Us Aussie's really love a long weekend … and we'll make just about anything a good excuse to have one. This time it happened to be the Queen's birthday. The Queen's actual birthday is sometime in April … but we don't let a little detail like that get in the way of an extra day off. And we can't really have it in April … because we have the Easter long weekend then … and we're not THAT greedy.
But I digress … it was a long weekend … and here's a little wrap up of our activities … cause I do like to bore people with inane and mundane details of my life.
The weather was subject to some mercurial mood swings. We had bright sunshine and warmth … we had torrential rain and frigid temperatures … and that was in the space of 10 minutes. This see sawing continued on for most of the weekend and was enough to give a person whiplash.
On the subject of mood swings … Master 16 enjoyed a few … and if he happens to read this little mention will no doubt enjoy another. But hey … I like to live dangerously. Can anyone see a passing resemblance?
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The weekend included a little purchase.
Back on the 13th of May, 2013 I requested an "arbour in a kit" for Mother's Day.
Hubby pooh poohed the idea … decided the "arbour in a kit" I had chosen was of inferior quality … and declared that he would instead create the arbour of my dreams with his own two hands. I was a little dubious … as Hubby is not renowned for creating things with his own two hands … or for getting things done that he says he will get done. Turns out my dubiousness was well founded … because fast forward 13 months and the promised bespoke arbour was still conspicuous by it's absence.
So long story short … I returned Hubby to the original hardware shop … showed him the original "arbour in a kit" … which by the way had now increased in price by 25% … and suggested we follow my original plan and purchase it. So we did.
A bit of paint and a few screws later we had an arbour.
Hubby was heard to mutter the words "You were right" … and I have recorded them here for posterity.
Now of course an arbour is not complete without something pretty to ramble picturesquely over it … so a trip to the nursery was in order. I decided this was just the thing.
I mean it's going to create the perfect vision of cottagey charm … don't you think.
I may need to hold onto that vision for a while … because at the moment it looks like this …
… and they could have sold me a couple of sticks and a label for all I know.
In other weekend news I gatecrashed a party on Saturday night … like you do.
My neighbour mentioned a few weeks ago that she was holding a birthday party for her husband on the long weekend … and we must be sure to pop in for a few drinks. Saturday night the arrival of cars and loud music heralded the start of the party. So Hubby and I set off with our bottles of booze in hand. The party was in full swing out the back so we let ourselves in … and made a dramatic and grand entrance … into a crowd of strangers. Turns out Neighbour's Hubby had forbidden her from giving him a birthday party and she decided to host an engagement party for someone she works with instead. It was a little awkward … but hey … a couple of wines later and they were like old friends. I'm fully expecting to be asked to be a bridesmaid … anytime now …
Which leads us to Tuesday and the return of normal programming.
I've an overflowing laundry hamper demanding my attention.
But some ominous grey skies telling me it isn't a good idea.
I could use the dryer.
But there'd be hell to pay when the electricity bill comes in.
Best just stay by the fire and read my book instead.
Hubby's away with work till Wednesday night … so that means toast for dinner and the bed to myself … HURRAH!!!!
LOL- so many good chuckles in this post! Poor Master 16. Green Monster looks happier than he does. The arbour looks lovely and I will send rose growing vibes your way. It's a beautiful rose on the package. I have grown several David Austen roses but they don't thrive in our damp climate.
ReplyDeleteThe story about the party is hilarious. It is entirely your neighbour's fault for neglecting to inform you so I hope she was gracious. What colour will you be wearing as bridesmaid?
Enjoy that toast and the bed. Oh how lovely to have all that space in the bed!
xoxo
Green monster is actually Oscar the Grouch so that made him seem quite appropriate ;0)
DeleteOur neighbour thought our arrival was fine ... the bride to be may have been a little more dubious :0)
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I like your arbor a lot! It's going to look quite proper English lady when the roses come in. It's so funny to read this story because we have a little routine here at my house. It has been going on forever. My husband always insists that he will build and/or fix something. He makes a big fuss. Almost always screws it up and then it costs us double to either replace or pay to have someone fix whatever it was. I think he may have gotten something right once upon a time and he keeps citing that example to prove that we need to go through this whole little exercise once again. Thank you for letting me vent. Your arbor story made me feel a teeny tiny bit less alone in DIY land.
ReplyDeleteSame same ... In our old house I wanted to get some new curtains hung ... Hubby insisted he could install the new curtain rods ... by the time we moved out EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE RODS had fallen out of the wall ... but I'm not allowed to mention that ... oops I just did ;0)
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The Arbor is going to look so good when the rose learns how to climb, baby steps Jo, baby steps. You may have to teach it, you know, parenting in the garden. Please tell what the stitches in the lads head are from? Does child welfare need to be called?? Party crashing at its best, so hope you get head bridesmaid as your part. Now for absent hubbies, mine is still away so I can understand your joy. I have been reading in bed, sleeping like a starfish, and eating sub standard meals. I may well need to attend a retraining school for wifely behavior on his return!! Enjoy while it lasts.
ReplyDeleteNo need for child welfare … well not for the stitches anyway … maybe for the enforced consumption of toast for dinner ;0) He'd like you to believe he got it fighting off armed intruders … but he actually had a little cyst removed from his noggin.
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No, that definitely is a rose, not just a stick... Ha, like I would know! Patience, Jo, patience, it will look delicious when it's got going.
ReplyDeleteThe party story had me chuckling, but I find a couple of glasses of vino always smooth the way in tricky situations.
Poor Master16/Oscar... Grumpy boys both! xxx
Vino fixes everything … except hangovers ;0)
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Haha! gatecrash the wedding too, in a bridesmaids dress, the more the merrier (I may have had a lot of caffeine today, actually best scrap the idea altogether haha) the arbour is beautiful, you were right! it's going to be even more gorgeous covered in roses. Isn't is lovely to have the bed? stretch and relax, bliss! and mood swings! lawd! happy to grumpy in seconds, I feel we are swimming in oestrogen at times, I am bewildered by those mood swings and electricity bills x x x
ReplyDeleteMe too … thoroughly bewildered by everything ;0)
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This post made me laugh Jo and lots of nodding in recognition and agreement. - I love getting the chance to live on toast and have the bed to myself.
ReplyDeleteThose roses look beautiful on the packet, they will look fab on the arbour when they get their act together and grow a bit, very English Cottage Garden xx
That's the look I want … English cottage garden … on the hot and sunny Australian NSW Central Coast … what are my chances I wonder ;0)
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Ha! I love that you crashed the party, still at least you didn't turn up empty handed!
ReplyDeleteI know nothing about roses but that does look like the start of something. xxx
Yes indeed, turning up to a party you weren't invited to empty handed would be incredibly rude ;0)
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