A long term staff member of ours left today, as in quit. No notice, no warning, no explanation.
How can he do this? No, that's not an indignant, self pitying 'How can he do this to us?' question. I mean how can he just decide one day that he's no longer going to work? What of his own responsibilities?
Well since he's a gen y, he's still living at home with Mum and Dad well into his late 20's. Having his ego massaged, being told he's a golden child, no need to stress your self daahlink. So he can quit his job without worrying about making the rent or paying his bills or having to feed himself. That's all being done for him. He's so comfortable, he can just quit and mooch around home, having his washing done and playing the Wii until he feels like working again.
Gen Y may have been told they are on the path to milk and honey, the best jobs for the most money are coming their way. And it may be true, but gen y are not going to conquer the world with all their wealth, because they are going to starve to death once their boomer parents die.
Like Aztecs, this golden age generation will just disappear. And the rest of us will be like 'oh yeah, remeber those little f**ers, geez thank god they're gone, weren't they a waste of time...'
We aren't pissed that you've left, loser, it's that you gave no notice. Even one week would have been enough. But no, just the walk out. Hard to believe someone could be so short sighted. Quitting does not bode well for a decent reference, does it?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
in the Queen's english
Advertising for staff avails me of some spectacular and extraordinary resumes. Here are some highlights of what I have been reading lately...
Potential employees assert that they possess the following qualities-
Willingness to sacrifice pleasure and rest for the sake of work. (! I love this candidate!)
Profound knowledge of the hazards of institutional baking work and ability to observe adequate safety precautions.
Remarkable ability to operate bakery equipment and to plan and maintain the required production.
In-depth ability to assist in the instruction and supervision of others in baking operations.
Uncommon ability to work under conditions of high temperatures. (Instant connection here, since I too possess this uncommon quality.)
Have a quality to give presentations and convince and motivate masses through effective communication and knowledge.
and to win me over..
I would be more than honoured to work in your esteemed organisation and give a dedicated and unmatched service to the best of my potential, if and only if given an opportunity.
or a last ditch attempt..
we are 2 guys looking for this job we have a car and we are avilable.
You know what? I started this post because I thought it was amusing. I have read so many emails and resumes, all but begging me for work in twisted, funny student english, in bad, should-know-better, Aussie english. People doing their utmost to convince me that they can do this job and are willing to write anything to get a go. But right now, it's making me sad.
Resumes, however lacking do build a picture of someone, and so many of my applicants obviously have aspirations in other fields. Microbiology graduates, aeronautical engineering graduates, people with real qualifications and genuine intelligence attempting to build life here, starting off by baking.
Yes, baking does require intelligence, commitment, grunt and sweat. I know some of you out there can do this job. But why? Doesn't this country need micro biologists and aeronautical engineers as well?
Please lord, just send me some bakers and find jobs for the others as well.
Potential employees assert that they possess the following qualities-
Willingness to sacrifice pleasure and rest for the sake of work. (! I love this candidate!)
Profound knowledge of the hazards of institutional baking work and ability to observe adequate safety precautions.
Remarkable ability to operate bakery equipment and to plan and maintain the required production.
In-depth ability to assist in the instruction and supervision of others in baking operations.
Uncommon ability to work under conditions of high temperatures. (Instant connection here, since I too possess this uncommon quality.)
Have a quality to give presentations and convince and motivate masses through effective communication and knowledge.
and to win me over..
I would be more than honoured to work in your esteemed organisation and give a dedicated and unmatched service to the best of my potential, if and only if given an opportunity.
or a last ditch attempt..
we are 2 guys looking for this job we have a car and we are avilable.
You know what? I started this post because I thought it was amusing. I have read so many emails and resumes, all but begging me for work in twisted, funny student english, in bad, should-know-better, Aussie english. People doing their utmost to convince me that they can do this job and are willing to write anything to get a go. But right now, it's making me sad.
Resumes, however lacking do build a picture of someone, and so many of my applicants obviously have aspirations in other fields. Microbiology graduates, aeronautical engineering graduates, people with real qualifications and genuine intelligence attempting to build life here, starting off by baking.
Yes, baking does require intelligence, commitment, grunt and sweat. I know some of you out there can do this job. But why? Doesn't this country need micro biologists and aeronautical engineers as well?
Please lord, just send me some bakers and find jobs for the others as well.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
nothings..
Today I was thinking, isn't it funny that when I watch the Movie Show I rarely feel the need to see the movie anymore, but when I watch First Tuesday Bookclub I still want to read the books?
And when I watched Masterchef I yelled at the television all the time, but now it's gone, I miss it.
And when I watched Masterchef I yelled at the television all the time, but now it's gone, I miss it.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
my Lou
I finally found a moment to take Lucien to the Health Nurse for his 6-8 month check up. At nine months old (yikes!). Obviously I wasn't worried about his development in any way. Have a look at the photo, he's a baby, plus, plus.
We it's actually official now. He is a champion baby. Because we hadn't spent much time around other babies, I'd totally lost my judgement about his size and heft. But the nurse confirmed my suspicions today. His weight is average for a 12 month old and his height and head circumference is average for a 15 month old! At nine months! Go Lou!
People had commented on how big he is, and my line was usually something about him ha
ving taken an evolutionary leap, and with us being tall and all....Now I have some stats to thrill them with.This week he has mastered crawling and zooms over to me whenever I appear. The new mobility has borne new attitude too and he's constantly tussling with Gabriel and growling at him when he can't get what he wants. Good on you Lou, my nugget champion.
Monday, July 27, 2009
a medal
Very early this morning I had one of those parenting experiences that should earn you a badge of honour for service to the infant community.
Lucien has a cold- blocked nose, phlegmy cough, generally annoyed. No temperature, so he's not dopey or too unhappy. But he is unwell, and this cold has his throat on a hair trigger. When he woke for his usual 5am bottle he guzzled it down, then sat up, coughed and threw it all up, all over me and himself and the couch.
No matter, I changed him, wiped the couch and got new pyjamas on myself. Then he sat up on my knee, burped and followed through with a huge vomit, again. So I changed him, wiped off the couch, changed me and I brought him into my bed to snuggle down and snooze until dawn.
In my bed, he coughed, it caught in his throat and heave ho, away we go again. Yep, threw up all on my bed, the doona, my last clean pyjama/t-shirt and himself. Again. Bugger. I never knew 240mls could stretch so far.
So I stripped the bed, made it fresh, found the last clean item he had to wear, dug out my year 12 school t-shirt (like, the bottom, bottom of the wardrobe pile) and at 6.05 we finally snuggled in. I had been awake and changing clothes for an hour. At 6.25 Gabriel woke and could not be tricked into going back to sleep, Lucien could not be settled either and so we began the day. It's a tough morning, let me tell you. For a start the washing pile is already half a metre high!
Only when I'm flagging at 8pm in the evening and berating myself for not getting on top of everything I need to do before the next day do I remember. 'Oh yeah, you have been awake since 5am. Time for bed, brainiac."
It wasn't a particularly gross ordeal, nor stressful, Louie wasn't screaming or distressed. Last night was not really badge of honour stuff like midnight rushes to casualty or like when 3am gastro strikes. It's just sometimes I wish I wasn't doing this alone. Right now, in particular, this morning, I wanted a helper. A husband who was home to share part of this burden with me, just someone else to help. But we always want what we can't have, right? This is the lot of the baker's wife.
Lucien has a cold- blocked nose, phlegmy cough, generally annoyed. No temperature, so he's not dopey or too unhappy. But he is unwell, and this cold has his throat on a hair trigger. When he woke for his usual 5am bottle he guzzled it down, then sat up, coughed and threw it all up, all over me and himself and the couch.
No matter, I changed him, wiped the couch and got new pyjamas on myself. Then he sat up on my knee, burped and followed through with a huge vomit, again. So I changed him, wiped off the couch, changed me and I brought him into my bed to snuggle down and snooze until dawn.
In my bed, he coughed, it caught in his throat and heave ho, away we go again. Yep, threw up all on my bed, the doona, my last clean pyjama/t-shirt and himself. Again. Bugger. I never knew 240mls could stretch so far.
So I stripped the bed, made it fresh, found the last clean item he had to wear, dug out my year 12 school t-shirt (like, the bottom, bottom of the wardrobe pile) and at 6.05 we finally snuggled in. I had been awake and changing clothes for an hour. At 6.25 Gabriel woke and could not be tricked into going back to sleep, Lucien could not be settled either and so we began the day. It's a tough morning, let me tell you. For a start the washing pile is already half a metre high!
Only when I'm flagging at 8pm in the evening and berating myself for not getting on top of everything I need to do before the next day do I remember. 'Oh yeah, you have been awake since 5am. Time for bed, brainiac."
It wasn't a particularly gross ordeal, nor stressful, Louie wasn't screaming or distressed. Last night was not really badge of honour stuff like midnight rushes to casualty or like when 3am gastro strikes. It's just sometimes I wish I wasn't doing this alone. Right now, in particular, this morning, I wanted a helper. A husband who was home to share part of this burden with me, just someone else to help. But we always want what we can't have, right? This is the lot of the baker's wife.
Friday, July 24, 2009
the gen y problem
We are currently hiring staff for the bakery. The key position we are trialling for is a second baker. It's really, really hard to find the right person. Our bakery is a very small family business and this is our first big appointment. It's really personal to us. This new employee will be eating from our food bowl, if you get me. They are a significant part of us. No drongos, no drug addicts, no baggage please. You can see we are going to have a problem.
So far we have had responses from bakers with significant amounts of experience (15-20 years), or international students with a baking training qualification (the course runs one month) and a masters degree in IT. The first group is over qualified. They can do everything and so want more than $1000 a week. We cannot afford them. Apparently no one can, they're looking for work. The second group are working for their residency visa and I suspect they may lack the conviction necessary to work at our bakery. We are serious bakers. We think our bread is very important.
We actually need a young, unattached, qualified baker with about 5 years experience. Someone ready to climb the ladder to success, have a shot at the title. But we have had this person in too, and they also did not work out. Why? Two words. Gen Y.
It wasn't until I started bleating on to my friends about what a disaster this gen Y kid was that I discovered I was up against a cultural phenomenon. My experience is a shared one. There are HR and management essays, whole courses devoted to the hiring and handling of gen Y! The further I have delved, the more I understand them. No that's not true, I absolutely do not understand gen Y. But I can recognise the symptoms of being one.
Here's some tips on spotting a gen y, and this is not a spoof..
-intense focus on their feelings, need to discuss how they feel about stuff
-exaggerated sense of the importance of their opinion, lack of sense of when it is appropriate to express it.
-exaggerated sense of entitlement, they want the best position for the best money.
-Gen Y are the 'training' generation, so they have little regard for the importance of demonstrated skills and experience. Afterall they did pay to do the course. Also remember, they are the generation who have never heard the word fail, never got a graded (A-F) school report, were always let down gently by their educators, given extensions, re-sits, special consideration. Attendance at school was enough for gen y to pass. Sorry, not pass. To obtain a grade of 'satisfactory'.
-they lack 'persona'. This is a bit of management training jargon from a friend of mine. It means gen Y's don't get that you wouldn't speak to your boss the same way you speak to your friends. As an employer you will hear about their full on weekend, what they are planning for their next 'sick' weekend and probably why they'll need a sickie in the near future.
That's a few pointers. However, now I can recognise them, I have absolutely no idea about what to do with these people. I want to hire them, they could be the future of my business. But they all seem to be so unwilling to commit to anything, they can't tell me what they want to be doing in six weeks, let alone longer term (for god's sake people, when an employer asks you a long term goal question, lie! Develop your persona! I'm not going to hire you if I think you're just going to work until you can afford your next trip too Byron Bay.) One foot out the door, always looking over their shoulder for the better opportunity that they all think is coming. The attitude sucks.
Hiring in the current day- oldies, internationals or gen y. And they say it's an employers market!
So far we have had responses from bakers with significant amounts of experience (15-20 years), or international students with a baking training qualification (the course runs one month) and a masters degree in IT. The first group is over qualified. They can do everything and so want more than $1000 a week. We cannot afford them. Apparently no one can, they're looking for work. The second group are working for their residency visa and I suspect they may lack the conviction necessary to work at our bakery. We are serious bakers. We think our bread is very important.
We actually need a young, unattached, qualified baker with about 5 years experience. Someone ready to climb the ladder to success, have a shot at the title. But we have had this person in too, and they also did not work out. Why? Two words. Gen Y.
It wasn't until I started bleating on to my friends about what a disaster this gen Y kid was that I discovered I was up against a cultural phenomenon. My experience is a shared one. There are HR and management essays, whole courses devoted to the hiring and handling of gen Y! The further I have delved, the more I understand them. No that's not true, I absolutely do not understand gen Y. But I can recognise the symptoms of being one.
Here's some tips on spotting a gen y, and this is not a spoof..
-intense focus on their feelings, need to discuss how they feel about stuff
-exaggerated sense of the importance of their opinion, lack of sense of when it is appropriate to express it.
-exaggerated sense of entitlement, they want the best position for the best money.
-Gen Y are the 'training' generation, so they have little regard for the importance of demonstrated skills and experience. Afterall they did pay to do the course. Also remember, they are the generation who have never heard the word fail, never got a graded (A-F) school report, were always let down gently by their educators, given extensions, re-sits, special consideration. Attendance at school was enough for gen y to pass. Sorry, not pass. To obtain a grade of 'satisfactory'.
-they lack 'persona'. This is a bit of management training jargon from a friend of mine. It means gen Y's don't get that you wouldn't speak to your boss the same way you speak to your friends. As an employer you will hear about their full on weekend, what they are planning for their next 'sick' weekend and probably why they'll need a sickie in the near future.
That's a few pointers. However, now I can recognise them, I have absolutely no idea about what to do with these people. I want to hire them, they could be the future of my business. But they all seem to be so unwilling to commit to anything, they can't tell me what they want to be doing in six weeks, let alone longer term (for god's sake people, when an employer asks you a long term goal question, lie! Develop your persona! I'm not going to hire you if I think you're just going to work until you can afford your next trip too Byron Bay.) One foot out the door, always looking over their shoulder for the better opportunity that they all think is coming. The attitude sucks.
Hiring in the current day- oldies, internationals or gen y. And they say it's an employers market!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
time is everything
Since our life changed so dramatically recently, there have been some big adjustments to be made.
I was the most exhausted I have ever, ever been, living in a funk but still expecting to be able to make difficult decisions and maintain our former life while in the first months of running a busy but struggling small business, with no experience and limited access to resources. Many, many things gave way under the pressure. Cooking and cleaning were the first to go.
Now we are six months on and I have had a chance to get my head back. Every aspect of how we live has been examined and evaluated. Mainly because the baker is flat chat baking at the moment, so everything else falls to me, and I am but one person. Home and garden, children, paperwork, phone calls, extended family contact, managing the bakery shop, banking, meetings, sales calls......there is only so much one can do, whilst trying to maintain a breastfeeding regime and get a teeny bit of broken sleep.
Thankfully I have equally as busy friends who can offer some great advice. Recently on this blog, some terrific time/food/family management ideas were posted and actually managed to implement some of them. As my kids get older and the baker is home a bit more, other tips will come in real handy (like getting the baker to cook or clean!)
Then another wonderful web cruiser sent me this link and life became easier still.
So this post is for those who need a but of help. Everyone actually.
I was the most exhausted I have ever, ever been, living in a funk but still expecting to be able to make difficult decisions and maintain our former life while in the first months of running a busy but struggling small business, with no experience and limited access to resources. Many, many things gave way under the pressure. Cooking and cleaning were the first to go.
Now we are six months on and I have had a chance to get my head back. Every aspect of how we live has been examined and evaluated. Mainly because the baker is flat chat baking at the moment, so everything else falls to me, and I am but one person. Home and garden, children, paperwork, phone calls, extended family contact, managing the bakery shop, banking, meetings, sales calls......there is only so much one can do, whilst trying to maintain a breastfeeding regime and get a teeny bit of broken sleep.
Thankfully I have equally as busy friends who can offer some great advice. Recently on this blog, some terrific time/food/family management ideas were posted and actually managed to implement some of them. As my kids get older and the baker is home a bit more, other tips will come in real handy (like getting the baker to cook or clean!)
Then another wonderful web cruiser sent me this link and life became easier still.
So this post is for those who need a but of help. Everyone actually.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Blogging recommenced!
Oh my goodness. Yes, I'm back. Well, it's only been what, 9 or so months since I last posted. Surely some of you out there are still checking in with me?! Thanks if you are!!
I see from the last post that you are waiting patiently to find out all about my baby. Well he did arrive, and so much more I'm going to give you the abridged version so we can get on with the real business of blogging.
So, on the 29th October last year Lucien Robert arrived. A beautiful, huge baby rushed into the world (truly, waters broke at 9:50 pm, he was born at 11:30pm. Phew!) and commenced his delightful reign over our lives.
Two weeks later we learned that the business the baker works in was for sale. Interesting. And if it could not be sold by Christmas, the owner would close and everyone would be out of a job. Hmmm. Alarming.
So we tootled off to the bank, baby tucked under one arm, financial history under the other, and by January we were business owners. Yes! A bakery of our very own.
I'm hoping you can see now where the last nine months have disappeared to. Three months of new baby and harrowing business purchase negotiations then without a pause the running of our own business, with two children and seriously mortgaged. Things got real interesting...
I've decided that the focus of my blog is going to be about the business. Previously it was about saving money as a home maker. Now I'm going to talk about business making as a home maker. What we have learnt in the past six months I never, ever read in any small business books, nor was there any mentor who could help us with the serious decisions we faced everyday, and still do face.
This is of course the first lesson of owning your own business- no one is going to tell you how to run it. There's no management manual, no book of accounting, no decision making checklist.
The point is, I talk to my hospitality friends who run businesses, I talk to accountants and lawyers, to people who advise big business, but a guide about owning a hospitality business is difficult to find. Perhaps we can build one together.
I'll also be posting about my family and stuff I cook, since that's really what I'm comfortable talking about. So keep checking in. I'll do my utmost to reward your interest!
Monday, October 6, 2008
wiling away the hours
Blogging at 12.48am, due to my inability to sleep comfortably anymore. Only 18 days to go now. This has been a funny week. Since the new kitchen was successfully completed (hooray for my DIY champ husband!) I have a little more free time in my day, and have been musing on life little issues...
-daylight savings was something I loved before I had a child. It really is a thrill for those who like long evenings and alfresco eating, or who have dogs to walk along the beach at sunset, or who aren't as uptight about adhering to routines as I am. Now, it's a bit of a pain. The day is already long enough, having started at 6am. Come chat with me in a few years time, and I'll probably be loving the light again. Today I just want him to go to bed at the usual time.
-acupuncture is a brilliant thing. I will not stop saying this. If you have anything bothering you, from a cough to pregnancy, go see an acupuncturist.
-my friend from the city brings me this awesome honey, with brilliant flavour, intense, like rosemary and blossom nectar. Collected from his own hives by a little man, it seems to be unprocessed, so is super bacterial and healthy. The joke is that she gets it in Clifton Hill, but it is harvested down here, in Sorrento and cannot be bought anywhere BUT her little store Clifton Hill. Talk about your food miles...
- Yet again I find myself annoyed at tradespeople. Mechanics, currently. Our red car has really died, but not before we spent considerable money attempting to save it. I have an inkling that responsibility for it's problems may rest at the feet of our mechanic, who failed adequately diagnose the initial issue. But he seems to put it all down to luck, as in our bad luck. Where to from here? Then the whipper-snipper we just has serviced is conking out exactly like before, and under inspection the baker found a little hole in a part that probably should have been detected by those servicing the thing. Shouldn't it? So now it has to go back. Time and effort and money wasted, again. Why can't they do the job properly first time?
- we have spent so much time in Bunnings now, that I can spot their stuff in other people's houses. Like my Mum's house could easily be the house that Bunnings built, like ours is becoming. Doors, kitchen, even the bin in the bathroom I recognise. The issue here is that I need to spend time somewhere else, doing something else..
-daylight savings was something I loved before I had a child. It really is a thrill for those who like long evenings and alfresco eating, or who have dogs to walk along the beach at sunset, or who aren't as uptight about adhering to routines as I am. Now, it's a bit of a pain. The day is already long enough, having started at 6am. Come chat with me in a few years time, and I'll probably be loving the light again. Today I just want him to go to bed at the usual time.
-acupuncture is a brilliant thing. I will not stop saying this. If you have anything bothering you, from a cough to pregnancy, go see an acupuncturist.
-my friend from the city brings me this awesome honey, with brilliant flavour, intense, like rosemary and blossom nectar. Collected from his own hives by a little man, it seems to be unprocessed, so is super bacterial and healthy. The joke is that she gets it in Clifton Hill, but it is harvested down here, in Sorrento and cannot be bought anywhere BUT her little store Clifton Hill. Talk about your food miles...
- Yet again I find myself annoyed at tradespeople. Mechanics, currently. Our red car has really died, but not before we spent considerable money attempting to save it. I have an inkling that responsibility for it's problems may rest at the feet of our mechanic, who failed adequately diagnose the initial issue. But he seems to put it all down to luck, as in our bad luck. Where to from here? Then the whipper-snipper we just has serviced is conking out exactly like before, and under inspection the baker found a little hole in a part that probably should have been detected by those servicing the thing. Shouldn't it? So now it has to go back. Time and effort and money wasted, again. Why can't they do the job properly first time?
- we have spent so much time in Bunnings now, that I can spot their stuff in other people's houses. Like my Mum's house could easily be the house that Bunnings built, like ours is becoming. Doors, kitchen, even the bin in the bathroom I recognise. The issue here is that I need to spend time somewhere else, doing something else..
Sunday, October 5, 2008
for pumpkin season
I have just made a wonderful pumpkin cake, and since we are coming up to the time for cheap, abundant pumpkins, I want to share it. It's a great one for kids, not because of the pumpkin, but because it's quite low in fat and sugar, yet is sweet and moist. Thank-you must go to Gabriel Gate.
Grease a 20-22cm loaf tin and set the oven to 180c.
Steam 200g pumpkin to soft and allow to cool.
Using a food processor or beater, cream 60g butter, 1/4c caster sugar and the zest of an orange to light an fluffy.
Add two eggs then mashed pumpkin and 1/4c milk.
Add 2c wholemeal self-raising flour, 1/4c each of chopped almonds and walnuts (the finer the better, you end up with a cake the texture of flourless orange cake, quite dense) and 1/2 c chopped dates. I also added 1/2t cinnamon and 1t vanilla.
Pour into tin and bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool for 10 mins before unmoulding onto a cake rack.
Enjoy.
For those new to my recipes, 'c' means cup, 't' means teaspoon.
My lack of photos is annoying me, the problem being that our computer is too full to load on anymore. I'll see what I can do tomorrow. Then, if there's any left, you can see this golden, lovely cake and desire to cook it yourself!
Grease a 20-22cm loaf tin and set the oven to 180c.
Steam 200g pumpkin to soft and allow to cool.
Using a food processor or beater, cream 60g butter, 1/4c caster sugar and the zest of an orange to light an fluffy.
Add two eggs then mashed pumpkin and 1/4c milk.
Add 2c wholemeal self-raising flour, 1/4c each of chopped almonds and walnuts (the finer the better, you end up with a cake the texture of flourless orange cake, quite dense) and 1/2 c chopped dates. I also added 1/2t cinnamon and 1t vanilla.
Pour into tin and bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool for 10 mins before unmoulding onto a cake rack.
Enjoy.
For those new to my recipes, 'c' means cup, 't' means teaspoon.
My lack of photos is annoying me, the problem being that our computer is too full to load on anymore. I'll see what I can do tomorrow. Then, if there's any left, you can see this golden, lovely cake and desire to cook it yourself!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
the beginning of something new
My baby (not really, he's 18 months now!) is having his first sleepover at Nanny's house tonight. I'm so excited. Probably because he woke us at 5am this morning and could not be tricked into having another snooze, so breakfast was at 5:40am instead of the usual 6:30-7am. But not tomorrow, sonny jim. Ha ha!
I do believe that with your children you have to be 'ready' to do something, like leaving them with others for the first time, pushing their limits and your own trying by something new. Others will encourage and push you to do things- my Mum was all set for us to go to a large family gathering at a restaurant when he was 2 weeks old, which I was not doing at all. And I was glad we didn't go because I wasn't ready to tackle that scenario. But with this sleepover I am totally ready. I thought to myself this morning that I will feel no guilt at all leaving someone else to cope with him for one night and morning. So I must be ready. Because if there's one thing I am it's a guilt ridden mother. Especially about leaving him. But he so loves it with my family and he sleeps most of the night, so what is there to worry about?
Now if only we had a bathtub to luxuriate in, my evening would have been perfect.....And for sure I'll be awake by 6:30am anyway, but ooohh, not having to get up is a secret thrill. And not being woken up by the sound of someone whining and grizzling is another secret pleasure. And I'm saving the good parts of the paper to read with my hot cup of tea at breakfast. Without having to sing Wiggles or Bananas tunes. Oh, the life I miss!
I do believe that with your children you have to be 'ready' to do something, like leaving them with others for the first time, pushing their limits and your own trying by something new. Others will encourage and push you to do things- my Mum was all set for us to go to a large family gathering at a restaurant when he was 2 weeks old, which I was not doing at all. And I was glad we didn't go because I wasn't ready to tackle that scenario. But with this sleepover I am totally ready. I thought to myself this morning that I will feel no guilt at all leaving someone else to cope with him for one night and morning. So I must be ready. Because if there's one thing I am it's a guilt ridden mother. Especially about leaving him. But he so loves it with my family and he sleeps most of the night, so what is there to worry about?
Now if only we had a bathtub to luxuriate in, my evening would have been perfect.....And for sure I'll be awake by 6:30am anyway, but ooohh, not having to get up is a secret thrill. And not being woken up by the sound of someone whining and grizzling is another secret pleasure. And I'm saving the good parts of the paper to read with my hot cup of tea at breakfast. Without having to sing Wiggles or Bananas tunes. Oh, the life I miss!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
my decree
My kitchen has disappeared, temporarily. We are building a new one this weekend, but the plumbing comes first, then cabinets, then life goes on.
What shocked me was how much I had crammed into my second and third drawers in the short time we have lived here. I chucked out so much detritus, and it has only accumulated in three months! I knew I was cramming stuff in there, but I couldn't see why, and then I had to unload it all and voila! All was clear.
You must do this too. Go to that drawer that you just keep stuffing crap into, even if it's your socks or undies drawer, and pull it out. Find out why it's so full, and free yourself. I reckon I'm going to do this at least twice a year from now on. Because amongst the detritus there was gold too.........
What shocked me was how much I had crammed into my second and third drawers in the short time we have lived here. I chucked out so much detritus, and it has only accumulated in three months! I knew I was cramming stuff in there, but I couldn't see why, and then I had to unload it all and voila! All was clear.
You must do this too. Go to that drawer that you just keep stuffing crap into, even if it's your socks or undies drawer, and pull it out. Find out why it's so full, and free yourself. I reckon I'm going to do this at least twice a year from now on. Because amongst the detritus there was gold too.........
the organic thing
On the 5th Sept the government announced compulsory unit pricing in all supermarkets. Hooray! Those of you who follow this blog closely will know that I am a huge advocate of this price labelling system, which I have seen around Europe and the UK but thought we'd never get here, such is our retailers dislike of competition and fairness for consumers...
And, as with the way of the world, you put something out there and the universe sends something back. Since announcing our push towards organic life I have found two great articles concerning this matter. One from our brilliant friends at Choice, surveying and reviewing organic foods. This was very interesting reading. I loved finding that I don't have to watch out for potatoes and that we should all watch out for our information sources. The UK/European research does not always apply directly to us, since we have different rules and circumstances, especially concerning production of meat.
The other was this article from my beloved Guardian.
It's a bit of homework for you if you are interested.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Overdue
Thank-you, kind friends, for checking in and sticking with me! I hate starting off with apologies, but nearly two months since a post is just unforgivable. I am sorry to have neglected my duties as a blogger and have resolved again to try harder. In reference to the last post, we got sicker before we got better, there was much blubbering on the couch before we recovered. I found rejuvenation through acupuncture, which has helped immensely both with my sciatica and chesty cold. I think I'm the best that can be expected one month from my next due date. I feel much, much better, and am my mobile, agile self again.
Trying a bit harder at blogging involves squeezing more from my day and at this stage that seems like a huge task. My list of 'must do's' is as long as my arm including 'clear out and set up the baby's room', 'organise self for hospital stay and G for sleep-overs at Nanny's house,' along with the dumb things that I've let slide like changing addresses after we moved, cancelling redundant bank accounts, tax and related book-keeeping chores. No small tasks these, and yet the time to do it just escapes me.
I can't see why, since G, my darling, 18month old first born has adjusted to daylight savings before it's actually begun, and is now waking at 6am. I preferred it when he woke at 7. We were able to trick him by resettling him in our bed and getting another hour of peace. Not so any more. He's awake, he's hungry and he will not lie still. Up we get. By 9am it feels like the day is half over, when it's only just begun, and we still have 2 hours until sleep time (of one hour only, argh!), and then another six or so hours to fill. But by the time we do morning things, go to the library/pool/toy library/food shopping, snack, sleep, lunch, play, wake Dad and prepare dinner, it's 4:30, I'm knackered and it's time to wind up for the day. It is a relentless day, without relief.
But the upshot of early rising and my feeling better is that we have been spending quality morning time in the garden. G loves to 'help' and we have the makings of good vege patch and many, many strawberries coming this summer. We have put in a forest of aloe along the shady side of the house, and are hoping that they will love the crappy, dry soil and conditions there. My compost is humming, our lemon trees have taken root for future years of joy and I am very happy about it all. Just waiting to put in the tomatoes and basil, but we'll have to accomplish that post-new baby.
Another hurdle we've faced during my two month blogging hiatus was my Dad being diagnosed with cancer in his tongue and jaw (no, he's not a smoker, actually, just unlucky). Well, Mum and Dad's life has become a circus of hospital and specialist appointments with day long stints in waiting rooms and Dad is just home from almost a month in hospital after an horrific operation to remove the cancer and repair his mouth. He is not the man we sent in there. That man was mobile, agile, vibrant and just had a callous on his tongue that bothered him a bit. The new Dad looks like he was hit by a truck, bewildered by everything that's happened in the past month alone, and having actually survived this unbelievable operation, is now facing radiation therapy and chemo to finish all this business off, we hope and pray.
We've had to adjust to this life quickly. I went from having them as the other main carers for G to being a part of their care-sharing regime (one of my sister's is intellectually disabled, lives at home and needs a certain level of supervision most of the time, and my grand-mother is 82 and living alone with degrees of success.) Helping with this, where we could, was not an issue, at all, as family is family, of course, you know.
In terms of my life, it just means I've had less time to get to that 'must do' list, and much less time to blog. Furthermore, my mother-in-law, another helper for me, has just jetted off to Europe for six weeks.
Oh, and I decided that I must have to kitchen finished before the baby comes, so this weekend we are demolishing the cabinets and building new, shiny flatpack ones, chiselling the tiles off the walls, doing the electrics, and having a dishwasher installed. I suppose it's one less thing on the 'to do' list. It means that other stuff isn't getting done since I'm emptying and storing the existing cabinets of their contents, holding panels for drilling and generally fretting about whether or not we can pull it off. We have limited DIY experience and this project is an expensive one to cut your teeth on!
So, well, that's us in an short update. There will be more, and sooner than later, so stay with me!
Trying a bit harder at blogging involves squeezing more from my day and at this stage that seems like a huge task. My list of 'must do's' is as long as my arm including 'clear out and set up the baby's room', 'organise self for hospital stay and G for sleep-overs at Nanny's house,' along with the dumb things that I've let slide like changing addresses after we moved, cancelling redundant bank accounts, tax and related book-keeeping chores. No small tasks these, and yet the time to do it just escapes me.
I can't see why, since G, my darling, 18month old first born has adjusted to daylight savings before it's actually begun, and is now waking at 6am. I preferred it when he woke at 7. We were able to trick him by resettling him in our bed and getting another hour of peace. Not so any more. He's awake, he's hungry and he will not lie still. Up we get. By 9am it feels like the day is half over, when it's only just begun, and we still have 2 hours until sleep time (of one hour only, argh!), and then another six or so hours to fill. But by the time we do morning things, go to the library/pool/toy library/food shopping, snack, sleep, lunch, play, wake Dad and prepare dinner, it's 4:30, I'm knackered and it's time to wind up for the day. It is a relentless day, without relief.
But the upshot of early rising and my feeling better is that we have been spending quality morning time in the garden. G loves to 'help' and we have the makings of good vege patch and many, many strawberries coming this summer. We have put in a forest of aloe along the shady side of the house, and are hoping that they will love the crappy, dry soil and conditions there. My compost is humming, our lemon trees have taken root for future years of joy and I am very happy about it all. Just waiting to put in the tomatoes and basil, but we'll have to accomplish that post-new baby.
Another hurdle we've faced during my two month blogging hiatus was my Dad being diagnosed with cancer in his tongue and jaw (no, he's not a smoker, actually, just unlucky). Well, Mum and Dad's life has become a circus of hospital and specialist appointments with day long stints in waiting rooms and Dad is just home from almost a month in hospital after an horrific operation to remove the cancer and repair his mouth. He is not the man we sent in there. That man was mobile, agile, vibrant and just had a callous on his tongue that bothered him a bit. The new Dad looks like he was hit by a truck, bewildered by everything that's happened in the past month alone, and having actually survived this unbelievable operation, is now facing radiation therapy and chemo to finish all this business off, we hope and pray.
We've had to adjust to this life quickly. I went from having them as the other main carers for G to being a part of their care-sharing regime (one of my sister's is intellectually disabled, lives at home and needs a certain level of supervision most of the time, and my grand-mother is 82 and living alone with degrees of success.) Helping with this, where we could, was not an issue, at all, as family is family, of course, you know.
In terms of my life, it just means I've had less time to get to that 'must do' list, and much less time to blog. Furthermore, my mother-in-law, another helper for me, has just jetted off to Europe for six weeks.
Oh, and I decided that I must have to kitchen finished before the baby comes, so this weekend we are demolishing the cabinets and building new, shiny flatpack ones, chiselling the tiles off the walls, doing the electrics, and having a dishwasher installed. I suppose it's one less thing on the 'to do' list. It means that other stuff isn't getting done since I'm emptying and storing the existing cabinets of their contents, holding panels for drilling and generally fretting about whether or not we can pull it off. We have limited DIY experience and this project is an expensive one to cut your teeth on!
So, well, that's us in an short update. There will be more, and sooner than later, so stay with me!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
falling to bits
What a shocker. We are falling to bits in this house. No, not the house, the inhabitants. How did it get this way? We are on a super health drive!
Well, it started when I spent last Sunday dutifully washing up at work and since it wasn't busy, I was in the sink for about three hours. Three hours, pregnant and hunched over.
So by about 5pm I was hobbling and the next day I couldn't walk. Or the next. Sciatica, and still 12 weeks out from having this baby. In the words of my chiro- we are going to be battling this for the next 12 weeks. Which reduced me to tears, since I need to bend and carry and can't even barely stand and most certainly can't take to my bed for hours, since I have a 16 month old. I knew this would happen, as I suffered the same thing towards the end of my last pregnancy, but not with 3 months still to go. Grr.
But the baby boy is struggling even worse than that. Last week he got his first childhood illness- foot, hand and mouth disease, then came through that to develop a snuffly nose this week. He capped this off yesterday by dropping a heavy wooden chair straight on his big toe and smashing it. Blood, screaming, swelling, writhing, blood. It was really awful. But it's mostly ok- not broken or needing stitches, just fat and blue.
So he and I are both hobbling, he's sneezing and dribbling, I'm intermittently crying from tiredness or pain, since G's ailments are waking him up so no one is sleeping properly and we are a big old mess.
Thank goodness for the baker, who can still bend to do the bath, lift the rubbish bin and not complain when I'm complaining too much and have eaten all the chocolate gelato from the freezer. What a soldier.
Well, it started when I spent last Sunday dutifully washing up at work and since it wasn't busy, I was in the sink for about three hours. Three hours, pregnant and hunched over.
So by about 5pm I was hobbling and the next day I couldn't walk. Or the next. Sciatica, and still 12 weeks out from having this baby. In the words of my chiro- we are going to be battling this for the next 12 weeks. Which reduced me to tears, since I need to bend and carry and can't even barely stand and most certainly can't take to my bed for hours, since I have a 16 month old. I knew this would happen, as I suffered the same thing towards the end of my last pregnancy, but not with 3 months still to go. Grr.
But the baby boy is struggling even worse than that. Last week he got his first childhood illness- foot, hand and mouth disease, then came through that to develop a snuffly nose this week. He capped this off yesterday by dropping a heavy wooden chair straight on his big toe and smashing it. Blood, screaming, swelling, writhing, blood. It was really awful. But it's mostly ok- not broken or needing stitches, just fat and blue.
So he and I are both hobbling, he's sneezing and dribbling, I'm intermittently crying from tiredness or pain, since G's ailments are waking him up so no one is sleeping properly and we are a big old mess.
Thank goodness for the baker, who can still bend to do the bath, lift the rubbish bin and not complain when I'm complaining too much and have eaten all the chocolate gelato from the freezer. What a soldier.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
organics revisited
Just a note about our mission to be predominantly organic. It's really disrupted the budget. I'm now back to my old habits of trying to find the best and cheapest, but this time organic and some of it is a bit shocking. I never really believed that organic was so much more expensive, I always thought it was just a bit more. A tin of tomatoes, the cupboard staple for us, regular, from 55c to 99c. Organic, $1.67 or more. Three times the price. Milk, regular, 2 litre, $2.80-$3.50, organic, $4.98- $5.33. This is really putting me to the test.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
I am loathe to admit this but there is a void in my day since Big Brother finished. And I wasn't even a big fan. But for my half an hour wind down, after the baker has gone to work and I've put G to bed, the pointless machinations of the people in that program were lite and distracting.
I wish Bridgette or Nobby had won. Unhinged people are funny. Battlers are not. And I just know channel 9 is going to mess it up.
I wish Bridgette or Nobby had won. Unhinged people are funny. Battlers are not. And I just know channel 9 is going to mess it up.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
feed me
Feeding a toddler is fun and tricky. Or not fun and distressing. Sometimes it's fun and distressing at the same time. Timing is everything, as is repetition. It's a learned skill and something I'll probably obsess over forever.
I know that it's tricky, not only because of my own experience, but because I browsed 'kid's food' at the library and found just how much has been written about this issue. It's serious. I left with three books, just as a starter! And then there's what I find online.
I read a bit when G first started on solids and have topped up my reading when my motivation has been low or I've found myself at the end of my tether with a baby who goes for days on only avocado, sultanas and yoghurt. It's a huge topic to cover, with nutrition, fussiness, development, and then the massive allergy issues. Something I know our parents really didn't worry so much about. 'Peanut butter and eggs for everyone! Soy? Isn't that for dim-sims?'
But my interest in food and nutrition was re-invigorated recently. I was having a guilty moment, reflecting on how much my unborn baby has been ignored during house preparations while I considered the detrimental impact of the chemicals I had been practically bathing in for two weeks. What was I thinking? Bleach, sugar soap, paint, carpet chemicals, metho, caustic, all being processed by my body into that of the tiny foetus inside me. I still shudder thinking about it.
I decided I had to take some steps to right my potential wrongs. I was worn down, dry, wrung out and felt yukky. Imagine how G and that poor baby were feeling! But where to start? I had taken loan of a book from my bosses wife, an avid 'natural' mum. This book I knew of before, but I had only glanced it's way, as it seemed a bit too full on for me.
Anyway, I read it and found it wasn't so radical, afterall. Through this chiroprators advice I could see a way to making changes that could benefit the whole family, back-up our commitment to our health and well-being without having to immediately strip back our whole life and start again. Me and my babies would feel better.
Firstly, organic. As much as I can get where we are. I started with the chemicals. As I may have said before, I am a devout, passionate enjo user, so we don't have any household cleaners anyway. But my hands were still shredded from all the washing with detergent, and that stuff is not the purest I can buy. Switch. Same for the body and baby washes. Organic, phosphate free etc. G's skin is already improving and I feel better about it, if nothing else. As other things of this type run out I'll simply be replacing them with the pure stuff. Washing powder all switched, with no bother since I hated the fumes from regular powders anyway.
Then to the kitchen. Organic milk was simple to get. Yoghurt ditto. It stretched the bakers brain to accomodate the cost, since I'd been so pro-cost cutting, but I just looked at him like 'we HAVE to, ok?' and he hasn't said much about it since. But I'll tell you what I've noticed- regular milk stinks to me now. I'd rather have black tea. Revelation. I have also sought out alternative cheeses- sheep's milk and goat's- to vary our dairy consumption. It was easier than I thought. Pecorino is a great sub for parmesan, in fact a bit sharper if you like that, and goat's cheese comes from spreadable through to hard, so there's enormous choice. And the sheep's feta (from Bulgaria) is so tangy and delicious, a better accompaniment for my avocado on toast diet cannot be found!
Then the other switches I've made have involved seeking out alternative grain/wheat/flour sources. Not just organic, but different flour, to vary our diet and displace a bit of our white flour consumption. Millet flour, buckwheat, quinoa and rolled barley (like oats) have all found a place in our cupboard without a hitch. When I've been baking I go half/half flour substitution, without much difference, except for the flavour. Millet flour has a mild flavour, while buckwheat can be quite overpowering for some things. Fine for adding flavour to plain baking (scones, pikelets, fritter batters) but where there are other ingredients, like nuts, fruits or chocolate, it can over-ride those easily. Which just makes your cake taste funny. And the gluten in these flours (or lack of) can really mess your recipes up. A case of try it and see, and make sure you write down what you did. Or like me, you'll forget and forever be testing recipes!
In some cases I didn't even have to seek out 'special' foods. For many foods it was as simple as reading the ingredients list. Stupid, I know, but a bag of sultanas HAS an ingredients list, since it's not just sultanas in there, but often oil and sometimes a preservative of some kind, like sulphur dioxide. It's very common, such that you'd think it was normal, but if you look hard enough, you can find natural sultanas with nothing else, in the supermarket. Dates too. Apricots and figs you may have to hit the healthfood shop for. It's worth thinking about if you are concerned about food sensitivities and your toddler. Once again I am struck- cooking for yourself from basic ingredients will always win out, cost and healthwise. So why are our supermarket aisles choc-a-block full of crap?
I'm seeking out organic meats. I think contacts must be made through the local farmers market. Vegies is a tricky one, since I'm so addicted to my home delivery box, and it's such good value. I have made a commitment to get our own organic garden going, so we can supplement with 'own grown' delights.
Making these changes was so simple, in terms of finding alternatives easily in supermarkets and healthfood shops locally. But the choice to do so covers so many issues I shan't be going into it here. I can feel the personal hysteria bubbling below the surface. From farming techniques, processing and transport, sale and cost, across the spectrum of mass food production issues to an individuals health preferences and lifestyle aspirations, the choice to try and be more natural and organic is political, environmental and personal. I know about all these things, but for me, it's about health and well-being, vitality and simplicity. While meeting the budget, that is!
Funny what happens. I was just trying to find something to feed my toddler!
I know that it's tricky, not only because of my own experience, but because I browsed 'kid's food' at the library and found just how much has been written about this issue. It's serious. I left with three books, just as a starter! And then there's what I find online.
I read a bit when G first started on solids and have topped up my reading when my motivation has been low or I've found myself at the end of my tether with a baby who goes for days on only avocado, sultanas and yoghurt. It's a huge topic to cover, with nutrition, fussiness, development, and then the massive allergy issues. Something I know our parents really didn't worry so much about. 'Peanut butter and eggs for everyone! Soy? Isn't that for dim-sims?'
But my interest in food and nutrition was re-invigorated recently. I was having a guilty moment, reflecting on how much my unborn baby has been ignored during house preparations while I considered the detrimental impact of the chemicals I had been practically bathing in for two weeks. What was I thinking? Bleach, sugar soap, paint, carpet chemicals, metho, caustic, all being processed by my body into that of the tiny foetus inside me. I still shudder thinking about it.
I decided I had to take some steps to right my potential wrongs. I was worn down, dry, wrung out and felt yukky. Imagine how G and that poor baby were feeling! But where to start? I had taken loan of a book from my bosses wife, an avid 'natural' mum. This book I knew of before, but I had only glanced it's way, as it seemed a bit too full on for me.
Anyway, I read it and found it wasn't so radical, afterall. Through this chiroprators advice I could see a way to making changes that could benefit the whole family, back-up our commitment to our health and well-being without having to immediately strip back our whole life and start again. Me and my babies would feel better.
Firstly, organic. As much as I can get where we are. I started with the chemicals. As I may have said before, I am a devout, passionate enjo user, so we don't have any household cleaners anyway. But my hands were still shredded from all the washing with detergent, and that stuff is not the purest I can buy. Switch. Same for the body and baby washes. Organic, phosphate free etc. G's skin is already improving and I feel better about it, if nothing else. As other things of this type run out I'll simply be replacing them with the pure stuff. Washing powder all switched, with no bother since I hated the fumes from regular powders anyway.
Then to the kitchen. Organic milk was simple to get. Yoghurt ditto. It stretched the bakers brain to accomodate the cost, since I'd been so pro-cost cutting, but I just looked at him like 'we HAVE to, ok?' and he hasn't said much about it since. But I'll tell you what I've noticed- regular milk stinks to me now. I'd rather have black tea. Revelation. I have also sought out alternative cheeses- sheep's milk and goat's- to vary our dairy consumption. It was easier than I thought. Pecorino is a great sub for parmesan, in fact a bit sharper if you like that, and goat's cheese comes from spreadable through to hard, so there's enormous choice. And the sheep's feta (from Bulgaria) is so tangy and delicious, a better accompaniment for my avocado on toast diet cannot be found!
Then the other switches I've made have involved seeking out alternative grain/wheat/flour sources. Not just organic, but different flour, to vary our diet and displace a bit of our white flour consumption. Millet flour, buckwheat, quinoa and rolled barley (like oats) have all found a place in our cupboard without a hitch. When I've been baking I go half/half flour substitution, without much difference, except for the flavour. Millet flour has a mild flavour, while buckwheat can be quite overpowering for some things. Fine for adding flavour to plain baking (scones, pikelets, fritter batters) but where there are other ingredients, like nuts, fruits or chocolate, it can over-ride those easily. Which just makes your cake taste funny. And the gluten in these flours (or lack of) can really mess your recipes up. A case of try it and see, and make sure you write down what you did. Or like me, you'll forget and forever be testing recipes!
In some cases I didn't even have to seek out 'special' foods. For many foods it was as simple as reading the ingredients list. Stupid, I know, but a bag of sultanas HAS an ingredients list, since it's not just sultanas in there, but often oil and sometimes a preservative of some kind, like sulphur dioxide. It's very common, such that you'd think it was normal, but if you look hard enough, you can find natural sultanas with nothing else, in the supermarket. Dates too. Apricots and figs you may have to hit the healthfood shop for. It's worth thinking about if you are concerned about food sensitivities and your toddler. Once again I am struck- cooking for yourself from basic ingredients will always win out, cost and healthwise. So why are our supermarket aisles choc-a-block full of crap?
I'm seeking out organic meats. I think contacts must be made through the local farmers market. Vegies is a tricky one, since I'm so addicted to my home delivery box, and it's such good value. I have made a commitment to get our own organic garden going, so we can supplement with 'own grown' delights.
Making these changes was so simple, in terms of finding alternatives easily in supermarkets and healthfood shops locally. But the choice to do so covers so many issues I shan't be going into it here. I can feel the personal hysteria bubbling below the surface. From farming techniques, processing and transport, sale and cost, across the spectrum of mass food production issues to an individuals health preferences and lifestyle aspirations, the choice to try and be more natural and organic is political, environmental and personal. I know about all these things, but for me, it's about health and well-being, vitality and simplicity. While meeting the budget, that is!
Funny what happens. I was just trying to find something to feed my toddler!
Friday, July 25, 2008
What's been going on?
Behold, where once there was a kitchen, now there is none. And from behind ancient wood panelling a door appeared. Then came the wallpaper revelation and the saga of removing the thirty year old wallpaper.
Gobbing great streaks of liquid nails on the dappled concrete walls. Rotting lino. The kitchen bench sitting in the middle of the room. A baker with a heavy heart.
The pregnant lady on a ladder. Shouldn't somebody have done something?!?
But then, it was cleaned. And all painted. And the floors went down. And it was ok.
There is a mania that occurs, for me, anyway, when you move house. It comes through not being organised, and living in a muddle of boxes and spending all your time getting everything 'the way it should be', instead of maintaining a decent and balanced lifestyle.
Usually I have it all sorted within a week or so and life goes on. But this time it's different. Living with a toddler demands good organisation- you can't be hunting for a pan and shuffling about for the grater when it's lunch time. It's LUNCHTIME. That's what they demand. So the speed with which I have been able to settle in has been halved, since a lot of my day is planning and preparing for a toddlers needs and then having to go out and do things with him, since a house full of boxes is too much for him and me to cope with.
But just last night, in one of those mid-pregnancy energy bursts you get, I managed to unpack and clear out several of the boxes that have been bothering me, line up my cookbooks, sit on my couch, in my newly carpeted and painted loungeroom and think about cooking. So I think we are getting there. Today I even took him for a walk in the pusher. This means I did not spend an hour unpacking, and that is something, too. Walks are much better for everybody, aren't they?
I have even made some head-space for blogging. Be ready for some great, cheap cooking, gardening and spending anecdotes once again, as I/we re-focus on our life and asses the aftermath of the move and renovation...... In the meantime, I hope the happy snaps justify my absence over the past month.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
we're in
We're in!
I don't even know where to start.
Unfinished rooms are now stuffed full of boxes. Temporary curtains cover our paint and grime streaked windows. The to-do list is long and full of shitty jobs needing something from Bunnings to be completed. I am annoyed about the job done on our floors. I am going to send two angry letters to the stores we have dealt with. Just as soon as I can find the printer....Thank goodness for my Dad and his ute, the runs to the tip have been endless. Thank goodness for my Mum and her patience. The baby boy has been well occupied by her during this rollercoaster ride, which is brilliant. One less thing to worry about. Any thought of the new baby has been pushed aside until my poor addled brain can think straight again. The only thing keeping me on track there are the obstetric appointments!
But, we're in!
Photos and more soon. We just got the internet re-connected, I have too much mail to deal with.
I don't even know where to start.
Unfinished rooms are now stuffed full of boxes. Temporary curtains cover our paint and grime streaked windows. The to-do list is long and full of shitty jobs needing something from Bunnings to be completed. I am annoyed about the job done on our floors. I am going to send two angry letters to the stores we have dealt with. Just as soon as I can find the printer....Thank goodness for my Dad and his ute, the runs to the tip have been endless. Thank goodness for my Mum and her patience. The baby boy has been well occupied by her during this rollercoaster ride, which is brilliant. One less thing to worry about. Any thought of the new baby has been pushed aside until my poor addled brain can think straight again. The only thing keeping me on track there are the obstetric appointments!
But, we're in!
Photos and more soon. We just got the internet re-connected, I have too much mail to deal with.
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