And again...

Another post tonight to make up for being too hot & bothered to do it yesterday...

You'll never know when you should have your camera ready

because you never know when a helicopter is going to land at the end of your street!

Thankful...

Yesterday I was thankful, amongst loads of things that could tip me over the edge, I've tried to find some positives.


I was thankful for:


1. a reliable car - that I could run the airconditioner continually & be cool while the outside temp was 41.5 at 1030am.

2. a nonstop power source - whilst I was at my sister's scrapping in the cool.

3. a lovely friend - who took 3 girls to the local pool for a swim in the afternoon.

4. a short queue - at the golden arches so I didn't have to wait very long.

5. takeaway food - saves me from cooking when I really can't be bothered

6. airconditioning - has kept me semi-sane. I had an interesting conversation with an airconditioning installer/plumber whilst waiting 1 & 1/4 hours for a pizza!
So I am also grateful for...

7. pleasant working conditions - nowhere near the 77 degrees he had to endure in a roof fitting aircon for impatient customers, or the sweat box that was the overwhelmed pizzeria.

8. no more power outages for us - we had a 2 hour outage & others have had days of no power!

9 Lovely friends - who have a pool, who are close by, & put up with us night after night swimming til after dark.

10. survival - we've lived through this record breaking heatwave! the dog & the guinea pig are still with us & the garden is battered but not gone. I'm not interested in breaking any more records thanks, it has taken all my will not to succumb to being a grumpy, irrational whinger.

I'm also thankful that I was able to complete a couple of layouts & some cards.

These layouts both look crooked but that's just my dodgy photography.




I also attended my third funeral so far this year. I don't always attend funerals of patients but you get closer to some & their families. I admire the courage & dignity they have as they face their battle with cancer, their true character shines through, it is an honour to know them & treat them, even if it is for only a short time.

Our heatwave continues...

Furnacious



My DH's contribution to my words to describe today.



My hot brain can only come up with regular words like...



Scorcher, sizzling, stifling, sweltering, sweaty, boiling, extreme, hellish, unbearable.



I hate to go on & on about the heat but... ITS TOO HOT!!!!



Yesterday when the outside temperature was 43 degrees and the airconditioning was not working properly (big clue was that the temp inside the house was 37 degrees) my hero husband got up onto the roof to fiddle with the 'float', 'inlet flow' & the 'pads'. 4 trips up the ladder later, with me hovering below trying to be helpful, he did get it going well...then the power went out for 2 hours & I went back to being demented.



More furnacious days ahead...



Do you think I could get this installed by tomorrow????

I'm feeling hot hot hot...

It was a stinker today - really hot! I feel for my sweet Erin who is off to school tomorrow.
And sorry for myself as I get back into the routine of lunch boxes, uniforms & homework.

Grade 6 this year for my baby, my last at primary school. I've been a bit caught out this year...haven't covered a book, haven't finished taking down the hem on her school dress & almost agreed to a sleep-over at Tayla's tonight...oops no you can't, you have school in the morning.

Thanks Hayley for finishing the uniform, you're getting to be a whiz with the machine!

Do you think they'll delay the start because the forecast is 43 degrees (that's 109 degrees Farenheit)??!!?

Just checked the school's website, they have delayed the start til Monday...thank goodness. That should give me time to feel ready as well!

Just to top off a crappy day...no power for 2 hours tonight! I need air con!!!

100 posts...

Wow this is my 100th post & a quick check of the visitor counter shows that I'm fast approaching 1000 visitors!
So thanks to those of you who pop in to check up whats happening in my corner of the blog world, its been fun & quite revealing. I've found new friends, inspiration & lots of things that make me think.

Like this quote

... spiritual energy is not a religious or metaphysical type of energy but the energy we get when we are associated with purpose. I have previously mentioned how important I feel purpose is to our lives. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, purpose seems to be a necessary ingredient to live successfully. As the two authors point out, purpose and spiritual energy is the most important and most powerful form of energy. With a strong sense of purpose, energy can be created even when there is barely any physical, mental or emotional capacity. Spiritual energy represents the power or force of energy...

You can see this around you in daily life, when you are bone tired & wonder how others who are also physically spent can keep on performing. There's a saying "if you want something done, ask a busy person"
It's all about purpose & spirit.

Hope you are all surviving the heat wave, Jo

Australia Day...

Happy Australia Day to everyone, I hope you had a sun-filled, fun-filled day!

Did I go to a breakfast, or to the cricket, or a BBQ, did I watch tennis or see some fireworks.

Nuh! (she says in her best ocker-speak)

I celebrated in a true Aussie style of having a bludgy day off!


I managed to do a little scrapping,


a walk in the morning before it got too hot,


& a little shopping with Hayley for birthday presents for my sister & my nephew.









I picked up these new plates for the kitchen to satisfy my fetish for things that are red.

Hope you had a good one!

Hakura...

Hayley has started another blog so she can publish the travels & adventures of a little cupie doll that she has found, it is quite cute really & it will be fun to see what she comes up with.

Here's one I found for you Hayley!

Photo challenge...

Anita has set a little challenge for us. I have to choose an older 'forgotten' photo & tell its story. The instructions included looking in the 6th folder for the 6th photo & rediscovering.

This photo was taken at Apollo Bay in 2006. Our 3 families had spent the weekend in a large rental beach house that was able to accomodate all 13 of us. On the Saturday afternoon we did a short walk up to a lovely little waterfall (the name of which escapes me, shows that you really should write down the who, where, when because we do forget!)

Erin & I paused for this shot, taken by Chris with his new mobile phone, it was a novelty to have a phone that could take snaps like this as I hadn't taken a camera at all!

It was quite a warm day & it was lovely to pause at this cool spot & let the kids scramble over rocks, logs & into the waterfall itself.

Thanks Anita for setting the challenge, we need to reflect sometimes & tell our story...the photos don't always have to be perfectly focused, posed or set up.
---------------------------------------------------------

I always loved taking photos, sending off the films to be processed & the anticipation of getting the prints back. I have boxes & boxes of prints & I was diligent about writing details on the back. Photography was a passion, I toyed with the idea of being a photographer but was swayed to do nursing instead by parents who wanted me to have a 'proper' career.

In those boxes photos like this taken when Hayley & Lucy were performing with the ensemble.

Or this one, taken on Mum's 60th birthday when Hayley was a toddler.

Now I have folders & discs with hundreds of pics instead.

I loved my SLR camera with the ability to change settings, focus etc but now I am also lovin' my new digital camera with its instant gratification. I am not so good at recording the details on the computer when I download them but have multiple snaps to choose from when deciding on a layout.

Fun shots like this, & I keep all of them unless they are so blurred I can't tell what it is!

My style has changed with the freedom of digital to shots like this, I would never have wasted the film on such a carefree shot that wasn't posed or perfect, but I'm so glad I have them sitting on my computer.

Community...

I live in smallish town, about 45 mins drive from Melbourne.



It's a pretty town, semi-rural & quite self contained. It is renowned for the Avenue of Honour & apple orchards.
Our shops range from stock feed & farm supplies, horse riding gear to a surf shop & 'Target Country'.
We have everything you need in a town - hospital, train station, public pool, schools, kinder, cemetary, churches to name just a few & now we even have Maccas, KFC & Aldi.
Since the freeway bypass was put in, the Main St has become much quieter. Unless you actually exit the freeway you can drive right past on your way to Ballarat.

I love living here. It's not too far from the city & has what we need to work & raise our family. We've been here 16 years & will probably never be regarded as true 'locals' but we have made great friends & have family nearby.

But today I saw the strength of the community as we gathered to honour a man who was a pillar of this community. Pete's funeral was a huge event in the town, someone commented it was Bacchus Marsh's equivalent to a state funeral. Hundreds of people gathered in the town hall to pay tribute to a man who had given so much to protect & serve his community. Old locals, CFA members & police, bus drivers, staff from the hospital, footy club people stood shoulder to shoulder to pay tribute to him. And these same people will rally around his family with ongoing support.





Gone but never forgotten.

More sadness..

Chris & I are going to another funeral today, a man we knew through work & community.

Ironic though that today is hot & windy...a day that puts a CFA fireman on edge, not the peace that we want to find today.

Drum roll please...

Wow...I've been awarded an award!!!

I'm thrilled to receive it & don't feel at all worthy but grateful all the same.

"These blogs believe and invest in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers, who must choose eight more and include this cleverly written text into the body of their awards".

So now to choose 8 more to pass the award on to...there are many in my list & am finding more blogs each day that I just HAVE to catch up on. I hope you enjoy checking out these:

1.Kathleen
2.Kim G
3. Kim A
4.Sharon
5.Amanda
6.Erin
7.Gina
8.Mardi

These are the top of my list of faves...newsy, crafty & friendly. Catching up with them is like having a chat with your sister or your bestie & you can do it really late at night or in your PJ's!

AND a really big Happy Birthday to my little sis, hope you had a great day! I'll get around to a real card & a fab present real soon.


See if you can match this for a spectacular cake!

Citizen & Pandora...

Today is our wedding anniversary.

24 years today we married in St Thomas' church in Moonee Ponds & here we are still kicking on with 3 kids, a dog, a mortgage & a pretty stable life, quite boringly normal really.

So to celebrate this milestone I received this Pandora bracelet.

Looks a bit bare at the moment but I will be able to add to it over time & have it looking gorgeous.


Chris got this Citizen watch. He likes a nice watch & can now tell you the time in about 8 different time zones & what phase the moon is in ...if you care to know.


24 is not a traditional milestone to have such lovely gifts but there has been a few years in between when gifts, flowers & celebrations were hard to come by & far less tangible.

So Cheers to you my darling, enjoy!

This is my 'wishlist' bracelet - might take me a few years to achieve!

More Sunday musings...

The girls were watching a DVD this afternoon & had the whole loungeroom to themselves but chose to sit together in the same smallest chair. They were lucky enough to go swimming together later in evening as well.

I still can't decide on a colour for my new front door (which was fitted by Chris months ago). I want to change the colour of the walls & the door will tie in with that, so I just have to decide & then do it! The front is a nice terracotta-ish brown, not the teal green at least.

The cafe at Blackwood...no shade for the bike so when you get back on your bum feels like it is on fire!

Photos from October finished in a layout for my album, from the day we went bike riding using our pedal power not our horsepower.

Storms...

What a beautiful day it was today, & quite productive for me.
The house is tidy, the toilets clean. So time to do a bit of grocery shopping, make an orange & poppy seed cake, go for a bike ride to Blackwood for a cappucino & a bit of scrapbooking.

This card is for a friend who received some devastating news recently. Inside is a quote that I saw on Stacey Julian's blog:

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass....
its about learning to dance in the rain"


Hopefully this will offer some comfort as she faces another battle.

I've had such a lovely day, its time to count my blessings, I know others are not so lucky.

Tower of...

You've heard of the Tower of London, The Tower of Pisa, Trump Towers, Tower Bridge, Charters Towers (for you Queenslanders), Telstra Tower (in our nations Capital) & the Twin Towers. There is even a 'Tower of Terror' amusement ride.



But have you seen the Tower of....















Toilet paper???!?




I seem to be the only one in our house capable of stocking up the roll holder (which only holds 3 rolls) & the only one who can replace the empty roll with a fresh one. But it seems that someone has reached a point of frustration & made sure of a supply for the future.

Sad thing is though that stack will probably only last a few days.

The week ends...

I started Project 365 really well.

I just had to take a photo a day of ordinary day to day life, capturing a year on film to look back on & remember.
And I did start out really well, with my mothers sage words ringing in my ears..."start out as you mean to continue" She always said that in reference to child rearing - as in ,don't weaken in your resolve, don't deviate from what is right, don't give in to your child... but I digress.
Taking a photo a day was easy when I wasn't at work every day, when I had time. What??? I hear you ask, haven't you got time to take ONE photo when you are working?
Well...no I haven't.
But I have taken some photos & are now loading them in one hit, one bite of the cherry.

My first day back at work... first time back in my sensible nursey shoes








And this is why I haven't had time to catch up at the end of the day.
Many evenings spent at Nessa's watching Erin cool off, shedding the guilt felt of having to work full time while she is still on holidays.
I get to have a wine or a coffee & catch up with Vanessa at the same time so not at all hard!



A catch up with the local news & the junk mail on Wed







Checking out Chris' new haircut, perusing for that stray hair that evades the clippers & stands out later.








A glass of wine at the end of the day & the end of the week.

I hadn't fully realised that covering the Unit Manager's leave meant working full time when Erin was still on holidays.
At least we were able to have a nice holiday at the beach during this long break so it hasn't been all boring. There's nothing worse than when they return to school & haven't any highlights to document & compare from the holidays.
Usually by the time they go back to school the 'absolutely fabulous' Christmas presents they received are all but a memory.

Pros & cons...

Pros - when your kids are older they go to bed after you do...

Cons - when your kids are older they go to bed after you do...

I'm ready for bed now, it is 10:15pm & the tv is on in 2 rooms, Erin is asking me to make her a hot chocolate, lights are on, Cal is looking in the fridge for something to eat ( his constant preoccupation at 17 -lean & lanky & constantly hungry) & Hayley has just got in from working at Taco Bill.

There's nothing wrong with going off to bed now with all this activity in the house but I like to be the one to turn off the last light knowing the day is done. They will brush their teeth & put themselves to bed, they don't need tucking in...thats the rub. I know they still need me but the little details change, I have to see it as a good thing that they are independant people but I don't have to like it.

Husbands...

I'm not sure exactly what my husband thinks of my blogging. He's not really keen on it I don't think. But in saying that he has told colleagues to have a look at it (maybe a little pride? I'm not sure), he's not keen on personal details being published but tonight he asks me why I haven't posted more photos of his pride & joy on it. So this one is for you my DH ( darling husband - as called in many blogs, not the other term of 'endearment' that springs to mind!)

This afternoon when I came home that same DH had cut his own hair -a No:3-as he usually does. My job is to check the back to see if he has missed any stray hair with his clippers.

He usually does a good job & saves himself a whole $10 at the barbers!! My stipulation is that he does it out in the shed so there is no mess inside, I think its worth the money to have the mess cleaned up by someone else.

In a few days it will be our 24th wedding anniversary & whilst it hasn't always been perfect we are still sticking at it & looking forward to lots more years together ( insert here DH pulling a face & the obligatory joke about jail sentences for murder). Love ya

Summer days...

Summer has hit us with a vengeance, its been a stinker today...38 degrees.

Tonight we will toss & turn trying to sleep with the temp expected to stay about 27 degrees. And tomorrow will be 40 degrees again. I don't want to be obsessed with the weather but I don't do well in extreme heat.
You would think I worked outdoors or didn't have air-con in my car or home...but I do, thank God!
I just don't like to feel like a prisoner in my home or work place, hiding from the heat, wishing the days of summer to end. (And its only January she moans, worse is to come...the dreaded February).

On a lighter & brighter note, some layouts from Christmas 2008 & 2001

Back to work...

I'm still in holiday mode despite going back to work today. I didn't want to go!!!! Not that it was very busy but I had settled into a relaxed pace & with the kids still off I can't quite get into a routine. Erin was swimming til 10pm so I'm going off to bed & the kids can fall in to bed....whenever!

Miss Tints...

"Miss Tints, Miss Tints calling Miss Tints, you are needed in the paint shop, customer assistance!"

Click on the picture to get a clearer view of what caught our eye today while we were out riding.

Day 10...

Day 10
Even though it is summer we still wear a lot of black clothes.

Even on holidays the washing, ironing, cleaning still need to be done...so day 10 is a very ordinary Saturday.

I want to say how proud I am of Hayley, the way she goes off to her 3 jobs, today she has gone from one job to another.

She's not particularly enjoying any of them but she keeps going. Good on you darling.

Red...

So I've admitted I have a thing for green in the wardrobe...

Apparently I also have a thing for things that are red..

Maybe its just collages I have a thing for!

Day 9...

Day 9 saw Erin help me wash the car.
I always like a clean car but its one of those jobs I put off.
I just don't like it.
Same as filling up with petrol, I always wait until I HAVE to do it (maybe I like the thrill of the flashing 'empty 'light...pushing it to see how far I can get before it conks out completely, not that it ever has)


Keith's funeral was this morning - sad, funny, reflective & absoutely heartbreaking to see the grandchildren walking out behind the coffin. Undoes me every time.

Edited to add: we used our own tank water to wash the car as water restrictions forbid using tap water.

Birth & death...

News today about a new life begun & a life ended...

Congratulations to Sheryl & Daniel on the birth of your baby girl! (& baby makes 3)
I believe her name is Lauri & will be much loved by her family especially her 2 big brothers.


And sincere condolences to Bernice & her family on the passing of Keith. He put up such a battle but in the end it was one he could not win. Cheers Keith.

I spent the day at my sisters' & the girls played Wii with enthusiasm & animation...

While Louise & I struggled to find our Mojo

Day 8 saw us both flicking through paper stashes for inspiration! At least I got the 2 cards done plus a LO for Erin.

Louise also had success with printing on the canvas paper in her Canon printer, you go girl!

We give it all...

When I was 16 my part-time job was at a Red Rooster store in Nth Essendon. I was a cashier & had to wear a red pinafore over a white shirt with a jaunty red beret style hat. Even more embarrasing to my teenage self was the badge we had to wear, not with our names on it, but their slogan ...'We give it all our love'.

Its still my favourite take away food & after the movies tonight we had dinner courtesy of RR (easy dishes too!)

Erin & I saw Bedtime Stories & really enjoyed it. We don't do popcorn so she sucked on a lollipop & I indulged in a bag of 'teeth' lollies!!

I'll have to walk twice as far tomorrow.

(Do you like the way I got the oven into the background of the photo??? I'm sure it will be back on tomorrow!)

Green...

I didn't think my favourite colour was green...

My daughters ask me why I always buy green clothes...

My mother's favourite colour was green...

Maybe mine is too...