momentum

Can you believe how quickly Christmas is coming?  I find that I have been more organised other years. This year has been very trying and I haven't been nearly as organised. I am still working on the hamper and I try to find things every week otherwise I will be visiting my friends with it incomplete.  I am trying to work out what would be good presents for family and friends. Normally I have this sorted not so this year.

The children are happily getting in the Christmas spirit. This year there was a requirement for an Advent Calendar.  I thought well a chocolate one would work well and then realised that dairy free was not an easy option so we changed tactics and went for a Star Wars Lego one. My Petal was not that interested in the concept, she doesn't like having to commit herself to something on a daily basis.  My Hurricane is a different story. He is so excited and has been trying to understand how it all works.  Not really sure that he has to wait firstly till December to start this and then he can only do ONE door a day.   It should be fun to see what happens.

I have been a lot busier with my massaging I have a couple of regulars now and this certainly is greatly appreciated just before Christmas.   I want to do a Hot Rock course. I have seen one that I think would be great, see how many mums would like that.

Enjoying the rain today. I hope your gardens are enjoying the water too.











 

sometimes the planets line up for the Op Shopping.

Lately I have not been not just wondering in and looking for what I can find I have been going to op shops with specific requirements or things that I would like to find from a wishlist.

A missing piece or replacement piece of a dinner set, a clothing requirement, a pair of boots that are needed, pretty cake plates, a skirt and material. All different things from a wish list, some practical others not.

Well amazingly enough I have found everything that I have needed or wanted to date.

A soft grey top to go with my skirt, something made in Australia if possible. (Tick). I found this straight after the visit to the farmers market in Collingwood, the children love this market and I got to see Daylesford Organics although they were all sold out. Always so very nice to have a little chat.

The skirt I bought on ebay.  I love skirts that have a different cut, this one is shorter at the front and longer at the back. i know there is a technical name for it, I have no idea what it is.  I am going to make some very soon, stay tuned.  (Sorry about the black on black but I think you get the idea.)  I also found a ring that covers most of my finger and some other accessories.

A pair of gumboots or something that I can wear to the farmers market in Winter. (Tick) I did even better than that, they are beautiful equestrian boots made in France and just gorgeous.  I was totally thrilled with this find. I have been dreaming about the lovely ones in England that are too many hundreds of pounds to even consider.   Happy dance happening even if it's too warm to wear them.

A little foot stool that I can change if I want to (Tick).  I was watching one on Ebay however the price went up and up and I stopped watching.  This one was $5.00 at the Op Shop.  I just couldn't pass it up.

A couple of vintage cake plates (Tick)  nothing too fancy just something pretty to pop on the table.  i knew what I wanted and I was thrilled to find exactly the sort of style and pattern.

A fascinator. I have never owned one and well this is my first and probably only purchase.  I like it, it's subtle.  It doesn't get stuck in doors when I leave the room like some of the really big ones that are amazing but how do you wear them!!!!  I had a lovely work function that required dressing up for and well this was just perfect, I didn't have to spend a small fortune either.

I am wondering what I will find next from my wishlist.  A wingback chair would be great for the bedroom and something to go at the end of the bed, totally french and beautiful.

Enjoy I hope the Op Shopping has been good for you too.

November and I am being dragged along to Christmas kicking and screaming in protest

Today I hit the ground running well actually being dragged along fighting and kicking. I didn't want this week to happen. I didn't want to actually get back into things. I had a massage lined up, a new person and an experienced client. Well this normally sends me into a cold sweat at the best of times. So I didn't want to go, I had a headache, nothing bad just stress.  I knew this wasn't an acceptable excuse and by the time came around to leave I just didn't have anything except that I needed to catch up on housework and even that wasn't tempting. So I set off.  I did it and I felt great afterwards energised and ready to go. I was back into the swing of things, paid and another booking WONDERFUL.

So now I have to keep the momentum going. I have asked a couple of regulars if they need a massage and I am sorting out my week. I have plans to do some sewing again not sure if I will make a dress or 2 for my Petal or a skirt for me. I am cleaning like a women possessed and went outside to do some sweeping in between things.  Back to sorting and culling again. I have collected some lovely things at the op shop that we have needed now to get rid of somethings that we don't.

I have even started on christmas things.... I don't want to but well it is happening.  I have started on a hamper for our country cousins which I am very pleased with the progress this time, last time I struggled a bit. I am also working on things for the caravan for our holiday.  I have also had a bit of a find at the op shopping on the weekend.  We found some lovely water glasses, you can never have too many or enough in our case, also 2 tops for me.  We found a Thomas train set for my Red Headed Hurricane, a couple of video's for my Petal and a nice Boutique Beer glass for my other half too.

Bit tired after the activities today I will try to get photo's soon.

Making something for My Petals birthday.

It has become a tradition that I make something for my girl just before her birthday normally for the day although in this case it was for the day before as we have another birthday at the same time as my girls. A good friend smiling in the photo that we visited for lunch, Yum Cha down the coast.   Lovely meal,  I want to do chicken and ginger parcels now for our lunch on the weekend.  Everything was so good!

I decided that a headband or scarf just wasn't going to cut it and I had some lovely O'lily material that needed to be turned into something cute.  So a skirt it had to be.  I do still have some leftover that will probably be a headband, some buttons and anything else that I can think of.

Thank goodness I follow MADE otherwise I think this would have never been done.  Her blog and tutorials are wonderful and it would seem very easy to follow. So that was decided.  I raced to spotlight, bought some elastic, (also some 1/2 price hallowe'en material with the promise that I would turn it into something for the children)  then dashed home to start.

Straight to my mother-in-laws with the "help" cry.  I was still very unsure (being silly given how easy the tutorial is!) and needed her to overlock the top and bottom.  That done I was ready to go and later on that evening after we came home I set off on the next step leaving the remaining ones for the next day when I was fresh and the light was better.

I did it, I finished it and my Petal was so happy spinning around and around wearing it. I think I was happier than she was but that is alright, it's my first real project completed and being enjoyed. I have the usual amount of UFO's waiting to be completed and I also have the next skirt in the pipeline for Christmas.

The hot pink and butterfly material is for the next skirt.  The jug in the background was a wonderful op shop find. My mother left me a lovely dinner set that I am keeping for the children, I have a few items that I wanted to add to it, to date I have found nothing and then this wonderful jug.  We had a lovely time brainstorming all the great food things you could use it for.  Sticky date pudding with caramel sauce seemed to be the favourite.     I also have a plan to do Tapas soon.  So we are collecting little dishes to have our meal in.  I think this will be next week but I am not sure what ingredients I need.  A visit to the farmers market on the weekend should help.  These dishes all of them were from Op shop and Savers.

We also had the issue of making cupcakes or a cake Dairy Free.  I brainstormed with the family and we decided that Vanilla would be the easiest option and yummy.  After a bit of searching and not really finding anything suitable I then went to my ALL TIME FAVOURITE blog.  M.E to find something wonderful and yes we did.  The cake idea was changed for Cupcakes instead and what better ones that to have pink cupcakes.  So all i did was substitute the milk with soy milky, the butter with dairy free substitute and they were so yummy.  I am going to have to find a tiered cake plate or something suitable  for display of cupcakes when on the table, I did a big plate that was suitable but not quite right. (On my wishlist.)

My girl had her normal Non-Party day. This is where we do cake, we have visitors and presents but we don't call it a party.  We have people that normally visit and are happy for others to drop in, there is normally enough cake or cupcakes this time.

I think the smile says it all.

Happy Birthday my Beautiful Girls - ~Lily~ and My Petal xx

goodbye October nothing new.

I tried very hard to not let October overwhelm me and yet it always does, my boy was very sick.....my girl managed to sprain her wrist and I was working then a death of a close family friend.   Such a hard hard time and then we finish the month with Hallowe'en and our wedding anniversary.  I did manage to mostly Buy Nothing New that month.  I hadn't considered our wedding anniversary however that didn't prove to be such a challenge after all.  My other half was very happy with his present of a designer beer glass and I wanted a mixing bowl or 2.  Both were secondhand and we loved them no less.  Did they fit in with crystal well they did in our minds so that is all that mattered.

This is my anniversary present notice the butterflies very appropriate and the next one too.

An early present from my lovely Mother-in-law on a recent girls trip to Bendigo. What fun that was!

Just before our anniversary we attended a funeral of a close family friend.  I was meant to meet up with her that week and her birthday was coming up too. I was looking forward to seeing this lovely lady and listen to her amazing stories and her words of wisdom.  Talking about my parents whom she knew so well, her love and caring for me and my family.   Her wealth of knowledge and insight into people was wonderful, now gone........ 

so can you buy everything from secondhand shops?

I have been avoiding the shops lately well not all the shops but mainly the big shopping centres. I get so shocked at all the prices of things that I desire or like that I have been thinking can I get what I want from Op shops or Secondhand shops.  Do I have to add to the problems of landfill and consumerism or can I avoid this?

Is it possible to avoid buying new or is it necessary at certain times.

So I am testing my theory.  I have been looking for things specifically when I go to op shops or second hand shops.  So far so good.

Skirts for work, found.  Tops to go with skirts. some I already had, some I found.

I put in a request for blue as it's my favourite colour to wear and lo and behold they appeared.  I have never really got into looking at clothes at the Op shops until just recently when I realised that I could actually work through and find things that I required at a very reasonable cost and have money left over. Normally impossible if I went to Department store and usual shops. I have been very happy with my recent purchases probably more so that usual, as I am not confronted by super slim women trying to show me things that would not do well for my body shape or size.  At this stage in my life I tend to know what is going to work and more importantly what isn't, no false comments "ohhhh that looks so good on you, suits you so much" you know how it goes.

Fluffy jacket and/or vest for my Petal (managed to get both), so cute.

I think my favourite one to date is the one that I managed to with the help of my other half and my son get a better than hoped for car game. I had some mini micro's (funny) cars and I was saving them for the right moment.  I gave them to my Red Headed Hurricane last week and he was thrilled carrying them everywhere. When My Other half took him shopping whilst my Petal and myself had a girls day out to Bendigo (that is another story).  They went looking for certain items. One was a present for my boy for Hallowe'en a meat clever and the other was training wheels for My Petal's bike.  I found her a basket with flowers  and a cute flower seat so it has come up quite good.  My Petal hates it though, she cannot get her balance and after talking to her Occupational therapist and myself and my study buddy watching her we came to realisation that training wheels or at least one would be the best thing for her.

There are some things that she needs extra help with and this is one of them, it's as simple as that.

  There are so many things that you can get from Op Shops and Secondhand shops and i am just learning what you can get.  I found some accessories for my jacket so happy about the beautiful pins, knitting needles which are lovely and green, books, 70's glasses and bowls that match my set, (missing pieces are great to find) some hallowe'en things for my boy.  Now I need to go and look at a few more
things, wondering what I can find next!

my girls anniversary

Today is the day that we have a picnic in the cemetery.  We take flowers and balloons and the children play there if it's not raining.  I used to set up the picnic next to her grave now there are more children there so we sit nearby. I think of all the amazing things that my Lily would have done and wonder what it would be like to have two girls here with me.

My darling other half put up the pictures late last night. I was so happy whilst lying in bed looking up at them.

We try to be extra kind to each other today.

i can remember exactly what I did 8 years ago today.  I with the events started to blur however they remain vivid as ever.  I always wonder what I could have done that would have prevented this.... although now i just wonder before I racked myself with guilt.

The children are home from school, today we try to stay together.  I know that from past experience if we separate the day becomes a bit of a nightmare instead of the gentle time that normally spend together.

All the stress in the lead up to today vanishes as the day unfolds.  

I ask the world please send me a butterfly today.... I ask that i have one simple gesture that my beautiful girl is with us still not just in our hearts.

next week

Next week is a big week for me. I am working again.  No not massage appointments or anything like that I am working doing a 9.00am - 5:00pm job.  I haven't done this for a while so I have been thinking about what this means.  I am only working for 2 weeks well 9 days all up.

I have no clothes, so I am having been getting a couple of things, wondering if it's suitable.  Shoes which I haven't given a second thought might prove to be very interesting.  I am sure that I can find something suitable.  No runners and pants and polo top and hair up.  Oh my goodness I wish I had had a hair cut.... too late for that now.  (Where are the sharp scissors!)

What does neat casual mean? I have never worn casual to work before especially in an office type environment when I was temping which was many moons ago, is this what people wear to work now? I am not going to the city so no corporate wear required, thank goodness as this would be an investment that I am not interesting in making.   I was thinking of skirts and tops which look neat.... I need that I think to get through the day.  I don't have enough clothes but I will make do.

I don't really know my duties I am sure I will find out soon enough when I start.

I haven't timed this well, I did manage to say no to starting on Monday, I received the call on the day of the funeral for my father-in-law.... I hardly remember what was said.   This Monday is my daughters anniversary.  I would like to say that they get easier, however when you having someone missing from your family it is never easy nor does it get better, especially when it's a child.  Our first child born to us still and so very quiet, tiny and perfect.

I found 2 beautiful butterfly prints that make me happy.  I have been looking for a while however nothing, I stopped and there they were, just waiting for me.  I think they need to go in the bedroom.  I love looking at the beautiful butterflies and thinking of my girl.

what can you get for very little.

Lately I have been very thrift and found things for myself and others which cost very little or nothing.

We are still (yes my poor friend does not have a fully functional kitchen yet) working on the kitchen.  Her request was that she has a bigger sink and I have been looking for a bigger one for a while not really finding the right one.  Then can you believe a free one in almost perfect condition came available for FREE and local.  We dashed off and picked it up. (notice the "we" that would be the royal we, when my other half goes for a drive and I organise it!)  So after a quick clean with ajax liquid, didn't want to scratch it, Good as new!!!

Although I did like the white one, my friend is the one using it AND she has requirements that must be considered.  So with this not stretching the budget any further we were able to look for the light and low and behold I found one on ebay with a starting bid of 99 cents.  Normally this pendant is $119 and I was able to get it for $15.50 and again a local pick up again.

So with these new things we will be able to keep working away on the kitchen and having a light for above the table. I like when they are lower over the table which seems to work well.

Now for my find... I haven't been very confident to find clothing in the op shops. I have a quick look but soon get overwhelmed very quickly.  well this changed the other day and I was able to find some for both myself and my Petal.   She has this absolute need for tactile clothing and with this cold weather that we have had lately I could justify 2 furry things.  A vest and a coat.  Perfect for the requirements warm and feels lovely.  (Both are machine washable and just come up lovely).  For myself I always need tops, I never seem to have enough or the right ones and well this one just screamed "take me home".  It was very crushed when I found it and didn't look so very good but after getting it home and cleaning and ironing has come up just right.

I was actually looking for something that I could wear to work but well I couldn't pass it up.  Pretty!  I have a black jacket that works well with this top and still shows it off.  If you look closely you will see my beautiful pendant that I wear with it, a gift from a very VERY dear friend and just looks so lovely.

On a totally different note, I realised today for the first time that I don't have a "comfort food".  I have been racking my brains what I would use for comfort in the form of food.  I have comfort knitting which I do when I am feeling very low or sad.   I have a comfort drink, warm vanilla milk which I have when I need a little pick me up but nothing in particular with food. Being lactose intolerant ice cream is never ever going to work to provide comfort, chocolate I have no really interest in so that too is out.  Hopefully someone can suggest something for me. I know that Tom Yum soup is craved when I am sick with a head cold.  Helps clear the sinus with the lovely hot chilly.

I think I sew or make things or bake!

Op Shopping

We popped in yesterday on the way to the shops, just because I couldn't stand being at home. I have so much study and work to do and needed to get out for a while.  I had class in the morning overloaded and had some frustration and that was that.  We went to a different op shop, I have been many years ago however not since for no good reason. We found a Blake 7 video for $1.00 and I decided it was about time that I introduced them to another show that I had found very enjoyable when I was younger.  

We are having a lovely time with the old tv shows.  The list to date that they are enjoying is:

The Tomorrow People original series
HR Puffenstuff (found a few video's at the op shops in new condition still with the plastic on)
Rocky and Bullwinkle (only on you tube)
The Storyteller
Dr Who current and older series.
Round the Twist
the Magic Roundabout (original) which started everything off. i had a lovely ring tone when my girls were born from this show, haven't been able to get another one. I had a relative from England visiting us and realised straight away what it was, he started laughing at my phone.  So what is next I wonder, always exciting as to what we will find at the op shop.

I think me and the other half have enjoyed it as much as the children. They wait patiently sometimes for the next video from the op shop or impatiently I go searching on ebay for something else.

some time....

Sometimes life takes over and this blog is totally forgotten or maybe just that nagging feeling that something should be said.

My course is almost effectively on hold at the moment. My father-in-law is fighting for his life in hospital at the moment and we are praying that he wins.  We always ask what his quality of life will be like after his stays in hospital however we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

i have been totally horrified with how quickly the demensia has taken hold and just consumed so many part of his memory.  Skills have disappeared.......just so very sad.

I am still massaging and still working on my assignments but the urgency and final exam has gone.  I didn't need this pressure on top of everything else. I know I would have just thrown my hands up in disgust and walked away.

I haven't seen a lot of my friends for so long. I am sad about the distance that occurs when life gets too really hectic.

Ok enough so now on to the good things.

My beautiful amazing fabulous friend gave me tickets to.....

FABULOUS show, the right amount of humour and wit that I needed to draw me into this wonderful world of Paris 1920's.  I enjoyed every moment and would highly recommend if you need a good laugh to go.

I went this time with my sister in law (Louise).  I met her at her home and we swapped unexpected presents before we left. I had an American theme for her, a pink pie dish (I found on Etsy and found it very hard to part with, especially with my Petal who absolutely loves pink) and some American spending money for her special trip next year.

We have been busy collecting things for the garden and designing and having a lovely time.  Lots of work is going to be done soon we have only just started.  So here is the design that we are going to work with....

What do you think?   Do you think it will go well with a French provincial design?  We have a few plants, a couple of olive trees and a pot and things to add to it. I will post more pictures as we go.  I think some lovely herbs would be good to grow around the edge. I keep changing my mind. We are re-using bricks that we have and recycling and trying to keep the cost down to a minimum as garden designs can add up very very quickly.  The circle needs another layer yet but this is just the planning stage.


We need something to take us away from all the stress and nothing like a bit of outside in the Spring Garden to help this.

more op shops

It was a big week, ANOTHER assignment and one I had to resubmit with a few changes.  Thats done so back to it.  The end is in sight and I am no where near ready for it.  I have 3 massages to do this week and I am wondering about the time for the assignments.  Either way I need to do both!  Both are equally important.

My Petal is settling into a routine of Occupation Therapy again.  She loves her therapist, my teacher and now her therapist.  I tried to pick the best person that I knew for her.  It seems to be working. I get to see how far she has come in these years and where we are so far behind as well.  It is a roller coaster of a journey. It breaks my heart that most physical tasks are so very difficult for her.  We spent nearly 1 and 1/2 years teaching her to do star jumps.  They are not perfect but quite good now.   Star jumps involve both hand and leg co-ordination. We are doing crawling, using the ipad to do left and right recognition and meditating.  

So what else have we done.  We had Gumbo in the park at Northcote on Friday night, we visited the Radical Grocery shop and bought lots of vegan ingredients and will be using them this week. I will let you know how they go.  We bought some lovely wool for me and I am itching to knit up a scarf to wear with the beautiful blue wool hand spun by Janet.  I left her some purple wool that needs spinning, with the promise of collecting it in a few weeks. Janet insisted that she would teach me how to use the spinning wheel.  I would dearly love to learn so I might be taking her up on the craft and cocktails meetings that she has, AFTER I have finished my study. I am not willing to take anymore on at the moment feeling stretched to breaking point.

My other half has made 2 steps forward and 1 back with my dear friends Kitchen.  Poor love is still without a kitchen and goodness the time is just flying away from us. 

How quickly has this year gone!  

I have a confession to make, we did some op shopping on Saturday to another new shop in our immediate area, one that we have driven past many times and never visited. Well this is our new favourite. I have to confess that I bought ANOTHER pie dish. That would make 4 now. I think I need help.  One is special from Etsy and the rest I have sourced from op shops.  This one is orange made in Australia, pyrex and I promise that I won't buy anymore unless they insist that I take them home or I find a pink one for my Petal. 

Have a lovely weekend, off to get the muffins out of the oven before they burn.  

the challenge of dairy free

We are well on our way to having our household now eating almost dairy free. It has been a little challenging at times.  It is when you get a request like Ice Cream that things become very interesting.  I did not feel inspired to make soy ice cream.  I haven't liked the taste prior to this so I have just ignored making it myself.  Our lovely and talented friend and study buddy from school sent me a wonderful recipe. Something i hadn't considered, coconut milk ice cream.  This immediately sounded very appealing. So last night we set to work making our own recipe and seeing what we could come up.  We used coconut cream, some ripe banana's, some sugar, some vanilla beans and some vanilla paste.  (never have too much vanilla!) and some vanilla essence.

The result was an instant hit with the children and the other half.  i think for myself I just like the flavour of vanilla only (so boring). I did enjoy it... just not my favourite.

I have realised that the children have made the transition to diary free very easily.  For me it is a bit more of a challenge. (I love fresh butter, cheese and yoghurt!)  I am really missing butter especially with  baking.

What treasures will be found.

The last couple of weekends we have been having fun, the children and myself going to op shops.  We have been to a few different ones recently instead of our regular places.  My Petal settles herself in to see what books she can find, my Hurricane instantly looks for building treasures and I have been looking for Pyrex and a top for my other half.

I recently acquired a nice coat and I am very happy with this find.  I stumbled upon it quite by accident and decided that the weather being so cold I could justify this buy.  I have noticed that when I visit that often people have a budget, they won't pay more than $1 for books, they won't pay more than other set prices for things. I don't really do that. i do have a limit to what I will pay but it depends upon the item and the quality and condition.

I found my blue pie dish in pyrex or no it's crown this one.  It was an affordable price so it came home with us.   My Hurricane this time had to have things that were all $10.  Well over my budget for toys and things. I did get talked into a lightsabre, which hasn't left his side since Saturday. It comes to dinner with us, when he is playing on the computer and any time that he thinks would be suitable.  My Petal has been raiding her piggy bank and has been quite happily purchasing what she wants. It is a wonderful new level of freedom for her and she looks at the prices carefully before making her choices.  It's very interesting to see her skills being tested and she looks for small items as well that might be included in the stash but not charged for as they are too small to worry about. These wonderful treasures she is extremely pleased with.  A couple of little tiny pocket dresses and accessories have not been acquired.

When my other half returns from his kitchen adventures the children and myself proudly show him our treasures.  We also make a point of donating some goods whilst we are there.  Some come in, others go out.  I do hold back from donating books now as they are going to the second hand book store that we have recently found.  A great place and they do wonderful swaps there for the children's books.

The kitchen is starting to make better progress now.  We picked up the pressed metal splashback and that has been taken to the place ready for installing.  It;s nice to think that it is starting to come together. It feels like a very long time and I know for my dear friend it has been A VERY LONG time since she had a workable kitchen.  I hope she can hold out a bit longer and then well it will be great once it is done.

Well back to assignments one more done and lots more to go, time is fast running out I have about 10 weeks left before I finish my course and that is just so hard to believe.

A kitchen!

We have been helping our dear dear friend with installing a new (2nd hand) kitchen.  We being not quite the right term.  Mostly my other half has been working very hard on doing this. I helped initially with the demolishing of the existing one. (I am working on behind the scenes)  I found the kitchen on  ebay that would work without too many changes, bid on it and kept the price down as low as I could.    We were working on a tight (VERY) budget and needed to make the most of every cent.  So labour was ours, some small extra's were gifts. We found a lovely pressed tin splash back on sale that is within the budget.

Things are taking time and we try to fit it in whenever we can. We feel very guilty that it's not up and running and our poor friend is having to make do with a makeshift area.  Sometimes plans don't work out exactly and we are also painfully aware that a new baby is coming to the family very VERY soon. More reason to get things done.

Fishy biscuits

My Petal has been having a lot more problems with her ears. We have been to the specialist now and he confirmed that she has problems. Some hearing loss and fluid that will be problematic and cause future infections and secondary problems that will occur if the problems continue. So we are now trying a treatment to avoid the operation and help dry out her ears.

So the first this is NO DAIRY absolutely nothing, no butter, no yoghurt, no ice cream,  no cream or sour cream,  no buttermilk and no cheese and anything else that my Petal would like to eat.  We have been off milk for a while.  So that was not a problem.  We have been trying goats products with cheese and yoghurt and now that goes. My poor Petal just burst into tears.  So we are doing the soy yoghurt which is wonderful and then I bought some omega spread.

So yesterday I was inspired to make some biscuits, (on the spread container it said suitable for baking).  Happiness for my girl to have some lovely vanilla biscuits freshly baked when she got home from school and something that she could eat.  So i made them using this spread and then when they were hot out the oven myself we decided to try one. Who can resist freshly baked hot biscuits.

Well, the first bite confirmed something.  Fishy biscuits are not good! What i had failed to register was the omega spread when used in baking has a fishy taint, maybe some fish oil for the omegas. No smell prior to this when I it was straight out the fridge, a strong taint when used in baking.

So our first lesson in using alternatives is to test first. I don't know if the same taint would be obvious when used on toast or sandwiches.  I wasn't willing to find out after the first biscuit.  So we went back to the drawing board, or the shop in this case and bought a different non dairy spread.  Not too many options unless we went for margarine which is not great for us.  I will let you know how the next one goes with the baked goods.

do you pay it forward?

It has been a trying couple of weeks, my father in law in hospital and so assignments all due about the same time plus it is winter, dark early and cold.

On a plus side we have had a bit of luck with finding some things. I look out for curbside collections (which are fast becoming a thing of the past) and op shops and discounts or a bargain. Recently just around the corner, a neighbour had out for pick up, a couple of packets of insulations, well who can pass this up especially when we need it and it is quite expensive when you have to buy as much as we do. It was lovely wool batts and they had too many.  So thank you!  Next was a girls bike just around the corner, which had a sign "please take".  I have been looking for a girls bike for My Petal for a little while and this one is just perfect, a couple of minor repairs and and a basket (a definite requirement) and it will be good as new.

My Hurricane seems to have a nack at finding things in op shops, exactly what he wants.  He has twice now found brand new box and a big carrier of Meccano for excellent prices.  I am suitably impressed at his skill in the op shop and let him go and search out whatever he requires. He is more than happy to do just that.  My Petal is learning and seems to find some great things too.  Always when we bring our finds home, we have to donate something too.  Sometimes this happens easily other times not so. I figure we need to pay it forward.

I have to do that on Zilch now. I happened upon a beautiful blue top and requested it and I was lucky enough to be the one to get it. YEAH so now I will have to pay it forward. I haven't listed anything there yet that will be my next task. Now I have to find the right thing.... thinking about it.

This weekend I decided that we needed to make the candles that we had wanted to make quite some time ago a long long long time ago. So we had everything that we needed.

Some old crayons
Essential Oils
Pin
Foil
Glass Jars (small)
Bees Wax
Wicks
Pegs
Suitable Saucepan (thank you Tania)

Heat the wax, you can use a double boiler if you like, I didn't.  (don't use the microwave)
The children picked which oils they decided on a mixture of orange and lime and we agreed on green this time for the crayon.  You can great the bees wax we didn't too hard.  I had the gas very low and let it slowly melt.  This was exciting for the kiddies to watch.  It is one of those tasks that is not really child friendly. They couldn't pour the wax once melted.  They did watch the changes in the wax whilst it was melting and when it was setting again, they did like the crayon changing the colour and they loved the smell of the essential oils being heated. My Hurricane solved the problem that I encounted with the peg, he is very clever with things like that.  

You can see the peg needed something to balance on and my boy worked it out in about 5 seconds flat problem solved.

Enjoy your week.

Op shopping list

When you go op shopping do you have a list of items that you are looking for? Do you go to the same op shops and just see what you can find?  Do you go for the thrill of finding that one fabulous things or do you go for necessity? Do you like going?

I go with a list.  I have had a couple of things on the list.  First was a pyrex pie dish with some pattern.  Recently we made a pecan pie and from the recipe for the pasty it was suggested that we use a pyrex pie dish for the best results.  We didn't have one, never had one and i decided then and there if we found a decent one whilst out shopping that we would get it.

Today was the day we came across one and snapped it.  i was hoping for a coloured one but I was happy that we might get 2 eventually if we found one great. We make enough pastry for 2 pies so they will both get used.

Another thing on the list was a book to complete the collection.  Whilst visiting the coast for our caravan holiday we managed to buy a collection of what we thought was complete books of Wicked by Paul Jennings however when we were reading them later at the caravan on a daily basis we discovered that book no. 5 was not in the set.  So today i managed to finally find a copy.  The reading will continue.

One last item was a children's microwave.  When my daughter was much younger she had one as a toy.  After so much use and love, it broke and was sent to the toy heaven. We have looked for an appropriate one and found just the thing today as well.  So tick off the list.  I notice that ready made meals were proudly presented to me when we were home again and it is being used quite happily. Masterchef cakes in the microwave last week and surprise surprise I was being presented with this as dessert.  Funny how children have their favourite toys. Even years later she is finding the same level of enjoyment with the same item.  So with her little kenwood pink toy mixer, her kitchen is complete.  I wonder if she will require a pink mixer when she is older (not a toy.)

I often wonder if my Petal will love pink with the same passion as what she does now. I know I have been told many many times that she will grow out of it, it seems that her love of this colour grows not diminishes.

I try to remember what my favourite colour was a child.  I remember my love of blue from a long way back and it hasn't changed.

This Friday

Normally on Friday i go over and look after my father in law whilst his wife (my mother in law), goes out and does a bit of shopping groceries pays bill and runs around madly in the short time that I give her. This friday it didn't happen. He had to go to hospital again on Thursday evening.  The infection has come back and is raging through him.  I worry about what will happen if they don't get on top of it shortly.  He is older and frail.  I would have never thought to have explained him as this a few months ago how quickly things change.  I had the music therapy and a few other ideas that my wonderful study buddy had brainstormed together. Maybe even a musical.  I was going to see if he would enjoy something from his era.  I have a few available to me. I like the positive responses we have had so far.

I thought well I have an exam on Tuesday and a workbook due so I will do lots of study. I am exhausted especially emotionally and I came to a grinding halt.  I felt guilt, I felt a huge range of emotions however nothing is going to motivate me to do it today (well maybe tonight) but not today.  I didn't want to, I don't even know what I need to study.  This one is bothering me a lot. I should contact my teachers I should do lots of things and nothing happened.

I thought about it, ignored it, worried and then typed on Facebook group. I am not enlightened yet.

Maybe a look through the notes and a bit of work on it might help. If not if all else fails I am sure a movie will help me to feel a bit better.

one day for the family!

So on Wednesday we decided that we need a family day.  It was a lovely day and looking quite warm outside, so perfect for a walk or 2,  time for a quick visit to my long dreamed about Op Shop in Mont Albert. (I am there but never when they are open!) and then on to the movies and maybe even dinner and dessert out.

So off we went!  We arrived in time for the shop to be open. It's a Vinnies in Mont Albert, although there are 2 op shops in this street.  This one was the one that I often dribbled at their window. Looking at all the beautiful things. So wonderful. Well in we went and now this is when everything changed. The prices in this shop were not even close to anything that we could afford. Most of the beautiful things were priced over $100 and that was that. It was lovely it had amazing things and it was totally unaffordable.  We did manage to find some lovely books for the children at reasonable and quite good prices much closer to op shop prices.  I found a lovely orange mid century looking vase and lashed out. It was $13 and the lady at the counter was quite shocked at the price.   I am thinking that next time we will find another place to go to instead of this one.  It was lovely to visit just such a shame when you cannot afford anything nice in the op shop!

Next place, the Movies for the kiddies.  We were going to see Brave, however our lovely Sister in Law had rung up and invited them out for the day and one of the outings was to see Brave. A very good choice I am sure.   They came home with big smiles and totally exhausted with many presents including dinner and dessert for everyone complete with the recipes as well.  Now how it that for a complete day.  (I am quite sure they would have worn her out more than the other way around.)  We were happy enough to see Ice Age with them instead.  It was great fun and I think the kiddies laughing all the way through which adds to the enjoyment of the experience.

After that we decided on our lovely cheap and cheerful cafe for Vietnamese food. YUM. I had Tom Yum with noodles, although our friend that came with us had Beef and I think that might be the choice next time. His meal came out first, poor dear and we all dived on it to try.  So very very good.   We also had the lovely sugar cane drinks, we really enjoy this as our extra treat. A walk and some dessert was consumed in the car talking about our favourite things on the way home. A very enjoyable day and i think that we might have another one like that soon.

Scones

Finally I decided that I really needed to do scones. We were hoping to start with wholemeal scones (dates of course) as our first and as luck would have it one of my favourite blogs posted a wonderful and easy recipe.  So that was it, I had all the ingredients I just had to do it.

I have to say that they worked. The first attempt even without one of the key ingredients opps you shouldn't juggle phone calls, children and thinking about assignments when doing scones.  However the next batch was wonderful, the first was consumed quickly too.

So I was very scared of making scones and what sort of failure they would be.   I found them simple, lovely and so fun to do. What a wonderful treat for visitors if they are whipped up before they arrive or just after.  One word of warning DO NOT over kneed.  No matter how much you feel the urge, resist!  I used a butter knife to bring all the ingredients together. I listened very carefully to my mother in laws instructions and watched her lovely skills of 60 odd years of making them.  One evening we were all standing around her bench in the kitchen and she walked me through this, this was a year or 2 ago and I haven't had the courage to attempt them however we were sent home with a lovely batch to eat.

So if you don't have the time or skill to make them I would strongly suggest that you purchase them from Hope Farm or visit us!

moving on

So we are busy, things are moving forward again. We are trying to focus on other things not just the problems with work and not getting paid.

We are helping a friend install a long overdue kitchen, it is a second hand one but still it will be a step up from what is being currently used.  We are calling in favours and have another person helping. My other half's best friend is helping with muscles, a trailer and a trolley. All very necessary things. I am writing up a list of all the necessary things that need to be done or organised by Friday the latest.  We need to get the old kitchen emptied and packed up and removed before we can start working on putting in the replacement. I have been searching on line for a suitable splash back but no luck yet.

I will look for handles and some other bits and pieces that are required. I know that my dear friend is very excited with the prospect of having a working oven again and a kitchen that is easy to use. We have a lovely Scanpan roasting pan to give to her and a couple of baking trays and her belated birthday present.  I am looking forward to seeing all the creations and maybe even tasting a couple too.  (How subtle is that hint!)

This will keep us busy next weekend all things going to plan.

So this week when I popped over to see Pop and look after him on Friday, I had a plan. My study buddy had told me of music therapy and I had used that on my own dad when he was terminal with cancer. So I asked my other half to pick out some suitable music and I was going to pop that on when I was there.

He was asleep when I arrived at 10:30am and I thought before he gets the wanders when he wakes up that I would attempt this and see what happened, worse he ignored it or didn't like it and said to turn it off.  The best well I had no idea.

So after he woke up and I was listening to very broken attempts at conversation, I thought I would ask him if he would like some music. I received a very simple answer, "yes please" Great this was off to a good start. I went to the cd player and after a few attempts managed to make music happen.  The house was filled with bright and upbeat jazz.  I walked back to where he was sitting and sat down nearby.  He was instantly animated.  Singing, taping his foot and smiling. Telling me in long sentences without any hesitation or struggling to find words about the music, about the places that he had listened to it and mostly just enjoying it and singing every word without hesitation. This response was better than I could of dreamed of.  Even when he confused words, he laughed and corrected himself.  Just so good to hear all about this.

We continued the music during lunchtime when Nanny arrived home.  She was happy with how animated he had become and very agreeable and easy lunch.    The afternoon continued to be easy and agreeable.  I left for school pick up and heard later that the music had continued in the car, when he was taken for a drive and he was happy.  It was an easy evening too when we returned he was agreeable and happy. I would have to say that this was just such a brilliant reaction to the music therapy and I will continue. I have to find all his favourites now.

two steps forward 40 back

The last couple of months have been really tough. We have budgeted hard, we have gone without and we have been very, very careful. I could almost see the end (I need to qualify that we were getting some income again) as we were getting paid very soon. I keep saying that very soon not long to go and I am going to get a couple of things. Nothing big, just something that I would really like. A pair of boots, its cold and I could justify getting them and a pretty peacock feather cushion. We have a few big bills looming and well that is alright until today. Today things changed as the company has decided not to pay.  No there was no problems with the work done, no problems with the invoicing, no problems with anything else really they just don't want to pay in spite of the promises to pay promptly.  They want to blackmail us and get us to commit fraud instead of just paying the money they owe for services already rendered.  I have to tell you that things really change in our thinking and how we operate it was like being retrenched all over again however this time there was no money coming, plus expenses have already been paid for and more were looming, no savings no safety net nothing.  It has been quite some time since the last time we were paid any income and so we were very excited.  We both decided a treat would be in order nothing to extravagant but something that we might really want or need. No harm in that.  We have the school holidays coming up and we are broke before we even start. I do have a voucher for the movies however not quite enough for all of us.  I have some money coming up for a survey but not quite yet.

So now we are back to survival mode.

I am again looking at what we can sell.... we can generate some money and quickly.  How I can do more, work or something.

It was very hard to concentrate at school today.

just one of those weeks!

I needed something to help lift my spirits. I have been having one of those weeks for a while now seems to be dragging on to one of those months. i found myself crying for hours the other day. I was so missing my girl, I was feeling sorry for myself and the tears continued to flow.  My back is sore, my assignments are piling up, I am cold, tired and over most things. I think I need a bit of vitamin d from the Queensland sun and even that seems to be hiding at the moment, not that I have either the time or the money to go there!

So next best thing. Baking and making... just food. I have sewing plans however I cannot possible justify making anything until all my work is done and dusted.

My Petal has been very upset too. She is over watching her friends eat anything and everything that she cannot half. It is close to the end of term and well we are all tired and looking forward to a break. I thought a lovely treat of something pink might help and we couldn't resist the lovely raspberries (a very very rare treat for us budget conscious) so they were going to go into an organic ice cream Pink and wonderful. I am also going to pop some on top, they just look so pretty. We managed to get some very cheap organic cream and I have plans for the little bottles too!

 I think they are just such a lovely looking fruit!

I find it difficult to capture the colour of the lovely pink ice cream but I am sure that you get the idea.

I also needed to make a date loaf. I have many missing people in my life.  This really makes me think of them and smile.

I also needed a food that was U for my hurricanes morning tea at school. Sometimes you have to be very creative, we had udon noodles however it was not really a morning tea food, so the next thing that came to mind was an Un-iced cake and Unsalted butter.

Please don't look at the washing in the background it was to help stop the light flooding the picture and that is my story!

Come on Charlie!

Fridays used to be very different,  massages,  homework and assignments a bit of housework and catching up on things.  Now my fridays are filled with helping care of my Other Half's father.

He has vascular dementia and alzeihmers so double dose of something insidious.

The progression from diagnosis to here has been very quick. I was warned my others, who had seen one of the diseases progression in family members, that it was VERY quick. I cannot believe and impress upon anyone how quick the demise is.

So on Friday, I help take care of him. It doesn't involve too much, a bit of toilet stuff, a bit of keeping him from running away.  A bit of house re-arranging (mostly walking around behind him putting things back when he removes them from cupboards or shelves and hides them somewhere else) and help with visits if we have to go to the doctors. I also try to massage his wrist/hand and arm or provide aids that he might need for his ongoing health problems.  I seem to have a calming influence on him, I am not sure how true this is, however well i talk to him, I try to make sense of things he saids, sometimes it's like doing a cryptic crossword other times it's just nonsense.  I help him with quotes and sayings when he loses the words. I do homework and speak to others to find out what might help stop this progress or even stay it a little.

This friday I noticed that the conversations where very difficult mostly just nonsense.

Sometimes we laugh not at him but just try to find the funnier side.  He joins in a laughs enjoying the fun and merryment. Mostly it is just really hard work.  So hard looking at someone that you know and love and they are there but not there at all.

This friday there was a dog that was bothering him.  He was calling to him and patting his leg and insisting that "Charlie" come to him and trying to persuade him however this dog was not making a move.  He tried for a few minutes and then stopped.

He then moved rooms however he was keeping his eye on the dog just in case he tried to go out.  The dog was resisting and in spite of his persistence the dog refused to budge much to his dismay.  "Come on Charlie"

(Charlie is a term that is often used in the family a name for anyone that is endeared to the family. Come on Charlie is often said by my other half's mother to anyone that she needs to move along especially to his father.  So hearing come on Charlie for the dog made perfect sense to me.)

We had a lovely conversation about the dog and that I didn't think he was going to be very obedient today or he might be having a nap.  This seems to make sense......

New Blogs

I was speaking to one of my class mates yesterday and found that we have a few things in common besides massage. One being that food is important to us and two is that she has a blog as well.  I was thrilled to bits and asked if she would be happy to share this with me.  Last night after getting home from class I received the link. I was so excited I decided to make something straight away. I quickly looked and found something that I thought would be lovely to make and eat.  Ginger cup cakes  was my choice, I announced to the children that they could help and I had one volunteer immediately. The hurricane wanted to finish his reader first so he was helping in a bit.

I think there is something really nice about the smell of baked goods filling the house, something special that everyone seems to get involved in, the licking the bowl, the watching the oven and the eating of when they are still hot!

There are so many lovely recipes on this blog that I am going to try. We did enjoy the cupcakes as something a bit different.

Biggest Morning Tea

Lots has been happening in between assignments, school, hospital visits and friends getting very sick. We had a moment to reflect on those that were fighting the good fight and those that had fought and lost the battle to cancer. My beautiful father (Poppy) being one of them.

We (the children and myself) went to Cathie's Biggest Morning Tea.

It was a lovely afternoon of cakes, crafts and beautiful people getting together and producing an amazing event.  I even saw Curly Pops, I was too overwhelmed with all the amazing bloggers to even saw one word.  I was happy to just know that I was in great company and I could quietly reflect on what this all meant.

The children had so many helpings of cake and biscuits and all the beautiful items i lost count. My Hurricane who was in a very disagreeable mood was so happy there and on the way home, I got hugs and sorry mummy and more hugs and kisses.

We managed to win one of the many raffles and I came home with a lovely big slice of cake for my other half and pillows and hearts and very happy children.