Wednesday, December 19, 2018

What A Year!

Welcome to my yearly newsletter! 

Yes... it's been quite a year of great things, not so great things and some interesting developments; and all over 12 months!

Okay - are you ready for this crazy roller coaster right to get underway? No? Well, neither am I, let's strap in and hope and pray it's not too bad, okay?

Well, from January through to April, I hung out with my best friend, and wonderful ginger-sister, Tutasi Wesley-Tufuga. We had the best time while she was visiting here from the USA, even though the heat wasn't really treating her the best. And she spent Christmas here too. We had Thursday's out op-shopping and enjoyed coffee at Simply Beans together chatting and gossiping together... what a great time we had. We're best friends!

While I was doing that, I was also attending my second year of art school at the Logan Artists Association. Mondays were when my classes were on and I returned from the coast with a great idea for my year in my class. I wanted to paint a series of paintings of Brunswick Heads and have an exhibition to sell them all! My teacher told me that it was a good idea, but it took me time to pick out my first painting... yep, I took a lot of photos over the 2017 time I was at the coast.

In February, it was my Dad's birthday and I had made Mango-cello for is birthday present. He loved it, but it backfired as I didn't use a strong enough vodka to make it... the whole batch fermented and we had to chuck it all out. Bummer... oh well, guess you live and learn, right? But I started knitting big this month, painting big too, and my brother and his partner spent 2 weeks in Japan - very cool!

March was me being op-shop crazy! I donated a lot of stuff and bought a lot of op-shop things. And it was a great time of year to be op-shopping - even to browse. I also got my hair coloured for the World's Greatest Shave and raised a little over $100... next year, my hair will be long enough to shave and that's where I raise the most money!

In April, my ginger-sister, Tutasi headed back home. I was going to miss her badly. And the day after she went home, I was going into hospital for day surgery - at the time she had offered to help me out to look after me so my Mum didn't have to. Unfortunately, the best laid plans usually go astray.  

Oh man... May was the worst month this year. I lost one of the most wonderful people in my life I've ever known. Hannah Northedge, a jazz singer who I've known since I was 9 years old, killed herself; after months of me trying to help her from the other side of the planet. Yep, I was here in Australia and she was in the UK and we would chat over Facebook, but she wouldn't let me phone her. I really had a bad case of the guilts for a long time and have been in therapy about her death. I still have moments where it all feels really fresh. 

June had me finishing off a scrap scarf, pulling apart my garden some of the first few weeks of Winter and getting in and working on getting a greenhouse for my garden. A new stereo system was installed into the car - as the original one was stuffed - and I just kept myself incredibly busy as hell so I didn't think about Hannah at all... easy to do when you have a lot of things to do normally around your life. I also put on the very first Vintage Clothing Day in honour of Hannah Northedge on 5th June - the day she was laid to rest; seeing they really don't know when she died, only the day they identified her (which was Star Wars Day... I'm not going to ruin that day). If you missed out this year, I'm doing Vintage Clothing Day next year... don't worry, it'll be on Facebook as a public event.

July and August had me in my garden most of the time, organising it, cleaning it up, throwing out plants and making it into a useful and pretty place - all ready for the coming Spring and Summer months. I also joined a gym to get myself fit and healthy so I could lose some of the jiggled I hated about myself and gain some muscle I needed. 

September was Mum's Birthday. But we couldn't get together and have it as my brother's family were really sick - so we got together and had a party a week or so later at their house. I brought the vinyls and my brother and his partner pulled together a Japanese feast of grand proportions! It was a great night! Also in September, I bought myself my birthday presents of 2 sets of shelves from Stratco, and started working on new paintings in my own style away from the classes I have been taking at the LAA on Monday's.

October was a busy month for me. As I said before, we had Mum's Birthday this month for good reasons. Then, we had my birthday this month too. The day before my birthday, I was booted from my art class by the teacher. We had a disagreement about style and how things were done in my paintings - basically, he didn't like it that I didn't paint exactly like he did. So, I was out... I made an official complaint to the LAA committee and they've dealt with him. 
I got to mind my brother's dog, Ellie. Such a sweetheart she is. And then Halloween came around and nobody dropped by my place for any lollies... it just doesn't happen in a unit complex, not even if you dress up the house, so I didn't bother. 
I had dinner at my folks' house - a first ever for me. I found a Bush Turkey in my back yard - and scared the crap out of it enough that it never came back. I harvested my first Black Cherry Tomatoes and I began knitting and making Christmas presents... wow, yep, a busy month.

November saw me going on the Logan Art Gallery Christmas Party to Toowoomba. We had a great time, lost somebody (they had a bad sense of direction) and found them again, then we roasted and came home... what a great day. I bought a necklace I haven't taken off since then of a sterling silver archer's arrow. 
I spent time down the coast at Brunswick Heads, started a painting down there, went to the Tweed River Art Gallery and enjoyed my time with Mum. We made a toilet stop at a small town famous for its sugar mill... and when I opened the sweet aroma of molasses hit our noses! I was amazed! We had pulled into the car park of the bowls club and when I went inside the place, it looked like it hadn't left the 70's; right down to the toilets. Talk about stepping back in time! Well, at least I was dressed well enough. 

This month of December has been huge. I've been to 2 morning teas in 1 day. Have got artwork in 2 different art galleries and I'm still working hard on my series of paintings of Brunswick Heads. I've begun attending another art group, but it's a social group which gathers on Tuesdays, now and it $15 cheaper than the other class I was kicked out of. Not a bad deal, seeing it gets me out of my house. 
Christmas is just next week and I've got all my presents fixed up. I've learned how to wrap all my presents in cloth in the Japanese way of wrapping called Furoshiki - which I'm still getting the hang of - and I've just been to the optometrist today to find out why my left eye was bothering me. He's got all my glasses to upgrade all the lenses for me. 

Yep, this year has been huge for me... Hannah's 44th Birthday has just been. I'm going to stay in touch with her Mum through the mail and I'm looking forward to next year where I've got many other things to get myself into. Yeah, this year was my turning point year... lots got done, at home as well as in the world, and I'm not done yet - not by a long shot. I know I haven't been on this blog as much as I should have been - and now you know why.

So, I hope you all stick around the see what's going to happen next year for me. I do have plans, they're going to work out and yeah, they'll take time to do. Until my next post, take care, stay safe this Christmas season and remember, I'm always here.

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Christmas-Time

It's a week into December, and I have yet to put up my tree and decorations. Well, okay, I've got up the streamers on the trees outside, but nothing inside the house yet. 

But today, I moved everything in the lounge after breakfast so I can put up the tree this arvo and get into it well and truly. However, this year, I think I'll be taking the door off the stereo system, as it gets in the way, and besides, the glass is broken in it now. So, the door coming off is best. I'll store the door somewhere safely until such time I can get the glass replaced. 

Otherwise, today is the day I'm getting in and clearing up the house to put up the Christmas decorations. Some of it started yesterday, where I put away things, and moved some things around the place; and this morning, it's cool enough to get in and move more from where the tree usually stands. I have put away my painting box, some other things, have had to move the clothes horse into the kitchen and removed some dvds I want to watch over Christmas and NYE. So... this arvo, I'll be all ready to work on the tree.

Yep, I'll have the Christmas Carols on vinyl going and the living room filled with decorations... oh the fun of pulling out the things I use only once a year from storage! Yay! But this year, I have fairy lights I'll be installing for around the living room window. So, they'll be going in before the tree, I think and I'll make sure they shine outside ... I hope it looks good.

I've hand-made most of my gifts this year and will op-shop some of them too. Otherwise, I'll be op-shopping only a few of them for my brother and Dad. As for wrapping them? Well, I'm using the Japanese fabric wrapping design this year. It's a kinder way of wrapping, and nothing goes to landfill - yes, you reuse the fabric. If you'd like to find out more, you can look on YouTube about it all - it's the most relaxing thing you'll see ever! I thought it'd be stressful to watch, but really, it's not. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here. 

Sunday, November 25, 2018

A Week Away...

I spent the last week on holidays at Brunswick Heads. Now, it was different to other times because I headed down there in November instead of December, I took along my painting gear and it was at a time of year when almost nobody was there until the last day or two before I left.

But I squeezed in a lot of things to do before I came home.

The day I arrived - the Sunday - I called a wonderful friend of mine who was in the Byron Central Hospital to see if she'd like a visitor. You see, Sue Notary told me to give her a call and she and I could meet up a week or two beforehand; but she fell ill and ended up in hospital with respiratory problems. Well, I called her mobile and she said she'd love to see me... and seeing I'd never been to that particular hospital (and I don't normally visit people in hospitals because I get lost in them and I'm not a big fan of the places). We stayed a few hours and headed back to the van for dinner.

On the Monday, I was up early and out and about walking around town to join up with a sing-a-long group we had spotted in the choir the night before. It was a great time for everyone there; but it would have been better if the organiser had written down how much it was in the newspaper instead of me finding out afterwards. 
But I had a great day out walking around the centre of town taking photos of the place with my tablet and having ice coffee and buying gorgeous things as souvenirs from 'Whatever' - my usual haunt every year when I go to Brunswick Heads. I bought myself another bedspread and I got to thinking that I might get in and buy a nice selection of them so I can use them over Summer... about 6 or so and my bed will look lovely over that season when I have to wash the sheets, I'll wash the bedspread I'm using. 

Well, on the Tuesday, I worked on a painting I had taken a photo of with my tablet and thought to make a day of it... the weather was lovely and cool and I really didn't want to leave my landscape painting alone. So, I stuck around the caravan and painted for the day. 
That night, we went out to the Brunswick Heads Bowls Club for Trivia Night. And what a time we had... but the meals were a little on the expensive side. Our team came last, but that didn't matter, we had fun with just Mum, Dad and me in it. 

On the third day in, Wednesday, Mum and I went out to have a look at op-shops. I jumped at the chance to go; mainly because normally these shops are closed over the time I'm there later in the school holidays. So, we jumped in the car and took off to the three around Brunswick Heads and then, we headed into Mullumbimby to hit their op-shops - but they only have two and one of them was closed. Before we went opshopping, we had lunch at The Middle Pub. This place is one of the oldest pubs in Mullumbimby; and has a huge lot of historical things and pictures inside it.
Before long, we had looked at the one op-shop which was open and looked around the other stores which caught our eye and then it was time to have a coffee - as it was not only really hot, but we really needed to recharge! So, Mum took me to The Empire Cafe & Bar to do that... and what a place! It's got the best ice coffees I've ever tasted! Before long, I had taken the photos I needed and bought a few things and it was time to get back to the van; as we spotted some ominous clouds starting to come over the back of the township. 

Thursday saw Brunswick Heads start out with a cool change. It was overcast, cold and windy and I took the opportunity that morning and raced out to get some great atmospheric photographs on the tablet. About an hour or so after I came back to the van, a windy, thundery storm hit with plenty of rain and spats of lightning. But it didn't stay... almost as soon as it hit, the clouds moved away and the skies cleared and the humidity moved in too. The trademark Brunswick Heads Summer Day returned! Mum and I jumped at the chance and we took off to the Tweed River Art Gallery to have afternoon tea and look around this wonderful gallery up in the hills of Murwillumbah. I bought two pairs of funny artsy socks and a lovely notebook for Mum, the latter of which I had gift-wrapped for her. I gave it to my Mum as a thank you for taking me places and paying for things for me. 

Friday saw me hanging out at the caravan, writing my NaNoWriMo and reading a bit of a book I had brought with me (and hadn't had a chance to read) and having a mud crab sandwich. Yes, Friday was a chill-out day. It was also a day where I organised myself with packing a little. I made sure all my books were packed that night, that all my clothes were folded, my shoes were in their bag, my chargers were in their place... yep, I was organised to leave Bruns and go home. 

Saturday morning saw me leaving Brunswick Heads later in the morning rather than early. I caught up with a local lovely lady, Joan, who my family had known since I was little. She and I chatted for about half and hour. I was on my way to get some milk at the service station and I dropped into her permanent van on the way through, but I forgot to text Mum that I was there... oops! Anyway, we chatted and she told me that there were going to be huge lot of changes in the park over the next year - but she'd believe it when she saw it. 
Well, a lot of things were talked about between us, and before I knew it I had to get going. Mum, Dad and I had breakfast, and coffee and then we had to swap the cars over (yeah, the new managers were picky about getting in a second car into the sites for any amount of time) and then I was off! 
It took me around 2 hours to get home - with a break at a BP truck stop at South Ormeau which I really needed. And just as well, I hit some big traffic on the way home at Daisy Hill. I'm glad to be home.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Six Months

It's six months since my wonderful friend in the UK died, and I've been in denial. I'm finally getting help for my grief and working with people on Beyond Blue website - who have been wonderful by the way. They have let me talk about things I can't talk about with my family and let me talk about how badly I've felt in the past months.

This is good.

I've changed in a lot of ways over the last six months as well. 

I've stopped worrying about decluttering my house at an enormous rate. It's not something of importance to me anymore. What's important is my mental health right now; and that I'm happy within myself. 

I think a lot of people are not happy with themselves in this world, and they don't know how to express themselves. This is a big problem. With the technology we have right at our fingertips, we find it difficult to get away from the computer screens, Netflix and the glowing blue screens in our hands. We hide behind them to guard our feelings and it's not as safe as we think.

I've been getting out more of late, and I've also been talking to a lot more people away from my computer lately as well.

At the last Logan Art Gallery Christmas Party, I talked to a lot more people than I normally did in the past. I sat with different people at morning tea and talked to them, letting them know what I was like - instead of sitting quietly writing poetry or on my phone checking my emails. At lunch, I sat with a completely different lot of people than I did last year. So, I got to talk to more of the other volunteers I don't normally work with. 

This is a good thing for me. 

I've been cooking more of my spaghetti sauce for myself and freezing it in meal-sized portions and enjoying different types of food - vegetarian food - and enjoying old movies from the 80's on Netflix and loving my vinyls more. I've been hanging out with my older brother more too. And I've found out that he's been trying to find a way to connect with me for years; and I've never known it. I asked him why he didn't tell me that, we could have worked on that sooner. 

I'm still sad about what's happened in my life. But I've changed things in my life greatly to make things work better. I've started going to the gym, and worked in the garden. I'm more giving and kind to complete strangers at the store - and expect nothing in return. 
Within six months, I have found that my life has completely changed for the better. I'm not as closed off and hard as I used to be. I'm becoming more generous, less stressed out and am working to be a better person. 

Monday, November 5, 2018

It's Been A While...

I thought to pop in and let you know I'm going okay, really. I've been reading, painting, writing and watching the garden come into itself.

I have also totally enjoyed my first few sessions of the Tuesday Social Classes at the Logan Artists Association. There's no big egos there and the people are lovely. We hang out, paint, talk, laugh and then eat lunch and shoot the breeze.

Yep, we're all just people on planet Earth - that's it.

I do have my bad days where I hear a song, see something online or just think about my dear friend and I still fall apart - but that's what grieving is about; dealing with it all. But I'm through the denial stage, which is one of the hardest parts of it. 

I've been sorting through my stuff lately... throwing out and giving away things again and getting back into making things for my family for Christmas. Now, I have my niece and my Sister In Law covered... the people I don't have covered is my brother, and my parents. How weird is that? Looks like I'll have to go op-shopping and see what I can find for them, right? 

But the garden is going so well! I'm still battling the mystery of the pooping local cat (yeah, it's still using every pot around the place as a kitty litter - talk about yuk!) and I'm spreading curry powder around to make it sneeze and run. Gotta get cayenne peppers to really make that cat go... burning its nose. Worked last time.

Well, that's my news today and for now... until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Friday, October 26, 2018

Depression

I've been acting... making out things are fine, when they're not - and it's all caught up with me.

This is a bad thing to do.

Yesterday, my mind caught up with me and I mentally fell down and couldn't get up. 

It's only been 6 months since my childhood friend took her own life; and I hid from my grief. I hid in my garden and renovated the crap out of it... and when I ran out of money and the weather got too hot, when I had to stop and look around,when I couldn't hide in the garden anymore, I ... fell down.

I had to take in reality.

I haven't written anything to do my fictional worlds which is more than 2,000 words since May of this year. I can barely get out a poem - not even a sonnet or a ballad - and yet reading has become an alien planet to me. I walk into my home library and I just want to throw out all of my books and have an empty room.

But I know it's not me who is really thinking that. It's grief. It's depression. It's that horrible nagging voice in the back of my mind telling me that I could have saved her - it's name is Guilt. 

I couldn't have saved Hannah. 

If I flew to the UK and tried to help her, what else would I have done? Been shattered over there, as much as I am here, that's what.

National Novel Writing Month is coming up in a week or two and I'm hoping to push through my inability to work and make myself write 50,000 words. I have to get myself through this drought of words and get back into my fictional worlds again... I miss the characters, the way it all works, my fun trips there and back.

Depression has many faces - and reality can make it crush your world. Mine has been crushed after so many months hiding from it; and now, I need time to work on how to live without my dear friend.

Monday, October 15, 2018

Rain

Over the past week, it's been raining a lot... and we really do need it! But after the first 48 hours, I really became bored with it all.

My lawn grew 10cm in what seemed overnight, and I found I could only do laundry in small lots - because I only have the clothes horse to use to dry my clothes. Yep, the rain is starting to interfere with my life.

But I've been looking at what paintings can be done next; writing down the titles of them in a book I've got sitting in my living room; and making sure it all sorted out for the next few months. I'm really looking forward to making my exhibition of works about Brunswick Heads really worthwhile. 

NaNoWriMo is coming up in the next few weeks, and I have to clean up the home office and put away anything I'm not currently using around the place. This means, making the place messy before it gets tidy again... which isn't a bad thing, so long I follow through. And in this dreary weather, I find that kind of hard to do.
Well, I'm also cleaning up the living room so I can chill out in between the time I'm writing and anything else I need to get done in the house during November. I won't be much of a social butterfly - not that I'm one now - and I'm hoping to work on my next book easily, now I have done some research and have my books near me too.

The good thing is that I'm not worried over the garden anymore. Yeah I was concerned that it wasn't going to grow much because we weren't getting any rain. But now, we've got so much rain, it's all growing so fast! I'm pleased with how it's going, and now we just need some sunshine to make the photosynthesis to work properly - yep, the circle of life to work out! And the best thing is that my first crop of Black Cherry Tomatoes have been harvested today.

Over the next week or two, I'll be cooking up large batches of food and freezing meal-sized containers of them. This is so next month, I can just defrost one and not be worried about cooking something when I've been writing for a good part of the day next month. It'll be good to have it all on hand and ready to eat.

Otherwise, I'm hoping to get myself a new stylus for my turntable soon. It's going to work out in the next week or so, hopefully. I can't wait to get back in and play vinyls again as I really do miss playing them. The radio isn't much fun - there's way too many adverts on it. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.


Sunday, October 7, 2018

My 45th Birthday!

Woah! I'm 45... jeez, I never thought I'd make it to this age - dunno why, I just didn't. I think it was because when you're 10 years old, being 45 is such a long way into the future, you can't see yourself as that age.

Oh well. I'm here now.

And being this age isn't that bad. 

So far, I've had my art teacher dump me from his class because of his own mental problems - which is totally all him, not me. And believe me, I'm more than happy to bugger off out of his class - I don't care. Couldn't afford to stay in his class anyway.

I've almost completed my Little Garden Facelift - and finally bought myself a Tahitian Lime Tree for the garden! It's a grafted one and will be putting out fruit by Summer - or late in the season - and I'll have so much fruit it'll be something I'll be giving away to people.

And well, I've had a good look around my house and thought 'holy crap, I have so much junk I really need to get rid of it all!' and really I do!

But I had a great birthday. 

I went out to the Hyperdome and spent the day spending my store vouchers from the places I'm a member of... like Ishka (a Turkish store I love) and I bought a journal and 3 pairs of cool socks. They were having a 50% off sale and I used my 10% off for my birthday there too. 
Then I spoiled myself and bought Season 13 of 'Supernatural' - my all-time favourite show on television! It's a great show and I've not missed a single episode since it started in 2005... now that's something, right? I had lunch at Gloria Jeans and scored my free coffee and only had to pay for my vegetarian quiche. 
And then I thought to pop into Riot Art to see if Vanda (an arty friend of mine from the Logan Artists Association) was there. And yes she was! We caught up and had a great chat! 

Before long, it was time for me to go home. I had been at the Hyperdome for almost 3 hours and I had done everything I wanted to do... and I wanted to go and get in some op-shopping and check the mail before anything before going home. 
I arrived at the Slacks Creek Vinnies and found some lovely things for under $15 and then went off and checked the mail and found a huge parcel from my Bookcrossing Birthday Buddy waiting for me! Well... it was time to take off home and unpack everything, wash the socks I had bought and make sure I had the phone on speaker when I called Mum.
You see, when I unpack my Birthday parcel every year from my Bookcrossing Birthday Buddy, I always call Mum and share the experience with her over the phone. It's funny I do this, but she loves it when I do this on my birthday! Well, I received so many things this year from my wonderful Birthday Buddy, Wendy!

Well, that night, my parents took me out to a place on Logan Road called 'Limon'. It's a Turkish restaurant I'd never been to before, but I've driven past hundreds of times. Well, as we sat down, Aunty Helen showed up! She gave me a lovely present and joined us for dinner! It was a great night out of wonderful food, laughs and company! 
I ordered the Fish Tagine - of Barramundi and a side dish of herb rice - absolutely delicious! We had a dessert choice too! I chose the Chocolate Mud Cake and it came out on a large platter with 'Happy Birthday love Limon' in chocolate icing on it and a candle in the ice cream! What a way to celebrate my day! And the cake was so rich I didn't need a cake, just that one slice, which had been heated up and turned warmed and gooey... ooh yummo!

By the time we waddled out of the place, we didn't want to eat anything else, just head back to my parents' house and have a cup of tea. I was exhausted and happy to just sit back and listen to good conversation. 

I arrived home at around 9pm Friday night and felt wide awake but still very tired... if you know what I mean... and I jumped online to find so many of my dear friends had wished me a Happy Birthday! It's been a few days now, and I'm still getting the belated ones showing up - so great to hear from friends on there. I love them all! 

So, another year is gone, and a new one is beginning... I'm looking forward to the new things and happenings which are going to be coming up for the next year. I'll be working on new art, my new garden, new paintings, new exhibitions, driving new places, taking more photographs to get in more work done... and learning more from other artists I've made friends with. Yep, when one door closes, another one opens - no matter where you are in your life or how weird the circumstances are in how it happens. For me, it's another step forwards to get my work exhibited and worked on in my own style. And it all started on my Birthday... not a bad thing, right? Yep... the glass is - and will always be - half-full.

Sunday, September 30, 2018

Out with The Old...

It was that kinda month this month - but in a slow kinda way. I had to wait for things to finish, and wait for things to start as well... and in a strange way, it was interesting to just sit back watch it all happen.

I had to wait for my last markets to come and go - and I walked away with over $70 on that lovely day - and within the next week, I could afford to buy my birthday gift to myself: two sets of Stratco shelving units for my art gear. Dad helped me put it together; I'm thankful he did, because it was fiddly in a lot of ways. He told me it won't fit, and didn't by around 10cm, but I found that little bit of give was good for me because when I charge up my tablet or phone, I can slot them into the lower bookshelves out of the way when I'm eating dinner or clearing the table. Not a bad idea, right? 
Well, all my art books fit into one bookcase, along with a container with my wrapping paper and the stone from my oven. Then on the other one is my esky/cooler (which was sitting in front of my oven for years and getting in the way) and other things which weren't working out where they were. I also have a space for my food processor (so I can use it more) and a container for my laundry detergents as well. It's created so much more storage and more space around the place. 

The garden is flourishing! There's the Camellia looking wonderful as it starts putting out new leaves as it'll flower this Summer. And then, there's the Garlic which I'm looking forward to harvesting next year. Then my Frangipanis all put out leaves in the past week! Also, my Ficus is growing too! The Agapanthus is all sitting up straighter and looking like it's going to put out stems for their flowers soon. Yep, it's all full steam ahead for another great Summer in my garden. 

Vanessa and Matt moved into their new place and I helped them clean the place next door. Then, within about a week or so, I got new neighbours of two young girls who are straight out of home. They're just starting out; and one's a karate instructor and the other is a uni student. They don't have much but they're doing well. 
Over the past few weeks, I've had a few things to donate at charity, so I thought to clean up those things and give them to my neighbours. They've been very grateful. I know what it's like to not have much when you first move out.

I've begun on my Christmas list and looking at what everyone will need this year.  So far, I've begun knitting a scarf and am looking around at what my Birthday Buddy is getting... which is a great fun thing which she can keep and enjoy and reuse as well. I'm looking forward to seeing what she sends me. We have so much fun with our exchanges every year... and to think it started off as a once-off thing on Bookcrossing and turned into a fun thing for us two. 

Anyway, this month has been busy, exciting, interesting and fun. I've done an art demonstration and am excited about starting new work. I'm looking at writing a new book. I'm currently reading - and really getting into - the fourth book of 'The Dark Tower' series. And I'm finding life is slowly turning around for me. It's taking time, but it's starting to look good again. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Monday, September 17, 2018

A More Positive


It's been a while since I last wrote. But I've been going through a dark phase; and didn't want to depress you all. 

The garden is looking great; and I'm adding new little succulents which I got from a friend of mine last week. I'm also saving up for my birthday present of 2 shelving units from Stratco to put all my art and craft stuff into from the markets. This will give me more room to move - and an extra box to use for storage. The Crafty Pegs items I didn't sell on Saturday will be taken to my old craft group and they can sell them off to have the money given to the community centre. I just can't be bothered working out Gumtree where people want things for nothing... it's not worth my trouble. 

I'm cleaning out the unit again, and I started on Saturday night, where I cleaned up a piece of furniture and gave it to my new neighbours. They love it! There's going to be the skinny bookcase too; which I'll give to them as well. I won't be needing it anymore, and I scored that for nothing. So, why not pass it on while it's still in good condition?

Well, I'll be cleaning out my art gear and handing it onto people who want it, and getting rid of canvases I don't want as well... while getting ones I want to use for my next exhibition. It's going to be a big clean up, and it's going to be all worth the mess to start with. By November, my place will be tidier and better and easier to use and store things in. 

I'm looking forward to the next month of sorting out and I'm more eager about working on the place because I have a goal about how things are going to be. Just like the garden, my house needs a big tidy-up, bigger than it needed before. This will mean I'll be letting go of big things which I had in the place for a long time. And seeing a part of my Crafty Pegs hobby business is being let go of, doesn't mean it's going away, I'm just taking it into another direction... a great one.

My life is going into another direction as well. 

Since Hannah's passing, I've been in mourning and hit a kind of bottom. Some of my friends and family probably didn't see it, but I haven't been doing so well emotionally. I've had a huge case of writer's block and haven't been able to write anything to call substantial since May or June. 
But I'm getting my writing mojo back and I'm beginning to sleep better (yeah, I wasn't sleeping all that well). I've begun to look after myself, eating better and going to the gym, and I'm beginning to see things in a different light. I do miss my wonderful friend greatly, however, she was in pain. 

This past weekend was the first time I really enjoyed the whole weekend right through. I attended the funeral of a family member and didn't say much to many people - which was something only a few people noticed. 

And on the Saturday, I was up before dawn and attended my very last markets ever; totally enjoying my day. I forgot to bring my coffee and sugar and laughed at myself about it. It was a great, beautiful day to sit back and sell some goods to people. 

Then, on Sunday, I drove to the fruit market and took my time getting home - something I never do. It was the first time I really looked up and around in months to see it was truly a beautiful Spring day... that I had completely missed out on Winter and had pretty much ignored the world for so long. 
I spent my time split between sorting through my crap in the art area and sitting out in my newly-renovated garden that day, watching it - admiring it - and enjoying the beauty of that day. I had missed out on the past few months, somehow closing myself off from everyone and everything. 

Today, I went to art class and my teacher, Aaron, even noticed my attitude and my mood is different from the past months. He asked me if I'm okay... I smiled, 'Yeah, I'm better than I have been in a while.' And you know, I don't know what's happened lately. But I think it's because I've allowed myself to mourn and grieve properly that I can be happy with myself now. I'm hoping to move onto a new painting next week. I'm looking forward to cleaning up and cleaning out the living room and kitchen area so I can have my house tidier than it's ever been before. I'm hoping to be more positive than I have been in months. What are you hoping for? Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.


Saturday, September 8, 2018

Another Year Here

My 8am alarm woke me this morning, and I found there was the lovely, sound of rain on the roof. I didn't want to get out bed because I was so comfortable - and the rain was so calming, and it was 8th, September. 

This date may not mean much to you guys, okay a birthday, anniversary or the date of when somebody passed away maybe, but for me, today is the day - to the date - that I moved out of my folks' house and into a place of my own, on my own sixteen years ago. 

It was daunting, scary and weird... and I didn't have much in the way of possessions, just a folding chair, a plastic box, a bookcase and a little black television set (which my brother lovingly called 'the porthole' due to its size). The room with the most furnishings was my bedroom and the kitchen didn't have much either - thank goodness I had a Glory Box with items in it for when I either moved out or got married. 

But the first two years were the hardest for me. I was scared, nervous, intimidated by everyone, and not knowing how to be friends with anyone. I didn't want to get involved with my neighbours, but somehow did and regretted doing so. 
And over time, I eventually made up my own mind over who to be friends with, who to talk to, what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, who to have at my place and who not to invite over. It was all a matter of not trusting anyone but myself. Sounds harsh but it's true.

The older I got, the less I trusted people, the more next door neighbours who came and went. Some of them stuck around for a few years, while others were gone in a blink of an eye; and then there were others still who were evicted and then there were the ones who could smell the eviction notice coming and vanished into the ether.
I have seen all kinds of things happen around here and have often talked with the police, who have become harder to talk to as their jobs have become more difficult to do. At times, I've found myself hiding from the noises around the place in the middle of the night, instead of being in my comfy bed with all my lights off wondering if it stop - while most nights I've slept the night through and we haven't been bothered by anything. 

Every couple of years, I've changed something about my townhouse - be it the garden or the interior - and it's looked and felt different each time. In the past few years, I've made a big change to the furnishings, giving it a 70's theme and it's really gone well! I love the feel it gives off and enjoy the warmth of the browns and earth tones... and yet, there's the modern technology mixed into it as well. 
This year, I changed up the back garden completely renovating it over the past 3 months; and it's going really well! Just as I've put down grass seed, it's begun to rain and the sun has started to shine into the back garden in the afternoons, thus it'll all started to become lush and green again. 

Yes, sixteen years in one place has made my little townhouse look not so different from the outside, but feel like a castle on the inside. And that's the thing: your house is your home and your castle. No matter where you lay your hat, you make your place feel the way you want it to. I've seen the inside of many townhouses here at the unit complex, and there's not much going for them inside; simply because the people aren't putting in the effort. 

I started out with nothing in my house... and now it's built into a place I look forward to coming home to. I enjoy being at home on the weekends. I love sitting out in my back garden at any time of the day or night. Once the doors are closed and the curtains are drawn, the outside world not longer exists and I'm in my own world - and that's what a home is supposed to make you feel like. And when I move from here, and take my things with me, I'll be able to do the exact same thing with my belongings to the next place I live in for however long I'm there for. 

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Where Do I Start?

Well, so much has gone on this month, and in the past few days that I'm not sure where to start. At the beginning is a good place I guess.

My Little Garden Facelift has come forward in leaps in bounds since I installed the greenhouse; and the things I've been growing in it - and want to grow in it - are great! I've got a flourishing black cherry tomato vine in there and some herbs I'm using all the time. I want to get in a good salad tomato for this Summer - one which isn't acidic (as these things often make me feel sick in the guts from the acid in them) and seeing I'm growing basil, I'll look into growing more than I have now. 
Then, I put down 4 big bags of cheap potting mix on my big dip in the lawn. It just wasn't working out properly and I had to level out the ground before putting down new lawn seed again. I have done that but the seed came up too fine and I found I had to get better seed - which I did, and now it's a waiting game.

Over the month of August, I've been working on shutting down 'Crafty Pegs'... but not in the way people think. Every time I've said I'm closing it down, I'd gotten the look of horror from my friends. I'm attending a market to get rid of excess stock and I'll be working on a commision; so people can order things from me and I can make them as they're ordered. It's easier for me and I'll have more room in my house too! 

Well, it's also been a great month for me to work on not only my house, but also myself. I joined a gym at the beginning of August - and stuck with it - but I'm continuing on with my membership for the next 6 months! I'm feeling wonderful, working out twice a week and enjoying the difference in how the gym is making me feel. 

I did a little op-shopping, cracked my pinky toe on my right foot (and it's still recovering) and then before that I decided to get myself a new toiletries bag from Priceline - and it had to be purple, didn't it? Yep, it did. And it looks just lovely! I'm so happy I bought it! 
And then, my brother and his family were by Mum and Dad's house one Sunday night and I came by too... Ellie, their dog, was there too for a few days and she was just lovely to hang out with and pat. I'm looking at the photos from Project 365 and I had a big month last month; and well, this month started off big too.

We lost two family members - one of them was a lovely lady who had been in our lives for such a long time, I do think it's going to take a long time for us to grieve. Oma, Aunty Helen's step-Mother-In-Law, passed away on Sunday - Father's Day here in Australia - aged 99. What an age to reach, and such a day to leave us so suddenly as well. She fell ill that morning and was gone before the sun set. 

The next day, I found out that my Dad's cousin from up north passed away on Father's Day as well. I didn't know his cousin well, but she wasn't well for a long time with Breast Cancer; and she was around Dad's age. 

So sad over the past few days. I'm only hoping the next month picks up for us all in my family. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Thursday, August 23, 2018

A Busy Month!

It's been a busy month; and I haven't been in here as much as I thought I'd be. But I got a lot of things done.

The garden is coming to the end of its huge, pricey and fun facelift - now all I need to do is grow a nice new, lush lawn and get the literary characters and art theme going and I'll have the garden I've been wanting for a few years. That will take a little time, hard work and funny times with Dad... I do have the paint, just don't have the know-how.

At the beginning of the month, I joined the local, Logan City Council-run gym. Well, okay, I did a trial run of it, got assessed by the trainer there and she has set me up with a great program to get me fighting fit by Summer - and I do enjoy going. It not only gets me out of the house in the mornings, but it's making look at what foods I'm eating and I'm sleeping so much better at night too! And my stress levels are lowering too.

Then, my decluttering is working out as well! I sorted out a huge lot of crap from the home office, and tossed out 3 rubbish bags of paper, shredded a whole lot of stuff at Mum and Dad's place and sorted out what was shredable and what wasn't there too! Strangely enough, putting stuff through a shredding is kinda soothing - I know that sounds weird, but it does! 

Anyway, I'm knitting away some more dish cloths - as people online are enjoying the fact they're so pretty and I've sold some in the past month too! So, I thought it'd be a good idea to keep going with them... after all, they're cotton, and they'll break down in landfill. 

So, that's my month. We here at the unit complex have had some ups and downs. There's been an ice addict who caused a lot of people to move out, and then he's moving out. My next door neighbours are moving out next week - and going to miss them terribly; as Vanessa and Matt have become such great friends to me. I hope to not lose contact with them; no matter where they live. But isn't that always the way? You find a great set of neighbours and they move too soon... oh well, can't have your cake and eat it too. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Spring Cleaning

It's August and it's time for the big Spring Clean! Just like last year, I've gotten in and started cleaning out the bigger things in the house - you know, the mattress of my bed, and tossing out some things in my house I've been walking past and ignoring.

However, this year, there's a big difference in my life. I've been going to a great gym - and loving it - and I'm looking around at making the house less cluttered in the huge sense of the word. It's gotta be more useful, better cared for and I have to be able to lay my hands on everything I want to use. 

And so, starting in the backyard, I cleaned up out there, got myself a greenhouse, replaced the batteries in the solar lights and reseeded the lawn. Now, it's a matter of making the art side of the garden look and feel better and more beautiful. 

I'm saving up money for a shelving unit in the house so I can get in and use it for my art gear; and other items from around the house - like the esky I have in my kitchen and the food processor which is hiding in the cupboard so I can get around to using it! - and then I'll be able to house my art books more effectively as well. 

Just the other night, I decluttered the living room because I couldn't stand to look at the crap around the place any longer... by 11pm, I had thrown out big bag of rubbish which had been sitting around the place. And seeing I've gotten into that, I'm looking into making sure I do get that shelving unit for myself as a birthday gift. I'll be giving away the skinny little bookcase to family once I've cleaned it up and made sure it's okay to travel. 

But that's the thing. I'm going to make sure the house is nice; and the place has the things in it so I can get to them, they're useful and only of use to me. I'm not going to hang onto anymore shit anymore. If I don't use it in a year, it's either going in the bin or being donated. 

Yeah, it's going to be a one hell of a Spring Clean for me. Well, what are you up to for your Spring Clean? Do you do a Spring Clean every year? Today, I've gotten in and cleaned the sheets, the mattress protector and pillow protectors and then, cleaned the mattress itself... big jobs to get done, but they needed to get done - and the mattress is done twice a year. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Thursday, August 9, 2018

A New Chapter

I know I've been down in the dumps over the past few months. However, there's something new happening on my horizon soon... and the death of my friend has pushed me to turn a corner in my life.

Yep, I've decided to start a new chapter in this here book of my life; something which will give a positive spin on what has been a sad thing. 

Well, I've been to the local gym three times this past week and half; and every time I've totally enjoyed myself! This morning, it was a very chilly 6 degrees celsius and I didn't want to get out of bed, but I pushed myself at 7:30am and made myself go to the gym. Pretty soon, I won't be able to wait to get my butt there! It will be a matter of me getting up as early as possible and getting in there to get my gym hour done and dusted and home again for a good healthy breakfast to get on with my day! 

The back yard it looking nice and leveled out now - as I've used 4 bags of cheap-ass potting mix on a dipping part of it before sprinkling grass seed over it and then watering it in heavily. And today, I added Seasol into the water to help it all along!

I'm looking forward to this new chapter of my life opening up more; as I work on how new things - no matter how difficult they are, or how unusual they may be - cause me to make changes to my life. I know I don't like change, but making the smallest changes to my life can - and will - turn out to be the best ones in the long run. 

Have you changed something small in your life recently, and it's changed your outlook completely? If you have, let us know about it.Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Positive Actions

It's just hit the three month mark since my dear friend passed away; and I'm seriously struggling with her death. I really miss her being in my life - even though she lived so far from me.

But it's the little things which really bug me and cause me to remember her when I least expect them to; the tiny little memories of her which come out of the woodwork when I'm minding my own business and doing other things which have nothing to do with her, which cause me to remember her the most.

I get this feeling of dread come over me when I'm reminded that she's no longer with us, in this realm... on planet Earth. This is a horrible feeling to have; and I wish it would go away. But I know it will take time.
At first I was numb and felt as though my world had caved in on itself - and this is normal. I mean, Hannah had killed herself. This isn't the Natural Order of things, which is something I believe in, and I feel as though Hannah has gone against this completely. I still think what she's done is wrong, even though her pain would have been impossible to live with for her. 

So, positive actions must be taken on my part to make this all work out, to help me get through my grief. And so, what I've been doing is fixing up my backyard and making it into something I can be happy with, making it grow into a lovely, private thing to live in. 

The next thing I've thought to do is to join a gym and get myself fit and healthy. Seeing I'm relatively healthy with what I eat, and am sleeping okay for now, I'd like to be physically healthy as well. So, that's something I've been looking into lately. And over the past week, I've joined a gym on a trial membership to see how I go with it over the next month. I think I'm going to like it there... sure it'll be hard, but that's what life is: a challenge.

There are other future plans for me to get into as well. I have the War On Waste Challenge - which has returned for another season on the ABC; and once the garden is all fixed up, I'll be right into my decluttering again and looking at only what I need in the house. Being focused through the gym will help me with that - a lot of things will be leaving my house and I'll be ready to move away from here at some point in the future. 

These are positive actions which are going to help me with my life. It's true that I hate what has happened in the past 3 months - losing a wonderful friend like Hannah to suicide is the worse thing I'd ever though would happen to me - but I must move on and get myself healthy, keep my mind on track and make sure I'm don't let depression rule my life. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

What a Busy Month!

Wow! I seriously thought I was going to be able to get back in here and let you all know what was going on at some point, but after the successful work going on in my garden, I just seem to get into a roll of jumping into it whenever I saw money in my bank account and forgot to talk about anything going on.

Plus, we had a few freaky things going on around the unit complex which I didn't know how to approach. But gotta tell ya, if you know anyone who's addicted to ice, you'll know how freaky-scary it is to hear them flip out. However, we had two of them in the unit complex and every neighbour I saw was peaceful and hard-working became as scared as I am. I started wondering if my car was going to be in one piece or would I be woken up by my smoke alarm or loud noises outside my window late at night. Yeah I slept pretty light - and there were some nights I didn't sleep at all; not until the wee hours of the morning.

Now, just over last weekend just gone, we got some silence in the place, and the we all managed to sleep the whole night through. But we can still feel the tension in the place... as though we're waiting for the other shoe to drop. I think we're all going to be like this for a while.

But my backyard is looking great! I've got another month to go until it's all finished - and that includes working on my front garden a little to perk it up too. And in the next month, I'll have to get in and work on the lawn; leveling it out, making it grow and then once it's all done, I'll look at putting in nice stepping stones to set off the new look. Those will stay here when I move out, so they offset the nice lawn and make the garden area look and feel homey and cute.

Otherwise, art class is going really well and I'm at the pointy end of The Brunswick Picture House. I really want to work on the signage of it, but Aaron wants me to wait. However, he's always taught me to bring everything forward in a painting at the same time; not leave anything behind. Oh well, I'll leave the sign and let him ask me why I left it for so long. Yeah, this has happened before. 

Since Hannah's death, I've had a few bad days. There's times where I'll see something or hear somebody sing like her and I'll feel awful that I couldn't help her when she really needed me. But then, I'll remember that no matter what, I couldn't have helped her at all with anything in her life. She wasn't letting anyone near her over there, so how would she allow me near her? Many other people who are her friends have been asking the same questions about it all too - coming up with the same answers. 

This month, we've had some of the coldest weather - and I've loved every minute of it! But we've also had some of the driest weather too... which means our farmers are in drought. I'm only hoping they get some relief when the Summer months come around. It's one of the driest Winters we've had; as Winter is normally not only a time for the cold, but we also get a bit of rain too. In August, we get those horrible Westerly Winds - which makes it even colder for us and makes the flu bite us worse! 

Well, I hope I've come through this year unscathed from the colds or flus - as I have yet to catch any (touch wood!) and it'd be good to not catch anything this year. Well, I can dream, can't I? Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Going Organic

Since I started working on my garden in the past month, I've been seriously looking at what I'm eating - and looking at labels more closely as well.

And ... well, you wouldn't believe how much salt and sugar is in a lot of things we put in our shopping trolleys. 

So, I've been slowly going organic in my home. First it was me installing the green house (which I'll be saving up for a bigger one to be able to grow veggies and other fruits so I can save myself money each pay) and I've begun growing the herbs and a Black Cherry Tomato vine in there - it's looking great! 

Now, I've planted out some garlic - which will take a year to harvest. I don't mind; as I'm a patient person when it comes to plants. 

So, seeing I'm the type of person who loves to cook all my meals from scratch, it's something I've begun to look at when I'm shopping. I've gotten into eating ketchup - and not the ordinary one, but the organic one. Sure it's a little more expensive, but it's worth it too! It has less sugar and no salt in it; and I read the ingredients as well. 

It's amazing when you go organic in your diet... everything changes - you eat less junk food (even though you do eat it, and know it's there, you don't eat as much of it as before). You drink more water and tea. You sleep so much better than you ever did before; and you have so much more energy as well. 

All of this takes time to happen, but it happens. However, when it's only you doing it, it becomes difficult to go anywhere where nobody else is eating organic foods; as they think everything is organic when it may not be. I know this sounds like I've joined a cult - but read the back of everything you buy (believe me, I've had to in my life of being allergic to a lot of things in food) and you'll find out there's a lot of additives in food you never knew existed. 

Going organic is great - but it's not cheap. What makes it cheap is when you start growing your own food, herbs and cooking everything from scratch... that's when you see how long it takes to do things, like make a pizza. The dough takes around an hour - and the pizza establishments put sugar in their dough to make you eat more; but when you make it at home, there's no sugar in the recipe. It just tastes wonderful all on its own. 
If we all grew our own herbs and veggies and made time to cook everything we ate, I think we'd be a little more healthier, the big shopping centres will have to support the better way of living and there'd be more fruit and veggie markets around. 

But seeing that's in a world of another universe where none of that exists, I guess we'll have to start off small and work on this together, one person at a time. I'll do my bit, but if you wish to join in and 'go organic', that's entirely up to you. You have to stick with it though - and yes, there's an upside to it:

You lose weight.
You enjoy fresh food more.
Cooking becomes something of a love.
You look at your garden differently.
Shopping is a whole new experience - not a nice one.

I have been changing the way I live for years - slowly moving my tastes from Cadbury's Chocolate to Lindt Chocolate... from sweet and creme-filled biscuits to gluten-free seaweed biscuits. From margarine, to nut oil spreads to good, old-fashioned butter. It's taken me time to learn to use Olive Oil and butter in my cooking and not sunflower oil or any other types of oil... it just tastes so much different and better. 

And going organic shows in my blood test results. My sugars are a steady 4.6. My cholesterol is high (but that's my medication do that bad crap) but my lifestyle has kept it from doing anything awful to me. My weight has stopped yo-yoing all over the place. I'm going well for somebody in my mid-40's, when I thought I'd be a complete mess... and I'm not. 
Don't get me wrong, I have had times when I do fall off the healthy, organic ways and munch into some of the worse food around - and I did it recently when a friend of mine took her own life - and I felt awful. I didn't sleep, I felt sick and I put on weight from it all. So, within a few weeks, I jumped back in and worked my way into taking care of myself again even more than before because I'm still grieving and feeling her loss even more than ever now I'm finding myself singing (she was a singer) and enjoying the music more than ever too... and keeping to the good eating way of life is best.

Going organic isn't a cult, it's taking care of yourself in the right way. I call it 'Living Like My Grandparents' because it is. It's living and eating the food, making the meals, drinking leaf tea and full-cream milk and cream and butter the way it used to be. It's getting outside and working in the garden every weekend. It's going for an afternoon walk every day to see the day out - no matter what the weather - and it's keeping yourself away from the takeaway food which is clogging up our arteries and making us sick. 

Let's stop making ourselves sick and go back to eating like our Grandparents did. If you look back into the 1940's - 1970's, you won't see a single overweight person in photos or films. They ate burgers, pizzas and other junk food, but it was all without the crap we have in it today. They didn't sit in front of computers and they worked out, walked and swam, enjoyed dancing and going out to dance halls (and by the way, where are those big dance halls today - oh that's right, the governments have destroyed them all!). The kids went out to roller skating rinks and enjoyed life... and that's how life should be: organic in every way.  

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Visitors and A Full Saturday

Yesterday, my brother and his girlfriend came over to my townhouse for a visit. It was great to see them; as I don't have visitors normally, and least of all my family. 

You see, I do enjoy my townhouse, but I'm very embarrassed about the townhouse complex I live in... it's rare for me to invite people to my place because of the suburb the complex is in and how my neighbours act in it; and yesterday was no different. When my brother and his girlfriend showed up, they scored a parking spot at the back (only just because it was full with cars) and somebody new was moving in a couple of doors down and had parked in front my next door neighbour's place... well, another neighbour did his pills while I stood there embarrassed that my family had to see this side of my neighbour. 
Then, the poor new neighbour asked me where he could park. I told him that there was a car park down the front just inside the gate or there was car park just at the end. But he was convinced there wasn't - a lot of people don't know about the end car park because they're never shown the back one. My brother told him to drive around to the back, following the drive around he'd find it - and he did, got lost and came back, parking his car back in front of his unit. 

During this time, my brother and his girlfriend had coffee with me while my brother install wifi and Netflix... all exciting and new in my home. However at first, I didn't want it - the wifi, yeah, but the Netflix, not really. But when I saw how many shows were on there, and what I didn't need to pay for or save up for with dvds, well, I thought it might be a good thing after all.

While we were having something to eat, we chatted about the townhouse and how long I've lived here for and what has happened since I moved in. And I said that this place has reverted back to what it was when I moved in over 15 years ago - it hasn't improved or moved forward as many places would; and I don't want to live here anymore. They get it, and my brother said it's time for the townhouse to get evaluated, I told him I did that last year and because of its position, and the work done on it over the years, it's worth more than it was when it was bought years ago. 

While my brother was on my computer, his girlfriend asked me about the terrarium on the table and how I got it grow properly, and I told her the ingredients which go into terrariums; and that I'd love to have more room in a house to have another two or three - but I just simply don't. I have another one in my bedroom and that's it. But I do enjoy building them, they're just adorable - but the most expensive part is the container.
Then she asked me about my dish drainer and where I bought it. Well, I tried to remember exactly which kitchen store I bought it and the only thing I did remember was the it was a place on Compton Road, and she had to Google for it and showed me a few kitchen places and we finally found it. 
After we all had something to eat, set up my account for Netflix and got it all sorted out and I chose a show to see if it worked out (which was Gilmore Girls - A Year Of) my brother could see I was going to setting in and watch the show. Then asked his girlfriend if she watched The Gilmore Girls and she said 'Yeah I used to watch it... it's a great show.' I said I loved it until it went off the air and they made the year of the Gilmore Girls but didn't put it on free to air and I was bummed that it was only on Foxtel. 

Well, we went out to the garden where I had been doing so much work, and my brother was stunned at how much changed in it. I told him there was plants I found were taking over the garden too much and I really needed a change. They both loved it that I was growing garlic and that I had gotten myself a greenhouse and took a look around in it. I offered up the spare herbs and his girlfriend took them off my hands - saying they'd plant them out and use them! I said they were from Bunnings and were the $3.00 ones... I didn't see much point in letting them die if somebody else could have them. 

Before long, they were off and it started raining less than 10 minutes after they left - good hard rain too! I watched 3 seasons of 'The Gilmore Girls' and then ate dinner. Chatted to my Mum and Dad on the phone about the Netflix and then thought that I might have to talk to my ISP about how much download I've got... see if the Netflix will take up. It might be a lower download than I think. I'll have to see. Well, that was Saturday, I totally enjoyed my day, but I was stuffed by 10pm as I hadn't gotten a good night's sleep the night before - no thanks to a weirdo who bashed and crashed around for an hour at 1:30am, and when I called the cops (which I am sure everyone else did too) they told me off for calling triple 0 because the guy had a reputation for flipping out and destroying things around him. 
Well, I zonked at 10pm and only woke about twice in the night to roll over... the alarm woke me and I'm well-rested now. Another good night's rest and I'll be ready to tackle the next week. 

Yep, this weekend is full. I'm chilling out today on here, and enjoying my time online and I'll see what I want to watch. Television to me is something I watch in the late-afternoon and evening, it's not a daytime thing. I don't use it all the time to while away my day. Well, until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.