GLAD I LISTENED

A few days ago I was in a really foul mood.

And on Monday I was all ready to get my hair cut off.

Like, up to my shoulders.

I was sick of it.

Sick of wearing it up in a pony tail or bun.

Sick of all the fly aways that then sprung out all over the place.

Ikkkk, did my head in.

BUT luckily ... the girls told me NO, don't do it.

So I held off.

Glad I listened now, cos today I am liking my hair, and the length.

ABOVE:  Even the colour is quite nice at the moment!  In 'real life' it's not quite that gold... it's still a real mousy colour.  Like washed out brown, not blonde or gold.

But I digress.   I have been wearing it out the past few days, and I even curled the ends (result above).  And I'm liking it.  Well I am today.

Who knows how I'll feel about it tomorrow!  

😋😂😏 I'm a bit fickle.

ABOVE:  Cute dogs.  Brylee?  Not so much. More like an annoying itch in a place ya can't reach.  Most days.

ABOVE:  All clean, except for the one with the soup in it.  They should all have been taken home by the end of today.

Not a sight I ever want to see in my kitchen again!

ABOVE: Bex bought herself one of those HUGE Hooded tops like my pink one last night.  That's Dante modeling it.

ABOVE: And both boys in it.  Silly little buggers.

Now... today?

I'm going out to buy a few more canvas's.  Then I will probably get some housework done before MAYBE doing another painting.  We will see.

ONWARD...

11.23 am:  Been home half an hour.

Amanda came shopping with me.

We visited Bunnings, Spotlight and Gordon Harris (Art supply shop).

I got everything I wanted:

ABOVE:  I got most of what's in the back there!

ABOVE:  Now I have enough canvas's to last me a while.

I tell ya, selling paintings is neat...  gives you the cash to make more.  Love that.

ABOVE:  Clearly I use a lot of Blue paint!  I got more today.  Can ya tell?  lol

ABOVE:  There's Amanda, eating left over soup from last night.  Derr, I was gunna have that for MY lunch!

Too late now obviously.

NOW I've gotta watch  HER and LACY, they both raid me bloody fridge!!!

Brylee just came out of her room, ready to get herself some lunch before she heads off to work.  AND.... she was looking for that soup too.  ha ha ha.

*** I'm mixing paint ***.... hope to do some painting tomorrow.

11 pm:  Stew and Steve went for drinks after work at our little local pub.  I went to spend a little time with Bex and the boys, then the guys walked back from the pub and I drove Stew home.

A late dinner ensued, then some TV/Netflix before bed.

BIT OF A DISASTER

So.

Last night, just as we were about to head out to dinner... Stew calls out from the garage "Darling, come here"!

I'm like, what's wrong?  I imagined one of the dogs might have shat in the garage... but no.

Someone (most likely me) had inadvertently turned off the freezer, and ALL OUR MEAT was defrosted.

Like two weeks worth of meat.  All still cool, but definitely defrosted.

So, I very quickly jammed all the sausages in a huge pot and got Brylee to cook them all while we were out to dinner.

ABOVE: All cooked, ready to get put in containers and back in the freezer.

ABOVE:  Done, ready to be chucked back in the freezer.

The rest of the meat went into the fridge, to be cooked up today.

So, guess what I'm doing all day?

Yep. 

I've got three pork bellies to cook, several dozen chicken drumsticks, lamb chops, a beef roast, a bacon hock and god knows what else!

Amanda and Bex are coming over first thing with crock pots, so I can get stuff cooking!

Once everything is cooked I can then re-freeze it all.  And not have to cook dinner for quite a while!

Well... I will, but at least the meat part will just need to be defrosted and reheated.

What a bloody pain in the arse!

ONWARD...

10.15 am:

Kelly arrived at 8.30 with the first crock pot.... 

ABOVE: Then these three arrived en masse with more!

By then I had two lots of meat cooking in the oven, and two crock pots on.

ABOVE: And there ya go.  It's 'Crock Pot Central' here!

3.16 pm:  My house smells.  I don't think it smells great either.  Cooking meat?  Not my cuppa tea.  But at least all the meat has been saved.

I don't even know what we will choose to have for dinner tonight.  lol

Amanda and Joel will be here as well.  Talk of the devil, they arrived just as I was typing that!

Me Mum is in hospital again, awaiting an MRI or CAT scan.  She's got unexplained pains in her tummy, hips, leg etc.  Talk about a drama queen!

But in all seriousness, I hope she's sorted out quickly and can get outta hospital and home safe again.

9.27 pm:  And it's been a busy evening.  We had Amanda and Joel here for dinner, we ended up having Pea and Bacon Hock soup, with Pita bread.  It was really nice.

Then Steve, Bex and the boys arrived for a quick visit too.

So the house has been buzzing ALL DAY.

Loved it really.

But now, it's time to just sit and watch TV till bed time.

JUST A NORMAL DAY TODAY...

No new paintings to show.

No finishes in the Sewing Studio either.

Just gunna sew till 1.30 and get the two Tree Runners finished.

I'm tired.

After I shut shop I will be having a nap.

Not been sleeping too well .... no idea why.  The  new bed is WONDERFUL, so it's not that.

Maybe it's just me mind, shit going around and around in it?

It's annoying as there is nothing really bothering me ... maybe Griffin is a bit, but that's not exactly a new situation.  So I can't think why I'm not sleeping well at the moment.

Funny how SLEEP is so damn important to our day eh?  When you don't get enough day in, day out (or is that night?)... it drags you down eventually.

I know I'm border line exhausted right now.  I just want to sleep all the time.

Crazy.

But of course, ya can't sleep all the time... cos then you perpetuate the 'can't get to sleep at night' roundabout.`In fact, I shouldn't have a bloody nap! Derrr.

I'm feeling cross that the antibiotics might not be working too.  I will be pissed off if I have to go spend another $50 at the Doctors for what?  Another course of antibiotics?  Who knows.  There's still a couple of days left to go with the current course, so fingers crossed it does kick this problem to the curb.

Meh.... that's me for now.  Tell me something to cheer me up would ya?

What ya doing?  Anyone going shopping?  What ya buying?  Anyone going somewhere nice/different/exciting?  Or are ya stuck at home/work doing the same old shit?  Are you in isolation?  How's your area doing re:  Covid-19?  Are you being careful?  

Can you believe how many people are NOT giving a shit about others and doing NOTHING to protect themselves or others from Covid-19!  That does my head in I tell ya.  edit:  The was directed at people overseas (Australia/USA etc), we are pretty good here.

Right, I'm off to start the day... stitching to be done.

ONWARD...

9.10 am:  In the studio.  Got the dogs for company.  Shame they don't talk, it can get a bit lonely in here.

Looking at the runners... don't feel like sewing.  *sigh*

Nice day out there though!  Sun's out, not too many nasty clouds threatening to burst forth and piss on my day.

Might put on Netflix and watch something soppy.  Or a Crime Investigation type one, I love those.

Right, it's 1.30 pm and I have finished all the stitching of the tree runners, added the backing and quilting... now all that's left to do is sew the binding fabric into a long enough strip to go around each one and sew them on.

But that's gunna wait until tomorrow.  I'm done in here for now.

No visitors in the shop today, just the dogs.

ABOVE:  For the first time, I added hills behind the trees.  I think it gives added interest.  I like them, what do you think?

Coco is snoring.  I on the other hand, am not.

6.42 pm:  And Stew and Steve are out helping Amanda move a few things into storage from her little gift shop out in Taupiri.

Once they get home, Stew and I are going out to dinner at Little India, here in Hamilton.

We have not been there in like... 20 years!  It will be interesting to see if their Butter Chicken is anywhere as good at Happy India in Cambridge.

We almost didn't go out for dinner tonight.  Had a little 'problem' happen in the garage.  But ... more about that, TOMORROW.

Dinner.  Little India.  I asked for Mild Butter Chicken.  Stew asked for Medium Butter Chicken.

ABOVE:  Dinner.  Looks nice eh?

WASN'T.  Mine was completely and utterly TASTELESS. Like, NO FLAVOUR AT ALL.  Nothing.  Could have been anything at all... slop.

Stew's was HOT... well to me it was.  Hot as in very spicy.  He also said it was flavourless, apart from the hotness.

We were very, very disappointed.

Next time we want butter chicken, we will be going back to Cambridge.

On our way home we had to stop in at the supermarket for onions.  

Be needing them tomorrow morning.

For the 'problem'.  Yeah.

The PROBLEM.

TWO MORE

Yesterday afternoon I did two more Wave paintings.

I think they both came out even better than the first one:

ABOVE: This one is bigger, and has more darker blues in it.  #2

ABOVE: This one I put more light blues in it... and it's smaller.  It's not yellowish, the lighting just sucks. #3

I love them both equally.

Today I will be working in my Studio, stitching tree runners.  No painting today.

Fabric and paint don't mix.

I think Bex is coming over this morning to do a bit of housework for me.  Awesome, she can do the vacuming and wash the floors me thinks.

ONWARD...

11 am:  Lacy just called in.  She was told to 'GET AROUND THERE QUICK, BUY IT'!

Lacy and her BOYFRIEND... are buying the top WAVE painting!  So now I only have the smaller bottom one.

It was quite a wrench to agree to sell #2 as I love it so much.  But I know I can recreate it if I really want one.

My biggest problem is I love almost all of my paintings and want to keep them all.  lol

NOT something I can do ... but it is a rather NEAT feeling knowing what I am creating is being loved by others too.

It's made my day actually.  

3 pm:  And me Mum rings me.  Her phone is playing up and she can't get the internet.  OMG Disaster!

She has NO IDEA what I'm doing today!  She's a bloody sneaky little stalker. 

😂😅😆

So I had to fill her in on my day's activities... IN FULL.

Then of course, we had a natter... like ya do.

Now... it's lunchtime for me.

I've done a grocery shop, got a few things in for tonight's Card Night (it's here), and so on.

9.15 pm:  Card night just wrapped up.  A most enjoyable evening I must say.  Thanks girls.  

Now I have to wait an hour until I can actually have me dinner... thanks to freakin' antibiotics.  Which MAY be working, and they may not be working.  I just had a flare up of the problem tonight... Grrrrr.  

I suppose I will just have to keep taking them till the end and see how we go.

Time to sign off for the day... and relax for a couple of hours before bed.

And in fact, I shouldn't have 'dinner' or I'll just be going to bed of a full stomach, which is not a good idea.  Dammit.  A cracker or two might have to do.

STUFF THE HOUSEWORK

I went to bed in a foul mood.

I've woken up in a foul mood.

What to do?

Monday's I usually do the housework.

Today.  NAH.  I'm just NOT gunna do it.

I'm going shopping instead.

I am going to troll the Op Shops, and try to find a smallish outdoor/metal table to sit beside the front door.

Ya know how it is, ya get home with your arms full of handbag, drink bottle, phone, couple of bags of groceries etc.  And then ya have to dump them all on the ground to unlock the door.

IN saying that, I can now drive directly into the garage eh?

But Stew can't. 

Visitors can't.

So, I would like to find a nice metal table for the front door area.  

I might not find one today, but I'm a gunna start looking.

Anyone want to come with me?  I shall be leaving at 9.30 ish.

There might be morning tea (read cake) and a hot choccy involved.

ABOVE:  I am in love with this one!

ABOVE:  Not totally thrilled with this one, but it's not too bad.

The new hair dryer, used to push the paint around, was too powerful. Thank goodness it was only $14.  Back to looking for an alternative. 

Once I get home I will check my latest paintings are drying evenly.... gotta keep an eye on that!  And maybe make another one.  Who knows?

GOOD NEWS... the antibiotics are working.  I feel really stupid now, leaving a 'problem' for 3 months when it could have been cleared up in just a few days.  You'd think I would know better eh?  

ONWARD...

12.50 am:  And I've had the sort of morning I've been wanting in FOREVER.

Shopping with company, morning tea with my girls, get home and Lacy arrives too.  

Then a knock on the door and it's a neighbour bringing me fabric... she said it was to thank me for the enjoyment she got from the tree!

Shopping:  We didn't find a table for the front door... but I did find:

ABOVE:  Bright wool for next summer's 'Yarn Bombed' Tree.  And some 2nd hand dishes from the Hospice Shop in Hamilton East.

Bex found some wool too.

ABOVE:  Then at the Salvation shop in town I found a shower seat for our wet room... and a woolen blanket that I shall cut up for soft toys.

I didn't buy yet another hair dryer, I decided to try and 'doctor' my existing one.... I needed to narrow down the air flow...

ABOVE:  I cut up a silicone food bag and stapled and taped it in place.  BOOM... think I've nailed it.

I will do another wave painting later on and see how it goes.

ABOVE:  That is the fabric the neighbour gave me.  My favourite colour, how did she know?  

😂😄😅

It was bedlam here with the three girls... but they have all left now and it's quiet.  Might watch Home and Away before actually doing some housework.

6.11 pm:  And woo hoo!  I've been having fun in the 'painting space'.

I have made two more Wave paintings!  They are all similar, but different in their own way.  I just love them so much, they bring me JOY.

Stew just got home... and I'd just finished shutting all the curtains and turn on some lights, so the house was at least welcoming!  NO dinner is cooked though!  Whoops.

Might be having fish 'n' chips tonight. 

Oh bugger, I didn't get any housework done today either.  Just as well Bex is coming over tomorrow, she can do some for me.   

And another win today... the modified hair dryer worked perfectly.  Rather happy with that.

10 pm:  well... dinner was takeaways.  And I didn't even feel guilty.  Been watching paint dry, and TV.  That's it for the day.  Catch ya tomorrow.

PAINTING TODAY

My painting area is up and ready to go again.

Stew put the shelf up in the new area, so now I can paint.

I hope to get at least two paintings done this morning.

DOGSTARS:  Taking a video of the process is rather hard.  My lighting is not that good, and getting the camera at the right angle/height is problematic as well.

I've spent quite a bit of time trying to get it set up so I can take a video, but am not having any luck.  I won't give up on the idea, but it might not happen right now.

I don't know what Stew's plans are for the day... could just be a lazy Sunday.

Steve is coming around this morning to try and find out why our 'Ultra Fast Fibre' internet connection is SUPER SLOW!  In fact it's so slow I can't download photos half the time cos the download times out.  And let's not even try to view a video on Facebook... I'm sick to death of seeing that little spinning circle!  

And some days trying to open my internet banking is impossible, so I actually DRIVE to the bank cos it's quicker!  Yep, it's that bad.

Steve said 'normal speed' is around 70 something or other... our's is on 1.  ONE.

I have no idea what 'something or other' is... but he's getting to the bottom of it, hopefully today.

ABOVE:  So good to have this boy home again.  He's out of a bad situation finally.

ABOVE:  I bought this over sized top.... it's supposed to be like a wearable hooded blanket.  All I know is ... it's divine!  So snuggly and warm.

ABOVE:  Another snuggly blanket we have, I shared it with little Archer last night.

Right.... let's get to the day.  I'm excited to start mixing paint. 

😋😊😉

ONWARD...

OK.  It's nearly 12 noon.  Steve has been here for a couple of hours working on the phone with SPARK.  It was eventually decided we needed a new Modem, even though out current modem was less than 2 years old.

So the guys went and got a new one (no charge) and Steve installed it.

AND BOOM!   OMG instantly we have super fast internet.  I'm gobsmacked.

Now to download a photo takes like LESS than a second!  Most days it would fail as it timed out.  

I was having to send my photo to Facebook and down load it from there!

Seriously, this is a huge improvement.

AND, while he was here I asked him to try and sort out a way for me to take a video of my painting.  So he did this:

ABOVE:  I now have a way to take a video with the camera right above the canvas.  Awesome.

Just took someone else's way of thinking to work it out.

Clearly my thinking process was not up to it. 😂

NOW... I'm gunna have a piddle (been putting it off for a couple of hours, it's cold in the loo!)... then I shall mix up some paint.

12.55pm:  And I've just finished my first ever WAVE painting.  It's looking AMAZING.... but time will tell if it bleeds together or not.  That is my main worry right now.

I did a video, it's still downloading.  

ABOVE:  let's see if this worked.  Used a different method of putting a video on here.  (If it works, Thanks LINDA.)

COOL!  It works on both a computer and a phone, no more having to go to 'View Web Version' on your phone.  Thanks Linda, much appreciated.  Now I just have to remember how to do it.  😂

Oh and I also have to turn the phone around when I'm videoing, cos you are watching it sideways.

6.45 PM:  and I had a little nap.  When I woke, Griffin was walking out the door, returning to Auckland!   Didn't even say 'goodbye'.

To say we are beyond upset would be an understatement.

He's going to learn the hard way obviously.  He's too young, and easily manipulated by an expert manipulator.

So... the guys wasted their Saturday, and I wasted time getting a room ready for him.  WE are pretty upset right now.

Moving on, cos what else can ya do?  

Stew is cooking us some dinner.... I think he's making beef 'n' bacon burgers .... cos we have some beef 'n' bacon left.  Smelling yummy already.  

I'm in the foulest mood so... will sign off for the day.  The only words that want to come out of my mouth a very, very bad ones right now.

*** another cat! ***

FINGERS CROSSED SORTA DA

Right, what am I up to today?

The shop will be open, but I'm gunna do a couple of acrylic paintings I think.

I have been watching You Tube videos of painting like CRAZY... trying to learn techniques, colour combos etc.  It's FASCINATING!

There will be a couple of 'assistants' in the studio today.

Dante and Archer are coming to spend an hour or so with me.

ABOVE: Bex is attending 'Fibre Tron' with a girlfriend, and didn't want to drag the boys along.  It's an Event showcasing and selling wool etc.  Now if it had been FABRIC .... I'd be going too!

Steve and Stew are going out of town on a job this morning.  They should be home after lunch all going well.

***  Can't wait to see if the antibiotics are gunna work?  ***

Alright, I might just roll over for another hour or so... no rush to get outta bed today.

ONWARD...

12 noon.

I've got two tree layouts completed.

Dante and Archer have been very helpful.

No painting done... yet.

Moved some stuff instead.

The men are on their way home with a little surprise. 

I'm starving.

Gotta take a pill then wait an hour... rather annoying. 

It was damn FREEZING this morning... and while it's still cloudy and ikk outside, it's not so cold now. So I can stop bitching about it. 

ABOVE:  Last night's home made beef 'n' bacon burgers.  Too yum!

It's now 1.35 pm, and the guys arrived home about half an hour ago.  They went up to Auckland... and brought back Griffin.

He's moved home ... this time for good.

Well... until he can get a job and then move out again.

Only next time under better circumstances.

Last time was not ideal, and his living arrangements since moving out have been very haphazard to say the least.

We are all (the three of us), now going out to look at, and probably buy a new treadmill.

And.... here's the trouble with not jumping when you can.  The treadmill we were interested in buying is now sold out.  So we will have to pre-order the new model, which is due in the country in October sometime.

Slightly disappointed, but there's no getting around it.

At least if we pre-order now (well on Monday), the price will stay the same as the sold out model.

After fluffing around we stopped in at KFC for a very late lunch.  (3 pm!)

Now home, and just relaxing for a while.

Stew does have a little job to do...

ABOVE:  This morning, instead of painting, I moved the painting 'area' to the other side of the garage...

ABOVE:  That way my back is not to the studio, so I can see if someone enters my little shop.

Stew just needs to put my shelf back above the table and I'm ready to go again.

SPARKLING:  It is strange to see a cat on here eh?  lol

11.15 pm:  And we have had a lovely evening.  Steve and Bex brought dinner for everyone, they arrived with a huge amount of Pizzas!

Then we all just chilled out for a while until it was time for the little boys to be taken home to bed.

Strange having a hulking big teenage boy in the house again ... but very happy he's home.

😂😄😆  how's that one Sparkling?   

TREES!

When was the last time I made a Tree Runner?

It's been so long ... I have NO IDEA!

But definitely a year at least.

Yesterday I started on two:

ABOVE:  A hive of industry.  It felt really good laying out a tree runner.

I can't wait to start stitching them.  But that's a way off, now that I use Steam A Seam to hold them down instead of pins, it takes quite a bit longer to get them ready for stitching.  

I'm only working in here for a couple of hours, then I'm off out for a little while. 

Not shopping this time, just attending to some personal business.

ONWARD...

12.45 pm:  And I'm now on friggin Antibiotics for a week.  Hopefully that clears up a little problem I've had for 3 months.

Got told off for not getting 'it' seen to sooner.  Derrr.  Head in Sand 

😓😒😝

While out and about I popped into the supermarket.

ABOVE:   Guess what we are having for dinner tonight?

I'm now waiting an hour before I can have me lunch.  AGAIN, it will be a very late one.  Story of my life lately.

Best thing about today?  IT'S FRIDAY.  Stewy will be home for the weekend... now what jobs can I line up for him??  

😂😅😇🔨

10.25 pm:  Well I made Beef and Bacon burgers for dinner tonight. They were lovely, just so good!

Been watching videos of acrylic painting all night, while glancing at the TV too.

OMG have you seen 'Naked Attraction' on TVNZ Channel 2?  It's quite disgusting!

Yet... I'm watching it.  Cos it's so gross really!

WHO GOT IT RIGHT?

Well.... you had TEN TO CHOOSE FROM!

Did anyone get it right?

ABOVE: Those were the choices.

Let's make it easier for you.

The criteria I was looking for was:

-  Adjustable height.  Well 8/10 had that.  Take out #'s 5 and 6.

-  Not too bulky.  So take out #'s 1, 4, 7 and 10.

- Easy to get on and off. # 9 was a right bitch.  Take that one out.

That left #'s 2, 3 and 8.  Anyone think my bum would even fit in # 3?  If you think it would, I love you.  

Price was important too, but ended up not being a factor.  It came down to comfort, profile, and durability, and nothing to do with much else.

So.  There ya go.  Choose which one from those 3.

I WILL show you which one I got... later.  😂😅😆

And now,  I've got to get the house straightened up, get some washing on and then get into the Studio to finish off the Wonky House Runner.

Then I will be making more Bowl Cosys.

ONWARD...

LAST CLUE.... as I am leaning forward at the work table... back support was not a factor in my decision. 

Price wasn't either.

ABOVE: Enough suspense... I got #8 !

It was the one that was gunna take up the least amount of room, it was easy to get on and off, I could 'perch' on it from 3 sides, I don't have to worry about fabric/padding wear and tear as its solid plastic and best of all ... it was the cheapest at well under $100. 

Shame it's not blue, but ya can't have everything.  🙂🙃🤪

I bet my choice surprised most of you. Only Shona guessed it correctly ... Dawn P changed her mind but nearly got it right. 

And.. still in blue cos I'm working from me phone....

ABOVE: Minor change, but a big difference!

2 hours left in the Studio before knock off time.

But when do ya ever really 'knock off' when you 'work' from home? I've got washing to do, dinner to prepare... then cook, and a spare bed to make.

And you can bet ya bottom dollar I'll find more to do. 🥴😩

And now... it's 1.35 pm and I'm inside the house again.  

ABOVE:  I now have 4 of these Runners made... I'll probably need more before the summer markets start.

I also will need more Tree Runners, so I'm gearing up to make a few more of them too.  I've not made any in quite a while.

But for now... LUNCH.

6.20 pm:  After me lunch I prepared a beef/onion/tomato stew and cooked it in the oven on a slow bake.

Once it was done, I made it into a pie for dinner.

Because I can't stand the smell of cooking beef, I went back into my Studio late this afternoon and got working on a couple of Tree Runners.

Now finally, it's time to relax and wait for the pie to be done.

I'm knackered!

Sounds like the pie was nice.  I didn't have any as the pastry gives me dreadful reflux.  Much as I love home made pie, it's not worth the pain.

I had some crackers, cheese and relish.

Watching Coronation Street now... then bed time.