Tuesday, September 29, 2015

No News - Good News?

There's not much going on at the moment. I've been busily stitching away with a new project at my Craft Group, the Agave next to my car port is finally flowering after around 20 years of being in the same spot and I finished up my niece's 16th Birthday Present... now, I have to search around for an appropriate box to put all her pressies into.

Otherwise, I haven't really been all that busy. 

Last Saturday, we had a lunch at Mum and Dad's house with the whole family. It was great. Riley and I talked about all kinds of stuff, from art to writing. She's been looking in on my Flash Fiction blog lately and loves what I write; but enjoys my poetry more than anything else. She asked me why I don't write poetry anymore.  I don't know why I don't, I guess I have to have the feel for it to write it.

Anyway, Mum gave me her Corning Ware coffee pot... and what a lovely pot it is! I love many things from the 1970's. It was a daggy decade of our times and I totally enjoy what came out there. So many bad things came out of the 1970's - like Fondue - and so many good things came out of those years too - like Corning Ware. 
This range of cookware will last you a lifetime if you look after it. And Mum has looked after hers. I found all her Corning Ware at the back of the cupboards and they looked brand new! So, I'm doing out my cupboards to fit the rest of it all into my kitchen; so I can use them. I don't want the set split up, and I will take care of it all too.

My garden has been flourishing since I fixed it up... and so just before the first lot of rain and storms, I put out some fertiliser into the pots and watered it all in.  Two days later, it poured rain, making the garden look better than ever! I'm looking forward to a great Summer of flowering Agapanthus lovely new plants around my postage stamp backyard... I just hope I have it all done up by next Winter - or just after - so it looks so much better for next Summer.

Well, so much for not having anything to say - there was plenty! Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here. 

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Springtime

It's that time of year again.

Yep, the days are getting longer, warm and lovely. The nights are still on the cooler side and hay fever is playing around with our sinus'.

But I really get into my garden to make sure it works out in Summer - because it's just cool enough some days to make it outside to work on it. And besides, I love gardening.

I do it on a good budget too.

This year, I got in and worked out a plant which will grow in the half-pot on the fence - so long I bought longer hooks for it; which I did at Bunnings. Then, I had to divide up the Agapanthus and put those in their own pots before it got too much hotter. 

There's still a few things I want to get done before the heat really kicks in, but I'm not in too much of a hurry.  Yes, there's a list of things a mile long and the one thing I'd love to do is get more statues into my garden... that's one thing which is really lacking in my place. I have to look into buying statues that don't fall apart to keep around the place, which look great and keep the place looking lovely.
Bunnings have some, but I'd like to have some where they don't develop cracks in them - unlike my Buddha statue... but then I got that one for only $4.00 and it was a deleted stock. So, I guess it was deleted stock for a good reason.

Anyway, I'd like to have some bigger, taller plants to grow along the end fence to give me some privacy and so I can enjoy my garden more. But I guess that'll take time to do - to get the pots, the get the right plants - and like I said, I have time to do this.

Well, at least I have some of the garden done... it does look great; and I'm looking forward to making it into something I want to work on more. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Rain! Time to Relax.

It's been nice and sunny and warm over the last few weeks; and I've been on the go over that time too. However, the rains have come and cooled everything down - thank goodness! - and so it's time for me to slow down a little to keep myself well enough to make it to Christmas.

Yep, I've been busily working on my Crafty Pegs gear for the next few markets, my house (cleaning it out) and the garden too. 

Man, life just hasn't stopped!

Now, it's raining, I feel as though I can slow down and watch the days go by nice and easy while I paint or read a bit. The good thing is that the weather has cooled down a little too - so that's nice for this time of year as well, don't you think?

The garden isn't completely finished, but it's almost there. Earlier this year, I scored some half-finished steps for my garden and stored them at my parents' house to be completed. In the last few weeks, Dad completed them and now they're at my place. They look great! I can fit in another 10 or so plants in my garden and it looks wonderful. Just yesterday, I went out to Bunnings and bought some Mondo Grass and planted it in the half-pot I've been trying to grow something in for the past year. Now it's got longer hooks to hang from, I'm sure it won't be having any problems with the plants surviving.
Then, I divided up the Agapanthus into separate pots. Instead of buying new pots and waiting yet another year, I recycled some pots I already had. They look great! And hopefully, they will all flower this year again too.

This Friday is my Mum's birthday. I went out yesterday - before going to Bunnings - to buy her present. When I arrived home, I found I didn't have any wrapping paper. So, I found one of my book bags I had made for the stall, and thought her Kindle would look great in that, and put her present in that. Very cool. 

I've also been working on Riley's 16th Birthday present. Because it's a big, major birthday, I'm making sure she gets something important and wonderful. Her next one will be her 18th. I just hope she likes what I've made her and bought for her. 

Well, that's all there is from my life. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Exhausted But Resting

This past week has been nothing but me being on the go the whole time. I don't think I have had a moment's rest to just sit and think or scratch.

On Saturday, 5th September, I had the markets on. They were great. I had a floor stall and there were plenty of people looking, but nobody buying - as there was so much going on in Brisbane that weekend. And our market is still getting to be known in Bulimba too.
The next day was Father's Day, so I went my parents' house to give Dad his gift and make him a huge morning tea - both of which he loved. But he could see I was tired and so I didn't stick around for too long after the food and gift-giving and coffee.

On Monday, I had my Craft Day where we learned about straight stitches. I found I'm quite good at those; and seeing they're done in evens, I didn't have to worry too much about them. I found them a lot of fun to do.

Tuesday was a quiet day of me here at home doing housework. I did laundry, taking apart some of my garden and staining 6 coat hangers for my wardrobe. As well as those things outside, I did some cleaning up indoors and prepared the house for the shopping/grocery day the next day.
Wednesday was a huge day out. From 8am - when I got out of bed - I was on the go the whole day. I had my shopping finished at around 1pm (which included my fruit'n'veggies, groceries at Coles and me going to Bunnings, the chemist and other places as well as getting the car filled with petrol before coming home). Then Dad brought over the steps I had found earlier this year after I painted the backs of them. He painted the rest of them with 'Fiddly-Bits' spray paint I had bought at Bunnings. By around 4pm Wednesday afternoon, I had the garden pulled apart, renovated and put back together again... *phew!* what a day! I had also put on a pizza dough as well!

On Thursday, I caught up with what I had bought on Wednesday. After all the work I had done over the previous two days, I still had a few things to unpack that I had gotten from Life Line. Washing up still had to be done and the garden badly needed a watering too - after I moved all the plants around. I also sat down and watched a movie - just to kick back a little and relax.
Friday was another busy day out. I picked up Mum and took out to the eye doctor; this meant she couldn't drive for the day. So, I was her chauffeur for the day. We were out to Mt Gravatt, then to Aunty Helen's school, then to Garden City for a coffee and walked around the new section (which I knew quite well) and then back to their place where we had lunch and hung about a bit before I headed off home. By the time I did, it was almost 3pm. I was so tired - and yet couldn't get to sleep that night. The reason? I made myself a warm milo and accidentally put a little coffee in with it too... damn! 

Saturday was another full day too! I was out at Old Skool Tattoo for a Semi-Colon event they put on to raise money for Pathways - a place which helps people with depression. A great cause. After that I was off to my volunteer work at the gallery. It was a very quiet afternoon there... I got a lot of colouring in done in my complex colouring books... there were no phone calls and even less people coming in.
That night, I was sitting here on the net around 10pm when the power went out for around a minute, then came back on. About an hour later, I went to bed.


Today, I'm not doing anything but farting around on the internet and putting a few things away around the house. And do you really blame me?  I have had a busier than busy week... I'm stuffed. So, how has your week been? All good and busy, hope so... if not, well, everything cooling off is good sometimes. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Wow! What a Weekend!

This weekend past has been huge! 

On Friday, I washed the car and began to pack it for the upcoming market. As I pushed the back seats down,  honey bee zipped in and started pollinating the back window... I'm really not fond of bees. I think it's from my Dad being a beekeeper and him being around the little things for most of my life that I don't like them.

But anyway I got a neighbour to help me get the little worker out of my car so I could finish on packing my car. However, the bee wasn't too happy about being handled and so I headed inside and prepared my lunch for the next day. 
About an hour later, I was outside again and working on the packing again. It didn't take long and pretty soon, the car was ready to go, my lunch and snacks were in the fridge and all I had to do was pack my esky, fill the thermos and take off.

Saturday wasn't busy. But at around 10am, I was quickly packing things and getting my shit together to go. And seeing there wasn't that much to pack, I was going to be okay about everything that day.
I arrived early, unpacked my stuff, found a good park down the road and stuck around until the doors opened and then - seeing I was an hour and half early - I was able to set up without rushing. Yep, my stall looked great! However, on packing up at 6pm, I realised I had forgotten all my medication. So, I rushed it and smacked myself in the head with my large folding table (yeowch!). 
I ended up being 40 minutes late for my medication and copped a very sore forehead. But I got in an unpacked the car and put everything away while I was thinking about it - as it was Father's Day the next day, and I didn't want to be stuck with the unpacking in the morning.

So, I kicked back and didn't do too much but some colouring in with 'The Secret Garden' while 'Supernatural' played on in the background. Yeah, I was very tired and couldn't wait to get to bed.

Sunday morning was good. I got the paper, made some really great pancakes and called Dad for Father's Day. Then, I organised to take some food over to Mum and Dad's place to make a morning tea for them. On the way over there, I went to Bunnings and bought Dad two $20 vouchers and packed in a bottle of chocolate coated nuts and saltanas (the latter being an old favourite of his). I arrived at around 9:30-10am after telling a little fib that I'd be there at 11am... he was surprised and they said they hadn't eaten breakfast yet.
Oh well... I got to feed the wild birds, read a bit of my 'Good Reading' Magazine and have something to drink while I was waiting for them them to have their breakfast. 
Anyway, Dad loved the vouchers and bottle of goodies. He said he hadn't had those for years; and loved it that I remembered he likes them. It's always the simple things that make people the happiest. Well, he loved the morning tea as there was three types of cheeses, three types of biscuits, cashews, dried cranberries, blueberries, grapes, carrots and other goodies too... he was so pleased I had organised it all and brought it to him; and said they might not need lunch, there was so much food.

It was nice we could kick back and enjoy the day for what it was... and it was a such a lovely sunny day. I didn't stay all day, though, I came home around 2pm as I could see Dad wanted to have a nap before getting in and doing other things around his place - and I had stuff to do at my place too.

It was a great weekend.

Then, on Monday, I had my Craft Day. I'm learning needlepoint... it's been a challenge, seeing I'm not a needlepoint kind of person. But, I am getting it. It's all practice and counting the threads in the tapestry. I just hope I get to do more than scissor keepers... I have asked if it'd be a bad thing to look at pin cushions - not big ones, just small ones - and my teacher said that it'd be great to get into working on them. She's really happy I'm looking at doing them, it means my mind isn't stuck on doing just tiny things, I want to do bigger things too. 

Well, that's my last few days. They were big, full-on and busy. And last night I didn't sleep well for some unknown reason; but I'm catching up with the rush and work of the weekend I guess. Well, until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Friday, September 4, 2015

September... wow... It's here Already!

August just seemed to fly by after I got a few things sorts and out of the way - namely that my neighbours and I started talking again. Yeah, we went through a bit of a rough patch, but friends do that.

Then, during that that month, I went out on the town and partied with friends... now this was supposed to be a night of fun, enjoyment and to get my butt out there and dance a little. However it turned into a night of trying to slow one of my friends down.
You see, she's on a diet; and that night she broke away from it and ate more carbs than she was permitted. Well, she started running and didn't stop all night. She ran from club to club, leaving one other friend and myself in her dust... and this didn't make the night enjoyable at all - in fact, by 9pm, I just lagged back and gave up on trying to keep up with her.
But I did pay for this little exercise. After we arrived home at around 1:30am, had our hot chocolate and got changed into our pajamas, and were off to bed, I found that my leg with the massive scar on it cramped up so badly I was almost physically sick. Now, when this happens, nothing can help it. No amount of painkillers, stretching or hot showers or soaking in a bath will help it stop... and this is why I don't run up and down hills like my friend does all the time.
By the time I got to sleep at 4am, I was only sleeping out of exhaustion; and my alarm went off too soon for me... I told my friend's husband about what happened after we went to bed, then we told her. She said that she had to work off the excess of what she ate immediately... however, I reminded her that making me race up and down hills all night was not my idea of fun. I don't think she understood this... not until she realised I only got two hours' sleep because of the problem with my leg.

Well, it took me a good part of the next week to catch up with my lost sleep from that night.

I also had a look at my Bucket List. Hey, we all have one, but do we really do anything on that list? Well, over the last year or two, I've begun crossing off some of the things on my list - and my darned proud to say that there's quite a few things I've done on it that I didnt' think were big, but really they were. And a few of those things were done this year - like shaving my head and getting a tattoo.

Then, there were 200 Days... okay, for those who haven't read this post, this is about being conservative. You spend 200 days not buying anything new and only buying second-hand stuff or preloved things - and besides shopping for the essentials, you keep your spending to a minimum an see how much money you save up. I've read articles where people have actually ditched their credit cards and found themselves out of debt within the 200 days by paying off those cards. Pretty cool, eh? Well, I've been living with a lot of second-hand stuff in my life for so long, that to keep going isn't that bad. But to buy something new once in a while is always a joy and a pleasure; and I always find it a novelty too. 

This past month has had its ups and downs too. I've been working on new things for the markets, and staining some coat hangers for the wardrobe. I've also enjoyed getting in and doing more work on the old wash table of my Great-Grandmother's at my folks' house and also have been organising how the boxes are going to be used at the markets - as the stores box is getting way to heavy to lift; so I've moved a few things from it into another box. 

Yeah, a few things have been going on, at the house and away from it too. And yeah, I've been busily preparing a few new projects for my garden as well. But all will be revealed in time. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.