We don't usually celebrate Halloween, though it has been getting more and more popular. I can remember as a kid being a little envious because I didn't get to dress up.
My brother was invited to a Halloween party tonight, he called this morning for a lift to the local Salvation Army store to find a coat. We were just about to leave for the same place to drop some items off.
He had decided he wanted to go as Rolf Harris dressed as Jake the Peg, turning his walking stick into an extra leg. He found a trench coat he thought would be good and then we went in search of a cap but all we could find was a brimmed hat. Rolf has a beard and all I could find was a pirate beard and mo.
He tried the coat on at home, we both looked at it and said "Uncle Fester", but we had no skull cap and he baulked at my suggestion of shaving his head. So he tried the hat on as well, this time we thought Inspector Clouseau, adding the mostach made the outfit. Hope he had a good time and didn't get too tired or sore.
Talking of my brother has got me remember something that happened a couple of weeks ago. Mum and Dad were due to take an epic train trip across Australia, they rang from the train in a panic. Mum had changed bags before she left and forgot the lugguae pad lock keys. She rang my brother in a panic, wanting me to get them to there before the train left. Mum said where she was sure they were and my brother asked where the spare set was just in case. Mum asked Dad because he had put them somewhere safe. That's when it dawned on them that the safe spot Dad had used was his wallet.
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Friday, 29 October 2010
Yesterday I bought Lessons In Letting Go: Confessions of a Hoarder written by Corinne Grant
These days most of my book buying consists of Self Help, Spiritual, Healing or Craft books, I usually don't read novels or books written by TV personalities. Most usual I pick them up look at them and put them back on the shelf. I had done just that with Corinne's book and then moved on to do the same thing with Charlie Pickering's book. I thought both looked interesting, deciding that the word 'hoarder' made Corinne's book just that bit more interesting. I carried it to the counter along with a book on fabric printing and a household manual.
I started reading it as soon as I got out of the store,while listening to the Accordion man. I ended up moving to a cafe where I could still see and hear the accordion, drink tea and read the book. From the first word I loved it, read it on the train home, at home and finished it this morning. I headed to bed intent on reading more but instead started tidying my room. I now have a pile of clothes ready to go the Salvos.
Mowed the grass today and then decided to look for the cobweb brush (we have 2) so ventured into the garage. I gave myself a running commentary in there as I fruitlessly searched for the brush. To get into the garage I had to move an upright fan, which then tried to trip me, sidestep many boxes, walk on the broken arch that should have been thrown out after we decided it wouldn't survive another Christmas. Guess who is about to book a bulk rubbish pickup?
Book Description
It took a year to drag myself out of the mess. A year in which I lost my dearest friend and then promptly lost my way. A year in which I ran away overseas, came back and then ran away again. A year in which I learnt to let go, learnt to forgive and learnt to grow up. It was a big year. It was a lot of work. And I head-butted two people. Accidentally.
Lessons in Letting Go is an honest, uproariously funny and sometimes moving memoir of the year in which Corinne Grant decides to do something about her hoarding. From every scrunchie she's ever owned, to every pencil case and magazine, it's time for it all to go. Problem is, getting rid of the stuff turns out to be much harder than she initially thought.
This delightful memoir is about hoarding and about how the things we hold on to can end up dictating our lives. Warm, funny, candid and insightful, Lessons in Letting Go is about the pain - but also the necessity and the joy - in learning to let go.
These days most of my book buying consists of Self Help, Spiritual, Healing or Craft books, I usually don't read novels or books written by TV personalities. Most usual I pick them up look at them and put them back on the shelf. I had done just that with Corinne's book and then moved on to do the same thing with Charlie Pickering's book. I thought both looked interesting, deciding that the word 'hoarder' made Corinne's book just that bit more interesting. I carried it to the counter along with a book on fabric printing and a household manual.
I started reading it as soon as I got out of the store,while listening to the Accordion man. I ended up moving to a cafe where I could still see and hear the accordion, drink tea and read the book. From the first word I loved it, read it on the train home, at home and finished it this morning. I headed to bed intent on reading more but instead started tidying my room. I now have a pile of clothes ready to go the Salvos.
Mowed the grass today and then decided to look for the cobweb brush (we have 2) so ventured into the garage. I gave myself a running commentary in there as I fruitlessly searched for the brush. To get into the garage I had to move an upright fan, which then tried to trip me, sidestep many boxes, walk on the broken arch that should have been thrown out after we decided it wouldn't survive another Christmas. Guess who is about to book a bulk rubbish pickup?
Book Description
It took a year to drag myself out of the mess. A year in which I lost my dearest friend and then promptly lost my way. A year in which I ran away overseas, came back and then ran away again. A year in which I learnt to let go, learnt to forgive and learnt to grow up. It was a big year. It was a lot of work. And I head-butted two people. Accidentally.
Lessons in Letting Go is an honest, uproariously funny and sometimes moving memoir of the year in which Corinne Grant decides to do something about her hoarding. From every scrunchie she's ever owned, to every pencil case and magazine, it's time for it all to go. Problem is, getting rid of the stuff turns out to be much harder than she initially thought.
This delightful memoir is about hoarding and about how the things we hold on to can end up dictating our lives. Warm, funny, candid and insightful, Lessons in Letting Go is about the pain - but also the necessity and the joy - in learning to let go.
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Had to take my husband's new to us car for a service this morning over at St Marys, it was the farthest I've driven the thing. Wasn't too bad but don't like the brakes, they are completely different to mine, in my car the brakes are touchy, the slightest extra pressure on the pedal and the only thing stopping you from going through the windscreen is the seatbelt. In his car it feels like the opposite, the pedal is firm and I feel like I have to push hard on it as the car comes to a gradual stop. He claims his brakes are fine.
Had a long walk to the station, decided to explore the local shops. Was going through the checkout in Target when I noticed a man playing the accordion to a small audience of elderly people. My feet were sore so I chose a seat in the midst to listen, thinking when I get home I'm going to blog this. All these great and funny things went through my head and I wondered if should write them down, no worries I'll remember.
So here I sit..... got nuthing.... zilch.... nada
Boring.
I did walk away at the end of it humming the tune to Along the Road to Gundagai
There's a scene that lingers in my memory –
Of an old bush home and friends I long to see –
That's why I am yearning
Just to be returning
Along the road to Gundagai –
There's a track winding back
To an old-fashioned shack
Along the road to Gundagai –
Where the blue gums are growing
And the Murrumbidgee's flowing
Beneath that sunny sky –
Where my daddy and mother
Are waiting for me
And the pals of my childhood
Once more I will see.
Then no more will I roam,
When I'm heading right for home
Along the road to Gundagai.
When I get back there I'll be a kid again –
Oh! I'll never have a thought of grief or pain –
Once more I'll be playing
Where the gums are swaying
Along the road to Gundagai –
Music and Lyrics by Jack O'Hagan
Had a long walk to the station, decided to explore the local shops. Was going through the checkout in Target when I noticed a man playing the accordion to a small audience of elderly people. My feet were sore so I chose a seat in the midst to listen, thinking when I get home I'm going to blog this. All these great and funny things went through my head and I wondered if should write them down, no worries I'll remember.
So here I sit..... got nuthing.... zilch.... nada
Boring.
I did walk away at the end of it humming the tune to Along the Road to Gundagai
There's a scene that lingers in my memory –
Of an old bush home and friends I long to see –
That's why I am yearning
Just to be returning
Along the road to Gundagai –
There's a track winding back
To an old-fashioned shack
Along the road to Gundagai –
Where the blue gums are growing
And the Murrumbidgee's flowing
Beneath that sunny sky –
Where my daddy and mother
Are waiting for me
And the pals of my childhood
Once more I will see.
Then no more will I roam,
When I'm heading right for home
Along the road to Gundagai.
When I get back there I'll be a kid again –
Oh! I'll never have a thought of grief or pain –
Once more I'll be playing
Where the gums are swaying
Along the road to Gundagai –
Music and Lyrics by Jack O'Hagan
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Homegrown Takeaway
Though not really homegrown, I went to Bunnings today to look for Catnip and some salad greens. They had a lovely pot full of perpetual lettuces for $20, I priced buying 6 pack of mixed lettuces and decided at $14.95 for those, the ready to go pot was a winner. The lettuces were already large enough to supply several meals worth. Picked a few leaves along with perpetual spinach, added mangoes and tomatoes.
Some minute steak and multigrain bread, we had a delicious steak sandwich.
Washed down with fresh chocolate mint tea, this is the first time I've tried making it from the Chocolate Mint plant I bought a few weeks back. Edit I gave my cup to my son for a taste, I meant for him to take a sip but I didn't get the cup back until he drained it.
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
It's a small world
Today I attended a memorial service for a friend that I had only recently reconnected with on Facebook, 15 years after we lost contact. We were pretty close and lost contact when we both moved around the same time, at the time neither of us had mobile phones.
When I arrived at the service the first face I saw was a familiar one, a friend that we've known since our sons started playing soccer 10 years ago. What a shock!
Later at the Wake, I didn't know anyone there at all, one of the guests asked me about a facebook friend, he had seen some photos I put up of our friend and noticed that we shared a friend. Turned out he knows our Nephew and his wife (who also shares a friend with my brother).
To our Dear Friend Justin,
I always knew we would find each other again, wish we had never been apart, am glad for the 2 weeks we did have but so wished we would have been able to meet. You will always be in our hearts. Rest in Peace.
When I arrived at the service the first face I saw was a familiar one, a friend that we've known since our sons started playing soccer 10 years ago. What a shock!
Later at the Wake, I didn't know anyone there at all, one of the guests asked me about a facebook friend, he had seen some photos I put up of our friend and noticed that we shared a friend. Turned out he knows our Nephew and his wife (who also shares a friend with my brother).
To our Dear Friend Justin,
I always knew we would find each other again, wish we had never been apart, am glad for the 2 weeks we did have but so wished we would have been able to meet. You will always be in our hearts. Rest in Peace.
Sunday, 24 October 2010
We did a little tidying today
and my son got creative
My sweet Mother's Day Angel surrounded by a sea of blue.
My sweet Mother's Day Angel surrounded by a sea of blue.
Sunday, 10 October 2010
All's good
This weekend has been a weekend of celebration, yesterday was my mother's 70th Birthday and Friday was my 22nd Wedding Anniversary. Almost seems like yesterday when I was asleep on a mattress on the floor in my old room, with my wedding ring tucked under the mattress and my radio alarm playing "Going to the Chapel".
We went out for dinner last night for Mum, Dad had invited a truckload of family and friends, much to Mum's surprise. She knew there was something planned because Dad hadn't told everyone it was surprise but she was only expecting it to be immediate family.
Any ideas of celebrations for our Anniversary went right out the window when I had a nice little call from work, my husband and I only had a couple of hours together between he coming home from work and going out to a soccer committment. The phone call was timed nicely to ruin those 2 hours. I was accused of not doing assigned work, which took me hours to do, because one item was supposedly not done. I remember distinctly checking those items and noting the price had not changed and told my boss as much, but I felt I was being made out to be a liar. Yesterday I was confronted by my boss and I told her again what had happened, of course she would not listen. I told her that I was sick of it all and would probably not be returning from my vacation, which starts next week. Then she said it was over and done with, that we were to get on with our day but later as soon as a new employee turned up, she got stuck into me again in front of the new girl. I voiced my objection of her starting up again because she had an audience, it's a power play with her to chastise her staff in front of other staff and customers, but it makes her look petty and unprofessional. I told her I was no longer worried because I won't be there much longer, her mouth flew open because she realised I wasn't joking. It's something she will have to explain to her superiors as to why she has lost several staff members over the last month. It felt really good to take my power back from her.
Speaking of career, I have an interview lined up for Wednesday, as well as another application placed. I had an interview a month ago that I thought I did quite well at but was disappointed not to get the job. Now I know why - apart from my brother's injury and the need for me to take time off to watch over him for 3 weeks, the store that the job was at is now closing down. I had mentioned to the interviewer that I would be resigning my job if I got the job, she did me a favour.
The real icing on the cake this week has been that my brother is now out of hospital, the Doctors are very amazed at his recovery from both of his operations. I've been working on his healing and some very talented Reiki Healers have been sending him distant healing. He has been very accepting and we are both very grateful. I'm getting very teary as I type this because last night my cousin told me that my brother, Peter had told her what I had done for him right after his spinal surgery and that he was very emotional about it. He told her that after his surgery I had gone into his room while he was still sedated and spoken to him while squeezing his hand, he said that me doing that had convinced him he wasn't dead. At the time my Mother was in a panic because they had overdosed him on Morphine during the first operation, the nurse tried reassuring her that they were purposely keeping him sedated. I took hold of his hand and told him we were there and asked for him to squeeze my hand if he could hear me, he squeezed. Mum was estactic when he did the same for her. Now he is home and today surprised me when he was using 2 standard walking sticks, yesterday he was on crutches.
We went out for dinner last night for Mum, Dad had invited a truckload of family and friends, much to Mum's surprise. She knew there was something planned because Dad hadn't told everyone it was surprise but she was only expecting it to be immediate family.
Any ideas of celebrations for our Anniversary went right out the window when I had a nice little call from work, my husband and I only had a couple of hours together between he coming home from work and going out to a soccer committment. The phone call was timed nicely to ruin those 2 hours. I was accused of not doing assigned work, which took me hours to do, because one item was supposedly not done. I remember distinctly checking those items and noting the price had not changed and told my boss as much, but I felt I was being made out to be a liar. Yesterday I was confronted by my boss and I told her again what had happened, of course she would not listen. I told her that I was sick of it all and would probably not be returning from my vacation, which starts next week. Then she said it was over and done with, that we were to get on with our day but later as soon as a new employee turned up, she got stuck into me again in front of the new girl. I voiced my objection of her starting up again because she had an audience, it's a power play with her to chastise her staff in front of other staff and customers, but it makes her look petty and unprofessional. I told her I was no longer worried because I won't be there much longer, her mouth flew open because she realised I wasn't joking. It's something she will have to explain to her superiors as to why she has lost several staff members over the last month. It felt really good to take my power back from her.
Speaking of career, I have an interview lined up for Wednesday, as well as another application placed. I had an interview a month ago that I thought I did quite well at but was disappointed not to get the job. Now I know why - apart from my brother's injury and the need for me to take time off to watch over him for 3 weeks, the store that the job was at is now closing down. I had mentioned to the interviewer that I would be resigning my job if I got the job, she did me a favour.
The real icing on the cake this week has been that my brother is now out of hospital, the Doctors are very amazed at his recovery from both of his operations. I've been working on his healing and some very talented Reiki Healers have been sending him distant healing. He has been very accepting and we are both very grateful. I'm getting very teary as I type this because last night my cousin told me that my brother, Peter had told her what I had done for him right after his spinal surgery and that he was very emotional about it. He told her that after his surgery I had gone into his room while he was still sedated and spoken to him while squeezing his hand, he said that me doing that had convinced him he wasn't dead. At the time my Mother was in a panic because they had overdosed him on Morphine during the first operation, the nurse tried reassuring her that they were purposely keeping him sedated. I took hold of his hand and told him we were there and asked for him to squeeze my hand if he could hear me, he squeezed. Mum was estactic when he did the same for her. Now he is home and today surprised me when he was using 2 standard walking sticks, yesterday he was on crutches.
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