The Dogs Clearly Love Me.

Look at what I came home to tonight. I even managed to step over it whilst carrying a water bucket without realising it - but I sure managed to see it on the way back to the house. How can I be that blind? Amazing.

Talk about a PANIC, but thank goodness it was really, really dead. It was however right at the back door, so the dogs were just being loving I guess. To me it looks like an ex-brown snake & it was about a metre in length, but I have had it confirmed by an excellent source that it is indeed a juvenile copperhead snake (thanks Jeff xx)

I found a really long stick to grab it & put it in the bin. It was so beautiful - I don't think the photos do it justice, but the colour of it was just spectacular. It had a light green belly, such a golden brown hue on the topside. Poor thing, it was probably out for a nice afternoon meander. Betcha it got a helluva fright.

Our Re-upholstered Lounge Suite.

Could I be any happier? Our lounge suite has arrived today after being re-upholstered! Doesn't it look just fabulous? I bought it almost 20 years ago from a lady I used to know. Back then it was brown & had no discernable shape, but I just loved it. Man I'm glad I bought it.

I had it reupholstered about 18 years ago (piece by piece due to having almost no money to spare), into a floral tapestry pattern & it was so pretty. It also came back with it's original shape, which I was most surprised & thrilled about, as I had no idea that it actually had a shape. Since then it has survived the husband, 2 baby boys, 2 cats & 4 dogs (2 of whom are still with us), numerous parties & good (& bad) times with friends. It's been with me for so long now, I can never let it go. What a history we have together. Actually, sitting here thinking about it - these pieces of furniture are really the first things I bought that I still have with me to this day. No wonder I am so attached to them. Freaky.

I wonder what the next 18 years involves for this lounge suite & I? Can't wait to find out though! I wonder what I'll be like in 18 years. Might have to re-upholster myself when I next re-upholster the suite.....:)

Cousin Cathie's Wedding

Myself (looking slightly mad) & Cathie (& baby - I think a girl?)

On the weekend just gone, husband & I were invited to the wedding of my gorgeous cousin Cathie, who married a rather yummy English chap, John. The wedding was held in the Ballarat Art Gallery, which is a beautiful venue, with the reception at a local hotel. Cathie is the one cousin who looks like me, so I'm told, & apparently we are both similar in our humour & attitude. I'm happy with that - Cathie is terrific!

Father of the Bride, Me, Aunt & Uncle

The wedding ceremony was brief, which is the way all good ceremonies should be, & I was a bit teary, much to the amusement of my children However, all weddings make me tear up, as they are such joyous events with huge promises for the future.

The wedding favour - what a damn good idea! How nice is this plate?

Congratulations to Cathie & John! Your wedding & reception was a great, fun filled event, but I know that your life together will be one of the best marriages going. You guys rock xx

An Engagement :)

Myself & Rachel

Remember my darling friend Rachel? I love her so very much xx

So, it is with much joy that I announce a happy event - last weekend husband & I attended the engagement party of said Rachel & her most darling partner, Mat. It was a BRILLIANT night, full of laughter, full of catching up with good friends. It was also one of the hottest nights known to man, one of those nights where it was far too hot to get drunk, one of those nights where it was so appropriate to take off ones stilettos to walk home.

So to my lovely Mat & Rachel - congratulations! You guys are one of the most perfect couples I know. You make each other happy without being co-dependant. You support each other's dreams and still chase your own.

I wish you much happiness & love & laughter & good times in the future. I wish you boundless strength to face the inevitable challenges that will occur. I wish you the Universe xxx

Happy Australia Day

Happy Australia Day to you all.

Normally I am not a very patriotic person, but I realise, as I am growing older, that I am very lucky to live where I do. I live in a country that is accepting of others, that is an exciting and developing nation and it is a country in which my sons will have unlimited opportunities if they are wise enough to explore what is available and to challenge themselves.

My home town is large and old enough to have an interesting history, a varied culture and an acceptance of diversity, but it is small enough to be friendly and comforting. The schools are world class, we have a renowned University and excellent healthcare facilities. We are small enough to know the shopkeepers by name and to have great customer service.

But, the best thing about my country is the fact that I have wonderful friends here. So today a small group of us got together for our Australia Day Celebration. We were unashamedly patriotic of course, however the important thing was to just be together. We had the obligatory Aussie BBQ, along with lamingtons, but the dessert was to die for. I have no idea what you call this, but it was sensational!

Ingredients:

• Tin of peaches
• Tub of cream - whipped
• Packet of "Butternut Snap" biscuits crushed
• Packet of hazelnuts - crushed
• Block of dark chocolate - crushed.

Method:

• Mix together the cream, biscuits, hazelnuts & chocolate and put on top of the drained peaches.
• Add an Ausssie Flag.
• Enjoy!!

Terry Told Me Off!!!

I have had a very timely reminder from a dear friend, in that I have not updated this blog in like FOREVER, & he is totally correct. But given that he has publicly shamed me on Facebook with his reminder, here is my payback - here is a photo of the gorgeous Terry & myself at a work Christmas party in 2oo8.

So, what has happened recently?

• We had a great Christmas, which we spent with my brother's in-laws. It was a fantastic & joyous day, with none of the family members having to work at all. Brilliant! It was a 10 hour party marathon, & I would think that it was one of the best days I have ever had.
• The boys spent NYE with my bother & his wife down at the beach. Jem & I were both off, it was a stinking hot night, but then the power went out during a massive thunderstorm. We lit candles to see, but that just turned out to be disastrously too hot, so we blew them all out & were then covered in stinky candle smoke for quite a while. Not as romantic as you would think really.
  
• Both Jem & I have had holidays at home, but took consecutive 2 week blocks to try to cover the school holidays as best we could. We're both back at work now, & the boys go back to school at the end of next week. Mum & Dad are doing the grandparent thing & all seem to be enjoying themselves.
  
• Both boys have moved up a grade at school, Jack being now in Grade 5 & Tom moving into Year 7. It's been a marathon of book buying/covering, clothes buying/naming, shoe buying & form filling. Both boys are looking forward to the new school year to see all their mates again. I just feel like I'm getting old & am losing my babies as they march into adulthood at a very rapid rate.
• The animals continue to rule the house. We are their very obedient servants, so all is right with the world.

So, what now?

• I promise whole heartedly to Terry to be more diligent in my ramblings here.
• We have "Briards in Ballarat" coming up on March 7th at our home. All the gang will be here it seems, plus a new member, Miss Tee who is just a delight & I can't wait to meet her & her Mum! Will definitely have a ramble or two about that day!

Spring in the Garden

Gosh I've been away from here for ages! What has been happening in my life over the past month? Probably not a great deal of interesting stuff really, just general family nonsense with great boring potential for others. We did put in floorboards in the September school holidays, my bestie Kim visited from NSW then too (more about her at a later date) so September was a great month.

October was not the best month really, as three of the four of us had gastro - but not me luckily. I just got the disrupted sleep and a dose of the queasiness, which was more than enough thank you very much. Both the boys got the vomits in the middle of the night which appears to be the best time to have it really, makes it delightful to attend work the next day.

We had the school sports, which was Tom's last one at primary school. He had his literacy & numeracy testing for college a few weeks ago and coped just fine. A great friend of his will be joining him at the new school as well as his current school friends so he couldn't be more excited really. Jack is grooving along at a great rate of knots, and he is feeling more grown up now that Tom will be leaving him for a new school as Jack now has the responsibility of taking notes and newsletters back and forth to the school office. He will also be in the Senior Group for the next two years of school - and it's hard to be more grown up than that in the scheme of things.

So here are a few gratuitous garden shots from today. It's looking rather pretty isn't it? Spring is a great time of year in our garden, but in a few weeks time this will all be a brown dust bowl. Hopefully we will all be safe from fires this summer fire season, I don't want anyone in Australia to go through what some communities went through on Black Saturday. Perhaps it will be inevitable in our climate and with fire bugs waiting to pounce - but I hope it will not be so. Lives are too precious - both human & animal.