Hot weather ramblings...

I think I have Seasonal Affective Disorder or S.A.D.
This disorder is common in winter when people don't get enough sunlight and suffer depression symptoms. I think I have a hot weather version.
When the temperature gets up to 40 degrees I don't cope well, I become a prisoner in my home, not wanting to venture out and becoming increasingly grumpy at not being able to do what I want to do because its 'too hot'. I look to each forecast for a cool change and glimmers of hope that it wont be as bad as I imagine. This Summer has been mild so far and I have enjoyed the weather but I always dread February and any extremely hot days. If the forecast is for 38 and above I close all the blinds and bunker down trying to keep cool.

I normally print off the photos I want to scrap on our Canon printer but since Chris tried another brand of inks I haven't been as happy with the quality of said prints. We will have to go back to genuine inks and put up with the cost to get the quality. In the mean time I am trying Harvey Norman's on-line printing service while their 4x6" prints are just 9 cents each. Yes thats right only 9 cents! I scoured through the hard drive yesterday while I was imprisoned in our dark, coolish home, and picked out some I want to scrap. Hopefully the quality is good but for just $3 it is a good test. I will have scrapping fodder for some time to come.

I made some Afghan biscuits today in a cooler moment. We don't normally eat Cornflakes in our house and I had to buy some especially to make the Florentines last week, so have been looking for other recipes to use them up.
When I was a child our mother made a tuna casserole that had a cornflake topping. Cooking for my new husband I made it exactly the same but he thought this was very strange and refused to eat it again, I have modified the dish and now put a grated cheese and bread crumb topping instead.

You would think I had put Cocoa Pops on top!

 While I was whipping up the biscuits my trusty Kenwood Chef started to make a horrible burning smell. It kept on beating and made no noise to indicate it would not keep on keeping on

I've had it for about 20 years and looks just like this vintage model (my husband didn't buy it for me, I bought it for myself because my Mum had one just like it. Hers went for a long time too and has since been passed on to another enthusiastic baker). Mine has had a lot of use and I will be very sad if it stops going. But as usual my very clever hubby will research, search and find a spare part if it needs repair, he has already started looking for 'bushes' or some such thing.

Maybe my little Kenwood sensed I was eyeing off this little beauty

Nerf injury...

Erin got Chris a beauty last night, her shot hit him right in the eye.

 Maybe before he engages in nerf wars he should wear gear like this

Morse code...

My sweet girl has been sending and receiving messages with her Dad in morse code.

Chris still remembers morse code from his time in the Signal Corps in the Army.  Erin was curious about this style of communication after seeing it on a DVD. Chris explained it to her then sent her off to decode a message. This has lead to much back and forth with harder and longer notes, Erin using the computer to help her decode and compose. It has been a nice thing for them to share.

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Australia Day...

Happy Australia Day everyone, I hope you had a relaxing celebratory day.

I had a productive day in a laid back kind of way. Erin came home from her camping trip a bit sunburned, tired and hungry. She looks taller and a bit more grown up, she told me she pitched in and helped Michelle at the camp site.

So I did a little scrapping... some recent photos

 and some from the distant past.

 I made some florentines for Erica's birthday tomorrow

 and I did a little wandering around the nursery and picked up a couple of new plants for the garden. We had about 8 mls of rain last night, enough to freshen up the garden, it is so nice to see things doing so well it really encourages you to keep adding.

A mid week day off is really nice, 2 days of work left and just one week of school holidays to go.

Foreshore...

My sweet girl has headed down to the Rosedbud foreshore to camp with her BFF's family.

Camping in a tent this time, just for a few days. The foreshore is a peculiar place where families have camped in pretty basic conditions among the tea trees for generations. Chris remembers it well from his childhood, the invasion of tourists in Summer, the swell of holiday makers in his little town.
Erin loves the beach and having it so close to your tent is fabulous. I hope they don't get rained on, I hope she doesn't get eaten by mossies and she remembers to put sunscreen on.

Trials of life...

everybody's got em.
Some are huge & daunting & overwhelming at times, others are irritating. Sometimes our perspective can make our perceived troubles bigger than they actually are. Today I was feeling sorry for myself  but I just needed a bit of perspective.

I came across this quote in the novel I am re reading, The Harp in the South by Ruth Park (first read in 1980 for school)

God had his own ways of giving us experience, Rowena. Don't regret all the pain you have suffered. You will learn in the long run that it gave you wisdom of strength. Lift up your heart, as Father says in the Mass, and be glad that God thought you worthy to go through this trial for his sake and your own.

I am not overly religious but took from this quote that we learn and grow from all of our experiences whether they are good or bad.

I was having a bad day today and needed a little time to wallow but I'm over it now, my trials are minor.

Pandora...

New additions for my bracelet...

Thanks for my present

26...

26 years of married life


312 months

9496 days 

Happy Anniversary Babe.

Re reading...

During my holidays I finished 2 books. Firstly I re read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I wanted to read it again before I see the first part of the final movie. My nephews tell me that this last film is true to the book, so I'm all up to date now and by the time I get around to it I'll probably be too late I've missed it! I'll have to catch it when it is released on DVD.

I also read 'Mao's last dancer'. Technically I haven't read the book before but I saw the movie so I knew the story. Second nephew could not recommend the book as he had to study it at school but I really enjoyed all the detail and enjoyed the narrative style. I thought his tradition of calling the relatives 'third aunt' or 'sixth brother' quaint, I might just adopt this way myself.

I was surprised when I opened the book, which I had borrowed from Hayley who had borrowed it from Lucy, was the authors message and signature. It made it a little more intimate.

Polish...

This is the latest fad in nail polish

Polish that is cracked as soon as you put it on.

Nail polish is not really my thing. I think it looks OK on longer nails or on slim fingers, but not on short nails and stubby older hands. I don't like the fake nails and think the acrylic coverings look thick and chunky. I also dislike black, dark and chipped polish. I will put it on my toes during summer but need to keep it maintained constantly. I don't comment on my girls wearing dark nail polish and gave in to Erin's latest request of this nail polish, it gives a crackle finish to reveal the colour underneath.

My worst nightmare!

Up a creek...

Saw this on facebook and thought Steve's comment was classic

Poor skip!

The haircut...

While I was away, Callum decided he had had enough of looking like this

and cut his own hair in our bathroom, to look like this

He and Lyndal were off to a wedding in Ballarat. He scrubbed up pretty well in his father's clothes and self styled hair.

I'm really pleased with the new do, it makes him look so much younger. I'm hoping it is a turning point for him in the job search.

Eency weency...

I am reminded of eency weency spider who was washed out by all the rain but then 'up came the sunshine and dried up all the rain'

We have had about 120 mls of rain in the past 5 days and everything is sodden. The Lerderderg and Werribee rivers are so swollen with nowhere for more water to go. I wanted to get a photo today of the river peaking but the car park was flooded and I couldn't get near. I was fed up with the humidity and the dampness and getting grumpier and grumpier.

But at 1230 it was like a tap had been turned off, the skies became blue with white fluffy clouds, the temperature rose along with the humidity and the rain, the streets and we all dried up. When I was sweeping water out of the garage I was sweating profusely.

The forecast is for fine weather for the next couple of days, it might begin to feel like Summer.

Erin in a new sundress in what just an hour before was a large puddle

The rain stopped...

long enough to give us this beautiful sunset

A red sky at night is meant to be a shepherd's delight, the forecast doesn't look delightful at all. We might get another 100mls tomorrow, the 5mls in 5 minutes we had this evening caused a minor flooding in our backyard and we are nowhere near a river.

11.1.11...

the day I went back to work and struggled with this unusual date all day

the day we learned Chris' brother and his family are safe in Toowoomba but with devastation all around them

the day we had 45 mls of rain, which is quite a lot for us but nothing compared to Qld

the day I was really glad we spent last week at the beach and not this one, I wonder how much longer our friends who are still in Port Fairy will stick it out

the day a couple of nerf guns have kept children of all ages and sizes entertained for ages, these ones even have a laser target!

I swam in the ocean...

Yes thats right.

This year I went into the water 3 times on progressively hotter days. The first dip was a bit on the chilly side but I had promised Little Sister I would go in with her during their time with us.
This year the water was clear of jelly fish and seaweed. The waves were a bit inconsistent but enough for us to enjoy ourselves. Erin loves it when I get in with her but I have an issue with the whole sand/sunscreen combination, which stems from my childhood, memories of thick sunscreen being applied with sandy hands is not pleasant, so I don't go in willingly. I did enjoy it though when I gave in and being able to have a warm shower soon after the beach experience is lovely.

I do have photographic proof but that is on her camera. I also have the sand rash as evidence...

Rocks...

The coast at Port Fairy is surrounded by rocks. The breakwater, the bluff and the beach are full of rocks, much to my rock loving sisters delight.

We spent ages scrambling over these rocks and nearly circum-navigated Griffith island, where the light house is.  Erin and her cousins found lots to look at in the rock pools, discovering crabs and other sea creatures. Even the granite rocks themselves were interesting and the rock hopping wore us all out.

Little sister would have liked to have taken this one home.

The summit...

We reached the summit today...of Mount Eccles.

We hiked in the Mount Eccles National Park which has a volcanic crater filled with water.

Thanks Lochlan for taking the photo as we paused mid walk.

This included a bit of lava cave exploring. Lousie had visited the park last year and knew a torch was needed to explore the damp, pitch black cave. We all ventured in, Erin was quite hesitant as it was quite slippery with some low parts to scramble through. It was only on exiting that I realised my sunglasses had slipped off my hat during our spelunking. Lochlan went back in and found them although they are a bit squashed and lopsided now, the perfect excuse for a new pair.

Port Fairy...

The beach in Summer...

The new year...

begins for us here in Port Fairy

our home for the next 6 days. Hopefully the weather will be kind, I'm about to put on wooly socks and long pants but am determined to go for a swim in the ocean again this year.