March Is Something Different!

Well, it's Easter Sunday and I've been working through the night to control the symptoms of a cold.  Yuk!  I woke this morning from a dream about a weird dream about The Doctor and a red tardis and found myself sweating terribly.  So, after taking a couple of painkillers, I went back to sleep and dreamt the same dream, but the tardis was blue.  Weird, eh?
But I also slept so much better until the alarm went off.

This month has been one for travel, interesting places and great purchases too.  I spent a good part of this month away from home; and at my brother's place at Brighton.  I was house sitting there while he and his fiance were on holidays in New Zealand.  And so I spent time at their house on the net, walking around the area, tending to the chickens and being eaten alive by the millions of mosquitoes which are the size of a pea.  I was also kept company by quite a few geckoes and a hord of ants... one colony of which I had a war with - but I'm not sure if I won or not.  They did back for for the time being out of the guest house.
Anyway, I enjoyed being there but I did miss my books, my vinyls and my little garden.  The chickens all had personalities of their own and going shopping was a huge ordeal - bigger than it is here at home - and I tried not to go if I didn't need to. 

Once I was back here at home, I had a few things to get done.  I was online quickly and had the television hooked back up and the antenna fixed completely.  There were 3 good days of reception before a massive storm hit and I lost that reception.  By Wednesday night, I my reception back again for good; just in time for Dr Who's new season tonight and the return of 'Supernatural'.  How cool is that?

This month, I bought a great vintage suitcase to put all my old stuff into.  I learned to cook a new vegetarian meal (which I've cooked again since I got home and it was even more delicious the second time around!).  And I have seen that my garden was up to a lot while I was away... flowering, long lawns and edges and it had been working hard to surprise me as it usually does when I'm not here.  

Before I got back, I was invited to make a speech at the Logan Arts Festival to help launch Ged Maybury's new book - 'Nosebleed'.  I said I would and started on the speech immediately.  And now I'm back, I went to Ged's birthday a few days later and he gave me his new book to read and I've finished it in a day.  And now all I need to do is get over this darned cold and finish the speech for 21st April (it should be gone by that time).  I can't wait to get in and do it at the Logan Arts Festival.

Well, that's all from me here.  It doesn't seem as though I've done a lot this month; but I have.  There was a lot of painting, reading, chicken minding and funny stuff done... as well a very original mosquito killing dance that I only of ... and a speech to get written too.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm/cool and remember, I'm always here.   

Easter Long Weekend

This weekend is the beginning of the school holidays and it's also the long weekend for Easter; the time for everyone to make themselves ill on chocolate on Sunday.  
However, seeing I don't work full-time or have paid employment, this is just like any other weekend; and that can get kinda boring.  So, I'm going to make sure I'm going to be very busy this weekend.  I have a suitcase to put vintage things into and part of a house to sort out.  

Yesterday, I got all the banking done and finished up my veggie shopping, went to the chiropractors and found that the skirt I bought at Life Line was most probably going to fit Aunty Helen.  Oh well, there went my plans to find a long denim skirt... which I've been looking for for years.  I've loved those things for a long time.
Anyway, I dropped a bag into the guy down the road from Mum and Dad's place to get the clips fixed on it and will pick it up next Wednesday.  He and I brainstormed ideas on how to fix the clips and came up with a great idea.  I'll show you guys next week.

I had bought my 'Good Reading' Magazine and found I got a letter published in it - and this means I get 3 free copies over the next few months.  Then, I went to get myself an ice coffee and found, when I pulled out my 'Gloria Jeans' card I was up for a free coffee. How cool is that?  I was stoked to have saved myself $4.00!  
I also found little bags to put some whole cloves into for the vintage suitcase to keep things out while it's storing things.  I'm hoping to store my Glo-mesh, some glasses and other little things so I can claim back some of my storage space in my duchess.  I know that sounds strange, but really I need it back as I feel as though some of my collections are taking over my bedroom; and this is why I bought that suitcase from Brighton.

Anyway, this weekend, I'm hoping to work on some writing of Fry Nelson and some vampire fiction, get some reading done, clean out the house a little, tidy up, do some painting and throw out some junk (as Mum took away all the bags next to the front door; and so I can start over again).  It sounds like a lot, and a little, but really it's just tidying up the house and vacuuming.  What are you up to over this weekend?  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm/cool and remember, I'm always here.     

Short Mid-Week Madness

It's Wednesday and it's also a shopping day.  I got away early so I could get home early too.  However, I found that when I arrived at the stores, footpaths were being dug up and drainage was being put in by the shopping centre management.  The bus driver also nearly went past my stop too; until I called out and asked him to stop.  

Well I'm relieved to say that I'm happy to be back at Logan Central Life Line where everything is at a reasonable price.  I found a gorgeous, long denim skirt - something I've been searching for a long time now.  It's a size too big, but I haven't seen a long denim skirt in such a long time; and have wanted one for years.  Now, to save up for cool, brown boots... they'll look good.
And while I was there, I found a box with 'Dusk' on it with a proper 'Dusk' item inside it which has never been unwrapped.  So, I had a good look at it and bought that too.  Now, it's all unwrapped and looking pretty... a candle sitting on blue stones in heatproof glass.  I'm happy with it... for $3.00, it was worthwhile.

While at Woolworths, I bought my Easter pressies for Mum and Dad and Gabe and Kat.  Then, I ran into Rachel Griffiths who used to live here at the unit complex.  She and her now former partner lived at unit 12 around 8 years ago, and now she's bought a house at Crestmead.  It was so good to run into her and catch up.  She's amazed that so much has changed, and yet it's still the same.  

I walked to Logan Central Plaza and found myself at True Hardware - well, not really.  The place had closed down because Bunnings had taken away all its customers; and it closed down over the last few weeks.  Bugger... I was going to go in and get some big garden stakes for out the front.  Oh well, I headed off to K-Mart and found some mahogany ones for $9.00 for 6.  Not bad.  
Then, I got on with my shopping.  Went to the chemist and on to Coles where I bought everything on my list on my iPod.  The good thing is that I found myself removing some things off the list and replacing them with other things I'd like to try out.  The good thing was that I didn't have to wait for long to get a cab home.  And the driver thought my antenna looked hilariously funny; and hoped it was fixed soon.

Anyway, that's me.  I got myself a new next door neighbour yesterday.  And right on sunset, the antenna was fixed by the guys who fixed it up last Friday morning before the storm.  It just needed pulling back up, clipping back into place and the u-bolts replacing as they had been ripped out by the wind.  The guys ended up wearing head-lamps and working as the sun went down.  I was happy.  Then my new neighbour came home and they checked her reception on her television to make sure hers was working well too.  

Tomorrow, I'm out all day because Friday is Good Friday... making this a short week.  Well, until next time take care, keep safe and warm/cool and remember, I'm always here.       

Autumn Is Here

Yes, I've found the days are short, yet hot; and the nights are warm but will cool down the later it becomes.  Autumn is here and I love it when the seasons change to the cooler months.  
And yes, another week has started too.  I've got all my laundry done, the wheelie bin is almost ready to be put out, I've attended my Craft Group this week and I have my shopping day this week too.  Then, on Thursday, there's my chiropractor to go and see as well.  This is one busy week and it's barely started.  There's also the antenna people to come and fix the destroyed antenna that Mother Nature tried to rip off my town house.  And the tree out the front of my unit complex behind some of the letterboxes has some long cracks down the trunk of it and along the upper-most large branches too, so it might have to be lopped - I'm not sure; we'll have to see what the Body Corporate says first.

Anyway, it's time to get back to my life here and hopefully finish fixing up and packing up my junk from my house to either give away to charities or throw in the bin.  I still have a few bags by the front door that need delivering to a charity; then I can get more done to toss out and tidy up.  But I'm going well.

Today, I went and got all my laundry done, hung out and finished before 10am.  In between loads, I checked the mail and found a parcel I had been expecting showed up for me.  It's a necklace Kellie Smith sent me of a necklace she designed and showed us all on Facebook.  It's just lovely; and I ended up wearing it home from the post office and hanging it up on my necklace holder immediately so I could use it when I wanted to.  Very cool.

For the rest of today, not sure what I'm up to.  There's still some cleaning up to get done, washing up and other things too.  So, until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm/cool and remember, I'm always here.     

Mother Nature's Rage

Today was horribly hot and sticky, so I stayed inside and didn't do much but hung about on the net with the air-conditioner going.  Not a bad deal, eh?

This arvo, after editing a Flash Fiction for 'Terrible Minds' blog challenge and posting it on one of my other blogs - then linking it to it - I jumped offline and went downstairs for something to eat.  I found it was horribly hot and didn't feel like anything much, so I prepared myself a platter of nibblies and settled in and watched the re-runs of 'Neighbours' on channel 11.  
By around 5pm, I had finished my meal-sized snack, had a shower and was channel surfing.  Then, I heard it... the first grumblings of a storm nearby.  The television was turned off, so was the booster, and then I rushed upstairs and unplugged the computer and the phone line into the modem.  Then, I cleared the storm drain and pulled down the candles to prepare for the worse and found my waterproof torch.
As I did all that, I looked outside and thunder rolled and lightning spat as the winds picked up! I had begun washing up and so I left that for a bit and went outside and pulled in my Gloxinia plant so it wouldn't get damaged and then closed the back door.  It was getting really hairy out there.
Two wheelie bins were knocked over, so I raced out there and picked them up, pulling them into my car port - as it wasn't too windy there - and then, I was upstairs closing the bathroom window and bedroom window when I heard a noise on my roof!  Something fell off my roof!  I had two things that could fall off:  my television antenna or the wirly-gig that was installed to keep the house cool.  So, I went downstairs to find out which it was and found my television antenna hanging down like a metal tree branch!  Damn, just when I got all that stuff fixed!  And I've only had 3 days of decent reception during the whole time I've had my new television! 
I smsed my folks and told them and then waited out the storm to make a phone call to them about what went on.

Not an hour after everything settled down, I heard a noise out the back... it was a young Magpie calling out.  I threw a towel over him and picked him up, felt his wings and all, and found he was okay... just separated from his family, that's all.  I tried calling the RSPCA and Wildlife Rescue, but both their numbers were really busy.  So, I called my folks again and they told me to leave him alone... I wish I didn't have to, but he wasn't injured just lost.  Poor little guy.  I hope he finds his way home.  Well, it's now just raining.
Tomorrow is my craft day and I'm supposed to be going out.  But if Mr Antenna comes out, I'll have to put that off until next week.  I hope my followers who live in Brisbane haven't had any damage from the storm tonight.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm/cool and remember, I'm always here.      

Big Saturday, Relaxing Sunday

Wow!  What a week!  I had a week that was like a Tardis... sersiously... it appeared to be just 7 days long, but I fitted so much more into it than I normally would; and it felt as though it lasted longer than my normal week.

I came home on Thursday from Brighton where there were cheeky chickens and fresh eggs and mosquitoes were big blood-suckers that followed me around at dawn and dusk.  I hated them... and the mozzie repellent didn't work.  I had to pick up my television from Eagle Farm with my Mum and Dad and we had to cross the Gateway Bridge twice to get the tv back and other time to get home!  And once home, my tv still didn't work - but we knew why.  It was the antenna, not the tv.

On Friday, I went to Garden City nice and early to do some banking and to buy some food.  It was also the day the antenna guys came out to fix my television.  I wasn't home, but Dad went on my behalf.  And by the time I arrived home on the next bus, they had been and gone and Dad was just locking up.  We tried out the television and it worked!  Yay!  I was happy, so was Dad.

Then, yesterday, I was invited out to Ged Maybury's birthday lunch at his place.  He's an author and wonderful friend of mine who I've known for around 20 years, and lost touch with until I found him on Facebook.  We've been chatting and swapping ideas a lot lately and he asked me give the speech to launch his new book at the Logan Art's Festival next month.  So, yesterday, I was at his house to help celebrate his birthday and he gave his new book to read.  And during Earth Hour last night, I got halfway through it... yeah, it's  thin book, but it's also a funny one.  I finished it before going to bed last night.  

Today, I woke up to my alarm and didn't want to get out of bed.  I have been getting up early for the last 4 days, to run around, to get things done... to be on the go... and I just wanted to sleep in today.  And I did.  I didn't get up and started breakfast until 8am; and it felt good to just laze around for a while.  
This afternoon, I have to get in and work on getting my house tidied up again. I've still got stuff everywhere from unpacking.  The vintage suitcase I bought from Electea is still sitting by the wardrobe doors waiting to be used, and yet I've finally hung my necklace-holder and am using it and the lawn has been mowed too.  So, I guess I've gotten a few things done, but not all things.  

However, this week will be a busy one too.  I'll be going to my Craft Group tomorrow afternoon, then on Wednesday it's a shopping day back here in Logan City (thank goodness).  Then on Thursday, I have to go to the Chiropractors to see how my back is doing.  I haven't had any twinges lately and so I'm hoping I don't have to get it looked at too much.  Otherwise, this week is going to be a very busy week before it even starts.  How is your week shaping up?  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm/cool and remember, I'm always here.