Monday, December 29, 2014

All Seasons

This morning, I awoke to sun and the promise of a warm day.  Within two hours, it was pouring rain and miserable, and Dad had gone out fishing.  I prepared myself to go out shopping at Ocean Shores for some art gear at the cheapie store.  While I was over there, I picked up some stuff for us all - why not?  We needed some food and milk.

Then, I was back here, dropped the stuff off and I had to wing it and get my car into a nice little parking spot... if I could find one.  Anyway, I've been here for hours just kicking back and enjoying the day.

While I was here, I sat outside on one of the seats and found I had a wet bum!  Well, while you're laughing at me, I'll explain:  I had pulled one of the seats off the pile out on the fly, from under the cover, and the spongy cushion was dry to touch, but wet in the middle.  Yeah, I put a towel on it, and it got wet right through... so did my denim skirt and my underwear.  Oh, joy!  I had to get changed the put my nice clean skirt out on the clothes rack in the sun to dry.
While it dried, I wrote some poetry, did some drawings in my Writer's & Artist's Journal and just enjoyed the hours to myself doing what I loved... which is pretty much nothing at all but watching the day go by.
I've been enjoying my Christmas presents of a new phone and an artist's journal of Frida Kahlo's - the latter I ordered off Amazon and I had bought for myself for Christmas.  It's been a great time for me this year... this time around.  I've totally enjoyed myself because I have a car this time and I can just get in it and go anywhere I like.

It's getting on a bit and Mum and Dad have been away at their friend's house for some time now.  But I think I'll get some takeaway tonight.  It'll be nice not having to cook... but then, I might not.  I bought mushrooms, potatoes and pumpkin...hmmmm, I see the use of the bbq's at the camp kitchen coming back into my night for my dinner.  Yep, it ought to taste good too if I can find some garlic! Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

The Pitter Patter of Rain

Here I am at Brunswick Heads and it's pouring rain.  Yep, raining like cats and dogs... everyone's walking around in the poodles.  Okay, bad joke time.  That's how boring it is here; cold and boring.

I arrived here by Little Green Machine yesterday morning and within about an hour or so, it began to really pour rain.  How's that for timing?  Great, eh?  Yeah, wonderful.

Oh well, at least I have some great reading to get done - that is if I don't get it all done within the first few days of being here, hehe.  

But I am hoping to get my butt to Mullumbimby and up to the Tweed River Art Gallery (again).  It'll be good to see that place at my own pace.  I also want to get in and look around the markets here too next Saturday.  So, no matter what the weather, I'll be going somewhere in my little green car.  

However, last night, I cooked a lovely dinner of pumpkin and carrot soup for Mum and Dad at the camp kitchen.  And this morning I tried to cook pancakes... but I burnt most of them.  Oh well, can't win them all.  I'm just not accustomed to the electric elements and heavy-based pan I was using... live and learn I guess.  

Today, I'll be checking on my car to see how it's going in the rain.  Then, I'm hoping to get myself to the shops at Ocean Shores to pick up some art gear at the cheap store over there as I forgot to bring along my sketch book and pencils.  

So, what do you love doing on a rainy day?  Normally I enjoy reading and writing and listening to music.  However, if I'm down the coast, staying in a caravan, things are a little different.  And with the world being so tech-savvy, it's easy to keep yourself occupied.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

To Be A Woman

It's pathetic you know... how much more us women pay for things.  I know this has been covered in the media, on Facebook and on every type of media device possible.

However, I spotted a major difference today.

I was out looking for new thongs - aka: flip-flops - to use on holidays.  I found some (Ha! Some!  There were 3 aisles at K-Mart!) around where I lived and took a look.  The lady's pairs were all pretty with flowers, jewels and cartoons on them and came in a huge variety of sizes and colours.  They were all $8.00 a pair no matter what they were made of; but they were really crappy and made from terrible materials.
The men's thongs were very cool.  They had wicked colours, pictures of people surfing, people at the beach, had 'Billabong' on them and 'Star Wars', 'Star Trek' and other wickedly cool stuff the typical nerd loves... and they were around $6.00 each.  Then, I found pairs of the Aussie Flag in the men's department and they were only $3.50 for any size.  So, I grabbed a pair of those and tried those on; finding I fitted into a size 6.  They were nice, thick-soled and comfy... the lady's ones I had chosen were pretty, had a jewel on them, and were made from thin synthetic soles... I bought both.  One pair to wear because they were nice and pretty (yeah, it's the fashion victim in me) and the other to wear on holidays to the toilets and showers (after all, who need athlete's foot?).  I mean, what to manufacturers think that us women do in caravan parks?  Do we walk into the showers with our slippers on and think we're going to let our feet get all grundgy and disgusting while the men are going to wear their cool, $3 - $6 thongs on their feet that last a lifetime?  Women aren't all about what pretty things to put on our feet... we are also making sure we don't get disgusting crap growing on our feet we really don't want to catch at the public toilets.

And why does it cost so bloody much more for us women to buy clothes and get hair cuts than it does for a man?  Okay, we wear make-up, but then, that's added on.  Men get paid more and climb the corporate ladder faster than a woman does - and what is with that? Men are treated better, taken more seriously by others, and when a woman asks for help, they are treated like idiots.  Does it make them feel superior?  Does it offer them some kind of comfort that they have attempted to pull a woman down while standing over them?  Do they forget that their mother was a woman who brought them up?  

But the one thing I do find about being a woman in this time and age - which hasn't changed - is that we still get treated terribly by politicians, by the workplace and by magazines and the media.  We are still expected to make ourselves beautiful for men, make ourselves sex symbols and are still expected to not only go out to work, but also come home and hold the fort here as well while our men flop down into the Easy-chair and complain they're tired.  We are expected to get in and work harder to get the laundry done, do the cooking, cleaning, pick up the kids from school and do the shopping and then perform our 'duties' in the bedroom too... yeah, sure!

Being a woman is not only more expensive, more exhausting, still sexist and demoralising, but nothing has changed about our treatment over the last three or four generations.  We are still chained to the kitchen sink, we are still doing the shopping, we are still the ones who do all the things around the house, while the men do everything around the yard and 'The Man Cave'... I wonder if it will ever change?

Monday, December 22, 2014

This Week...

This week which is the busiest for a lot of us. Christmas is on its way and there's presents to buy, food to make, people to accommodate for and roads to safely drive along... and I really mean it on that last one.

This week is filled with public holidays.  It's gonna be a hot one for Aussie and anyone in the Southern Hemisphere and a challenge for us to stay cool; and vise versa in the Northern Hemisphere.  However, Christmas is Christmas for everyone, everywhere... no matter who you.  Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, it's still going to be public holidays out there.

This week, I've gotta get a lot done.  But today, I got more done than I expected.  There was the mail checked, the banking done, money taken out, money put across, money, money, money... yep it makes this damned world go round don't it?  

It sure does!

But we need it to get things done.  And done I got the needed things worked on.

Tomorrow is another busy day of me doing what's needed for my place.  This includes packing most of my gear, washing the car, cleaning up the house as much as I can and making sure I have everything all sorted out to go by the end of the week.  
Then, I have to make a dip for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  No probs... it won't take long.  And then, before I know it, those days will be here... rushing, hurrying us along like a fast-running river, making us, taking us along on the hot sunny days of the Orgy of Greed (aka: Christmas Day) and I'll be there taking it all in... enjoying myself with family.

Yes... life will be slowing down once I have a few days off.  A few days... yeah... to enjoy the sun, the salt air and kicking back and reading books and writing a little.  And maybe to go out and do some driving around Lismore and Mullumbimby.  Now, that'd be wonderful to do before I get home.  

So, what are you plans over this time of year?  Anything fun?  Anything interesting?  Or are you just kicking back and watching the days travel and cruise by with a few drinks and family close to you?  Until my next post, take care on the roads, stay safe out there and Merry Christmas to you all... I'll be doing another post or two before the New Year.... and as usual, I'm always here.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

A Week Away...

It's only a week until Christmas Eve and I've finally got all my shopping finished.  I'm not going anywhere near a shopping centre again if I can help it.  No way in hell is my car going to be caught in the hubbub of traffic of a K-Mart of Coles... ever again until the New Year.

I know that sounds silly, but really I don't want to be amongst the crowds; as I hate them with a passion.  

For example, today while I was doing my grocery shopping... the kids were unbelievably dumb.  They just wandered around in a stupor while their parents kept telling them to get out of the way of other people's trolleys.  I felt like running over them just to show that I really was in a hurry to get home... but no, the kids looked half-stoned and kept saying, 'What?  Oh... yeah... okay, Mum.'  then they still stood there in front of me while I asked them to move again and they'd just glare at me.  After that, their Mum would grab them and yank them out of the way apologising to me saying that their kid normally knows better than to just stand there in the middle of the damned aisle.  

Yep, nearly every kid at the shops was like that... I don't know what it is.  Once their out of school, kids' brains just turn into mush when they're not learning something or in front of the computer?  It's beyond me.

Anyway, I got in and worked on my grocery list... and it wasn't a big shop this time; seeing it was going to be a half-shop for the holidays.  I also bought some Christmas presents while I was out too.  I ended up looking at some dvds at Woodys' and the girl there handed me a Christmas Card, saying the team really wanted me to know they appreciated me sticking with them after the store closed.  I said it was horrible when it did close, but still they have to keep going any way they can.

Well, today, I checked the mail and found I had received 4 Christmas cards and a parcel from Amazon!  Yay!  My book about Frida Kahlo had arrived.  But the good thing about my order is that I had asked them to wrap it for me so I didn't wreck the surprise for myself.  So, I signed the card 'from The Christmas Book Fairy' and put it under the tree.  Not a bad thing to buy presents for Christmas for yourself, is it? Nah, I didn't think so.

I also bought a few things for the bathroom for when I was away.  You see, last year, the toilets got some awful water stains in them which took me months to get rid of.  So, this time around, I'm going to make sure they stay clean while I'm away.  I know it's a gross thing to talk about on a blog, but it was a really annoying thing to have something like this happen after you've been on holidays.  So, I'm covering all my bases with it this time around (and I still don't know what the heck happened for the stain to happen either).

Anyway, I'm sitting here in the home office with the air conditioner going and still sweating it out... I reckon it's going to be a very hot and sticky Christmas - without a doubt.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember I'm always here.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Not Long Now.

We have about two weeks until Christmas and I'm looking around my place and finding gifts which still need completing and wrapping... yeah, I'm hand-making some this year to save money.

I've also come down with the worse sinus ever...I know it's sinus because when I'm here at home, my nose runs like a tap, but when I leave the house, it stops.  So, it's the dust around the place which is causing my problems.  I've been doing some major cleaning to remedy this problem today and the other day too.  Now, I'm feeling better.

This week, I'll be doing a quarter shop for groceries.  I know that sounds weird, but I will.  There's things I won't need until I return from the coast.  So, I don't see the point in buying up big if I'm not going to eat much of it.  So, I'm doing a small shop and making sure I have enough non-perishables and then take a few things down the coast with me that I want to have, then come home and know I'll have some things to eat in my house.  I've always done this with my house when I'm on holidays; and it works out the best.

Now, I've been tidying up the house, cleaning it up, so I can take off and make sure I come home to a lovely clean home... let's hope that works out.  However the garden won't be so easy... it'll be something I'll be hoping to get into order when I return.  The grass has been growing so much since the rains have returned - not to mention the storms.  And I'm hoping that my Large Leaf Jade puts off more straggling bits for me to plant and I can sell them soon... it'll be a sideline for me to show at the markets, for people to buy.  I hope to have enough to sell by June next year, then I'll start again.

Anyway, I've gotta go soon.  I have some books to organise for my holiday reading.  Yep, in My Reading List, there's the Summer Fun Even 2014 I've begun again.  It ought to be great.  And seeing I have a car now, I'll be driving around around the Northern Rivers area looking at bookstores and places, taking photos of those places for you to all see... not a bad idea for a nice little road trip.  You know, a day out with my Little Green Machine and the GPS... yeah, sounds great.  Well, until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Friday, December 12, 2014

It's A Friday!

That's right!  Friday, and school holidays are under way too.  It's pouring rain - at long last - and I've got house work to catch up on too.  Yeah, I've been lazy in that area of my life.

I've tried to keep the kitchen tidy, but just can't be bothered to keep on washing up... so plates are piled up on the sink.  And then, there's the laundry to be put away, which I get half done, and give up on. 

Truthfully, it's my attention span that's the problem.  But I have read two books, begun a painting, almost finished some Christmas presents and posted off two Christmas cards for an online exchange and sent off a 3kg bookbag.  So, I've been busy in other ways.

Also, this week, I've had a flat tyre on the car, been to Mum and Dad's place to help with the Christmas Tree, hung out with a friend of mine on Monday and also went to my Craft Group's last gathering.  Otherwise, we've been getting one storm after another, and then rainy days which are more challenging than we think seeing it's normally the time when we all love to get in and do our laundry early in the mornings.  However, with all the rain about, it's difficult to do that.

Not that I'm complaining about it - we really do need it after all the heat and dry we've had.

Tomorrow, I'm off to a writer's group in the morning and my volunteer work in the afternoon.  It's a full day out.  So, I'm hoping to stay home here and just chill out, getting the work that needs to be done finished up... so I'll be good and rested for tomorrow.  Plus if the weather holds out well, it'll be a good day for the markets at the gallery.  I've also gotten myself almost ready for Christmas... almost... you know, there's those gifts that are to be finished off over the weekend, varnished and wrapped, then it's all done!  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Big Storms and Flat Tyres

We've had storms almost every day for the last week... either that or rain at some point in the day or night.  This has been going on for the last week or so - well, since the huge storm that hit Brisbane almost a fortnight ago... and this place is looking so much greener and better than before.

However, on Monday, I was stuck at a friend's house while an afternoon storm grumbled around us and I got to drive home in the rain afterwards.  It wasn't all that bad; I don't mind driving in the rain, but it does mean I have to be more cautious as the roads are slicker and traction is harder to obtain.

Well, last night, we had a line of storms come through Brisbane again - and they weren't bad for us, but they were down the coast.  So, I turned off the television and listened to my audio book for a few hours while I worked on a painting.  Actually I knocked over about 6 chapters of the darned thing!  And what a great part of it I was listening to!  However, by the time I looked at the time, it was going onto 11pm and I had to stop as I was getting tired.

Anyway, before I sat down the listen to it, I looked out my side door to check on the car - to see if I needed to move it or not to keep it away from anything harmful - when I noticed the back left tyre was flat.  Now, exactly when did that happen?  So, I moved it forward and opened up the back to pull out the spare and the jack and tools the change it.  All the while, it poured rain around the carport.  The tyre came out just fine... easy actually.  Then, came the jack - which was a no way in hell was it ever going to move kind of thing.  Yep, it was stuck!  So, I closed up the car, locked the door of my house and went to my neighbours to see if I could borrow their jack.  Rickie asked when I last changed a tyre... well, around 20 years ago, and he offered to change it for me.  It took a while, but he managed to get my jack out of the tight spot it was jammed into.  And yet, we couldn't get the jack out of its bag and there wasn't a tyre iron anywhere... jeez.  We wondered exactly what happened to it!
Well, they used their jack and tyre iron and everything was taken car of in no time flat.  Vanessa and I chatted about it, then I noticed the spare was low... and checked it.  It was very low.  Not good.

So, today, on the way to Bob Jane T-Marts, I stopped off at a service station and filled the spare I was using with air and then went on my way.  You know something?  Getting the tyre fixed didn't cost me all that much... only $30.  That's good if you ask me.  Well, I wasn't put out by much today either.

Once it was done, I got to get in and do all my other stuff too.  I was off to K-Mart at Logan Central, where I processed some lovely photos of flowers in my garden, put them into some cards, addressed them to post them off to Europe on the way home.  Then, I went to a bookstore near the cafe (where I addressed the cards) where found 3 books I liked and bought them for $10.  Not bad really... they are nice books.  Then, once I was ready to go, I was off to the post office on the way home to check the mail and post off the Christmas cards.  

Now, I'm home.  It's bin day and they've been collected and I've pulled in my bin and my neighbour's bin too.  And I have the air-conditioner on in the office... and I think we're in for another storm too.  Well, it'll give me more time to read more of my book again.  Very cool!  I'm up to a great part in it.  Well, until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Quiet Tuesday... Before... Well....

Yep, today is my day off to rest and take it easy around the house before I have the rest of the week being busy around the place.  Some weeks are just like that aren't they?

Okay, I got the Christmas Shopping all done and finished - which I'm very happy about - and everything is wrapped up and ready to be given to all my family (well, most of it).  However the house is a mess.  So, I have to get in and clean it up a bit.

That's today's mission... to get the place back into the good working order way of things.

So far, I've mowed the lawn and made it look good for the next week or so.  The laundry got mostly done and I'm looking forward to getting the kitchen tidy - well, kind of.  Otherwise, I'm going well with everything else.  I know that sounds strange that my house is a mess and yet I think life is going okay.

But today I'm hoping to just rest a little after the weekend of busy-ness.  It's caught up with me well and truly and I don't want to go anywhere unless I need to.  

Tomorrow, I'll be out getting photos done up for Christmas cards to post off on the way home.  And I'll also be buying a 3kg Express Post bag to pack for Thursday to post off to Victoria.  I'll be doing that on the way to my folks' house to put up their tree and wait there on a parcel to show up for the day... and while I'm out tomorrow, I'll also buy some cheap mince to make up for the birds at their place and freeze.  Then, I'll see what I can do about the piece of work I've been meaning to look at for the last two weeks - but haven't touched seeing how much rain we've had.

That is if it's not pouring rain too much.

Anyway, this weekend is another full one.  I don't know what I'll be doing on Sunday - but Saturday is chock filled with outings all day until the sun goes down.  

Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for me... as well as other times when I'm off to the markets as a retailer.  However, as the markets come to a close, Christmas Parties and getting together with friends and family always replace my other commitments.  How about you?  Does December fill up quickly too?  Do you always catch up with friends around this time of year just before school holidays?  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Big Monday

Today was a good day.  It was also a day for me to go out all day too.  I went to my Craft Day for the last time until next year... it was time to give our Secret Santa people their gifts.  So, this was the one time of the year where I got all dressed up and took along cake to the gathering in the afternoon.  I also took along the big gorgeous tie cushion I had worked on for four months this year... it has been sitting in my office since October.

Anyway, I arrived early to help set up and parked close to the building - so I didn't drop anything.  And I got inside, put the Christmas Tree Cake on the table after I put my stuff down and put the cushion on the gift table.  Two of the ladies were there already and they were amazed at the size and how many ties were on it... and how gorgeous it was!  

And there were so many people who looked at it (as it wasn't wrapped in anything because - well, I didn't have enough wrapping paper for it), and they all wanted it!  
Well, we all got stuck into the food and drinks and had a great time chatting and laughing - as you do at Christmas Parties - and then it was time to give out the pressies.  This was done quickly and we all waited until they were all handed out before we unwrapped them at once!  Well!  Bernie (the lady who I made the cushion for) loved her gift.  She said the variety of ties was amazing on it, and she'd never get tired of it - and if she ever did, she'd only have to turn it over!  She loved it that she could replace the stuffing as there was a zip at the top!  I said that all the ties came from second-hand charity stores and she couldn't believe they were in such great condition and so pretty!  

My cushion was a little Christmas-themed one from Ann Palmer.  Ann is a lady I sit with at my table and she made the most gorgeous little cushion for me!  I love it.  It's so festive and I can put it with my other Christmas things when it comes to packing them all away.  Very cool!  
Nell gave Ann, Nola and me hand-made gifts too; even though she didn't take part in the Secret Santa thing.  She did this for me last year too.  

But too soon, we looked outside and saw the day was looking strange and stormy.  So, I left at around 2pm to see if I could beat the storm home.  However, I decided not to go home.  I went to a friend's house to visit him... I went to Doug Cartwright's place.  I had tried to call him, and found his phone disconnected.  Anyway, I just dropped by and he was pleased to see me.
We got chatting and we caught up with a lot of things about life, about his late partner, Peter, and how things have turned out for him.  He revealed to me that people think he's crazy or changed.  He told me why people think this (and I'm not about to say why, it's personal) and I can understand why he's change so much - as I've been through this kind of thing too.  Well we chatted, picked up his boarder's daughter and her friend from school, where some bleach blonde forty-something year old Mum cut me off from getting out of a car spot just to get to the same gate as I at the same time (damned idiot).  I called her a bitch when she said no to me, and her mouth dropped (exactly what did she expect me to do?  Cry?).  Well, we returned to Doug's place and kept talking with his boarder's daughter hanging around while she ignored her guest from school.  Doug and I were trying to talk about personal things and other stuff we wanted to catch up on.  While I was there, the afternoon storm hit and I asked if it was okay for me to hang out until the storm had passed - and he said yeah it would be the best idea.  

Before long, it was 5pm and time for me to go home.  Doug hadn't planned anything for dinner - and didn't have anything much in the way of food until shopping the next day.  So, I invited the two around for dinner at my place, where I made a salad with sour cream, fruit and bread too.  Then, we had a cup of tea - and milo for our youngster - and chatted until they called up his boarder and found he had arrived closer to home and he could pick them up on the way through.  I walked them to the gate and Doug said I was welcome to his place anytime... so did his boarder.

It was a long day for me; a very long day.  But it was a good day.  I enjoyed being out all day and having all this fun.  Tomorrow, I don't know what I'll get up to.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Busy Weekend!

Woah... what a weekend I've had; and it started on Friday for me and has only slowed down this arvo.  

I was supposed to put up my Christmas Tree on Friday, but I received a reminder phone call that I had signed up for a Hebel Sculpture workshop that afternoon... so there went that plan.  Anyway, after I got stung by a black mud wasp, I wasn't all that interested in irritating my bite too much.
So, I went and enjoyed myself.  I made a great piece all about my past... it looks great!  It's called 'Bittersweet Tears'.  It doesn't look perfect, but to me it's finished.  And I also made a second piece from the corner I cut off; very cool... I'll be putting that around the house when I get the jewels glued in.
I ran into Doug Cartright and we chatted at the front desk.  I haven't seen him in a long time and he's lost a lot of weight... and he invited me to his place for a visit.  I'll go and see him on Tuesday; as his partner, Peter, passed away last year (I didn't know until recently) and he's really feeling the loss greatly.

But earlier than we'd usually do, we had to pack up as a storm threatened to close in on us.  So, I took photos of my piece - and others - and wrapped it up and took it home.  That night, we got a lot of rain, a bit of thunder and lightning but that was it... and I was very tired.

On Saturday morning, I was up bright and early to get back to the Logan Art Gallery for the Volunteer's Morning Tea.  This is where we were given our Christmas presents and certificates and badges (if we were supposed to get them).  Last year, my 15 year badge was forgotten as they thought I hadn't been there for as long as I have.  This year, they made sure I got it - in my 16th year of service.  I received a lovely certificate and a gorgeous painting card.  I loved it!  Now, there's only 4 years to go until I've been there for 20 years and I get my 20 year badge and certificate.  After that?  I'm not sure... might stick around and see what goes on.
However, I ran into our old curator - Annette - and she had heard I was going to see Doug.  She discouraged me from seeing him alone, saying he wasn't in his right mind.  I don't think she realises that I'll be okay; that he's grieving and I know what's happened.  I said would take on board what she's told me, but still I'll go and see him.  He wanted to tell me something; and I want to know what it was.

Today, I was up before my alarms went off... I did try to sleep in a bit, but it was impossible with the day heating up quickly.  So, I was up and off to get the paper at around 8am.  Before I knew it, Geoff Treagus was here to have some pancakes with me and I sat for him to do a sketch on a canvas for me to paint.  He thought my pancakes were delicious and the coffee was too strong (oops on my part, I didn't read the packet... oh well, know better next time).  Well, I'm now kicking back and catching up with what online.  I'm hoping to get my butt into painting and reading again over the holidays.  How has your weekend been?  Busy?  Slow?  Or just the same stuff going on?  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Boy! Shopping Took All Day!

Normally, my grocery shopping takes me about 3 hours and I'm home for the afternoon, exhausted and ready to chill out on the net for a few hours.

But yesterday was a messed-up day of the total opposite. 


I decided to wash my hair in the morning as the night before was muggy and hot.  So, as I was drying my ears with a tissue, I felt the wax in my ear move and lodge against my ear drum!  Oh, yuk!  I had to make a doctor's appointment to get it looked at.  I spent a good part of the morning hanging around at Mum and Dad's house waiting for the right time to get to the doctors.

When I did arrive at around 11am, I ran in to Maria Koppenol - my cousin's wife - who had brought in her youngest because she wasn't feeling well.  So, we sat and chatted for a bit before her doctor called her in and then I was called in to have the nurse look at my ear.  Sure enough she had syringe my left ear (yeah I've had this done before a few times due to wax blocking it up - feels weird, but is better than being deaf in that ear).  
Well afterwards, Maria and I caught up for about half an hour chatting about everything.  We seem to catch up on a lot of things at this time of year when her kids go on school holidays as we run into each other around the shopping centres.  It's always lovely to talk to her as we get along well.

By the time I looked at my watch, it was almost midday, and I hadn't done a scratch of shopping.  So, I was off to Woodridge to get my groceries.  I had already posted off the Ornament Exchange to Germany and posted off my Christmas Cards to my friends and family... and now I had to get my groceries.  It didn't take long and I made sure I had everything too... but I couldn't find my Nivea soap; strange thing that.  

So, I went to the chemist - had to go there to get my Biotene toothpaste; which I did.  I looked around for Nivea soap, but couldn't find it.  So, I left to go to K-Mart to see if they sold it.  I was standing at the Woodys' Kiosk, looking at the dvds there, turned to see if I had my purse with me to get some money out, when I had walked out of the chemist with the toothpaste without paying for it!  Crap!  So, I turned my trolley around and raced back to the chemist where I admitted to them I hadn't paid, saying that I would feel horrible if I hadn't returned to do so.  They were very forgiving about it.

Well, I did go to K-Mart, but they didn't stock Nivea soap either.


So, I went off home, where I unpacked my stuff and settled in on the net with an ice coffee... my day was done for me.  Then the phone rang and Mum was calling to let me know that a parcel I had found the coupon to on their front door had been delivered to their centre at Loganholme and could I pick it up from there?  


Well, okay... so I packed up myself again, grabbed the GPS - because I had no clue where this place was - and was off, again!  

The GPS took me the long way around to this place and I found it in an industrial estate.   When I walked through the door, it looked abandoned... as though the place had just packed up and vacated the building.  Not a good look if you ask me - I even muttered: 'This doesn't look good.'  I looked into the warehouse and it also looked abandoned... creepy as hell, I'm tellin' ya.  I went back into the office and called out and a man walked in from another room.  I told him the place looked like it was abandoned and he said he knew it didn't look nice, but it's how it looks.  I said I nearly went home before he walked in, and he realised that they really had to do something about the decor; and I did say the place doesn't look like it's being used at all.  He took note of that as I signed for my Mum's parcel and he happily said for me to have a nice day.

My day ended at around 3pm when I finally slumped into my office chair here at home and surfed the net for about an hour... before I knew it, I had to look into what I wanted for dinner... Jeez!  My day just didn't end.

Today, I was out the door at around 10am after Vivienne Treagus called me and asked what I was doing after lunch today.  I said nothing much - as I looked around my somewhat messy home - and she said she'd love to come and visit with little Zoe, who's turning 2 tomorrow!  

Well, I cleaned up half the house before I left to go to Garden City.  It was the lounge room I did first, as it's the easiest part.  Then, I was out the door with my Harrod's Bag in hand to carry everything home.  At this time of year, I get myself into doing the Christmas Shopping in one day, over about 3 hours.  Yep, it only takes me that long to get it all done because of my gifts are home made... hand-made too.  This is something I've been doing for years.  By 4th, December, I have my Christmas Shopping and Christmas Cards all done.  Before the second week in December, I have my tree up and house decorated and home stocked with food and everything I need for the Silly Season, so I don't have to go anywhere to get anything - unless it's necessary.

Yes, I'm that organised around this time of year.

It only took me about an hour and a half to get 2 calendars (with a cute little bear for $5.00), my Gloria Jean's Christmas Mug, 2 prescriptions, two music books and a toothbrush holder to replace my old one and more Nivea Soap (which I ended up finding at Woolworths).  I also sat down and had a lovely ice coffee at Gloria Jeans.

Then, I had to walk all the way back to the other end of Garden City to get back to my car... what a morning!
I arrived home and had to clean up the rest of the house, dining and kitchen for Viv and Zoe's visit this arvo.  Now, I'm just kicking back chilling out with an ice coffee until they arrive.  Well, that's my two days for you.  I'm giving Zoe the bear I bought with the calendars as her birthday present (she'll love it).  She'll be able to him back to Tassie with her, he's so cute.  Well, Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here. 

Monday, December 1, 2014

Woah! Christmas Already???

It's that time of year already!  The carols are playing in very store, Santa is being spotted chatting to children... and it's also time to depart with any recipes we have online.  For me it's my Christmas Cake... 

Ingredients:

1 cup of self-raising flour
1 packet each of dried Cranberries and Blueberries
3 egg whites
1 cup of mashed pumpkin
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon of bi-carb soda
sprinkle of mixed spice

Method:

Preheat oven 180 degrees Celsius.  Place the fruit, sugar, spice and water in a saucepan and boil for 3 minutes.  Stir in the bi-carb soda (it'll fizz, don't worry, it's supposed to).  Boil or microwave the pumpkin and then mash it and let it cool down completely.  
Mix the pumpkin and the fruit together, stir in the egg whites well.  Fold in the flour.  Pour mixture into 19cm (8 inch) round tin coated with butter/cooking spray and bake approximately for 1 hour.

This mixture can be halved into two Christmas Tree moulds to make it more festive... yay!

Very yummy cake - and very much one which you'd love more than one piece of.