Saturday, March 29, 2014

Four Days of Sheer Laz-y-ness

Yep, I've done pretty much zero around my place... contemplated the fluff in my navel and have done just enough to make the house look and feel reasonably, passable as tidy. 

So, what have I been up to otherwise?  Well, researching a little online and reading books about Angels and Archangels.  Then, I washed up everything, put out the rubbish, searched the place for some photos of mine and then searched the place for my Peace Flags - couldn't find either of those things.  I'm concerned but not too worried... I'll find them, they're here.  It's just a matter of knowing where to look.

Then, I packed the car for the markets yesterday, made sure I have enough money for the float and organised myself for it.  I have planned out what I'm going to wear and have it all hanging out on the doorknob next to my wardrobe along with the jewellery I'm going to wear and shoes too.

Yeah, I'm prepared completely.  I'm just hoping tonight the place stays a little quiet... so I can get a good night's sleep as I have to be up at 5am to get going.  I'll set the table and be ready for it all and have everything ready to go; no worries.  I've even charged up the tablet to take with me too; in case the crowds don't happen again or it's raining.

Today, I had pancakes for breakfast.  They were lovely.  Then, I mowed the lawn, took photos of my plants - as they've shot up since the rain a few days ago - and then kept looking for the peace flags and photographs.  Still no luck.  it looks like I'll be looking for them again properly... pull this place apart properly bit by bit.  I really do know they're here.

Well, so much for a laz-y-ness time... my mind is on finding these silly things. Until my next post, take care, stay safe, and remember I'm always here.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Rain

Brisbane is getting one hell of a huge downpour of rain over the next few days.  I'm glad it's happening, but it's also very dangerous out on the roads - or is it?

This morning I was out there driving an it was a matter of me taking my time, keeping my distance between the car in front of me and my front bumper and keeping the car under the speed limit a bit.  And I had to make sure I wasn't in any hurry to be anywhere - and I wasn't.
I had research to get done for my next book; and so I was off to the Logan North Library to find books on Angels.  This wasn't something I normally read up on, but it was worth looking into as it's something of interest to me as well personally.

After that, I drove to Browns Plains and checked out their books on the subject and found they had a number of books on Angels and I picked up one that covered on Archangels by Doreen Virtue.  However, there is an encyclopedia of Angels - which covers all of the Heavenly Hosts including their rank, what they do, how they work, right down to the colour of their halos and wings.  This is the kind of book I was looking for; but the bookstore at Browns Plains didn't have it.  So, it looks like I'll be looking for a brand new copy of it around the ridges of heading off to the other bookstores I know of around the inner city to search for this particular book for a second-hand copy.

I returned home just in time.  Within the hour, the rain really began to pour from the already grey skies over this city.  With the markets on Sunday, I'm only hoping it doesn't keep the crowds away... well, it shouldn't if people really want to attend.

Well, it's Thursday.  I still have a few things to get done around the place before the big day.  What has your week been like for you?  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Epilepsy Awareness Day

Today, it's Epilepsy Awareness Day, and the colour to wear for today is purple.  So, I sorted out my wardrobe last night, and am wearing my purple shirt, purple stocking-socks, purple underwear, have my purple handbag and went out today to do my grocery shopping... very cool. 

However, I spent a lot of money.  Damned inflation. Oh well.  At least I didn't spend any more money than I had to.  I spent money only at Woolworths, Coles and at the Big Apple Fruit Store.  So, really, I only bought what I needed and came home.  Not a bad deal really.

But the last few days have been very tiring and I've been feeling very burnt out; and this is because I spent most of last week out and about doing things for the next Creative Markets.  Then, I hit a wall and had to slow down and make myself go to bed well before midnight - this didn't mean my body wanted to sleep; or my brain - it just meant that for a good three hours in the night I was wide awake trying to sleep.

Not fun.

As of yesterday, however, I had finished up everything I needed to do with my market.  The rest of my works were all sprayed, wrapped up and put into the stock box, then I figured out how much stock I had made (money-wise) and it was a lot!  So, I made sure I had my money right, and put everything away and sat down with a glass of ice coffee and felt very pleased with myself; and very tired. 
This week had taken it out of me... really taken it out of me.  So, for the next few days, I'm going to finish up a few things around the place have been ignored, do some reading, do some writing and put away things I've been meaning to put away and make sure I have the float for the Creative Markets by Friday night... then spend Saturday just chilling out and writing the end of Fry Nelson: Bounty Hunter - book 3.  Yeah, that sounds good.

So, what are your plans for this weekend?  Anything grand?  Anything interesting?  Or just hanging out and watching the world go by?  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

I'm So Very Tired.

Tonight, I'm really tired.  It's because I've had a very full day... and after such a full week too.  I've been out almost every day this week, and today I was hoping to have this morning to myself.  But it wasn't meant to be.

But let me start on Wednesday, where the busyness really picked up some momentum.  I went out on this day to pick up a bigger box for my stores stuff to the Creative Markets; as the new stands Dad and I built don't fit in the other one.  And I've been using the smaller box for my stock - which all fits in there, along with another box for the Itty-Bitty Jugs.  Sweet!  
While I was out, I bought a lovely pair of glasses from Life Line.  They two BIG pints!  I love glasses like this because if you want a mammoth glass of water or ice tea, you can have one, instead of refilling a small glass over and over... it's great.

Then, on Thursday, I into it with my work on new products.  On Thursday, it poured rain.  So, I stayed home for most of the day while listening to the radio and worked on some new stuff I was experimenting with.  These new things are called 'Magna-Pegs Bon-Bons'... they are 6 pegs that have the same design, different colours and are all magnets.  They are all clipped onto a bon-bon centre and then wrapped in celophane and the ends are tied in silver or gold twine.  Very pretty.  I gave Mum the prototype and she loves it!
I worked from around 2pm until about 10pm... yep, all day and most of the night.  I was stuffed!  But I slept really well.

On Friday, I went out.  I had to go to the chiropractors and drop into Mum and Dad's place to update my price list for the markets.  It's just something I needed to do so I had the price list on hand for customers.  I also gave Mum the prototype of the Magna-Peg Bon-Bon and one of the new Beautiful Hangers before either of them hit the markets... she loves them, but hasn't taken them out of their wrappers yet.  I don't know if she wants to use them.  

Today... well, today, was a very full one from beginning to end.  I was up at around 8:15am and didn't seem to stop until - well - now.  I had to use the Tom-Tom GPS to find my Romance Writer's Group at Waterford (I can never find my way there, only my way home... strange that). 
But on the way there, I was doing a little loop through an industrial estate near my house when I passed a car with the driver's window smashed.  Glass was all over the ground next to it and the car was just sitting there.  So, I turned the car around, parked behind it, and called the police on my mobile.  They happily too the vehicle details and where it was exactly from me and I was on my way.  Sure, I was 15 minutes late for my group, but it was for a good reason - and my friends thought it was for a good reason too, saying what I did was right; as I'd want somebody to report that kinda thing to the police for me even if I didn't know them.

Anyway, after the Romance Writer's Group, I found I was running a little late for my volunteer work.  So, I jumped in the car and drove there... I was 20 minutes late, apologised and found the guy who usually rubs it in that I'm late hadn't shown up yet.  Actually, he didn't show at all this time - again.  This was the third time he'd skipped it. So, Jillian called him and he said he thought it next week - whoops! - oh well.  Just as well, we had nobody come in or any phone calls. 

So, how was your week?  Busy, busy like mine?  Or average?  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.  

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

It's A Hoax!

Trolls on Facebook are bad.  They're horrible.  They're just brainless idiots with too much time on their hands who think it's okay to screw with the rest of the world and tell us that some of our favourite personalities have died.

Yeah, I'm more than mad about this.

I read on Facebook that Betty White had died, and it wasn't true.  Now, Betty White is a wonderful, lovely person, great actor and just a one-of-a-kind woman.  So, why would some a$$hole out there say this kind of thing about her? 
Okay, sure, she's old, but that doesn't mean you go out and start saying she's dead.  It's not nice; in fact it's downright rude to assume that you think you're being funny when you say that about an elderly person.

And she not the only one who's had the death scare over the years.  Nearly every popular actor or singer around the world has had Death pay a visit to them and it's turned out to be a hoax. 

With the crap going on in our own private lives, coupled with the stresses in the world right now, we don't need dickheads screwing with our minds saying our favourite people in the world - in Hollywood or in the music world - are dead or dying.  

And if you people out there who are doing this are bored?  Well, I think it's time you found yourself a job, picked up a book or turned off your computer for once in your life and went outside and found out what the real world has to offer you.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe, and remember I'm always here.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Cleaning Out - Little by Little

In January, I jumped right in and did a big chunk of cleaning out in this house.  My wheelie bin was filled to the brim every week and I was working hard at getting my place looking good.  I worked through the bedroom, office (twice!) and and then the bathroom.  

However, time has moved on, and it's been a month or so and I've found that my clutter has gremlined on me again... yeah, gremlined.  It's mulitplied on me.  Somebody put a few drops of water on my Mogui and it multiplied - or did it find food after midnight? - I'm not sure.

Anyway, I'm working on getting things that I've had sitting around fixed up, given away, hung onto the walls or just sorted out.  
And today, I made a few good decisions to get into that frame of mind again, and I'm proud of this.  Over the last few days, I've been working through my wardrobe, putting away clean laundry and making sure I have enough clothes to see me through Winter - and that I'll wear them all.  I tried on all my jeans, track pants and other clothes and found out out that a few of the jeans I had didn't fit.  So, I tossed them into a bag to take to a charity.  Then, there were clothes in my painting clothes drawer which were falling apart (and I mean, they were really, actually falling apart), so I sorted through the ones that were, threw them into a bag and threw them out this morning in the bin for bin day.
This morning, I was putting on the make-up to go out shopping and noticed that my shower caddy (you know that thing which hangs off your shower rose which holds all your shampoo and conditioner?  Yeah, that thing), well, it was looking really worse for wear, so I went to K-Mart and bought another one.  But instead of buying the same size, I bought a small one for $5.00.  There's only me here, and I'd rather not be tempted to clutter up my shower with other crap than needed.  It looks great!  

The house doesn't look that much tidier, but it does feel as though I've done something.  Even though I've only done a few small things, those small things have made a lot of difference.  I still have a long way to go until this de-cluttering thing does make its mark on my home.  

Honestly, I didn't know I had so much crap sitting around my house - not until this year.  And I didn't know I was so unhappy about it until I started doing something about it.

So, are you cleaning out your house?  If so, how's it going?  For me, I've noticed that de-cluttering is a marathon, not a sprint.  you do it in little bits and not one big haul... it takes time and eventually, you'll get through it all, and everything does have a place - and for the stuff you want to keep but it doesn't have a place?  Well, there's a time to sort through it all.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Eating Like Grandma

Yesterday, while I was at my craft group, a topic in conversation cropped up about food and how people prepared their meals today; compared to how their parents did in the 1940's and 1950's.

How we eat now is a far cry compared to food preparation of our parents or even our grandparents.  And I can vouch for that.  I've grown up with all kinds of junk food and have found it change and morph into stuff I don't recognise over time - and worse still - something I don't want to.  

Like meat.  I don't want to go near it.  I remember meat used to have marbling in it - that fat in it where it made it tasty.  Now, meat is just red, looks horrible and feels horrible.  I'm not saying this because I'm a vegetarian, but it's just how meat has been treated over time; and the reason why I became a vegetarian.
And before you tell me I'm missing out on some great things... I'm eating more food than I ever did when I was a meat-eater.  I'm eating more fruit and vegetables than my folks have ever seen me get into, drinking more water and Cranberry juice, more eggs and milk and vegemite... and yet, I've noticed that I can eat a lot of food and not gain any weight.

That's another thing too.  My doctors seem to think that I'm overweight and that I should lose weight.  I'm an Australian size 12 top and bottom and dress size and am happy with who I am.  I eat everything to my heart's content and don't like takeaway foods of any kind.  So, why are they telling me to lose weight?  Have you ever had this kind of thing happen to you too?

I'm one of those rare people who buys food seasonally, cooks their meals from scratch (so their kitchen rarely seems to be tidy) and I plan my dinner at around 4pm so I have the time to get in and make my meal properly.  I make all my own spaghetti sauces, pizza doughs, cannelloni stuffings, pasta and anything else that I wish to eat from scratch... and you know, once you know how to make the food you love from the very beginning, you don't want to order in ever again.  Dominos pizza just doesn't seem the same when you've eaten your own home-made pizza dough with your own toppings and cheese... and you've cooked that sucker right on top of a proper pizza stone!  Now, that's how it's supposed to be done.

However, so many people go out and eat the biggest load of fat, crap and takeaway food I've ever laid eyes on and wonder why they're putting on weight.  What I'm wondering is:  why is it that sugar was a natural staple in my grandparent's time - and even my parents' time - and now, it's enemy number one?  It's the same with salt, eggs, carbs and most other things we usually eat that were considered healthy in the 1980's.  However, I have ignored most people saying sugar is poison or salt will harden my arteries or that full cream milk is bad for me.  Yes, I've just looked at what people at in the 1950's and kept up that ordinary, plain, eat what you cook diet.  And you know?  I'm not overweight, I'm not craving junk food and my doctors keep telling me that I'm borderline... borderline what?  Please tell me, because I feel great.  I sleep well, I'm eating well.  My skin is clear, my hair is good...my nails are good too.  So, tell me, what is so bad about eating the diet that our grandparents ate?  It's good fresh food made in the kitchen which does take time.

And for a generation of people who are so time-poor, I think taking time out and living like their grandparents for a while would do their stress good.  Slow down.  Check out what you're eating.  Learn good cooking techniques and enjoy yourself, your life and everything around you.  Life is the journey... not the destination.  Food is your fuel to get there.  Make sure it's good fuel, or you'll be worn out before you arrive.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Back Into The Swing of Things

Brisbane is coming into Autumn and I'm really getting back into the swing of things around the house.  It's not necessary a tidy place, but I'm working on it.  But then, I don't have that many visitors coming over here. 

The back fence has been worked on and fixed, so I'm in a gardening-crazy mood at the moment, because I can hang stuff off that back fence for the first time in well... ever!  How very cool is that?  And so, I've got a large terracotta half-pot, hangers, and potting mix, but I'm looking at what to plant there to make it look gorgeous.  I don't want annuals, I want something that will spill over and look lovely but can take full sun too.  This will take some time, but I'm sure the staff at Bunnings can help me.

The weather has been cooling down with the days becoming shorter as well.  This is definitely a great time of year to enjoy Brisbane... as it's not too hot, and not too cold; yep, it's just right.  I love it when the heat is gone from the air and we can all finally get some decent sleep at night, and yet enjoy the daytime too without sweating it out too much.  And this Summer just gone was a stinker!  I can't believe how hot it got!  We didn't receive as much rain as last year and so the gardens are little drier this year - I've noticed this in my 365 Project photos from last year to this year of this time.

I am working on my Fry Nelson: Bounty Hunter series again... mainly book 3 - the last few chapters.  I'm looking forward to finishing it as it's been 5 years in the making and I love it.  
It's so cool when you've been working on something for so long and you can feel the completion is near; you can almost see the ending is in sight.  It's a great feeling, but it doesn't mean you sleep well at night, you actually get less sleep because you're so excited about it all.  Strange that.

Crafty Pegs has been going well.  Last night, I cleaned up and sanded down three packets of pages, all ready to be painted up.  It took me around 4 hours to sort through them, to toss out the rotten ones and to keep the good ones.  But I'm looking forward to this afternoon where I'll be beginning on another coathanger and doing more designs again.  I've only got two coathangers ready for sale, one new one all painted up and one half-painted... I have to do more.  Then, I have an idea on how to dispay them; and it'll be on a hatrack... a nice, light one so they are the main display and not the hatrack.  But I'm hoping to make a small hatrack, not a tall one so they aren't too high off the stall at the next Creative Markets.  Well, that's the main idea anyway. 

So, how have your projects been going?  Good like mine?  Or slow?  Until my next post, take care, stay safe, and remember, I'm always here.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Help Me Help The Orangutans

I'll give you the truth.  I'm not a big fan of monkeys - really I don't like them as they kind of creep me out.  But today, I saw a very upsetting image of an Orangutan who had been run over or burned or... I don't know what happened to it but the poor thing had skin off it and it was bleeding.  People were helping it, but they were too late by this time, this animal was in so much pain it did something so very... human.  This animal covered its face with its hand and curled up on its side - just like we would if we were hurt this badly.

I think you all know which image I'm talking about.  

However, I can't find it anymore and so, I'm kinda stuck.  But this image hasn't left my mind all day.  And this event happening to this one Orangutan has gotten me thinking about exactly what we consume that has Palm Oil in it.

In case you've been living under a rock over the last two years, Palm Oil is in almost everything we eat, from ice cream to hot cross buns to chocolate (yep, I'm not kidding with that last one).  I have gotten into the habit of reading absolutely everything I want to eat to make sure it doesn't have this ingredient in it.

But I'm just one person, aren't I? 
And what am I going to achieve for just not buying that little bit of crap I'm skipping out on each fortnight?  
Nothing.
Zip.
Zero.

Those animals who rely on the Palm Oil in their lives are still going to be run over, burned and left for dead by the people who harvest their food just so us consumers can live a cushy life and eat well - right?

So, this is what I'm proposing we do - especially seeing Easter is coming up:

Don't buy chocolate or Hot Cross Buns or anything like this for anyone for Easter.  Now before you start screaming at the screen, I have an alternative... it's not food... it's nothing to do with eating.

Go out to your local nursery and buy a plant, potting mix and a pot and pot up the plant and give it to your family.  This is their Easter present from you to them.  
Not only does it give back to your country's economy, what you're going to do this Easter is:

* Help the enviroment in a big way.
* Make sure your garden gets a boost in birds, bees and other animals and critters too.
* You won't gain that Easter weight from eating all the Palm Oil from the chocolate and crap you'd usually eat.

I'm going to do this for my family.  Are you?  Just think of it as helping yourself as well - this will be something you can watch grow as the years pass by, you can also keep up this little thing of giving plants at Easter instead of chocolate and score yourself a pretty little garden in around 5 years time... 

Now, wouldn't you rather a lovely garden than Orangutans going extinct?  And if this doesn't convince you, here's something I found that I think will: 

Help an Orangutan This Easter 

Gardening Work Again

Around this time of year, I get back into my garden; and I love it.  It's funny how I do look forward to doing this, and yet it's something that - in the past - I haven't been able to do in larger spurts due to not having transport. 

Now, I have a set of wheels, it's a lot easier and I can enjoy my gardening more.  So, I've been getting more than one bag of potting mix at a time, more than one pot at a time and being able to look at better plants to pot lately - especially seeing how there's a new back fence to play around with, and I have a half-pot to hang off it.

Over the last week, I've backfilled a few plants, repotted a couple of others and bought a new pot for a plant that's been without a home.  I'm looking at working at getting myself a nice plant for the halfpot and hanging that up before long.  Then, I'll look into working on making sure I have enough room for other things for my plants.

I want to get more plants into my yard, buy some solar lighting which actually works, and a few other things to keep my garden looking nice.  There's a feel I want my garden to have and it's not quite there yet... I want more statues hiding amongst place for people to find and I want to have plaques around the place, a couple of things to place the plants on - to get them off the ground.  I'm hoping to work on making my yard have a look to it that will make me want to be out in it - as well as my friends want to be out in it too.

Before the year is out, I want to replace at least two of the coloured seats that are outside.  They are all rotting and I want to have something that gives people a reason to go and sit down and chilll out in the shade... a reason to relax without wondering if the seats are going to give out on them, which is a feeling they have with the chair around the place currently.  Even I have the uneasy feeling that those wooden seats aren't going to hold my weight most days as they move and creak under my light frame.  So, this year is the year I get rid of them.  

So, what are you up to this week?  What's your main plan for your place, your garden, your main thing while you're busy making other plans... until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

The Third Month In - Already?

It's March... already?  Wow... how time has flown for this year; and I've gotten so much done in my life for my home, for Crafty Pegs and for all kinds of things around my family too.

So much has gone on this month I don't know where to start.  

I've been working on cleaning out my house since I returned home from Brunswick Heads.  January was a great month for me; so much got done!  I jumped into February with the hopes of getting even more done, but (yeah, great word that) I fumbled and slowed down instead.
I worked on only a few things around the house and found myself at my craft table more times than not.  The Creative Markets were coming back and I had a 2x3mt stall paid for that I was hoping to work on as well.  So, I worked on its design, the types of tables I needed, the stock and how I was going to show my wares.  This took a long time and a few nights of me just laying there in the dark before going to sleep thinking about how to get things done (and doing it that was was the best way to get it all done).  
Finally, I got in bought some Calico, hemmed it and sorted out the workings of what I needed to do with the table.  There were tiny little jugs one of my art friends didn't want and she sold them all to me; and I did some great things with them.  I also started on new products of coat hangers too... and they've attracted some attention from buyers online as well as at the market at this Sunday just gone.

However, away from the Creative Markets, things have been going on.  I had to get my washing machine looked at - as when it hit the spin cycle, it sounded like it was a rocket taking off.  So, the service guy came out and put 'the gunk' in it to keep it from grinding.  Anyway, this happened on Dad's birthday and fortunately, the guy showed up before lunch and Mum, Dad and I managed to be able to go out just in time for Dad's birthday lunch.

The rains have returned - well kind of.  We'll get really hot, long days of sweltering heat, then a huge downpour of rain during the night.  That's okay, I guess, but it does nothing for breaking those long hot days and the nights are long and humid.  And we haven't had the best Summer... it's our wet season.

Then, I drove to Gabe and Kat's place... woot!  Yeah, I put in their address into the Tom-Tom and it told me how to get there.  Very cool, and a little confusing.  But it was great.  I spent the day there the Sunday before the markets showing them what I was selling at the Creative Markets and they were amazed what I was doing while I was at home.  And Kat loves the Itty-Bitty Jugs... she bought one as well.

Then, within this week, I scored a commission from a neighbouring retailer at the Creative Markets and the back fence of my unit was replaced with a brand new, 6 foot fence!  How very cool was that?  But the ground was so hard, the poor guys had to get a bigger machine to dig the stump holes and then the guy who was left to dig them out more spent half the day doing just that... he was stuffed by the end and he had blisters all over his palms.  He said he'd never worked so hard in all his life.  

So, that was February.  It was a short month.  It was a very busy month.  It was a fun month... so how was your February?  Fun and short like mine?  Or busy and short like mine too.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.