A Ramble - 20/03/10

Autumn has fallen. The first cold morning of the season turned out to be a scorcher of a day and to date this has been the norm…I can handle this so roll on more of the same because I’m not looking forward to winter. Parts of me have started to ache already. I don’t like when parts ache especially when I’m trying to sleep.
It was younger sisters’ birthday on the 17th. Mum didn’t care for any of the St Patrick type names so sister is named Janice; I could tell you some of the other names she’s been called over the years but that/those are other stories and you never know who’s out there listening LOL
I’m feeling sort of blah today - hang on I’ll repeat that with feeling - BLAH!!! Even it being a Saturday makes no difference. Hopefully cooler days will take some of the stress away. What stress I hear you ask, oh I don‘t know that‘s why I feel BLAH I guess.
Yesterday wasn’t too bad I managed to make Annie Jean’s recipe for Rhubarb Cake which turned out fantastically thank you AJ, just one question, is the topping supposed to run all down the sides and over the bench? there I was with palette knife turning it this way and that trying to stop the drips…It was okay this morning obviously having had time to set :o)
There has been so little rain lately and the garden has past its best, probably because I haven’t watered so often. To tell the truth I haven’t watered in weeks. Why? Ennui I guess, alot of it.
We are having boiled corn beef and carrots, mashed potatoes and silverbeet this evening so this morning I picked the last of the silverbeet to find they were covered in Vine Hopper adults, and young. I hate those pesky things they sucked the life out of my raspberries but luckily they fruited well and I harvested enough to make a few jars of jam and some to give away.
I noticed I had 15 items on my grocery list again this week. Unintentionally for the last few months my list has comprised 15 items. There is no deeper meaning here, after much thought I decided the only reason for it was the size of my paper.
Our supermarket is under new management. Gone is the in-house bakery! and the whole place has undergone a transformation…okay that may be an exaggeration but changes are definitely afoot and I must say there are more frowns a than smiles about the place.
Did I tell you my niece got married? She looked gorgeous off course and I had a little weep, aw gee sniff… here is a pic. I'm the one on the edge with the green top and hubby is behind me.
Max woke me with his barking at 4am the other morning so I jumped up to shout at him through the window. A car was sitting in our drive with the head lights on so I dashed into the kitchen grabbing my glasses on the way, throwing a coat over my nightie and shoving my feet into slippers but by time I got outside the car had gone. I made a fuss over Max you know in “that” voice “who’s a clever boy? you are, oh yes you are, good boy MAx, etc” and went back to bed then at 6am the same thing happened. This time I managed to get outside before he took off. It was an elderly guy from out of town looking for his relative who was at that moment looking out his window next door no doubt wondering what the dogs were barking at.

Weekly Ramble - 18/10/09

17th October
Well would you believe Brian woke up from the anaesthetic yesterday to be told the gallstone was still inside him. The surgeon said it was too dangerous to continue so will try again in 6/8 weeks. In the meantime they inserted a tube to drain the bile away. One good thing to come of it - after 48 hours Brian can return to a normal diet - he‘s pleased about that.

Younger than me sister has decided it will be a good thing to make her own cracker cheese. She brought round samples for morning tea this morning.
I hope she gets better at it by Xmas
My other sister is trying to find a butter churn. She hopes to be totally self sufficient in a couple of years when she retires. She and her hubby already have pigs (makes THE most delicious hams) and a milk cow. She wants to make her own butter, cheese and yoghurt.
Youngest sister and her hubby are off to England for 12 months next year. They will work and see Europe, I’m envious.
I don’t think I could become self sufficient, I’m too lazy but I would like to visit England again.

I can’t believe I haven’t a book to read! Whatever happened to the week! I had plenty of time on Saturday morning or so I thought. I don’t think I could read Pillars of the earth again so soon. I’ve read it so often I almost believe I lived then lol.

The partner of my deceased brother Leonard has a new love. He moved in with her last weekend. I don’t know how I feel about that but it’s not my business any more.

I love Spring. The world is so colourful and the temperatures are very much to my liking. Autumn is good too for the same reasons.

If I have any regrets in life it’s that I never enquired if there were other choices. I trained to be a nurse because there was a training hospital here, but what might I have been.
It’s easy to say I would have been good at this or that. I’ve always been interested in how things work and am always curious enough to read about why things are the way they are like how do the layers of different colours appear in rocks. How did they get there, when and what are they made of…anyway whatever might have happened didn’t which is just as well I guess - I mean imagine not having met beloved Brian. Don’t worry I don’t lose sleep thinking about it but it strikes me every now and then when I see a female electrician, fire engine driver, builder, mechanic etc, etc, etc.

I’ve been trying to write a poem for Halloween…I think it’s done now and I’ve promised not to look at it again because if I do it will never be finished. I can’t help changing a word here, removing a portion there…it’s so frustrating. How do you know when to end it!

Beautiful Spring day today. I started a new client. She’s lovely and was one of my mother’s dearest friends. I didn’t know this when I went today but we got on really well when she realised who I was. Small towns do have their uses.

Aquilegia , what a pretty name for a pretty flower. I have 4 blooming at the moment; 3 yellow and one tri-coloured. One was SUPPOSED to be purple!

Weekly Ramble 28/07/09

One of the local primary schools is dedicating a poetry corner in their library to my dad. You might remember he was something of a poet. He would be so proud and would have written a poem especially for this day. He was so modest too (NOT!) and would probably have said something like…“But, I’m worth it,” lol.
A new water tank is going in at our family caravan place down the coast...I don’t know... What's wrong with the old one huh!!!
It is a recorded fact that my great grandparents built the old water tank to capture an underground spring. For over 100 years it has supplied the family owned general store, boarding house and one or two other homes around about. Now it only supplies our camp site and one other house. So many cracks and leaks means water is being wasted though I have never known it to actually run dry.
Talking of summer - oh wasn’t I anyway I’ve been trying to tell Brian - A few warm and sunny days do not a summer make…he wants to dispense with his winter vest. Not ME though. My thermals are staying firmly fixed to my body for at least another month! Oh apart from coming off for washing off course - goes without saying
I noticed Max had a broken canine tooth on Sunday so Brian took him off to the vet on Monday. They found he also had 2 broken back teeth. The advice? do nothing until he stops eating or shows signs of swelling or pain. I don’t know anything about dogs apart from what I read so I hope they know what they are doing.
The other day we had such winds…when I looked out our fence was swaying a foot back and forth. I was sure it was going to blow down. Luckily it’s still standing butfor how long.
Oh will you look at this lol. Looks like Max is fed up with being ignored
I was thinking of what to do with my hair this summer i.e. have it cut or let it grow and realized that for almost my whole life I have had a love hate relationship with my hair. Nothing has consumed so much of my time and I can’t even remember if I’ve ever been completely satisfied with it, I don’t suppose for a minute I’m alone in this?
This has been a very quiet time around home so that’s my lot for now happy days…