and some reusable containers make for happy kiddies and more $$ left in the purse :) There's enough fruit for 11 pots but only enough jelly for 8. 0.79cents for the jelly and $2 for the tinned fruit is much better then $4-$6 for a pack of 4.

These containers are from the nude food movers range. They come with lids so are also great to pop in the lunch box for an occasional treat.

Until next time
~x~

Just getting it off my chest.

2011-04-05T17:36:00.002+10:00

Depression. I don’t have it. Some may beg to differ. But I know myself and I. Don’t. Have. It.

I don’t regret anything that has happened in the last 6 months. I am eternally grateful to certain people for looking out for me, being a rock and a shoulder to cry on. Helping my family get to where we are today. It hasn’t been all fun and games but that’s the way life is.

If I were to list why I am sometimes weepy, unmotivated, silent, want to be alone, be it solitary of with my own family unit, a lot of you would understand. It doesn’t mean I’m suffering from depression, it just means I’m not overly happy where I am but due to the circumstances it can’t be changed right this moment and I’m dealing with it as best as I can, sometimes succeeding, sometimes not. These feelings are passing emotions when I’m having a down day and I try my hardest to not let it be shown, hence the reason I like my own company. The good news is life will be changing in a matter of weeks and these feelings will be on their way out the door as our lives move forward.

I don’t normally blog about my down moments but needed to get this off my chest and out there.
Normal blogging will resume soon 

~x~

Master 5's Flower Garden

2011-03-10T19:50:00.001+11:00

Master 5 wanted to plant a flower garden late last year.

Hubby built him a planter box from recycled materials (oh how we love our recycled stuff :D )We then took him to Bunnings and let him choose his flowers. They didn't have a huge selection back in October but he settled with some pretty purple ones, petunia's perhaps?

He prepared, planted and watered then tended to them weekly and the flowers have flourished right up til now. From 6 plants he got a mass of purple :) He's one happy chappy and is asking when he can pull them out and plant a different coloured flower lol.

Until next time
Happy Gardening
~x~

Harvest time.

2011-03-01T12:08:00.003+11:00

My mum's vegie garden is flourishing. I enjoy going out there with the harvest basket. There's just something peaceful about wandering around the vegie patch seeking out all sorts of goodies.

Today's harvest consisted of potatoes and corn. Not just any corn though, Pop Corn! It's the 1st time we've tried our hand at growing popcorn and i think i can safely say we've had a successful run with it this year, although, we will have to wait and see how well it pops and tastes, hopefully in 3 or so weeks.

The potatoes had been in the ground for quite awhile, near on 3 years, so were needing to be dug up. They're from the Diggers Catalogue, Gourmet Variety. We planted 4 different varieties but i can only see 2. We haven't cooked with them yet.

Along with zuchinis, cherry tomatoes and green beans, this weeks menu is looking yum :)

Until next time

~x~

More on the Bus

2011-02-28T13:21:00.004+11:00

We have beds! A double bed for us and a bunk bed for the girls. Still working on what type of bed to have for the little man. A trundle under the bunks would work well, rolling it out across the bus into the vacant spot or a sofa lounge where the back falls down but that would be permanently set up in the space provided and i'm thinking during the day the kids can have that floor area to play on or something. It's a matter of thinking how we can utilize the space as best as can be :)

Our bed folds up against the back window (window will be blocked out anyway) and becomes the back rest for the seat along the back (the original back seat). We wanted to have a pull out sofa bed that could be tucked away when not in use but we can't cut into the back shelf thingy as the motor is under it so we've had to utilize that area as best we can too. When the bed is down the lounges become it's support legs (might change our mind on those particular lounges, they stick out a bit too much for our liking)

When we settle on the lounges we will be re-upholstering them, upholstering our bed and the cushions for the back seat so it looks like a living area during the day and also around the girls bunks, more for padding so you don't knock yourself against it when walking past but also for looks lol.

The cupboard across the bus from the stove/sink cupboard is a little lower and shorter. It's more for a serving bench.

And then there is the little cupboard above the fridge. Nothing was small enough to sit on the fridge so we thought a medicine/bathroom cupboard would be ideal. Keeps little hands out :)

Apart from that, hubby has been fiddling with the electricals. Moving things and lengthening the wires to stretch to where he's moved the radio and whatnot too.

Everything that has been done this month has been made from 2nd hand recycled materials. The lounges are from the local salvage yard (if we do change our mind about them they'll be used in the church). The bunk beds and the timber for the cupboards are also from the salvage yard. Even the fridge is 2nd hand, it came out of the church! It's becoming a cheap reno but there will be a few brand new things in there ;)

Until next time
~x~

Our other big project.

2011-02-15T08:18:00.004+11:00

So, we have the bus we are converting and now we have a renovators delight we will call home in a few months.
We've been keeping this one quiet for a little while. I didn't want to put it out there too much because I wasn't confident it was what we should be doing at this stage of our life. After multiple discussions with DH and the children, writing pros and cons lists and reassuring and being reassured it's a good thing, we are going ahead with it :)

As you can see from the photos below it's a dissused church. Not as fancy as some but for a rural community it served it's purpose. I don't have a lot of information on it's history as yet, but i will endeavour to find out all i can.
It resides in a very small, rural town in Victoria. By small i mean tiny! The is a pub and a public phone box and a handful of homes. There is a school building and a brilliant tennis court but the school closed down a couple of years ago. The nearest town is half an hour away so it's not much different from living out on the farm. The children will travel by bus to school as they already do.
Our home is on Church street with other dissused churches around us, all occupied and of different denominations :)

The building is structually sound but small. It's one big room with a seperate bathroom. We intend to build another couple of rooms off the side and maybe a mezzanine but will be leaving the open plan living as is. We will also try our best to keep it looking like a church on the outside.
Renovations won't be starting anytime soon. Our priorities are a huge shed and vegetable garden lol. Hopefully this time next year we will have made a start on the new rooms.

I'm looking forward to showing you the progress of our home :)

~x~

New school year

2011-02-08T20:49:00.004+11:00

The 2011 school year has begun! Well, we are into the 2nd week and it's all going smoothly so far.

Master 5 is now a big school boy and has taken to it rather well. He's been utterly exhausted each night and dragging him out of bed in the mornings is a challenge but once he's awake he's roaring to go!
Both Miss 10 and Miss 9 are extremely happy to be back in the classroom learning.

Here's hoping the remainder of the term sees them staying happy!

~x~

The bus

2011-01-31T23:27:00.005+11:00

A quick bus update.

Hubby has been spending every spare minute he has working on the bus, and lately that hasn't been much but i give him credit, bus renovations are on the top of his list, my threat still stands lol. I wish he would stop changing his mind about things though, he's worse then a woman lol

The cupboard is the start of the kitchen area. There will be a sink and a cooktop on this bench. We've decided not to have an under bench stove. It wouldn't get a lot of use to be honest and having a door that opens downwards isn't ideal in this small space.

It might not look too fantastic yet but it's definately taking shape, albeit slowly.

Oh, he got himself a new (recycled) drivers seat. More comfortable then the previous one (don't have a photo of the old one)

~x~

Bus Update

2011-01-10T09:58:00.003+11:00

Seems asthough hubby has taken my threat of "if you don't start doing something to the bus soon, i'm selling it" seriously for once in his life lol

Yesterday saw him pulling out the seats and over head luggage racks aswell as drafting the renovations in chalk on the floor. We even went looking at appliances so we could get precise measurements so we know how much room we have to play with!

I must admit, it was fun drawing and discussing, but don't tell hubby hehe.

Wonder when the next installment of Bus Update will be ;)

~x~

Deprived or Imaginative?

2011-01-05T19:20:00.000+11:00

Miss Mogs has a love for anything 4 legged and furry, woolly or hairy. Her most beloved creature is the horse. She did have a couple of horse friends when we lived on the farm but since living in surburbia there has been limited space for even a minature pony so she's made do with a beer keg, a saw stool and the riding equipment she wouldn't let us put in storage incase the oppertunity arose to put it to good use lol.

The following photos tell the story :)

~x~

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T21:05:00.004+11:00

The begining of a new calander year.

Start afresh and make those dreams come true, i know i will be.

Last year is in the past. I've no regrets, i will learn from my mistakes.

I have many things i wish to do this year but my one and only new year resolution is not to tell anyone anything until it has happened. I tend to get too excited and blab about my intentions only for them to fall flat. I do have big news but my mouth is firmly shut! Hopefully noone can read my mind lol

I've also decided a new year calls for a new blog template. Not too much different from what i previously had, by the same blog designer too. Who knows, i may change it to follow the seasons or my moods later in the year.

Blessings for a wonderful funfilled 2011.

~x~

Men! That says it all really ;P

2010-12-22T20:16:00.002+11:00

The other half has gone a brought a bus to convert to a motorhome :/

While i am all for this i didn't expect it to be so sudden. We'd talked about it and done some research but i said we would be better to wait 6 - 12 months and use the savings we had for a deposit on a home, the price of a bus may come down in that time or a better bus might come our way. I gave him my honest opinion and he still went off and did his own thing which has now left us homeless, in a sense, and pulling the budget strings even tighter. It'll be months if not a few years before the renovating of the bus even begins.

Ok, rant over. I'm off to play with the budget.

~x~

Boo, i'm still here!

2010-09-20T09:39:00.001+10:00

Gosh, 3 months has gone by without a blog post from me, how slack am i?? Don't answer that, i know the answer!

Well, to cut a long story short, all my adventureous plans always come to an abrupt end.
Most of you know we were planning to travel around the country in a caravan. We started our adventure at the begining of September, got 600kms up the road, had an accident and the caravan is now a write off. Thankfully the children and ourselves are ok, not a scratch or bruise, a little shaken and emotionally drained but alive. So our plans have taken a drastic turn. We are now back in our original hometown in South Australia living quietly but happily until we sort ourselves out.

I will not say anymore on this subject. I will continue to blog as i have been, i find blogging is soothing for the soul and have missed it immensly.
Until next time~x~

Winter Producing Garden

2010-06-17T12:34:00.002+10:00

Mmmmm, i love homegrown produce. Nothing tastes better then goods picked straight from the garden. I don't get to the local markets every week so i have to bite the bullet and purchase from the supermarket. You certainly notice the difference in taste!
I also enjoy pottering out in the garden, chatting aimlessly away to the plants and animals, sometimes even having a grand conversation with the wind lol

Hubby has been busy the past couple of weeks creating portable garden beds. All the materials used were recycled. Some being sourced from local scrap bins and some from the farm. The only part that cost us was the seedlings and potting mix (we got composted cow/sheep manure from the local saleyards). We also found a concrete trough laying around the backyard too.

We've had a couple of frosty nights so i had to, as my 5 year old tells everyone, "put the plants to bed" . I only covered them with a garbage bag but will get hubby to make something that doesn't squish the plants.

So, i have planted potatoes, lettuce, peas, beans, strawberries, brocoli, cabbage, beetroot.

The hard part now is waiting for it all to grow!

Until next time
Happy Gardening
-x-

Birthday Wishes

2010-05-03T07:52:00.003+10:00

To my brother who turns 16 today :o)

I wish him all the happiness and oppertunities life has to offer. Love you mate xoxoxox

Until next time
-x-

Pumpkins Galore

2010-04-30T15:14:00.005+10:00

The beauty's in the photo below are not my achievement, the green thumb who grew these is my mum. There are more still growing in the vegie patch too.

The orange coloured pumpkin is Australian Butter - a rare Australian heirloom pumpkin, fruit weighs up to 7 kg with tan-coloured skin and deep orange, dense flesh. It is excellent for baking, has a great flavour and keeps well.

The nobbly one is Marina di Chioggia - Very old, Italian heirloom with a unique thick, knobbly grey-green skin and sweet rich deep yellow-orange flesh; approx 2 kg in size. Great for baking or soup. Excellent keeper.

The seeds were purchased online from Green Harvest (Aust) and i am extremely happy with how they have grown.

Harvested just in time for Samhain too :) but no Jack-o-lantern carving for these, they will make yummy soups for the coming winter months and if they keep really well, soup for next year too! I'd say mum will be sending some of these gems home with anyone who visits aswell.

Looking forward to seeing what pumpkin breeds mum grows next season.

Until next time
Samhain Blessings
-x-

Little Bo Peep

2010-04-28T11:37:00.005+10:00

A lil orphaned lamb who just wanted to be loved and played with found himself the perfect owner, Miss Mogs now known as Lilttle Bo Peep.

We have only had Shephard the lamb for a week and already his little scrawny body is filling out nicely and he is the most pleasent little animal to have around. Leaping and bounding around the yard with the children giggling at his antics.

Until next time
-x-

Saying Goodbye

2010-04-06T13:47:00.003+10:00

As some of you know, my family and i have moved 600km's north of where we were living. We weren't sure how permanent it was going to be, we were taking each day at a time and hoping hubby would find the job he most wanted. That job has been found! Horray! No more truck driving for him and we will be a family of 5 every day instead of one day a week :o)

Now the day has come to say a proper goodbye to the place we have called home for the past 10 years. Where my husband and i fell in love. Where our 3 young children have grown into the slightly older children they are now. Where us as a family have experienced so many things, good and bad, but in the end it has all been a learning experience and one we wouldn't change.

It's not quite as sad as i've made it out to be lol, we still have this place to come back to when we have holidays (if it doesn't get sold beforehand) but we won't be able to come down every weekend as we have been. It just feels more final now as the place is near empty, most of the animals have been sold and this chapter is being closed to allow us to start afresh.

So i say my goodbyes as i close the door behind me, leaving our home and all the memories we made here. Onwards to a new adventure and a new home, again lol

Until next time
-x-

My new best friend....

2010-04-01T12:20:00.004+11:00

.... is Power Force Professional Cleaner purchased from Aldi!
I know, i know, not at all environmentally friendly but gosh it has done wonders to my kitchen! Lifts grease and grime with ease. Everything sparkles and smells delightful. I don't think any other commercial cleaning product i have used in the past has done an exceptionally good job as this.

Next is to tackle the bathroom then i can go back to using natural cleaning products and not feel giddily guilty lol.

Until next time
happy house cleaning
-x-

Autumn Equinox

2010-03-28T14:11:00.004+11:00

Mabon blessings to you all.

The plan for today was pinecone collecting and picnicing in the forests but the cold rain and wind put a stop to that. We will plan it for another day this coming week. We use the pinecones to start the wood heater aswell as for craft activities.

The nightly meal is a hearty vegetarian casserole. Unfortunately there is nothing to harvest from the gardens at the farm so we brought our produce this time. It's all fresh and farmed in Australia which is good and has made a delicious meal :o)

Hope you have all had a blessed day.

Until next time
-x-

Happy Birthday

2010-03-12T20:08:00.004+11:00

Ok, i'm a day late! I did post a loving message on my facebook status yesterday though :)

So, without further ado.....

Happy 18th birthday to my gorgeous sister. She has grown into such a beautiful, witty, talented woman. I couldn't ask for a better sister.

And.....

Happy 50th birthday to my dear daddy. He may not have been involved in bringing me into this everchanging world but he has definately been involved in every aspect of my life for the past 27 or so years guiding me with love and wisdom.

To you both, i wish you years of love, laughter and special memories and i am proud to have you as my family :)

And one more, happy birthday to my step-son. I won't disclose his age, although he's only a few years younger then me lol.

Until next time
i hope you all grow old in healthy happiness
-x-

Quirky kitchen gadgets

2010-03-11T14:56:00.006+11:00

Do you own any quirky kitchen gadgets? You know, things like a potato peeler with a monkey for a handle or a nutcracker in the shape of a squirrel. Maybe novelty items that are a want not a need? Strawberry slicer, adjustable rolling pin, clip on spoon rest or an egg cracker.

I don't, well, i didn't until i saw these must have measuring cups! Aren't they just gorgeous!

In my defence, my measuring cups were cheap plain looking ones from a cheap shop. They did the job well but i've always been on the lookout for something more pleasing to the eye. The M-cups as they're called, come with 6 different measures, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4 and 1 cup. How simple is baking now? ;)

I think i've got a kitchen gadget bug now lol I want funky unusal items to display on my benchtops. I'm considering the knife block in the shape of a person where the knives slot through the body lol

Until next time
-x-

More jam

2010-03-11T12:59:00.005+11:00

As promised, here is the nectarine jam and the plum jam. I didn't do step by step photos this time. The cooking procedures are the same for most jams :)

It all tastes yummy. I'm now scouting the fruit shop and markets for other fruits i can turn into jams.

Until next time
-x-

Peach Jam

2010-03-10T12:36:00.007+11:00

Mmmm, i love the taste of homemade jam. Not only do i know what is in it, i get that feeling of satisfaction knowing i made it all by myself. I didn't have to get advice from my mum this time lol

On the weekend we went to a local market and brought 10kgs each of peaches, plums and nectarines. They were the last crops off the trees and really cheap. After gorging ourselves on yummy fresh fruit for the past 3 days, it was time to preserve the remainder for the winter months (not sure if i can keep the family away from the jam for that long though!).

So began the process of peeling, chopping, cooking and bottling. I had to buy new jars as i got rid of mine in the move but i feel because this year is a new begining for us, i can allow myself new jars that will continue to be filled with homemade goodies.

Here is my small batch of peach jam. My next blog will show the nectarine jam. It's still bubbling away on the stove :)

It was a learning experience. I've made strawberry jam and fig jam a couple of times before. I find both those fruits mush down whereas peaches hold their shape. Next time i'll chop them smaller. It set well. I did use jam setter. 1.5kgs of fruit and half the amount of sugar which i probably could have scaled down a little more. All in all it turned out well and it's delicious on a piece of fresh bread :o)

Until next time
happy preserving
-x-

Time to get creative.

2010-03-08T21:08:00.008+11:00

You may be aware, Easter will be upon you all soon. Well for those who celebrate Easter at this time of the year that is.

I was going through my photo's and found an Easter creation you may like to make. An Easter Bonnet, but not a wearable bonnet ;) It's super simple. I purchased all the items from Spotlight but shop around and you never know what you might find.

I'll show you the photo then i'll give you a detailed list of what you'll need. It's fairly self explanatory though :)

Tall round papiermache/carboard box with lid
Round cake board
Coloured shredded paper
Plastic fillable eggs
Fluffy chicks
Easter felt shapes
Paint and paint brush
Craft Glue or hot glue gun
Any other Easter inspired decorations you wish to use.

Paint box, lid and board. When dry, glue box to board. Glue shredded paper around base of hat and any other decorations. Glue felt designs around side of box. Fill box with shredded paper and place eggs and other decprations in and on top.
I haven't attached the lid, it's just sitting on the rabbit lollypop. The top of the lid has been decorated with an egg and more shredded paper. I definately got heavy handed with the paper lol.

Good to give as a gift too. Fill the plastic eggs with little choc eggs.

Until next time
Happy creating
-x-

Commenting

2010-03-05T09:42:00.003+11:00

Unbeknown to me, my blog decided it wasn't accepting comments from everyone, it seemed to have a select group only lol.
When i changed my background and layout i didn't check the comments box to make sure it was available to all.
I think i have corrected the problem so you may all get comment happy now :)

-x-

What side of the bed...

2010-02-25T13:03:00.004+11:00

....do you sleep on and why?

Hubby and i were having this discussion late one night after yet again he refused to move to his side of the bed.

In the 10 years we have been together i have nearly always slept on the right hand side of the bed (if you're standing at the foot of the bed looking at it). The only time i haven't is in certain motels of cabins. Why would this be so? The one and only logical reason we could come up with, is it's the side closest to the door and being a mother i am the one who keeps an ear open while sleeping so i can hear if the kids wake in the night.

We tried fooling this theory. We visulised the sides our parents, siblings, any relation and friend slept on. There was only one exception, hubby's sister, but we then realized she does sleep on the right hand side, it's the door that is on the wrong side lol.

We even mentally rearranged the bedrooms, placing the beds against a different wall but it was always the same, female on right side of the bed.

We thought maybe if you were a left-handed person it might change but no, not the case. Admittidly, we couldn't think of more then 5 lefty's lol

So, i ask, could there be another answer as to why a majority of females slep on the right side of the bed? Let me know if there is, it's an ongoing topic in this home.

Until next time
sleep comfortably
-x-

Ride 'Em Cowgirl

2010-02-22T09:07:00.005+11:00

Miss Floss and Miss Mogs had their 1st bucking bull ride on the weekend. Fortunately it was one of those mechanical bulls and when you get thrown off you fall onto a soft air filled cushion.

Miss Mogs was on 1st. Her 'bull' was docile, some slow spins and easy bucks. Lucky for her as she is such a petite girl. She fell off twice but was grinning from ear to ear each time lol.

Miss Floss was up next. Being taller and more robust, her 'bull' became more fiesty as the ride went on. Started off slow and tame to get her used to it then when 'he' realized she wasn't going anywhere too soon he got bucking and swaying. She was wizzed left, then sharply right, thrown back then lurched forwards (not as forceful as it sounds lol) After 5 minutes the 'bull' was rightly annoyed and when Miss Floss wasn't paying close attention he threw her sideways and off she slid!

Until next time
try your skill at bull riding, it's fun
-x-

Alternative Farming Expo

2010-02-21T11:42:00.009+11:00

When you hear the phrase Alternative Farming, what springs to mind? For me, certainly not the Seymour Alternative Farming Expo!

I won a family pass, yay me :), to go to the expo on Saturday so we packed a picnic lunch and took the 2 hour drive across to Seymour. We didn't have high expectations, well, i didn't think we did, but we hoping we would come away with some ideas that were different from the usual farming practices.

Now, for me, normal farming is dairy/beef, sheep, grain cropping, chickens, hay making lol Where were the Snail farmers, Bees, rabbits, flowers, fish farmers, cheese and wine makers?? I could go on ;)

There was the odd stall selling lavendar products, emu oil products, eco friendly building materials (does polystyrene fall into that catagory?), solar power and water, clothing made from alpaca fleece. Most of the other exhibits were tractors, water tanks, fencing equipment and all those 'must have' items you see on TVSN lol. All these are sights you would expect to see at a normal farming field day. There were animals in amongst everything else, but nothing different and exciting.

I will admit the 'normal' farmers did have ideas on how to improve on what you have and get the most out of your products, and some of these ideas were good for the dry. arid country we live in. I did like the Smart Fodder Solutions. It's something we already knew about and having researched it we were able to create our own take on it and it worked marvelously! This is their set up.

So overall, i don't think the expo did the term 'alternative' justice but it was a nice day out and hubby came away with a few quotes on items on his wishlist ;)

Until next time
-x-

Blessed Lammas

2010-02-02T13:38:00.003+11:00

The 1st harvest celebration of the year aswell as the marking of the end of summer (i don't think summer is going anywhere in a hurry around here lol)

It wasn't much of a celebration here this time. I was preoccupied with the girls 1st day of school and to be honest, it crept up on me too quick.

Anyway, i made a loaf of bread but i cheated and did it in the breadmaker. It was just too hot to have the oven on.

I didn't get to make a corn dolly, as i didn't plant any corn at the farm last season. I am looking forard to when i can make one, i've not made one before but they look grand.

We had a simple meal of vegies, not home grown unfortunately but from the local fruit and veg shop which in my opinion is just as good.
As you have read, it was a very quiet day but still enjoyable for me :)

Until next time
Blessings
-x-

Decluttering

2010-01-30T18:55:00.004+11:00

I know of a few people who are decluttering their homes. Ridding themselves of items they haven't used for a year or more. I did a bit of decluttering myself when i was packing boxes for our move to a new home. Not only does it make the home more spacious and neater, it gives you a sense of satisfaction knowing someone else will benefit from your clutter, well hopefully ;)

I wonder if anyone's decluttering was as big as what my hubby got rid of? I don't think anyone will benefit from this lot, although i was told the door on the Dodge will be going to a collector, the rest, well, it's giong to wherever scrap metal goes. I probably don't want to know, it'll be adding to landfill somewhere along the line :(

By the end of February he'll have decluttered more car bodies, machinery and large bits and bobs, not just our clutter but those who have lived here before us. If this keeps up i'll want to move back to our farm, it's looking like a new home lol

Until next time
-x-

Non Generic School Uniforms

2010-01-27T15:49:00.004+11:00

This is the 1st time i've had to pay an astronomical amount for the girls school uniforms and i'm not impressed! Why? Because the school, which is a public school, has a non-generic uniform policy. All shirts, jumpers and hats must be logo'ed and girls must wear skorts, no dresses, skirts or basketball style shorts. What i paid for 2 polo shirts, 2 hats and 4 pairs of skorts (couldn't get green ones from any of the stores in 3 different towns so had to buy them from the school)i could have brought a years worth of uniforms for both girls from Target plus extras! I still need to buy jumpers for winter and by then DD9 will have had a growth spurt and will be needing bigger sizes *insert rolling eyes*. I don't care what the school says, my girls will be wearing generic shirts and jumpers. They will each have 1 shirt with logo that they can wear for the 1st couple of days of the new term aswell as special ocassions, every other day it will be non-logo'ed shirt. Same with the winter jumper. Will be interesting to see what winter style pants their allowed, all i know is they have to be green.

Ok, rant over.

Until next time
-x-

School is in

2010-01-19T10:09:00.001+11:00

Well, not until February for my girls but atleast they are enrolled in their new school :)

We had a meet and greet with the principle yesterday (Monday) and a tour of the school. The student population is under 250 with about 12 classes of combined grades. The girls had the choice of being in the same class but both flatly refused lol The building and outside area is HUGE compared to the last school the girls attended, i hope they don't get lost going to and from classes!

Now i have to buy uniforms and half the stationary, the school supplies the other half, different to the last school where they supplied everything we just had to hand the money over lol

The girls are quite looking forward to school starting, they've already made 2 friends who won't be in their class but they can still hang out at playtime.

Now i need to enrol Master Smiley in kinder and prepare myself for days alone :( lol

Until next time
-x-

New Beginings

2010-01-05T13:03:00.001+11:00

We have moved! From Western Victoria to Northern Victoria, close to 500kms from home, might not sound a lot to some but for me it’s a looong way. . The house we are residing in is hopefully temporary; more on that at a later date just keep your fingers crossed for us 

Setting up home in a new town is fun but I will admit I am homesick. I miss the farm. I miss my veggie patch – water restrictions here mean I can’t have a garden or even a back lawn for the kids to run around. No animals – the rental is a no pet zone. I can’t holler at the kiddies lol, we are in town with neighbours all around, Most of all I miss having looong conversations with my mum. I can still chat to her from here but I have to be mindful of the costs. I’ve emailed her each day since we’ve been here lol. So yep, it’s bad homesickness for now and no amount of chocolate will compensate for it lol

The town we are in is very touristy. The caravan park is overfull with holidaying families. The river is always a hive of activity with boats and skiers. We’ve sat on the bank and watched, dangling our feets in the water.
Playing at the play park has been a regular morning activity for us. The kiddies enjoy the swings, slides, monkey bars etc while I pound the pavement for a morning walk.
Lucky for me there are no interesting shops hehe, even the newsagent is a little on the dull side.

Next week we will be enrolling the girls in school, and then we will sort out their uniforms and book lists. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a red uniformed school lol so I’ll be purchasing entire new uniforms. My little man will be enrolled in kinder too! How scary!

Until next time
Happy 2010, may it be a goal-achieving year for you all
-x-

Christmas

2009-12-27T14:35:00.014+11:00

Another festive day behind us.

Christmas Eve saw us at hubby's family home. Loads of food, drink and good company. It's always a big affair with siblings, nieces and nephews, cousins, uncles and aunts, great cousins, great neices and great nephews and the odd significant other halves. Santa even made an appearence much to the delight of MasterSmiley(DS4).
We took the kids to look at all the christmas lights around the town. Some people go to great lengths with their displays, it's quite amazing. We then visited a friend for festive drinks and ended up home well after midnight!

Chrsitmas day was an unusually quiet day for us. We'd partied too much on the 23rd and the 24th and could hardly keep our eyes open on the 25th lol. We spent the day at home with the kids enjoying their gifts they found under the Christmas tree and stockings overflowing with loads of goodies.
We had a huge fruit platter for breakfast and a simple lunch of cold meats and salads followed by a store brought christmas pudding with home made custard.
The afternoon saw us curled up on the lounge watching dvd's and snoozing but we were all together as a family and that's what counts :)

Boxing day my parents and siblings surprised us with a visit and gifts all round. I have to say the gifts the kids got from them were the best ever presents this christmas. My mum made them each a lap quilt :)
MissFloss

MissMogs

MasterSmiley

All in all we had a nice few days and now it's back to normality, well, what we might call normality for the moment lol. Hubby is home for a few more days before the call of the road beckons him back to trucking. We will be making the most of that time and may just fit in a short camping holiday.

I hope you all enjoyed the festive season how ever you may have celebrated it.

Until next time
-x-

Happy Birthday

2009-12-23T22:46:00.002+11:00

To the beautiful, warm hearted soul who brought me into this ever changing world, my loving mum :) A milestone birthday at that, 50 years young today.

She was adament she didn't want a big party, infact no party at all, just the usual relaxing meal down on the beach. I was happy with that, my dad and siblings were just as happy. She's very, very lucky to have such festive friends who weren't going to let her birthday slip by uncelebrated lol

Her sweet friend C opened her house to mums close friends to help her celebrate. Most of them C knew, a few she didn't but welcomed them warmly. She put on a spread of cold meats and salads followed by yummy deserts and a mouth-watering red velvet birthday cake, mmmmmm.

I think i can safely say mum was happily surprised, she hates surprises lol The smile never left her face all night as she laughed and chatted with all.

Until next time
get those party shoes on and party hard
-x-

School is Done for 2009

2009-12-18T15:45:00.006+11:00

Last night saw us at the end of year school concert/graduation. As usual it was a great night, the students and teachers got into the whole theme, which last night happened to be ABBA. There were lil Benny and Bjorns running wild and gorgeous Agnetha and Frida's dancing around the hall along with others dressed in '70's get up, some quite colourful!.
Each grade sang an ABBA hit and a few times the audience got in the groove and sang along lol.

MissFloss

MissMogs and MissTeacher

For us it was a night tinged with sadness as it's our last end of year concert at this school. MissFloss (DD9) was very emotional, lack of sleep probably didn't help either! She has made some wonderful friends and really excelled at school, her report card was outstanding! Miss Mogs (DD8) has come along way in the last 12 months. She was lucky to have the same teacher in the past 2 years and this has really built up her confidence. She's not really into school, i think she goes more for the social aspect lol but her report was glowing.

Today the girls sleepily went to school to say their final goodbyes and took the camera's for extra happy snaps lol. Now we have 6 weeks of late mornings and loads of family fun!

Until next time
-x-

Twas Unintentional

2009-12-11T15:36:00.004+11:00

I received a phone call from DH yesterday morning as usual. He was letting me know he'd be home early afternoon for a few hours. Sounded good, i was happy :) He rang me later and said he wasn't coming, he thought it best if he went straight through to his destination so he didn't get held up in traffic and hopefully he'd be home earlier today (Friday). I promptly burst into tears but reassured him all was good, i understood. 45 minutes later he walked through the front door, again i burst into tears lol. I spent the next hour curled up in his arms not wanting to let go. It was a bizzarre feeling but certainly not the 1st time it's happened in the past 10 years.
I realized i had unintentionally manipulated DH to come home. I felt sooo bad and angry at myself but at the same time i was more than happy. As a bonus, the kids got to see him :)

Until next time
Keep your loved ones close
-x-

Another week gone

2009-12-07T13:07:00.002+11:00

I'm not sure i achieved too much in the past week. I've had a few could be buyers come and inspect the house so i spent a good deal of the week cleaning and packing. I seem to be able to make more mess while cleaning, not sure if this is just a me thing or if others experience it too.

The christmas tree went up. Only one this year due to alot of things being packed away and put in storage. Normally i'd have 7 trees of all sizes throughout the house with a vast array of decorations on shelves. I've let the kids make decorations for the tree so we have paper angles, paper chains, paper wreaths, all very christmasy :)

The weekend saw us lighting bonfires again. We have 1 shed that is completly emptied of rubbishy timber and anything burnable. It's also cleared of unwanted items, so 1 shed down 4 to go! We visited the hardware store and brought a pile of items to finish odd jobs around the place. If we don't sell we will rent the house out so i need it to have fixtures like curtains, doors, door locks, sink plugs.

DH was bitten by a bull-ant and had another allergic reaction. I wonder if his recent bouts of cellulitis have played havoc with his immune system. He never used to have a problem with insect bites until this year, hmmm.

DD9 came down with tonsilitis. I've had it with illnesses this year, it's a continuous circle of late. DD8 had her earring ripped out by the dog. She was very lucky it didn't split the lobe completely. The dog won't jump on me or DH or DD9 but has a thing for DD8 and DS4. No matter how much we dicipline him he won't listen. He was banished to the kennel for the day.

And last of all we had a visit from DStepS and his girlfriend :)

It's now raining and i have groceries to put away.

Until next time
-x-

What's Growing in MY Garden

2009-11-21T18:01:00.009+11:00

A quick posting to share with you some of the produce growing in my garden :)
Apples

Quince

Logan Berries

Grapes

Fig (not yet producing but i'm proud of the tree so i had to share hehe

Tomatoes

Strawberries

Until next time
What's growing in your garden?
-x-

Immunizations

2009-11-20T09:50:00.005+11:00

It's got me wondering, if you don't immunise your child, will you or in this case your child, suffer in the long run?

My DS4 had his 1st years worth of immunization shots but none after that. It's not that i have anything against vaccinating my child, my 2 DD's had everything on offer. I think with my DS i was just not on the ball and the longer i left it the more i thought oh it's too late to have it done, i'll not worry about it. Makes me sound like a bad mum but really i'm not! I know of kids who haven't had any immunization and they are healthy and happy. My boy is healthy and happy too, no set back or side effects from not being immunized except for this past week when he caught the Measles!
I didn't know it was the measles until the rash appeared. He'd been feverish with runny nose and weepy eyes and not eating since the early hours of Saturday morning. We'd kept the fluids up with lots of panadol to ease the fever and closely monitered him and because he had a prearranged Dr's appiontment on Tuesday i felt we'd be ok till then to find out what was making him ill. The fever broke on Monday thankfully. We get to to Dr's, he takes one look at him and says "how long has he had the measles?" I'm like "What!?!?" Lift his tshirt and sure enough, he is covered in measles rash, poor kid, i just wanted to cry! Not that anything different could have been done, there is no particular treatment to speed up the recovery, we did all the right things. It makes me wonder though, if DS had the MMR vaccine would he have contracted the measles? My DD's don't seem to have any symptoms of it yet, i would have thought being in such close contact they would have picked it up. They all share the common cold quite well!
I'm now starting to wonder what else he might pick up :(

In other health related news from this household, DH came inside Saturday night after taking a short stroll around the property and said he thought he'd been bitten by a bull-ant as he'd picked up a couple of pieces of timber to put in the rubbish pile. He applied Stingose (stop itch ointment) to his hand where he belived the bite occured as it was reasonably itchy/stingy. After 10 minutes he was soaking both hands in iced water. Then his feet got itchy and he started feeling light-headed so i took him off to the hospital. It's a 35km drive and in that time he started getting hot and his skin was crawling with itchiness. By the time we got to the hospital he had smallish welts on his back and right side. The nurse gave him an antihistamine which settled everything within the hour and diagnosed a spider bite on the right buttocks! Ever heard of the story titled 'The Redback Spider on the Toilet Seat'? Well Dh had experienced it, wether it was a redback we will never know. Just before he came in he stopped at the bathroom and well you know the rest lol. It was easy to laugh after the event but during, it was a little on the scary side. We are now armed with a few hospital strength anithisamines in case something similar should happen but i know DH will be double checking the toilet seat first!!

Until next time
-x-

Back on the Blogging Path

2009-11-19T11:15:00.003+11:00

Ahhh it's been X amount of days since i last blogged - feels like i'm at a bloggers anonymous lol - So many things have been happening but at the same time nothing overly exciting has happened. I've been reading through many blogs and they always seem a lot more interesting then i could ever write. When i started my blog it was like a diary for me, to look back on and see how my family's life had panned out over the months. I do write in a diary as such that sit's beside my bed but it's a very short version of the days events and sometimes i forget to write. Anyways, reading these other blogs made mine feel inadequate. I know, we are all different, do things differently, see life through our own eyes not others, but i was seeing what i thought were my 'elegant tapestry', lol, of family happenings as just plain old daily activities with the odd thought thrown in. Maybe it's envy? Some people lead fascinating lives, rich and wholesome with a carefree attitude, always doing something exciting, wether it be something as simple as creating garden beds or going on an adventure with an inanimate object ( oh the things people do lol, but it's all in fun). Some of the blogs i've read aren't about family at all, it's about the writers creativeness, something that interests me to no end. I thought about turning my blog around to the creative side of me but failed miserably as i just don't have the time right now to be creative. I will in the future add creative musings here and start to add the odd photo i've taken that corresponds with what i have wrote about for a particular day, but for now i feel i will continue on the blogging path i started out on, a diary, just for me.

So, now i have got that off my chest and back into the groove of blogging, my next entry will be published soonish. I won't say hang around and look forward to it lol

Until next time
Blogging requires Passion
-x-

Remembrance Day

2009-11-11T07:35:00.003+11:00

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
We will remember them.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Lest we forget
We will remember them.

Please take a minute or two today to remember the brave men and woman who fought in the Wars.

-x-

Weekend Roundup

2009-10-25T19:19:00.000+11:00

Once again the weekend has come to a close. DH was home for both days this weekend. We lit the last of the bonfires and the paddocks are looking better now the fallen branches and leaves are gone. They are also looking lush and green! The week of sunshine we had has given them a boost and the cows will be delighted to munch it.

Took a trailer load of rubbish to the tip. Lucky for us the closest tip is still free for dumping, although we are cautious with what we dump, don't want to be adding to the landfill too much.

We got the chemical container out and started attacking the Salvation Jane (Pattersons Curse). This is the only time we use chemicals in the garden/paddocks. Apart from digging SJ up, bagging it then sweltering it for a few weeks, there is no other option but posioning it. In 9 years we have managed to clear half of what was growing, not a bad effort.

The kids made the most of the sunshine and played outdoors for the most of both days. DD9 has taken to riding my bike. Apparently hers isn't big enough for her, i can understand, she's only cm's off being as tall as me! They took the dog for a run and wore him out. Played in the sandpit, annoyed each other as siblings do and generally stayed out of trouble where they could.

Had an unexpected but lovely visit from the SIL. Well, we knew she was coming, we were asked to send out a search party if she hadn't arrived within 3 hours, it only takes an hour to get here lol. I say unexpected though as it's been a few years since she's visited, but that's another story and quite a boring one hehe. It was just nice to have her here and DH's smile said it all :)

Well, this post is not the best, it's all over the place and doesn't flow right so i'll leave it here.

Until next time
-x-

Not Over-reacting??

2009-10-22T17:39:00.000+11:00

Well, in my mind i wasn't over-reacting, and even now, 2 hours after it's happened i can't say i would have done or said anything different.

I was driving down the track after picking the DD's up from the school bus. My neighbours property starts at the corner and in their paddock was a bonfire that had been going since this morning. It was smoking alot which is nothing unusal as i swear the neighbour doesn't know how to light bonfires properly lol. What caught my eye was flames on the outside of the fence line a fair distance away from the bonfire. There's alot of undergrowth around especially along the fences where the mowers/slashers can't get to and neighbour hasn't completley slashed his paddock so there is still alot of dry bracken/grass in places. I went to see if neighbour was home to let him know, nope, not home. Grabbed a couple of buckets of water and went back up track to put the flames out. They were about knee height and had crept out further. I doused them then went back for more water as the scrub on the inside of the fence had taken off too. I went back a 3rd time to get water and was about to drive into the paddock when neighbour came home. I told him what i was doing, DD9 backed me up with what i said as she had helped me douse the flames. His response may aswell as been Meh, whatever and he walked off to take the buckets back where they came from, didn't go and check the fire! Grrrr i was ropeable then and so was DD9, if looks could kill she certainly would have shot neighbour down lol. I spoke to Neighbour's wife and she just hung her head in shame and said thanks for what we did. I told her, for the millionth time, they shouldn't leave the property if they've got bonfires happening no matter how insignificant they may be. It's been dry here for the past 4 days, the wind had picked up late this afternoon.... i said alot more as the anger was rising but it was only falling on deaf ears so i left.

What really gets me is his attitude to the situation. They were the ones who pushed for the community to have regular fire safety meetings when they moved out to the bush and what he has done just proves he's taken no notice of those meetings. I don't care that they had visitors from America who they took sight-seeing, the fire should never have been lit if they knew they weren't going to be home to tend to it!

Grrrrrrrr, there is nothing more for me to say without wanting to throttle the guy! I still believe i wasn't over-reacting. There is enough dry scrub around to have caused a major fire, had it kept travelling down the fence line it would have met our property which hasn't been slashed yet and has 2 year old haybales scattered around the place!

I think i'm done :P

Until next time
it's better to over-react then do nothing
-x-

Productive

2009-10-20T13:05:00.003+11:00

The past 2 days have been glorious! The sun has shone brightly and the sky has been a deep blue. It's been awhile since i've seen both. While i appreciate the rain Mother Nature has been freely giving my part of the country, i think it's time she moved on to a more rain needy part of Oz and let my back lawn and paddocks dry out a bit. There is only so much mud i can walk ankle deep in lol.

I gave in and did a majority of Fred's Work yesterday (refer to previous blog if you don't know who Fred is lol). I did a little more today too. It's a huge task but looks great when finished, until it needs to be done again.

I weeded around the roses bushes. They are looking extremely healthy and should be in bloom in the next couple of weeks. I started weeding around the Iris's. They too are ready to pop their buds. I only have 2 different colours, a purple and a maroon. Will have to organise myself to get more varieties.

Hold on, DS4 hears a plane, I'll be back ........................ lol, he has a thing with planes, we often see the crop dusters fly over as they spray the pine trees and one particular plane dips his wings and flashes his lights when passing over if the kids are outside. Just then though, it wasn't the plane, it was a crop dusting helicopter! Not seen one of them over this way before. How excited was DS4, waving like a crazy child lol. I managed to get a photo so we can prove to DH it did come over lol.

Okies, where was i? Ah yes, after the weeding i planted cherry tomato plants, lettuces, capsicums and an eggplant plant. Not in the formal veggie beds though. I have an area along a wall outside the front verandah that has a wallflower bush and lavenders. They have been there for about 3 years and although they haven't died the certainly aren't propspering. Could be not enough sunlight hits the garden bed or the soil is just poor. I tend to look after my veggie plants better then any other plant so hopefully the lavenders will pick up now as i'll be constantly out there willing the tomatoes to grow.

Until next time
how does your garden grow?
-x-

Random Rant

2009-10-19T14:54:00.000+11:00

This random rant is about a person i shall name Fred.
I have over the past few weeks asked Fred to assist me in a job i shall call Work lol
Work will be of monetary benefit to Fred and it could become ongoing if Fred does Work properly.
Fred half heartedly agreed to my last request but has not followed through with it. I could hold off for a little longer but who knows if Fred is going to commit so i am about to do it myself.
I could have done Work weeks ago, well i did, but Work requires upkeep and Fred is experienced in this field, again, many of us have the knowledge and ability to do Work but i thought i'd give Fred the chance to earn some cash as Fred has mentioned not having money to spare lately.
Wouldn't you think, if Fred needs cash, and Work is what Fred does best and Fred has done Work for others recently, Fred would jump at the chance to do my Work?!?!
It makes me mad that Fred sometimes whines about not having spare cash but won't help Fred's self to earn it. I honestly didn't think Fred was like that!
Okies, rant over

Until next time
the only way to get something done is do it yourself ;)
-x-

House Hunting

2009-10-18T19:14:00.000+11:00

The past few weeks have seen DH and i trawl through real-estate websites searching for a new place to call home. It's an exciting procedure but also very frustrating. We both have different thoughts on what we are looking for. DH want's alot of acerage, multiple sheds and a house that can be done up. I would like a modest amount of acerage with a house that doesn't need too much work done to it, the reason being, DH works away from home and the home we live in now hasn't had alot of tender loving care giving to it!

Over the weekend we traveled 4 hours to inspect a potential home. The photo's we'd seen from the realtor made us fall in love with the whole package. Disappointment set in fast though :( It wasn't quite a disaster zone, yes it could be saved if we worked hard and put alot more money into it but that was the least of our worries.

So now it's back to the hunting and it's more frustrating! It seems in one week the housing market has disappeared! Places that were of interest are under contract and 99% of the time that means sold. New places have too many negatives from our list of pros and cons. We are not that fussy, really lol.

While the hunting continues, the home we are in is still on the market. Fingers still crossed it sells quickly but from now i am taking one day at a time and not getting my hopes up :)

Until next time
-x-

Word Power

2009-10-12T18:46:00.000+11:00

Is there one word that makes you feel safe and secure?

If that word is held back does the world fall apart around you?

Do you feel lost and unable to regain your path until you hear that one special word?

Why is it, one small insignificant - when said on it's own - word can mean the end of so much happiness when not said in the usual context you know so well?

When finally the word is said, do you feel a great sense of relief?

Does the person, be it lover, parent, child, friend, who gave this word so much meaning, know the traumatic events you go through when the word is not given?

Are you the owner of a word that makes someone feel safe and secure?

Something to ponder if you wish.

Until next time
-x-

Productive

2009-10-11T19:26:00.000+11:00

This morning i woke up with a new lease on life!

After attacking the usual household chores i made a start on freshly painting the girls room, or more so just painting. The gyprock has been up for awhile but no further progress lol. I went for off white as it's clean and any decor will go with it. We split the bunk beds and now each DD has her own space. All other furniture was put back in it's rightful place although we can't seem to find a spot for the book case and they have loads of books!

The pantry is coming along. I've filled another box of useless items (for me) for the op shop. Starting to see the bench in there and the food shelf is ready to be filled this week when i do my OAM grocery shop. I'm thinking of repainting the pantry walls, will see how much off white i have left over, or maybe a soft yellow if i can find some in the many paint pots we have stacked in the shed!

The verandah is nearly done too. Because it's an enclosed verandah it's got windows and a glass sliding door. If my memory is correct, i've washed those windows twice in 9 years! Well, now it's 3 times lol. Looks sooo fresh and clean with sparkling windows, i really should do it every 3 weeks. The carpet has been vaccumed and i am stacking boxes neatly so there is no clutter and spaces for slippery critters to roam about.

On the agenda tomorrow is DS room. He has half purple half blue walls at the moment lol. All blue would suit him better i thinks! Not alot of furniture in his room, he needs the floor space to drive his cars and trains around.

Off to bed now, the school week starts again.

Until next time
look at life through clean windows ;)
-x-

Not doing the Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

2009-10-10T22:01:00.000+11:00

It's just not worth it! I can't turn back time, no matter how hard i close my eyes and wish away the day's happenings. The stress isn't worth it and i hope with all my heart it's not stressing my loved ones, these things happen and being in the wrong place at the wrong time, so to speak, happens at the most inconvienient times. Meh, it's a learning experience on my behalf and anyone else who want's to see it that way too.

Righto, finally today i was able to bake! I haven't had the use of an oven for what feels like an eternity. I have missed whipping up a batch of muffins to devour with the family over a mid morning cuppa. I've really missed baking my Mum's exceptionaly yummy chocolate cake. It is sooo moist, chocolatey and simple to bake. Once you fill it with jam and cream and ice it, what more could you ask for lol. Anyways, the spare part came through and DH fitted it within half an hour, easy peasy! I baked 2 batches of apple and sultana muffins, yummo! Tomorrow i will go on a baking frenzy, looks like the freezer is going to be bulging at the seams lol.

Well, it's past 10pm, i've had an exhausting day. My bed is calling and i know when i awake in the morning, the day will be new, fresh and everything will be behind me, i am moving forward.

Until next time
-x-

Spring has Sprung

2009-09-14T20:24:00.000+10:00

In the Southern Hemisphere.
The days are getting longer and warmer, the plants are awakening, blossoms are forming on the fruit trees, babies are being born, both human and animal. It's such a cheerful season to experience.
We planted a pear tree and a plum tree to mark the occassion. The plum already has blossoms!

The weather this past week has been a mix of blue skies, sunshine, rain and winds but it's all good. A few days of rain follwed by sun makes the garden look healthy and happy.

We are looking forwards to celebrating the Spring Equinox later in the month. Hopefully we can light a bonfire on the day and go about our doings in the sun. I find bonfires sooth the soul and clear the mind. Toasting of marshmallows is always good too hehe.

I should remove myself from the computer and enjoy the sun while it's out.

Until next time
-x-

Koala

2009-09-14T20:04:00.000+10:00

I've been living on this property for 8 years. We have alot of wildlife around the area, Kangaroo's, Wombats, Lizards, Snakes, Deer, Brolgas, many spieces of birds, the list probably goes on, but not once, on the property, have i seen a Koala. Well, that's all changed! Down near the river while we were wandering around, a Koala scammpered across the ground and shot up the tree. Yes the tree was on our side of the fence line ... just ... hehe. The kids were super excited as was i! I attempted to take photos but not having my dream SLR camera (one day i will) i wasn't able to zoom in close enough. He chose the tallest of trees and was balancing on the thinnest of branches. It amazes me he didn't fall out!
So that's one more thing i can cross off the list for living here. I keep adding to the list so it will never end hehe.

Until next time
Keep your eyes wide open
-x-

Temporary Mind Lapse

2009-09-02T12:04:00.000+10:00

Gosh! I've been slack at updating here :( My mind is all over the place of late. Thankfully i write snippets of what's been happening in a hard version daily diary. Nothing indepth though so i'd have to think extra long and hard of what exactly happened in the last few days. So here is Wednesday's, Thurday's and Friday's blog rolled into one.

It was book week on Wednesday. The theme was Safari. DD9 went along as a leopard and a cute one at that hehe. I attempted face painting and was proud of my efforts as was DD9. DD8 was a hunter. Fitted out in khaki clothing, a safari hat and magnifying glass she really looked the part when i did a photo shoot of the girls in the surrounding pine forests near home. Gotta love the backdrops nature has to offer when it comes to interesting photos :)

DH had a job interview on the 27th for a farm hand. Sounds dreamy hehe. Technical stuff aside, it comes with a home and room for chooks and a pony. A small town, much much smaller then where we are now. The school has around 100 students and that's from prep to 3rd year of high school! I studied up on the town and surrounding area lol. I possibly jinxed the whole interview! It would just be perfect and DH is truely interested in the position available. Well, unfortunately we weren't successful :( Looks like we are staying home for awhile longer. It's disappointing. I guess .... no .... i know, i had my heart invested in it way too much, it's a me thing and i will never learn *rolls eyes* Oh well, onwards to the next job, if we can find one lol

Firday saw the school choir competing in the local eistedford. DD9 has participated in the choir for the past 2 years and enjoys it. This year there were 4 choirs in the under 14's section. Each group sang 3 songs and i admit all groups presented their songs wonderfully although our group (CPS choir) was the most entertaining (biased much? hehe) We didn't win the top prize but came equal 2nd and the kids were over the moon with that :) considering they have only come together and been practising for the past 7 weeks! Much applause goes to their choir master who has worked hard with the group.

I think that's it.

Until next time
-x-

Snow?

2009-08-26T15:24:00.000+10:00

I've been lucky to experience snow falls, built snowmen, attempted cross country skiing, tobboganed, had snowball fights, spent a Christmas and New Year in the snowy Alps of Austria, but never has it snowed in any of my home towns.
Yes it does snow in Australia, in a few places. The state i live in has several mountain ranges where each winter, tourists and locals alike, spend many weeks revelling in what mother nature has to offer.

I always check the WeatherZone website in the mornings to see what the day may bring. Never in the 8 years of living in this area has the weather report said it will snow! Well, this morning, the forcast was for winds and snow! Unbelievebale! I had to print the page just so people would believe me lol. Of course it hasn't yet snowed and i certainly didn't get my hopes up. One day, just maybe, we will be lucky enough to experience the snow on our door step.

Until next time
keep dreaming
-x-

Land Care

2009-08-25T18:45:00.000+10:00

Woohoo, i had a visitor today! LOL, i don't get many people visiting out this way. I do get excited and try to keep them here as long as possible, not in a wierd kind of way, i just keep offering cups of tea and yummy homebaked goodies.

Anyways, today's visitor was a LandCare Co-ordinator. I know what/who landcare is but didn't realize the area i live in actually has a co-ordinator for the organisation. Was a very informative meet and greet and i will be attending follow up meetings when they happen.

Today's talk was about weeds, the river system and revegetation.

We have 2 main noxious weeds here at home, Salvation Jane (otherwise known as Pattersons Curse) and African Feather Grass. Both are pains in the backside to eradicate. Salvation Jane in my eyes is posinous to the stock so overgrazing is out of the question. For the past 10 years we have been attacking it with round-up or digging it out of the ground and letting the sun kill the root taps.
The feather grass we've found, really only dies if we put a match to it. There is a posion to be used but it either costs a fortune or we need a permit to use it. I'[d like to say we are getting ontop of both weeds but i don't think it's happening just yet!

When it comes to revegetating we are fairly clued in on what to do. It's not that hard. You plant trees and bushes to replace what has been cut down or fallen down. It also provides the local wildlife with food and shelter. Very rarely have we had to cut a tree down. Yes, the odd tree has been a danger to the house, sheds, fenceline or roads. If we need firewood we cut up what the winds have blown over or dead trees that have fallen on their own. For the past 7 years we have planted atleast 1000 Gum Trees around the property along with the odd native bush. A big plus next to our names on the LandCare list hehe

One thing the lovely co-ordinator informed me of is we can get a discount on any posions we use for the control of weeds, and a rebate on revegetation. I believe this is something you should be told when purchasing a rural property. DH has owned this piece of land for over 20 years and did not know anything about the above mentioned. More so, the landcare group has been in the area for many years and who knew?!?! Not us, nor the neighbours!

I am looking forward to getting together with others in a casual meeting and discussing alot more environmental issues.

Until next time
try being a greenie lol
-x-

Weight Woes

2009-08-24T07:11:00.000+10:00

I won't be boring you all with the daily ups and downs of my weight issues. I just need to get it out there that it is a part of me and i'm hoping by annoucing it very publicly i have kickstarted my way to a thinner me :) I will post a litle progress report this time each week though.

Hello

I am a 30 year old overwieght mum.
I have never been a fan of formal exercise and strict calorie counting. Over the last 10 years i have attempted to do both and on the odd occasions i have lost 5 - 10kgs but then it becomes tedious and i get the grumps, although i can feel the benefits of being 5 - 10kgs lighter.

The past 3 months i thought i could ignore my weight and just get on with life hopefully without more weight creeping on. Oh how wrong was i! It's not like i was binging on junky foods and sitting on my butt doing absoloutely nothing, but i certainly wasn't doing alot to help myself.

As of today i am twice the size i was 15 years ago. Ideally i would like to be back at that weight but for now my goal is halfway.

Writing this intro is the 1st of many steps for me to becoming a healthy young mum.

I don't want to do meal replacements, they just don't appeal to me. I also don't want to calorie count as strict as i was. I don't have an exact plan of attack to help shed the kgs yet. I will be using the treadmill every day and i have the wii fit and my fitness coach which i do enjoy using.

I'm a sahm so i really have no excuse to not use these forms of exercise.

Here's to a better me, for my children and hubby, but mostly because it's what i want :)

Until next time

smile brightly

-x-