Time For A Chat

Proud Mum

2011-02-15T10:08:00.000+11:00

Just as I have one boy heading off to Uni, the other one is just a teenager, albiet five foot eleven!. He is so easy going and relaxed about life. This is him, looking happy like he usually does, at his computer chatting to friends from all over Australia and the world. Happy breezy boy!

Exciting Times

2011-02-15T10:04:00.000+11:00

This amazing young guy has been accepted into the Bachelor course he wanted at the local campus of La Trobe University. He has not attended school since Year 4 in 2003. For the last 2 years he has cruised through 3 Open University courses and this is what the Uni looked at when considering his application. Homeschooling works!!

He is so excited to be going. He has his next 2 weeks planned out and in his diary.

The most amazing thing is that he will turn 17 on the first day of Orientation Week. This is at least 1 year ahead of where he would be if he had stayed at school. We have missed all the dramas and hard work of completing a Year11/12 course at school. I cannot imagine how he (or us) would have coped with that!!

To say that I am a proud Mum is so much of an understatement.

Did I really go to Queensland?

2011-02-14T20:20:00.000+11:00

Boy was that a whirlwind trip or what?
A lovely but very short visit with my sister and her boys in Brisbane. We went over to the Spinal Unit to visit Joel. I was expecting something but I wasn't sure what it was - certainly not the same kid I saw a bit over a month ago except for the fact that he is unable to walk. For an eighteen year old with his whole life in front of him, he is amazingly relaxed and comfortable with himself and his situation. The same outlook on life, the same lame jokes, the same kid. Amazing!
I then drove myself through Brisbane to stay with Vicki and her family. They are the same too. Boy I miss seeing them more often. I feel so much at home there. Zanthe did indeed cook me a yummy home made pasta dinner, which we surrounded with lots of talking, lots of talking.
The next morning it was off up the range to Toowoomba. I was glad, in a way, that the road through Grantham was closed. Not sure I could have managed to drive through there. It was raining so I didn't get a chance to see how my sister's place fared in the flood. I met up with my brother and we went to my Grandmother's funeral. It was a short service followed by lunch at the Funeral place. I really enjoyed catching up with all the cousins and their children. John, my brother, and I commented afterwards about how easy it was to talk with them even though we hadn't seen them for quite awhile. No-one was really sad as we all knew my grandmother had had a lovely long life and a few people mentioned how she would be able to boss her husband and son (my father) around again now.
I then got to do the Auntie thing with the little neice and nephew. Who knew listening to young children do their homework reading could be so much fun! In the morning, I got to do the school run, grab a coffee with another friend and then it was back on the road to the airport and home by 11 pm that night! Whew!
I am going to do another post about the exciting event that happened the day after, as it deserves a post of its own!

In Brisbane

2011-02-06T22:52:00.000+11:00

Xanthe cooked me a delicious dinner - fresh homemade pasta - Yummo!!

February - not boring either!

2011-02-05T12:15:00.000+11:00

Well the last post I thought would be enough for the year in the way of big events and disasters.
NOW.. we have had Yasi! Everyone I know up in North Queensland seems to be ok. I haven't heard from a couple but I guess they have no power, so can't contact me.
The 1st of February saw the passing away of my paternal grandmother. She had lived a wonderful full life and was still a fiesty old girl until the week before. She was over 95 years old and had only moved out of her own home under 2 years ago. I am off to Queensland tomorrow to farewell her.
While I am in Queensland, I will get to hug my sister and her family. Joel is still in the Spinal Unit of the PA Hospital but seems to be recovering well. Final prognosis is still unsure, but with modern medicine we are hoping for the best. He celebrated his 18th birthday yesterday and is having a pizza party in the hospital today.
Then I am heading over to Vicki's for a well deserved natter on all things crafty. Zanthe will hopefully cook me up a delicious dinner! Hint hint.
I plan to drive up to Toowoomba from Brisbane on Monday morning so that will be a shock I think, to drive through Gatton, Grantham, then to Liz's place to see how things have changed there from the big flood. Up the hill to the funeral and then over to see Mum before heading back to John's for the night. Then back to Brisbane and fly home on Tuesday. Whirlwind trip!!
Meanwhile back at the ranch! That is here. We have had 120mm of rain in the last 27 hours! I have put quite a few pictures on facebook, so I will add some here that are more of around the house.

This is the left hand side of the driveway washing off down to the road. This is not the heavy rain either!

Lovely full dam. Now if it has stopped leaking then this will see us through for quite some time I hope. Don't really need any more rain thanks. Just a light sprinkle once a week would be fine - ha!! It is either blisteringly hot and dry or pouring down!

Righto off to see if there is enough food for the 3 fellas for 3 days while I am away.

I wonder??

2011-01-28T17:23:00.000+11:00

why I still have this blog?
Anyway time for an update. 2011 has started off with a bang!!
Literally with a bang as Daniel, Andrew and I went to the fireworks here in Bendigo on New Years Eve, then came home for a swim in the pool as it was a very hot night.
So far this year we have had lots of rain which was great for the garden, bush and our dam. Although it does still have a small leak which we will hopefully fix for good tomorrow. I can't believe how much green there is around us when I am outside. Sometimes you have to think back. I did this the other day and I remembered that when we signed to buy here, it was all brown and all there was was rock and dirt, not a bit of grass and the trees all looked so sad and droopy. Now the trees all have gorgeous green shoots and there is grass to mow!!
We had a lovely simple BBQ in the backyard with some friends for Australia Day. We realised that we should do it more often - considering it was the first time since we had moved here and that was 10 months ago - more often should be easy to achieve, don't you think?? LOL
Speaking of rain - we were very lucky to have no family or friends with any damage in all the flooding in Queensland. All my family live in Toowoomba, so hearing about that on the news was very scary. Liz had a huge terrible flood through their place the next morning which has changed the landscape completely on their 50 acres. But thank goodness, all they lost was the pump and the chookhouse along with lots of trees. She lives below the range near Toowoomba, but thankfully not the side where the horrible flood was. The water through their place was added to the water from the other side to make the big one in Ipswich and Brisbane though.
A week later when all the scary stuff in Queensland seemed to be over. Liz's eldest son, Joel, fell 30 metres down a cliff face on the edge of Toowoomba. We are all very glad that he is alive. It could have easily been the other way. He was stuck (with his best mate - who had scrambled down to be with him) for nearly 4 hours until a helicopter could whinch him out. Then he was flown to Brisbane with Care Flight. Amazingly in a week, he has had 2 operations on his spine and is now able to sit for awhile. He has some feeling in his legs, so that is a good sign. He is now in the Spinal Unit of the PA Hospital in Brisbane until he is able to look after himself. Liz says that she is so glad he is such an easy-going guy as he is coping really well with it all. He will have his 18th birthday next Friday.
Now onto some exciting news - Gregory will find out on Monday if there is a place for him at the Bendigo Campus of LaTrobe University in the Bachelor of Arts Course. Homeschooling works!! Even if he doesn't get a place now, although they think it is very likely, he can apply mid year. His friends are all off at Uni, TAFE or working so he is really looking for something. Fingers crossed, it will happen and another phase of his life will begin. So cool, to think he will only turn 17 the week before Uni starts. He hopes to do part-time for a couple of years here, so he is still at home, then transfer to a Uni in Melbourne.
More exciting news - Daniel attended Brickvention in Melbourne a couple of weeks ago and was mesmerised by all the Lego and the "grown-ups" who are still into it. We need to investigate a career path for him that leads to working for Lego, I think. We often laugh about how we went to see the Lego Man in the Barossa Valley and how Daniel has a collection to rival his now and could open a showroom! Perhaps a shed down the front of the house - $5 to see the collection. What do you think?
Righto - that's the good and yucky news for now. Off to make sure the plants can survive the 39 degrees it is going to be here on Sunday. They all need little umbrellas.

2 posts all year

2010-11-16T16:44:00.000+11:00

and they were way back in January. Make you wonder why I bother with a blog? Perhaps now with more time, I can resurrect it. No more moving house or study for this little chicky for awhile. Time to find my camera and take some photos?
Is there anyone out there anyway?

Oh my goodness - Code Red

2010-01-11T17:56:00.000+11:00

With the new fire danger ratings after last years devastating bushfires here in Victoria, we are on Code Red tomorrow. Code Red is the worst it can get - catastrophic. If you look on the CFA website, it means that if there is a bushfire nearby we are to leave home as soon as possible. I can tell you I will be checking the CFA website often tomorrow. Andrew has been told by his boss that he is not to travel anywhere. He was meant to be going down to Melbourne for a meeting, so that is off now.
I am trying not to be alarmed by it all, but I think I will still have to think more about what I will do and take if I have to leave.

Here I am

2010-01-11T17:06:00.000+11:00

surrounded by study notes and other assorted scraps of paper that hopefully will emerge like a butterfly from a crysalis into an assignment worthy of reading by my Uni Course Facilitator.

I have put a link to my other blog over there on the right hand side for anyone wanting to read about Our Home Education Journey. I will be using this blog for more personal stuff from now on.

Cheers Kathryn

Today went like this...

2009-12-22T19:21:00.003+11:00

Wake up
Shower
Eat brekky ( check emails and blogs)
brush teeth
study
duck to shop for milk and bread
study
drink coffee
study
chat to Daniel about what he is up to today
study
drink coffee
wrap pressies for Gregory and Andrew
study
study
eat lunch while studying
study
make Daniel some lunch
study
type up directions for Andrew to go and get Gregory form Geelong
study
drink coffee
check out Lego creations in Daniel's room
study
study
make coffee for Andrew to take on trip to Geelong
study
study
water garden
make dinner
eat dinner
check emails, blogs and facebook - realise I haven't blogged for 3 days!!
blog 3 times
now what shall i do for the rest of the evening...... NOT STUDY......
watch some telly and ring a friend for a chat me thinks
see ya!

A quick trip

2009-12-22T19:14:00.002+11:00

to Geelong to take Gregory down to his friend William's for a LAN Party. It turned out that there was only 3 of them there for it as 4 had cancelled in the morning. I drove 2 hours each way to drop Gregory off but others cancelled just before it was due to start! I think that is rude - don't you reckon?
At this time of the year, you know what you have planned and where you have to be surely it would be possible to let someone know you can't make it at least a couple of days before, especially if you had told them you were definitely coming. Is that just me that thinks like that??
I am a bit like that when it comes to people being late to something - if you know what time you are supposed to be there, baring flood or car mishaps surely it is possible to be there on time??
End of rant....

Sunday

2009-12-22T19:04:00.003+11:00

was a sleep in, followed by some study, then after lunch we did one of our favourite things. We went book shopping. We found the most amazing secondhand bookstore - Book Now. I thought the other one called Book Mark was good but this is better - I could nearly reach all the books!! Ha ha.
I found dozens I could have taken home but stopped at 3 - a gardening one on natives and 2 Frank McCourt ones. Andrew insisted they go under the tree so I have loads of pressies now!! I found 2 home repair and building ones so they got wrapped and put under the tree for Andrew. Christmas can't happen unless Gregory gets books and he hadn't been able to think of any he wanted but he managed to find one. Then he remembered one he had seen before so we headed to Dymocks and we found 3 more for him and one for Daniel. End result - books for all!! Happy happy.
Is that weird to be a whole family that likes to buy books?? To have forever?? I try to convince the kids we should become library book borrowers to save money but I can't get them to change their snobby ways!!

EPIC FAIL

2009-12-22T19:02:00.001+11:00

as Gregory would say.

I have completely forgotten to blog for 3 days!! Um ah, bad blogger I am. Bet you didn't even miss me though?

So I am going to do new posts for each day, tee hee....

Silly me

2009-12-18T17:19:00.002+11:00

I hadn't old blogger that I was now in Victoria. I wondered why the post I wrote at a quarter past 12 last night still had Thursday on it, when I was joking about it. Doh!! I have now changed to Victorian time so I really can't be too late with my postings now!
Just got home from a nice picnic amongst the trees at Castlemaine - not cold - just perfect weather wise. Met some new people and reacquainted with a couple I had met before, so all good. Daniel made a new friend - yayee!
Then we tootled off to Maldon to the Cherry Farm and got 2 bags of the yummiest biggest cherries ever! Hope some last for a week until Christmas?? Umm maybe not.....
Popped in for a natter with another friend on the way home and now after all that socialising we are exhausted and very quiet!
Two of my little monsters have found their way safely to their new homes and are already loved! That makes me happy too! All in all a very good day.

I'm still awake...

2009-12-18T00:20:00.002+11:00

so that means it is still Thursday right??
Pretty quiet day today except for a lovely chat with my friend Susy tonight. It is lovely to be able to pick up the phone and chat with someone and to feel so comfortable chatting away and before you know it 45 miutes have passed. Thanks for the chat Susy - remember to look out for a little parcel coming your way.
Righto I am off to beddie byes - going on a picnic at Castlemaine tomorrow. Gonna be a cold picnic though!!

Monsters underfoot!!

2009-12-16T22:53:00.003+11:00

Look out! Look out!! There are monsters, cosmonauts and lizards running amok here at the Marks house. Aren't they cute? This is what I have been doing instead of grocery shopping and study today! Naughty me....

Just realised...

2009-12-16T10:46:00.002+11:00

i missed yesterday. Thought about blogging all night then forgot and turned off the computer. Just remembered to check now and doh! I had forgotten.
Yesterday was a nice quiet day - did some study and some more craft for pressies. Daniel and I had our date for the week and went to the movies. We saw 'Where The Wild Things Are'. I have to say that I didn't get it?? I love the book and have read it many many times to children all over Queensland! But the movie... I just didn't get it??
Daniel told me what it all meant to him and that helped a little but I really didn't get it!! Can you tell that it is annoying me too? I will have to go and do what the boys do when they don't understand something - google and wikipedia.

Housework Monday

2009-12-14T22:21:00.002+11:00

Yep, Monday is housework day here. I try to get as much of it done as I can on a Monday so I don't have to think about it all week. Some weeks it works, some weeks it doesn't!
Today was quite good, most of it done except the mopping. Then I kept going on the hand made things I am making for people for Christmas. Yikes, I had better get my butt into gear if I actually want them to have it before Christmas.
Things are looking good for the house purchase, building and pest inspection tomorrow and in goes the home loan application too. Fingers crossed it will all be ok.
Night night sweet dreams.

Family Day Out

2009-12-13T22:08:00.002+11:00

This afternoon, we headed out for a look around a little bit of Bendigo.
Daniel wanted to show me the Fernery area at Rosalind Park, so we went there first. It was so lovely and cool. I wandered around getting ideas for putting in an area with lots of ferns on our block. It would be lovely to walk through on a hot day. I don't think the trees on our place will be thick enough though. I have been thinking about so many things I would like to do there!!
Then we walked down along Pall Mall to the biggest second hand book store in town. I found 4 books for me to read, so they will be under the tree. The boys couldn't find anything they wanted so we went over to Collins (ABC Centre) Bookstore and Dymocks and Gregory found a book for us to put under the tree for him.
By this time, Daniel was hungry (isn't he always these days??) and Gregory was thristy so we headed to a very yummy coffee shop called Basement. It is in the basement of the Bendigo Art Gallery. We all had something scrumptious to eat and the coffee was perfect. I think we will be back there sometime soon.
We went upstairs then to the Art Gallery and saw some interesting pieces of art. The Pioneer by Frederick McCubbin was the highlight for me. You know the one of the man and woman, with a child in her arms, lighting a fire in the bush! I found out quite a bit about it while I was there. It is cool to read about something that you assumed what just a painting.
Then it was time to head home again. We all agreed that we had had a lovely afternoon together and that we should do it more often.
Night all.

Nearly made it..

2009-12-13T00:00:00.002+11:00

home in time to post while it was still Saturday. I just watched the computer clock tick over to midnight. Ooops missed another day. Hey wait it is only 11.30 in SA and 11.00 pm in Qld so all is good!
We, Andrew and I, went out for dinner tonight with the people he works with for their Christmas Party. They seem a nice group of people - didn't get to talk to everyone though. Dinner was yummy - isn't it always when you don't have to cook!?
Sweet Dreams!

Yesterday

2009-12-12T09:47:00.000+11:00

was a very quiet day. I did about 5 hours of study and some grocery shopping. That's it!

What a day....

2009-12-10T20:27:00.002+11:00

Woweeeee what a day it has been.

First thing I did this morning, after breakfast, shower and check emails that is, was to ring and order the computer. It has 4GB of RAM, a 3.1Ghz processor, a GB of graphics card and a very large smooth clear flat screen monitor. It even has bright blue lights shining out of it when it is on - very pretty!! All for less than $1300. Over $200-300 cheaper than Harvey Norman or Dick Smith.

Half an hour later, Andrew rings to say that the house offer has been accepted!! Woohoo!!! And for the price we offered over 10 days ago!! Arrrggghhh the drama.... So when the vendors have found a place of their own to move to, it is all ours. Of course, we have to have a building and pest/termite inspection. Then it is ours!! A place in the country surrounded by bush but only 10 minutes to the middle of city!

Then just before lunch the computer guy rang to say that the computer was ready to be picked up. Oh my heavens.. it is all happening.

At 2 Daniel and went out for our hot date day. We bought a couple of books for Christmas with a 10% voucher at ABC shop, checked out the cutest little shop called "Bob" - full of the most gorgeous handmade goodies, wandered through Toyworld, bought Gregory 2 new computer games and then had our date at Jamacia Blue with Mars Bar Cake and hot chocolate for him and I'm not admitting to anyone what I ate!! On the way home, in the rain, we collected the new computer.

Whew! What a rollercoaster of a day!

I need a quiet day tomorrow to catch up on my Uni study.

Day 17

2009-12-10T00:20:00.002+11:00

Not much to report today... Gregory and I went a computer huntin' this arvo. Bagged us a good 'un me thinks!
We tried Harvey Norman and Dick Smith but in the end the local guys down the road can do the same machine for cheaper. Hope they aren't trickin' me! I know where they live so I can take it back can't I???
Sweet dreams - will try for some photos of our tree tomorrow.

Day 16 - Christmas is almost here

2009-12-08T22:09:00.002+11:00

It is ok, Christmas can happen at our place now... we finally have the tree up and decorated. It is Gregory's job to put the tree together and then he and Daniel put on the tinsel, lights and little decorations. I can't believe how quickly and easily they did it. I can remember when it used to take hours as I had to hand out the decorations and do the lights myself. I hope they keep wanting to decorate the tree forever!
My darling little niece turned 4 today. Happy birthday Caitlin Hannah!! Daniel and I went shopping for her present and spent quite a bit of time in the pink aisle in both Target and Big W!! It was a difficult experience for both of us!! LOL! In the end we couldn't resist buying her a green sparkly Tinkerbell outfit complete with wings!! John took a photo of her and sent it to us - it was so worth it, including squishing those wings into a box to post it to Queensland.
Well tomorrow we should finally know if the house we put an offer on is accepted or not. Right at this moment, I don't mind which way it goes. So we shall see.

Day 15

2009-12-07T23:00:00.002+11:00

Woohoo I am halfway through my blog marathon..... 15 days to go. Maybe it will become more of a habit now and I will blog more often after the 30 days are over?? We will see...

Today I finished the Christmas shopping. I still have to make some goodies. I am giving quite a few handmade pressies this year to those that I know will appreciate them... hopefully I will have them finished and in the mail before the big fella in red comes down the chimney!!

Today Lisa posted a really cool list of things. It is called the Cowboy's Guide to Life and I hope she doesn't mind but I have copied and pasted it here for my blog. Enjoy...

Poo.. I can't get it to copy and paste. Here is the link to Lisa's Blog .

Day 14

2009-12-06T22:33:00.003+11:00

I went to the movies today - by myself! If I want to see a chick flick then I have to go alone.

I saw The Time Traveller's Wife. Not riveting or terribly wonderful but still worth watching. Even if it was only to see Eric Bana naked several times!!! Cute bum!!

Still no word on the house - have found a couple of others to look at so will see what happens this week.

Day 13

2009-12-05T22:36:00.002+11:00

There is a free book up for grabs over at Linda Cockburn's blog. I haven't read it but I love the way she writes on her blog. She lives in tasmania and they are building their own house, have animals and veges and all cool things relating to being self sufficient. Go have a look... Linda is an inspiration... www.lintrezza.blogspot.com

Ciao for now....

Day 12

2009-12-04T23:03:00.000+11:00

I had to leave this behind today.
After 3 wonderful days at Daylesford, it was time to head home. It took less than an hour to be home, so I really should duck down there more often. I was taking macro shots of this water lily yesterday when this little critter decided to fly down for a look. How lucky for me was that?

The second photo is of Jubilee Lake from the playground. How tranquil does that look? It is unless there is a heap of teenagers canoeing in it!

Day 11 - Calm today

2009-12-03T19:29:00.003+11:00

I am over the whole house thing... what will be will be...
Today I had a lovely day hanging out with beautiful homeschooled kids and their Mums. We checked out the most amazing shop with all things hand made! They have a website - www.lark.com.au Go and have a look for yourself!
Then climbed to the top of the tower for a view of Daylesford - simply stunning!!
A yummy cappacino at Sweet Decadence - don't you love the name?
Back to the camp to take heaps of photos of the big kids having a canoe around on the lake.
Now it time for dinner and lots of Mummy chat over a coffee.

It realy doesn't get much better than this....

Day 10 - perhaps a change of mind

2009-12-02T21:08:00.002+11:00

on behalf of the current owners of the house we offered on. Today the real estate lady rang Andrew back to say that the owners were rethinking our offer and would get back to us regarding our offer!
So..thank you to Jill, Susy, Sandie and Lisa would sent supportive and encouraging comments. It may have done the trick. Please keep thinking happy thoughts for us and I will let you know tomorrow what is happening.
I am a lucky girl because the boys and I have left Dad at home to fend for himself while we go on homeschool camp to this really awful place called Daylesford!! Ha ha... not... it is gorgeous here. Today was even warm enough for the boys to have a paddle in Lake Jubilee. I've had a look around some cute little shops and had some yummy coffee - this homeschooling is such hard work, but someone has to do it.. Right??
Ok folks... catch you tomorrow!!

Day 9

2009-12-01T19:51:00.001+11:00

but not a good enough offer apparently!! We are NOT proud house owners.

That's it.... end of today's blog!

8 - a good offer

2009-11-30T18:02:00.002+11:00

Well after a very restless night, I woke early and decided to get up and get some things done!! I'm a little bit tired now though.

I spent the morning putting together little sets of Lego (with Gregory's help) and then splitting them into small lots so that I could make Daniel an advent calendar. There are 25 ribbon tied little boxes in a basket waiting for him to start on tomorrow. Last year I bought him an Advent Calendar from Lego and that is what it was - each day a mini figure or some parts to a bit bigger set. Last year's cost about $50, so with money beeing very tight here (house saving!!), this year only cost me about $25 and I made all the folded boxes out of scrapbook paper found lying around my unloved craft room. I can now make a folded box in under a minute!!!

Then I HAD to check in with Andrew to see what was happening on the house front - he rang and gave them a good offer - within what they were asking for, but we would like them to fence the pool for us. Just waiting to hear back from them..... frayed nerves.....

This afternoon, to avoid the crowds and the crowded shops ( I am SOOOO not a shopper!), I went online to order Christmas presents. Managed to find some Lego for Daniel and some DVDs for Gregory. Gregory and I would like a new computer so Christmas is very lean this year, so that we can afford that.

Then I went online, with my Bendigo Map beside me to find out where all the Primary schools are so I can go and meet the Principal and hand over my CV next week and hope they need lots of relief work next year. I am hoping to get 2-3 days a week most weeks.

Speaking of saving money and making really cool Christmas goodies, check out www.kimarcher.com.au for her gorgeous Christmas craft online course called Jingle Bells. Too cool!!

Now I really must go and get some dinner sizzling away - Butter Chicken, Rice and Naan Bread... yum yum yummy!

Oh...... My....... Goodness.....

2009-11-29T22:39:00.002+11:00

Andrew is putting a price to the real estate agent tomorrow!! Now after all the talking and discussing, I am scared that it is not the right decision!!! What am I to do???
Short blog tonight - gotta go toss and turn all night now!!!

House hunting - bah humbug!!

2009-11-28T22:03:00.002+11:00

I am soooo over looking at houses!! I have lost track of the number we have been to see. Every one of them has had something missing or we didn't like. I am beginning to think we are being too fussy!!
Looked at 5 today.
1. on 3 acres, 4 bedrooms, above ground pool -BUT Andrew is worried it is too far out in the bush - 10 minutes from his work in the city!!
2. on 1.6 acres, 4 bedrooms - NO Shed!
3. Older house close to town, self contained studio at the back - needs painting, small shed and yard is a mess!
4. beautiful old house, very nicely done up, shed - TOO much money wanted for it!!
5. right price, lovely garden, big shed -house too small!!

AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Going to look at another tomorrow after lunch and then back for a second look at No 1 from today.

I NEED to find one soon or else you can just ship me off to the funny farm in my pyjamas!!!

Oooopppss

2009-11-28T00:33:00.002+11:00

nearly forgot to blog. Technically it is Saturday but I am just heading off to bed. So it still counts for Friday right?
A good clean joke for you.

Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says, "Dam!"

Night night... sweet dreams...

Thursday... Day 4

2009-11-26T17:33:00.002+11:00

A nice quiet day here today. We have had the beautiful Dora and her daughter Rosie and Hamish from down the road come for a visit. We ate lunch together and then chatted about homeschooling, Uni study, shopping and gardening. Now, of course, I feel very lazy and don't want to do any of my study or cook dinner, or anything else for that matter!! Wonder where those kitchen fairies are?
We had some wonderful much needed rain today. The rumble of thunder very early this morning was magnificent. Then the couple of heavy showers were amazing too. The garden sure looks happy - brown with a tinge of green happy!!
Oh look I found the kitchen fairy - she is sitting on the chair at the computer - be gone you lazy wretch!!

Day 3 of 30

2009-11-25T16:39:00.003+11:00

Does that mean I am a tenth of the way through my "blog for 30 days" feat? Yep it does - yayee me!!
Today was finish tidying the house - why I don't know... the house inspection took all of ten minutes and all was fine! Why do I worry about these things??

Spent the rest of the day doing study. Fun fun fun!! After dinner I would like to do some more as we have friends calling in for a natter tomorrow as well as the plumber coming to fix large leak in bathroom, then on Friday we are off to someone else's place for afternoon tea. Slowly starting to get a social life here in Bendigo.... I always say it takes about 6 months to feel comfortable in a new house or town. We have been here for 2.5 months so things are on track.

I do have to say that Bendigo, considering it is a city, is one of the friendliest places I have moved to. Everyone I have met so far, including shop assistants and tradesmen have been so easy going and chatty. Bonus!

Ok, off to do the dinner thing - Italian again. Should have married an Italian instead of an Englishman - we all love Pizza, Pasta, Lasagne, Gnocchi, Mozzarella, Gelato, etc etc..... I think they are all Italian food.
See you tomorrow.

Weird??

2009-11-24T18:24:00.002+11:00

When I look at my blog visitors counter on the small computer, it shows up as 1213 but when I maximise it, it tells me I have had 12113 visitors?? What the???
Can someone tell me what it says at their end?

Hey to Jill and Lisa, who have both agreed to try and blog every day for 30 days. Woohoo, glad you are joining me. Lisa is the lovely lady who did this a couple of months ago - now she is up for it again. Yayee Lisa!!

OK, Susy and Sandie where are you hiding?? Haven't heard from you two for a while now??

Today was housework time here in a big way!! I am having my first ever house inspection tomorrow. Because we have not rented privately for soooo long - I think the last time I had private rental was in 1984 in Yeppoon Queensland where I had my first teaching position and I don't remember having house inspections. I must say though after looking through a couple of houses to buy that were rented out, this house even on a dirty untidy day looks like an ad for Home Beautiful compared to them. Seriously, the house we looked at on Sunday was disgusting!! The same company that handles the rental is trying to sell it - how they can do that is beyond me!!
Righto that would be Day Two done and dusted... see you all tomorrow.

over 12 000!!!

2009-11-23T19:51:00.003+11:00

People have been to read my blog?? The last time I looked it was only about 1000. I think my counter must be broken.... otherwise there are a lot of disappointed people out there who keep checking back in and I haven't said a darn thing.
Well it is a good thing I looked at it- because now I feel the urge to be more productive and blog more often!! Maybe I will try for Lisa's challenge to blog for 30 days!! Anyone want to join me and see if we can do it? Shouldn't be too hard at this time of the year - even if we just blog about the presents we've found for people ( without telling what it is in case the person finds out what they are getting), the cards we've received or the decorations we've put up.
OK, who's in??

Remember Me??

2009-11-23T19:25:00.002+11:00

Yep I'm still here. I have a momentous start to the week.
Firstly I made a very hard decision to leave the Inspiration Team for The Scrap Heap. I have loved every minute of my 12 months on the team, but lately I have felt no inclination to scrap at all. Bet that silly mojo returns now!! The part I will miss the most is the comraderie of the other ladies and how caring they are of the other members of the team. Thanks so much to Christine and Beryl for choosing to have me on the team.
I have also made the decision to stop stressing about a house to buy. We need to save some pennies so it will not be such a big drain when we do get a home loan. So hopefully we can just continue to rent this house until something comes up and in the meantime I can pull in the purse strings as well as find a job. This house is smaller than we need but it is amazing how you don't use the furniture you have stacked up in the garage anyway!! There is nothing we have missed or needed to use except the spare mattress when someone came to stay. So there you go - maybe I should just sell it all off?
Today we also decided to pare down the ridiculous amount of money we spend on Christmas. Daniel still wants Lego, so that is fine. Andrew is off to Fleetwood Mac next week so said that would do him for his present, as well as his carton of mixed international beers. Gregory and I would like a new computer so it looks like that may be on the cards now as we don't want anything else. We will spend a little on our Christmas food but as it is only us 4 for Christmas, that is always quite cheap compared to other peoples.
I have rearranged the office space so the computers are together and we can share the laser printer as when Andrew was printing from the big computer, he was using lots of $$$ of inkjet printer ink just for black copies - and that soon adds up to lots!! The little laser printer hopefully will work out cheaper to run as it doesn't need toner for over 1500 pages.
So... lots of decisions and things accomplished in the last 2 days!!
What else is happening in my life?? Well I have jumped in the deep end when it comes to my study - I am going for 2 units over the summer. One on the new literacies associated with all the new technology being used in schools and the other one is very scary - Intro to Web Publishing!! A very steep learning curve there me thinks!! Will make the old brain cells spark!!
I can't think of anything else at the moment. I don't think I have even taken a photo for the last month!!
See you later - hopefully it won't be another month before I blog again!

Last of the snow

2009-10-19T19:18:00.000+11:00

Gregory sitting on his snowball - frozen from his thighs down!! It was a change of clothes before we headed home.

The snow melting makes for lots of water flowing down the mountains - making beautiful crystal clear water rushing along!!

We nearly missed this! Someone has gone to the trouble of turning this tree on the side of the road into a fairy house!

Today we went to the Bendigo Woollen Mill and bought some lucious wool to turn into scraves and shawls for next winter.

More Snow

2009-10-19T19:08:00.000+11:00

Granny keeping her drink of water cold!!

Rolling Snowballs down the hill - Avalanche!!!!

A snow tower and its falling down.....

2009-10-19T18:14:00.000+11:00

Snow and snowball fights

2009-10-19T18:09:00.000+11:00

More touristy stuff

2009-10-19T18:05:00.001+11:00

On Friday, Granny, Daniel and I went to the Bendigo Pottery. I found some gorgeous pottery I would like. I fell in love with the big mixing bowls - would be perfect for breakmaking.

On Saturday, we decided to take the Talking Tram around Bendigo. It is a great tourist idea. You sit on the tram and listen to a guy tell you all about Bendigo and its history.

The boys look like they got a bit close to the front of the tram!

The front entrance to the first Myer store in Australia.

Then we tootled off to the Chinese Museum. This is the longest Chinese Dragon in the world - over 100 metres long! It goes right around the museum more than once. It is the second one from the left. The others are smaller ones also used in the annual Easter Parade.

Then we walked over a beautiful marble bridge to the Chinese temple and gardens. So peaceful and tranquil.

And some more....

2009-10-15T18:58:00.000+11:00

Straight from the camera

2009-10-15T18:53:00.000+11:00

The Sacred Heart Cathedral in the centre of the city of Bendigo. Spectacular on the outside and inside! As we walked in the magnificent wooden front doors the enormous pipe organ started playing and continued to play as we walked around the inside. Awesome place even for the non-religious.

I've scrapped!

2009-10-02T20:19:00.001+10:00

This first layout I'm sharing is my first attempt at journalling over the entire page except where the photos are. I was going well until I couldn't fit the word Naracoorte in down on the bottom!! Doh!!

The second one is of the boys playing on a log while we were out looking for water at Bool Lagoon. We lived at Naracoorte for 4 and a half years and there was no water in the main part of it the whole time. It is a world famous wetlands but I fear it will never be one again. I wonder where all the migratory birds who used to travel there are going now?

The third one is of my crafty friends, Sandie and Susy and I when we had our very own stall at the markets at the Naracoorte Art Gallery. We had a lovely display of goodies but not enough customers! We all agreed that even though we didn't make a lot of money we had a fun time just hanging out with each other.
Miss those girls so much!!

OK now I'm off to check out some other blogs and see what's happening on facebook.

Cheers for now.....

Moving House/Town/State

2009-10-02T17:40:00.002+10:00

Well I have survived the move... just!! The only side effect of the move is that due to the stress all my hair is falling out!! I am contemplating going in for a short haircut to try and help it out a bit.
Besides that the move went well - very well in fact. This would have to be the best move with regards to the damage done to things. Hardly anything bumped or dinged. I can highly recommend Llew and Stawell Removals!!
I managed to have the whole house unpacked in a week!! I had to, as my sister decided to fly down from Queensland and visit us for 4 days.
Lizzie and I had a great 4 days. I can't believe it only takes an hour and a half to drive to Melbourne Airport from here. I collected her on the Wednesday afternoon. Thursday we spent the day nattering and having a wander around the shops and the main part of the city of Bendigo.
Friday, Andrew took the day off as an unpacking day and we called it Lizzie's Day. We took her for a picnic at Hanging Rock and we couldn't lose anyone!! Then over to Woodend where her and Andrew found a mini brewery in an old pub and so they did a taste test of 8 different beers. The boys and I had lemonades and chips! Then it was home for a takeaway dinner of Noodles!
On the Saturday, Lizzie and I made our way down to Blackwood to the garden of St Erth where the Diggers Company had an Open Day. We got all sorts of good ideas for our gardens. The highlight of the day was a Masterclass in Permaculture and Luncheon with David Holmgren. He is the guru of Permaculture in Australia. Very entertaining and informative. We took a leisurely drive home via Daylesford ( had to take Lizzie to the Chocolate Shop!! where we had coffee/iced chocolate and cake!) then onto Castlemaine and home. On the Sunday, Lizzie and I had a look around the Bendigo Showgrounds Markets and before we knew it, it was time to take her back to the Airport. What a whirlwind visit but so much fun!!
The next day, I jumped in the car and tootled back over to Naracoorte to finish cleaning the house and hand over the keys. I was a sad little girl as I will miss that gorgeous big house and my huge vege patch! Not to mention I stayed with Sandie and got to have lots of nattering time with her and Susy, as well as being in town on the right night to catch up with Jane and the Art Gallery Craft Group. Tuesday I headed home again after handing the keys over to the guys at the bank. Andrew's replacement will have started by now!
Since then I have managed to get some scrapbooking done, had some homeschoolers for a visit and sorted out my vege garden here. The vege/fruit garden here is all in pots as we will hopefully be buying our own house at the end of the year.
I will blog again after dinner and show you the layouts I have done that I can share. Some of them are for the Newsletter for The Scrap Heap, so I can't share until it comes out.
Righto off to feed the hungry hordes.

Who is Lisa,

2009-09-05T18:02:00.002+10:00

someone asked in the comment section? Lisa is a lady I met at the last Scrapbooking Retreat I went to in Queensland. She has a great blog about her life, her travels and her hobbies. She decided to blog every day for 30 days and is going great guns. If you would like to check out her blog, you can find it at A Life of Unlimited Possibilites

Cheers K

Bool Lagoon still...

2009-09-05T17:58:00.000+10:00

After checking out Hacks Lagoon, we drove around to the island walk and found a bit more water. There was no where enough birds around but I liked the boardwalks to take photos of. All around us were showers - Daniel counted over 10 separate ones as we drove back to town. Very tricky to take photos of rain falling.

I've heard that Mullinger Swam has some water in it too so will try to get out there one day while the packers are in the house and there is not much to do for us.

Bool Lagoon

2009-09-05T17:52:00.000+10:00

Someone had suggested that we had received enough rain in recent weeks for there to be water in Bool Lagoon. I decided this afternoon that this would be our last chance to go and have a look. When we first drove in, we were very disappointed as there was no water visible in Bool Lagoon, but we drove further into the Park and went to Hacks Lagoon. There was some water there with quite a few black swans and other assorted birds, mainly ducks. Of course, these guys were a long way off so luckily I had taken my zoom lens and could just get a glimpse of these guys in the viewfinder.

Another month goes by...

2009-09-03T17:55:00.002+10:00

and I haven't posted anything on my blog! I can't believe that this time next week I will be unpacking boxes in Bendigo!!
For anyone that hasn't heard our news, we are on the move AGAIN!! This time, we get to be Victorians. Not sure they will let us back into Queensland now??
Andrew has applied and been successful in obtaining a promotion to Senior Agribusiness Manager at the branch in Bendigo. We have been over a couple of times to look around and find a house to rent. We hope the share market recovers enough that we can afford to buy a house in about 6 months. Until then we are renting a 3 bedroom house in a suburb on the southern side. It is quite a bit smaller than the beautiful big brand-new house we have here..... I suppose we will fit in.....
On Monday the packers will arrive to start filling boxes, then on Wednesday the boxes and all our furniture will be put into a very large truck. Thursday it will be unloaded and we start unpacking!! I am thinking some of it can stay packed for the 6 months!!
I have promised my friends here that I will blog more often when I get there so hopefully I can do that??
I am liking what Lisa is doing with her blog. She has promised to blog every day for 30 days. Wonder if I could do that?
Anyway better go get some dinner rustled up and then I am off out for coffee and cake with the girls.
Cheers

See I did it, Suzy!!

2009-08-06T17:36:00.003+10:00

Just for the wonderful patient Suzy, who has been trying to get me to use Photoshop for years. Now she has made a couple of brushes for me to put on my photos. I hope it works?? Here goes....

These are photos I took on the weekend of the corellas (I think??) or were they galahs, that were eating the beautiful lawn of the neighbours. The whole front lawn was covered in birds. Just after I took the first photo they flew off.

Ok gotta go now and celebrate World Scout Day with a bunch of Scouts.

Cheers

Win $1000 at CuttlebugSpot.com

2009-07-12T22:39:00.001+10:00

They say you have to be in it to win it... so I'm in!

Entry Title: Win $1,000 at TheCuttlebugSpot.com!
I have just discovered that The Cuttlebug Spot is having a contest - "The Journey to 1,000"! They are trying to reach 1,000 followers by the end of July and need your help. To enter all you have to do is go to their site, sign up as follower and complete a few easy steps and you could win a $1,000 gift certificate to Custom Crops (www.CustomCrops.com)! GO NOW and check it out at www.TheCuttlebugSpot.com

My Crafty Space

2009-06-13T16:41:00.000+10:00

Can anyone see any inspiration hiding in this area anywhere????

That recliner couch looks comfy though doesn't it? Maybe a cup of tea and a crafty mag is in order?

Nothing on the desk - not a good sign!!! Off to get that cuppa!!!

Assignment Done!

2009-06-13T16:19:00.003+10:00

I have been a little lost today. I decided that when I had completed this assignment, I would give myself the month off to play in my craft space and my garden.

My garden is frozen - who wants to be out there!!

My inspiration for anything crafty is frozen too!!

I've been through my emails and tidied them up, check out and deleted some websites form my favourites and generally felt sorry for myself because I have the sniffles. Waaaahhhh poor me!!

Last Tuesday, Daniel and I went with some of the other Limestone Coast Homeschoolers to the Warrnambool Cheese Factory just outside Mt Gambier. Boy was that a lot of cheese!!

The boxes Daniel is peeking from behind are all full of cheese. The best part was the free samples and the extra we bought to bring home. Cheese and biscuits for snacks all week!!

This the front of what remains of the original Cheese Factory when it was owned by Kraft, many many years ago.

A beautiful old building.

Right off to see if I can find any inspiration on that crafty table!

Uni Assignment

2009-06-12T12:21:00.005+10:00

I am not quite brave enough to post my Digital Artefact on youtube, so I thought I would share it amongst friends. Please feel free to give me some creative criticism.

I am sure I am doing something wrong. This is the lowest resolution I could make Photostory and it is taking forever to load!!?? Hope it works??

Ok, back to the assignment!!

Coonawarra

2009-05-17T20:03:00.000+10:00

As many people know, Coonawarra is one of the premier wine growing areas of Australia. The town of Coonawarra is very small and the whole grape growing area is known as Coonawarra.
Today after we had another look around Penola, bought heaps of yummy foods at the Farmers' Markets and checked out Sharee's winning artwork, we headed out of town to one of the wineries for lunch.
Mrs Zema of Zema Estate Winery made the most amazing Arancini for us to have for lunch.

We went back to Balnaves Winery to show Andrew and Maryanne the sculptures we had looked at yesterday.
This is the lake at the Cellar Door and by this stage we thought a cappacino here would have topped off an amazing weekend.

I couldn't resist trying to photograph some of the amazing Autumn leaves that we had seen. What do you think of these?

This was Daniel's idea to hold the leaf in front of the lake. I think I may have a budding photographer in the making. He often has good ideas like this.

And who can resist a little daisy in the lawn. I was wearing one in my jumper that Daniel had picked for me - think he is a romantic as well!

Penola Part 2

2009-05-16T20:40:00.000+10:00

After a quick Bakery lunch, we went for a drive out to some of the wineries to check out the photographic competition, another photographic display and a sculpture exhibition. They were brilliant, especially the sculpture as we were allowed to touch it.
We headed back into town for a treat at the best coffee shop in Penola - Di Vine. Then it was off to do the Kite Making Workshop.

I have photos of the kite in progress but alas there are other children in the background, so I won't post them. Here is Daniel trying to get his kite up in the air. It was a bit gusty and the kites kept dropping out of the sky!!

The kids all decided to run with their kites - I was stunned that there were no major pile ups or knotting up of strings!! It was an amazing sight seeing about 40 kids all running around the oval with the kites they had coloured and made themselves!!

This is a friend of ours, Maya's kite - I loved the colours she used!

Of course there was a trip to see Sue (she owns the Lolly Shop!! ) and we headed for home. We plan on going back again tomorrow for the Farmers' Market, a yummy lunch out with friends and probably another trip into say hi to Sue!!

Penola Part 1

2009-05-16T20:27:00.000+10:00

The day started with Breakfast. Yes the dog likes cereal too!!

Then Daniel and I headed off to the Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival for the day. Daniel was booked into 2 workshops. I was booked in to do a Poetry one but since Daniel has had 2 seizures in the last 3 weeks, the doctor said we should be with him all the time. It was fun to hang out with Daniel for whole day anyway - he is really good company. He is easy-going and never has a whinge! The first workshop was about Herbs. The kids got to make an egghead with mustard seed,

grind up their own pesto with a mortor and pestle (think I spelt that right??), put the pesto on rice paper with some yummy veges and eat it all up - Dan made 2 so guess who got one too??

Then they got to pot up their own herbs to take home. Daniel chose rocket, chives and basil - yummo!!

At the end of the workshop, there was a little competition for the funkiest apron. Daniel and I were so amazed that he won third prize. He was wearing the free apron I got off the front of a magazine years ago, that he had worn to a scout camp and covered in house paint and handprints of paint!! He won 3 bunches of herbs to take home and cook with.

You just HAVE to listen to this...

2009-04-16T14:21:00.002+10:00

This doesn't make you cry then I don't know what will!!

Susan Boyle

Don't you love serendipity.... I do. After listening to the above youtube movie, I was reading a blog with the following quote.

Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in the magic will never find it!" - Roald Dahl

That is serendipity.

Later
Kathryn

New Blog

2009-04-04T17:14:00.001+11:00

I have started a new blog for homeschoolers. It is about computers and internet etc for homeschooling families. If you want to have a look here it is....

http://computersandhomeeducation.blogspot.com/

Cheers

Kathryn

Dr Suess

2009-03-19T13:36:00.002+11:00

The subject I have chosen to do first for my study is called Computer Based Resources In Education. I figured that even though I don't have an actual class as such, I do have these 2 technologically minded sons that I homeschool, so thought I would enjoy this subject. I started off very tentatively as I was unsure of so many things to do with studying after finishing my first degree 25 years ago!! I'm sure I am not THAT old??

I am enjoying it now that I have decided to do what I tell the kids - be yourself and do your best!

A task we had to do was chose an historical figure we could identify with and how they would have used the internet. I couldn't think of anyone to identify with... so ended up on the internet (how appropriate!) searching for historical figures.

This is my response to the task -
I ended up choosing Theodor Suess Giesel or Dr Suess. We have many things in common - love to write, enjoy nonsensical words, love bright and wacky illustrations and always like to see a positive message in things. I think Theodor would have loved the internet. Imagine the possibilities? He could have made interactive characters come alive on the screen for millions of people. He could have surfed the net and found enough to make hundreds more crazy characters and zany drawings. Imagine what fun it would be to read his thoughts on twitter?
My lecturer ( I think that is her title) posted a reply in response and included the following poem by Dr Suess on computers. I love it... as does the rest of my Dr Suess loving family. I hope you do too?

If a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port,
and the bus is interrupted as a very last resort,
and the address of the memory makes your floppy disk abort,
then the socket packet pocket has an error to report.

If your cursor finds a menu item followed by a dash,
and the double-clicking icon puts your window in the trash,
and your data is corrupted 'cause the index doesn't hash,
then your situation's hopeless and your system's gonna crash!

If the label on the cable on the table at your house,
says the network is connected to the button on your mouse,
but your packets want to tunnel on another protocol,
that's repeatedly rejected by the printer down the hall,

and your screen is all distorted by the side effects of gauss,
so your icons in the window are as wavy as a souse,
then you may as well reboot and go out with a bang,
'cause as sure as I'm a poet, the sucker's gonna hang!

When the copy of your floppy's getting sloppy on the disk,
and the microcode instructions cause unnecessary risk,
then you have to flash your memory and you'll want to RAM your ROM.
Quickly turn off the computer and be sure to tell your mom.

Don't you just love that!? Of course I had to look up what a gauss is... here is a definition.

The gauss, abbreviated as G, is the cgs unit of measurement of a magnetic field B (which is also known as the "magnetic flux density", or the "magnetic induction"), named after the German mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss. One gauss is defined as one maxwell per square centimeter.

So now you know too!!

And a souse? souse 1 (sous) v. soused, sous·ing, sous·es. v. tr. 1. To plunge into a liquid. 2. To make soaking wet; drench. 3. To steep in a mixture, as in pickling.

Not so sure this fits the poem but then Dr Suess was reknown for his use of non-existent words!

Righto gotta go...

Ciao, Kathryn

Study Time

2009-03-18T21:12:00.002+11:00

Well this confirmed natural learner has gone back to school! Yep I have enrolled in a Postgraduate Certificate of Education. I already have my teaching degree but thought it would be a good example to set for my children to do some serious study. If I survive the four units for this I will go on and do another four units and than when I decide to return to teaching I will have a Masters degree to wave around!!
Gregory has also enrolled in some serious study -a unit through Open Uni. He is pretty impressed with himself for starting a Uni subject at only just 15 and this has gotten him through the very steep learning curve he had to begin with. He has chosen a Philosophy subject which means there are some seriously deep and meaningful discussions going on in this house!!
Part of my Uni subject is to start a blog - woohoo I am ahead there!! About the only thing I feel ahead on though... who had the bright idea that she had time to do study??? Yikes - talk about serious committment!!
Anyway the good thing is that I won't be neglecting my blog so much now.
Ok, off to do some more study - will be back soon to fill you all in the first 2 months of the year.
Ciao, Kathryn

Interesting Start to the day

2009-01-07T15:55:00.004+11:00

As most of you know I like to start my mornings with my breakfast in front of the computer checking my emails and blogs I read.

Today was interesting and has had me thinking all day. One friend, who I will call a friend although I don't know her very well, but have a lot of respect and admiration for, had replied to an email saying that she was having a bad day. She has CLL, which can vary in its severity and today she was obviously feeling very down. The other friend, is a special part of my teenage life and he sent me a photo taken from the balcony of his apartment in Switzerland. It was breathtaking!

I was sad that my first friend felt unwell and unhappy and wanted to cheer her up but she lives 4 hours away! The second friend I felt a little jealous of, for his gorgeous view. It made me think how important friends are and how they can affect your life without even realising it. I stopped being sad and jealous and thought about what a great life I have and how blessed I am to have a few very good close friends and many many friends all over the country who I often think of, even if I don't see them. So am now in a happy place!!

And on to other less deep and meaningful things! I am attempting to follow Becky Higgins and lots of others into the 365 day project. You have to take a photo a day for a year - yep, you heard me right - a whole year. Well I can tell you that if I can do it anyone can. I was wondering what photos I could take as we seem to go from being hermits to social bunnies here at this house. We spend weeks hanging around the house then we zip off to some gorgeous place for a week , then home again. I was thinking how boring the stay at home parts are - BUT of course, they won't be boring to the future generations. For example, it is good to document the everyday things too. At our house, Tuesday is always Pizza night. It started because Tuesday is the afternoon I take the Joey Scout Mob for an hour or so. After this I don't feel like cooking, so Gregory orders the Pizza and I collect on my way home. It is now part of our lives and worth taking a photo of!!

There is a blog I have been reading where people are putting there 365 photos but for now I think I will try to upload them here and see how I go. Here is Day 1 and Day 2, the rest are still on the camera! Not going to do very well if they stay there hey??

Day 1 - Daniel in front of the computer - he takes after his mother - he likes to check his emails and blogs first thing in the morning too.

Day 2 - Gregory having a very serious conversation about something - as only he can do. Note the glasses - he only got them on 30 Dec.

Righto off to do some things...

What a naughty little blogger I am...

2009-01-02T16:12:00.002+11:00

I have neglected by blog for over 3 month now. Probably no-one left to read it now!! So hello if you are still checking my humble little place in the world of cyber space. See hand waving!!!

A lot has happened since then too.
I went to Qld for a month.
Caught up with all the rellies.
Organised a high school reunion which was absolutely bloody fantastic!!!
Saw my bestest friend Vicki and her family, including Nana!!
Am now a member of the Inspiration Team at The Scrap Heap Very exciting stuff!! I am so proud to be a part of the Team of awesome and inspiring ladies!!
Went to a wonderful homeschool camp with the boys over in Daylesford in Victoria.
Organised and enjoyed a lovely quiet Christmas and New Year with just the 4 of us.
A very busy three months put into less than 10 lines of text!!!

And so a new year begins.... resolutions, goals, aspirations yeah all that too!! I start goals all the time. Last year I did an Ali Edwards and chose one word to live by for the year. I can't even remember what that word was!!! Hopeless I am!! This year's word should be "FOCUS", Kathryn FOCUS!!!!!

Anyways I promise to blog more, share more photos, layouts etc.
Ciao for now!

A nice quiet Tuesday

2008-09-30T12:16:00.002+10:00

Just sitting having a cup of tea - yep another old love has returned. I have just about given up coffee and now it is a cup of tea beside me as I type, sew, scrap, paint etc. Gotta leave the tea bag in though - I like it nice and strong! Better still is a pot freshly made - but I would rather have someone to share that with than have it on my own.

I have done 2 loads of washing, washed and cleaned up the kitchen, checked emails and blogs, met the new neighbours and now I am being calm before I head off to the doctor's for the check up. Think I might mention that I have been sick for over a week and I have a funny cough. It feels a lot like Asthma - which I haven't had since I came down to South Australia. Hope it isn't?

I worked on my canvas for the Cancer Council Pink Ribbon Day Exhibition last night. I am liking it so far.... The idea was that the CC sent you a canvas which you completed how ever you wanted and then they come and collect it and display it in the Adelaide Arcade in Adelaide on October 8. Then it is sold off to raise funds for the Cancer Council. Three other wonderful artistic ladies - Susy, Sandie and Christina are giving it a go too. How is it going ladies??? Remember you have to have them over to my place by Thursday!!

Spending some time organising the school reunion. I can't believe it was 30 years ago that we were all 15 and so excited about finishing Year 10 and heading off into the future. Some of us went into the workforce. Goodness that would be Gregory in another year!!! A lot of us went away to different boarding schools to do Year 11 and 12. Some of us went onto Uni or further studies. I can't wait to hear what some of them have been doing for the last 30 years?? One lady has a 3 year old child, another has a grandchild the same age, a couple never married, a couple never had children, a couple have died. Wow! i really can't wait!!!

Ok gotta go - will be on time for doctor but will probably have to wait awhile though!!

A quote for today:
I believe life is a series of near misses. A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. It's seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It's seeing what other people don't see and pursuing that vision. Lewis Grizzard.

My Old Love

2008-09-28T19:08:00.002+10:00

Yep I have gone back to my old love today..... yes you heard me right..... today I spent most of the day with my darling Janome! I sewed and sewed and sewed and boy did Janome and I enjoy ourselves!!!

I took him in for a check up with the doctor in The Mount and now he is purring like a kitten. Together we made covers for the long lounge cushions and the chair I sit in. Then a new cover for the footstool. And then two new cushion covers in matching material. And..... then.... we went way overboard and made a very basic table runner for the dining table which is in the same room.

We are now resting and basking in the warm glow of a job well done.

And now for an appropriate quote:

Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning of happiness or have gone stark raving mad. ~Norm Papernick

Ciao

Photos of Us For Edwards Family and Lisa.

2008-09-28T15:56:00.000+10:00

This is Gregory from the back! Some people think he needs a haircut - but I think it would be a shame to cut off all those gorgeous curls! What do you think?

This is Gregory while he is playing on the computer. The game must have been going well as he is smiling!!

This is Daniel, smirking at me because he caught me taking a photo of him! Aren't those green eyes and dimple gorgeous?

Then there is me! Only one chin and a bit of a second one that will be gone soon too I hope?? Nothing I can do about the wrinkles though!!

Wish I was visiting with you guys in Brisbane - I am sure I am missing out on so much fun!

Just for Xanthe

2008-09-27T21:00:00.002+10:00

I have been told that I haven't updated for ages!! I don't have any news to tell.

So I will take some photos tomorrow to show you and Lisa what we all look like now!

While I am here, I should leave a quote. In honour of old friends and new -

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. ~Author Unknown

Enough already!!!

2008-09-09T19:33:00.001+10:00

This is what the kids are saying here - they have had enough of my silly childhood songs but before I stop I have to do just one more!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8jlJpceXpY&feature=related

Enjoy your banana splits!!!

Puffnstuff

2008-09-09T19:30:00.000+10:00

An another oldie but goodie!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-yLYz6ejqw&feature=related

enjoy!!

manamana???

2008-09-09T14:00:00.004+10:00

Who remembers this little song from the Muppets??

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4668196322523357460&hl=en

Hope this link works??

I am sorry, I know Susy told me how to call this something else, but I don't remember how to do it.

Spider Ride and Footy

2008-09-04T14:55:00.000+10:00

How high up did you say we were going to be???

A lot higher than this that is for sure!!

Heading off to the footy at the Telstra Dome. Gregory and Andrew watched Essenden get flogged by St Kilda, with standing room only!

Photo taken fom the balony of our apartment - There was only 49000 people crammed in there??? I don't understand the attraction myself, but obviously I am in a minority on that!

While we were in Melbourne we also went up to the top of the Eureka Tower to the Skydeck. It is the tallest residential building in the Southern Hemisphere - 88 floors. It was very windy out on the terrace and you could see the glass quivering in the wind!! A little disconcerting!!

We found an amazing display of old books at the State Library. From a cuneiform tablet from 4000 years ago to some modern day novels. Fascinating display if anyone is in Melbourne! We loved looking around the Library too - some many books in one place!!!

The other amazing thing we did was eat out every night - this is unheard of for us! It was great and we tried not to have the same thing each night but I am afraid I can eat sushi every night!! Yum yum yum!! I did have risotto and authentic Italian pizza too.

Righto, back to reality - off to do some housework with maybe a little stop off at my scrapping table?? Lol!

Melbourne Luna Park

2008-09-04T14:39:00.000+10:00

The Ghost Train ride the boys all went on - I had to look after the bag and camera!!!

Gregory getting ready to launch on the Pharoah's Curse ride. He can be a little melodramatic!!

And after the ride - look at that smile!!!

More zoo for you....

2008-09-04T14:31:00.000+10:00

Very goodlooking fella we found sitting in the fork of a tree.

Water dragon trying to look fierce - and doing a good job of it!!!

Daniel waited so patiently in the butterfly house for one to land on him.
It paid off because this one took a liking to him and didn't want to hop off. Daniel had to take it to a tree in the end.

Did you know that I love elephants the most of any animal in the world? I have an elephant collection here at home.
There was the most gorgeous stuffed fluffy elelphant at the gift shop but the boys wouldn't let me buy it - I don't know why??
It was only $500. Well worth the money I thought!!!

Going to the zoo

2008-09-04T14:20:00.000+10:00

Andrew is working in Melbourne for 2 weeks, so we thought we would head over for a long weekend. We got to stay at the Quest Apartments right next to the Telstra Dome. We only had to pay for the rooms to be upgraded to a 2 bedroom from 1 bedroom - cheapest accommodation for a while.
On the Friday, we were lucky to met up with Dora and her 2 gorgeous girls, Kai and Rosie and another young lady, Sunshine. It was a beautiful sunny day with the temperature around 18. Perfect for walking aorund the zoo. I took over 300 photos, now I just have to find time to go through them and delete the crappy ones and send the good ones off to be printed.
There was 3 male lions in a cage together but they were all very well behaved and posed so well for us.

The lemurs had us in stitches. They were sitting in the sun, with their tummies turned to it to catch all the warmth. At times, with their little hands resting on their knees, it looked like they were meditating. ooomm oomm oomm

This mandrill was so good looking from this angle, but from behind he was even more spectacular!! His butt was all shades - blue, green, pink, all shimmery. But the photos I took don't show the shimmeriness (is there such as word??).

The baby chimpanzee had us mesmerised for ages. He was up on the platform near the viewing area and was just doing his thing. He was like a toddler - trying to walk around and falling down. He would keep going back to his Mum and the other chimp, who were having a grooming session, to check up on them, then toddle off again. So cute.

Tagged....

2008-08-17T16:09:00.002+10:00

gee thanks Donna! http://donna-wardle.blogspot.com/
I have been tagged to write 6 UN-SPECTACULAR things about myself.
Here's how it works.
1. Link the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yourself
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them & leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged

ME...
1. I have a serious love/hate relationship going with my hair. I love the curliness, except in the wind- then I look like an evil old witch, I hate the grey but love it when it is about 4 weeks after colouring - then I need to go back for more colour!
2. I love chocolate but not like some people who can eat a whole family block - I like to buy a small block and eat it slowly - even suck it until only the taste is left!
3. I have to wash my clothes by lights and darks and very rarely will a sheet or towel go in together or with the light or dark stuff. I also like to peg it all out with 2 pegs on everything.
4. When I hang out the washing I have to give everything 3 shakes - this takes out the wrinkles and saves on ironing time.
5. I have to have a clean house before I can do any fun stuff like scrapbook - gotta get over that!!
6. I need to check my emails and blogs, first thing in the morning - in my pjs, eating my breakfast.

Well there you go - very unspectacular.

I can't think of 6 people to tag, so I will send out a general tag. If you read my blog on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday of this week - consider yourself tagged!

Ciao

Bring Donna Down Under!

2008-08-14T20:40:00.002+10:00

My friend Susy and I adore Donna Downey's style of scrapping and art!! So we have decided to bombard her with lots of messages and emails in the hope she will give in and visit Australia, and do some of her awesome classes for us!

This is what Susy said on her blog -

OK for all of you Aussie scrappers out there my friend Kathryn and I have devised a plan to try and get the very talented Donna Downey to come to Australia and do some classes. We are going to use good old fashioned nagging (works for the kids) We thought if those of you who are out there who would be as excited as us to do a class with 'her miss scrappiness' herself could leave a comment on her blog ( weekly if possible) she might just feeled loved enough to want to travel down her and see us all. It's worth a try hey?

So Susy and I are in - who else is going to help us?? Send Donna an email asking her to come down under!
Let's go - we can do this!!

Hello World!

2008-08-13T17:25:00.002+10:00

After not saying a word on my blog for over a month - I have now put on 4 entries in one day. I was trying to catch up and now I have with the picture side of things.

A quote I found this morning and which I had to share -

"It's not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences." - Audre Lorde

How is that for deep and meaningful? And with that I leave blogdom again.

Ciao until next time.

Daniel is 11

2008-08-13T17:13:00.000+10:00

It seems like only last week I was blogging about Daniel turning 10. And now here we are a whole year later!!

He had a fabulous day! Present opening at home with the family, homeschooling friends for a game of mini golf, afternoon party and cake with Naracoorte friends, tacos for tea and then watch some Get Smart with Dad, before collapsing into bed! What a day!!
Big brother birthday hugs.

A quick round of golf with Zach.

Chocolate cake with chocolate icing - what else would do???

One of his haul of super pressies!

At the age of 11, he has nearly caught his mother in height. Anyone who knows me will be laughing now because being as tall as me is nothing to aspire to!! Daniel is tall for his age though and has now reached 5 feet. At this rate he will catch his 5' 9" brother in no time!!
I love that he still likes to play imaginative games and watch fun shows like The Addams Family and Get Smart!! He will be all grown up before I know it.

Port Fairy

2008-08-13T16:59:00.000+10:00

for a girls' weekend.
What a wonderful idea, Sharee had when she decided to invite 6 of her best friends to have a girls only weekend in Port Fairy. We all enjoyed it so much we have decided that it should be a 3 monthly thing. Some of the topics of discussion can not be repeated in polite conversation. There was also lots of walking, eating Indian food, drinking coffee, eating chocolate, chatting, laughing, shopping and then more of it again!
We were supposed to be refreshed and revitalised - I was exhausted in body but refreshed in my mind. Definitely a must do again thing!

Port Fairy Lighthouse

Boats moored along the Moyne River Docks.

Gregory straightened his hair

2008-08-13T16:48:00.000+10:00

or rather he allowed Bianca and Lee to straighten it for him. Bianca has been asking him for ages, if she could straighten it. She was a bit sad one night while we were in Melbourne and Gregory brightened her night up by allowing her to do it. I could not believe how long it was! I am so used to the long curls that I was just amazed by this gorgeous hair! The one of the back of his head still stuns me!!

I may be biased but isn't he gorgeous too?
I look at photos of him now at 14 and a half and wonder where my little blonde baby boy has gone?? I console myself that I now have handsome curly-haired kind-hearted young man - and I am blessed!!

Melbourne Scienceworks and Goal

2008-08-13T16:35:00.000+10:00

Away away away we go...

2008-07-06T19:12:00.005+10:00

off to Melbourne for the week. Boys and I only though - poor old Dad has to stay home and go to work to afford this great life we lead!!

We are sharing a house with 3 other Mums and 10 other kids!! Planning on going to Scienceworks, into the City, the Museum, around Williamstown and lots more. It is going to be great!

Gregory is also fitting in a LAN party at his friend Luis' and then is going home to Bendigo with one of the other families for nearly a week. He laughed last week, when we were talking about our lives here, and he said he is now the most social member of our family! This is the boy who until he became a teenager was happy to spend everyday at home, doing his own thing!! Now that is Daniel, most of the time. Wonder if he will change too???

In our previous life, in Western Queensland, I was the social bunny, with someone over for a cuppa nearly every afternoon. Sometimes I miss that so much, but perhaps it is the lovely ladies I used to sip coffee with that I miss. I am planning a Queensland trip in November this year, so those ladies better be ready for serious coffee and chatting!! Ooops just realised that I have dropped my intake of coffee to just one cup a day and to be honest I didn't enjoy it at all today. I may have to find something else to sip while chatting???

In the trip to Queensland, I am organising a school reunion and hopefully a reunion with some of the people I went to Uni with as well. Busy busy trip!!

Anyway better go check the car has everything in it, so we can blast off early in the morning. Don't like my chances though - both of these boys do like to sleep in!!! Especially when it is so chilly!!

See ya next week, with lots of photos I hope?

Petticoat Lane, Penola

2008-07-04T23:31:00.000+10:00

Is where we went today for our regular Friday Homeschool excursion. We choose different things to do each Friday of the school term and we go as a group. Today was my turn to organise something so I chose Penola. I think I could live there, it has a beautiful feeling about it. I feel very comfortable there and there is always something to do or somewhere to go or something to look at. Penola has galleries, coffee shops, antique stores, an old fashioned lolly shop and so many other things going for it.

Today we did a short history walk down Petticoat Lane which is the original street. We heard a lot of history of the people who first lived in Penola. Then we walked back to the Mary McKillop Centre and saw the little school house where she lived and taught the children of Penola in the late 1800's. We went into the Mary McKillop Interpretive centre and saw all about her life and the life of Father Tennison Woods. He fascinates me as he was a priest and a scientist back in 1880. He is responsible for a lot of the geological information around our area - and there is a lot of that!

Of course, there is always so many lovely things to take photos of when you step back in time. I hope you like the ones I chose to share - they are my favourites of the day.

A homeschool excursion to Penola is not complete without lunch in the park and a play with the other kids ( and a good old natter for the parents) followed by a trip to see Sue at the Lolly shop before heading home. Bit of a worry when you are on a first name basis with the owner of a lolly shop in a neighbouring town???
Home in time to do some grocery shopping, some washing and drying, cooking tacos for tea, then settling in to watch Silent Witness and Spooks on the ABC. So that means it must be bed time now!!
Sweet dreams!

Nice Quiet Sunday then ....

2008-06-22T20:34:00.003+10:00

I had a lovely quiet Sunday morning. I woke up late and had a leisurely breakfast. A friend rang to say did I want to meet her and kids for a play date at the park - yep sure did! We quickly ate some lunch and headed off to the Park for the afternoon. We had a yummy coffee and the kids played happily for over 2 hours.

We got home just after 4 and I decided to check my email. There was a message from Facebook to say someone wanted to be my friend - wasn't sure I knew the name, but fate stepped in next minute there was a message from this friend which made it abundantly clear who she was. It was my best friend from Year 12 at boarding school! Hi Lisa!! We had stayed friends while at Uni, both training to be teachers but lost track of each other after that! So 25 year later, we chatted for ages like it had been only last week we had last talked. It was so amazing! I am still stunned by it all - the marvel of the internet!!

I dashed off to cook dinner for the boys and just as we sat down to eat, there was a phone call which Andrew answered. I thought his voice sounded a bit strange from the other room. Well, stunned twice in the space of 2 hours - a mutual friend had rung to tell us that the mother of one the boys that Daniel goes to Cub Scouts with, had died over the weekend. Very suddenly! Apparently a stroke. We sat in silence eating our dinner!! She was younger than me!! I still can't believe it! Her children are only 12 and 10.

These two things have made me even more determined to get healthy for my family's sake! No more junk food, lots of exercise and I will hug my boys even tighter!!! I also am very determined to contact old friends for the school reunion later in the year. Life is definitely too short to put off what you really want to do!!

"The past is history, the future is a mystery and this moment is a gift. That is why this moment is called the “present."Anon

Please enjoy all your gifts and presents, everyone!!

Ciao for now

Here I am...

2008-06-21T15:51:00.001+10:00

As usual, it has been a while since I blogged. Just plodding away doing my thing - homeschooling, housework, scouting etc.

Last weekend, Daniel and I went on the annual District Cub Scout Camp. We were lucky as it was held close to home at the World Heritage Naraoorte Caves. We both enjoyed ourselves. One of us was up very late the first night but then was so tired the second night that 10 hours sleep was had!! It wasn't me! Although I didn't have much sleep either, between the snoring from the other leaders I shared a room with and the chatting from the children in the next room!! I probably snore too - do ya think there comes a time when you just can't share a room with anyone!! I am afraid I like my room to myself and I like it dark and quiet. Might have to take a tent next time and put it way down the flat!!

While waiting for the Cub Scouts to reappear from the bottom of a cave, I took these photos of some of the native trees. I loved the gum flower - all on it's own - there was no others on the whole tree.

I think the second one is a Correa? Almost looks like a fuschia flower.

After a big weekend at Cub Camp, I came down with a very nasty tummy bug or maybe food poisoning. I spent Monday and Tuesday being very quiet and still, except for the mad dashes to the toilet! The rest of the week was fairly slow too and even now I am still off my food. This is probably not altogether a bad thing - a bit of weight loss happening! A silver lining in this cloud of ickiness!!

Today, I have done a couple of pages of scrapbooking - very simple ones. They are for my class at the local scrapbooking shop, that is on Wednesday this week. I am now off to do some more - am very into the simple look at the moment. Of course, I scraplift most of my pages, so am into Cathy Zeilske, Ali Edwards and Donna Downey. These ladies sure now how to make a simple but stupendous page!

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday!!

Ohh those eyelashes....

2008-06-10T23:07:00.000+10:00

Isn't she just the most gorgeous thing?

We managed to get to the feeding time for the Giraffes. I couldn't believe how many carrots this giraffe ate??? It would have been at least 20 large carrots sliced in half or quarters. Everybody was amazed how she just kept on taking them from all the outstretched hands.

Daniel was first fella in our family to feed her.

Then Gregory.

Check out that tongue - they can be up to 46 centimetres long!!!

Then Andrew had his turn.

Still doesn't beat Dubbo - Western Plains Zoo, but we all enjoyed ourselves immensely!

Skins, hooves and bones

2008-06-10T22:56:00.000+10:00

Daniel using an Elk horn to pretend to be a Unicorn.

Gregory took a photo of the Axis Deer head skeleton - he thought it was really cool!

My favourite was the zebra skin with the hooves still attached.

We went to the zoo, zoo, zoo!!!

2008-06-10T22:44:00.000+10:00

Zebras, White Rhinos, Spotted Hyena and Lion - we went to Old Tailem Town on Saturday, then to Monarto Zoo on Sunday. The zoo was great - although I have yet to go to a zoo that matches Dubbo!! We enjoyed looking at all the animals. More pics to come....

Who remembers these??

2008-06-10T22:39:00.000+10:00

Little bottles of milk given to you at morning tea time. Often they were warm by then - I lived in Qld!!!

Wooden desks attached to the floor, room for two little people to sit at them, flip top lids - had to get your stuff out at the same time as the kid next to you!! Also had to watch out for fingers getting caught if the kid next to you didn't like you!!

Teacher's neat writing of the alphabet along the top of the blackboard!

Ahh those wonderful old days!! I couldn't believe that I went to school long enough ago to qualify for my school days to be on show at Old Tailem Town. I also found a butcher's shop with the lino on the bench and the big green cash register exactly the same as the butcher's in little old Inglewood, Queensland where I grew up! Very freaky feeling!! Nah not the being old bit - the remembering the colour of the lino and the cash register from 35+ years ago!! What a weird piece of memory to have??

Now where was I?

2008-05-30T09:18:00.003+10:00

oh yeah that's right busy doing I don't know what?? Where has the last 2 weeks gone - certainly not on housework!! My house is desperate for a clean, maybe later today. Have I been in my vege patch --nope!! Hope to dig some dirt tomorrow! Have I been immersed in my scrapbooking? Again nope! And my poor mother is still waiting for her birthday present!

Well......... last week I spent in the kitchen. Every year, I get involved with The Biggest Morning Tea for the Cancer Council. I am the secretary for the local branch as well. I do it for my Dad, who died from Cancer nearly 5 years ago - and damn it I still miss him. I hope the little bit of money I raise will help someone else not lose their father, mother, husband, wife, child etc at a younger age than anyone has a right to die!

Anyway I made morning tea for 12 bank johnnies at $5 each and then for the local scrapboking shop. I raised over $100 for the day then fronted up the next day to help run the branch do at the local bowls club where we took $500 on the door, $750 for the raffle and $650 on the trading table. So even though I didn't feel like baking again for a while- it was worth it.

It must have been a drain on my emotions, thinking about Dad all week as this week I have been BLAH!! Not sick but not feeling my usual chirpy self. I felt a little let down by a couple of people so that didn't help! So I stayed home for the 3 nights in a row that I should have been out and today I am feeling a bit better!

Nice quiet weekend coming up! Andrew and I and a couple of friends are off out to dinner at a very posh restaurant on Saturday night. We treat ourselves once a year to blow the budget and spend way too much on way too little food!! Woohoo!!

Righto better get my self into gear - off to Homeschool group today. We are meeting in Penola today - love that little town! Great park for the kids, great coffee for the Mums and great lolly shop for treats to eat on the way home!!

It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt. Mark Twain

Ciao for now.

No Photos

2008-05-16T13:21:00.000+10:00

How the heck am I supposed to improve on photography skills when I don't take any photos, not one, nada, none for over 3 weeks!! Gees Louise! That is soooo long!!

Well I did take a couple a few weeks ago - here they are!

Sad I know... photos of a box and its contents. The box was from Donna Downey and it did contain her newest books, signed by her no less!! Highlight of my week - Susy and I went a little silly when we opened the box - our boys thought we had gone slightly mad. Well madder than usual!

We held the books to our heart and said things like - Donna touched this book!!

Told you it was sad!! Susy understands don't you Susy??

The second photo is of some Kim Archer flowers I made for Tanya for her birthday! Aren't they the cutest things? Tan loved them so much she has them sitting on the main desk at the shop - I love it when I give a homemade gift and it is so appreciated.

I am hoping to make some more for family and friends but time is a bit tight at the moment - hoping to find some spare on the weekend!

Well folks, I will leave you with a quote:

The best way to prepare for any moment in the future is to be fully conscious in the present.
- Deepak Chopra

And with that it is time to feed the family some healthy warming lunch on this cold rainy day in beautiful South East, South Australia.

Ciao!

Over 1000 views??

2008-04-27T20:20:00.002+10:00

My goodness when did that happen?? People must actually look at my blog and read my ramblings??

I really want to get back to my quote a day. If you have a good one then share it with me!

Here is 5 beauties to get me started again.

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

If you cannot find happiness along the road, you will not find it at the end of the road.

Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live.

Enthusiasm is contagious – start an epidemic.

Success is a journey, not a destination.

With those thoughts I bid you goodnight.

I've been tagged.....

2008-04-26T15:27:00.004+10:00

Thank you Stephanie!! I have to say 5 things.....

What was I doing ten years ago?
1. Loving my 4 year old and 6 month old sons
2. Living in the only town ( out of the 12 I have lived in) that I didn’t like!
3. Being a stay at home Mum all year
4. Subjecting my first born to the icky world of Kindergarten
5. Enjoying playgroup friendships

Five things currently on my to-do list
1. Save money for an overseas trip
2. Continue to enjoy my scrapbooking
3. Get the vege patch under control again.
4. Join the gym
5. Lose more weight

Five things I would do if I was a billionaire
1. Buy investments
2. Take my family on a long around the world trip
3. Have a house in the country,
4. Have an apartment in the city
5. Have a house on the headland of a beautiful beach

Five of my bad habits
1. Take on too much
2. Eat when bored
3. Not listening intently all the time
4. Forgetting to blog5
. Not backing up my precious photos

Five places I have lived
1. Toowoomba, Qld
2. Townsville, Qld
3. Quilpie, Qld
4. St George, Qld
5. Biloela, Qld

Five jobs that I have
1. Primary School Teacher
2. Bookkeeper
3. Family Day Care Co-Ordinator
4. Petrol Pump Attendant
5. Mother

Now I tag Susy, Mish, Pip, Donna, Susan C.

I've been tagged....

2008-04-26T15:27:00.001+10:00

An award...

2008-04-26T15:12:00.003+10:00

for little ole me!! Goodness gracious me! Can you tell I am a little overwhelmed?? Here it is.....

It is the Arte Y Pico Award. The idea is now that you have been awarded it - you have to pass it on to 5 other bloggers that inspire you. The website it comes from www.arteypico.blogspot is in Spanish, but it is to mean creativity and art.

So here's to my 5 choices -

http://susanscrapnsew.blogspot.com/ Unreal lady with 7 sons and so creative

http://leewoodside.typepad.com/a_little_bit_of_this_and_/ inspiring everyday

http://pipprosser.typepad.com/ someone I knew awhile ago and so creative

http://www.kimarcher.typepad.com/ love her workshops

http://www.helenwilliams.typepad.com/ love her ideas and artistic ability

Congratulations ladies!

Anzac Day

2008-04-25T18:19:00.000+10:00

Today was another proud day for Daniel. He marched with the other Cub and
Joey Scouts in the Anzac Day March, then he was the one chosen to lay the wreath at the memorial. You can just make him out, with the hat on, putting the wreath down.

Gregory did a great job taking lots of photos for me. He took nearly 100 - he is
a photographer in the making. This is Daniel and I after the service was over
and we were heading home. I can't believe my 10 year old son is nearly as
tall as me!! Eekk!!

So now I am up to date with our family events!! Just have to put some quotes up and I will be all done!

Cheers til later!