Show Time

Here are two pictures my husband took at the Agricultural Show or something like a County Fair.

What's the buzz...

Well my library came good with novels, so I have read one, and will pick up the others today. I read Her Inheritance Forever by Lyn Cote. I hope I can get my hands on book 3.

My internet speed came back yesterday, so that is a good thing. I can't sit long periods though, which is a shame, but getting there.

I managed to put in a full days "work" yesterday. My daughter and I left home after 9 and got home well after 6. We drove our 1 1/2 hours to the regional centre, with the help of stopping every half an hour and some Panadol.

We went to the bridal shop to buy a deb dress. The lady made it very special. We bought a dress, gloves and a hair comb that is like a spray of silver flowers. After that we bought shoes, they are open toe with a medium heel, white. We have an appointment with a seamstress there to do alterations in about a month's time.

Today I got an appointment with a hairdresser in town, so I think I am nearly set for the deb ball.

I bought a pretty dress for my daughter who is eight to wear for it, and one for myself.

Another song I liked on the Country Music Awards recently was a song called Ain't Gonna Change for You by the McClymonts and Troy Cassar-Daley. It is great, it reminds me of the music of Elvis' That's Alright Mama. Wish I could show you a video. ( I did find it, you can listen here.)

We have an agricultural show/county fair or rather local fair on. I have been to the show office today. DH is flying out on a business trip soon, not that there is an airport close to here, but he is doing that. So I am plodding along, hoping my back keeps up. Lucky I have in a good supply of reading material. My daughter is serving coffees again this weekend. It makes me happy, she dresses up in her hospitality clothes and off she goes with her boyfriend.

Here is a video of Elvis instead.

Happy Homemaker Monday

I started this post on the 26th October, so most I'll have to start again with! Then had another go at it, who knows when?

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Cooling down at night, warm in the day. Rain.

One of my simple pleasures:
Going to the skate park with my girls

On my bedside table:
Just finished The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society by Beth Pattillo (old news now)

On my TV:
Location, Location
Jamie at Home
Selling Houses
lately CMC Country Music Awards

On the menu for tonight:
Something with pumpkin in it, or vegie burgers with miso in them

On my To Do list:
Put things on the calendar, write a list of must dos in the regional centre

New Recipe I tried last week:
Stir-fried Noodles with Pork Mince & Bok Choy I liked all the new recipes we tried this pay cycle

In the craft basket:
I am going to try to find some curtains to resize for a bedroom window

Looking forward to:
Having a normal back, and getting our routine going, so far it is very hectic

Homemaking Tip for this week:
I can see that a homemakers journal/folder is useful when you are older, I can't remember what I was thinking now, but I know I would benefit from it

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other): this is one I found back in October but didn't get the opportunity to post:
Making Your Home Sing: Oversleeping (from October)
What to drink for New Years (older)
Combating the "You Should Get Out of The House More" Mentality this week

Favorite photo from last week: a photo that matches my current banner



Lesson learned the past few days (awhile back):
Swiss Chard or perhaps Silverbeet is native to England. Jamie mentioned it on Jamie At Home.

On my Prayer List:
my cousin has been having chemo, so my Mum told me yesterday

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
Pondering Pollyanna's many verses in the bible about rejoicing and being glad (great read BTW)
1 Peter 2:15, thanks Joyce.

This meme is from Sandra's blog. I have an award to give out, I will finish the post after the 25th when my internet speed comes up, and maybe my back will feel better too.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY Sunday & Monday...

Outside my window... sometimes there have been two monarch butterflies floating around the back lawn, hence the butterflies in my background on the blog

I am thinking... about my children's Facebook pages

I am thankful for... I remember being thankful for a few things this week.

I am wearing Sunday... the same thing I wear every evening when it is hot, sleeveless shirt and board shorts, I change into them in the afternoon, the mornings have been cool except for this weekend

I am remembering Monday... it is my second child's birthday today, no cake from the family today, aw.

I am going... deb dress and glove shopping & looking for school uniform

I am reading... I have read the last book two times and one skim, so now I am bored, but at least today my back allows me to do some things a little easier

I am hoping... I find what I want at the shops in one go

On my mind... shopping, big responsibility, 1 1/2 hours drive etc. etc.

Noticing that... it will be cold tonight back nearly to 10 oC, which isn't hot really

From the kitchen... I have chicken mince that I didn't know I bought. I read the docket but didn't see it

Around the house... the toy sewing machine has been getting a workout

One of my favourite things... my daughter's fabric bag she bought in Malaysia, it is always around where I can see it

From my picture journal... where I buy groceries, but not at night obviously


Meme from: Simple Woman's Daybook, please visit Peggy and the other daybookers.

Back To Basics Challenge

This is for last week and this week.

Sowing seed or Planting

• I am wondering if my jerusalem artichokes are flowering yet.

Planning for The Future

• The meal planning has been exciting. I have really enjoyed some of the meals and they hopefully will replace old favourites.
• I have been trying to source deb dresses and hope to work something out next week. What has this got to do with basics? I would rather my Mum did it, lol.
• I have been thinking about other jobs at our newer house. Also I need to research how to manage Balm of Gilead, it seems to have taken over.
  

Working for the Future

• This is a door my husband moved from the kitchen in our newer investment property/holiday house/possible future home. I mentioned another day we found a door at the tip/dump with glass in it to help bring light to the kitchen. The bathroom/bedroom doorway didn't have a door previously. I have no idea how to match the white to paint it, perhaps just a vivid white?
  
• My daughter was given a bike by a person giving up their paper run. My husband is using brakes from a non geared bike we don't use and fixing the wheel and spokes and doing other jobs on the bike so she can use it. She prefers it to her own bike for riding up steep hills and things. He got some reflected pedals he got from the tip/dump today.
  

Building Community

• I walked to school this week and was told of a change of days for a church based after school activity, so my daughter attended.
  

Learn a new Skill

• Keeping up, at least a little, with university things to help our son. I know what a moodle is and cps pulse clicker. Not sure if I am any help at all actually, but it is interesting, and he seems to be doing well.
  

This meme comes from Belinda's blog.

Skywatch Friday

This week's Skywatch photos, following on from the sunsets of the past two weeks.

Girls filling the space their brother left

This is what is coming out of the girls room while they paint their nails blue for the swimming sports.

I have been reading Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter. Do you remember watching it on TV years ago? It is a nice novel once you get into it. Here is a nice page with the chapters to read.

I read somewhere on a blog about Pollyanna's glad game so I wanted to read the book. In the book it mentioned that in the bible there are 800? things on rejoicing and being glad.

Our son who is into his second week of uni, is having his birthday next week.

My daughter is asking for a deb dress, her friends already have theirs or quite a lot have, with only one practice under their belt. I am hoping my plan works, otherwise I am in big trouble. Any advice about buying deb dresses gratefully received!

If you google deb ball you will find down the page, what the Australian version of a debutante ball is. Here is a peek at what a deb dress looks like.

I still have a sore back. I was to sit here quietly for a few minutes, but one girl nearly sat on my while syncing her ipod. Another had to check her instructions for Youth Group on helping the younger kids, and they are having a great girl's chat at the moment.

OK I still love Queen after all

First Week of Uni Down

My son has finished both a week of uni, and his orientation week. It is a big deal for me because it brings back memories of our eldest's first uni days four whole years ago. Yes, we are starting to forget the finer details and it is a little like starting again. He has all of his books, has done some online assessment, basically knows where things are, and the bike riding there seems to be going well.

The picture was taken in the middle of the first week when my husband went to visit and help him out with talking through an issue on which subject to pick. This area I went through last Thursday and saw two lots of people putting back fencing after the fires. There was a fundraiser here locally last weekend and they have over $80,000, so that is fantastic. A little girl apparently even busked in her town to raise a few hundred dollars. My husband got home from his big day at midnight. I had been asleep two hours and couldn't understand the knock on the door at first.

I wasn't sure how I would go with food shopping this week. My back survived the drive and the full trolley of food, but I suffered for it for the last two days. Still it is nice to have full cupboards, I just don't like sitting for long.

I got through another novel, was happy the library had a couple for me. It was called The Trouble with Lacy Brown by Debra Clopton.

The temperature is a lot milder today, we have more humidity that usual this week, and some fire sirens, but nothing to worry about.

My daughter had a couple of plays with a friend after school. That is all I remember of my week. Below is a pic taken today.

Country Music Pic

I have put CMC on my Facebook.

Skywatch Friday

These are similar sunset photos to the ones I posted last week. The photos were taken last Friday evening. No, I don't live in a compound lol.

Random January Photos

My brother's garden, complete with magpies. The girls visited him with my Mum. I lived there as a child and that area was not developed then. I had a pet sheep there instead. I can see why they held a wedding in his garden.




My childhood swimming hole again. The trees are wattle on the left. You can see below the bridge hasn't changed at all.





The succulent garden after the girls finished making it with Nana, I think it is really my middle daughter's.



It is very hard to concentrate on blogging it seems at the moment. Sitting is not very comfortable, sometimes it is hot, but basically I have been helping my son get ready for uni. He has been in his Orientation Week this week. So therefore I have had lots of photos going unused. I tried uploading a video that was very cute, of the girls with their Nana's puppy, but it takes ages. Maybe I will try again another time.

And what was that bird I was using as my banner lately? It was a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, and it visits my Mum's backyard!







Shopping day last week, above.



Last night about tea time (dinner) my daughter, who turned 13 yesterday, started putting together the desk and chair for her sister that my son got from Target in the back to school catalogue, and later my husband helped her put together a large desk my son bought at Officeworks. We drove to the regional centre to get them but couldn't find any. I am amazed how she is able to put together beds, dismanted chook houses, and now put together desks.

I have since enjoyed reading, after Opal, A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist.

Skywatch Friday

These photos were taken a week ago by my husband in sunny North East Victoria, here in town. Today though if you were here, you would find it is far from sunny and pouring with rain.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY Monday...

Outside my window... lots of cars

I am thinking... I wonder how my son is going on his first day of uni

I am thankful for... my son was able to buy the desks and desk chair for the girls' rooms, my husband is picking them up this week

I am wearing... brown capris, and an awful(ish) brown/green t-shirt

I am remembering... soon the school holidays will be a memory, first day of school today for the girls

I am going... just to school later

I am reading... just finished Opal

I am hoping... things go smoothly at uni, seems good so far

On my mind... hoping my husband has enough time to get done what he needs to at work

Noticing that... some of the trees are turning colour when we have a month of summer left

From the kitchen... Sausage Casserole, made with chipolatas and potatoes like shepherd's pie

Around the house... a new succulent garden in a tub my Mum and daughter made

One of my favourite things... monarch butterflies when they are growing in my front yard

From my picture journal... going shopping last Thursday



Meme from: Simple Woman's Daybook, please visit Peggy and the other daybookers.