ahh well...

This is always being said in our house and is slowly encroaching its way into the vernacular of a few family members and several friends. It is a very useful little saying...you fell over pet...ahh well, cricket rained out AGAIN...ahh well, I didn't get the job I went for today and really wanted...ahh well (I can only think that the universe has something else in mind for me - we will wait and see I guess).

I am in real need of serious blog time but alas alack I do not think it is going to happen tonight. I am in the first stages of a cold (you know how horrible that is don't you?) and it is perhaps the most cold, miserable night of the winter so far - so things are a little bleak here...ahh well.

Maybe tomorrow the sun will be shining and I may well be seduced by a spot in the sun where I can perch my trusty laptop on my knee and tap away to my hearts content and tell you all what I have been up to...maybe, maybe not...ahh well.

sombre...or joyful?

Listening to the Rufus Wainright version of Hallelujah (yes ok, it is a favourite of ours...any version) - but this one is a little more sombre than others I think (bit ironic considering its origins)...anyway at the same time reading another Blog about knitting and it reminded me of my current project (well one of anyway). I was terribly affected by the recent passing of the beautiful Jane McGrath - I don't know why, I didn't know her personally, but her strength, her courage and her obvious commitment to her husband and family has always struck a chord with me and while I guess I knew her illness would have its obvious conclusion it hurt and upset me more than I thought anything like that would - (to the point where the boss offered me compassionate leave because he could see I was so upset!!) To be fair though I was less upset and more just plain cross that this woman had been taken away from all who loved her... anyway the upshot of this is that the first born girl and her friend Ezzy Mez are in the process of organising a girl's night in and I am knitting pink socks for all attendees (see the connection now to the blog re knitting...sorry if it took a while). Anyway we are working toward a great night with all of us in snuggly pink socks and raising lots of money for a great cause. I look forward to showing you many photos of the night when it happens.

Just wanted to get that out there!

Cheers

And so to Friday...

Soooo...finally it is Friday AND it is the school holidays. So the past week has not been quite the nightmare it usually is. The Chief Clansman and first and second born boys arrived back home to much frivolity on Monday night...will add the photos of that later...the camera is soooooo far away and so cannot possibly download!!! Ahh well. I have had my three days at work...I still cannot help but say that smugly...working three days a week is simply sublime...but alas, alack I am sure it will not last forever, so please forgive me if I crow about it a little more...and have now commenced 11 days leave!! Yeehah!!! That is of course 11 days in total...really only 5 work days (thanks to the new arrangements) BUT 11 days nonetheless!!! The true beauty of all this is of course that the children are on school holidays so we have been able to kiss goodbye to the whole school/work routine!!! YAY! No yelling to get people out of bed in the mornings, no lunches to pack, no extra curricular activities to get them to and (the best of all) NO WEEKEND SPORT!!!!!!!! Life is truly good!!
The hols have been quiet so far. Have just, however, farewelled our Canadian friends for the evening...have had a lovely time with them (they are truly hilarious and I do so enjoy educating them in the Australian way) - as well as getting some free psychological advice from Mr Canada (who lectures in the subject) re recalcitrant youth - with the added delight of a free firework show courtesy to 1. Holy Smoke who put it on, and 2. Our location which puts us in perfect viewing sight of O'Connor Catholic College where the festivities were taking place for, you guessed it, WYDSYD08 - yes it even affects us out here in the boondocks!!! Positive so far though! Well, come on, who doesn't love fireworks?
We are now sitting back and continuing to imbibe and listening to a few tunes on my poddy. Oasis on at the moment...what can I say?...it has been an eclectic mix so far though with KD Lang's version of Hallelujah (indeed), Dire Straits, The Smiths, Oasis and now a bit of Chisel....the fun WILL continue with possibly a selection from High School Musical!!! Well, I did say it was eclectic!!!!
The holidays will continue next week when myself and a couple of offspring (still to be confirmed) are off to the home of my birth...good old WW...

(I had this photo already on file) where we are having a reunion of sorts with "old" friends to celebrate various and sundry 40th birthdays. Will be travelling via Warialda where we will visit my beautiful Piggy Queen (a "new" friend -I will explain that one to my WW friends when I see them) and will then head on to the Cotton Capital (or is that Capitol...hmmmm??). Any-hugh (that is a whole other story) I am sure it will be a blast....for those reading who may be attending, I think i have everything organised!!!!!! Fingers xxxx'd!!!
We are onto Crowded House now on the hit parade.....VERY nostalgic to say the least...

Sunday

Well, what an interesting week we have had here. Household numbers were decimated over the week and we were down to only five in the house!! As mentioned in a previous post the Chief Clansman and boy children numbers 1 and 2 have been in Albury , and now Orange, for a hockey fest. That left boy child number 3 as the "man of the house". A role he has very grudgingly tried to fill...sitting at the head of the table for breakfast, helping to put the rubbish out and of course monopolising the remote control - even to the extent of allowing me to go to bed when the footy has been on!! Whata man!! We have had fun really. It is amazing how the dynamics in a household change when some are absent...it doesn't seem to matter who it is that is away either... it is always calmer and way more relaxed.

So the travellers will return sometime tomorrow and while it will be a relief to have them back home safe and sound it will also mean a return to the more everyday dynamics of our household - back to eight people sharing the one toilet!!!! Ahh well. Which reminds me....should I clean it before they return??? Nahhhh, why bother really...

School holidays have started here so that normally heralds a relaxation in the housework...really what is the point of cleaning up when the house is going to be full of 6 children, plus various hanger-ons for the next two weeks - I can't see it myself.... Also I am hoping that we will make a little more progress on the reno's over the break, which will mean even more dust and dirt so again...what is the point??? I really can't see one...sooo should I put away the mop and bucket and vacuum cleaner for another day??? Ok...you convinced me!!

A little bit about me...

Ok- so have spent a little bit of time this afternoon fiddling around with my blog page. Still very much a learner but it is starting to look a little like I imagined it. I have had a great day today. I have recently started part time leave without pay and so am currently only working three days a week. I work in admin - I hate the telephone and have never really been what you would call a people person - do you think I am in the wrong job -uh yeh - hence the cutback on work hours. That and the fact that getting eight people out of the house by 8.30am EVERY morning was starting to become just a little bit stressful.

Soooo -today I have dabbled in a little bit of housework, a couple of loads of washing (it was a good drying day in the New England today), a bit of work in Illustrator working on a hang tag for my knitted products, a spot of grocery shopping (the supermarket is a whole other world in the middle of the day), a bit of cooking - I have poached some pears in a vanilla syrup...

...they look yum anyway... and now the blog.

The children -well 4 out of the 6 anyway - are home from school. The baby girl and the middle sized girl are making a batch of choc chip biccies...

They are good at that...they keep the cake tins and the morning tea bags full that is for sure.

The baby boy and the middle sized boy are home too - both doing a really good job at avoiding homework or physical activity. Mind you they do a fair bit of physical activity on the weekends...

hockey...

...and soccer (up the hill last weekend...chilly!!!!)

The big boy and girl are both off doing their stuff this afternoon. The big boy is allegedly at school/basketball (and I say allegedly because he has been a little bit naughty lately and has taken to wagging school which has the Chief Clansman and I almost at our wits end - well me anyway...) and the big girl - well I believe she is shopping for a digital camera. She has been working very hard at two jobs (which is about to become three!!) and managing to save money for the camera. She is off on a school excursion to Brisvegas in August so wanted the camera for that. Mind you, I had it in the back of my mind to buy her a camera for her birthday/Christmas....so I guess it is back to the drawing board for me!!! Ahh well!!!! The Chief Clansman is, of course, still at work.

He and the middle sized boy (and the big boy too if I have my way)are off to Albury and Orange on Monday for PSSA Hockey. The rest of us will stay here and keep the home fires burning...although we don't have a fire to keep burning anymore, not sine the reno's started....let me take you back a bit.

This is what our house looks like...

It's not a bad house - big enough, nice size yard, reasonable location etc, etc. BUT - it had a stinky old fire in the front room which pumped out good heat but unfortunately also pumped out a lot of smoke, ash and dust. The 3am kickstarts were also starting to wear a little thin...so the Chief Clansman and I put our thinking caps on and came up with the great idea that we should take the fire out along with the wall that it sat in that separated the front room from the kitchen. So that is just what we did...

everyone (well almost) got in on that act...note the summer attire...no fire needed when we started!!

then it was just the Chief Clansman on his own...

...nah not really - he was really just the labourer - our beloved Pete was really the man in charge.

Anyway I will show you a photo of the finished product when it is - finished that is!!!!

It is almost there and is looking fantastic...but back to the beginning - we won't be able to keep the home fires burning, but we will have that split system fired up that is for sure.

Well time is ticking on. I feel I have had a reasonably productive day... and you know what? I get to do it all again tomorrow!

C ya.

Weekends...

Don't you just love the weekends??? I do...even the ones that don't include public holidays!! Mind you, this one right now has been especially busy for some reason. There was the haircutting, the de-lousing, the birthday party present shopping, the soccer, the hockey, the netball...and that was all before midday yesterday!!! Since then we have handled call outs to check the alarms at TAFE, cajoled Laddie No. 3 to take the soccer field (he was a little stressed as he was playing against his former team...he took his new team to a 2-1 victory with him responsible for the 2 goals!!), shopped for Laddie No.2s new sandshoes and SKINS for his trip to PSSA hockey in Albury, delivered Lassie No.3 to the first of the two birthday parties she was to attend this weekend, done 5 loads of washing, watched the end of Lassie No.2s netball game, visited someone in hospital, dropped in on friends to collect Lassie No.1 and deliver her to her babysitting job for the night, dropped Laddie No.1 off at Midnight basketball where he was reffing...and then...phewww...we sat down and had a quiet glass of vino while we watched the last episode of Bed of Roses and then the fella's watched the Wallabies... I didn't stick around for that... a quick check out the window to see if it was snowing (unfortunately not) and then it was in to bed to read for a bit and wait for the phone to ring to collect those still out and about...of course it wasn't actually me that had to go and do the collecting...god no, that's a daddy job that one...but I was here providing moral support!!!! And that my friends was just Saturday!!!! Today has been not quite as busy but almost. Washing (it NEVER stops), ironing, hockey, hockey and more hockey (they are still there as I type...), a spot of baking and a bit of craft and now to the blog....and the rest of Sunday, a glass of wine, some comfy footwear, perhaps a spot of knitting, and oh yeah...the de-lousing of my own head....ohhh didn't I mention that?? Ahhwell...

So until the next instalment, have fun and keep smiling....

Public Holiday Monday

Yippee...gotta lurve the public holiday Monday...the only time my "Mondayitis" retreats...