Sunday, September 25, 2016

School Holidays

I seriously don't like school holidays - and I don't know any parent who does. 

All the kids are home all the time and a lot of the times they're bugging everyone who will listen that they're bored! But they don't want to do anything around the house which looks anything like chores, because ... well, that's just boring!

And when you live in a unit/townhouse complex, having kids right outside your house and near your car port makes life that much more stressful.

We're coming into the second week of the Spring Holidays and the kids around here are pushing the parents to breaking point. One of the kids here annoyed the crud out of me and other people last week with her smart mouth, and this week has started off the same way - and this time, she's bullying the younger kids, then telling the adults off as well.

Before we condemn this child though, I have to tell you about her background. She comes from a broken family. Her Dad is a nice guy. He's trying his best to bring her up in a good, stable home, with lots of love and compassion and strict house rules at the same time... but her Mum is where her attitude comes from, and her smart mouth. A few months with her Mum and all his love and hard work is all undone. And this is where he wishes he could have her all the time; and sort her out properly.

Today, I talked to him about how much she lies and smart-mouths people. He ended up going and talking to her and she lied to him again, at which point he asked her the question of why would I lie to him about what she was saying and her attitude (as I told him that I would never make anything up about her, and what I was telling him was the truth - he believe me as he's had complaints about her before). So, this afternoon, he made sure to keep a close eye on her - closer than he did last week - and she behaved herself. But she only behaves when he's around; and he knows this.

It's such a pity that there's kids who don't have the love of both parents; when one parent is trying so hard to do the right thing. This is the one time I really don't like living in townhouse complexes... and it'd be better for me to live in a real house away from others.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

All In One Morning!

Today was a 'Claus Day'. This is named as such due to one of my childhood friends who was killed in a car accident when I was young - he was only 21 years old and engaged to be married. His name was Claus Skov; and a really beautiful, sweet, charming young man from Denmark I had grown up with when him and his family migrated from that gorgeous country to Australia when I was still in primary school.
My family had to reteach them English because every second word they said was 'fuck' and 'shit'. Hey, what can I say? They climatised in Mt Isa... they picked up their English from the locals there and brought their rather broad way of speaking to Brisbane. I remember fondly how they called their first pet - a white kitten - Little Shit. It was hilarious at how my brother and I tried to get him and his sister - Lena - and brother - Lars - to change the name by asking what they were going to call their cat when it grew up... Big Shit, of course! I think we settled on Snowflake or Fluffy - I don't remember. 

But today was a Claus Day... it was lovely and sunny. There wasn't too many clouds in the sky and there was a gorgeous cool breeze to lift our spirits - just nice enough to make us stop and sigh at how nice it was. Yep, that's what a Claus Day is. It's a day where I can picture Claus approaching my folks' house just to have a cup of tea and a chat. I could see his white/blonde hair fluffing in the breeze as the sun shines off it. His shirt flapping in that breeze and that wonderful smile he had. 

Like I said, he died so long ago. It was down near Beenleigh and I don't remember quite how it all happened or the details to the whole thing; but one day he was in our lives - and the next? Well, he was just gone; along with his fiance, who died in the crash with him (only a few minutes later). Really horrible and sad isn't it? My family knew him for so long and his life ended so young. 

But yeah... I had a good day out today on this day. I got a lot done in only three hours. I checked the mail, went in the search for a tapestry frame - which are as rare as hens' teeth and just as expensive as I thought they'd be once I found one! Yep, I'm going to have to make one! 
Then, I was off to the junk store at Springwood where I found some of my Birthday Buddy's present and searched for oversized pegs to paint for the markets. I then went to a Vinnie's store in search of a tapestry frame (you know, to see if they had any just in case somebody had tossed them out), but nope, not today! I did score a very cool dinner set... very retro!... for only $10. And then? Well, I went to the bank and deposited what money I had left. 

Yes it was a lucrative day.

I came home and cleaned up the new dinner set and set about figuring out what to do with the old mis-matched one. My old 20 year-old one is chipped and has bits missing from it, so I'm going to throw it out in the bin. It's not worth giving to charity if it's not complete. Well, that was my busy morning. It was only three hours for me to get this all done! Woah! What a morning! Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Friday, September 16, 2016

Other Plans And Life

Things have been really happening around here. I'm busily writing a new book - offline in a notebook I bought last week. I'm finding it easier to write it this way, instead of on the computer somehow. I don't know why, but I am.

Then, Spring sprung onto us. We've all changed our bedding onto our Summer sheets and put away our winter clothing as the temperatures changed almost overnight. Speaking of night-time temps - they are still a bit coolish, but they're nice. And we're getting rain again too.

I'm still working on pin cushions seeing a majority of mine are at the Logan Art Gallery. I can't wait to see them in the store. I hope to sell plenty of them over the next three or four months... and I also hope they become something of a permanent thing there.

Otherwise, I'm still cleaning out, cleaning up and working on my place - as usual. I bought some nice Corning ware from Vinnies and had to clean out the kitchen cupboards to make it fit. Otherwise, I'm happily making sure I have all the things I want in my kitchen and home now. 

Just recently - as recent as two weeks ago - I have been here for 14 years. I feel as though my life has been in two places at the same time in this time. I'm either standing still or going forwards; either way, it's something which keeps me thinking about what I wish to do with the rest of my life. I know I'm not a spring chicken anymore, and yet I'm not so old that life has gotten away from me.

So, what to do with myself? I'm still working on Crafty Pegs and getting in new things which may - or may not - work at the markets. And I'm hoping to get in and sell some of my work next year. Otherwise, this year has been busy with me figuring out what I want to do in the next three or four years of my life.

This week has been busy, though. I've been catching up with laundry, making pin cushions and watching the results of my garden since I fixed it up during Winter. It looks wonderful! I can't wait to see it in Summer at its height. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Only Thursday

It's Friday ... no hang on, it's Thursday!

Yep, today, I forgot what day it was!

I've had one of those weeks where I've been so busy over the last week or so that my brain hasn't kept track of the days.  Sometimes this is good, and sometimes this is bad.

For example, this morning, it almost slipped my mind that I have been living here in my townhouse for 14 years. It's been that long to the date and it's gotten that way where nothing surprises me anymore. Yep, no matter what people do, I just don't feel that shock anymore.

I'm looking at doing new things though.

Today, I was very busily driving around and getting things done this morning; then came home and vegged out with my next door neighbour who was figuring out her phone and stuff before she took off to do some shopping. Meanwhile her two darling cats were lounging around us getting a pat from both of us. 

I dropped of a collection of pin cushions to the Logan Art Gallery which are going to be in the store there from October to December. Then, I bought some tiny sinkers from BCF and half a metre of size 18 tapestry from Spotlight. I checked the mail and bought some calcium pills (which I normally take at night before bed) and then scored a cute notebook and two purple ink pens from Office Works before I headed on home.

On the weekend, I'll be doing some work on pin cushions and writing. Otherwise, not too much in the way of going out. I'm hoping to get more work done on a book where the character falls in love with the reader - which is a difficult thing to do, but I believe it can be done. So, there was my day today. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Friday, September 2, 2016

To Be A Hermit....

You know, sometimes, I think people who have gone and hidden away from the glaring lights of the public have got the right idea.

They've said: 'Go away.'

They've said: 'I want to be alone!'

They've demanded: 'Do not disturb me!'

And the public tries and tries - so does the media and they still ignore them all until one day these people emerge from the woodwork with a new book, script or have quietly passed away in their own part of the world - their own bubble away from the limelight - and into the history books of just how quietly famous they really were.

Yep, they have the right idea all right!

Now, I don't mind having people talk to me where I live - and living in a townhouse complex, it kinda hard to not have people talk to you seeing we're in such close quarters. However, when your neighbour's have big break-up, it's difficult to not get involved.

I'm good friends with the woman and we hang out and chat all the time now. But the ex-boyfriend keeps showing up like a lost puppy. He keeps on stressing us out at 8am in the morning, knocking on our doors and asking the question of 'Why?'.

Why ask me why? I don't know... I didn't break up with him, she did. It's between those two, not him and me... exactly why he showed up at my door (before I had had my coffee - which is a bad idea to do that by the way) and ask me stupid questions as to why they broke up isn't for me to answer. I kept saying that it's between him and her, that I didn't want to get this involved in their lives... and I didn't. He just wouldn't leave me alone - even after I told him I wasn't really in the right mood to be talking (aka: I haven't had my coffee!), but that went right over his head.

Now, my question to everyone, why is it that when your next door neighbours - in a townhouse complex - break up, at least one of them keeps on wanting to know why, and they ask every single person around them instead of looking at what they did?

This really pisses me off. I hate being the piggy in the middle of things like this. 

Now, he tried everything to get a seat at my kitchen table (he actually wanted to come inside and have a drink of water, I said no, and brought a glass out to him), and I said I didn't want that. He didn't know why I unfriend him on FB and I told him my reasons were clear but he didn't understand it... oh well, I ended up saying that all my friends have their lives together. They have full-time work, go to university, have families and/or businesses of their own... they have their lives well and truly together. However, I couldn't have one person who didn't - it just doesn't gel in my life to have a person like that in my life. And I hate that my standards are so high like this - but they are.

I think it's my family who have made me this way.

But I can't talk - for a long time, I didn't have my shit together, and over the past few years, I slowly pulled together my life and my money woes and savings. I sorted out myself. You know, it took only 10 years and I had myself figured out - even when my health wasn't so good, I was still working on myself as a person.

Now, it'd just be nice to be a hermit crab and live in my own little bubble sometimes and come out when the weather is good, things are good and everything is - well - good... but of course we can't all be like that, right? Nope. At least it's a nice fantasy.