Thursday 31 October 2013

Horrifying Happenings on Halloween ...

I went to the shops earlier in the week.

I saw something there that horrified me.


Tell me it isn't so.

And while I'm on the subject of horrifying decorations … Master 16 has declared he wants one of these.


Now it's not that I hate them … on other people.

It's not that I can't appreciate that they look kind of hip … on other people's children.

Just not my children.

I know I'm being old fashioned.  I know I'm being the uncool Mum.  I know I sound just like my Mother … "If God meant you to have holes in your ears/nose he'd have put them there".  But the thought of him getting a ring through his nose kind of freaks me out … okay … totally freaks me out.

At 16 he is … apparently ... legally able to get one without my permission.  So that's it I guess … all parental control down the gurgler … BOO HOO.

In other Master 16 news … he has his Year 10 formal coming up very shortly … preparations are being made.  Here's a quick sneak peek.


New outfit means new shoes … and I just want to know … where, when and how did his feet get so incredibly, humongously and horrifyingly BIG … and are they ever going to stop growing?


What's horrifying you this Halloween?

What do you think of nose rings?

Tuesday 29 October 2013

Let's go join the circus ...

Roll up, roll up … it's time for Shiny T Tuesday … and this week's prompt is "The Big Top".

So I decided to wear … drum roll please … a really big top.


This is me doing something acrobatic … in the big top.


This is me riding an invisible bicycle … in the big top.


This is me trying to look seductive … in the big top.


This is my trademark supermodel pose … in the big top.


This is me trying to look sultry and glamorous … in the big top.


I had to use the internal studio this week … because HALLELUJAH AND PRAISE THE LORD … it's raining.  Not just a little sprinkle either … but a heavy, soaking, pouring down type rain.


No blue skies here today … HOORAY!!


Monday 28 October 2013

Marital bliss ...

You know what … I've been giving this matter a little thought and I've come to a conclusion … Hubby is SOOO lucky to have me.

I'm like the perfect wife … or something.

I'm always kind and romantic.

I'm there for him … in sickness and in health.

Like the time he was rolling on the floor in agony with kidney stones … and I took him straight up to the hospital … as soon as I finished washing and blow drying my hair.

And of course every night as we fall asleep Hubby whispers to me "Goodnight Princess"  and because I'm so lovely I always whisper back "Goodnight Stink".

I'm so thoughtful … I go to lots and lots of effort whenever it's his birthday.

What's more I have been so understanding of his mid life crisis … and his subsequent return to cricket.

See ... look how supportive and encouraging I am.


Yep … he really hit the jackpot!

Sunday 27 October 2013

43/52

"A portrait of our children, once a week, every week in 2013"




Master 16:  This photo was taken on my way to the computer this morning … nothing like leaving things to the last minute.

Master 13:  Outside watching the dog misbehave.

Here are two photos .. and I give a full guarantee,
That they were taken especially for Week Forty Three.

Joining in with Jodi.

Saturday 26 October 2013

The first cut is the deepest ...

I recently got a new sofa … anyone who reads this blog occasionally is probably aware of that.

Right about now they are thinking to themselves … "Oh no … I hope she isn't going to bang on about that new sofa again"

Sorry … but I just needed to share … as a form of therapy … today's sofa related events.

Today was Saturday … and each member of the family had somewhere to go.  Hubby was off to cricket.  Master 16 was off to watch the soccer.  Master 13 was off to a friend's place.  I was off to Sydney to my Brother's place for lunch.  Only Buster stayed home.

On my return home … I was greeted by an ecstatic Buster … as I always am … whether I've been gone for 5 minutes or 5 days … it's all the same to him.

As I gave him the attention he thought he deserved I noticed a noxious odour.

I screwed up my delicate nose in distaste … "Whatever has soiled the air in such an unsavoury way" … I wondered.

It wasn't an aroma that could be ignored … and so I was forced to investigate the matter.

The source was located quickly.

Buster had a claggy on his waggy … otherwise known as a shit on his tail.

With a sinking feeling of dread I approached my brand new sofa … or more specifically the spot that Buster has claimed as his own.


And there I found it … a large smear of canine excrement … on my brand new, cream sofa.

Woe is me.


Guilty as charged.


Yep … the first cut IS the deepest.

Thursday 24 October 2013

Bling ...

Here's my coffee table ... she's a perfectly good coffee table ... she does a sterling job of holding coffee perfectly.


I'm sure she's a she ... because she's far too pretty to be a he.

Here's my coffee table's thoroughly functional knobs.



They work just fine ... but they aren't very blingy.

Like most gals ... I'm sure she'd appreciate a bit of bling.

When I was in Melbourne a couple of weeks ago I forced Hubby to take me to one of my favourite shops.

When I left ... I had a little parcel ... just a very little parcel ... because good things come in small parcels.  Things like bling.



Today I finally got around to unpacking my parcel and giving my coffee table a little zhoozh.



It gives her a little sparkly flair ... don't you think?







For $2.95 each ... I don't say why?  I say why not!

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Shine a light ...

It's Shiny T Tuesday time again.

This week the prompt is "Let Your Light Shine".

The problem is that I'm just not feeling particularly shiny this week. So rather than shine the light on me ... I decided to shine it on someone else ... someone that deserves a little recognition at the moment.

Now I know this isn't strictly a fashion post ... OK ... it isn't even slightly a fashion post ... but it's all about light in one form or another.

Now here in New South Wales we have been battling bushfires for almost a week.  Last Thursday they were way too close to home ... thankfully the local fire is now under control.

But this isn't the case elsewhere ... there are fires burning all over the state ... the worst being in the Blue  Mountains ... west of Sydney.  There are two large fires in that area ... and they are at risk of merging to become a huge fire front.

The last thing we need at the moment is high temperatures and strong winds.

Tomorrow the forecast is for high temperatures and strong winds.

The firefighters are preparing for conditions which have been described as catastrophic.

All anyone can do is wait ... and hope for the best.

My sister lives scarily close to this fire ... she wrote about it here.  She is preparing to evacuate if needs be ... trying to decide what to take.  I mean how do you decide what to take with you when there is a chance you will have nothing left by the end of the day.  What is of more value to you than anything else?  She's getting photo albums and her computer hard drive ... but how do you choose the sentimental items?

But back to the shining lights.

Day in and day out there is a group of people ... putting their lives at risk ... battling these fires.  Saving lives ... saving properties ... saving wildlife.  Most of them are volunteers ... doing something for their community ... without them I shudder to think where we would be.

So I just wanted to shine a light on the men and women of the Rural Fire Service ... you're doing a fantastic job and I just wanted to say "Thanks".

Pic from here
Pic from here


Monday 21 October 2013

Monday ...

Hubby travels for work ... he's away regularly.

Then on Saturday he disappears all day long to play cricket.

Sometimes the boys and I feel like we rarely see him.

Yesterday, he announced that he was taking the day off today ... taking an annual leave day ... because he has been away from home so much recently.

That's nice I thought ... we'll get to do something fun ... spend a bit of time together ... what a lovely, thoughtful thing to do.

So this morning I got up and dressed up a bit fancy ... anticipating an adventure of some kind ... or perhaps a long lunch ... or a surprise of some sort.

"What are we going to do today ... where are we going?" I asked excitedly.

"I thought we'd clean the gutters together"


And they say romance is dead!

Sunday 20 October 2013

42/52

"A portrait of our children, once a week, every week in 2013"




I felt like tender prime rib ... with a red wine jus,
But I got a duo of hams  ... in Week Forty Two.

Joining in ... as always ... with Jodi.

Friday 18 October 2013

We like them BIG ...

Here in Australia we like things BIG.

It's a big country ... and it has some really big things occurring naturally.


But we don't stop at that.

We like to build things .... really, really BIG things.

I don't know why ... but it's clearly a part of the Australian psyche and culture.

We build them ... and then we go and visit them.

We load up the car ... and the kids ... and head off on a road trip ... usually during the stinking hot summer holidays.

We drive for hours ... or days ... and when we finally get there ... we stand in front of them ... and get our photos taken.

It's an Australian tradition.





This is just a very small sample of our big things ... you could travel all over the country in search of big things ... and you'd find them ... everywhere.

Here on the NSW Central Coast ... we have our very own BIG thing ... granted it's not as big as some of the other BIGGER things ... but we love him dearly ... he's a local icon.

Yesterday was a horrible, horrible day.  The temperatures were in the high thirties (Celsius) ... the wind was blowing a gale ... and we had not had any decent rain for weeks and weeks.  This can only mean one thing ... bushfires.

This was the sky at my place yesterday afternoon ... so I knew there was one not too far away.


By evening it was all over Facebook ... evacuations, homes lost and horror of horrors our BIG thing ... gone.


Our hearts go out to all those that have lost their homes ... and all their belongings ... but thankfully not their lives.

But then ... as the smoke cleared ... on a new ... and thankfully cooler day ... he rose like a phoenix from the ashes ... our Friday morning miracle.


Wednesday 16 October 2013

Good things come to those that wait ...

I've been waiting for something to happen.

I knew it was inevitable ... I just had to be patient.

I get really impatient ... when I'm trying to be patient.

But when I arrived home from my mega long road trip on Sunday ... I knew it had finally transpired ... as soon as I got out of the car.

I smelled the evidence.


The jasmine was flowering.

I LOVE jasmine.

I love it so much ... I planted loads and loads of it ... which means Hubby planted loads and loads of it while I told him what to do.


I can't even begin to describe what this smells like ... but I'm guessing it's a bit like heaven.


Please walk through my perfumed arch.


Did I mention I LOVE jasmine.


If I bothered to look back through my blog archive ... I'm almost certain to find an almost identical post written approximately 12 months ago.

In another 12 months ... there will be another one ... because it really rates an annual mention.

Did I mention that I LOVE jasmine.