ANGRY FACES

Well... I have pretty much decided I will be breeding with Marley.
So last night I put an 'ad' on Facebook, asking if anyone in our area had a Bichon Frise boy dog that could breed with her.

And within minutes I had several people 'react' to my post with sad faces and angry faces!

And I'm like, what the hell?  Where do they get off acting all sad and angry about me asking for a male to breed with my dog?

One of them actually has Bichon Frise dogs.... I wonder how she got them?  Immaculate conception?  Stork delivery?  

So many people are jumping on the bandwagon and harping on about 'adopting from a shelter or the SPCA', instead of buying from a breeder.   
If you do adopt a dog from a shelter or the SPCA, you have NO IDEA what sort of dog you are getting.  You won't have a history of that dog, or how it's been brought up or treated!  In what way is that 'better' than buying from someone like me, who has bred carefully, and made sure the pups are 100% healthy and happy?

Feeling rather cross right now.  I am almost afraid to check Facebook this morning to see how many others have got their tits in a knot!

OH and if YOU feel the need to have a go at me, remember... I won't publish any nasty comments.  EVER.  

Now that I've had me little rant... on to my day.
I've got a walk at 9.30 am, then I will probably go to morning tea with the girls.

Then home to do some housework.  
And goodness knows what else.
Time will tell.

ONWARD...

GLORIOUS day out there I must say.
Very hot.  Total change from a couple of days ago, when it was bloody cold as!

Anyway... I went on the walk and had a nice time.

ABOVE:  One of our girls finishing the Urban Challenge.

ABOVE:  And another one celebrating her 50th Wedding Anniversary today.  'R' is a lovely chick, I really enjoy walking with her.

Since arriving home I've started wrapping Christmas Presents.  What a SHIT JOB.  I utterly loath wrapping presents, but this year I'm determined to have it all done before December!

If I manage it, it will be a record.... I usually leave it till the last week before Christmas then spend hours literally crying while doing it.  Well OK, not crying. More like bitching and moaning.

It's 1 pm.  I'm taking a break to have some lunch.

Well that was a long break!  lol
Done bugger all this afternoon.  Like.  Nothing.
Feeling a bit down. Don't know why.  

I've got yet another blister under my right foot too.  So damn annoying.

It's a quiet evening here.  Nothing happening.
Signing off for the day.

I'VE NOW GOT THREE!

So... after thinking I would only have one market in December... I now have THREE!

One in Tamahere on the 8th, my regular one in Cambridge on the 9th and now... one in Pirongia on the 16th.  FUN!

Here's the progress photos on our pool from yesterday:

ABOVE: Stew mowed the lawn down as low as he could.

 ABOVE: Then the guys laid out the ground cover, and set out the liner and framing.  This was all done in the pouring rain I might add, and it was FREEZING!

 ABOVE:  Step one almost compete...

ABOVE:  Griffin got in it to try and get rid of all the wrinkles... but he wimped out cos it was too damn cold.
So Stew got in there and did it.  Then we could start filling it with water.

It continued raining all evening, so we left it filling till I went to bed.  It was by no means even half full after several hours!

Once we fit the filter and so on, we can continue to fill it to the top, then put the solid sides up around it.

I really don't think it will be done till the weekend at the earliest.

Yesterday afternoon I decided to make something different for a change.  I found a Teddy Bear panel and made a Cot Quilt with it.
I needed one more block to make up the 9th one, so I did the heart for the center.

ABOVE:  I think it's come out really nice.
AND for the first time EVER, I decided to try Free Motion Quilting around the bears... and I did it!  OMG talk about so much easier than having to turn the fabric around and around!!!
  
Before I was a bit scared to even attempt doing free motion quilting, it seemed so hard.  It is a bit tricky, but with practise I'm sure I will get better at it.

I have no plans today really, just hanging around the house. I might do some sewing, maybe make something else that's different?


I think both the kids are home all day. I doubt I will see them before their bellies start grumbling, or they are busting for a pee!

I had a hunt back on my blog for photos of how Brylee's teeth used to look, before we had her first round of orthodontic work done, and found them:

ABOVE:  she was only about 10 when she had her first brace!  But man it worked:

ABOVE:  see how much her  teeth straightened up!  

Now though, she has serious crowding on the bottom row, and her front, top teeth are overlapping.  She has a narrow jaw... runs in the family.  

Lacy and Russell had the same problems.

That was very interesting to look back and find I must say!  Now though... it's time to get moving.  Stuff to do somewhere in the house I'm sure.

Catch ya later.
ONWARD...

So I went out and got a few groceries for dinner... then to The Warehouse where I spent $50 on Christmas wrapping paper and labels!

Then I popped into the local Nissan dealership, to ask if they knew how to change the time on my dashboard.  After a wasted half an hour... the answer was NO.  *sigh*
I will ring the dealership where I bought it and ask them if they know?  My car clock is now 4 hours behind.

Home now and just had some cheese sauce over broccoli for my lunch.  Was so yum.

Now I'm watching Home and Away before doing something constructive.

WEll... I just spent two hours re-checking YouTube videos on how to change the time on my car's clock.  All wasted effort, cos none of them relate to MY CAR'S dashboard/controls.  So back to the dealer in Hamilton we will go.  They have said they can do it for me.  AND I will video them doing it so I can do it myself when daylight saving switches again.

I'm getting one hell of a neck/headache!  I moved my chair laptop, so now instead of turning my head to the right to look at my computer, I have to turn to the left.  It hurts!

I wonder how long it will take for my neck to get used to it?

It's not even a 'big' head turn, just a fraction really!  Crazy.

I've made something totally NOT DINNER-ISH tonight!  And not very healthy either.   I will show you later.
Just felt like something different.

And... this is what I made:

ABOVE:  I made TWO Cob Loaves!  And OMG they were delicious.  But I certainly made too much.  One would have been plenty for the 4 of us.
Stew is taking some to work tomorrow for his lunch.  Brylee will be having the rest of her portion for lunch tomorrow too.

It got a very big tick from the family.  My work is done.  *smiles*

I didn't do any sewing today.  In fact I can hardly remember just what I did do today!
Tired as... I am going to TRY and go to bed before midnight tonight!

POOL HERE, AND MAYBE ASSEMBLED

Well... yesterday afternoon Kelly was kind enough to bring out the 2nd of the three boxes containing our pool.  So ... today Stew has the afternoon off work, and he's bringing home the last box.

And then, he might be able to assemble it!
That will depend on the weather I suppose.

Not sure what it's doing ... it's so changeable right now.

ABOVE:  This arrived in the post!  My Mum went to a shop having a big sale and bought it all for me!
I'm a bit spoilt... I will be able to use ALL those threads eventually.  She also got me two bundles of flannel fat quarters and a length of lovely cat fabric too.  OH yes, and some new flannels for the bathrooms. 

THANKS MUM *smiles* 

Some awesome news too... late last night I got a message from a Market organiser saying I could get a site at their Christmas Market on 8th December, at the Tamahere Community Hall!

It's NOT the 'normal' Tamahere market that I didn't get a site at.  It's a new market.

They had one in November and apparently it went really well.  So I'm hopeful the December one will be good too. 

It will be a very busy three days, as I am babysitting for Steve and Bex on the Friday night, then coming home to do the Tamahere Christmas market on Saturday morning, then I have the Cambridge market on Sunday! 

Yaaaa... no chance of getting bored eh.  *smiles*

This morning I have an FBG walk on at 9.30. edit:  once out of bed I actually felt awful, so decided not to go.  First one I've canned in a while!  But I just feel all woozy and lacking energy right now.  

Brylee has an appointment with an orthodontist at 10 am.
With any luck she will get braces soon.  

We took her to an orthodontist in Auckland for 2 years when she was younger, she had to wear a brace (plate with wires) for all that time, but we knew she would need the full monty (rail way tracks) once all her adult teeth were in.  

So... now her teeth can be straightened properly at last.  Hopefully she doesn't need any extractions!

And that's all for now!  Time to start the day... and yeah, get outta bed.  lol

ONWARD...

Well... we have been to the Orthodontist, and now await his quote.

Then Stew got home and we (just the two of us) went out for lunch.
Went to Paddock again and had a beef burger each.  WORST BURGER EVER.

A bun, some wet, crushed tomato that came out of a can, a SMALL tasteless beef burger, a slice of what looked like plastic cheese and two pieces of gherkin (which I hate) ... oh and a spoonful of aioli.

Yep.. that's all that was in it!  We ate half the bun and the pathetic contents, and as far as I'm concerned ... I won't be going there again.

NO way should you have the bloody cheek to charge $15 for something that was almost tasteless and totally not worth even $3.

Very disappointed.  Wish I'd thought to take a photo of it to show you.

Got home in time to turn around and take Brylee to her Podiatry check up.  Her toes are still not healing properly.  There's talk of another procedure to get them right.  GREAT.  

She lives in socks/shoes or slippers (thick ones)... no wonder her toes ain't healing, they never see air!

Stew has read up on the pool installation, seems he has to dig all the grass up where the pool is going!  This is supposedly so no grass grows under the pool lining?  

And yeah nah, Stew's decided he ain't digging it up, he's just going to mow it really low. There is no way grass will grow UNDER the pool lining, not with the weight of the water on top of it.

We all know everything dies under even a kid's paddle pool if it's left on the grass too long.  Derrr.  

I did some sewing this morning.  Made a couple of placemats, then decided to start a cot quilt.  (for sale)  No babies coming my way in the form of a new grand baby for a very long time now by the look of it.  SAD.

5.50 pm:  And Stew and Griffin are out there in the pouring rain... assembling the pool.  The lining is put together, now they have to assemble the filter and get it attached to the pool.
Then they have to fill it!  
After that they put the solid sides around it.  And somehow I doubt that will get done today!
It's getting wetter and wetter out there, and soon it will be dark.

Bit of a shame we couldn't have started it first thing this morning, then at least it might have been half way done.

As I thought, the pool is nowhere near done.  But we have put some water in it.  But not much.
It's now almost midnight and I'm ready for bed... it's damn cold!
I finished the cot quilt too!
Will show you tomorrow.

SHOPPING

After being a totally lazy tart yesterday... I am not sitting on me bum  today!

I plan on going into Hamilton and doing the last of the Christmas shopping.  I want it all done and dusted before December!

I really don't have much left to do, bar the wrapping, and I'm gunna get that done soon too.
I just need Stew to get all the Christmas stuff down from the attic.
I might even be tempted to get the tree up earlier than usual too!

Now, I totally forgot the walk photo from last night:

ABOVE:  It's the first one where I feel I look like a 'normal' person!    Not huge.  Not the biggest.  Just one of the girls.
This photo made me happy.
Even though I was feeling like crap.

I have another walk on tonight too.  IN fact, I have a walk every day this week!
And I HATE WALKING!   Crazy eh?

I'm doing it because a.  I need to get regular exercise and b.  I love the company!

This group has made such a difference to how I feel on a day to day basis.  It's WONDERFUL having so many lovely friends here in Cambridge.

Right, enough blithering... I'm going to get a move on and head into town.  

OMG... the pool has arrived in Hamilton. I will be picking it up tomorrow! 
I will need to use Stew's car as mine is too small.
I'd do it today... except Stew's in Rotorua today. *sigh*

!!*@#EXCITING@&#!!

WOW what an excellent morning!
Brylee and I got all the Christmas shopping done!
And then we swung by Para Rubber to see if we could fit at least ONE of the pool boxes in my car.

ABOVE:  And we did!   
AND... Kelly is picking up the other two this afternoon and bringing them out too.  
So, tomorrow (all going well) Stew is taking the afternoon off and he can assemble it!

We MIGHT just have it up and running by the weekend!  Might not be warm enough to get in it, but hey... I can start putting the garden/plants around it at least.

Now I'm going to sort out the Christmas presents AGAIN.  I'm sure there are no gaps now.

Tonight's walk was in doubt for a while... we had a big thunder/lightening storm come though this afternoon... but luckily it was over by 7 pm.
So the walk went ahead, and it was really lovely and cool tonight!  Griffin joined us again too.

ABOVE:  We saw this amazing seat outside a home and asked the home owners for permission to pose with it... and they said yes.  AND they took the photo for us too.

Got home in time to have some dinner, then wrap up in a blanket to warm up again.  It's certainly cooler right now!

WHOOPS, I DID IT AGAIN

So, I'm sitting in me lounge chair yesterday afternoon.  And the door is open behind me, letting in a lovely cool breeze.  Cos it's a damn hot afternoon.

ONLY... I'm in a massive draft and I'm COLD!  And as EVERYONE knows, I really don't like being cold.  Especially when I'm sitting relaxing in me lounge chair.

So I suggested to Stew that we try moving shit around a bit.

Now this is a bit of an undertaking, cos we have to position things JUST RIGHT.... so we can still see the TV easily from most of the lounge furniture (for visitors sakes), and have room for me lap top and access to power points and so on.

But after nutting it out for a little while, we got it done:

ABOVE:  Yep it works well!  And it didn't even take that long to do.

Now ... today?  Well it's my big 'clean the house' day.  So I will be doing some floor washing, tidying, bla bla bla.
And I might start sorting out Christmas presents, check where I have gaps.
Only giving gifts to grandkids this year ... the 'big' kids will be lucky to get a box of chocolates!  lol

With any luck we will hear from Para Rubber about the arrival of the pool this week!  Exciting.

Now.... I'm gunna get outta bed and start the day.

ONWARD...

11 am:  Awesome!  I've only got a few little gaps in the Christmas gifts.  So I might go out today and get that sorted, and pick up a prescription from the chemist.

It's a weird day, we've had rain and it was cold, and now the sun is coming out and it's getting all humid and shitty.

I'm going to get on the scales soon... expecting a little loss...

LOST .700 grams.  *sigh*... slow and steady I suppose.

Been down town and got pills for Griffin.  Was SO SO tempted to stop at a coffee shop and buy something evil... like cake/club sandwiches.
But I didn't.  Don't know why I didn't really.  Cos I'm feeling a bit crabby.

5 pm:  and this has to of been the laziest day THIS YEAR. Seriously.  I've done nothing.
I put a load of washing on this morning, but that's pretty much 'it'.

I've just felt totally blah.  Sat and watched TV.  
Just took some outgrown clothes down to the local Weight Watchers meeting, hopefully someone there will want them.

Now I have to sort out dinner for the family before I go for me FBG walk tonight. I need to get off me bum!

Well.... almost didn't go on my walk tonight.  I had a massive 'low' hit me just before I was due to leave for the walk.
So I had a glucose tablet then left (Griffin came with me).
I really struggled to keep going and a couple of times I was tempted to just sit down on the side of the road and wait for someone to take me back to my car after the walk!

But I did finally start to feel a bit better after the 4 km mark.  

I tested my blood when I got home.  3.8!  Way too low.  So I have had some ice cream and chocolate sauce!  That should fix me.  lol

I loved it too... nice to have a treat after so very long of not having anything like that!

The temperature has been dropping all day, and we are expecting a cold night... which would explain why I'm FREEZING!  

I'm going to watch some TV for a while, then head off to bed.  Catch you tomorrow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE

Well another birthday rolls around.

This time it's Griffin's.

He's 17 today.

And no doubt he will spend at least half of his birthday asleep.

If he follows his usual .... oh hang on!

He's got work today!  So... NO, he won't be in bed will he?

I'm pretty sure he will be up and heading off to work by 7.45 this morning!

That means poor Stew won't be getting a sleep in either. 

If I remember correctly, Griffin will be home just after lunchtime.  We might just end up going into Hamilton for a nice birthday lunch.

That's a good idea.  Let's get outta the house and spend some time together.  All four of us.

I might text the girls and see if they want to meet up for a late lunch too?  

It feels weird not doing any sewing for the past couple of days!  I have been flat out sewing for so long ... and now I don't have to!  

I wish we lived on a busy main road now... so I could sell from home.  *sigh*  But we don't, our road is really quiet, and a dead end.  So we simply don't get much traffic down here.

And yeah, that's me for now... I'll update again later on.  Maybe even have some photos!

ONWARD...

Quiet morning.  Then Amanda popped out for a visit.

ABOVE:  funny... she brought out a canvas I gave her for her birthday way, way back in 2006!  I remember making it too, when we lived in Palmerston North.
Tempting to make some more, I enjoyed making them.

But just how much crafty shit do I want to be doing?  lol

Griffin got dropped home a bit earlier than we expected, so we will be heading into Hamilton soon for a nice lunch somewhere.

 ABOVE:  Well we met up with Lacy and Kelly and then had a lovely lunch at The Foundation at The Base, Hamilton.  They give consistently good food and service.  They were very busy today!

After that we all did a bit of shopping.  I got more Christmas presents for grandkids, Griffin got 'stuff' for his birthday, and Stew?

ABOVE: Stewy got two new pairs of shorts... he went from a size men's 42 to.... 36!   Sexy beast.  *smiles*  Isn't he doing well too!

It's been a lovely day, seeing all three of our girls AND Dude's birthday too.  

Stew and I got up to something this afternoon, something that's not been done in a while!  Will show you tomorrow.

Time to end my day.... catch ya tomorrow.

A FREE DAY UNEXPECTEDLY

Well... as I am not doing the market today... I have no plans!

Both kids are home today too... until midday when Brylee has work.

Sooooo.... perhaps a family outing is a good idea, but maybe not with Brylee in tow.

Only, I've no idea what we can do.

So, I will rack my brains and see what I can come up with.

Until then... I will get some washing on, make the bed, bla bla bla.

Oh, I rang Para Rubber yesterday to see if our pool has arrived in the country, and it has.  It is expected in Hamilton next week... so that's exciting!

I will need to get an electrician to come here soon and install an outdoor power point so we can plug in the pool filter.  Then we will be good to go.

It's going to be so good having a pool to cool off in.  It is starting to get damn hot!

AND I plan on putting a narrow garden around the pool too.. using 'soft' plants.  Ones that can't be used by kids to stand on and climb up the pool sides on.  Like ferns/flaxes ... or flowers.  Not sure yet, but I want it to be pretty.

It will give me a project to get my teeth into ... cos I really do like to be doing something besides housework/cooking/sewing and so on around here. 

Though... I do want to re-paint the spare bedroom's walls at some point.  *smiles*

And that's all I have to yabber on about for now... so catch ya later.

ONWARD...

Pfffff!... we went into Hamilton and got the groceries!  Then home, unpacked them, made lunch... and now I'm binge watching Home and Away!
There's probably 2 weeks worth of episodes to watch.  And that's all I'm gunna do.

THEN I'm going to read a women's magazine... cos I bought one at the supermarket too.

First one I've bought all year.  Utter rubbish and bullshit stories in them ... but I'm having ma day off everything right now.  *smiles*

So, I've spent the afternoon/evening photographing my latest projects and putting them on my Facebook pages... so hopefully I might sell a few things there.

And now I'm going to sign off for the day and and just relax for a while before bed.

DAMN LIVID

I don't have a site for the Tamahere Market on Saturday.

And knowing how it works, I probably won't have one for December either.

Cos the 'regular' stall holders don't do the cold winter months, but all come flooding back when it's the more profitable summer markets eh? 

Oh my god I'm livid.  I have worked my arse off getting my stock ready for NOTHING.  So damn annoyed right now.  I found out late last night that I wouldn't get a site... 36 hours notice. 

There has been heaps going on at the end of our road... well it seemed like heaps!

Lots of trucks, tractors, graders and so on.

They turned a private farm road into a 'proper' road:

ABOVE:  Before

ABOVE:  After

ABOVE:  Before

 ABOVE:  After

It looks like they have done all they plan on doing... for now.

It's taken a couple of months for them to add about 500 metres of road!

So today... I'm just going to relax here at home and feel bloody crabby about no market tomorrow.

I'm really, really pissed off.

ONWARD...

9 am:  And I'm so cranky I decided to go for an FBG walk at 9.30. 

ABOVE:  My $240 New Balance sneakers are stuffed. Falling to bits, with friggin HOLES in them even.  After only one season of walking.  So last night I put me old skechers on (the white ones), and walked in them, same again this morning.
No problems at all!
So guess what?

I'm never paying $240 for sneakers again!  From now on I will be buying me Skechers for $80, and walking in them.  If they die after 6 months, well I can buy me some more, it will still be cheaper than the New Balance ones.

Which by the way, have been falling apart for MONTHS!  Not impressed with them at all.

So.  I get home from me walk this morning (and a nice morning tea with the girls too) and head out the back to get me solar powered keyboard out of the sun... and bugger me!

There's an outdoor setting on me back patio!

And I'm like, ummmm.... that ain't mine!  Who put that there?

ABOVE:  It's quite a nice setting an all... but surely whoever delivered it got the wrong address!

I'm thinking it was supposed to be delivered to the neighbour's over our back fence.  Our street number is *8, and their's is *8A.   We sometimes get their mail by mistake too.

So... when Craig gets home from work tonight, I will ask him if he's missing some outdoor furniture!  lol

ONE.  HOUR.   LATER...  KNOCK KNOCK .... and there's a bloke at me front door, holding a yellow slip of paper.

I can see him from where I'm sitting, so I yell out :

"Oh no!  Don't tell me you've come to take away me lovely new patio furniture!"

And he laughs his head off.

Seems the previous owners of this house had ordered it, and asked for it to be left on their back deck.  And the shop where they bought it from only had their old address.  Hence it got delivered here.  *smiles*

 ABOVE:  And it's 'Bye bye' to the furniture.  Bit of a laugh for the day if nothing else.

1.20 pm:  Waiting for some chicken nibbles to cook in the oven for me lunch.  Brylee is out on a Driving Lesson.  Griffin is at work.

So just me and the dogs.

And I am cleaning the stove top/kitchen wall behind the bins (bloody pigs in this house!)... and folding some washing that's been sitting in the basket for WEEKS... I kid you not!   Just sitting there... begging to be folded and put away.

Not one of my strong points.  Stew usually caves and does it, but something tells me he has dug his toes in and decided he ain't gunna do it.  The shit.

Like... he ONLY works all day right?  Pffffft.

LIKE... I'M A BAD WIFE.

ABOVE:  One of the nicest walk photos taken this year I reckon!  And YES, we were on the road, completely blocking it in fact.  
OK... it's a very quiet road, hardly any traffic... we were safe!

Brylee just saw it and said "Wow are you even smiling??? Yes you are! "  lol

It's now 1/4 to 4 and I've started dinner prep.  Chicken/potato/tomato bake.  Should be yummy.

Going on another walk tonight, 7 pm.  It's a longer one than this morning.  This morning's was only an half hour walk.  Almost doesn't count... but I suppose they all add up as exercise eh. 

ABOVE:  Goodness knows what 'pose' this was supposed to be!  Whatever... another one done and dusted again.   Lovely cool evening for a walk.

Home now and Stew and I will probably be watching a movie on Netflix before bed.