Breath..... I must remember to BREATH....

Well... after my rant this time last week... it feels like atleast a century has past... the frustration and anger that I was feeling that day drowned out by the intense sickness I am feeling in my stomach from a mixture of nerves, excitement, exhaustion and relief...

As of 9.09am this morning, Saturday 18th of July 2009 Matt and I are the very happy and insanely excited owners of a block of land in stage one of Esperance, Sanctuary Lakes - Point Cook.

After Finding out last week that the vendor of the land we wished to purchase, had been advised by his (little chinese) friend that he could get $40000 more than what he was asking for the block we were wanting to purchase from him, he stalled with the contracts. Sure, that is not that bad... i know... but it was only by chance that we actually found out about it. It had happened a week and a half before hand and the company that we were going through decided that keeping us in the loop with the information was not at the top of their list of important things to do. So, not only were we stranded with out land, we were working with people that we had quickly lost the trust of... so defeatedly, we started home when we saw a sign for Esperance, advertising land, below what we were wanting to pay... so off we went to have a sticky beak at it.
The block we were after had to be at 15 meters wide.. and when we looked at their stage 1 plans, discovered that there was only one of them!
We asked if we could leave a deposit though were quickly told that the land went on sale on the 18th (today) and it was first in best dressed.
So set out with a plan not to be screwed a second time around Matt decided that the best thing to do was take a few days off work and camp out! Yes.... CAMP
Up until this morning, he had been camping in the bitter winter nights to grab hold of the thing that would bring our dreams to reality... that 15 block.
When he drove into the carpark he discovered that the first camper has arrived (even though this guy planned to sleep in his car), though was relieved when he discovered that this camper didnt want our block. So, up went the tent... in went 3 doonas (quilts), 3 pillows, a sleeping bag, a camping swap and some basic supplies and in crawled Matt..... set to stake his mark!
We were campers #2 and the land was ours... the only catch was that one of us had to remain on site the entire time. I was unable to get time off work, though before and after work, worked shifts with Matt... and got to know our new neighbours, who were quickly arriving to stake their own little piece of land... well under the price of other land in the area.


Now... that is all pretty full on, right!? Yes.. i agree... though we have not only become the owners of land, we have put a chunky deposit down on a house to pop on to this patch of dirt!

If you are in Melbourne, check out channel 7 news at 6pm tonight, or 9 news, or the ABC, because we were the first to actually pitch a tent and "camp". Because we saw the temperature drop below zero twice, the news reporters wanted to interview matt... when they discovered that it had been a journey of a whole family, 9the kids would sit at the site at times while we were at bank appointments) they wanted to interview us all and channel 7 have actually done a full spot on us, the first home buying family who camped out to make their dreams come true!!!

Anyway... that is our sweet news.. i'm rambling, sleep deprived, star struck and running on pure adrenaline... so im going to go now, find a pillow, a rug and a soft spot for a lil nap. It feels so much later than 2pm.

xxxx

Sweet!!!

This has to be the sweetest blog candy that i have seen today. Is this gal talented or what!? These are just three of the gorgeous range of scrapping embellishments that she has started to design... If you love them as much as i do, you can have some of your very own.... follow her link to her etsy store and shop your heart out!!!

______________________________________________
PS: Now... onto the sweetest news ever!!!!

The things that suck today:

clause: we must remember that when reading other peoples blogs that their thoughts could be just caused by a bad day, bad news, stress or too much vodka... in my case, it is all the above... and a case of not ENOUGH vodka... so, with that said... do not take anything that is written personally, think the author is racist or anything else... and lets continue.....

1. the fact that my vodka bottle has just run dry (it lasted a long time - however, im sorry that i drank your share too Cath! opps)
2. Little Chinese men that can't speak english when required.
3. That the same Chinese man can speak gooda english when we would rather he doesnt.
4. Little Chinese mens friends
5. vodka bottle being empty
6. being incapable of driving to the liquor store
7. claredon homes
8. people who are meant to be working for you, holding information back
9.real estate agents
10. the fact that the liquor store does not home deliver.
11. people who work on saturdays who actually don't really work as much as work on looking like they are actually working.
12. sales pitches and the inability for me to actually shoot $100 notes out my arse.

and in closing, i hope that the little friend in point 4 gets hit by a big bus!

I hope your day at 6.31pm is shaping up to look a freaking lot better than mine!

To my Favourite Americans...

Happy 4th of July!!

To Rich, Tannie, Lee, Marilyn & Dave... Hope you have a very safe and happy 4th of July. I know that I am early, but... you know... I have already seen tomorrow... ;-)
It is bleak and overcast here in Australia... Hope the sun shines for you and you have a great day...
Love you all lots and lots!!!

When the world gives you lemons.....

MAKE A FACE!!!!!

If you had a day worthy of pulling faces like this.... I hope tomorrow is better!!

xxxx

there is news and then there is NEWS!!!!

Okay... okay, So i have gotten the hint from all the emails that i have been sent, trying to worm my secret out of me... guessing everything from us moving to new south wales through to my being pregnant and almost everything imaginable in between... From all the emails I have received, i think its safe to say that you all wanna know what my secret is right?You do know though, that not one of you guessed even close... right!?

This is what the secret is NOT:
Twins (if i am, its a surprise to me too!)
a baby
a new puppy
a new job
a new pet
a new car (keep your ear to the ground... i believe that this may be news for a few months time! ;-) )
No, Im not on a design team
Um... Im ALREADY Married (hi.. meet MATT... errrrmmm... my husband!!??!)
no, im not getting divorced.. (i cant even imagine how this could be GOOD EXCITING NEWS)
moving to New South Wales
Moving over seas (oh what a wonderful surprise that would be!)
bringing out my own scrap range (noice, but no.. ~L~)


SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO................................
Here it is!!!

The big news...

My secret that I have almost busted to tell you all...


Today officially, we became the proud owners of one very obscene debt, will tomorrow sign on the dotted line to start building our very own home!

Del, darlin, you probably guessed the closest, though, not moving as far as you had hoped. Sorry doll.. we are not moving to NSW... though we are moving!

We have a block of land, which is only 1km from right where I am sitting writing this post...
The kids will not have to move schools and will even still be able to walk to get there..

Now the exciting stuff starts... the contracts... the colour selection... the slab... the framing... the building... the moving in!!!

While we have opted to do some of the things ourselves, like the flooring and landscaping, we have loads of deciding to do.... those of you who have built will know all about those choices... i am sure...
Matt and I visited the tile sales place today and my god... where do we start!? I was so overwhelemed i just wanted to cry! ~L~
Tomorrow we are going to go to Boral and choose our bricks.. then go play with paint samples and then hopefully the tiles and flooring will just fall right into place!

There you have it!!!
To all those that were excited to think they had one last chance at becoming surrogate aunties and uncles or neighbours, we are sorry to dissapoint!

All but done and dusted....

Well... I think it is safe to say that I am now all but done and dusted with Uni... I am at the tail end now... all there is left to do is one little assignment, a quick little paper and a three hour in workplace assessment with an assessor from the University...

It seems like forever since I started on this journey, many times along the way, unsure of the path and where the light at the end was actually situated... though I'm pleased to say that I found the light, and am teetering on the edge of the paths finish line and it could not be better. It is such a great feeling of accomplishment and purpose... and pride.

Accomplishment that I am close to qualified and have finished my first lot of study in 17 years.
Purpose because I can once again help with the bread winning...
and Pride for being as old as I am in a class room with students as young as 17, and for getting marked with what have been some of the highest scores that the School of health Sciences have ever seen in this specific course!!!
An average of 99.8% over the entire course so far!! Pretty damn good I reckon!

Now that I have come to the end of one path, there is another that we are standing at the start of... much excitement and stress is ahead of us... though it is the start of something HUGE!!


Have I got you wondering!?


Soon enough I will spill the beans... but for now, I am keeping it under wraps just a little longer!
Of course, my best friend knows.... how could I not share news like this with her!?

______________________________________________________
PS: Been scrapping. Will post later what I have been up to!

Has it really been that long!?

Man, this year is just flying by and I tend to find myself, clawing at the sides, just trying to hold on.
Is it just that I am getting older, that I am noticing that there really is not enough time in the day, that the year is buzzing by, that thinking how far the year has come so far makes me tired?

We wont go into the aches, the - once I'm on the floor, who is gonna help me up, the not making it much past 8pm before I start to concider bed.. Because, if I was to mention any of that, I'm sure there would be someone out there that would confirm my fears... That I AM getting old.

I really don't believe though that it has been 2 months since I made an entry here.. I just wont believe that I could have been so busy that I could not wish my Mum, Marilyn & Cath, as well as all the other mums out there ... a happy mothers day.

I wont believe that I neglected to share with you my baby girl's 8th birthday at Melbourne Zoo and pictures of the gorgeous cupcakes that I somehow managed to pull together the night before the party - and after an 11 hour shift, no less..

I wont believe that I forgot to send my mum a happy birthday message here, didn't share with you the photos of the many beautiful things that we have discovered with Matts new camera, that I didn't stop by to shout out a hello.. remember me!? message.

Because... if I do believe.. It will be true... and that proves that I am just hanging on & time really will never be available in 28 hour days..

Ho hum.. there is no harm in dreaming.. right!? Imagine what we could all do with an extra 4 hours! Lately though, I think I would have been wasteful with mine, squandering it away on sleeeeeeeeep.
Since 28 hours is really only ever going to be a dream, I should shout from the rooftop that its a good thing that my Last assignment is finished, that I only have one week of Uni and several exams (in that week) left and I AM DONE!

Yippeee.. Am I excited?
Hell YES!

I can't wait. I am hoping that in that all being put behind me, I shall not be on the constant quest to cram so much into the little time that I have found that I have these days.. And that I will finally be able to do more of what I have spent this morning - my day off, doing!!!

Lookie... I have been playing!! ;-)

happy Birthday

To the little BIG girl that has changed my whole existance... my perspective of life and filled the rest of my heart... Happy 8th birthday Angel.

Easter came Early...

For one little lucky duck.

B2 got a call this afternoon asking to speak with Mea. When she asked who it was, she was told that Mea had won first prize in the Local Shopping centre colouring competition. At first B2 thought it was a joke as we had seen some of the entries on the wall only yesterday and were sure that the ones that were obviously adult assisted would win.. that is normally the way, right?

Well this time, it appears that the theory was wrong.. as our little munchkins brightly coloured cadbury bunny and easter chick (in the photo) caught the attention of the judges and a prize of $120 worth of cadbury eggs and a stuffed cadbury easter bunny were all hers!!


She was as proud as punch as this picture easily depicts. She had centre management there when the customer service desk handed over her washing basket full of eggs... taking pictures that would be used in the shopping centre media and would also appear in the local newspaper.

I took George along (my little pocket rocket - camera), I know its not 30D though he does the job as far as I am concerned.. I handed him to Matt so that he could snap a few photos that we could scrap. The manager saw this photo that Matt took and asked weather they could use that instead of the shots they took of Mea, as part of their advertising. How cool was that!!!? Matts pic will also be the one they put in the paper.

It gets better... he has also been told that they will contact him closer to the opening of stage 2 of the shopping centre to be their official photographer!!!
Just think... that was all through a photo taken with George.. I wonder what opportunities could have risen if he had his "baby" back!? ~laughs~

Easter will be rather well sugar-coated here... sickly sweet with gooey caramel creme eggs (insert droolin' here), peppermint creme filled, caramello eggs and all the other wonders from cadbury, not to mention the eggs (very few) that the easter bunny will be delivering tonight. I had told the kids that this year, they would not be having much chocolate and instead, would be given gifts.. So much for that, huh!? ~laughs~ I guess they get the best of both this year!

I hope the easter bunny is good to y'all... Happy easter... Stay safe!

His flag flies half mast...

There is nothing that I can say, that Matt has not said on his blog this morning... so perhaps I will just copy and paste...

It is a sad day for my love... and I have to say, it makes me so sad to see him sooo sad.

“RIP 30D”
© Matt Allan

"I woke up this morning at around 5am and headed out with my trusty kit bag to take some photos of the sunrise. I’ve done this countless times before but this morning… well this morning has left me shattered.

I was in my own world merrily setting up by the waters edge, doing everything the way I had done on so many other occasions… just waiting for the light to give me my first shot of the beautiful morning colours when this punk walked up behind me with his fishing pole and tackle box in hand and scared the absolute shit out of me!

As a result, I turned… tripped on my tripod… fell on my ass and then much to my horror, watched as my tripod and camera tumbled ever so slowly and peacefully into the water lapping up onto the shore.

All the fisherman could do was chuckle as he continued his way along the beach, all I could do was weep with my old friend in my lap as I watched the lights go out forever.

So this is the last image that will ever come from my beloved Canon 30D. She has been a faithful companion over the years and I will miss her.

As a result, I have reducing EVERYTHING in my online store by 10% as I am now trying to bridge the gap between insurance and a replacement companion… a small comfort but I am sure this is what my trusty 30D would want me to do."

So... there you have it... There are some ass-holes out there. I know, perhaps the guy did not mean it to cause damage, though the least that he could have done was stop to see if Matt was okay. This guys does not realize what he has done... honestly.. who does something like that, in the dark when people obviously are not expecting it? He does not realize how lucky he is, for if it was me, I would have hunted the bastard down and given him a piece of my mind.. if not a good smack in the mouth as well.

As Matt has said, there is a gap in what our insurance will cover... a gap that is substantial enough for a family of 5 not to be able to financially cover... I know i am bias, as i should be, though when i say that he is a remarkable photographer, i am being modest. He has an online store, which he has placed many of his works, in different formats, for sale. He has reduced the prices of everything there in a hope that he will be able to bridge some of the gap with the profit made (which really, is not marked up much at all as it was).


We are hoping that a friend of his will assist by loaning out a spare camera so that he can keep his booking schedule. If you are a Melbourne local, looking for an awesome photographer for wedding or family photos, or a portfolio that you will honestly love.. please, drop him an email. He would love to be able to give you a quote.

As they say, the best advertisement is that of word of mouth, pass the word .. hopefully he will not be in mourning long.

xxxxx

sunday surfing + inspiration = something to blog!

For the first time in I would hate to think, I had time, just to me today. I had music playing, cinnamon and apple (smells like warm wintery goodness - yum) candles burning and decided that while the house was relatively quiet and Matt was content to potter in the garden for a while, i would just surf the net, stumble upon some new unfamiliar blogs and just see where the day took me...

For a while I was feeling really disheartened... thinking; "for the love of god, when I don't have time, I tend to find these AMAZING blogs" and while I do bookmark them, never seem to get back to them, though on a day when new blogs were first and formost on my "want to do" list... do you think i could find them!? ~L~

Murphys law i guess, huh? Anyway... when I had all but given up, and decided that finding an inspirational blog was not going to happen and it seemed that I would settle for a date with Edward Cullen (aka Twilight hunk) (i know.. i know... i would have gone, kicking and screaming to watch the movie AGAIN - NOT).. i fell right into Holly Hanks Blog and landed ontop of inspiration!!

Thanks Holly for helping me back on my own bicycle after so long between "scraps" with the layout that you created about Hazels bike ride.

I loved the composition of this layout and simply had to do a little lift... (something i really don't like to do) ... and in doing so, have wet my feet and look forward slipping back into my scraproom and playing again, really soon!!

I am not sure, but I think that there is something missing from mine, though Im going to leave it on my desk so when I come in, I can look at it for a while... that normally works! The colours look way better-er in real life too.. but ya get that I guess... Kiera loves it, so I guess that is a good start. Oh, by the way.. that is who is in the photo.. Kiera and her Beau, Brendan.

Dinner is all but done now.. (and i didn't life a finger (got to love that!)... so I'm gonna go.. Hope you all have a great week!

xxx

Lifes update

Matt is recovering... His surgery went well... he is now tonsiless and has had his palate lifted... the difference that it has made is astounding.. no longer does he snore like a freight-train entering a sleepy town in the midst of night... His recovery is slow and with ample pain, which sadly, he is not coping well with.. which makes me sit by him, worrying and feeling more than useless...
This waiting and watching has allowed me to read the entire twilight series... save for about 20 pages of the last book... - inspiration for the change of music on my blog.. (Lyn, enjoy angel! ;) )
I read one of them at the hospital, waiting for his surgery to be done and him to recover... it was a very long day.

Mum is now continuing her recovery at home.. the one place that she has been wanting to go since she stepped foot in the hospital.. she will have a recovery ahead of her yet.. though atleast she is on her way. Her left hand is having circulatory issues, it is cold - all the time. Her left eye droops and tears run constantly - just a effect of her stroke.. and her left leg takes a little coersion to move when she wants it to... - she is using walking aids.
She has had a second stroke, the first, we are unsure of when it happened... we have been told that this could just be the start of bigger things... i can only pray - not!

School has been postponed... one less thing that i have to worry about right at this moment... i will talk more with them this week... perhaps the 20th of April will now see me sit my exams..

Work.. I return tomorrow... though im sure the whole while, my head will be elsewhere.

My nickname: Rightly so, my manager believes that after all the chinamen that appear to be falling in my path, i shall here on be called by her, her terracotta queen. (something to do with myths and chinamen dying.. and perhaps terracotta!? hahah)

Life- can only begin to return to normal from here on in.

Missing in Action

I know that I'm a very bad blogger though ive been juggling the wife, mum, nurse and student thing and its been rather interesting to say the elast.. and pretty damn impossible to find any time outside of that to blog... im sorry. :(

One thing... I finally finished my assignments... YAY!!! Witnessed my baby (in one of my few moments away from the computer in the last few weekends) have her daddy take the training wheels off her bike, determined to ride like a big girl. (she is 7)... and you know what?? SHE DID!!!!
Yesterday, she won 3rd prize in a colouring competition.. (a perk up since she has been sick for the last three weeks)... and today, both her and B2 came home with assembly awards...
That is my good news.. it ends there... (dramatic sigh)

Now on to the bad... It appears that the little old chinamen will not get the hint and are just content to stay on my path of.. what i can only describe as "destruction".. and i use the word loosely.

I'm just dropping by to say I will be MIA for a little while.

Last night my mother had a stroke that has left her with partial paralysis. (apparently it is her second) We are now waiting for my MIL to arrive as the cavallry so that I can just up and leave for sydney tomorrow night if i can convince my mum to let me come.. she is being rather naughty at the moment and insists that i have other things to worry about. She is not wrong...

My husband is heading into surgery tomorrrow to have his tonsils out, his nasal passage widened and his palate tightened so, not that any time is a good time for anyone to have a stroke, but now is just not a good time for me to be stressing and needing to be in more than one place at once. We do what we have to though, to get through, huh! So.. i am just going to trust someone else to be my "other" half so that these two places can be where im at.

To just top it all off... not like this cake needs any icing, right!?? Tomorrow im meant to be sitting my first big exam... and friday, another... school is the last place i need to be, so thankfully, thanks to a great manager knowing the co-ordinator of my course, i have been given a leave of absence from school this week...

(listening to screaming and yelling in the background as i try and think and write) Why is it, that at a time like this, when there is so much more that someone could be worrying about, a teenager has to be pety about sleeping arrangements!
Honestly, i dont give a crap where anyone sleeps at the moment.. as long as bodies are in beds and people get more sleep than ive had in the last 24 hours.

Ugh, its not like ive asked for all this!!

Grrrr

The said i wouldnt dare!!!

They dont know me too well... Because i did dare (to save the photo) and i have posted it here so that i can show you how goofy two of my three can be... especially when they dont think mum has the guts to do this!!
I hope it gives you the same laugh as it has given me today...

They are definately "special" huh!?

Hopefully it has given that poor chinaman a laugh too and he has forgiven me! *crosses fingers*
This week HAS to be better!

Ever wonder!?!?

Have you ever wondered what 8kg of cherry tomatoes looks like all together?
In the school holidays before christmas when Matts mum come to visit Miranda, Matt, His Mum and myself decided to dig a garden, plant flowers and a tomato vine that would ultimately be known as our "tomato tree". She had wanted to plant two, though we told her that we would start with one and see how we went...
It is no longer Vine material.. and since it is as tall as the guttering on our house, it has rightly earned the title of a tree... I'm telling you, this thing is a monster.

My father loved his tomato plants and my mother told me at christmas, that he would be so proud of our efforts, especially since this plant has only ever tasted fertiliser twice!

Sadly the scorching winds that we experienced due to the fires here in Melbourne last weekend, one side of the tree is completely brittle and dry after being wind burned.. though, is still producing rich red tomatoes every day!

Over the past three days, this is our pickings.. minus the tomatoes i ate while picking.. one has to keep their strength up afterall.. right? (minus about that rectangle container - 1 kilo, that we would have already eaten).. We now have more tomatoes than we know what to do with, our neighbours run and hide when they see us because they can no longer look at a tomato without wanting to puke.. All i can say is thank goodness we only got one!

Considering we would have already picked 30kg off (no shit, honestly) in the last few months, and we have about 7kg still on the tree i think our $2 tomato plant was a good investment, huh!?

Have you seen the price of cherry tomatoes lately!? I could have fixed my washer, just with the takings from these lil suckers if i had the mind to sell them to the local grocers! ~L~

After the Aftermath

You know when you hear of people that no matter where they turn, they hit another wave of bad luck? That this week gone is me my friends..

When i thought things could not get worse, it just got better! (insert 100% sarcasm here)



So.. this weekend i have been laying low in my bunker and hoping that the storm will pass and leave me the hell alone.
It all started friday a week ago.. i had the day off... (i know.. should have been awesome)... but i had to spend the day working on my assignments... to my sheer pleasure, by noon i was looking like i could quite possibly be sharing my sunday with the kids and Matt with the books completely closed... by 2pm I resembled an air-raid siren going off as my computer froze (in the hugest way it could possibly ever freeze) and took my assignment (approx 10000 words with it)... ARRRGH... I think that is where i actually left you all.. right!?

And then comes the week ahead... I was totally over the weekend and praying that the week would be better than the weekend was... perhaps that is where i went wrong... im not really one to pray... i know i wont be doing that again in a hurry.. *insert manic, mindless laughter*

11am Monday... Working away in the surgery, listening to the TV broadcasting re-hash of the weekends Victorian Vire disasters.. i was thinking how very lucky i was to be safe and well while so many grieved the loss of life and loved ones that were missing and presumed dead.. I had a few minutes free while we were taking some moulds of the patiends teeth so i decided that i would start to clean up the used/no longer required instruments (something i dont normally have time to do through a proceedure).. i think this was my first mistake.. i should have just continued to listen (and perhaps watch a little tv)..
Dismantelling a used syringe like i have done hundreds of times before my hand slipped and the cap from the needle slipped off the needle and the needle went straight into my thumb.
OMG.. One of my worset nightmares was becoming a reality.. i had been stuck with a dirty needle.
Aaaaanyway... after back and forth visits to the doctors that day i had the proper tests.. to which i have to wait up to 12 months for the complete clear for.. GReeeeeat!!!!

Tuesday - Because i spent half the night being sick because of the stress of the day Matt decided that he would drive me to work since it was his day off... I had a 7.30am start.
What normally takes 30 mins max in traffic of a morning took me 1 hour 20 just to get 3/4 of the way... two accidents, road closures and 30 mins late, I turn up at work... ofcourse, the nurse i was working with, as well as our AM dentist were waiting out the front for me to arrive, neither of them considerate of my issues.. The day can only get better.. right? WRONG!!! Second nurse does not come in, i run around like a headless hag all day.. *insert dramatic eye roll*

Wednesday: By now i am starting to think that i have run over a chinaman or something equally as karma-bad. Matt meets me at work in the afternoon with the most grim face.. first i think something has happened to ne of my babies... then... MUM!!!!... Quickly a breath of relief falls from my lips as he says that he was talking to my mum this afternoon.. "thank god, she is okay!!".. only to hear him continue..

She had called him to ask him to come and pick me up from work.. and to tell me some bad news. Because of the week that i had been having (from the friay, and the stress she knew i was under), she had decided not to burden me with the news that my aunty Isabelle, one of her younger sisters had been caught up with the fires at Peats Ridge in New South Wales on the weekend (the other serious fires that Aust has been dealing with)... as a result, she had suffered a massive heart attack. They were able to revive her on the way to the hospital, only to have her have another, not long after. Sadly, she was in a critical condition after suffering yet another, her third attack and they had suspected a stroke as well. Matt was to inform me that her family had asked that if she were to have another, that she would not be revived.. it is what my Aunt would have wanted. It takes 20 mins of an afternoon (going against traffic) to get home... By the time i got in the door i had a message from the children to call my mum. On the trip home, my aunty had passed away.

My mum has just had surgery so she is not overly well herself and now she is in another state and mourning the loss of her sister, whom she was unable to see before she died. I cant get to mum because one of the nurses is away and we dont have another to cover my shifts.

Thursday: by now i am cowering and waiting for the schrapnel.. it doesnt come.. phew..

Friday: yesterday it appears that i was just being given a breather... Bills that i have forgotten with all the drama of getting the kids back to school arrive in my mail box, - AS OVERDUE IMMEDIATELY bills. Great if you have not just had to get three kids back to school i guess... better than other things that could have gone wrong i guess.

Saturday: Worked this morning... the day, over all was uneventful... the nurse on duty obviously got my body language and the look in my eye as she walked in late and understood that i was silently saying "keep the $#%@ away from me today !^!&$"... ~LOL~

I get home, have a shower, and just sit down to do a little more of my assignment as i hear this unfamilary beeping tune in the laundry. (dont you love how all the modern appliances all sing tunes to you!? I have a house full of different tunes).. Matt asks what the washing machine is trying to tell me... ofcourse, it appears that it has learned a new tune.. one that i have not heard before... it is stuck on the rince and spin cycles.. the water will NOT go from the machine.. It appears that the pump has gone..

So, that brings us to Sunday.. today... the day that i have not tempted fate and walked out side.. who knows... they sky may just fall on my head!!!

I hope that the chinaman is okay and soon forgives me and allows me to go back to the normal , generally unrattling chaos of my existance.

and again... it comes to an end..

Why is it that this year seems to be going so fast? Is anyone else feeling it, or is it just me?
Again the weekend is over before I got the chance to enjoy it.. I know that I was studying all weekend so that doesn't help, though bah.. i still would have liked a little weekend for me to spend with Matt and the kids.
yesterday was a total suck of a day... studied for as long as i could before the heat of the day took its toll... Marilyn... can you believe that we had 37.9 celc here!? Total scorcher.. and the 60km searing winds did not help..
my poor tomatos and daliahs are feeling worse for wear... all burned and droopy.. :-(

Anyway... Thought i would just say... Have a great week...

Marilyn... for you, ive added a little more of my fav music... Its a band called SecondHand Serenade.. Totally {heart} them at the moment. Enjoy...

My CJ buddies, i have not done anymore this weekend, though i have done three pages total.. just have to add pages...

All my Boxx friends... stay safe in the heat ... and those effected by the fires.. my thoughts with you..

$%#@ Technology

what more can i say?
$#%@ $%#@ @%#$.

I have been sitting here all day doing an assignment for Uni and have gotten 3/4 of the way through it (9 pages) and looked at the clock and figured "oh, i best save now (no... i didnt save before now) matt will be home in a sec and I have to get to work" (yes, on my day off)... and....

$%@#

My computer froze up for a second and in a mad panic to save, I hit the save button a million times because it didnt work the same time and my screen closed, then the other, that had a heap of things i had copied to read over from websites i had done my reseach from. Some how, the computer has saved over my paper and when i open the document now, all there is are these notes i copied and pasted from the websites.

!%#$ #$@^ !!!!!!!!

Just BRILLIANT!!!!!

That is several hours i will NEVER get back.... and for those who did not hear me the first time...

F**************************************************CK!

way worth the wait..

OMG OMG OMG..CATHY thank you thank you thank you!!!!!
I just recieved my birthday present from and OMG!!!!! EMILY FALCONBRIDGE!!!!!!! OMG.. Thank you so so so much.. They are going to be framed and hung on the wall near the laundry .. you know the one? They will look awesome there. Matt suggested it... He is as we speak hanging my windchime...
Thank you... you were right... it was so well worth the wait!!
oh.. and your card made me cry..

Oooh... whoa... okay... better back the truck up for everyone who isnt cathy, huh!?
I just recieved my present for my birthday... (obviously you got the excitement with that bit, huh!?) But errr.no... I didnt get Emily Falconbridge in the post!!! Though, i did get the next best thing... i got emily art... anyone that knows me.. knows that i have one hell of a (totally straight) crush on this gal... Love her to bits.. love her work... just... love every about her... who wouldnt.. right? Ofcourse... shes an aussie... that just makes it all the more better...
Aaaaaaanyway... Here is a piccy (borrowed from Ems Etsy store... CHECK IT OUT!!).. .
of the prints that i got... which, as you may have guessed... are going on the wall closest to the laundry... riiiiiiiight... you got that... huh!? ~L~

And... i also got the most gorgeous card, which made me cry... and a beautiful windchime about friends..

Cath.. you picked good.. and you were right... It was worth the wait.... WAY WORTH IT!!!

Love ya darlin'
xxxx

Quote of the Year!!!

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "woohoo - What a Ride!"

Mavis Leyrer

The sky is NOT the limit

Matt was right.... I do want more!

and best still.... I DIDN'T SPEW! ~LMAO~

I woke up nice and early this morning so that we could get down to Torquay where the airstrip was that I was taking off from... It was very "how excitement" all the way down...
Ofcourse.. we hit every red light and were running late so I had to give the pilot a call and just let him know that I was running late, not chickening out..

Man.... all i can say is OMFG!!! WOW. The flight was amazing... Matt was right... the sky is not the limit!!!
I did loops, (upside down miss jane!), barrel rolls and lots of dips and dives BUT... even though I wanted to do the stall and spins, the plane that did all that was not ready so I couldnt do them... so... I guess there will be a next time!

I came back dwon to earth with EXTREMELY windblow pig tails (they would not stay tucked in my jacket - and took for ever to brush the knots out of) and a huge ass grin...

I spent the rest of the morning and a little of the afternoon lounging around in beautifully warm water of the ocean at Torquay, right one of the flight paths... (coincidentally).. It was great to actually see from the ground what I was seeing from up in the air.. (if that makes sence)...

Matt didn't get too much of me up in the air as he said i just looked like a tiny dot in the sky... the kids saw their brave (and as Matt would say - Totally $%#&ing crazy mum) which is the main part... Matt however... missed a little of the acrobats as he needed a loo break. Men... I tell ya... can't take them anywhere.. Next time.. Im gonna make sure that everyone goes "potty" before we leave home! ~LMAO~

I just want to say.... thank you so much Matt... Love you with all my heart.
Zoom Zoom and I didnt Spew!!!
xxx

35 is gonna be my year!!!

When you were younger did you ever really give thought to age? I know that i didn't. I have been thinking a lot about that over the last little while...
When i was a teen... I don't think i ever really thought past the age of about 20.. I honestly can't say that it entered the thought process that 30 came next... and then 40... Not that i was stupid... without being full of it, i can say honestly that i was far from it... but it just was not one of the things that I thought about. Sure.. i wanted to study Law or be a teacher.. and i knew that teachers and lawyers were older... we have all seen that... perhaps, it was not so much that i didn't think about it and more that i didn't put an AGE to them.
I am sure that in the back of my mind i knew... though i never thought upon the obvious, ... that I WOULD one day be aging... my face wrinkling with time.. the colour vanishing from my hair as it tends to do as you get older. Those wonderful boobs, sagging and not at all like the pert things that they were before the children came along... and stretchmarks.. my goodness... i know i NEVER considered those!!

Anyway... with those thoughts came the realization that i am now 1/2 way to 70!!
Happy Birthday to meeeeeeeeee!!!! :)

Those pert boobs are a fading memory... the stretchmarks a reminder that youth, while it is no longer mine, is what has been born from my body... youth of my own. The wrinkles that i have, while i don't love them... i am content to leave, as they tell a story... show that i have lived... and most... that i have smiled some... and all i can say about the hair... is thank goodness for the miracle that is hair colourants!

Today, has to be by far one of the best birthdays that i have ever had... and one that i will remember so fondly as more wrinkles form... more hairs fade and my years pile on...
I was woken up super early this morning (just before 6am) to smothering kisses from Mea and presents being shoved in my face by everyone and told that i HAD to GET UP NOW!!!!

"but!!??? Its my birthday!!"... "I don't wanna!!!" i thought.

I unwrapped as they were passed to me... smelly bath stuff, a change purse (i have wanted one for ages for all the loose change that ends up swimming in my hand bag), seasons 1-8 of Will and Grace.. and then, as I was handed my second last present I was again told...

"You know.. You really do NEED to get up!!!"

As i started to open that present i was told again...

"you cant use this... or that" pointing to the other present that Matt was holding "in bed!!!".

"but!!??? Its my birthday!!"... "I don't wanna!!!" i thought again.

A gorilla grip tripod!? What the!??! Weeks ago, i was looking at cameras small enough that i could take anywhere with me since i hate my fuji-film with a passion, only to be told that all those little cameras were crap with a capital C. Without a second thought i wandered away, not even suspecting that I was being tricked.
So.. what did i want one of these for? Didnt they remember... I HATE MY FUJI FILM..

(perhaps it was the early wake up that is to blame for the blondeness ... as im sure i can hear you all saying "DUH... how stupid is this girl!!" but honestly, It didnt even click...)and before i could really think to much, the last present was being flung at me with the words... "It has a really good review in the photography mags... and... apparently, this is great too... ".... I dont recall taking the paper off him.. though in my hands was a Canon box and my newest love, George!

George is a metalic chocolate Canon lxuss 80is, 8.0pix, 12x opti zoom compact digital camera.
"im gonna love him and stroke him and .... call him George!!"...

Ofcourse... as soon as they started chortling "GET UP.. GET UP!!" with excitement I gave up any chance of a birthday sleep in and proceeded to the bathroom to have a shower, as I was informed that we were leaving in precisely 20 mins!!

We had to leave home for my last part of my present... "hmmmmmmmmm!?"....

Turning towards the city I was asked, "the zoo is around here somewhere, right!?"... ofcourse it was... we had been there before.. and before i could say anything, we came across the sign to the car park..

This was quickly told to me to be the last part of my present.. no.. not just a trip to the zoo but a FRIENDS OF THE ZOO yearly ticket!!!!

Where else can i spend hours with george, learning all that he can do!!?
What i didnt know up to this point was, that George has a built in macro function... which would be perfect for me to use in the BUTTERFLY HOUSE!!! (my favourite place, asside from the tangs at the zoo)..

Speaking of the tangs... i got to spend my birthday watching Gabby, one of the resident orangatangs at Melbourne Zoo celebrating her 19th Birthday. How awesome that we were born on the same day, huh!? And no... that was not the reason that we went to the zoo.. Matt said he had no idea that it was her birthday that day.

She was on the channel nine news tonight though they called her clarise.. stupid reporters!!! (on the glass in big letters was written, happy 19th birthday GABBY!!"

anyway... there are still a few hours left of my day.. im going to go now.. revel in the wonderful day that i have and share the rest of the night with the people that make me smile the most in this world... my family...

If today, the first day of the year is anything to go by... this year is going to be a wonderful year!

(will get some piccies edited and posted later)

Do the Wild thing...

Well.. i have finally done it... I have booked my Tiger Moth flight...
Part of the gift was to choose any extras that I wanted to do... (I dont think that Matt was too sure of how "out-there" i would go... ).. Man... have i shown him!!!

Im going totally WILD.
This is my package...

"A tiger Moth Flight to Pt Lonsdale and either on my way there.. or on the way back the aerobatics start... these consist of...
The "barnstormer" is basically a wild ride which gets you up to 2G forces in steep turns and wing-overs just like a roller coaster. Because you are not actually going upside down, this also means that we can keep the flight at our standard low level for spectacular views.
"WILD AEROBATICS"
Includes the Barnstormer plus loops & rolls - now you're inverted up to 3 G forces"

This is all going to happen on Sunday the 4th January. Sucks that i didnt think of booking earlier... as i could have quiet possibly been going up tomorrow!! How awesome would that have been for a birthday!?

Only I saw what the extreme areobatics included I was just going to go all in and choose that.. though they do stall turns and spins... I dont know if i have that sort of constitution... though... i have until sunday to chose what aerobatics i want to do....

What do you think!?
Pretty wild.. huh?

Hope that you all have a great last day of the year.. and where ever you are.. and what ever you get up to... that you have a safe one!
xxx

Talk about being spoilt...

I must have been at the top of Santas good list... either that.. or i have been extremely good to Santa this year!!
This chicky is one spoilt lady... and one who doesnt think that she will be able to remove the smile for weeks yet.

Hey Cath... You know our "zoom zoom a zoom" thing? Well... once again my arms are straight out and the song is being sung... though, its not because you are coming a visiting again.. but because im going up in a TIGER MOTH!!!!!!!!
The card read " when somebody tells you that the sky is the limit, tell them that you have been there... and now you want more!"
I have cried.. i have laughed... i have been walking around with this silly arse grin on my face.. and i swear that it will still be there in a months time.
We are going to try and get me up on new years day...

I have been spoilt more than i could ever have imagined. I have recieved 20 meters of American Craft Ribbon in a multitude of colours and patterns that i dont possess (santa has been doing his home work), gold and diamond earrings, a silver crown that has a CZ stone floating around in the caged in part of the crown. (you know the kind that normally has the velvet in the crown?), J Lo's newest fragrance with body wash and moisturiser, choccies, a makeup bag that i can take in my handbag to work, season 4 of Greys, movies, a Mickey mouse tshirt, a mickey mouse recycled shopping bag and stacks of yummy goodness from the body shop. See what i mean about me being spoilt?

and NO... im not going to go into details of exactly how i got myself so far up on his good list either! ;)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Merry Christmas!

Where ever you are and what ever you are doing this Christmas Morning... I hope that you are all happy, safe and smiling.
From my family to yours...

I hope santa came and brought with you every thing that you wished for...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone.
In a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone.
I had come down the chimney with presents to give,
And to see just who in this home did live.I looked all about,
a strange sight I did see,No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by mantle, just boots filled with sand.
On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.
With medals and badges, awards of all kinds,
A sober thought came through my mind.
For this house was different, it was dark and dreary,
I found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly.
The soldier lay sleeping, silent, alone,
Curled up on the floor in this one bedroom home.
The face was so gentle, the room in such disorder,
Not how I pictured a United States solider.
Was this the hero of whom I'd just read?
Curled up on a poncho, the floor for a bed?
I realized the families that I saw that night,
Owed their lives to these soldiers who were willing to fight.
Soon 'round the world, the children would play,
And grownups would celebrate a bright Christmas Day.
They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year,
Because of the soldiers, like the one lying here.
I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone,
On a cold Christmas Eve in a land far from home.
The very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry;
The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice,
"Santa, don't cry, this life is my choice;
I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more,
My life is my God, my country, my corps.
"The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep,
I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.
I kept watch for hours, so silent and still,
And we both shivered from the cold night's chill.
I didn't want to leave on that cold, dark, night,
This guardian of honor so willing to fight.
Then the soldier rolled over,
with a voice soft and pure,
Whispered "Carry on Santa, it's Christmas Day, all is secure."
One look at my watch, and I knew he was right.
"Merry Christmas, my friend, and to all a good night."

To all my friends & family, both here in Australia and across the pond in America... and all the brave souls of the Australian and American armed forces that we all know that sadly have to be away from their family and loved ones this christmas so we can live and stay free... Merry Christmas and please, where ever you are... be safe.
From my family to yours..
Merry Christmas.

To A very special lady...

On a Very Special Day....

I hope you didnt think i had forgotten! ;)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CATH!!!!

I hope that you have the bestest day ever....


(Click mute on my music thingy and click play below!)

It is that time of the year and all...

Hangover Ratings

1 star hangover
No pain. no real feeling of illness. You slept in your own bed and when you woke up
there were no traffic cones in there with you.
You are still able to function relatively well on the energy stored up from all those
vodka and Red Bulls.

However, you can drink 10 bottles of water and still feel as parched as the Sahara.
Even vegetarians are craving a Cheeseburger and a bag of fries.


2 star hangover
No pain, but something is definitely amiss. You may look okay but you have the
attention span and mental capacity of a stapler.

The coffee you hug to try and remain focused is only exacerbating your rumbling gut,
which is craving a full English breakfast.

Although you have a nice demeanour about the office, you are costing your employer
valuable money because all you really can handle is some light filing, followed by
aimlessly surfing the net and writing junk e-mails.


3 star hangover
Slight headache. Stomach feels crap. You are definitely a space cadet and not so
productive.

Anytime a girl or lad walks by you gag because the perfume/aftershave reminds you
of the random gin shots you did with your alcoholic friends after the bouncer kicked
you out at 1:45 am.

Life would be better right now if you were in your bed with a kebab and a litre of coke
watching daytime TV.

You've had 4 cups of coffee, a gallon of water, 6 chicken nuggets and a litre of diet
coke yet you haven't peed once.


4 star hangover
You have lost the will to live. Your head is throbbing and you can't speak too quickly
or else you might spew.

Your boss has already lambasted you for being late and has given you a lecture for
reeking of booze.

You wore nice clothes, but you smell of socks, and you can't hide the fact that you
(depending on your gender) either missed an oh-so crucial spot shaving, or, it looks
like you put your make-up on while riding the dodgems.

Your teeth have their own individual sweaters. Your eyes look like one big vein and
your hairstyle makes you look like a reject from a second-grade class circa 1976.
You would give a weeks pay for one of the following - home time, a cheeseburger
and somewhere to be alone, or a Time Machine so you could go back and NOT have
gone out the night before.

You scare small children in the street just by walking past them.


5 star hangover
You have a second heartbeat in your head, which is actually annoying the employee
who sits next to you.

Vodka vapour is seeping out of every pore and making you dizzy.
You still have toothpaste crust in the corners of your mouth from brushing your teeth.
Your body has lost the ability to generate saliva, so your tongue is suffocating you.
You'd cry but that would take the last drop of moisture left in your body.

Death seems pretty good right now. Your boss doesn't even get mad at you and
your co-workers think that your dog just died because you look so pathetic. You
should have called in sick because, let's face it, all you can manage to do is breathe
..... very gently.


6 star hangover
You arrive home and climb into bed.
Sleep comes instantly, as you were fighting it all the way home in the taxi.
You get about 2 hours sleep until the noises inside your head wake you up.

You notice that your bed has been cleared for take off and is flying relentlessly
around the room.

No matter what you do you now, you're going to chuck.

You stumble out of bed and now find that your room is in a yacht under full sail.
After walking along the skirting boards on alternating walls knocking off all the
pictures, you find the toilet.

If you are lucky you will remember to lift the lid before you spontaneously explode
and wake the whole house up with your impersonation of walrus mating calls.
You sit there on the floor in your undies, cuddling the only friend in the world you
have left (the toilet), randomly continuing to make the walrus noises, spitting, and
farting. Help usually comes at this stage, even if it is short lived.

Tears stream down your face and your abdomen hurts. Help now turns into abuse
and he/she usually goes back to bed leaving you there in the dark.

With your stomach totally empty, your spontaneous eruptions have died back to 15-
minute intervals, but your body won't relent.

You are convinced that you are starting to turn yourself inside out and swear that you
saw your tonsils shoot out of your mouth on the last occasion.

It is now dawn and you pass your disgusted partner getting up for the day as you try
to climb into bed. She/he abuses you again for trying to get into bed with lumpy bits
of dried vomit in your hair.

You reluctantly accept their advice and have a shower in exchange for them driving
you to the hospital.

Work is simply not an option.

The whole day is spent trying to avoid anything that might make you sick again, like
moving.

You vow never to touch a drop again and who knows for the next two or three hours
at least you might even succeed.

Merry Christmas Guys... and try and avoid the catagory SIX hangovers!!! ~L~

its beyond me..

How i ever did this stay at home thing. While i love my own time... staying in all week has given me a real appreciation for being outside and busy. Dont get me wrong.. i loved being a stay home mum.. and would trade everything to do it again sometimes... but... i think i would have to be an active in the community mum... or teach or... something.

Is it really that i hate staying home... or is it that im sick? I dont know... ~L~

I think the boredom is getting to me... and the medication is making me totally loopy.. Im going crazy.... im so bored.

Since yesterdays rant.. i have created an album in the actual shape of a camera for Matt... complete with a lens that you can see through. (this will be the one and only, never to be attempted again project!) I thought it was going to do my already being done in head, completely in... I have had the raw item sitting on a shelf since the paperific before last.. with the plan of making it into an album for Matt.. though with no clue actually how i was going to accomplish it.
Yesterday afternoon... after hours of sitting staring at it.. (like it would magically take on a life of its own) as it was just so black!

So... i do what any one would do.. i started another project!

I made the christmas cards that i swore this year i was not going to make!! ~L~

Anyway... just after Matt got home it all started to pop ... i knew exactly what i had to do with his album.. So... now.. i am sitting here... waiting for Dimensional Magic to dry... and wondering what other projects i can be rediculous enough to start ... (rediculous is the word... since today is my last official day off work and come hell or high water.. sick or not.. im going back to work on Monday!)...

Perhaps i will do some more of the CJ that is sitting on my desk waiting to be complete so that it can begin its rounds are some very lovely ladies homes.

____________________________________________________________

PS: While i was prattling on, the doorbell rang... it was the posty courier guy.. (who i think may have a secret crush on me. hahahaha.. He has been by three times this week!.. EEEW... must rid that thought from my head. You have not seen my Courier man.. ICK!)Aaaaanyway... (rambling again)... guess what came!? My Pirate Album!!!!! Yippee... finally its home with me again. Thankfully... nothing but the page missing has been damaged... and the page missing was from the end of the book... it was not a page that HAD to be there... (i wrote journalling that ran over a few pages)... so... atleast my notes to Jamie are not gone. Still though.. GRRRR.

What i really would have liked to have said...

Okay... so... this morning... and my rant... well... while i am still pissed about it... i am over it...

So... what i really would have liked to have said this morning is...

ITS BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Only 21 sleeps til the man in red comes a visitin'...

so.. have you been naughty or nice!?

Bottom of the barrel..

Here i am, three days into December... and i thought the next time that i blogged, it would be in the spirit of the season.

I would love to have started this post off with christmas cheer and wishes.. even though i have christmas music playing... im ploughing through a mountain of christmas cards... (i know Cath... i said "NO christmas cards this year"..) and im merrily making good way on Matts Album, i have to blog/vent/post about something that i have just had brought to my attention.

Can you remember a while back i made a castle, house and pirate album for a store online to take to a paper show in Brisbane and then Sydney? Well... it has been a while since i recieved back the castle and house although I have been chasing them up over my pirate album.

Aaaaanyway... i just recieved an email back saying that it is in the post.. (i hope this is the case) although, it was with much sadness that they inform me that one of the pages had been stolen while it was on display at the show in Sydney.

WTF!?

Come on... honestly..... what would someone want with a page in an album that they know nobody in? Should i be flattered that it was obviously so damn fantastic that someone thought it was worth stealing in the first place? Grrrr... I dont think so... im not flattered... im friggin' pissed off!

This has to be the lowest act imaginable.. These things are offered up generously by artists so that those visiting the show can be inspired and see what possibilities lay waiting to be tried.

Not to mention that there was a dedication inside the cover of this album... it was for my son. Who steals from a child?

What is the world coming to!?

What makes me sadder... is that while i have ahd my albums travel over to America and its states, not once but on a few occassions... and have things on display in stores... this happened in Australia!!!

It did not have to go through customs... fly half way round the world... sit on a shelf in a chaotically busy CHA...

all it had to do was sit on a shelf and survive two weekends!

I dont hold the store accountable for what happened... although.... im a strong believer in KARMA... what goes around... comes around... sometimes quicker than one would envisiage...

Its 3 days into december and i have lost just a little faith in mankind... what a wonderful start to what is meant to be the festive season... huh!?

Bah humbug!

Christmas Countdowns..

For a few years now, my gorgeous bestie, Cathy and i have been exchanging advent countdowns.. though, a little different than the generic advent countdowns in the stores. You know the ones... im sure your kids plead for one every year as soon as they hit the shelves. The ones with the little windows... and inside there is a little chocolate!? Mea has one...
Well... ours are way better... they come in a big box... and each day, we have a christmas wrapped gift to open. Somedays it is scrapping stuff that we open... other days chocolate (the GOOD kind)... and then... there are the pressies that are chosen because we know the other will love them..

This year is no different... all the wrapping has been done and the postmen have got busy delivering our boxes... and today, mine arrived. + a postal bag!
You are a naughty naughty girl sweety... every year it seems that the boxes are getting bigger... my jam packed pizza box seems tiny in comparison.. though it is filled with things that i know that you will love.. which is the important thing...
I know that Cathys has arrived.. and her daughter has been helping her open one a day... today... i got to open 3 to catch up... and... there was no way that i was waiting for Mea to come home and help.. that would require strength and resistance... and there were a box full of pressies and three that were requiring immediate attention!!!
perhaps tomorrow... Im sure Mea would love to help me open something.. and count a day closer... I'm sure she will enjoy discovering what my gift is more than eating those generic little fake chocolate treats that are in the store bought calenders. (oh man.. now i just feel bad for her!)

All i can say is... im spoit... and have the best friend ever... (no.. not just because her box is bigger than mine!).. Oh.. how rude that sounds... You try and write that so it doesnt sound wrong... even putting "package" in there ... well.. that just raises curiosity... hmm.
okay.. now i have sucessfully, but not at all purposely turned a sweet post rude.. im going...

Blogger Forgive Me

For i have sinned... it has been 2 weeks since my last entry!

~L~

Hi there from this weird weather sunday in Melbourne.... I thought, since i have got a few minutes, my assignments are done and the house is relatively quiet that i would stop by, say g'day and make an attempt at a life update.

It has been a few weeks since i blogged.. and ultimately started in my 3rd surgery, which im proud to report, that im settling into ... and am still at! ~laughs a little~ Its so not funny... its been a hell of a horrid ride over the last month though one that unfortunately, i had to take. Thankfully though, its over and im settling into this smaller surgery well. I still miss the dentists from surgery one, almost daily, though perhaps one day in the future, i will be blessed to be able to work with them again. Until then, im focussing on the next 7 months of my traineeship and getting through that.

Would you believe that i have actually found myself pulling stuff out and scrapping again today!? There is hope that this circle journal, that was meant to be out at the beginning of the month, may actually be done sooner than anticipated. Im blessed that the girls that I am in this with, are not only as busy as me but totally understanding and as behind as I am on getting them out! ~LOL~

Anyway... hope that your doing something that you are enjoying this Sunday afternoon... and a huge shout out to Lyn! Miss you girl!
xxxx


PS: I would also love to say a heartfelt thank you to the beautiful souls that left me notes as well as those that emailed me in regard to the 2nd surgery expereince. To think that I dont know you and you sent such warm messages was heartwarming. Thank you from the bottom of mine. xxx

Theres such a thing...

as sunshine on a cloudy day!!!

I got the job!!! I start on Wednesday.

I know.. i know.. you have heard this all before... but... this time, ive pre-met the staff... ive had a tour of the surgery... the whole two clinic rooms... and... i think this round peg is gonna fit just nicely.
And just as a bonus... the pay is better.. We are going to nut out the hours tomorrow, though at this point (we all wanted to go home, as you do when the interview is at 7.30pm at night! ~L~) the hours seem to be way better... i dont want to get too excited but it appears that i can be a mum as well as a nurse!!!!

Anyway... off to celebrate with gelato...

mwah.
xxxx

The sky is no indication...

While it is a cool day here in Melbourne and misting with rain, the grey overcast skies above are no indication to the possible sunshine that is just over the horizon.

I just recieved a phone call... and while im not getting over excited, it is definately a step in the right direction... I have an interview at 9.30am tomorrow morning!!!

The practice is not in the city... and is only 30mins train trip from here, which is fantastic... means less time away from the children and hopefully...time for me of a day now that i wont be crammed onto over packed trains for almost an hour.

To those of you who pray... please send a few kind words to your person for me... i need all the prayers that i can get!

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Update: 12.23pm
Well... the day is getting might fine looking...
I just got my last payslip from my first employer and it is complete... CATH!!! You know what this means... i didnt have to pay anything back!!!
Yippppeeee....

ANYWAY.... and... it gets better....

It appears that the dental practice that called this morning about an interview seem really.. REALLY Keen... I have just had a phone call again from the manager, asking if there is any possible chance that i could come in tonight for an interview. (i told them that Matt had the car today).... can you believe that i am going for an interview at 7.15pm tonight!?

Keep the prayers coming... they seem to be working so far!!

Quote of the Day

While doin' a little R&R surfing this morning i stumbled upon the most gorgeous stuff on a blog. You have to go check it out... the stuff is just so cute...
Anyway... at the bottom of this page i found a quote that says it all...

"Sometimes you just have to take the leap...
and build your wings...
on the way down"

This blog has given me so much inspiration this morning... isnt the hanging just to die for!? Well.. i think it is.. and today... that is all that is important!
xxx

After the Rant.. .

While this is my blog and all.. and its a little insight into the life of the girl behind the keys.. i feel a little ummph about putting up such a misserable post this morning. Sundays are meant to be fun-days.. not sad and glum-days...

i know.. i know... good with the bad... pretty with the ugly... life is not complete with out the other..

With that said, i would like to turn the sunday coin over the the bright shiny side and call out a huge hi and welcome to my blog in the manner that im best accustom.. {with a huge smile and happiness} to Tiffany Lee and the one and only {oh my goodness i cant believe she posted on my humble lil blog} Emily Falconbridge!

Also... to all those that visit... and dont say g-day... a huge hello and welcome to you as well.. i hope that you stop by again... and dont let my morning of glum-day-ness put you off.

This week.. appart from the obvious {looking for a new and BETTER job} i pan on doing something quite out of the ordinary.. {can you guess!?}... Im going to scrap!!! {gasp}... and i may even post some piccies of the layouts that are sitting here... undocumented! :P

Anyway... happy Sun-days, not at all glum-days to you...
hope you are laughing hard.. having fun and making the most of the fun-day!!!

xxxx

Lifes plan...

Have you ever wondered what life has planned for you!? Where you fit into the big scheme of things and what is in store!?

I have often found myself wondering upon this exact thing... and... many times, i just shrug and hope that in the end, it just works out for the best. That is after all... all you can do.. right!?

For the past few days i have been trapped between light and dark... and at times feeling like im going to suffocate... and through this time, i have thought almost constantly... "what has life got instore for me NOW... " As if life has not already thrown me enough curve balls in my 34 years of existance.. it seems that its not yet done and ready to move onto someone else.

If you have been a regular reader of my blog you would have known that i have been studying and working as a dental nurse for a little while now... and while i loved what i did, hated the management for who i did it. Anyway... i thought i did the right thing... actually, im positive that i did the right thing by leaving that environment... though, to what i moved onto.. i can only explain at this point as a living nightmare.

I have given up wondering why life does the things it does... and have just come to accepting it... what elses is there to do!? I have tried sticking my head in the sand... and it did nothing but got sand in my ears. Anyway....

I started this new and what i was hoping to be "exciting" position on Monday this week past, only to discover by lunch time, when my induction by management was over that i was being fed to the lions. I entered the steri room where they were all gathered.. and without exageration it was like feeding time at the zoo.

I am a fuller figured person... yes.. some would say fat.. though im trying to keep a little of my dignity in tact here and be tactful.. and all around the room were pictures of big chicks.. i mean... bigger than i ... bigger than i really have ever seen anyone... over weight dogs, cats... they were all on display on this huge cork board. Each of them with some vulgarity written beneath, associating to the image shown.
It didnt take long for actual comments to be made, not directly at me, though about anyone that was not a size 0. These girls spent too much time bitching and not enough time eating, for im sure between them (8 of them) they would not have together filled out my size 18 shirt. Comments like "surely they look in the mirror.. unless they have just given up turning sideways to get a good look... why dont they just stop eating. Dont they know that there are fammines happening!? They could feed a country by themselves!"..
That is just one of the inspirational things that i heard that day. And i say this with as much contempt as it was spoken.

I know... i could grow thicker skin and just ignore it... right!? Well... i guess i could, though that would make the 10.5 hour long shifts extremely long.. and well.. not a happy place to be anyway.
I tried... i have to say, i tried with every bit of energy that i had left to fight off the hurt that i was feeling.. and i think i could have suceeded until one of the girls come screaming into steri with threats, ofcourse, to them, made in jest ... to kill the patient and dentist for running late. Ofcourse, There it seems all about the nurses... goodness forbid if a proceedure took longer than expected. That is life.. that is reality in this profession after all.

Now.... again, i guess these are the things that normal people would shrug off, or even add a fake laugh to, to be part of the group.. though to me.. who is terrified of any sort of violence, from raising of voices onwards.. it was so much more. I was pysically sick all day. It took me all my time and effort not to throw up ..

Life throws things at us all the time... though not once did i say that i had to put up with all that it threw. There are times that i can choose to take myself out of the equation... and in this circumstance, that is exactly what i did.
I lost my father 15 years ago, and at the same time almost lost my own life and that of my 12 day old daughter, mother and husband to a maniac with a butchers knife. That situation, evidently, i could not remove myself from.. though this time... im not going to stand by and be a victim to someone elses insanity, weather it be in jest or not...

so after a lot of tears... feelings of guilt and failure, i decided that my sanity was worth so much more than what the contract at this new position was offering in way of salary..

Hopefully, my unemployment will only be a brief stay..

Lastly... Through all of this turmoil i have had someone listening (besides mum and Matt)... (even if it was by sms message)... thinking of me and offering their thoughts to try and help me out of the darkness i was feeling myself drawn too...
I dont know what i would do if i was not to know her... where I would be if she had not chosen a few years back to be part of my life... i could not imagine anyone else in your place..

You are truely the angel in my life. Thank you. xxxx

a day for recovering...

For someone that is on their feet so much through the day... man oh man do my feet kill!

I think that it is just gonna be the perfect day for more chatting... revelling in our own gloriousness and chillin'....

I dont know what the poor people are doing today... though... im sure that it wont be half as good as the rich day of nothing that we are going to enjoy!

xxx

Oh crap... forgot that we need groceries... soooooo..... i guess our rich day of nothing is going to have to be put on hold until we hunt n' gather..

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UPDATE: After a gorgeous brunch at a lovely little cafe in the town center.. and a little grocery and fruit shopping... shoes are off... feet are ready to be pearched... and nothing is about to be achieved.
Enjoy your sunday!!

we went.. we saw... we...... conquered!

We went we saw.. we touched... we bought... we walked out almost dead on our feet and totally exhausted!!!

Paperific would not be the same.. If i was not there shopping with my bestie.

All i can say at this point is.... I LOVE MY TAX MAN!!!!! I got the best surprise in my mail box yesterday.. and just in time for today..
We did the touchy feely thing... and... errrmmm... bought about 70% of what we actually touched... wandered... chatted some more {yep... after yesterday we STILL could find things to talk about!} did the only two make and takes that were worth doing.... and caught up with Miriam. {what a trooper... what a star... } She is so patient... instead of complaining that we were taking to long everywhere we stopped, she would go off on mini little expeditions by her self... source the bargains... spend a little of the national budget and then come back and share where she found her finds... and then show us... wait for us.. and help us spend even more of the budget. Talk about having a nose for the things i was looking for!!! She even found the perfect cardstock to use on my circle journal... im so excited and actually cant wait to get started on it! Im not going to give anything away at the moment... though i will say this... oooooooooooh.... totally divine!!!
{will take a piccie and share my new stash later}... new ribbons... - maya road, making memories, american crafts ... {like i need more.. but can i just say... YUMMI!}.... sasssafrass lass loot. {aka this purchase sees me now owning i think the majority of all their collections}... making memories papers....some of the new Making Memories clear stamps...{very delish}... some purdy coloured fine glitters to use when i get my SLICE {i cant wait.. only $23 left on the layby}....a cosmo cricket "blackboard" mini album, totally gorgeous maya road cupcake and owl coaster albums, maya road chippy letters, cardstock, KI lacey cardstock... tape... and im sure a zillion other things that i just cant remember at this point..

I think Cathy was a little put off, or.. atleast thrown though with the ammount of people that stopped her and said "I know you!" "Where do i know you from!?"... We discovered later that these people could have only known her through published work of mine, which has her face on it... Im sorry if you got embarrassed darlin... though i knew you would be famous one day!!!!

Now... though... if you dont mind... my glass is empty and i believe requires a refill and there is a glorious sunset that im going to go enjoy with my famous friend!

Rasberries.+ vodka + sunsets =

A hell of a good time and surely a sore head in the morning.

Yes, she arrived... in one piece even... though, i cant guarentee that she will return to Canberra the same way.
Sorry Tony!

hahahaha...

Let the games begin!!!

Well... today is the day.... the gorgeous girl from NSW is here!!!!! Im so excited!

I didnt know that two girls could really talk so much about nothing really at all... though between the airport... and seeing the same 3 mcDonalds while trying to get out of the airport (i knew i should have turned tomtom on - my sat nav for the pervy of you) and home, we talked about everything and anything i think.

I had to run a few errands before we got in the door.... {i so knew i shouldnt have written that list!} and still... the chatter continued.
Thankfully Matt knows us well enough now to know what to expect when we picked him up! ~L~


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CONGRATS TO SIMONE AND FAMILY ON THE BIRTH OF THEIR VERY ADORABLE TWIN BOY AND GIRL THIS MORNING!!! {born while Cathy was mid flight!}

Why do chicks make lists!?

What does one do when she has a Paid day off from the place she no longer works?

SHE GOES SHOPPING!!!!! :D

I have decided that after the crap that i have been going through with work over the last few weeks that today, i would make my rostered day off all about me. Soooooooo...
Im here to say hi... (not something i do enough these days so it seems)
then im going to jump in the shower, drop two of my three at school. B1 is feeling unwell.. then im going to go to:

1.) Go to the hair dressers and hide any signs of aging.
2.) Go and buy a nice spring weather shirt for tomorrow to wear tp Paperific.
3.) buy a pair of shoes
4.) buy some Ts for under my new uniform
5.) Pick my man up from work. (He is getting off early today. Always a great RDO treat)
6.) Go to the liquor store to purchase something for celebatory drinks
7.) try and grab some groceries
8.) pay some off on my SLICE layby...
9.) try and get into see the dentist (i know... on my day off from working at a dentist? Go figure. ~HAHAHA~
10.) Asside from picking up my man, the next best part of today will be....

PICKING UP CATH FROM THE AIRPORT!!!!!!!

(ive been awake since 4am this morning... toooooo excited to sleep... if only the stores were open at that time, i may have had a chance to get all of my list accomplished. I know that it probably wont happen today, though... a girl has to have a list.. right!?)

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CATH! You should know Melbourne by now.... we can have 4 seasons in one day... though, today, the weather seems to be going all out for you... it appears to be planning a GLORIOUS day in your honour... though dont forget a cardi. xxxx

Tour of Duty..

Well... as it was well put yesterday by one of the Dentists, to another, who tendered her resignation a few weeks before i did, "The tour of Duty and slumming it in the trenches is over... well done for getting out the door alive"
Today.. i wreaked havok on the unsuspecting ... those who didnt really know what the "real" me was like... you know.. right cath!? I was just short of having a desk chair race down the corridors, though one of the darling ladies that i worked with, and i had our own, mini "steri olympics."
Made the unbearably long day go a hell of a lot quicker.. though.... not something that i really think, while fun, will make me regret my descision to leave.
So... as it was said to the dentist yesterday...

My own tour of duty is over... i survived.... though i dont think the front door will ever be the same from the force that was dealt to it as 5.45pm came and i flew out!

On that note... ZOOM ZOOM A ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM!!!!!!
See you tomorrow arvo gorgeous!!!!!!!

Happy..(early) fridays to y'all.

4 Days..... 4 Days.....

Im so excited.... 4 days!!!.

That is how many days it is until i walk out the front door of that surgery and never EVER look back! Man i can't wait.

Cath.... you my sweet best friend... you will be the light of glimmering hope at the end of what i am expecting to be a very misserable week. Do you think they would let me go without giving me a hard time!?
I think not... if its anything less than miserable, i will be surprised...

5 sleeps... 5 sleeps!!!! Im so excited... its 5 sleeps until my glimmering beacon zoom zoom a zoom zoom zooms into Melbourne!!!

What a lovely way to end my week!!

where ever y'all are this coming week... stay strong, safe and happy... if you can't, just think... its only 5 days until the weekend!!! ;)