DID YOU MISS IT?

 Yesterday's announcement:

ABOVE:  Two big brothers-to-be.  Early January, 2024.  Our 14th Grandchild.  So happy.

It's  been a long 8 year drought.

ABOVE:  how true is this then?

Only paper bags for fresh produce in the supermarkets now... but I see so much is still in plastic? Meat in a tray, wrapped in... plastic.  Mushrooms in a tray, wrapped in... plastic.  Same with so many other things.  Dumb.

Not open to debate, cos I just can't be arsed.  I'm just stating how I FEEL about it.

I didn't  sleep well AT ALL... so am feeling very out of sorts this morning.

So I might just bugger off,  take a panadol, and stay in bed.  COS.  I.  CAN.

12.15 PM:  

Note to self.  Don't go grocery shopping when upset.  Or hungry.

Not a good outcome.

ABOVE:  So they take away the plastic bags to put our fruit and veges in.

Then THEY package even MORE into... fucking plastic bags.

ABOVE:  This is just taking the piss.

Surimi sticks, individually wrapped in PLASTIC, on a PLASTIC TRAY, then wrapped in PLASTIC.

Seriously.

The world is fucked up.

I might stop ranting now.

I'm hungry today.  So I've been eating all morning.

Might not stop.

Scrolling through my downloads... and cos I'm in that sorta mood:

ABOVE:  This one gets me every time I see it.

I often feel 'bad' for not calling those I've not heard from in a while.  Not going to any more.  Show you care or fuck off. It's not just up to me.

ABOVE:  This is probably the thing I hate THE MOST about the Labour Party.  

ABOVE:  Yep, gone are the days I give a shit.

ABOVE:  Another good one.

Goddam I'm in a foul mood!  Wish I could snap outta it.  I don't even want to sew.  Might take a nap.

ABOVE: Probably not in the right frame of mind to be doing this either!

There's water pipes and power outlets there... hmmmm.

AND THOSE DAMN TILES WON'T COME OFF.  

Well I got two off, but the others?  Nope... not unless I want the entire wall to fall apart.

Might have to let Stew tackle it.

That way, if it really goes wrong, he will get the blame, not me.  lol

I'm having an utterly self indulgent day.  And I don't care.

THANK YOU  to those who have reached out to me today.... without even knowing anything.   I am fine, just crabby and venting.

Just one of those days where I'm down in the dumps.

ABOVE:  The dogs favourite person.  

He feeds them treats.

Cupboard love.

ABOVE:  Full house tonight.  Lots of laughs, and Teriyaki Chicken.  

All gone now, back to just the two of us.

Catch ya tomorrow.

SEWING.... AND BOYS

Well today I plan on working on the LAST Braid Runner for a while.

I know, I know I've said that before.  But seriously, I now have 10 to take to market!!!

After lunch Dante and Archer are going to be spending a part of the afternoon with me while their parents get some jobs done without them underfoot.  

They might even end up here for dinner, I better find out if they would like dinner here.  

So, not much going on today really.  Just the usual family type stuff.

Maybe I'll iron a couple more shirts?  Ikkkk.  But as Vickie suggested late yesterday, doing a couple a day will get them all done eventually.

Only trouble is, Stew keeps wearing them again!  And again!  It's one of those jobs that never goes away.  

Looking forward to the weekend.  We have Keera on Sunday, and will be having a lovely Birthday Lunch for her here.  AT ^*&^%123  D*&^e.  Just to be CLEAR ... she will be HERE at our HOME. 

It's probably a bit early for me to get outta bed yet, so might just stay here and read the news.

Catch ya later. 

10.35 am:  And gosh have I got heaps done this morning.

So happy with myself.

No BIG jobs, just lots of little ones.

Tidied up the laundry and wiped surfaces down.  They can be ikky pretty quickly.

ABOVE: Then I went into the Bath/Shower room and took everything out of that vanity.  It is GOING.

I really can't understand why the people who built this house didn't put a bath there?

It's a family home... so really should have a bath.

ABOVE:  The next thing to leave the Bath/Shower room was that little shelving unit.  It went into the 'Vanity' room.  Makes sense.  It holds the hand towels and flannels, hair dryer/straightener etc.

Luckily it fits there beautifully.

I hung a spare little railing thingee on the right hand wall, beside the sink for the wet flannels.

Stew will have to redo that, cos I'm sure it's only hanging on by one screw into a stud.

ABOVE: That is the view from the other corner of the Bath/Shower room... looking at the walk in shower recess, and through to the Vanity room.  The WC is around the corner to the left, off the vanity room.  It's a brilliant layout as far as I'm concerned.

ABOVE:  Just in case you can't quite get your head around the 'configuration' of those rooms.  There's doors separating each area too.

The 'Family Bathroom' can be used by three people at the same time, without encroaching on each other.  BRILLIANT idea.

I just love it.

So, that's all I can do for now, until I settle on a bath, and how it will connect up to the existing plumbing.

We are rather lucky that there is water connections and drainage already in the spot we will be putting a bath.

I am finally in the sewing room now, about to work on my last Braid Runner.   (for now)

ABOVE:  Yikes!  Forgot to do me hair this morning.  Lucky no one has come to the door.  

Fixed now, look half decent again.  That bloody right eyebrow!  WILL.  NOT.  BEHAVE.    😂😖😏

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ABOVE:  You sneaky, sneaky little baby!!!!

What the hell?   We never in a million years expected this.

ABOVE:  After vowing they were 'DONE AND DUSTED' for the past 5 or so years, here we go again.

Stew and I could not be more happy and excited, and thrilled to bloody bits!

Oh... they are too by the way.  Very excited.

Grand Baby Number 14 is due January, 2024.  

I finally will have the same number of grandchildren as my Mum had.   

We didn't expect Bex to be quite so far along either.  The guess was around 7-8 weeks, so to find a rather well formed little baby doing somersaults was a big surprise to Steve and Bex.

Gosh such a wonderful day.

So the happy little family went home cos well... I just don't feel like dinner guests right now.  

Maybe in a day or two they can come and eat the Teriyaki Chicken that's ready for cooking.

Got a headache.  Feel blah.

9.45 pm:  Finally warm after having the heat pump on for a few hours.  Still got a headache.

I'll be going to bed right after Coronation Street finishes.  Funny old day.  Up and down.

Catch ya tomorrow.

ONE JOB

 I'm a slack arse wife.

Stew has ONE business shirt left in his wardrobe.

So today my one and only job is to wash all 14 shirts in the laundry basket and even iron a few!

I don't know how that happened to be honest.  I usually do his shirts on a Monday, but somehow I missed last Monday.

While the shirts are washing and drying, I will make a start on the next Braid Runner.

Oh and talking of Braid Runners (are ya sick of them yet?)...

I've now had several people suggest I make a Black/Grey/White one.

ABOVE:  This is the closest I am getting to one... taken off the internet!  I am NEVER making one myself.  It's ugly and boring. Just not something I am ever going to make.  OK?

And that is me for now.  

12.48 am:  well I've been out all morning.  In fact I'm still out. Having lunch at Steve n Bex. Bex is still at work. Steve is home for the week looking after the kids.  We are looking online at Bath possibilities. Fun. 

2 pm: and I'm finally home again.  And I don't feel like sewing.  So I shall just wait for the shirts to dry, then iron a few while watching mindless tv.  Netflix or similar.  

Having a nice hot drink right now, cos it's much cooler in my house than Steve's I must say.

It's official.  I'd rather clean fucking toilets than iron shirts!  OMG I hate it so much.  Why is ironing fabric so easy, yet shirts do my back in so quickly?

I did four shirts and that was it for me!

There's another 12 to do.  They can WAIT.

Till 2054 as far as I'm concerned!  lol

I'm probably likely to leave them for Stew in fact.  He usually irons them now days, cos he knows how much I  hate that job.

So apart from the shirts, I've done bugger all this afternoon.  Fluffed around doing little jobs here and there.  

No dinner plans.  I had sushi and a donut for my lunch at Steve 'n' Bex's.  I'll probably get something light for Stew's dinner.

Ha!  We ended up having Burger Fuel burgers.

Not good... must do better tomorrow.

Off for the day... catch ya tomorrow.

DOGS TO GROOMER

 8.30 AM THE DOGS GO TO THE  GROOMER... So an early start for me!

I have got the girls winter coats out, ready to put on them once they come home from the groomers.  The poor things are going to FREEZE.

Once they are home and snuggled in their bed, I might pop out to look at ... baths.

ABOVE:  Is this one number 10?  I can't remember.  

Just checked.  Yep # 10.  
  

12.25 pm.  I've had a fairly busy morning.

The girls went to the groomers, and I picked them up at 10.30 am.

They look gorgeous:

ABOVE: They are in the sewing room with me right now, so are perfectly warm and happy.

Marley was a very good girl at the groomers.

Coco?  Not so much.  She did FOUR piddles and ONE poop on their floor!

I was surprised as I'd taken them both for a walk before we went to the groomers.  *sigh*

While the girls were at the groomers, I tidied up the garage, and vacuumed it.  Re-arranged a little bit, just in general.

Put the gazebo away now that it's dry, so I can bring my car inside again tonight.

I went out to Bower Bird at Tamahere and got some more of one particular Kaffe Fassett fabric.

Then home.... and working on another Braid Runner.

I just can't help myself!

ABOVE:  Today's line up.  I'm probably not going to work on it much today cos well... I'm bloody tired.

I didn't sleep well last night.  😕😔😴

6.10 pm:  Wow.  Rather relieved to report I ONLY put on 100 grams this week!

When I think of the three decadent meals Stew and I had this past week, I am surprised.  But that just means I will have to be extra careful over the coming week so that does not come back to bite me on the arse.  

And talking of decadent meals, we are off to our favourite Indian restaurant for dinner!

Home again ... our dinner was lovey.  We tried Onion Bahji as an Entree this evening.  That was really yum, and their serving was very generous.

ABOVE:  Onion Bhaji served with a Tamarind dipping sauce.  I must try and get some of that sauce, it's delicious.

ABOVE:  I would show you the Butter Chicken dish, but ummm... I ate it before I thought to take a photo.  Whoops.

It's now time to just chill out and enjoy the remainder of the evening.

Catch ya tomorrow.

KIDS TODAY

 No sewing today.  I have Emily and Liam for the day.

Something tells me we might end up baking cookies or a cake.  Cos well... that would be fun right?

Then we might end up at McDonald's for lunch.  Or Sushi.

Anything to keep me from throttling them!  lol  (joking of course)

ABOVE:  Just in case you missed the 'reveal' video of this runner yesterday (well worth a watch btw), here it is as a still photo.  It became a fantastic Pink cos well... I ran outta black!  Someone will love it, cos I do.

If I do indeed go out with the kids, I will stop into Spotlight for more black fabric for the runners.

NOT that I intend making any more for the time being.  Shit, I will have egg on me face if they don't sell eh?  I've now got 8 ready for market, that is enough.

They were really fun to make I must say.  They never really came together and looked amazing until they were 100% finished.  I loved seeing them finished.  

I have some homework to do on baths.  This house was built with a bath on the house plans, but they never put one in.

ABOVE:  The 'wet room', it has a shower and a vanity.  I want a bath where there is one shown on the house plans.

I am really missing being able to take a nice, deep, hot soak.  I thought I wanted to get a spa pool for that reason, but really, all we need is a nice bath.  So, I'm going to be checking out options, sizes that will fit in the gap in the wet room and so on.  

That will be our last house alteration.  I hope to get it done by the end of the year.  Luckily, I've not done anything in that wet room yet!  So nothing has to be 'undone'.

Now, back to today.  I better get out of bed, I think the kids will be arriving fairly early.

6.56 am. Just got a message from Amanda. Kids not coming over today after all.  So that means... I get to stay in bed a bit longer. YAAAaaaaa!

7.20 am. And just like that, I'm now having Dante and Archer! Dante is sick and can't go to the babysitters. So I get them for the morning instead. Lol

Seems I was meant to have kids today.

ABOVE: Hmmmm.... kids now days.

I thought about baking, but seems I really don't have much in the way of baking ingredients in the house.  Unless ya want scones.

And these boys are not big fans of scones.

So I might just have to find paper and felts/colouring in pencils if they get bored. 

Do ya think they will get bored Chris?  NOPE.

I'm safe.

WTF?  ANON:  I'm happy you didn't sign your name.

As if I would do NOTHING with my grandchildren, and just leave them to their own devices.

I should NOT have to defend myself to a piece of shit like YOU... but because you accused me of negligence:

ABOVE: They have craft activities.

ABOVE:  They have age appropriate games.

And they have ME.  

Who loves them to the moon and back.  

Go fucking annoy someone else.  ARESHOLE.

ABOVE: This kid is having a ball.

ABOVE:  Meanwhile, these two are taking a nap.

Dante has a low grade temperature, been keeping an eye on it.  edit:  38.3 down to 38.1, so not alarming.

Bex can give him more Paracetamol when she gets him home.  I don't have any for kids right now.  I think I probably should have some on hand, or next time, get Bex to bring hers over.

ABOVE:  I just can't do NOTHING... so I have lined up the next Braid Runner to work on.

Once the boys leave, I shall cut the bits out ready for sewing.

I think Braid Runners are going to feature HEAVILY in my stall from now on.  Shit they better sell!

6.19 pm:  Gosh sorry I've been absent this afternoon.  I had the boys till after 1, and Lacy arrived and fed herself left over Surimi Salad.

Once they had all gone, I went straight into the sewing room to get moving on my next runner.

Then... well I stayed there until Stew arrived home.

Now?  It's put me feet up time.  It's cooled down inside the house since I turned the heat pump off.  So it's going back on!

Stuff freezing. 

And that's me for the day.  I'll catch ya tomorrow, with a photo of the latest runner.  It's GORGEOUS.  (they all are of course!  lol)

HOW CUTE

 

ABOVE:  How cute are the girls in their new bed?  I think they like it.

ABOVE:  That is Marley, saying "Throw it for me".  I don't.  Cos she would play fetch ... all.  day.  long.

Today I am going to move some pots/plants around outside.

There's one group of plants that don't get any rain/water unless I use the hose on them.  I keep forgetting, and some of them are/have died.

Yeah, I get no gardening prizes I'm afraid.

So we shall move them into the garden, or at least to an area that gets rained on.  And I will put some none vegetative things in their place.

ABOVE:  Started this one last night.  Same, same... but different.   I should have it finished by lunchtime, so can show you then.

Well we had a very  late start today.  I lay in bed as long as I could (9.45 !), then got up and did the few jobs I wanted to get done before lunchtime.

ABOVE: All the plants in pots have found new places to be, and now everything on top of this heat pump is just 'treasure'.  Not needing to be watered.

Excellent job done.

After that Stew and I finally got to hang out the gazebo sides, and the gazebo itself, to dry after our last market.

The weather has been too iffy or just too downright wet to do it sooner.

I am now going to finish off that new runner.

Later on today I have to hem two new pairs of work trousers for Stew.  Fuck I hate hemming!  But I will do it... cos I really should. 😕😓😒

Slight change of plans.  We are going to Taco Bell for lunch.  Cos I am craving their chips.  Shoot me.  I won't be weighing in this coming Tuesday!  Taking a few days 'off' the diet.  It's doing me head in.

5 minutes after typing the above... I saw a huge cloud heading our way!  So we rushed to get the gazebo and sides back inside.  And now it's bloody well raining again.  I dream of summer... and dry days for weeks on end.  

2.45 pm:  Lunch was lovely.  The weather has totally packed it in, rain and wind and bloody freezing.  Snowing down south, and there's talk of the Desert Road being closed due to snow as well.

So.  I got the newest runner finished.

And because it's quite 'different' from the previous ones, I decided to video Stew's reaction.

He hammed it up, of course... but anyway:

ABOVE:  And yeah... what do you think of it?

Lacy came over cos she was bored.... so now she's in me face, drinking my diet coke!  Oh well, I don't mind sharing sometimes.

7.54 pm:   Well what a lovely day.  After Lacy left, I set to and made a really lovely Surimi salad for our dinner.  It came out really well.

Then I hemmed some new work pants for Stew, something I loathe doing, but it needed being done.

I feel good for having done it now of course.

Time to sign off for the day.

Catch ya tomorrow.

JOBS AROUND THE HOUSE

 Today, because it's supposed to be a wet day, we will be staying inside, and doing odd jobs around the house.

Stew will do his usual weekend grocery shop first thing.

Then I am getting him to vacuum my sewing room for me.

After that, no idea!  There really isn't too much to be done around here now days.  We got all the big jobs done over the past three years.

Actually, I would like to visit a salon or chemist and get a treatment for my hair today.  I looked at the few conditioners that I have here, but none of them are what I would like.

So, a trip to The Base is on the cards... and maybe lunch out and about too.

Stew suggested we go to the movies, so I will check out what is on as well.  It's an idea.

Well.... seems Stew does not have to do the vacuuming after all.

Lacy came around and is doing it for us!  All of the edges and behind doors, and the sewing room!

Before she arrived, we did the grocery shopping.

And once Lacy has left we will go out for my hair treatment and some lunch.

Stew and I had lunch at Iguana today.  We like the place, it has a nice atmosphere.

We ordered a Seafood Chowder each.

It came out almost cold.  So it got sent back.

Then it came back piping hot, which was lovely.

ABOVE: It was a very TASTY dish, but NOT seafood chowder as you know it.

It was a vegetable soup, with (in mine), one shrimp and a teeny, tiny piece of octopus.  The rest was potato, carrot, peas and corn.

Because it was nice and tasty, I didn't bother telling them they forgot the seafood part.  😂😊😋  But really, it was a bit of a rip off.

After lunch, we walked up to Centre place for some hair stuff.  I got a L'oreal Nourishing Mask.

Then off to K Mart, where we bought a bit pet cushion, so the girls can sleep inside at night.  

They get groomed on Tuesday, and will freeze their butts off in the garage.  

I hope they use the new bed!  I might have to lock them inside to make them use it, cos they do love their crate at night.

Today has been weird weather wise.  Fine one minute, then raining the next.  But on a whole, COLD.

Stew is going to watch a movie now, so I might join him.  Or not.  We will see.

I am cooking a roast chicken for our dinner.  First time I've done a roast in MONTHS.  I can't wait, it's gunna be delicious.

So... we didn't have roast chicken after all.  What I thought was a roast chicken in the bag was actually chicken nibbles!  So we had roast chicken nibbles and veges.  It was still yummy.

Winding down for the day, catch ya tomorrow.