This Week

In the past week, my next door neighbours moved out and the place is quiet. However, the people two doors down are new and quite noisy... and it's not just me who has noticed this. Our caretaker doesn't like them a bit.

Then, I've been caring for the back yard - mowing it, and making sure it's healthy. And seeing it's coming into Winter, it's well and truly slowing down to the point that next month, I'll be able to do some serious work on it. I'm making sure I don't spend too much money on things I don't need - and I so I'm staying home to save that money. 
I do need a new, larger pot, more potting mix and maybe a few other pots for some other plants I have to create for the garden... just until next year.

I've been knitting recycled yarn from op-shops into beanies and tea-cosies. But I'm not making them for just anyone, these are hopefully going to be for the Pop-Up Store for the Logan Art Gallery this year. I have to talk to Jillian and ask if I can still be in the store this year. 

I'm still declutter (as you can see on 'A Work In Progress' Blog) and I'm getting really good at just giving away what I don't need anymore. Yep, I'm very good at doing this now. And like anyone, I do have my drawbacks on what I want to keep and what I don't. I guess nobody's perfect. 

Well, that's about it really. I hope this Winter is nice and cold - for once - and we do get some good chilliness this year for the sub-tropics. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

It's Almost Winter

Okay... I haven't written much, but then, it's because I've been so busy lately. But really, that's no excuse is it?

Nope.

Well, since the beginning of this year, I've been raising money for the Leukaemia Foundation and organising the Logan Artists Association to get in and help me raise the money to get my head shaved. To date, I've raised over $900! What a great lot of money to raise for a worthy cause!

I've been saving up money for personal needs around the house - like a new vacuum cleaner. My old one - a Black'n'Decker - died a few months back, and so I found one at Godfrey's and thought to save up for it. As fate would have it, Mum hurt herself, and I helped her with the ironing and she paid me for it while I was saving up some of my pension and - before I knew it - I had enough money to get myself this new vacuum cleaner: The Titan 2000. And what a cool little clean it is! It's a bagless, low noise vacuum and it pulled out so much crap out of my carpet, I couldn't believe how much dirt came out of my house!

This has caused me to put away more things, throw out more and organise my place better - all because I got in and vacuumed. How weird is that?

I've also been just throwing things into the new Donation Box by the garage door. It's big, purple and plastic - unlike the cardboard box which looked like it was falling apart. So, I've just been going through my house and tossing things into this bigger box and making decisions about what I need here and what I don't. 
Recently I threw everything from the living room floor into the Donation Box - to clean up the living room - and today I went through it and threw out three-quarters of the stuff in there in the bin; mainly because it's just newspapers and rubbish. The rest of it is donation/charity stuff.

The garden is looking good. It still needs a few things to complete it - like a few pavers and I need to buy some bags of Brunnings garden soil too. Otherwise, it's going well. Maintaining it hasn't cost me too much. I'm happy with it. I've also gotten rid of the Matchstick Tree and the Firestick Tree - mainly because they've taken over the garden and they're highly poisonous. I've also given away my fairy lights to a friend (who gets more sunlight in Winter than I do) and they would look better in her garden. I'm going to opt for the little solar spot lights instead... but I'm getting them when Spring comes around.

I've been also working hard on deciphering my late-Grandfather's diaries. It's not an easy task, seeing how many there are, but it's been a real education on what he did when he was young, how hard he worked and how he really loved Grandma; and what kind of life he led out at Cecil Plains, Allora, Warwick and Toowoomba. What a life my Grandparents led out there. I'm really glad to be doing this. And I'm not doing this just for myself - I'm working together with Mum to get these published for the family to each have a copy.

Well, that's what's been happening lately... along with my hair being donated for wigs this year. Yep, it was long enough! I hope to be writing more soon. Until my next post, take care, stay safe, and remember, I'm always here.

It's May

I'm sorry I haven't posted much. But I've been really not dealing all that well with life lately.

And it's coming up to a year since my dear friend, Hannah, passed away, and it's feeling all fresh again. I hate how I'm feeling but I really am trying to live a better life - as she asked me to before she died last year.

It's been difficult. 

I am writing to her Mum, because nobody else is. And yesterday, I sent her a Mother's Day card. You see, when I visited in 1997, she became more of Mum to me than anyone over in the UK than anyone I visited. Aunt Ethel acted like a strict Grandmother, The Berry's had their own marital problems (and they shone through their happy family charade). And so, when it came to Sue Northedge, I was treated like a daughter in so many ways, she became my Overseas Mum - and I became her Overseas Daughter. 

When Hannah died, I wrote to Sue and told her that I remember she told me that all those years ago; and then I called her and she told me that she hoped I remembered that too. And she's so pleased that I want to keep in touch; as none of Hannah's friends are really talking to her right now. It's really because nobody knows what to say when it's a suicide. And in truth, I don't know what to say either, but at least I'm trying. 

And thus: the Mother's Day Card. She is still a Mum no matter what; whether Hannah is here or not. And Sue has a son too. 

I'm also working on a few written things which aren't fiction... strange that I'm delving into non-fiction for once. And the best thing about this is that it's a family non-fiction thing I'm doing. I'd rather not say too much about it otherwise I'm going to ruin the surprise in the end for the rest of my family. 

Otherwise, I'm back working in the garden, the house is looking good. I've bought a new vacuum cleaner - a bagless one - and I'm donating more things than ever! I have to get some archive boxes in the next week and then put some away in the wardrobe so I can do more cleaning out. 

Wow! What a big weekend I have ahead of me - and it's a long weekend again too! Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.